Wendler 5/3/1 Program - pt 2.

Training Powerlifting
921

I have been using Weight / (1.0278 - (.0278 x Reps)) as my 1RM formula but then tried the Weight x Reps x .0333 + Weight as recommended in the eBook. I was hitting all sorts of new PRs using the second formula which was great but I decided to go back to the first formula since I had proven in the past that it does a pretty decent job of getting close to my real 1RMs. It results in a lower number so maybe that will be more incentive. I know that Wendler mentions that these formulas should only be used to gauge progress and shouldn’t be considered that accurate of a predictor but I want to make sure that I am comparing my previous 5x5 and Texas Method routine PRs to the ones I am getting with 5/3/1.

On a side note, I have my first cold in over two years. I plan on going full out for the main lifts this week but I will dial back the assistance exercises. I am assuming that I will get good sleep tonight but that sure didn’t happen last night. I wonder if NyQuil will help me sleep or will I have lingering effects that take away from my workout?

922

A couple of us mentioned planks and there is a recent tnation article at Strength Training, Bodybuilding & Online Supplement Store - T NATION .

923

[quote]randomhero97 wrote:
Apostate wrote:
I just did my first raw meet using the 5/3/1 program to prep for it. I ended up totaling 1240 in the 198 Junior and broke the PA junior squat record in the process. I posted 455 squat, 285 bench, and a 500 deadlift. This was all done with training maxes of 370/255/455 respectively.

I love this program! I know my numbers are not that great right now, but this is huge strides from where I was 8 months ago before starting this program. I think if I keep making gains I can at least be a little competitive when I enter the open class next year. The only hard thing about peaking for the meet was figuring out what to open with since I was used to hitting pretty high reps on the main lifts. Even on the 5/3/1 day I was still getting 5+ reps usually. I think I could have maybe gone even high on the squat, but the bench and deadlift were maxed out for sure.

Here is a video of the meet. Even that last squat was pretty easy. I am hoping to hit 480+ next time.

Very nice. What did your previous two weeks of training look like before the meet?
[/quote]

I timed it so my last 4 week cycle would lead right up to the meet. So the 5RM week was exactly 4 weeks out. On the 5RM week I did the normal workout. The following week was the 3RM week and I was supposed to just work up to the triple and shut it down, but I felt strong so I repped out and just took it easy on the assistance work afterward. The 5/3/1 week I worked up to my opener instead of doing the normal workout (this was two weeks before the meet). The last week I just rested and did some recovery and mobility work each day.

So in a nutshell the only two changes I made to the normal 4 week cycle was working up to an opener on the 5/3/1 day and not really doing anything but mobility and recovery work on the deload week. This worked really well. I felt strong and fresh at the meet.

Let me know if that makes sense.

924

[quote]Apostate wrote:I timed it so my last 4 week cycle would lead right up to the meet. So the 5RM week was exactly 4 weeks out. On the 5RM week I did the normal workout. The following week was the 3RM week and I was supposed to just work up to the triple and shut it down, but I felt strong so I repped out and just took it easy on the assistance work afterward. The 5/3/1 week I worked up to my opener instead of doing the normal workout (this was two weeks before the meet). The last week I just rested and did some recovery and mobility work each day.

So in a nutshell the only two changes I made to the normal 4 week cycle was working up to an opener on the 5/3/1 day and not really doing anything but mobility and recovery work on the deload week. This worked really well. I felt strong and fresh at the meet.

Let me know if that makes sense.

[/quote]

Yeah it does, thanks. What percent of your 1RM did you use for your opener? I have a meet in December, first one in over a year due to injuries from a car accident, so I’m trying to get an idea.

925

am i the only one who has trouble breathing on OHP? I feel like i cant take a breath.

926

[quote]DixiesFinest wrote:
am i the only one who has trouble breathing on OHP? I feel like i cant take a breath.[/quote]

I breathe at the top, then hold it the rest of the way.

