Note: I received this testimonial recently and thought it would be great to share. There is a growing number of fire fighters and LEO's that take their training seriously and many of them have time constraints. They also need to be able to do many skills OTHER than just lifting heavy weights - you don't need to be able to run a 4.4 40 yard dash but if you are strong, mobile and can run, you stand a better chance against whatever you are up against. This does not mean an elaborate program with all the bells and whistles - coaches (real coaches) have known for decades that a balanced program can be simple and more effective than trying to do everything, all the time. The key is to have a solid program that assures each area is covered and done so with a logical progression.
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Just wanted to say thank you. Bought the first 5/3/1 book a few years ago, gave it a half-assed effort and got half-assed returns. I was a ball player through college, still think of myself as an athlete, and found myself as a 40 year old that needed the strength back I once had for several reasons. The main one being I am a cop. And I keep getting older, but the assholes I deal with don't. When I looked at my requirements, they followed as such: I needed to be able to run 100-400m with a vest (35ish lbs), tackle a human, and still be able to "convince" them to go with me. As long as I had those things in my corner I felt that I stood a good chance to return home each day.
I had decided January 2016 that I was finally sick of it. I had jumped on the crossfit train for several years and it ended with stupid injuries that were avoidable. I had tried power athlete for a while, but don't have 4 1/2 hours to workout everyday.
I returned to 5/3/1 but modified it depending on my work schedule. The only hardline constants I focused on was hitting the numbers for that day, exceeding the rep for the last set, and sprinting/sled push twice a week. Sometimes I crammed the lifts into 2 days a week and the sprinting on the other two. Or I just did everything on 2 days (lifting and sled work).
I started in January and stayed on it until December 2016. Results...
Squat: +40
Deadlift: +25,
Press: +15
and I benched.
The OH and bench were the hardest to judge, but were the biggest wins. My shoulders were f'd and I had done neither in a while. Just the fact of being able to bench was a win, much less with any load. I also found the more dips I did the better my shoulders felt.
That's it, and that's where I find the beauty in this program. When I tell my co-workers what I have done, or give them the book, they seem puzzled. I believe the beauty in your program is this, its simple, but done right not easy.
Thanks for what you do, Mike S.
5/3/1 for Football & Basketball
5/3/1 for College and Pro Baseball
5/3/1 for Girl's Field Hockey
