Training Three Days a Week By Jim Wendler

Acknowledgements

This book is dedicated to the Great Old Ones.

Before you embark on any physical fitness program, please consult a doctor. This book may not be reproduced or recorded in any form without permission of the author. Copyright: 2008 by Jim Wendler. All rights reserved.

Where the willingness is great, the difficulties cannot be great.

Machiavelli

Training Three Days a Week

Like most people, I began my training career training three days a week. And like many people I became overzealous and increased that to four days a week and then five and even six days. Like any good American, I thought more was better. More lifting would begat strength, which begat bigger muscles, which begat more star power on the football field which would eventually lead to more women. This obviously did not happen.

But after many years of training 4 days a week I returned to a more basic 3 day a week schedule. Not only did I make great gains, it was incredibly practical for my life. My strength did not suffer despite training one day less. And more importantly it gave me more time to recover. Recovery is one of the last things that people ever take into account when training but it is as important as the training itself.

There are two big problems that most people face when training 3 days a week. The first is getting over the stigma that you are going to get weaker. I have no solution for this; either you accept it or you dont. The second is how to lay out a program. For most of us, we have trained 4 days a week: 2 days devoted to upper body and 2 days for lower body. Trying to combine four days into three is not only a headache but it is damn near impossible. So what I tried to do in this book is give you templates and programs that allow you to get stronger, get bigger and offer a lot of variety without sacrificing anything.

One of the best things about training three days a week is how flexible it is. Normally I train on Monday, Wednesday and Thursday. This is because I need my Fridays off for traveling. But some people have to train on Saturday, Sunday and whatever weekday they can. Or even Monday, Tuesday, Friday. So there is a tremendous amount of flexibility to this kind of training.

But most of all, this training schedule lends itself to people who dont have time to spare. These are people who have demanding jobs, families or other responsibilities that take away time in the gym. You dont have to sacrifice your time in the gym for results you just have to train smarter and be willing to put your more is better mindset aside. Enough with this crap lets get on to training.

Variation I Captain Obvious

This variation is one that I first tried out and made great gains with. This also was what my first article on 3 days/week training was about. Matt Rhodes wanted to try training 3 days a week and this is what we came up with. The great thing about this template is that you will really look forward to training. And you will probably use more volume on your assistance exercises because you will be able to recover better between workouts. The training split is the 4 days/week training schedule spread out over 10 days.

The downside of this training program comes at the expense of meet prep. Its kind of a pain in the ass to try to time your last few workouts before the meet. So this is going to require some critical thinking on your part. I would recommend that you work backwards from the date of the meet and figure out when you want your last heavy squat, bench and deadlift to occur and then work back from there. This is not really that big of a downside if you plan correctly.

Another thing that Ive encountered is that there are less training days (obviously) before a meet. But when you consider that you dont have to

deload as much with this training plan, you end up having about the same number of heavy sessions. Plus how many times have you had a crappy training session and then chalked it up to fatigue or overtraining? So it is not as bad as you think. Week 1

Monday

Dynamic Bench Press Accessory work

Wednesday

Max Effort Squat/Deadlift Accessory Work Friday

Max Effort Bench Accessory work Week 2

Monday

Dynamic Squat Accessory work Wednesday

Dynamic Bench Press Accessory work

Friday

Max Effort Squat/Deadlift Accessory work

Week 3

Monday

Max Effort Bench Press Accessory work

Wednesday

Dynamic Squat Accessory work

Friday

Dynamic Bench Press Accessory work Week 4

Monday

Max Effort Squat/Deadlift Accessory Work

Wednesday

Max Effort Bench Accessory work Friday

Dynamic Squat Accessory work

Variation I A: The Triumvirate

I once wrote an article called The Triumvirate. The premise was to train 3 days week with 3 exercises per day. One of the reasons why I like this kind of training is that only doing 3 exercises per day forces you to pick only the exercises that you feel benefit you and those that really work; nothing extra. I still train with this kind of style today but not exactly as listed below. Here is a 4 week program. Week 1

Monday

Dynamic Bench Press 8 sets of 3 reps @ 55% 4 Board Press work up to 3-5RM Face Pulls 5x15 Wednesday

Rack Pulls work to 1-3RM Good Mornings 3 sets of 5-8 reps Hanging Leg Raises 3 sets of 20 reps

Friday

Floor Press work to 1-3RM DB Bench Press 3 sets of 10-20 reps Chins 3 sets of 10 reps Week 2

Monday

Dynamic Squat 8 sets of 2 reps @ 45% + average bands Lunges 3 sets of 6 reps/leg Weighted Sit Ups - 3 sets of 10-15 reps Wednesday

Dynamic Bench Press 8 sets of 3 reps @ 55% 3 Board Press work up to 3-5RM Face Pulls 5x15

Friday

Rack Pulls work to 1-3RM (try to beat last weeks record) Back Raises with bar behind neck 3 sets of 5-8 reps Ab Wheel 3 sets of 15 reps Week 3

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Monday

Floor Press work to 1-3RM (try to beat last weeks record) EFS Swiss Bar 3 sets of 10-20 reps Chins 3 sets of 10 reps

Wednesday

Dynamic Squat 8 sets of 2 reps @ 48% + average bands Lunges 3 sets of 6 reps/leg Weighted Sit Ups - 3 sets of 10-15 reps Friday

Dynamic Bench Press 8 sets of 3 reps @ 55% 5 Board Press work up to 3-5RM Rear Laterals 5 sets of 15-20 reps

Week 4

Monday

Safety Squat Bar to Parallel Box work to 1-3RM Pull-throughs 3 sets of 20 reps Side Bends 3 sets of 10 reps/side

Wednesday

2 Board Press work to 1-3RM Standing Alternating DB Military Press 3 sets of 10-20 reps

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Fat Bar DD Pulldowns 3 sets of 15 reps Friday

Dynamic Squat 8 sets of 2 reps @ 51% + average bands Belt Squat 3 sets of 10-15 reps Weighted Sit Ups - 3 sets of 10-15 reps

Variation I B: The Bodybuilder

This is for all you people that want to combine some powerlifting with some bodybuilding. Remember both sports require briefs but used for much different reasons.

