The "3 by 5" Protocol: How & Why to Build Your Strength | Dr. Andrew Huberman
Dr. Andrew Huberman discusses the benefits of incorporating low repetition strength training into one's fitness regimen, highlighting improved strength, cardiovascular performance, and reduced soreness based on his experiences and discussions with Dr. Andy Galpin.
Dr. Andrew Huberman is a tenured professor of neurobiology and ophthalmology at Stanford University School of Medicine and host of the Huberman Lab Podcast.
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Summary: The discussion emphasizes the benefits of incorporating low-repetition, high-intensity strength training into a workout regimen, particularly focusing on the 3-5 rep range. While many people typically train in the 5-15 rep range for resistance exercises, training in the 3-5 rep range can offer significant advantages. This type of training, advocated by Dr. Andy Galpin, involves performing 3-5 sets of 3-5 repetitions for each exercise, with 3-5 minutes of rest between sets. This protocol is recommended for a period of 8-12 weeks. One major benefit of this approach is increased strength. By training with heavier weights and lower reps, individuals can build strength more effectively than with higher-rep ranges. This increased strength can then translate to improvements in other areas of fitness, such as endurance training. The protocol also helps improve cardiovascular output, even though the heavy sets themselves may not significantly elevate heart rate. This improvement is likely due to the overall increase in muscle strength and efficiency. Another notable benefit is reduced soreness. Unlike training in higher rep ranges, which can lead to significant muscle soreness, training with heavy weights and low reps tends to result in less soreness the following day. Additionally, many individuals report feeling more mentally fresh and energetic after completing a workout using this protocol, compared to higher-rep workouts, which can leave them feeling mentally fatigued. It's important to note that while this approach is highly effective for building strength, it may not be suitable for everyone. Some individuals may find it challenging to recover from workouts done in the 3-5 rep range, especially if they are not accustomed to this type of training. Additionally, those with certain health conditions or injuries may need to modify the protocol to suit their needs.
Thanks
Example of a week of such workout?
AI summary?
@@Ben_Neill Assuming so
@@JustBrowsing777 You are welcome
Starting Strength for the win
Yup, seems like Rip was right all along.
Most common: Stronglifts is 5x5 Starting strength is 3x5
The problem is if you’re not already in pretty good shape with weight training then lifting heavy with low reps is just a good way to get injured.
Well, if you're a beginner, don't do it. This protocol appears to be for advanced people.
You should not be struggling to finish your reps until you are a competent lifter. It has nothing to do with shape, everything to do with knowledge/experience of fighting injury
@@caio1820 right, not for beginners or older folks concerned about their joints.
You realise that 3x5 is Starting Strength? For beginners.
It only needs to be “heavy” to you. It’s relative.
Idea for an episode…Dr. galpin, Peter Attila, and you are all consistent trainers with some control over your schedules (not suggesting that you aren’t very busy, just that your career trajectory has given you some flexibility to train), but most of us need to work around an 8ish to 6ish schedule where we need to commute to work then attend multiple meetings, then maintain our personal relationships before bedtime. A protocol for people who have 45 minutes per day, 5 times per week, for example. Another idea…a protocol for people who have either not trained for a while or have specilized in running with zero lifting (or vice versa) would be helpful. Nothing kills motivation more quickly than extreme soreness when you’re trying to ease into an exercises that you haven’t done for a while. Thanks for all the wonderful info and interesting science.
Rip has been preaching this for years!
Find out what works for you. I’m a 60 year old retiree who’s been weightlifting for over 20 years now, and I have difficulty maintaining good form in the 3 to 5 rep range. I work out in the 8 to 12 rep range, and practice the usual progressive overload protocol: I try to add 1 more rep each session, and once I can do more than 12 reps, I bump up the weight and drop the reps. Rinse and repeat 🙂 My point is that I’m now lifting weights that were 3 to 5 rep weights for me several years ago; it just took me longer to get to this point. If you can lift in the 3 to 5 rep range, by all means add it to your repertoire. Just know that there are options if you can’t.
It took that long because you’re doing it right, likely injury free, and maintaining healthy workloads. I’m a PT and a CSCS, you keep it up and you’ll stay healthy. Great work
Amazing / working on running form this morning!!! Perfect!
Tried this yesterday and i was shocked - lifted much more on every exercise and had plenty of energy because of the longer rest periods. Definitely going to keep on doing this.
Here to say, you’re the man. Thank you for your work.
Thanks for sharing this potent info!
This is what Michael Matthews has been preaching for years and I had the exact same results following that as described here
Consider incorporating low repetition, pure strength work into your training cycle for at least 8-12 weeks to gain strength, improve cardiovascular performance, and reduce muscle soreness. 0:02 Train specifically in the three to five repetition range for substantial benefits, including persistent strength and improved form in higher repetition ranges. 1:06 Utilize the three by five protocol for resistance training, emphasizing three to five exercises per workout, sets, repetitions per set, and minutes of rest between sets. 5:15 Adapt your training frequency according to your personal recovery capacity and lifestyle constraints, focusing on quality over quantity. 5:57 Adjust repetition ranges for small muscle groups to five to eight repetitions to ensure adequate fatigue and good form. 7:32 Return to higher repetition ranges (six to ten repetitions) after the strength-focused period to continue inducing hypertrophy while maintaining strength gains. 8:44
Great to have this very knowledgeable and experienced doctor ! RESPECT !
