But seriously; am looking into 5/3/1 - got the second edition paperback for Christmas and will probably try the basic principles for some select lifts; Press and deadlift probably.
(Still think it should have been called 5/3/amrap though)
Yeah, 531 is a silly name since the only time you would do 5 reps, 3 reps and 1 rep is if youāve seriously fucked up your Training Max.
1 Like
Good stuff mate! Thatās some substantial progress. The 80 kg press will come.
Hey you still have a roof, dude! 
1 Like
Are you still going for the 80kg press in 2021?
1 Like
Agreed, been using the 531 basic % for a good number of years, I have one of the books and still havenāt got a clue about leaders anchors etc. The joy of 531 for me is the extrene simplicity of it adding all that in blows my tiny mind (well in honesty I canāt be bothered to find out the information and learn it, but Iād rather blame external factors, cos thatās how society works!).
2 Likes
Well yeah, I mean, I probably wonāt die. A big thermos of tea seems to do the trick, itās barely freezing out there.
One of the goals is bodyweight press by the end of the year. I think that if I want a shot at the strength goals (bodyweight press, 20 pull ups and 2.5 bodyweight deadlift), Iām going to need to be around the 80kg mark.
TL:DR: yes.
If Iām honest, I think the base % system is the least useful part, itās just a standard wave loading scheme. I like the principles and also the fact that if you have an idea of what you want to do, 531 has a structure in place that allows you to do it sensibly.
1 Like
Now I just feel like Iāve wasted the best part of a decade!
Useful was probably the wrong word there. It absolutely works, which is why I use it. My point is that the basic progression model for the main lifts is good, but is such a small part of the overall program that its unimportant. Case in point: if you take the progression model out of 531 and use the Kroc Deadlift program progression instead, it still works well. If you take some of the principles out and start going too heavy or progress too quickly or whatever, it all goes a bit Pete Tong.
1 Like
I agree, I find the principles help me tremendously with load selection but Iād love it if I could figure out how to change rep targets on the main lift while still remaining in a good place. Like, Imagine 5ās PRO butā¦ 10ās PRO just to quickly illustrate the idea.
1 Like
Iām pretty sure this could be achieved with a rep max calculator. Iāll just give the sprogs their lunch and get back to you.
Iāve imagined the very same but have not had the time to do it, running around making New Yearās happen. You donāt have to do it for me, but you are welcome to do the computation if you want to! Itād also be possible to just snag BBB percentages to get a general idea (lazy solution).
1 Like
Thatās @antiquity 's point though: it stops being confusing at one point and just becomes a language of programming.
3 Likes
Yeah, I can imagine it does. Have just got the 2nd edition book, hopefully I will get it better, when I have finished that.
1 Like
Not sure that would work, BBB is supplemental work and not typically waved.
My thoughts are that you would probably be looking at working up to topsets of 65%, 70% and 75% across the 3 weeks. Itās far from exact because I keep getting distracted but it wouldnāt be a bad starting point.
I confess this phrase made me imagine you as one of Pratchetts History Monks.
2nd edition will explain some terminology but not loads. Iām pretty sure FSL, jokers, anchors, leaders, Krypteia and 5s PRO are all from Beyond or Forever. I can happily do a quick primer if you need. Most of them arenāt complicated to explain, theyāre just shorthand for already established training ideas. That is pretty much 531 in a nutshell: none of it is new, none of it is groundbreaking. Itās all stuff thatās existed for decades but with cooler names and a structure to them.
Top sets:
Youāre going to do PR sets or 5s PRO. PR sets are explained in second edition. 5s PRO uses the same percentages but every set is for 5. Itās usually better for people who will fuck themselves up doing PR sets, either because they arenāt experienced enough to back off when their form goes to shit or because they canāt recover well enough to keep pushing PR sets.
Supplemental work
Youāre going to do back off sets because 3 āworkingā sets isnāt enough? Ok then:
Making them heavy? Letās call them Jokers
Making them light and moderate volume? FSL
Making them medium weight and high volume? BBS
Making them light and high volume? BBB
Going for one all out high rep set? Widowmaker
That covers most of the terminology.
Hey, thank you, that is actually very helpful.
But one thing still mystifies me though: The basic principle is doing submax sets calculated from your TM and not overdoing it - correct? If you can add all kinds of backof sets / high rep sets / heavier sets / etc on top of the main sets (like I have seen among other you and Cyrrex doing) - does that not kind of violate that basic principle?
(Then is really becomes just āsome heavy strength sets, followed by some lighter high rep setsā?)
Yep, exactly that.
It could if you were silly with it, yes. If you ādid 531ā but every session you did PR sets, 3 heavier sets at 100%, 105%, 110% (jokers), then did 5 x 10 at 75% (BBB FSL), that would absolutely be violating the principles. This is why the fifth principle is ābalanceā, you canāt push everything all the time. 531 provides a structure for this so that you arenāt being silly with it. Anchors and Leaders are a great example of this.
Leader:
Pull back on your main work and assistance so that you can push supplemental harder.
Anchor:
Pull back on your supplemental so that you can push main sets harder
That is pretty much 531 (and most strength training of any kind) in a nutshell, yes. As I was saying before, none of this is groundbreaking, just structured in such a way as to help you not be silly.
2 Likes
Ok, I see, get it. Basic, proven principles set into a system you can lean on.
Said like that, it makes more sense.
Thank you for taking the time to write this out, this is really helpful.
1 Like
No worries.
Its the big thing: everyone wants 5/3/1 to be just A program, but itās not. Itās a method.
2 Likes