You have a lot of exercises listed for each of your days. Seems like too much to me especially in light of the volume of your conditioning. Like you, I lift 3 days a week. But, I feel like I do quite a bit less than you. After my 5-3-1 sets, I often only have one real accessory movement…and if I’m doing BBB, I ease up on the intensity of it substantially. For instance, I’ll still row, but only because I need that opposing movement, not because I’m trying to get better at rowing. I"m just doing time.
Here’s what I typically do:
DLs, gms, hlrs
Bench, row
Mp, pullups
Squats, front squats recently. Often nothing. Squats fucking ruin me.
Personally, I like practicing the lifts that I want to improve on. But I have been told that it can be counterproductive to deadlift weekly.
You might be over-training. Less can be more. Work what works hard.
Day 1 - Military Press Day on 5/3/1
MPs
Boring but big volume
Chins
Ab rollouts
Day 2 - Deadlift day
Pulling a few singles at 135-155 lbs. or repping some lighter weights
GMs - standing
Pull-throughs or RDLs
Hip thrusts
Single leg RDLs
Weighted Planks or Hanging Leg Raises
Day 3 - Bench Day on 5/3/1
Bench Press
Boring but big volume
Rows of all variations
Dips
1 armed DB presses
Ab rollouts
Day 4 - Squats
A few squat reps at below knee cave weights
Front squats
GMs seated
BSS
Walking lunges
Step Ups
Pistols
Ab rollouts/Weighted Planks/HLRs depending on recovery
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I agree with Nadia, it’s a little too ambitious. If I was to modify it:
Day 1 - Military Press Day on 5/3/1
MPs
Boring but big volume
Chins
Ab rollouts
Day 2 - Deadlift day
GMs - standing (this is your main lift)
Deads for speed & form (singles with 115 from a riser)
Pull-throughs or RDLs or Single leg RDLS (pick one)
Hip thrusts
Weighted Planks or Hanging Leg Raises
Day 3 - Bench Day on 5/3/1
Bench Press
Boring but big volume
Rows of all variations
Dips or 1 armed DB presses
Biceps movement (they are bench stabilizers)
Ab rollouts
Day 4 - Squats
A few squat reps at below knee cave weights
Front squats
GMs seated
BSS or Walking lunges or Step Ups or Pistols
Ab rollouts/Weighted Planks/HLRs depending on recovery
Fewer exercises with more focus and intensity will help. After GMs you won’t have that much juice left for too many more exercises.
There is a decent article (a bit too complicated perhaps) on the main page that gets into a Westside approach without bands / chains etc. You don’t need to copy it, but it gives some background on the increasing lift numbers by doing movements that complement the big 3.
edit: Sorry, if I’m starting to sound like “that” guy.
Sadly, I can’t help you here, Kimba. I don’t run 5/3/1 and I’m not currently training for max lifts. But this is all really interesting! So thanks to all posters for getting in the mix, and of course for your graciousness, Kimba, for letting me listen in. I feel like a kid at the big people table. Lol!
And I will say, I like the idea of training other typical accessory work as main lifts, and then bringing the main lift to a mid-rep range. I think I’ll be doing that…
Anyways, I’ll be interested to see what you decide on!
And Cal, those “trick or treat” cupcakes are beyond brilliant!! I’ll see if I can whip some up for work on Monday. Everyone will love it!
I tend to agree with Nadia. I’m not doing 531 but when I squat, I am usually at it for an hour so I tend not to do much else after. Deadlifts - same. These are big CNS exercises and I don’t like to cane it because my systems take longer to recover these days. Bench and millies are generally less taxing so you could do more on those days.
Anyway, brilliant news about the run. You have me beat. Even when I’ve been running well, I am a 10 minute miler. But I guess a draught horse will never win the Derby.
Joe, keeping the 5/3/1 for squats and deads and lowering the weight is definitely an idea I’d consider for the future. However, I find that I focus alot on the money sets in 5/3/1. Which isn’t addressing my weak points.
lil power, I’ve never done seated GMs. This may be limited by the amount of weight I can press overhead and get on and off my back. I don’t have a power rack in my gym (just a fixed rail) and that may be too high to do seated GMs in the rack. I’ll have to try it tonight and report back.
