Cycle Questions: 5 Forward, 3 Back

Training 5/3/1
1

When you talk about 5/3, is that 5 4-week cycles or 5 of the newer 6-week cycles? Obviously both with a deload at the end…

Once 5 cycles are completed, is it best to test your new maxes and reset the TM and start the process over again?

And, depending on which cycles you mean with 5/3 (4 or 6 weeks) how often would you recommend flipping from 5’s progression cycles to setting PR cycles? Every other cycle, half a cycle?

Thanks.

2
  1. How long a cycle last depends on your training program. Impossible to answer.
  2. No. We have very specific parameters on testing your TM, none of which involve testing a 1RM.
  3. Again, this depends on your specific Leader and Anchor templates. There is no “one” answer to this question.
3

I guess a better way to phrase all of this would be is it okay to set PR’s for 6 weeks, deload and then go to 5’s pro for 6 weeks? Hopefully hit all the reps of 5 cycles, recalculate and start again?