r/531Discussion • u/AutoModerator • 18d ago
August 22, 2025 | Daily Training Log & Simple Questions
Please use this post to discuss your training for the day or any simple questions you have! Talk about how lifts went, your workouts PRs achieved, goals set, whatever!
USEFUL LINKS
- 5/3/1 FAQs <<<<< start here!
- 5/3/1: Common Errors and Ideas on how to Customize it to your Needs
- Routine Picker - template decision tree
- 5/3/1 Primer - 531 principles & concepts
- 5 Common Misconceptions... About 5/3/1
- Training After an Illness
- Jim Wendler's Blog
- 5/3/1 Forever book
- 5/3/1 Forever Table of Contents
COMMON TEMPLATES
- 5/3/1 for Beginners
- Boring But Big: Beefcake Training
- Building the Monolith
- 5/3/1 Beach Body Challenge
- Boring But Big 3-Month Challenge
- 5/3/1: How to Build Pure Strength
- Building the Monolith - 5/3/1 for Size
- Comprehensive list of public templates
TOOLS
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u/Gubbvad 531 Forever 18d ago
C8 Forever BBB W3D3
Deadlift - TM 130 kg
5 x 98 kg
5 x 110 kg
5 x 125 kg
5 x 10 x 90 kg
Lat pulldowns 60 kg - 32 reps
Dips BW - 28 reps
Happy with the way I executed the DL, the top set and BBB-sets was challenging but I felt strong. No energy or desire to push it on the assistance exercises.
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u/GlitteringCatch6381 18d ago
5/3/1 FSL, cycle 2, in kg
Squat: 5x42.5, 5x47.5, 12x55, 5x5x42.5
DB incline bench: 10x10, 3x8x14, 8x12
Bent over row: 10x20, 10x25, 10x30, 2x8x30
Single leg calf raise: 3x12x10, 10x10
Weighted crunches: 2x10x10, 2x9x10
Back from holiday and starting a new cycle. Nothing much to say here. Gym was nearly empty, really enjoyed that.
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u/No-Bridge-3647 18d ago
Week 3, Day 2 (5/3/1 for Strongman)
Deadlift
- 5 x 305
- 3 x 350
- 6 x 390
- Total volume = 4,915 rep*lbs (+2.4 %)
Accessories
- Dumbbell walking lunges (25/hand) - 4 sets x 10 reps, bodyweight walking lunges - 1 set x 10 reps
- Sandbag husafell carry - 5 sets x 40 yds x 100 lbs
- Cable leg curls (50) + cable lat pulldowns - 4 sets x 15 reps
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u/riveyda 18d ago
You guys ever do the BBB 5x5 @ 80% on the opposite day? So like:
Day 1:
OHP 5/3/1
Bench 5x5 @ 80%
Day 2:
Deadlift 5/3/1
Squat 5x5 @ 80%
Day 3:
Bench 5/3/1
OHP 5x5 @ 80%
Day 4:
Squat 5/3/1
Deadlift 5x5 @ 80%
Thinking about running this for a while and see what happens
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u/SeparateDeparture614 531 Forever 18d ago
Imo it's better to do the 5x5 with the same lift as the main lift. You don't need to warm up, so it's saves time.
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u/riveyda 18d ago
I want to do each lift twice a week
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u/SeparateDeparture614 531 Forever 18d ago
At the end of the week it's all the same.
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u/taylorthestang 531 Forever 17d ago
Volume wise you’re right, but intensity would be better with more frequency. Full body templates have this right.
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u/SeparateDeparture614 531 Forever 17d ago
True, but technically all 5/3/1 templates are full body
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u/taylorthestang 531 Forever 17d ago
Potentially yeah, but you can make them upper lower depending on your selection for legs or core. Also there’s a big difference between full body approach with compounds and isolation
0
u/riveyda 18d ago
Disagree but thanks for your input
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u/SeparateDeparture614 531 Forever 18d ago
Weekly volume is the same at the end. But if you enjoy doing the opposite lift then you should keep doing it!
