I’m really excited about a full-body template that I created that I’ve been using for several cycles now, with great success, and I’d really like to share it with you and get your take on it. First I’ve been doing 5-3-1 on and off for several years and I always come back to it because I love the concept and details of it (I like knowing what I have to do each and everyday I walk into the gym, I can’t standing winging it). I’ve done several of the BBB templates, the trumitive, even a couple of the challenges, but my favorite way has always been to train full-body.
Here’s the one I’ve been doing based on several of your ideas mixed with my own take on things. Basically how I’ve set it up is a Heavy Volume Day, Lower Volume Day (using alt exercise) and Intensity Day, this isn’t any new way of thinking Bill Starr has been setting up programs like this longer than I’ve been alive, but instead of setting up a separate days devoted to volume, intensity I rotate the exercises based on this philosophy. For Instance:
Day 1
Squat 5x10@65% (volume)
Bench 5-3-1+FSL, whatever week it is, (intensity)
Dead-lifts 5-3-1+FSL (only 1 time a week, always intensity, never volume based)
D. Press 3x10 (low volume-alternate exercise)
Lat work
Day 2
Front Squat (low volume-alt exercise)
Bench Press 5x10@65% (volume)
Military Press 5-3-1+FSL, whatever week it is, (intensity)
Lat and lower back work
Day 3
Squat 5-3-1+FSL, whatever week it is, (intensity)
D. Bench 3x10 (low volume-alt exercise)
Military Press 5x10@65% (volume)
Lat lower back work
This isn’t ground breaking and I’m sure people have set-up similar templates. I’ve had great success with this and just wanted to share.