December Q and A thread
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SideSteel
Posts: 11,068 Member
Hey!
Do you have any questions?
Please post them here and I'll be happy to take a look. I'll be doing a mix of text and video replies depending on the question and how much input I may have on the topic.
Other people are welcome to chime in as well provided you have a good idea what you're talking about
Please feel free to tell other people about this thread if you've found my previous Q and A threads valuable.
Thanks!
Do you have any questions?
Please post them here and I'll be happy to take a look. I'll be doing a mix of text and video replies depending on the question and how much input I may have on the topic.
Other people are welcome to chime in as well provided you have a good idea what you're talking about
Please feel free to tell other people about this thread if you've found my previous Q and A threads valuable.
Thanks!
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Replies
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What are your thoughts on Wendler's Monolith Template for 5/3/1 as a program for running alongside a lean bulk? While it looks absurdly brutal, I'm more curious as to whether one could ignore Jim's fairly standard "eat all the things" advice, and still manage to get solid benefit, and not tank their recovery.
Being real about it, most of the people I talk to that follow his programs AND diet advice, tend to look like the stereotypical powerlifter: strong, but fat and sloppy.0 -
Due to a change in work schedule, my workouts have moved to early morning before work. This limits me to about 25-30 minutes. I've found so far I have to choose between a thorough warmup to heavy weights but only a single exercise, or a faster warmup to intermediate weights with multiple exercises.
My goal atm is more aesthetics/injury prevention without losing the strength gained from several years of powerlifting (ie not increasing strength, except maybe continuing to recover chest strength after my shoulder injury of last year). Would I be better served with the larger variety at lighter weights, or progress to 90% max for a single exercise?0 -
What are your thoughts on programmed deloads versus deloading when you think you need it? I've been following 531 for a while. I find a deload every 4th week a bit much and routinely go several cycles before deloading.0
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Gallowmere1984 wrote: »What are your thoughts on Wendler's Monolith Template for 5/3/1 as a program for running alongside a lean bulk? While it looks absurdly brutal, I'm more curious as to whether one could ignore Jim's fairly standard "eat all the things" advice, and still manage to get solid benefit, and not tank their recovery.
Being real about it, most of the people I talk to that follow his programs AND diet advice, tend to look like the stereotypical powerlifter: strong, but fat and sloppy.
Well I just read a write up of it and it included diet advice which I found just horrendous.
As far as the actual program, I don't mean to give a useless answer but it really depends on whether or not you make progress and you're able to recover adequately from the volume.
People have varying recovery capacities due to training experience, diet, other individual factors.
I know that's incredibly generic but you won't really know until you try.
I suspect it will be too much especially given how heavy some of the main movements are, if I'm reading the program correctly. Sets of 5 at 90% is likely RPE 10+ for most people.0 -
Gallowmere1984 wrote: »What are your thoughts on Wendler's Monolith Template for 5/3/1 as a program for running alongside a lean bulk? While it looks absurdly brutal, I'm more curious as to whether one could ignore Jim's fairly standard "eat all the things" advice, and still manage to get solid benefit, and not tank their recovery.
Being real about it, most of the people I talk to that follow his programs AND diet advice, tend to look like the stereotypical powerlifter: strong, but fat and sloppy.
Well I just read a write up of it and it included diet advice which I found just horrendous.
As far as the actual program, I don't mean to give a useless answer but it really depends on whether or not you make progress and you're able to recover adequately from the volume.
People have varying recovery capacities due to training experience, diet, other individual factors.
I know that's incredibly generic but you won't really know until you try.
I suspect it will be too much especially given how heavy some of the main movements are, if I'm reading the program correctly. Sets of 5 at 90% is likely RPE 10+ for most people.
Thanks.
That's kind of the feeling that I got as well. It definitely reads like am exercise in grinding your body to dust, unless running some pretty solid gear cycles. I'm not anti-anabolic by any stretch, but I just can't justify the risk and cost at my age (32) and lifting experience level (intermediate at best).
