I don't feel too bad in admitting that I don't like 5/3/1, seeing as a lot of people share my opinion. I did 1 cycle, and I don't think I'm going to continue my current cycle. My main issue is that I don't like doing each lift only ONCE per week, with minimal volume to boot. I've had my greatest gains when the volume was high (RSP for example), and there was a good amount of intensity.
I don't feel I'm being inconsistent with my training like used to- I'm reevaluating my workouts, and I just don't think I'm training to my fullest capacity.
I think I'm going to do something like 5x5, 4 days a week, with two upper/lower days and progress on a workout to workout basis. I'm going to keep some of the things I've been doing on 5/3/1, such as the chinups, dumbbell rows and rack lockouts, along with a bit of bodybuilding stuff (if time permits).
Comments/suggestions appreciated.
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
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Its too soon. You may think you're doing it for the "right" reasons, but you're falling into the same trap again. I may share the same sentiment, but I'm reserving judgment and I'm at least a cycle and a half ahead of you.
ReplyDeleteRead this: http://functional-strength.blogspot.com/2010/11/lessons-learned-as-adolescent-and-adult.html
Just quitting because something isn't working is absolutely useless. You need to understand why. In addition you need to understand why in your own context, not just because the general consensus goes one way or another. I think is a bad move.
Also, I'm not trying rip your or anything but the statement "I've had my greatest gains when the volume was high (RSP for example), and there was a good amount of intensity." is just naiive.
ReplyDeleteThese are beginner gains, and remember...you got hurt because of it...
So do the lifts on other days, on deadlift day, do 5x10 light squats, on bench day, do 5x10 overhead press.
ReplyDeleteYou can change routines, but you can't say you did 5/3/1 and it did nothing for you, because 5/3/1 is the routine done over several cycles.
How much time is left on this cycle?
ReplyDeleteIf there isn't much time (a month), then you really should finish it out, see how your lifts went, and do a proper post mortem before making up your mind and switching plans.
I think I've seen you switch plans ten times on this log. The most important thing in strength training is consistency, so I think you should stick this one out unless there is really a pressing reason to change plans right now.
I wouldn't be at all surprised if you decide not to stay with 5/3/1 -- personally, I'm not a big fan of it. But I don't think the right way to go about this is to change plans mid-cycle because you are unhappy.
You know, I had this long message written about training principles and all that, but then something occurred to me...
ReplyDeleteJC, I think you should stick with 5/3/1 for now -- for more than one cycle...say at least 3 to 6 months -- just to prove to yourself that you CAN. You may or may not make progress, but at the end, you will have a better understanding of why certain things work and can develop your own body of knowledge. By relying on hearsay and untrained "feelings," you'll just jump from program to program and never learn anything.
JC may not be consistent on this log, but if there's one thing that's consistent on this log, it's our advice to JC =).
ReplyDeleteYou guys are totally right. I'll stick it out, even if its just to prove that I CAN be consistent.
ReplyDeleteThere's another train of thought here as well. When you're lifts go up and perform reps at weights that you couldn't lift before, this is an indication that progress HAS BEEN made, it is not necessarily indicative that you ARE making progress.
ReplyDeleteSo, in the same vein, just because there's not an immediate increase in weight or reps doesn't mean that you're not making progress, evidence of this may just appear at a later point in time.
You should also read your own posts and the comments made when you first floated the idea of 5/3/1
ReplyDeletehttp://mitstrength.blogspot.com/2010/10/jc-questions-about-5-3-1.html
http://mitstrength.blogspot.com/2010/10/jc-1021-military-press-max-attempt.html
"Don't know how long I'll run this program for, but I will obviously give it time. Consistency is key.
Goal: to become a strong motherfucker. No excuses allowed. " - JC 10/22/2010
I think you get it now...