5/3/1 3 Days Split?

Hey there,

What do you think about the following template?
My problem is that I’m doing also MMA additional to strength training and I don’t recover very good from more than lifting 3days/week. Also I want to train all mainlifts min. 1x heavy per week.
So I thought about this split (with assistance oriented a little bit more on BB):

A)

  • BP 5/3/1 + FSL (1x amrap)
  • BB Rows
  • Incline DB Press
  • Chin-Ups
  • Pullovers

B)

  • Squats 5/3/1 + FSL(1x amrap)
  • DL 5/3/1 + FSL(1x amrap)
  • Leg Press or lunges (if needed, based on how I feel)
  • Calves

C)

  • OHP 5/3/1 + FSL (1xamrap)
  • Pull-Ups
  • Dips
  • Facepulls
  • Curls
  • OH Triceps Extensions

Core and rotary cuff every workout. Mainlifts will be done with the PR sets + 1 set FSL (amrap), assistance 2-3 sets (mainly in the range from 6-8 reps). So it should be not too much volume.

Thx for your answers :slight_smile:
Greets,
Zabuza

ummmmm NO.

that’s pretty high volume especially considering the MMA. The middle day is crazy. Squats 5/3/1 + FSL and Deadlift 5/3/1 + FSL is a lot on it’s own, then you are throwing leg press and lunges on top of that? Dude! I’d highly recommend you don’t do that.

I would suggest you do:

A
Squat 5/3/1 + FSL

  • abs, more low back if needed

B
Bench 5/3/1 + FSL

  • chins, dips, rows

C
Deadlift 5/3/1 + FSL
Press 5/3/1 + FSL
+chins, abs, low back if needed

If your MMA scheduling and whatever else makes you feel like you need all the leg work on one day so you’re only sore from “legs” once a week- I get that, I’ve done it myself. In that case, I would suggest you only do 5/3/1 Squats + FSL and 5/3/1 Deadlifts + FSL, then abs, nothing else. And if you have to do it that way, I’d suggest 5’s progression for both lifts, NOT doing a PR set. If you don’t want to do 5’s progression, alternate which lift you do the PR set each week. Even that may still be too much, but what you suggested is DEFINITELY too much.

Thx for your answer, I updated the starting post a little bit.
Your idea of upper/lower + 1 day full body sounds not bad

Or you could do the 3 days a week (2nd edition I believe). Think 6 weeks instead of 4.
Or
Full body template 3x a week.
Or
Any of the templates but not think in weeks but 4 work outs.
Or
well, you get the idea. Open the books and follow a template.

I presume MMA is not just a hobby and you are going to compete. If that is the case then I would do either a 3 day full body or better still a 2 day full body template.

[quote]zabuza wrote:
Hey there,

What do you think about the following template?
My problem is that I’m doing also MMA additional to strength training and I don’t recover very good from more than lifting 3days/week. Also I want to train all mainlifts min. 1x heavy per week.
So I thought about this split (with assistance oriented a little bit more on BB):

A)

  • BP 5/3/1 + FSL (1x amrap)
  • BB Rows
  • Incline DB Press
  • Chin-Ups
  • Pullovers

B)

  • Squats 5/3/1 + FSL(1x amrap)
  • DL 5/3/1 + FSL(1x amrap)
  • Leg Press or lunges (if needed, based on how I feel)
  • Calves

C)

  • OHP 5/3/1 + FSL (1xamrap)
  • Pull-Ups
  • Dips
  • Facepulls
  • Curls
  • OH Triceps Extensions

Core and rotary cuff every workout. Mainlifts will be done with the PR sets + 1 set FSL (amrap), assistance 2-3 sets (mainly in the range from 6-8 reps). So it should be not too much volume.

Thx for your answers :slight_smile:
Greets,
Zabuza
[/quote]

Way too much. You have to learn to do only what is necessary to improve at your sport NOT what others are telling you to do. Do the least you have to do in the weight room to get better at your sport. You have limited recovery and you also have to work with your MMA coaches to help periodize your training. At least give you a sample idea of your prep for a fight.

I train athletes now and they don’t even come close to that much work and they all get stronger, faster and better at their sport.

