in a rut here with the squat day on this program. this is my second cycle, and i have had bad squat days these last couple of weeks.
i did 365 during march or so, so i used that for the summer. a few weeks before i did 315x3x5. 90% of it was 330.
here’s how it went:
A: 280x11
B: 295x10 (estimated 1rm 393.2)
C: 315x4 (estimated 1rm: 357)
so first cycle seemed good, just a bad day on wave C i figured. added 10lbs to the squat weight for new cycle plug in numbers.
here’s cycle 2:
A: 290x8 (worse than 295x10!)
B: 305x8 (estimated 1rm: 386.3) getting back on track i guess.
C: 325x3 (estimated 1rm: 357.5)
so now i dont know whats going on, this looks highly peculiar. both C’s were terrible, ive done 315x3x5 before but only got 4, 325 is just bad also. any tips out here for me, or anyone kinda guess whats going on?
my press is getting stronger, my deadlift is improving as well. and my bench is slowly improving. my squat is just all over the place.
in a rut here with the squat day on this program. this is my second cycle, and i have had bad squat days these last couple of weeks.
i did 365 during march or so, so i used that for the summer. a few weeks before i did 315x3x5. 90% of it was 330.
here’s how it went:
A: 280x11
B: 295x10 (estimated 1rm 393.2)
C: 315x4 (estimated 1rm: 357)
so first cycle seemed good, just a bad day on wave C i figured. added 10lbs to the squat weight for new cycle plug in numbers.
here’s cycle 2:
A: 290x8 (worse than 295x10!)
B: 305x8 (estimated 1rm: 386.3) getting back on track i guess.
C: 325x3 (estimated 1rm: 357.5)
so now i dont know whats going on, this looks highly peculiar. both C’s were terrible, ive done 315x3x5 before but only got 4, 325 is just bad also. any tips out here for me, or anyone kinda guess whats going on?
my press is getting stronger, my deadlift is improving as well. and my bench is slowly improving. my squat is just all over the place.
[quote]d00mhammer wrote:
Low weight, high reps, one or two sets, basically for recovery purposes. After going all out on the last set of deads I don’t think its wise to do “heavy” swings[/quote]
Or if you can do Glute-ham raises… they can be even a better option, in which they’re a great and very challenging posterior chain exercise, thus working as an assistance movement for your deads, without further loading of the spine on that day.
How would you suggest handling a few days out of town during a cycle, with no gym access?
I am starting my 5th cycle of 5/3/1 this week, and heading out thurs-sun to go camping.
I’m sure it goes without saying, but I won’t have access to a gym. Jeep in the woods, and a tent. I can’t lift the jeep.
Thanks[/quote]
I’m in the same situation, I just finished the first week of my fourth cycle, but now getting ready to head for the mountains for a week. I figured I’d just go Rocky Balboa and try to find some heavy logs to flip/throw/chop, pistols, pull ups etc. Then repeat my first week when I get back.
I have a couple of questions that I’m hoping some of you who’ve been using this for a while can answer.
I’ve been doing the madcow 5x5 for about 14 weeks now, with great results. I’ve gotten stronger and added a decent amount of muscle as well. I’m a big fan of squatting three times a week also. I’m still making fairly steady progress, making PRs pretty much every week, except for bench which sometimes takes two weeks.
I guess my question is this: would it be worth doing this program considering I’m still pretty much a beginner who can make progress week to week still? I bought and read the ebook and I really like the way it sounds, I’m just looking for some input from more experienced dudes.
[quote]FuzzyUndercling wrote:
I have a couple of questions that I’m hoping some of you who’ve been using this for a while can answer.
I’ve been doing the madcow 5x5 for about 14 weeks now, with great results. I’ve gotten stronger and added a decent amount of muscle as well. I’m a big fan of squatting three times a week also. I’m still making fairly steady progress, making PRs pretty much every week, except for bench which sometimes takes two weeks.
I guess my question is this: would it be worth doing this program considering I’m still pretty much a beginner who can make progress week to week still? I bought and read the ebook and I really like the way it sounds, I’m just looking for some input from more experienced dudes.
