Individualised 531 Program

Training 5/3/1
1

Hello to everybody,

I would be grateful if you could give me your opinion on my training program below. Essentially it is the 531 Boring but Big Program integrated with BJJ & MMA.

A bit about me. I do a relatively non labour intensive job. So essentially the only strain on my body is the physical exercise. I started training for the simpe reason I am out shape and weak. I have done the 531 BBB twice, 531 (Im doingg jack shit) x 3 and 3x10.

My goals are:

  1. Get strong (If I get bigger that would be a bonus).
  2. Longevity
  3. I’m not fussed about a six pack or looking shredded.

I started training approximately 1yr ago. Since then my body characteristics have gone from 104Kg to 90Kg in bodyweight. Body fat change 36.5% to 19%.

Nutrition
Morning 6am - 3 eggs/Bowl of Cereal + 1 x coffee
Late Morning - Peanut butter on bread with Jam
Late Lunch - Cheese & Tuna Sandwich
Mid Afternoon - Peanut butter on bread with Jam
Evening Meal - Family Meal - Essentially anything the wife cooks
Late Night Meal - Left overs

Supplements: Red bull pre and during weight training

Martial Arts Training - All classes 1hr 30mins
Mon - BJJ (early morning) and MMA (evening)
Tues - BJJ (early morning) and MMA (evening)
Wed
Thrs - BJJ (early morning) and MMA (evening)
Fri - BJJ

Weight Training
I do this at home. I have a power rack, weights, barbell, dumbbells and kettlebells. I do a mixture of exercises with the primary 531 workout e.g. kettlebell farmers walks, swings, cleans.

Wed - 531 Squat
Fri - 531 Shoulder Press
Sat - 531 Deadlift
Sun - 531 Bench Press

Questions

  1. Over the past year I have lost quite a decent amount of weight. My body fat has gone down - I assume I have lost a lot of muscle too. I look a little leaner. I am currently 19% body fat. If you were to try and gain mass would you first lose more body fat or bulk (I would value your experience/personal opinion for this)?
  2. Would mass made simple be suitable for those doing BJJ/MMA?
  3. Has anybody ever integrated mass made simple with 531 (Deadlift/Shoulder and Bench Press)? If so, what were your results?

Thank You in Advance

2

If your strength has gone down, then there’s possible reason to believe you have lost muscle. If you’ve gotten stronger, then you haven’t lost any muscle (you also probably won’t lose muscle as a natty unless under 10% BF).

This is up to you. If you want to be leaner (which you said you don’t particularly care), then keep leaning out. If you want to put on more muscle, then eat more food.

Have you ever done 5/3/1 in 5x10 format as written?

3

So you’re asking about running BBB 4x a week along with 7(!) BJJ/MMA training sessions? For almost anyone that also has a job and a life, this would be way too much.

If you want to prioritize the martial arts training, do a minimalist strength program. An example would be 5’s PRO with minimal (or none at all) supplemental work. Perhaps just the main lift and some bodyweight assistance. Another example is Dan John’s Minimalist Program (it’s a 2x a week program) that is great when prioritizing other training. I’ve used this to great success when training for races.

Or, you could pare down you martial arts classes to 3-4x a week and run a full-fledged 531 program or similar. But, as the saying goes, when you put something in you have to take something out. In training and in life, more is not always better and it is quite often worse.

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4

So much wrong here.
As someone who has done fighting on a serious level and now earns money by training people, i always find it funny to see some beginners who cant rotate their hips wanting to do twice a day training in classes.
Ok, first thing - most classes are constructed for people who dont go to the gym, so there are lots of physical exercises there. So you either to that or you do the gym, there is no point doing both and more than once a day.
Next - only professionals train more than once a day, and when they do, they do technical work most times, not mixed classes. The amount of skill work you get in a class is like 10% out of the whole class, but pros do individual training and get 100% out of it, Have you seen McGregor joining regular classes twice a day? No. So if you wanna train like a pro, you will have a personal trainer that will make your sessions in a correct way. But training “like a pro” by just going to classes is like getting ready for Nascar just going on extra rides to the Mall with your minivan.
Another thing - Wendler suggests twice a week training IF one is doing fighting also. Id say - do NONE or do this 1-2 a week plan he has.

Keep in mind that pros who train like you think you wanna train are also on PEDs. You cant just take the fun part and not want to put in the scary part. There is at least trt levels of test, GH, and different stuff for recovery, joints, agression and mental focus. First - they train 2-3 times a day only before the fights. Next - there is a lot of PED use going on meanwhile. So if you only will do half the work, you will burn very fast.

