If I don’t change my.training max wouldn’t that mean I’m.only using around 80 percent of my real max as my training max?
I am thinking of doing only two joker sets every 7 weeks.
So you did 75 x 5 which was an AMRAP (as many reps as possible). But you were able to do a joker set at 80 x 8. Either I am reading this wrong or there is no way your 75 x 5 was a true Amrap set.
Ya it definitely wasn’t an amrap I put a cap of 5 before doing the joker set. Could have hit 10 easy.
I wouldn’t waste time on joker sets this early on in the program and i definitely would not cut an amrap short to do a joker. I can only imagine what Jim would say to that, lol. Forget the jokers and hit your amrap hard real hard. That is where you will get all your gains from.
Agreed, I wouldn’t put such a low cap on your AMRAP sets while your training max is so low. Got 10 reps in you? 15? Go for it. Volume is your friend at this stage.
I’ll just join the chorus man.
Do NOT change your TM. Do NOT do Jokers yet.
Do amrap sets for the last working set, this is where you earn your money.
Keep track of weights and reps, so when you get to a weight you’ve done before for say 12 reps, you know if you do 13 you’ve become stronger.
It’s very addictive to look at a spreadsheet or just a handwritten piece of paper and see all those numbers and trying to beat that number.
As for how many reps: on 5’s day many lifters start out with between 10 and 15 reps 3’s 8 - 10 and 1’s day if you can’t get 5 good clean reps you TM is too high… according to the man himself.
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Workout August 11
Ohp = 35 kilos X 3, 40 kilos X 3, 42.5 kilos X 8. 35 kilos X 5,5,5,5,5
Deadlift = 82 kg X 3, 95 kilos X 3, 105 kilos X 6. 82 kg X 5,5,5,5,5
Pullups = 15
Dips = 16
Concentration curl = 12
Pushups = 12
Back extensions = 10,10,10
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August 13 workout
Bench - 47 kgs X 3, 55 kilos X 3, 62 kilos X 5, 67 kilos X 8 47 kgs X 5,5,5,5,5
Squat = 60 kilos X 3, 67 kilos X 3, 77 kilos X 8 60 kilos X 5,5,5,5,5
Nice work. Keep it up and remember to really go hard on those amrap sets. No point saving it for another day. Really try to hit a rep PR every time.
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Yeah what @simo74 said.
That amrap is where you get strong, so really push it.
The 5x5 is technique and volume to grow from.
The workouts looks damn good, even Jim would be proud.
This logs lookin good. Watch and learn @iamawesomedev @liftingaddict @kickassgum
Too many variables, Jokers, amrap etc, just run the program for 6 solid months, don’t fuck with it, don’t over think it. If you feel like Superman once in a while, do some Jokers and max out. Don’t get hung up on all the extra shit.
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August 15 workout
Squat = 65 kilos x 5 72 kilos x 3 81 kilos x 5. 65 kg x 5,5,5,5,5
Bench = 52 kilos x 5 60 kilos x 3 67 kilos x 10. 52 kilos x 5,5,5,5,5
Pull ups = 15
Triceps = 10
Bicep curl = 10
Dips = 15
Pushups = 10
Really happy about the 67 kilos x 10. Tested how many pushups I could do in one go slow and controlled and I only hit 16. I used to be able to do 20 to 22 diamond pushups but now I’m only able too do 16 normal ones.
I also think my pullups fell from 11/12 to like 8 or 9. I’ve gained like around 9 to 10 pounds between then and now but I still wanted to maintain my bodyweight strength.
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Aug 17 workout
Deadlift = 87 kilos x 5, 100 kgs x 3 110 kilos x 2 my back cramped suddenly but I’m sure I could have hit at least 4 maybe 5
Felt better after likr 20 minutes so I did 87 kilos x 5,5,5,5,5
Ohp = 35 kilos x 5 45 kilos x 3 47 kilo x 5 35 kilos x 5,5,5,5,5
Dips = 15
Pushups = 16
Pull ups = 15
Db one arm rows = 15 kilos x 10
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This looks very good my friend.
Jim would be proud of you. Well done.
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Thanks man Im making some heavy gains i think. In how many weeks can i test for my one rm?
I wouldn’t really stress the body by doing a 1RM lift it doesn’t really help in developing strength.
You do the AMRAP sets and if you have a rep calculator, that is a strength test every week or kind of.
You could trust the process and keep doing the cycles, after 2 cycles for the deload instead of doing sets of 50-60 % work up to a single rep with your TM, that is a heavy weight but not a rep max. Do no back off sets but do the assistance.
That single rep with TM should determine if you are on the right track.
Say your TM is 100 increasing by 10 every cycle, then after 2 cycles the TM is 120 and should be as easy or easier than the 100.
If you do it for the rest of the year, you could time it so you did a max test on the christmas week an extra gift, not to be opened before christmas. It’s a long time waiting, but if your amraps keeps going up, you get to weights you’ve done before and do more reps you’ve become stronger.
if you did 8 reps with 100 and next time the topset says 100 and you do 9, 10 or 12 reps you’ve become stronger.
It is a marathon not a sprint.
If you keep doing this for 4 or 5 cycles you’ve come to know your body a lot more. If one or two or all lifts just rockets of and the amraps becomes ridiculous high, then you’re on the right track. Other lifts might stall and you then have to work towards a minor change.
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Would it effect my workout if I try to rep out the TM and see how many reps I can get during the deload week?
You could try that, Wendler calls it test week, but it is very stressful to the body.
He likes that you should be able to do 5 reps with TM … but I’ve never been able to do that. It’s an ego thing, that probably have done me no good at all.
So if you can do 5 strong and not grinding reps cap it at 5 otherwise cap at 3 strong, powerful, not grinding reps.
EDIT: But doing so you have to be very careful to see if your performance on the next cycles amrap suffers.
For the first deload week just do the 1 rep with TM, then try and rep it out on the next, you then can compare the next cycle and the effect of the deload style.
Hey…as a former 5/3/1 skeptic myself, take the advice of everybody on this forum that has done the program and gotten results with it. Trust me, using an 85% TM won’t make you weaker, especially when you add in conditioning (which could be sprints, Prowler pushes, or even BW exercise circuits a few times per week) and go for egregious rep maxes. Trust the process. I just finished my first complete cycle, I loved it. I look better, feel stronger, and am able to recover more easily from harder sessions. Switch up your assistance once in a while, work hard, and results will come. As someone who was stuck at your current strength level for a long time because of shitty programming, I can safely say that if you squat, deadlift, press, do chin-ups, and do all of these things consistently, you will get stronger. Good luck.
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