5/3/1 Program:Jim Wendler is a name that everyone knows in powerlifting. Wendler has had a huge effect on the sport of powerlifting and has helped a huge number of lifters improve their strength and ability. He used to be an elite powerlifter and strength teacher. Wendler has done great things as a lifter and as a coach. He also created the famous 5/3/1 program, which is now one of the most popular and effective strength training plans like 5/3/1 program in the world.
What does the 5/3/1 program mean?
A very good powerlifter named Jim Wendler came up with the 5/3/1 program. He could squat over 1000 pounds and do a big 3 that weighed 2,375 pounds. You can think of the 5/3/1 Workout Program as being made up of “waves” that last for 4 weeks each. There are three to four days of training each week. Because each training day is focused on a core move, four days is the best amount of time to do it. The overhead press, bench press, deadlift, and squat are the four main moves.
If your scheduling prevents you from getting in four days of training a week, you will still only do one of the main moves each time before starting the cycle all over again, making the four weeks five weeks. The core lift should be one of three different movements you do during each 5/3/1 program. You can pick the other two accessory moves based on your goals.
For example, you may need to work your shoulders more or your biceps more. For your convenience, the accessory moves can be set to work with the exercises you want to do. Just make sure that the workouts you pick will give you a well-rounded training program. For the core moves, you will set new weight goals every 4 weeks. Take a quick look at what the 5/3/1 program is all about.
Early Life and Career in Powerlifting
Jim Wendler was born in New Hampshire on February 14, 1972. He began pulling weights when he was young, and by the time he was in high school, he was really into weightlifting. Wendler went to the University of Arizona after high school and continued to train and compete in powerlifting there.
When Wendler started regularly competing in powerlifting in the late 1990s, it was the start of his real powerlifting career. He set many records and won many national and world titles over the next few years, becoming one of the best lifters in the world. A 1,000-pound squat, a 675-pound bench press, and an 800-pound deadlift are some of his best moves.
Career Coaching and 5/3/1 Program
Jim Wendler has made a big difference in the world of strength and fitness as a teacher, in addition to his success as a lifter. At every level, from high school and college athletes to professional football players and powerlifters, he has worked with them.
Wendler’s creation of the 5/3/1 program is one of the most important things he has done for strength training. There is a simple but effective idea behind this program: do a lot of reps with big weights. The squat, the bench press, the deadlift, and the overhead press are the four main moves that make up the program. Lifters do these moves once a week, following a set and rep plan that is based on their one-rep max. There are also a number of assistance workouts in the program that can help you build power and fix weaknesses.
Thousands of lifters have used the 5/3/1 program to make big improvements in their strength and ability. It has become a huge hit in strength training. Wendler has also written a number of books and papers about strength training. He is still in high demand as a coach and adviser.
The Legacy and Effects and 5/3/1 Program
It is impossible to deny Jim Wendler’s impact on weightlifting and strength training. He set records and won titles as a lifter that not many people have ever been able to beat. As a teacher and author, he has helped a huge number of lifters meet their goals and get stronger and better at what they do.
Jim Wendler is a famous author and strength teacher who created the 5/3/1 training program. He has been in the strength training business for more than twenty years and has worked with players in football, wrestling, and weightlifting, among other sports.
The 5/3/1 program by Wendler is a well-known and famous strength training plan that has a lot of fans in the fitness world. The bench press, squat, deadlift, and overhead press are the four basic lifts. By slowly adding more weight to the lifts over time, the program focuses on steady, small growth.
The Numbers
You should work out three or four times a week on 5/3/1 program. The deadlift, the standing shoulder press, the parallel squat, and the bench press are the main lifts that each workout is built around. Set rep goals for each big lift for every four weeks of training:
- Week 1: 3 times 5,
- Week 2: 3 times 3,
- Week 3: 3 times 5, 3 times 1
- Week 4: Rest week
| Week 1 | Week 2 | Week 3 | Week 4 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Set 1 | 65% x 5 | 70% x 3 | 75% x 5 | 40% x 5 |
| Set 2 | 75% x 5 | 80% x 3 | 85% x 3 | 50% x 5 |
| Set 3 | 85% x 5+ | 90% x 3+ | 95% x 1+ | 60% x 5 |
The next cycle starts, and this time you use larger weights for the core lifts. That’s where a method that looks pretty easy starts to get a little trickier.
You don’t just choose how many times to lift a weight in a set. You do it every time. You’re using a certain amount of your one-rep max. And not your whole 1RM. Based on 90% of it, the math works.
So, if your 1RM for the bench press is 315 pounds, your training weight should start at 285 pounds, which is 90% of that number. How it works:
That 5/3/1 program is good for who?
The 5/3/1 program works best for lifters who are already pretty good and want to keep getting stronger and increasing their max lifts. After finishing the Starting Strength and Strong Lift Programs, many weightlifters move on to Wendler’s 5/3/1 Program, the next step in their journey. Linear development and a week off between each 4-week cycle help you stay focused and keep you from getting burned out.
Does the 5/3/1 program work well for beginners?
Anyone who wants to get better over time should do the 5/3/1 program. Still, other pulling methods might work better for people who are just starting out. The 5/3/1 program isn’t meant to give you huge results in a short amount of time, so beginners would be better off with other programs.
They should see more strong gains in less time because their bodies will respond more dramatically to the new stimuli of strength training. For people who are more experienced, the 5/3/1 program is better because it can help to slowly boost strength gains when they seem to have stopped.
