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Review of Jim Wendler’s 5/3/1 Training Program

Mar 1st, 2011 by Mehdi |

Jim Wendler 5/3/1 Training Program

Jim Wendler 5/3/1 Training Program


5/3/1 is - after StrongLifts 5x5 - the most popular training program inside the StrongLifs Community. Several StrongLifts Members like James, Will and Adam (all +500lb Deadlifters) had great success with 5/3/1. I've also been successful with this program in my own training and when coaching private clients.

Because I've received questions about what I thought of Jim Wendler's 5/3/1 training program I decided to write a review about it. Here it is.


What's 5/3/1? The 5/3/1 program is a 3-4 day "upper/lower-body split". Each day is devoted to the Squat, Bench, Press or Deadlift followed by 2 assistance exercises for that lift. I almost always train 4x/week using this template:

  • Mo: Squat + assistance
  • Tu: Bench + assistance
  • Th: Deadlift + assistance
  • Fr: Press + assistance

First week you do 3 sets of 5, 2nd week 3x3, 3rd week 5/3/1, and 4th week you deload. Then you repeat this cycle but with 5-10lb more than the last one. Unlike StrongLifts 5x5, the sets are ramped and the last is an all-out set.

Author of 5/3/1 program is strength coach Jim Wendler, a former football player turned competitive powerlifter. Wendler has Squatted 1000lb, Benched 675lb and Deadlifted 700lb in the 275lb class. He has also trained at Westside Barbell with elite lifters Louie Simmons and Dave Tate (Jim works at EliteFTS).

As the story goes, Jim became tired of being fat and lifting with bench shirts and Squat suits. After losing 25lb, he created 5/3/1 to regain the strength he lost. He has since Squatted 650lb, Benched 405lb and Deadlifted 705lb raw.


What I Like About 5/3/1. First, it works - I added 44lb to my Deadlift, 33lb to my Squat and 11lb to my Bench in 27 weeks first time I did 5/3/1. Those weren't even all-out 1RMs, and keep in mind I started light in order to build experience with 5/3/1 (always better to start too light than too heavy).

StrongLifts Member Will (24y, USA) made the following gains the first time he did 5/3/1 for 6 cycles from October 2009 to March 2010:

  • Squat: 335lbsx1 -> 335lbsx5  (theoretical 1RM: 335 -> 390)
  • Bench: 160lbsx5-> 170lbsx8 (theoretical 1RM: 186 -> 215)
  • Deadlift: 315lbsx5 -> 355lbsx6 (theoretical 1RM: 366 -> 425)

Theoretical 1RMs because Will didn't actually test them but based them off his results on the all-out sets of 5/3/1. Maybe not 100% accurate, but the strength gains are clear. Since then StrongLifts Member Will Deadlifts and Squats 500lb, and just started his 2nd round of 5/3/1 exactly 1y after his first one.

Here are the strength gains of competitive strongman StrongLifts Members Adam R. (29y, Australia) with 5/3/1. In brackets the theoretical 1RMs...

  • Squat: 230kg --> 10x202.5kg (270kg)
  • Bench: 125kg --> 7x125kg (154kg)
  • Deadlift: 205kg --> 8x187.5kg (237kg)
  • Press: 92.5kg --> 8x87.5 (110.8kg)

Aside from the fact that the program works, it's clear that the philosophy of 5/3/1 is similar to that of StrongLifts 5x5 - free weights, compound exercises, progressive loading. The frequent deloads and absence of 3x/week Squatting also make 5/3/1 less challenging while still providing gains. This makes 5/3/1 especially suitable for guys looking for an easier to stick to long-term program.


 What I Don't Like About 5/3/1. Gains on 5/3/1 are slower than on StrongLifts 5x5 because you're adding weight every month, not every workout. This is not really a critique of 5/3/1, this program is after all for intermediate and advanced lifters, not for beginners. Guys like SL Member Will, James, Adam and me are more than happy if we can add 50lb to our 500lb Deadlift in 12 months because we know that the stronger you get, the slower the strength gains become.

Different story for the guy who can't Squat 225lb yet or worse, who still has to master proper Squat technique. It should be obvious that Squatting 3x/week and adding 5lb every workout will improve your technique and boost your Squat faster than Squatting only 1x/week and adding just 5lb per month. Add that beginners with lack of training experience will often overdo the assistance by doing too much and misunderstand "all-out sets" by going to failure.

This is also not a critique of 5/3/1, but of guys doing training programs they aren't ready for. 5/3/1 is for intermediates and advanced lifters who have built the discipline of sticking to a program, and who are ready to make a long-term commitment - 2 months isn't enough, think at least 6 months, or even 12.


More Information About 5/3/1. Jim Wendler has written a definite 5/3/1 guide in which you'll discover technique tips for the Squat, Deadlift, Bench and Press, how to choose your starting weight and assistance exercises, how to warm-up, 2-3x/week templates, and much more (97 pages total with pictures).

That's an affiliate link so I will get a commission for each sale. I got no problem with that because the 5/3/1 program works and it's the most popular training program inside the StrongLifts Community after StrongLifts 5x5.

(Note: you can also get an ebook version of 5/3/1 from EliteFTS.com)

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