Squat (bar, 95 lb, 135 lb x 5/8 sets)
That reads like 5 reps at 135 lbs for 8 sets to me.
Hasnāt seen that, Iām confused by that. Just warm up however you normally do
Wendler has a recommendation in 5/3/1. I think it is bar, 60%, 80%, work sets.
I have forever. The basics of 5/3/1 can be understood from articles.
Just never forget that what you did worked. If you continue to research youāre going to learn about all kinds of things that will make you think lifting is some kind of rocket science. Youāll doubt what you see with your own eyes, you will begin to say things such as āI did xyz and it WORKED AMAZINGLY but according to [this scientific study] it doesnāt workā, and youāll forget that if something works, then it works.
The lifting community on the internet is largely akin to people who press a button, the lights turn on, and they try it again, and the lights turn off, and they try it again, and the lights turn on, and they turn around and say according to scientific studies, this button doesnāt turn on the light.
EDIT:
The advice above is good stuff though.
Keep a training log if you arenāt already. It doesnāt have to be detailed, just enough so that when youāre lost and nothing works anymore. you can go back and remind yourself what worked. Itās the only scientific study you need, and itās called the scientific/empirical method, and all those poorly designed or intentionally lying-to-be-interesting studies on the internet motivated by the desire to be published are not science.
Thanks oscare. I fully get your point about the light switchesā¦ but damn man, Iām so absorbed by the space and learning things I need to be careful of the dreaded paralysis by analysis. I havenāt jumped on the training log thing and will very soon. Up until now all my numbers are so ingrained into my head and takes up so much thought time I never forget what I need to add to make progress - I wish I could be this memory efficient in other walks of life!
I have very much tossed around the idea of continuing along my own programming and adjusting as I keep moving forward in my knowledge (and implementing mantras/ideas from other programs). Obviously apprehension will sit there wondering if Iām hindering myself but there will be the benefit of it moulding to suit my life and goals more sweetly.
You could always try and dedicate 3-4 months to different styles o training that appeal to you for 2022 and learn from that and let that inform what you do in 2023 and beyond.
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Yeah that could be a good idea, thanks.
Iām still just playing around atm. As stated, last month i did a makeshift BBB 5x10 on top of my 5x5 @ 90% type sets on the movements. Today i felt so strong on the cable rows, i did 5x10 95kg even though when I was using BBB percentages i was only working up to around 75-80kg. This is what worries the most about 5/3/1, leaving so much in the tank on some exercises. I know about the philosophy and fully grasp the reasons why but iām still struggling to get past that. Paralysis by analysis is setting in i think.
You have a 1rm for your cable rows to create a training max?
I did a 3 rep of 105kg and estimated my max to be 110kg. 90% of that = 99kg
In my makeshift BBB I was doing first off 5x10 at 50kg, felt like a waste of time, next time i did 60%, still felt like a waste of time, 70%, then 75% and that leads me up to originally posting here.
Why would you ever do that for a cable row?
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Idiocy, probably.
Throughout my training Iāve done heavy days and lights days with them (as well as lat pulldowns). Itās stupid stuff left over from my old methodology and rubbish way of thinking. It was pretty easy for me to work out my 1 rep max as I was already going to do a 4x4 knowing I was going to try BBB 5x10 the following week.
I feel you would do yourself a tremendous service to sit down and spend a few hour genuinely thinking about WHY you do things that you do before engaging in a quest to determine HOW you will do those things.
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I just went for the training in various rep ranges thing for those exercises, there wasnāt much more to it than that.
Since the turn of the year Iām already starting to think of the whys. Iām miles away from it yet but Iām sure Iāll get there. At least now I wonāt be completely hammering myself 4x a week.
I have been thinking about this as I get back into my own training and jogged some memories. One of the things I did with 531, and will do again, is to combine BP/Squat and OHP/BP into a single day at the beginning, when weights are light. That way, I can actually get through the first two cycles in a month. Iām not sure how smart that is, but I did it when I started, and when I reset after three cycles.
But, as T3hPwnisher says, figure out the whys first.
Do you consider cable rows a main movement?
Let me highlight the following,
You leave things in the tank on your main lifts and lift them as fast as possible without losing control. If you want to read up on that some more Iād suggest finding material on ācompensatory acceleration trainingā.
Meanwhile, on something like a cable row you can certainly go ham and go to failure. But one wouldnāt do a set of three reps on it.
Personally, I have a hard time finishing a set if it isnāt challenging so Iāve struggled with 531. Instead, I do fewer work sets. So, I get where you are coming from but doing BBB percentages on a cable row seems to me like trying to finish a puzzle using LEGO pieces.
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I guess you meant OHP/DL not BP twice?
That sounds like a good plan to be fair. Obviously I know nothing about how productive itād be but if youāre only just getting back into training it seems like a no-brainer as your lifts should go up quickly.
Since I began training I figured out quite quickly I preferred to do Bench/Squat and Deadlift/OHP day. Iām just another guy that enjoys the upper body lifts and this way I always found myself more excited to go. When i tried to pair deadlifts and squats it took more discipline. I wonder if can carry that on when I move into 531. I canāt see why not, I just havenāt seen many templates like that.
Actually I meant DL/SQ one day, OHP/BP the next - you can complete a week of the cycle in two days.
Mon - OHP/BP
Tues - DL/SQ
Wed - OHP/BP
Thu - DL/SQ
If your training maxes are light, you should recover in 48 hours.
Again, probably not ideal, but for just getting started (start low, progress slow, hit PRās), itās doable.
I just often saw barbell rows as one of the ābig 5ā, sometimes it was pullups instead. I didnāt like the BB rows much (especially after deadlifting), so opted for the cable rows and never looked back. Every month or two iāve alternated a pullup variation and lat pulldowns since the beginning aswell. Pullups often in the 3-6 range, lat pulldowns usually 8+.
With the last bit about BBB percentages on them. Are you saying I shouldnāt bother and just go for whatever I feel I can handle on the day?
None of the 5/3/1 templates treat assistance work with percentages. Thereās plenty of freedom with how you approach assistance within the programs framework. With something like cable rows, just do whatever you like with them.
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