5, 3, 2 Strength Program

Strength

There is nothing more raw and powerful than handling several hundred pounds in your hands or on your back and banging out a few reps or just one all-out max rep.

The secret to getting stronger is to use some form of periodization in your training. Periodization involves the changing of weight and rep ranges over time.

Read more about periodization.

As long as you use some systematic method of changing your weight and rep ranges you will gain strength. Examples include my Micro Muscle/Shortcut To Size and 1, 2, 3 – Lean/Shortcut To Shred.

Other good examples are Strong In 8 and Super-Man to name just a few:

These are all great programs that will help you get stronger, as well as gain more muscle mass and even get leaner.

But if you want to focus on really maximizing your one-rep max strength, then I have just the program for you – The 5, 3, 2 Strength Program.

The 5, 3, 2 Strength Program is based on a tried and true method that numerous powerlifters have sworn by for decades.

This is a 10-week strength program that starts off heavy and gets even heavier as the program progresses. It is a simple program to follow as the numbers (5, 3 and 2) represent the number of sets you perform for the main exercises, the number of reps you complete on each set, and the number of weeks that you train with that set/rep scheme.

For example, the first five weeks (Phase 1) use the 5 x 5 system.

You will start with a weight that you can complete 5 sets of 5 reps with. You keep the weight the same on all 5 sets. And yes, you have to compete all 5 reps on all 5 sets. Take 2-3 minutes of rest between sets. Your goal is to attempt to increase the weight you use for this 5 sets of 5 reps over the 5 weeks.

After 5 weeks on the 5 x 5 system, you switch to a 3 x 3 system for 3 weeks (Phase 2: weeks 6-8).

Here you choose a weight you can do for 3 sets of 3 reps with a 2-3 minute rest period between sets. Again, the goal is to increase the amount of weight you can use over the 3 weeks.

The last 2 weeks you switch to a 2 x 2 system (Phase 3: weeks 9 and 10).

And if you've caught on to the pattern here, that means that you will find a weight that allows you to complete 2 sets of 2 reps with 2-3 minutes of rest between sets.

The 5, 3, 2 Strength Program forces your muscles to adapt to the progressively heavier weight by getting stronger: much stronger.

It essentially follows a linear periodized scheme where over time the weighs get heavier and heavier and the reps get lower and lower.

During the 5, 3, 2 Strength Program you will do one major exercise per major muscle group using this 5, 3, 2 Strength Program on.

No, this doesn't mean that you will be doing just one exercise per muscle group. This simply means that you're doing just one exercise with the 5, 3, 2 plan. You'll also do other exercises for each muscle group, just not

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