More of a template than a strict program, many variations of 5/3/1 exist. You’ll find some of the best spreadsheets for these variations here. All of them will get you stronger by focusing on steady progression of the Big 3 lifts though. Jim Wendler’s popular 5/3/1 template was highly influential on the popular GZCL and nSuns programs.

• 531 Forever Free Pdf
• 531 Forever Table Of Contents
• 531 Forever Pdf Download
• 531 Forever Pdf
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This is a retrospective on doing a year of different templates from 5/3/1 Forever, Jim Wendler’s most recent tweaking to his super popular strength training program. I have been doing 5/3/1, in. 531 Forever - Jim Wendler courses,The latest 531 book by Jim Wendler. Scanned as it is not available in PDF.

The program is comprised of 3 and 4 week cycles, designed to run indefinitely.

Related: Jim Wendler’s Building the Monolith

Contents

• 1 Recommended Reading: Jim Wendler Books
• 2 5/3/1 FAQs
• 3 Spreadsheets
• 5 Updates:

Recommended Reading: Jim Wendler Books

5/3/1 Forever by Jim Wendler

The latest in the 5/3/1 series, 5/3/1 Forever collects all of Jim’s thinking on 5/3/1 with the latest training methods (e.g. anchors and leaders) and over 50 different 5/3/1 training templates.

Even though this is the most expensive Wendler book, it covers everything and removes the need to check out any of Wendler’s older stuff.

Beyond 5/3/1 by Jim Wendler

If Forever is too expensive for you, the best bang for your buck is Beyond 5/3/1. This represents a major step forward in Jim’s training philosophy, introducing concepts like First Set Last (FSL) and Joker sets that have become 5/3/1 staples.

To understand how 5/3/1 can work best for you, putting in a little reading work goes a long way.

5/3/1 for Powerlifting by Jim Wendler

If you’re looking for a powerlifting specific interpretation of the 5/3/1 for Powerlifting. An example of this program is available in a spreadsheet below, though nothing beats reading the book.

5/3/1 FAQs

What is Jim Wendler’s 5/3/1 program?

5/3/1 is a flexible lifting template that can be applied to a variety of lifting goals. It is best suited for intermediate level lifters and is renowned for the significant length of time an athlete can continually make progress on it.

Can 5/3/1 be run for powerlifting?

Yes, there are variations of 5/3/1 that are well suited for powerlifting. A spreadsheet of a powerlifting 5/3/1 variation is available on Lift Vault.

Does 5/3/1 not have enough volume to be effective?

A common point of criticism against 5/3/1 is that it doesn’t program enough volume (volume being reps x weight lifted). For certain variations of the program, this could be true. The “original” version of the program published on T-Nation in 2009 does, in fact, only contain 3 working sets for each primary movement. This was “addressed” later when Wendler released his book Beyond 5/3/1. This contained a variation known as “first set last” that added an additional AMRAP set to each day’s primary lift. Another common remedy is to run the “Boring But Big” variation (spreadsheet included here), which contains a significant number of back off sets for extra volume. This only scratches the surface of ways to add volume to 5/3/1. To learn more, check out Wendler’s classics: Beyond 5/3/1 and 5/3/1 Forever.

What other programs did 5/3/1 influence?

The basic principles of 5/3/1 had significant influences on the GZCL template and nSuns. Click on either link to learn more.

Spreadsheets

5/3/1 BBB (Boring But Big) Spreadsheet

Wendler’s 5/3/1 Boring But Big (BBB) program is renowned for both its brutal simplicity and serious results.

Basically, BBB follows the 5/3/1 template where one main lift is trained per session (squat, bench, deadlift, or overhead press) using the 5/3/1 rep scheme before dropping the weight and doing 5 sets of 10 reps for the same lift.

The result? Strength and size. No gimmicks, just hard work.

Because the training max increases monthly, this program is best geared for intermediate to advanced lifters that require more recovery and cannot progress as quickly as novice/intermediate lifters.

Wendler 5-3-1 BBB Spreadsheet

5/3/1 BBB Program Spreadsheet (variation)

This is simply another variation of the program above. Check out both and see which layout you prefer more.

Wendler 5/3/1 Spreadsheet

5/3/1 for Beginners Program Spreadsheet

Full program details now available at 5/3/1 for Beginners

via /r/fitness wiki sidebar

531 FOR BEGINNERS | LiftVault.com

e

5/3/1 BBB for Bodybuilding

This is a tweaked version of 5/3/1 that combines a view different 5/3/1 principles into a “bastardized” program for bodybuilding goals. You can view the full details on this page: 5/3/1 BBB for Bodybuilding.

