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Barbell Barbell Program For Strength with Hypertrophy

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jca17

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Hey all!
My Barbell History:
The start of this year I started training with a barbell. I did 3 months of PTTP by the book followed by 3 months of Pavel's version of the Faleev 5x5, using Zercher squat instead of backsquat. Then I attended a SFB course and did 6 weeks of 5/3/1 (from the latest edition of original book, did not know about his changes with the Beyond book). Since Late July I went back to S&S while prepping for some OCRs with friends. We'll be doing a few more before mid November, during which time I'll stay on S&S.
I'm 6'0", 158lbs, 28 year old male.

Current lifts:
Come mid November I'd really like to go back to barbell training. I feel like I still have a lot of beginner gains to seize on.
DL: I have a 275lb deadlift "sort-of-max" from the barbell course in June,
BP: I've hit 130lb for 2 or 3 reps on bench press (so not even close to body weight yet)
SQ: 5x6 at 115lb zercher squat: very upright, rock-bottom style with bar against torso for whole rep
though I learned back squat technique at the course, I haven't had access to a squat rack and don't know where I'd be in that lift. I think that will change by the time I start with barbell again (access to squat rack).
MP: 5 rep max at 85lb

I'm willing to put a lot of effort into the program (not looking for an "easy strength", low hypertrophy program), and would be glad to get my bodyweight to the 163-165lb range (honestly higher would be great too, but I'm looking for realistic hypertrophy as desirable side affect of strength training rather than the main goal). Would like to get to 335 on DL, 165 BP, progress MP (115lb?) and SQ, though for Zercher I'm not sure what a good beginner target is.

I didn't feel like I got much better at the lifts doing 5/3/1, but it maybe was too little volume for the novice level I'm at. Of the three programs, I felt the most noticeable progress on Faleev's. The thing is, I REALLY want to also work on military press, so looking for DL, SQ, BP, MP.

What programs are recommended for where I'm at and what I'm looking for? While Faleev's worked great, for this cycle I'd like to also incorporate overhead pressing. I've heard good things about Greyskull. I'm also looking at 5/3/1 hardgainer (5/3/1 for Hardgainers | T Nation). Willing to eat and sleep hard, too. It hasn't been easy to put on mass for me.
 
The original version with boring but big assistance. Yeah I felt drained at the end of the sessions, but it didn't drive my appetite as I would expect, plus the sets were at below 50% my 1RM according to the book's guidelines. I didn't really gain weight, whereas I did gain and keep 5lbs in the 3 months I was on Faleev.
I now know that he has said to only deload after 2 cycles (so after 6 weeks, not after 3), and to go back to the first set weight for a few sets for beginners, which is similar to the "hardgainer" program he posted on T Nation).
 
Squat twice a week, deadlift once a week, press every second day alternating bench and overhead. Sets of five all across. Reps in the 65%-80% range. Test for a new max when the weights get light and adjust accordingly.

If you're after hypertrophy, the squat should be your main focus. Really drive it hard. If you do, you should get so hungry you won't have any problems with not eating enough. Sleep well at night and try to take a nap after a hard session.
 
What's your nutrition look like? If your looking for size and strength you need to feed yourself for size and strength. You don't need to eat until you burst but you do need to stick with very nutritionally dense foods.

As well, one day a week, or the last five minutes of training each day do power conditioning. I like taking a Saturday or Sunday and do like a heavy circuit workout or add sled drags/pulls to your training each session. It will aid in recovery, help build muscle and maintain conditioning.

I like 5,3,1 for hard gainers or if you need less volume look at 5,3,1 DoggCrapp
(T-Nation). On the SF side Russian Bear or look at Dan Johns Mass Made Easy.
 
Squat twice a week, deadlift once a week, press every second day alternating bench and overhead. Sets of five all across. Reps in the 65%-80% range. Test for a new max when the weights get light and adjust accordingly.
This simple advice is rock solid, IMHO.

@jca17, a trap I also fall into is picking a long-term goal weight. I don't recommend you do this, but simply set your sights on where you'd like to be at the end of your next cycle, e.g., "I'd like to add 15 lbs. to my deadlift over the next 3 months" - it doesn't matter what the numbers are, just that the training is effective in that yields progress, and sustainable for you.

