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Jim Wendler Strength & Powerlifting Programs

Here are strength and powerlifting programs created by Jim Wendler. Some have been reinterpreted from books or other materials published by Jim. These are not official publications from him.

To explore the rest of the Lift Vault program collection, check out the Lift Vault Program Library.

To learn more about Jim Wendler, visit JimWendler.com.

5/3/1 for Beginners Spreadsheet & Tips

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5/3/1 is one of the most popular strength training programs ever, influencing other programs like GZCL and nSuns along the way. Its popularity has stemmed from its simplicity, flexibility, and ability to be run over and over for long periods of time. It favors slow, steady, repeatable progression over the long term instead of programs that pile on the weight for a few weeks or months before progress grinds to a halt. [Read more…]

Boring But Big: 5/3/1 BBB Spreadsheets

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Boring But Big (BBB) is a variation of Jim Wendler’s 5/3/1 template that focuses on high volume accessory work to induce hypertrophy after the main “5/3/1” work is finished. The BBB supplemental work follows a scheme of 5 sets of 10 reps (5×10). It is both brutally simple and effective, making it one of the most popular 5/3/1 variations. [Read more…]

5/3/1 BBB for Bodybuilding Spreadsheet

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5/3/1 BBB for bodybuilding is an interpretation of Jim Wendler’s 5/3/1 BBB strength program that is focused on bodybuilding aesthetics and hypertrophy instead of raw strength.

It is run for 7 weeks per cycle with 4 training days per week. [Read more…]

Benching the Monolith Program Spreadsheet

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Benching the Monolith is a version of Jim Wendler’s Building the Monolith program that focuses on, you guessed it, the bench press. [Read more…]

Building the Monolith Program Spreadsheet (kg + lb)

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Building the Monolith was created by Jim Wendler, who wrote the 5/3/1 programs and inspired other programs like GZCL and NSuns, Building the Monolith is designed for advanced athletes looking to break through plateaus, not novice or intermediate lifters. For a bench-focused variation of this program, check out Benching the Monolith. [Read more…]

nSuns 5/3/1 Complete Program Collection (4 Day, 5 Day, Cap3, and More)

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nSuns 5/3/1 is a linear progression powerlifting program that was inspired by Jim Wendler’s 5/3/1 strength program. It progresses on a weekly basis, making it well suited for late stage novice and early intermediate lifters. It is known for its challenging amount of volume. Those who stick with it tend to find great results from the additional work capacity.

Redditor /u/nsuns assembled a 5/3/1/ LP spreadsheet complete with 4, 5, and 6 day variants in addition to deadlift and squat specific workloads to help everyone get stronger.

Use the table of contents to jump to your desired spreadsheet or read on below to learn about which nSuns program you should run.

[Read more…]

Jim Wendler’s 5/3/1 Workout Program Spreadsheets

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More of a template than a strict program, many variations of 5/3/1 exist. You’ll find some of the best spreadsheets for these variations here. All of them will get you stronger by focusing on steady progression of the Big 3 lifts though. Jim Wendler’s popular 5/3/1 template was highly influential on the popular GZCL and nSuns programs.

The program is comprised of 3 and 4 week cycles, designed to run indefinitely.

[Read more…]