I've been doing the nsuns 5/3/1 workout from reddit for a good solid 5 months and while I really enjoyed the program there is some personal pros and cons to it and I wanted to explain why I won't be doing it anymore either. For those interested I'll try to briefly explain what nsuns is and if you want a more in depth walkthrough of the program check the reddit here.
*This is my personal review, I'm just a regular guy that likes to exercise and share my view. I'm not claiming to be anything more than just sharing an opinion of what I experienced*nsuns 5/3/1 is a program that condenses the 4 weeks of Jim Wendler 5/3/1 into one workout week. The workout sessions lasted me anywhere from 1hr 30min up to 2hrs on hard leg days with lots of accessories. I got a decent level of strength increase and some improved aesthetics. In the end going on the 6 day squat version with workouts taking up to 2hrs+ I got bored eventually. So now I'm doing a PPL with a few extra accessories. I will say that doing nsuns for a while has really helped increase my endurance as well. I used to be gased out from 1hr long workouts of lifting weights(like Greyskulls,Starting Strength). Now I often workout for 1hr 20min+ and still have some energy left.
- 4/5/6 day versions available depending on your schedule.
- You always feel like you're progressing because you only do 1 rep+ at near training maxes.
- LP program means you are always increasing the weight if ever so slightly, compared to 5/3/1 which is usually an increase every 4 weeks.
- Massive amount of sets and reps gives you increased endurance and stamina after prolonged workout sessions.
- Can increase your strength rapidly due to the huge amount of volume in the workout program (IF you sleep 8-9 hrs+ and get in a surplus of calories).
- Something to do 6 days a week if you so choose and 1 day to rest or do yoga.
- A beginner can do this program(with proper guidance) but won't be making max strength gains because this program is a mix of aesthetic/strength.
- Very long workouts even with super setting.
- Not very user friendly unless running an app or spreadsheet to track weights/sets ( I use Personal Training Coach app premium version).
- Can be overwhelming amount of sets and reps when first starting out.
- Need to read the reddit to find optimal suggested accessories to balance out the big amount of pressing movements.
- Requires you to be sure to sleep enough for growth.
- Requires you to be eating enough because this program becomes much harder on a calorie cut.
Overall as you can see in my Pros/Cons listed that nsuns actually has a lot going for it but the cons could be huge for some people depending on their lifestyle. I was able to run the 6 day version for a few months before I went to the 5 day mostly. Eventually I got burnt out too with it but I might go back to it at some point in the future. I need to build my strength up more because I felt like doing 8 reps of a low weight bench press was not very valuable of my time when I could be doing a 5×5 heavier bench press set in PPL. Depending on your goals if you want a mix between aesthetics and some strength nsuns 5/3/1 is good.
Here are some workout clips I've attached from my nsuns workout you can watch on youtube.
About Author
Lloyd L.
Thank you for visiting my website. My name is Lloyd and I live in Hawaii. I started working out in 2010. Read more on how I overcame adversity and transformed my life forever!