5/3/1 BBB for Bodybuilding | LiftVault.com

Power & Hypertrophy 5/3/1 Program Variation

Source Unknown

Power Hypertrophy 5/3/1 | LiftVault.com

5/3/1 Vanilla + 3/5/1 Powerlifting Specific Program Variation

This spreadsheets contains two different templates: “vanilla” (i.e. normal) 5/3/1 and a powerlifting variation known as 3/5/1. The powerlifting variation of 5/3/1 switches weeks 1 and 2 and incorporates additional heavy single work – increasing the specificity needed for powerlifting and including additional recovery time by not scheduling consecutive heavy lifting weeks.

Jim Wendler 531 v2.1 (BBB + Powerlifting) Spreadsheet

NSuns Linear Progression Program Variation

This popular mutation of 5/3/1 was created by Redditor /u/n-suns. It was inspired by 5/3/1 but is significantly different and is definitely not associated with Jim Wendler. However, I am including it here because it is a very popular program and may be of interest to people already looking into 5/3/1.

It allows for faster progress week to week than the initial BBB program, making it ideal for novice and intermediate lifters that are able to recovery more quickly.

If you like this spreadsheet, check out the other n-Suns program spreadsheets.

2_Suns_531_Linear Progression

Video Overview

If you’d prefer to watch instead of read, check out this excellent video overview of the 5/3/1 training methodology (source: Alex Bromley).

Updates:

• 3/11/20 – Added kg/lb rounding and full program details for 5/3/1 for Beginners (same spreadsheet)
• 3/1/20 – Created a more detailed program page for 5/3/1 BBB (same spreadsheets)
• 2/25/20 – Added 5/3/1 BBB for Bodybuilding spreadsheet + detailed program page
• 5/14/19 – Added “Power & Hypertrophy” 5/3/1 version

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The Complete Training Program

Wolves and Sheep

There are a couple things you need to understand if you fall into the hardgainer category. For many, this is a self-fulfilling prophecy. While some people have a harder time putting on muscle or getting stronger, others use this as an excuse to mope around, be a victim, and claim how hard they work or how much they eat with nothing to show.

I've seen what hard training is. I don't mean a hard set of squats either. I'm talking day in, day out training that never makes the social media outlets or the news.

However, denying there is such a thing as a hardgainer is admitting that people aren't genetically predisposed to being successful in a given area. Common sense tells us this is ridiculous. A sheep can never be a wolf, no matter what costume he puts on. But the sheep can adopt the principles and strength of the wolf, thereby making him a stronger and better than the other sheep.

Some are born with a silver spoon, others get the leather belt. And if you ever get discouraged because your friend makes bigger gains than you despite his apparent lack of work ethic/training/commitment, you have the wrong attitude.

Good News and Bad News

The bad news first: You are never going to be Ronnie Coleman or Halfthor Bjornsson. But then, neither is anyone else, so get off your frowny victim-box. Once you're in your early-20s, any man that wants to be someone else other than 'who he is' is not only weird, it's fucking creepy.

The good news is that you can become much bigger and stronger than you are today. Luckily, what we're missing genetically can (somewhat) be made up with mental strength. It takes no talent to give effort and be disciplined. It takes no talent to be consistent. It takes no talent to be better today than you were yesterday.

5/3/1 for Hardgainers

This program has been built through working with many lifters and athletes and realizing that each lift needs to be trained slightly differently. The squat is trained differently than the deadlift, and the press and bench press are each trained differently.

Training Days:

This is a 4-day per week program: Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday. Each training day includes a warm-up, a main lift (squat, standing press, deadlift or bench press) and assistance work.

Training Max (TM):

The Training Max will remain constant. The TM for each lift will begin at 85% of your 1RM or estimated 1RM. Every percentage listed in the program is based on your TM, not your actual max.

Assistance Work:

Remember that the assistance work must NOT be trained with the same ferocity as the main lifts. You shouldn't be doing curls and rows with the same effort as you would squat. This doesn't mean they aren't important, it means you have to divvy up your effort when you train as there's a finite amount to go around.

If you feel you're burning out due to the assistance work, this is your own fault. Warm-up, do some jumps, do the main lift hard and with extreme focus, then move on to the assistance work.

