Hardgainer 5-3-1 After 3rd Week, Deload or Add Weight?

Bigger Stronger Leaner Jim Wendler 5/3/1 Coaching
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7:52am

Yes, been doing 5-3-1 for hardgainers, been through 3 week cycle and wondering if I do a deload week or add the 5 pounds to upper body movements and 10 pounds to lower body movements and get my 85 % TM and start again? Thanks

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Its like EVERY SINGLE 5/3/1 PROGRAM EVER.

3 Likes
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Standard 5/3/1 rules apply: Your TM increases 5 or 10 pounds after each cycle. Straight out of the article.

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I think one of the things the original poster wanted to know is this -

The article describes a 3-week cycle. Do you recommend a 4th deload week before starting a new cycle (like the basic 5/3/1)?

Or is the intention to loop through the 3-week cycle without a deload week?

I’m just finishing my second cycle and have put on a couple of lean pounds. Don’t know that I’d call myself a “hardgainer” with challenged genetics, I’m just an old fart. So far I haven’t puked during a widow-maker set. Looking forward to more gains.

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I felt like Jim’s answer addressed all of this. Is there still confusion?

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And does Jim’s answer mean “yes, there is a regular deload week, with 2 sets each at the 3 levels of warm-up weights, and no extra reps?”

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What is the question? It’s all layed out and is pretty straightforward. All sets and reps are layed out and follows the program.

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I’m finishing up my third cycle and haven’t deloaded once. I’ll start a deload next week.

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Said another way :
The article lays out a 3-week program with no deload. In my limited 5/3/1 experience, all the other programs I’ve seen have some weeks of work followed by a week of deload. Did I miss a mention of deload in the article (or maybe it’s not there)? Or is it that the hardgainer doesn’t need a deload?

I’ve gone through two cycles of hardgainer and found the first week of the second cycle felt pretty easy (except for the widowmaker squat set), so maybe it doesn’t need a special deload?

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What Jim said is; “Its like EVERY SINGLE 5/3/1 PROGRAM EVER.”
What that means is all the same rules still apply to the Hardgainer template.
To be more specific; Deload after 6 weeks, which would be two cycles. If recovery is an issue then you can still deload after every 3 week cycle like the original program. It’s all in the Beyond Book and it’s worth every penny.

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Thank you “More Squat”.

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Thanks, More_Squat.

Haven’t yet read the “Beyond” book, I’d been going off of the 5/3/1 2ed. (Hadn’t figured I was “beyond” yet!)

This was the missing piece of the puzzle.