Training Max - I Have to Be Doing It Wrong?

Training 5/3/1
1

Hi,

My understanding of this is:-

  1. Do a 7TH Week Training Max Test to get new training max for next cycles.
  2. Depending on program use 85% or 90% or new training max.
  3. On leader 2 cycle add 2.5 / 5KG.
  4. On next Anchor cycle add 2.5 / 5KG.
  5. Add 2.5KG / 5KG and perform another 7TH Week Training Max Test to get new training max for next 2 leader cycles and anchor cycle.

If we look at this in action for bench for example:-

7TH WK TM = 65KG
Leader 1 = 55 KG TM (85% of TM).
Leader 2 = 57.5KG
Anchor = 60KG
7TH WK TM = 62.5KG
Leader 1 = 53KG TM (85% of TM)
Leader 2 = 55.5KG
Anchor = 58KG
7TH WK TM = 60.5KG.
Leader 1 = 51KG TM (85% of TM)
Leader 2 = 53.5KG
Anchor 56KG.

I’m getting weaker?

2

Post a vid of your bench. Right now you’re max is quite low and I’m most cases I’ve seen this is simply a case where you are probably slightly changing your form to adjust to the increased weights. Are you doing a good 1 count pause to take out the stretch reflex? More than any other lift the bench seems to be affected by this. I’d say post a vid so we can see if your form is on. At your current weight for bench simple prowgressibe resistance should easily work

3

Sorry, it’s not really a question about the weight I can bench but more about the decreasing training max from leader 1 cycle of program A to leader 1 cycle of program B.

If you look at the training max’s they are decreasing, when they should be increasing ???

4

Just to clarify, you continue to add 2.5 / 5 kg after the 7th week protocol unless you fail to hit 5 strong reps.

If you got your 5 then your TM increases by 2.5 / 5kg.

Are you saying that over 3 months your bench went down by 4.5kg (ie. You could only hit 60.5 for 5 and that was it?)

5

How many reps can you do with 65kg?

6

It’s because your first entry, “7th week tm = 65kg”, is wrong.
IF your TM is 65kg, it’s already 85-90% of your 1RM. So you start with 65kg, then 67.5 (leader 1), then 70 (leader 2), then 72.5 anchor, then test the TM again (either 72.5 or 75 - it’s not really important usually).
IF 65kg is your 1RM, that is, your true 1 rep max, then yes, take 85% of it and start with 55kg. Going by your example, by the end of the last cycle, you should be able to hit 60.5-63kg for 5 reps, so you’d got stronger from the initial 65kg 1RM.

Not sure if this is clear but basically you’re confusing the TM and 1RM in the very first entry of your example.

7

I was thinking I had to take 85% of my 5 rep 7th wk tm test weight.

Thanks,