I have had a run on awesome training in 2024. Progress is moving along well with my strength and in the mirror. Yes, that second part means something to me. Most importantly, I have been able to challenge myself while still being able to recover.

Feeling great while turning 55 is not happening by accident. A large part of it has been the systematic nature I took perfecting this program since the fall of 2023.

Tenets

  • -I like to train heavy and hard
  • -My body can only handle two heavy and hard training sessions a week
  • -I only like doing compound lifts
  • -I like lifting four days a week, but I need 24 hours between sessions
  • -I hate sitting idly between sets
  • -Less is more
  • -Progress slowly and steadily
  • -Have some programming flexibility
  • -I like to incorporate dynamic training
  • -Find, feel, and train my weaknesses

The Program

Monday:

  • 1 Heavy (Upper) Bench 85/90/95% TM  3 Week Rotation
  • 2a Dynamic Effort/FSL (Lower) Squat - I am using 60% of TM
  • 2b Heavy Pullups/Chinups 85/90/95% TM  3 Week Rotation

Wednesday:

  • 1  Heavy (Lower) Deadlift  85/90/95% TM  3 Week Rotation
  • 2a Dynamic/Effort (Upper) Bench - I am using 60% of TM 
  • 2b Dynamic Effort/FSL Pullups/Chinups - % by feel

Friday:

  • 1a Upper Push (dips, ohp, pushups, etc)
  • 1b Glute Ham Dominant (ghr, back raise, leg curl, etc)
  • 2a Row (any variety)
  • 2b Quad Dominant (leg ext, RESS, lunge, etc)
  • 3a Biceps (any curl variety)
  • 3b Abs (ghr situps, ab wheel, hanging leg raises)

This is a full-body program. I have two days dedicated to the big three lifts including back work for balance (I program pullups because my back disagrees with other heavy back work). The other is a Gap/Assistance Day to work those areas left lagging by compound lifts.

Above is a sample for the Gap Day. The goal is to work the full body without a barbell. Sometimes I can do this in as few as 4 exercises. Other times I’ll use as many as 10. But on average, it's six. I don’t track exercises, weights, reps, or sets. I do what I need to feel worked. When I track I get too caught up in numbers and that is not the purpose of the day. That’s what Monday and Tuesday’s training sessions are for.

You can arrange these days any way you like. I played around with them and discovered that I could push the hell out of the first two sessions of the week. Using the gap day as my third I can give it whatever my body has left.

After the main work on my big lift days, I superset the other two movements. I superset all of the exercises on my Gap Day. I do not time the rest periods. I go when I feel ready. Could there be a little interference, sure, but I’m not sweating the small stuff. I hate sitting around between sets if I can help it.

Volume (Prilepin using 5/3/1 TM-Training Max versus True Max)

Week 1 - 85% done for a total of 12-24 total reps
No more than 3-6 reps/set
Week 2 - 90% done for a total of 10-20 total reps
No more than 2-4 reps/set
Week 3 - 95% done for a total of 4-10 total reps
No more than 1-2 reps/set

Unlike the traditional version of 5/3/1 I am not doing regular rep pr’s. Instead, I am making every rep as awesome as possible. Of course, we should make all lifts look and feel perfect, but that can get lost with amrap sets.

This serves two purposes for me. First, staying away from regular amrap has helped me manage fatigue. Getting too close to failure costs me too much in recovery.

Second, I get more sets at the top percentage. I feel I respond better physically and mentally working at that “heavier” weight for multiple sets.

With age we lose power, that’s why I like doing Dynamic/Speed work. Jim has stated you can use FSL-First Set Last sets as speed work. My percentage for speed work is a little lower than the FSL percentage at 60% but it works for me.

I don’t program overhead pressing because my shoulders cannot handle them weekly, but there’s no reason you can’t. You can program them as the main heavy lift of the week or as the FSL/Speed Work.

As you’ll notice I only have one heavy lower-body movement, the deadlift for this cycle, and the squat is used for FSL for Speed Work and to fill out some lower body volume. The order can be alternated each cycle.

I only have recovery for two heavy compound movements a week. I can no longer handle four big lifts a week of squat, bench, deadlift, and ohp. This has some to do with my age/time under the bar and the amount of conditioning I do a week.

Bonus Work

All work and no play makes Johnny a dull boy. One of my favorite parts of training is hard challenges. However, the older I have become the more selective I need to be in challenging myself to manage fatigue. Here are a few challenges that I use when I’m feeling exceptional.

Joker Sets - My interpretation of Joker Sets are singles performed after your main work. You should never hold back on your working sets to go after Joker Sets. You should also never miss a Joker Set. Singles are a skill that takes practice. The sets are for work, not testing your max. Also, I have a 5% rule. I cannot load the bar greater than 5% per set. This keeps me from taking stupid ego jumps.

Rep PR/AMRAP - Although these are standard in 5/3/1, they are not when using Prilepin. However, if I’m feeling super strong that day, I might take the last heavy set for an AMRAP ride. 

Combo Set - This is when I feel strong and I just want to be done with the workout. I can combine the rep volume into fewer sets. Let’s say I have a bench of 315 for my 95% Week. That means I’ll have to do sets of 1-2 reps for 4-10 total reps. If I crush my first two sets of 2, I can combine the remaining reps of 6 in one set to top off my volume for the week. Now, if I get to the third rep and it’s garbage, I rack it. This is not a PR set. All of my work sets are to be perfect.

Jokers, Rep PR’s, and Combo Sets are a privilege. They are not to be overused. You earn them and crush them. Don’t be fooled into thinking these should be used in this program regularly. The percentage volume work when done well is more than sufficient. In the last month, I only performed Jokers in one workout and one combo set in another.

This is the longest I have stuck with the bones of a program in over a decade. It’s my masterpiece. I wonder if Michelangelo felt this good looking up at the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel.