What's the general consensus of going to 5/3/1 after novice LP?

[Keith]

I have always lost ground when I messed with 5/3/1. But that might just be me. Here's what I think:

One of the reasons 5/3/1 needs to be modified so extensively is that it is really an advanced program -- monthly progress. Wendler boasts in the introduction that 5/3/1 can put 60lbs on your squat in a year and 20lbs on your bench. In other words, if you follow the program and it works you PR once a month-- about 5lbs per month on your squat and 2lbs on your bench.

I think that the volume on 5/3/1 seems lowish because it is an advanced program: the volume is spread out over a month.

If you want to use it as an early intermediate program then it would be smart to modify the program along the lines suggested in the thread and increase the volume. But you should also consider that as an early intermediate you should be able to PR weekly.

I only have the first version. It doesnt have a publication date but on page 24-25 ("how to progress") he presents a hypothetical lifter whose 1RM deadlift is 350lbs. In the 1 month training cycle the heaviest weights handled are : week 1 = 280 x 5, week 2 = 295 x 3, and and week 3 = 310 x 1. They are supposed to be AMRAP sets so you could PR every week but you will be handling lighter weights than on your LP.

I think that in addition to adjusting the volume you would need to adjust the intensity too or risk de-training a bit.

Personally I think that it requires a lot of modification for a lifter without much programming experience.

[Charlie Davies]

My experience matches Keith's. I tried 5-3-1 immediately after a novice progression and basically wasted a lot of time. I had fun, and learned some things about programming.

But I'd have been a lot better off asking a coach for help with transitioning from novice to a weekly program.
For one thing, the coach would have immediately recognized that I really just needed to fix my squat form, eat more, get my T tested, and continue novice progression.

If you look at the advanced-intermediate and advanced programs in PPST, many look a lot like 5-3-1 variants.
But the book recommends using a weekly program for as long as possible before going to programming that increases weights every 4 weeks.

[Eric Larousse]

One top set is really not enough for an early intermediate and actually if you dothe modifications you should be upping your max 5-10 pounds every three weeks so it really isnt slower thanthe traditio al method granted you do it right...dont do deloads and just do sets across at the top set simple as that