Im going to start 531 and I would like you guys to look at my program and give me the “all good to go”.
For the past year I have been doing WS4SB 3 day program. My goals are now to put on more size and get stronger with the main lifts, keep conditioning levels reasonable and keep healthy. I do have a history of lower back issues and my left shoulder can be a bit “dodgy” with too much pressing, so I am going to have to keep a close eye on these issues, and keep on top of my daily mobility and band work.
Anyway this is my initial plan. Please feel free to comment on it.
Day 1:
Squats 531 (pull-ups in b/w sets)
Front squats 5 x 10
Alternate every 2 weeks b/w leg curls and RDLs 5 x 10
Day 2:
Bench 531 (pull-ups in b/w sets)
dB bench press with slight incline 5 x 10
Alternate every 2 weeks b/w dB rows and BB rows 5 x 10
Day 3:
Deadlift 531 (first few cycles will be very light and more about correct form)
Weighted pull-ups 5 x 5, (or should I do 5 sets of 10??)
nb: there is no way Im doing 5 sets of 10 for deadlifts.
Day 4:
Overhead press 531 (pull-ups in b/w sets)
Shoulder shocker 3 sets
Weighted dips 5 x 5
nb: I don’t want to press 5 x 10 as my dodgy shoulder would not last more than a few weeks
A couple days a week I will add some curls and some ab work. Most days I will be riding my bike to the gym about 4 miles, and I will spend one day a week doing some land sprints for conditioning.
[quote]Rupert531 wrote:
You think too much. Do it as written an lift some weights.[/quote]
I realise I have modified a couple of things, but that has been done in the attempt to keep injury free.
I am starting the BBB variation of 5/3/1 after Thanksgiving. I will note that Jim says this in the Beyond 5/3/1 book, and it hit home for me:
“Though it’s been said a million times, if you can’t do 10 reps of a chin up, do lat pulldowns instead. If you want to do another lat/upper back movement other than rows or chins that is up to you.”
I noticed you are doing weighted pull-ups on a 5 x 5 basis. If I could get to multiple reps of 10 chin-ups or pull-ups, then and only then would I start working towards smaller set/rep combos, e.g., sets of 5 x 5, with weight. There are different opinions on this, but I’m just throwing it out there since that’s what he specifies in the BBB section of the Beyond book.
[quote]theBird wrote:
I will spend one day a week doing some land sprints for conditioning.
[/quote]
Land sprints huh? I’ll have to give them a go. I’ve been doing all mine on water.
In all seriousness though, plan looks fine. It’s not perfect, but then who’s is? I’m sure you’ll tweak it as you try it. The biggest thing I’d personally change is swap your BBB work so your doing press on bench days and vice versa. It’s a personal preference that I’ve found helps a lot.
most 531 templates pair upper body pressing days w last work and lower body days w ab work. Not sure why you’re doing pull-ups on deadlift day. Do more deadlifts. The general template looks like this:
bench 531
Bench 5x10
Row 5x10
squat 531
Squat 5x10
Abs 5x
press 531
Press 5x10
Pull-ups 5x
deadlift 531
Deadlift 5x10
Abs 5x
It’s literally the simplest and most effective system ever designed. Not sure why everyone tries to complicate it.
I had something similar. Didn’t do 5x10 deadlift either. SLRD was better for me.
I have huge issues with my shoulders. But instead of taking them off completely, I started VERY light and the BBB was lots of band work. Took me a year, but managed 5x10 with 95lbs. I also never stopped the band work. I also think that overhead carries helped a lot. Food for thought for your shoulders.
You might want to have a backup plan for the 5x10 front squats. Depending on what kind of grip you plan to use and the strength level of certain muscles you may end up losing form and fatiguing muscles other than your legs which would be counteractive to increasing leg size.
I think that your program looks decent enough. Everyone has different opinions but as long as you do the main lift and keep assistance to a minimum you are good to go!
In saying that, this is what I would do taken into account a bung shoulder.
Day 1:
Squats 531 (pull-ups in b/w sets)
RDL or Goodmornings 5x10
Abs
Day 2:
Bench 531 (band pull aparts or facepulls in b/w sets)
Dips 5x10 @ bodyweight or weighted or whatever you think you shoulders can handle.
