Fuck assistance work ... it's only assistance

Again and again, I am amazed when I read training logs with sentences like: "... I felt not alright today so only did some light assistance work for deadlift".

Or: "I had a terrible week, so I decided to skip squats and did some light leg press, ham curls and leg extensions to get the blood flowing".

I can understand the reasoning. We do not live in an ideal world where you have perfect nutrition, zero stress and sleep 8 hours every single day. There are days/weeks with lots of stress, lack of sleep, tons of family or work responsibilities, blah, blah. You get mad, tired, stressed.


I just had such a week. But instead of cutting out the powerlifts and doing the fluff stuff, what I usually do is I lower the planned % by 5-10% and do ONLY the main lifts cutting out the fluff stuff altogether.

I had a pretty shitty week and yesterdays training called for 5x5 sumo, 6x8 floor press, high-rep heavy KB swings and then high volume ab work. I got to the gym late and had only 50 mins to train, so I did the 5x5 sumo and 6x8 floor press and left. That's it. I still hit the powerlifts, entire body got worked (legs, hams, lower back, upper back, pecs, delts, triceps) and I practiced the powelifts.

Powerlifts improve your competition technique. Assistance exercises don't.
Powerlifts improve your motor learning skills. Assistance exercises don't.
Powerlifts work your body as one coordinated unit. Assistance exercises don't.

I think people really overrate the fluff stuff. Assistance exercises like ham curls, ab work, lat work, shoulder raises, face pulls, etc should: A/ work neglected body muscles for better balance, B/ help with rehab around big joints, C/ flush some blood. That's it.

Just finished heavy 5x5 on sumos? Don't know if afterwards you should do 4x12 leg curls or 3x20 KB swing or 5x10 hypers? Guess what, it does not matter because you just did your 90% work, the 5x5 on sumos. Got to the gym late and have only 35 mins? Good. Do 6x5 heavy front squat and go home. Are you a gym rat and got 3 full hours on Saturday afternoon? Good, do 5x5 back squat, 6x8 bench press, 4x4 back squat again and 4x5 Romanian deadlift. If you are not dead after this, finish with 3x20 ab work. No need for 6 assistance exercises.

Do the right stuff, not the fluff stuff ;-)

I have a friend who is around 45 and is a former competitive Oly lifter. He told me once: "There are days when I come to the gym and feel like not doing anything. So I squat and go home".