Every once in a while you come across a really cool program, and wonder, “why am I the only one doing this around here?” and “why haven’t you heard about this yet?” and that is exactly how I feel about Jim Wendler’s 5/3/1 program.  I find strength empowering and today I want to tell you about getting strong with 5/3/1.

Get Strong, Stay Strong

I can see how it’s probably far less intimidating to go with whatever everyone else is doing, like the latest bikini body in 30-days program, Zumba/Kickboxing class/Yoga class (all in one now!) ,  P-90X, or the latest Jillian Micheal’s DVD because your neighbor (I’m not your neighbor), BFF, co-worker, etc did it and so why can’t you?  You might be the same person who thinks a powerlifting program like 5/3/1 is only for powerlifters, but it isn’t.   The way this program is written (simple), everyone from the relative beginner to an experienced lifter can bust through a training plateau (we’ve all been there), set new personal records, and get a whole lot stronger… man or woman.

One single cycle lasts a brief 4 weeks, with the final week being a deload week, so technically, you can see measurable results in three weeks.   The program is built upon 4 basic strength training exercises that we’ve all seen:  the squat, bench press, the deadlift, and the overhead press.  Each workout is incredibly quick, with the main focus being to kick your own butt hard on the last set.

You know how when you get done with running 4 miles on the treadmill and say “boy am I glad that’s over?”  This program leaves you with a real sense of accomplishment, because on 5/3/1 you set a new record for your maximum number of reps with a certain weight on the final set.  You can end the workout right there, or as one of my favorite friends on the Body Building Revealed forum put it: “Rack the weight and scream victoriously. Punch shoulders, high fives, etc, optional.”  If you’ve got more time, the program allows for assistance work.

Some of my proudest moments on 5/3/1 include: bench pressing my own body weight, deadlifting  175 lbs for reps,  and hammering out 52 body weight pull-ups. Yeah, I should clarify that one.  On OHP day, the “triumvirate” option for assistance work calls for 5 sets of 10 reps of body weight chin-ups or pull-ups.

I had to break my work into more than 5 sets, and I easily could have stopped at failure around 5-7 reps. I didn’t though, and managed to get in more than 50 total reps for pull-ups by doing 10 sets. I’m proud of me, even though according to my three-year old, I look like a “little big pink dinosaur” when I do pull-ups.  Moral of the story: don’t do pull-ups in hot pink pants.

Yeah, the snow may be melting for some of us, and there are certain warm, spring-like days where you can’t turn your head without seeing another jogger pounding the pavement.   As nice as the sunlight is, it’s not as tempting as setting my back and shoulder blades into position under the weight of the barbell for squats and feeling a weight that could possibly crush me.

Nor is it as rewarding as knowing my dainty hands can pull a (relatively) heavy weight off the floor by dropping my hips and pushing the earth away for a heart pounding set of deadlifts, or “bench press a fitness model” (i.e., I benched my own body weight) for another proud moment on a “regular” old day at the gym.  You could endure another boring work out in which you make zero progress, or set your own personal record in an otherwise mundane and uneventful gym.

It’s only week 1 for me on Jim Wendler’s 5/3/1 Program, billed as: “The Simplest and Most Effective Training System for Raw Strength” and I’m already having a blast.  Course, if you know me, it doesn’t take much to get me excited about barbell training, but the combination of simple, effective, and raw strength sealed the deal for me.

As a mom juggling two jobs, a simple, efficient, and effective training program is the only kind of training I really have the time for. In addition, 5/3/1 lines up perfectly with my goals, to get stronger in the big lifts: squats, deadlifts, bench press, and overhead press (OHP).

And although the program enjoys plenty of popularity among powerlifters who use Wendler’s 5/3/1/ program to prepare for meets (see: http://flexcart.com/members/elitefts/default.asp?cid=370&m=PD&pid=2976) I see absolutely no reason why I can’t try it! In fact, I’ve always admired the brawny powerlifting culture: it’s somewhat hidden from public view, but full of heart.  So today I want to tell you about my first week on 5/3/1.

“Powerlifting? Why would you want to do THAT?”

But rather than instantly launch into some sort of discussion on how much weight I blasted and how sore I felt in a variety of new places, what I really want to talk about is how much fun I’m having just doing it.

I know from everything I’ve read and heard that 5/3/1 is an intelligently designed program built on the main goal of getting stronger.  I may not be deadlifting a car, nor do I necessarily have “the build” to be a successful competitive powerlifter, but anyone can still succeed with a powerlifting program if your lifts progress over time. It’s all relative.

It’s highly unlikely I’m going to impress anyone (but myself!) with the numbers I press or blast, but I’m learning new technique, having fun with the heavy metal, and succeeding in my own right.  So who cares whether other people understand (let alone approve of) it or not?

The point is ladies (and dudes), if you really want to try something different and fun with your workouts, and it matches up with your goals, this is the year you ought to go for it. To put it in the simplest terms, engage in a great fitness endeavor because you just WANT TO. Not because you’re necessarily training to be competitive body builder, or powerlifter, or elite marathon runner or whatever.

I’ve been dismissed by enough people who’ve scoffed: “Powerlifting? Why would anyone want to do THAT?” like I was about to take a dive in molten lava or shave off my eyebrows  (I did that.)  Is it because (*gasp*) I’m a GIRL and god forbid I break a nail, mess up my hair, or grow a callous or two?  Or worse, a pretty girl might just BLOW UP overnight and be as big as this dude? http://www.elitefts.com/images/PICTURES/Critical-Bench-Jim/Wendler2.jpg

It reminds me of a brilliant post a friend’s daughter posted here http://tellyroftales.com/?p=375 (read the short article and scroll to the comic.) Picking up barbells, getting stronger, running faster, building muscle or whatever can be a deeply personal challenge,  but you don’t have to bench press 500 lbs, squat 1000 lbs, walk the competition stage, or run in every single race to prove some sort of deep, meaningful point.  You can be a fitness success story in your own right.  Do it for you, and more importantly, because it’s totally awesome.