Week 1

Monday

Dynamic Bench Press 8 sets of 3 reps @ 55% Standing Military Press 4 sets of 10 reps Upright Rows 4 sets of 10 reps Side Laterals 4 sets of 10-15 reps Barbell Curls 4 sets of 10 reps Wednesday

Rack Pulls work to 1-3RM Chins 4 sets of 10-12 reps DB Rows 4 sets of 15 reps/arm Back Raises 4 sets of 10 reps (with bar behind neck)

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Hanging Leg Raises 4 sets of 15 reps Friday

Floor Press work to 1-3RM DB Bench Press 4 sets of 10-20 reps Dips (weighted) 4 sets of 8-15 reps Flys 4 sets of 12 reps Triceps Pushdowns 4 sets of 10-20 reps Week 2

Monday

Dynamic Squat 8 sets of 2 reps @ 45% + average bands Hack Squat 4 sets of 10-20 reps Leg Extensions 4 sets of 10-30 reps Leg Curls 4 sets of 10-15 reps Weighted Sit-ups 4 sets of 10 reps

Wednesday

Dynamic Bench Press 8 sets of 3 reps @ 55% Standing Military Press 4 sets of 10 reps Upright Rows 4 sets of 10 reps Side Laterals 4 sets of 10-15 reps Barbell Curls 4 sets of 10 reps

Friday

Rack Pulls work to 1-3RM (try to beat last weeks record)

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Chins 4 sets of 10-12 reps DB Rows 4 sets of 15 reps/arm Back Raises 4 sets of 10 reps (with bar behind neck) Hanging Leg Raises 4 sets of 15 reps Week 3

Monday

Floor Press work to 1-3RM (try to beat last weeks record) DB Bench Press 4 sets of 10-20 reps Dips (weighted) 4 sets of 8-15 reps Flys 4 sets of 12 reps Triceps Pushdowns 4 sets of 10-20 reps

Wednesday

Dynamic Squat 8 sets of 2 reps @ 48% + average bands Hack Squat 4 sets of 10-20 reps Leg Extensions 4 sets of 10-30 reps Leg Curls 4 sets of 10-15 reps Weighted Sit-ups 4 sets of 10 reps

Friday

Dynamic Bench Press 8 sets of 3 reps @ 55% DB Military Press 4 sets of 10 reps Upright rows 4 sets of 10 reps Rear Laterals 4 sets of 10-15 reps EZ Bar Curls 4 sets of 10 reps

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Week 4

Monday

Safety Squat Bar to Parallel Box work to 1-3RM Lat Pulldowns 4 sets of 10-12 reps Barbell Shrugs (no straps) 4 sets of 10-20 reps Back Raises 4 sets of 10 reps (with bar behind neck) Hanging Leg Raises 4 sets of 15 reps Wednesday

2 Board Press work to 1-3RM Incline Press 4 sets of 10-20 reps Dips (bodyweight) 4 sets of 15-30 reps Flys 4 sets of 12 reps Triceps Extensions 4 sets of 10-20 reps Friday

Dynamic Squat 8 sets of 2 reps @ 51% + average bands Leg Press 4 sets of 10-20 reps Leg Extensions 4 sets of 10-30 reps GHR 4 sets of 10-12 reps Weighted Sit-ups 4 sets of 10 reps

Variation I C: The Repetition

This is for people that dont want to do dynamic work on either of the squat day or the bench day. Damn the Dynamic!

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Week 1

Monday

4 Board Press work up to 3-5RM DB Bench Press 5 sets of 6-15 reps Chest Supported Rows 3 sets of 12 reps Face Pulls 5x15 Wednesday

Rack Pulls work to 1-3RM Good Mornings 3 sets of 5-8 reps Hanging Leg Raises 3 sets of 20 reps

Friday

Floor Press work to 1-3RM Weighted Dips 3 sets of 10-20 reps Chins 3 sets of 10 reps Triceps Pushdowns 3 sets of 15-20 reps

Week 2

Monday

Lunges 3 sets of 6 reps/leg 45 Degree Back Raise 3 sets of 10 reps (bar on back) Weighted Sit Ups - 3 sets of 10-15 reps

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Wednesday

3 Board Press work up to 3-5RM DB Bench Press 5 sets of 6-15 reps DB Rows 3 sets of 15-20 reps Face Pulls 5x15

Friday

Rack Pulls work to 1-3RM (try to beat last weeks record) Back Raises with bar behind neck 3 sets of 5-8 reps Ab Wheel 3 sets of 15 reps Week 3

Monday

Floor Press work to 1-3RM (try to beat last weeks record) EFS Swiss Bar 3 sets of 10-20 reps Chins 3 sets of 10 reps Triceps Pushdowns 3 sets of 15-20 reps Wednesday

Walking Lunges 30 total reps/leg 45 Degree Back Raise 3 sets of 10 reps (bar on back) Weighted Sit Ups - 3 sets of 10-15 reps

Friday

5 Board Press work up to 3-5RM

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Pushups 5 sets to failure DB Rows 3 sets of 15-20 reps Rear Laterals 5 sets of 15-20 reps

Week 4

Monday

Safety Squat Bar to Parallel Box work to 1-3RM Pull-throughs 3 sets of 20 reps Side Bends 3 sets of 10 reps/side

Wednesday

2 Board Press work to 1-3RM Weighted Dips 3 sets of 10-20 reps Chins 3 sets of 10 reps Triceps Extensions 3 sets of 10-12 reps

Friday

Close Stance Olympic Squats 5 sets of 10 reps @ 50% Good Mornings 3 sets of 8-10 reps Ab Wheel 3 sets of 10-15 reps

Variation II 1 For the Heavy, 2 For the Slow

This variation is good for people who can only get to a good gym twice a week and finish their assistance stuff on their own or at commercial gym.

