T Nation

Beat to F*ck, Staying North of Vag

Jim Wendler 5/3/1 Coaching
#1

Jim,

I'm a veteran thats a lil beat up.  I have titanium rods on my left tibia and fibula. I've bought and read all of your books and have tried to follow some form of your templates when my schedule allowing since about 2013.  I've tried any variation of squat to be able to keep the movement in the program. High Bar, Low Bar, Safety Squat, Zercher, you name it, I've tried to program it.  My left knee gets extremely irritated, full of fluid, and hurts all the way through to the back of the knee.  Mobility isn't an issue at all when it's not irritated I can move fine, it just makes a lot of noise. My only solution has been to Trap Bar Deadlift in its place.  For now I have been able to progress at the normal prescribed rate in the Trap Bar Deadlift and Conventional Deadlift as its only been about a month, or one cycle of 5/3/1, since I've made this change.

From your experience is this going to be too much pulling in the long run?  Is there anything you would recommend?  I don't want to sound like another one of these fucks trying to bastardize your program, I just to want to keep getting bigger and stronger. 

I do the Triumvirate with Joker Sets and First Set Last when I'm feeling good because its what works best for me.  I at the very least know what assistance exercises I need to progress in the Bench, OHP, and Deadlift.  Any recommendations for programming would be highly appreciated.
#2

Thank you so much for your service sir.

#3

Thanks for Your services and sacrifices.

#4

From your experience is this going to be too much pulling in the long run? Is there anything you would recommend? I don’t want to sound like another one of these fucks trying to bastardize your program, I just to want to keep getting bigger and stronger.

Answer: Nope - if you can’t squat, you can’t squat. Who cares? The day a man gives into retarded dogma of the 1" internet pud tuckers is the day you pack it in and swallow lead. You have gone through too much to do that. You adapt to your situation and attack what you can do.

I do the Triumvirate with Joker Sets and First Set Last when I’m feeling good because its what works best for me. I at the very least know what assistance exercises I need to progress in the Bench, OHP, and Deadlift. Any recommendations for programming would be highly appreciated.

Sure:

Base Program: 5’s PRO, 5x5 FSL (on all lifts), assistance: rows, chins, dips, curls, push-ups, back raises, ab work

The base program lasts for 3-6 weeks. This is followed by 3-6 weeks of a variation of the above or something out of left field:

BBB
FSL x 50
Double 5/3/1
5x5/3/1
Rule of 10
Rest Pause
PR’s + bodyweight

There are a myriad of options but the bottom line is the VAST majority of your gains will happen with base program. At least with all the people I work with and those that actually listen to how to do the program properly.

Anyway, MAKE SURE you are doing Agile 8 every day, at the very least. Keep up your conditioning. Remember that people that are out of shape are fucking lazy. It takes NO TALENT to be in shape: it just takes a modicum of discipline to do what is necessary.

Good luck - you will be fine as long as you follow your head/heart and not the crowd.