DB Rows 5x10
Curls
Day 3:
Deadlift 531 (pull-ups in b/w sets)
Squat 5x10
Abs
Day 4:
Overhead press 531 (band pull aparts or facepulls in b/w sets)
Flat or Incline DB Press 5x10
DB Rows 5x10
Curls or maybe Triceps
[quote]Camm wrote:
I think that your program looks decent enough. Everyone has different opinions but as long as you do the main lift and keep assistance to a minimum you are good to go!
In saying that, this is what I would do taken into account a bung shoulder.
Day 1:
Squats 531 (pull-ups in b/w sets)
RDL or Goodmornings 5x10
Abs
Day 2:
Bench 531 (band pull aparts or facepulls in b/w sets)
Dips 5x10 @ bodyweight or weighted or whatever you think you shoulders can handle.
DB Rows 5x10
Curls
Day 3:
Deadlift 531 (pull-ups in b/w sets)
Squat 5x10
Abs
Day 4:
Overhead press 531 (band pull aparts or facepulls in b/w sets)
Flat or Incline DB Press 5x10
DB Rows 5x10
Curls or maybe Triceps
[/quote]
This looks like a solid program. I am tempted to change to this template, but maybe change the squats on day 3 to front squats.
[quote]BillyHayes wrote:
You might want to have a backup plan for the 5x10 front squats. Depending on what kind of grip you plan to use and the strength level of certain muscles you may end up losing form and fatiguing muscles other than your legs which would be counteractive to increasing leg size.
[/quote]
I feel more comfortable with the front squat, and with the lighter weights due to the higher reps I am not concerned too much about grip issues.
SO i ahev edited day 3 and day 4 slightly. Im either going to stick to this template or maybe switch to what camm had suggested above??
Please vote on what you think is the better template. My edited template below or Camm’s option.
[quote]theBird wrote:
Day 1:
Squats 531 (pull-ups in b/w sets)
Front squats 5 x 10
Alternate every 2 weeks b/w leg curls and RDLs 5 x 10
Day 2:
Bench 531 (pull-ups in b/w sets)
dB bench press with slight incline 5 x 10
Alternate every 2 weeks b/w dB rows and BB rows 5 x 10
Day 3:
Deadlift 531 (first few cycles will be very light and more about correct form)
Pull-ups: 5 sets fo 10
Walking dB lunges; 5 sets of 10
Day 4:
Overhead press 531 (pull-ups in b/w sets)
Shoulder shocker 3 sets
Weighted dips 5 x 5 or 5 sets of 10 unweighted.
nb: I don’t want to press 5 x 10 as my dodgy shoulder would not last more than a few weeks
See, that’s not BBB. That’s a Triumvirate template which is fine, but the “Boring” is what makes Boring But Big what it is. Doing what works for you/customization is what Triumvirate is all about so hooray, you’ve succeeded. Now that the semantics are out of the way, you’re “good to go”.
Do what you think is best. I think your revised template looks good, if your shoulders are dodgy I would drop the dips or shoulder shocker and do something for your back like chins or rows and plenty of facepulls/ band pull aparts during the week.
Like Matty rightly pointed out neither are BBB but Triumvirate but that doesn’t matter as no doubt will it will still get you stronger. Swapping Squats to Front Squats on DL day sounds like a good idea to me and you would also still be squatting twice a week which is got to be good for you!.
The great thing as you probably know about 5/3/1 is you can change the assistants every couple of cycles. No big deal which template you go with as long as it is balanced and not too much extra B.S in it.
[quote]Camm wrote:
Do what you think is best. I think your revised template looks good, if your shoulders are dodgy I would drop the dips or shoulder shocker and do something for your back like chins or rows and plenty of facepulls/ band pull aparts during the week.
Like Matty rightly pointed out neither are BBB but Triumvirate but that doesn’t matter as no doubt will it will still get you stronger. Swapping Squats to Front Squats on DL day sounds like a good idea to me and you would also still be squatting twice a week which is got to be good for you!.
The great thing as you probably know about 5/3/1 is you can change the assistants every couple of cycles. No big deal which template you go with as long as it is balanced and not too much extra B.S in it.
[/quote]
Thanks Camm. I might rotate between my template and your template every 6 weeks. My shoulders aren’t bothered by dipping, and I feel that the “shoulder shocker” makes my shoulders actually feel better. Its only when I overhead press that one of the tendons in my left shoulder gets a little angry.
And apologies to all of those I infuriated by calling my program BBB. What I meant was that I had based it loosely of that program, but I suppose its more based on the Triumvirate program.