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Primal 531 Strength Building Workout

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June 08, 2011

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The Primal 531 Strength Building

Workout is for experienced beginners
or intermediate lifters who want to focus
on improving their strength in the big
four lifts as fast as possible. These lifts
are:
Bench Press
Squat
Deadlift
Overhead Press

3 Week Periodization Cycle

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For each of these lifts you will follow a 3 week periodization cycle.
Week 1 5 sets x 5 reps, using 80% of your week 3 weight.

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Week 2 5 sets x 3 reps, using 90% of your week 3 weight.

Week 3 5 sets x 1 reps

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First cycle. For your first cycle, base your week 3 lifts on 80% of your 1RM (one rep max). For
example, if your bench press is 300 pounds, your first 3 week cycle would look like this:

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Week 1 190 pounds x 5 sets x 5 reps

Week 2 215 pounds x 5 sets x 3 reps
Week 3 240 pounds x 5 sets x 1 rep
Always round down when calculating the weight to be used.
Progression. After each 3 week periodization cycle you will be adding weight, or progressing.
First add this weight to week 3, and then calculate the amount of weight to be used for weeks 1
and 2. There are several ways to approach weight progression:
Method 1 This progression approach is for lifters who are still relatively weak and have
a lot of strength left to gain. After each 3 week cycle, add 5 pounds to your bench press
and overhead press and 10 pounds to squats and deadlifts.
Method 2 The progression approach is for lifters who are relatively strong, but who will
find adding 5 pounds each 3 week cycle nearly impossible. Method 2 involves
microloading. Each 3 week cycle you will add 3 pounds to the bar. I recommend keeping
this approach gradual, adding one pound each week.
Method 1 will yield about a 175 pound gain on squats and deadlifts over the course of a year,
and 85-90 pounds to your bench press and overhead press.
Method 2 will yield up to a 50 pound gain per lift each year. If a 3 pound microload each cycle
becomes too much, reduce the microload to 1-2 pounds per cycle.
Plateau. If you reach failure on any of the sets during a 3 week cycle you may be close to hitting
a plateau. Dont immediately assume that one bad workout equals the end of the road. If you find
that you have hit failure on sets during back to back cycles, it is strongly recommended that you
drop the weight by 10% and start the program over with this lighter weight.

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2 Day 531 Variation

You can make substantial progress on as little as two training days per week. If you lead a busy
life but still want to build strength (and muscle) at a rapid pace, then this program will serve you
well.
There are several ways to perform the 2 day 531 variation:
Monday and Thursday
Tuesday and Friday
Wednesday and Saturday
Thursday and Sunday
Every third day. You may also choose to use this program every third day. If you use this
approach, a 3 week cycle will be completed in only 18 days. Take the extra 3 days off and rest
so that the full cycle rounds out at 21 days.

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Accessory sets. For each exercise except weighted sit ups, you will be performing ramped sets.
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Set 1 60% for 10 reps
Set 2 80% for 10 reps
Set 3 -100% for MAX reps

When you can perform more than 10 reps on set 3, add more weight the next time you
perform this exercise. Please understand that the listed percentages are merely guidelines.
There is no need to overly obsess about exact weight as long as they are in the proper ballpark.
Dips and pull ups can be more challenging, especially if you do not have access to a harness to
add weight. In this case, perform only 10 reps on the first 2 sets, and knock out as many as
possible on set 3 (up to 20 reps).
If dips or pull ups become too easy, it may be in your best interest to use dumbbell rows and
close grip bench press as substitutions.

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3 Day 531 Variation

The 3 day variation of the Primal 531 Workout program is the best choice for most natural
lifters. It allows you to train hard and focus on the big lifts on Monday and Friday, while
performing a minimum amount of accessory work. Wednesdays are used primarily for accessory
work, and are considered a moderate training day.

Accessory sets. Accessory sets are ramped.

Planks. If planks become too easy, feel free to find another ab exercise that provides
progressive resistance. You may also choose to use dumbbell side bends.

4 Day 531 Variation

The 4 day variation of the Primal 531 Workout program is a solid choice for experienced
intermediate lifters who know their bodies and capabilities well.
Monday Squats day
Tuesday Bench Press day
Thursday Deadlift day
Friday Overhead Press day

There are innumerable ways to structure a 4 day split, and approaches will vary wildly based on
goals. Therefore, I have only provided a bare bones structure. Once again, this approach is for
experienced intermediate lifters.
If you do not know how to structure accessory work based on your needs, then I do not
recommend using a 4 day approach. Those with an eye on bodybuilding may chose to use
bodypart splits. Those who favor powerlifting may integrate some Wendler or Westside ideas
and approaches.

Warmup Sets
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The following are recommend warmup approaches for the heavy lifts. Accessory work is ramped
and shouldnt require additional warmup sets. Always land on the side of caution when warming
up. If you feel you need an additional warmup set, please use one. Once again, this is only a
guideline.
5 x 5 Protocol
On 5 sets x 5 rep days, your warmup sets should look something like this:
Warmup Set 1 Bar x 10-15 reps
Warmup Set 2 50% of working weight x 5 reps
Warmup Set 3 75% of working weight x 3-5 reps
5 x 3 Protocol
On 5 sets x 3 rep days, your warmup sets should look something like this:
Warmup Set 1 Bar x 10-15 reps
Warmup Set 2 50% of working weight x 5 reps
Warmup Set 3 75% of working weight x 3 reps
5 x 1 Protocol
On 5 sets x 1 rep days, your warmup sets should look something like this:
Warmup Set 1 Bar x 10-15 reps
Warmup Set 2 40% of working weight x 5 reps
Warmup Set 3 60% of working weight x 3 reps
Warmup Set 4 80% of working weight x 1 reps

The Overhead Press

You may use any quality barbell overhead press variation, including:
Seated behind the neck press
Seated military press
Push press
Standing behind the neck press
Standing strict military press

Workout Notes
Weighted Sit Ups. Hold a 10, 25 or 45 pound plate on your chest. Perform up to 25 reps per
set. While weighted sit ups are a very effective choice, you can really use any abdominal
exercise that allows progressive resistance such as rope cable crunches.
Calf Raises. These are performed standing while holding a barbell. You may choose to perform
calf raises with the balls of your feet upon a 5 or 10 pound plate, but this is not a requirement.
You may also use a standing or seated calf raise, or calf raises on a leg press machine.
Pull Ups. Make sure you are performing pull ups (palms facing away) and not chin ups. If you
cant perform any pull ups, substitute in dumbbell rows or seated cable rows, and perform 3 sets
of 10 reps.
Curls. Any barbell or dumbbell curling variation may be used.

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3 Com m ent
s
withey tig hty August 19, 2012 at 9:21 pm - Reply
not to be confused with Jim Wendlers 5/3/1 though. Here the percentages and rep schemes are off
Like or Dislike:

Po o p man July 7, 2012 at 9:53 am - Reply

Poopman be very impressed!
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Jo el
Twitter: jg ar77
June 9, 2011 at 12:10 am - Reply

Thanks! This is a very comprehensive posting.

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