Just curious on what others are using as their assistance Push/Pull/Core?
Right now im doing the beginner full body from jims website. I like to pair dips/Row/dumbbell Sldl assistance on bench/squat days and Incline dumbbell/Chins/leg raises on press/Dead days.
I am guilty of using the core category sometimes for Curls since i cringe at replacing a heavy pull from the pull category for a fluffy curl.
What does your assistance look like?
Chins
dips
DB squats
DB SLDL
DB Shrugs
hanging leg raises
ab wheel
Pullups with Olympic rings
Gironda Dips
Pendlay rows
Pushups
Front foot elevated split squat
Hanging leg raises
Ab wheel
Dumb question on 5/3/1 forever. Are the single leg and core assistance to be done on press and bench days and the push pull on squat and deadlift days so that every template is basically a whole body workout or are most templates pus pull on upper and single leg on lower body days?
You generally do all 3 categories regardless of the main lift. The exercises aren’t always set in stone, you can do lighter push work after benching etc, but still use all 3 categories.
And single leg/core are in same category of assistance, not separated. So say you’re aiming for 50 reps total per category, you would do 50 reps of your chosen single leg OR core exercise, if you normally stick to one movement each.
In that example you could do 25 reps of a single leg movement and 25 reps core, but still treating it as one category so not 50 of each.
Same for something like curls or pressdowns, you could do 15-20 total reps for them and fill out the rest with pullups, DB presses etc. Plenty of ways to fit in a variety of exercises if you want them.
Thanks for the input. I’m about half way through my first read and that was the one question I’ve had so far. As always, simple and precise work by Wendler. Looking forward to trying out some of the new ideas.
So all the 5/3/1 workouts are full body and if your doing an upper/lower split your doing it wrong now?
Not necessarily. Depends on what program you’re doing.
High volume stuff needs less assistance, and takes away options. With some hard BBB variation some ab work and upper back stuff is plenty.
Which program isn’t like that? So far they all basically say “Assistance” followed by a section that has rep ranges for all 3 assistance types which implies full body.
Most of them are full body in that sense, and there is probably a reason.
But it is not like you must do Full body with 5/3/1. Some programs also give the option to do 0 reps from some category. If one feels he can not or does not want to do FB he can also pick the assistance like that. Example:
Bench 5spro + SSL
Rows, dp press, abs
Well I will do FB if that is recommended now. The original was an upper/lower split which is why I liked it. But if FB is superior with this program for most people I can do that too. If its not too important of an aspect and more of a preference I might keep it strictly upper/lower though.
The original was 2 day, 3 day and 4 day. Really, it was any scheme you wanted as long as you understood the principals behind it. The original 5/3/1 I saw was a 3 day.
I have not read the Forever book yet, but i have a question about the “assistance Push/Pull/Single leg-Core” theme.
In the 3 days/week full body routine, in day 1 there are DB bench press 5x10 and chins 5x10 after the main lift (squat). have i to consider these excercise like a part of the total assistance work? So i just have to add a Core-Single leg excercise to complete the day?
Thanks!
Currently, using mostly:
-Dips, pushdowns, cable laterals, rarely DB variations of press/bench;
-Chins, rows, high pulls, rear raises, fat grip curls/rope hammer curls; band pull aparts and face pulls are a staple and I usually don’t count them towards the total reps I’m doing;
-leg raises, SLDLs, back extensions, overhead shrugs, loaded carries;
obviously, depending on the program, some things are in and some are out.