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Need some opinions - Beginner/Intermediate lifting programs

SWH

New member
Okay so i've been training using texas method for quite a while now, finished a fair few cycles and i really liked it, my lifts have skyrocketed i'm repping my previous deadlift PB and about 1 week away from repping my competition squat, although the upper body lifts are lacking. The progressions feel way too slow, i started with a 1rm bench of 75 and i'm only just hitting 77.5kg for 3 reps now, an increase sure but it just isn't as much as I was hoping for especially compared to my upper body lifts. Press has completely stopped in the past few weeks as well, theres no progression anymore? i've been doing 40kg on mondays for 5x5 then either 1,2 or 3 reps of 50kg on heavy days for about the last 2 months. Not sure if its the spreadsheet fucking up or thats how its actually meant to be.

Anyways, i was possibly looking to move on to something else which might test my upper body lifts a little more. I'm hoping people have some recommendations :) I could go back to regular SS, sure but I don't think that would work real well for too long especially on my lower body lifts. Anyways, just putting it out there any feedback appreciated :) thanks
 
If I were you, I would not touch 5/3/1 or the cube with a 100ft pole.

I think you could still milk 5x5 for much longer.
 
If I were you, I would not touch 5/3/1 or the cube with a 100ft pole.

I think you could still milk 5x5 for much longer.

My sentiments RE cube and 5/3/1
You'll notice a few routines will have their 5 minutes of fame being the most jacked-off to regime on the internet

Although I've never really seen 5x5 do much for anyone's bench. It certainly didn't do much to mine. Lots of sets of 3 seem to do the trick for me...
 
If I were you, I would not touch 5/3/1 or the cube with a 100ft pole.

I think you could still milk 5x5 for much longer.

I don't doubt that i could still use 5x5 as an advantage although will it be effective on my upper body lifts is what i'm most concerned with, and what version of 5x5 would be most beneficial for the upper body?

My sentiments RE cube and 5/3/1
You'll notice a few routines will have their 5 minutes of fame being the most jacked-off to regime on the internet

Although I've never really seen 5x5 do much for anyone's bench. It certainly didn't do much to mine. Lots of sets of 3 seem to do the trick for me...

Do you have a link, name or sample of a program which used such set/rep ranges for me to look into?
 
Different people have different opinions of 5/3/1. I found it great, especially when I learnt how to use it properly and modified it to fit me better.

There's always Sheiko if you have a ****load of spare time...

No experience with Cube though.
 
I don't doubt that i could still use 5x5 as an advantage although will it be effective on my upper body lifts is what i'm most concerned with, and what version of 5x5 would be most beneficial for the upper body?



Do you have a link, name or sample of a program which used such set/rep ranges for me to look into?

This is the program that I personally will be doing for GPC nationals.
It's "designed" to be a 6 week cycle followed by a deload week of light shit and then a 1RM test although I will be running it for 4 weeks and then a deload for nationals due to time constraints. The focus is on squats

http://ausbb.com/member-training-diaries/15239-0nis-log-237.html#post454248

You can probably figure this shit out yourself though. You KNOW what looks good and is sane. You know how much volume you did and that you probably could do with increasing this volume so you know how many reps a week you should be aiming for. If you're really stuck grab the Sheiko template and just plug your own shit in, then you're not tied to any rep range or program and can make adjustments without having to worry about throwing shit out of whack
 
Different people have different opinions of 5/3/1. I found it great, especially when I learnt how to use it properly and modified it to fit me better.

There's always Sheiko if you have a ****load of spare time...

No experience with Cube though.

5/3/1 or sheiko for a guy that benches 80kg at 80kg???
 
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I don't doubt that i could still use 5x5 as an advantage although will it be effective on my upper body lifts is what i'm most concerned with, and what version of 5x5 would be most beneficial for the upper body?



Do you have a link, name or sample of a program which used such set/rep ranges for me to look into?

I still use 5x5 on bench and I bench over 160kg, it works.

Do you have a coach? He will be the best at setting your programs.

If you dont, post of some training vids, even a missed rep and we might be able to help you further.
 
Disagree, but that's cool.

I won't say that it would be optimal as written but it could be optimised.

I do agree that 5x5 is a great training protocol to begin with but I personally think it becomes limited after a certain point as does most linear periodisation. However that certain point varies significantly from individual to individual.
 
I won't say that it would be optimal as written but it could be optimised.

I do agree that 5x5 is a great training protocol to begin with but I personally think it becomes limited after a certain point as does most linear periodisation. However that certain point varies significantly from individual to individual.

This I agree with......


But a body weight bench is not that certain point at 80kg.
 
Depends on the exercise, volume, intensity (how far out from a meet).

In the earlier parts of programming, a few minutes is enough.

Benching last night was 5-7.

Squats tonight I have 3x5 probably be 10-15 between sets.
 
Would it be a good idea to run a similar basic program (5x5, 3x5 progressions or whatever) but substitute upper body with a particular bench or press cycle for that lift only? if theres even such thing?
 
Smashing two regimes together rarely works well in my experience. Which is limited but I did a lot of it.

If you're going to do that, you need to figure out which rep ranges, volumes and frequencies work for each lift. So stick with one thing and you'll know if it works after 4 weeks. Then change one thing, not regimes just one thing. I think doing something like 5x5 with smolov jr. for bench is stupid
 
well, so far the options are back to 5x5, cube or 5/3/1, not too keen on 5/3/1, don't know a whole lot about cube and eh for the 5x5. i'll probably stick to straight 5x5
 
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