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This is also good for those that want to have only two intensive days a week. My only caution would be the assistance work done on the third day. Keep this day for low intensive/higher volume work stuff that isnt going to kill you or require a lot of recovery. If you are going to do heavier work for assistance work (for example, high board work for your triceps or good mornings) than do it early in the week. But be careful not to go overboard on this stuff.

Monday

Max Effort Squat/Deadlift Max Effort Bench Wednesday

Dynamic Squat Dynamic Bench Friday

Assistance work for squat, deadlift and bench press

OR

Monday

Max Effort Squat/Deadlift Max Effort Bench Thursday

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Dynamic Squat Dynamic Bench

Friday or Saturday

Assistance work for squat, deadlift and bench press

Sample Training Week

Monday

Rack Pulls work to 1-3RM Floor Press work to 1-3RM 4 Board Press 3 sets of 3-5 reps

Thursday

Box Squat 8 sets of 2 @ 55% Bench Press 8 sets of 3 reps @ 55% Weighted Sit-ups 3 sets of 10 reps Saturday

Belt Squats 4 sets of 10 reps DB Bench Press 4 sets of 10-15 reps Reverse Hyperextensions 3 sets of 15 reps Chest Supported Rows - 3 sets of 10 reps

Variation III Dont Ask, Dont Tell

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This variation was used by some very well known lifters that shall remain anonymous due to the crap that will be thrown at them for their variation. This is great for people that are beat up as hell, have only one day to really train hard or are somewhat insane.

The point of this training is to put all the hard stuff on one day. For most, this is max effort bench training, max effort deadlift training and dynamic squat training. The dynamic is in quotations because recently the use of bands in training dynamic squats has led most people to train fairly heavy on this day. Plus, the bands are waved in such a way that it is very similar to progressive overload.

Monday

Lower body assistance work

Wednesday

Upper Body assistance work

Saturday

Dynamic Squat Max Effort Bench Max Effort Deadlift (every other week)

Now you can change the rotation on Saturday; bench or deadlift first. Doesnt really matter. Just be prepared to spend a lot of time in the gym on that one day.

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Variation IV The Stein

This next variation is based on an observation that my good friend Kevin Deweese pointed out to me many years ago. He said, I can base my lifts on my dynamic squat training and max effort bench. Basically the two most important days for him were these days. Now like I said before, dynamic squat training is a little different now so bear that in mind. Also, your heavy pulling is usually done every other week. Some people can do it every week while others do best by pulling every third week.

If I were going to do a 3 day a week program and have it cycled over 7 days (and not 10 like the first few templates) this is what Id do. Monday

Dynamic Squat Max Effort Deadlift (every other week) Accessory work

Wednesday

Max Effort Bench Accessory work

Friday

Assistance work for upper and lower body

12 Week Training Program for the Stein

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This 12 week training program is designed to take you through the circa max phase of your training. The band phase on the squats is pretty damn tough but so is a meet so suck it up. Remember that some weeks of squatting are going to be dynamic others not so much. Percentages are based on your best meet squat. Week 1

Monday

Box Squat 6 sets of 2 reps @ 50% + Average Band Rack Pull #3 work up to 1RM Belt Squat 5 sets of 10 reps 45 Degree Back Raises 4 sets of 10 reps (weighted)

Wednesday

Floor Press work up to 1RM 4 Board Press 3 sets of 3 reps @ 85% DB Bench Press 5 sets of 10 reps DB Rows 4 sets of 10-25 reps Friday

Hanging Leg Raises 3 sets of 15 reps Triceps Pushdowns 3 sets of 15 reps Lat Pulldowns 3 sets of 15-20 reps Weighted Sit-ups 3 sets of 10 reps Week 2

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Monday

Box Squat 6 sets of 2 reps @ 55% + Average Band Rack Pull #3 work up to 90% for 1x1 Belt Squat 5 sets of 10 reps 45 Degree Back Raises 4 sets of 10 reps (weighted)

Wednesday

Floor Press work up to 90% for 1 set of 3 reps 4 Board Press 3 sets of 5 reps @ 80% DB Bench Press 5 sets of 10 reps DB Rows 4 sets of 10-25 reps Friday

Hanging Leg Raises 3 sets of 15 reps Triceps Pushdowns 3 sets of 15 reps Lat Pulldowns 3 sets of 15-20 reps Weighted Sit-ups 3 sets of 10 reps Week 3

Monday

Box Squat 5 sets of 2 reps @ 60% + Average Band Rack Pull #3 work up to 1RM (beat first week) Belt Squat 5 sets of 10 reps 45 Degree Back Raises 4 sets of 10 reps (weighted) Wednesday

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Floor Press work up to new 1RM (beat first week) 4 Board Press work up to 1RM DB Bench Press 5 sets of 10 reps DB Rows 4 sets of 10-25 reps Friday

Hanging Leg Raises 3 sets of 15 reps Triceps Pushdowns 3 sets of 15 reps Lat Pulldowns 3 sets of 15-20 reps Weighted Sit-ups 3 sets of 10 reps Week 4 - Deload

Monday

Box Squat 5 sets of 2 reps @ 60% Belt Squat 3 sets of 10 reps Reverse Hyperextension 3 sets of 10 reps Wednesday

Bench Press 3 sets of 3 reps @ 70% 4 Board Press work up to 1RM DB Bench Press 5 sets of 10 reps DB Rows 4 sets of 10-25 reps

Friday

Hanging Leg Raises 3 sets of 15 reps

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Triceps Pushdowns 3 sets of 15 reps Lat Pulldowns 3 sets of 15-20 reps Weighted Sit-ups 3 sets of 10 reps

Week 5

Monday

Box Squat 6 sets of 2 reps @ 50% + Strong Band Deficit Deadlift work up to 1RM Belt Squat 5 sets of 10 reps Reverse Hyperextensions 4 sets of 10 reps Wednesday

