Just found your channel. Love your approach. Very interesting, intelligent and open minded. Keep up the good work. 💪💪💪💪

This helped me out sooo much!! Thanks man!

The FSL variant has been great for me and I think it would be great for beginners in general. Using the lower weight helps build good form and helps beginners forge good habits.

Great to see you back on KZread and doing programming videos again! I remember that time my submission for a form check made it on your video. And when the first version of your powerlifting AI came out and we needed to send in excel sheets. Unfortunately I'm more focused on endurance or hybrid training at the moment. So I don't think I'm the target market for EvolveAI at the moment. But I really appreciate your work!

@gjmjblevins

8 ай бұрын

Thanks for taking the time to comment! Excited to be back as well and hope you continue to enjoy the program reviews and training instruction. Blessings

@ajithsidhu7183

8 ай бұрын

​@@gjmjblevinsplease do smth for hypertrophy

My GF just started her intermediate journey, and she is very much enjoying 531. She is at that level where topsets are fun, but 5x5 at high weights are killing her. The 1 AMRAP set a day, together with the BBB plug in with 60% of her max is gold for her and has made her enjoy training again which is the most important part.

@gjmjblevins

7 ай бұрын

Nice - gettting that volume in and feeling the euphoria of solid workouts is hard to beat - hope she (and you) stay on the gains! Blessings

I tend to do a 5th compound movement - Bent-over Barbell Rows. Back and biceps all while keeping the core and quads tight. But doing those 5 compound lifts...LOVE it.

Great video. Nicely explained.

5/3/1 is one of my favorite strength protocols I've ever used, and I still use is as the main inspiration for my current programming. I'll still do the 5/3/1 and joker sets for my main lift, then antagonistic "bodybuilding" volume work. So on bench days, it's rows, on OHP day it's pullups, etc. Solid fatigue management while maintaining progression, definitely recommend.

@MAjj-ov6nf

3 ай бұрын

Do you have to do all the exercises in one day or each day is a different exercise?

@superduperbeans1234

3 ай бұрын

@MAjj-ov6nf I'm not sure I understand the question. 5/3/1 and subsequently my program has each of the lifts on their own day. After I complete the 5/3/1 protocol for my main lift, I then move on to a more hypertrophy-based workout that emphasizes the antagonistic muscles of that lift. So, on my bench day, I will do the 5/3/1 prescription, then my hypertrophy work is a variety of horizontal pulling and rear delt work

Great Video! Finally someone that explained 531 very good!

@gjmjblevins

7 ай бұрын

Glad it was helpful - some people make the program more complicated than it needs to be :) Blessings

5/3/1 is the first structured lifting program I have followed. I love the training max principle and really love the AMRAPs so one can still grind and go hard. Percentages took ego out of the loading process. I love the long-term focus, with training maxes eventually becoming 3's and 5's. I've really liked the additional bar speed and intent. At 40, I was looking for a 3 to 5 year outlook. I've really liked the deload, lower volume, and consistent jumps. At 43, I haven't been afflicted with burnout or been sick. The assistance work has some operational slop in it. Good enough program with your sound overload principles.

I made GREAT gains in my late 40's with 5/3/1 plus BBB (plus some other accessory stuff). freaking fantastic for older guys. Ended up way stronger than i was in my 20's (a million years ago) with little pain. Slow steady progress works really well. Nice breakdown

@rmcf3972

Ай бұрын

I am 43. Will start this hopefully soon. What is bbb?

@brianhopkins5251

Ай бұрын

@@rmcf3972 Boring But Big. It's an accessory plan within 531. basically 5 sets of 10 at about 50% after your big lift.

@javierxacur2306

19 күн бұрын

Boring But Big ​@@rmcf3972

@javierxacur2306

19 күн бұрын

Boring But Big ​@@rmcf3972

@WildBillWilson

16 күн бұрын

@@rmcf3972 “Boring But Big”

I'm not sure why I watched this, since I've been running 5/3/1 Forever variations for the past year now and have read all of the books, but this is definitely the best video explanation of 5/3/1 that I've seen on KZread. I was actually surprised at how bad most of the available videos were when I was first starting the program a year ago and tried watching some videos to clarify questions I had from reading the books.

I LOVE this SERIES! Keep ‘em coming 🙌🏻 🙏🏼

@gjmjblevins

8 ай бұрын

Glad to hear it - got a lot more planned :) Blessings

@ajithsidhu7183

8 ай бұрын

​@@gjmjblevinshi garret can u ask what routine is good for hypertrophy and strength focus for rows

@Number1DriversSeat

3 ай бұрын

@@gjmjblevins which Jim Wendler book should I be reading? The only one I currently own is 5/3/1 forever.

