Okay, I’ve read an info about Jim Wendler’s Beyond 5/3/1 book and what piqued my interest is the SSS template. And I’m planning to change my current workout program because I’m planning to get stronger and hit PRs. I did some modification about the template and added wave loading. Here’s what I come up with:
BENCH PRESS DAY
Barbell Bench Press 5/3/1 5/3/1
Dumbell Bench Press 3x10
Weighed Dips 3x10
Bent Over Rows 3x10
Seated Cable Rows 3x10
SQUAT DAY
Barbell Back Squat 5/3/1 5/3/1
Leg Press 3x10
Dumbell Lunges 3x10
Dumbell Calf Raises 3 Failure Sets
Reverse Crunches 3 Failure Sets
[quote]vorsillion wrote:
Okay, I’ve read an info about Jim Wendler’s Beyond 5/3/1 book and what piqued my interest is the SSS template.[/quote]
I haven’t read Beyond 5/3/1 yet, but is the routine you just wrote actually similar to anything in it? Unless there’s some big change I haven’t heard of yet, your plan is very not 5/3/1.
The sets and reps in your proposed plan aren’t an efficient way to build strength. The program looks like a routine focused on building muscle above all else.
Also, some of the exercise choices need improvement. BB and DB bench, bent and seated row, oh and DB press, pull-ups and chin-ups. Those are all redundant.
[quote]vorsillion wrote:
Okay, I’ve read an info about Jim Wendler’s Beyond 5/3/1 book and what piqued my interest is the SSS template.[/quote]
I haven’t read Beyond 5/3/1 yet, but is the routine you just wrote actually similar to anything in it? Unless there’s some big change I haven’t heard of yet, your plan is very not 5/3/1.
The sets and reps in your proposed plan aren’t an efficient way to build strength. The program looks like a routine focused on building muscle above all else.
Also, some of the exercise choices need improvement. BB and DB bench, bent and seated row, oh and DB press, pull-ups and chin-ups. Those are all redundant.[/quote]
I apologize for the mistake. I edited it. It’s not supposedly 7/5/3 7/5/3 but 5/3/1 5/3/1.
And yes it’s similar. An example would be a Bench Press Day. 5/3/1 for the bench press then after that, floor press for 5 sets of 10 reps. Then after that, a Lat/Upper Back/Bicep work. For my adjustment, I made it a 5/3/1 5/3/1 wave loading then followed by 2 3x10 assistance exercises, instead of 5x10, for the Bench Press Day. Then for latwork, 2 3x10 assistance exercises again rather than 5x10(as stated).
And I would like to hear your suggestions in improving the workout. Thanks in advance.
“Goals that aren’t in line with what the designer of the program had in mind” is the usual answer to that. In my case, I’m trying to get fit and stay strong without putting on weight, and so far I’ve actually gained strength on my adjusted program.
I was determined not to move on until I knew enough about writing programs to make gains and write about it at the same time, and it’s still working. Writing has always been the end goal in sight since I was 10 years old, and I’m not compromising on that now- not when I’m so close to making it pay off.
What purpose does the wave loading serve? More volume?
Are you trying to set rep records on the first wave? Why two waves and not 5? I think without knowing the reasoning behind your programming decisions, we can’t really give you much useful feedback.
[quote]vorsillion wrote:
It’s not supposedly 7/5/3 7/5/3 but 5/3/1 5/3/1.[/quote]
If you’re wave loading, don’t necessarily cut yourself off at two waves. The idea is generally to push them until performance declines in the last set of the wave. That could mean two, three, or even four waves if you’re having an especially kickass day.
Okay. I just wasn’t aware that Wendler advocated wave loading instead of just hitting the target reps in sets leading up to the big PR set.
Gotcha. Again though, this is putting a little more emphasis on the assistance work than Wendler’s usually cool with.
As far as fixing your exercise selections, you just want to minimize overlap. There are a bunch of exercises out there. If you’re deciding it’s important to break up the sets for two different exercises, they shouldn’t be practically the same movement. Like Wendler said in the first 5/3/1 manual, “You must have a very strong reason for doing an exercise. If you donâ??t, scrap it and move on.”
[quote]tsantos wrote:
What purpose does the wave loading serve? More volume?[/quote]
Not sure if you were asking the OP specifically, or just in general. Wave loading can be a useful tool, if done properly. It’s a form of autoregulation, while still getting quality work done with heavy weights.