3 Board Press work up to 1RM 5 Board Press 3 sets of 3 reps @ 85% Weighted Dips 4 sets of 8-15 reps Barbell Shrugs (no straps) 4 sets of 10-25 reps

Friday

Ab Wheel 3 sets of 15 reps Triceps Pushdowns 3 sets of 15 reps Lat Pulldowns 3 sets of 15-20 reps Weighted Sit-ups 3 sets of 10 reps

Week 6

Monday

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Box Squat 6 sets of 2 reps @ 55% + Strong Band Deficit Deadlift work up to 90% for 1 set of 1 rep Belt Squat 5 sets of 10 reps Reverse Hyperextensions 4 sets of 10 reps Wednesday

3 Board Press work up to 90% for 1 set of 3 reps 4 Board Press 3 sets of 5 reps @ 85% Weighted Dips 4 sets of 8-15 reps Barbell Shrugs (no straps) 4 sets of 10-25 reps

Friday

Ab Wheel 3 sets of 15 reps Triceps Pushdowns 3 sets of 15 reps Lat Pulldowns 3 sets of 15-20 reps Weighted Sit-ups 3 sets of 10 reps

Week 7

Monday

Box Squat 5 sets of 2 reps @ 60% + Strong Band Deficit Deadlift work up to 1RM Belt Squat 5 sets of 10 reps Reverse Hyperextensions 4 sets of 10 reps

Wednesday

3 Board Press work up to 1RM

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4 Board Press work up to new 1RM Weighted Dips 4 sets of 8-15 reps Barbell Shrugs (no straps) 4 sets of 10-25 reps

Friday

Ab Wheel 3 sets of 15 reps Triceps Pushdowns 3 sets of 15 reps Lat Pulldowns 3 sets of 15-20 reps Weighted Sit-ups 3 sets of 10 reps

Week 8 Deload

Monday

Box Squat 5 sets of 2 reps @ 60% Belt Squat 3 sets of 10 reps Reverse Hyperextension 3 sets of 10 reps

Wednesday

Bench Press 3 sets of 3 reps @ 70% DB Bench Press 5 sets of 10 reps DB Rows 4 sets of 10-25 reps Friday

Ab Wheel 3 sets of 15 reps Triceps Pushdowns 3 sets of 15 reps Lat Pulldowns 3 sets of 15-20 reps Weighted Sit-ups 3 sets of 10 reps

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Week 9

Monday

Box Squat 3 sets of 2 reps @ 50% + Strong Band/Average Band Belt Squat 3 sets of 10 reps Reverse Hyperextensions 3 sets of 10 reps Wednesday

2 Board Press work up to 1RM 5 Board Press 3 sets of 5 reps EFS Swiss Bar 4 sets of 8-15 reps DB Rows 4 sets of 10-25 reps

Friday

Hanging Leg Raises 3 sets of 15 reps Triceps Pushdowns 3 sets of 15 reps Low Rows 3 sets of 15-20 reps Weighted Sit-ups 3 sets of 10 reps

Week 10

Monday

Box Squat 3 sets of 2 reps @ 55% + Strong Band/Average Band Belt Squat 3 sets of 10 reps Reverse Hyperextensions 3 sets of 10 reps

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Wednesday

2 Board Press work up to 90% for 1 set of 3 reps 5 Board Press 3 sets of 3 reps EFS Swiss Bar 4 sets of 8-15 reps DB Rows 4 sets of 10-25 reps

Friday

Hanging Leg Raises 3 sets of 15 reps Triceps Pushdowns 3 sets of 15 reps Low Rows 3 sets of 15-20 reps Weighted Sit-ups 3 sets of 10 reps

Week 11

Monday

Box Squat 3 sets of 1 reps @ 60% + Strong Band/Average Band Deadlift work up to 90% of 1RM Wednesday

2 Board Press work up to new 1RM 5 Board Press 3 sets of 5 reps EFS Swiss Bar 4 sets of 8-15 reps DB Rows 4 sets of 10-25 reps Friday

30

Hanging Leg Raises 3 sets of 15 reps Triceps Pushdowns 3 sets of 15 reps Low Rows 3 sets of 15-20 reps Weighted Sit-ups 3 sets of 10 reps Week 12 - Deload

Monday

Box Squat work up to 1x2 @ 80% Deadlift work up to 1x1 @ 85%

Wednesday

Bench Press 3 sets of 3 reps @ 70% DB Bench Press 5 sets of 10 reps DB Rows 4 sets of 10-25 reps Friday

Hanging Leg Raises 3 sets of 15 reps Triceps Pushdowns 3 sets of 15 reps Low Rows 3 sets of 15-20 reps Weighted Sit-ups 3 sets of 10 reps

Variation V Two in the Pink

This is a two day/week variation for those of you with very limited time, recovery abilities or much too gordo to train a lot. If I were going to train

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two days a week this would be the split. One hard upper body day and one hard lower body day. Again, you can deadlift every week, every other week or every third week.

You can use the same basic template as the program above (The Stein) and just knock out the accessory day and add in some extra assistance work on your training days.

Monday

Dynamic Squat Max Effort Deadlift Accessory work Thursday

Max Effort Bench Accessory work

Variation VI Two in the Stink

This is for someone that wants to stick to the true Westside training protocols but train two times per week.

Monday

Dynamic Squat Dynamic Bench Upper body assistance work

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Thursday

Max Effort Squat/DL Max Effort Bench Lower body assistance work

Variation VII Deeper in the Stink

This variation is something I just thought of off the top of my head. You have the essential stuff on Monday and the whatever stuff is done on Thursday. My initial thinking is that this split sucks but I guess I can see its potential.

Monday

Dynamic Squat Max Effort Bench Thursday

Max Effort Squat/DL Dynamic Bench

Variation VIII: The Ultimate Supreme Deluxe Training Split

If you only have one day/week to train this is how I would do it.

