DRice311's Bastardization of 5/3/1

[DRice311]

Saturday 1/20):
Squats (1+)

Worked up to 520lbs x 2

Squat Volume - 5x5 at 410lbs
SLDL - 3x8 at 425lbs
Barbell Shrugs - 3x8 at 555lbs
Seated Calf Raise - 3x15 at 180lb

[DRice311]

Monday (1/22):
Bench (5+)

Worked up to 350# x 5
prob around 9 again

Bench Speed - 8x3 at 390lbs + reversed green bands
Handstand Pushups - 3x10
Weighted Dips - 3x10 at bw + 105lbs

[DRice311]

Tuesday (1/23):
Deadlift (5+)

Worked up to 555lbs x 7
same weight, same reps - about a 9

Dead Speed - 5x3 at 390lbs + Green Shorties
Paused Squats - 3x5 at 385lbs

[DRice311]

Wednesday (1/24):
Chins (5+)

Worked up to 135lbs x 5

Bar Muscle Ups - 5x3
DB Rows - 3x10 at 130's
Neutral Grip Lat Pull - 3x10 at 230lbs

Toes 2 Bar - 3x12
GHD Situps - 3x15

[DRice311]

Thursday (1/25):
Press (5+)

Worked up to 180lbs x 9

Press Speed - 8x3 at 140lbs + 40lbs in Chain
Incline DB Bench - 3x10 at 115's
Seated DB Press - 3x10 at 65's
BB Front Raise - 3x12 at 65lbs
Reverse Fly's - 3x12 at 130lbs

[DRice311]

Friday (1/26):
Box Jumps
3x10 to 30" box

Floor Press - 5x5 at 330lbs
Tricep Pushdowns - 3x15 at 190lbs
Preacher Curls - 3x12 at 120lbs
Drag Curls - 3x10 at 140lbs

[DRice311]

Saturday 1/27):
Squats (5+)

Worked up to 465lbs x 7

Squat Speed - 8x3 at 520lbs + Reversed Black Bands
Paused Deads - 3x5 at 455lbs
DB Shrugs - 3x20 at 125's
Standing Calf Raise - 3x15 at 290lbs

[DRice311]

Monday (1/29):
Bench (3+)

Worked up to 370# x 3

Bench Speed - 8x3 at 390lbs + reversed green bands
Handstand Pushups - 3x10
Weighted Dips - 3x10 at bw + 105lbs
Plyo Pushusp - 3x14

[DRice311]

Tuesday (1/30):
Deadlift (3+)

Worked up to 585lbs x 5
9-9.5

Dead Speed - 5x3 at 390lbs + Green Shorties
Paused Squats - 3x5 at 385lbs

[DRice311]

Wednesday (1/31):
Chins (3+)

Worked up to 145lbs x 3

Bar Muscle Ups - 5x3
DB Rows - 3x10 at 130's
Neutral Grip Lat Pull - 3x10 at 230lbs

Toes 2 Bar - 3x12
GHD Situps - 3x15

[DRice311]

Thursday (2/1):
Press (3+)

Worked up to 190lbs x 6

Press Speed - 8x3 at 140lbs + 40lbs in Chain
Incline DB Bench - 3x10 at 115's
Seated DB Press - 3x10 at 65's
BB Front Raise - 3x12 at 65lbs
Reverse Fly's - 3x12 at 130lbs

[DRice311]

Friday (2/2):
Box Jumps
3x10 to 30" box

Floor Press - 5x5 at 330lbs
Tricep Pushdowns - 3x15 at 190lbs
Preacher Curls - 3x12 at 120lbs
Drag Curls - 3x10 at 140lbs

[DRice311]

Saturday (2/3):
Squats (3+)

Worked up to 495lbs x 5
Around a 9 - maybe my best set of squats ever

Squat Speed - 8x3 at 520lbs + Reversed Black Bands
Paused Deads - 3x5 at 455lbs
DB Shrugs - 3x20 at 125's
Standing Calf Raise - 3x15 at 290lbs

[DRice311]

Monday (2/5):
Bench (1+)

Worked up to 390# x 2
Maybe an 8.5-9

Bench Speed - 8x3 at 390lbs + reversed green bands
Handstand Pushups - 3x10
Weighted Dips - 3x10 at bw + 105lbs
Plyo Pushusp - 3x14

[mgil]

Awesome to see you logging here @DRice311! Your instagram lifting leaves me much jealous.

You're also a good point of information on how to run 531 competently. If you could detail your thoughts and modifications and how they worked out, that would be a great piece of information for others to read.

[DRice311]

Awesome to see you logging here @DRice311! Your instagram lifting leaves me much jealous.

You're also a good point of information on how to run 531 competently. If you could detail your thoughts and modifications and how they worked out, that would be a great piece of information for others to read.

