The 5/3/1 Program

[SouthernLord]

This is geared towards the "raw" powerlifting crowd, but I've used it and found it to be a great all around program. Check it out.


The 5/3/1 program

Week 1 = 3 sets of 5 reps
Week 2 = 3 sets of 3 reps
Week 3 = 5/3/1
Week 4 = deload, 3 sets of 5 reps

Percentage setup:

Week 1 = 75% x 5 reps , 80% x 5 reps , 85% x 5 reps
Week 2 = 80% x 3 reps , 85% x 3 reps , 90% x 3 reps
Week 3 = 75% x 5 reps , 85% x 3 reps , 95% x 1 rep
Week 4 = deload - 60% x 5 reps , 65% x 5 reps , 70% x 5 reps

the cycle:

Week 1-

mon - military press
wed - deadlifts
fri - flat bench

Week 2-

mon - squats
wed - military press
fri - deadlifts

Week 3
mon - flat bench
wed - squats
fri - military press

Week 4
mon - deadlifts
wed - flat bench
fri - squats

Accessory Work :

MILITARY PRESS DAY -

delt / chest exercise - pick one of the following : 3-5 sets of 6-20 reps -

side db raises
db incline press
db flat bench
weighted dips
blast strap pushups

rear delt / trap exercise - pick one of the following for 3-5 sets of 10-25 reps -

barbell shrugs
db rear delt raises
face pulls
db power cleans
band pull aparts

DEADLIFT DAY -

Pos. chain / Ham exercise - pick one of the following for 3-5 sets of 5-30 reps -

kettelbell swings
leg curls
back extensions
glute ham raises
pullthroughs

Abs / Obliques exercise - pick one of the following for 3-5 sets of 10-50 reps -

ab wheel rollouts
situps
hanging leg raises
weighted crunches
side bends

FLAT BENCH DAY -

delt / chest exercise - pick one of the following for 3-5 sets of 6-20 reps -

pushups
incline bench
machine military press
upright rows
side db raises

lat exercise - pick one of the following for 3-5 sets of 6-30 reps -

chinups/pullups
pulldowns
db rows
chest supported rows
pulley rows

SQUAT DAY :

Quad exercise - pick one of the following for 3-5 sets of 6-20 reps -

bulgarian split squats
lumberjack squats
hack squats
front squats
leg presses

Abs / obliques exercise- pick one of the following for 3-5 sets of 10-50 reps -

weighted situps
hanging leg raises
ab wheel rollouts
weighted crunches
side bends

This is basically the program. A few points....

Never go to failure on your main lifts. You can train to failure on the accessory work if you want.

Never leave any reps in the hole. Say it's week 2, 3x3 military press and you are on your third set of three. You get to your third rep and you have more left, so keep pressing.

Start the program a little lighter than your true percentages and build from there. At the end of the cycle if you hit all your lifts successfully add five pounds to your presses and five to ten pounds to your squats and pulls then repeat.

The Military, Squat, Bench, Deadlift are not set in stone. You can use any compound free weight exercise variation of these.

The program is designed to be used as a 3 day a week split, but you could do it as a four day split if you like. I personally prefer the three day split.

 

[LucSulla]

Good stuff here. I'm on it right now and have found it a great way to get yourself back together after months of 5 x 5s but still make headway in your lifts. Starting Week 3 now and intend to run it again after the deload.

 

[SouthernLord]

Good stuff here. I'm on it right now and have found it a great way to get yourself back together after months of 5 x 5s but still make headway in your lifts. Starting Week 3 now and intend to run it again after the deload.

It is a great alternative to the traditional 5x5. The high rep accessory work makes me feel like a bodybuilder minus the gloves

 

[djeclipse]

So with this program you are Making PR's once a month? The first month you're at 95% your 1rm and 2nd month you add 5 or 10lbs to the lift?