Recovery:

531 Forever Free Pdf

Recovery work on your off days is recommended: Perform the Agile 8 and some light cardio work to help improve your recovery. I always recommend the Airdyne bike, but remember that if you have to recover from your recovery, you're doing it wrong. Twenty to 30 minutes of the Airdyne on your off days will do wonders for your body and mind.

Eating, sleeping, and hydration:

All are also essential whether you're a hardgainer, a genetically average human, or a natural-born lifter. At the least, eat a pound or two of meat every day. When I was a broke college student I would cook two pounds of ground meat a day and eat it with some rice and BBQ sauce. Not exactly gourmet food but it got the job done. Believe it or not, food doesn't have to be anything other than utilitarian.

Eat to support your training, not to fulfill an emotional need. At the least, drink a gallon of water a day and be sure you're sleeping enough to feel rested when you wake up.

While everyone has an excuse as to why they can't eat enough, sleep enough, or train enough, the bottom line is this: if you can't do what is necessary for your own success then you must be willing to change it. There's no way around this, no matter how many times you cry about it.

Options:

Once you get the hang of this training, you can start doing some different things. When an athlete learns how to push himself and understands what I expect from him, we begin supersetting movements. For example, on Monday we'll squat and do push-ups in between. We also combine our ab work with the box jumps. The Agile 8 is peppered with chin-ups and kettlebell work.

This not only helps cut back on the training time but it gets your ass in shape. And after a couple weeks, what once was tiring becomes the norm. And once that happens, your body and mind changes. And when you approach training as more than just a way to grow physically, it becomes an essential part of your being.

The Hardgainer's Template

Week One

Monday

• Warm-Up: Agile 8 and Box Jump x 10 total reps


• Main Lift: Squat
• Warm-up
• 65% x 5
• 75% x 5
• 85% x 5+ (PR set)
• 65% x 20 reps (widowmaker set)


• Assistance:
• Dip, push-up, or dumbbell bench/incline/press (choose one) – 50-100 total reps
• Pull-up, row, lat pulldown, inverted row, curl, shrug (choose one) – 50-100 total reps
• Any abdominal, low back, single-leg movement, kettlebell swing, kettlebell snatch (choose one) – 50-100 total reps

Tuesday

• Warm-Up: Agile 8 and Box Jump x 10 total reps


• Main Lift: Bench Press
• Warm-up
• 65% x 5
• 75% x 5
• 5 sets of 5 reps @ 85%


• Assistance:
• Dip, push-up, or dumbbell bench/incline/press (choose one) – 50-100 total reps
• Pull-up, row, lat pulldown, inverted row, curl, shrug (choose one) – 50-100 total reps
• Prowler or Sled – 20-30 minutes

Thursday

• Warm-Up: Agile 8 and Box Jump x 10 total reps


• Main Lift: Deadlift
• Warm-up
• 65% x 5
• 75% x 5
• 85% x 5+ (PR set)
• 5 sets of 5 reps @ 65%


• Assistance:
• Dip, push-up, or dumbbell bench/incline/press (choose one) – 50-100 total reps
• Pull-up, row, lat pulldown, inverted row, curl, shrug (choose one) – 50-100 total reps
• Any abdominal, low back, single-leg movement, kettlebell swing, kettlebell snatch (choose one) – 50-100 total reps

Friday

• Warm-Up: Agile 8 and Box Jump x 10 total reps


• Main Lift: Press
• 65% x 5
• 75% x 5
• 85% x 5 (no extra reps)
• 10 sets of 5 reps @ 65%


• Assistance:
• Dip, push-up, or dumbbell bench/incline/press (choose one) – 50-100 total reps
• Pull-up, row, lat pulldown, inverted row, curl, shrug (choose one) – 50-100 total reps
• Prowler or Sled – 20-30 minutes

Week Two

Monday

• Warm-Up: Agile 8 and Box Jump x 10 total reps


• Main Lift: Squat
• Warm-up
• 70% x 5
• 80% x 5
• 90% x 5+ (PR set)
• 70% x 20 reps (widowmaker set)


• Assistance:
• Dip, push-up, or dumbbell bench/incline/press (choose one) – 50-100 total reps
• Pull-up, row, lat pulldown, inverted row, curl, shrug (choose one) – 50-100 total reps
• Any abdominal, low back, single-leg movement, kettlebell swing, kettlebell snatch (choose one) – 50-100 total reps

