Staggering the Program

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

i was looking at the Cube Method, and the author staggers his training so he isn’t training with the same intensity the entire week. For example, in week 1 on a MWF program, you squat heavy, bench for speed, and deadlift for reps (or something to that extent). In week 2, you would squat for speed, bench for reps, and deadlift heavy. Week 3 is squat for reps, bench heavy, and deadlift for speed.

Is it smart to apply this concept to 531?

Week 1 would look like this on a MTTF schedule:
3x5 deadlift
3x3 bench
531 squat
5x5 press

week 2:
3x3 deadlift
531 bench
5x5 squat
3x5 press

Week 3:
531 deadlift
5x5 bench
3x5 squat
3x3 press

Week 4:
5x5 deadlift
3x5 bench
3x3 squat
531 press

And repeat. What do you think about this idea? I tried it for another self-made program revolving around deadlift, squat, and power cleans on a MWF schedule and it worked for me to an extent. I’m not sure whether straying from the original program for the above mentioned version would be a detriment.

Thanks!

2

Why not just do the cube?

3

W cube yeah you’re not training with the sane intensity the entire week, but you are training w pretty much the same intensity every week. 531 of course varies intensity weekly over the course of a month. I’d pick one or the other.

4

Not a good idea - this is explained in a couple different articles. We train athletes with M/L/H programming. This allows us to easily adjust for the athletes needs - for example, during finals week, it’s always an L week. It allows the lifter/coach to adjust and program all aspects of training, not just lifting. Every week shouldn’t be a “hard” week.

But do what you want - if that makes your balls tingle, by all means.