kethnaab
New member
If you have not AT LEAST run both the intermediate 5x5 and a WSB style training program for awhile, you really will not be able to customize this properly. In order to know what the hell I’m rambling about, you will need a damn good understanding of the why’s, how’s and wherefore’s of both training methods. If you don’t understand the principles and the reasoning behind the principles of each training method, I am going to seem like a rambling fool to you. In fact, even if you DO understand both programs, I’m probably going to seem like a rambling fool.
However, never let it be said that I fear looking like a fool, so here we go.
5x5 is cookie cutter. WSB is all about customization. Madcow himself said outright that the spreadsheet serves ONLY as a starting point, that the 2nd time around, you should be able to adjust for your own needs/strengths/weaknesses as far as weight selection and Wednesday exercises. This is not a beginner’s or an intermediate program. It is an ADVANCED program. It also has a lot of volume, so it is best that you do this program after a full deload (from a DF program) or after a SD (if you were running HST). If you are not in good “shape”, meaning your workload capacity/recovery is poor, then run the intermediate 5x5 for a month, starting at week 2, to get yourself into proper workload shape. Do a 1-2 week deload and then hit things up with this one.
Monday - ME upper body/press
ME press variant-------3 x 1 – 3, 1 set each @ 90% / 100% / 95% of 3, 2, or 1 RM
Squat/DL variant (a)-- 5x5 (ramped)
RE press variant (a)--- 5x5 (sets across, adjust weights down 5-10% from template)
Pendlay rows----------5x5 (ramped)
Wednesday - RE day
SQ/DL variant (b)----- 4x10
RE Press variant (b)-- 4x10
Chinups----------------- 4x10
Yates rows------------- 4x10
Friday - ME lower body
ME DL variant----------3 x 1 - 3 > @ 90% / 100% / 95% of 1, 2, or 3 RM
Squat/DL variant (a)---5x5 (sets across, adjust weights downward 5-10%)
RE press variant (a)--- -5x5 (ramped)
Pendlay rows------------5x5 (sets across)
The ever popular laterals are easily implemented for the medial delts. Sets of GHRs and/or reverse hypers and/or heel plate drags provide a way of taxing the hamstrings without overly taxing recovery. One (or two, or all 3, if you are a stud) can be added in up to twice weekly, the laterals all 3 days if you can swing it, much as direct arm work and hypers/abdominals are added in the Madcow 5x5’s. Understand that those exercises are ADJUNCTS, rather than core principles. Leave them out if you must. Don’t introduce them haphazardly.
Exercise selection. I included both Pendlay rows and Yates rows because they are the 2 most effective exercises for the entire back that I know of, and they are DRASTICALLY different in both technique and affect. The Yates rows are done on 10-rep day for a reason. This is an exercise that knuckleheads like to get stupid with and load up the weight. DON’T do that. Suck down 5% of your ego and use 5% less weight and watch your technique improve by 50% and your results improve by 100%. Leave the egos at the door, bitches. To further mitigate this problem, I have chinups as the precursor to the rows as a means of “pre-exhaustion”. So now you have a very reasonable excuse to scale back on the weight for them. Tell that little voice inside your head to STFU, you just got done chinning, you don’t NEED 3 plates on there.
- Select your exercises for the squat/DL/bench variations according to your strengths and weaknesses. If you know that “off the floor” is a weakness in the deadlift, then leave the rack pulls for someone else. If you know that your lockout is asskicking, you’re fine at the midpoint, but you suck right off the chest, then give some strong consideration to reverse wide-grip benches and overhead presses, rather than CGBP and DB presses. If you don’t give a shit how much you lift, you just want to pack on mass and strength is secondary, then select your exercises according to physique weakpoints rather than strength weakpoints.
- Unlike the basic WSB, which says “no direct squatting, deadlifting or benching”, I recommend that you use the basic squat, deadlift and bench press as much as possible in this program. No one that is reading this is an elite powerlifter, so chances are pretty good, you’ll need to keep benching, squatting and deadlifting in order to continue your progress. Additionally, unlike those advanced lifters, you can still have a tremendous amount of success incorporating the big 3 into your routine.
- ME exercises will be maintained for 2-3 weeks. Again, no world class powerlifter is going to take my advice, and the “change every week” thing primarily applies to them. On Week 1, you take your 3RM and perform a set at 90%, a set at 100%, and a set at 95% of your 3RM. All 3 sets are for 3 reps apiece. On week 2, you will do the same thing, but you will do doubles. During Week 3, you do singles and attempt to hit a PR for your 1-RM. At that point, you change ME exercises as you should hit a 1-RM for that exercise, as well as getting to your previous 5-RM on your main “supplementary” exercises (press variant “a” and squat variant “a”). Keep the supplementary exercises the same for another 3 week run and change to a new ME exercise. Do another 3-week run with the different ME exercise, as above (Triples during week 1, etc). (NOTE – If you have run WSB previously, then stick with whatever ME %age scheme you like. I like 90/100/95. If you like something different, then by all means, do whachalike. Customize!) If you choose to switch ME exercise every other week, then shoot for week 1 = 3RM, week 2 = 1RM
However, never let it be said that I fear looking like a fool, so here we go.