Okay guys, I’ll stick to the program and I apologize for revising it. =)
I’ll be posting my decided program later but I just want to know regarding on bench press day and overhead press day. Does it matter if I choose a lat work that has the opposite movement pattern? An example would be a overhead press(vertical push) and pull up(vertical pull).
[quote]vorsillion wrote:
I’ll be posting my decided program later but I just want to know regarding on bench press day and overhead press day. Does it matter if I choose a lat work that has the opposite movement pattern? An example would be a overhead press(vertical push) and pull up(vertical pull).[/quote]
I’ve done this before, worked fine for me. I supersetted OHP with chins and bench press with rows.
I appreciate the feedback guys and here’s my workout next week based on Boring But Big, 5x5 Variation.
*Note that for weeks 1 and 4, main lifts are 3x5… 2 and 5 are 3x3… and 3 and 6 are 5/3/1.
First 6 weeks
DAY ONE
Barbell Overhead Press 3x5 or 3x3 or 5/3/1
Dumbbell Bench Press 5x10
Seated Cable Rows 5x10
DAY TWO
Barbell Deadlift 3x5 or 3x3 or 5/3/1
Leg Press 5x10
Hanging Knees 5xF
DAY 3
Barbell Bench Press 3x5 or 3x3 or 5/3/1
Dumbbell Shoulder Press 5x10
Lat Pulldowns 5x10
DAY 4
Barbell Back Squat 3x5 or 3x3 or 5/3/1
Romanian Deadlift 5x10
Incline Reverse Crunches 5xF
Second 6 weeks
DAY ONE
Barbell Overhead Press 3x5 or 3x3 or 5/3/1
Barbell Bench Press 5x5
Barbell Bent Over Rows 5x5
DAY TWO
Barbell Deadlift 3x5 or 3x3 or 5/3/1
Barbell Squats 5x5
Hanging Knees 5xF
DAY 3
Barbell Bench Press 3x5 or 3x3 or 5/3/1
Barbell Overhead Press 5x5
Weighted Pull Ups 5x5
DAY 4
Barbell Back Squat 3x5 or 3x3 or 5/3/1
Barbell Deadlift 5x5
Incline Reverse Crunches 5xF
Every after 6 weeks, there’s a deload. Every after 2nd deload, the cycle goes back to ‘first 6 weeks’.
So, this is it. Any recommendations or suggestions? I haven’t read about supersets regarding boring and big workouts. Is it okay to apply supersets for it?
The second six weeks is where it gets messy. Training the compound movements at such high intensity twice a week will not be sustainable for long, especially with both squatting and deadlifting.
[quote]Full Metal wrote:
The first six weeks seems fine, IMO.
The second six weeks is where it gets messy. Training the compound movements at such high intensity twice a week will not be sustainable for long, especially with both squatting and deadlifting. [/quote]
The intensity for BBB is not very high. For the 5x5 variation listed in the book, you don’t really go over 65%. And even if you did, weightlifters do pulls and squats every day, often squatting over 90% 3-4 days a week. If you build up slowly , the body will adapt.
Also, considering that Jim wrote a challenge called the BBB 3 month challenge where you ended up working to 5x10 at 70% of your training max in the main lifts, directly after the 531 sets (squats after deadlifts, bench after OHP, etc) I’d say that the OP is fine with this set up.
[quote]Full Metal wrote:
The first six weeks seems fine, IMO.
The second six weeks is where it gets messy. Training the compound movements at such high intensity twice a week will not be sustainable for long, especially with both squatting and deadlifting. [/quote]
The intensity for BBB is not very high. For the 5x5 variation listed in the book, you don’t really go over 65%. And even if you did, weightlifters do pulls and squats every day, often squatting over 90% 3-4 days a week. If you build up slowly , the body will adapt.
Also, considering that Jim wrote a challenge called the BBB 3 month challenge where you ended up working to 5x10 at 70% of your training max in the main lifts, directly after the 531 sets (squats after deadlifts, bench after OHP, etc) I’d say that the OP is fine with this set up.[/quote]
Ah. I read the original, but haven’t read Beyond 5/3/1 yet. I was unaware that Wendler added his own 5x5 variation. When I see 5x5, my brain instantly thinks of Bill Starr or SS haha. I’m aware of weightlifters do day-in and day-out, but those are people who built up to it over an extended period of time. The average gym goer cannot simply replicate that right out of the bat. The body is capable of amazing feats, no doubt, but it has to be given a reasonable amount of time to adapt.