Nadia, thanks for thinking about this. I don’t think I overtrain, but I’m sometimes in the gym for somewhat longer than I want to be because my husband is an animal and likes long sessions. If I’m cutting back on the volume and intensity of squats and deads, that definitely frees up lots of time for these other accessory exercises to work their magic on my weak points.
git, you aren’t THAT guy. Those were helpful comments and I’m going to try that squat day tonight!
Maschy, we are both little kids at the big kids table. Its more fun that way, and there may even be a food fight involving whipped cream spraying from a can. You can see where my mind goes with you…
Cal, I am hoping that spreading the 4 trainings over more than a week will really help my recovery. Especially since the new-to-me exercises will likely increase my DOMS. I’ll never win the Derby either, but we’ll both have fun on the roads!
Day 1 - Military Press Day on 5/3/1
MPs
Boring but big volume
Chins
Ab rollouts
Day 2 - Deadlift day
Pulling a few singles at 135-155 lbs. or repping some lighter weights
GMs - standing
Pull-throughs or RDLs
Hip thrusts
Single leg RDLs
Weighted Planks or Hanging Leg Raises
Day 3 - Bench Day on 5/3/1
Bench Press
Boring but big volume
Rows of all variations
Dips
1 armed DB presses
Ab rollouts
Day 4 - Squats
A few squat reps at below knee cave weights
Front squats
GMs seated
BSS
Walking lunges
Step Ups
Pistols
Ab rollouts/Weighted Planks/HLRs depending on recovery
[/quote]
I agree with Nadia, it’s a little too ambitious. If I was to modify it:
Day 1 - Military Press Day on 5/3/1
MPs
Boring but big volume
Chins
Ab rollouts
Day 2 - Deadlift day
GMs - standing (this is your main lift)
Deads for speed & form (singles with 115 from a riser)
Pull-throughs or RDLs or Single leg RDLS (pick one)
Hip thrusts
Weighted Planks or Hanging Leg Raises
Day 3 - Bench Day on 5/3/1
Bench Press
Boring but big volume
Rows of all variations
Dips or 1 armed DB presses
Biceps movement (they are bench stabilizers)
Ab rollouts
Day 4 - Squats
A few squat reps at below knee cave weights
Front squats
GMs seated
BSS or Walking lunges or Step Ups or Pistols
Ab rollouts/Weighted Planks/HLRs depending on recovery
Fewer exercises with more focus and intensity will help. After GMs you won’t have that much juice left for too many more exercises.
There is a decent article (a bit too complicated perhaps) on the main page that gets into a Westside approach without bands / chains etc. You don’t need to copy it, but it gives some background on the increasing lift numbers by doing movements that complement the big 3.
edit: Sorry, if I’m starting to sound like “that” guy.
[/quote]
Dude I typed out almost the same exact routine before I saw that you had already done it.
Last night’s training was my first try at the revamped program targeted to strengthen my lower back.
Squat Day
There was curling in the one and only squat rack, so I started out with Seated Good Mornings:
Bar 2 x 10
50# 1 x 10
I am fairly certain this seated position won’t work in my fixed-rail squat rack, so I improvised on a bench press setup. I tried for tits to the bench, and wished I had some bigger ones because I could never quite get that low. Felt this in my lower back, which I gather is the point.
Squats
Bar 1 x 5
75# 1 x 3
85# 1 x 3
Did just a few at below-knee-cave weights.
Front Squats
55# 1 x 5
65# 1 x 5
70# 1 x 5
These went pretty well. I still need work keeping my elbows up. On the last set – 5 lbs. heavier than I’ve done before – the bar really hurt the tip of my shoulder bone. I’m pretty darn bony and was wearing a tank top. Maybe I need to wear a t-shirt for padding on these.
Bulgarian split squats
BW 3 x 10
I actually did better on these! Didn’t have to hold on quite as much! Perhaps I’m almost ready to hold some dumbbells.
Ab rollouts
2 x 5
I should have done a third set, but I did these at home while cooking dinner and the turkey sloppy joes were ready and I was hungry. I can probably weight these with a small plate next time.
