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Performance Area => Strength, Power, Reactivity, & Speed Discussion => Topic started by: JackW on August 11, 2011, 10:12:53 pm
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Hi Guys
I just thought I would start a new topic discussing Jim Wendlers 531 program. My training goal this year to try and get my 5RM safety bar box squat up to 180kg while maintaining my bodyweight of about 77-78kg.
I am only using it for the squat purposes so I don't do the bench press, deadlift etc days, and as mentioned in my front squat harness thread, it isn't specifically for vertical jump - more on that shortly.
It is advertised as the simplest strength program ever or something like that and I tend to agree. The actual workouts themselves involve a simple setup to follow and for me once a week I follow the 531 workout using the safety bar box squat as my exercise of choice. Then I do some assistance exercises (usually GHR and split squats) and then i am done. If time is allows or is lacking I can add or reduce the assistance work as required because the overall 531 portion is pretty quick to perform.
There is also a simple progression built into the program where you start off the first cycle by taking 10% off your 1RM and then working from there and at the end of each 4 week cycle you add 10 or 5 pounds (I can't remember the specifics exactly, I think it as 10 pounds for lower body, and 5 pounds for upper body, I could be wrong).
Anyway I have been using the 531 model for about 20 weeks (5 cycles) and have improved my squat from 147.5kg for 1 rep up to 152.5kg for 10 reps last weekend. I am not sure what my current 1RM is because I haven't tested it since the beginning. You only re-test it when your gains stall out at which point you then go back to the start (i.e. removing 10% off the new 1Rm and working form that figure).
Anyway, I have attached a 6 cycle spreadsheet you can use for any 2 main exercises. In the spreadsheet I have used the TB deadlift off a box and the safety bar box squat. My estimated 1RM's at the beginning where 160 and 150 respectively (I rounded up on the squat).
If you want to use the spreadsheet you just change the name of the exercises (in the blue cells) to whatever exercise you want to do, and then enter your 1RM's in the yellow cells and it will populate the cycles with the loads to use for the 6 cycles. Weights are in kg.
As you can see from file I have also used split squat and GHR as my assistance exercises but feel free to use whatever you want.
Also earlier I stated that I wasn't using this for vertical jump reasons. You could however easily add some more of a vertical jump flavor by simply adding in a day or two of jumping drills, or as I often like to do, adding in some simple jumping drills as part of the assistance exercises. On a strength day I like to finish with a few sets of seated jumps or hurdle jumps.
Jack
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That's some nice progress Jack. Keep us updated on how things go. I did some 531 previously and found it to be good and very time efficient (I wasn't doing any accessory lifts).
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Wait, you squat 152.5 for 10 reps? :o
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There is a caveat to that Raptor. The 152.5kg includes 65kg of chains (32.5kg each side). At the bottom it is clearly going to be quite a lot lighter than 152.5kg on the bar. I have a video of 150 for 9 reps I am posting soon so you can see for yourself - I need to edit it up a bit for an upcoming video/article for verticaljumping.com.
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nice table. :highfive:
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nice table. :highfive:
Cheers for that. I think the programmed increases though are both 5kg (or 11 pounds) every 4 weeks as the sample exercises are both lower body. If somebody wants to use it for an upper body exercise like bench press they will need to modify that 4 weekly increase to 5 pounds (or approx 2.5kg). Again, can't actually remember what the 531 recommendation is for upper body progression because I only use it for squats.
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Great post Jack , nice work on the spreadsheet too.
I like a lot 'programs' like that ,simple, customizable and ( therefore? ) very effective.
For what is worth , I used the 5-3-1 progression in my last 'program' , a high-frequency block.
It wasn't supposed to be 5-3-1 but kellyb suggested to do it like that , worked really well, i've been PRing like crazy since.
HIGH-FREQUENCY 5:3:1 BLOCK (http://www.adarq.org/forum/progress-journals-experimental-routines/vag%27s-journal-age-vs-vertical/msg49458/#msg49458)
Its a good example of adjusting it for more training days per week and also a more vert oriented version.
Hope it helps.
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Wait, you squat 152.5 for 10 reps? :o
Hi Raptor
Here is the video with my safety bar box squat effort of 150kg (including 65kg of chain weight). You will have to fast forward all the way to the end though.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qUUM3aBGenU
One thing that the safety bar really teaches with squatting is how to really drive your upper back up into the bar. It is quite noticeable on the later reps.
JW
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Wait, you squat 152.5 for 10 reps? :o
Lol i first thought you meant 152 lbs and it was like really less but now i know you meant 336.6 lbs for 10 reps which has me being like :o also
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Wait, you squat 152.5 for 10 reps? :o
Lol i first thought you meant 152 lbs and it was like really less but now i know you meant 336.6 lbs for 10 reps which has me being like :o also
Thanks SKT2GF, but as I said to Raptor, that weight includes 65kg of chains. At the bottom of the squat it is likely closer to somewhere between 120-130kg. The chains are great, I managed a 1RM front squat with 160kg using the chains and the front squat harness the other day. I will post a video of that soon too for Steven Millers enjoyment :D
JW
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Wait, you squat 152.5 for 10 reps? :o
Lol i first thought you meant 152 lbs and it was like really less but now i know you meant 336.6 lbs for 10 reps which has me being like :o also
Thanks SKT2GF, but as I said to Raptor, that weight includes 65kg of chains. At the bottom of the squat it is likely closer to somewhere between 120-130kg. The chains are great, I managed a 1RM front squat with 160kg using the chains and the front squat harness the other day. I will post a video of that soon too for Steven Millers enjoyment :D
JW
Hey Jack, where did you get the chains from? Haven't seen ones like that at Bunnings.
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Hey Jack, where did you get the chains from? Haven't seen ones like that at Bunnings.
I got them from here
http://www.gymandfitness.com.au/smai-chain-set.html
Cheers
Jack
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Wait, you squat 152.5 for 10 reps? :o
Lol i first thought you meant 152 lbs and it was like really less but now i know you meant 336.6 lbs for 10 reps which has me being like :o also
Thanks SKT2GF, but as I said to Raptor, that weight includes 65kg of chains. At the bottom of the squat it is likely closer to somewhere between 120-130kg. The chains are great, I managed a 1RM front squat with 160kg using the chains and the front squat harness the other day. I will post a video of that soon too for Steven Millers enjoyment :D
JW
I would enjoy it, 160 kg is not too bad of a front squat!