So i think i am going to do the 5/3/1

[JDid23]

You need to remember that you will always get the lowest percentage gains from your bench work.

I have been working a lot with Wendler as it relates to the HS team I coach and the 5/3/1. He has told me that he has seen the best success if the bench portion of the cycle is repeated several times (3 or more) without touching the weight numbers. So if your 1 RM is 225 leave it there for 3 cycles, then retest it. You should see a bigger jump then. Again, according to Jim, this is even more true for girs as they have very weak upper bodies as a rule.

I graphed the progress of my team. We did retest after each cycle and with only a couple exceptions the bench was the lowest gains, and in one case remained relatively flat with only a 10 lb increase over 5 cycles (this was a girl). The cases were we had abnormally high gains I think can be contributed to specific changes in form thanks to Jason Christus' help in one of our mini-seminars I put together with several of the big lifters in the area.

This is not to say that the program is flawed - its not. You are just dealing with an exercise that has the hardest gain potential when measured over time. Remember, you are dealing with a lot of smaller muscles (except for the pec), whereas with the DL and squat, you are training some of the biggest muscle groups in the body.

B-

really? lowest from bench as opposed to military? Is there any reason for that?

That's sick that you work with wendler man- that definitely makes sense and since i am not really progressing too well in bench i think i am going to stick with that suggestion of keeping the weights the same.

As far as assistance goes, do you think that switching from DB Rows/DB Bench to BB Rows/1 arm clean/jerk can have any potential benefit on my bench?

thanks.

 

[bblazer]

really? lowest from bench as opposed to military? Is there any reason for that?

That's sick that you work with wendler man- that definitely makes sense and since i am not really progressing too well in bench i think i am going to stick with that suggestion of keeping the weights the same.

As far as assistance goes, do you think that switching from DB Rows/DB Bench to BB Rows/1 arm clean/jerk can have any potential benefit on my bench?

thanks.

Yes, military progressed more as a percentage.

Just for clarification, I do not work with Wendler in the traditional sense - as in I am not employed by EliteFTS. We speak regularly and have spent a lot of time studying the effects of 5/3/1 on my athletes. To his knowledge my team is the first HS powerlifting team to use his program as the basis for their work.

Before you make the switch in assistance work you need to answer two questions.

1) When you were tracking your assistance work, was it progressing?

2) If you answered yes to #1 then what have you determined to be your weak spot in the lift. If it has not progressed, then something else is wrong.

Remember that assistance work is there to do two things. First it is supposed to work on the segmented or smaller parts of the main lift to make it bigger. Second it is used to work on sticking points to the main lift and/or identify problem areas. For example, a box squat can be used to attack the glutes specifically, or determine if someone is a quad dominant squatter (knees come way forward out of the hole), hamstring weakness (they fall on the box), or if the are glutteal deficient (can use their ass to drive off the box).

B-

 

[JDid23]

Yes, military progressed more as a percentage.

Just for clarification, I do not work with Wendler in the traditional sense - as in I am not employed by EliteFTS. We speak regularly and have spent a lot of time studying the effects of 5/3/1 on my athletes. To his knowledge my team is the first HS powerlifting team to use his program as the basis for their work.

Before you make the switch in assistance work you need to answer two questions.

1) When you were tracking your assistance work, was it progressing?

2) If you answered yes to #1 then what have you determined to be your weak spot in the lift. If it has not progressed, then something else is wrong.

Remember that assistance work is there to do two things. First it is supposed to work on the segmented or smaller parts of the main lift to make it bigger. Second it is used to work on sticking points to the main lift and/or identify problem areas. For example, a box squat can be used to attack the glutes specifically, or determine if someone is a quad dominant squatter (knees come way forward out of the hole), hamstring weakness (they fall on the box), or if the are glutteal deficient (can use their ass to drive off the box).

B-

1. Yes, but i was doing pretty light weight for higher reps and i knew i would progress without much trouble each week.
2. Idk. I think that i need to utilize my lats/legs more in the bench, and strengthen my shoulders a bit more since military pressing is virtually the only direct lift i do for shoulders. That's why i am thinking of 1 arm clean/press.

 

[ExtraMile]

wierd, my bench progresses well and has done for a long while, ever since I injured my shoulder when I came back, although I used a few differant bench styles each one I had good progress with.

 

[JDid23]

Hey guys- progress on my deadlift, squat, and military have been fantastic! Quick question:


Squats on Sunday- Hopefully, my quad will feel up to squatting...... Sunday will be my last day before entering deload week. However, I will be in Canada from Friday-Monday (getting back at like 4:00 AM) so i don't think i'll be able to lift unless the hotel i am staying at has a gym


Is it okay to combine deload days next week? Tuesday Military/Deadlift and Thursday Bench/Squat?? Then go into finding my 1RMs starting tuesday?

 

[ExtraMile]

this is a great thread jdid!

 

[b fold the truth]

Hey guys- progress on my deadlift, squat, and military have been fantastic! Quick question:


Squats on Sunday- Hopefully, my quad will feel up to squatting...... Sunday will be my last day before entering deload week. However, I will be in Canada from Friday-Monday (getting back at like 4:00 AM) so i don't think i'll be able to lift unless the hotel i am staying at has a gym


Is it okay to combine deload days next week? Tuesday Military/Deadlift and Thursday Bench/Squat?? Then go into finding my 1RMs starting tuesday?

I think that you can deload in about any fashion that you want, as long as it is NOT taxing on your body.

Finding your 1RM's on Tuesday? Again...I'm lost as to why you are looking for a 1RM?

 

[JDid23]

I think that you can deload in about any fashion that you want, as long as it is NOT taxing on your body.

Finding your 1RM's on Tuesday? Again...I'm lost as to why you are looking for a 1RM?

Oh i mean this week (starting tuesday) is my deload week. I am going to Canada from Friday-Monday, so i will be missing 2 sessions (bench and squat).

Also, I have never gotten my actual 1RMs before, and it's something I really want to do to see where i am at.

 

[Tblock1]

Oh i mean this week (starting tuesday) is my deload week. I am going to Canada from Friday-Monday, so i will be missing 2 sessions (bench and squat).

Also, I have never gotten my actual 1RMs before, and it's something I really want to do to see where i am at.

hey jdid i have been wondering why don't you have an avatar?

 

[JDid23]

hey jdid i have been wondering why don't you have an avatar?

i actually just tried to put it in but it didnt work