5/3/1: The Simplest and Most Effective Training System for Raw Strength (2nd Edition) (9 page)

Chin-ups (palms forward) – one warm-up

performed on this lift)

set, one rest pause set

Chin-ups (palms forward) – one warm-up

Straight Bar Curls - 65%x5, 80% x rest

set, one rest pause set

pause

Straight Leg Deadlift - 65%x5, 80% x rest

Close Grip Bench Press - 65%x5, 80% x

pause

rest pause

Wednesday

Chin-ups (palms supinated) – one warm-up

set, one rest pause set

Bench Press - 75%x5, 85%x3, 95%x1+ (all

out set, NO rest pause. 75% x rest pause)

Reverse Grip Bar Curls - 65%x5, 80% x rest

pause

Squat - 75%x5, 85%x3, 95%x1+, 75% x as

many reps as possible (no rest pause

Friday

performed on this lift)

Begin new cycle

Notes:

 After a new cycle begins, add 5lbs to your upper body training maxes and 10lbs to your lower body training maxes. This includes all assistance work.

 I recommend going through two full 5/3/1 cycles before you deload.

 Use the normal deload percentages for one to two weeks. Don’t rest pause anything.

 Make sure you are eating to grow. EAT! You will not recover, grow and get stronger without adequate calories. You must adhere to this. Don’t be afraid to be big and strong.

 If you are performing the above template, I recommend only using a 2 mile walk every day for your cardio. This is essential to keeping your body fat levels in check. Do NOT

skip this.

Now I have to admit – the above training template is a little bit insane. While it adheres to the spirit of DC Training, I don’t know many people that would want to try it. When you are limited by a barbell you will have restrictions. Here is a more basic 5/3/1 Rest/Pause template that most people can easily adapt into their own training schedule with little change. We will use the standard 4 day training schedule (this can easily be adapted to a 3 day training schedule that is discussed in this book).

Week One

Thursday

Monday

Bench Press - 65%x5, 75%x5, 85%x5+ (all

out set, rest pause)

Press - 65%x5, 75%x5, 85%x5+ (all out set,

rest pause)

Incline – 50%x5, 60% x rest pause

Close Grip Bench Press - 50%x5, 60% x

Chin-ups (palms supinated) – one warm-up

rest pause

set, one rest pause set

Chin-ups (palms forward) – one warm-up

Reverse Grip Bar Curls-50%x5, 60% x rest

set, one rest pause set

pause

Straight Bar Curls-50%x5, 60% x rest

Friday

pause

Squat – - 65%x5, 75%x5, 85%x5+, 65% x

Tuesday

as many reps as possible (no rest pause

performed on this lift)

Deadlift-65%x5, 75%x5, 85%x5+, 65% x as

many reps as possible (no rest pause

Straight Leg Deadlift - 50%x5, 60% as many

performed on this lift)

reps as possible, no rest pause

Safety Bar Squat (or Front Squat) - 50%x5,

60% x as many reps as possible, no rest

pause

Week Two

Thursday

Monday

Bench Press - 70%x3, 80%x3, 90%x3+ (all

out set, rest pause)

Press - 70%x3, 80%x3, 90%x3+ (all out set,

rest pause)

Incline – 50%x5, 70% x rest pause

Close Grip Bench Press - 50%x5, 70% x

Chin-ups (palms supinated) – one warm-up

rest pause

set, one rest pause set

Chin-ups (palms forward) – one warm-up

Reverse Grip Bar Curls-50%x5, 70% x rest

set, one rest pause set

pause

Straight Bar Curls-50%x5, 70% x rest

Friday

pause

Squat – - 70%x3, 80%x3, 90%x3+ 70% x as

Tuesday

many reps as possible (no rest pause

performed on this lift)

Deadlift-70%x3, 80%x3, 90%x3+ 70% x as

many reps as possible (no rest pause

Straight Leg Deadlift - - 50%x5, 70% as

performed on this lift)

many reps as possible, no rest pause

Safety Bar Squat (or Front Squat) - 50%x5,

70% x as many reps as possible, no rest

pause

Week Three

Thursday

Monday

Bench Press - 75%x5, 85%x3, 95%x1+ (all

out set, no rest pause, 75% rest pause)

Press - 75%x5, 85%x3, 95%x1+ (all out set,

no rest pause, 75% rest pause)

Incline – 60%x5, 80% x rest pause

Close Grip Bench Press - 60%x5, 80% x

Chin-ups (palms supinated) – one warm-up

rest pause

set, one rest pause set

Chin-ups (palms forward) – one warm-up

Reverse Grip Bar Curls-60%x5, 80% x rest

set, one rest pause set

pause

Straight Bar Curls-60%x5, 80% x rest

Friday

pause

Squat – 75%x5, 85%x3, 95%x1+ (all out

Tuesday

set, no rest pause, 75% x as many reps as

possible (no rest pause performed on this

Deadlift-75%x5, 85%x3, 95%x1+ (all out

lift)

set, no rest pause, 75% x as many reps as

possible (no rest pause performed on this

Straight Leg Deadlift - - 60%x5, 80% as

lift)

many reps as possible, no rest pause

Safety Bar Squat (or Front Squat) - 60%x5,

80% x as many reps as possible, no rest

pause

Week Four (Deload)

Monday

Thursday

Press – 40%x5, 50%x5, 60%x5 (no rest

Bench Press - 40%x5, 50%x5, 60%x5 (no

pause, just get required reps)

rest pause, just get required reps)

Close Grip Bench Press - 40%x5, 50%x5,

Incline – 40%x5, 50%x5, 60%x5

60%x5

Chin-ups (palms supinated) – 3 sets of 10

Chin-ups (palms forward) – 3 sets of 10

reps

reps

Reverse Grip Bar Curls-3 sets of 10 reps

Straight Bar Curls-3 sets of 10 reps

Friday

Tuesday

Squat – 40%x5, 50%x5, 60%x5, just

Deadlift-40%x5, 50%x5, 60%x5, just

required reps

required reps

Straight Leg Deadlift - 40%x5, 50%x5,

Safety Bar Squat (or Front Squat) - 40%x5,

60%x5

50%x5, 60%x5

Notes:

 You can do ab work every training day. This is not an exercise to be used as a rest/pause.

