Guys, ive never done this program and am somewhat confused about something. I noticed with some of the lift numbers you guys were posting, that you were exceeding the prescribed rep numbers. Such as this post:
[quote]KBCThird wrote:
So 325-10% = 292.5 Since I know gym doesnt like overthinking and exactness I went with 300 as my max, giving me top weights of 255, 270 and 285 on each respective day. I got 10 reps with 255, 8 with 270 and 7 with 285. [/quote]
So say you are on the 5RM week, you’re supposed to just rep out to failure and go above 5 if you’re able to, rather than stop that set at 5 and try another top set of 5 with 5-10 more lbs? (like the OLAD program for instance)If its the former, the whole 5RM, 3RM, 1RM is a little misleading isnt it? Shouldnt it just be called 85/90/95, since your goal is just to do however many reps you can with that weight?
So say you are on the 5RM week, you’re supposed to just rep out to failure and go above 5 if you’re able to, rather than stop that set at 5 and try another top set of 5 with 5-10 more lbs? (like the OLAD program for instance)If its the former, the whole 5RM, 3RM, 1RM is a little misleading isnt it? Shouldnt it just be called 85/90/95, since your goal is just to do however many reps you can with that weight?
[/quote]
On the last set, you try to rep out 1-2 reps short of failure. However this is my understanding as I have YET to purchase the book. It’s high on my Christmas list.
So say you are on the 5RM week, you’re supposed to just rep out to failure and go above 5 if you’re able to, rather than stop that set at 5 and try another top set of 5 with 5-10 more lbs? (like the OLAD program for instance)If its the former, the whole 5RM, 3RM, 1RM is a little misleading isnt it?
Shouldnt it just be called 85/90/95, since your goal is just to do however many reps you can with that weight?
On the last set, you try to rep out 1-2 reps short of failure. However this is my understanding as I have YET to purchase the book. It’s high on my Christmas list.[/quote]
That’s pretty much it. On your last set, if you got more in the tank, go ahead and rep it out.
So say you are on the 5RM week, you’re supposed to just rep out to failure and go above 5 if you’re able to, rather than stop that set at 5 and try another top set of 5 with 5-10 more lbs? (like the OLAD program for instance)If its the former, the whole 5RM, 3RM, 1RM is a little misleading isnt it?
Shouldnt it just be called 85/90/95, since your goal is just to do however many reps you can with that weight?
On the last set, you try to rep out 1-2 reps short of failure. However this is my understanding as I have YET to purchase the book. It’s high on my Christmas list.
That’s pretty much it. On your last set, if you got more in the tank, go ahead and rep it out.[/quote]
Ok, I like that actually. I hate leaving reps in the hole, i’d be ok with starting out on the light side since you’re able to rep out with it anyway and not have to stop specifically at 5,3,1 on the respective weeks. Sounds good!
So say you are on the 5RM week, you’re supposed to just rep out to failure and go above 5 if you’re able to, rather than stop that set at 5 and try another top set of 5 with 5-10 more lbs? (like the OLAD program for instance)
If its the former, the whole 5RM, 3RM, 1RM is a little misleading isnt it? Shouldnt it just be called 85/90/95, since your goal is just to do however many reps you can with that weight?
On the last set, you try to rep out 1-2 reps short of failure. However this is my understanding as I have YET to purchase the book. It’s high on my Christmas list.
That’s pretty much it. On your last set, if you got more in the tank, go ahead and rep it out.[/quote]
you have two options on your last set. Either get 5 and stop (the original method, I believe) or rep out but DO NOT FAIL (the kroc method, as it’s been called). Whatever your notion of adding 5 lbs and going for another 5 rep set is, thats not 531.
Do it if you want, but that’s not hte program Jim wrote about. As far as “isn’t this misleading/what it should be called” dont we have better things to do with our time than quibble over semantics?
It’s not ACTUALLY 85/90/95 anyway, since you adjusted downwards at the beginning and you SHOULD be getting stronger as you go on.
Last week’s OHP session I got 6 reps in the final set of the 90%x3. As I’m doing 3/5/1 I have the 85%x5 to do tomorrow. Right now I’m getting a bit of (legal) assistance and am thinking that I might revise upwards the weight I was planning on using, making it only a little lower than the previous weight and aim to get 7-8 reps.
This seems like it makes better use of the help I’m getting. The next 4 week block will be pct and so will stick to planned weights.
[quote]Iain wrote:
Looking for a quick but of advice:
Last week’s OHP session I got 6 reps in the final set of the 90%x3. As I’m doing 3/5/1 I have the 85%x5 to do tomorrow. Right now I’m getting a bit of (legal) assistance and am thinking that I might revise upwards the weight I was planning on using, making it only a little lower than the previous weight and aim to get 7-8 reps.
This seems like it makes better use of the help I’m getting. The next 4 week block will be pct and so will stick to planned weights.[/quote]
personally I’d stick with the planned weight and just shoot for more reps.