Hey Thanks man - much appreciated - and sure thing, no problem.

Disclaimer - I am far from a programming expert, I have - for the most part through trial and error just played around with the variables of frequency, intensity and volume to find what works well for me. As I've gotten older, I've found that I have to pay much closer attention to fatigue than I did when I started this type of training, so I typically try to keep my amrap sets somewhere between 8-9. If I fail a rep, something has gone terribly wrong. [WARNING - LONG POST INCOMING]


So - when I first started 5/3/1, I actually used a modified version of Wendler's "bodybuilder" template from his first book, just substituting some of my favorite movements for the ones he recommended. Originally I did my 5/3/1 sets, then 2 sets of 10, then a bunch of assistance moves like curls, triceps, back, fly's, lateral raises . . . etc.

About 4-5 years ago, I modified that - and actually used some ideas from Les' (calladors) old 4x4 program he outlined on the SS site. I started to treat my 5/3/1 weeks as light/medium/heavy, and would do a 4x4 of 65%/70%/75% respectively.

I still do this, but instead of 4x4, I do 5x5 on my volume weeks - and have basically extended the training cycle from 3 weeks to 6 weeks, where I repeat the same weights on my amrap sets, and rotate the first 3 weeks of the training cycle focusing on volume accumulation and the 2nd 3 weeks on speed/power which also allows for a little recovery. Volume intensity increases each of the three weeks. Speed/power uses some form of accommodating resistance to allow for a little overload. After 6 weeks I add 5 lbs to my lower lifts and 2.5 lbs to upper lifts and then repeat.

I strongly believe in the importance of assistance. This is one big point where I really disagree with Wendler (I haven't read his latest stuff, so maybe he has changed his philosophy, I have no idea) - who basically says it doesn't matter/do whatever/dont major in the minors.

I pick assistance movements that I believe are very effective for me for hypertrophy, assist some partial movement of a main lift, or function as a main lift variation to increase frequency. I try to make sure I am doing squat, or a squat variation 2x/week, dead or dead variation 2x/week, bench or bench variation 3x/week. Another thing I started doing from the very beginning - I calculate my assistance weight as a % of my main lifts. This assures every time I add weight to the main lift, my assistance weight will progress as well. So for example: My weighted dip weight is 30% of my bench training max. The % is arbitrary and meaningless (I calculated it by backing into it), but assures every time I add weight to my bench, I'm adding weight to my dips proportionally and not just doing the same weight every time.

Some of the assistance moves I strongly believe in are (DB work - presses, bench, incline; weighted dips; weighted chins/pullups; Rows; CG Bench Press; Floor Press; Ab Wheel and Toes to Bar). I do other stuff to, but these are some of my favorites.

One other major difference between what I do and normal 5/3/1 - about 5-6 years ago I started including weighted chins as a major lift, and dedicated a 5th day to it. Originally I did this because I work out on my lunch hour and didn't have time to do back work/pullups/chins on any of my other days - so I was filling in the gaps on a 5th day. For fun, I put it on 5/3/1 - and it has taken off. I can do 145+bw for reps now. I strongly believe in the importance of strong lats/back and the carryover to the other major lifts - and it has worked for me.

For a while I started incorporating Wendler's 'Joker' Sets, because the only problem I had with 5/3/1 - is you feel like you are never really lifting "Heavy" - Joker sets fix that problem, but I kept accumulating nagging injuries, so I cut them out a little over a year ago. I track my training as est 1rm so I can compare a set of 7 to a set of 3 and make sure that I am continuing to progress. As I start to stall, I either try a reset, or monkey around with 1 of those three variables to get it moving again. I haven't had a stall in a while, but I feel my bench is getting close.


That is pretty much what I can think of for now - if anyone has questions, I am happy to explain my thought process - just know I am a noob and far from an expert.

[DRice311]

Tuesday (2/6):
Deadlift (3+)

Worked up to 620lbs x 3

prob a 9, at least felt 9ish, looked faster on tape. This is a new PR for me. To put it into perspective, my best deadlift at a meet was 617 - so I just pulled more than that for a triple, unpeaked on a regular day where I kinda felt like shit. Pretty stoked about that. Video below. I try to put videos in my log to keep it interesting, but most of my vids end up on IG. If you are interested, you can find me here: https://www.instagram.com/drice311/

Dead Speed - 5x3 at 390lbs + Green Shorties
Paused Squats - 3x5 at 385lbs

[video][/video]

[mgil]

Thanks for the words! I reposted the snippet in the training/programming forum as I think its good data.

[Wilhelm]

Followed!

[Chebass88]

Welcome! It is great to read your progress, and congrats on the 620x3 deadlift. That is mighty impressive.