November 20, 2019

The definitive guide to Jim Wendler's strength training program

Der definitive Ratgeber für das Krafttraining Programm von Jim Wendler

After looking at the basics of strength training in the first two parts of this article and looking at Starting Strength, 5 x 5 and the Texas Method, some of the most popular strength training programs for beginners and somewhat advanced athletes, in this third and final part of this article series we will look at Jim Wendler's 5/3/1 program, which is very popular with strength athletes all over the world.

Wendler's 5/3/1

Jim Wendler's "5/3/1" is one of the most popular strength training programs due to the fact that it is easy to understand, delivers results, requires no special equipment and the workouts are quite short. This program works as follows:

You perform 3 to 4 workouts per week

With 5/3/1 you do one of the following workouts on your training days:

Squats and assistance training.
Bench press and assistance training.
Deadlift and assistance training.
Shoulder press and assistance training.

You perform each of these workouts once to complete a so-called wave.

The layout for the workout is usually as follows:

Day 1	Day 2
Warm up	Warm up
Shoulder press	Deadlift
Supportive training	Supportive training

Day 3	Day 4
Warm up	Warm up
Bench press	Squats
Supportive training	Supportive training

Each "mesocycle" (a fashionable term for a training phase that lasts between 2 and 6 weeks) of the 5/3/1 program consists of four waves. This means that you complete each of the training sessions four times to complete a mesocycle, after which you start again at the beginning.

The mesocycle looks like this:

Wave 1
Set	% of 90% of the 1RM weight
1	65%	5
2	75%	5
3	85%	5+

Wave 2
Set	% of 90% of 1RM weight
1	70%	3
2	80%	3
3	90%	3+

Wave 3
Set	% of 90% of 1RM weight
1	75%	5
2	85%	3
3	95%	1+

Wave 4
Set	% of 90% of 1RM weight
1	40%	5
2	50%	5
3	60%	5

Please note that 5/3/1 works with a percentage of 90% of your 1-RM weight and not with a percentage of your 5RM weight, as is the case with other strength training programs.

The "+" sign indicates that you should try to perform as many repetitions as possible.

And yes, each training session only involves warming up and performing 3 heavy sets. This low-volume approach is one of the most common criticisms of the 5/3/1 program, but there's no denying that it works.

It's just not for everyone. If you have years of strength training experience, then 5/3/1 is probably not the right choice for you - but you should already know that. If you are new to strength training, however, you can make very good progress with this simple approach.

This is especially true if you include enough supportive training in addition to the core exercises. This will allow you to generate a hybrid training style that has strength training at its core and is complemented by bodybuilding "beach training", as Bill Starr used to call it.

Your training frequency will determine how you plan your training sessions

If you train four times a week, then each mesocycle will last 4 weeks. If you train three times a week, then each mesocycle will last 5 weeks and 1 day.

If you train four times a week, your mesocycle will look like this:

Week 1
day	Exercise	Wave
1	Shoulder press	1
2	Deadlift	1
3	Bench press	1
4	Squats	1

Week 2
day	Exercise	Wave
1	Shoulder press	2
2	Deadlift	2
3	Bench press	2
4	Squats	2

Week 3
day	Exercise	Wave
1	Shoulder press	3
2	Deadlift	3
3	Bench press	3
4	Squats	3

Week 4
day	Exercise	Wave
1	Shoulder press	4
2	Deadlift	4
3	Bench press	4
4	Squats	4

And if you train 3 days a week, then your mesocycle lasts 5 weeks and 1 day, as you still have to do 16 training sessions and cannot simply do twice as many exercises in one day.

If you train three times a week, your mesocycle will look like this:

Week 1
day	Exercise	Wave
1	Squats	1
2	Bench press	1
3	Deadlift	1

Week 2
day	Exercise	Wave
1	Shoulder press	1
2	Squats	2
3	Bench press	2

Week 3
day	Exercise	Wave
1	Deadlift	2
2	Shoulder press	2
3	Squats	3

Week 4
day	Exercise	Wave
1	Bench press	3
2	Deadlift	3
3	Shoulder press	3

Week 5
day	Exercise	Wave
1	Squats	4
2	Bench press	4
3	Deadlift	4

Week 6
day	Exercise	Wave
1	Shoulder press	4
2		Training free
3		Workout free

As you can see, in both the 4-day split and the 3-day split, you perform each training session four times before starting again from the beginning.

The warm-up

You should warm up for the heavy workout as follows:

Warm up set #1: 40% of your 1RM x 5 reps
Warm up set #2: 50% of your 1RM x 5 reps
Warm up set #3: 60% of your 1RM x 3 reps

Pause for 60 to 90 seconds between each warm-up set.

When and how you should increase the weight

One of your goals is to break your personal bests at your max weight in order to set multiple new personal bests by moving more weight in each training session than in the previous mesocycle.

Once you have completed a mesocycle, you should add 2.5 kilos to your 1RM weight on bench press and shoulder press and 5 kilos to your 1RM weight on squat and deadlift and recalculate your training weights.

In addition, Wendler recommends that if you feel you can do more reps on your last, heaviest set, try to do so.

Rest between sets

As with Starting Strengst, rest between 2 and 5 minutes between sets.

What should you do if you cannot complete the specified number of repetitions?

If you are not making any progress with an exercise or are even losing strength, end your mesocycle. Then reduce your current 1RM weight by 10% and start again. You only need to do this for the exercises you are struggling with. Continue with the other exercises as normal.

How to choose your supportive exercises

"Supportive training" refers to exercises other than the four exercises on which this program is based. How much supportive training you do is entirely up to you. However, you should note that this training should be done for one of the following reasons:

Strengthening the weaker areas of the body.
To support the increases in the four core exercises.
To ensure that your body develops in a balanced and symmetrical way.
Building more muscle.

Wendler recommends the following supporting exercises:

Dips, with additional weight if possible
Pull-ups
Dumbbell rowing
Barbell rowing
Barbell shoulder raises (shrugs)
Dumbbell bench press
Dumbbell shoulder presses
Lunges
Leg presses

When it comes to integrating these support exercises, an approach that Wendler calls "Boring But Big" is one of the most popular variations.

Here you perform the heavy core exercises of the program first, followed by 5 sets of 10 repetitions of the same exercise, followed by another support exercise with 5 sets of 10 repetitions.

A squat day could look like this, for example:

Squats - core sets
Squats - 5 sets of 10 repetitions
Lunges - 5 sets of 10 repetitions

As for the weight you should use for your sets of 10 reps, Wendler recommends that you start with light weights - 40 to 50% of your 1RM weight - and gradually work your way up from that weight. How far up you ultimately go is up to you, but I would recommend that you work your way up to a weight that allows you to do at least 8, but no more than 10 reps.

If you want to learn more about 5/3/1...

Wendler describes several other supportive programs in his book "5/3/1" and gives advice on how to best integrate them into your overall program. This book is an excellent read on all aspects of this training program and is highly recommended if you want to put 5/3/1 into practice.

The bottom line on strength training

I once thought that strength training was only for powerlifters. I was wrong - it's for everyone. In fact, strength training is a far more effective (and time-efficient) way to build a strong, muscular and leaner body than traditional bodybuilding training programs that focus on high reps, high volume and isolation exercises.

And it's a lot more fun too.

References:

From: Mike Matthews

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