[quote]jsdool wrote:
dez6485 wrote:
jsdool wrote:
Just did a set of Kroc rows using a fat bar. Well, not a real fat bar. I put pipe insulation (2-1/4" OD) around the 1" dumbbell handle. It was a little “squishy” but seemed to require some more effort to balance the weight. I was only able to do 15x60lb whereas last week I did 25x60lb with the 1" handle. I feel the difference already.
from your profile stats i am assuming you are a male. im not trying to be offensive, but i think at this point you should put your focus towards rowing heavier bells, rather than worrying about trying to make a fat bar dumbbell- for im assuming grip work. if you start rowing 100’s++ for reps, that is going to improve your strength in many areas much more than rowing those 60’s. Strength IS relative, but the key to making a 60lb harder is to move to 65, 70, 75, etc. You could prob leave that fat bar stuff alone til you max out on your gym’s bells and hit 20+ reps with them. if 60’s happen to be the heaviest your gym has, do your fat grips on some pullups and work on repping out with them, youll make better progress.
Thanks for the suggestions. Did heavy 5x10 barbell rows in my first cycle. Changed to 5x10 db rows in second cycle and did increase weight 2lb per week (I have fractional plates). In my current third cycle, I tried the Kroc rows. I work out in my home gym and bought oly db handles. They’re a bit bulky but I can go up to 90lb with them using 8-10lb plates. I don’t like using 25lb plates with them though.
I haven’t done them since starting 5/3/1, but I used to do rope pull-ups with a 2" rope.
Do you like fractional plates? Couldn’t tell from your response. Sure is nice to use them to progress. Hard to add 5lb per week to most lifts but not too bad to add anywhere from 1/4 to 2lb. Got them at big discount at IronWoodyFitness during a Christmas sale. Some people carry them with them to the gym. I used to use small sections of chain that weight 1 or 2lb each.
gabex,
Highland. Born Evansville. Lived in West Lafayette when first married and studying for a master’s degree at Purdue. How about you?
plate mates- i like the idea. i have never used them though. just the fact that i saw them the other day at this new location sent me into my little tangent. but i do think they are a good idea. honestly in my experience 5lbs is kind of where i can feel the difference in dumbbells. one gym i belonged to had for example 25lb, 27.5lb, 30lb, etc. i always found myself skipping those x7.5 weights, figured fuck it, if i can handle that extra 2.5lbs, i might as well bump up to an extra 5lbs. so where i would use the plate mates would come in once ive hit the end of the rack at whatever gym. in the new location i have available, that would be 150’s, so i would use the plate mates to make that a 155lb’er.
its my personal opinion that anything smaller than 5lb jumps and youre really just bullshitting yourself. adding .5lb to something is just fucking beans, it could be the difference between drinking an additional 8oz of water one day and performing better, or something extremely minute like that. if you can bench 347.5lbs, you can more than likely push out 350lbs, so on and so on.
just my opinion though.
before anyone decides they need to do this, i dont need to hear about andy bolton’s 100Xlb deadlift and then coming back three years later to do 1008lb, whatever the exact numbers were. (but again, at that level i would say it more than likely was not that it actually took him 3 years to build the strength for that extra 3 or 5lbs whichever it was.) again, my opinion.
/back to 5/3/1. oh and if anyone is interested and hasnt yet- join the 5/3/1 group on facebook. go to search and enter “jim wendler’s 5/3/1: simple, effective raw strength”. its at ~160 members, id like to see it hit 200 soon! support the guy that gave us this jem!
I do think fractional plates fit in well with 5/3/1 given the JW says to progress slowly. I plan on doing sub-5lb increments on the big weights when I start getting the minimum reps on the last set. Maybe not .5lb but 2.5-3. Might be more pyschological rather than physical but if it means progress than so be it.
I love this program. I’m following the bodybuilding protocol and am making some nice progress as it seems to be the perfect mix of strength/hypertrophy work. My question is this: is there a recommended time to test maxes in the 4 main lifts?
I was tempted to do it between my 2nd and 3rd cycles following the de-load week…but then thought it might be more effective to just continue with the cycles as long as I’m able to keep hitting my numbers and worrying about finding my maxes once my progress stalls.
[quote]irish20cb wrote:
My question is this: is there a recommended time to test maxes in the 4 main lifts?
I was tempted to do it between my 2nd and 3rd cycles following the de-load week…but then thought it might be more effective to just continue with the cycles as long as I’m able to keep hitting my numbers and worrying about finding my maxes once my progress stalls.[/quote]
It sounds like you got the right idea, except that when your progress stalls you’ll have already discovered your new 1RM.
I just started my third phase of 5/3/1 and am digging it. Quick question: on my 5/3/1 weeks I’ve been getting high reps on my last all out set. On the deadlift- 12 reps, squat- 15 to 20 reps, bench and military press- 7 to 10 reps. Is this normal? Should I just stick with the normal progression or should I up the weights a little bit more?