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Oneday

Dynamic Squat Max Effort Bench Max Effort Deadlift Accessory work

Variation IX The Mulatto

This program gives separate days for the max effort, dynamic effort and repetition effort for the upper and lower body. This is ideal for people that want a lot of variety, have trouble recovering or just want some change in their training.

Here is the basic template:

Week 1

Day 1 - Dynamic Bench

Day 2 - Max Effort Squat/Deadlift

Day 3 - Repetition Bench

Week 2

Day 1 - Dynamic Squat

Day 2 - Max Effort Bench

Day 3 - Repetition Squat/DL

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And here is a 7 week program to give you and idea about how to lay it out.

Week 1

Day 1

Dynamic Bench - 8 sets of 3 reps @ 55% 4 Board work up to 3RM Chin ups 4 sets of 10 reps Triceps Pushdowns 4 sets of 10-15 reps

Day 2

Box Squat Safety Squat Bar work up to 1RM Rack Pulls work up to 1 RM Reverse Hypers 4 sets of 10 reps Ab Wheel 4 sets of 12 reps

Day 3

Weighted Dips 5 sets of 10-15 reps Lat Pulldowns 5 sets of 12-15 reps Face Pulls 3 sets of 15 reps DB Curls 3 sets of 10 reps

Week 2

Day 1

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Box Squat 8 sets of 2 reps @ 60% Glute Ham Raises 3 sets of 10 reps Reverse Hypers 3 sets of 12-15 reps Weighted Sit-ups 4 sets of 10 reps

Day 2

Floor Press work up to 1RM Barbell Front Raise 3 sets of 10 reps DB Rows 3 sets of 20 reps DB Rear Laterals 3 sets of 20 reps

Day 3

Barbell Step Ups 4 sets of 6 reps/leg Back Raises 4 sets of 25 reps DB Side Bends 3 sets of 15 reps Hanging Leg Raises 3 sets of 12 reps

Week 3

Day 1

Dynamic Bench - 8 sets of 3 reps @ 60% 3 Board work up to 3RM Chin ups 4 sets of 10 reps Band Pushdowns just do a ton of reps

Day 2

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Box Squat Safety Squat Bar work up to 1RM (try to beat old 1RM) Rack Pulls work up to 1 RM (try to beat previous 1RM) Pull throughs 4 sets of 10 reps Med Ball Slams 3 sets of 8 reps

Day 3

DB Bench Press 5 sets of 10-15 reps Chest Supported Rows 5 sets of 12-15 reps Band Pullaparts 3 sets of 25 reps Barbell Curls 3 sets of 10-12 reps

Week 4

Day 1

Box Squat 8 sets of 2 reps @ 65% Romanian Deadlift 3 sets of 8 reps Two Handed KB Swings 3 sets of 20 reps Weighted Sit-ups 3 sets of 10 reps

Day 2

Floor Press work up to 1RM (try to beat previous 1RM) Side Laterals 3 sets of 15 reps DB Rows 3 sets of 20 reps Face Pulls 3 sets of 20 reps

Day 3

Barbell Lunges 4 sets of 6 reps/leg

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Band Goodmornings 4 sets of 25 reps DB Side Bends 3 sets of 15 reps Hanging Leg Raises 3 sets of 12 reps

Week 4

Day 1

Dynamic Bench - 8 sets of 3 reps @ 65% Triceps Death 1 set Chin ups 4 sets of 10 reps

Day 2

Box Squat work up to 1RM Deadlift off elevated platform work up to 1 RM Band Leg Curls 4 sets of 12 reps Ab Wheel 4 sets of 10 reps

Day 3

Push ups 4 sets of 25-30 reps Rope Chin ups 4 sets of 5 reps Face Pulls 3 sets of 25 reps EZ Bar Curls 3 sets of 10-12 reps Week 5

Day 1

Box Squat 8 sets of 2 reps @ 70%

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KB Snatches 3 sets of 12 reps Weighted Sit-ups 4 sets of 10 reps

Day 2

2 Board Press work up to 1RM Front Raises/Side Raises/Rear Raises 2 giant sets of 15 reps per exercise

Day 3

DB Walking Lunges 2 sets of 15 reps/leg Back Raises 2 sets of 15 reps DB Side Bends 3 sets of 15 reps

Week 6

Day 1

Dynamic Bench - 3 sets of 3 reps @ 60%, 3 sets of 3 reps@ 65%, 1x1@ 70%, 1x1@80%, 1x1@90% 4 Board Press work up to 5RM Lat Pulldowns 4 sets of 12-15 reps Triceps Pushdowns

Day 2

Box Squat work up to 1RM (try to beat previous record) Deadlift off elevated platform work up to 1 RM (try to beat previous record)

39

Reverse Hypers 4 sets of 10 reps Ab Wheel 4 sets of 12 reps

Day 3

Dips 100 total reps Chins 50 total reps Band Pullaparts 150 total reps Week 7

Day 1

Box Squat 8 sets of 2 reps @ 60% Glute Ham Raises 3 sets of 10 reps Reverse Hypers 3 sets of 12-15 reps Weighted Sit-ups 4 sets of 10 reps

Day 2

2 Board Press work up to 1RM (try to beat previous record) Barbell Front Raise 3 sets of 10 reps DB Rear Laterals 3 sets of 20 reps Barbell Curls 3 sets of 12 reps

Day 3

DB Step Ups 4 sets of 6 reps/leg Band Pullthroughs 3 sets of 15 reps Hanging Leg Raises 3 sets of 12 reps Crunches 3 sets of 30 reps

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Variation X The 5/3/1 Method: For the Raw Lifter

This is the program Ive been using for quite awhile now and have made great gains. The program is designed for a raw lifter, but not necessarily a competitive powerlifter. I just want to be cock strong. Thats it. And I want to do it on my own terms I wear a belt, wrist wraps and knee wraps. So if that is not your definition of raw make up your own. I choose to lift the way that I want to. You can do this program three days a week or even four. I have used it for both and have success with both of them.

