Wendler's 5/3/1 Program - Part 3

Training Powerlifting
141

[quote]motherofpearl wrote:
You think that doing pullups as a main excercise instead of shoulder press would be okey. Something for wreslers. I also would like to add that I will have a shoulder press but more of a secondery excerise for higher reps.[/quote]

People have done the switch. The thing to remember is to include your own bodyweight in the weight calculations. Thus, when finding your max write it as the total of the weight used and your body weight, do the calculations off of that number, and then you will be loading so that you total load is the appropriate amount.

If you use a digital spreadsheet for your workouts, you could add to the calculation for it to subtract your body weight as the last step so that it will tell you what load to use, but subtracting your own weight should not be too difficult.

142

If it takes me 3 hours to do 50 chins, am I getting nearly the same benefit as doing them withinmy 1-1.25 hour workout session?

143

[quote]revchad wrote:
motherofpearl wrote:
You think that doing pullups as a main excercise instead of shoulder press would be okey. Something for wreslers. I also would like to add that I will have a shoulder press but more of a secondery excerise for higher reps.

People have done the switch. The thing to remember is to include your own bodyweight in the weight calculations. Thus, when finding your max write it as the total of the weight used and your body weight, do the calculations off of that number, and then you will be loading so that you total load is the appropriate amount.

If you use a digital spreadsheet for your workouts, you could add to the calculation for it to subtract your body weight as the last step so that it will tell you what load to use, but subtracting your own weight should not be too difficult.[/quote]

Like jim wendler wrote in 5/3/1 program that a shoulderpress was chosen because it has a effect on bench but although I love being a “meathead” and lifting big weight I want to use this program as more of a sport specic training. Anyways wouldn’t you think heavy pulllups will have some effect on your bench too not to mention on sports.

144

[quote]motherofpearl wrote:
revchad wrote:
motherofpearl wrote:
You think that doing pullups as a main excercise instead of shoulder press would be okey. Something for wreslers. I also would like to add that I will have a shoulder press but more of a secondery excerise for higher reps.

People have done the switch. The thing to remember is to include your own bodyweight in the weight calculations. Thus, when finding your max write it as the total of the weight used and your body weight, do the calculations off of that number, and then you will be loading so that you total load is the appropriate amount.

If you use a digital spreadsheet for your workouts, you could add to the calculation for it to subtract your body weight as the last step so that it will tell you what load to use, but subtracting your own weight should not be too difficult.

Like jim wendler wrote in 5/3/1 program that a shoulderpress was chosen because it has a effect on bench but although I love being a “meathead” and lifting big weight I want to use this program as more of a sport specic training. Anyways wouldn’t you think heavy pulllups will have some effect on your bench too not to mention on sports. [/quote]

Sports specific skills will do more then strength in any one lift. But with that, being strong in -all- lifts may certainly help.

If you want to do pull ups using 5/3/1 then do it, put them after your MP 5/3/1 - But depending on your weight and your pull up max, you may be required to use a pull up assistance machine to hit the right %'s.

Another option is to go heavy pull ups on assistance work. Check in with Harry Selkow at Elitefts.com 's Q&A, give him your pull up stats and your goals, and he’ll give ya the stuff to do. He’s been helping quite a few people out with pull ups who are also doing 5/3/1, including myself.

145

Jump rope and sprint for calf work. Only two exercises that have put some inches on my calves without isolation exercises.

146

Direct calf work is necessary. I did direct calf work in the beginning and they were pretty impressive. I then stopped doing direct work because all the “experts” said it was not needed. Now I am trying get them back up to where they were. Bottom line is that direct work is necessary.

147

We have Kroc rows and now we have Wendler Cleans.

Anyone does this version of cleans? =P

148

Apologies if this has been already asked, but my online time is limited at the moment, not enough hours in the day to go to uni, train and work two jobs AND trawl the net!

I’ve just pumped my numbers into a spreadsheet for 531, starting on Monday.

For example my bench numbers are (in KG) 90, 96,102 - obviously 90 is easy to load, but 96 will be a bitch, as will 102. Would I lose any benefit going 90, 95, 100? Same with DL - the percentages throw up the following numbers 158, 168, 179 - would 160/170/180 work for ease of loading?

I think we have some Platemates or small increment plates knocking around the gym if not, but it sure would be easier to load using the plates that we have out all the time, rather than hunting round the store cupboards for 1/2kg plates! We have 1.25/2.5/5/10/15/20/25kg plates out for general use at all times.

149

[quote]sidewalkdances wrote:
Apologies if this has been already asked, but my online time is limited at the moment, not enough hours in the day to go to uni, train and work two jobs AND trawl the net!

I’ve just pumped my numbers into a spreadsheet for 531, starting on Monday.

For example my bench numbers are (in KG) 90, 96,102 - obviously 90 is easy to load, but 96 will be a bitch, as will 102. Would I lose any benefit going 90, 95, 100? Same with DL - the percentages throw up the following numbers 158, 168, 179 - would 160/170/180 work for ease of loading?

I think we have some Platemates or small increment plates knocking around the gym if not, but it sure would be easier to load using the plates that we have out all the time, rather than hunting round the store cupboards for 1/2kg plates! We have 1.25/2.5/5/10/15/20/25kg plates out for general use at all times.
[/quote]

Yes. You may want to generally round down (given that the system is designed for starting low and progressing slow and steady), but it should not make a huge difference. You may want to track down the smaller plates in a few cycles when your progress is slowing down, that way you can add smaller increments each cycle and keep progressing before having to reset a lift.