Today was my 90 % front squat day that called for “3” reps at 270. The previous week I had done 10 reps at 255 (85 %, “5” reps). This week I performed 11 reps at 270. I can honestly say that 5/3/1 is one of the most motivating training programs I have ever tried and gets me so amped up about every workout because I’m always going for PR’s. Thank you Jim.
[quote]ButtNugget wrote:
I just started my third phase of 5/3/1 and am digging it. Quick question: on my 5/3/1 weeks I’ve been getting high reps on my last all out set. On the deadlift- 12 reps, squat- 15 to 20 reps, bench and military press- 7 to 10 reps. Is this normal? Should I just stick with the normal progression or should I up the weights a little bit more?[/quote]
I was gettting 10+ reps on 5/3/1 day on bench. I decided to make a one-time double-jump in weight for the next cycle. After 10 reps, the number of reps I can get on a given workout is highly variable for me, so I made the increase to judge if I was really getting stronger or not.
[quote]ButtNugget wrote:
I just started my third phase of 5/3/1 and am digging it. Quick question: on my 5/3/1 weeks I’ve been getting high reps on my last all out set. On the deadlift- 12 reps, squat- 15 to 20 reps, bench and military press- 7 to 10 reps. Is this normal? Should I just stick with the normal progression or should I up the weights a little bit more?[/quote]
I wouldn’t. Its a long-term program and 10 lbs. a month adds up over time.
Highland. Born Evansville. Lived in West Lafayette when first married and studying for a master’s degree at Purdue. How about you?
I’m in Indy, northside. Was hoping there was another 5/3/1’er up here to lift with.
[/quote]
If you need to come near Chicago, I am 30 minutes from there. You could work out in my home gym. I want to come to Indy. Mike Robertson is there I believe.
[quote]jjackkrash wrote:
ButtNugget wrote:
I just started my third phase of 5/3/1 and am digging it. Quick question: on my 5/3/1 weeks I’ve been getting high reps on my last all out set. On the deadlift- 12 reps, squat- 15 to 20 reps, bench and military press- 7 to 10 reps. Is this normal? Should I just stick with the normal progression or should I up the weights a little bit more?
I wouldn’t. Its a long-term program and 10 lbs. a month adds up over time. [/quote]
Yeah. I guess so. I am probably going to be able to do 10 phases without backing off… lol.
I finally got through a good cycle on the 4th go 'round . my first 3 went like shit due to recovery issues . back issues sprang up immediately in the 1st cycle ; took out deads for the 2nd cycle , still wasnt recovering ; took out more assistance for the 3rd…wtf .
finally it hit me…the mil press was the problem ; probably due to lack of previous training . so next would be to start adding days into the program . fuck that…I need to be squatting more than once every 12 days or so . I took a week and a half off to let everything heal up and started over .
I rearranged/shortened the lay-out a bit .heres what I settled on…
monday…bench
wednasday…squat/deadlift
friday…mil press
the squat day has squat at 531 protocal , and deads at a bit less…with no additional asst. I did take a heavy single a on 5/3/1 day . I still felt that come MP day , so I took it a bit easy on friday ( still got more reps than called for/skipped 5x10 @ 50% ). but overall not a problem coming into a deload . I may switch out the deads for rack pulls after the next cycle .
yeah , I know that this isnt pure 5/3/1 ; but like JW said…ya gotta pick your battles
one thing I notice on bench day…I threw in some 3 brd press after the 531 sets . racked up a weight that I normally would need a hand-off for , and guess what…no hand-off needed ! theres those mil press days payin’ off !! I suspect that lack of over-head pressing has been a major fault in programming .
[quote]ebomb5522 wrote:
Today was my 90 % front squat day that called for “3” reps at 270. The previous week I had done 10 reps at 255 (85 %, “5” reps). This week I performed 11 reps at 270. I can honestly say that 5/3/1 is one of the most motivating training programs I have ever tried and gets me so amped up about every workout because I’m always going for PR’s. Thank you Jim.
[/quote]
I couldn’t agree with this post more. Knowing that I’m going to attempt to break a PR every time I hit the gym gives you that “purpose” to why you’re in there in the first place. It unleashes the beast; that passion that lies in a passionate lifter/trainee. I even have my training partner hooked on it and she’s a female figure athlete. The mix of 5/3/1 and conditioning work she does has taken her physique to a new level. She’s 150 lbs, 16% and DL’ing 285 with 5/3/1. Now she wants to try a PL meet. Hands down the best program we’ve ever discovered. I always had the drive, motivation & passion…but 5/3/1 just took it to a whole new level. I’m even enjoying doing sprints on off days b/c I know the next day I’m hitting the iron again. Props to Jim.
just a question for jim or anyone with 5/3/1 knowledge.
i’m male, 37 and started weights now (late i know). gonna be on the third week of the first cycle on monday.
my question is, because i’m just starting, i wanna put some muscular weight on instead of strength only. can i cary on with the 5/3/1 or do a need a more hypertrophy BB oriented program?
i dont realy like BB routines, but i’m not sure if i should go for hypertrophy first and the 5/3/1 or continue with the 5/3/1.