What is the 531 lifting split?

Author: Cleo Koepp PhD  |  Last update: Saturday, August 16, 2025

The big lifts: The 5/3/1 method uses the squat, deadlift, bench press and overhead press barbell moves. Weekly programme: 4 sessions a week, each session focussing on one of the lifts. Reps and sets: You'll be completing 3 sets of varying reps of 5, 3 and 1 for the chosen exercise over the 4 weeks.

Does 5 3 1 actually work?

Science has shown that low-rep, high-weight work—like in 5/3/1—builds the most strength, he says. But higher-rep work allows trainees to add muscle volume. By adding three or four assistance exercises after the main lift in slightly longer sets—eight to 12 reps, for example—the workout can provide both benefits.

What percentage is 531 training max?

The Training Max: What You Need to Know

The 90% rule was the recommended starting point, Beyond 531 may mention 85% or 80% or whatever but the bottom line is you manipulate your TM based on current training goals, current programming, current level of strength, etc. There is no hard rule for your TM.

What is the 5 4 3 2 1 method of lifting?

The 5-4-3-2-1 program is a program that aims to take advantage of periodizing training frequency by training one lift five times per week, one lift four times per week, one lift three times per week, one lift twice per week and one lift once per week.

What is the most optimal lifting split?

A full body workout is recommended for beginners. An upper/lower split is recommended for intermediates. An upper/lower a/b split is recommended for advanced lifters. All three of these routines must include your basic heavy compounds programmed into the routine.

Jim Wendler 5/3/1 Program Explained - Best Intermediate Program?

What split do most pro bodybuilders use?

Many fitness enthusiasts and advanced bodybuilders favor the PPL split because it allows them to target specific muscle groups with greater intensity and volume per muscle group than a full-body workout. It also provides adequate recovery time for each muscle group.

What is the scientifically proven best split?

Push-Pull-Legs Split (5 or 6 Days / Week)

As you progress even further, training the entire body over 3 days will allow you to do even more volume. This is done by grouping each workout day with push, pull and leg muscles. Push muscles are Chest, Triceps and Shoulders.

What is the 321 method of weight lifting?

“The 3-2-1 stands for three days of strength training, two days of Pilates, and one day dedicated toward your cardio work,” Fisher stated.

What is the 54321 routine?

What is the 54321 method? The 54321 (or 5-4-3-2-1) method is a grounding exercise designed to manage acute stress and reduce anxiety. It involves identifying 5 things you can see, 4 things you can touch, 3 things you can hear, 2 things you can smell, and 1 thing you can taste.

What is the 5x5 rule in lifting?

5×5 means you do five sets of five reps with the same weight. These are “straight sets” or “sets across”. On the Squat, Bench Press, Overhead Press and Barbell Row you do 5×5. Say you Squat 5×5 225lb (total weight including the bar, because you lift it).

Does 531 build muscle?

Both yes and no. The base version of 5/3/1 doesn't offer enough volume for much muscle growth, and the reps are too low. However, when you add on something like the 'Big But Boring' assistance template and start doing 5 sets of 10 to finish off each workout, you will absolutely start to see some serious muscle growth.

How long to stay on 531?

Each program cycle lasts 4 weeks, with 3 weeks of increasing intensity, followed by 1 week of deload. 5/3/1 BBB is designed to be done for multiple cycles as long as you are able to make strength gains. You an run BBB for months and years.

Is 1200 a good powerlifting total?

A 1200 pound 3-lift total (bench press, squats and deadlifts) is more than 95% of gym rats will ever accomplish. A 1500 pound 3-lift total is a huge accomplishment, and will be hard to beat at most local, natural powerlifting meets.

What is the Jim Wendler split?

What Is the 5/3/1 Workout? The 5/3/1 workout is a powerlifting program designed by powerlifter Jim Wendler. The key concept is to slowly build strength through four barbell weightlifting exercises: the parallel squat, bench press, deadlift, and the shoulder press, also known as overhead press or military press.

Is 531 good for deadlifts?

Focusing on the big lifts – squats, deadlifts, bench press and overhead press – this method is effective for newer lifters and gym veterans alike. A strength blueprint for many, it delivers consistent results on a long-term basis.

What is the Texas method workout?

The Texas Method is a three-days-per-week training regimen that emphasizes volume on Mondays, active recovery on Wednesdays, and intensity on Fridays.

What is the 333 grounding technique?

The 333 rule may ease anxiety by shifting a person's attention back to the present moment, a technique known as grounding. To use the rule, people can identify 3 objects they can see, hear, and touch or move. An advantage of the 333 rule is that it does not require any supplies, such as a notebook or a pencil.

What is the 3 2 1 method of powerlifting?

The 3-2-1 refers to your weekly split of workouts - three strength training sessions, two Pilates sessions, and one cardio session. All up, that's six sessions per week, leaving you one full rest day, too.

What is the 5-4-3-2-1 rule for packing?

The 5-4-3-2-1 packing method is very simple: The numbers represent the number of certain items of clothing. According to the method, five tops, four bottoms, three shoes, two dresses, and an accessory set—consisting of a jewelry set, sunglasses, and a hat—should go in your suitcase.

What is the 80 20 rule workout?

It's called 80/20 training—essentially, doing light workouts 80 percent of the time and pushing yourself at a challenging level 20 percent of the time.

What is the 421 hourglass method?

The 4-2-1 method structures your week of workouts around four days of strength training, two days of cardio, and one day of mobility or active rest, designed to optimize fat loss while maintaining muscle mass.

What is the 2 for 2 rule in lifting?

The rule that both NSCA and the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) recommend is the “2-for-2 rule.” After a few workout sessions, you can increase the weight for a certain exercise once you can perform two more repetitions beyond your repetition goal for the last set for two weeks in a row.

What split builds the most muscle?

The push/pull/legs split is probably the most efficient workout split there is because all related muscle groups are trained together in the same workout. This means that you get the maximum overlap of movements within the same workout, and the muscle groups being trained get an overall benefit from this overlap.

What is the hardest split to do?

The 5–7–10 is considered the most embarrassing split of all, because not only is it almost impossible to make, it is left by throwing a "flat ball", that is, a shot with no revolutions or action on it.

What is hypertrophy?

WHAT IS HYPERTROPHY? Muscle hypertrophy (known simply as hypertrophy) is an increase in the size of a muscle, or its cross- sectional area attributed to an increase in the size and/ or number of myofibrils (actin and myosin) within a given muscle fiber.

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