5/3/1 Full Body FSL Variation (No Bench)

Bigger Stronger Leaner Jim Wendler 5/3/1 Coaching
1

I tried to sum it up in the title as good as I could, but I’d like some opinions about this variation I put together from the original/beyond full body templates and some adjusting for my goals. The full body templates in the Forever book didn’t go in this direction of the older ones anymore, so I made this up.

First, this is a 4 per week template, except my “week” is 8 days, so on/off every other day.
Second, I abandoned the bench for various reasons, instead I just Press and do dips.

The workouts are kind of A/B, structured like squat-press-pull. The 5/3/1 sets for Squats are just prescribed reps (like two days of the full body templates in 2nd and beyond edition).

Day A:
Squat A, FSL
Press 5/3/1 (PR), FSL
Weighted Chins for 3 x 5-10, 1 x AMRAP at bodyweight

Day B:
Squat B, FSL
Weighted Dips for 3 x 5-10, 1 x AMRAP at bodyweight
Deadlift 5/3/1 (PR), FSL

Squat A is simply 5-week with just prescribed reps, while Squat B is rotating 3- and 1-week with just prescribed reps, so no PR sets, as this would probably be too much.

FSL in the 5-week will always be a widowmaker and a 5x5 in the 1-week, not sure yet about the 3-week.

I’m fine with deadlifting twice a week currently, so that is not an issue. I may go down to prescribed reps there as well if it catches up with me though.

Currently there is no conditioning or assistance involved, as I have a 20 min bike ride to work twice a day anyway, and im walking/carrying at work too.

So what do you think, does this make sense? Or is it too much, did I miss something, whatever - any help appreciated.

edit: Since the Press and Deadlift are done twice the amount of normal 5/3/1, the TM increase is done twice per cycle as well, but with half the amount (2.5 lbs for press, 5 lbs for DL), so it works out the same in the end.

2

don’t think this is really 5/3/1… there are 10000 variations from Jim himself. Pick one, be happy, get stronger, find a wife.

3

By chance, did you see full body 16 (and eventually 15) on Forever? They are full body, 3 days a week, pushing squats press and deadlift

4

But… why? Why not just do the standard 5/3/1 squats (either 5s pro or PRs) in A and B just do one of the supplementals? (BBB, BBS, widowmaker, whatever) and why don’t you just press on both workouts and put dips in the assistance category?

5

By chance, did you see full body 16 (and eventually 15) on Forever? They are full body, 3 days a week, pushing squats press and deadlift

Yes they’re in the right direction, but DL is done no higher than FSL in those, didn’t like that at all. Also any 10x5 bugs me in terms of workout length, especially on lower body, due to longer rest between sets. But If I underestimated the volume of my variation, and it catches up with me eventually, I will totally go back to full body #16.
Oh and I like my “8-day-week” better, mainly cause a) I can do DL and Chins (and OHP + Dips) at the same frequency and b) I don’t get annoyed af of doing workouts on the exact same day every week after week. But both these are obviously just personal preference, nothing important.

But… why? Why not just do the standard 5/3/1 squats (either 5s pro or PRs) in A and B just do one of the supplementals? (BBB, BBS, widowmaker, whatever) and why don’t you just press on both workouts and put dips in the assistance category?

Changing the Squats that way looks like moving intensity work around while reducing volume, to allow for PR sets. Sounds good, today I actually did something similar already (was day B) by leaving out FSL on Squats in favor of DL work ahead. So yes, I’ll do it that way from now on.
About OHP and Dips, as I mentioned above I don’t do assistance right now due to workload from actual dayjob work, but on the other hand I sure won’t quit doing dips, so this is the way it has to work out. Doing both on both days would be to much pressing volume in my opinion, plus it would require extra balance work as well. But now I’m looking at the #16 template again, which makes me want to come up with a compromise that allows for OHP every day, cause I’d totally dig that.

Thank you guys for the input. So now it would look something like this:

A:
Squat 5/3/1 (PR) or 5s Pro
Press 5/3/1 (PR)
Weighted Chins 3 x 5-10, 1 x AMRAP at bodyweight
Dips 1 x AMRAP @ bodyweight + band facepulls/pull aparts AMRAP

B:
Squat FSL variation (5x5 in 1-week, BBB in 5-week, something between in 3-week)
Press FSL variation (same stuff)
Deadlift 5/3/1 (PR) - will change to alternating PR and FSL when it catches up with me
Dips - something heavy but quick like FSL 5x5, need to test - superset with band facepulls.

Overall TM increase is still as prescribed (5lbs upper, 10lbs lower after three “weeks”), but may be distributed between weeks due to frequency of 5/3/1 workouts.

6

Maybe SSL?

7

5x5 @ 80% is harder than 5x5 @ 75% or 5x10 @ 65%, actually even harder than my original intention of 1x5 @ 85%. I don’t really see that “between” the other weeks in terms of intensity or volume.

I just noticed that now the widowmakers are gone, that’s bad. Did one for DL today and absolutely remembered why I wanted to have them in there. So I guess widowmakers it is for now in the 3-week, at least for lower body. For the Press they didn’t feel so great, probably should stick to FSL 5x5 there.