@planetcybertron,
I hope you got your phone on a charger. 
lol I did
For those doing 5/3/1 forever, do you plan your assistance for the entire leader/anchor or just do like 100 reps in the pull category of whatever exercise/set/reps you feel like that day, etc?
Monday
531 Bench pyramid back down to first working set
BB Rows 6/5/4 superset with bench
Incline DB Bench
Dips/Reverse Cable Flys/Cable Side Bends Giant Set
Pushdown/Curl/Lateral Raise Giant Set
Weighted Carries
Wednesday
Squat 531
Leg Press
Back Raises
Seated Row superset Lat Pulldown
Dragon Flags
Sprints
Friday
Seated BTN Press repeat first set for AMRAP
Weighted Chins 6/5/4 superset with BTN Press
Incline BB Bench 531
Dips/Reverse Cable Flys/Cable Side Bends
Pushdown/Curl/Lateral Raise
Weighted Carries
Saturday
Deadlifts (1) AMRAP Set with last 531 working set weight (2) 2x3 with the second 531 weight (3) 2x5 with first 531 weight
Leg Press
Lying Leg Curl
High Row
Dragon Flags
Prowler
I tend to plan ahead.
eg: Deadlift Day, Simplest Strength, Anchor to BBB
531- Deads
SST- Deficit RDLs
S: 5x10 Lunges
S: 5x10 Weighted Sit-Ups
S: 5x10 Dips
S: 5x10 Fat-Grip Hammer Curls
S: 5x10 Neutral-Grip DB Floor Press
Superset Pull-Ups with 531 and SS
Hereās my plan for the next three cycles with BBB being 5x10 at 60/70/FSL% each cycle for bench and 50/60/70 for the other three. Assistance will probably change slightly each cycle but be similar in rep ranges.
Day 1
Squat 5s PRO superset with chins
Squat BBB superset with chins and ab wheel rollouts
Dumbell incline press (25 reps)
Day 2
Bench 5s PRO superset with pull aparts
Bench BBB superset with pull aparts
Barbell rows (5x5) superset with kettlebell swings (25 reps)
Sled (10 minutes)
Day 3
Deadlift 5s PRO superset with chins
Deadlift 5x5 FSL superset with chins
Press ups (25 reps) superset with lying leg raises (25 reps)
Day 4
Overhead press 5s PRO superset with pull aparts
Overhead press BBB superset with pull aparts
Dumbell rows (5x10) superset with split squats (25 reps)
Sled (10 minutes)
I usually have an idea of what I would like to do but have absolutely no problem changing it based on the day, how the main lift went, and what is available. I probably change it on the fly more often than not.
Iāve taken a minimalist approach after my work/family schedule made me incredibly busy, and the poor recovery made me stall repeatedly:
Day 1:
Squat 5/3/1
Bench 5/3/1 + 2 Sets FSL
Dumbell Row 4x6
Curl 3x10
Triceps 3x10
[Rest days i.e. work]
Day 2:
Deadlift 5/3/1
OHP 5/3/1 + 2 sets FSL
Lat Pulldowns 4x6 (until I can do pullups)
Curl 3x10
Lateral Raises 3x10
The relatively low amount of lifting also allows me to have energy for conditioning, which currently is Farmers Walk x 10-15mins after each workout, and Iām working on doing a 3rd day of only conditioning as well during the week.
My current program has came to an early end so Iāll finally be starting this for all lifts. For now just plan on doing 5s Pro, FSL 5x5. After that I will try some other templates a try but not for all lifts, basically whatever is easiest on FSL I might try something that does more volume than the 5x5.
Training Maximally, and I rate it as absolutely amazing. Iāve done BBB, FSL and 5s Pro and this is the best by far - except Iāll add the caveat that it took me around year of running those other templates to get to a point where I could run Training Maximally.
- TM depends on where I am in relation to a meet. The further out, the lower (80% or so, definitely something I can hit for five cleanly), closer probably more like 90%, but I donāt really think about my max in relation to my TM at all;
- depending on whether Iām close to a meet or not Iāll either go for rep PR with my TM or work past it in joker sets, and only rarely use the option of going back to 70% and working back up, although it has been invaluable when I have used it. Occasionally Iāll just hit my TM for a few singles;
- almost always do the 3x5-8 backoff sets, often with a variation of the main lift (SSB squat, floor press, paused DL, etc) but still at 70% of my TM. For DL I use 3x3 at 70%;
- use close grip bench instead of press, simply because it drives my bench better and my press generally goes just fine from benching, dips and incline pressing;
- I religiously include a press variation after benching, mostly log but sometimes DB (single or double) or BB. Never seated, tried seated once and hated it;
- likewise religiously squat after DL, usually either higher reps (10-25) or lots of sets low reps (15x2). Rule of thumb, close to a meet Iāll lots of sets with low reps with my meet setup, further out fewer sets but more reps with more variations;
- assistance generally ends up looking like a cross between Triumvirate and Periodisation Bible from the original book because thatās what seems to drive my main lifts best and keep me healthy;
- all assistance work is between 25 and 100 reps. Usually swap reps/sets within that around every six weeks;
- backoff sets and assistance exercise usually swap around every six weeks, although itās pretty much a rotating roster except for BB rows, DB rows, some kind of back raise and dips which are pretty permanent but change in load/sets/reps/tempo;
- squat day includes single leg as one of the assistance exercises;
- hard-ish conditioning once a week, usually stationary bike sprints because theyāre super easy to progress;
- easy conditioning once a week, usually incline treadmill walking;
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I was thinking about this program today and wondered if anyone tried to run it this way:
Week 1 - squat 5 / bench 3 / deadlift 1
Week 2 - squat 3 / bench 1 / deadlift 5
Week 3 - squat 1 / bench 5 / deadlift 3
I think itāll be a good spin on this program. Its similar to how I do my own program minus the triples.
