Thank you for this program. Second i have been lifting for over 10 years and have been battling every step of the way. In that 10 years i have almost gained 70 pounds and countless life lessons in the gym and in life. I have been using 5/3/1 for over 2 years now. My main problem is my bench press i cannot bench over 300. My other lifts are decent (deadlift) 530 x2) (squat 430 x 3) and (ohp 195 x 5) i cannot seem to crack 300. I have a stupid schedule being that i am in the Military. My days are pretty set in stone due to my number 1 priority my family. So any insight would be great. I dunno if i should be benching twice a week?
Mon bench
Tues Squat
Wed ohp
Thur off (i cannot train due to work commitments)
Fri dead
Sat off
Sun 2 miles (this sucks but must be done)
I also push the sled 2 times a week in addition to regular Army Pt.
My question is with a 3 day on 1 off, 1 on is this the best layout for increasing my bench. I am running the 3/5/1 with BBB assistance. Thanks for your insight Jim.
I was thinking that same setup as well but im not sure if squatting on Monday and pulling on Wednesday will leave me enough time for leg recovery. Maybe im being SOV though?
I was thinking that same setup as well but im not sure if squatting on Monday and pulling on Wednesday will leave me enough time for leg recovery. Maybe im being SOV though?[/quote]
Can’t have it all, but if that’s a concern then the 3 day/wk template would be ideal.
“I am running the 3/5/1 with BBB assistance.” to increase bench emphasis, you could bench more. On bench day, you usually follow the 3/5/1 sets with 5x10, right? On press days you could follow your 3/5/1 sets with 5x10 on bench again. Typically, this could be a recipe for imbalances and shoulder issues, but since you’re so far ahead on overhead press relative to bench, you should be fine (just don’t do this forever)
Yeah that’s another good idea, it seems like a simple fix. Its nice sometimes to get a couple sets of eyes on a problem. Im gonna go for six months with that setup. I
ll try and keep a log of my bench days on here for more scrutiny.
Just my two cents ,
I don’t let this prevent me from benching, but if I am attempting a pr or prioritizing a lift, I will not do an intense cardio the day before. I don’t know if your run is intense or casual, but really either way it applies. If there is one factor that my bench press depends on, it is leg drive, without a doubt. If my legs are tired, I don’t break records like it sounds like you are attempting. I can “train” and I do with tired legs, but I can’t attempt to bench a weight I have never done before with my legs stiff or sore or overly fatigued. This may sound counter intuitive to what I am saying, but since my dead lift is my strongest lift, I actually try to place it on that “bad” day to train - like after I have pulled the sled, whatever, because it is a lift I can bully up. Hope this helps.