Anyone trying 5/3/1?

Yes, I am using it now. The extra rest days are helping me to recover much better. I'm in week 2 now, and I plan to use it (the 5-3-1) for my next PL meet which will be in late October-early November. I've come across many positive results from people who have used it thus far, so I'm using it.
 
as a straight strength routine its gotten good reviews and JW from elitefts knows his stuff. what i dont like is that there is no discussion on peaking for a competition, so you might want to pair it up with a peaking routine when you are 4-6 weeks out....
 
ok guys i got a question.. i JUST found one of these routines yesterday and wanted to use it over the next month it says to go for a max single every week. so i was thinking something like this..

week 1
Bench Press
170 x 5
205 x 3
255 x 1

would that be a good layout if my max single is 255 last time i did it? or would i need too do like 135 for 5 just to get the blood flowing.

i got the workout routine that is a 3 rep then 1 rep.. however idk what to aim for if i was using 5 reps first?? any ideas help me please.
 
brownstown89 said:
ok guys i got a question.. i JUST found one of these routines yesterday and wanted to use it over the next month it says to go for a max single every week. so i was thinking something like this..

week 1
Bench Press
170 x 5
205 x 3
255 x 1

would that be a good layout if my max single is 255 last time i did it? or would i need too do like 135 for 5 just to get the blood flowing.

i got the workout routine that is a 3 rep then 1 rep.. however idk what to aim for if i was using 5 reps first?? any ideas help me please.
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the reps are based on a percentage of your max; the 5/3/1 means the first week is 3 sets of 5, 2nd week is 3 sets of 3, the 3rd week is a set of 5, a set of 3 and a max single... i'd have to dig up the percentages for you, it was something like 70-75-80 week 1, 75-80-85 week 2, 70-80-90 week 3. that routine you dug up is NOT the 5/3/1 program.
 
looks good man the thing i looked was a pretty simple powerlifting routine

Bench Press
1 x 3 on 205
1 x 1 on 255
burnout 175

Shoulder Press and Weighted Dips 3 x 5 and tricep pulldowns 3 sets till failure...

the next bench workout would be 1 x 3 on 210 and a max single 260... Now given i eat right rest train take my supps wuold this routine workout would it simply be over training? I have been doing 5-7 sets of 1 on my 3 rep max wnt from a 3 rep max of 230-245 (only hit 4 last workout).. Ive hit a max single on 255 when it wasnt max day just wanted to see what i could throw up after a 3 x 3 workout. coulda got 260 for sure if i went striaght to 260 isntead of 255.. but would u mind laying me out a routine for the next 4 weeks to hit 270 please broo!!!?
 
rxp1997 said:
as a straight strength routine its gotten good reviews and JW from elitefts knows his stuff. what i dont like is that there is no discussion on peaking for a competition, so you might want to pair it up with a peaking routine when you are 4-6 weeks out....
Click to expand...

I may be wrong but i don't think he wrote it for competitors. I would feel confortable doing anything that Wendler wrote.
 
The manual is only $20 @ EliteFTS.com. VERY, I mean VERY, worthwhile investment.
Jim W. has a way of simplifying lifting so it is more efficient and effective.

I have been using the 531 methods for nearly a year now with great results.
 
also, here's the progress in the last 6 months (5 spent on 5/3/1 and two grappling tournaments that i lost weight for):

**numbers are before / after

Squat 5x275, 1x375 / 10x300, 6x330
Bench 4x205, 1x230 / 10x200, 8x215
Press 2x155, 1x165 / 10x145, 5x160
Clean 1x210 / 3x195
Deadlift 3x405, 1x465 / 7x415, 2x450, 1x495

clearly my bench started as weak, but its improving FAST, and I only recently started doing cleans again (last wave), but thats a pretty big improvement.
 
I am good friends with Matt Rhodes, and know/have hung out with Jim Wendler a few times. The program is solid. I didn't make a lot of gains on it, but I had some outside things going on that I think would have sabotaged anything I was doing. The other 4 guys that were training with me all made substantial gains. Start conservative, and run the program for a while. This isn't a good 8 week blitz IMO. I ran it for 20 weeks, changing up secondary movements, etc. Wendler is awesome.
 
I have heard solid things about it. However, as was stated above, start conservative
 
just do the program right. it makes you start conservative. if you alter the program (which a lot of folks do), you take away from its effectiveness.

can't say enough things about it.
 
lpflyer88 said:
just do the program right. it makes you start conservative. if you alter the program (which a lot of folks do), you take away from its effectiveness.

can't say enough things about it.
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I normally do a 5x5-style workout, with 175 on bench. My current max is 225. So, if the percentages listed by rxp1997 are correct...
rxp1997 said:
...the 5/3/1 means the first week is 3 sets of 5, 2nd week is 3 sets of 3, the 3rd week is a set of 5, a set of 3 and a max single... i'd have to dig up the percentages for you, it was something like 70-75-80 week 1, 75-80-85 week 2, 70-80-90 week 3. that routine you dug up is NOT the 5/3/1 program.
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...I would rep 3x5 (160, 170, 180) the first week, 3x3 (170, 180, 190) the next week, and finally 5/3/1 (160, 180, 200) the third before repeating the cycle again, or would you max out after the third week and recalculate the percentages if your bench went up?
 
i am pretty sure I got the percentages right; on week 4 you deload, not maxout, and then start again. from what I remember reading, JW suggests trying to squeeze an extra rep or two, and increasing the weight every cycle in small increments (like 5lbs or so). also the rep range was meant for the main lift of the day, not for everything you lift that day.
 
Chubbie said:
The manual is only $20 @ EliteFTS.com. VERY, I mean VERY, worthwhile investment.
Jim W. has a way of simplifying lifting so it is more efficient and effective.

I have been using the 531 methods for nearly a year now with great results.
Click to expand...

thank you EFS for digital downloads... such a much more efficient and speedy way of delivering books...
 
Start conservative on the program, and on your 4rd week when you do a set of 5, a set of 3 and a single, do not max out. Do the same thing you do on all of your last sets; do as many reps as you can without hitting failure. Start conservative. A good rule of thumb is to take off 10% of what you can really do and call that your max.

Really just spend the few bucks and get the download and read all about it, Jim goes into good detail. The guys at elite have done a lot for the sport.
 
to all the people trying to guess the information, just get the book. it's cheap and honestly, some of the best money I've ever spent to better my training
 
On week 1 and its going well. Simple, but very effective program.

I have a quick question for anyone who's been doing it while take any PH/PS or AAS. If ON should you still follow the deload week or continue on to the next rotation?
 
I'm on my deload week now and will start up with my new maxes next week. It's a great program. I feel fully recovered from every workout and am using it for my meet May 30. I bought the manual from EFS and it's probably the best 20$ I've ever spent. Good luck, bro. You won't be disappointed.

Jason Brooks
 
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