5/3/1 for Beginners

“Generally, I tell everyone to just do the program as is, regardless of training age. Of course, if you’re a trainer and are using the program with a novice athlete or someone new to training, simply use your experience to make whatever changes are required – though there shouldn’t be many (if any).

Now if you’re a beginner and are working out without any guidance whatsoever, it’s best to just stick with the basic program. One of the worst things a young lifter can do is take advice from other beginners on message boards – they usually have all the advice and none of the experience. Below is one beginner modification that’s permissible, and effective. It’s a subtle, easy way to add in some extra work on the main lifts without compromising the program or the philosophies it was built upon. You perform a full-body routine, three days a week. Full body strength routines are the best way for novice lifters to quickly get strong, provided the program isn’t stupid (i.e. adheres to an intelligent progression system). Instead of just one main lift per workout (using the 5/3/1 set-up), two main lifts are used for additional weekly exposures. Remember that the training max must be correct and if in doubt, err on the side of “too light”. Principles guide life AND training.”