re: 5/3/1 BBB vs GSLP Strength/Hypertrophy

Does 5/3/1 forever go into BBB and BBS? What about accessories?

I have no idea what you’re talking about there.

Looks like I need the book.

Yeah they’re pretty much the same in concept. Last sets taken to failure, incremental increases in intensity and small gains over a long period of time. Both are great for beginners. I really like GSLP, but there is a point where it’s high intensity all the time. 531 has higher and lower percentages. For someone like me, who’s already putting up decent numbers, that constant high can burn me out. Eventually, I just get fatigued. I’m also eating in a deficit. Sometimes I just can’t keep going.

Just stumbled upon and re-read this.

You mentioned before about when someone should move from 2x5+ to RPT, and then onto rest pause, but I can't remember what you recommended for this process..

I.e. how many resets at 3x5+ before moving to RPT? Or are there specific strength goals to hit?

So i recommend the following

Hit a plateau on a lift

Deload as recommended, set pr on the way back up

When you plateau again you have a choice, deload and repeat or switch to a variant. If you choose to deload once you plateau again, you must switch to a variant. So either after the 2nd or 3rd stall you switch to a variant. I prefer after the 2nd stall you switch if you aren't overly concerned with the numbers i.e. a competing powerlifter.

Repeat the process for the variant. After two stalls, go back to he main lift or switch to another variant. This will depend on where you are in your lifting career but in general, running a 2nd variant is recommended

Repeat for the new variant. Stall again, switch back to the main lift. Once you stall and deload once we look at going to RPT.

So it would look something like this using the press as an example

Press-
Week1-8 increase the weight and set prs. Let assume on week 9 you only get 4 reps with 150. Second time in week 9 you only get 4 reps again at 150 so we deload.

This time after 6 weeks you get to 162.5 and stall at 4 reps again both on Monday and Friday.

We deload and repeat and although you set rep records on the way up, you stall again at 162.5 for 4.

So we switch to the variant and repeat the whole process. Let's say z press.

We stall twice at 135 for 3. We deload and repeat this time getting to 140 before we stall. We deload and repeat and again get stuck but at 142.5 so we go ahead and switch to push press.

We repeat and we get the 185 for 4 after 10 weeks. We deload and set rep records but again stall at 185. At this point we switch back to the main lift.

We run until we stall let's say, 170 for 4. At this point instead of deloading like normal we switch this lift and this lift only to the rot system. We run the 4-6, 6-8,8-12 rep scheme using the dependent model as found in martin berkham's rpt guide. We set rep records. When we stall again, we switch to a variant and repeat using the same scheme.

After two variants we go back to the main lift. After a stall this time we move to rest pause training. We then repeat the whole process over again.

Now this is a simplified approach and many times instead of switching from rpt to rest pause, we would add volume as a supplement lift similar to bbs or BBB from 531.

Let's say you stall on rpt in the above step of things. Instead of switching to a variant, you hold serve and keep trying to increase the lifts for the first two sets, but after the 2 sets we go to 60% of our one rep max and we do 10 sets of 5 of the press supersetted with chins. You would drop the third rpt sets in favor of the bbs scheme. You would increase the bbs sets the same way you would traditional gslp scheme using the 2.5/5 lbs increases for upper/lower lifts.

Once you do this for 8-12 weeks you drop that and after a week off, go back to he traditional rpt sets.

Essentially doing what wendler describes as leader and anchor templates. More traditionally known as hypertrophy and intensity phases.

Your using supplemental lifts at high volume on the first phase with lower overall intensity and then using lower volume high intensity in the second phase to help you "realize" the new found growth in the form of strength.

Sorry this is long, but easiest way for me to explain. It's just basic periodization.

How would this work in relation the deadlift, where in GSLP you are only recommended 1 work set, as opposed to other lifts that are 3 sets etc?

'Rpt style' on deads being 2-3 sets instead? Thanks

Ah I see, thank you