Help Resolve Confusion with Transition from GSLP to 531

Hi All,

As my subject suggests I have been doing GSLP for almost 8 months now and these are my exercises/weights:
Workout A:

Bench Press---------55Kgs
Kroc Rows-----------26Kgs
Squat----------------65Kgs
BC--------------------12Kgs
Farmer---------------22Kgs

Workout B:

Arnold Press-----------14Kgs
BOR--------------------60Kgs
SLDL-------------------75Kgs
Skull--------------------10Kgs
Landmine---------------50Kgs

I am currently training for 2 days/week so I would like to run 531 for 2 days as well

I also take part of 2 spinning sessions per week, profiles vary from strength, interval and endurance so I would call it a HIIT normally each session.

Now I need your advice on what are my options with 531:

1 - Run BBB for 2 days (using supplemental sets 5x10 or FSL 5x5) ?

2 - Do my numbers qualify me for BBB or instead run 531 for Beginners?

3 - Which 2 days/week variant should I follow?

4 - I always felt that my lower body is my strength but I lack a lot in my upper body, how to address this in assistance work?

5 - I never did dips and chinups (pullups) so I would lack much hitting high reps (25 reps each I guess as stated) what should I do? should I work my way up slowly each workout or complete 50 reps with other exercises?

fair to mention that I am currently on a cut doing Keto, but due to many resets on GSLP during last 3 months of Keto I am willing to get off keto for the gains to come

I am 176cm and weigh 73.5Kgs so I guess it is time to bulk but I need to figure out which route to take on 531

I’m not sure if you understand what BBB is. Because I can assure you it is not adding additional supplemental work into the program.

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There is a variant in Beyond book which basically says “Boring But Big, 2 days/week” but main lifts are done on 2 weeks, that’s what I read

The template says that I run 5x10 @ 50% for another lift after main lift, my question is that right variant for me or not?

also considering my weights where do I lack in order to plan my assistance work correctly?

I do understand that I should follow the template and that’s enough, but I just need to clarify my confusion regarding mentioned points

Thought I help myself and read again both 2nd edition and Beyond books and came up with this 2-Day template:

Monday:

  • Squat 5/3/1
  • Bench Press 5/3/1
  • Back Raises 3*15
  • Assisted Chinups 3*10
  • Dips 3*10-15
  • Curls 3*10 // Abs

Wednesday:

  • Deadlift 5/3/1
  • Press 5/3/1
  • SLDL 5*10
  • Incline Bench Press 3*10
  • DB Rows 3*10
  • Triceps Extention 3*10 // Abs

Would you at least review this template and tell me your thoughts?

if I see that I need more volume on big lifts I will incorporate BBB sets or FSL 5*5 and tune down the assistance work, would that be ok?

I need to run this next month so any feedback is much appreciated.

You got way too much bullshit in the program.

Monday

Squat
Bench
Back Raises - 50 total reps
Dips - 50 total reps
Chins - 50 total reps

Wednesday

Deadlift
Press
DB incline Press - 50 total reps
DB Rows - 50 total reps
Ab wheel - 50 total reps

if I see that I need more volume on big lifts I will incorporate BBB sets or FSL 5*5 and tune down the assistance work, would that be ok?

No - you need to have someone completely write your programs for you. The above example you gave is not good; there is so much overlap and fluff. If you decide to do BBB or FSL, please come back and ask.

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Thanks for reviewing the shit I wrote

It is a new routine for me and you point it out perfectly I suck at writing programs so there is the confusion.

I decided to do BBB sets as I feel FSL is too much now while I am starting this routine so if I understand correctly, my program should look like this

Monday

Squat 531 then BBB 50% then 60% then 70%
Bench 531 then BBB 50% then 60% then 70%
Back Raises - 50 total reps
Dips - 50 total reps
Chins - 50 total reps

Wednesday

Deadlift 531 then BBB 50% then 60% then 70%
Press 531 then BBB 50% then 60% then 70%
DB incline Press - 50 total reps
DB Rows - 50 total reps
Ab wheel - 50 total reps

Is that correct?

