Jim Wendlers 5-3-1 program is geared towards building massive amounts of sheer strength. Of course it will build muscle as well but the main goal of the program is to increase strength by lifting heavy weight for less reps. The 5-3-1 program will require you to calculate your one rep max and base all your lifts upon 90% of this number. I will show you exactly how to do this in just a moment. The program is split into 4 week cycles. During these 4 weeks you will base each of your workouts upon one compound exercise.
Preferably your first workout will consist of the barbell shoulder press along with some additional accessory work. Your second workout will consist of the deadlift and two other accessory exercises. Third workout will include the bench press and two other accessory exercises and finally your fourth workout will include the squat and a further two accessory exercises. This is all demonstrated in the below example.
Jim Wendlers 5-3-1 Program – What It Looks Like
First things first, let me show you what the 4 week cycles will look like:
Week 1: 3 sets of 5 reps (last set taken to failure)
Week 2: 3 sets of 3 reps (last set taken to failure)
Week 3: 3 sets of 5, 3, 1+ reps. 1+ = 1 rep plus any more you can get.
Week 4: Deload Week. 3 sets of 5 reps of 40%,50% and 60% of 1 rep max
The weight you use for each set is based off 90% of your 1 rep max. Say your barbell shoulder press max is 100lbs. Take 90% of this, which would be 90lbs. Using 90lbs, you can then calculate the weight you will be lifting for each set using the below template.
| Week 1 | Week 2 | Week 3 | Week 4 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Set 1 65% x 5 reps |
Set 1 70% x 3 reps |
Set 1 75% x 5 reps |
Set 1 40% x 5 reps |
| Set 2 75% x 5 reps |
Set 2 80% x 3 reps |
Set 2 85% x 3 reps |
Set 2 50% x 5 reps |
| Set 3 85% x 5 reps |
Set 3 90% x 3 reps |
Set 3 95% x 1 reps |
Set 3 60% x 5 reps |
So lets take your first 3 sets of shoulder presses for week 1 as an example and show you how to calculate the weight you use for each set. Since you have already worked out 90% of your 1 rep max (90lbs), for set 1 we now need to work out 65% of 90lbs. This will then be the amount of weight used for set 1.
For set number 2 calculate 75% of 90lbs and this will be the weight you use for set 2. Finally figure out 85% of 90lbs and that will be your working weight for set number 3. That would be week 1‘s working weight calculated for all 3 sets of barbell shoulder presses. You should do this for every compound movement and take note that the percentages slowly increase from week 1 to 4.
The first cycle is designed to allow progress later on in this routine so do not panic if you feel you can go heavier. Stick to the routine and as you progress you will be adding more and more weight to the bar. Weeks 1-4 are only one cycle.
During the next cycle follow the exact same routine but add 5lbs to your 1 rep max for bench presses and shoulder presses. Add 10lbs to your 1 rep max for squats and deadlifts. Once you’ve done this you will then need to re-calculate your numbers for the next 4 week cycle using the method explained above. Compared to your previous cycle you will be lifting slightly more weight.
Jim Wendlers 5-3-1 Program – Example 4 Day Split
Monday:
| Exercise | Sets x Reps | % of 1 rep max |
|---|---|---|
| Shoulder Press | ||
| Week 1 | 3 x 5 | 65,75,85 |
| Week 2 | 3 x 3 | 70,80,90 |
| Week 3 | 5-3-1 | 75,85,95 |
| Week 4 | 3 x 5 | 40,50,60 |
| Dips | 5 x 10 | |
| Chin Ups | 5 x 10 |
Tuesday:
| Exercise | Sets x Reps | % of 1 rep max |
|---|---|---|
| Deadlift | ||
| Week 1 | 3 x 5 | 65,75,85 |
| Week 2 | 3 x 3 | 70,80,90 |
| Week 3 | 5-3-1 | 75,85,95 |
| Week 4 | 3 x 5 | 40,50,60 |
| HyperExtensions | 5 x 10 | |
| Ab Crunches | 5 x 15 |
Thursday:
| Exercise | Sets x Reps | % of 1 rep max |
|---|---|---|
| Bench Press | ||
| Week 1 | 3 x 5 | 65,75,85 |
| Week 2 | 3 x 3 | 70,80,90 |
| Week 3 | 5-3-1 | 75,85,95 |
| Week 4 | 3 x 5 | 40,50,60 |
| Incline Dumbbell Bench Press | 5 x 10 | |
| Dumbbell Row | 5 x 10 |
Friday:
| Exercise | Sets x Reps | % of 1 rep max |
|---|---|---|
| Squat | ||
| Week 1 | 3 x 5 | 65,75,85 |
| Week 2 | 3 x 3 | 70,80,90 |
| Week 3 | 5-3-1 | 75,85,95 |
| Week 4 | 3 x 5 | 40,50,60 |
| Leg Press | 5 x 10 | |
| Leg Curls | 5 x 10 |
Jim Wendlers 5-3-1 Program – Making It Work
Jim Wendlers 5-3-1 program is a great routine. However, it will only give you results if you follow it properly. Here are the keys to making this program work:
No Customizing. Don’t customize the routine and add your own spin on it. Leave everything exactly how it is and give it a chance.
Use a realistic idea of your 1 rep max. It’s always best to underestimate it than to overestimate it. Underestimating allows room for improvement and will prolong your progress on this type of routine, even if you have to wait a cycle before the weights really begin to challenge you.
If you would prefer, before you start the program, try working up to a 4 rep max on all of your core lifts. Bench press, squat, deadlift and overhead barbell press. Once you find this out, this number should roughly be 90% of your 1 rep max. By doing this you wont even have to worry about calculating your 1 rep max to begin with!
Go to failure on the last set of your core lift. For the last set of your core lifts you should reach muscular failure. The first week calls for 3 working sets of 5 reps on your core lift. The last set in the routine is written as 5+. As I explained above, this means 5 reps plus anymore you manage to get with that weight before you reach muscular failure.If you can get 6 or 7 reps then do it! This is the set that stimulates the most strength and muscle mass so give it everything!
The same goes for your 3 sets of 3 and your sets of 5-3-1. Take the last set to failure and get as many reps as you can. The first 2 sets should stay within the written reps as was demonstrated above in the table. The exception to this rule is week 4. Week 4 is a deload week only perform 3 sets of 5 with a lighter weight.
Add 5-10lbs to your 1 rep max’s when moving on to another cycle. I touched on this briefly earlier on in this article. Once you have completed your first cycle of the program (4 weeks), add 5lbs to your 1 rep max for bench press and barbell shoulder press. You should add 10lbs for your squats and deadlifts. Then recalculate your working weights and go through another cycle. Continue to do this for all cycles you intend on completing.
Accessory Work. All exercises performed after the main core lift are all accessory exercises and are there simply to supplement your training and add some more volume to the routine. Wendler recommends exercises such as chin-ups, dips, lunges and back extensions. However, these can be customised slightly to suit the lifter. This is probably the only area of the routine where you can make minor adjustments.
If the accessory work is affecting your core lifts or fatiguing your muscles too much then Wendler recommends you scrap them. They are there to compliment your training and if they are not helping you then you should remove them. When using accessory work in the routine you should add 1-2 exercises at the end of the workout for 5 sets of 10 reps. I believe the rep range can be adjusted slightly but stick with at least 8+ reps for each set.
Rest Intervals. Rest between sets should be between 3-5 minutes for your main core lifts and 1-2 minutes for your accessory exercises.
