531

[rockyshaun]

What is this program? I have never seen it layd out.

[Smack]

Buy the damned ebook or do a search, it's been laid out many times before on other sites.

[Jason B]

It's the best $20 you'll probably ever spend on a program, worth every penny and then some. Buy the book.

http://www.flexcart.com/members/elit...d=370&pid=2976

[Guido]

I've been doing it for over a year now and I've never had better gains all around for my squat and deadlift since I was a beginner. It's well worth buying the book.

[rockyshaun]

Is it for beginners, intermediates or advanced? Is it to be usedin place of SS?

[rockyshaun]

Buy the damned ebook or do a search, it's been laid out many times before on other sites.

Why the hostility? Relax.

[JT in MD]

Is it for beginners, intermediates or advanced? Is it to be usedin place of SS?

It's advertised to be for all experience levels. I personally found that I was not lifting heavy enough weights (except for deadlift) to require the length of recovery the program prescribes. IOW, it calls for each exercise to be performed once per week at varying volumes/intensities. Without adding alot of assistance work, I felt that I wasn't stressing my muscles enough.

That being said, I made steady progress for the months I was on the program, and would have continued to make progress if I had stayed with it. I hurt my elbow so I had to lay off the upper body work for a few weeks and with that, decided to start more of a Texas Method to get more volume in.

Once I'm doing heavier weights and progress is harder, I will most definitely switch back.

As a frame of reference, my lifts (at 170 lbs BW) are:
Squat 250 x 5
Deadlift 370 x 1
Bench 240
Push Press 160 x 3

[Andy Baker (KSC)]

531 basically uses intermediate programming. You can make faster progress by doing Starting Strength and you will lay down a better foundation of strength and muscle mass as well. You could easily use the concepts from 531 in several of the advanced programming models layed out in PP as well. There is nothing magical about 531, but it was worked for alot of people because it is a well laid out design that gives their workout some structured progression. My guess is that you would be best served by exhausting all possible linear gains on the SS model.

[rockyshaun]

531 basically uses intermediate programming. You can make faster progress by doing Starting Strength and you will lay down a better foundation of strength and muscle mass as well. You could easily use the concepts from 531 in several of the advanced programming models layed out in PP as well. There is nothing magical about 531, but it was worked for alot of people because it is a well laid out design that gives their workout some structured progression. My guess is that you would be best served by exhausting all possible linear gains on the SS model.

Thanks guys

[hatmanii]

SS-->TM will give you the best possible strength gains the fastest. Linear progression from workout to workout and then from week to week will net you the best strength results over any given time frame.

That being said, 5/3/1 is an intermediate to advanced training program that will benefit those who like to experiment with their programming (without fucking up said programming) and those who currently have athletic or physically demanding endeavors outside of the gym. The volume is quite low (thus not ideal for beginners) and the workouts are quick and are very easy to recover from if done correctly.

If you want strength and you want it now, follow Rip's advice and do SS and then TM, and exhaust all gains possible. If you want/need to gain strength without sacrificing performance elsewhere, do 5/3/1.

Good luck.