Critique my plan

jerb00

I don't want to bore anyone with repeating parts of my previous posts. So...

I Can't progress on strong lifts anymore but like the simplicity. What do you think about this

3 progressively heavier warm up sets per exercise.
3x5 at the heavy weight
1x20 at half the heavy weight

The next day for those exercises would be same weight but increase 3x6, then 3x7 until 3x10 and then try for a heavier weight?

I would do this using the strong lifts A B days but also include the same process with hip thrusts on both A and B days (like the squats).

I know people always say to work the plan as is, but I can't and so I need an alternative. Thoughts?

bbell1985

Why don't you just google "Daily undulating periodization" and make a plan using that method? I see what you are trying to do, but it's not quite ideal. You should use different weights as well as different reps/sets. Not the same weight, increasing by 1 rep. If anything, you will just get burnt out doing that and it's not really that beneficial. Have a power, strength, and hypertrophy day.

For example, I squat 3x per week and I work in cycles for 8-12 weeks. The 5th week of this cycle (after a deload) has me squatting 3x6 165, 3x4 180, 4x2 200. The next week is 3x5 170, 3x3 185, 6x1 210-220.

jerb00

Sincerely appreciate the suggestion but yikes it seems complicated. Far too complicated for what I can handle at this point. Not trying to cop out or anything, but I don't Have the mental stamina for something too complicated in this crazy season of my life.
But I get that maybe my plain ain't the best. So...what to do that is simple?

bbell1985

jerb00 wrote: »

Sincerely appreciate the suggestion but yikes it seems complicated. Far too complicated for what I can handle at this point. Not trying to cop out or anything, but I don't Have the mental stamina for something too complicated in this crazy season of my life.
But I get that maybe my plain ain't the best. So...what to do that is simple?

Do Wendler's 5/3/1.

psuLemon

If you aren't making progress on SL anymore, it's time to move onto a more advanced program. What are your goals now?

_benjammin

MADCOW is a "natural " progression from SL 5x5.

_benjammin

I would not do your plan.

ndj1979

_benjammin wrote: »

I would not do your plan.

co-sign ..

you could move up to PHUL which is a four day upper/lower split or you could find a full body three day a week routine...what are your goals?

bbell1985

Yeah do MADCOW or Wendlers. I believe you should have a program that lays the progressive overload out for you. PHUL is fun but it seems you are a little confused about overload still.

ndj1979

jerb00 wrote: »

I don't want to bore anyone with repeating parts of my previous posts. So...

I Can't progress on strong lifts anymore but like the simplicity. What do you think about this

3 progressively heavier warm up sets per exercise.
3x5 at the heavy weight
1x20 at half the heavy weight

The next day for those exercises would be same weight but increase 3x6, then 3x7 until 3x10 and then try for a heavier weight?

I would do this using the strong lifts A B days but also include the same process with hip thrusts on both A and B days (like the squats).

I know people always say to work the plan as is, but I can't and so I need an alternative. Thoughts?

why don't you find a plan you can work as is?

TR0berts

Your plan would probably be fine for accessory lifts with GZCL or 5/3/1 or similar, but I don't believe you'd get the results you want by doing that as your main lifts.

Besides reading 5/3/1 and/or Beyond 5/3/1, you can go to http://blackironbeast.com/5/3/1/calculator, enter your stats, and pick an accessory template and it'll tell you what to do.

SideSteel

jerb00 wrote: »

I don't want to bore anyone with repeating parts of my previous posts. So...

I Can't progress on strong lifts anymore but like the simplicity. What do you think about this

3 progressively heavier warm up sets per exercise.
3x5 at the heavy weight
1x20 at half the heavy weight

The next day for those exercises would be same weight but increase 3x6, then 3x7 until 3x10 and then try for a heavier weight?

I would do this using the strong lifts A B days but also include the same process with hip thrusts on both A and B days (like the squats).

I know people always say to work the plan as is, but I can't and so I need an alternative. Thoughts?

What are your main goals?

jerb00

Ok. Thanks everyone for your quick responses. My goal- so vain but I wanna look better as I quickly approach my 40s. I have been tiny but curvy (pear shaped) and I would rather look and feel strong. I see my parents and friends' parents aging and the truth is I want to feel better than they do as I age.

So I bought the Wendell 531 second edition book. Just read it. There seem to be a variety of plans to choose from but I think I like the 4 day plan with one major lift and then I think Ill do the BBB option for accessory work.