Another thing… there is no such thing as “MMA” class. What is it? Its either grappling or striking. All these weird ass mixes usually dont teach shit. Is that the “lets do 1-2 and Takedown combo” sort of thing? Who teaches the “1-2” part?
Basically what im saying is - you do shitton of BJJ but i dont see any striking. Drop half the BJJ, and whatever the “MMA” is and do some boxing, kickboxing or Thai.
Your setup looks ok if you already are a great kickboxer but if u were a great kickboxer i believe you would know that what you have planned for your body, is going to crash and burn in 3 months.

Also the nutrition is garbage. You eat sandwiches. Unless you dip them in the peanutbutter completely you dont even get enough calories, not even speaking of correct macros.

My suggestions -
1)take a step back, realise you are not McGregor and never will be. Now learn to cook(whatever wife cooks is a moronic approach to nutrition for someone who was ready to do MMA 7 days a week + 4 times a week 531).
Now start by cooking 4 solid meals a day with good macros. Eat whatever you wrote you eat, as as snacks in between the 4 meals you will be cooking.
2)Start with 2 BJJ classes a week and find a good boxing or kickboxing class twice a week.
3)Do twice a week 531 Wendler has on his website - its called 531 and MMA or smth.

So basically you will have better nutrition, 2 BJJ, 2 Striking and 2 Gym sessions a week. Start reading up on GH and TRT as even these 6 sessions, unless you are 22 and have no other life will bite you in the ass very soon.

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5

Hi,

First and foremost thank you for your responses - I really do appreciate your advice and the time taken. I have tried to respond to everybody below. I apologise if I missed something.

To Andrewgen_Receptors questions:

Yes my strength has gone up.But I believe this may be more of me getting used ot the movements and getting the technique right. I can currently do 5 reps at the following weights:
Bench 75Kg
Shoulder Press 45Kg
Squat 110Kg
Deadlift 120Kg

For the 531. I follow the article on T-nation website. I do the primary 531 and then 5x10. I can do 5x10 for squat, deadlift and shoulder. For the bench I struggle. I seem to get elbow pain if I do the full 5x10 at 60 and 70%. Therefore I’m limiting this to 3-4 Sets of 10 and that seems to be fine.

To Antiquity & HanktheTank:

I have been thinking of a minimilist or a program that only involves training 2x/week e.g. mass made simple or wendlers MMA program.

Yes, you are right. My MMA sessions are quite intense. But I had put that down to me being older than everybody else at the MMA gym to be fair. Essentially its a professional fighters gym and lots of amatuers. Its only a quick cycle ride away from me and their kind enough to both let me join in and take it easy on me. The MMA class is split into two parts. The first half is striking (Boxing) and the second half is like you said 1-2 combos/takedowns and striking from the ground. I seem to have a natural knack for the boxing apparently, as I’m rotating my hips and the coaches/everybody seems to think I have good clean punches. Kicks is another things I can’t really kick above the waist - tight hips!

A good point about PEDs. I think I will keep away from them - personal choice, I deal with their complications on a regular basis at work. But I will adjust my training to make it more realistic for an amatuer/average joe.

Your point on my nutrition is noted. I will slowly start to make changes to this. I can very easily add some grilled chicken and replace some of my sandwiches etc. My sandwiches are literraly leathered in peanut butter - I need to drink quite a decent amount to get them down. And will focus on changing other things over the next few weeks.

I will also cut down on my MMA/BJJ sessions to two each.

One final silly question - does mass made simple count is minimilist training i.e. I know it is high volume but essentially for most part of the program it is 2 days a week and can be reduced to 2x per week? Or would you do 531 two times/week - as per the Jim Wendler MMA template (I think it is either on his website or T nation). Or any other program suggestions/advice will be appreciated.

Thank You For Your Advice Once Again.

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6

I overlooked this point. WIll look into these programs. Thank You.

7

This is exactly what I suspected (having dabbling in boxing), but glad someone with experience in MMA/BJJ could confirm. I used to box (technical work, some sparring) 2x a week along, and couldn’t imagine it would be beneficial to do 7 sessions each week, with several being two-a-days.

8

Yea well we could do 3 times a day if one is shadowboxing, footwork and light pad work… another session being pratical super light touch-sparring, etc.
Never ever is it actually physically demanding if you do more than 1 session. I dont like seeing a fighter breaking a sweat on a technical work. It should feel like aerobics, only practicing movements and reaction, super light, not even throwing punches, basically just moving hips, shoulders and watching whats going on, practicing in his head and with his eyes.
I like how Max Holloway said - he sometimes just meditates - sits and thinks about stuff… like think about reactions, techniques etc. If that is a training session, it is ok.

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