I’ve only ever run BBB and FSL. Over time I tweaked the assistance to suit me. Both work well for getting stronger, and for getting bigger. Very broadly, I think as long as you’re doing PR sets and back down sets you’ll be fine. The best advice I can give you is start with as little assistance as possible and work from there. Probably my pick as a base to work from would be
PR sets
Joker sets on good days
FSL multiple sets (3-5 sets, 5-8 reps)
Triumvirate assistance: two exercises
Thanks Mark. I think this will be my anchor.
I realised I made a mistake: I have 5 cycles INCLUDING BTM, meaning I jut have 3 to go before going home.
After BTM I will start a new program: 2 leaders 1 anchor. I’m still studying the book to see which one is optimal and I’m liking the most.
Today is the start of the last week of the first cycle of BTM.
C5W3D1
No squat rack so I started with the press
Press
Main sets
5x40
5x45
5x50
11x40 which a PR I believe !
Squat
Main sets
5x75
5x85
5x5x95
This is funny cause when I stopped 5x5 and switched to 531 I failed squats at this weight. It felt pretty good and not as scary as I remember !
5 Chins between every sets counting warm ups adding up to 100.
I started doing dips and my first sets were 6/10/10/6
And then kept going with sets of 5 to get to 100. This was not a short workout overall but I enjoyed it.
Having done the press at the start gave me the strength to push the dips at the end which is great. That’s also a dips PR to do two sets of 10 in a row.
Weight 78.1kg
C5W3D2
Deadlift
Main sets
5x88
5x98
3x5x110
These felt pretty good !
Bench
Main sets
5x51
5x58
5x5x65
I took 3 min rest between these, all reps paused
5x20 dumbbell rows 16kg
5x10 straight bar curls 15kg
Weight 78,5kg
On Friday is the end of the first cycle of BTM. I’ve been enjoying squatting and pressing twice a week, I’ll enjoy the second cycle too.
C5w3d3 end of the first cycle of BTM
OHP
5x28
5x35
10x5x40 I took between 1:30 to 2 min rest an focused on bar speed. I’m enjoying these sets.
Squat
5x75
5x85
5x95
20x56
The last set felt good !
I supersetted weighted pull ups with the squat : 3x7,5kg 2x5kg
I did 5 body weight pull up to warm up and 10 before the last set of squat and after the weighted ones
Weight 78,2kg
I’m starting the next cycle on Sunday. After that I will deload and do another program.
I’m starting the next cycle with the TMs
SQ: 105
DL 120
Bench 70
Press 55
At the end I’ll apply the 7th week protocol to get my TM for the next program.
Press
Main sets
5x38
5x44
5x50
10x38 I expected a few more reps but the 5x50 felt great
Squat
5x75
5x85
5x5x95 Bar speed was good, slowed down a bit on the last one but still solid reps.
Chins: 100
Dips: 100
weight: 77;3kg (went for a hard run yesterday, a bit dehydrated)
My press has definitely gone up as it feels much easier on the top sets. I might try to bench twice a week in my next program and expect similar results. Squatting twice a week feels also good, my technique is more on point.
C6W1D2 second cycle of BTM
DL
Main sets
5x84
5x96
3x5x108
Bench
Main sets
5x50
5x56
5x5x63
I supersetted DB rows with the DL, and curls with bench to be faster.
5x20 DB rows at 16kg
5x10 curls straight bar 15kg
weight: 79.2kg
I am thinking of going back to full body workouts: squat, some kind of push and pull.
For a few reasons:
Technique, I felt like my squat technique was more on point from squatting twice a week on BTM. Increasing frequency in bench is planned too: twice a week.
Less boring: I feel that doing one lift per day is kinda boring and then I need a week to do the lift again.
I started with 5x5 which is full body and miss it a bit.
I will keep the DL and press to once a week, the DL takes a lot out of me, and I don’t think I need to train it often or even heavy to keep making progress.
I am also thinking of focusing on strength for the next program (3 cycles) and doing BBS for the squat and the bench. Assistance would be kept low during the leader. The leader probably will go to a standard full body with PR set.Everything is explained in the book and I’m
Not sure how much I can give away.
I also believe that full body will allow me to get the most for a three day template.
There are many programs in the book and I still have time to change my mind.
Any thoughts/tips/experience welcome.
If you’re consistent and work hard, you’ll get results. Nothing wrong with anything you’ve suggested. I certainly prefer to squat and bench twice a week.
Thanks for always helping Mark!
C6W1D3, end of week 1 of cycle 2 BTM
Press
Main sets
12x5x33, again focused on bar speed
SS with Weighted chins : 5x5x7.5kg
10xBW as a last set
Squat
5x75
5x85
5x95
20x55
The last set felt pretty good, I’m getting used to these 20 rep sets. Next week is 65 kg and the week after 75kg, these will be more challenging.
weight: 78.0 kg, a bit dehydrated as I ran yesterday
Start of week 2 which is lighter to get ready for the heavy stuff next week!
