What Program After 531 BBB?

[quote]Boomka wrote:
I stick to the same assistance program for - at least - an entire cycle before changing. How can you possibly expect to get a training effect if you’re constantly changing everything every session? You have to work on something long enough to see a progression. Otherwise you’re just spinning your wheels.

It’s not about what you did today, it’s about the cumulative effect of what you do today, tomorrow, the next day, next month, next year.

[/quote]
I think I’m going to be the bad guy and disagree with this to an extent. I never do the same assistance as previous sessions and I keep setting PRs. The 531 system, pushing sets, and manipulating TMs are what’s getting me where I want to be. That is of course, within the confines of a base high vol/low int—low vol/high int progression.

[quote]TX iron wrote:

I think I’m going to be the bad guy and disagree with this to an extent. I never do the same assistance as previous sessions and I keep setting PRs. The 531 system, pushing sets, and manipulating TMs are what’s getting me where I want to be. That is of course, within the confines of a base high vol/low int—low vol/high int progression.
[/quote]

Fair enough. If it’s working for you, get on with it. I just find that part of it for me is the mentality to just go in and do the set work without trying to entertain myself. And while I know Jim says not to think too much about assistance work, I do keep track of progress on some of my supplemental lifts. Not really closely, but I like to see my weights and reps going up on certain things, i.e. pullups, dips, Kroc Rows, etc.

I actually think you’re right that the real focus always has to be on the 5/3/1 stuff, but I really tailor my assistance work to weaknesses I’m having in those lifts, so I like to stick to something for a bit to try to shore up the holes.

[quote]Boomka wrote:

[quote]TX iron wrote:

I think I’m going to be the bad guy and disagree with this to an extent. I never do the same assistance as previous sessions and I keep setting PRs. The 531 system, pushing sets, and manipulating TMs are what’s getting me where I want to be. That is of course, within the confines of a base high vol/low int—low vol/high int progression.
[/quote]

Fair enough. If it’s working for you, get on with it. I just find that part of it for me is the mentality to just go in and do the set work without trying to entertain myself. And while I know Jim says not to think too much about assistance work, I do keep track of progress on some of my supplemental lifts. Not really closely, but I like to see my weights and reps going up on certain things, i.e. pullups, dips, Kroc Rows, etc.

I actually think you’re right that the real focus always has to be on the 5/3/1 stuff, but I really tailor my assistance work to weaknesses I’m having in those lifts, so I like to stick to something for a bit to try to shore up the holes.

[/quote]

Truthfully your approach probably works better. I was just pointing out the salience of the base system; of which youâ??re clearly aware. I actually sort of keep track of certain supplemental lifts too, even if I only come around to them every so often.

I also don’t mean to create any confusion between what Jim calls “supplemental” work (like FSL, BBB, etc.) and “assistance” work (all the other stuff). I stick to the supplemental work I’ve chosen for a whole cycle or more AND I tend to give my assistance choices a cycle or so to prove themselves useful (or not) and do keep casual track of progress on some of them.