Yep, I think @simo74 covered basically what I would have assumed. Overall strength may have gone up with a slight reduction in absolute strength?
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Now, second thing.
This is a kind of review of the Leader/Anchor. I’m two working weeks shy of finishing it, so I don’t think doing a review now is premature.
Leader
Pros:
- definitely fit for purpose: I started it just around when the calorie deficit started to bite and experienced no issues. I can only imagine how well it would work in a caloric excess given it’s primary purpose is base building
- ignited my love for high rep squats which could never be anything other than a good thing
- showed me I can thrive on volume
Cons
- no PR sets. They’re a quintessential part of 5/3/1 for me. Without them there’s much less of a get-after-it feel to training which I miss
- the volume means sessions are long no matter how fast you go
- main lift volume makes it harder to include enough smaller assistance work. Not impossible, just harder. Possibly the bro-est comment I’ve ever made, but I’ve learned its importance
On balance, I’m very happy with the Leader phase. The slight changes I made for next year reflect a lot of the cons, like using BBB instead of FSL with Triumvirate to reduce overall time spent.
Anchor
Pros
- PR sets are back
- lower volume makes sessions quicker
Cons
- PR sets are mostly capped, which makes them feel pointless. That said, being at the end of the caloric deficit phase sees me with garbage rep capacity at heavier loads, so even without caps I wouldn’t be hitting rep PRs without a stupidly low TM. Telling comment. Telling nothing complimentary about me.
- feels like it’s a phase without a clear purpose: still volume on the main lifts, but capped PR sets. Holding back balls out effort for peaking means this feels more like a time-marking phase than anything
- TMs probably set too high if I’m brutally honest
Anchor probably just misses out on a passing grade. Arguably with lower TMs it would have felt better, but the annoying thing is that then the work sets would have been stupidly easy so I’d have HAD to work in Joker sets just to get any sense of doing anything useful. A large part of my error here I think is that firstly, I had no idea of how my rep capacity would tank while I got used to being leaner; and secondly, three months of leader without touching a heavy single, double or triple left me ignorant of where my higher end strength capacity was at.
Moving on, what’s the solution? Well, the tweaks I made to the Leader phase for next year are good as far as I can tell. Also, everything I experienced was skewed by being in a calorie deficit. I’m confident that even at maintenance calories I wouldn’t have had to reset the TMs when I moved from Leader to Anchor - hell, that’s kind of the point of Leader/Anchor as far as I understand it.
The other issue is that after what is now over a year of 5/3/1 I’m beginning to get a much better idea of how I need to run it for me and Leader/Anchor isn’t quite it. It’s close, but not quite there. Five forward/three back isn’t quite right either. In terms of day to day, FSL and Joker sets are pretty much perfect, because some days I feel like smashing reps on my top set, and others I want to work up, and I always want to do some volume after.
I think Training Maximally may be the answer. You’re not hostage to your TM: if you feel good, you work up past the TM, maybe even to a daily max. If you feel like hitting a rep PR, you hit one with your TM. If you don’t feel quite in the groove when you hit your TM, you work back down a few steps and coke back to it. FSL sets are there in all but name, with the back off sets at 70%. Assistance is left up to you, on the day pretty much. Deloads are not scheduled, instead you’re left to determine when to back off and how.
I am very, VERY seriously considering running Training Maximally from next week onwards. It’s a out as program hoppy as I get, but there’s definitely something been nagging at me for a bit. I think since I started the Anchor, actually. Kind of like I lost my way, spinning my wheels in many ways because the program isn’t fitting what I need to do right now, which is get back into a push for PR mentality - reps, singles, no matter, just a push. Same with the assistance, it’s like it is over programmed. I know how it needs to run now: overhead presses of some kind and lighter rows followed by arm work on one bench day, dips and heavier rows followed by arm work on the other. Some squats, lower back and abs after DL and some single leg and quad/ham work with abs after squat. Throw in some shoulders and I’m good.
Fuck it. I’m doing it.
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Fuck that was long.
TL;DR boo-hoo I missed a lift so now I’m going to change my programming a bit
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This is how I feel after making deadlifts a regular part of my training. I don’t know that I have anything to show for it, but I feel stronger. My back feels better even though I’m dealing with some issues right now. I did snatch grip deadlifts for the first time ever a couple weeks ago and I felt strong across my back when grabbing the bar for those pulls. Even if it’s just psychological, it’s still a good thing to feel better or stronger.
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@MarkKO: that hypertrophy program looks really fun, especially the leg day.