His diet advice is always uniformly terrible, and seems geared toward people who are either, again, on gear, or just don't care how fat they get. I am definitely neither of those.
I may give standard 5/3/1 (with the BBB protocol) another run when I start my lean bulk, as it seems more within my capacity, realistically. I just had a bad experience with it years ago, where three months of it completely tanked my 1RMs (lost over 25% on each), but in retrospect, it probably had more to do with the 1200 kcal/day deficit that I was running. I just assumed that my ample bodyfat stores at the time would cover the difference. Yeah, I was wrong.0 -
Gallowmere1984 wrote: »Gallowmere1984 wrote: »What are your thoughts on Wendler's Monolith Template for 5/3/1 as a program for running alongside a lean bulk? While it looks absurdly brutal, I'm more curious as to whether one could ignore Jim's fairly standard "eat all the things" advice, and still manage to get solid benefit, and not tank their recovery.
Being real about it, most of the people I talk to that follow his programs AND diet advice, tend to look like the stereotypical powerlifter: strong, but fat and sloppy.
Well I just read a write up of it and it included diet advice which I found just horrendous.
As far as the actual program, I don't mean to give a useless answer but it really depends on whether or not you make progress and you're able to recover adequately from the volume.
People have varying recovery capacities due to training experience, diet, other individual factors.
I know that's incredibly generic but you won't really know until you try.
I suspect it will be too much especially given how heavy some of the main movements are, if I'm reading the program correctly. Sets of 5 at 90% is likely RPE 10+ for most people.
Thanks.
That's kind of the feeling that I got as well. It definitely reads like am exercise in grinding your body to dust, unless running some pretty solid gear cycles. I'm not anti-anabolic by any stretch, but I just can't justify the risk and cost at my age (32) and lifting experience level (intermediate at best).
His diet advice is always uniformly terrible, and seems geared toward people who are either, again, on gear, or just don't care how fat they get. I am definitely neither of those.
I may give standard 5/3/1 (with the BBB protocol) another run when I start my lean bulk, as it seems more within my capacity, realistically. I just had a bad experience with it years ago, where three months of it completely tanked my 1RMs (lost over 25% on each), but in retrospect, it probably had more to do with the 1200 kcal/day deficit that I was running. I just assumed that my ample bodyfat stores at the time would cover the difference. Yeah, I was wrong.
One thing you could consider doing would be to flip the accessories on how BBB is traditionally set up.
So for example using a 4 day setup:
M: Squat 5/3/1 followed by Deadlift BBB + accessories
T: Bench 5/3/1 followed by OHP BBB +accessories
Th: Deadlift 5/3/1 followed by Squat BBB + accessories
F: OHP 5/3/1 followed by Bench BBB + accessories
This way you're maintaining 2/week frequency on the main lifts which may have some positive effects regarding frequency of MPS and probably just as important, from a skill acquisition standpoint.
Additionally, something I wrote a while back for a client was to periodize the "BBB" accessories. It's quite possible that Wendler does this already and so I won't claim the idea as being original but something like this:
On 5/5/5 week do 4-5x12 @ 50-55%
On 3/3/3 week do 4-5x9 @ 55-60%
On 5/3/1 week do 3-4x7 @ 60-65%
Obviously you can adjust the volume and %RM values to more closely align with an appropriate total volume for your goals and to balance it out with the rest of the program and adjust the loading range based on wherever you want to land for RPE/relative difficulty. The above ranges are just "at a glance suggestions"
Anyway, these are just random ideas
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^^^ best gains I've made on size and strength was flipping the accessories. I'm running it like you have listed above. OHP/Bench, DL/Squats, Bench/OHP (or DB presses), Squat/DL.
Hadn't thought about periodization for it though...food for thought.1 -
piperdown44 wrote: »^^^ best gains I've made on size and strength was flipping the accessories. I'm running it like you have listed above. OHP/Bench, DL/Squats, Bench/OHP (or DB presses), Squat/DL.
