TM too High? Starting 5/3/1 BW

Bigger Stronger Leaner Jim Wendler 5/3/1 Coaching
1

Hello all.

I’m just starting 5/3/1, and this has been my first cycle so far:

Squat
132 5
165 5
198 3
215 5
248 5
281 9
298 5
215 20
BW 75
BW 75

Bench
99 5
124 5
149 3
162 5
186 5
211 9
224 5
162 15
BW 75
BW 75

Deadlift
181 5
226 5
271 3
293 5
339 5
384 10
406 5
293 21
BW 75
BW 75

63 5
79 5
95 3
103 5
118 5
134 9
142 5
103 16
BW 75
BW 75

I basically do all the warm up sets, then my 5 or + set, one joker set (+5% from the 5 or + set) and then an AMRAP set.

My question is a two parter:

  1. Does ‘‘only’’ getting 9-10 reps on the first week of the first cycle indicates that my TM is too high? I’ve heard of people getting north of 12 reps in a case like this. I’m mostly afraid to start with 10 reps on week 1 of cycle 1, then lose 1 rep per new cycle as my TM increases and eventually stall.

  2. Would it make sense to increase my TM by less than the recommended 10lbs for the Squat/DL and 5lbs for the Bench/Press to avoid (or delay) stalling? For example 2lbs on the Press, 4lbs on the Bench, 6lbs on the Squat and 8lbs on the Deadlift (I have micro weights).

Thanks in advance.

2

I wouldn’t worry about getting 10 reps instead of 12 reps in your first cycle. You’ll be fine.

If you find you are struggling to hit 5 on your 1+ week, that’s when you need to consider where you are.

3 Likes
3

Looks fine. I would say that doing a + set, then a joker, than an AMRAP set (basically a widowmaker) is a lot. You may find that cutting out the jokers will be better longterm.

4

@strongmangoals

I’ll hit the third week, see how it’s looking for my 1+ sets and reevalute from there. I have 314 on the Squat, 236 on the Bench, 429 on the Deadlift and 150 on the Press. Very confident on the Deadlift, Squat will be rough but doable, same for the Press. Bench I’m skeptical. We’ll see. (I’m talking about hitting 5 clean reps on each).

@antiquity

I’ll stick to it for the first 4 weeks cycle and see how I feel. My assistance is very limited as you can see, so I don’t mind going a bit higher in volume on the main lifts. The AMRAP set I can tone down, depending on how I’m feeling. If I have 22 reps in the tank, I might stop at 15 if I’m not 100% that day or already floored from the workout. The 5+, 3+ and 1+ sets is where I go all out no matter what.