T Nation

5/3/1 for Bodybuilders

Bodybuilding
#1

Have any bodybuilders on here had success adopting Wendler’s 5/3/1?

I have been on the program for a while and can honestly say that it is the best program I have ever used for improving the main lifts (bench, squat, military, dead lift.) Since using 5/3/1, my numbers on those lifts have shot up, after stalling out for quite a while.

Now I feel like I need to address some weaknesses through bodybuilding training.

I will be on a 4 day split:

Shoulders/traps (military day)
Back/triceps (dead lift day)
Chest/biceps/forearms (bench day)
Legs/calves (squat day)

and will do the main lifts each day 5/3/1 style. I will then follow up the with the rest of the workout in a more traditional bodybuilding fashion.

This makes a lot of sense to me (there even is a 5/3/1 bodybuilder’s template, but i don’t like it’s set up and will use my own.)

Have any here trained like this will success?

#2

I’ve just started training like that. Only 3 weeks in so can’t really report anything.

#3

Check out “C_C’s: How do you train?” thread. I can’t remember which page, but he has some templates he’s used incorporating DC style training into 5/3/1.

I’m training for powerlifting, but he helped me set up my template. I ran it for 4 cycles and the end result was about a ~8-10lb increase in body weight and no noticeable change in waistline. Note I have been this weight before but with a slightly larger waist. Also, I wasn’t eating for size as in bulking, more like eating for maintenance with additional protein.

#4

To the OP:

Just curious - are you referring to one of the templates in the 5/3/1 book or something else?

#5

[quote]Ruggerlife wrote:
Check out “C_C’s: How do you train?” thread. I can’t remember which page, but he has some templates he’s used incorporating DC style training into 5/3/1.

I’m training for powerlifting, but he helped me set up my template. I ran it for 4 cycles and the end result was about a ~8-10lb increase in body weight and no noticeable change in waistline. Note I have been this weight before but with a slightly larger waist. Also, I wasn’t eating for size as in bulking, more like eating for maintenance with additional protein.

[/quote]
what do you think stimulated the muscle growth? and what assistance did u do

#6

[quote]Ruggerlife wrote:
Check out “C_C’s: How do you train?” thread. I can’t remember which page, but he has some templates he’s used incorporating DC style training into 5/3/1.

I’m training for powerlifting, but he helped me set up my template. I ran it for 4 cycles and the end result was about a ~8-10lb increase in body weight and no noticeable change in waistline. Note I have been this weight before but with a slightly larger waist. Also, I wasn’t eating for size as in bulking, more like eating for maintenance with additional protein.

kickureface wrote:

what do you think stimulated the muscle growth? and what assistance did u do

[/quote]

Just say this now.

As for stimulating muscle growth, the easy answer is both, but I would give credit mainly to the assistance work. I’m basing this on the fact that I’ve been consistently squatting/deadlifting/benching prior with a focus on strength and over the past year any muscle gain has been minimal.

Biggest gains were likely from:

Close grip bench (off a 2 board) - This limits the involvement of the shoulders which was important since I had it on the Overhead press day. Also, I did it the C_C way, using a suicide grip and keeping my hands as far away as possible so long as I could keep my elbows tucked.

Dumbbell work - I had a flat DB press on my bench day and a slight incline DB press on the Overhead press day. This was previously lacking from my program so it made a big difference in chest development.

Kroc rows - nuff said.

That’s not a full list, but those were the ones I seemed to respond to the most.

#7

[quote]Ruggerlife wrote:
Ruggerlife wrote:
Check out “C_C’s: How do you train?” thread. I can’t remember which page, but he has some templates he’s used incorporating DC style training into 5/3/1.

I’m training for powerlifting, but he helped me set up my template. I ran it for 4 cycles and the end result was about a ~8-10lb increase in body weight and no noticeable change in waistline. Note I have been this weight before but with a slightly larger waist. Also, I wasn’t eating for size as in bulking, more like eating for maintenance with additional protein.

kickureface wrote:

what do you think stimulated the muscle growth? and what assistance did u do

Just say this now.

As for stimulating muscle growth, the easy answer is both, but I would give credit mainly to the assistance work. I’m basing this on the fact that I’ve been consistently squatting/deadlifting/benching prior with a focus on strength and over the past year any muscle gain has been minimal.

Biggest gains were likely from:

Close grip bench (off a 2 board) - This limits the involvement of the shoulders which was important since I had it on the Overhead press day. Also, I did it the C_C way, using a suicide grip and keeping my hands as far away as possible[/quote] I think you meant to write either:

  1. keeping my hands as far apart as necessary in order to be able to fully tuck my elbows
    or
  2. keeping my hands as close together as possible while still being able to fully tuck the elbows

:slight_smile: [quote] so long as I could keep my elbows tucked.

Dumbbell work - I had a flat DB press on my bench day and a slight incline DB press on the Overhead press day. This was previously lacking from my program so it made a big difference in chest development.

Kroc rows - nuff said.

That’s not a full list, but those were the ones I seemed to respond to the most.
[/quote]

Haven’t checked your log in a while… How are you doing?

#8

[quote]Cephalic_Carnage wrote:
Ruggerlife wrote:
Ruggerlife wrote:
Check out “C_C’s: How do you train?” thread. I can’t remember which page, but he has some templates he’s used incorporating DC style training into 5/3/1.

