Your Complete 5/3/1 Workout Program Guide (with Spreadsheet)

This post covers Jim Wendler’s 5/3/1 Program which is one of the crucial popular workout programs around. After reading this you may understand how the 5/3/1 Program works, the advantages of running this program and the answers to commonly asked questions surrounding it. To simplify it, the 5/3/1 Program is an efficient strength program for intermediate lifters that centers around 4 core compound lifts. You’ll progressively get stronger month over month should you follow this program; that is a promise.

What’s the 5/3/1 Program?

The 5/3/1 Program was developed by Jim Wendler who was an elite powerlifter with a squat of over 1000 kilos and large 3 total of two,375 kilos. The 5/3/1 Workout Program is built around mesocycles of 4 weeks or “waves”. Each week consists of 3-4 days of coaching. 4 days being the optimal frequency because each training day is centered around a core lift. The 4 core lifts are Overhead Press, Bench Press, Deadlift, and Squat.

In case your schedule doesn’t allow it and you possibly can only get 3 days of coaching in per week then you definately will still only perform one in every of the foremost lifts each session before running through the cycle again, thus extending the 4 weeks to five weeks. Each workout session should include 3 different exercises including the core lift. So, you possibly can select the opposite two accessory lifts to suit your goals; possibly you would like more shoulder work, possibly you must hit your triceps more. The accessory lifts might be programmed to fit your personal situation when it comes to exercise alternative. Just make sure that you select exercises that equate to a well-rounded lifting program.

Each 4 week cycle you’ll have recent weight goals for the core lifts. Here’s a high-level take a look at the tenets of the 5/3/1 Program.

Step 1: Find your 1RM of the core lifts (Overhead press, Bench press, Squat, Deadlift) then subtract 10% out of your 1RM. That is the number you’ll base your workouts around.

Step 2: Each workout you’ll perform one core lift for 3 sets using a weight that’s a percentage of the 90% of the 1RM.

So let’s take a 300 pound squat 1RM for instance. The starting weight that determines the remainder of the chances can be 300*.9 = 270 kilos. The table below gives you the weights and sets you would be lifting in this example.

Note: We rounded to the closest 5lb increments. If you see the + in Set 3 this implies you must aim for AMRAP (as many reps as possible). Week 4 is a de-loading week where you’ll have the prospect to recoup and get well from the previous 3 weeks.

Once this mesocycle is accomplished then you definately will begin the subsequent 4-week cycle using heavier weights on the 4 core lifts. It’s best to try so as to add 5 kilos on upper body lifts of bench press and overhead press after the 4 week wave. Try so as to add 10 kilos to your lower body lifts of squats and deadlifts.

How do I calculate my 1RM?

To properly execute the 5/3/1 Program you have to to work out your 1RM for the core lifts. This shouldn’t be based on guesses or maxes you want you could possibly do. You need to start the 5/3/1 Program together with your current max lifts, don’t over/underestimate your 1 rep max otherwise this system won’t work the way it should. Take a couple of days or workout sessions to find out your 1RM for the core lifts.

Follow this method to hone in in your 1RM:

• Begin with an estimation of your 1RM
• Start with 80-85% of your guesstimated 1RM then perform as many reps as you possibly can
• Use the formula below to work out your 1RM for Bench Press, Overhead Press, Squat, Deadlift

Note: There are numerous free online calculators that can even help with determining your 1RM.

Who’s 5/3/1 program Good For?

The 5/3/1 Program is best suited to intermediate lifters who wish to steadily improve their strength and max lifts. Individuals who’ve accomplished the Starting Strength and Strong Lift Programs often move on to Wendler’s 5/3/1 Program as the subsequent step of their weightlifting journey. The linear progression combined with one week of de-loading in each 4-week cycle lets you stay focused and avoids burning out.

Is 5/3/1 Program Good for Beginners?

The 5/3/1 Program is sweet for anyone that wishes to progressively get stronger. With that said, beginners could possibly be higher served by other lifting protocols, equivalent to the 531 for Beginners (surprise!). The usual 5/3/1 Program isn’t intended to provide massive leads to a brief period of time so beginners would find other programs, just like the beginner version, more useful as they need to see faster gains in a shorter time-frames. In other words, newbie gains. Intermediate and advanced lifters are higher suited to the 5/3/1 Program above, as it may possibly help to incrementally improve strength gains at times where they could’ve stalled out. Beginners need a straightforward linear progression plan, like ‘531 for beginners’ or GZCLP.

