5/3/1?

[smckellar1]

Been on stronglifts for 14 weeks and made substantial progress.However I'm struggling to squat 3 times a week due to the fact I can't bloody walk properly now I've reached round about 1.5 times my bodyweight and I'm on my feet 10 hours a day at work.I feel 5/3/1 may suit me better.Does anyone have any experience or advice regarding this program before I buy the ebook?!

[NU_nutrition_TS]

Not about the program but about the individuality of recovery: why do people hit certain muscle groups with such scheduled frequency when it must be clear that a) they have not sufficiently recovered OR adapted or b) they have not just been stimulated to adapt but functionally destroyed! There seems to be this gym-rat 'gung-ho' attitude that unless you are crawling out of the gym on your knees you have not worked out properly and will not build muscle optimally - absolute machismo BS!

If the pain and/or level of incapacity is such that you either cannot physically work that muscle or you find your progress has come to a stand still or is going into reverse, then you are over-training and need to cut back - including not training that particular muscle group as frequently - giving it the extra time it needs to fully recover and adapt.

[fctilidie]

I've been on the program for a quite a while. I strayed for a while with WS4SB but the progress is much more consistant with 5/3/1 so I went back to it. My only advice is to do the program exactly as it's set out in the book, if you choose one of the options that has the deload built into it then make sure you do it, and make sure you take a proper max that you can do right now when working out your training max, the minute you change something on it that is not set out in the book is the minute you can't blame the program for you not making progress.

[MiniHulk]

Unfortunately, life isn't writ in stone. I do not believe following a book can give you your individual biggest gains. Everyone is different. Book's are normally written by people with incredible genetics, normally with the intention of getting money out of your wallet.

There are plenty of routines that work. Lift heavy, with plenty of rest between sets and I recommend 42 hours rest after the workout on that particular muscle group - but again, it's not writ in stone, some people recover faster than others, and your diet will effect this too. Make sure you eat plenty of good quality protein and enough calories and you will be set.

Don't be a sheep... sheep don't have big muscles

[fctilidie]

How do the 2 points I made relate to what you are saying? Have you read it to know what it is I'm talking about, or did you just jump in there and make out that I'm telling him to do some cooker cutter program? All the assistance work he chooses to suit his own needs will make this program work for him.

[smckellar1]

I'm not trying to be a sheep or a sheep with muscles! Just thought this would be the place to ask about another solid program that is not so squat heavy.I have been consistent with strong lifts and have made good gains,having been pointed in that direction from this forum.I have seen 5/3/1 mentioned around the forum so
thought I would ask opinions.If anyone has any better ideas,I'm open to suggestions and would be grateful for the advice.

[MiniHulk]

Quote

I'm not trying to be a sheep or a sheep with muscles! Just thought this would be the place to ask about another solid program that is not so squat heavy.I have been consistent with strong lifts and have made good gains,having been pointed in that direction from this forum.I have seen 5/3/1 mentioned around the forum so
thought I would ask opinions.If anyone has any better ideas,I'm open to suggestions and would be grateful for the advice.

I wasn't dissing you or trying to put you down in anyway, I apologise for not asking your goals.

Are you aiming for strength? Squats are very good for mass gains and raise your testosterone like crazy. I have always liked 5/2/10 personally, which shows just how varied routines can be. Before I got ill, I put on huge mass with that style. I was squatting 130kg for 4 reps, then 2 reps of 150kg, then 10 reps at 100kg. I never liked to go crazily heavy with squats because I am of a very small build and my back felt like it was going to snap even though my legs could support much more.

The sheep comment was out of line, I wasn't calling you one though - was just trying to point out that you need to try some routines that work for you personally.

[smckellar1]

No offence taken.made me chuckle.I'm 74 kg and just got my squat to 110kg.I know that's not alot to you guys but was at 60kg before starting stronglifts and doing a gym
routine set out by an instructor.Have since set up in my garage and have
been consistent.Just want to keep adding strength and increasing weight on the bar.Just seems like squatting 3 times a week is causing havoc with my ability to walk properly!

[Dolphinski]

Why don't you just squat every other workout and deadlift on the alternating days? Up the deads by 5lb instead of 10lb increments.

[MiniHulk]

110kg is great, nothing to smirk at. I only got my weight so high because I been squatting weights since I was 14 lol. I am 5ft4, which makes my 150kg squat look impressive, but I lack strength in bench presses because I never do them and hate the feeling of it.

After squatting for about 3 weeks, the DOMS should disappear and it shouldn't affect your walking. Try something for me as a little experiment if you want and see if it helps. When you squat, try to explode up powerfully and try not to take too long coming back down (eccentrically), try to get the weight down safely, but without pushing too hard against it. I find that the eccentric movements make me sore for days with not much additional mass gains. Some people are different though.

You could try squatting some light weights every day, to prepare your muscles for the heavy squatting days. This should reduce muscle soreness. Work on pull ups and dips for some nice mass too. Training heavy squats once a week would still mean some good gains for you, some people panic and think they have to keep hitting them every couple of days - you are clearly overtraining.