Please note: This is not official 5/3/1 advice and is not associated in any way with Jim Wendler. If you want official 5/3/1 advice, buy the book.
The Bodyweight template is a 5/3/1 assistance option where every accessory movement is a bodyweight exercise. You run the main lift through 5/3/1, then build muscle and work capacity with chin-ups, dips, push-ups, and the like. No extra plates required.
Table of Contents
What is the 5/3/1 Bodyweight Template?
After the main lift, you do a rotation of bodyweight movements for high reps. Wendler treats bodyweight strength, things like chin-ups, dips, and push-ups, as a baseline of fitness worth training directly, so the whole assistance block is built from them. It’s a clean fit for home or minimal-equipment setups, and it keeps assistance simple: a few movements, lots of reps.
Bodyweight Example
After your main 5/3/1 work, run several rounds of a short bodyweight circuit with brief rest. A typical day might target:
- Chin-ups: around 10 reps per set
- Dips: around 15 reps per set
- Push-ups: around 25 reps per set
- Hanging Leg Raises: around 10 reps per set
Progress by adding 5 reps across the board once you complete every set with clean form. When a movement starts running long (say 50-plus reps per set), add load with a weighted vest or dip belt instead of chasing endless reps.
Who Should Use It
The Bodyweight template suits anyone training at home or with minimal equipment, lifters who want to own their bodyweight in basic movements, and anyone who likes low-fuss assistance. It pairs the strength focus of 5/3/1’s main work with the kind of calisthenic base that keeps you athletic.
Bodyweight Template Resources
Here are some helpful resources on bodyweight assistance in 5/3/1:
- Bodyweight Assistance Work, excerpt from 5/3/1 Forever (Jim Wendler)
- 5/3/1 for Beginners (The Fitness Wiki)
- r/531Discussion (Reddit)
5/3/1 Glossary
Learn about other 5/3/1 terms in our 5/3/1 glossary.
5/3/1 Forever Book (Recommended Reading)
To best utilize the 5/3/1 training framework, the book is highly recommended. It’s a small investment for a lifetime of training knowledge.
The most up-to-date and complete collection of Jim Wendler's 5/3/1 programming framework. Contains dozens of templates to keep 5/3/1 fresh and adaptable.
