Here’s a lifting truth I don’t want you to forget:
To build strength you must build muscle, to build muscle you must build strength.
I run into a lot of beginner to early intermediate lifters who catch the strength bug. They find out that that chasing after strength gains is pretty darn fun, and decide to try a “strength training program.”
If this is you, I am about to say something that might sound a bit confusing. But hang tight, I’ll explain.
I don’t want you to train for strength just yet. What do I mean?
Inexperienced lifters who want to jump into strength training assume they must do the following:
- Low Rep Sets. Use a huge amount of low rep sets each week – singles, doubles and triples.
- One Rep Max PRs. Go for a max PR attempt every week, or every other week.
Not so. This isn’t the case at all.
Right now you don’t need a substantial amount of sets under 5 reps. You also shouldn’t me “maxing out” every week, or every other week for that matter. This is not the best way for you to train for strength right now.
Strength Training Guidelines for Beginner and Early Intermediate Lifters
How should you train then? Well, this might disappoint many of you, but you should train pretty much like you would if you were trying to build muscle. Or simply stated, probably pretty close to how you are training now.
For the first several years of training, muscle building and strength training are the same process. You need reps to build muscle, and muscle to build strength. These processes work together, and are not mutually exclusive.
Everything is a weakness, and all body parts are small. You need to build a strength and muscle base.
If you dump a lot of your rep work, you’ll likely slow your muscle gains. The opposite isn’t true though. When you drop low rep sets (1-4 reps) you will still build strength.
So the take home point is (and it’s one to never forget)…build strength using conventional muscle building rep ranges during the first several years of training. This is the most efficient and effective approach.
Build strength using conventional muscle building rep ranges during the first several years of training.
I recommend a simple approach to training at this level: try to improve upon your previous session by beating each set by a rep or two. If you are able to achieve this goal 2-3 times per month, per exercise, you will make great progress.
By focusing on progression of reps like a hungry lion on a fresh piece of meat, you will make rapid strength gains and build a quality amount of muscle. This muscle will, in turn, allow you to move more weight.
There will come a point in time when it makes sense to start utilizing some lower rep sets. I generally recommend getting to at least the following numbers before worrying about any sets under 5 reps:
- 250 pound bench press
- 350 pound squat
- 400 pound deadlift
Note: With deadlifts I do not recommend that less experienced lifters use over 5-8 reps per set. Their form most likely needs work, and I would prefer to see them work with 3 sets of 5 or something similar rather than using sets above 7-8 reps.
This is all subjective, of course. If you feel you have weak deadlifting form and/or a weak lower back, use 5 reps sets for a while.
A Secret Benefit Of Strength Training Using Reps
The use of hypertrophy rep ranges, which are around 5-12 reps per set for compound exercises, allows a trainee to get their reps in and practice form.
If you are not thinking about form at all, you need to change this behavior. A lifter should always be refining their exercise form on the major lifts.
Less experienced lifters who believe they have solid form, and refuse to see value in learning more about exercise form, usually have major form flaws. Remember this: as you start to build strength, bad form will catch up to you.
Why do you think so many experienced bodybuilders have shoulder issues? They never bothered to learn proper bench press form.
It’s not their fault though. “Proper form” was always recommend in some vaporous sort of way, and then accompanied by an image of a bodybuilder lifting with horrendous form.
So the secret benefit of rep work is that it allows you more form practice. This reduces the chance of injury, and helps you remain consistent.
Have you been thinking about switching to strength training? Leave a comment or question below, and I will help you figure out which way to move forward.
What are your thoughts on the 5-3-1 Training Method?
The 531 is sound. It focuses a lifter on progression, and has the flexibility to meet almost any need or training style. Since you are in essence only performing 1-2 working sets per lift a month under 5 reps, Jim Wendler is pretty much having you do the same thing I recommend in this article.
Nearly any program that focuses you on progression and proper exercise selection is going to serve you well.
With this said, when I am programming for beginning to early intermediate lifters I would prefer to see them deload less frequently and not periodize extensively.
Where Wendler has you doing something like the following on bench:
Week 1 – 155 x 5+
Week 2 – 175 x 3+
Week 3 – 195 x 1+
Week 4 – Deload
If you were not yet an intermediate lifter, I would prefer to see you using 155 for as many reps as possible and adding weight when you hit, say 8-10 reps.
I do not know what Jim Wendler recommends for beginning lifters, nor if he recommends 531 for lifters during their first 6-12 months of training. I would suspect he would give starting lifters pretty much the same advice as I would.
