5/3/1: The Simplest and Most Effective Training System to Increase Raw Strength First Edition

This book is a single example of monthly periodization that is most appropriate for experienced lifters that are plateauing on weekly periodization. For those not understanding what I mean, there are several stages in a lifter's career that have nothing to do with how long they have been lifting or how much they lift. The stages refer to how far along the path you are to reaching your genetic potential in the basic power lifts.Beginners can increase the weight every workout as they develop the neuromuscular pathways-this will last 3-9 months depending on prior lifting experience (ie someone never lifting before might go 9 months before they plateau and someone getting back after a layoff might only go 3 months) When a beginner plateau's they become intermediate.Intermediate lifters plan their workouts on a weekly basis with light, medium, and heavy work out days during the week. (this description relates to a combination of volume plus intensity not just how heavy the weight is. IE 5 sets of 5 with 185 lbs is heavier than 1 set of 3 with 205) With proper adjustments this system can be used for several years and for athletes that primarily compete in a non weightlifting type sport (track, football, lacrosse etc), might work forever. It takes knowledge and skill to make the proper adjustments and while there are a many sample programs, (Mahlers 5x5, Bill Starr) knowing which to use and what changes to make to overcome plateaus can be challenging. When intermediate programming is exhausted it is time to move to an advanced program.Advanced programs generally have a monthly plan with heavy, medium, and light weeks scheduled. Note that weeks replace the days of an intermediate program. 5-3-1 is 1 sample of a monthly plan. It is a good one. It takes all the guess work out of programming variables. The book offers no explanation of who should use this book, or why it works. There are no explanations of training theory. It is truly a plug and play book. all you have to do it put your numbers in to the formulas and you will know exactly what your workouts will be weight and reps and sets for the next 5-7 months. When you plateau in the program you drop of 10% and do it again. There is no guess work. Unlike "Practical Programming" which is 200+ pages of theory with samples here and there, this book is very lean.I can tell you from personal knowledge of reading almost everything out there as well as taking courses and talking to experts, that this program is very sound and grounded in well accepted theory. If you are not an advanced lifter you certainly can use this program, but your gains will be very slow compared to what you could be doing with a program designed for you. The same goes for an intermediate lifter but is probably less so. For the average adult looking for fitness this won't matter, but for a high school athlete looking to make the fastest gains possible in the time they have left in school before college, it could be the difference between a scholarship and not. For example an intermediate program will add 250lbs to the squat in 1 year but 5-3-1 will only add 120 lbs that same year. It is a matter of simple math. The intermediate program adds 5lbs per week and 5-3-1 adds 10lbs per month.Many people don't have the time or inclination to dig deep in to things and just want to be told what to do. This book does exactly that. As the saying goes, stop talking and start lifting.

Wendler knows his stuff and this book is no exception. I've been using 531 variations for years and love the flexibility of the program and consistent progress I've seen while using it. This book brings leader/anchors plus a ton of extra variety (supplemental heaven is my current favorite) to keep things interesting. This definitely builds on the earlier books, but between this volume and the free articles Wendler has released you don't necessarily need the other books in the series... but I'd still recommend them! If you want a maintainable program to get strong while also staying in shape, it's hard to do better than this.I've used many different programs but always come back to this one. Everyone's goals and recovery is different, but I've had great success using his 4x per week templates to really push a strength cycle or 3x per week when I'm more focused on conditioning. (this is my favorite in the summer) I even stuck with 531 to maintain strength concurrently with a marathon training plan to prep for a Spartan Ultra. (I crushed that goal, by the way) Having all of these options make it really easy to design and program a workout to fit your current goals. I'm certainly not a professional athlete, but training with Wendler's principles helps me feel ready for whatever life throws at me. Can't recommend this enough!

If you read Rippetoe's Starting Strength and Practical Programming books - and you should -, you will know how to perform the basic lifts, and the programming you need to move from your first day in the gym, through your novice months, and into the intermediate stage of lifting - where you are squatting, benching, and deadlifting barbells loaded with poundages between 1x and 2x your bodyweight. And you will be performing all the basic lifts with solid technique.At that point, you'll need different types of programs - you won't be able to just add weight to the bar every workout, or even every week. Jim Wendler's "5/3/1" series of books - the original, Beyond 5/3/1, and 5/3/1 Forever, are exactly what you need to read and understand next. Jim has built and conveyed a wealth of different programs - they are all different in the details, but alike in that they adhere to the principles and practices that reliably deliver strength and/or mass improvements. The sheer amount of the programming might be overwheming, but it has a purpose - you can find a version of the program that will work for YOU, in terms of your available time per workout, your available days per week, whether you have a predictable or an unpredictable schedule, whether you like to lift heavier weights for fewer reps, or somewhat lighter loads for higher reps (or a mix of both), whether you are more interested in being massive/jacked/bodybuilderish or instead maximal strength and more athleticism, or competing in a strength sport is more important, etc.Frankly, if you want to learn "everything you will ever need to know" to get very big, very strong, or both, these are the books to get there quickest.Jim's writing style is clear, cuts through oceans of "fitness industry" fluff, fads, and marketing baloney, and gets across the mindset you need to have in your training and when you step under the bar to improve consistently over the long haul. If you read (and reread) Rippetoe's stuff and Wendler's stuff, you will know what you need to know, and can save yourself many, many wasted hours training exercises and "programs" that offer poor long term return for the investment of your time and effort.