Wendler 5/3/1 Program

Bigger Stronger Leaner Powerlifting & Strength Sports
21

I have to admit, I called and asked him a question. I took my max and reduced it by 10%, but when I dedlifted the next week I missed the proscribed 5 reps - badly. So i didnt know whether to readjust the percentages or what. That was my question, I just had to confess.

I dont think I could’ve figured out the 531 just from his posts, Donut, I was trying, but couldnt. At teh same tiem, I cant imagine the questions that the new manual will address. It kind of disappoints me tho, i wish it had all been done in one manual, just so i could read more of Jim’s stuff - it’s good.

22

[quote]KBCThird wrote:
I have to admit, I called and asked him a question. I took my max and reduced it by 10%, but when I dedlifted the next week I missed the proscribed 5 reps - badly. So i didnt know whether to readjust the percentages or what. That was my question, I just had to confess.

I dont think I could’ve figured out the 531 just from his posts, Donut, I was trying, but couldnt. At teh same tiem, I cant imagine the questions that the new manual will address. It kind of disappoints me tho, i wish it had all been done in one manual, just so i could read more of Jim’s stuff - it’s good.[/quote]

Kevin, I thought of your issue right after my earlier post, but I don’t think yours is really a question that needs a whole new manual. I still think it is just a fluke.

As far as getting the program from his posts, I got most of the info from just these two posts:

http://asp.elitefts.com/qa/default.asp?qid=68093&tid=

http://asp.elitefts.com/qa/default.asp?qid=68101&tid=

I actually started the program like this, as a 3/5/1, before I bought the book and I may go back to it. I still think the sets of 5 are the hardest and possibly deserve some sort of “work into” week as opposed to jumping right into it.

23

[quote]malonetd wrote:
.I still think the sets of 5 are the hardest[/quote]

I agree.

24

[quote]malonetd wrote:
KBCThird wrote:
I have to admit, I called and asked him a question. I took my max and reduced it by 10%, but when I dedlifted the next week I missed the proscribed 5 reps - badly. So i didnt know whether to readjust the percentages or what. That was my question, I just had to confess.

I dont think I could’ve figured out the 531 just from his posts, Donut, I was trying, but couldnt. At teh same tiem, I cant imagine the questions that the new manual will address. It kind of disappoints me tho, i wish it had all been done in one manual, just so i could read more of Jim’s stuff - it’s good.

Kevin, I thought of your issue right after my earlier post, but I don’t think yours is really a question that needs a whole new manual. I still think it is just a fluke.

As far as getting the program from his posts, I got most of the info from just these two posts:

http://asp.elitefts.com/qa/default.asp?qid=68093&tid=

http://asp.elitefts.com/qa/default.asp?qid=68101&tid=

I actually started the program like this, as a 3/5/1, before I bought the book and I may go back to it. I still think the sets of 5 are the hardest and possibly deserve some sort of “work into” week as opposed to jumping right into it.[/quote]

I def agree that my problem doesnt need a whole new manual, I just felt the need to confess since we’re talking about how stupid all of the people asking the questions are (and they are, for the most part at the very least.) I also felt somewhat sheepish after his post yesterday where he said he gets 40-50 calls and emails/day asking about 531. When I called up Jim was the one who answered the phone; I said who I was and that I had a 531 question, did he have a minute to talk? Knowing that was probably the two dozenth time he’d heard that that day I’m surprised he didnt hang up on me, haha.

I remember those two posts you linked to. I think I even cut and pasted them into a files I keep on the best stuff by each of those guys. I probably had it in the back of my mind to try somethign liek it, but I guess that goes to show that things instantly become more attractive when they have a name, are packaged, and sold rather than given away.

25

Wow, those 2 post and you save 30$ bucks.
But people are probably asking so many questions…

I have the book and what i like about it;

-No pictures(there enough on the web)
-Straight forward program.
-No tempo
-Program for raw lifter(5/3/1)
-Program for those who believed in speed work(dynamic)
-No iso hold or any similar stuff

Basic,simple,proven exercices and how to split your workout.
In fact Jim doing and and writing about 4 big lifts and the accessory up to you, with some suggestion.