 Keep records of al main lifts and al assistance lifts. Personal y, I only count the “main”

set of these. I think about it this way – the first all-out set is a “strength test”. The two rest pause sets are “strength builders”.

 You can do some extra assistance work each day but make sure it is mindless and easy.

Concentrate on the big lifts at hand. For upper body, be sure to do some extra upper back work (face pulls, rear laterals) for balance. Also, do some light, high rep lat work that is not taxing (lat pulldowns, cable rows, band pulldowns, dumbbell rows, chest supported rows would be great.) You can also do some triceps pushdowns. For lower body, extra abdominal work and bodyweight back raises would help tremendously. None of these exercises should be done as a rest/pause.

 If you are doing this template, you are free to do whatever conditioning you want. If you are used to doing the Prowler, sled work, stadium steps, sprints, strongman conditioning then do it.

 Just like any rest/pause training, you have to eat to grow and get strong. Don’t eat like a waif.

Exercise Substitutions for Upper Body Assistance Lifts
 Incline Press

 EZ Bar Curls

 Close Grip Bench Press

 EZ Bar Reverse Curl

 Dips

 Football Bar (Swiss Bar) Hammer

Curls

 Floor Press

 Lat Pulldowns

 Football Bar (Swiss Bar) Press

 T-Bar Rows

 Football Bar (Swiss Bar) Bench

Press

 Barbell Rows

 2 Board Press

Exercise Substitutions for Lower Body Assistance Lifts
 Front Squat

 Trap Bar Deadlift

 Safety Bar Squat

 Straight Leg Deadlift

 Box Squat

 Rack Deadlift

 Good Morning

North of Vag (N.O.V.)

I can’t take credit for this name. I wish I could, but both the idea and the name come from my good friend Jim Messer. Jim and I have been friends since junior high, and we have the kind of friendship that doesn’t require us to talk every week. Or even every year. This is more of an idea. A concept, if you will.

Figure 4: How to Start Your Chopper

Jim started training with the 5/3/1 method without my knowing it, and he’s had great success.

He emailed me and let me know about this. Here’s part of an email he wrote to me:
I feel compelled to tell you that after a few months of using the now-legendary 5/3/1, I have now
moved somewhat north of being an utter vag. I f**ked my body up pretty badly last winter,
stopped all physical activity, and thought that was pretty much gonna be it. Just another skinny
f**king wimp. It’s been a real y long time since I’ve felt this good physical y. By God, last week I
puked in my mouth and almost blacked out squatting. I’d thought that time in my life was over.

After I stopped laughing, I began thinking about his statement and about how many people seem to be moving and staying well south of vag. To quote Black Sabbath, this is a symptom of the universe. Then I started to contemplate how one stays in the Northern Hemisphere of the Holy Holes. What followed was the training template I’l show you now. It’s very simple to fol ow: 1.
Warm-up:
foam rolling, static stretching and jumping rope (or something similar).

2.
Lift Weights:
5/3/1; keep it basic and strong.

3.
Condition:
Run hills, push Prowler.

Figure 5: Prowler Work

That’s it. Do this 3-4 times a week and you won’t fal into the trap of being normal. You’l be strong, healthy and in shape. You won’t make New Year’s resolutions because you’l be living it every day. You can eat that final piece of pie and not count carbs because you just ran 20 hill sprints for the third time this week. You can wake up and not feel like shit because you’ve actually taken the time to foam roll and stretch. You actually have some traps from deadlifting.

You don’t fal for fitness trends, because you know what works. You stop caring what people say on the internet, because you’re always making progress. You’re always moving forward toward something.

People ask you how to train, and you answer, “I look at what you do, and then I do the exact opposite.”

You’l actual y be able to move because your feet wil be fast from jumping rope. You won’t be out of breath al the time. You’l be able to take on any physical activity you want. You’l be different once you’ve spent time straining to get a rep PR in the squat or pushed a Prowler for 40 minutes. Dealing with the idiots at work or your boss wil no longer be an issue. It’s hard to bring a man down after he’s had three weeks of personal records in the gym. It’s hard to get mad at the guy who cuts you off in traffic after you’ve left your lunch on top of the hil after bear crawling up it. Who cares about all that meaningless stuff? When your training and your life are moving forward, you certainly won’t.

It doesn’t take a lot to do this. You already give 8-10 hours a day to your boss and to your work.

To boredom and to people and organizations that couldn’t care less about you. Then your family and friends get the rest of your time.

What about you? Do you really think so little of yourself that you can’t sacrifice an hour or two, 3-4 days a week, for yourself? This “me” time isn’t spent shopping, watching TV or getting on the internet. You’re spending it reinvesting in your body, building strength, and building character. Kicking ass and training consistently – and with some balance – will do wonders for both your body and your mind.