critique my program please..

[JM3]

Im about to finish linear progression (I think) Took Jan/Feb off and now am approaching the point where I usually switch to TM- but Ive been adding more pulls to make up for weak deadlift. No issues- just wonder if there is any good advice on assistance work- I tend to throw one or 2 assistance movements in at the end of every work out now.

Mon
Squats -3x5
Press- 3x5
RDL 2x8 or 3x6
Chins 3 to failure (Im under 10 reps- particularly after RDLs)

Tues- trail runs- easy some sprints lots of walking and some beer.

Weds
squat 3x5
Press 3x5
Cleans 5x3
Dbell Rows 3x8 and/or
Dips to failure- 3 sets
ab wheel.


Fri
Deadlifts 1x5
RDL back off 1x8
Bench Press 3x5
Squat- 3x5 or 2x5 or 1x20 -

Basically Fri is a light day for squat- eg- last week I did one set at weight planned for 3x5 on monday. Or Ill repeat previous workout- only do them all belted, or, if I feel really burnt- Ill just do a light weight at 20 reps.


On all assistance I just rotate stuff in and out- as I get closer to the end Im cutting down movement- so I dont do dips ab wheel and rows- rather pic one or two for the day.

current lifts work sets for 5:
squat 315
Press 155
DL 350- for 4.
Bench 175.

Any advice on how to put assistance movements in there? Rep schemes, day of week- add or drop? Deads fail off the floor when they do, chins are always week, squats when they are in bad form are either a little high or on the balls of feet coming out of hole,old groin pull kicks up the next day when I approach the edge- those are all the issues I can think of.

Goal is 405 dead by mid summer, and Id love to get 200lbs overhead by fall. No squat goals per se- Im happy with 3 wheels and thereabouts.

[Oldster]

At your level of strength, I don't see why you need three days of squatting, even if one is light. Your strength is high enough you will benefit from a single day since you are also deadlifting each week also. As to the DL, I would consider going light/heavy from week to week since your strength is probably about where you would start reaping the benefits of a bit more rest.

Your low back had better be bullet proof to perform RDL's twice per week, especially with all the other low back work you have. To be perfectly honest, as one who has fought low back pain for over 40 years, I wince when I read what you have laid out. Mostly because I've been in so much low back pain at times that I have vomited from the pain. Truly, I would rather see (at your strength level) you squatting once per week, DL'ing once per week until it gets heavy and either no RDL or make a decision between the RDL and a BLDL. More is not more. Too much more leads to you eventually doing something other than lifting and we all want to lift forever. Trust me, your groin will thank you eternally.

Your Press is low enough you can benefit from pounding it twice per week, one heavy one medium heavy. Your bench is low enough it would benefit from much more work, IF you are interested in a bigger bench. Over the years I've seen a bigger bench help build a bigger press, seldom the other way around.

As to assistance work. I like assistance IF I can work it in. Sometimes my overall workload is high enough that I just don't have enough left to do any justice. Other times I like to pound my assistance work just as hard as my focused movements and sometimes I hold the poundages static. It all depends on how I have set up my routine and what the focus is. Younger folks can get by with quite a bit more than older folks for a couple reasons, one is that they are obviously just young and have more energy and recovery. Other times it is simply because they are weak enough that more IS better, about the only time I'll concede that point.

[stonerider]

why not try 5-3-1 since it is meant for people who want to leave room for conditioning and for older people

TM is probably too brutal for someone your age

i'm assuming you are mid-40s or older (i thought i remember seeing you post that age somewhere around here)

[JM3]

Thanks yall.

Let me refine my question- when you think of a training split centered on improving deadlift/press and only maintaining or making slight improvement in squat

1) what are your favorite assistance movements (press weakness at beginning, dl off floor)
2) Do you mix assistance in during week (as above) or relegate them to after intensity day- which I see is more commonly advised.
3) do you work in higher rep ranges for things like rows/rdls etc (Im assuming yes)

I love texas method- never occurred to me that its too brutal- in fact seems just right for an older trainee- but Ill take another look at 5 3 1- honestly tho- that shit makes my eyes glaze- Im too dumb to follow it. Obscene Bench weakness noted- not a lift Im interested in -except as it pertains to putting mortal enemies over my head before I throw them across the street.