Thanks[/quote]
Me personally, I wouldn’t jump ship with any program as long as gains are being made. I would ride it as long as humanly possible and when it totally stalls, then I would think about changing.
[quote]Therizza wrote:
so has anyone done barbell complexes in conjunction with this program? I have no access to a sled or any usable hills for conditioning. [/quote]
check out Alpha in Training Logs … he is/was doing 5/3/1 and bb complexes
[quote]TheDudeAbides wrote:
Therizza wrote:
so has anyone done barbell complexes in conjunction with this program? I have no access to a sled or any usable hills for conditioning.
check out Alpha in Training Logs … he is/was doing 5/3/1 and bb complexes[/quote]
Thanks man, I have been reading his log. His goals are very close to mine, so I’ll probably ‘steal’ some programing/nutrition from him.
How would you suggest handling a few days out of town during a cycle, with no gym access?
I am starting my 5th cycle of 5/3/1 this week, and heading out thurs-sun to go camping.
I’m sure it goes without saying, but I won’t have access to a gym. Jeep in the woods, and a tent. I can’t lift the jeep.
Thanks[/quote]
I’ve been off for two weeks now for vacation … starting cycle 8 today. I’ll let you know how extended time off goes. I do feel ready to tear it up compared to last week (deload) week when I felt like garbage.
[quote]Anonymous Coward wrote:
d00mhammer wrote:
Has anyone tried something like this ?
Military press 5/3/1
Chins sets for reps
Dips sets for reps
Deadlift 5/3/1
DB Swings
Bench press 5/3/1
Kroc rows
Front Squat 5/3/1
Rack pulls - below the knees (weight used will be from the last set used for the previous deadlift session, 1-2 sets, for reps)
I know I gotta try it so see if it works for me, but what do you guys think ?
Would you put the rack pulls after the deadlifts or after the squats ?
I’m sure more knowledgeable heads than I can give you feedback, but I like the rack pulls after squats. Going heavier, or doing reps at the top weight after the 5/3/1 deadlifts doesn’t seem doable week after week, but they should feel fresher after front squats, which I assume is why you set it up that way.
What kind of weight/sets are you thinking for the DB swings?
[/quote]
like d00m said, maybe not heavy swings after deads. i did that for a while, then realized i could just move it to squat day and keep my lower back fresh(er).
i do three or four sets of 10 for the swings. been working up to 135lbs. i think it’s helping my sumo dead - teaches me to drive the hips toward the bar HARD.
edit- hah i didn’t see d00m wrote the original post. oh well. that’s my contribution anyway.
[quote]kickureface wrote:
in a rut here with the squat day on this program. this is my second cycle, and i have had bad squat days these last couple of weeks.
i did 365 during march or so, so i used that for the summer. a few weeks before i did 315x3x5. 90% of it was 330.
here’s how it went:
A: 280x11
B: 295x10 (estimated 1rm 393.2)
C: 315x4 (estimated 1rm: 357)
so first cycle seemed good, just a bad day on wave C i figured. added 10lbs to the squat weight for new cycle plug in numbers.
here’s cycle 2:
A: 290x8 (worse than 295x10!)
B: 305x8 (estimated 1rm: 386.3) getting back on track i guess.
C: 325x3 (estimated 1rm: 357.5)
so now i dont know whats going on, this looks highly peculiar. both C’s were terrible, ive done 315x3x5 before but only got 4, 325 is just bad also. any tips out here for me, or anyone kinda guess whats going on?
my press is getting stronger, my deadlift is improving as well. and my bench is slowly improving. my squat is just all over the place.[/quote]
Don’t get too hung up on setting “formula max” records. You feel like things aren’t going well, yet you are still exceeding all final set reps. What you will find is that you can’t go in and “do better” every single time you get under the squat bar. Sometimes you need to be willing to just do the prescribed reps. I am starting my 9th wave, and have just backed the weights off to ramp back up. What I found in the 7th and 8th waves was if I tried to push those reps each week, I wouldn’t get the reps the next. So choose your battles. If you go over by a couple and feel okay, cool. But don’t be afraid to say “today I am only doing prescribed reps”, so that the following week you can pursue that record.
