[quote]DanProsser wrote:
[quote]mertdawg wrote:
[quote]jais wrote:
This I don’t understand. You ran a super advanced routine that you need to have everything dialed in to make progress on; diet, sleep, mind, etc, and experienced awesome gains, but you switch to a basic 5-3-1 template and everything goes to hell? Doesn’t add up.
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Dude…
I don’t agree with this part. Sheiko can be complicated, but don’t most weak beginners do well by benching 3 times a weak with moderate weights? I don’t think Sheiko is necessarily advanced at least regarding the bench press. I think it is pretty simple:Train frequently at an effective dose and intensity. Almost all of my bench press improvement came from 3 x per week with an occasional day off. [/quote]
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MON WED FRI SAT
Sets x Reps 6 x 6 7 x 5 8 x 4 10 x 3
Week 1 70% 1RM 75% 1RM 80% 1RM 85% 1RM
Week 2 70% +5kg 75% +5kg 80% +5kg 85% +5kg
Week 3 70% + 10kg 75% +10kg 80% +10kg 85% +10kg
Week 4 REST Test Max
This is almost exactly how I trained the bench to go from 170 to 360 in 18 months, and this was after 3 years of being stuck at 170. It is simple, basic (really just 1 exercise), and if you use a max of 90% for training, which is the definition of 100% in Russian training literature it is not heavy. You get used to it. The volume builds the strength, and every rep is doable without queston. I never made my bench press go up by benching 2 or fewer times a week. On this program you don’t have to worry about making your top set count. And if you don’t run the squat simultaneously it is a very specialized, and not systematically taxing routine. The reason I couldn’t maintain it was because I got strong enough that it did become too taxing, I got sore wrists and neck. I just never understood calling Smolov Jr. an advanced routine. For 5-3-1 to work for me, everything has to be dialed in. For Smolov Jr. Bench to work, all I have to do is show up and not leave until its done, and not follow a cutting diet while I’m doing it.
Man I don’t know why I ever let myself try Westside or 5-3-1 or anything else on the bench press. (Not that they don’t work, but given my improvement I had no real reason to change what I was doing). I gained 10 pounds a month on Smolov for a year and a half (while ignoring the squat granted) and it never stopped. It is my definition of simple and basic.