[stonerider]

5x5 is a lot of volume for someone older to recover from, but if it works for you, great

my assistance work has always been spread throughout the week.. in most cases I do sets of 5, unless i'm specifically tring to make the muscles bigger, and then I do 8-15 depending on body part (higher reps for lower body)

rows, pull-ups, dips, curls, decline sit-ups, rdl, good morning

all exercises weighted

[JM3]

cool- good advice- what makes you decide for hypertrophy? Im going by feel and just doing 8s when Im tired. Also- I hear you on the volume. I do get the jitters and sleep problems when approaching 300 for 5x5s- intend to go lighter on volume days than in the past (as per Justin L's advice) to see how that goes.

you like decline sit ups- why? as opposed to ab wheel ? Ab wheel is my favorite- but oddly it fucks with my groin pull. When doing weighting a sit up I do sets of 5- do you find this scheme helps you or do you like higher reps?

[stonerider]

in general, I do 5s because I am more concerned with getting in additional strength work

I usually just focus on hypertrophy to keep my body looking balanced

I do sit-ups with a loaded bar behind my head because it's easy to quantify load/volume, I am more concerned with ab strength than endurance, and I saw a video of some guy doing them with 135lbs and thought it looked cool

[JM3]

Im a week in to 531 and so far looking like this-advice welcome.no advice is ok too-
I started with squats on mon so im a day "off" from book template

Mon squat. 531
Cleans 5x3 or bbb deads 5x10 not sure.

Tues press
Pull ups and dips 50/50

Thurs
Deadlift 531
squat 5x10- possibly ab wheel?

Fri bench press
Db rows 3x10
incline bench 3x8,


Wanted to keep doing cleans. Not 'into' leg curls or leg press.
Looking for a place to put ab work. Was going to do it today but was plenty gassed.
Any thoughts about a better place to put cleans? I have a weak bench and am looking for a 200 press and would like to be able to rep 405 x5 for deads
Doing pm trail walks two nights a week.

[cutlet#]

Im a week in to 531 and so far looking like this-advice welcome.no advice is ok too-
I started with squats on mon so im a day "off" from book template

Mon squat. 531
Cleans 5x3 or bbb deads 5x10 not sure.

Tues press
Pull ups and dips 50/50

Thurs
Deadlift 531
squat 5x10- possibly ab wheel?

Fri bench press
Db rows 3x10
incline bench 3x8,


Wanted to keep doing cleans. Not 'into' leg curls or leg press.
Looking for a place to put ab work. Was going to do it today but was plenty gassed.
Any thoughts about a better place to put cleans? I have a weak bench and am looking for a 200 press and would like to be able to rep 405 x5 for deads
Doing pm trail walks two nights a week.

Wendler says to do cleans before your 5/3/1 deads. That being said, I think experimenting with assistance is half the fun of 5/3/1. Pick something that makes sense, try it for a couple cycles, learn, change, repeat.

What did you do after squatting today? Cleans or BbB deads? I haven't done BbB deads, but I would imagine that would be plenty of ab work for one day.

[JM3]

Yeah- assistance work is like being in a candy shop. you know you only get 2 or 3 quality sets before diminishing returns- but It would be more fun to do a gazillion.

Im a day off- Ill squat on monday- today is bench press- one of my weaker lifts because Ive never cared much for it- Ill be doing incline and DB rows- OR BbB then dumbbell rows. maybe the 5x10 deads after squat/ squat after reads thing would make more sense- still waiting for the book- reading a free copy online- really wanted to get started.

For me, being a pussy and all, cleans, deads then 5x10 squat would be a hell of a day. Im already getting gassed and I thought the first week was supposed to be easy. but recovery is fine- and body comp is changing already- if I could just stop drinking beers Id look pretty good.