I’m on Jim’s 5/3/1 program for 5 months now.
This winter, I learned the basics, especialy how to squat and deadlift properly. I took my time, bought Rippetoe’s book, learned proper technique and how to train without injury, added slowly weight weeks after weeks.
I would like to stay with the basics, keep the 5/3/1 sets-reps schem for the big 4 lifts because I’m loving it, I’m making progress and I don’t want to quit this program too soon before I gained enough strength (I’m a pussy
After trying different approach, I’ve learned that classic split 4days/week while training one muscle group only 1/week is not enough for me.
I made better progress with a high frequency approach.
I currently train this way BUT 3 times/week, so I train more frequently and am still making progress on the big lifts :
My goal now is HYPERTROPHY.
I’m looking for the best template for accessory work to add size, no matter strength on this accessory work.
Any ideas ? Reps/sets ? Frequency ? Other ???
I’d second the BBB Three Month Challenge. I did it last summer, ate like a monster, put on 10kg (not all muscle, unfortunately), but people definitely noticed the difference (and not just the fat, fortunately).
It really is a challenge to get the reps in on the last month, though.
[quote]jskrabac wrote:
Off the top of my head this could work:
push: 5/3/1 bench & chest (heavy), delts (pump), tris (pump)
pull: back, bis (pump)
legs: 5/3/1 squat & legs (heavy)
push: 5/3/1 military & delts (heavy), chest (pump), tris (pump)
pull: 5/3/1 deadlift, back, bis (heavy)
legs: hams, quads (pump)
Off[/quote]
Something pretty much along these lines should be what you’re looking for. Basically hitting everything twice a week, once heavy and once relatively-lighter.
The trick would be juggling the split around depending on your available training days. You could consider something closer to the boring but big framework, something like:
Workout 1 - legs- Squat 5/3/1, DL 5x10, plus leg work
Workout 2 - chest/shoulders - Bench 5/3/1, press 5x10, plus chest and shoulder work
Workout 3 - back- Deadlift 5/3/1 and back work.
Workout 4 - arms - Press 5/3/1 and arm work.
[quote]mat_angus wrote:
And Chris…really enjoyed to read your advices again !
Mat’
Chris fan [/quote]
Ha, thanks man. But I just realized I was kinda giving you the wrong advices, straight out of Arnold’s playbook.
Looks like I had a brain fart somewhere along the way and didn’t really address your more-than-once-a-week frequency. The juggling comes in with trying to cram 4 strength-based sessions into a 7-day week while still hitting bodyparts twice a week. It’s a weird situation you’re in. So, yeah, good luck with that. Ha.
[quote]jskrabac wrote:
Off the top of my head this could work:
push: 5/3/1 bench & chest (heavy), delts (pump), tris (pump)
pull: back, bis (pump)
legs: 5/3/1 squat & legs (heavy)
push: 5/3/1 military & delts (heavy), chest (pump), tris (pump)
pull: 5/3/1 deadlift, back, bis (heavy)
legs: hams, quads (pump)
Off[/quote]
I would change it to this:
Monday - Bench 5/3/1, chest heavy, delts/tris pump
Tuesday - Deadlift 5/3/1, back heavy, bis pump
Wednesday - legs pump
Thursday - Military 5/3/1, delts heavy, chest/tris pump
Friday - back/bis pump
Saturday - Squat 5/3/1, legs heavy
Sunday - off
That way you aren’t doing your heavy 5/3/1 stuff 3 days in a row. If squatting and deadlifting heavy every week is a problem you could alternate weeks of 5/3/1 squatting and 5/3/1 deadlifting using jskrabac’s template above. Then on the weeks when you’re NOT doing 5/3/1 for those lifts, you’d do BBB instead.
It’s a weird situation you’re in. So, yeah, good luck with that. Ha.[/quote]
what do you think of :
Day 1
squat 5/3/1 + 1 downset + 3 sets of 8-12 (squat or press or leg extension)
DL 5/3/1 + 1 downset + 3 sets of 8-12 (Straight leg DL or seated leg curl)
Pull ups
Biceps
Calf work
Day 2
Bench 5/3/1 + 1 downset + 3 sets of 8-12 (DB bench press or dips or pec deck…)
Military press 5/3/1 + 1 downset + 3 sets of 8-12 (DB laterals or DB military…)
Triceps
Abs work
Day 3 : repeat
Depending on my work, soreness, family life…I could train 3 or 4 times/week.
So each muscle group will be hitten 1-2 times/week, depending on my schedule.