Also this program involves increasing your rep maxes, too. So Im not just concerned with my one rep max I want to get stronger all around.

The program revolves around 4 basic lifts: the bench press, military press, squat and deadlift. You dont have to use these exact lifts but use variations if you want. I chose these lifts because you cant go wrong with these four; they build a great strength base and have worked since the dawn of training. Week 1

Monday Military Press Wednesday Deadlift Friday Bench Press

Week 2

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Monday Squat Wednesday Military Press Friday Deadlift

Week 3

Monday Bench Press Wednesday Squat Friday Military Press Week 4

Monday Deadlift Wednesday Bench Press Friday Squat

Sets and Reps

This is pretty simple and Im certainly not reinventing the wheel. But maybe that is the beauty of it lack of complication.

Week 1 3 sets of 5 reps Week 2 3 sets of 3 reps Week 3 5/3/1 Week 4 Deload, 3 sets of 5 reps

Now the sets arent done at random there is a percentage assigned to each set. There are two variations to this. One is a little more intense than the other. Remember that these sets are the work sets you still have to perform warm-up sets.

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Variation 1

Wave 1

75% x 5 80% x 5 85% x 5

Wave 2

80% x 3 85% x 3 90% x 3

Wave 3

75% x 5 85% x 3 95% x 1

Wave 4 (Deload)

60% x 5 65% x 5 70% x 5

Variation 2 - This one involves a little less volume on the first two weeks.

Wave 1

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65% x 5 75% x 5 85% x 5

Wave 2

70% x 3 80% x 3 90% x 3

Wave 3

75% x 5 85% x 3 95% x 1

Wave 4 (Deload)

60% x 5 65% x 5 70% x 5

Now the trick to making this work is to set a goal and then work back from there. The problem with goals is this:

1. People dont have them. 2. If they do have goals, they are incredibly unattainable.

A good example of #2 is when people want to increase their bench press from 250 to 315 in a summer. This just isnt going to happen without the

44

assistance of drugs and a bench shirt. Im happy with a 5lbs increase in any lift over 2 months. And so would many of you. Hell, Id be happy with 15lb on my bench press in one year. Those of us in the game for a long time realize how hard it is to increase your lifts and this kind of methodical approach seems to work best for me; maybe it will for you.

When I first started using this program, I purposely made my maxes 10% less than what they really were. For example, my deadlift was around 600lbs when I started and I began working off of a 550 max not exactly 10% but you get the idea.

Every four week cycle I increased my deadlift max (what I based my percentages on) by 10lbs. The interesting thing is that even though I wasnt operating with my true max my deadlift shot up after 3 months I could pull 610 for 3 reps. Now dont get too excited because I wasnt sure if my deadlift max was exactly 600lbs but it sure as hell wasnt 610x3.

Now many of you may think that operating at such a low percentage is way too easy. I can agree with that. But this is what I did; my goal of the day was to fulfill each set and rep. I knew that I had a yearly plan mapped out and that to reach the big goal at the end I needed to reach the small goals for the day.

But what I also did was go for an all out rep max on my last set of the day. This was an awesome feeling and sometimes on my 3 sets of 3 day I would get 7-8 reps on my last set. That didnt change my maxes at all all it did was cement in my mind that I was on the right track. So dont get overzealous if you have a good day and think you can bump up your maxes. There are going to be some days where that last set feels

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like shit and all you can get is your prescribed reps. This is ok too. You fulfilled the goal of the day.

So you can choose to begin slightly lower than your max for your first cycle or start with your actual max; just make sure that it is your real max and not what you couldve done, have done or would like to have done. And if you are going to err, err on the side of being too light.

Accessory Work

The Nothing

This is when I simply do the exercise for the day and leave. This is lazy as hell but can be effective on a tight schedule.

The Triumvirate

This is what I usually do. Here is a template that I use:

Military Press

Shoulder exercise, 3-5 sets of 6-20 reps (pick one)

Dips Pushups Upright rows Side Laterals Hammer Machine Military EFS Swiss Bar Cambered Bench Incline Press

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DB Bench DB Incline

Upper Back exercise, 3-5 sets of 10-25 reps (pick one)

DB Rear Laterals Seated DB Clean Muscle Snatch Face Pulls Cable Rear Laterals Band Pullaparts Shrugs (You can also use a lat exercise on this day, too)

Deadlift

Lower Back/Hamstring exercise, 3-5 sets of 5-30 reps (pick one)

Good Mornings Back Raise 45 Degree Back Raise Pullthroughs Kettlebell Swings Reverse Hyperextensions Glute Ham Raise Straight Leg Deadlift Leg Curl

Ab exercise, 3-5 sets of 10-50 reps (pick one)

Ab Wheel

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Crunches Sit ups Weighted Sit ups Hanging Leg Raises Side Bends

Bench Press

Shoulder exercise, 3-5 sets of 6-20 reps (pick one)

Dips Pushups Upright rows Side Laterals Hammer Machine Military EFS Swiss Bar Cambered Bench Incline Press DB Bench DB Incline

Lat Exercise, 3-5 sets of 6-30 reps (pick one)

Chins/Pull ups DB Rows Bent Over Rows Chest Supported Rows Chest Supported DB Rows Low Rows

Squat

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Quad exercise, 3-5 sets of 6-20 reps (pick one)

Lunges Step Ups One Leg Squats/Bulgarian Squats Hack Squats Belt Squats Leg Press Leg Extensions

Ab exercise, 3-5 sets of 10-50 reps (pick one)

Ab Wheel Crunches Sit ups Weighted Sit ups Hanging Leg Raises Side Bends

Bodybuilding

This is pretty much cut and paste from the Bodybuilder split from above. I cant lie to you.