Thx for all your answers, especially to Jim :slight_smile:

I should have described it earlier that fighting sports is an addition to lifting not otherwise. My goals are getting stronger and bigger and backing it up with a bit of fighting skill.
So my training in gym is based on strength in the mainlifts and BB assistance.
Also I’m not training MMA in real but self defence. I just wrote MMA because I thought it would be lighter to imagine the workouts there (because the base is very similar). Sry for the misunderstandings

Hey everybody,

I overthougt my training and decided do switch on fb 3x/week. I’ve done a full body template with 5/3/1 prior to the 3 days split and I didn’t recovered enought on it, probably because of too much assistance.
So I’m aiming now on 2 options:

A) FB Template as outlined here:
http://www.T-Nation.com/strength-training-topics/1316
Is it still recommendable in this version?
I know about the newer versions on 2nd Ed. and the Beyond book, but I’m afraid on burning out fast on squatting 3x heavy (like in the later stages or in the beyond version).

B) 5/3/1 for a beginner from 2nd Ed.

What do you guys think about these options?

Thx for your answers :slight_smile:

I would see the fullbody template also reasonable option. It’s familiar to you, and good template with athletes. Zero assistance.

I’m doing 3days/week template with quite a lot volume now, but its first 6 weeks after my reset, and I’m not doing any taxing sport besides gym/kettlebells.

[quote]zabuza wrote:
Hey everybody,

I overthougt my training and decided do switch on fb 3x/week. I’ve done a full body template with 5/3/1 prior to the 3 days split and I didn’t recovered enought on it, probably because of too much assistance.
So I’m aiming now on 2 options:

A) FB Template as outlined here:
http://www.T-Nation.com/strength-training-topics/1316
Is it still recommendable in this version?
I know about the newer versions on 2nd Ed. and the Beyond book, but I’m afraid on burning out fast on squatting 3x heavy (like in the later stages or in the beyond version).

B) 5/3/1 for a beginner from 2nd Ed.

What do you guys think about these options?

Thx for your answers :slight_smile:
[/quote]

What have you been doing this past week?

And you already have answers. Pick one, do “as is”, see you in a couple of year.

Much depends on how much and how hard you are training mma. Remember that weight-training is pretty much just another type of GPP.
Unless you are looking to go up a weight-class, I would recommend starting with a bare minimum and seeing how you recover.

Something along the lines of p65-66 or p70 in Beyond, or maybe even a little less?

wk1 day1: squat + abs
wk1 day2: bench + lats
wk2 day 1: deads + abs
wk2 day2: press + lats

Stert light.

[quote]zabuza wrote:
Thx for all your answers, especially to Jim :slight_smile:

I should have described it earlier that fighting sports is an addition to lifting not otherwise. My goals are getting stronger and bigger and backing it up with a bit of fighting skill.
So my training in gym is based on strength in the mainlifts and BB assistance.
Also I’m not training MMA in real but self defence. I just wrote MMA because I thought it would be lighter to imagine the workouts there (because the base is very similar). Sry for the misunderstandings[/quote]

apologies, i didnt see this later post by you!

in this case you have many more options.

2days/wk is still one of them, in fact it’s the one i would recommend, but just pick one of the many 531 2-day templates and run with it as written for at least 6weeks.

[quote]tokon wrote:

[quote]zabuza wrote:
Thx for all your answers, especially to Jim :slight_smile:

I should have described it earlier that fighting sports is an addition to lifting not otherwise. My goals are getting stronger and bigger and backing it up with a bit of fighting skill.
So my training in gym is based on strength in the mainlifts and BB assistance.
Also I’m not training MMA in real but self defence. I just wrote MMA because I thought it would be lighter to imagine the workouts there (because the base is very similar). Sry for the misunderstandings[/quote]

apologies, i didnt see this later post by you!

in this case you have many more options.

2days/wk is still one of them, in fact it’s the one i would recommend, but just pick one of the many 531 2-day templates and run with it as written for at least 6weeks.[/quote]
this. did 2 days/week 531 back when i did jiu jitsu . limited assistance work and medium prowler twice a week had me feeling bulletproof

Thx for a few more answers, no need to apologize for you.
I know the MMA Template from Jim (and it’s still fine) but as stated in the first post I got 3 days for lifting (timewise because of my job and also of regeneration) and I want to use them.

Also an important point for me is to do all mainlifts 1x/week heavy, so most 3 day templates are also out.
I’m sorry for my special wishes here :slight_smile:
Later in the thread I added my new most prefered options. Maybe I should just do one ofthem or open a new thread especially to question with the old FB Template to avoid the confusion I created in this one