Can I switch to FSL after the first 2 cycles instead of BBB sets?

I have another issue here which I hardly do 3 chinups in a row, how I am going to do 50 of them ???
I guess that also applies to Dips

If you are asking this, its a pretty good indicator that you are not ready to run BBB.

If you are on a caloric deficit, its also a sign you shouldn’t be running BBB.

I would say that since you have so many questions are aren’t sure which route to take, and you are new to 531, you should probably simplify your training.

I highly recommend you just run the base program, and follow something like The Triumvirate for assistance. That is how you will get to learn how the program works. See how you progress, then slowly add stuff in. If you are training 2 days a week either do two main lifts a day, or one main lift a day and extend your microcycle to 2 weeks. If you don’t get at least 5 reps on your “1+” set, your Training Max is too high.

Make sure your Training Max is set correctly, and leave a couple reps left in the tank on your PR sets the vast majority of the time.

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After your comment I went back to the book and read about Triumvirate and I highly agree that what you recommend is very helpful
I guess i will just add 2 main lifts per day just not to extend the cycle too much but for now I won’t add BBB or FSL sets

Another concern i have which is what if i can’t do all reps for assistance work like in my case chinups, dips and hanging legs raises, what shall I do then??

Why can’t you do 50 chin ups or dips in a session?

Cause I never did them during my 1.5-2 years of lifting, pretty stupid I know but this is the case, I will definitely push hard to do them but in case I failed or had a bad day what are my other options? another similar training to complete required reps ??

I see your intro. I saw you’d been training for 2 years and assumed you could complete the exercises, barring injuries.

If you genuinely can’t do the full 50, do as many as you reasonably can, adding reps every week until you can, or sub out for similar movements. Fat man pull ups/press ups/leg raises in a captain’s chair. Make sure to keep every set submaximal. In my n=1 experience, once you hit failure at pull ups, your performance on subsequent sets will be badly affected. How many pull ups/dips/leg raises can you do In a single set?

I made the same mistake of going from a starting programme with low volume and then trying BBB on my upper body. It didn’t work.

When I went back and calculated the volume, I’d tripled it overnight on barbell lifts.

One of the other things I wasn’t doing enough of was chins and dips. Even though I can do them reasonably well I should have added them in.

Look at the overall volumes and you’ll notice a big difference going from gslp or SS for example.

@dagill2
What is that Fat man pull ups /press ups ?? I don’t know anything about it, can you give me a link

For ur question:
Pullups 3 max maybe 4
Dips 6-7 max in a set
Hanging leg raises 0 for sure

@tails1 I feel the same so i backed off from BBB and FSL sets

So did you run the basic program only??

Press up is a press up or push up. The way I formatted my post may have confused you.

Fat man pull up is often called an inverted row. Google can point you in the right direction

Hanging leg raises can be subbed for all sorts of an exercises but try to pick ones where you won’t cheat. Using the “power tower” to do leg raises like that would be the next best option to my mind.

I had trouble getting two days a week to work for me. I moved back to three days and the beyond 1.1 & 1.2 programme, that’s on this site. That worked really well.

I realised that I was chasing the weight and using bad form. The 5*5@75% really helped me improve. And some honest reflection on technique.

I think I could now get two days a week to work but I have a better handle on what volume I need and how to approach my weaknesses. Looking back I was to narrowly experienced on SS.

@dagill2
That’s very informative thanks
I will start with chinups and finish with inverted rows if needed

I have a power tower at my gym I will definitely use it for both dips and leg raises

@tails1

Actually both beyond are advanced for my current status plus I should have a working knowledge of 531 which I don’t

I guess starting with the basics and nailing assistance work for which I am weak there would help alot with enhancing my big lifts

Thanks for the advice, appreciated

Not a problem. I believe you should aim to be able to complete it as written.

I hope your training goes well.

@dagill2
I will follow what Jim wrote above

Do you think it is possible to test my TM for the 4 lifts on one day??