Simple Weightlifiting Routine For Beginner?

Ahh, good points. To be fair, I did come from a more linear 5x5 program before jumping on to 5/3/1. It also probably helped that I do have years of some athletic background, which helped me learn movements faster and I had a little more awareness of how my body moved. I also posted a lot of form check videos here, so I got lots of valuable feedback on form and technique. But I still considered myself a beginner in terms of lifting when I got into 5/3/1.

A contention to point #3 though, but Mr. Wendler doesn’t really advise going to failure. He advocates a few reps short of it. Emphasis is still on doing the reps with proper form.

As for volume and frequency, there are different templates such as “for Beginners” where you squat and bench twice a week. There’s also “add-on” such as FSL where you do 5x5 of the same lift after your top set. Just putting it out there.

Good points though. Thanks for taking the time to write!

If you’re a beginner, focus on technique/lifting safely, controlling weight, understanding how to train and push, setting and meeting goals and particularly how to consistently get to the weight room.

The program only matters if you have very specific constraints around your training or if it is total junk. Sorry if you have mentioned this but I’d also consider some longer term goals because if you want to be a Crossfit athlete vs a bodybuilder vs looking okay at the beach then you may consider different approaches as not to set a required quality back.

Would it be fair to say you have not done much reading on 5/3/1 specifically?

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I was thinking this too. I don’t know how many 531 variations include full body 3 times a week or a specific program for beginners from high school level upwards, but its definitely more that 1!!

I suppose not so much recently. But I own and read the original pdf. Why? Am I being a complete asshole? haha

5/3/1 has evolved quite a bit since 2009, and Jim has gone on to clarify things that a lot of folks misunderstood about the first edition of the book (having since released a second edition). For instance: there was never only 3 working sets. Only 1 5/3/1 program ever has had that, and it was called “5/3/1 I’m Not Doing Jack Sh*t”, which was something Jim would employ during periods of low free time or poor recovery.

The biggest issue is that there is no singular 5/3/1 program, but that 5/3/1 is a programming methodolgy. There are several 5/3/1 programs that do the very things you say it needs to do, and many of them are aimed specifically at beginners.

To be fair, though, I’ll say that’s kind of the point. When we talk to a beginner and say ”just do 5/3/1”, he’s got two practical options:

  1. Read some free article that pops to the top of the search, that’s likely in line with what @jskrabac criticized.
  2. Go nuts researching and over-complicating a relatively simple endeavor, and, in doing so, becoming one of those folks we “meet” on here frequently who prioritizes reading about training over training.

That’s not really a criticism of 5/3/1, but I do see the hesitation to recommend it. Maybe we need to bookmark his beginners’ program and that link be our standard reply instead!

Couldn’t a third option be to read one book on it and know everything you need to know? Forever is still amazing. I am re-reading it now and still getting stuff from it.

Fully concur “do 5/3/1” is like saying “go study college” to a high school kid. A specific 5/3/1 program should be stated.

For what it’s worth, I think Paul Kelso wrote the best beginner program ever in Powerlifting Basics Texas Style.

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Absolutely, and it’s what we should do. I’m said “practical” option for the beginner, which was probably not really what I meant; “most likely” is closer to what I was trying to get at.

I am probably being too cynical about the hypothetical beginner, whom I’ve characterized as a 16-year-old Gen Z caricature replete with stereotypes.

You are an impressive student of the iron sport and it’s methods. I’m not familiar with that program, but you absolutely have the background, to include having tried many approaches, that when you compare programs, I take that as the truth.

I appreciate that. It’s a rare program in that I’ve never personally run it yet I’m willing to say it’s a good one, but I really think Paul lays out something awesome in it. Particularly, it allows for movement substitutions and doesn’t try to die on some weird “barbell squats only” hill that turns off a lot of new trainees.

I’m even more cynical in that, if someone won’t read 1 book to get better at lifting, I know they’re not going to make it, haha.

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That’s actually a really fair point, and I didn’t consider it. Why not recommend the “right” approach and let the journey select the outcome? We can probably assume the same folks will “make it” no matter what we suggest, so we may as well teach to the winners.

It’s a philosophical morning for me, apparently.

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It’s legit why, whenever someone asks a question for help, the first thing I do is fire back with a question of my own. Too many times I’ve been the victim of drivebys: dudes that come to a forum, ask a question, get a TON of helpful replies and never come back to provide any additional details. If a dude doesn’t have enough buy-in to answer a question from someone who wants to help them, I’m not going to invest any of my time in it.

It can be a simple feeler question like “Do you train fasted?” or “How long have you been lifting”, but just SOMETHING that forces the dude to have to come back and engage.

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I have noticed that and appreciate the technique.

I think maybe I’m just too out-of-touch or take for granted how easy information is to come by now. When we started, you didn’t have access to ask someone a question until you were already in the gym. Usually, you’d probably already spent a little time there to get the confidence to go ask someone a question. So, by the time you asked your first question, you were already somewhat invested.

I forget that, now, you may not actually care at all - you might also be asking questions about how to build an electric scooter, run for office, and cosmological beginning theories that same morning with the same level of interest. You may just be feeling out to see if you even want to try the gym.

Not to mention: the Internet gives everyone equal voice. Not only does everyone get the same platform as the legitimate subject matter expert (when you used to have purposefully choose who you sought for advice, and likely pay to hear them speak, so speakers could only be someone with accomplishments), but the audience also knows that - so they go into the conversation not valuing whatever advice they’ll get back because that’s what the environment has taught them.

I’ll end this by giving myself the award for longest run-on sentence in a forum post.

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I mean 3 working sets of the main movement. I’m not sure what I’m missing, but been hunting around and I have yet to find a beginner’s template that isn’t 1. built around bench, squat, press, and deadlift, 2. percentage based, and 3. 3 work sets on the primary movement.

Can you give an example?

Hm, I don’t know… I’m thinking about the frog and the pot of boiling water. I’ve found with aiding friends get started that if their first exposure is more complex than what fits on a single A4 it’s too complex. It seems more effective to have them get hooked first so that they are more bought in.

Totally agree on Kelso’s program. Not sure which one specifically you have in mind but I’ve read the book twice and have marked a few of them down. They’d work great for a beginner or just anyone making it to the gym three times per week (possibly even twice :o)

BBB would be an example where there are 8 sets of the main movement. Same with 5x5 FSL. Building the Monolith has 5 sets in some cases and 13 for others. Boring But Strong has 13 work sets. Etc.

I don’t see either of these mentioned in the first critique. I don’t see them as issues honestly. I like building training around those lifts, and Jim allows whatever assistance lifts you want if you have a need to include other stuff.

5/3/1 Forever has a lot of great stuff in it for this sort of programming. The beginner prep program in particular does a good job of handling it.

This is the key difference when it comes to aiding someone you have an established relationship with vs a stranger online. Skin in the game changes.

I don’t have my copy of the book at the moment, but it was a program Paul laid out that he used as a youth. Good variety of movements and training everything.

Hm, this doesn’t ring a bell.

Page 28.

Appreciated. That does look good!

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