5/3/1 is just pleasant to run. Personally, I have military standards and I do jiu jitsu. Finding a program that doesn't destroy you and allows you to do the things you love or are required is key. I want to train strength, not powerlifting. 5/3/1 was that answer for a long time. I hope EvolveAI gets more layouts for sport-related training, you guys are awesome.

@gjmjblevins

8 ай бұрын

Great points and thanks for the support! Blessings

@princeicio

3 ай бұрын

How does this program help with Jiu Jitsu?

I’ve been intermediate for years and have been doing 5/3/1 for 6 months. I’m the strongest I’ve ever been and keep getting stronger after so long! I also follow CrossFit linchpin and add 1 x session of weighted pull-ups, db row, front squat, and db bench twice a month. I feel great, not beat up.

@hopeshotz579

2 ай бұрын

Machine

I started at 44 years old after hearing about at a CrossFit gym. Then 15 months later I was still adding weight each month. Competed in a few powerlifting meets and felt that I was really prepared. Benched 320, deadlifted 512 after 15 months. The fact that it seems easy helps because you don’t feel like working out every day and consistency is what separates the achievers from everyone else.

@WillianMates

5 ай бұрын

I think the kind of small volume is great for older lifters, I'm 40 now, and this kind of program also workes great for me. Jim wasent in his competition days when he put out the program and later on he is much more into trainning just 3 days per week, plenty of time for joint recover.

I finally am doing this without the ego. I have used the program but always wanted my 1 rep on the 3rd week to be a max. I have done a couple of powerlifting comps and I have started to use this program properly doing the AMRAP at the end and my strength has nearly peaked to my comp strength after 2 months. Lets say I am getting volume now.

Listen to what Wendler has said in recent years about the main lifts, the weights are low to reinforce fast bar speed and power for his athletes. The assistance/accessories are for hypertrophy and building strength. He has said he doesn't believe in only using the main lifts to get bigger and stronger.

@gjmjblevins

7 ай бұрын

Of course - he is outspoken about doing more than the jack sh*** method and has put out lots of options for how to add volume. Blessings

Question, I've been running 5/3/1 for a while, started with BBB and I'm now doing a bodybuilding variation from Blood & chalk. Volume is great in that program but since I'm running it for a while, the last 1+ amprap sets are my actual 1rm. So I'm not easily getting 3-5 reps on those sets anymore but 1 rep at best.. I've run it about 7 months and made progress for sure. But would you advise dropping 10% and going at it again? Or would you recommend another program? Love the vids, keep it up! 😄 (Btw, in total I've done about 1.5 years of programs like this so I'm definetly not adding 5-10 pounds every 4 weeks anymore. Mostly just a few reps)

I dont train strength specifically but I really liked the video!

Great program review. Will you review the nsuns varation since I've heard it's pretty popular?

The most underrated part of 531 is that it builds an enjoyable weight lifting habit slowly without wrecking you right away.

@gjmjblevins

6 ай бұрын

Yeah - it is a great gateway program to forming the right habits in a simple way. Blessings

@jackofthecoke

5 ай бұрын

Wish I'd discovered 5/3/1 many years ago. Nearly perma-wrecked my elbows going too hard without a good workout regimen, trying to get back into working out, a bit afraid of the tendonitis issues.

I have the first 531 book and I believe beyond 531 both on my phone. That way when anybody asks I can just grab it and go right to the basics and show them instead of trying to explain it on a chalkboard whiteboard etc. The boring but big version has always work best for me and putting on a lot of muscle and I can usually go and run it for about a year till I just continually keep stalling and I have to back off a little bit or try something else

I looked into Mark Ripitoes stuff I like to take elements from his program and mixing it with this. The fundamental of bench, squat, dead, ohp is the main thing. I like to lift heavy and then do clean and jerks and snatches . On “off” days I’m sure there are better approaches but it has worked for me Gained 25 lbs since last year

I did the 5/3/1 with 100% and without the deload and It worked perfect for me

Good refresher video for me. I've been using/following the 5/3/1 program for at least the last 12 years, if not longer. I'm a person who gets bored quick and has a tendency to stray away from the foundational principles of the program. For instance I didn't do AMRAPS my last "cycle" and instead of 5/3/1 on week/cycle 3 I just did heavy singles for the main lift and a ton of accessory work. I know better, especially after using the program for as long as I have, and need to get back to the basics.

