(In my 5/3/1 ebook, I provide detailed lists of weights. Since the original 5/3/1 book and the second edition came out, I've been working. Hell, there is even a new program Beyond 5/3/1. 17 Jun 2017 - 20 minReview of the recent Jim Wendler's book 5/3/1 Forever and how-to setup the programs in. Jim Wendler has a new book on the way: 5/3/1 Forever. The site now is now served securely with https using Let’s Encrypt. October 13, 2015. Added the Building the Monolith template. Jim Wendler's '5/3/1' series of books - the original, Beyond 5/3/1, and 5/3/1 Forever, are exactly what you need to read and understand next. Jim has built and conveyed a wealth of different programs - they are all different in the details, but alike in that they adhere to the principles and practices that reliably deliver strength and/or mass. The 5/3/1 Philosophy The 5/3/1 philosophy is more important than the sets and reps. Whenever I feel like I’m getting sidetracked or want to try something different, I revisit these rules to make sure I’m doing things the right way. Even if you decide this program isn’t for you, these basic tenets have stood the test of time.
Here's what you need to know..
- Getting good at the core lifts will have a huge carryover into everything else. Start light, progress slowly, and leave out the ego in order to bust PRs.
- Train 3-4 days a week. Center each workout around one of the following: parallel squat, bench press, deadlift, or standing shoulder press.
- Use a specific percentage of your one-rep max to lift 5 reps, then 3 reps, then 1 rep. These percentages are based on 90% of your 1RM.
- Complement 5/3/1 training with assistance work to build muscle, prevent injury, and create a balanced physique. Options include chin-ups, dips, lunges, and back extensions.
The Reason for 5/3/1
Just so we're clear, either people want to do 5/3/1 or they don't. I really want to help people, but if they won't take my advice there's nothing I can do. That's fine by me. I don't fight the battles. I just don't fucking care.
Look, arguing about strength training theory is stupid. And the reason I came up with 5/3/1 was that I wanted a program that eliminated stupid thoughts from my head and just let me go into the weight room and get shit done.
5 3 1 Forever Pdf
I've been training for 20 years, and this is what I've learned.
A Powerlifter's Progress
My best powerlifting accomplishment in the 275-pound weight class was a 1,000-pound squat, 675-pound bench press, 700-pound deadlift, and a 2,375 total. No, I wasn't strong at all! Sure, I could waddle up to the monolift and squat, but I couldn't do anything else. Really, all I could do was squat, bench, and deadlift.
Today I have different aspirations. I want to be able to do a bunch of different activities and still kick ass in the weight room. I want to be as mobile, flexible, strong, and in as good a condition as I possibly can. That's how I came up with 5/3/1.
Philosophy 5/3/1
The core philosophy behind 5/3/1 revolves around the basic tenets of strength training that have stood the test of time.
Basic Multi-Joint Lifts
The bench press, parallel squat, deadlift, and standing press have been the staples of any strong man's repertoire. Those who ignore these lifts are generally the people who suck at them. If you get good at those, you'll get good at other stuff, as they have such a huge carryover.
Starting Light
While it may seem counterintuitive to take weight off the bar when the goal is to add weight to it, starting lighter allows you more room to progress forward. This is a very hard pill to swallow for most lifters. They want to start heavy and they want to start now.
This is nothing more than ego, and nothing will destroy a lifter faster, or for longer, than ego.
Progress Slowly
This ties in with starting light, and it keeps lifters who want to get big and strong yesterday from sabotaging their own progress.
People want a program that will add 40 pounds to their bench in eight weeks. When I ask how much their bench went up in the last year, they hang their heads in shame.
Break Personal Records
5/3/1 is set up to allow you to break a variety of repetition records throughout the year. Notice that it's 'rep records' and not 'one-rep max.' Most people live and die by their one-rep max. To me, this is foolish and short sighted.
If your squat goes from 225 x 6 to 225 x 9, you've gotten stronger.
5/3/1 by the Numbers
In 5/3/1, you're expected to train three or four days a week. Each workout is centered around one core lift – the parallel squat, bench press, deadlift, and standing shoulder press.