All in all, I was pleased with this training and I’ll be looking to increase some weights next time.
Successful run yesterday – 3.65 miles at a fastest-ever pace of 8:46 min/mile. It was cold and rainy, but it amazes me how well I’m able to keep warm running, as opposed to the difficulty I have keeping warm while cycling.
Looking good. Remember that there are many variations of GMs and you don’t need to go parallel to the floor (tits on bench…ha). If you consider your back angle when DLing it is actually quite high. So, a higher angle with heavier weight on GMs is a perfectly good option. Just work up to it. Mix it up.
Sweet running. Never tried seated good mornings before, but perhaps I will now. My sciatica doesn’t like the standing kind and I have the kind of boobs that can reach the bench…
Kris, I had to go back and look at the video to see the magic floating for myself…ha!
git, I will keep that in mind as I put weight on the bar of these GMs.
Frenchie, this was one of those times when I wished for something bigger than an A cup!
Nadia, I’ll be looking for your boobs-to-the-bench video. Thanks for your continued running encouragement.
Patch, indeed pussy pads abound at my gym. I’ll give that a try next time
Friday night training was a fairly easy Military Press day.
Military Press (3s day)
46# 1 x 3
52.5# 1 x 3
59# 1 x 3 <–money set, the third one went up hard
BBB 40# 5 x 10
Chinups
5/4/4/3/3
This is the most chinups I’ve done in awhile and they felt pretty good.
Cable hip ad/abuctions (supersetted with the above)
Ab roll-outs
BW 1 x 5
5 lb. plate on back 1 x 5
Wow, was the weighted ab rollout hard! I’ll try for a few more sets of 5 next time.
Today’s training was a cold (35 degree F) run. 17 min. out and 17 min. back, 3.8 miles at a 8:54 min/mile pace. Perhaps next time out I can hit 4 miles of straight running for the first time ever.
I’m having a Halloween party tomorrow and baked dark chocolate cupcakes for that today. I’m not much of a baker, but the test cupcake was tasty. Tomorrow comes the dark chocolate buttercream frosting.
Patch, indeed pussy pads abound at my gym. I’ll give that a try next time
I’m having a Halloween party tomorrow and baked dark chocolate cupcakes for that today. I’m not much of a baker, but the test cupcake was tasty. Tomorrow comes the dark chocolate buttercream frosting.
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LOL, I didn’t want to call them pussy pads if you were actually going to use them, but that’s what I meant.
Butter cream frosting, I’m already drooling. You must take pics for us.
Here you go, Patch. Behold my Halloween chocolate cupcakes. They were pretty good, quite chocolately, but not as moist as I like them. Chalk that up to me not being much of a baker (shocking!). But them’s that weren’t eaten at last night’s party got put in the trash. There is only so much flour and sugar that I can take at one time.
Right now, I can’t face any more.
Joe, you are unfailingly positive about training…at least for me!
Due to circumstances completely out of my control, I missed my normal Sunday training…deadlift day. I’ve looked at my plan for the day and there is no reason that I can’t get it done at home today/tonight if as is likely I cannot squeeze in a gym trip.
I made it to the gym for a Halloween night training.
Deadlift/Lower Back Day
Good Mornings
Bar 1 x 5
55# 1 x 5
65# 1 x 5
75# 1 x 5
85# 1 x 5 <–too much weight to keep good form
I think I’m bending my knees too much and need to push my butt back with straighter legs. I also think 85 lbs. is too much weight and I need to dial it back until I find a place where form is perfect. My lower back was feeling it, although its not sore today.
Sumo Deadlifts
115# from risers 1 x 5
I reset my back arch between reps and did them for speed and form. Honestly, they looked perfect.
RDLs
115# 1 x 10
Barbell hip thrusts
115# 1 x 10
I only had a short time to train, so I just used the same weight for all exercises. I missed doing my HLRs and might try to get them in today.
Today’s run was 4 miles in 36 min. I was happy with this, especially since I was doing alot of dodging of snowy, tree branch filled sidewalks. Snow in October is just so wrong on so many levels.