Tuesday

• Warm-Up: Agile 8 and Box Jump x 10 total reps


• Main Lift: Bench Press
• Warm-up
• 70% x 5
• 80% x 5
• 5 sets of 5 reps @ 90%


• Assistance:
• Dip, push-up, or dumbbell bench/incline/press (choose one) – 50-100 total reps
• Pull-up, row, lat pulldown, inverted row, curl, shrug (choose one) – 50-100 total reps
• Prowler or Sled – 20-30 minutes

Thursday

• Warm-Up: Agile 8 and Box Jump x 10 total reps


• Main Lift: Deadlift
• Warm-up
• 70% x 5
• 80% x 5
• 90% x 5+ (PR set)
• 5 sets of 5 reps @ 70%


• Assistance:
• Dip, push-up, or dumbbell bench/incline/press (choose one) – 50-100 total reps
• Pull-up, row, lat pulldown, inverted row, curl, shrug (choose one) – 50-100 total reps
• Any abdominal, low back, single-leg movement, kettlebell swing, kettlebell snatch (choose one) – 50-100 total reps

Friday

• Warm-Up: Agile 8 and Box Jump x 10 total reps


• Main Lift: Press
• 70% x 5
• 80% x 5
• 90% x 5 (no extra reps)
• 10 sets of 5 reps @ 70%


• Assistance:
• Dip, push-up, or dumbbell bench/incline/press (choose one) – 50-100 total reps
• Pull-up, row, lat pulldown, inverted row, curl, shrug (choose one) – 50-100 total reps
• Prowler or Sled – 20-30 minutes

Week Three

Monday

531 Forever Table Of Contents

• Warm-Up: Agile 8 and Box Jump x 10 total reps


• Main Lift: Squat
• Warm-up
• 75% x 5
• 85% x 5
• 95% x 5+ (PR set)
• 75% x 20 reps (widowmaker set)


• Assistance:
• Dip, push-up, or dumbbell bench/incline/press (choose one) – 50-100 total reps
• Pull-up, row, lat pulldown, inverted row, curl, shrug (choose one) – 50-100 total reps
• Any abdominal, low back, single-leg movement, kettlebell swing, kettlebell snatch (choose one) – 50-100 total reps

Tuesday

531 Forever Pdf Download

• Warm-Up: Agile 8 and Box Jump x 10 total reps


• Main Lift: Bench Press
• Warm-up
• 75% x 5
• 85% x 5
• 5 sets of 5 reps @ 95%


• Assistance:
• Dip, push-up, or dumbbell bench/incline/press (choose one) – 50-100 total reps
• Pull-up, row, lat pulldown, inverted row, curl, shrug (choose one) – 50-100 total reps
• Prowler or Sled – 20-30 minutes

Thursday

• Warm-Up: Agile 8 and Box Jump x 10 total reps


• Main Lift: Deadlift
• Warm-up
• 75% x 5
• 85% x 5
• 95% x 5+ (PR set)
• 5 sets of 5 reps @ 75%


• Assistance:
• Dip, push-up, or dumbbell bench/incline/press (choose one) – 50-100 total reps
• Pull-up, row, lat pulldown, inverted row, curl, shrug (choose one) – 50-100 total reps
• Any abdominal, low back, single-leg movement, kettlebell swing, kettlebell snatch (choose one) – 50-100 total reps

Friday

• Warm-Up: Agile 8 and Box Jump x 10 total reps


• Main Lift: Press
• Warm-up
• 75% x 5
• 85% x 5
• 95% x 5 (no extra reps)
• 10 sets of 5 reps @ 75%


• Assistance:
• Dip, push-up, or dumbbell bench/incline/press (choose one) – 50-100 total reps
• Pull-up, row, lat pulldown, inverted row, curl, shrug (choose one) – 50-100 total reps
• Prowler or Sled – 20-30 minutes

Progression and Notes

• Standard 5/3/1 rules apply: Your TM increases 5 or 10 pounds after each cycle.
• Each main lift uses a TM of 85% of your tested or calculated 1RM.
• If you can't hit at least 5 reps at 95%, you have the wrong TM. Adjust accordingly.
• Each lift will NOT increase at the same time. This is normal. Keep plugging away. The breakthrough will eventually come.


• Assistance work is essential but should not be trained like your squat or deadlift.
• Recovery is as important as training. Be proactive on your off days.

Related: Beyond 5/3/1

531 Forever Pdf

Related: How to Build Pure Strength

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