The TM does have a relation with your 1RM though. the whole system is designed to increase the weight you can do for reps, based on a TM, which will eventually allow you to perform a better 1rm.
The reason I asked this:
Is because I’m confused about why you would add 10lb to your TM instead of your 1rm. I’m not saying you’re wrong for doing it, I’m actually genuinely curious because I’ve gone through 6-7 cycles of 5/3/1 and I’m farther away from stalling now than I was when I started. I’ve been adding 10lb to my 1rm after each cycle so I think I’m technically progressing a little more slowly than you would/will be. Just curious how it’s working for you if you’ve started 5/3/1 yet
Dude, I started lifting last year. But I fucked around on machines and did endless bicep curls and smith machine bench presses, while following no sort of programming or progression whatsoever. It’s only been the last 5 months where I started paying attention to nutrition, and the last 3 months where I followed an LP program. You’re in a wayyyyy better spot than I was at your age. Keep doing your thing. Go get strong.
I think you should do SS and talk about it when you’re done instead of just breaking out of week 1. Especially in 12 weeks time, if you’re even still doing it given you had trouble with your deadlift already.
Right now, it’s coming across as a guy who’s just met a new girl and hasn’t had to endure her nasty side yet LOL.
The analogy seems fairly accurate . But I only had trouble with my deadlift because I deadlifted 255 on Saturday, 265 on Monday, and 275 yesterday. Once I stall on deadlifting each workout I’m going to sub power cleans for DL’s every other workout. I’m in Phase 1 of SS, atm.
The progression part was me. But am I wrong? I speak from experience, having been able to squat barely over my measly BW of 155 in August. I ran SL for 6 weeks and made some serious gains. But 5x5 was hurting my joints, so I switched to a 3x5 program. Hence, SS. Now, I can squat 255. I’m happy w my results.
Here you are giving your opinion on how 531 limits your gains in comparison to a Lp program.
You obviously don’t understand the fundamentals of 531 which is fine because…
… You have not run 531
If you were to run both programs (531 and SS) for a month, you would be lifting more with SS.
If you were to run both programs for 2 months, if you started low enough, you will be lifting more with SS.
if you were to run both programs for 6 months you will be lifting at an unsustainable rate with SS, and just hitting your stride with 531
If you were to run both programs for a year, you would have been hitting a brick wall with SS for at least 6 months and you would still be going well with 531.
Now obviously you don’t run Lp programs forever but the point I’m trying to make is that because Lp programs very quickly ramp up to your maximum lifting potential, it appears (because you are actually lifting more weight) that you are getting stronger quicker. Whereas in reality for those other than a novice lifter, strength will not increase that quickly and it is actually counter-productive to be lifting at such a high percentage of your rep max.
531 keeps you in the prime strength building percentage and therefore looks like you arnt progressing as fast but in reality, you are setting yourself to KEEP progressing.
I’m in it for the long haul, I’m sure the OP is in it for the long haul, are you?
Of course I am. I love lifting. But where’s the harm in running SS until you stall and then switching to 5/3/1? You said it yourself, progress goes up slower and then lets you hit a stride in 5/3/1. But, even if the OP ran SS for a month before stalling and he put on a few pounds, I think he would be in a better position to begin 5/3/1. Why waste the chance for fast strength?
Also, OP is still a novice. So am I. If he gains around 20 pounds, however, his lifts will skyrocket. No one here is arguing that SS is ultimately better than 5/3/1. But what I am arguing is that running SS, or any LP program really, until you stall will put you in a better position to run 5/3/1. SS—> 5/3/1.
Now, it is very important to define the term “novice.” A “novice lifter” is not a novice based on their numbers. A lifter is a novice if they have not gone through LP. The OP has not gone through LP. Therefore, the OP is a novice and would benefit from going through LP before beginning a long-term program such as 5/3/1.
Well, of course an LP program is not meant to be run forever. That’s just common sense. However, for someone like the OP–he’s a classic SS candidate. Let’s say he stalls around 2 months into SS. If he puts some meat on his bones (and believe me, he can afford to), he will be able to pack somewhere near 100 lbs on his squats and DL’s and somewhere around 60 lbs for benches and presses. Then, when he begins 5/3/1, he will have much higher maxes than he would if he had just started 5/3/1 from the beginning. This kid has so much potential to become much stronger before he even needs to consider a program that will cater to long-term progress such as 5/3/1. However, being 125 and 5’7 won’t cut it. @alex44938 you ready to gain some weight?
I mean, it’s not much experience, but my legs used to be weak as all hell. The only point I was trying to make there is that I am now lifting weights I couldn’t have imagined lifting even two months ago. As I learned the hard way, two months of LP beats a year of bs lifting any day.
What point do you believe I have been communicating? That SS is the only, ultimate way to gain muscle and that Jim Wendler can go to hell? No. That’s not what I’m saying. I’m saying that, if you are a novice like the OP or myself, SS is the BEST program to run until you stall, simply because you are increasing weight at the maximum amount a novice trainee can handle, which in turn increases the novice trainee’s strength the most. The entire point of my argument is that SS should be run before 5/3/1 in order to enable heavier weights to be used when starting 5/3/1.
Think of it this way. If I stay at 25 mph. for the entirety of a 500 mile car ride, or if I go 60 mph for the first 3 hours of the ride and then go to 25 mph. for the remainder of the car ride, in which scenario will I go faster? You can have SS gains and 5/3/1 gains too…but LP gains are essential for a novice in order to set up a strength base before moving to an infinitely progressing program.
5/3/1 DOES progress at a much slower rate than SS.
However, that’s because 5/3/1 is meant to be run for years, rather than in the first 2 months of a novice’s training.
. But I only had trouble with my deadlift because I deadlifted 255 on Saturday, 265 on Monday, and 275 yesterday. Once I stall on deadlifting each workout I’m going to sub power cleans for DL’s every other workout. I’m in Phase 1 of SS, atm.