Beyond 5/3/1: Simple Training for Extraordinary Results (13 page)

Therefore, I will now make it perfectly clear why I choose the assistance

exercises detailed above and I will also provide variations.

Safety Squat Bar

It is easy on the shoulders and a great way to add leg volume without straining

your shoulders or being externally rotated for long periods of time. It is perfect

for an older lifter trying to get stronger, stay healthy and be able to press.

It is the “Prowler” of barbells. The Prowler is the easiest and simplest thing

to do. You simply get behind the sled and push. There are no technique

guidelines. If the sled doesn’t move it is simple: either drop your hips, or the

weight is too heavy. In other words, get stronger. The SS Bar is much the same.

Get in the yoke, push your ass back and squat. When you come up, you can strain

and muscle your way to the top. It is truly a full-body movement when the

weight becomes heavy, as all you have to worry about is pushing hard and holding

on to the yoke.

It helps build the deadlift and squat. The SS Bar is great for strengthening your

quads and the entire back side of the body, including hamstrings, glutes, low

back, mid back and upper back.

One of the big hang-ups people have with this two day/week program is that you

are only doing the main lifts once every two weeks. By using the SS Bar every

week, you are now squatting every week. This solves that problem and the

mental block.

Straight Leg Deadlift/Good Morning

The straight leg deadlift (SLDL) and good morning (GM) exercises are great ways to

strengthen the lower back, glutes and hamstrings. These muscles are essential to

building a good squat and deadlift. Because of the many muscles used in both of

the exercises and

the benefit to the main lifts, these exercises are great examples of Training Economy.

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Training Economy is using the least amount of exercises with the greatest overall effect,

thus saving you time and energy.

The SLDL and GM are best used with a light to moderate weight, which ensures

that your form is not compromised. Too often, these exercises are done using heavy

weights, turning the SLDL into a deadlift and the GM into a bad-looking squat. This

happens because too much weight causes the hips to drop just to complete the

rep, and the loses its effectiveness and purpose. The purpose of the assistance

lifts is NOT to get good at the GM or SLDL, but rather to strengthen the muscle

groups that help the squat and deadlift. There are no crowns given to the Good

Morning King. Because the lifts are best done with a light to moderate weight, a

higher volume can be used. Thus, you can use them to get bigger and stronger.

As to which (SLDL or GM) exercise to do – this is entirely up to you and your

training

template. This will be better explained later in this section but both are great

exercises.

Safety Squat Bar Variations

If you do not want to use a SS Bar (or don’t have access to one) here is

a list of acceptable variations. This is not exhaustive as you may have certain

ones that you prefer or to which you have access.

• Front Squat

• Box Squat

• Hack Squat

• Leg Press

• Single Leg Work (Step Up, Lunge, One Leg Squat)

SLDL/GM Variations

• Trap Bar

• Snatch Grip Deadlift

• Rack Pulls

• Block Deadlift

• Deficit Deadlift

• Romanian Deadlift

• KB Swings (or Hungarian Core Blaster)

Bench Press/Press as Assistance Work

There really doesn’t need to be any explanation as to why these lifts are done as

assistance lifts – they are major exercises and have been proven to be tremendous

strength and muscle builders. I am adamant about the use of the football bar (or

Swiss

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bar) when doing the volume work for assistance. The reason for this is simple –

it is

100% easier on the shoulders. This doesn’t mean you can’t use the straight bar for

the volume training, rather it is merely a recommendation. This bar has neutral

handles on it (similar to how one would hold dumbbells when pressing) and is

so much easier on the shoulders and pecs.

The main focus of the upper body assistance work for this training is to choose a

“big” pressing exercise – any kind of press will do. Using the press and the

bench press is just an easy way to get more work in with the main lift. The big

picture is simple: after the main exercise, choose a big pressing movement and do

high-volume work.

Bench Press/Press Variations

• Football Bar Bench Press

• Football Bar Press

• Floor Press

• Incline Press

• Any kind of press done on Hammer Machine (or something similar)

• Dumbbell Pressing (supine, incline or standing)

• Dips (weighted or non-weighted)

• Push-ups

Lat Work

I am a big believer in lat work. With all the pressing we’ve done over the years,

it certainly helps to keep that balance between push and pull. And since most of us

have done far more pressing than pulling we have a lot of catching up to

do.

