5/3/1 Reviews

[bamazav]

I am being encouraged to look at 5/3/1. Any one here run through it? What did you think? What are the pro and cons?

[LtL]

I ran 5/3/1 for most of last year. For a RAW lifter who is not looking to compete, it is probably one of the next programmes you can run. It's very flexible, has a solid progression system and seems to be easy to keep balanced. I like it a lot.

LtL

[BendtheBar]

I think the pros are:

--Flexibility. That you can pretty much fit it to any goal/need. Though it's considered a strength building program, it's really just a method of progression on the big lifts, and the assistance work can be structured anyway you want.

The big lifts can also be structured in a myriad of different ways, from 2 days a week to 4.

--Periodization. You cycle the intensity of your big lifts.

I don't really think there are any cons, especially to an experienced lifter who knows how to structure their programs. You could turn it into an A/B split, or even a fullbody style workout if you wanted to.

[Carl1174]

Originally Posted by bamazav

I am being encouraged to look at 5/3/1. Any one here run through it? What did you think? What are the pro and cons?

I ran it for a few months before Christmas. Personally i dont think i gave it long enough.

Pros: It is a great way or progressing all the time as you are never really lifting at your max so you should be able to continue progressing without stalling for a long time. (Squatter on here is doing amazing work with it).

Cons: For me was that it is best ran IMO as a 4 day per week routine and I found that (as I was probably going too heavy on the assistance) it was burning me out pretty quick. I prefer 3 days per week. It can be ran 3 days per week though, but you would have to work the assistance stuff smartly.

Also it was a llot of Maths... and as I do maths all day at work, i really didnt want to be doing it in the gym

Honestly it is a great routine, just didnt work out for me.

Carl.

[bamazav]

Thanks guys. For those interested, I found site that does the math for you.

blackironbeast.com :: 5/3/1 Calculator

[BendtheBar]

We have that linked here Bam in the "Tools" section:

Tools - Muscle and Brawn - Bodybuilding and Powerlifting

[bb12]

Always nice to mix it up

[bamazav]

Originally Posted by BendtheBar

We have that linked here Bam in the "Tools" section:

Tools - Muscle and Brawn - Bodybuilding and Powerlifting

I wonder if that is how I found it originally. I was looking through my bookmarks last night and saw it.

[Squatter]

I agree with everyon'es posts so far. There really are no cons. I really like having my weekly goals set out in black and white. I know, that as long as I meet my prescribed reps, that I am progressing. I am now on cycle 6 and still progressing. I am positive that I can run this for at least 6 more cycles and still progress. I think the long term progression is just awesome. It really keeps me motivated. 5/3/1 is going to help me achieve a 500 lb deadlift within a year. I started out at nothing really. I had only started doing deads just before I started 531. How can anyone criticize a routine that can do that?

[JesseA]

The biggest con with 5/3/1 is that it's percentage based, once you start pushing big number the small changes in percentages make for big jumps that can be hard to keep up with.

Also, another con is you need to establish your 1RM on your lifts to set the percentages. If you don't work with low reps already, this can be an issue, as you will likely be estimating the working 1RM values.

These are not big cons, 5/3/1 is an excellent all-purpose strength program. I have used it for almost two years with steady gains. Just recently switched to a westside program to focus on powerlifting. 5/3/1 has it's roots in the westside method of training.