If the Faleev routine worked for you, consider doing it again. Particularly when you've only done a program once and that program was effective, it's worth a second and even a third try.

-S-
 
5/3/1 with the "First Sets Last" is my go to Barbell Program. It's in the 2nd 5/3/1 book, but the methodology is a simple pyramid - do normal 5/3/1 and then work back down. Set #4 is the same weight as set #2. Set #5 is the same as Set#1. On set 4 and 5, you push the reps. I like to go for 6-8 on those.

You might also check out Tactical Barbell. It shares a lot of Hard-Style principles. It is lowish volume, but high frequency.
 
Squat twice a week, deadlift once a week, press every second day alternating bench and overhead. Sets of five all across. Reps in the 65%-80% range. Test for a new max when the weights get light and adjust accordingly.

If you're after hypertrophy, the squat should be your main focus. Really drive it hard. If you do, you should get so hungry you won't have any problems with not eating enough. Sleep well at night and try to take a nap after a hard session.
Greyskull LP.
Not 100% alike, but very close.

You might also check out Tactical Barbell. It shares a lot of Hard-Style principles. It is lowish volume, but high frequency.
Even though TB is mostly about pure strength people report mass gains on several templates (e.g. My Operator I/A split with hypertrophy accessories • r/tacticalbarbell)
 
It's in the 2nd 5/3/1 book, but the methodology is a simple pyramid - do normal 5/3/1 and then work back down. Set #4 is the same weight as set #2. Set #5 is the same as Set#1. On set 4 and 5, you push the reps. I like to go for 6-8 on those.

That's not how I read it. My understanding is that once you finish your top set, you drop the weight to the first work set for that day and do 3-5 sets of 5-8 reps.
 
I didn't feel like I got much better at the lifts doing 5/3/1, but it maybe was too little volume for the novice level I'm at.

If you're willing to spend the money and buy Beyond 5/3/1, there's some options there with a lot more volume. Wendler has now added what he calls "Joker sets" and there is the "first set last" which has a very slight resemblance to PttP Bear. There's also "Boring but Big" which is in the original book.

On his blog Wendler has a program called "Building the Monolith." It's designed for strength and size. It looks brutal.
 
That's not how I read it. My understanding is that once you finish your top set, you drop the weight to the first work set for that day and do 3-5 sets of 5-8 reps.

After the top set you either drop to your first set and do an amrap OR you do 3-5x5-8 with your first set.

Wendler has an insane amount of options FSL, SSL, rule of 50, 5x5/3/1 etc ...
 
Based on your stats, you really need to get much stronger. A property-designed novice strength program will add weight to the bar every session. You are not capable of producing a stress that cannot be recovered from and adapted to in 48 hours. This is a happy fact because as you add weight, you get stronger, and getting stronger fairly quickly requires getting bigger, and getting bigger allows you to get stronger, and around and around we go. There's obviously an end to this happiness, but let's not use the fact that it won't last forever as an excuse to not do it at all. Picture yourself in six months with a back squat in the low 300s for 3 sets of 5: pressing the Big Boy plates for 5s, deadlifting in the mid-high 300s for 5, and benching in the low-mid 200s for 5. You'd be weighing 185-205 if you do it right. Doing it right means eating calories far in excess of what you have been eating based around a gram of protein per pound of body weight daily, at least 8 hours of sleep a night, replacing "skinny is good" with "big and strong is good" in your mind, and diligent adherence to the program.

Now that you have access to a squat rack, put your barbell back squat skill from your (SFL?) seminar to work.
 
I used 531 to hit my first bw press, 2bw squat and 2+bw DL. But Wendler specifically says his program is not for a 6 week focus but a long term focus (really years). Start too light, work up slowly. He had a beginner program but you may still get most benefit from an old school Stronglifts 5*5 or Starting Strength, then texas method or easy strength. Do not discount the "what the hell effect" of a KB program in improving those BB numbers... Without heavy deadlift for 6 months, i still hit over 2*bw deadlift due to kb work.
 
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