Hey I’ve been wanting to ask this for a while. When I first started weight lifting, I didn’t know what to do. So for my bench press, i did 3x3 @ 90% for 3 consecutive days and rest for 4 days after per week. I started out with 1RM at 145lb. After 3 months into it, I gained a total of 50lb in my 1RM, 195lb. Since then I had understand more and tried incorporating more volume into my workout. I went through two different programs, each consisted of high volume and intensity. I just couldn’t stand it. At a 1RM of 195lb, i can barely rep 135lb 5 times in a 5x5 workout. I was wondering if it’s because i started out wrong so it led to me to where i am today because it’s been 2 months since i stopped using the 3x3 scheme and i had not gained at all. If so, what should i be doing now? Right now I am starting over again. I’ve decided to start by doing 5x5 @ 135lb and slowly move it up. Any opinions?
why’d you fix something that wasn’t broken? 3x3 is not wrong, it can actually be very right. same with 5x5. 135x5x5 is a great improvement over 145x1, it seems 3x3 was working after all.
dont make the mistake of thinking volume and intensity are separate. some of the strongest, biggest mofos do 3x3.
FYI, IMO, 3x3 for 3 days with 4 days rest and repeat is not bad, indeed, not bad at all.
[quote]Doh wrote:
Since then I had understand more and tried incorporating more volume into my workout. I went through two different programs, each consisted of high volume and intensity.
[/quote]
Is that because your goal was hypertrophy? 3x3 is excellent for strength sans much hypertrophy.
It wasn’t “wrong” if you were going for strength as the focus.
What is your goal? Read The Set/Rep Bible by CW.
Your 3x3 was not wrong. Infact compared to most new lifters it was superb. Look at what it did for your max. The reason you cannot bench 135 for more reps than you might expect with a 195 max is because you have never used reps more than 3. Just change it up, do the low rep work and higher rep stuff all in the same cycle.
At first my main goal was to increase strength, but now i want to gain both strenght and size. After reading the set/rep bible and the wave-loadig manifesto thoroughly again, i came up with this. What i have now is alternating between max strength and size each 4-week cycle.
Week 1: 5x5
Week 2: 8x3
Week 3: 2,3,4,5
Week 4: 3x3
Week 5: 4x8
Week 6: 5x5
Week 7: 6,4,3,2
Week 8: 3x3
Week 9: Rest and test
The only problem that i think i will have is week 2. Even at 80% 1RM, i don’t think i can pull off 8 sets of it. I was thinking about decreasing the load but going anywhere under 80% is not too great for strength. What do you guys think i should do?
[quote]Doh wrote:
The only problem that i think i will have is week 2. Even at 80% 1RM, i don’t think i can pull off 8 sets of it. I was thinking about decreasing the load but going anywhere under 80% is not too great for strength. What do you guys think i should do?[/quote]
My personal opinion would be to try all 8 sets at 80%. If you get it, awesome, if not, just do your best to get as close to it as possible. You could also finish out the total # reps using 2 rep sets once you can no longer handle 3…however, I think you can pull it off with enough determination.
As you no doubt already know, use a good spotter that won’t take the weight prematurely, good form, and safety bars/pins if you have them available to you. On the occasions that I actually barbell bench, it’s in a squat rack (my own at home, don’t have a cow, folks) and have the pins set such that if I lower my arch they stop at the pins. Common sense, of course.
Matthew
I don’t have a spotter but that’s not a problem. I have a safety pin that works just fine. I’ll try my best to get all sets done and make adjustment accordingly. Thanks for all the help.