I’m training for powerlifting, but he helped me set up my template. I ran it for 4 cycles and the end result was about a ~8-10lb increase in body weight and no noticeable change in waistline. Note I have been this weight before but with a slightly larger waist. Also, I wasn’t eating for size as in bulking, more like eating for maintenance with additional protein.

kickureface wrote:

what do you think stimulated the muscle growth? and what assistance did u do

Just say this now.

As for stimulating muscle growth, the easy answer is both, but I would give credit mainly to the assistance work. I’m basing this on the fact that I’ve been consistently squatting/deadlifting/benching prior with a focus on strength and over the past year any muscle gain has been minimal.

Biggest gains were likely from:

Close grip bench (off a 2 board) - This limits the involvement of the shoulders which was important since I had it on the Overhead press day. Also, I did it the C_C way, using a suicide grip and keeping my hands as far away as possible I think you meant to write either:

  1. keeping my hands as far apart as necessary in order to be able to fully tuck my elbows
    or
  2. keeping my hands as close together as possible while still being able to fully tuck the elbows

:slight_smile: so long as I could keep my elbows tucked.

Dumbbell work - I had a flat DB press on my bench day and a slight incline DB press on the Overhead press day. This was previously lacking from my program so it made a big difference in chest development.

Kroc rows - nuff said.

That’s not a full list, but those were the ones I seemed to respond to the most.

Haven’t checked your log in a while… How are you doing?
[/quote]

Yeah, No.1 there, “keeping my hands as far apart as necessary in order to be able to fully tuck my elbows”.

#9

[quote]Ruggerlife wrote:
Ruggerlife wrote:
Check out “C_C’s: How do you train?” thread. I can’t remember which page, but he has some templates he’s used incorporating DC style training into 5/3/1.

I’m training for powerlifting, but he helped me set up my template. I ran it for 4 cycles and the end result was about a ~8-10lb increase in body weight and no noticeable change in waistline. Note I have been this weight before but with a slightly larger waist. Also, I wasn’t eating for size as in bulking, more like eating for maintenance with additional protein.

kickureface wrote:

what do you think stimulated the muscle growth? and what assistance did u do

Just say this now.

As for stimulating muscle growth, the easy answer is both, but I would give credit mainly to the assistance work. I’m basing this on the fact that I’ve been consistently squatting/deadlifting/benching prior with a focus on strength and over the past year any muscle gain has been minimal.

Biggest gains were likely from:

Close grip bench (off a 2 board) - This limits the involvement of the shoulders which was important since I had it on the Overhead press day. Also, I did it the C_C way, using a suicide grip and keeping my hands as far away as possible so long as I could keep my elbows tucked.

Dumbbell work - I had a flat DB press on my bench day and a slight incline DB press on the Overhead press day. This was previously lacking from my program so it made a big difference in chest development.

Kroc rows - nuff said.

That’s not a full list, but those were the ones I seemed to respond to the most.
[/quote]

So are you saying that despite making strength gains in the squat, bench and deadlift (for lower reps I imagine), you have not made much in the way of muscle gains?

Your assistance work, maybe something along the lines of 5 sets of 10 reps with lighter weights has led to more muscle mass?

The difference between training for pure strength and training for muscle growth?

#10

[quote]The Austrian Oak wrote:

So are you saying that despite making strength gains in the squat, bench and deadlift (for lower reps I imagine), you have not made much in the way of muscle gains?

Your assistance work, maybe something along the lines of 5 sets of 10 reps with lighter weights has led to more muscle mass? [/quote] Why don’t you just check his log, as opposed to guessing what he did for assistance work? [quote]

The difference between training for pure strength and training for muscle growth?[/quote]

#11

What I’m asking is who on here train as a bodybuilder/powerlifter hybrid?

I’m considering a 4-day split, doing the main lifts on each day(bench,squat,military,dead) as 5/3/1 and then the following exercises will be a mix of assistance and isolation.

Cephalic Carnange, what do you think? I’ll give more detail if you want.

#12

[quote]Ruggerlife wrote:
Ruggerlife wrote:
Check out “C_C’s: How do you train?” thread. I can’t remember which page, but he has some templates he’s used incorporating DC style training into 5/3/1.

I’m training for powerlifting, but he helped me set up my template. I ran it for 4 cycles and the end result was about a ~8-10lb increase in body weight and no noticeable change in waistline. Note I have been this weight before but with a slightly larger waist. Also, I wasn’t eating for size as in bulking, more like eating for maintenance with additional protein.

kickureface wrote:

what do you think stimulated the muscle growth? and what assistance did u do

Just say this now.

As for stimulating muscle growth, the easy answer is both, but I would give credit mainly to the assistance work. I’m basing this on the fact that I’ve been consistently squatting/deadlifting/benching prior with a focus on strength and over the past year any muscle gain has been minimal.

Biggest gains were likely from:

Close grip bench (off a 2 board) - This limits the involvement of the shoulders which was important since I had it on the Overhead press day. Also, I did it the C_C way, using a suicide grip and keeping my hands as far away as possible so long as I could keep my elbows tucked.

Dumbbell work - I had a flat DB press on my bench day and a slight incline DB press on the Overhead press day. This was previously lacking from my program so it made a big difference in chest development.

Kroc rows - nuff said.

That’s not a full list, but those were the ones I seemed to respond to the most.
[/quote]

Is the point you are making that technically a guy can deadlift 500, bench 300+, squat 400+ and military press 250+ and not be big? (I know that those numbers aren’t outstanding, but they do take some time and strength to obtain)

#13

Updated my log today to show how what changes I want to make to my training.