Time to switch to 5/3/1?

[Skel]

54 year old male. 5'10"

Weight: Currently 86.2kg, up from about 74.5. Skinny wrists and ankles (dunno if that's relevant)

Training for about 7 months, which includes a couple of false starts and life getting in the way.

Current stats:

Press: Varies, but around the 49 - 51kg mark. Reset 3 times now, so definitely needs re-programming.

Squat (high bar due to flexibility issues): 102.5kg. Reset twice and has been stuck twice around that weight.

Deadlift: Currently 125kg. I got it to 130kg but knocked it down to 100 due to a work related back tweak and have been working back up .

Bench: 74.5kg: 1 reset.

8 - 10 minutes rest between all sets.

'Cardio' is cycle to work and back. About 10 miles a day. I've adapted

The lifts vary a little. I'm pretty sure this is down to recovery/sleep. I work long 12+ hour shifts which doesn't leave much time to train. I sometimes train then have to try to sleep straight away, which leads to disturbed sleep... I've tried a light squat day and extra rest days but this doesn't seen to make much difference, though this might be down to random high volume heavy lifting at work confounding things - I'll plan extra recovery days then work will beat me up which leads to another recovery day and possible de-training and so on.

Diet: Plenty of food and everything recommended in the nutrition forum (whey, creatine, BCCA's etc)

I've considered moving to TM, and in the interests of science tried a volume day workout over the holidays. I was well rested and had no problem with the lifts, but felt really beat up the next day so I don't think that's going to be compatible with my job.

However, 5/3/1 sounds ideal. Fairly short workouts - which should fit well with work - with optional accessory work. Wendler recommends 5x10 for accessory, but I was thinking of limiting that to 2-3x10 rows on bench day, 3 -5 sets of chins on press day, and 2x5 (70-80%) squats on deadlift day. Train 4 days (2 at the weekend), and I can add extra rest days if needed.

Thoughts, anyone?

[Adam Skillin]

54 year old male. 5'10"

Weight: Currently 86.2kg, up from about 74.5. Skinny wrists and ankles (dunno if that's relevant)

Training for about 7 months, which includes a couple of false starts and life getting in the way.

Current stats:

Press: Varies, but around the 49 - 51kg mark. Reset 3 times now, so definitely needs re-programming.

Squat (high bar due to flexibility issues): 102.5kg. Reset twice and has been stuck twice around that weight.

Deadlift: Currently 125kg. I got it to 130kg but knocked it down to 100 due to a work related back tweak and have been working back up .

Bench: 74.5kg: 1 reset.

8 - 10 minutes rest between all sets.

'Cardio' is cycle to work and back. About 10 miles a day. I've adapted

The lifts vary a little. I'm pretty sure this is down to recovery/sleep. I work long 12+ hour shifts which doesn't leave much time to train. I sometimes train then have to try to sleep straight away, which leads to disturbed sleep... I've tried a light squat day and extra rest days but this doesn't seen to make much difference, though this might be down to random high volume heavy lifting at work confounding things - I'll plan extra recovery days then work will beat me up which leads to another recovery day and possible de-training and so on.

Diet: Plenty of food and everything recommended in the nutrition forum (whey, creatine, BCCA's etc)

I've considered moving to TM, and in the interests of science tried a volume day workout over the holidays. I was well rested and had no problem with the lifts, but felt really beat up the next day so I don't think that's going to be compatible with my job.

However, 5/3/1 sounds ideal. Fairly short workouts - which should fit well with work - with optional accessory work. Wendler recommends 5x10 for accessory, but I was thinking of limiting that to 2-3x10 rows on bench day, 3 -5 sets of chins on press day, and 2x5 (70-80%) squats on deadlift day. Train 4 days (2 at the weekend), and I can add extra rest days if needed.

Thoughts, anyone?

Texas Method certainly ain't your huckleberry. 5/3/1's an option, but there are others to consider as well. Do you have PPST3? I'd look at K.I.S.S. or H.L.M. as other potential choices.

