Tuesday's results:
Standing Military Press 3x3 @135
Dead Lift 3x3 @175
Pull ups 3x3 @ bodyweight
Alternating DB curls 3x8 @45
Standing DB Calf Raises 3x8 @50
Rear Lateral Delt raises 3x8 @25

Thoughts:
should the weight go up during the deloading phase? I'll have to look that up.

If I'm following your journal correctly (I had to bring myself up to speed quickly so I'm not sure if I am...) then you've been deloading for almost 3 weeks!! I also saw that you did (again just by glancing) 2 volume phases with a 1(?) week deload between. If this is the case you should go back to a volume or intensity phase. IMO a 3 week deload is too long. Its time to hit the iron hard again.

in total, 2 volume phases and 2 deloading phases.

yes, I'm in my second deloading phase.

I guess I'm slacking on the 3wk deload. I'll hit another 4wk volume phase starting Sunday.

Gotta deload to reload! :D

TRUE.

It is so nice though. In the 1st post in the DFT sticky it mentions a 3-4wk deloading phase so I'm doing something right. :)

Negative! You read it wrong. It's only ONE deload week, and after that is the intensity phase, which is completely different.

So if the DFT on page one is broken down..

4 weeks 5x5 volume phase
1 week DELOAD
3 weeks intensity -> Which happens to have the same 1x3, 3x3 format as the deload week.

The difference is that the deload uses the SAME weight as your last week of 5x5. So when you move to 3 reps w/ the same weight, it's a lot easier than 5 reps.. Hence it gives you a break. The intensity weeks are when you use your body's adaptation from the 5x5 and apply it to the 3x3 jacking your weights UP.

All that being said, you aren't even doing the dual factor 5x5 (I haven't paid attention :D), so taking a deload WEEK every so often will be plenty.

but not for 3 weeks at a time :biglaugh: That's why I originally posted and wanted you to take a look :D

I think if you call the "intensity" phase "peaking" it will be more clear to people what the purpose is. Intensity is one of those poorly understood words. Hell, half the people reading it will probably think it means "you try real hard" for that phase.

Honestly I had never heard of the term "intensity phase" until the DFT sticky. Traditinally the term peaking was always used in periodization of any type. And, honestly I think it's more accurate.

Volume is another troublesome term for people. I would call the "volume" phase the loading phase. Volume is a better label than intensity above since high volume is par for the course in loading phases but taken together it could confuse people, especially since most don't bother to read anything. And it's volume of a different character than so many people think of, which is sissy weights done for thousands of sets :biglaugh: . The loading phase is, after all, fairly "intense" in itself. It may all seem minor but I believe one of the biggest problems is that of terminology.

The only other thing is that delaod and intensity are really the same thing. The deload week is only seperated out because there is no weight progression. But it's all in reality really the same phase and it all constitutes a "recovery" phase as well as a peaking phase.

If fact it is quite possible that a person could slightly increse the weights on the first week (say on the last day) and just continue one from there and still recover quite nicely (not that I would do this). That person might drop the weight back a bit on the first day or something but the whole point is that recovery and peaking are synonomous.

From the bottom of the 1st post in the sticky....
http://www.bodybuilding.net/training...t-5x5-854.html

So I think what I have been doing is the Bill Starr's 5x5, animal mass's version? If that's the case, I know I F-ed up on the first deloading phase by doing 3 sets of 5, but this one should be on point.

Just trying to learn a thing or two......

I must also bring up the fact that I'm a pussy when it comes to adding weight to the bar. This is only because I don't have a spot available working out in my basement. I asked the wife once and she was like helll no....:wtf:

It's a scary feeling getting stuck on that rep knowing that it's either get it up, or put a huge ass whole in the wall.


All that was probably total unrelated to the whole "peaking" vs "deloading" topic.....