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5/3/1 2 Day split: do it twice / week?

tomcornhole
tomcornhole Posts: 1,084 Member
edited February 3 in Social Groups
5/3/1 is the topic. Was thinking about switching from a 4 day split which hits each major lift once per week to a 2 day split and do that twice per week. Just do the same weights twice in a week. All I could find in the book was to do each lift once a week. Once I start bulking, I want to hit each lift twice / week.

Thoughts appreciated.

Tom

Replies

  • Sarauk2sf
    Sarauk2sf Posts: 28,072 Member
    What do you do for your assistance work now?

    Both myself and SideSteel run a kind of combo of the 5/3/1 where we do the main lifts but add assists to make sure we hit body parts twice.

    For example: on bench day, we add pressing (and the relevant pulls) and vice versa. It is one of the things I do not like about 5/3/1 - the one body part a week - but is also one of the things I really like - that it is flexible so you can tweak it to hit each body part twice. The only thing I generally do not look to do 2 x a week is deadlifts so add something like good mornings in as one of an assist for squats. The one that is challenging is squatting on deadlift day. I do front squats after deadlifting as I pull sumo. You can also drop the weight for squats so you are using 5s weight but replacing the 5 reps for 3 (so it would be 3 x 3 but using 5s calculations) so you do not tire yourself out too much before deadlifting. I think SideSteel squats before deadlifts but keeps it a little lighter (well, that is the plan but he currently is PR'ing like a crazyy man).

    Is there a specific area you want to work on when you bulk?
  • tomcornhole
    tomcornhole Posts: 1,084 Member
    What do you do for your assistance work now?

    I just do Boring But Big.
    Is there a specific area you want to work on when you bulk?

    Legs. Calves are great. Upper leg is spindly and weak (as evidenced by my pathetic squat numbers).

    As an aside, I started a cut 2 weeks ago to get down to 10% BF before starting the bulk. Cut is going fine, but man, the lifting has suffered. I was progressing nicely in maintenance through 5/3/1, setting new PR's out of cycle and easily exceeding the reps. Now it is a monumental struggle to just hit the minimums and BBB is only 3 sets instead of 5. Can't wait to finish the cut and see what happens in a caloric excess.

    Tom
  • Sarauk2sf
    Sarauk2sf Posts: 28,072 Member
    I will follow up more fully but for now, I am just going to empathize about strength progression in a cut...I am at the end of my 8th week of my cut and am getting decidedly pouty,
  • tomcornhole
    tomcornhole Posts: 1,084 Member
    Thanks Sara. Good to know that the cut is preventing progress. Should be done in another month so I may have to stay at the same weights for 2 months in a row.
  • tomcornhole
    tomcornhole Posts: 1,084 Member
    Your mention of sumo deadlifts made me curious so I tried those today instead of the regular ones. I really like those. More hamstring activation but maintains the upper back involvement. Can you lift more sumo than regular? I actually went over my DL weight and reps today doing it sumo.
  • Hendrix7
    Hendrix7 Posts: 1,903 Member
    Your mention of sumo deadlifts made me curious so I tried those today instead of the regular ones. I really like those. More hamstring activation but maintains the upper back involvement. Can you lift more sumo than regular? I actually went over my DL weight and reps today doing it sumo.

    Depends on your individual leverages, I'm a better conventional puller than sumo.

    It's a good idea to work both in your training.
  • Sarauk2sf
    Sarauk2sf Posts: 28,072 Member
    Your mention of sumo deadlifts made me curious so I tried those today instead of the regular ones. I really like those. More hamstring activation but maintains the upper back involvement. Can you lift more sumo than regular? I actually went over my DL weight and reps today doing it sumo.

    I can lift more (I think). I only switched to sumos a couple of months ago and within a couple of weeks had surpassed my conventionals - but I had just started bulking and I have not done conventionals since (except a few as assists).

    It depends on your levers but apparently women are better at sumos - due to our hip structure and relative shorter torso to guys. I like them as I feel like they are better for me in not rounding my back.
  • tomcornhole
    tomcornhole Posts: 1,084 Member
    I have ridiculously long lower legs so it was better leverage for me on the sumos. This is a problem on squats too because my knees go out over my feet because of the long femurs.
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