Jim Wendler’s 5/3/1 In A Nutshell

• Deal with Improving Core Lifts: Compound, multi-joint movements enable us to construct probably the most muscle and that’s why Bench Press, Squats, Overhead Press and Deadlifts are the cornerstone of this strength program.
• Start With Lighter Weights: On this program you’ll start with weights which might be light enough you can make good progress as you progress through this system. Wendler created the 5/3/1 Strength Program around the concept of constructing strength and power over time because attempting to get quick gains will result in more plateaus faster. Often when people stall out of their progress, they could lose interest and quit so the smaller victories as you progress forward will let you construct up momentum.
• Slow Progress = Breaking Records: The 5/3/1 Program is about up so that you just collect small victories as you progress through it. The goal here is so as to add to your lifts but should you find yourself with the ability to lift more reps of the identical weight then you definately’ve still gotten stronger. Fitness must be a lifetime journey not a couple of months workout program where you’re attempting to add 20 kilos to your bench. With small bite sized goals of adding 5-10 kilos to your lifts it helps not only physically but psychologically as well. When you get within the mindset of setting smaller yet manageable goals you’ll understand the ability these small achievements have over the long term. It’s not all about 1RM, the straightforward truth is that should you keep setting recent PRs for reps and or weight, your 1RM will even go up. The 5/3/1 Strength Program lets you always push and motivate yourself by setting recent PRs without focusing in on only breaking the 1RM.

Advantages of 5/3/1 Program

It looks like there’s at all times a recent workout program or methodology that pops up within the fitness industry but most don’t have legs to face on. Wendler’s 5/3/1 Program has longevity within the fitness industry and is respected by everyone who has used it and/or is a respected figure within the weightlifting world. Let’s have a take a look at among the advantages of running the 5/3/1 Program to see why it’s been utilized by people all over the world.

1. Easy To Follow: Once you will have your 1RM dialed in for the 4 core lifts the 5/3/1 Program is simple to follow (Spreadsheet below  will do calculations). The sets and reps are simply laid out so that you just just must track your progress week to week, cycle to cycle.
2. Results Driven: Wendler’s 5/3/1 Program is all in regards to the continuous improvement on the 4 core lifts through progressive overload. You will notice results should you follow the 5/3/1 Program while eating and sleeping right. This is not any gimmick program that guarantees unrealistic results. We like to consider it as slow and regular progress that adds up over time.
3. Centered Around Core Lifts: If you desire to get stronger you must deal with the essential compound lifts; Bench Press, Squats, Deadlifts and Overhead Press. There are multiple variations of the 5/3/1 Program that switch up assistance lifts when it comes to sets/reps schemes however the core lifts remain as the muse of this system.
4. Efficient: Some workout programs require never ending hours spent within the gym. The 5/3/1 Program lets you gain serious strength and size in a relative short period of time. You possibly can complete a workout session within the 5/3/1 Program inside 45-60 minutes, considering you’ve properly warmed up beforehand with a brief but effective dynamic stretching routine.

Disadvantages of 5/3/1 Workout Program

There aren’t many complaints across the programming of the 5/3/1 Workout Program but after all there are at all times a couple of dissenting opinions in the whole lot regarding fitness.

1. Slow Progress: The methodical linear progression within the 5/3/1 Workout Program isn’t for everybody. This program is built around long-lasting gains over time. Some people might need to try so as to add more weight to their lifts in a shorter period of time.
2. Frequency: Some might need to train the essential lifts greater than once per week. We consider that should you can achieve results when performing the foremost lifts just once per week then the frequency shouldn’t matter much. Nonetheless, should you’re searching for more work on specific lifts then the 5/3/1 Workout Program may not be the right fit.

5/3/1 Triumvirate Workout Program

As we stated before you possibly can do 3-4 workout sessions per week and still follow the 5/3/1 Strength Program but on this 5/3/1 workout routine we’re sticking with 4 workout sessions weekly. For those who can’t get 4 workouts in weekly, you possibly can still follow 5/3/1 Workout plan but it would just take longer to cycle through it.

To start out the 5/3/1 Program make sure that you already know what your 1RM is on the core lifts.

We workout with the next program on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday. The times of the week to workout should suit your lifestyle and schedule. For those who resolve to run the 5/3/1 Strength Program on a 3 day per week schedule then it would take 5 weeks to run through one cycle of this system compared with our 4 day per week schedule where we’ll finish in 4 weeks.

Start with a Warm Up, Wendler recommends the next warmup of the targeted essential lift:

• 1 set x 5 reps @40% 1RM
• 1 set x 5 reps @50% 1RM
• 1 set x 3 reps @60% 1RM

Note: Rest between sets might be anywhere from 3-5 minutes for the core lift sets and 60-90 seconds between assistance exercises sets.

WORKOUT  1

WORKOUT 2

Assistance Work Variations

Wendler offers 5 variations of assistance work that might be done in tandem with the 5/3/1 Program.

Assistance #1: Boring But Big

One of the crucial popular assistance programing for the 5/3/1 is the BBB version where you’ll perform the identical exercise after the essential lift but with the rep/set scheme of 5 sets of 10 reps. For instance, if on bench press day of week 1 you’ll do:

Assistance #2: Triumvirate

Just like BBB variation except you don’t should follow the essential lift with the very same lift and you possibly can switch up the set/rep range should you’d like. Wendler’s version of the Triumvirate is detailed above.