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Woke at 183.9 lbs.
As to yesterday: I can be a whiny prick. Holy fuck.
Massively excited though. Whinge aside, training had become a bit of a chore since anchor started. I felt like I wasn’t getting much useful done on the main exercises. Mostly I looked forward to assistance. I think I just needed a slight change.
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The post didn’t really come off as whiny. More of just a ‘thinking out loud’ post, which is sometimes what I need to do. Once I put it down on paper and re-read it I’m much more likely to follow through on an idea. Might it change? Possibly/probably. But if I don’t log it somewhere, it sure as hell isn’t going to happen.
Do you plan on ordering Jim’s new book?
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I’ll get the new book eventually.
I’m going to see how well I do with Training Maximally for a while though. I think it’ll help me learn how to train more instinctively. I recently re-read a Dave Tate interview as well as a Chad Aichs or Matt Ladewski piece which both stressed the importance of working within a system rather than a program. The difference both highlighted was that when you work within a system you’re going to be able to adapt to your changing requirements as required while being guided by your main principles. That’s what I’ve been moving towards, but what I’be noticed is that right now my training layout isn’t quite flexible enough. Training Maximally is, and it’ll also make me think more as I go.
For example, I’m already looking at how I can use three week waves for my squats after DL
Woke at 182.8 lbs. Looking decent, possibly a little dehydration but not masses.
What I was thinking with the squats after DL was cycling things like this:
- three weeks 350 sets on the SSB
- three weeks lactate training/DE style work working in doubles or triples with very short rests along the lines of week one 15x2, week two 10x3, week three 15x3, either SSB or squat bar
- three weeks 5x5 around 75% TM maybe front squat
That way I can work on different elements of my squat without burning out on any of them. Same with press.
Yes, I know. I didn’t need to change template to do this. Except I did, because of how my mind works. Give me a set in stone program and I have to work within it. Give me a system where I have options and it forces me to use my brain.
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Thinking, thinking always thinking. Nice work
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Sure. I mean, thank you.
This is what I needed. The Leader phase was great. I’ll definitely repeat it when I want to spend some time base building. For me, best way to run FSL. Training Maximally will take me where I need to go mentally now, and I’m hoping will form a long term foundation for the majority of my training.
Good squats as always.
At this point in your training career and with your lifting experience I think you just need to do the stuff you want and that you feel is working for you. No point in over thinking it in my opinion.
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Thanks @jasmincar
Sort of leap of faith time, I guess, in that I have to trust I know what I’m doing.
Ugh luuuucky. I swear the southern part of the US didn’t even have a winter. And it’s not even summer and it’s already 80 degrees AT NIGHT. Ugh.
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I went to Atlanta around late August when my brother went for college orientation. I think I went to see the area or something. I refused to leave the hotel room. I think I spent a good 2 days stuck in that room.
Spring/summer weather (so mid 70s during at the evening slowly falling into the low 60s at night) just hit suddenly here in San Jose. I’m sweating right now and it’s 9 PM.
Fuck summer. My dream is to be able to alternate between living in Aussieland and the U.S. I cannot wait for telecommuting to become a thing once more.
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If I could just have spring and autumn I’d be happy. At least Canberra has seasons.
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Even writing my work out for the next couple of day was different.
For bench day one, I’ll go opposite direction with overhead pressing and do 5x5 military for a couple of weeks. I look at OHP as more shoulder health insurance than anything, so as long as I’m doing some variation I’m not too fussed. I’ll keep strict BB rows for a couple more weeks too, maybe more if they keep feeling good. Dips I’ll keep as I have been doing the last couple of weeks on bench day two. When it starts feeling stale I’ll change how I do them. DB rows after I’ll do the work up to heavy 10 and a backoff set for a while and see how it pans out.
For squats on DL I’m also going 5x5 with front squats, again for two or so weeks. Won’t change anything really for assistance on squat day, that seems to be working too. Same deal, I’ll switch it up when it starts feeling stale.
When peaking rolls around in three weeks, I’ll reassess. Press I might keep 5x5, maybe go to log because it’s elbow friendly. Maybe seated military. Like I said, as long as I’m doing some OHP I’m happy. Squats I’m considering running DE style, since it’s a six week peak I think three weeks SSB 60%x15x2, then three weeks something like squat bar 60%x10x2 paused, both with short breaks.
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Note to self: single leg RDLs are a thing. Remember this. Use DB or BB.
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I really like that movement, haven’t done it in years though.