Each training cycle lasts four weeks, with these set-rep goals for each major lift:
- Week 1 3 x 5
- Week 2 3 x 3
- Week 3 3 x 5, 3, 1
- Week 4 Deload
Then you start the next cycle, using heavier weights on the core lifts. And that's where a seemingly simple system starts getting a little more complicated.
You aren't just picking a weight to lift five times or three times or one time per set. You're using a specific percentage of your one-rep max. And not your full 1RM. The calculations are based on 90% of it.
So if your 1RM in the bench press is 315 pounds, you use 285 (90%) as the base number for your training-weight calculations. Here's how it works:
Week 1 | Week 2 | Week 3 | Week 4 | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Set 1 | 65% x 5 | 70% x 3 | 75% x 5 | 40% x 5 |
Set 2 | 75% x 5 | 80% x 3 | 85% x 3 | 50% x 5 |
Set 3 | 85% x 5+ | 90% x 3+ | 95% x 1+ | 60% x 5 |
When you see 5+, 3+, or 1+, that means you do the max reps you can manage with that weight, with the goal of setting a rep record in each workout. Beyond compare 4 license key.
Let's walk through the Week 1 workout for bench press. Using the example above, if your 1RM is 315, you calculate all your percentages from 90% of that max, or 285 pounds.
So you're using 185 (65% of 285) x 5, 215 x 5, and 240 or 245 x 5 or more. (In my 5/3/1 ebook, I provide detailed lists of weights and percentages so you don't have to carry a calculator with you to the gym.)
After you finish the first cycle, you add five pounds to your 1RM calculations for the two upper-body lifts and 10 pounds to your 1RM for the squat and deadlift.
These specific instructions for 1RM percentages and monthly progression are what set 5/3/1 apart from less useful systems. When I see a program that says three sets of eight reps? That's the stupidest fucking thing ever.
If it doesn't have a specific percentage based on a specific max, it's useless. That's the hallmark of someone who doesn't understand basic programming.
One Goal Per Workout
With 5/3/1, you accomplish a goal every workout. Some programs have no progression from one day to the other.
Another unique feature is that final balls-out set in each workout. You don't have to go beyond the prescribed reps if you don't feel like it, but there are real benefits to doing so.
I've always thought of doing the prescribed reps as simply testing your strength. Anything over and above that builds strength, muscle, and character.
Yes, that last set is the one that puts hair on your chest, but the system doesn't work without the sets that precede it. I tried cutting those out but I got smaller and weaker. There might be only one really hard set, but the other sets are still quality work.
Assistance Work
Along with the bench press, squat, shoulder press, and deadlift, 5/3/1 includes assistance exercises to build muscle, prevent injury, and create a balanced physique. My favorites are strength-training staples like chin-ups, dips, lunges, and back extensions.
But don't go ape-shit with supplemental exercises. They should complement the training, not detract from it. You must have a very strong reason for doing an exercise. If you don't, scrap it and move on.
There are a number of ways to do assistance work: Boring But Big (my version of a hypertrophy program), The Triumvirate (shown below), and my favorite, I'm Not Doing Jack Shit, named for those times when you only have time to hit the PR in your key lift and leave.
People laugh and call me lazy, while they twit around in their three-hour workout making zero progress. Sometimes, instead of what you do in the weight room, it's what you don't do that will lead to success.
5/3/1 and Discontents
I've received a lot of positive feedback from lifters who used 5/3/1 to overcome plateaus in strength and size development. And it's not just from advanced guys. I received a thank-you from a guy who went from 135 for 1 rep on the bench to 135 for 17.
The program has also received criticism from lifters on two fronts: that lifters are told to start too light and build too slow.
'Start too light' refers to my insistence that the prescribed loads are calculated off of 90% of the lifter's 1RM. If your 1RM in the bench is 315, why calculate loads off a 1RM of 285?
My response? People who freak out about the 90% thing are usually weak in the first place. You don't need to operate at your max to increase your max. Why people get so bent out of shape about taking two steps back if it means they'll be taking 10 steps forward is beyond me.
Then there's the 'disconnected from reality' problem. Few lifters are willing to acknowledge their true 1RM.