927

[quote]DixiesFinest wrote:
am i the only one who has trouble breathing on OHP? I feel like i cant take a breath.[/quote]

I had this problem awhile back when I started going heavy on OHP. Im assuming this is because your trying/have to stay tight? If its the case, take a breathe and push a few reps, pause at the bottom, breathe, continue. Best bet is to figure out why your having trouble breathing, which point in the lift, and from there figure out what works best for you.

928

Not too move away from OHP, but I had another really shit session on the squat today, last week I didnt even hit my 3 reps so I’m going to have to reset my maxes. In this one cycle alone I’ve really gone backwards which is total BS since I’ve made massive gains in the other 3 movements, my DL alone is up to almost 3x body weight with chalk and pantera for company only, however the squat is pathetically weak so other than lowering my maxes and start over what else can I do assistance wise to bring it up.

I guess this question is pretty much aimed at Jim although any input from you 5/3/1r’s is always appreciated. I train heavy abs twice a week with the lower body movements and dont think this is my problem I seem to be doing the classic good morning squat as soon as any weight is on the bar. All suggestions will be taken seriously cos this has really fucked me off tonight!

929

No expert here, but surely you could reset your squat only, if your other lifts are progressing fine.

930

[quote]irishlifting wrote:
Not too move away from OHP, but I had another really shit session on the squat today, last week I didnt even hit my 3 reps so I’m going to have to reset my maxes. In this one cycle alone I’ve really gone backwards which is total BS since I’ve made massive gains in the other 3 movements, my DL alone is up to almost 3x body weight with chalk and pantera for company only, however the squat is pathetically weak so other than lowering my maxes and start over what else can I do assistance wise to bring it up.

I guess this question is pretty much aimed at Jim although any input from you 5/3/1r’s is always appreciated. I train heavy abs twice a week with the lower body movements and dont think this is my problem I seem to be doing the classic good morning squat as soon as any weight is on the bar. All suggestions will be taken seriously cos this has really fucked me off tonight![/quote]

What does your training week look like?

931

[quote]Steel Nation wrote:
irishlifting wrote:
Not too move away from OHP, but I had another really shit session on the squat today, last week I didnt even hit my 3 reps so I’m going to have to reset my maxes. In this one cycle alone I’ve really gone backwards which is total BS since I’ve made massive gains in the other 3 movements, my DL alone is up to almost 3x body weight with chalk and pantera for company only, however the squat is pathetically weak so other than lowering my maxes and start over what else can I do assistance wise to bring it up.

I guess this question is pretty much aimed at Jim although any input from you 5/3/1r’s is always appreciated. I train heavy abs twice a week with the lower body movements and dont think this is my problem I seem to be doing the classic good morning squat as soon as any weight is on the bar. All suggestions will be taken seriously cos this has really fucked me off tonight!

What does your training week look like?[/quote]

I’m currently using the 3 days per week template as laid out in the ebook although I started with BP then Squat then MP second week DL, BP, SQ etc using the BBB template nothing fancy just simple as Jim says. I changed the exercises about slightly as I really wanted to concentrate on my bench and squat.

932

I’d just set your squat training max back 2 months (drop it 20 lbs).

933

Hi guys,

today was my first day of my first cycle.
As an info I started out with 85% of my maxes to go up slowly but consistently.

But now I am somewhat confused whether I did pick my maxes or my starting percentages a little bit too conservatively…

I did military press >20 reps on my first all out set, so i just wanted to ask if this is too many reps or did you get alike numbers or does it simply not matter ^^ !?

Thanks in advance guys,
e

934

[quote]randomhero97 wrote:
Apostate wrote:I timed it so my last 4 week cycle would lead right up to the meet. So the 5RM week was exactly 4 weeks out. On the 5RM week I did the normal workout. The following week was the 3RM week and I was supposed to just work up to the triple and shut it down, but I felt strong so I repped out and just took it easy on the assistance work afterward. The 5/3/1 week I worked up to my opener instead of doing the normal workout (this was two weeks before the meet). The last week I just rested and did some recovery and mobility work each day.

So in a nutshell the only two changes I made to the normal 4 week cycle was working up to an opener on the 5/3/1 day and not really doing anything but mobility and recovery work on the deload week. This worked really well. I felt strong and fresh at the meet.

