[quote]gvlahos wrote:
Hi Bill,
I gotta ask about the following post you made:
Imagine Wendler’s 5-3-1, but increase the frequency and volume to where the 5 rep workout, the 3 rep workout, and the 5-3-1 workout all get done in the same week (or actually 8 day period) rather than taking 3 weeks to get through. (Thus making it not 5-3-1 anymore.)
Can you tell me how you plan that out? Also, how would you suggest someone work up to this level of intensity? Thank you.[/quote]
I’ve actually changed what I’m doing there a bit, so I’ll cover both before and after.
First I did not want to go with Wendler’s “Take 90% of your 1RM and call that your 1RM.” I am sure he has good reason. One of his stated reasons was having to deal with people’s BS 1RM’s. Well mine were not BS, and so there seemed no reason to “compensate” for exaggerations that didn’t exist. I went with 95%, as he had other reasons as well.
I then used his method exactly except by calculating the figures with that difference. The first workout would be the “5” workout, two days later would be the “3” workout, and two days after that would be the “5/3/1” workout.
The first problem I had with this is that it was still lighter than I wanted. For example, having recently done Smolov Jr, I had done 85% 1RM for ten sets of three. Wendler wants you to, after doing two ramping-up sets of somewhat lesser weight, do ONE set of not 85% 1RM, but 90% of 90% 1RM, or thus really 81% 1RM.
Even using the 95% figure for downrating the 1RM, it was still only 86%. For one set of 3. Which kind of pales to 85% for 10 sets of 3. Or for that matter I had a long history, following a Warman-type program, of doing 2 sets of 3 with 90%. For my personal case, the 90%-of-90% or even 90%-of-95% just wasn’t suitable to what I considered right for me.
So I then adjusted the program to where the one top work weight set was at least a little more demanding: 80% for 5, 90% for three, and (as the triple was already heavier than Wendler specified for the single) edging up from 90% for some singles.
That was okay but I then decided that as I am not a powerlifter but rather want physique enhancement with improved strength, the program was centered around too high a percent 1RM.
I recently adjusted it then to be a 65-75-85 program, wherein Day 1 is at 65%, ramped similarly to Wendler’s approach, for 8 reps in the two ramping-up sets and as many as possible in the last set, but at least 8. The second workout (with a rest day inbetween) is at 75%, for 6 reps in the ramp sets and as many as possible in the last set, but at least 6. The last is at 85% for 4 reps in the ramp sets and as many as possible in the last set.
Related approaches would be 60-70-80; or 70-80-90. If I were sticking simply with this approach, I’d now do it as 60-70-80 week 1; 65-75-85 week 2; and 70-80-90 week 3. But instead I’m varying it in a differing way. I am now however working it into an overall rotation that includes Smolov Jr, Feduleyev, and other Russian techniques, and doing it as 60-70-80.
As this protocol is soft compared to those, and will give somewhat of a soothing break, as well as a useful brief lowering of average percent 1RM.
Fat loss works way better when doing all this work. Not because of calories burned directly, but some other reason.
The sped-up mongrelization of 5/3/1 that I described is really not in itself high volume at all. Counting the ramp sets, as they are genuine work, it’s only 3 work sets for that exercise 3 times per week. Nine sets per week, big deal! Times four exercises, 36 sets. Add in similar assistance work and the total is still quite reasonable.
Well, it is true that on the squat day, it’s not one but two squat exercises that get this treatment – box and ATG – so it’s six sets at a time for squats, not counting warmups, or 18 work sets of squats per week. Add in another 3 sets each squat day of either leg press or hack squat as assistance, and the weekly (or per 8-day) leg work is pretty substantial volume. That likely is where a lot of the fat loss benefit comes from, as a guess.
If not used to high-frequency work or much time at high-percent-1RM, I would “split the difference” at first and give extra focus to stretching anything that may be tight, warming up thoroughly, and also doing some very light sets after the work sets. This for some reason seems to aid recovery.
If all this seems unrelated to Surge Workout Fuel, it’s not. I have tried much less than this while cutting before, and failed completely. Thibaudeau’s approach to getting the muscles well-fueled beforehand and then using Surge Workout Fuel or Anaconda during the workout does make a remarkable difference in what one can do. (I had also found considerable difference in workout performance with just plain Surge Workout Fuel, but I cannot speak to whether I could have done this level of work without the pre-workout loading. Which does not require Anaconda, btw.)
Sorry for the long post, but a clear explanation required a fair bit.
