5/3/1
Reddit take
AI summary of the Reddit excerpts below — not a quote
5/3/1 is a popular strength training framework praised for its long-term sustainability, focus on submaximal training, and inclusion of conditioning. While it is highly effective for building general strength and breaking through plateaus, it is frequently described as a barbell-centric program that may not be ideal for those focused purely on aesthetics or those who prefer calisthenics and machines.
Pros
- Effective for long-term strength progression and breaking through stalls.
- Includes conditioning as a core component of the program.
- Sustainable approach that is often reported as being 'gentle on the body' while still hitting PRs.
- Uses submaximal sets and AMRAP (As Many Reps As Possible) to drive progress.
Cons
- Not optimized for pure physique or hypertrophy goals.
- The creator's writing style is often described as obtuse or difficult to follow.
- Can be intimidating or easily misunderstood by beginners.
- Requires specific barbell equipment; does not adapt well to machines or calisthenics as main lifts.
Caveats
- Requires calculating a 'Training Max' (typically 85-90% of your true max) rather than lifting at your limit every session.
- Barebones versions can be very low volume unless supplemental and accessory work is properly integrated.
- Difficult to load bodyweight exercises like pushups or pullups using the program's specific percentage-based progression.
Best for
- Lifters seeking a sustainable, long-term strength program.
- Individuals who want a balanced approach that includes cardiovascular conditioning.
- Barbell enthusiasts looking for a structured, wave-based progression.
Avoid if
- Your primary goal is aesthetic physique or bodybuilding.
- You do not have access to a squat rack, bench, and barbell.
- You prefer a straightforward, easy-to-read program manual without complex terminology.
This summary uses balanced time weighting with about a 122-month half-life. The evidence is drawn from a window with a median age of approximately 399 days, primarily from r/Fitness.
Sentiment
18 positive (51%) · 10 mixed (29%) · 7 negative (20%)
Trust + time weighted score: +32% · raw score 31%
What redditors said (10 of 35)
I would like to get into a proper strength building program, and I'm looking at 5/3/1. However, my previous experience with strength building was more calisthenics focused. I would at least like to go back to training incline pushups and banded pullups again, as my 'main exercises'. Would it be easy to adapt the 5/3/1 program to include doing pushups and pullups as main exercises
Parent context: I’m at my first week 10 doing 5/3/1. Do I really need to do a test week? If anything I feel like I set my training max a bit low in the beginning. Reply: Nope. A deload is totally fine instead. Low TMs are the goal.
5/3/1 focuses on using lighter weights for different goals
5/3/1 is not a good program for Bench progression because it lacks regular heavy touches (basically only on the 1+ week is heavy enough, and it's an AMRAP, which is bad.) 5/3/1 also only benches once a week in every template I've seen, which is simply not enough exposure.
Tried 5x5 with different percentages, many 5/3/1 approaches. In the end just doing AMRAP with 92.5% to 97.5%, 3 to 5 sets, and testing my 1RM every 6-8 weeks was what worked best for me.
Have been doing 5/3/1 since April. Started with a training max of 240 lbs for squat. Supposedly it's 280 now, although I'm fairly positive that's above my actual max. At any rate, I hit 255 for 1 on the last week of last cycle. Couldn't get any more than that but figured I hit the prerequisite to up my new TM.
I took a look at some of the programs u listed but i dont see how any of them can be run without plates smaller then 5lbs For example all of the 5/3/1 programs involve adding 5lbs to ur training max on bench, this would mean my lifts in the program will be numbers like 47.5, 52.5 etc but i cant load those onto the bar
A week off every 6 weeks is basically the deload schedule that 5/3/1, and most serious programs build in deliberately.
5/3/1 is literally a strength program designed to supplement athletes in other sports.
5/3/1 is not hassle; there are numerous spreadsheets for it that will do the actual admin and prescriptions for you. ... His templates will get you strong, get you in actual sports/hiking/MTBing/fighting shape, and are most importantly sustainable. ... IMO, it's probably the best "ecosystem" or methodology for training when considering scalability, repeatability, and potential that you can do in any gym.
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