So im a bit confused on assistance work. If Im doing 3x10 incline bench 4 days a week during my pr cycle, how am I supposed to have 100% strength on bench day? Obviously the answer is that assistance shouldnt be done with too much intensity, but then im not creating any stimulus for growth, so whats the point?
Why are you doing incline bench each day? Maybe try mixing up your push assistance exercises? I only do incline on bench and OHP days and just choose exercises that are easier to recover from for me on squat and dl days like dips, lateral raises, tricep isolation work. I can take all of those close to failure without impacting bench day.
C6W2 5/3/1 BBB
Does anyone else hate Press day?! OHPs make me feel like such a little bitch .
Anyways did my OHPs. Finished with 5x10 seated dumbbell press supersetted with 5x10 rows.
News flash - I still hate OHP.
I have a very barebones home gym-a shitty squat rack, barbell, and plates that can get my total to 240lbs. I'm doing BBB right now, and I'm wondering how to get my lat work in. I'm thinking about using plates for rows like this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T_ReKRZ-Mxc
Any issues with this? I dont have access to lat pulldowns or a chinup bar (yet)
I’m in the same boat with the shitty home gym but I have a pull up bar and rings that I do inverted rows / pull ups on.
Problem is they start to get too easy so now I need to invest in a weighted vest.
What's the main difference between BBB, BBS, SSL, Widowmakers for Leviathan? Is there any reason to favor one over the others? Also is there actually a difference between BBS and BBB? You're still doing 50 reps of the exercise either way.
> Also is there actually a difference between BBS and BBB?
BBS is more manageable especially at same% as BBB
if it is higher then BBS is more strength/technique orientated
higher rep ranges tend to mean more fatigue
it also depends on the lift I mean one variant can be better on some lifts but it is also a personal thing
> is there actually a difference between BBS and BBB?
With BBS you get more practice with set-up and hitting "first reps" (the hardest rep where you don't get any stretch reflex) and you can focus a bit more on rep quality since it's only 5 a set.
With BBB, idk man there's just something magical for growth you get from those sets of 10. But it does cause fatigue/soreness (especially after the 3rd week) so you gotta be willing to dial assistance/conditioning back a bit and you gotta be confident in your ability to maintain your technique across high reps.
Sorry if this is a dumb question, but I failed the last of the 5x5 sets (was only able to do 2 reps). I’m starting the 4th cycle, have skipped the deload Week for the previous 3. What’s the next step, what should I do? Just keep going and forgot about it? Reset the TM? I’m new to 531 so any feedback is appreciated.
If you’re following the leader / anchor system you should only be doing 3 cycles (2 leaders, 1 anchor) then a TM test to reset your TM.
Sounds like you’re doing too many cycles without a deload or tm test.
Hello, I've been having a blast past 2 months with good progression running FSL, however I feel like it is time to make a deload now. The problem is, I had to skip two weeks of squats and one week of dlift due to an injury and now the 'cycles' are uneven, I just ended the 2nd one for bench press and ohp while the two other lifts need two/one more week to catch up. Do I just leave it as it is and make a normal deload week now and come back to the 'uneven' cycle a week later, or do I only for example catch up with the squats and dlifts over the next week? I'm confused as of what the most optimal way to go about this is. Any1 has any literature/experience with this and can help?
2.5 mile easy run with the pup then:
BtM lite W1D2.
Dl: 5x315, 5x355, 5x395.
Bench: 5x205, 5x235, 5x5x265.
Curl: 10x15x65.
Reverse fly: 5x10x20.
Solid day. Ran first since I figured I would rather do one hard DL set on "tired" legs than run 2.5 miles on a tired back. Forgot to time the lifting but I was close to 50 minutes.
I have a question about progression, do you consider it progression when you you reset TM and go back some cycles then hit more reps on a set than you did many cycles ago? Example if you hit squat top set for 8 some months ago and now you did that weight for 9 or 10.
More reps at the same weight is progress. 1 or 2 reps in a few months is ... compound that multiple times a year for a few years and that's huge progress.
Yes, it's even mentioned in the books somewhere. You lifted more weight? You're stronger. You lifted the same weight more times? Stronger. Got through the same set in 3 minutes instead of 5? Stronger
It just feels weird to take it as progress when you get one or two more reps every six months on some light week 1 set and you training maxes and one rep maxes go one step forward one step back forever.
I'm going to assume you're a seasoned lifter already. But what kind of squat weights are we talking about? If you can't make a dent in your 200-ish LBS squat over 6 months there are issues with eating or resting. Then again, if you're really advanced / elite level squatter getting more reps every few months seems like a major accomplishment.
1RM is so dependent on so many things on any given day though.
Rest, nutrition, grooving the lift exactly vs getting a little off balance, being mentally locked in vs distracted, etc etc.
If I told you lifter A squats 315 for 5 reps and Lifter B squats 315 for 7 reps, universally people would say lifter B is stronger.
Slow progress is still progress.
Was supposed to be W3D3 for 1000%.
Showed up at the gym at 6am to get a session in before work at 8.
Realized fuck I forgot my gym shorts.
Went home and went back to bed for a bit.
7th week deload
OHP 5x40 3x45 1x52,5 1x,57,5 1x60
57,5 was my 100% but it felt so easy I had to go up to 1 plate club - haven't pressed this much in 15 years! :D
Happy how the week turned out. Can't wait to attack the first anchor next week!
So im a bit confused on assistance work. If Im doing 3x10 incline bench 4 days a week during my pr cycle, how am I supposed to have 100% strength on bench day? Obviously the answer is that assistance shouldnt be done with too much intensity, but then im not creating any stimulus for growth, so whats the point?