One problem for me is the accessory work as I train form home and don't have dumbells, or machines, lol

 

[LucSulla]

The high rep accessory work makes me feel like a bodybuilder minus the gloves

My biggest problem is that I shrug too much these days (haven't done a shrug in a year until now) to do them without straps for high reps- but I never bought straps because I just chalked up. My first day trying to do shrugs I again I was so frustrated, then I thought wait a minute... what were those things again that the curl jockeys use for there squat rack curls and bench press? Oh yeah! Lifting straps! I think I may have a use for those finally!

On a side note, I have to add this story. I was squatting about two months ago doing triples around 385 in my socks and generally having a good time. Now, this isn't heavy weight here I know, but it is rare air at my gym. So this guy walks up to me and asks says, "Roids?" First of all, tacky thing to ask. Second of all, if any of you guys that actually do cycle or have been around people who do you saw my big ass pushing around only 385, the last thing you would think would be steroids. So I tell him no, and he laughs. He makes some joke about roid heads. I tell him what I really can't stand are guys that can bench 315 but couldn't do an ATG squat with 135 on the bar to save their lives. He gets this indignant look on his face and says, "Hey man!" and storms off. I actually had no idea he was one of those guys and had inadvertantly called him out in front of his friends. Cracked me up. Your comment reminded me of that incident, haha.

 

[LucSulla]

So with this program you are Making PR's once a month? The first month you're at 95% your 1rm and 2nd month you add 5 or 10lbs to the lift?

One problem for me is the accessory work as I train form home and don't have dumbells, or machines, lol

You can actually find a body weight movement to replace most of the accessories if needed. For instance, I just do push ups or dips for the BP days.

 

[SouthernLord]

So with this program you are Making PR's once a month? The first month you're at 95% your 1rm and 2nd month you add 5 or 10lbs to the lift?

Start your first wave 5-10% less than your true numbers. You should try and hit PRs on your second and third waves.

One problem for me is the accessory work as I train form home and don't have dumbells, or machines, lol

Simple solution.....but lets not confuse simple with easy

On Military day do Militarys for 5 sets of 10 at 50% for your chest/shoulder accessory lift and chins or rows for your lat/upper back lift

On DL day do deadlifts for 5 sets of 10 at 50%

On Bench day do bench for 5 sets of 10 at 50%

Same on squat day.....

I actually did this and enjoyed the simple brutality of it. This is the Big and basic template. I guess to some it would be boring but I get off on 14 sets of squats in one workout lol

 

[djeclipse]

My biggest problem is that I shrug too much these days (haven't done a shrug in a year until now) to do them without straps for high reps- but I never bought straps because I just chalked up. My first day trying to do shrugs I again I was so frustrated, then I thought wait a minute... what were those things again that the curl jockeys use for there squat rack curls and bench press? Oh yeah! Lifting straps! I think I may have a use for those finally!

On a side note, I have to add this story. I was squatting about two months ago doing triples around 385 in my socks and generally having a good time. Now, this isn't heavy weight here I know, but it is rare air at my gym. So this guy walks up to me and asks says, "Roids?" First of all, tacky thing to ask. Second of all, if any of you guys that actually do cycle or have been around people who do you saw my big ass pushing around only 385, the last thing you would think would be steroids. So I tell him no, and he laughs. He makes some joke about roid heads. I tell him what I really can't stand are guys that can bench 315 but couldn't do an ATG squat with 135 on the bar to save their lives. He gets this indignant look on his face and says, "Hey man!" and storms off. I actually had no idea he was one of those guys and had inadvertantly called him out in front of his friends. Cracked me up. Your comment reminded me of that incident, haha.

1st, that guy sounds like a tol.

2nd, 385 x 3 is nothing to laugh it. While it may be warm up for some lifters, it is still more than I'd say 95% of lifters out there could ever dream to squat, bench or dead. And if you are at a typical commercial gym, I'd be willing to bet it is more than everyone else at that gym can lift, lol

 

[SouthernLord]

385x3 is a very solid squat.

Roids huh? You should have told him, "Naw, but my dad does. Can't even sit on the toilet some days." A La Nation lampoons Family Vacation lolol

 

[iggy]

looks like a solid program