Alright powerlifters, I was wondering if you have had to tweak the template for shirt work??? I’m competing raw in Feb but my training partner isn’t. Was wondering if we should just throw an extra “shirt day” in with board presses and groove work.
Believe he is getting a new Titan something or other??? Single ply. Personally, I prefer to bench in old school metal/rock t-shirts. True, they most def give some pop off the bottom but I don’t believe they will effect my groove much.
[quote]TWP wrote:
Alright powerlifters, I was wondering if you have had to tweak the template for shirt work??? I’m competing raw in Feb but my training partner isn’t. Was wondering if we should just throw an extra “shirt day” in with board presses and groove work.
Believe he is getting a new Titan something or other??? Single ply. Personally, I prefer to bench in old school metal/rock t-shirts. True, they most def give some pop off the bottom but I don’t believe they will effect my groove much. [/quote]
Jim’s said several times that this is a template for raw lifters, so I wouldnt have your buddy doing 531.
Unless his goal for the training cycle was to increase his raw strength and figure that that would carry over to his shirted bench as well, in which case I would suggest he use close grip bench to work his tris, or he will almost certainly lose some of his top end strength. I started 531 with a 325 raw bench abotut 2 months ago, and I wont have had 300 in my hands until the end of this third cycle. Granted, the max calculator says my max should be somewhere around 370-375, and I think almost certainly I’m good for 350-355ish, but theres a big difference in weight between your 8-10RM raw and your 1RM in a shirt.
I’ve seen some guys throw around using gear for your second exercise. So you would do the 5/3/1 for bench, and then shirt up for some supplemental work. Sounds like it would jive to me.
In general, how do you decide how much weight to add to your 1RM at the start of the second cycle? I’m assuming there is a difference between the different lifts, and a difference between how many reps you got on the final sets (for example if you were able to get 6 reps on your 3 day)
Add five pounds to your bench/military press and 10 pounds to your squat/deadlift each new cycle.
So let’s say your true 1RM on the bench is 300lbs. For your first cycle, you used 90% of that to calculate the percentages to use for the first four weeks (270).
So during your first month, you used the following weights:
60% = 162 (160 or 165)
65% = 175
70% = 189 (190)
75% = 202.5 (200 or 205)
80% = 216 (or 215)
85% = 229.5 (230)
90% = 243 (240 or 245)
95% = 256.5 (255 or 260)
So during your second cycle, you’d add five pounds to your 270lbs figure (90% of 300) and start out with 275lbs for the second cycle. Then go to 280lbs for the third cycle, etc. Do the same for the other lifts.
[quote]vision1 wrote:
Sorry if this has already been answered.
In general, how do you decide how much weight to add to your 1RM at the start of the second cycle? I’m assuming there is a difference between the different lifts, and a difference between how many reps you got on the final sets (for example if you were able to get 6 reps on your 3 day)[/quote]
I asked via the Q&A and was told to add no more than 5# to max on upper body and no more than 10# on lower body. (e.g. if your old max was 250, add 5 or 10# and calculate your new weights off the new max) Even if you are capable of more, these small jumps will keep your gains coming over the long run.
I’ve been using these parameters and have been making consistent gains over 4 months even though I am occasionally doing 3+ reps over what is called for on the top sets.
Hey guys, should I only do this program for 1 lift each day, but as part of a 6 day a week program? That way I can do one full cycle in two week? What do you guys think about skipping the deload in this type of set up? I would like to get through 9 cycles in six weeks if possible. Thanks.
Oh, and, it doesn’t really matter what anyone says or what advice I get, I’m going to do it my way anyway.
[quote]malonetd wrote:
Hey guys, should I only do this program for 1 lift each day, but as part of a 6 day a week program? That way I can do one full cycle in two week? What do you guys think about skipping the deload in this type of set up? I would like to get through 9 cycles in six weeks if possible. Thanks.
Oh, and, it doesn’t really matter what anyone says or what advice I get, I’m going to do it my way anyway.[/quote]
No I don’t think that will work.
I do think you can up your bench by 10lbs and squat/dead by 20lbs over a course of 4 weeks though. Especially when you’re at the start of an off-season and you’re building back strength you’ve already had in the past.
[quote]malonetd wrote:
Hey guys, should I only do this program for 1 lift each day, but as part of a 6 day a week program? That way I can do one full cycle in two week? What do you guys think about skipping the deload in this type of set up? I would like to get through 9 cycles in six weeks if possible. Thanks.
Oh, and, it doesn’t really matter what anyone says or what advice I get, I’m going to do it my way anyway.[/quote]
Only if you change the percentages to 87/98/35 and the reps to 13/5/2
and get fractional plates to make sure the percentages are exact. Jim LOVES fractional plates and precise percentages.
So if you take 90% of your max, which say is 300, and calculate everything based off of 270, am i right in saying it will take you 7 cycles or 28 weeks just to get back up to using weights calculated off your original max before you started? (adding 5 lbs a week for bench) What am i missing here, that just doesnt seem right.