Bench Press and Barbell Complex

To wrap up this 5/3/1 cycle we finished with the Bench Press.  Next week we will be focusing on the hypertrophy range of movements (8-10) range with extended strength workouts but shorter metabolic workouts. This is our de-load week (lower weights, volume, etc) to allow ourselves recover from the last 3 weeks of heavy lifting allowing our nervous system to recover so that we can come back stronger than ever. Make no mistake about it: the overwhelming majority of your time in the gym should be focused on getting better. However, there should always be deloading periods in your training where it’s okay to intentionally be “stagnant,” as these periods give rise to adaptation that make you better in the long-term. De-loading regularly allows your body to properly recover and allows you to make progress long-term. It’s just not possible to go hard and heavy day in and day out and make consistent progress. As some point, you must give your body a break and allow it to repair itself. Of course, if your nutrition, sleep, stress management, and supplements are all spot-on 100% of the time, then you might be able to get away with fewer or shorter de-loads. But seriously… how often does that happen? How often are we 100% on point with all of the things we need to do outside of the gym, that help us train hard IN the gym? I know I rarely am and it’s my job! You see, the body can only handle so much stress at one time before something gives and your body forces you to slow down either by getting sick or hurt. De-loading occasionally reduces the amount of stress your body is under and gives it an opportunity to rest and recover. Think of it like recharging your batteries. You need “juice” in your batteries in order to function, so occasionally they need to re-charge. Strength Workout 5/3/1 Bench Press Workout fo the Day (WOD) 12min AMRAP Ascending Ladder 1 Deadlift-1 Power Clean- Front Squat-Push Press 20m Bear Crawl 2 Complexes 1 Bear Crawl 3 Complexes 1 Bear Crawl, etc]]>