Friday, March 11, 2011

March 2011 Deload Sessions

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Here is how I wrapped up another Cycle of Wendler's 5/3/1.

Monday

  • Pull/Chin-Up Ladder 1,2,3,4,5 x 3 rounds
  • Hex Dead 5 x 5
  • Sled Drags 5 Plates
  • Sandbag Lunge 10 reps
  • Sandbag Squat 10 reps
  • KB Snatch 5 reps/each side
  • KB Swing 10 reps
Last 5 exercises were superset 4 rounds

Tuesday
  • Strap Scarecrows 3 x 15
  • Overhead Press 5 x 5
  • Farmer's Walk
  • KB Rows 10 reps
  • KB Cleans 5 reps
Last 3 exercises were superset 4 rounds

Wednesday
  • Strap Scarecrows 3 x 15
  • Strap Push-Ups 3 x 15
  • Front Squat 5 x 5
  • Sled Drags
  • Barbell Complex 10 Reps each Dead, Row, Clean, Press, Front Squat
Last 6 exercises were superset 3 rounds

As you can see deloading can be pretty fun for a couple of reasons:
  1. Training Sessions are shorter.
  2. You have the change to perform exercises that are different from your normal routine.
  3. Sometimes the Deload can show you movements you should add to your current training.
I also learned a couple of things from the completion of this current training cycle.

I need to shorten training sessions. Doing this will help aid in recovery and free up some time for other things. During training the 1st lift will continue to be either Bench, Squat, Deadlift, Overhead Press and subsequent lifts will be coupled or tripled to cut down on rest and training time. Another option can be a Heavy (1-5 reps), Medium (6-12 reps), Light (12-15+ reps).

HML Lower Body
  • Foam Roll/Warmup
  • Deadlift 5 x 5
  • Front Squat 4 x 10
  • KB Swing 3 x 20
  • Abs 3 x 20
  • Foam Roll/Cool Down

Another tweak to my training will be to cut back on the max reps. At one point during the last Hex Deadlift set I went 390 x 22 and worked up to a single of 550 lbs. and my brother went 380 x 17 and up to 550.



Fun? Hell yeah. (Depending on your definition of Fun). Smart? Probably not. That is a ton of volume and it would have been smarter to cut off after the final set before working up to heavy singles or get rid of the workset and just keep going to heavy single. I won't do this in the future because Squat was later in the week and did not fully recover for that session so numbers were lackluster. Lesson learned.

Last thing I learned is I need to condition more at the end of training. Not so much that I throw up, but enough to know the lungs are working. I walk every morning for 30 minutes and do some conditioning on off days like sled drags, hill sprints, and stadium stairs with a vest. I can also pull some ideas from Some Summer Conditioning Options. There is going to have to be a good balance though because i do not want conditioning adversely affect strength gains. Things are looking good as the weather gets warmer and we gain an extra hour of sunlight.

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