Hadn't thought about periodization for it though...food for thought.
I'm uploading a video regarding your deload question. Should be up shortly.0 -
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@SideSteel
Thanks!
I think I'll stick with my deloads every 3-4 cycles then. 1 week out of every 4 is more than I need based on my recovery time.0 -
Excellent. It looks like you got your videos figured out too. It's a win/win kinda day!0 -
I'm not sure if the video quality is improved or not.
I did start saving them in windows movie maker under high def and so I'm assuming that helped, but I never actually checked any resolution differences.
I also cleaned my webcam lens, lol2 -
@piperdown44 & @Gallowmere1984
Wendler covers both of these points in his "Beyond 5/3/1" book. He now suggests deloading every 2nd cycle, and the suggested BBB method is to switch the lifts as @SideSteel mentioned.
There may also be some periodisation of accessories but I can't remember off the top of my head - probably something that would interest you both!1 -
StephieWillcox wrote: »@piperdown44 & @Gallowmere1984
Wendler covers both of these points in his "Beyond 5/3/1" book. He now suggests deloading every 2nd cycle, and the suggested BBB method is to switch the lifts as @SideSteel mentioned.
There may also be some periodisation of accessories but I can't remember off the top of my head - probably something that would interest you both!
I'm glad to know that's standard as far as flipping the accessories. I think it's generally a better way to go about it.1 -
I have a question about loaded carries. I like doing some form of them at the end of a lifting workout. However, I am finding that I often run out of time in the morning and have to leave them off. I am now lifting full body 3x/wk. On the in between days I am walking or walking with a few (light) running intervals thrown in. I have considered doing the loaded carries on those days but wondered if it would be a bad idea due to hampering recovery for the next day's lifting. Or is this a "try it and see" kind of thing?0
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I have a question about loaded carries. I like doing some form of them at the end of a lifting workout. However, I am finding that I often run out of time in the morning and have to leave them off. I am now lifting full body 3x/wk. On the in between days I am walking or walking with a few (light) running intervals thrown in. I have considered doing the loaded carries on those days but wondered if it would be a bad idea due to hampering recovery for the next day's lifting. Or is this a "try it and see" kind of thing?
Honestly I would add them in and monitor recovery the following day. I probably wouldn't do them the day before deads but again, wait and see.1 -
Question re: protein powder shakes. I've tried using powders to make shakes, but have had usually mixed (read: unfavorable) results, specifically with the powder not getting completely mixed into the water/milk. Lumpy protein shakes are virtually undrinkable.
The best solution would be use a blender, but my goal for them would be at work during 12-hr shifts. I've also tried those shake-bottles with the little metal wire ball inside, which works better than stirring with a spoon but is still incomplete mixing in my experience.
Am I doing something basic wrong, like adding powder before liquid? Am I using the wrong brand? (I don't have any powder at the house at the moment, I've been using pre-mixed ready-to-drink shakes, which are fabulous but you pay through the nose.) Or do I just need to suck it up and get used to this fact-of-life with protein shakes?0 -
Question re: protein powder shakes. I've tried using powders to make shakes, but have had usually mixed (read: unfavorable) results, specifically with the powder not getting completely mixed into the water/milk. Lumpy protein shakes are virtually undrinkable.
The best solution would be use a blender, but my goal for them would be at work during 12-hr shifts. I've also tried those shake-bottles with the little metal wire ball inside, which works better than stirring with a spoon but is still incomplete mixing in my experience.
Am I doing something basic wrong, like adding powder before liquid? Am I using the wrong brand? (I don't have any powder at the house at the moment, I've been using pre-mixed ready-to-drink shakes, which are fabulous but you pay through the nose.) Or do I just need to suck it up and get used to this fact-of-life with protein shakes?
Likely brand I would guess.
I don't get much clumping with ON brand, and even less with PEScience1
https://youtu.be/A-x1ggMyVSw
