Oh, you’ll notice. It’ll fuck with your ability to spread the floor and balance. Use training to get a feel for how tight you can go. Remember that it’ll cost you grip strength the harder your crank down on them, so find a happy medium.
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Tired AF training part two. Since it’s squats, feeling confident enough all the same.
Today’s training
Agile 8 plus shoulders
Squat
First few work up sets were WAAAAAAY off and it felt I wasn’t firing my abs and glutes well. Also felt like my waist is smaller - again - because somehow I wasn’t pushing into my belt when inhaling but realistically all the above could be due to overall tiredness.
3x346 lbs, under 6 RPE - off balance but felt light enough
3x396 lbs, 6 or under RPE, Slingshot wraps, 6 revolutions - first wrapped squats since last meet in March. Felt weird and like they weren’t giving much rebound
3x445 lbs, 6 RPE, Slingshot wraps, 7 revolutions - felt slightly less weird, but still felt like rebound was minimal
15 push-ups after each set, the ones where you start flat on the ground (dead stop?).
1x495 lbs, 9 RPE, Harris True Cast wraps, 5 revolutions - finally some rebound. Love my True Casts. Way too deep though, which is typical of my wrapped squat for some reason.
1x517 lbs, 9 RPE (just), True Cast wraps, 5 cranked revolutions - equal all time PR, and noticeably easier than when I hit it last. Maybe 15-20 lbs in the tank today, so fully rested and firing on all cylinders maybe another 35 lbs. Had Sean call my depth, and happy to say I was about to reverse as he called up, so really I think I’ll just need to get a feel for legal depth in wraps.
On go the Oly shoes
3x5x346 lbs, 7 RPE across (decided to cut two sets to save time). Deep.
10x30 lbs hammer curls after each set
30x264 lbs hack squat, Oly shoes still on. Rest/pause, again to save time instead of 3x12. Didn’t hurt until I was leaving.
10x30 lbs hammer curls
25x220 lbs SSB good morning, again saving time instead of doing 3x10. Surprisingly easy.
10x30 lbs hammer curls
Tonight I will sleep.
@max13 I checked the time for wrapping. Slingshots too maybe one and a half minutes, True Cast about three and a half - so that shows how different fairly loose wrapping is compared to cranking it.
Cool, I hope you didn’t do that just on my account lol. I was thinking of timing myself just to get a feel. Haven’t used them in training yet but I’ve been practicing putting them on. Don’t want to have any hesitation at game time.
No, I was going to squat wrapped anyway so I just turned my camera on when I started wrapping and that worked for timing.
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Week 3 - 531 week
Today’s training
Agile 8 plus shoulders
Press
35 pull aparts after first three warm up sets - tried doing them on a bench. Kind of cool.
5x143 lbs, 6 RPE or just under
3x159 lbs, 6 RPE
4x181 lbs, 10 RPE with belt - just in my goal range
Decided to go for a big round number, based solely on how well the first rep of 181 lbs moved.
1x203 lbs, 10 RPE with belt - 10 lbs shy of bodyweight, and it took some work.
5x6x143 lbs, 7-8 to 8 RPE
Calf raises after each set: 2x176 lbs standing, 3x88 lbs seated
Supersetted 176 lbs bench press/132 lbs Fat Gripz lat pull downs
3x10/12
Jump rope after each set:
100xleg-to-leg, 5xdouble unders
Had to laugh at the joker set - looks just like my last one at 155 (I think) - slow and painful. Nice grind!
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I’m still trying to figure out what thought process led me to the conclusion that attempting this would be a good idea. Now, assuming my press is somewhere between 60 and 70% of my bench, my bench should be between 340 and 290 lbs, which when I think of it very close to spot on at the low end. Go figure.
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Today’s training
DL
5x429 lbs, 6 RPE, sumo
3x489 lbs, 8 RPE, semi-sumo
1x544 lbs, 10 RPE, conventional - you can see me check the loading because this felt so GD heavy
0x572 lbs, conventional - bar wouldn’t even move. This sucked, although given how hard 544 lbs felt I shouldn’t have tried it.
I was pretty pissed by this point, so the logical step was to roll my narrow stance, Oly shoe SSB squat sets into one and try 30 reps:
24x297 lbs, 8 RPE based on how my upper and middle back felt
Supersetted 49 lbs preacher curls/220 lbs BB shrugs
3x12/12
I think we’re all beginning to see a pattern here.
For one, it’s pretty obvious my TM for DL is due for a reset. Five forward, three back on the button. Couldn’t have happened at a worse time, but it is what it is.
Second, I should probably stick with 351 for DL. Five cycles of 531 got me used to reps for DL, but that’s about it. My max hasn’t moved as far as I can tell. Starting 531 this was pretty much my main concern because I’d never felt my DL did well from volume, but I figured I should do it exactly as written.
Next step will be using 351 with a TM reset back by three cycles (my understanding is that this is cycle six, so I’ll go back to my TM from cycle three: from 572 lbs to 539 lbs). Hopefully that will work, although I have to admit I have my doubts since I’ll still be deadlifting weekly using relatively heavy loads which really doesn’t seem to do me favours.
I’m still debating whether I should usefully go back to what I was doing prior to 531: one week work up to a heavy single DL (starting around 85% and adding 10-20 lbs every time I go back) and the other week doing lighter speed pulls (along the lines of 8x2x55% vs bands or something, going to 65% over a few weeks and then changing stance or something). I could use a TM for that, of course.
Oh, one good thing today: last DL warm up was a single for 385 lbs that I pulled double overhand. That was nice.
I’d try the 3/5/1 approach for a few cycles and see how you get on mate!