At one time, I did a seminar every week. Every time, without fail, when I asked someone what their one-rep max was, I'd get this: 'Well, about three years ago I hit 365 for a triple, but that was when I was training heavier..' Most guys just don't have a fucking clue. Wartune convert.
By using the 90%, I account for this bullshit. By using weights they can actually handle, guys are building muscle, avoiding burnout, and most importantly, making progress every workout.
None of this is exactly revolutionary. I learned this in my freshman year. I've always made my best gains when I left just a bit in the tank.
As for the 'build too slow' criticism, people tell me that they don't want to take three months to build up their strength. Where are you going to be in a year? Fuck that, where are you going to be in five years, when you're still benching 205 with your ass halfway off the bench?
The pursuit of strength is not a six-month or one-year pursuit. It's a 30-year pursuit for me. You've got to be smart about it. But everyone wants everything right now.
4 Rookie Mistakes to Avoid
If you're going to try 5/3/1, avoid these four common rookie mistakes.
1. Don't customize.
This applies to any program published on this site, but it especially matters for 5/3/1. You must do the program the way it's written.
People ask the craziest shit. 'Can I combine 5/3/1 with Westside for Skinny Bastards?' Why not just do one or the other and make progress?
These same guys then bitch three months later on some message board that the program didn't work. That's like complaining that your girl got pregnant despite you using a Trojan condom, except you forget to mention you were wearing the condom on your fingers.
2. Take it easy with the assistance work.
Some people look for the magic combination of assistance exercises, and completely under-rate the key lift. I call that majoring in the minors. Assistance work is just that – assistance. Do one or two exercises for five sets of 10, or maybe do a few more exercises for fewer sets. It's assistance. It doesn't fucking matter.
I sometimes just give people a rep number and let them make it up on their own. Say, 'push movement: 60 reps,' or 'pull: 100 reps.' It's all just working the muscle.
3. Start with the right weights.
This bears repeating. I don't know how many times people have blown away their PRs because they learn to train with some restraint and actually use weights that they can handle with good form.
4. Progress slowly.
I tell guys that the longer your stride, the quicker you'll tear a hamstring. But the problem is, people live for today's workout. No one seems to have the vision anymore to look beyond just what they're doing today.
I plan my training for a year. I know exactly what I want to do, and what I want to accomplish 12 months in advance. And I know what 5 or 10 pounds a month adds up to over the course of a year.
The game of lifting isn't an eight-week pursuit. It doesn't last as long as your latest program does. It's a lifetime pursuit.
Keys to Making 5/3/1 Work
To look at 5/3/1 on your computer screen, it appears simple enough. That's exactly what I'm after. Getting big and strong just doesn't have to be complicated. Here are the keys to making it work:
- Start with a realistic idea of your one-rep max, and follow my instructions to base all training weights on 90% of that max. You can make it really easy on yourself by spending a couple of workouts working up to a four-rep-max set of each of the four core lifts.
- Your 3RM should be about 90% of your 1RM. Once you have that 3RM, you can skip a step in your calculations and just use it for all your subsequent percentages.
- The final set of your core lift in each workout is the one that produces mass and strength, so give it everything you have, and get as many reps as you can with that weight.
- The exceptions are the deloading workouts in Week 4. You're giving your muscles a break, not trying to establish new PRs.
- When you start a new four-week cycle, add 5 pounds to your 1RMs for bench and shoulder presses and 10 pounds for squats and deadlifts, and recalculate training weights using the new numbers.
- It works best if you train four times a week, although three times a week could work as well, as long as you train all four core lifts before repeating. In other words, don't skip one so you can do the other three once each week. Don't train more than two days in a row.
- If you want to see the results of 5/3/1, you have to do the program as written. As soon as you start customizing it, it's no longer 5/3/1.
You might like your own version of it better than the original, but you can't attribute your success or failure to the guy who wrote the program unless you're actually doing the program as he wrote it.
Sample Workout: The Triumvirate
The Triumvirate uses three exercises per workout, one of which is a core lift. Before each workout, do a warm-up that includes mobility, flexibility, something to raise your core temperature and heart rate (like rope jumping), and foam rolling.
