Slight Confusion with Adding Weight on Leader/Anchor

Bigger Stronger Leaner Jim Wendler 5/3/1 Coaching
1

After reading through the first two books and advice here, I found this post in which Jim and lukets72 outline a program that was exactly what I was after.

However, I’m a bit confused on when to add weight, and the Anchor phase weight.

Here’s the main bit of his post:

"LEADER (Cycles 1-2) (this will consist of two 3 week cycles)
Main work: 5s PRO (this signifies that you will do sets of 5 reps for all of the 5/3/1 main working sets. No PR set on the top set)
Supplemental work: FSL BBB (5 sets of 10 reps at the percentage of the first working set of the main work)
Assistance: 25-50 total reps per workout for push category, 25-50 total reps for pull, and 0-25 total reps for single leg/core work.

The main work and supplemental will look like this:
Week 1: 65% x 5, 75% x 5, 85% x 5; 5 x 10 at 65%
Week 2: 70% x 5, 80% x 5, 90% x 5; 5 x 10 at 70%
Week 3: 75% x 5, 85% x 5, 95% x 5; 5 x 10 at 75%

Now, increase training maxes by 5 lbs for bench/press and 10 lbs for squat/deadlift

Week 1: 65% x 5, 75% x 5, 85% x 5; 5 x 10 at 65%
Week 2: 70% x 5, 80% x 5, 90% x 5; 5 x 10 at 70%
Week 3: 75% x 5, 85% x 5, 95% x 5; 5 x 10 at 75%

This completes your Leader phase, once finished, use the 7th week protocol - Deload

ANCHOR (cycle 3 of the total program, do one anchor cycle)
Main work: 3/5/1 PR sets (PR sets on the first and third week, 5s PRO on the second week)
Supplemental work: FSL 5 x 5
Assistance: 50-100 total reps for each category

Week 1: 70% x 5, 80% x 5, 90% x 5+; 5 x 5 at 70%
Week 2: 65% x 5, 75% x 5, 85% x 5; 5 x 5 at 65%
Week 3: 75% x 5, 85% x 5, 95% x 5+; 5 x 5 at 75%

After completing this, perform the 7th Week protocol - Training Max test to test your TMs and make sure that they are correct to start your next program."

If I understand correctly, it is:

2 x 3 week cycles for the Leader
1 deload week
1x 3 week anchor cycle
1 tm calc week

Do you only increase weight after the first 3 weeks of the Leader, as this is the only time it’s mentioned? Does that not then leave 8 weeks until the next increase in weight?

And lastly, what weight are you meant to use on the Anchor cycle? If it’s the same as the last Leader cycle, aren’t you then just doing a load of less work as the Anchor is pretty much just lower rep ranges of the same %s? (e.g. week 1 3x70% of what you were doing 5x70% in the leader)

2

You increase your TM after each Leader cycle and each Anchor cycle.

When in doubt always follow what the program in the book says to do. If you see it on the forum it is likely 95% correct but people sometimes may not fully explain stuff.

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3

In the example you gave you increase the TM twice, its 3 cycles so you increase after the first 2 and on the 3rd you re-evaluate the TM, could go up/down or whatever it depends what your doing next and how well you did.

4

Hope I’m not breaking any forum rules here, but my question is similar to OP’s. Just to be clear, I should increase my TM going from the Leader cycle to the Anchor cycle? (after the 7th week deload) Is that correct?

5

Yes if your tm is good and depends what your doing, add before the anchor. If youbhave trouble hitting the TM set on the deliad then theres something up.

6

makes sense, thank you

7

You increase TM after each cycle, and a cycle is made of 3 weeks.
So it would be:
Leader 1 (starting TM) > increase TM > Leader 2 > Deload > increase TM > Anchor > Deload/TM test

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