I should mention that my lat work is also upper back work, as I am always conscious of

pulling my shoulder blades together and pinching my lats and traps on each

movement. I am not very “weight conscious” when I do lat and upper back work.

In other words, I don’t care how much weight I use on rows or how many chin-

ups I can do. Instead, I make sure that I do the movements correctly. Amazing

concept, right?

However, I do a lot of volume with lat work. I usually do 150-200 reps of lat

work/balance work (i.e. work for the upper back) per workout. Although it is not

written in the template, I always do some kind of pulling movement between the

main sets (yes, even the squat and deadlift). This is usually chin-ups/pull-ups, T-Bar

rows, face pulls, band pull-aparts or bent over lateral raises. Yeah, I know the last

two aren’t technically “lat work” but they are

movements that help to balance the shoulder girdle.

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The main lat movement of the day is always supersetted with the main pressing

assistance work. This is not a time to be timing the rest periods – this is time for

moving some weight. Let the conditioning happen on the other two days; you are in

the weight room to get stronger not to become a Kipping Nancy. So make each and

every set count.

My two main pulling movements are Rows and Chins/Pull-ups. This is simply

because I have a garage gym and this is what I have access to. And really, you

can’t go wrong with these choices.

Two Day/Week – New Template

This new template is a bit more joint and muscle friendly than the others and allows

you to do all four lifts in a week. There is a clear emphasis on one lower and one

upper body lift per week. For example, the week that you are squatting heavy, the

deadlift will still be done. However, it won’t take a huge mental and physical

commitment. You still get some quality work in and it should still be relatively

heavy.

The lift that is being emphasized (on week one the squat and the bench press are

these lifts) should be given your full attention and this when PR’s are achieved,

Jokers sets done and volume work done.

Week One

Day One

Day Two

Squat – 5/3/1 sets and reps

Bench Press – 5/3/1 sets and reps

Deadlift – 65% x 3, 75% x 3, 85% x 3

Press - 65% x 3, 75% x 3, 85% x 3

Assistance Work

Assistance Work

Week Two

Day One

Day Two

Squat – 65% x 3, 75% x 3, 85% x 3

Press – 5/3/1 sets and reps

Deadlift – 5/3/1 sets and reps

Bench Press - 65% x 3, 75% x 3, 85% x 3

Assistance Work

Assistance Work

Note: The 65%, 75%, 85% for 3 reps can be changed to any of the following (all

percentages based on the training max):

• 70%x3, 80%x3, 90%x3

• 75%x5, 85%x3, 95%x1

• 80%x1, 90%x1, 100%x1

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S.S.S. – Singles, Speed, Size

The training days per week are up to you – this can change from week to week as

your

recovery may vary. I highly recommend taking one or two days/between sessions.

Four main workouts: squat, bench press, press and deadlift. This remains a constant

from

the original 5/3/1 workout.

All percentages are based on your training max (TM). Like the original 5/3/1

workout,

your TM begins at 90% of your 1RM.

After three full workouts of each lift, your TM will go up 5-10 pounds for the

upper/lower body lifts. It may take you three weeks or six weeks to finish a cycle.

This depends entirely on how often you train.

For every weight training workout that you do, you must do one recovery session. Your

recovery work MUST be taken as seriously as your weight training.

You must eat. This should be a given when training for strength and combining it

with size and speed work, but there is new breed of male out there and it does not

look good for the future. “Diets” have replaced common sense. I will not discuss

diet when everyone knows a T-Bone and a glass of milk (look at the big picture!) are

more conducive to lifting big weights than tuna stuffed in a low-carb pita. If you

do not know how to eat a steak, then this workout is not for you.

Deloads are done by how you feel and are up to you. A deload week is simply doing

the

main lifts for 3 sets of 5 reps at 70% and little to no assistance work. You will not do

the

5x10 training during a deload.

Here is the basic daily template

Speed

Box Jumps, Hurdle Jumps, Long Jumps, Jump Rope, Medicine Ball Throws,

10

Strength
ya

5 rd spri

singles nts/star

at 90%+ ts

of (15

-30

your jum

Tra ps

ini

ng or

throws

Max

per day)

Size

Hypertrophy Phase – 5 sets of 10 reps at approximately 50% of your TM.

Strength Phase – Choose any one of these assistance templates:

Simplest Strength Template, 5’s Progression, or 3x5