The Pursuit of Mythical Gains

Well, I am right now, but we’ll see how I feel next week, lol.

Hey, @mortdk, planning my next three cycles. Resetting for Cycle 6 with 5’s Pro, then 351 with PR sets and I have a question about reps in the third week - do I do 351 with the 1 being a PR set?

There are two common ways to do 351 weeks.

The usual: PR sets on first week and third week. Only the prescribed reps on the second, serves as a mini deload.

And the odd one PR sets on the first week, prescribed reps on second and working up to a 1RM jokerstyle on the third week. NO +sets here.

So for the third week either do +sets or work up to a 1RM

OKAY this got into a bit of a rant… So bare with me.

There are the option of using OG 531 with PR on all 3 weeks, if you really like the +sets.
then take one week after for testing TM work up to your TM in 10% increments and then do a PR set with the TM shooting for at least 5 reps.
The 7th week test week it’s called. Jim likes it that way these days or should I say about a year ago. Haven’t followed Jim for a while.

It didn’t work for me… Idkw… maybe my age or/and my lack of ability to progress I’m kind of stuck on my weights, meaning when I came to the test week, well there was no way I could do 5 reps.
I started with a low TM of 85% or a good strong 5RM. then you go 2 cycles 5’s pro and one cycle PR increasing the weight twice ending with a TM of 92 - 95% of the previous 1RM.
If you are able to progress strength wise you should be able to get that illusive 5 rep with the TM. Hell some of the guys on his forum even increased the TM before the test week and did 5 reps.
But let’s just for fun say you get 5 reps on the test week. Then you can take your deload week start another 3 cycles with the weight you just did 5 reps with as TM for the first cycle.
It’s so simple and easy to understand, but and it’s a big but, you have to be young or very good to get stronger.
That would be a 3 forward 1 backward kind of style.

I still like 531 and the setup, it should work, it worked for my lower body lifts not so much upper body. Now I’ve switched to another horse so to speak. Trying that out… in 12 weeks time I’ll know if the giant set style and variation lift is good.
End of rant… sorry… Got carried away.

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Uh, hmm, well…

Here’s the main question - in week three of 351, am I doing three reps on the first set, five reps on the second set, and then a PR set?

As I understand it (guess I should break out my copy), I would do PR sets in week one and week three, just fives for week two.

Remember, I am doing Cycle 5 starting next week, then resetting back two, then a cycle of 5’s pro, so my TM should be very manageable.

I figure I will have a good idea of my TM after the next cycle, but still could test in the 351 cycle.

Thanks @mortdk!

Feel free @MarkKO.

Yes

No

like this:

week one 3 reps 70% 3 reps 80% 3+ reps 90%
week two 5 reps 65% 5 reps 75% 5 reps 85% (no pr set)
week three 5 reps 75% 3 reps 85% 1+ reps 95%

It’s just the weeks that has changed, not the rep/set scheme.

I think you’ve got it down very nice Myth, with the resetting and a nice and low TM. The first 5 weeks should be fairly easy, you should be able to work hard on technique and speed on the bar, the last 5 pro week should not be a 5RM attempt you should feel like there was at least one rep left. Leaving the last cycle ready and primed for the big PR lifts.

Then take one week deload and shoot for 1RM the following week. If you like going for 1 rep maxes.

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What @mortdk said. He has a far better understanding of 531 than I ever have.

6-6-2018
C4W3D3 - BP
45X10, 65X5, 95X3, 135X5, 155X3, 175X7, 135X5X5
DB Rows in between, 35x10x5

Assistance - OHP 100x5x5
Shrugs in between, 45x12

Curls 35x5x3 SS with TPD’s 60x10x3

PR set was probably a PR, but kinda meh.

See @mortdk, it was the whole 351 thing that had me screwed up but now I got it.

Thanks!

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PR’s that are meh??? No way! Own that shit.

My PR file is out of date, so I’m not even sure it’s a PR. I also use a projected 1RM and that didn’t surpass the projected 1RM from a while ago. Therefore, meh, lol.

:face_with_raised_eyebrow: well fine.

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6-7-2018
C4W3D4 - DL
135X5, 170X5, 180X3, 190X10 (Capped)

Assistance - SQ BWX10, 45X5, 95X5, 135X3, 180X10X5
BPA’S and crunches in between, 5x20 and 4x25

I just finished my fourth cycle of 531 so I thought I would look back in my log and see how my body composition has changed. Obviously my training weights have gone up, although I started low, but I was curious.

Turns out in the last five months (four cycles), I have lost about a half pound of fat, and lost a half pound of muscle.

Great progress, lol.

I’m hoping that I am getting to weights that will now spur some hypertrophy and that the gains in TM have been CNS thus far. Unfortunately, this is my last cycle before hitting the road for the summer so I won’t maintain momentum over the summer.

D’oh!

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6-11-2018
C5W1D1 - OHP
45X10, 65X5, 95X5, 105X5, 115X11 PR
BP 140X5X5 BBB FSL
Pull ups 3x2
BB curls 50x10x4, ss with tri extensions 25x8x4
FP’s 50x10x4 ss with shrugs 90x8x4

Weight was 190 last week, woke at 198.2 this morning. Had to weigh myself like five times to believe it, WTF? Had carbs over the weekend, so there’s that.

So I was in a relationship, sort of, for the last eighteen months, and it just ended badly.

Pretty depressed. Might be a de-load week.

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Damn man sorry to hear.
Never funny when that happens.

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A week of checking out new yoga studios is in order.

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Damn man

Remember that when one door closes a bunch of new ones open

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Bugger. Stay strong.

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6-15-2018
C5W1D2 - SQ
BWX10, 45X5, 135X5, 165X5, 190X5, 215X9 (PR, sort of)
BPA’s and crunches in between, 25x5
DL - 150x5x5

Thirty minutes yoga and meditation before gym.

The PR set was only a PR because I haven’t squatted this weight in these five cycles, but I hit 220x9 back in May, so it really wasn’t a PR.

Weight is down to 188 - haven’t been eating much, seemed to have lost my appetite.

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6-18-2018
C5W1D3 - BP
45X10, 65X5, 95X3, 125X5, 140X5, 160X14 PR

Assistance - OHP 90x5x5, with pull ups in between, 3,3,3,2

Curls 25x8x3, with TPD’s 50x10x3 and FP’s 50x10x3

Afternoon workout,only thing I had to eat today was a bowl of cereal right before the gym.

Pull ups are getting better, great pump.

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They do that. Good work

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