# 5/3/1



## TheHawk (Jul 12, 2021)

Looking through this area of the forum and seen this topic has  for a while figured I would get it going again. 

Why I chose 5/3/1

Reason one I work a rotating 12hr shift so keeping a schedule with a partner was difficult. Reason two being that not having a consistent partner 5/3/1 let’s me train to grow my maxes without one being that your percentages are based off of 90% of your 1rm. Reason number 3 having to keep a log of my work outs helps keep me accountable that I do the work that was planned and a goal to beat each time. And to have a visual of my progress on lifts to see when I stall and need to reset and work my way back up.

How I use the program 

In the past I would start it and run it for about 6-7 cycles skipping the deload weeks unless I had hit a plateau on one of the lifts. Once I stalled on one lift I took it as a sign my body needed a break to recover not just the one lift. Usually it was military press that I stalled out on first where I would struggle to get my reps for the set I was on. By taking a deload then I noticed that my other lifts benefited from the break.

How I currently use 5/3/1

I use a 5 day split 
1 deadlift and back
2 military and shoulders
3 squats and legs
4 bench and chest
5 arms

I just took the starting maxes from his book to start the program to try and keep it simple to follow cause he has the first 3-4 lifting cycles already laid out so can just start it.

Starting max 
DL 350
Military 170
Squat 315
Bench 250

What the first cycle looked like for me 

Week 1 3 sets of 5 last one being max effort. 

 DL warm up 45 for 10 and 135 for 10. Working sets 225 for 5. 245 for 5. 280 for 10. Calculated max for DL was 373. 

Military warm up 45 for 10 and 65 for 10. 
Working sets 100 for 5. 115 for 5. 130 for 12. 
Calculated max 182

Squat warm up. 45 for 10 and 135 for 10. 
working sets. 190 for 5. 215 for 5. 245 for 12. Calculated max 343.

Bench warm up. 45 for 10 and 135 for 10. 
Working sets. 150 for 5. 170 for 5. 195 for 20. Calculated max 317.

The formula to get calculated max is. 
Reps X Weight X .03333 + Weight.

After all my main lifts I will finish my work out using 4 sets of 10-12 on accessory work. To try and get the best of both worlds strength and a good pump.

My second time through was the same but I added 10 lbs to my lower body lifts and 5 to my upper.

DL 360
Military 175
Squat 325
Bench 255

How it motivated me the second time was I would look back and see I DL 280 for 10 this time around my max effort is 285. My mind was like I got to shoot for at least 10 to beat last times. With that mindset I hit 285 for 12 making my max 399 a gain of 26lbs from the first cycle.

Cardio while doing this I usually do prowler pushes farmers walks or yoke carries for about 20 to 30 mins 3-4 days a week.

Over all I like the program it is definitely a long term goal program. It can be as complex or as boring as you want. If you get bored switch up your assistance work. I started it with the goal of both seeing how strong I can get long term and throw in some BB style high volume to work on appearance.

That’s how I use it. It works well with my working rotating 12hr shifts and not having a training partner. Just figured I would try and answer some questions that I seen in older threads and being the topic back up to get others thoughts on it.


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## Yaya (Jul 12, 2021)

You are truly the best


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## snake (Jul 13, 2021)

You do have to work around what put food on the table; good man. A few things from my prospective. I'm no fan of anyone's workout program so develop your own. I think you're doing that so keep it up.

1. Not having a partner should not determine your workout program. Short of a bench lift out, there's really no need for one. 

2. You can grow on damn near any program. It's what's in your heart, not what's written down in a book that makes you grow. 

3. A log is always a good thing but that's not what keeps you accountable, you are what keeps yourself accountable.

4. The program that works for you works the same, off or on cycle. Go into a cycle at your best off cycle form, not with hopes of getting to your best on cycle.

5. Guessing a little here but the reason for you need that deload and why you see it in the MP's is probably that you're overworking your delts and tris.

Just my opinion. Hope I helped.


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## TheHawk (Jul 13, 2021)

snake said:


> You do have to work around what put food on the table; good man. A few things from my prospective. I'm no fan of anyone's workout program so develop your own. I think you're doing that so keep it up.
> 
> 1. Not having a partner should not determine your workout program. Short of a bench lift out, there's really no need for one.
> 
> ...