[quote]danjo228 wrote:
Me personally, I wouldn’t jump ship with any program as long as gains are being made. I would ride it as long as humanly possible and when it totally stalls, then I would think about changing.[/quote]
Well, the 5x5 is a total body program, and it takes forever to get done with one workout. I’m also pretty damn tired after squats on the heavy day, almost too tired to do the rest of it. It sounds like people are in and out of the gym pretty quickly with the 5/3/1 which is why it appealed to me, I’m just worried if I’m not advanced enough to take full advantage of it.
[quote]FuzzyUndercling wrote:
danjo228 wrote:
Me personally, I wouldn’t jump ship with any program as long as gains are being made. I would ride it as long as humanly possible and when it totally stalls, then I would think about changing.
Well, the 5x5 is a total body program, and it takes forever to get done with one workout. I’m also pretty damn tired after squats on the heavy day, almost too tired to do the rest of it. It sounds like people are in and out of the gym pretty quickly with the 5/3/1 which is why it appealed to me, I’m just worried if I’m not advanced enough to take full advantage of it.[/quote]
I’m not one for labeling or classifying people according to their time under the bar. If you enjoy lifting, want long term results, and don’t have programming A.D.D. then do 5/3/1. I also like my joints not feeling beat up days after a workout.
How would you suggest handling a few days out of town during a cycle, with no gym access?
I am starting my 5th cycle of 5/3/1 this week, and heading out thurs-sun to go camping.
I’m sure it goes without saying, but I won’t have access to a gym. Jeep in the woods, and a tent. I can’t lift the jeep.
Thanks
I’ve been off for two weeks now for vacation … starting cycle 8 today. I’ll let you know how extended time off goes. I do feel ready to tear it up compared to last week (deload) week when I felt like garbage.
[/quote]
Well I tied my rep PR for military press - 155x10. Eleventh was not going up. So all in all two weeks off hasn’t hurt. My energy level/endurance has dropped off though. Squat today … that might be the truer test.
How would you suggest handling a few days out of town during a cycle, with no gym access?
I am starting my 5th cycle of 5/3/1 this week, and heading out thurs-sun to go camping.
I’m sure it goes without saying, but I won’t have access to a gym. Jeep in the woods, and a tent. I can’t lift the jeep.
Thanks[/quote]
A few days won’t hurt you - don’t panic about this. I have to go out of town all the time. Enjoy your time away from life and the gym. Recovery/Recuperation is paramount in training.
[quote]roofus_5 wrote:
kickureface wrote:
in a rut here with the squat day on this program. this is my second cycle, and i have had bad squat days these last couple of weeks.
i did 365 during march or so, so i used that for the summer. a few weeks before i did 315x3x5. 90% of it was 330.
here’s how it went:
A: 280x11
B: 295x10 (estimated 1rm 393.2)
C: 315x4 (estimated 1rm: 357)
so first cycle seemed good, just a bad day on wave C i figured. added 10lbs to the squat weight for new cycle plug in numbers.
here’s cycle 2:
A: 290x8 (worse than 295x10!)
B: 305x8 (estimated 1rm: 386.3) getting back on track i guess.
C: 325x3 (estimated 1rm: 357.5)
so now i dont know whats going on, this looks highly peculiar. both C’s were terrible, ive done 315x3x5 before but only got 4, 325 is just bad also. any tips out here for me, or anyone kinda guess whats going on?
my press is getting stronger, my deadlift is improving as well. and my bench is slowly improving. my squat is just all over the place.
Don’t get too hung up on setting “formula max” records. You feel like things aren’t going well, yet you are still exceeding all final set reps. What you will find is that you can’t go in and “do better” every single time you get under the squat bar. Sometimes you need to be willing to just do the prescribed reps. I am starting my 9th wave, and have just backed the weights off to ramp back up. What I found in the 7th and 8th waves was if I tried to push those reps each week, I wouldn’t get the reps the next. So choose your battles. If you go over by a couple and feel okay, cool. But don’t be afraid to say “today I am only doing prescribed reps”, so that the following week you can pursue that record.
[/quote]