Jim Wendler's 5/3/1 Program
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.
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.
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.
5/3/1 by the Numbers
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: deloading
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:
The core philosophy behind 5/3/1 revolves around the basic tenets of strength training that have stood the test of time.
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.
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.
5/3/1 by the Numbers
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: deloading
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:
Set 1 Set 2 Set 3 |
Week 1
65% x 5 75% x 5 85% x 5 |
Week 2
70% x 3 80% x 3 90% x 3 |
Week 3
75% x 5 85% x 3 95% x 1+ |
Week 4
40% x 5 50% x 5 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.
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.
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.
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 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.
The prescribed reps are simply testing your strength. Anything over and above will build strength, muscle, and character. That last set is the one that pushes all your limits, but the system doesn't work without the sets that precede it. .
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. Exercises such as strength-training staples like chin-ups, dips, lunges, and back extensions are great strength-training staples.
These exercises 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. The 5/3/1 includes a number of different ways to choose and implement assistance work, with categories like a hypertrophy program, three lifts per workout, and periodization training.
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.
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.
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 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.
The prescribed reps are simply testing your strength. Anything over and above will build strength, muscle, and character. That last set is the one that pushes all your limits, but the system doesn't work without the sets that precede it. .
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. Exercises such as strength-training staples like chin-ups, dips, lunges, and back extensions are great strength-training staples.
These exercises 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. The 5/3/1 includes a number of different ways to choose and implement assistance work, with categories like a hypertrophy program, three lifts per workout, and periodization training.