[bbuszard]

However, 5/3/1 sounds ideal. Fairly short workouts - which should fit well with work - with optional accessory work. Wendler recommends 5x10 for accessory, but I was thinking of limiting that to 2-3x10 rows on bench day, 3 -5 sets of chins on press day, and 2x5 (70-80%) squats on deadlift day. Train 4 days (2 at the weekend), and I can add extra rest days if needed.

Thoughts, anyone?

I'm approaching 47 and have been running 5/3/1 for a year and a half. I'd give the 5x10 a miss: lots of pain for little gain. We older types need to carefully manage our intensity/volume and recovery. I've found that higher intensity and less volume works better for me. I now do 2x5 or 3x5 backoff sets at 80% after the top end set (depending on the exercise) and recovery is manageable. Wendler's new edition discusses lots of other options like joker sets that you can try to find out what works best for you. Then you can tack on an assistance exercise or two to work on your weaknesses.

Done this way it isn't a particularly short workout regimen, though. It takes me almost 2 hours to work through my deadlift and squat day routines.

[AK49]

I've been doing 5/3/1 Two Day per week with rest pause sets as a backoff. Two days per week is good for me and I try to do one or two cardio/HIIT days per week as well. The two biggest benefits of this program for me are 1) more volume than SSLP and 2) 5/3/1 is more forgiving than SSLP. You can have a bad day and still stay within plan. Where SSLP was an all out push to make 3x5, I can progress with 5/3/1 with less psychological stress if that makes sense.

I have hit my first wall with 5/3/1 after six three week cycles. I just finished a reset cycle so I don't know if my progress has come to a halt or not (after 20 weeks). I have been maintaining my weight and just started to cut a few pounds. Even with this, I have set new 1RM PRs with deadlift and I am sure I could with squats if I tested it.

[Dave Klopp]

I think it is reasonable at our age to do a heavy day and then a light day for squats as you suggest in your 5/3/1 setup.

[Mark E. Hurling]

I've been using 5-3-1 for over a year twice a week. As we get older, as others have said, we have to balance recovery carefully. Given that you cycle 50 miles a week, this goes double.

I say give it a try and see what your results are. My lifting sessions take 20-30 minutes.

[AK49]

My lifting sessions take 20-30 minutes.

Wow, Mark, that is fast. Does that include a warm up? It takes me about 30 mins just to warm up and get through squats or deads.

[Culican]

I think it is reasonable at our age to do a heavy day and then a light day for squats as you suggest in your 5/3/1 setup.

I do 5/3/1 and do 3x5x75% squats on my deadlift days. Doesn't interfere with the deads, in fact seems to help warm me up for them (I do them before the deads).

I am 59.

[Mark E. Hurling]

Wow, Mark, that is fast. Does that include a warm up? It takes me about 30 mins just to warm up and get through squats or deads.

Yep, warmups and all. I move right through the warmup sets with little more rest than is required to load the bar. I rest 3-5 minutes on the work sets. But then I do one main exercise and 1-2 assistance exercises in total on any given workout. So that reduces total time too.

[Skel]

Texas Method certainly ain't your huckleberry. 5/3/1's an option, but there are others to consider as well. Do you have PPST3? I'd look at K.I.S.S. or H.L.M. as other potential choices.

I do and I have. Thanks for suggesting them, but the shorter workout length and flexibility of 5/3/1 fits better with my occasional bitch of a job.

And thanks to everyone else who's posted. Survey says 'go for it' which is what I'll be doing. Mark: I don't think the cycling makes much difference; I've been biking in rain or shine for the last couple of years and have adapted. The journey in is done as fast as possible but I get my breath back within thirty seconds or so, unless I've been on holiday in which case it takes 2 - 3 days to get whatever it you lose (VO2?) back. The trip home is a little more leisurely but serves as a handy training warmup.

Edit: And it's only 50 miles. That's nothing on a bike. I've occasionally fast marched it in just because, but didn't like that very much.