Yeah, I missed a lot of things. I still have quite a bit more reading to do, but based on what i’ve realized, I think i’ll just continue with 5/3/1 for a bit more.
Okay dude, it’s just that it sounds like you really wanted to give it a go. Just an fyi you don’t need specialty bars, bands, or chains for conjugate.
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With that attitude sure. I somehow managed at age 19.
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Programs are for people who don’t know how to train yet IMO. The best lifters in the world autoregulate based on their training circumstances that day. There may be a schedule in place but it is ALWAYS subject to change.
When you do this as long as some of us have you have to learn to draw the line between ego, volume, and intensity.
531 is a decent program if you learn to listen to your body, but eventually you’ll need something else.
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Do you mean this for powerlifting specifically?
I think the first edition he came out with for overall raw strength as it was meant for I think its a good program but I wouldn’t use it for powerlifting. He has other programs under the 531 label that I believe would work better.
For instance, the one repetitive comment I see is squat and DL progress being made but not on the bench. I think a second bench day would help that particularly for those with less than 5yrs of consistency.
I have found having been doing this for 13yrs now that for myself, I can’t handle a lot of volume on the competition lifts. I’m very selective anymore. Lots more “bodybuilding” and variation of the main lifts. Intensity varies every session but force myself every other week to hit something heavy. Just can’t recover as easily anymore.
I hope I understood what you were asking.
I was asking if your critique of 5/3/1 was from the lens of powerlifting or a critique of 5/3/1 as a system entirely
Will one need something else if Powerlifitng is their goal, or, in general, will one need something else?
I think 531 in the beginning for PL is good if a 2nd bench day is added and you aren’t always trying to do the AMRAP stuff.
Over time, I think a more customized template will be more beneficial for the lifter based on their need and experience.
I feel like we are talking past each other here, haha.
I’m sorry. I’m probably not answering very well what you’re asking. Thats the problem not being in person that I have.
I am asking if you feel the limitations of 5/3/1 apply exclusively to powerlifting or in general. Like: would a NON-powerlifter eventually need something else, or were you only talking about a powerlifter
As someone with way less than 5 years of consistency… There’s tricks you can do within the bounds of the program to increase certain lifts’ frequencies.
As soon as I went on 5/3/1, my deadlift and press skyrocketed, but squat and bench are still crawling for some damn reason.
I think there are limitations in powerlifting with 531 because of the goal.
I can’t really say there are limitations with a non powerlifter. Probably at some point, yes; depending on the goal.
Thank you. This is what I was asking. My experience with 5/3/1 is that it can be run pretty much indefinitely due to built in auto regulation, but I can’t speak to it specifically for powerlifting
I have the 531 raw strength, powerlifting and Beyond books. LOTS of good stuff in all of them.
Its good to know of someone liking it and having success with it long term.
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Yea he’s got a lot of different little training blocks in the Beyond book.
Forever is an AMAZING read. Really opened things up
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Honestly I will probably go back to it once I’m done competing.
Definitely interested in the Forever version.
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I have to agree. I’m doing the Surge Challenge right now, but before that I had been doing some variation of 5/3/1 for the past 6 months and I see myself continuing to use it, likely for the rest of my life. I feel like the autoregulation and all the different templates in Forever really give you the keys to program for yourself for the rest of your life. Hence the name, I suppose haha
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I forgot to answer you original question.
Westside did not max out at 90% every week, at least not every lifter. Maybe early on at WS they did as Louie experimented but the 2 I talked with it was not the case. Probably learned from mistakes. Remember WS was a giant lab. I’ve talked with a couple guys who trained there. One of them for 2 years and the other was Hoff.
If you didn’t go 90%+, you may have done something to keep intensity high whether reps for time or some other stimulus. Repetition method can act in such a way.