Atm I’m doing:
3, 3, 3+ then 3x singles at TM
5, 5, 5+
5, 3, 1+ then 3x singles at 95% actual max
Deload - 3x3 with the 5s week weights, keep assisstances the same weight but lower the set and / or reps
- sets are optional, Wendler didn’t include them in the original plan but I like havig them in
I’m on the 5/3/1 week this week so I’ll make sure to write up how the singles feel at 95% actual max, it may be too much and I should stick to TM singles, but this week will be the test for that 
I’m trying to work it for a 7th week deload but not sure how I’ll feel going from 531 week to 3s week, if its too much when that time comes around I’ll throw in an extra 5s weeks at week 4, and just deload every 8th week.
I probably should, shouldn’t I? Thanks @andypee
That said, what you’re doing would kill me. I like to think that my DL is respectable for a dude my size who’s been training PL for a couple of years but it takes a lot out of me.
I feel the same about this, I hate deadlifting for reps and really feel my pull took off when I changed my approach to heavier weights at lower volume, mostly just singles. For this and my last meet, deadlifting for reps was cut at about 7 weeks out in favor of working up to singles whether it was to test my opener, pull a heavy single off of blocks, etc. Even my speed work is all singles, just abbreviated rest periods (30 seconds at about 65-75%).
I will do things that are weak-point focused like deficit pulls or stiff-legs for reps, usually in the 5 range. But other than that I’m partial to singles. I never ran 5/3/1 for a meet so I’m not sure what I’d advise someone to do in your situation. It sounds like you have a plan though and you know your body so why go against your gut?
FWIW you’re strong in multiple stances which is cool. I haven’t pulled sumo in ~6 months and won’t test it again until after the next meet.
How many weeks out are you? Could reset your TM pretty far to be conservative and keep volume, cut your + sets at the required reps and then work up to a heavy single after that. Just a thought…
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Flattered you asked - not sure my thoughts are valid, but…
I’d hate to see you abandon 5/3/1 - you like it and that motivates you. So, what about resetting your TM during your deload this cycle by testing for 5RM that week.
Or, reset three back but add Joker sets so you can take it easy on the volume lifts but get some heavy singles and doubles in.
Final thought on the DL - figure out what you want your third attempt in the meet to be, your PR number, and work backwards the 6-8 weeks you are from competing and set that as your current TM?
However, don’t be disappointed or get too frustrated. Remember you have been in a calorie deficit, and have recently changed your routine because of your work schedule and the misses being home. No matter how minor these things may seem, they will have an effect on your training - I just don’t think it will be a big effect in the long run.
You got this!
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Stick to the prescribed reps then bud, and dont go above your TM for singles. In 5/3/1 for PLing Wendlers says 1 single @ TM on 3s week, then a 1+ set on 531 week, maybe that would be better for ya?
I’m only doing it how I do after following the older logs of Ben Seath, he had some great results training 5/3/1 and 3/5/1.
Whatr your assisstances like for deadlifts? I think the weighted back raises im doing are helping me a lot.
I do agree with @The_Myth though, a lot of things have changed for you recently and maybe when things settle back down and your back into a routine things will pick back up, dont make any drastic changes and just take baby steps.
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Some great points, thanks @The_Myth @andypee @max13
This is definitely on my mind. Currently the way I’m feeling is that another cycle of 351 or 531 won’t do much good for my DL. Whether in the long term it would or wouldn’t is another matter, although six months with no real addition to top end limit strength suggests it may not.
Another good point, but I’m about five weeks out so shit out of luck there
No chance of me doing that for the other lifts. Still tons of love for 531.
Good idea in theory but that’d be 600 lbs, which is 16 lbs higher than my all time max.
Well, I’ve been in deficit since cycle three. I can hardly lay the blame there. Likewise routine change. It hasn’t changed a ton. I was tired and didn’t sleep much for about 10 days, but this week I’ve been well rested. My whinging may have made it seem more significant than it was.
I think that’ll be the clincher.
I’ve pretty much accepted I won’t get 600 lbs at the meet, but I’m confident 572-583 lbs is reasonable. I’ll reset my TM to 539 lbs and run 351 for four cycles - that’ll put me back at a 572 lbs TM (cycles 7 - last before meet - and 8, 9 and 10). In the next cycle (7) I’ll work up to a 583 lbs single in week 3.
If that doesn’t work, then I’ll do something other than 531 for my DL along the lines of a kind of ME/DE approach.
Have been taking deloads? If not, you may want to take that into consideration in your training/taper before the meet.
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Religiously every fourth week. It’s been great.
I think what happened is a combination of three things:
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As Wendler says, five forward, three back. I first had a wobble on DL in week three of cycle five but because I’d been sick the week before I put it mostly down to that. Still, switched to 351 for this cycle (six). Should have reset, fairly obviously.
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I’m definitely not a rep guy for DL. How well 531 works for me in the press and squat is obvious; and even for bench it seems to working reasonably well since I’m over 10 lbs lighter and my bench hasn’t really dropped. How well it works for me for DL is questionable since my max doesn’t seem to have moved at all.
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I may also quite possibly not be a deadlift every week guy. Certainly before 531 I only pulled above 85% every other week because I didn’t recover otherwise. I did speed work, but that was it. How true this holds will be determined by how cycles eight, nine and 10 go. If by cycle 10 I’m still not able to reliably move 572 lbs I’ll know that my DL has not gone up and how I train it will have to change.
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@MarkKO yeah at 5 weeks out I would think you won’t get much stronger, it’ll just be about keeping the intensity up and focus on recovery so you’re at 100% on meet day. Do you know what your attempts will be?
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