5x5 is cookie cutter. WSB is all about customization. Madcow himself said outright that the spreadsheet serves ONLY as a starting point, that the 2nd time around, you should be able to adjust for your own needs/strengths/weaknesses as far as weight selection and Wednesday exercises. This is not a beginner’s or an intermediate program. It is an ADVANCED program. It also has a lot of volume, so it is best that you do this program after a full deload (from a DF program) or after a SD (if you were running HST). If you are not in good “shape”, meaning your workload capacity/recovery is poor, then run the intermediate 5x5 for a month, starting at week 2, to get yourself into proper workload shape. Do a 1-2 week deload and then hit things up with this one.
Monday - ME upper body/press
ME press variant-------3 x 1 – 3, 1 set each @ 90% / 100% / 95% of 3, 2, or 1 RM
Squat/DL variant (a)-- 5x5 (ramped)
RE press variant (a)--- 5x5 (sets across, adjust weights down 5-10% from template)
Pendlay rows----------5x5 (ramped)
Wednesday - RE day
SQ/DL variant (b)----- 4x10
RE Press variant (b)-- 4x10
Chinups----------------- 4x10
Yates rows------------- 4x10
Friday - ME lower body
ME DL variant----------3 x 1 - 3 > @ 90% / 100% / 95% of 1, 2, or 3 RM
Squat/DL variant (a)---5x5 (sets across, adjust weights downward 5-10%)
RE press variant (a)--- -5x5 (ramped)
Pendlay rows------------5x5 (sets across)
The ever popular laterals are easily implemented for the medial delts. Sets of GHRs and/or reverse hypers and/or heel plate drags provide a way of taxing the hamstrings without overly taxing recovery. One (or two, or all 3, if you are a stud) can be added in up to twice weekly, the laterals all 3 days if you can swing it, much as direct arm work and hypers/abdominals are added in the Madcow 5x5’s. Understand that those exercises are ADJUNCTS, rather than core principles. Leave them out if you must. Don’t introduce them haphazardly.
Exercise selection. I included both Pendlay rows and Yates rows because they are the 2 most effective exercises for the entire back that I know of, and they are DRASTICALLY different in both technique and affect. The Yates rows are done on 10-rep day for a reason. This is an exercise that knuckleheads like to get stupid with and load up the weight. DON’T do that. Suck down 5% of your ego and use 5% less weight and watch your technique improve by 50% and your results improve by 100%. Leave the egos at the door, bitches. To further mitigate this problem, I have chinups as the precursor to the rows as a means of “pre-exhaustion”. So now you have a very reasonable excuse to scale back on the weight for them. Tell that little voice inside your head to STFU, you just got done chinning, you don’t NEED 3 plates on there.
- Select your exercises for the squat/DL/bench variations according to your strengths and weaknesses. If you know that “off the floor” is a weakness in the deadlift, then leave the rack pulls for someone else. If you know that your lockout is asskicking, you’re fine at the midpoint, but you suck right off the chest, then give some strong consideration to reverse wide-grip benches and overhead presses, rather than CGBP and DB presses. If you don’t give a shit how much you lift, you just want to pack on mass and strength is secondary, then select your exercises according to physique weakpoints rather than strength weakpoints.
- Unlike the basic WSB, which says “no direct squatting, deadlifting or benching”, I recommend that you use the basic squat, deadlift and bench press as much as possible in this program. No one that is reading this is an elite powerlifter, so chances are pretty good, you’ll need to keep benching, squatting and deadlifting in order to continue your progress. Additionally, unlike those advanced lifters, you can still have a tremendous amount of success incorporating the big 3 into your routine.
- ME exercises will be maintained for 2-3 weeks. Again, no world class powerlifter is going to take my advice, and the “change every week” thing primarily applies to them. On Week 1, you take your 3RM and perform a set at 90%, a set at 100%, and a set at 95% of your 3RM. All 3 sets are for 3 reps apiece. On week 2, you will do the same thing, but you will do doubles. During Week 3, you do singles and attempt to hit a PR for your 1-RM. At that point, you change ME exercises as you should hit a 1-RM for that exercise, as well as getting to your previous 5-RM on your main “supplementary” exercises (press variant “a” and squat variant “a”). Keep the supplementary exercises the same for another 3 week run and change to a new ME exercise. Do another 3-week run with the different ME exercise, as above (Triples during week 1, etc). (NOTE – If you have run WSB previously, then stick with whatever ME %age scheme you like. I like 90/100/95. If you like something different, then by all means, do whachalike. Customize!) If you choose to switch ME exercise every other week, then shoot for week 1 = 3RM, week 2 = 1RM