[quote]want2getlean wrote:
I’m about to start BBB, so I might as well post this question here
Isn’t 50% of your max x 10 a bit low?
Obviously I don’t know because I haven’t tried it yet, but it sounds like it. Unless I keep the rest intervals between the 5 sets at 60secs or so[/quote]
I thought the same thing till i did it lol. Trust me dude you have to try it first especially when its right after your balls to the wall set.
after my wamr up and 4 work sets, i did BBB with 220, first three were light and okay…last two were starting to make me grunt.
I just started my month 3 of Boring But Big. Not being a ‘high rep’ guy (high reps being anything over 8), I found the 5/3/1 part pretty easy all along. The 10 x 5 sets was a bit different for me, but still fairly easy for the first couple months. I started to thing that maybe I under calculated my 1RM’s.
This month, the 70%1rm x 10 reps is brutally hard. I missed a couple reps for the fist time. Deadlifts for 10 x 5 with 275lbs had me about passing out and looking for a bucket.
Does this sound about right for anyone who’s done this routine? If anyone tries this and thinks ‘too easy’, wait until you get to month 3.
I’m currently doing boring but big for the deadlift and it seems to help, I also do Verkohansky for the squat and Texas Method for the bench
[quote]Ironliftr3 wrote:
I just started my month 3 of Boring But Big. Not being a ‘high rep’ guy (high reps being anything over 8), I found the 5/3/1 part pretty easy all along. The 10 x 5 sets was a bit different for me, but still fairly easy for the first couple months. I started to thing that maybe I under calculated my 1RM’s.
This month, the 70%1rm x 10 reps is brutally hard. I missed a couple reps for the fist time. Deadlifts for 10 x 5 with 275lbs had me about passing out and looking for a bucket.
Does this sound about right for anyone who’s done this routine? If anyone tries this and thinks ‘too easy’, wait until you get to month 3.[/quote]
Haven’t done the 3 month challenge, just the regular BBB (with TJM). Hit the porcelain face-first pretty hard after the first session. Takes some getting used to if you’re used to 5 reps and under.
well, I didn’t bother with ramping up to the 70% for 5x10 over three months, and just did it. Bench max of 375, training max=337.5, 70% of that is 236.25. I did what would amount to a 3s day for a primer, without going AMRAP on the last one (recommended) and then hit 235x5x10. The last rep on the 4th set was a decent grinder, but I had to wait long enough for a spot on the last set that it was piss easy (5-6 minutes)
So to answer your original questions, “what if i dont get all the 10 reps on the 5 sets?”: You have your training max set too high. Drop it down.
“do any of you guys add in any assistance stuff besides the usual 3 sets for bis and tris?”: I did my normal assistance work after doing this challenge, there’s no reason not to.
I am about to start month 3 of the BBB challenge.
For month 1 and 2 I varied the assistance slightly. I did deficit deads, high bar oly squats, and CGB.
The 2nd month at 60% training max (not actual max) was pretty tough especially on the deficit deads. In the last week or so I started really monitoring my rest periods to take only 60s… sometimes the last two on squats and deads were 90s. This made it MUCH more difficult.
I am going to switch to sumo deads for the 70% to give my lower back less of a beating. I imagine the next month will be filled with fun.
I did put on a good 10-15lbs though so far.
I underestimated my squat and DL max having been on a different program and cutting weight for a few months. I started out light so the BBB assistance work hasn’t been real hard. Presses are grinders but everything else has been ok.
What I have been doing is on my 531 week after I hit my last set of 1, I keep going usually hitting my true 1 RM.
I’m not going to reset my maxes yet. I’m going to continue on after this last cycle and change up my assistance work.
Has anyone tried the Rest-Pause routine in the 2nd Edition of 531?
I just finished the BBB Challenge this morning. I will admit that I found it really tough, as it pushed me into new areas of effort that I had never been. I make my best gains using programs that force progression, and went from 202 lbs to 220 lbs.
Hardest parts:
Highlights:
If you haven’t tried it, I recommend it. If you’re in the middle of it, keep going; it gets worse before it gets better.
[quote]Chilliwack wrote:
I just finished the BBB Challenge this morning. I will admit that I found it really tough, as it pushed me into new areas of effort that I had never been. I make my best gains using programs that force progression, and went from 202 lbs to 220 lbs.
Hardest parts:
Highlights:
If you haven’t tried it, I recommend it. If you’re in the middle of it, keep going; it gets worse before it gets better.[/quote]
Sweet!