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u/Winter_Heart_97 18d ago
I'm doing the Beyond 1.1 program, and it does that with 5x5 (and then 7x5) at 75%. I like it. I'm doing this upper/lower split substituting power cleans for deadlift. Jim has squat paired with bench, so I might do that. I'm two weeks into it.
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u/taylorthestang 531 Forever 17d ago
Yeah why not?. I prefer doing it on the lower lifts day so every day is full body, and I get 2x weekly frequency. Also, you’ll be more fresh for the supplemental if it’s a different body part. I can go harder on bench after squatting, than I would after pressing.
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u/taylorthestang 531 Forever 17d ago
Squat/Push/Pull C2W3D3
Squat 5x5x175
OHP 10x5x105
Deadlift (in kg) 5x5x110
Front Squat 5x10x105
DB Bench 5x10x60
DB Row 5x10x60
Chin-ups 10x5 SS Dips 5x10
Added in front squats as my SL/C movement to superset pressing with after squatting. Squatting 3x a week so what’s another 5x10? Shoe horned in additional deadlift work in place of rowing as a main movement, recovery has been fine running it this way. Deadlifting 2x a week has felt great.
Highly recommend the Squat/Push/Pull templates if you like Full Body. I’ve finally started noticing Squat strength gains and received compliments on my growing shoulders from all of the pressing. Feel free to ask if you want to know more about programming this one.
Should I run the Leader again for a third time or deload and head into the Anchor after? I don’t feel particularly beaten down yet (which I owe to the perfect balance of volume in this template) so a deload would be more preventative.
1
u/HumbleHubris86 Template Hopper 15d ago
I really like the looks of the squat/push/pull templates, but they seem weak on the press volume. I've thought about just adding on 5x10 dips or close grip bench as push assistance
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u/taylorthestang 531 Forever 15d ago
The variation i was running had pressing 3x a week, or twice a week if you want to mix in some bench
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u/HumbleHubris86 Template Hopper 15d ago
By press I meant pressing movements. A lot of the templates just have press (or bench) as 5x5 fsl twice a week or whatever. I know there are exceptions and like I said, I would just fill in with dips or other stuff if I ever ran it.
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u/taylorthestang 531 Forever 15d ago
Yeah the primary focus on all of these is the squat for sure. Since I was nursing a shoulder back to health I haven’t been using dips too much, but filled in plenty of db benching and Swiss bar pressing for my assistance work, at 5x10.
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u/Mcbrainotron 17d ago
Did two cycles of not doing jack shit this summer due to life/schedule. 2 of my lifts I didn’t hit 5 for the week 3. I’m wondering if there is a recommended deload amount or roll it back to the last time I hit 5 on a week 3? Going back to fsl to aid progression (and schedule allows).
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u/BarleyWineIsTheBest Template Hopper 17d ago
Just do a TM test if you are unsure. If you've had a long layoff, you'll probably under perform that, but that's OK. It will give you room to run.
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u/Character_Fox_6755 16d ago
Really just looking for a sanity check here. My work and life schedule is often changing, which means I can't dedicate myself to a mon/tues/thurs/fri schedule consistently. Ive gotten into the habit of going to the gym at least 3x weekly-occasionally 2x, sometimes 4x. I just progress straight to whatever the next day would be if I was doing a consistent schedule. This sometimes means I go 1.5-2 weeks between movements, but i usually do the opposing movements accessory equivalent-ie db ohp on bench day. Im doing BBB so im not doing single legs movements since im often hiking or skiing depending on the season. Is this stupid?
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u/nonnsfwacct 18d ago
I have the 531 Strength app and on the 3/3/3 and 5/3/1 weeks (2nd and 3rd) they have a plus next to the last set. So I can only imagine this means on my last set of I do more than 3 or 1 I should adjust my maximum for that lift?
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u/Voimanhankkija 18d ago
You only increase your TM at the end of a cycle.
Read one of the books, blindly following some app will mislead you
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u/UngaBungaLifts Just buy the book 18d ago
It's a tale as old as time: people do not read the books because they "don't need to" and "it's not that complicated", and invariably they do everything completely wrong.
