Beginners Routine with Multiple FSL

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

I have been doing full body on Mondays and Thursdays. With winter approaching and being stuck inside more I want to go back to training three days a week and thought about following the beginners program with adding multiple FSL. I did not add FSL to dead lifts because I have added SLDLs. My goals are size and strength. What do you think of the layout?

Monday
Squat 5/3/1 FSL 3x5-8
Bench 55%x5, 65%x5, 75%x5
Chins 3-5x10
Triceps Extensions 3-5x10

Wednesday
Deadlift 5/3/1
Press 5/3/1 FSL 3x5-8
Barbell Rows 3-5x10
SLDL 3x5-8

Friday
Squat 55%x5, 65%x5, 75%x5
Bench 5/3/1 FSL 3x5-8
Chins 3-5x10
Barbell Curl 3-5x10

2

[quote]Jeff H wrote:
I have been doing full body on Mondays and Thursdays. With winter approaching and being stuck inside more I want to go back to training three days a week and thought about following the beginners program with adding multiple FSL. I did not add FSL to dead lifts because I have added SLDLs. My goals are size and strength. What do you think of the layout?

Monday
Squat 5/3/1 FSL 3x5-8
Bench 55%x5, 65%x5, 75%x5
Chins 3-5x10
Triceps Extensions 3-5x10

Wednesday
Deadlift 5/3/1
Press 5/3/1 FSL 3x5-8
Barbell Rows 3-5x10
SLDL 3x5-8

Friday
Squat 55%x5, 65%x5, 75%x5
Bench 5/3/1 FSL 3x5-8
Chins 3-5x10
Barbell Curl 3-5x10
[/quote]

Monday
Squat 5/3/1 FSL 3x5-8
Bench 5x5, FSL
Chins 100 total reps
Dips or Push-ups - 200 total reps

Wednesday
Deadlift 5/3/1
Press 5/3/1 FSL 3x5-8
Dumbell Rows - 100/arm
SLDL - sets of 10 reps

Friday
Squat 5x5, FSL
Bench 5/3/1 FSL 3x5-8
Chins - 100 total reps
Barbell Curl - 50-100 total reps

You are missing conditioning work, mobility and box jumps/throws.

3

[quote]Jim Wendler wrote:

[quote]Jeff H wrote:
I have been doing full body on Mondays and Thursdays. With winter approaching and being stuck inside more I want to go back to training three days a week and thought about following the beginners program with adding multiple FSL. I did not add FSL to dead lifts because I have added SLDLs. My goals are size and strength. What do you think of the layout?

Monday
Squat 5/3/1 FSL 3x5-8
Bench 55%x5, 65%x5, 75%x5
Chins 3-5x10
Triceps Extensions 3-5x10

Wednesday
Deadlift 5/3/1
Press 5/3/1 FSL 3x5-8
Barbell Rows 3-5x10
SLDL 3x5-8

Friday
Squat 55%x5, 65%x5, 75%x5
Bench 5/3/1 FSL 3x5-8
Chins 3-5x10
Barbell Curl 3-5x10
[/quote]

Monday
Squat 5/3/1 FSL 3x5-8
Bench 5x5, FSL
Chins 100 total reps
Dips or Push-ups - 200 total reps

Wednesday
Deadlift 5/3/1
Press 5/3/1 FSL 3x5-8
Dumbell Rows - 100/arm
SLDL - sets of 10 reps

Friday
Squat 5x5, FSL
Bench 5/3/1 FSL 3x5-8
Chins - 100 total reps
Barbell Curl - 50-100 total reps

You are missing conditioning work, mobility and box jumps/throws.[/quote]

Thanks Jim for the suggestions.

I had been doing my mobility and conditioning with an Airdyne on Tuesday Friday and Saturday. I was thinking about adding it after each of the workouts on Monday, Wednesday and Fridays realizing conditioning may suffer first starting out. What would you suggest?

4

This looks like it can be useful for me also, what percentages should I use for bench 5x5 and I play pick up basketball which has sprinting, jumping, and throwing.

5

You use the first set percentage for that week.

6

So 55%x5x5 for the first week? What would the fsl be then if they’re all the same?

7

Let’s say you’re running the above example, and it’s Monday of week 1. It’s 5s week.

Squat
65% x5
75% x 5
85% x 5+
65% 3 x 5-8

Bench
65% 5 x 5 (Just that. 5x5 at the first set % for the week.)

Chins and Dips

Just think of it as you’re doing 5/3/1 sets and FSL sets after, but just don’t do the 5/3/1 sets.

Make sense?

8

Want to try this but do it like this.

Squat
65% x5
75% x 5
85% x 5+
65% 3 x 5-8

Deads

65% 5x5, or most likely 3x5 for deads and squats, but ohp after bench vice versa at 5x5?

9

Yea I was just confused on the second part with the 5x5, thanks.

1 Like
10

Ultimately, you can do whatever you want to do.

Doing what you are suggesting would just be something else, and not what Jim recommended above.

I’m just going to say that by doing PR set on the squat, then FSL sets, AND THEN EVEN MORE supplemental work is way overdoing it.

11

Do I use a training max or my calculated max?

12

Always use the TM. I like picking a weight that I can hit for 5 SOLID reps and using that exact weight for the TM.

13

I’m currently about 180 lbs and my calculated maxes are about
Press:115
Bench:180
Squat:190
Deadlift:305
So I planned to use this program with different assistance work. Chins everyday since they help all 4 lifts, lunges on Monday for squat assistance and to build quads, ab wheel Wednesday to build a core for press and deadlift, and dips Friday for bench. As you can tell I keep the assistance to a minimum since I’m a beginner and I use most my energy on the main lifts and playing pick up basketball.

14

I just stumbled across this thread as I’m about to start 5/3/1 with FSL three days a week, like this

Monday:Squat
Tuesday:Bench
Thursday:Deadlift & Press

I noticed that there’s no FSL for the deadlift in Jim’s program above. Is that down to volume on that day or does the deadlift not work well with FSL 5x5?

15

Doing fsl for deadlift and press is gonna kill you and doing the normal deadlift sets and reps will work well

16

Thanks. Glad I read this one then.