I recommend adding two or three conditioning sessions per week, using hill sprints, Prowler pushes, or whatever else works for you.
In all workouts, rest 3 to 5 minutes between sets of the core lift, and 1 to 2 minutes between sets of the assistance exercises.
Remember that you're calculating percentages based on 90% of your current 1RM in each lift, not from the actual 1RM.
Workout 1
Exercise | Sets | Reps | % 1RM | |
---|---|---|---|---|
A | Standing Shoulder Press Week 1 Week 2 Week 3 Week 4 | 3 | 5 3 5/3/1 5 | 65,75,85 70,80,90 75,85,95 40,50,60 |
B | Dip | 5 | 15 | |
C | Chin-Up | 5 | 10 |
Workout 2
Exercise | Sets | Reps | % 1RM | |
---|---|---|---|---|
A | Deadlift Week 1 Week 2 Week 3 Week 4 | 3 | 5 3 5/3/1 5 | 65,75,85 70,80,90 75,85,95 40,50,60 |
B | Good Morning | 5 | 12 | |
C | Hanging Leg Raise | 5 | 15 |
Workout 3
Exercise | Sets | Reps | % 1RM | |
---|---|---|---|---|
A | Bench Press Week 1 Week 2 Week 3 Week 4 | 3 | 5 3 5/3/1 5 | 65,75,85 70,80,90 75,85,95 40,50,60 |
B | Dumbbell Chest Press | 5 | 15 | |
C | Dumbbell Row | 5 | 10 |
Workout 4
Exercise | Sets | Reps | % 1RM | |
---|---|---|---|---|
A | Squat Week 1 Week 2 Week 3 Week 4 | 3 | 5 3 5/3/1 5 | 65,75,85 70,80,90 75,85,95 40,50,60 |
B | Leg Press | 5 | 15 | |
C | Leg Curl | 5 | 10 |
07/07/09
Popular & Trending
More of a template than a strict program, many variations of 5/3/1 exist. You’ll find some of the best spreadsheets for these variations here. All of them will get you stronger by focusing on steady progression of the Big 3 lifts though. Jim Wendler’s popular 5/3/1 template was highly influential on the popular GZCL and nSuns programs.
The program is comprised of 3 and 4 week cycles, designed to run indefinitely.
Related: Jim Wendler’s Building the Monolith
Contents
- 1 Recommended Reading: Jim Wendler Books
- 2 5/3/1 FAQs
- 3 Spreadsheets
- 5 Updates:
Recommended Reading: Jim Wendler Books
5/3/1 Forever by Jim Wendler
The latest in the 5/3/1 series, 5/3/1 Forever collects all of Jim’s thinking on 5/3/1 with the latest training methods (e.g. anchors and leaders) and over 50 different 5/3/1 training templates.
5/3/1 Forever Pdf Download
Even though this is the most expensive Wendler book, it covers everything and removes the need to check out any of Wendler’s older stuff.
Beyond 5/3/1 by Jim Wendler
If Forever is too expensive for you, the best bang for your buck is Beyond 5/3/1. This represents a major step forward in Jim’s training philosophy, introducing concepts like First Set Last (FSL) and Joker sets that have become 5/3/1 staples.
To understand how 5/3/1 can work best for you, putting in a little reading work goes a long way.
5/3/1 for Powerlifting by Jim Wendler
If you’re looking for a powerlifting specific interpretation of the 5/3/1 for Powerlifting. An example of this program is available in a spreadsheet below, though nothing beats reading the book.
5/3/1 FAQs
What is Jim Wendler’s 5/3/1 program?
5/3/1 is a flexible lifting template that can be applied to a variety of lifting goals. It is best suited for intermediate level lifters and is renowned for the significant length of time an athlete can continually make progress on it.
Can 5/3/1 be run for powerlifting?
Yes, there are variations of 5/3/1 that are well suited for powerlifting. A spreadsheet of a powerlifting 5/3/1 variation is available on Lift Vault.
Does 5/3/1 not have enough volume to be effective?
