@Andrewgen_Receptors
The suggestion is a good one, I did look at that Hard Body program. It sounds great, but my struggle with the frequency of going to the gym. I am sure I could make fantastic progress with it, but I would have to change the program so much to fit my schedule that it wouldn’t be that program anymore.
That is why I chose 531, there is always a template that will fit. I have been throwing more walking and conditioning in than I ever have before, to touch on the Crossfit style. I agree with that point, I need the intensity.
@SvenG
I appreciate the nod to 531. Those templates have always resonated with me. Your approach and results are amazing! You are a great example of how to add the intensity.
The looking like a power lifter comment hit hard… Not a great look for my taste.
Yeah, fair point. The only women I know who’ve done 5/3/1 work are @Bagsy and @anna_5588—I think they look strong and lean, but I’m pretty sure they’ve both done lots of other programs as well.
Plus, I’ve gone way beyond JW’s base recommendations re: easy/hard conditioning, including CrossFit-style WODs and lots of Pwn’s Bad Ideas… Maybe that’s a difference-maker as well.
And sorry for the derail—I’m not religious about 5/3/1(at least I try not to be, haha!). In the end, I really do think my success with it boils down to work ethic, so… All roads lead to Rome, if you work hard enough!
The work ethic and “bad ideas” do seem to be the safe bet on making the difference. Plus, I am accepting that conditioning translates into life more than strictly lifting. At least for my life. A 200lb+ squat will help me up a mountain to a point, but staying in good cardio shape helps more. Farmers carries help with load the truck with camping gear carries.
It is not a derail at all! I am on this forum because I can get input from people, please, derail away.
I like the 5/3/1 programming for its flexibility. There’s plenty of room for customization and autoregulation
I will say that sometimes I find the focus on upper back work in some of the more sturctured templates (ie BTM) a bit annoying. Most women (including me) aren’t interested in large shoulders and traps.
well, I’ve mostly stuck with powerlifiting/strength focused programmes. I’m personally much more interested in getting strong and staying lean rather than getting big
I feel like Wendler’s body of work does appeal to a male audience more, especially regarding diet philosophy
We diverge slightly on this point. The upper back and shoulder focus I adore. I am one of the crazy women that wants large shoulders and traps. I like how I look in a tank top and think those two parts are some of my best features. But, I agree that not all women look good with big shoulders. I have a larger frame, and my hips are wide enough that big shoulders wont make me look top heavy, nor give me a V-taper.
This we completely agree on. I can’t remember which template exactly (BtM?) the example day of eating listed two cheese burgers and fries… My digestion would disagree with that.
I like to point out that this was a sample diet of a high school athlete vs a nutrition recommendation. But Jim DID require 1.5lbs of ground beef and a dozen eggs a day.
Ah, makes more sense. I should have double checked before writting. The eggs and beef are more resonable. That would be a stark introduction into repetative meals for me.
Lazy seems to be the way when it comes to nutrition. My desire for variety outweighs my laziness. If I am bored of a meal (usually after eating it twice) I won’t be able to finish the meal, or I will skip it all together. I am like a picky toddler.
I don’t gravitate toward powerlifting programs because I am not very interested in powerlifting. Anyway, I look forward to reading the nutrition and training experiments in this log.
I will be working on being more consistant with my foods. I think this will really help, particularly with a gaining phase. I picked up a bodybuilding meal prep cookbook at the library and warned hubby of the incoming boring food. All set for the adjusted prep next week!
The carries started at just under a run and ended at a “stroll through the park” pace. There is a certain rhythm to these wod type workouts that I couldn’t quite find.
Feeling tired and slow today. Went to sleep with a headache, woke up with a headache. Working on my morning coffee, hopefully that helps.
We may enjoy similar cuisines, but it seems our other dietary preferences differ. I write this as I am about to eat the same lunch I have eaten for the past many weeks!
So I’m still not a model eater but I’ve gotten my during-the-day eating in a pretty good spot. I’m kind of like you where I have a week or less of eating the same thing before hating it.
My trick is to use minor variation.
Week 1 ground Turkey, sour cream, salsa, bell peppers, onion
Week 2 add sweet potato
Week 3 sub ground Turkey for chicken thighs
Week 4 put it in a red sauce instead of sour cream and salsa
Still have largely the same thing, usually with pretty similar macros but I end up with enough variation to not want to stab myself.
I’ve had success in the past by having the “same meal” but changing the vegetables and the flavourings regularly enough to keep it interesting. So one week might be “chicken boob, rice and eggs”, but that could mean 2 days of teriyaki chicken with egg fried rice and asian veg, 2 days of piri-piri chicken with spanish rice topped with fried eggs and 2 days of chicken with rice noodles, miso broth, boiled eggs and veg. Macros will come out more or less identical, but the meals are wildly different. Then next week, you can change it up so your theme is beef and potatoes or whatever floats your boat.