Military Press- (sets and reps the same as the 5/3/1 Method)

DB Military Press 4 sets of 10 reps Upright Rows 4 sets of 10 reps

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Side Laterals 4 sets of 10-15 reps Barbell Curls 4 sets of 10 reps

Deadlift- (sets and reps the same as the 5/3/1 Method)

Chins 4 sets of 10-12 reps DB Rows 4 sets of 15 reps/arm Back Raises 4 sets of 10 reps (with bar behind neck) Hanging Leg Raises 4 sets of 15 reps

Bench Press- (sets and reps the same as the 5/3/1 Method)

DB Bench Press 4 sets of 10-20 reps Dips (weighted) 4 sets of 8-15 reps Flys 4 sets of 12 reps Triceps Pushdowns 4 sets of 10-20 reps

Squat- (sets and reps the same as the 5/3/1 Method)

Hack Squat 4 sets of 10-20 reps Leg Extensions 4 sets of 10-30 reps Leg Curls 4 sets of 10-15 reps Weighted Sit-ups 4 sets of 10 reps

Military Press- (sets and reps the same as the 5/3/1 Method)

Hammer Machine Military 4 sets of 10 reps Rope Upright Rows 4 sets of 10 reps Rear Laterals 4 sets of 10-15 reps DB Curls 4 sets of 10 reps

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Deadlift- (sets and reps the same as the 5/3/1 Method)

Lat Pulls 4 sets of 10-12 reps Bent Over Rows 4 sets of 15 reps/arm Reverse Hyperextensions 4 sets of 12 reps Hanging Leg Raises 4 sets of 15 reps

Bench Press- (sets and reps the same as the 5/3/1 Method)

DB Incline Press 4 sets of 10-20 reps Dips (weighted) 4 sets of 8-15 reps Flys 4 sets of 12 reps Triceps Extensions 4 sets of 10-20 reps

Squat- (sets and reps the same as the 5/3/1 Method)

Leg Press 4 sets of 10-20 reps Leg Extensions 4 sets of 10-30 reps Leg Curls 4 sets of 10-15 reps Weighted Sit-ups 4 sets of 10 reps Boring But Big

This training template is sure to give you a lot of strength and mass but its not exactly the most exciting training known to man. You will be doing only the very basic lifts and very few assistance exercises.

Military Press - (sets and reps the same as the 5/3/1 Method) Military Press 5 sets of 10 reps @ 50-60% Chins 5 sets of as many reps as possible

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Deadlift - (sets and reps the same as the 5/3/1 Method) Deadlift 5 sets of 10 reps @ 50-60% Hanging Leg Raises 5 sets of 12 reps

Bench Press - (sets and reps the same as the 5/3/1 Method) Bench Press 5 sets of 10 reps @ 50-60% DB Rows 5 sets of 10-20 reps

Squat - (sets and reps the same as the 5/3/1 Method) Squat 5 sets of 10 reps @ 50-60% Leg Curls 5 sets of 10 reps Variations on a Theme

There is little doubt that the military press, bench press, squat and deadlift are the kings of strength and muscle building but you dont have to limit your training to just these lifts. Another template you could follow is to pick 2 variations of these lifts thus giving you 3 total exercises to go through.

So for the first 4 waves you can use the military, bench, deadlift and squat. For the 2nd and 3rd waves you can choose from these variations. Deadlift Variations Rack Pulls Trap Bar Deficit Deadlift (deadlift while standing on elevated platform) Snatch Grip Deadlift

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Bench and Military Variations - I include these in the same class as they are both pressing movements. So feel free to mix and match any of these on the pressing days.

1 Board Press 2 Board Press 3 Board Press Incline Press Floor Press Close Grip Bench Press

Squat Variations High Box Squat Low Box Squat Parallel Box Squat Safety Squat Bar Squat (box or no box) Cambered Bar Squat (box or no box) Front Squat

10 Week Training Cycle Here is training cycle based on the above variations. The lifter will go through 2 different training cycles. The lifter has best lifts of:

Bench Press 225 Squat 300 Deadlift 400 Military Press 155

Remember that the training will take place on a 3 day/week schedule. So your week will look like this:

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Week 1

Monday Military Press Wednesday Deadlift Friday Bench Press Week 2

Monday Squat Wednesday Military Press Friday Deadlift

Week 3

Monday Bench Press Wednesday Squat Friday Military Press Week 4

Monday Deadlift Wednesday Bench Press Friday Squat

The first training cycle will consist of the standard 4 lifts: bench press, squat, deadlift and military press. If you can, try to set a rep max on the very last set of the squat, bench, deadlift or military press. But dont go to failure! This first section will consist of accessory exercises based on the Triumvirate.

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Week 1

Monday

Military Press 105x5, 120x5, 135x5 Dips 3 sets to failure, bodyweight DB Rows 3 sets of 10-20 reps

Wednesday

Deadlift 260 x5, 300x5, 340x5 KB Swings 3 sets of 20 reps Sit-ups 3 sets of 25 reps

Friday

Bench Press 170x5, 180x5, 195x5 DB Bench 3 sets of 10-15 reps Chin-ups 3 sets of 6-12 reps

Week 2

Monday

Squat 195x5, 225x5, 255x5 Lunges 3 sets of 6 reps/leg Ab Wheel 3 sets of 15 reps

Wednesday

Military Press 110x3, 125x3, 140x3

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Upright Rows 3 sets of 10 reps Bent Over Row 3 sets of 10-15 reps

Friday

Deadlift 280x3, 320x3, 360x3 Back Raise 3 sets of 25 reps with bodyweight DB Side Bends 3 sets of 10 reps/side Week 3

Monday

Bench Press 180x3, 195x3, 205x3 Incline Press 3 sets of 10-12 reps Low Rows 3 sets of 15-20 reps

Wednesday

Squat 210x3, 240x3, 270x3 Hack Squat 3 sets of 12-15 reps Hanging Leg Raise 3 sets of 15 reps

Friday

Military Press 120x5, 135x3, 150x1 Dips with weight 3 sets of 6-10 reps DB Rows 3 sets of 10-20 reps Week 4