I don’t get how he is gonna write a manual on a manual…but hey, some peoples will buy it!!

26

Using some of these principles at moment. As Wendler states it gets PRs dropping like prom dresses

27

I have been doing the % stated by Matt Kroc. Didnt realise there was a difference until I looked at this thread. I am on week 3 of my first cycle of it for deadlifts and box squats. Will switch to the proper % for the next training cycle. I have to admit I realy like this as its straight forward and you can see exactly when you will PR.

28

I find it sort of ironic that Jim Wendler, the same guy that said for years that it’s not about the lifting program, it’s the environment, is now authoring a book based around following percentages and exercises for a lifting system.

I still would like to check it out, but it’s just sort of interesting to me that Jim would sort of talk s**t about Louie’s system saying that Westside was only special because of who trained there, now he’s trying to author the same sort of concept.

29

[quote]Dominator wrote:
I find it sort of ironic that Jim Wendler, the same guy that said for years that it’s not about the lifting program, it’s the environment, is now authoring a book based around following percentages and exercises for a lifting system.

I still would like to check it out, but it’s just sort of interesting to me that Jim would sort of talk s**t about Louie’s system saying that Westside was only special because of who trained there, now he’s trying to author the same sort of concept.[/quote]

This is just wholly inaccurate. First of all, Wendler has said MULTIPLE times that a PROGRAM is nothing, but you NEED to have plan. That’s exactly what this is, a plan. The percentages are rough, and you’re PLANNING to rep out on the last set, PLANNING to hit a certain number, but if youre not feeling it you change on the fly.

Furthermore, Jim wasnt talking trash about louie or westside, he was emphasizing that you can have the perfect plan, but it’ll only get you so far. Anyone in the country can use the conjugate method, but only a small percentage of those lifters get results. Interestingly, most of those lifters are from hardcore gyms, whether it’s a “name” like Westside or Big Iron, or a good crew that happens to lift in somebody’s garage.

There’s nothing ironic about any of this.

30

Just throwing it out there if any Mods see this but would be good to get an article or interview with Wendler here on the nation.

31

I’ve been doing 5/3/1 for 3 months now and have my squat/dead have went up 50lbs and bench 15lbs.
I wouldn’t really call it a program though. The % are for people that are anal about things like that. Week 1 you work up to a 5rm (but do it more than 5 if you can), week 2 3rm, week 3 a 1rm and week 4 deload. You do whatever assistance work you want on the appropriate day.

The looseness is what I like. I do a 3 day split (Sun-Squat, Tues-Bench, Thurs-Dead) and have played around with assistance schemes (keeping the same exercises each 4 week cycle) to see what works best for me. I’ve found that, for example, my squat responds better if I do something like 5x8 squats after the heavy sets but my bench works better with heavy sets of shoulder and tricep work for assistance.
I also think it’s a perfect plan for newbies to powerlifting (<1 year) like myself who need the work on form that traditional Westside doesn’t give. At the same time I prefer it to WS4SB because I get a chance to PR almost every workout.

32

Jim 5/3/1 ,
Defranco ws4sb,

and this one from Matt Rhodes
http://www.elitefts.com/documents/getting_ready.htm

Those 3 are my favorite,simple,no bs workout!!

33

I don’t post much around here, but I gotta shout out my man Jim Wendler for this program. It’s solid.

I am finishing my first cycle on this tonight, I haven’t felt this strong in a very long time. I’ve been smashing PR’s left and right.

34

[quote]KBCThird wrote:
This is just wholly inaccurate. First of all, Wendler has said MULTIPLE times that a PROGRAM is nothing, but you NEED to have plan. That’s exactly what this is, a plan.

The percentages are rough, and you’re PLANNING to rep out on the last set, PLANNING to hit a certain number, but if youre not feeling it you change on the fly.

