Program Name
531 For Beginners (5314B)
Price
Free (though the original 5/3/1 book is an invaluable resource for progressing with this program)
Author
Jim Wendler
Primary Goal
Strength
Secondary Goal
Hypertrophy
Special Focus
None
Program Length (in weeks)...can be cycled through indefinitely
Training Days (per week)
Average Session Length (in minutes)
Primary Equipment
Barbell
Specialty Equipment
None (although dumbbells and any extra equipment will help vary assistance work)
Novice Friendly?
Yes (though, ideally your main lifts should be >75 lbs with solid form for ease of progression)
Prerequisite Skills
- Back squat
- Bench press
- Deadlift
- Overhead Press
Program Overview
Overview pending. In the meantime, check out 5/3/1 Philosophy For Beginners over at jimwendler.com, as well as the resources below to get started.
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Reviews, Results and Discussions
I’m hardpressed to find any comprehensive reviews on 5314B specifically, however, there are dozens, if not hundreds on other 531 variants, which follow the same basic principles. You can find several of them here:
Fitness Subreddit 5/3/1 Review Archive
5/3/1 For Beginners (discussion in StartingStrength.com forum)
Instructions for 5/3/1 for Beginners are unclear. Help! (discussion that clears up some of the questions people are often confused about)
Resources
- Wendler’s 5/3/1 Program Review (this site’s review and resources for the original progam)
- 5/3/1 Philosophy for Beginners (Jim Wendler’s blog)
- 5/3/1 For Beginner’s + Spreadsheet (another great explanation of the program on liftvault.com + a spreadsheet for tracking)
- 5/3/1 For Beginners (Fitness subreddit guide)
- Collection of the 5/3/1 books on Amazon
- Great comprehensive guides to the “Big Three” powerlifts by Greg Nuckols