Wendler 5 3 1 rant

[PCT]

thats me in the middle... jus sayin

[BendtheBar]

Originally Posted by ricka182

Clearly, there must have only been 3 people in that weight class... lol

If i was a judge, I would flat out refuse to issue a 3rd place to that poor example. He looks better than me, but he shouldn't be on stage with those other guys..

You should check out the female bodybuilding classes at most local shows these days.

2 to 1 odds you could show up wearing a wig and take home a 2nd place trophy in most classes.

[muscle_g]

Originally Posted by BendtheBar

I fail.

Thing about this, that guy is probably the only one on that stage that is natural lol

[BendtheBar]

Originally Posted by muscle_g

Thing about this, that guy is probably the only one on that stage that is natural lol

Ha! Great point.

[ricka182]

Originally Posted by muscle_g

Thing about this, that guy is probably the only one on that stage that is natural lol

Yeah natural, because he doesn't lift. At second glance, his pecs look more like, boobs. His BF must above 20%..

[ehubbard]

Originally Posted by ricka182

Why do you say that EH? Everything I've heard about 5/3/1 is nothing but positive..

Or is this way over my head...

I'm busting balls. Things that become too popular and are praised as the best thing since sliced bread should always be questioned. The best program is the one you write for yourself. BUT, you have to get to the point where you know enough about training to write one for yourself (and no I am not talking about reading journals, I am talking real world training).

I have a friend who has been around powerlifting and fitness in general for 25 years says it's all cyclical.And I will semi-paraphrase what he had to say. Periodization and waves were super popular back in the day, then they went through a period where they took a backseat to Westside and other methods, and then Bam now they are popular again. It's all BS. The principals remain the same. Eat more over a period of time. Lift more over period of time. Rest, grow.

If you are sitting at home questioning the above principals you have already lost the battle. The devil is NOT in the details. It's your attitude, commitment, hard work and belief system. What I mean my belief system is that you KNOW what you are going to do is going to work. I'm not saying the details that are not important, but they are not as important as the above.

If you understand the principals I wrote and have the attitude, commitment and put in the hard work, then you GET IT. Most people do not.

For example......

[ehubbard]

The problem is that people ask too many questions and become handicapped by overthinking things. Let the principals guide you. Here is what I am talking about:

Eat more over a period of time.

Q. But how much? How many grams of protein per lb? Should I do carb back-loading, carb cycling, Warrior, Paleo, or the Anabolic Diet?What about nutrient timing? Supplements??? Will I lose my six pack? I don't want to get fat. Now I’m confused.

Lift more over period of time.

Q. You mean like 5/3/1? How much should I add each week, how much rest between sets, reps, sets, tempo, circadian rhythms, and most importantly the lunar cycle?? What do I do when I plateau? How long should I wait between testing my “max”?

Rest, grow.

Q. How much rest? Do I need 72 hrs between workouts? Or are you talking about rest between sets? If I rest too much will I become undertrained? What about not enough rest will I become overtrained?

Too many questions and not enough doing. Again the most important question should be do I have the right attitude, commitment, and work ethic. These kind of questions are hard for most people to face because they want maximum results with minimal effort and the answer is usually "not really". If that is your mindset you have lost the battle and will go nowhere.

Sorry to hijack but I think the above is very relevant to the original thought of this thread.

[BendtheBar]

I had someone bust my balls yesterday because I told them they could box squat with Wendler's. To Ehubb's point, 531 has become to Gospel to some, meaning a routine that shouldn't be tweaked 1%.

This guy was all but calling me Satan, but little did he know that Wendler himself has stated in one of his articles that the use of box squats is ok.

This point is larger than Wendlers, and is more symptomatic about this industry and the Interwebz in general. All these quick draw McGraw punks who want to shoot first, ask questions later, and run their mouths without doing research.

I'm no master of perfection, and I make my share of mistakes, but I will never bash someone for using practices that work for many.

[ehubbard]

I don't view them as mistakes, they are opportunities to learn. That's what life is. The problem is the mentality that all answers lie in a program. No, the answers come from within and are learned by doing.

[big valsalva]

Originally Posted by ehubbard

I don't view them as mistakes, they are opportunities to learn. That's what life is. The problem is the mentality that all answers lie in a program. No, the answers come from within and are learned by doing.

Amen.

By the way, ehub. I am an advocate of 531, but I'm not a Kool-Aid drinker. There's more than one way to skin a cat. I've used it on the core lifts and "wrote" the rest of the program myself. The program is nothing but a tool to help me track my progress and keep me accountable and consistant. I hear what you're saying though.