To this day I don't understand it but it always happens, like clockwork.
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u/nonnsfwacct 18d ago
This isn’t that complicated. I can find plenty of websites, blogs, articles, etc. defining the programs rep ranges and weeks and even the extra exercises you can add in. Yes there is guidance to increase maximums by 5 lbs upper and 10 lbs lower after every 4 weeks.
What else am I missing?
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u/Doyle_Hargraves40 18d ago
You only adjust the TM at the end of the 3 week cycle and only by 5 lbs for upper and 10 for lower. "531" is a little misleading as you're supposed to be getting at least 5 reps even on the heaviest 1 week. The 5s week should be + too by the way. Think of it this way. The training max (TM) is supposed to be 85-90% of your 1RM, or to keep it simple a weight you can do 3 to 5 reps with. If someone is only getting 1 or 2 reps with 95% of that number, unless it's by choice, then clearly their TM isn't even close to being right. Its pretty common to hit double digits on the 5+ week and even the 3+ week if using a lower TM. But regardless even if you crush it you're still only adding the same amount at the end of the cycle.
1
u/nonnsfwacct 18d ago
I tested each of my lifts a week prior in order to get my 1 rep maximums. I put those in the app, the app defaulted TM to 90%, I put it to 100%.
It’s not my 1 rep maxes that go up in weight but my TM? My TM is a %.
3
u/Doyle_Hargraves40 18d ago
You shouldn't have changed it to 100%. This program does not use your 1RM. Your TM and your 1RM are two totally different numbers. If your 1RM is 200lbs, your TM is either 170lbs (85%) or 180lbs (90%). He recommends 85% TM more nowadays but you can do 90 if you want. I think it's more accurate to test for a 3 to 5 rep max and use that number than to take a percentage of 1Rm or a percentage of an estimated 1rm.
Youre not supposed to move up the TM weight unless you get at least 5 reps on week 3.
How many reps did you get on the 3+ week? Assuming you got at least 3 an easy way to correct this would be to drop your TM weights for the next cycles to the weight used on those sets.
-1
u/nonnsfwacct 18d ago
Today was my first day 3/3/3 squats but I moved it 100% a a couple days ago on my deadlift day 5/5/5 day.
I followed what I thought was right and only did 5 reps each set on my deadlift day and did sets of 3 on my squat day today.
I felt like I could have done more but am trying to obey the rep range.
2
u/Doyle_Hargraves40 18d ago edited 18d ago
There are 2 ways to do 5/3/1. The first is the "OG" way that involves doing an many as you can on the 3rd sets each week (the + sets). Theres another version called 5s PRO where you literally do 5 reps every single set, every week...never exceeding 5 or doing less. What you're doing is neither so I would just finish this week out and then start over fresh next week. Just stick with the OG version which is what your app is using.
Continuing with the 3s week now will still be useful. You can go beyond 3 on the last set if you can. If you are getting between 3 to 5 reps on every lift, plug in the weight used on those sets as your new TMs.
So let's say your 3s weight upcoming on deadlift youre going to be using 200 on the last set. You do 3/3/4. The 4 reps checks out as a good TM weight starting point. So youd delete the current TM, which is way too high since you used a 1rm, and replace it with 200lbs.
1
u/Squat_n_stuff 18d ago
What’s the longest streak of cycles you’ve ran?
1
u/BarleyWineIsTheBest Template Hopper 18d ago
You mean of the sample program, or just straight 5/3/1 anything?
I usually do 2-6 cycles of the same thing in a block. But done exclusively 5/3/1 program types for a few years on end.
1
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u/trainerwithoutateam 18d ago
In Stronglifts app, I failed and only did 2 out 5 x 95%. Yet, it was a PR. Is my TM too high? Thanks
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u/Voimanhankkija 18d ago
AMRAP test week - OHP
Matched my previous e1RM of 155 lbs but managed to do it by using 8 lbs of more weight, compared to my previous test week. That was my realistic goal for this session, happy with where my OHP is right now. Expecting to see a e1RM PR on my bench.
Nothing but the test today, need to deload