WOD

1st: Deadlift – 1 Rep Max

2nd:
5 Rounds for time of:
185# Deadlift, 15 Reps
15 Toes to Bar

Last weekend a group of crazy CFCM members participated in the Spartan Race.  They packed up their GoRuck Packs with 20+ pounds of bricks and then threw on their Teenage Mutnat Ninja Turtles outfits (no Again Faster does not sell these) and then attacked the course.  Who said hard training couldn’t be fun at the same time?  Great job guys and gals!

WENDLER 5-3-1

Today is the end of 1 rep max week.  Everyone should now have a good understanding of the four lifts and where they maxed out at.  Great job by everyone.  We saw some impressive numbers.  But it is not about what you were able to lift this week.  It is about what you will be able to lift in four weeks…..12 weeks…16weeks!!  We introduce to you the Wendler 5-3-1 program.  If you have been a member with us for a long time then you are familiar with the program.  If you are new to CFCM then we will give you a quick rundown of how this works.

The program is based off four major lifts…Shoulder Press, Deadlift, Bench Press, and Back Squat.  To start the program you must first know where you stand with each exercise which is why for the past week we have been doing 1 rep max lifts.  The program runs on a four week cycle.  The first week you will do sets of five reps with the last set going until failure.  The second week you will do three sets of three reps and on the last set going to failure.  On the third week you will do three sets and the reps will go 5-3-1.  The final week of the cycle will be a de-loading week.  The three sets will be of 5 reps but a low percentage weight.  This will allow your body to recover for the next cycle of training.

After each four week cycle you will add 10 pounds to your “Training Load” for the lower body exercises and add five pounds for the upper body exercises.  You do not have to go for a 1 rep max after each four week cycle.

Now that you have a basic understanding I know what you’re thinking…..”O.K. so how much weight do I use?”   There are two different terms you must understand.  “Max Rep” which is the weight you just found out this week and “Training Load” which is 90% of your max rep.  Your training load is the number you will use to determine how much weight you will be lifting for that four week cycle.  Each week you will be given a certain percentage of your working load to lift.  That percentage will increase slightly over the course of the four week cycle.  We understand that this may seem confusing to some and quite mathematical but it works which is why we are continuing to use it.

To make the program easier we have included a link on the left hand side of our website titled Wendler 5-3-1.  If you click on the printable spreadsheet you will be able to enter your 1 rep max for each of the four lifts and the spreadsheet will do the math for the whole four week cycle.  Pretty easy.  Just print it off and put it in your training notebook each month and you will be all set.  The program will start next week so if you missed a lift this week try to get in over the weekend to make it up.  If you have any questions we have a printed version of the Wendler program at the front desk and as always…  When in doubt, ask a trainer!