question regarding 5x5 light/heavy secondary lifts

[elitft_bouncer]

Regarding the 5x5, I read that with the wednesday light squats, you can use a lighter load for your back squats OR you can choose front squats instead. This is because recovering from front squats is the same as recovering from light back squats. I guess this also the same with having military/incline instead of a light benching on wednesday.
Is this due to the load on the bar being less?
Or is it more due to the numbers of muscles involved/worked?
Can these lighter alternative lifts be used during deload/ramping phases instead of reducing intensity/volume/frequency?

 

[BodyBuild4Life]

I think it's from the muscles being worked.

i thought you had a choice of doing light or heavy.

i think it how you feel.

 

[Protobuilder]

I guess this also the same with having military/incline instead of a light benching on wednesday.
Is this due to the load on the bar being less?
Or is it more due to the numbers of muscles involved/worked?

The latter, IMO. I think the "original" original 5x5 program called for inclines on M/F & military on W. That gives you more direct shoulder work on one day of the week. It also happens to fit in nicely w/ a "light" day b/c your military is usually less than your incline/flat bench. I think you'd want to keep the direct overhead press on W.

Can these lighter alternative lifts be used during deload/ramping phases instead of reducing intensity/volume/frequency?

Not so sure about this one. I'd suggest you just do what the program says UNTIL you're qualified to adjust it, which means you've got a better reason for doing it YOUR way than the original author had for doing it HIS way.

 

[Cynical Simian]

Is this due to the load on the bar being less?
Or is it more due to the numbers of muscles involved/worked?

I'm not sure these two are mutually exclusive; the more muscles that are involved, the higher the load on the bar will be. But I'd tend toward the former if I had to give one explanation; the different lifts are a convenient way to lessen the overall load on the day.

As for the other question, just do what the program says.

 

[elitft_bouncer]

Oh I don't actually do the 5x5/DF routines. I'm just wondering about the light alternative lifts on wednesday for easier recovery. I've mostly done some form of linear periodisation with a few conjugate/westsides here and there (though I stagnate too fast with the latter).
Just I've never really realised that doing the alternate lifts allows you to recover faster from them then doing the full ones.
From my experiences, a workout session with front squats gets me just as puffed as a session with back squats.

You can use more load when performing 4"board presses compared to 2"board presses, yet I'm thinking they would use the same amount of muscles. So which one takes longer to recover from?