This is a great program for guys who are in their 40s-50s and want to make steady, long-term gains. It is about the 5-year plan for me, not the 12-week rush to a higher total. 5/3/1 is perfect for me, and I use FSL 3x8 as my post AMRAP. Then I hit two to three accessories.

@gjmjblevins

7 ай бұрын

Awesome - glad you are on the gains and not on that panicked attempt to increase your total, that never really works out :) Blessings

Gracias hermano

I have the 5/3/1book it’s helped me get 520lbs deadlift

Love it when the dudes with Dad bods pop up on KZread and give out fitness advice.

@kys235

2 күн бұрын

eh?

Hey Garrett question, under the column weeks, i go through 1 through 4 and that completes 1 cycle ? Then add weight ?

I had a goal of a 300 bench back in mid 2015. It took me until mid 2016 but I got there. I did it by eating a ton and strictly following this program. I'm going back to it now years later (I'm 40 now) so, as an older and leaner lifter, I want to see how my strength is.

Did it for 5 month when was starting strength training but only improves on amraps, not so much on my 1RM . But it build a good fondation for later

Do you have a template for this workout to give it a try? I am looking to get onto a different workout plan and this one seems to be a good one to try.

Ive been using building the monolith 531.

I like slow progress. At some point you need to prioritize recovery over heavy poundages.

I started this program 2 months ago. My 1+ sets on deadlift in two consecutive cycles went from 5 reps to 8 reps and I'm on a cut. I hit 8 reps on my last 5+, 3+, and 1+ sets. 315 felt like butter today. Seems I'm outpacing the planned weight. I didn't gain strength on my deadlift that fast in a bulk with my own programming, and I think it's because I was going too close to failure too often. Squat and pressing gains are about the same as my programming, but I guess my deadlifting programming was wack. My RDLs on squat day have been going up every week too.

Thee best program ,, I'm 63 and have been doing 5-3-1 for the past 3 years and continue to add weight to the bar. mon-ohp tues-squat thurs-bench fri/sat - dead

@gjmjblevins

7 ай бұрын

Awesome, stay on the gains. Blessings

Walk into any gym and see someone doing heavy Strict OHP for reps, all but certain they ran 5/3/1 for some length of time. I ran 5/3/1 off and on for years, best bang out there.

I read sometimes that folks run this program while in a cut. I’ve ran it in a cut and now in maintenance, the top set on 5’s week is an absolute grind (almost failure). Is the key to this program a calorie surplus (whether it be slight or dgaf)? My worst grind is on squats and it takes 4 days to recover to be able to DL.

Thanks for the Vid. I will try it for the next 6 Months. But I will lock for a little bit more Arm isolation. In my opinion arms are a little short in the 5/3/1

@gjmjblevins

7 ай бұрын

Look at some of the variations online - some have more arm work and those might suit you well. Blessings

@JB-jk4gd

7 ай бұрын

@@gjmjblevins thanks for you answer. I will take a look

I've recently gotten into a pace of staying busy with two jobs, and I was wondering if this program would be good to mix with body weight training. I am looking for a good program because I really do like lifting heavy weights, but I also just do not want to focus on the main lifts because I feel that there may be a deficiency in some area such as Bicep and Tricep activation. Any Suggestions?

Barbell, check ✔️ dumbell check ✔️ D.bol.............

I liked 5/3/1.... ran starting stregth... 5x5... then 5/3/1 before I plateaued and got frustrated as heck and gave up. Best strength gains over about 3 years I've had though. I probably should have started thinking about speed and volume somewhere in there but got lost. Ran my percentages too high towards the end as I got frustrated and got myself into aching tendons. Wish I knew then what I know now..

Program works better with a 80 -85% training max . Just gota be patient an learn how to throw joker sets in properly not going over a 5-10 percent jump on them also using a 3/5/1 templet meaning the 2nd week is the easiest week to recover to hit a solid heavy week on week 3

@gjmjblevins

7 ай бұрын

I think a lot of people would agree with this! Blessings

At the end of the cycle you add 10/5 lb to your lift, or add 5/10 to the rm and recalculate the 90%??

I run 531 every once and a while the only problem with it is not much volume under higher percentages, so for week one I’ll do 85% 5 5 amrap same with the 3 and 5 3 1

Classic and proven well and you explain it really well 👍

Is it just 1 set each wk? So monday i would do 1 set of 5 at 65% for bench press then go to another exercise?