Assistance #3: I’m Not Doing Jack Shit

Possibly Wendler’s favorite version, this assistance work includes no assistance work. You mainly go into the gym to do the essential lifting portion of 5/3/1 then leave, that’s it. For those who’re wanting time then this is perhaps the variation that’s best for you. There is perhaps a couple of disadvantages here when it comes to limited volume and breadth of exercises.

Assistance #4: Periodization Bible by Dave Tate

Modeled after an article called The Periodization Bible, Part 1. This text was missing some key elements of core lifting principles but did cover exercises like speed benches. Here is an example deadlift day week 1:

Assistance #5: Body weight

With this version all assistance work will probably be done with body weight exercises. This will provide help to stay athletic while maintaining and gaining muscle mass. It’s best to aim for at the very least 75 reps of every body weight exercise without defined sets. Here’s an example with squat day week 1:

Why is the 5/3/1 Program So Effective?

The 5/3/1 Program is effective attributable to the knowledge and expertise that Wendler put into it from his a few years of competitive powerlifting. You WILL get strong should you follow this system exactly because it was designed for 3 major reasons:

Linear Progression: The 5/3/1 Program is an easy straightforward approach to achieving regular gains. The concept of linear progression plays out here since the goal is so as to add 5 lbs to your upper body lifts and 10 lbs to your lower body lifts after each 4 week cycle. One of these progression means attainable gains each cycle with lower possibilities of pain or injury.

De-loading: Wendler cleverly made the 4th week of every cycle a de-loading week. De-loading means you’ll lift much lighter weights in order that your body has time to get well faster and higher. De-loading also helps you psychologically as you possibly can take it easy for a brief period of time before going back to giving it your all. Within the 5/3/1 Program the de-loading week means you’ll only be lifting between 30-60% of your 1RM for 3 sets of 5. That is your time to chill out slightly in order that your body is ready to enter the subsequent 4 week cycle with the increased weights. De-loading is essential to maintain the linear progression moving in a positive direction.

Built Around Core Lifts: It’s likely that you’ll see the core lifts in almost every successful strength training program. Squats, deadlifts, bench press and overhead press are big compound lifts that engage major muscle groups to work in unison thus activating and stimulating the muscles to grow and develop into stronger. It’s difficult to achieve any real strength should you skip out on these lifts.

Suggestions For Wendler’s 5/3/1 Workout Program

• Be sure that you begin with the right weights
• Follow the 5/3/1 Workout Program to the “T”
• Try so as to add some conditioning into your schedule. Wendler recommends hill sprints or pushing a sled but not on leg day training.
• Eat 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight
• Get 6-8 hours of sleep every night

5/3/1 Workout Program FAQs

Can I Do The 5/3/1 Program With 2 Workout Sessions A Week?

For those who can only squeeze two days per week of workouts is then follow this:

• Monday or Tuesday- Squat and Bench Press
• Thursday or Friday- Deadlift and Overhead Press

Complete the identical 4 week schedule then adjust weights. As at all times, perform the first lifts first the add assistance work as needed. Attempt to limit total workout time to 60 minutes.

What Do I Do If My Progress Stalls On 5/3/1?

Although many individuals experience continuous improvements with their lifts throughout the duration of the 5/3/1 Workout Program, it is feasible that you just might trip up and never give you the chance to max out on a lift. Recalculate your 1RM then take 90% of that and start this system again for that specific lift. Proceed uninterrupted on the opposite lifts.

Can I Construct Muscle With 5/3/1 Workout Program?

The 5/3/1 Workout Program is designed for the user to get stronger but not necessarily with hypertrophy as the tip goal. For those who’re trying to construct muscle while using the core principles of the 5/3/1 Program then you must try the 5/3/1 Boring But Big or 5/3/1 Bodybuilding variation.

Is 5/3/1 Program Good For Powerlifters?

The Triumvirate 5/3/1 Program that we link to on this post may not be the most effective alternative for powerlifters. Nonetheless, there are variations of the 5/3/1 Program on the market like Jim Wendler’s 5/3/1 Program for Powerlifting.

Are there other variations of the 531 Program?

Yes, there are quite a few variations that follow an analogous methodology of the unique 5/3/1 Program. These variations of the 5/3/1 Program include 5/3/1 Program for Powerlifting, 5/3/1 BBB Program, 5/3/1 BBB for Bodybuilding, Power & Hypertrophy 5/3/1 Program and 5/3/1 Vanilla + 3/5/1 Powerlifting Specific Program Variation, and 5/3/1 for Beginners.

FINAL NOTE

The 5/3/1 Workout Program is a solid alternative for intermediate lifters who wish to break through plateaus. The 5/3/1 Workout Program is a time tested, no bullshit plan that may add weight to your lifts should you follow the script. Even when the regular 5/3/1 Workout Program doesn’t suit your exact goals don’t be concerned because you could possibly at all times try one in every of the variations that may scratch your itch should you’re a powerlifter searching for massive strength improvements or a bodybuilder that wishes to construct muscle and get stronger.