Furthermore, Jim wasnt talking trash about louie or westside, he was emphasizing that you can have the perfect plan, but it’ll only get you so far. Anyone in the country can use the conjugate method, but only a small percentage of those lifters get results.

Interestingly, most of those lifters are from hardcore gyms, whether it’s a “name” like Westside or Big Iron, or a good crew that happens to lift in somebody’s garage.

There’s nothing ironic about any of this.[/quote]

He’s said multiple times that you don’t need the Dynamic Method and that Westside was special because of who trained there, not the program.

35

[quote]Dominator wrote:
KBCThird wrote:
This is just wholly inaccurate. First of all, Wendler has said MULTIPLE times that a PROGRAM is nothing, but you NEED to have plan. That’s exactly what this is, a plan.

The percentages are rough, and you’re PLANNING to rep out on the last set, PLANNING to hit a certain number, but if youre not feeling it you change on the fly.

Furthermore, Jim wasnt talking trash about louie or westside, he was emphasizing that you can have the perfect plan, but it’ll only get you so far. Anyone in the country can use the conjugate method, but only a small percentage of those lifters get results.

Interestingly, most of those lifters are from hardcore gyms, whether it’s a “name” like Westside or Big Iron, or a good crew that happens to lift in somebody’s garage.

There’s nothing ironic about any of this.

He’s said multiple times that you don’t need the Dynamic Method and that Westside was special because of who trained there, not the program.

[/quote]

Didn’t he say the truth?

36

[quote]Dominator wrote:

He’s said multiple times that you don’t need the Dynamic Method and that Westside was special because of who trained there, not the program.

[/quote]

And? You dont HAVE to do speed work to get strong as hell and no system is going to stand out without producing outstanding results.

37

I’m doing this program too. It’s working great so far, i really plan to keep this for the core lifts for a while.

One question for you guys: how much weight you increase each 4 week wave(considering you keep the same exercise)?

I’m going to the easy week now and i’m not sure how much heavier i will go for the next wave…

38

[quote]Dominator wrote:
KBCThird wrote:
This is just wholly inaccurate. First of all, Wendler has said MULTIPLE times that a PROGRAM is nothing, but you NEED to have plan. That’s exactly what this is, a plan.

The percentages are rough, and you’re PLANNING to rep out on the last set, PLANNING to hit a certain number, but if youre not feeling it you change on the fly.

Furthermore, Jim wasnt talking trash about louie or westside, he was emphasizing that you can have the perfect plan, but it’ll only get you so far. Anyone in the country can use the conjugate method, but only a small percentage of those lifters get results.

Interestingly, most of those lifters are from hardcore gyms, whether it’s a “name” like Westside or Big Iron, or a good crew that happens to lift in somebody’s garage.

There’s nothing ironic about any of this.

He’s said multiple times that you don’t need the Dynamic Method and that Westside was special because of who trained there, not the program.
[/quote]

How the hell is “you dont need the DE method” ‘trashing’ Westside? Louie himself has said “everything works, nothing works forever.” Saying you dont need DE is NOT the same as saying ‘the DE sucks, it doesnt work.’

Theres more than one way to skin a cat. Jim saying that some beginner/intermediate lifter doesnt need to use (isnt advanced enough for) the DE is a far FAR cry from saying it never helped halbert, or whomever. I dont see how anyone can argue this

And yes, I remember him saying it was the people not the program that made it special. Again, how is this trashing Louie’s system? By saying that it wasnt 100% the method of training? Jim said recently - about his own training - that a good captain beats a good ship every time.

That it’s about effort. I really just think you’re seeing insults where there are none

39

I just started this week after getting some maxes last week. I really liked the first day. Mine will look like:
M-5/3/1
T-throwing practice
W-5/3/1
Th-off
F-5/3/1
Sat-throwing practice
Sun-off

40

[quote]Dominator wrote:
I find it sort of ironic that Jim Wendler, the same guy that said for years that it’s not about the lifting program, it’s the environment, is now authoring a book based around following percentages and exercises for a lifting system.[/quote]

Looks like we’re in the minority, but I agree with you.