Opinion on my 5/3/1 / olympics program

[woody77]

I have been lifting for about 10 years with the goal of improving at beach volleyball. I have ran many different programs from 5x5 to PHUL, PPL, 531, and some on apps. I tend to try for 6 months to see what the results are. So far, I have either gained strength or speed. So I wanted to modify 5/3/1 to get both, please let me know what you think:

The idea is to use oly variations as a warm up, and spice up the 531 part with speed movements, then do the 5x10s on the "opposite" of the upper/lower movement of the day, and finish with a burn out. This takes 60-80 minutes each session, 4x week.

Day 1: Squat

Oly: 4x6, 6x4, 8x2 of Power Clean at 75%, 85%, 95% (week 1 to week 3)

Main movement: Squat 5 at 65%, 1 min rest, 4x 24" vertical jump, 1 min rest, 4 depth jumps, 3 min restSquat 5 at 75%, dittoSquat 5+ at 85%, ditto(This follows the 531 scheme for weeks 1-4)

Assistance: Deadlift vartiation at 60%, 4x10, 10+

Burn out: Single leg 2 sets at 17+, 40%, like Bulgarian split squat

Day 2: Bench

Same progression as above but Power Jerk

Bench as per 5/3/1 interleaved with clapping pushups and band supported push ups

OHP variation 4x10, 10+ at 60%

Weighted pull up at Russian progression, interleaved with BW pull up x 5, band supported pull up x 5

Pendlay Row 2x17+ at 40%

Day 3: Deadlift

Same progression as above but Power Snatch

Deadlift as per 5/3/1 interleaved with 4x broad jump

Squat or Front Squat at 50% (I can't do more) 4x10, 10+

Reverse Hypers 2x17+

Day 4: OHP

Same progression as above but behind the neck snatch grip power jerk

OHP as per 5/3/1 interleaved with explosive landmine press or med ball throws x4

Bench or variation at 60% 4x10, 10+

Chin up same as Pull up scheme

Pendlay Row 2x17+ at 40%

I have been making gains on this for about 3 months now, improving strength, speed, and jump height. Please let me know what you think.

 

[untouchable562]

@woody77 I think this is a cool program in general, and I’m not surprised you’re seeing gains. The only thing I’d question is if the upper body stuff is specific enough to volleyball. OHP seems the most useful, but I don’t know that much about exact hitting and blocking mechanics. Maybe sub in push press for bench? Also, 4 days a week feels like a lot for non sport-specific training, but it looks fun regardless

 

[woody77]

@untouchable562 Thanks for the thoughts. Bench is important to push in a block and torque on a hit, and prevent shoulder injury. OHP is mega useful, but there are already press focussed olys on 2 days so I thought that's enough.

 

[toysernis1]

@woody77 If you want to gain speed / vert I would definitely recommend you check out the sprinting sub and the track and field sub. I learned so much on both those subs especially from the FAQ, it would be better that you check the actual source than for me to try to explain.

 

[woody77]

@toysernis1 Will check out , never thought of that but makes so much sense.

 

[sakura_meow]

@woody77 That’s a lot. Like a lot a lot. I run 5/3/1 and have in the past played with some Oly variations. When I did so my workouts 1. Took a very long time 2. Left me absolutely wrecked and not sufficiently able to make gains based on recovery. 5/3/1 can have a pretty heavy volume component especially if you do supersets like you are. I’d leave off the BBB sets and just do accessory.

The depth jumps in the middle of the workout may also be a little on the much side. Plyos usually recommended at the beginning of a workout. The system that is activated by plyos burns out fast. Don’t need a lot of reps.

Now you may be a lot more fit than me and take exceptionally good care of your recovery so your experience may be different, but one of the core tenets of 5/3/1 is simplicity.

I like that burnout set idea at the end. Might steal that one …

 

[woody77]

@sakura_meow I. also thought it was a lot, but the volume work is only 60% or 40% - so it's really just a pump. I also thought that having only 2 AMRAP sets a day will keep the CNS in OK shape. The interleaved speed stuff is not at all hard, because it's BW / supported and low reps. It's just to train being fast.