TangoDown
Member
hi guiz,
Sorry if I seem inarticulate; I assure you that my first language is English and I am quite proficient in it. I'm just exhausted from a long day.
Bout to test my 1 rep maxes for the first time ever over the weekend. Since I now care mostly about strength, I want to transition from HST to something else (obviously still keeping within the vein of progressive overload). I've looked at Wendler 5/3/1 and WSB, and I like Wendler 5/3/1 better because I don't have any boards or chains that WSB seems to require.
Yes I know I posted a thread about transitioning beforehand, but that was 5 months ago. I've squatted and sumo deadlifted for about 2 months now (using Starting Strength for a lower body that was untrained and imbalanced) so neural adaptations have probably ended. I consider my form on both to be pretty good.
I switched to barbell bench a couple of weeks ago from dumbbell bench and I'm guessing I can probably put up around 200lb for a rep, which isn't a ton (figuratively and literally lol), but hey, I'm only 157lb and 5'8" or so, so whatever. I'll be pushing a big number in the future.
Hence, with HST's outlined setup (15/10/5/Post-5/SD) becoming boring, progress stagnation (didn't get much stronger this cycle on the upper body, compared to before), and not much caring for aesthetics outside of getting fat or breaking my body, I want to go strength or go home, if you know what I mean.
Back to Strength Program talk:
The one thing I don't understand about Wendler is the assistance work; it doesn't seem to use progressive loads like the main lifts do. Unless that's outlined in the book (which I haven't purchased and probably won't). The other thing I'm confused about is the fact that with Wendler, you never train above 90% of your 1 rep max. You never test your actual rep max, you just push out as many reps as possible with a specific weight on specific days (when the program utilizes "+" days, or 3+ reps for example). I'm not specifically peeved that you don't get to push for a true rep max at any point...just seems kinda weird.
But I digress. I'd like to transition to a pure strength/power protocol, and the weight room at my gym doesn't have any fancy equipment besides dumbbells, a couple Olympic barbells, one babrell bench, one incline bench, a dip station, 2 pullup bars, a smith machine (ew), and a squat rack (not a power rack so no self spotting, unfortunately).
The lifts I'll be using:
Main Lifts:
Sumo Deadlift
Low-Bar Squat (Normal Stance)
Flat Barbell Bench Press
Overhead Press (not a big priority, but if I utilize Wender 5/3/1, it's used as a main lift...if not using Wendlers, I don't even know if I want to utilize this lift)
Assistance Lifts:
Some sort of back row (probably barbell, have to test my max)
Dumbbell Rear Delt Row (prehab purposes)
EZ Bar Curls (how could I resist?)
I suppose I could do DB Floor Press if need be (I was doing 1 arm floor press until I joined the gym) but I'd like to keep my program simple.
______________________________
I'm not too keen on any major power-lifting protocols at the moment (speed work, some crazy lift-specific protocols, board presses, resistance-band presses, etc.) My main goal is to increase the big three. My current schedule has me going to the gym 3 times a week - Tues Thurs Sat. ATM can't do Mon or Weds or Sundays. So training anymore than 3 times a week won't work for me.
So should I try Wendlers or should I do something else, or should I develop/get help in developing from ya'll, some HST-principle driven custom program?
Thanks for the assistance.
Sorry if I seem inarticulate; I assure you that my first language is English and I am quite proficient in it. I'm just exhausted from a long day.
Bout to test my 1 rep maxes for the first time ever over the weekend. Since I now care mostly about strength, I want to transition from HST to something else (obviously still keeping within the vein of progressive overload). I've looked at Wendler 5/3/1 and WSB, and I like Wendler 5/3/1 better because I don't have any boards or chains that WSB seems to require.
Yes I know I posted a thread about transitioning beforehand, but that was 5 months ago. I've squatted and sumo deadlifted for about 2 months now (using Starting Strength for a lower body that was untrained and imbalanced) so neural adaptations have probably ended. I consider my form on both to be pretty good.
I switched to barbell bench a couple of weeks ago from dumbbell bench and I'm guessing I can probably put up around 200lb for a rep, which isn't a ton (figuratively and literally lol), but hey, I'm only 157lb and 5'8" or so, so whatever. I'll be pushing a big number in the future.
Hence, with HST's outlined setup (15/10/5/Post-5/SD) becoming boring, progress stagnation (didn't get much stronger this cycle on the upper body, compared to before), and not much caring for aesthetics outside of getting fat or breaking my body, I want to go strength or go home, if you know what I mean.
Back to Strength Program talk:
The one thing I don't understand about Wendler is the assistance work; it doesn't seem to use progressive loads like the main lifts do. Unless that's outlined in the book (which I haven't purchased and probably won't). The other thing I'm confused about is the fact that with Wendler, you never train above 90% of your 1 rep max. You never test your actual rep max, you just push out as many reps as possible with a specific weight on specific days (when the program utilizes "+" days, or 3+ reps for example). I'm not specifically peeved that you don't get to push for a true rep max at any point...just seems kinda weird.
But I digress. I'd like to transition to a pure strength/power protocol, and the weight room at my gym doesn't have any fancy equipment besides dumbbells, a couple Olympic barbells, one babrell bench, one incline bench, a dip station, 2 pullup bars, a smith machine (ew), and a squat rack (not a power rack so no self spotting, unfortunately).
The lifts I'll be using:
Main Lifts:
Sumo Deadlift
Low-Bar Squat (Normal Stance)
Flat Barbell Bench Press
Overhead Press (not a big priority, but if I utilize Wender 5/3/1, it's used as a main lift...if not using Wendlers, I don't even know if I want to utilize this lift)
Assistance Lifts:
Some sort of back row (probably barbell, have to test my max)
Dumbbell Rear Delt Row (prehab purposes)
EZ Bar Curls (how could I resist?)
I suppose I could do DB Floor Press if need be (I was doing 1 arm floor press until I joined the gym) but I'd like to keep my program simple.
______________________________
I'm not too keen on any major power-lifting protocols at the moment (speed work, some crazy lift-specific protocols, board presses, resistance-band presses, etc.) My main goal is to increase the big three. My current schedule has me going to the gym 3 times a week - Tues Thurs Sat. ATM can't do Mon or Weds or Sundays. So training anymore than 3 times a week won't work for me.
So should I try Wendlers or should I do something else, or should I develop/get help in developing from ya'll, some HST-principle driven custom program?
Thanks for the assistance.
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