Assistance Work in SS

[BCS]

I am doing SS after a layoff which resulted in a very unhappy loss of strength and weight. I want to add dips, chins, and shrugs into the regular programing. Right now my week looks like this:

M Squat 3x5, Press/Bench 3x5, PC 5x3, Chins 3-5 sets to failure
W Squat 3x5, Press/Bench 3x5, DL 1x5, Dips 4 sets to failure
F Squat 3x5, Press/Bench 3x5, PC 5x3, Shrugs up to 1x5

I'm not moving significant weight anywhere. Last sets: Squat 285, Press 115, Bench 165, DL 365, PC 185. I'm 6'5 and about 240 currently.

What say you?

[Carlos Daniel]

Rip is of the opinion that shrugs are not for novices. He also doesn't include dips in the SS program, but chins are included in what is called the Onus Wunsler program.

[Dwayne_KONG_Wint]

The beast is back. One of the reasons that I decided to do SS was following your training log.

Here's my two cents: Chin after you deadlift...either in the same session or the Friday session because you don't want the chins to interfere with you deadlift strength.

I'd do Dips on Monday BUT realize that this will affect your pressing/benching on Wednesday especially if you are going to failure for 4 sets...maybe make your wednesday a light benching or pressing day.

Shrugs Friday works as it is the last thing you will do for the week BUT keep tabs on how your traps feel after powercleaning and shrugging and that you can recover in time for Monday's press and powerclean.

[Jonathan]

I'm no expert, but I don't think you need shrugs following PCs.

[BCS]

My power cleans are too light to really hammer traps. I'll be shrugging about 405 for 5 on Friday. I like the idea of dips Monday, but perhaps I'll dial it back some on volume. My tricep lockout is hecka weak, and Starr's article got me turned on to dipping.

Maybe I'll start a new novice log. Last time I had access to unlimited food and milk, so I'm not expecting things to go as huge this time, but I was also lifting without squat shoes and a belt. Maybe they'll balance out a little. I'll drop assistance work when I feel like it's interfering with recovery. Like I said, I'm not moving any significant weight yet. When I quit SS last time I was squatting 415x3x5 and that blew.

[Mugje]

Do you think the assistence really contributes to the progression?

You are saying that PC's do not hammer the traps enough. For what?
If you can progress on the big lifts in a lineair fashion, I don't think shrugs and dips are gonna help you a lot...

[TartanEagle]

BCS, you got seriously strong doing basic SS. I was blown away with the progress you made. Why mess with the program? You should save the assistance work for intermediate programming. Additional work will probably not compromise your recovery at first, but once the weights increase you will overtax your recovery. If your powercleans are not heavy enough to work your traps, there is an easy fix for that: add weight.

[BCS]

If I start feeling trashed between workouts, the assistance work will be the first to go. Have no worries there. I guess I've just been reading too much of Starr's stuff and want to do the things he recommends. I'm going to ride this idea out a little and when I start struggling to make jumps, I'll back off on the non-essentials.

[BCS]

So after pulling 385 for 5 yesterday, I was beat. I think I'm going to adjust to a TM like pulling plan in reverse since Fridays are not intensity days yet. Give me your thoughts on this:

Monday - Squat 3x5, Bench/Press 3x5, PC 5x3, Dips 4x8

Wednesday - Squat 3x5, Bench/Press 3x5, Weighted Chins 3x5, Back extensions/Kroc rows

Friday - Squat 3x5, Bench/Press 3x5, DL 1x5.

I'm definitely not getting enough food in right now because I have no dollars to buy excess amounts of food. The lower calories are hurting me in recovery, so pulling 2 times per week instead of 3 might be just enough back off for recovery. I was eyeballing my old log and found that the end of next weeks squats should be where things really get hard, so I kind of want to preemptive strike it.

[MEbigUsmall]

Why is it that SS only calls for one set of deads? At what point is it beneficial to do them more often?
The reason I ask is I imagine they would help with traps and everything else.