Around the beginning of the year, I posted an article on how I would advise someone to go about getting started in the gym in a simple manor guaranteed to provide results (once gain I am not a doctor, trainer, or nutritionist. I have no certifications, only experience).
Some of you may have followed this advice; some of you may have found a different avenue providing desired results (I encourage you to continue as long as that avenue is working). Some of you may have ignored it; some of you may have half-assed it by showing up sporadically.
I encourage those of you half-assing it to get the f**k out of the gym and stop taking up space until you are determined to truly commit. Please take the lost souls who show up daily to play with their phones in between 15 lb. dumbbell curls all while taking up the same area for 35 minutes with you.
You are in the way of people trying to get real work done and get on with their lives. I actually have more respect for the people who ignored my first article on this topic completely. I encourage you to join them as people who just don’t embrace physical fitness, but are content.
Make a choice. Be happy out of shape or become dedicated. Choices are the most powerful thing you have in your life. Exercise that power if nothing else.
Now, on to those straight shooters who have followed the program. Congrats on finding a piece of your manhood. I hope you are enjoying the confidence you are gaining from increased physical strength.
As I said before, if you began lifting 75% of your 1-rep max for 5 sets of 5 reps on major lifts (squats, bench press, military press, and deadlifts) I am sure it seemed way too light at first. If you have continued to progress in weight, you are probably feeling the load get heavier and you are realizing that eventually you will not be able to complete 5 sets of 5 reps.
Try not to focus too much on that. Just do your best to complete one set at a time, one workout at a time, one week at a time. It’s tough for all of us serious lifters not to look too far ahead.
Thing is if we look too far ahead, we can think ourselves into failure prematurely. If the load is getting heavy and your appetite is increasing there is a reason for it. Don’t be afraid to eat an extra steak or another potato (hopefully you have read https://www.anabolicmen.com and are learning to eat like a man).
But eventually you will hit a wall on 5×5 and wonder what to do next. If you fail on 5×5, I would drop the volume to 3 sets of 3 reps while still increasing the weight 5lbs. each week as long as you are completing 3×3.
Now you will logically ask what to do when you hit the wall on 3×3. That is when you see the concrete rewards of your work.
If you recall, I suggested finding your 1-rep max on each major lift before starting my modified version of Bill Starr’s 5×5. I would like you to now go back and hit your 1-rep max on each major lift (on different days of course). Don’t do this until you have failed on 3×3 which may take months or even a year.
No rush! We have a lifetime of strength building. You will be astounded by how much strength you have gained. Though you will set and achieve bigger goals, this will most likely be your biggest strength gain in the shortest period of time.
Once you have your new 1-rep maxes in place, I would advise you to look up the Jim Wendler 5-3-1 program and apply it. You may be on that another year or so before you hit the wall. The philosophy of these programs is slow and steady, but STRONG!
When you finally do hit the wall on Wendler you will now have new 1-rep maxes to work off. On top of that, you will have three solid, simple programs to work with. You will also be able to use your own goals and experience to tweak things to fit you.
Congrats again on your progress and keep at it! Talk soon.
-Marksman
PS: I was listening to Mike Cernovich’s new Youtube program, The Right Mindset the other day. He mentioned that in ancient Greek culture, it was considered an obligation by each member of society to by physically fit (not just for themselves, but for the betterment of the society).
Weather we like it or not, there is a new civil war brewing in the Unites States (more on that in articles to come). Due to this coming war, physical fitness goes beyond personal goals and beach vanity. The good guys in this war need physically fit soldiers.
So, you owe it to the preservation of this country to get into and stay in better shape than today’s average man. Cernovich brought this up. The Straight Shot concurs!