?s for those who have had success with 5-3-1

[AlphaBrass01]

Alright, so I've been using a WS4SB template and am looking for a change. I have read a lot about Wendler's 5-3-1, and it seems to make a lot of sense to me. My brain says it's a good idea to try, while my ego says I don't want to take that much weight off my lifts to start it. That's okay, since I've ignored my ego many times before.

Before starting, I just wanted to get a few opinions from those who have used this kind of template successfully.

First, my goal is to get stronger. I don't want to compete, and I still want to maintain a balanced physique (which is why I had been using WS4SB - it allowed for more of a "bodybuilding" setup than some strength programs). That's not a question, just some information.

My biggest question is to ask what accessory work you've found the most beneficial on the four days. I know it will be a lot of trial and error to find what works best for me, but I figure it can't be bad to get some ideas on where to start.

The second question I have is related to dips and chins. To be completely honest, I have never done much of either of these, and want to implement them. Do you see any negatives to incorporating them, but using only bodyweight, as I don't have access to an easy way to add weight to either of them?

Thanks for the help, guys.

[csday924]

Seems to work fine for me. Just make sure on the last set you go all out. On DL day I do 5x10 squats with 50% of my max. Dips I do on bench day and pull ups I did on DL day but that got to be to much so now I do them on OHP day. If you want a more body building style do the main 531 lifts as they are written and do BB accessory movements.

[AlphaBrass01]

It doesn't have to be a BB style program. I'm just a little wary about making big changes, but I guess that's what you need sometimes.

[ChecksandGiggles]

An easy way to add weight to chins/pullups is to hold a dumbbell between your legs. Another option is to get a dip belt-BB.com sells some cheap ones. I got the cheapest one and I must warn you, if you have a small waist, you're going to need to loop a towel or something around your waist to make the belt fit.

[LiftHeavy85]

Alright, so I've been using a WS4SB template and am looking for a change. I have read a lot about Wendler's 5-3-1, and it seems to make a lot of sense to me. My brain says it's a good idea to try, while my ego says I don't want to take that much weight off my lifts to start it. That's okay, since I've ignored my ego many times before.

Before starting, I just wanted to get a few opinions from those who have used this kind of template successfully.

First, my goal is to get stronger. I don't want to compete, and I still want to maintain a balanced physique (which is why I had been using WS4SB - it allowed for more of a "bodybuilding" setup than some strength programs). That's not a question, just some information.

My biggest question is to ask what accessory work you've found the most beneficial on the four days. I know it will be a lot of trial and error to find what works best for me, but I figure it can't be bad to get some ideas on where to start.

The second question I have is related to dips and chins. To be completely honest, I have never done much of either of these, and want to implement them. Do you see any negatives to incorporating them, but using only bodyweight, as I don't have access to an easy way to add weight to either of them?

Thanks for the help, guys.

as far as what accessory to do on the days, just mix it up. when I did it I would do 5x10 of the main movement one week then the next week just do something like DB military press or DB Bench, dips ect..

[bigrig5656]

He recommends the BBB to get big and strong fast. That and milk... and dbol.

[AlphaBrass01]

Thanks for the help so far guys. I'm gradually getting things worked out in my head. I know it seems a bit OCD (probably because it is), but I need to feel like I have a plan before I jump in, which is one of the big reasons this template appeals to me so much to begin with.

[Retardo-pex]

If you are looking for several months of uninterrupted progress 5/3/1 will be good for you. I was using it it as a general strength program last fall/winter and increased a decent amount on all my lifts over 5 months before I began to stall and changed my training up. I'm now using it for strongman training and loving it.

Its good if you have program OCD because as long as you keep your main lifts the same, you will progress but you could really change some aspect of your assistance work every week if you wanted to. Obviously you'd be better off sticking with the same stuff for at least a full cycle (1 month) but in the end its the main lifts that are important. Get the book if you haven't already.

[BigRagu]

i have used this program for about a year now. in it's normal format my deadlift and squat went up but not my overhead or bench. i tweaked the program and don't do the 5/3/1 week as i have found out that maxing out that often always sets me way back. any maxing out at all for some reason. i maintain the same format but i stick to the 5's and 3's. i also don't do a deload week but hey it's working. you could say im not even doing 5/3/1 anymore.

in other words try it out as he sets it up. if it doesn't work figure out what does.. but def set the weights back. you will get more reps then 5/3/1 at the start but trust me it will get harder.

[IAmBatman]

I only ran two cycles, but I didn't like it at all. My deadlift increased just a little, my squat maintained and both bench/overhead dropped.

[DuLac]

I've been running it for a very long time. The problem most users have is that they set their progression based on a % and/or they set their initial starting values too high.

If you keep the progession small enough and you start at a reasonable level, you should expect to see some serious strength gains after 3 months (3 4 week cycles).

[AlphaBrass01]

I did get the book, which only got me more interested. I'm definitely going to err on the low side when setting my numbers for the start. I'm glad to see people who have had a lot of luck with it. Of the people I've talked to about it around here, only one really knew about it, and it's not really a great option for him, since he has a very short off season from rugby, and the program requires so much time to progress.