150

If I have a 96kg in the Excel template, I would round it off to 95kg.

If I have 102kg,obviously, I would round it off to 102.5kg.

158~157.5kg
168~167.5kg
179~180kg

151

I think that if your 5/3/1 cycle increment is more than ~4-5% of the weight lifted, you may want to work with fractional plates. If they are not available then round down. Before I got fractional plates, I used pieces of chain that were 1lb each after I snipped a couple of links. I wrapped them around the end of the bar. You can carry them to the gym in a gym bag.

152

[quote]sidewalkdances wrote:
Apologies if this has been already asked, but my online time is limited at the moment, not enough hours in the day to go to uni, train and work two jobs AND trawl the net!

I’ve just pumped my numbers into a spreadsheet for 531, starting on Monday.

For example my bench numbers are (in KG) 90, 96,102 - obviously 90 is easy to load, but 96 will be a bitch, as will 102. Would I lose any benefit going 90, 95, 100? Same with DL - the percentages throw up the following numbers 158, 168, 179 - would 160/170/180 work for ease of loading?

I think we have some Platemates or small increment plates knocking around the gym if not, but it sure would be easier to load using the plates that we have out all the time, rather than hunting round the store cupboards for 1/2kg plates! We have 1.25/2.5/5/10/15/20/25kg plates out for general use at all times.
[/quote]

Not to purposely disagree with the others, but I really don’t think it matters much. This seems like a very minor thing. I mean, it’s not like these are grind-it-out PR attempts. They’re lifts you know you can make so just go lift them.

If you still really feel like being exact, I would only concern myself with the final set – the one where you go for max reps. That’s the most important anyway.

Of course, there’s nothing wrong with figuring out and loading the exact numbers. I just think it’s unnecessary.

Also, if you’re using excel, you can set it so the calculated lifts are rounded off to whatever increments you want. That way you don’t even have to see or know what the exact number is.

153

One of the things I like about 5/3/1 is that you don’t really need fractional plates for it to work. You should be able to hit the 2 sets of 5 or 3 easily, even when you round them to the closest number, and rounding them down doesn’t really harm your progress either.

Then on the final all-out set the difference rounding makes is 1 rep at maximum, and it really doesn’t matter, at least for me. The stimulus is similar enough.

154

I’m starting this program tomorrow. Got my maxes this week. I’m gonna go with the boring but big template I believe

155

[quote]malonetd wrote:

Also, if you’re using excel, you can set it so the calculated lifts are rounded off to whatever increments you want. That way you don’t even have to see or know what the exact number is.[/quote]

This is what Jim does in his example in the book. IMO nothing wrong with rounding to the nearest 5# increment.

156

[quote]sidewalkdances wrote:
Apologies if this has been already asked, but my online time is limited at the moment, not enough hours in the day to go to uni, train and work two jobs AND trawl the net!

I’ve just pumped my numbers into a spreadsheet for 531, starting on Monday.

For example my bench numbers are (in KG) 90, 96,102 - obviously 90 is easy to load, but 96 will be a bitch, as will 102. Would I lose any benefit going 90, 95, 100? Same with DL - the percentages throw up the following numbers 158, 168, 179 - would 160/170/180 work for ease of loading?

I think we have some Platemates or small increment plates knocking around the gym if not, but it sure would be easier to load using the plates that we have out all the time, rather than hunting round the store cupboards for 1/2kg plates! We have 1.25/2.5/5/10/15/20/25kg plates out for general use at all times.
[/quote]

If less than 2.5, round down. If more, round up. Don’t waste your time focusing on the little stuff because in the end, it will work out. Just focus on getting as many reps as you can.

157

Hay Guys,

Currently planning out my first cycle of 5/3/1 and have a quick question for all those who have come before me. Im planning to use a mix of the Periodization and Moving North of Vag.

What are some of your favorite exercises for Military Press? At the moment I plan to use DB Incline Press, a Lateral/Rear Delt Raise superset and Skull crushers. Any other ideas?

158

[quote]sherro wrote:
Hay Guys,

Currently planning out my first cycle of 5/3/1 and have a quick question for all those who have come before me. Im planning to use a mix of the Periodization and Moving North of Vag.

What are some of your favorite exercises for Military Press? At the moment I plan to use DB Incline Press, a Lateral/Rear Delt Raise superset and Skull crushers. Any other ideas?
[/quote]

who doesnt love single DB standing press, those are a blast

159

What kind of conditioning are you guys doing after your 5/3/1 workouts?

I’m running some hill sprints (but I don’t know if it really even counts as a hill lol! It’s only like 30 meters. I run up and then walk down, and then go straight up again until I’m spent.) I tried running 400m sprints but the lactic acid build up was too big so I ditched them for some barbell complexes (occasionally)

160

[quote]Airness wrote:
What kind of conditioning are you guys doing after your 5/3/1 workouts?

I’m running some hill sprints (but I don’t know if it really even counts as a hill lol! It’s only like 30 meters. I run up and then walk down, and then go straight up again until I’m spent.) I tried running 400m sprints but the lactic acid build up was too big so I ditched them for some barbell complexes (occasionally)[/quote]

I’ve just got a smaller truck tyre for my rugby gym and have been doing backwards tyre drags after my workouts. Did it today after my squat day… my quads wont forgive me for a few days.