2012-04-06 workout – Wendler 5/3/1 program, cycle 7, squat 4

/ hsoi

“Week 4” – BBB 3 Month Challenge

  • Deload – Squat (working max: 270#)
    • 2x5x45 (warmup)
    • 1x5x115
    • 1x5x135
    • 1x5x165
  • Asst. #1 – Deadlift
    • 3 x 10 x 165
  • Asst. #2 – Hanging Hip-Leg Raise
    • 3 x 8 x BW
  • Foam Rolling

Meh. Whatever. deload. 🙂

And so, month 1 of the “BBB 3 Month Challenge” comes to a close. I’m happy to have gone back to BBB because it’s just a solid template. If you don’t have any specific areas to address, it’s the template to do.

I can say that 50% weight is too light for me. Sure, Jim says in the book to start at 40% — start light, underestimate, it’s better that way for the long term. And over time I did adjust weights some, maybe 50% on some, 60% on others, but when you have everything uniform and see it all in front of you, you can’t help but take note. It’s just not sufficient. Good to start, not good to stay there. I reckon 60% will become the new standard, maybe even more depending on things. I just can’t see lifting less than 60% on the assistance lifts… the new “floor” for things.

And so, next month should be climbing a bit higher on the challenge. But… that’s why it’s a challenge. It’s not supposed to be easy, and nothing in life worth having is easy.

2 thoughts on “2012-04-06 workout – Wendler 5/3/1 program, cycle 7, squat 4”

  1. Wendler’s 5/3/1 is a great program. It works. I always struggled with the deload weeks too, though. I just got bored. Ha. I’m with you on potentially bumping it up to 60%. I’m not sure what Wendler would say, though. His response would probably involve a lot of expletives (If you’ve read some of his interviews, you know what I mean).

    • Indeed it works. The results speak for themselves.

      Deload is boring for sure, but I realize that I get through it pretty easily…. just don’t sweat it and it just glides by.

      As for what Wendler would say? He’d say it’s fine. Remember, I’m doing the “Boring But Big 3 Month Challenge“, and one of the things in that challenge is month 1 the assistance work at 50%, month 2 at 60%, month 3 at 70%. So… that’s the whole point:

      But if you mean using 60% outside of the challenge… who knows. I figure so long as you’re working, focusing on the main lift and keeping accessory as accessory (i.e. don’t major in the minors), that the accessory work doesn’t interfere with the main lift, if you’re recovering… it’s all good. I don’t think I could do the 70% normally. I’m already reading about others on the challenge struggling to hit the reps because 70% is a lot on this program… and that’s probably too much to normally do. But we’ll see how 60% goes for me.

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