You ever wonder why you're doing something? Walk into a room and forget what you went in there for? Aimlessly stroll through the supermarket with no clue what you needed? I have. You have. Don't lie to me now.
For a while thats kind of how I felt with my training. I knew what I had to do. I knew how I had to do it...but I found my self just trying things for the fun of it. Results? Did I get results? Absolutely, positively not.
Personally, I feel that without a well programmed routine your training will go nowhere and stall out. Thats not just a feeling, thats truth.
In my last post, I mentioned that my training partner and myself were embarking on a journey in the land N.O.V. and for a few months we are hitting Jim Wendler's 5/3/1 program extraordinarily hard. And we recently finished our first four week cycle.
Both of us put up some great numbers. Very pleased but not satisfied with the results. We both feel very full and Jay feels (and looks) like he has put on some size. My body fat percentage has gone down and I feel strong. First time I can say that in a while.
The Boring But Big template was the weapon of choice. The basic premise of the template is: you use a primary lift for your 5/3/1 (strength) program, then you use a secondary lift for hypertrophy followed by calf and ab work on leg day and tri, bi, and back work on upper body day.
Like I said earlier, I was pleased with results, but felt like it left some body parts lagging a bit. So, we just reprogrammed our lifts, changed the assistance work and now we're back at it.
Some of the best numbers I hit were: a STRICT standing military press 180 pounds for a set of 5, deadlifted 355 for a set of 6, a 285 pound bench for 7 and a 325 pound squat for a set of 10. I was very pleased with the squats.
I have always considered the squat to be my hardest lift. Technique is so crucial and for the longest time my squat, to be kind, stunk on ice. Not to mention, like most guys in their late teens and early twenties, train three things when they hit the gym. They are - in order of importance mind you - biceps, chest, abs. To play it safe they may even work in another biceps day. Gotta get the guns bro!
Now that I feel my squat has gone just slightly above sub par, it is slowly becoming one of my favorite lifts. Not that my numbers are monstrous, but I have been feeling very strong when the bar is on my back, and that speaks volumes.
Speaking of volume, the music that most people listen to while they workout is crap. Thats why I thought I would give you a list, a top 5 if you will, of the songs that I listen to when I have a big lift to get done, or some real troublesome assistance work that just wont let you breathe.
There is really no particular order to these, I like them. They seem to help me when I lift. If you can't get work done with these songs, I really don't know what to tell you...I just cant believe that some people lift listening to Adelle...I'm looking at you Farley. So here they are:
1) Pantera - I'm Broken
This is my original do work song. Pantera is one of my favorite bands of all time. This song is just filled with so much anger and makes you want to crush something...makes me want to crush iron.
2) Hatebreed - Escape (Die Hard Edit)
When Hatebreed covers Metallica, it's a good day. I have had some of my best lifts to this song. Deadlifts especially.
3) Staind - Not Again
Let me be blunt. I don't like Aaron Lewis. I think, for a while, he was softer than fresh dog poop, but when this album came out, he gained a lot of respect with this crushing little ditty.
4) Rosella - Bullet Proof
I found this song on an EFS motivational video. It is by a relatively unknown band, which I am quite fond of, and most of it is sang through a walkie talkie. You cannot put a price tag on that.
5) Clutch - The Regulator
This song is slower than most. I usually leave this song on repeat when I'm warming up for a big lift. For some reason it just puts me in the zone before going absolutely BANANAS!!!
Which leads me to my closing point. Buy your bananas at your local Circle K. They are almost always ripe, and you can get about 17 of them for about a buck.
Trust me on this one, besides Jason, I eat more bananas than a starving monkey.
Stay strong.
-Brann
