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Big Mick's 2013 Body Transformation

Thursday the 19th of September 2013:

5/3/1 :


BENCH PRESS:
Warm Up:
125lb x 5
140lb x 5

Set 1 - 180lb x 3
Set 2 - 205lb x 3
Set 3 - 230lb x 7

PEC DEC MACHINE:
100lb - 3 sets of 10

MILITARY PRESS:
80lb - 5 sets of 10 reps

T BAR ROWS:
100lb - 5 sets of 10 reps

PREACHER CURLS:
50lb - 3 sets of 10 reps

TRICEP PUSH DOWN:
60lb - 3 sets of 10 reps
 
Friday the 20th of September 2013:

5/3/1


SQUATS:
Warm Up:
130lb x 5
150lb x 5

Set 1 - 215lb x 3
Set 2 - 245lb x 3
Set 3 - 275lb x 4

DEAD LIFT:
200lb - 5 sets of 10 reps

ABS:
5 x 20 leg raises
 
How you enjoying 531 Mick? All the talk on ausbb about it convinced me to run it again.

Forgot how much I love this program!

Sent from my GT-I9505 using Tapatalk 2
 
How you enjoying 531 Mick? All the talk on ausbb about it convinced me to run it again.

Forgot how much I love this program!

Sent from my GT-I9505 using Tapatalk 2

Loving it, reading the books at the moment, the original 5/3/1 and Beyond 5/3/1, it seems to suit my training goals and schedule perfectly.

Will run the '5/3/1 Boring But Big' for a few months May be till I stall in progress and then I might deload and change to one of the other 5/3/1 templates.

I love it as I do not need to think about it, I already know what weights/reps/sets I will be doing next week and next month and in three months, I get in and do them and get out, job done, and I can feel every muscle in my body, I feel like I am spending less time training yet feeling it a lot more than before, my joints also seem to like it, feeling great. I get three rest days a week, I don't train Wednesdays or week ends, quite enjoy having week ends off, as I used to always train Saturdays, will be adding the conditioning/cardio work on shortly, may be next month.

After reading the book, will be adding body weight Pull Ups and Dips to my sessions next week for muscle building reasons.
 
Monday the 23rd of September 2013:

PRESS:
Warm Up:
65lb x 5
75lb x 5

Set 1 - 115lb x 5 reps
Set 2 - 130lb x 3 reps
Set 3 - 145lb x 6 reps

BENCH PRESS:
125lb - 5 sets of 10 reps

PULL UPS:
4, 3, 3, 2, 2, 1 = 15 (yes I suck at pull ups:mad:)

LAT PULLDOWN:
120lb - 5 sets of 10 reps

PREACHER CURLS:
50lb - 3 sets of 10 reps

TRICEP PUSH DOWN:
60lb - 3 sets of 10 reps
 
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Tuesday the 24th of September 2013:

5/3/1 :

DEAD LIFT:

Warm Up:
145lb x 5
180lb x 5

Set 1 - 265lb x 5
Set 2 - 300lb x 3 belt
Set 3 - 340lb x 4 belt

SQUAT
150lb - 5 sets of 10 reps

AB CRUNCHES:
5 sets of 20 reps
 
Thursday the 26th of September 2013:

5/3/1 :

BENCH PRESS:

Warm Up:
125lb x 5
140lb x 5

Set 1 - 190lb x 5
Set 2 - 220lb x 3
Set 3 - 245lb x 4

PEC DEC MACHINE:
100lb - 3 sets of 10

MILITARY PRESS:
80lb - 5 sets of 10 reps

T BAR ROWS:
100lb - 5 sets of 10 reps

PREACHER CURLS:
50lb - 3 sets of 10 reps

TRICEP PUSH DOWN:
60lb - 3 sets of 10 reps
 
Friday the 27th of September 2013:

5/3/1

SQUATS:

Warm Up:
125lb x 5
155lb x 5

Set 1 - 230lb x 5 wraps
Set 2 - 260lb x 3 wraps
Set 3 - 290lb x 3 wraps & belt

DEAD LIFT:
200lb - 5 sets of 10 reps

ABS:
5 x 20 leg raises

And my Rumble Roller arrived in the mail today....what a best!!
 
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Saturday 28th of September 2013

Rest Day

Sunday 29th of September 2013

Rest Day (went for 3km run in morning:))
 
mick,

how come you use wraps for your squats? I was under the impression that they were only really of value for those who compete..

(genuine q)
 
mick,

how come you use wraps for your squats? I was under the impression that they were only really of value for those who compete..

(genuine q)

Also interested in reading the answer to this question.

Im thinking just light wraps mostly for support and confidence in the joint?

Tim.
 
I am well into my 40's and have trained since I was 16 or 17, and at various stages of my life with some breaks in between.

Have never used a belt or wraps or gloves or anything as I have never trained for strength, but more for conditioning and endurance. I am now pushing heavier weights than I have ever done (a lot or pretty much all my training has been high rep and low weights apart from the last 2-3 years).

After getting some knee pain after heavy squat days (nothing too bad) I did some reading and came to the conclusion that wraps might be the go for heavier sets, as it increases the pressure inside the knee joint and keeps everything tight as well as warm, protecting the knee. Friday was the first time I used them and found I could squat lower and with better form with the heavier weights.

So will see how it goes. also note I used a belt on the heavy squat and dead lift set for the same reason.

