Well I’m new to this T-Nation site but I figured what a better way to get the input from living proof of the workout. I was just curious of how many people use the 5/3/1 method I am currently on week 7 of it and I was curious how long tend to stay on this program?
Almost two years.
Wish I would have started 25 years ago…
I have been using it for almost 5 years, and see no reason to ever stop.
One does not simply “run” 5/3/1, it’s a lifestyle. Carefull tho, you may not be able to control all the awesome that comes with such a life.
Jokes aside, 5/3/1 is nearly infinately variable and can be tweaked to pretty much suit any lifter.
[quote]StrengthDawg wrote:
One does not simply “run” 5/3/1, it’s a lifestyle. Carefull tho, you may not be able to control all the awesome that comes with such a life.
Jokes aside, 5/3/1 is nearly infinately variable and can be tweaked to pretty much suit any lifter. [/quote]
^^ that is awesome Hook!
^ !!!
Ran it for six months at the end of an 18 month Westside template…
Loved both, 5/3/1 lacks the Chips, Whips, Band and Chains though …
I have been on 5/3/1 so far for 18 months and will continue to do so for a long time.
5/3/1 like others have said is so versatile. There are not many programs where you can train 2,3 or 4 days a week by using the same basic principles and still make progress. Also the templates are close to infinite by changing the assistance. I have various tempates to keep me going for the next 3 years ie BBB 5x10, 5x5, 5x3, Full Body, 5’s Pro, Bigger Yoke and 2 day a week templates when I am too busy to train 3 or 4 days a week.
[quote]grappling_hook wrote:
[quote]StrengthDawg wrote:
One does not simply “run” 5/3/1, it’s a lifestyle. Carefull tho, you may not be able to control all the awesome that comes with such a life.
Jokes aside, 5/3/1 is nearly infinately variable and can be tweaked to pretty much suit any lifter. [/quote]
[/quote]
Love the picture and that’s actually quite true. 5/3/1 is not just a series of %'s and set & rep schemes that you follow until you’re bored or plateau on your “noob gainz”; it’s a system based on principles that you can tailor to your needs and basically do it for life.
I’ve been using 5/3/1 for a year now, though I’ve worked with different templates.
I’ve been doing 5/3/1 a for a year now yesterday. I’ve started with the basic 5/3/1 for about 4 months, Switched to 3/5//1 for powerlifting, 13 week BBB challenge(running 3/5/1), and now Beyond 5/3/1 training maximally, so many options! I’ve added almost 50lbs to my bench(need to retest max soon) 70-80lbs to my squat(need to retest soon as well, and exactly 120lbs to my deadlift(maxed yesterday). From Feb-May this year I slacked off a lot, drank/partied more frequently and as a result gains suffered.
I’m focusing on fixing my shitty squat now. I’ve had a great time with 5/3/1 and will continue to use variations in the future.
[quote]arc23p wrote:
I’ve been doing 5/3/1 a for a year now yesterday. I’ve started with the basic 5/3/1 for about 4 months, Switched to 3/5//1 for powerlifting, 13 week BBB challenge(running 3/5/1), and now Beyond 5/3/1 training maximally, so many options! I’ve added almost 50lbs to my bench(need to retest max soon) 70-80lbs to my squat(need to retest soon as well, and exactly 120lbs to my deadlift(maxed yesterday). From Feb-May this year I slacked off a lot, drank/partied more frequently and as a result gains suffered.
I’m focusing on fixing my shitty squat now. I’ve had a great time with 5/3/1 and will continue to use variations in the future.[/quote]
Thanks for sharing. It’s nice to read testimonials from users who have stuck to the program for a long period of time, even if commitment or nutrition has wavered, since I’ve been gauging how long is reasonable to stay the course myself.
Ideally, I am thinking no less than one year, mixing up assistance exercises to fit my own goals. There are a lot of anecdotal accounts of fairly major gains over the long haul, so no doubt the program works, but people have a tendency to want to build Rome in a day, which in this pastime/hobby/sport usually equates to program hopping and/or what I believe Jim W. referred to as “majoring in the minors.”
I guess another question is I see different forms of it on this site should i be alternating my work sets? my current split is
Mon/Chest
Bench
DB chest press
DB rows
Tuesday/Legs
Squat
Leg press
Leg curl
Wed/shoulders
Standing press
dips
Shrugs
Thurs/Back
Deadlift
latpull downs
DB side raises
I guess im curious as should I be adding more to my workouts or different sets after the work sets?
[quote]mallory235 wrote:
I guess another question is I see different forms of it on this site should i be alternating my work sets?
[/quote]
When I started 5/3/1 I did the Boring but Big 3 Month Challenge off Tnation. It taught me a lot about how to layout a program and I still use it as the basis for what I do.
I also learned a lot by reading 5/3/1 for Powerlifting. Specifically, I learned how to organize blocks of training for specific purposes (building strength, building mass, improving conditioning).
Where I think most people fuck up (myself included) is they try to do everything all at once. +reps, jokers, FSL, BBB, and lots of prowler/hills/sprints. They try to use every tool in the toolbox simultaneously without really understanding what each tool is meant to do.
It’s why I think it’s good to start with one of Jim’s pre-made templates and get a feeling for the way he programs before striking it out on your own. I can recommend the BBB 3 Month Challenge (Tnation) because I’ve done it, however some other recommendations are Beyond 5/3/1 (Tnation) and Never Peak Again (Jim’s forum).
I’ve been running it for three years now. I change the assistance work every two months and occasionally try various templates such as BBB, but the principles always stay the same. Running SVR now and enjoying it as a change of pace.
Forever? Just vary the assistance templates and adjust the TM’s as needed.
Thanks for the tips