Different RMs on TM Friday

[dankid]

I've been doing 5x5 monday and 5rm friday for 4.5 months, with no sign of slowdown, so I dunno how necessary it is to change things up unless you need to.

Could it also be possible I wasn't a definite intermediate when I started TM?

What were your starting weights on TM and what are you at now? Also, have you been microloading the whole time?

[stronger]

What were your starting weights on TM and what are you at now? Also, have you been microloading the whole time?

I'm not sure if you "microload" a squat per se, I go up 5lb jumps. Starting 5x5 was 275 on 11/2 and monday I did 355x5x5. Starting 5RM was 305 and I will do 390 this friday.

[dankid]

What about bench or press?


I ended SS with my 3x5 squat at about 305. Im now doing 5x8 with 270 and 1RM of about 370. I think for squat though, i'll probably be able to continue to add 5lbs to both days for quite a while.


Bench though seems like it will be very hard to do this though....

[stronger]

What about bench or press?

my bench and press have not been so fortunate. Everyone has their strengths and weaknesses

[dankid]

I was thinking about my initial question and sorta came up with a solution.


The problem I see, is that if you do 5x5 on monday, and build up to a 1RM on friday, is that there isn't a very large driving force to continue to increase the friday weight. Sure 5x5 will increase a 1RM, but not to the same extent as it will increase a 5RM.

So, for long term progression, if you use 5x5 on monday and a 5RM on friday, you should maintain pretty consistant progress over time. The gap may close down between the two, but still, if your 5x5 weight goes from 200 to 225, then there is a good chance that your 5RM would go from 210 to 235.


On the other hand, if you want to train for 1RM strength, you are probably going to need a greater driving force than 1 max rep every friday. And the 5x5 isn't that specific to a new 1RM. So in this case if I wanted to train with 1RMs then something that has more volume would be needed on friday. (EX: 5x1 @ 90% or DE work)

Make sense in theory. But for my solution, i'll probably just go with 5rms on friday for the most part.

Thanks guys.

[rhymer]

My understanding of TM is that the focus is on setting PRs. So, ordinarily, you push the 1x5 until you start getting stuck, then you rotate through singles, doubles, and triples. If you PR on a single one week, try to hit a PR double at the same weight the next week. And so on. Similarly, if you can do more weight 8x3 on Monday, try that to push through the plateau. The basic idea is to lift more weight each week than the previous week, even if you have to drop reps and build back up.

So sticking with only singles sort of sets you up for failure, IMHO.

[milesdyson]

it's been mentioned more than once in this thread now, but the weight you use on these different sets is not related. you don't take your 1rm and try to do a double the next week and a triple the week after. you could try, but you'd fail. at this stage of training, making your 1rm weight into a doable triple is a few months worth of progress.

you just PR in different rep ranges. it slows down the progress when slowing down the progress becomes necessary to continue making PRs.

[LudwigVan]

The problem I see, is that if you do 5x5 on monday, and build up to a 1RM on friday, is that there isn't a very large driving force to continue to increase the friday weight. Sure 5x5 will increase a 1RM, but not to the same extent as it will increase a 5RM.

I'm not sure how you figure that. The volume day provides a stimulus which is supposed to disrupt homeostasis and cause an adaptation, i.e. increased strength, which will be visible on Friday. You can't just do singles to get better at doing singles. Doing 5s makes you better at doing singles, too. I did 5x5 on Monday and 1RMs on Friday, increasing both each week, for several months successfully, so I know it's possible.