Just want to know what everyone thinks about my 5/3/1 program it is fairly standard just want to get opinions from people bigger and stronger than me as it helped the last time I put a question in the forums. I do Limber 11 twice a day every day. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!
Monday
Squat 5/3/1 SS with pullups between every set
BBB sets SS with pullups between every set
Good mornings 3x10 (115lbs)
Walking Lunge 3x8 each leg (95 lbs)
abs (same as what is suggested to get stronger abs in the original book)
Tuesday
Bench 5/3/1 SS with chest supported dumbbell row
BBB sets SS with chest supported dumbbell row
1x20 chest supported dumbbell row
close grip bench 3x5
Famer’s walk length of gymx3
High Pull? never put these in yet just want to know if it’d be ok here or if its overkill
Wednesday
Active Recovery
Thursday
Deadlift 5/3/1 SS with pullups
BBB SS with pullups
RDL 3x10
45 degree extension 3x12 (80 lbs)
abs
Friday
OHP 5/3/1 SS with chest supported row
BBB SS with chest supported row
Dumbbell press 3x12
Front raise SS lateral raise 3x10
Farmer’s walk x3
High pull?
Not sure if you are bigger and stronger than me, but it looks like a good, standard 531 template to me.
A couple things pop out to me. The first is the high pull. I will start by saying I don’t know anything about the high pull. I have never done them and I am not sure I ever will. However, in my limited knowledge I am assuming its a movement used to develop power with heavier weight and lower reps, and I am not sure it fits well as a assistance movement. From what I have read you should do movements to develop power first in your workouts. If it were me I would put them before my deadlifts and program them like I would a main or supplemental lift for three main sets, then move right into my deadlifts.
Also you are running BBB. It can be taxing. Could it be possible doing high pulls is not necessarily the most conducive to developing power when you are running a template primarily focused on hypertrophy? I am honestly asking since I have no experience with power cleans.
Sorry this took so long to reply, but yeh I was wondering if it would even help me with high pulls so late in the workout since by then I am very tired. I don’t feel super explosive, but if grinding through this and trying to be explosive will help my deadlift I am all for it.
My goals for this cycle of training is to put on weight, and increase my four big lift maxes. I am not really worried about looking good right now as I have all my life been a smaller guy so I am sure that with some hard work I can look good again later on when I have put on some weight. The reason I was asking about high pulls is after reading a couple of articles on here and talking with an athletic trainer here on the college campus and how many muscles it involves I was hoping that I could reap the benefits of a good explosive movement specifically for my upper back and forearms. Would it be better to put this on Sunday for around 5 sets of 5 or so and not really doing a 5/3/1 progression with it but just as extra work? Or is this too much work? I don’t want to mess with the program very much as I have seen that this program will work if you eat for your goals and work hard in the weightroom.
If you want to put on weigt. EAT A LOT. You need to track your macros. Putting on more than a pound a week is too much. You must know putting on weight, and i mean muscles takes time. Adding fat i easy.
Your template looks fine to me.
Main lift
BBB
Supersetted with good assistance.
RDL’s after all that deadlifting and Goodmornings after Squat. That could be very taxing on the lower back. But thats just me.
CGPB after a lot of BP, maybe a DB variation is better.
So you ask about High Pulls they are great.
You don’t mention jumps and throws as your warmup, hope you got them in there as well.
High pulls do them as a kind of warmup sets before DL and Squat.
3 sets of 3-5 as explosive as you can. CT has a great article about the High pull.
Just remember to eat… A lot… if you want to be big. Meat, fish, eggs, milk, potatoes, rice, fruit, whole bread, cheese. Keep junk food as a minimum likewise with cakes and candy.
I have been making a concerned effort every day to eat more than yesterday even if its just one more bite. I haven’t had any body fat measurements done in a year or so but just from my perspective I’d say I’m most likely only up between 2-4% I don’t look really any softer around my stomach (which is where I tend to keep 85% of my body fat) I have been running this program going on two months next week and I am up 10 pounds from where i started (160-170) the only reason I do RDLs and Goodmorning in addition to squat and deadlift is because I feel like my lower back and abs are a limiting factor in my squats and deadlifts. Before I really started hitting these hard during my prep period for this workout I had a lot of trouble with folding in half in the hole of the squat and with rounding right away on my deadlift. I haven’t added in any jumps or throws, but do a dynamic warmup from the football strength coach here on campus. Should I switch? But yes I try to eat all of those and have a couple of my friends with similar goals so we all try to help each other stay on track. Thank you!
I agree with the mortdk, if you want to be big you gotta eat. But make sure its good, whole foods. Trust me, I dirty bulked running Boring But Big once, and I am still paying for it to this day. Got big and strong, but also slow and fat.
And like mortdk posted, probably best to do your high pulls (when doing them in any manner) before your squat or deadlift.
However, since you are running Boring But Big I would either keep them very light and just work on technique (as high pulls are a fairly highly technical movement), or eliminate them entirely. Your body will already be taxed enough as it is, and the point is to put on mass and get stronger. Not run yourself into the ground and get nowhere. Personally, I would just run your program without the high pulls.
Another suggestion I have is if you enjoy BBB you could always do the Boring But Big Challenge. Its I found it quite a bit of fun. I ran it once and had success with it. It has everything written out beginning to end from lifting, to conditioning, to how to eat. If you Google it make sure to follow it as written and enjoy!
As the Bomb man said: Do NOT dirty bulk.
I think you’re gaining in the right way.
Your program is fine.
The reason I mentioned GM and RDL is that if you’re beginning to feel beat up in the lower back. Well I guess you get the point.
You just don’t add a pound of muscles a week, just see that weight going up slightly every months is enough.
And you should be stronger every months or so. At least in one or two lifts. Strengths is a funy beast. Right now my DL, Squat and OHP is going up. But my bench is actually getting worse… AND damn I hate it. But it will catch up sometime.
SGHP is great for activating the hole body, do them light and focus on form and explosion. But you don’t have to do them.
I would say keep your dynamic warm up, and just do 10 jumps or throws as part of it. It activates all the muscles according to Jim.
I can tell you right now that doing high pulls while doing BBB for squats and deadlifts already is not a good idea. What is the purpose of putting them in there? I’m not saying they’re not a good exercise, but it seems like you’re just randomly sticking them into an already taxing program, and they’re not going to give you anything extra.
said: Do NOT dirty bulk.