5/3/1 Deload Question

[rbowman91]

Finishing my first cycle of 5/3/1 and im approaching the deload week. I'm a bodybuilder who just started doing powerlifting and I'm using 5/3/1.

None of my weights are that high right now, and I'm able to squeeze out anywhere between 8-10 reps on all of my "max" sets for the big four lifts at the major working set (so obviously everything is pretty light right now).

My question is, do I really NEED to deload after this first cycle, or would it be okay to wait until the end of my next cycle before deloading? I know the program starts you pretty light, and I still feel like i have a lot of gas left in the tank.

Thoughts on this? I want to play it safe, but I also feel like I could easily squeeze out another 3 weeks of progress before needing to deload.

Note: I do the '5/3/1 for Bodybuilding' version, so all of my assistance work is done with DC training (which is an incredibly intense training style). This is really my only concern as far as recovery goes.

[BVictor]

If you don't feel like you need to deload, then don't. Wendler's new book Beyond 5/3/1 explains a version called the Frequency Project where it's 9-12 weeks with no deload. I personally follow 5/3/1 BBB and go 12 weeks before deloading. I just don't feel beat up or worn out enough to take time off. If you're still hitting rep maxes every workout, then you're probably good to go. If you start faltering and barely getting the prescribed reps in your AMRAP sets, or just feel beat up from lifting in general, then it's probably time to start thinking deload week.

This is my experience but I've only been doing 5/3/1 for about 6 months total (been powerlifting for about 8 months total)

[rbowman91]

If you don't feel like you need to deload, then don't. Wendler's new book Beyond 5/3/1 explains a version called the Frequency Project where it's 9-12 weeks with no deload. I personally follow 5/3/1 BBB and go 12 weeks before deloading. I just don't feel beat up or worn out enough to take time off. If you're still hitting rep maxes every workout, then you're probably good to go. If you start faltering and barely getting the prescribed reps in your AMRAP sets, or just feel beat up from lifting in general, then it's probably time to start thinking deload week.

This is my experience but I've only been doing 5/3/1 for about 6 months total (been powerlifting for about 8 months total)

Okay solid thanks, this is very helpful. Yeah I am much more of a noobie, but it just seemed like the deload would become a lot more important when you hit the really high poundages. But since we increase so slowly on 5/3/1, I felt like I probably wouldn't need a deload after my first cycle when my weights are so low.

I'm going to check out the frequency project. Thanks for that!!

[Shukin]

If you don't feel like you need to deload, then don't. Wendler's new book Beyond 5/3/1 explains a version called the Frequency Project where it's 9-12 weeks with no deload. I personally follow 5/3/1 BBB and go 12 weeks before deloading. I just don't feel beat up or worn out enough to take time off. If you're still hitting rep maxes every workout, then you're probably good to go. If you start faltering and barely getting the prescribed reps in your AMRAP sets, or just feel beat up from lifting in general, then it's probably time to start thinking deload week.

This is my experience but I've only been doing 5/3/1 for about 6 months total (been powerlifting for about 8 months total)

This was going to be my answer, I'm using the new book beyond 531 and I just finished 3 weeks, this week should've been a Deload week but I'm working out and strong.

I'm going to go at least six weeks before I think about a deload

[JHOORNSTRA]

Yep, mine ends up falling every 4-5 weeks but you know when you pick up a 45 and it feels like a 25...then the next week it feels like a 100...deload. You will know when you should.

[rbowman91]

Yep, mine ends up falling every 4-5 weeks but you know when you pick up a 45 and it feels like a 25...then the next week it feels like a 100...deload. You will know when you should.

Awesome thanks fellas. Definitely sounds like incorporating deloads is a good idea, but i also like the idea of going based on how i feel. I think i'm going to wait for the next 3 weeks cycle and then do my first deload (this would be after 6 straight weeks of 5/3/1, making 2 cycles).

[Goldstone]

Finishing my first cycle of 5/3/1 and im approaching the deload week. I'm a bodybuilder who just started doing powerlifting and I'm using 5/3/1.

None of my weights are that high right now, and I'm able to squeeze out anywhere between 8-10 reps on all of my "max" sets for the big four lifts at the major working set (so obviously everything is pretty light right now).

My question is, do I really NEED to deload after this first cycle, or would it be okay to wait until the end of my next cycle before deloading? I know the program starts you pretty light, and I still feel like i have a lot of gas left in the tank.

Thoughts on this? I want to play it safe, but I also feel like I could easily squeeze out another 3 weeks of progress before needing to deload.

Note: I do the '5/3/1 for Bodybuilding' version, so all of my assistance work is done with DC training (which is an incredibly intense training style). This is really my only concern as far as recovery goes.

Out of curiosity, why DC training as your assistance work? True DC protocol is a training system in and of itself, so are you doing the rest/pause stuff? I'm all for hypertrohpy, but I remember asking Shelby Starnes about doing this (DC assistance with 5/3/1 main lifts) and even he said it was too much. Kind of an either or situation.

Just curious. If it's working for you, by all means keep doing it. I'd just hate to see you bury yourself into the ground your 3rd or 4th round of 5/3/1. So bodybuilding/hypertrophy work, he has a couple ideas laid out in "Beyond 5/3/1".

[rbowman91]

Out of curiosity, why DC training as your assistance work? True DC protocol is a training system in and of itself, so are you doing the rest/pause stuff? I'm all for hypertrohpy, but I remember asking Shelby Starnes about doing this (DC assistance with 5/3/1 main lifts) and even he said it was too much. Kind of an either or situation.

Just curious. If it's working for you, by all means keep doing it. I'd just hate to see you bury yourself into the ground your 3rd or 4th round of 5/3/1. So bodybuilding/hypertrophy work, he has a couple ideas laid out in "Beyond 5/3/1".

Honestly, I was hesitant to use DC for my assistance work. But apparently Wendler is a big fan of DC, and I read in one of his QA's where somebody asked about doing "DC for my assistance work" and he just responded "Not a bad idea."

So far I've really liked my progress for it, however its a little easier on the muscles than the regular DC system, because i'm only hitting each muscle once a week, and the volume is really turned down (as opposed to ACTUAL dc training, where you hit the muscle twice every 7-9 days).

I think the fact that I turned down the frequency is the reason I've been recovering well so far. (though i do agree and think if you combined 5/3/1 with ACTUAL dc training, it would probably be too much for a natty).

I should have clerified my original post: I use DC style rest pause sets and extreme stretching as my assistance work (triple rest pause, heavy progressive weights, etc). But i do NOT hit the muscles more than once per week.

[under the bar]

If you have to ask about a deload , then ya probably dont need to.

You will know when your body needs it