Thoughts on 5/3/1 Programming

Bigger Stronger Leaner Jim Wendler 5/3/1 Coaching
1

Jim,
I’ve been following your Full Body Training template for a while with great success, so thank you. I’m at a stage now where I’d like to increase the assistance volume, but stay with 3 days a week since that’s what my schedule allows. Any thoughts on the program below?

Day 1
Squat 5/3/1
Press 5/3/1
Press 5 X 10 (BBB weights)
DB rows

Day 2
Squat 3 X 10 (40-60%)
Bench 5/3/1
Bench 5 X 10
Chin ups

Day 3
Front Squat 3 X 5
Deadlift 5/3/1
Deadlift 5 X 10
Dips

I plan to work in sprints / farmer’s walks, but might do a cycle without conditioning just to ease into this program. Unless of course, you have serious concerns with the program described above.

Thanks.

2

I’m not Jim, but I also like training 3 days per week as that is what works with my schedule. I think super-sets are a great way to increase assistance volume while still keeping to your schedule. For example I like super-setting my bench or press with “small” pulls like band pull parts, face pulls, etc. I would consider something like this since you have 5 “pushes” or only 2 “pulls” in your program.

Day 3 sounds tough. How heavy are you going on Front Squats

3

Great point about the pulls and pushes. Will think about how to adjust with some of your ideas.

My front squats are light - more of a warm-up for the 2 main lifts. So I do the sets at around 50-60%.

4

That all sounds reasonable. Good luck. Find what works, stick with it, make progress!

5

Why wouldn’t you want to do some kind of conditioning? Do you not like to recover? That’s a major (1/3) part of any total training program.

6

I should have mentioned - I’m doing sprints 2x per week. Used your treadmill “template” (I don’t have access to a hill) - so I do 10-12 15secs sprints at max incline. I’ve got comfortable with that (I guess as comfortable as you can be with burning lungs) so plan to go to 3x per week. I tried 6-8min CrossFit style finishers, but found that nothing worked like genuine effort sprints.

I would add that I take my kids swimming over the weekends, and have found that a moderate effort swim is awesome for recovery.

7

My point on not doing conditioning for just the first cycle was related to whether the program would be too intense, but I think you pretty much clarified that there’s no point leaving it out. So I’ll keep going with the sprints.

8

Just remember that, AT THE VERY LEAST, a basic training program has some strength work, flexibility/mobility and conditioning. Each has to be done. How “intense” is up to you. But why pussyfoot around?

9

Understood. Thanks for the feedback.