Let me know if that makes sense.

Yeah it does, thanks. What percent of your 1RM did you use for your opener? I have a meet in December, first one in over a year due to injuries from a car accident, so I’m trying to get an idea.
[/quote]

I did not base it on a percentage. I just worked up to a weight I felt confident with as an opener.

935

[quote]eistee187 wrote:
Hi guys,

today was my first day of my first cycle.
As an info I started out with 85% of my maxes to go up slowly but consistently.

But now I am somewhat confused whether I did pick my maxes or my starting percentages a little bit too conservatively…

I did military press >20 reps on my first all out set, so i just wanted to ask if this is too many reps or did you get alike numbers or does it simply not matter ^^ !?

Thanks in advance guys,
e[/quote]

First off you don’t start out with 85% not even on the first week if you went up 5%.

Also, you don’t do 20 reps on your first set so you aren’t following the directions to well.

Now if you can do 20 reps on 85% of your .9 new max then you do need to pick up the weight a touch.

936

[quote]ALKoHoLiK wrote:
eistee187 wrote:
Hi guys,

today was my first day of my first cycle.
As an info I started out with 85% of my maxes to go up slowly but consistently.

But now I am somewhat confused whether I did pick my maxes or my starting percentages a little bit too conservatively…

I did military press >20 reps on my first all out set, so i just wanted to ask if this is too many reps or did you get alike numbers or does it simply not matter ^^ !?

Thanks in advance guys,
e

First off you don’t start out with 85% not even on the first week if you went up 5%.

Also, you don’t do 20 reps on your first set so you aren’t following the directions to well.

Now if you can do 20 reps on 85% of your .9 new max then you do need to pick up the weight a touch.
[/quote]

that’s not what he said he did.

let me clarify:

instead of going into the program with his training max set at 90% of his 1RM, he used 85%, to make slow and steady progress.

THEN, on his first all-out set [of the program in general, aka his last set on his first military press day] he hit +20 reps.

could have been written a little more clearly, but that’s what i got from reading it.

having said that, we arrive at the same conclusion, if you are getting ~20 reps, i would personally bump the weight up a bit, maybe 10%. i think most people would do well with their numbers for several months starting out with weights that land them in the 10-14 rep range for those first all-out sets on the 65/75/85% days (or as written in the book, 75,80,85%)

937

Hey,
you got it absolutely right.

So i guess i will bump my base maxes up a little to fall in the sub 15 rep Range.

Thanks for your input!

938

eistee187,
I found the same thing happened to me, just like dez said here, “i think most people would do well with their numbers for several months starting out with weights that land them in the 10-14 rep range”.

After a few waves those reps quickly came down as the weight went up. Now when I work up to 170 lbs on the OHP I can only muster up one rep…(OHP I feel is my weakest lift).

939

I am about to start my 5th cycle. i have been dieting heavy since the beginning of the 4th. I started at 90% of real max numbers, and during the 1st cycle, had to reset everything downward a couple pounds. I made progress until I started dieting, then went downhill, as I expected. I just now reset everthing to what amounts to 80-82% of my original maxes.

This should allow me to hit plenty of reps on the money set, and it should allow me to progress for 8-12 months without a reset.

Remember, the point is working with submaximal weights. If you are patient, you can’t start too low. If you’re not patient, this is probably not the best program for you.

940

[quote]irishlifting wrote:
I guess this question is pretty much aimed at Jim although any input from you 5/3/1r’s is always appreciated. I train heavy abs twice a week with the lower body movements and dont think this is my problem I seem to be doing the classic good morning squat as soon as any weight is on the bar. All suggestions will be taken seriously cos this has really fucked me off tonight![/quote]

Two things that helped me the most:

  1. pinch your back together hard. No, harder than you already are.
  2. Force your elbows under the bar, pointing down. Wrapping your thumb around the bar the same way your fingers are pointing - a false grip - helped me with this

Forcing your knees out more may also help this, although typically that’s more for when your knees are shooting forward. but always a helpful cue nonetheless