C6W2D1
Squat
Main sets
5x70
5x80
5x5x90
Press
5x36
5x42
5x47
12x36
The heavy top set felt good and fast!
100 pulls ups
100 dips
weight : 77.4kg, I was out for the end of exams on friday. I still had all my meals yesterday but I did not eat as much as usual. Trying to catch up at the moment.
I started getting a really mild elbow niggle a few weeks ago… but today ti was real pain on the bench. It’s on the outside of my elbow.
I finished the workout but reduced the curls and rows, even though it doesn’t hurt when I do them.
I think it comes from 2 reasons: dips + swimming yesterday.
I had a bit of pain during the swim but thought nothing of it, until today.
I feel totally fine when I’m not lifting etc. I’m massaging it at the moment. I will take off the dips for the end of BTM and reduce even the pulling assistance.
C6W2D2
DL
Main sets
5x80
5x90
5x5x102
Bench
5x50
5x55
5x5x60
3x10 DB rows with 14kg
3x10 curls with 15 kg straight bar
weight: 79.0kg
edit: I’m feeling a bit better after a lot of stretching and massaging.
Note to myself: be careful on th next program about the pushing assistance. Given the 10x5 from BBS on the bench, I will have to stay with triceps extensions/DB OHP (less weight than incline or flat).
Also start stretching m upper body and not just lower would be a good thing.
When I did hardgainers I had pain in my forearms quite often. At the time I didn’t think anything of it but now I’m not doing it I have absolutely no pain. I think it’s caused by a lot of pushing and pulling in the same workout.
My experience has been main causes for that kind of pain can be pushing elbows under the bar when squatting (which I think you’re working on not doing) and elbows coning forward at the top of pull-ups. Curls, especially hammer, can help a ton.
Thanks for your replies.
My forearms are always very tight after a workout but I never had pain;
I’m icing it at the moment and I don’t feel any pain. I will see how I feel tomorrow because I have a lot of pressing to do.
I’ll keep in mind the hammer curls! And yes I have been using a wider grip on squats as you advised me to, thanks again for that. I’ve also tried to bench with straighter wrists.
@MarkKO, because you are the reference I have, again, little question about supplements: do you take creatine ?
If yes what do you think of it ? is it worth it, at my level ?
Experience welcome from anybody.
I take proteins once a day and a friend mentionned it and I searched for some infos but I don’t really know. It’s so cheap that why not ?
Thanks again, I appreciate.
I do, five grams a day. I like the monohydrate. Definitely worth a try.
Again, thanks for your fast and useful replies Mark.
Ordered! Be careful I’ll be benching more than you soon now that I have your secret! aha
Tomorrow is the end of week 2. Then I have the last and hardest week of BTM which I’m looking forward to! The deload coming after this is well earned and will be appreciated for sure.
I felt no pain during the workout, icing and stretching did their job properly. I’ll keep doing that for a few days.
C6W2D3
Press
15x5x36
I took between 1:30 and 2:00 of rest between these and focused on bar speed.
Squat
5x70
5x80
5x90
20x69
The last set was pretty tough, espcially the last three reps. I felt fine after a few minutes.
Weighted chins : 10/7.5/7.5/7.5, for the last set somebody stole the belt… I was supersetting with squats. So I did 10 with just BW. The first few reps feel so easy after the weighted ones!
Weight : 78.9kg
C6W3D1
I felt great during this workout. I chnged the assistance to go easy on my elbows but the main lift stayed the course.
Press
5x41.5
5x47
5x52.5 This is a PR! I had two more in the tank I’m sure!
10x41.5 I think this is one too.
Squat
5x80
5x90
5x5x100
Bar speed did go down but I always felt confident. I took 3 min rest between each set.
Assistance
5x10 Incline DB Bench with 14kg
5x10 hammers curls, first set with 12kg, 4 other sets with 8kg
My elbows didn’t hurt but they do need a break so I went easy. I will do the weighted chins on friday to keep them moving but the deload of next week will help recovery.
Weight:79.6kg (!) I’ve never been so heavy. Reminder that I took creatine twice (2x5g), once yesterday and the day before. I should gain a bit of weight (maybe 1-2kg) relatively fast if I respond well to it.
I’m very happy with the OHP PR. BBS really worked for it.
C6W3D2
DL
5x96
5x105
3x5x115
I messsed up the sets prior to the 3x5, it was supposed to be 5x90 and 5x102…oh well
I feel good on my deadlift. I much prefer a 3x5 than a PR set on it.
Bench
5x52
5x60
5x5x67
(all of them paused)
I took 3 min rest between each set of the 5x5, bar speed did go down but I felt confident the whole time focusing on going slow on the eccentric and explode on the concentric.
I supersetted DB rows with the DL sets: 5x20 with 16 kg
Curls at the end with a straight bar: 15kg
My elbows feel totally fine, I’m a very happy.
Weight : 79.8kg
One more day of BTM and it is completed!