I did a kind of tweaked version of 531 plus Boring But Big as a late novice or early intermediate. That would is the strongest I ever got but I think almost any program would have done well since I worked out really hard for 90 minutes, 4x week for 6 months. But I did get burned out.

Garrett - the original 5/3/1 was Monday-Wednesday-Friday-Monday. Bench-Dead-OHP-Squat. Not 4 days per week. Would that OG program be better for older lifters like me?

@gjmjblevins

7 ай бұрын

It spreads it out some and that can be helpful for recovery - but the only way to know is to try :) Blessings

Do we need the AMRAP if there are joker sets?

but is there other program that put more kg? i feel gratefull to add 5kg and more but i want to lift heavier breaking pr every month adding 50kgs every cycle

how many days a week i have to do it , i mean first week i do 65,75,85 5of each but just once a week or twice/three times per weak

For example if you want to squat what do you do ?

Does evolve ai work for arm wrestling training?

I had someone who ran 5/3/1 from the barbell and a little bit of weight. Ran the main lift template non stop for like a year or two. Filled in with accessories after to add a little volume/work on weaknesses. Got them all the way to a 315 bench, 465 squat, 465 deadlift. 5/3/1 is definitely Goated

@s9209122222

4 ай бұрын

How heavy is that person?

what about back and arms how do u train those?

Just wondering if the 300 lbs max is something you can hit any day or a proper max, that you peaked for...?

@gjmjblevins

7 ай бұрын

With 5/3/1 you should use something that is recent - and if in doubt it is better to start too light than too heavy. Blessings

More stat variables in 5/3/1 than in Final Fantasy V

@gjmjblevins

8 ай бұрын

Yep - there are a lot of them for sure. Blessings

What if 225 is my one rep max what do I do for that

Came here to learn what 5/3/1 is. I still don't know, but now I'm even more confused.

Is there a better program like 531 ?

wait, so you only train each lift once a week for 3 sets???

This is the oldest version on 531. It’s been revamped quite a bit

@yrantiquebrand

8 ай бұрын

Tru?

@gjmjblevins

8 ай бұрын

Correct, I wanted to get the base explained before moving on to all the alterations and other books - more to come! Blessings

@WillianMates

8 ай бұрын

@@pontus.andersson What about just add first set last? That is what has worked best for me, one more max set for SQ and DL and one Rest Pause for OHP and BP.

@ElloAsty

7 ай бұрын

​@@pontus.andersson I've squatted 350 lbs for 5x10 in under 20 minutes before. BBB with FSL percentages is great.

@kimberly.lifter

5 ай бұрын

What has changed?

I thought in BBB variation, you do not AMRAP on the final set in the main 4.

@gjmjblevins

8 ай бұрын

I have seen it both ways actually but Wendler says this in his blog, (www.jimwendler.com/blogs/jimwendler-com/101077382-boring-but-big) "You can push the final 5/3/1 sets - do the 5/3/1 program as you normally would." Overall he seems to always lean towards keeping the 5/3/1 structure intact :) Blessings

@bronnebruzgo3078

8 ай бұрын

@@gjmjblevins thanks for the insight. What do you do if you fail on any of your sets of 10 during BBB? Reduce the weight or just keep going? Do you have a recommendation on rest time between sets?

@dimitrizagotsis7115

8 ай бұрын

​@@bronnebruzgo3078you should never fail any BBB sets as they are at around 50-60% of your TM. If you should fail them lower the percentage of the BBB sets. That's all.

There's ALWAYS room to add more volume and intensity,, the base program is just that a BASE,, joker sets, first set last, boring but big ,, ect,,,,

@gjmjblevins

7 ай бұрын

For sure. Blessings

Hi, I am new to this. What's 5-3-1 means you are explaining all this stuff, but I still don't understand it

5/3/1 put a lot of weight on my squat, but after a few cycles of the program, my knees felt pretty crappy

@massivemagoo

Ай бұрын

Loser

So if i was training 4 days a wk is is 65-75-85(failure)- then back to 65?

@AbuMaxime

3 ай бұрын

Week 1: 65, 75, 85% for 5+ Week 2: 70, 80, 90% for 3+ Week 3: 75, 85, 95% for 1+ Week 4: deload Then you go back to week 1 (65, 75, 85...) BUT you have added 10 / 5 pounds to your training max and compute all percentages based on the new training max. After 3 or 4 months you will be on heavy weights...