Has anyone ever done something between the main lift and supplemental work? My deadlift day is pretty much just DL + SSB squat and I was thinking of doing this
DL 5ās PRO
SSB squat
DL 5x5 FSL
Those are both supplemental. Jim doesnāt recommend doing two supplemental exercises. Generally if you want to do SSB squats, youād do them instead of the DL FSL work.
Only thing Iāll do between them is Band pull aparts for deadlifts/squat
And Chins/Rows for Press/Bench
I am not a very experienced lifter. My 1rms are really low (120kg deadlift, 60kg bench, 80kg squat, 50kg press). I weight 62 kg.
I have discovered 5/3/1 a few months back thanks to my CKM instructor and I will forever be grateful to him because I think I have never trained this well before in my life (I am only 22 though ahah).
This is the program I am following now, developed after reading 5/3/1 second edition and Beyond 5/3/1:
I very often do joker sets and always end the main exercise of the day with a first set last AMRAP.
I am at my 4th cycle, but I am repeating the 3rd cycle in terms of TMs due to not having trained for 20 days since I was on holiday.
Would anyone care enough to give some feedback on this? Does this look planned decently?
I had some good strength gains in the first 3 cycles even though I have been eating at maintenance instead of surplus, so it feels good for now, but I am also not a very experienced lifter.
Finally, an enormous thank you to Jim, he helped me grow not only physically, but also mentally.
Iām on a different program right now, but Iām really looking forward to this bastardized beach body template for strongman the next block.
Front Squat ā 5s pro
stone-to-shoulder/load ā 2 sets amrap
Log/axle Press ā TM for PR
Poundstone curls w axle
Neck Harness ā 100 reps
Front Squat ā TM for PR
Deadlift ā 5s Pro
Strict swiss bar Press ā 50 reps @ First Set Last%
Dumbbell Row ā 100 reps/arm
Neck Flexion ā 100 reps
Hang Clean ā TM for PR, 3x5 SSL
Back Squat ā 15+ reps at First Set Last%
Bench/CG Bench ā 5s Pro
Rope Chins ā 50 total reps
Neck Harness ā 100 total rep
Depending on the competition, ill swap out an event with the closest thing on the template (axle pulls for deadlift, circus bell for push press, continental for hang clean, etc).
3 Likes
yup 531 and Jim is great.
I think your template looks OK. Not too much stuff in there. So if you enjoy it go ahead. You donāt have to plan assistance, but I canāt help it, I do it to. (donāt tell Jim).
Push your main lifts they are the one that matters. And your second exersice looks suplemental to me so push them too, at some extend.
The rest is assistance and NOT important.
These days Jim recommends leader - Anchor cycles.
I myself like the OG 531 with the PR sets and FSL Amrap a lot.
As for Jims leader - anchor he says and this is basic Leader:
2 cycles leader
Main lift 5 pro (every set is 5 reps every week no PR)
FSL 5 x 5 with the main lift.
assistance push, pull, single leg/core 25 - 50 reps each category.
1 week 7th week deload.
1 cycle Anchor
Main lift 531 push the PR sets
FSL 3-5 set of 5 reps.
little higher Assistance reps still push pull single leg/core.
Always remenber: do your warmup, your mobility, your Jumps and Throws every day and some sort of conditioning a couple of times every week.
TM is meant to be low and for some it seems to low, but it isnāt trust Jim. If you canāt get 5 strong reps (unless its a bad day) on the third week, your TM is to high. I think that even goes with the OG.
Good luck and remember itās a marathon not a sprint.
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Thank you so much for your answer @mortdk!
Programming assistance helps me a lot in entering the āget shit doneā mentality when I enter the gym: I donāt have to think about anything, just do what I have to do and leave.
From Beyond 5/3/1, it looks like the 5ās progression is more targeted to beginners (not to say I am experienced obviously). I am just curious - what would be the main benefits of following leader - anchor cycles instead of the original 5/3/1 program with a deload every 7th week?
What I can see is that it may help psychologically since you donāt have the pressure of setting a PR every time, however that is something that actually keeps me motivated and it is definitely the thing that I enjoy the most of the program!
In a lot of the programs its the 5s progression followed by something else. It serves two purposes, 1) make sure your training max is correct as he said you should always be able to get 5 easy reps on it 2) an over warmup so you get 5 reps with a weight heavier than what your doing next, to make it feel a bit easier.
Make sure to closely regulate how youāre feeling with doing this. I attempted a bastardized strongman variation of 5/3/1 and pounded myself into the ground. While I did enjoy it, boy I was fighting with aches and pains and had to run a basic 5/3/1 with bodyweight assistance to follow it for recovery (which I actually would highly recommend running if youāre feeling beat up at all).
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