I’m pretty confident that this programming is solid, my obsession with gathering training knowledge and my own results have led me to believe I’m on the right track. If you guys (and hopefully Jim) don’t mind looking over everything and giving me any critique I would greatly appreciate it.
I started 5/3/1 for the first time about 8 months ago, ran it for two 4 week cycles, liked it, but got distracted by some other training methods. I didn’t necessarily waste my time, but I didn’t like the lack of structure. I moved back to 5/3/1 running BBB template 2.
Training schedule/cycles:
Main lifts:
OHP, DL, Rest, Bench, SQ, Restx2
Starting TMs:
Bench: 205
Deadlift: 265
Squat: 225
OHP: 115
Weeks 1-3
5/3/1 BBB template 2 (50% TM 5x10 with alternate main lift, OHP on Bench and SQ on DL, etc.)
Weeks 4-6
5/3/1 BBB 60%
Weeks 7-9
5/3/1 BBB 70%
Week 10
Deload. I really didn’t feel the need to deload at weeks 5 or 9 due to a bit of fluctuation in my rest days, my schedule was such that my actual training days were not able to be consistent.
Weeks 11-13
5/3/1, 5x5 80% (same lift as main)
I just finished week 13.
Work for the 1+ of this week:
OHP: 130x2
Deadlift: 280x8 (this was really a giant set of 3,2,2 with <10s rest to adjust starting position)
Bench: 205x4
Squat: 240x9 (felt my upper back getting loose around rep 7, racked it <10s and hit 2 more)
Moving forward:
Weeks 14-16
5/3/1, 5x5 80% (same lift as main)
Week 17 deload
Weeks 18-20, 21-23
5/3/1, 5x3 90%
Week 24 deload
From week 25 forward I plan to do 7 week cycles, running through BBB (60% and 70% for 3 weeks each) followed with 6 weeks of 5x5 80%, and then 6 weeks of 5x3 90% and repeat.
Around week 11 I realized I had been doing pull downs on every press day for 5x10 and decided to start alternating my accessory work to try and identify what works best for me.
Current accessory work is:
OHP day: Kroc rows 3x15-20, increase weight when I can get 3x20 (considering swapping these with my bench day lat work)
Triceps, usually press downs
Curls
Bench day: Chins/lat pull down 5x10
Triceps, press downs, going to start doing incline CGBP on either bench or OHP day
Curls
Squat/Deadlift day: Leg extensions 5x10 (added this in around week 8 because I felt my hamstrings were getting a lot more work and wanted to balance this out as well as increase hypertrophy)
GHR 3x10
Ab work 3 sets of one/two of either hanging leg raise, planks, ab wheel
I do band work for rear delts/upper back 4-5 days/week outside of my regular training
Every 6 weeks I plan on changing my assistance exercises to keep track of what’s the most beneficial to my main lift.
Conditioning: I accumulate average 4.5 miles per day during work, I plan on buying a Rogue Butcher (equivalent to a Prowler) and incorporating that 2-3 days a week.