Jim Wendler 5/3/1 three month review

This is an overview of my three months experience with the Jim Wendler program. All graphics show weight lifted in kilogram. First month is missing, as I did not track my calculated 1RM in that month. Summarised I improved my squat by 2.5kg, bench press by 2,5kg and deadlift by 5 kg. All these lifts with headroom for more, as you can see in the provided videos for reference.

Why should you care about the 3rd month in the program ?

First of all it shows that lifting programs usually only make sense if they are run for a longer period and not just for thirty weeks. Even though the fitness industry in general will try to make you believe that results can be attained within 30 days, I found that usually not to be the case for something that knocks you, your spouse or anyone else you want to impress off their socks.

The first visible results come after 60 - 90 days, if you stick with your progrm in general. The third month of Jim Wendler is so important, as this, if you picked your numbers as prescribed, will be the first month where you will go beyond your one repetition maximum that you started out with.

For me that means that my one repetition maximum entering the program three months ago was 140kg. In month three I have progressed to 150kg in the programming and 135kg as 90% of that. This puts me for the first time within reach of my 1RM to be coming up as a Joker Set in Jim Wendler, as you can push it out to a 140kg squat in training.

For you this might mean other numbers as you will get into it from a different starting point, but from there the math will stay the same. Wendler makes you dial back with the 90% approach in the first two months, which some more exerienced lifters might not have a liking for at first. However this enabled me to train harder for longer and the results proof the merit of the method for me.

How does your squat progress ?

Regular readers of my blog will already know that I am not happy with my squat compared to my bench press. Bad form on Stronglifts 5x5 ( fully self inflicted, not the programs fault), did its share in not letting me progress as fast on this lift as on the others.

In March / April this year I went back to the drawing board after a month break due to injury, took a considerable deload (20kg) and implemented more stretching to open up my hips. My ankle mobility still leaves a lot to be desired and is a work in progress.

All that being said I am happy to have managed to set a new Squat PR in November 2015 of 142.5kg which I attribute to the Jim Wendler method. The 140kg squat was attempted by me two times before when I was on a different program and I miserably failed. In fact it was so bad, that for a time I thought had inflicted a hernia on myself due to these failed attempts and lack of core tightness.

2015-11-18_22_11_54-Jim_Wendler_Top_Set_Tracker_-_Excel.jpg

So seven weeks in this is how i progressed on my Top Sets so far. The last set in Jim Wendler is pushed to as many as many repetitions you can for the heaviest load of the day. If you would like to check your own progress in a similar manner, I have taken out the thinking for you with my Jim Wendler Top Set Tracker I have designed.

I am very happy with the results so far and con not wait how I will proceed further. Last but not least a video of proof that Iam not writing all of this without having the guts.

How does your bench press progress ?

My bench press is comparatively superior to the my other lifts. If you want to check what I mean by this look up the lifting standard tables. My bench press qualifies for my bodyweight one level above the other two lifts in the almost elite range.

Therefore it is not surprising that I feel like that my bench press is progressing, but a lot slower than the other two lifts. I am personally happy with that given my composition, but others might not when they opt for this program. So something to be aware of, as I also have seen other comments on 5/3/1 that mentioned the bench press progressing slower than the squat.

As you can see the trendline here is not as clear cut as for the squat. Since I am on Jim Wendler I switched to paused bench presses rather than touch and go except for the top set. I think this also impacted the overall development of the bench press sessions, as paused bench presses are more taxing on you than touch and go. I still managed to get stronger and alo improve my old record by 2.5kg to 137.5kg.

With this I am the strongest guy in my weight class in my local Gym. Keep this in mind if you consider doing this program. It is for people who maxed out on beginner programs or experienced lifters who need to switch due to hitting a wall on their current program. It is not for beginning lifters.

Again here is proof of my progression in form of weight lifted. Overall I got stronger, but not the same amount of gains than for the squat.

How does your Deadlift progress ?

For my deadlift I am in a similar spot as for the bench press. Based on the most recent input of Layne Norton in his Deadlift workshop i switched to stop and go lifts for all sets except the top set. This helps my technique and protects my back, but takes a bit of steam out off the top set, as the build to it eats up more energy. This also shows in my performance and progression.

The big drop you see from 180kg to 170kg happened after switching to stop and go Deadlifts. All in all this switch helps for one repetition maximum attempts on the deadlift as these usually start without any momentum from a dead weight on the ground. Also here I was able to establish a new PR with 180kg.

What is the most beneficial part of the program ?

Calculating all your lifts from 90%. This sets you up for success for the long run and does not leave you drained. You strive to one more repetition and still have fuel in the tank at the end of the session, rather than being near to ripping a tendon or blow your pecs in each session. This is smart in my book and also enables you to play around a bit here and there without risking major injuries. If you are a powerlifter preparing for competition this might not be the ideal approach, but for someone in sports or an average guy like me who wants to build brute strength, this is the real deal.

Where do you see the greatest downside ?

The greatest downside is that progression is relatively slow. The risk you take out of the programming keeping healthy costs you the possibility to make the most gains in the shortest amount of time. If you are willing to take that risk, you already are a beast or you are just plain insane, this program might not be for you, as there are programs with higher volume out there who get you there quicker (Smolov for example. Have not done it yet, but looks brutal on paper).

What are your recommendations ?

If you are fading out on your current program and you are not a competitive powerlifter, give this a shot. I am very confident it will be worth your time and make you happy.