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Hi Guys

I just thought I would start a new topic discussing Jim Wendlers 531 program. My training goal this year to try and get my 5RM safety bar box squat up to 180kg while maintaining my bodyweight of about 77-78kg.

I am only using it for the squat purposes so I don't do the bench press, deadlift etc days, and as mentioned in my front squat harness thread, it isn't specifically for vertical jump - more on that shortly.  

It is advertised as the simplest strength program ever or something like that and I tend to agree. The actual workouts themselves involve a simple setup to follow and for me once a week I follow the 531 workout using the safety bar box squat as my exercise of choice. Then I do some assistance exercises (usually GHR and split squats) and  then i am done. If time is allows or is lacking I can add or reduce the assistance work as required because the overall 531 portion is pretty quick to perform.

There is also a simple progression built into the program where you start off the first cycle by taking 10% off your 1RM and then working from there and at the end of each 4 week cycle you add 10 or 5 pounds (I can't remember the specifics exactly, I think it as 10 pounds for lower body, and 5 pounds for upper body, I could be wrong).

Anyway I have been using the 531 model for about 20 weeks (5 cycles) and have improved my squat from 147.5kg for 1 rep up to 152.5kg for 10 reps last weekend. I am not sure what my current 1RM is because I haven't tested it since the beginning. You only re-test it when your gains stall out at which point you then go back to the start (i.e. removing 10% off the new 1Rm and working form that figure).

Anyway, I have attached a 6 cycle spreadsheet you can use for any 2 main exercises. In the spreadsheet I have used the TB deadlift off a box and the safety bar box squat. My estimated 1RM's at the beginning where 160 and 150 respectively (I rounded up on the squat).

If you want to use the spreadsheet you just change the name of the exercises (in the blue cells) to whatever exercise you want to do, and then enter your 1RM's in the yellow cells and it will populate the cycles with the loads to use for the 6 cycles. Weights are in kg.

As you can see from file I have also used split squat and GHR as my assistance exercises but feel free to use whatever you want.

Also earlier I stated that I wasn't using this for vertical jump reasons. You could however easily add some more of a vertical jump flavor by simply adding in a day or two of jumping drills, or as I often like to do, adding in some simple jumping drills as part of the assistance exercises. On a strength day I like to finish with a few sets of seated jumps or hurdle jumps.

Jack

Hi Guys

I just got my basketball court set up at my new house and wondered if anybody had used one of those rebounders that when the ball goes through the net it drops onto the rebounder below and bounces back out to you? If so are they any good or just annoying.

Regards

Jack

Hi Guys

I just read an interesting article from Daniel over at free to fly about short versus tall athletes.

http://www.thefreetofly.com/2011/01/short-vs-tall-athletes-jump-training.html

It is a pretty small sample size being used (just Daniel and a mate of his) but it is still an interesting theory.

I would love to hear your thoughts coaches about what Daniel has to say.

Cheers

Jack

Here was an interesting article from the sometimes good, sometimes bad T-Nation earlier this week that I enjoyed.

http://www.t-nation.com/free_online_article/most_recent/unilateral_movements_make_you_weak

Arguing that the Split squat is a single leg exercise is and always has been rubbish, but also his argument is pretty absolutist in comparing pistols etc versus barbell squats.

I would also argue that getting strong on certain single leg exercises such as step ups and walking lunges (especially UPHILL walking lunges - but that does require a hill and the ability to carry your really heavy shit to a hill, and in some cases, a portable pair of squat stands to get some decent weight to walk up hill with onto the bar - unless you ar ehappe to clean it off the ground...but I digress) are extremely beneficial for running and jumping athletes, who were admittedly not really mentioned in the article.

Also, I have had back trouble recently and have not been able to squat or deadlift (ironically I was installing a new, very expensive, power rack into my gym when I injured myself - I haven't squatted on it at all  ) and have been doing nothing but dumbell lunges and weighted step ups for about 6 weeks now. It will be interestign to see how much my squat has dropped off when I get back to it (and I am expecting a drop off - ass the author of the article noted - for weighted exercises the transfer doesn't necessarily go the other way).