Surprise, No Cluster Training Today! But, Back-to-Back 5×5′s

Today’s Workout Log

Warm-up

25 minutes of dynamic stretching and soft-tissue work

Workout

Box Squats – 95 pounds – Sets: 5/5/5/5/5 (2m rest)
Elevated Trap Bar Deadlifts – 165 pounds – Sets: 5/5/5/5/5 (2m rest)
Dumbbell Reverse Lunges – 25-pound Dumbbells – Sets: 6/6/6
Hanging Straight-Leg Raises – Bodyweight – 7/5/5

Cool-down

Dead Hang (elongates spine) – 67 seconds

Workout Journal Notes

What a nice surprise: No cluster training today!

I had just briefly glanced over the whole week’s workout on Monday, and I saw the first two days included clusters, plus I saw the final two workouts also had lots of numbers in the reps/sets column, so I just assumed clusters were the theme of Phase 2 and would be included in every workout.

Thankfully, I was wrong, and clusters are only included in the first two days of each. It’s probably for good reason, allowing your body to rest up for the next week’s clusters.

That certainly isn’t to say I had it easy today though! The workout started out with 2 5×5′s (5 sets of 5 reps each).

I completed both exercises fairly easily, so I’ll be increasing each by 10 pounds next week. It’s all part of the feeling out process in the first week of each phase.

It looks like Thursday’s will also be the shortest days of Phase 2, because there are only 4 total exercises, and it was nice to get out of the gym in only a little over an hour.

I also eliminated just a few of the warm-up exercises that overlapped each other, so I’m able to get the entire warm-up done in 25 minutes, shaving 5 minutes off my previous time.

That might still seem excessive to some, but I can honestly say I’ve felt a huge difference and improvement in each of the warm-ups, and they are more than worth the extra time.

I could still feel Tuesday’s cluster training in my chest this morning, but, again, no pain, just a good “tight” feeling resulting from a good workout.

Speaking of which, tomorrow is upper-body day and the last workout of Phase 2′s first week.

After tomorrow, I will have a nice foundation and familiarization with each new exercise, and it’s all about building and strengthening on each one for the next 3 weeks.

Then, everything will get switched up again in Phase 3, and I can’t wait!