A common point of criticism against 5/3/1 is that it doesn’t program enough volume (volume being reps x weight lifted). For certain variations of the program, this could be true. The “original” version of the program published on T-Nation in 2009 does, in fact, only contain 3 working sets for each primary movement. This was “addressed” later when Wendler released his book Beyond 5/3/1. This contained a variation known as “first set last” that added an additional AMRAP set to each day’s primary lift. Another common remedy is to run the “Boring But Big” variation (spreadsheet included here), which contains a significant number of back off sets for extra volume. This only scratches the surface of ways to add volume to 5/3/1. To learn more, check out Wendler’s classics: Beyond 5/3/1 and 5/3/1 Forever.
What other programs did 5/3/1 influence?
The basic principles of 5/3/1 had significant influences on the GZCL template and nSuns. Click on either link to learn more.
Spreadsheets
5/3/1 BBB (Boring But Big) Spreadsheet
Wendler’s 5/3/1 Boring But Big (BBB) program is renowned for both its brutal simplicity and serious results.
Basically, BBB follows the 5/3/1 template where one main lift is trained per session (squat, bench, deadlift, or overhead press) using the 5/3/1 rep scheme before dropping the weight and doing 5 sets of 10 reps for the same lift.
The result? Strength and size. No gimmicks, just hard work.
Because the training max increases monthly, this program is best geared for intermediate to advanced lifters that require more recovery and cannot progress as quickly as novice/intermediate lifters.
Wendler 5-3-1 BBB Spreadsheet
5/3/1 BBB Program Spreadsheet (variation)
This is simply another variation of the program above. Check out both and see which layout you prefer more.
Wendler 5/3/1 Spreadsheet
5/3/1 for Beginners Program Spreadsheet
Full program details now available at 5/3/1 for Beginners
via /r/fitness wiki sidebar
531 FOR BEGINNERS | LiftVault.com
e
5/3/1 BBB for Bodybuilding
This is a tweaked version of 5/3/1 that combines a view different 5/3/1 principles into a “bastardized” program for bodybuilding goals. You can view the full details on this page: 5/3/1 BBB for Bodybuilding.
5/3/1 BBB for Bodybuilding | LiftVault.com
Power & Hypertrophy 5/3/1 Program Variation
Source Unknown
Power Hypertrophy 5/3/1 | LiftVault.com
5/3/1 Vanilla + 3/5/1 Powerlifting Specific Program Variation
This spreadsheets contains two different templates: “vanilla” (i.e. normal) 5/3/1 and a powerlifting variation known as 3/5/1. The powerlifting variation of 5/3/1 switches weeks 1 and 2 and incorporates additional heavy single work – increasing the specificity needed for powerlifting and including additional recovery time by not scheduling consecutive heavy lifting weeks.
Jim Wendler 531 v2.1 (BBB + Powerlifting) Spreadsheet
NSuns Linear Progression Program Variation
This popular mutation of 5/3/1 was created by Redditor /u/n-suns. It was inspired by 5/3/1 but is significantly different and is definitely not associated with Jim Wendler. However, I am including it here because it is a very popular program and may be of interest to people already looking into 5/3/1.
It allows for faster progress week to week than the initial BBB program, making it ideal for novice and intermediate lifters that are able to recovery more quickly.
If you like this spreadsheet, check out the other n-Suns program spreadsheets.
2_Suns_531_Linear Progression
Video Overview
If you’d prefer to watch instead of read, check out this excellent video overview of the 5/3/1 training methodology (source: Alex Bromley).
Review - Does 5/3/1 Work? Jim Wendler's Linear Progression Program for Strength Athletes Explained
Watch this video on YouTube
Updates:
- 3/11/20 – Added kg/lb rounding and full program details for 5/3/1 for Beginners (same spreadsheet)
- 3/1/20 – Created a more detailed program page for 5/3/1 BBB (same spreadsheets)
- 2/25/20 – Added 5/3/1 BBB for Bodybuilding spreadsheet + detailed program page
- 5/14/19 – Added “Power & Hypertrophy” 5/3/1 version
5/3/1 Forever Pdf Reddit
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