Switching to 5/3/1 twice a week, assistance work suggestions?

RemyR

RemyR

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Going down to lifting twice a week due to work schedule/BJJ/projects around the house. Looking for advice on assistance work as I have no idea what to do other than the usual boring but big.
 
What are you trying to accomplish for your assistance work? Focusing on strength? Hypertrophy? Joint health? Sport?
 
MandirigmaFit said:
What are you trying to accomplish for your assistance work? Focusing on strength? Hypertrophy? Joint health? Sport?
Click to expand...

More sport related these days although I don't compete in BJJ or MMA anymore. Obviously gains in strength are always welcome too. Used to lift heavy very often and although I feel my lifts are halfway decent my BJJ would struggle and I'd feel more tired on my job quicker (firefighter)
 
Some of my favorite grappling sport specific exercises are Varied-stance Zercher Squats/hip hinges*, Floor Presses and Inverted (Ring) Rows.
 
Day One
  • Hang Power Cleans
  • Squat + 5x5 at 75% wk1, 5x3 at 85% wk2, 5x1 at 95% wk3
  • Bench Press + 5x5 at 75% wk1, 5x3 at 85% wk2, 5x1 at 95% wk3
  • Dips

Day Two
  • Hang Power Snatch
  • Deadlift + Jokers
  • Press + 5x5 at 75% wk1, 5x3 at 85% wk2, 5x1 at 95% wk3
  • Chins

I'd likely do this as a 2day a week if I was an ex mediocre athlete who's now reflecting on life as an ex-mediocre athlete wanting to get back into some sort of mediocre athletic shape. Have fucking fun!
 
Last edited:
Squat
3x5@80%
3x3 85%
3x1@90%
(Apply that to all 4 lifts)

Light squat day
5x3@70%
Ditto for light press

Heavy press day do
Close grip bench for 5-8 repsx3
Move up in weight when you get 8 the first set and dont drop below 5 the 3rd

Deadlift day
After deads do a set of sldls for 6-8 reps move in weight when you get 8

Progress 2-10 pounds each three week cycle depending in how it went
 
Personally, do what is fun. Assistance movements are not as important as people say. I typically just say "OK today I'm doing 70 reps of assistance" of "Hey I'm doing 100 assistance reps". Sometimes I'll do 2 sets of 4 or 5 different exercises and sometimes I'll do 5 sets of 2 exercises. Just mix it up and keep it fun. Staying in the gym consistently is what is important. The strength will come over time.
 
TheLuckiest said:
Personally, do what is fun. Assistance movements are not as important as people say. I typically just say "OK today I'm doing 70 reps of assistance" of "Hey I'm doing 100 assistance reps". Sometimes I'll do 2 sets of 4 or 5 different exercises and sometimes I'll do 5 sets of 2 exercises. Just mix it up and keep it fun. Staying in the gym consistently is what is important. The strength will come over time.
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Terrible training philosophy. Lifters will find as they progress from beginner/intermediate to advanced, assistance excercises become more and more important.
 
spdrew2143 said:
Terrible training philosophy. Lifters will find as they progress from beginner/intermediate to advanced, assistance excercises become more and more important.
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Excellent training philosophy that I follow. I've practically lived in the gym for 15 years. Too much focus for beginner lifters on assistance training holds them back. This guy is asking Sherdog for help, so I'm assuming he isn't too advanced.

Secondly. Find where I said they are not important. I said they are not *as* important as people, apparently such as yourself, say.
 
spdrew2143 said:
Terrible training philosophy. Lifters will find as they progress from beginner/intermediate to advanced, assistance excercises become more and more important.
Click to expand...
Not to mention deload weeks and extra rest occasionally. Sometimes I feel burned out, hit my big lift and then go home. Or maybe I just didn't have time for anything else. Then next week I smash through a plateau after *gasp* skipping the assistance lifts. Oh the horrorrrrr!

This isn't revolutionary. But you go ahead and be "advanced" and focus on the assistance as much as the big 4 in 5/3/1.
 
TehWeak1 said:
Day One
  • Hang Power Cleans
  • Squat + 5x5 at 75% wk1, 5x3 at 85% wk2, 5x1 at 95% wk3
  • Bench Press + 5x5 at 75% wk1, 5x3 at 85% wk2, 5x1 at 95% wk3
  • Dips

Day Two
  • Hang Power Snatch
  • Deadlift + Jokers
  • Press + 5x5 at 75% wk1, 5x3 at 85% wk2, 5x1 at 95% wk3
  • Chins

I'd likely do this as a 2day a week if I was an ex mediocre athlete who's now reflecting on life as an ex-mediocre athlete wanting to get back into some sort of mediocre athletic shape. Have fucking fun!
Click to expand...

Nice structure
 
McBryde Mats LLC said:
Nice structure
Click to expand...

As long as you're comfortable with the hanging power versions of the quick lifts you're golden with this. You can even use the same rep/set set-up as the squats for the cleans. I would stick to doubles and singles on the snatches. Just manipulate the number of sets.
 
TheLuckiest said:
Not to mention deload weeks and extra rest occasionally. Sometimes I feel burned out, hit my big lift and then go home. Or maybe I just didn't have time for anything else. Then next week I smash through a plateau after *gasp* skipping the assistance lifts. Oh the horrorrrrr!

This isn't revolutionary. But you go ahead and be "advanced" and focus on the assistance as much as the big 4 in 5/3/1.
Click to expand...
Sounds like you don't have much of a work capacity and need the extra rest and "deloads" to make up for it.
 
There is a time and place for "de-loads," usually its for those who are competitive in their sports. Down time to rest is important if you're making a living from your sport or have aspirations to do so. Otherwise, figure out where you're going wrong in your life in general that makes you so "burnt-out." Its probably an easy fix like not going for big lifts all the time, or ever really; adjusting your sleep or diet.
 
I'd love to see some of your numbers of you say deload weeks are only if you're doing something wrong lol.
 
I get what you're saying, Lucky. Deloads are not wrong. I just feel like they're over prescribed to the general public who could probably use more and smarter work rather than less. Resetting your maxes and starting over isn't necessarily a deload per se.
 
Also, assistance work is definitely important. It shouldn't be the focus, but its important for a number of reasons. Your progress shouldn't revolve around whether you hit that banded close-grip floor press with 50lb of chain session on day 3 of week 4, but it is supposed to keep your joints healthy, build muscle, help with imbalances and above all else, keep you interested in coming back for more.
 
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