I’ve actually decided to do this for my next training block here in a couple weeks. Did you follow it exactly as outlined in the article?
[quote]VTBalla34 wrote:
Sweet!
I’ve actually decided to do this for my next training block here in a couple weeks. Did you follow it exactly as outlined in the article?[/quote]
To the letter. Well, except for the rollouts. I don’t have a wheel, and my gym has octagonal plates… I was gassed enough after squat 10x5 squats that I didn’t feel guilty about skipping them.
[quote]Chilliwack wrote:
[quote]VTBalla34 wrote:
Sweet!
I’ve actually decided to do this for my next training block here in a couple weeks. Did you follow it exactly as outlined in the article?[/quote]
To the letter. Well, except for the rollouts. I don’t have a wheel, and my gym has octagonal plates… I was gassed enough after squat 10x5 squats that I didn’t feel guilty about skipping them.[/quote]
Cool. Did you also do the cardio 4x/week?
Also, the “bullshit assistance” on upper body days (basically curls, facepulls, and pushdowns). Did you push those every workout, or just if you felt up to it? I know they are optional, but a lot of guys feel bad for doing less and make sure they get htem in (I am not one of those guys lol)…
[quote]VTBalla34 wrote:
Cool. Did you also do the cardio 4x/week?
Also, the “bullshit assistance” on upper body days (basically curls, facepulls, and pushdowns). Did you push those every workout, or just if you felt up to it? I know they are optional, but a lot of guys feel bad for doing less and make sure they get htem in (I am not one of those guys lol)…
[/quote]
The deeper you dig, the less “to the letter” I did it. I only did cardio twice weekly.
I did do the curls/pushdowns/facepulls every upper body day. I didn’t go crazy on the weight, but instead focused on strict form.
haha I wasn’t trying to make a liar out of you, I am just trying to see how the program worked for people…I just plugged my numbers into it and quite frankly I am not all that confident I can even do the damn thing…But I guess that’s why they call it a challenge right? Starting in 2 weeks. thanks for sharing your experiences.
How long of a pause do you guys take between sets? I’m on week 2 of my second month and by the way things are feeling right now I’ll need 5 minute breaks between sets if I want to have a shot at finishing them.
[quote]hac wrote:
How long of a pause do you guys take between sets? I’m on week 2 of my second month and by the way things are feeling right now I’ll need 5 minute breaks between sets if I want to have a shot at finishing them. [/quote]
I feel your pain man. I’m sure some hardasses here could probably pump them out with 90 second rest breaks, and days when I was feeling it, I’d do my first 2-3 sets with that timing, but generally towards the later sets of the third month, I was aiming to complete the set within 5 minutes of the previous set.
[quote]Chilliwack wrote:
[quote]hac wrote:
How long of a pause do you guys take between sets? I’m on week 2 of my second month and by the way things are feeling right now I’ll need 5 minute breaks between sets if I want to have a shot at finishing them. [/quote]
I feel your pain man. I’m sure some hardasses here could probably pump them out with 90 second rest breaks, and days wehne I was feeling it I’d do my first 2-3 sets with that timing, but generally towards the later sets of the third month, I was aiming to complete the set within 5 minutes of the previous set.[/quote]
Absolutely nothing wrong with taking 5 minutes between sets for such an intense program.
I did the Boring but massive, doing 5x15’s @ 65% and did a 5x15 of squats on deadlift day too, it gets easier, I’m moving up to 75% next cycle, but i’m working pretty far under my training max.
I’m on week 1 of month 3 of the challenge. Just finished deadlifts today. It wasn’t as bad as I imagined. Well I didn’t feel like curling up in a corner and crying like after Mondays squats. And I don’t think it’s possible to get any sorer then I was yesterday so I think I’m in the clear and will get through this. Well still have the OHP tommorow but how hard can it be really?
[quote]hac wrote:
I’m on week 1 of month 3 of the challenge. Just finished deadlifts today. It wasn’t as bad as I imagined. Well I didn’t feel like curling up in a corner and crying like after Mondays squats. And I don’t think it’s possible to get any sorer then I was yesterday so I think I’m in the clear and will get through this. Well still have the OHP tommorow but how hard can it be really?[/quote]
What have you been doing during deload weeks? Wendler said in the comments section of the article to not deload the 5x10 sets, but that seems to fly in the face of the 5-3-1 philosophy, so I’m not sure I read him correctly. Any advice?