hey everyone so i'm finally making the switch from my usual bodybuilding stuff over to more of a powerlifting focus. honestly just looking for some ideas on what program i should jump on because there are so many options and i dont want to pick a bad one
i’ve heard a lot of people say that jim wendlers 5/3/1 is basically the gold standard if you want to get strong but i wanted to check with you guys first. is that actually the best way to go or are their other routines i should be looking at instead?
if anyone has a favorite or something that really helped them add weight to their total let me know!
5/3/1 is a classic for a reason but it can be a bit slow if you’re coming from a bodybuilding background and want to see the numbers jump fast. honestly it’s great for long term progress though! i’d say go for it if you aren't in a massive rush and want something that wont burn you out -
honestly 5/3/1 is solid but check out GZCLP too. i switched to that last year and my squat went up way faster than when i was doing wendler. it feels a bit more like a bridge between bodybuilding and powerlifting since there’s still plenty of accessory work
if you like high volume stay away from the basic 5/3/1 lol. it can feel a bit "boring" if you’re used to hitting 15 sets per body part. maybe look at "building the monolith" or even just a simple 5x5 if youre just starting to focus on the big three -
I ran 5/3/1 for a year and it definitely built a super strong foundation. just make sure you actually read the book or a good guide because a lot of people mess up the percentages. and dont skip the conditioning work like jim says!
welcome to the dark side haha. i’d actually recommend starting with something like Candito’s 6 week program. it’s free and it’s a lot more "fun" than 5/3/1 in my opinion. really helped me get used to the heavy singles and doubles -
5/3/1 is definitely a classic but just a heads up - it can feel pretty slow if you're used to high volume bodybuilding stuff. it's great for long term gains though! if you want something that moves a bit faster maybe check out starting strength or stronglifts just to get your form dialed in first.
honestly wendler is solid but i personally saw way more progress on my total with the juggernaut method. it felt more like a "bridge" between bodybuilding and powerlifting if that makes sense? but yeah you really can't go wrong with 5/3/1 as a starting point.
man if you're switching from bodybuilding you're gonna love the lower rep ranges lol. i did 5/3/1 boring but big for like a year and it helped my squat a ton. just make sure you actually read the book or at least a good guide because people mess up the percentages all the time
check out candito 6 week strength program too! its free online and its super popular for a reason. 5/3/1 is great for consistency but i found candito way more fun since the weights change more often. good luck with the transition man!
welcome to the dark side lol. 5/3/1 is definitely the gold standard for a reason- it's simple and it works. just dont skip the accessory work or youll feel like you arent doing enough since the main sets are pretty short compared to what you're used to.