I know Jim would agree the the magic is in the effort and dedication. My main focus isn’t so much about shoe-horning a trainee into one style of training, as it is about helping a trainee find a program variation that motivates them to stay consistent. So if 531, or Starting Strength, or Strong Lifts is working for someone, and they enjoy it, are recovering properly, and making progress – keep doing it.
Rule #1 – if something is working, don’t break it.
Understood. After reading through most of the 5-3-1 e-book I cam up with the routine that you will see below. I have horrilbe upper body strength compared to my leg strength, so that’s why the Militray Press and Bench Press are so low in the pounds. I used a calcuator to get the 1rm of 162 althought I have pressed 170 for 5 but had bad form that didn’t bring the bar to the chest…..My Bench per wek would be:
Week 1 – 105 x 5 / 120 x 5 / 140 x 5
Week 2 – 115 x 5 / 130 x 5 / 145 x 5
Week 3 – 120 x 5 / 140 x 5/ 155 x 5
Week 4 – 65 x 5 / 80 x 5 / 100 x 5
When woudl you deload if you deload ‘less frequently’….like week 8? If so, what woudl you suggest for week 4-7?
Monday-
Warm-up: Standing Military Press = 1 set of 5 @ 40# // 1 set of 5 @ 50# // 1 set of 5 @ 60#
Working: Standing Military Press = 1 set of 5 @ 65# // 1 set of 5 @ 75# // 1 set of 5 @ 85#
Asst. Ex: Incline Barbell Bench Press = 5 sets of 15 reps // Chin-ups = 5 sets of 10 reps (Assisted)
Tuesday-
Warm-up: Deadlift = 1 set of 5 @ 137.5# // 1 set of 5 @ 172# // 1 set of 5 @ 206.5#
Working: Deadlift = 1 set of 5 @ 223.5# // 1 set of 5 @ 258# // 1 set of 5 @ 292.5#
Asst. Ex: = Back Raises (Extensions) = 5 sets of 15 reps // Barbell Lunges = 5 sets of 10 reps
Thursday-
Warm-up: Bench Press = 1 set of 5 @ 65# // 1 set of 5 @ 81# // 1 set of 5 @ 97#
Working: Bench Press = 1 set of 5 @ 105# // 1 set of 5 @ 121.5# // 1 set of 5 @ 138#
Asst. Ex: Decline Barbell Bench Press = 5 sets of 15 reps // Dumbbell Row = 5 sets of 10 reps
Friday-
Warm-up: Squat = 1 set of 5 @ 115# // 1 set of 5 @ 143.5# // 1 set of 5 @ 172#
Working: Squat = 1 set of 5 @ 186.5# // 1 set of 5 @ 215# // 1 set of 5 @ 244#
Asst. Ex: Leg Press = 5 sets of 15 reps // Leg Curl = 5 sets of 10 reps
Hi Carl,
A lot of guys struggle with pressing strength. You’re not alone! I know quite a few men who work hard year after year and are scratching and clawing to get past a 225-275 bench press.
Regarding deloads…there are many ways to work things. If you are feeling good, have no lingering aches, pains, strains or fatigue, then you could just skip most deload periods. I still think it’s wise to take a week off every 8-12 weeks.
Perhaps if you feel fantastic after week 3, you could run another cycle, skipping the deload, and then deload on week 7. I think that’s worth a shot.
I’m not sure you’ve explained this well. Low reps in the 4-1 range are for POWER development as used by us powerlifters as opposed to STRENGTH gains. We consider strength training in the 5-8 rep range and typically 5 sets of 5 reps up to 75% of one rep max is an important off season way to train in order to maintain core strength to support the weights encountered given that the aim in competition is often to lift 105%. But you’re right about not hammering away week in week out. You must include rest cycles into POWER and STRENGTH training and typically a macro cycle would be around 6-8 weeks with light and medium workouts over 3 week micro cycles. The axiom is: the heavier you go, the less often you can do it. You can’t POWER or max STRENGTH train all year round and even top powerlifters have off seasons to include body/muscle building periods as well as for example, a whole month off through the Christmas period. I think many lifters forget that rest is one of the most valuable things in the muscle development arsenal as is ENDURANCE/STAMINA training as well as CV work. STAMINA can be developed through training fast such as Bill Starr’s 10 minute squat sessions where you do 5 sets of 5 reps in 10 minutes but generally that comes from 15-20 rep work … by example I have done a squat (as a clean 90 Kg master 1 lifter) comprising 20 Kg bar warm through x 20+, 60 x 5, 90 x 5, 120 x 5, 150 x 5 (wrap up), 180 x 5 … Another good way to improve stamina for example in the squat, bench and deadlift is occasionally to do single bodyweight back off sets for a maximum number of reps and this also helps to flush lactic acid from the muscles.
