5/3/1 Template without benching

Benching hurts my shoulders, I have experimented with form, just using the bar, using DB's, it still hurts. Im seeing a doc on monday but they will probably send me to physio, which has a waiting list several months long. In the mean time I am thinking about doing military instead, seeing as apparently athletes can do without it. I was wondering if military pressing is and better for shoulder health, and how you structure a 5/3/1 program.

 

post a form check....military is structured the same way as any other lift

 

3 Day Split

1.Squat
2.Deadlift
3.Press


You seriously needed a thread to ask this question?

 

I know the press itsself is done like any other lift, but I was wondering about the overall program.

I like having a dedicated pull day for upper body so I was wondering about what pulling one would be best. how important are bent over rows? would it be stupid to have a vertical press and horizontal pull?

 

Of course it wouldn't be stupid. If you have the space in your programming, why not do both?

 

The doc will most likely tell you that bench, squatting, and heavy lifting in general is bad for you. I'm not saying avoid the doc, but like another poster said, post a form video. It could be related to that.

 

I wonder if one could do 5/3/1 with weighted dips... Factor BW + Weight, and then calculate from there. For example, my 3RM weighted dip is +45kg, so that's 117kg total...

 

There was a link in the FAQ to a Q&A with wendler about it, he mentions which exercises it works with, bent over rows was one, dips could well be another but I dont remember now.

I have space in my program because I like to double up days, i.e. one upper and one lower lift. That way I can get more squatting volume in which is both fun and prevents DOMS. I currently do

Light squats and Military press, Rows and Deadlifts and Bench and Heavy squats. Granted im only two weeks in, but it feels good so far, apart from the benching.

I guess I just need to decide on the three best upper body exercises apart from bench and do that, although I could double up on the press. I could have a Light repetition Squat and press day, a Row and Dead lift day and then a Heavy squat and press day.

I am going to try and find where he says which exercises work, but would you say that Weighted Chins and Military Press would make more sense than Rows and Press?

 

http://www.t-nation.com/free_online_article/most_recent/531_reloaded

This is what I was looking for, but it doesnt really answer the question

 

I guess I don't understand the question. The Press is a basic lift of the 5/3/1 template. If you don't want to bench, just do as TheeFaulted said and stick the the 3 days.

Squat
Deadlift
Press

It doesn't seem like you have a good grasp of what the 5/3/1 program is. Just nut up and buy the E-book, it'll explain almost everything.

 

I know the press is part of 5/3/1 already, the question is what should I replace bench with if im not doing it? Like I said, I like to have an upper body pull day and to do a lower body exercise every day at a lighter weight. I guess I could do Squat, Dead lift, Press, and add in upperbody pulls after squats and deadlifts as assistance and light squats after military press.

 

If he isn't doing the bench, how will that affect his scheduled gains on the military? Would pressing only one a week allow the same progression?

 

Nothing, or whatever you want. BB Rows would be fine, if thats what you want to do. You never stated whether you intend to do a 3 day or 4 day split.

If you plan on doing 1/Off/2/Off/3 Off Off or something similiar, what you've got would probably be fine.

If you plan on going 1/2/Off/3/4/ Off Off, I wouldn't add the squats to the upper body days. When I was on a 4-day, I used Front Squats as an assistance exercise on the days I deadlifted.

my 2 cents

 

I don't think it even needs the the E-book. At the end of the day it is just a 4-week meso-cycle for single lift done once a week, giving you sets, reps and intensities. All the other stuff is just a bunch of optional templates for structuring the lifts and adding assistance, which you can follow or not, as you like.

 

The problem would be during deload week, when you have to do 45%, 55% and 65%. For most people, the lower percentages will be way under their BW. APRE, which is somewhat similar to 5/3/1, works with bodyweight exercises better since you don't use percentages..

 

we have an assisted dip/pullup machine at my gym for the fatties and weaklings

 

A million options. Second day of press at lighter intensity. Replace bench with push press. Use dumbbells etc.

Full body split would be my choice

Squat
OHP
Chins

DL
DB OHP
DB row

Squat (lighter)
Push Press
BORs

 

I've heard of those, but I think a hell of a lot of gyms don't have them.

 

Which I'm sure you have used.

 

I have.