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Monday

Deadlift 300x5, 340x3, 380x1 Good Morning 3 sets of 8 reps Sit-ups 3 sets of 25 reps

Wednesday

Bench Press 170x5, 195x3, 215x1 DB Incline Press 3 sets of 10-15 reps Chins 3 sets of 6-12 reps

Friday

Squat 225x5, 255x3, 285x1 Leg Press 3 sets of 12-15 reps Ab Wheel 3 sets of 15 reps Week 5 (Deload)

Monday

Military Press - 95x5, 105x5, 110x5 Pushups 2 sets to failure Chins 2 sets of 10 reps

Wednesday

Deadlift 240x5, 260x5, 280x5 Squat 180x5, 195x5, 210x5 Pull-throughs 2 sets of 20 reps

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Side Bends 2 sets of 10 reps/side

Friday

Bench Press 135x5, 150x5, 160x5 DB Military 2 sets of 10-15 reps Shrugs 2 sets of 15 reps

The second phase of this cycle will consist of rack pulls, incline press, 2 board press and parallel box squat.

2 Board Press 245 Parallel Box Squat 275 Rack Pull 440 Incline Press 185

For the accessory work, we will use the bodybuilder template. Because there is a big increase on volume do not take any of the assistance work to failure or even near failure. Just concentrate on getting a big pump. As always, go for as many reps as possible on your last set of your 4 big lifts.

Week 1

Monday

Incline Press 125x5, 140x5, 160x5 Upright Row 4 sets of 10 reps DB Military 4 sets of 12 reps Rear Lateral 4 sets of 15 reps

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DB Curl 4 sets of 12 reps

Wednesday

Rack Pulls 290x5, 330x5, 375x5 Chins 4 sets of 10 reps DB Rows 4 sets of 15 reps Back Raise 4 sets of 25 reps Ab Wheel 4 sets of 15 reps

Friday

2 Board Press 185x5, 200x5, 210x5 DB Bench 4 sets of 10 reps Dips 4 sets of 20 reps DB Flys 4 sets of 10 reps Triceps Pushdowns 4 sets of 10-15 reps Week 2

Monday

Box Squat 180x5, 210x5, 235x5 Leg Press 4 sets of 10-15 reps Leg Extension 4 sets of 12 reps Leg Curl 4 sets of 12 reps Sit ups 4 sets of 25 reps

Wednesday

Incline Press 130x3, 150x3, 170x3

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Side Lateral 3 sets of 12 reps Front Raise 3 sets of 12 reps Rear Raise 3 sets of 15 reps Barbell Curl 3 sets of 12 reps

Friday

Rack Pull 310x3, 355x3, 400x3 Lat Pulldown 4 sets of 10-20 reps Bent Over Row 4 sets of 8-12 reps Pull-throughs 4 sets of 15 reps Side Bends 4 sets of 10 reps/side Week 3

Monday

2 Board press 200x3, 210x3, 225x3 Floor Press 3 sets of 8-10 reps Pushups 3 sets of 20-30 reps Incline DB Flys 3 sets of 12 reps Triceps Extensions 3 sets of 10 reps

Wednesday

Box Squat 195x3, 220x3, 250x3 Hack Squat 3 sets of 15 reps Leg Extension 3 sets of 15 reps Glute Ham Raise 3 sets of 12 reps Hanging Leg Raise 3 sets of 15 reps

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Friday

Incline Press 140x5, 160x3, 180x1 Upright Row 3 sets of 10 reps DB Military 3 sets of 12 reps Rear Lateral 3 sets of 20 reps Barbell Curls 3 sets of 12 reps

Week 4

Monday

Rack Pull 330x5, 375x3, 420x1 Chins - 4 sets of 10 reps DB Rows 4 sets of 12 reps Reverse Hypers 3 sets of 15 reps Ab Wheel 3 sets of 15 reps

Wednesday

2 Board Press 185x5, 210x3, 235x1 DB Bench Press 3 sets of 10 reps Dips 4 sets of 25 reps DB Flys 4 sets of 10 reps Triceps Pushdowns 4 sets of 10 reps

Friday

Box Squat 210x5, 235x3, 265x1 Leg Press 4 sets of 10 reps Leg Extension 4 sets of 10 reps

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Glute Ham Raise 4 sets of 10 reps Ab Wheel 3 sets of 15 reps

Week 5 (Deload)

Monday

Incline Press 115x5, 125x5, 130x5 Rear Lateral 2 sets of 15 reps DB Curls 2 sets of 10 reps

Wednesday

Rack Pull 265x5, 290x5, 310x5 Box Squat 165x5, 180x5, 195x5 Chins Ups 2 sets of 10 reps Hanging Leg Raise 2 sets of 15 reps

Friday

2 Board Press 105x5, 160x5, 175x5 Pushups 2 sets of 25 reps Triceps Extensions 2 sets of 12 reps

One More Variation

The last template that we are going to talk about is fitting all four of the lifts in one week. There are several variations of this. Variation I

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Monday Deadlift and Military Press

Wednesday - Squat

Friday - Bench Press Variation II Monday Deadlift and Military Press

Wednesday Bench Press

Friday Squat Variation III Monday Squat and Bench Press

Wednesday Military Press

Friday Deadlift

Of course there are riffs on all of these but basically you need to combine an upper and lower body lift on one day. On the other days you simply do one lift.

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Who the hell wrote this?

Jim Wendler really likes Unearthly Trance.

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Get all your training equipment, powerlifting gear, articles, bands, chainswhatever you need to get stronger and faster at Elite Fitness Systems. www.EliteFTS.com

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Coming soon from Jim Wendler

Hardcore Conditioning Raw Training Training the Yoke Weak Point Training Exercise Index Book Workouts Ill Never Do Again A Man, A Plan and a Rack Max Effort Manual Training for High School Football Complete 5/3/1 Method

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Before all else, be armed. Machiavelli

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