Right, but I'm asking about using your 5RM as an approximation to that 90%. Because I thought I had seen it mentioned here before. Seems like you'd say it'd be too low to start though.

That formula seems very high, I doubt I could lift anywhere close to the 1RM numbers it gives me. But I've never trained that way before, so what do I know.

Your 5RM is unlikely to be a good estimate of 90% of your 1RM.

The formula is from 5/3/1 and it is very accurate for me, regarding squat at least.

Multiple other 1RM formulas can be found here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/One_rep_maximum

I'm guessing you meant Friday. Well, the main reason is that I don't exactly know what to do on the TM Friday. The volume is the same (5x5), but the intensity is slightly higher (85% of 1RM, instead of 90% of 5RM).

The reason is that I don't like squatting only once a week, and 5/3/1 has you doing just that.

It will be at 85% 1RM, but on some days I may push that to 90% while cutting down on Friday.

Squeezing in the deadlift is definitely the challenge here. If I had to choose between scrapping Wednesday's squat or deadlifting on Friday, I'd have to choose scrapping the Wednesday light squat. I don't like it, but if that's what it takes...

This is probably a better solution, if I still want to squat on Wednesday. The deadlift can go here afterward, right?

http://www.t-nation.com/strength-training-topics/1316

Wow. That was an easy tweak. Thanks for the article.

Hey guys,

my friend's asked him to help him put together a program. He's been following GSLP for a while, with a lot of breaks and inconsistent training due to life stuff. He's about to be a dad and has realized he won't be lifting 3/week, so he's moving to 2/week.

He's not really an intermediate, but close enough that I think it's better to move on to intermediate programming anyway given his schedule.

Based on 5/3/1 I put together this. His goals are basically to get stronger, no concern for hypertrophy. Can't eat too much, he's already at @17-19% BF or so. He's a fairly serious amateur cross-country skier, which involves a lot of upper back, core and triceps. Lower body strength is secondary.


A:
Bench 5/3/1
Squat 5/3/1
Chins 4x5 for max up to 6-7 reps
Abs

B:
Press 5/3/1
DL 5/3/1
Squats 4x8 or 5x10?
Push-ups (weighted) 4xMax up to 10 reps


Any thoughts or alternative suggestions welcome, thanks.

Couldnt you have him do texas method without the light day?

I could - you think that would be better? If so I'm all for it. Again though, he can't be eating too much and will also do fairly hard conditioning 3/week. Guess I should have mentioned that, heh. His recovery abilities are excellent though.

He could do 3x5 monday on volume day since he is doing conditioning instead of 5x5 and do intensity normal on friday. My friend has been doing texas method that way but with a light day and his lifts have sky rocketed. He does 2x5, 1x5+ on volume day though. He was at like 3x5x315 on squats on GSLP and how he just did 5x380 on his intensity day. its only been like 3 or four months

Based on my experience TM is awesome for squats (and to a lesser extent deadlift) but not as great for upper body. By the time you get to upper body you have often destroyed yourself squatting and not a whole lot left in the tank or WIM.

I can see that jdock, but I like weasel's idea of toning down the squat volume - should help a lot. I'll pitch the idea, thanks weasel.

ETA: so bench/press on alternate weeks I guess?

Ya, alternate on bench/press.

Jdock,

My friend does his bench/press first on TM and his upper body lifts have seen steady progress

Progress from what to what. I have seen plenty of TM logs on this site and I cannot recall anyone gaining any appreciable upper body strength doing it, although I have seen some very impressive squat gains.

Maybe I am interpreting Soulman's post wrong, but it seems like he implied his friend's goals are performance related and upper body was more important than lower body. If that is true, I don't see TM being the ideal program.

Yeah j, they are definitely performance related. He'd like to get his squat/DL stronger too, but upper body is more important. His lifts are pretty weak though, so I think most programs would work for now.

his bench went from 3x5x225 to 5x265 and his press wend from 3x5x150 to 5x185

I have a question in regards to Smolov Jr. for OHP and running it potentially in conjunction with 5/3/1. The options as I see it are:

1) Do Smolov Jr. OHP and nothing else. No squats, no DLs, no bench, no assistance.

2) Do Smolov Jr. OHP with some assistance - no idea what assistance should be

3) Do Smolov Jr. OHP + 5/3/1 for squats and DL. No assistance, and no bench.

I'm leaning towards doing #3. This is what the cycle would look like. Note that I have an OHP 1rm of maybe 110lbs (I may want to get an "actual" 1rm in my deload week before starting the Smolov Jr cycle). How many lbs each week should I go up? I was thinking 5lbs for myself and 2.5lbs for my g/f (whose OHP is about half mine). Thoughts and other general advice? Also, I will be doing a slight cut - is it assumed this is a huge issue? I'm looking at you for advice on all of this Busto

Week 1
Tuesday: 6x6x70 (+ 5/3/1 DL)
Thursday: 7x5x75 (+ 5/3/1 LBBS)
Saturday: 8x4x80
Sunday: 10x3x85

Week 2
Tuesday: 6x6x75 (+ 5/3/1 DL)
Thursday: 7x5x80 (+ 5/3/1 LBBS)
Saturday: 8x4x85
Sunday: 10x3x90

Week 3

Tuesday: 6x6x80 (+ 5/3/1 DL)
Thursday: 7x5x85 (+ 5/3/1 LBBS)
Saturday: 8x4x90
Sunday: 10x3x95

Week 4
Deload (we will be on vacation this week anyway) - maybe I'll get into the gym and do some random deload stuff. Before leaving on vacation I may try to test my OHP 1rm (would be 2 days after the last week 3 session).

Any thoughts? I guess if I don't get any I'll repost in the beginner thread and intermediate thread)

I dunno too much about the Smolovs, I'm sure more knowledgeable people will post as well, but not doing any lower body work hardly seems necessary. I'd do option 3.

Although I dunno if either 5/3/1 or any Smolov on a cut is the best idea...

Another vote for number 3.

Doing Smolov and cutting at the same time seems subpotimal to me, but I assume others will confirm/deny.

anyone know of oly lift focused programming that will prescribe weights and sets (right now I do 20 singles on snatch or 20 singles on c+j every day along with either back squat, front squat, or squat and jerk - and while this is good for working on form, unless I have something telling me to do x weight, I'll be a little bitch and not push myself hard enough).

I assume you have already heard it but 110 1RM isn't that high and maybe you should consider more "normal" programming for a bit longer before doing smolov jr.

Seriously consider doing 3x a week instead of 4x, it will suck really really hard on the third week.

I did smolov jr for my bench last fall and my shoulders still isn't 100% after that. Just saying

Do full smolov for squats instead

Intriguing.

Might as well just go all out and do Smolov DL.

http://www.catalystathletics.com/workouts/cycles.php
Everett's book is also good and shows some programming.

The following book is harder to find, but I found a cheap (<$20) used copy somewhere locally and my library also had a copy. It has good info on programming iirc:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/096...SIN=0965917924

Some other programs:
http://mikesgym.org/programs/index.php

Dan John:
http://danjohn.net/beginners/
http://danjohn.net/2009/11/olympic-l...aster-athlete/