My question is: where do I for hip thrusts into this plan? Cuz I really like them and don't want to stop. My other question: I really liked that I squatted everyday for strong lifts. If I choose a squat as the accessory then it would be bench as my main lift , BBB 5x10 press, then could I choose squat as the 0other accessory? Seems the plans laid out in the book are a by different than the descriptions I saw on his blog and t-nation. Thoughts?

bbell1985

I would run the program and accessories as is. I gave you the tools to search how to squat more than once per week with daily undulating periodization and you said it was too complicated. Wendlers does not complicate things and it works.

You can hip thrust whenever you want really. I deadlift 2 out of my 3 big lift days, and I put my hip thrusts on that day...right along with bench and squat. You might like doing them on an upper body day as long as you can recover for your deadlift day, etc.

jerb00

Thanks. I plan to follow it the way it is written, but there are a lot of options. You mean the original way? He Says to do a main lift and then pick one accessory move from each of the three additional categories. Squats fall into one of the categories so I want sure if I could/should use them or not...

bbell1985

jerb00 wrote: »

Thanks. I plan to follow it the way it is written, but there are a lot of options. You mean the original way? He Says to do a main lift and then pick one accessory move from each of the three additional categories. Squats fall into one of the categories so I want sure if I could/should use them or not...

I don't remember. I'm sure someone who has done it more recently can help. I did it with a main lift per day using BBB for awhile, and then using a body building template Jim had on his website.

TR0berts

If you insist on doing squats each training day, then go to that link I provided earlier (here it is again: http://blackironbeast.com/5/3/1/calculator) and choose either the "Full Body, Full Boring" or "Full Body Training" template.

jerb00

TR0berts wrote: »

If you insist on doing squats each training day, then go to that link I provided earlier (here it is again: http://blackironbeast.com/5/3/1/calculator) and choose either the "Full Body, Full Boring" or "Full Body Training" template.

Thanks. I was just actually playing around with it after reading through the book again but I wonder if you can help me- the template gives my the weights for the squatting everyday and also for the other lifts, but only sometimes. When incline press is the second lift listed it just says 10-15x. How do I figure out the weight?

TR0berts

It's an accessory lift - pick a weight. Ideally, you've done this lift before, so you'll have an idea of what you can handle. If you can do it easily for all sets/reps, then increase it next time. If not, then either lower the weight or keep it and try next time - preferably the former.

jerb00

Thanks.

psuLemon

Typically with my accessory lifts, I tend to be around 50-60% of your 1RM if you know what your 1RM is.

richardgavel

jerb00 wrote: »

I don't want to bore anyone with repeating parts of my previous posts. So...

I Can't progress on strong lifts anymore but like the simplicity. What do you think about this

3 progressively heavier warm up sets per exercise.
3x5 at the heavy weight
1x20 at half the heavy weight

The next day for those exercises would be same weight but increase 3x6, then 3x7 until 3x10 and then try for a heavier weight?

I would do this using the strong lifts A B days but also include the same process with hip thrusts on both A and B days (like the squats).

I know people always say to work the plan as is, but I can't and so I need an alternative. Thoughts?

Before you go off onto other plans, what are you current weight levels for the 5x5 lifts and what have you done to try and move past them (which have failed)?

jerb00

psuLemon wrote: »

Typically with my accessory lifts, I tend to be around 50-60% of your 1RM if you know what your 1RM is.

I do. Thanks. And what you said is in line with what I reread in the book. I find it a tad confusing because sometimes the plans conflict with each other. I figure if I am gonna do it I should take everyone's advice and do it right.

jerb00

So after lots of thought, reading, and searching I decided on the full body wendler template with first set last included. MWF I do the program and TTh I do hip thrusts following thr pattern I use for the deadlifts the day before as well as a light cardio push up and ab roller circuit.

I also figured out my real goal- definition. But here is my question...is it really possible eating at maintenience? I can't bulk and cut cuz my cutting would be 1200 cake and I have too many little ones around me to do that to them again. Eplaying with my Cals a few months ago and realizing I was eating in the 1500 range I gained. It looks not to good on the 4'10" frame. So at now 97 lbs I am staying at 1400 which won't allow me to really lose fat. But that is what I want. I'd like quad and hamstring definition with less fat on my thighs. My upper body is looking pretty good and my abs really always do. It is my lower body that I am concerned with. So...are my expectations unrealistic?