5/3/1 Assistance Templates: BBB or SS?

[PhelpsMMA]

Because if you add 5lbs a month, that's 60 lbs in a year. Continue that out over 3 years and that's 180 lbs...

Lifting is a marathon, not a sprint.

Its the philosophy of the program really. Its about starting and training at a heavy, but not max heavy weight. It helps maintain progress where other lifters who train harder might plateau. The reasoning seems solid. Glad to be reading it finally.

Because getting string is not a 100m sprint. However in the grand scheme of things you can increase your squat by 60-100 Lbs in a year, which is no joke.

5/3/1 is a great program and can really work with your life routine.

Ok thanks guys, I assume its definitely not a beginner program then.

However, is it 'light' in terms of intensity? Considering you can run high volume assistance alongside it.

 

[NurseKnuckles]

Ok thanks guys, I assume its definitely not a beginner program then.

However, is it 'light' in terms of intensity? Considering you can run high volume assistance alongside it.

Yes, I believe its something of an intermediate program. However I am not intermediate and I ran it; only because I could not keep up with the recovery demands of SS.

 

[immovablestone]

When it comes to 5/3/1, BBB pleases Crom the most.

 

[scoopj]

Both templates suck. Wendler is fucking lazy. Do more work

In before KT's heart attack.

 

[sboone**]

Is it bad when you make your own assistance program?

 

[scoopj]

Is it bad when you make your own assistance program?

Not if it's good.

 

[Neuro]

SS = Simplest Strength. It's one major assistance lift for every 5/3/1 lift:

Incline Bench for Flat Bench.

Front Squats for Deadlift.

Close Grip Bench for Military Press.

Straight Leg Deadlifts for Squats.

Week One: 3X10

Week Two: 8/8/6

Week Three: 3X5

Week Four: Deload.

SS sounds awesome, I dig it. I don't dig straight leg deadlifts after Squats though, ugh hahahaha. Or is the weight at the 50%/65% weight that BBB is?

 

[Neuro]

Both templates suck. Wendler is fucking lazy. Do more work

Wendler would put you in a garbage can, load that with 45 pound irons and some chains, and then OHP you. Maybe curl you for irony purposes.


/jk. 5/3/1 is awesome, and I think perfect for athletes. If I was purely lifting and doing nothing else, then I might do a different program than 5/3/1, or add more work in, but for athletes, I think it's pretty near perfect. Especially with a two to three day split. This is from my severly limited (as relative to others in here) knowledge.

 

[KnightTemplar]

In before KT's heart attack.

Infidel defiler! He shall drown in blood!!:icon_twis

 

[guilineseguy]

Ok thanks guys, I assume its definitely not a beginner program then.

However, is it 'light' in terms of intensity? Considering you can run high volume assistance alongside it.

Looking for a beginner program? Starting strength, name says it all.

You're probably alot like me (though I am doing much better. I have been sticking to my program. Not changing it, trying not to skip ahead) You wanna lift the god damn world over your head and throw it into the sun RIGHT NOW.

It comes man slowly but surely. I can say since sticking to the plan. My shitty ass bench has become much less shitty. I mean leaps and bounds. Just stick with it man. These guys forget more in a day about being strong than me and you think e know put together.

 

[Neuro]

Yes, I believe its something of an intermediate program. However I am not intermediate and I ran it; only because I could not keep up with the recovery demands of SS.

I started lifting half-seriously about a year ago, but never really got on a program. I'm still a relative novice, so I do 5/3/1 (since SS is way too hard to recover from [for me] while training/competing) but instead of adding 5 (BP, OHP) and 10 (SQ, DL) pounds at the end of the cycle, I do about 10 and 20, respectively, (depending on how I feel) to my lifts.

 

[DrBdan]

One of the advantages of 5/3/1 is its flexibility. It has evolved from the original program into something more like a general outline and a training philosophy that can be switched around and modified to fit your needs. The progression isn't groundbreaking but it's simple and logical so it works plus it leaves room for assistance exercises so you can easily tailor it to your needs.

