5/3/1 general thread(please post questions, template, progress/reviews, etc)

[Tom Narvaez]

I really like the safety squat bar, FWIW. It hits your quads and upper back HARD. If you don't understand the chest up cue, you will after one heavy set of SSB squats. It's almost like a slightly higher front squat without the weird rack position. I especially like this because I don't have to teach anyone how to front squat, lol.

[METAL VIPER]

After trying it out yesterday for 5/3/1 squat day, I'm sold. I love it. I'm going to keep with it through several resets and see what is has done to my straight bar squat. At least I'll be able to see what it does to my deadlift.

[Michael Loucas]

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/...GxQd29tQlVSYWc

That is a template I created. It uses MROUND, and you can set how you want to round the numbers, (to the nearest 1, 2, 2.5, 5 etc.) You only want to modify the green boxes. It has boxes for BBB assistance, but I suppose you can use that for anything. You can set the percentages for that as well.

[cubbieblue]

Went through one cycle of 5/3/1 and am enjoying it. I had to swap out the bench days for something else (shoulders) but whatever.

Do you guys do the FULL 5x10 BBB routine for Deads? One week I did 5x5 and the next I did 5x10 but at a lower weight. Seems pretty brutal and it just asks for my form to break down and hurt my back. Wondered if anyone did anything different.

[Michael Loucas]

Went through one cycle of 5/3/1 and am enjoying it. I had to swap out the bench days for something else (shoulders) but whatever.

Do you guys do the FULL 5x10 BBB routine for Deads? One week I did 5x5 and the next I did 5x10 but at a lower weight. Seems pretty brutal and it just asks for my form to break down and hurt my back. Wondered if anyone did anything different.

I did all my BBB for all lifts (except squat) with a fat bar. First cycle I did 5x10 @ 50%, second cycle 5x10 @ 60%, 3rd 5x10 @ 70%. For the next 2 cycles I did 5x10 at 50%. Deadlift day was probably the most painful of days. I'd do as many double overhand as I could with the BBB, then the rest mixed. It helped with my double overhand grip a lot. Statring out I could probably do 325x5 doubel overhand with a regular bar, by the end I was able to get 365x5 double overhand. Again, just so painful and time consuming I stopped doing BBB.

[JC]

I found dealift day ok at 40% and 50% (i only lift DOH hook grip normally, and for BBB i used regular DOH for extra grip work with no problems if that helps), but squat day was THE WORST (i did 5/3/1 squats, BBB squats then BBB front squats).

I have been alternating cycles of bodyweight assistance and BBB assistance; by the time i'm sick of it, i'm changing up and psyched (ish) for the next lot.

Has anyone added cleans to the program where they felt they fitted 'well'? I was thinking of cleaning in conjunction with my pressing warmups and maybe a set or two with the workset, and in hte deadlift warmup - but i'm really shitty at cleaning so i've been putting it off. Also, how have people worked with the 'common lack of pressing problem'? Mine seems to have flatlined possibly despite everything else going well (although that could just be because i haven't really tested it like the rest).

[DV]

I found that BBB squats, though they feel horrible, worked for me right after 5/3/1 squats, i.e. squatting only once per week. I found chins between press/bench sets to be great. But really, 5/3/1 is designed so you can address your weak-points and tweak along the way. If in doubt, I'd just do BBB, it's hard to go wrong with that.

[Tom Narvaez]

This set-up has been outstanding for us so far:

Monday:
Deadlift 531
Press 531
SSB Squat

Wednesday:
Bench 531
Power Clean
Chins
Dips

Friday:
Squat 531
Kroc Rows
Incline /w DBs

There's some more assistance at the end of the workouts, but it isn't critical stuff, IMHO. Prowler on Mon/Fri.

[Mike C]

I'm running a 3 day/week template.

Monday:
Bench 531
Bench BBB
Chins
Abs

Wed
Deadlift 531
Press 531
Press BBB
Curls

Friday
Squat 531
Power Clean 531
Rows
Dips, DB Bench, or DB Inclines

[cannibal.horse]

3 day template, ABCD format, Triumvirate assistance.

Squat 5/3/1
5x3 Front squats
5xfailure Sit ups

Bench 5/3/1
5x10 Inclines
5xfailure Chins

Deadlift 5/3/1
5x10 Good mornings
5xfailure Hanging leg raises

Press 5/3/1
5xfailure Dips
5x10 Bent rows

And a day of boxing.