Hi Ronhow,
You stated:
“We consider strength training in the 5-8 rep range and typically 5 sets of 5 reps up to 75% of one rep max is an important off season way to train in order to maintain core strength to support the weights encountered given that the aim in competition is often to lift 105%.”
^ Regarding your quote, I know a lot of powerlifters who don’t train like that. The majority in fact. I would consider your approach to be somewhat of an exception, unless the powerlifter is less experienced and more of an intermediate trainee. I am not saying your method is ineffective by any means, or that you are an intermediate lifter, just that most of the powerlifters I know focus on the 1-5 rep ranges for the powerlifts year round.
There are endless ways to train for powerlifting and strength. Whatever works, works. Stick with it. With that said, I don’t know personally know many powerlifters who avoid 1-5 rep sets for long periods of time.
Regarding the article, it is directed mostly at beginning to early intermediate lifters who think that “strength training” always involves low rep sets and frequent maxing out. The point I am trying to get across to them is that they don’t need this type of training to build strength yet.
I think you’re arguing semantics here. What you call “power training,” I call “training for strength.” Regardless of what you or I call it, each day I see less experienced lifters catch the strength bug and think they must immediately jump to low rep sets and frequent one rep max sessions.
I am trying to help them understand that strength/power training requires building a solid foundation. This foundation building involves rep work on major lifts, not only for form practice, but also to build some muscle.
So regardless of how experienced powerlifters train, I think we are both encouraging less experienced trainees who are hungry for strength to stick with rep work for a while.
I have a question but I don’t want to stand in between you 2 dudes that can gorilla press me or bench twice my body weight. LOL
So here it goes. Mr. Shaw. I’m perhaps one of those guy you speak off that falls into that trap. Being 33yrs old and seeing 18-21 yr olds out do me is a pain. Granted I haven’t put in the time and years they had, but I really want to. I have some personal strength goals as well as other body stat goals.
The routine I posted up I just started on 12.10.2012 as many people have been telling me “it do me wonders’ or something like that. But I’m not a fool either. I took what was in the 5-3-1 to build it, but I ain’t no expert. Looking at, I was wondering what tweaks you suggest? For instance the 5-3-1 says to do ‘Assistance Exercises’ but did not give at what % to do them for the weight, is it suppose to light, medium or heavy? You had mentioned about not deloading as often. I was wondering what type of cycle you suggest. instead of a deload on Week 4, do it on week 8 and if that’s the case what do you do for week 4-7?
Hi Carl,
Assuming you want to build both muscle and strength, I would do something like this:
Monday
Standing Military Press – 5/3/1
Incline Barbell Bench Press – 5 x 10 or 4 x 8
Chin-ups – 5 x 10
Tuesday
Deadlift – 5/3/1
Leg Press – 5 x 15
Back Raises (Extensions) – 3 x 10
Thursday
Bench Press – 531
Decline Barbell Bench Press – 5 x 10 or 4 x 8
Dumbbell Row – 5 x 10
Friday
Squat – 531
Squats – 3-4 x 6-10
Leg Curl – 5 x 10
First off, I think your structure looks pretty good. There are a few minor changes I would make, as noted:
Incline Barbell Press – I dropped reps to 10 per set. 75 reps is simple a recipe for muscle soreness, and not necessarily the best for strength, muscle growth and recovery. If you feel you need extra recovery, you could drop this to a 4×8 and you honestly wouldn’t suffer in the gains department. It might even be a better option. It’s a coin flip. You could also use close grip bench presses here, or alternate every other week between the lifts.
Back Extensions – Might be overkill. Some lower back work is good. Too much can be a burden. I suggest no more than 3×10.
Squats – I don’t feel one working set per week is enough. I would move leg presses to deadlift day, and add in more squats on squat day…dropping lunges.
Decline Barbell Bench Press – I dropped the reps to 10. Again, if you have a hard time recovering, I would go with 4 x 8 instead. You won’t generally suffer with a little less work. You might actually perform better.
Hope that helps!
Thanks, Man! Any help/critique/overview is more than welcome. I did today’s that I listed above… the 5 sets of 15 back extensions KILLED me. I already had some lower back issues from the Army…..after the 3rd set I had to take extended breaks and mid set breaks to get the lumbar to stop throbbing….and this done all without any added weight. Your Changes go into effect next Monday…that way I can still get in leg press this week. LOL YOU’RE A BIG HELP DUDE! I can send you updates as I progress if you like?
Glad to help Carl. Let me know how things go.