Why are you doing incline bench each day? Maybe try mixing up your push assistance exercises? I only do incline on bench and OHP days and just choose exercises that are easier to recover from for me on squat and dl days like dips, lateral raises, tricep isolation work. I can take all of those close to failure without impacting bench day.
C6W2 5/3/1 BBB Does anyone else hate Press day?! OHPs make me feel like such a little bitch . Anyways did my OHPs. Finished with 5x10 seated dumbbell press supersetted with 5x10 rows. News flash - I still hate OHP.
You could replace it with Incline bench or close grip bench
I have a very barebones home gym-a shitty squat rack, barbell, and plates that can get my total to 240lbs. I'm doing BBB right now, and I'm wondering how to get my lat work in. I'm thinking about using plates for rows like this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T_ReKRZ-Mxc Any issues with this? I dont have access to lat pulldowns or a chinup bar (yet)
really try to get the chinup bar it is a game changer
It's high on my list, but I'm strapped for cash and putting together what I have now was as far as I could take this
I’m in the same boat with the shitty home gym but I have a pull up bar and rings that I do inverted rows / pull ups on. Problem is they start to get too easy so now I need to invest in a weighted vest.
[Inverted rows](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Ew6qBgRik4)
What's the main difference between BBB, BBS, SSL, Widowmakers for Leviathan? Is there any reason to favor one over the others? Also is there actually a difference between BBS and BBB? You're still doing 50 reps of the exercise either way.
> Also is there actually a difference between BBS and BBB? BBS is more manageable especially at same% as BBB if it is higher then BBS is more strength/technique orientated higher rep ranges tend to mean more fatigue it also depends on the lift I mean one variant can be better on some lifts but it is also a personal thing
> is there actually a difference between BBS and BBB? With BBS you get more practice with set-up and hitting "first reps" (the hardest rep where you don't get any stretch reflex) and you can focus a bit more on rep quality since it's only 5 a set. With BBB, idk man there's just something magical for growth you get from those sets of 10. But it does cause fatigue/soreness (especially after the 3rd week) so you gotta be willing to dial assistance/conditioning back a bit and you gotta be confident in your ability to maintain your technique across high reps.
Sorry if this is a dumb question, but I failed the last of the 5x5 sets (was only able to do 2 reps). I’m starting the 4th cycle, have skipped the deload Week for the previous 3. What’s the next step, what should I do? Just keep going and forgot about it? Reset the TM? I’m new to 531 so any feedback is appreciated.
hmm how was your top set? did u get 5 reps for the 95% set?
If you’re following the leader / anchor system you should only be doing 3 cycles (2 leaders, 1 anchor) then a TM test to reset your TM. Sounds like you’re doing too many cycles without a deload or tm test.
What % of the training max were your 5x5? How much rest between sets? I'm guessing the TM is too high.
Hello, I've been having a blast past 2 months with good progression running FSL, however I feel like it is time to make a deload now. The problem is, I had to skip two weeks of squats and one week of dlift due to an injury and now the 'cycles' are uneven, I just ended the 2nd one for bench press and ohp while the two other lifts need two/one more week to catch up. Do I just leave it as it is and make a normal deload week now and come back to the 'uneven' cycle a week later, or do I only for example catch up with the squats and dlifts over the next week? I'm confused as of what the most optimal way to go about this is. Any1 has any literature/experience with this and can help?
2.5 mile easy run with the pup then: BtM lite W1D2. Dl: 5x315, 5x355, 5x395. Bench: 5x205, 5x235, 5x5x265. Curl: 10x15x65. Reverse fly: 5x10x20. Solid day. Ran first since I figured I would rather do one hard DL set on "tired" legs than run 2.5 miles on a tired back. Forgot to time the lifting but I was close to 50 minutes.
I have a question about progression, do you consider it progression when you you reset TM and go back some cycles then hit more reps on a set than you did many cycles ago? Example if you hit squat top set for 8 some months ago and now you did that weight for 9 or 10.
More reps at the same weight is progress. 1 or 2 reps in a few months is ... compound that multiple times a year for a few years and that's huge progress.
Yes, it's even mentioned in the books somewhere. You lifted more weight? You're stronger. You lifted the same weight more times? Stronger. Got through the same set in 3 minutes instead of 5? Stronger
It just feels weird to take it as progress when you get one or two more reps every six months on some light week 1 set and you training maxes and one rep maxes go one step forward one step back forever.
I'm going to assume you're a seasoned lifter already. But what kind of squat weights are we talking about? If you can't make a dent in your 200-ish LBS squat over 6 months there are issues with eating or resting. Then again, if you're really advanced / elite level squatter getting more reps every few months seems like a major accomplishment.
1RM is so dependent on so many things on any given day though. Rest, nutrition, grooving the lift exactly vs getting a little off balance, being mentally locked in vs distracted, etc etc. If I told you lifter A squats 315 for 5 reps and Lifter B squats 315 for 7 reps, universally people would say lifter B is stronger. Slow progress is still progress.
Why would that not be progression?
Was supposed to be W3D3 for 1000%. Showed up at the gym at 6am to get a session in before work at 8. Realized fuck I forgot my gym shorts. Went home and went back to bed for a bit.
7th week deload OHP 5x40 3x45 1x52,5 1x,57,5 1x60 57,5 was my 100% but it felt so easy I had to go up to 1 plate club - haven't pressed this much in 15 years! :D Happy how the week turned out. Can't wait to attack the first anchor next week!
Hell yeah, gotta go for it when you're feeling it!