Agree with ya 100% snake on all points. We definitely are the sole one to blame for our progress or lack there of. What we do today directly effects the results we see weeks or months down the road. Without discipline and hard work we can’t expect reach our goals. What got me curious in this section was how it has been dead for about a year or so and really wondering if people still used it or if it had faded out.

What made me decide to use it as a template was having a plan for power movements. Which takes roughly 25-30 mins depending on rest periods. Seemed like a good fit for me to get trending in the right direction for the goals I set for myself. Which were to pull 500lbs squat 400 and bench 315 for reps on all. Since my little one is my gym buddy most the time some days she lets me get a full work out in some days she lets me knock out and the big lift and is over it. You take what cha can get with a 6month old. Just glad the gym seems to be a happy place for her most the time. 

With cycles I was referring to training program not necessarily gear cycles.

With the log I like the competition part of it as in competing against myself the last time I did a certain lift. Also why I enjoyed having a partner cause we all have them days where we need that extra motivation to push a little harder let me get one more rep than my partner.

And definitely agree with your guess about burning out my delts and tris which is why the deload becomes necessary to keep growing.

I will keep updates on how my progress goes as well as when I decide it’s time for me to regroup and set a new course as my goals change.


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## snake (Jul 13, 2021)

Hawk,

Seems I helped a little, that's good. Just to let you know, I know where you're coming from. My 4 young men are grown up now and able to take care of themselves but there was a time we had 3 in diapers. During that time I still lifted and was without a training partner. On my last set of heavy bench I would ask the wife to come out in the gym for what I called a "911 spot" She wasn't there for a lift out or encouragement, she was there to call 911 if something real bad happened. 

As for time between sets, you could time me with a sundial when I was lifting heavy. I found I didn't need more than 4 working sets that progressed in weight. Still, with all the warm ups and those 4 sets, squat, bench and DL would get at least 45 min of work each. And in my opinion, you really don't need more additional movements to be big and strong.


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## TheHawk (Jul 14, 2021)

Haha I like the 911 spot. I never crossed my mind to have one of those. I’ve only got in a jam a couple times earlier in my lifting experience learned safety clips are not for bench or incline. That 911 spot coulda came in handy then Live and learn right.  

I’ll move this over to the training log section to update how my journey with the program goes.


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## OldeBull1 (Jul 15, 2021)

I've been training off of a 5/3/1 base for years. At this point, I've bastardized it enough where it is not Wendler's program, but still credit is due.

One thing I like to do before my +set is an over warm up. I work up to my max set of the day, and do it just for the prescribed reps. Then I hit a few singles at my TM. Nice, easy singles, explosive,  no straining. Then I do the final set again, for AMRAP.

You are on a well traveled path that leads somewhere good.


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## TheHawk (Jul 15, 2021)

I think I’ve done the same thing in one way or another of using the 5/3/1 as a base then adding my own to it. I will have to try the overwarm up then singles then the amrap. Feel like that would hit it a little harder and wouldn’t need as much accessory work to finish out chasing the pump.

Like yesterday when I hit my bench numbers i did not feel I had done enough so after I hit my amrap I did 2 more sets of that weight for 5. Definitely try hitting the singles at the training max in the future. Sounds like a good way to gauge how progress is going. Cause if the singles aren’t smooth and explosive you can dial it back reset training max and continue moving forward. 

Good stuff thanks for the ideas oldebull


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## OldeBull1 (Jul 16, 2021)

Try it. Remember, the singles should be easy, part of a warmup for that final work set. You will find with when you hit the weight the second time, after doing the singles, it feels light and crisp. 

For the last 2 months, I haven't upped my training max or percentages. I've been repeating the same 5/3/1 cycles, aiming for the one PR set. These days, that's all my body needs is one good set of the basic barbell lift. I'll follow up with pump work. 

My current week looks a little like this. I've listed only the big lifts, and I do full body accessory each session.

M- Squat, Overhead Press, Pullups, Dips
W-DL,, Bench, Rows
F- Front squats off pins, Trap bar deadlifts, incline press, pullups


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