Hoping to increase my max lifts, want to get a 200kg (440lb) dead lift, which is not great by a competition standard, but not bad for me, not sure where I want my squat to go yet as long as it goes up a bit, but really want a 150kg (330lb) bench as well.
 
fair enough mick thanks for the detailed reply...

ive considered using them because my knees are "double jointed" (I can bend then backwards.. used to be able to lay my calf flat on the floor while sitting in a chair) and have been dislocated a couple of times each so am always a little worried about them going "boom" while squatting lol
 
It's worth giving them a run mate.

I Have bought mine from NoBull Supplements with my free $50 gift voucher from the protein debacle, thought that it would be pointless buying protein with it:p

They were pretty cheap but seem to be good value for money at $22.99, I have had them for a while but did not use them previously, also got the wrist wraps for $8.99, they seem to be good quality for the $$$ but have not used them yet, might try them for heavy benching soon.

Thinking of buying a knee sleeve type thing for knees and elbows (not wraps) just to keep a bit of pressure on the joints in my old age even for lighter sets, might be beneficial.

I need to look at training in the long term, so I can still lift when 55 and 65, keeping in shape, I love doing it too much and could not imagine not training.

EDIT:

Bought the lever belt from 'Iron Tanks' and it's a beast, very happy with it
 
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Monday the 30th of September 2013:

Week 4 of 5/3/1 (de-load)

PRESS:
Warm Up:
60lb x 5
60lb x 5

Set 1 - 60lb x 5 reps
Set 2 - 75lb x 3 reps
Set 3 - 90lb x 6 reps

BENCH PRESS:
125lb - 5 sets of 10 reps

PULL UPS:
5, 4, 4, 2 = 15 (yes I suck at pull ups:mad:)

LAT PULLDOWN:
120lb - 5 sets of 10 reps

PREACHER CURLS:
50lb - 3 sets of 10 reps

TRICEP PUSH DOWN:
60lb - 3 sets of 10 reps
 
Tuesday the 1st of October 2013:

Week 4 of 5/3/1 (de-load):

DEAD LIFT:
Warm Up:
145lb x 5
145lb x 5

Set 1 - 245lb x 5
Set 2 - 180lb x 3 belt
Set 3 - 215lb x 4 belt

SQUAT
150lb - 5 sets of 10 reps

AB CRUNCHES:
5 sets of 20 reps
 
Thursday the 3rd of October 2013:

Week 4 of 5/3/1 (de-load)

BENCH PRESS:
Warm Up:

125lb x 5
125lb x 5

Set 1 - 125lb x 5
Set 2 - 145lb x 5
Set 3 - 155lb x 5

PEC DEC MACHINE:
100lb - 3 sets of 10

MILITARY PRESS:
80lb - 5 sets of 10 reps

T BAR ROWS:
100lb - 5 sets of 10 reps

PREACHER CURLS:
50lb - 3 sets of 10 reps

TRICEP PUSH DOWN:
60lb - 3 sets of 10 reps
 
[B}Friday the 20th of September 2013:

Week 4 deload 5/3/1
[/B]

SQUATS:
Warm Up:
130lb x 5
130lb x 5

Set 1 - 130lb x 5
Set 2 - 155lb x 5
Set 3 - 185lb x 5

DEAD LIFT:
200lb - 5 sets of 10 reps

ABS:
5 x 20 Ab Crunches
 
Hey mick, have been looking at your log as I'm looking for something new and exciting myself.
How you still liking this program?
Do you think it's pushing your limits or holding a bit back on the weight?
Is it hard to manage the data and know what to do next?
Too early to comment on any results?

Good move buying the straps, safe bet keeping the patela in place, I need to get some for dead lifts, I rip the bar out of my hands.
 
Love the program, easy to manage, as the program tells you what weights to lift once you have your initial 1rm weights sorted. It's a pretty tough workout if you have your weights right, first week felt easy by the time you hit week three, you are busting your balls.

Even the de load week I just finished I can feel every muscle in my body, and it feels like I been getting a good all over body workout.

Starting my second cycle (second month) on Monday and all the weights go up. So all my lifts go up and the weights on the assistance go from 50% of working max to 60% of working max, so where my dead lift assistance workout was 5 sets of 10 x 200lb (which is approximately 50% of my 1rm) this months it will be 5 sets of 10 x 240lb (60% of 400lb) will be using that weight for the next 4 weeks then it goes up to 5 sets of 10 x 280lb (70% of 400lb), so it will be getting tough.

Then that will be the end of the 3 months challenge, so then either re-test 1rm max and start over using the new 1 rm max as a starting point or use another workout.

Personally I think by week three of the third month I will be retesting my 1rm max in each of the 4 lifts, and hopefully they will be more than what is in my signature, if I can add 10-20lb to each of them I will be stoked, then I think I will start over. Might change my assistance exercises to different ones as well for the next three month cycle.

Just do the 5/3/1, and then do the 5x10 for Bench Squat Dead Lift and press, and add your own assistance exercises

So just do:

Monday - 5/3/1 Military press & 5x10reps Bench Press plus additional assistance exercises

Tuesday - 5/3/1 Dead Lift & 5x10reps Squat plus additional assistance exercises

Thursday - 5/3/1 Bench Press & 5x10reps Military Press plus additional assistance exercises

Friday - 5/3/1 Squat & 5x10reps Dead Lift plus additional assistance exercises
 
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