I’ve tried this way sometimes, squat and DL the same day looks crazy but I like to hit my legs on the same day (Tim Enriques, if your are listening to me…
[quote]jskrabac wrote:
Off the top of my head this could work:
push: 5/3/1 bench & chest (heavy), delts (pump), tris (pump)
pull: back, bis (pump)
legs: 5/3/1 squat & legs (heavy)
push: 5/3/1 military & delts (heavy), chest (pump), tris (pump)
pull: 5/3/1 deadlift, back, bis (heavy)
legs: hams, quads (pump)
Off[/quote]
I would change it to this:
Monday - Bench 5/3/1, chest heavy, delts/tris pump
Tuesday - Deadlift 5/3/1, back heavy, bis pump
Wednesday - legs pump
Thursday - Military 5/3/1, delts heavy, chest/tris pump
Friday - back/bis pump
Saturday - Squat 5/3/1, legs heavy
Sunday - off
That way you aren’t doing your heavy 5/3/1 stuff 3 days in a row. If squatting and deadlifting heavy every week is a problem you could alternate weeks of 5/3/1 squatting and 5/3/1 deadlifting using jskrabac’s template above. Then on the weeks when you’re NOT doing 5/3/1 for those lifts, you’d do BBB instead.[/quote]
Workout 1 - legs- Squat 5/3/1, DL 5x10, plus leg work
Workout 2 - chest/shoulders - Bench 5/3/1, press 5x10, plus chest and shoulder work
Workout 3 - back- Deadlift 5/3/1 and back work.
Workout 4 - arms - Press 5/3/1 and arm work.[/quote]
got it !
Workout 1 - legs
Squat 5/3/1, SLDL 5x10, plus leg work
Workout 2 - chest/shoulders
Bench 5/3/1, press 5x10, plus chest and shoulder work
Workout 3 - legs/back
Deadlift 5/3/1, squat 5x10 plus back work
Workout 4 - chest/shoulders/arms
Press 5/3/1, bench 5x10 plus arm work
Rotate 3-4 workouts/week, hitting big lifts once heavy and once lighter twice a week/8 days
The only problem with the BBB 3 Month Challenge is that the weights actually go up by more than just 10% with each passing cycle. Think of this. First month, your training max for squats is 100kg, therefore your 50% is 50kg. Second month, you add 5kg to your squat, establishing your traning max at 105, your assistance is now at 60%, 63kg. Last month, more 5kg to your squat, new training max at 110kg, assistance is now at a whopping 70%, 77kg.
Btw sorry for the metric unit system.
I’m not sure if this is what its supposed to be, but that’s what I did (tried to) and I couldn’t make it past the second month either. Fuck man, adding 27kg60lb to your squat and still repping 5 sets of 10 is c-r-a-z-y.
Jim Wendler has posted this article some time ago and it gives you a few nice ideas to fuck around with your rep/set scheme.
[quote]mat_angus wrote:
Rotate 3-4 workouts/week, hitting big lifts once heavy and once lighter twice a week/8 days[/quote]
Okay, now I’m really getting lost and confused here.
How many days per week can you train? Just 3 or 4? 6? Did I see something about 8?
If you can make it work with your schedule, I think something like what Steely or J said is more the way to go. It’s basically repeating a chest-shoulder-tris, back-bis, legs split, which is straight-up classic bodybuilding stuff.
And like Steely said, consider alternating the 5/3/1 with another set/rep scheme if necessary, depending on exactly how your week gets laid out.
[quote]Chris Colucci wrote:
Okay, now I’m really getting lost and confused here.
[/quote]
sorry for that…
[quote]Chris Colucci wrote:
How many days per week can you train? Just 3 or 4? 6? [/quote]
3 to 4 times.
That’s why I tought a totation with only 2 workouts (say WO1 and WO2) should be the answer :
training 3 times/week : two WO1 and one WO2 on week 1…one WO1 and two WO2 on week 2…repeat
training 4 times/week : each WO will be performed two times
I just what to hit legs, delt, chest and ham 2 times/week but not necessarily with 5/3/1.
So your modified 4 days template with one 5/3/1 workout and one lighter for each majour group could do the trick too ? (no matter if I train 3 or 4 times/week) :
Workout 1 - legs
Squat 5/3/1, SL or conventional DL 5x10, plus leg work
Workout 2 - chest/shoulders
Bench 5/3/1, press 5x10, plus chest and shoulder work
Workout 3 - legs/back
Deadlift 5/3/1, squat 5x10 plus back work
Workout 4 - chest/shoulders/arms
Press 5/3/1, bench 5x10 plus arm work
Do whatever rep schemes you feel suits you on assistance. I’d personally do 3-5 sets of 8-12, but higher reps on shoulder raises, back extensions and calf extensions.
