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5/3/1 BBB 90 Day Challenge - Not hard enough?

Posted on 4/16/20 at 4:30 pm
Posted by StringedInstruments
Member since Oct 2013
19751 posts
Posted on 4/16/20 at 4:30 pm
I know it seems crazy to say that a program that includes 5x10 AFTER your strength lift doesn't have enough volume, but I didn't feel all that destroyed today like I thought I would.

Here's what I have for the program and am following Wendler's TM percentages:

Thursday
Bench
5/3/1 Rep Scheme
5x10
Meadows Row
5x10

Friday
Squats
5/3/1 Rep Scheme
5x10
Hanging Leg Raises
5x10

Sunday
OHP
5/3/1 Rep Scheme
5x10
Bent Over Rows
5x10

Tuesday
Deadlifts
5/3/1 Rep Scheme
5x10
Hanging Leg Raises
5x10

I started with bench today. The 5x10 set got me at the end. I'd say reps 9 and 10 were tough on set 4. Reps 7-10 felt like jelly on set 5. But I'm not too worn out.

I thought the strength sets were really easy. I was on Greyskull until last week and was doing 3x5 with 200 on bench. Wendler had me do 135, 155, and 180 on bench (I rounded the percentages a bit). I was doing 135 and 185 as warm up sets before the 200 pound working sets on Greyskull. I was dying at the fifth rep. I was usually dead after grinding out those reps.

5/3/1 BBB 4 day split enticed me because I was tired of squatting twice a week and constantly finding myself grinding out heavy, heavy sets. But I'm not sure BBB worked me out enough to feel like I switched to some hardass weight lifting program as it was advertised.

I will say the meadows row were tough to get through but that was probably because I have never done them before.

Anyways...thoughts?

*Edit - In anticipation of comments about combining lifts into the same day (follow bench 5/3/1 with OHP 5x10 for example), Wendler said you could do both. A lot of his recent writings actually recommend doing the same lift for the 5/3/1 and BBB sets.
This post was edited on 4/16/20 at 4:33 pm
Posted by lsu777
Lake Charles
Member since Jan 2004
34658 posts
Posted on 4/16/20 at 5:11 pm to
If you are doing the tnation BBB challenge, it will soon get very hard.

The idea with 531 is to start light, progress slowly and avoid stalls for as long as possible.

It is less intense than a gslp, but just as intelligently deaigned.

Just trust the plan, hit the accessories, eat and sleep. Trust me when it gets up to 70% on those BBB sets, you will be lucky to finish.
Posted by StringedInstruments
Member since Oct 2013
19751 posts
Posted on 4/16/20 at 5:24 pm to
quote:

Just trust the plan


Guess I'll keep at it then.

I do expect squat and deadlift days to suck arse even this first week. I think I would be exhausted from 5x10 bodyweight squats.
Posted by DeafJam73
Baton Rouge
Member since Sep 2010
19122 posts
Posted on 4/16/20 at 6:16 pm to
It gets hard. Come back in 4 weeks and you’ll be singing a different tune.
Posted by Boring
Member since Feb 2019
3792 posts
Posted on 4/16/20 at 6:25 pm to
Start too light is literally the first principle of 5/3/1, so you're doing it correctly.

The 27 weeks BBB challenge from Beyond 5/3/1 absolutely kicked me in the balls starting in the 3x3 block, everything prior to that was super easy. I was dying by the singles phase...then Rona hit.
Posted by GeorgeTheGreek
Sparta, Greece
Member since Mar 2008
67843 posts
Posted on 4/16/20 at 7:22 pm to
I completed this about 3 years ago and it ruined me. I didn't eat enough to do it anyway.

Honestly, my deadlift form was great going into the challenge ... but 5x10 deads got very difficult when i tired out and my form started to suffer. Especially month 3. Took a long time to get it back dialed in.

I'd like to try it again.... I'd be much smarter about how i do it now.
Posted by boxcarbarney
Above all things, be a man
Member since Jul 2007
24297 posts
Posted on 4/17/20 at 10:53 am to
quote:

but 5x10 deads got very difficult


I just didn't do the 5x10 deads. I hate high volume deadlifts.
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