So it basically is a good beginner to early intermediate program. But tbh most programs are good enough for that level of Experience :D

Well, that's made it really clear what 5/3/1 is. 😂😂😂

I feel like people over complicate things. Increasing weight it what is important. I am alway curious that people don’t take the good parts of programs and add in what works best for them. It like you aren’t going ruin the whole program if you do 6 reps instead of five

Dumb question: when do you do the accessory work?

@denisfsd

5 ай бұрын

Right after your main work. Let's say you are squatting it will look like this: 65%x5, 75%x5 and for the main set 85% of a 5+ reps. After that comes the accessory work like Boring but Big with 5 sets of ten reps with 50% of your training max.

@nicholassantos2327

5 ай бұрын

@@denisfsd cool man, thank you for your reply. And thank you for giving an example, it helps a lot.

Too complex, I’ll stick with 5x5. Way easier and works well

👍🏽👍🏽

Something to keep in mind about 5/3/1, it’s more of an intermediate program. Running a LP like SS, SL 5x5, Greyskull, etc, until you can’t add weight to the bar every workout, and then jumping on 5/3/1, would be a more efficacious approach.

@gjmjblevins

6 ай бұрын

Word. Blessings

Happy it is sponsoring the video? It is your app isn't it..???

@gjmjblevins

7 ай бұрын

Yeah - the team decided this would be a good use of my time and I am stoked because I love talking about programming :) Stay on the gains! Blessings

Which is your favourite program for beginners?

@gjmjblevins

8 ай бұрын

For brand new people it really should be based on what program you like the most - StrongLifts 5x5 is probably the easiest to follow but then I am not a huge fan of Madcows as a follow up. However, the program you like is the best one as belief in the program is very important for long term success. Blessings

@kartiloco9929

8 ай бұрын

@@gjmjblevins What exactly is it that you don't like about Madcow for a late novice or early intermediate lifter, and would you prefer doing the Texas Method instead? I'm about to finish my StrongLifts 3x5 progression at almost a 315 lbs Squat right now, wondering where to go next? Thank you

Like the videos and like a good meme but some constructive feedback - you use too many meme layovers and they're too frequent/in awkward places that detract from the video.

This is too math for 😅. Can someone create a 531 app with calculator to track everything accurately

@kevinnoonan5534

3 ай бұрын

Boostcamp or wendler 5/3/1

Still cant understand 😣😣🙆🙆 my bad

And how the hell can i discover my 1RM on each exercise witouth dying?

@gjmjblevins

6 ай бұрын

Just do each at an RPE 8 and start with that - it should not be too taxing at all to do a single with two reps in reserve on each of the main movments, that is like just doing openers at a powerlifting meet :) Blessings

Hilariously I liked this video and saw, with my like, it's got 531 likes lol.

531 does work but almost everyone running it looks like shit

I don’t get it . Too complex

Man I'll never gonna be able to understand how fitness influencers and their bullshit make millions of views, when amazing coaches like Garrett that know what their talking about and are super sport educated don't ...

@travispalmer356

Ай бұрын

Most people are to lazy they'd rather have the excuse of ignorance than get it right

Why don't you make it even more complicated for a novice 😂.

@gjmjblevins

6 ай бұрын

Lol, it's not that bad once you get a good template to follow but all the variations do make it a bit tough to know which to choose, but as you move into being an intermediate flexibility and individualization become more important so it comes with the territory. Blessings

F that

This process seems like crap

@gjmjblevins

7 ай бұрын

Lol, some people feel that way about this program for sure. Blessings

Lost me 3 1/2 minutes in.

for the BBB main lift accessories, do i calculate 30-70% of my 90% training max or 30-70% of my actual one rep max?

@felipeespinosalizama7203

27 күн бұрын

did you figured it out?

@dannyp9210

24 күн бұрын

Training Max should be at 85-90 % of your actual one rep max (1RM). Then for your BBB sets the weight should be at 50 - 65 % of the TM (some BBB challenges have that percentage even higher afaik).

But how much of % of weight we have to use in those 5×10 set reps ???

@TonyG_VT

5 ай бұрын

Start at 50% and then base it on how you feel. Jim says it doesn’t really matter. If you feel good push it.

@felipeespinosalizama7203

27 күн бұрын

@@TonyG_VT 50% of the 90% or just 50%?

@TonyG_VT

27 күн бұрын

@@felipeespinosalizama7203 50% of training max. 50 of the 90.

@dannyp9210

24 күн бұрын

@@felipeespinosalizama7203 50 % of the TM (the TM is at 85-90 % of the 1RM)