5/3/1

xidia

I'm thinking about what I do when I stall out on deadlifts (which will be soon, I think. I keep adding weight and it keeps getting harder and harder and I spend more time thinking "OMG am I going to lift this?!" each rep). 5/3/1 seems to deload so far it'll be cycle 2 before I get back to anything like the weight/volume I'm currently doing. Is that normal?

tameko2

yes. The volume on 5/3/1 deadlifts is much higher total - I mean not the same number of reps for that weight, but you'll now be doing THREE work sets of deadlifts instead of 1.

Its a pretty big changeover and it hit me hard.

If you do the first month and you really just feel like "this was way too easy" then you can go up 15 or 20 lbs instead of 10. But most likely you will not -- remember your last set is always 5/3/1 PLUS as many reps as you can do (usually with the idea that you should leave one in the tank - so as many reps as you can do with good form).

So if you are really really able to do more, you can always do more. BUt I think you will be pleasantly (or unpleasantly - surprised) by how much the volume increase impacts you. Unless you already do a LOT of warmup sets.

xidia

Thanks. I'm not quite there yet, but I hadn't really thought about the volume properly I guess! I normally do 3-4 warm-up sets depending on how I'm feeling, and 2-3 for DLs.

tameko2

Thanks. I'm not quite there yet, but I hadn't really thought about the volume properly I guess! I normally do 3-4 warm-up sets depending on how I'm feeling, and 2-3 for DLs.

it will be 3 warmup sets and 3 work sets - its quite a bit more work. You will be surprised.