If someone was so inclined they could probably do different variations of 5/3/1 for decades, progressing from beginner to intermediate to advanced versions and eventually even to variations tailored to older athletes.

That said, there were plenty of strong people before Wendler wrote 5/3/1 so its not like it's the end all, be all of lifting.

 

[NurseKnuckles]

I started lifting half-seriously about a year ago, but never really got on a program. I'm still a relative novice, so I do 5/3/1 (since SS is way too hard to recover from [for me] while training/competing) but instead of adding 5 (BP, OHP) and 10 (SQ, DL) pounds at the end of the cycle, I do about 10 and 20, respectively, (depending on how I feel) to my lifts.

Interesting. I considered this, but was unsure since I was very new to weightlifting. How has it gone so far?

 

[PhelpsMMA]

Yes, I believe its something of an intermediate program. However I am not intermediate and I ran it; only because I could not keep up with the recovery demands of SS.

Would not keeping up with SS itself indicate it was heavy enough to be time to move on?

Or were you doing other things at the same time? I was doing SL 5x5 and it was going ok but when I was doing training 3-4 times a week on top it was way too much.

 

[guilineseguy]

Would not keeping up with SS itself indicate it was heavy enough to be time to move on?

Or were you doing other things at the same time? I was doing SL 5x5 and it was going ok but when I was doing training 3-4 times a week on top it was way too much.

If you're still training, then you would probably want to do one of the three day splits, with the simplistic strength. One main lift, and an assistance.

 

[DrBdan]

Would not keeping up with SS itself indicate it was heavy enough to be time to move on?

Or were you doing other things at the same time? I was doing SL 5x5 and it was going ok but when I was doing training 3-4 times a week on top it was way too much.

Yes this is exactly how you know when it's time to move on. A lot of people get caught up in the numbers game but progress will be different from person to person so if you are consistently stalling on a session to session progression like SS or SL5x5 that means it's time to move to a slower progression.

 

[PhelpsMMA]

Looking for a beginner program? Starting strength, name says it all.

You're probably alot like me (though I am doing much better. I have been sticking to my program. Not changing it, trying not to skip ahead) You wanna lift the god damn world over your head and throw it into the sun RIGHT NOW.

It comes man slowly but surely. I can say since sticking to the plan. My shitty ass bench has become much less shitty. I mean leaps and bounds. Just stick with it man. These guys forget more in a day about being strong than me and you think e know put together.

If you're still training, then you would probably want to do one of the three day splits, with the simplistic strength. One main lift, and an assistance.

Well as it goes I'm running starting strength, picking up at about 70% of where I left off when I was doing stronglifts to take it easy and really perfect form. I had a while out of lifting going straight back into full time cardio and training, cutting weight, then a long period of next to nothing during college exams. I can lift more than I am doing, but at the moment everything feels fairly easy enough I can keep adding weight, do some assistance and cycle a fairly tough route to and from the gym all while training fasted and leaning up but losing little weight. It is all I'm doing though so recovery is not an issue.

 

[guilineseguy]

then just play around with a few different programs til you find out what fits you the best. There are alot to choose from.

 

[myaa22]

what do you guys think about replacing the close grip bench with the barbell row as main assistance lift for the OHP and adding dips on the same day ?

 

[KnightTemplar]

SS sounds awesome, I dig it. I don't dig straight leg deadlifts after Squats though, ugh hahahaha. Or is the weight at the 50%/65% weight that BBB is?

The percentages go up each week. That's why you start with 3X10, then 8/8/6 and finally 3X5(which is the 5/3/1 week).

I think the main "advantages" of SS is that it takes less time than BBB and is also easier to recover from if one is training/competing in sports as well as Strength Training.

If all I was doing was Lifting for fun, BBB would be my first choice by a huge margin. But if I was using 5/3/1 as GPP for another sport, I'd probably do SS.