I have decided to start doing Wendler's 5/3/1 program, and today I started the first cycle (for bench and overhead press while I rehab my lower back). My training max for this cycle is 205.
Bench Press: 135x5
155x5
175x12 (goal for next session is 185x10)
Seated Pin Press: 135x10, 10, 10, 6, 7
Barbell Rows: 135x10
155x10, 10
165x10, 10
and then sandbag conditioning later (1 full stadium walking with 2 sandbags)
12 comments:
175 x 12? WTF. If you're going to do 5/3/1, at least do it right or you won't see any benefit.
I think the actual 5/3/1 program is all about getting stronger through setting rep PR's like this. The idea is to set your initial maxes conservatively which is probably why Kyle is getting 12 reps with a weight that the workout prescribes for 5.
12 is too conservative. If you can't accurately judge your max to within 2 reps, then the program isn't going to work. Being able to do 12 defeats the idea that you will be pushing yourself.
I agree with Dave here. Besides, 12 reps is way too much to be doing on a main competition lift as your main movement for the day. It's 5-3-1, not 12-10-8.
Ahahahha, Jake - I think we need to start a new program: 12-10-8. I think it could work if we hype it up enough. It needs a catchy slogan though.
I used 230 as my actual raw max, and that times .9 is 207. Wendler recommended starting very conservative with the program, so that gains can be stretched out over a long period of time with limited stalling.
As for 12 reps, I just went all-out with the weight for the last set, stopping 1 rep short of failure as perscribed in the book. The reps for the day (5, 3, or 1) are just supposed to test your strength, and anything beyond supposedly builds it.
From the e-book: "This program allows you to break a wide variety of rep records throughout the entire year. Most people live and die by their 1-rep max. To me, this is foolish and shortsighted. If your squat goes from 225x6 to 225x9, you’ve gotten stronger. If you keep setting and breaking rep records, you’ll get stronger. Don’t get stuck just trying to increase your one rep max. If you keep breaking your rep records, it’ll go up."
Also, with these light weights, I will not have to do the perscribed deloads for a while - which will help me gain strength more rapidly. I will begin the squat cycle of 5/3/1 after I come back from winter break, as the hotel gym I will be at does not have the necessary equipment for doing a full-on squat session.
I just hope you get to actual 5-3-1 at some point (as in, weights that make those numbers actually meaningful).
I will get to those numbers eventually, when progress starts to peter out. I suspect this will happen the quickest for the push press. What I'm thinking is that the repetition work wont really hurt though. I mean if I go from 185x8 (current PR for that weight) to 225x8, my max will go up accordingly. Also, I have no competitions coming up besides the highland games, so there's no risk in trying this out.
Are you not training for the Feb meet?
No, I am not competing in the winter. Just doing the Highland Games in the spring. That brings my competition quota to 1.3 (bench counts only as 1/3 of a meet)
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