Beyond 5/3/1: Simple Training for Extraordinary Results

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Next two cycles I decided to see what Boring But Big was all about. The challenge and progression was laid out at the end of Beyond for this 6 week version. I even did this for weighted chins/dips starting with BW and adding up to +20/+45 lbs for chins/dips. If you’re looking for strength as an adjunct to other aspects of your training, a more generalized program might be better until such a time where pursuing new maxes is at the forefront of your mind. Impatient Lifters You would then follow this up with what Wendler calls ‘Joker’ sets (Section B) which are essentially additional heavy sets designed to let lifters hit some heavier loads on the days they feel good. So if your 3rd working set felt great and moved fast, you might add on 1 or 2 extra sets at 5-10% above your top set weight. It seems like there’s always a new workout program or methodology that pops up in the fitness industry but most don’t have legs to stand on. Wendler’s 5/3/1 Program has longevity in the fitness industry and is respected by everyone who has used it and/or is a respected figure in the weightlifting world. Let’s have a look at some of the benefits of running the 5/3/1 Program to see why it’s been used by people around the world. 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

This popular mutation of 5/3/1 was createdby 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. Both yes and no. The base version of 5/3/1 doesn’t offer enough volume for much muscle growth, and the reps are too low. However, when you add on something like the ‘Big But Boring’ assistance template and start doing 5 sets of 10 to finish off each workout, you will absolutely start to see some serious muscle growth. The fatigue will also be higher though, so keep that in mind. Next Steps The exceptions are the deloading workouts in Week 4. You’re giving your muscles a break, not trying to establish new PRs. Jim Wendler recommends 1-3 reps for most joker sets. He also stresses that you should never miss reps when running a 5/3/1 program. If you miss reps during a joker set then you should not have attempted that set. 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.Alright so now that we’ve covered the 5/3/1 base program, how to use it, as well as the most popular assistance options, here’s what I like about it: The joker sets aren’t strictly necessary, but I would argue that they are important for optimising and maximising your results. Generally speaking, more work performed at heavier weights equals better results, so long as you can recover. Is 5/3/1 good for cutting? The 5/3/1 Program was developed by Jim Wendler who was an elite powerlifter with a squat of over 1000 pounds and big 3 total of 2,375 pounds. The 5/3/1 Workout Program is built around mesocycles of 4 weeks or "waves". Each week consists of 3-4 days of training. Four days being the optimal frequency because each training day is centered around a core lift. The four core lifts are Overhead Press, Bench Press, Deadlift, and Squat. 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 Glossary As you can see, Weeks One and Two are switched. The AMRAP set is removed from the 3×5 week and heavy singles at your training max are added to Weeks 1 and 3. Now, this is a good start towards improving specificity. But let’s be honest here, do you really think doing a couple of singles, which still represents a relatively small amount of volume, is enough to override the fact that the vast majority of work that you do on the program is below 85%? Well, it isn’t.

Wendler decided to strip away the complexities of the Westside style of training that he had been using and he reverted to a simple percentage based program. In all likelihood, 5/3/1 was probably influenced by the Bigger, Stronger, Faster lifting program that Wendler was almost certainly exposed to as a youth football player. This program, designed with the competitive athlete in mind, served as a fantastic frame work for someone looking to improve their overall condition rather than focus explicitly on powerlifting performance.Perhaps one of the most valuable principles behind the success of 5/3/1 is the “training max”. The training max is the value that all of your loads will be calculated off of. A fatal error in many strength training programs is that they will use your true 1RM to perform these calculations. 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.

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 monolith and squat, but I couldn’t do anything else. Really, all I could do was squat, bench, and deadlift. 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. You do not perform any assistance work. You go to the gym to perform your main lifts, and that’s it. This is not recommended, unless you have limited time. Jim Wendler recommends performing 10 to 15 box jumps or medicine ball throws prior to lifting. He also recommends performing Defrancos Agile 8 every day, including before training. Running/ConditioningLike many other programs we’ve seen, the emphasis on the 1:1 bench to press ratio is just unnecessary and sub-optimal for powerlifters. The majority of the upperbody training needs to be focused on the bench press. 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.

Personally, as a coach, I would recommend that once a lifter has completed starting strength or stronglifts, they try the texas method for a few months, and then move onto 5/3/1 once they have a more complete sense of their own strengths and weaknesses.You may perform assistance exercises alongside 5/3/1. But remember these are for assistance and should not take away from your main lifts. There are several different ways you can include assistance exercises into your 5/3/1 routine. Examples are as follows: 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 Finally, Jim Wendler recommends “some kind of running or conditioning” on your off days. This is not detailed extensively, but he adds that this work should not interfere with your main training. Keep it light. Questions about 5/3/1 for Beginners? There are a few groups of people that are best suited to make progress using the 5/3/1 program — those with a strength focus, busy lifters, and those with a minimalist training set up. Strength Enthusiasts 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.