This further reinforced the idea behind my training in Calisthenics that focuses on low reps (3x generally) with proper form as the fundamental of mastering a movement with additional strength required.
When I was a powerlifter, this was the range I always trained in. I was always more interested in relative strength than my absolute strength. That made me a candidate to try calisthenics skills, which is what I now concentrate on.
Such amazing value from this knowledge!
Fabulous Endurance 😊 ...Some of us Need to be doing Strength and Resistance Training. So Low Repetition is Good for Strength and Cardiovascular 😊😊😊 Blessings Professor This Ones a Keeper
I started lifting heavy 5x5 last month and was planning on sticking with this until my gains plateau then I'll drop the weight some so that I can start hitting a 10-15 reps per set range.
This is so helpful ! It's changing my life as I apply it into my life-specially work. Thank you !
It's the old school periodization. I cycle through 8 week periods of barbell strength training, machines hypertrophy training and functional training using kettlebells and clubbells.
I like that protocol!
@@myershi8a great programs should incorporate all rep ranges. I go 3-5 on main lifts, 6-8 on a supplemental lift, 10-12 on most accessory lifta but will incorporate some higher 15 plus rep sets some finishing acessory exercises as well
3 to 5 protocol comes from Pavel Tsatsouline book Beyond bodybuilding, real that for more specifics
Thanks for this, AH. You’re the man.
Thank you 🙏🏼
Thank you for the motivation!
when it comes to hypertrophy and training i would really love to see Paul Carter and Chris Beardsley on the podcast. I do know they have their own podcast running at the moment but it would be nice see you 3 or you and 1 of them talking.
Thanks for posting this video.
I agree.
Which episode is this from please?
This is like true functional fitness. How many of us working doing heavy physical things like moving equipment or shoving some beems into place need to be able to do insanely heavy things every once in a while.
Thanks, for the tip.
This is great ty!!
Very concise and practical advice!
Hey Andrew ! Love all your work. Love to pick your brain about crossfit and the pros and cons of it. Fan from Puerto Rico 🇵🇷
Thank you for the informative video. Longer-term, if one only has time for ~3 weight training sessions per week, do you believe based on your research that the best combined strength and hypertrophy outcomes come from periodical training for strength vs hypertrophy (e.g. 12 weeks 3 by 5 followed by 12 weeks hypertrophy OR instead per week do a combination of strength and hypertrophy workouts?
For optimal results, I watch this video 3 to 5 times a week, 3 to 5 minutes at a time at 3 to 5 x speed
This is the Starting Strength ethos. You love to see it.
So the old school 5X5 training was on to something then.
Stronglifts for the Win!
I had the biggest gains while doing 5x5
I only do this
The vast majority of training wisdom was solidified by the 80s. After that science has just been approving what the common wisdom was anyway.
@@jvm-tvthat’s true, people don’t realise we mostly have same knowledge since 80s. It’s like loop we stuck in, people take old concepts, give a new packaging and act like it’s something new. There is not really that much novelties as people think
I train grappling and do something similar...sports specific movements for low reps. I am currently on a cut to fall into a particular weight categor. This helps me to maintain and even increase strength at a lower bodyweight. Also, i feel less sore after lifting and can thus dedicate more time to the mats.
Would love to hear a Huberman take on current research for menopausal women, specifically, and how this may fit into our overall strength and health given some of the differences in how men and women build muscle. Thoughts? I think this is beneficial for sure but would love to hear some professional opinions on ths.
Alright, non-professional rando here, just in case no actual expert chimes in. I have followed quite a bit of research on the topic of strength and hypertrophy, and a good amount of them include (and sometimes analyse separately for) women. From that perspective I can tell you that usually there isn't all that much difference in _how_ you should train, but there will be differences in how training is experienced and what the effect will be. Different hormones and muscle fiber composition make that women typically can but also have to do more sets, so that's something to account for either way. I admittedly know fairly little on menopause specifically, but the little I know is that the hormonal changes will increase muscle atrophy and osteoporosis. Any form of resistance training will help minimising and/or delaying this. Whether you focus that on hypertrophy or strength is really a matter of choice and goals; strength and hypertrophy training have a correlation of 0.4, meaning that if you will train the one, you will fairly certainly get some benefits for the other. The greatest effect for strength and minimising osteoporosis is heavier weights, lower-rep ranges, and (for strength) not taking sets to absolute failure (leave 1-2 reps in the tank per set). For hypertrophy, you will want higher rep-ranges and lower weights, but take each set to failure. Another, more important consideration, is your expertise in form. Consistency is king, and thus injury prevention is too. Lower weights and higher rep-ranges is certainly less risky to make a wrong move, and less impactful if you do. TLDR: If you are in menopause, there's not so much need to train differently as there's mostly just more need to train than for men and non-menopausal women. But the higher set-range for women does apply, so with this 3-5 heuristic, ensure you do get enough sets in (certainly for the lower body). As consistency is most important, ensure you employ a coach if need be, to ensure you maintain proper form whatever you do.
I'm not a doctor either but strength training increases your sensuality and libido without medication. Mainly because the physiological and psychological effects increase dopamine endorphins and neurotransmitters.
Going to try this today. I face mental fatigue after strength training in the hypertrophic range and need to take a Power Nap to get concentration back.
Don't stop napping! 😊
Great info. I’m an ultra runner and do the heavy 3-5 set/reps with legs slowly to strengthen tendons too. Will start this 3 to 5 protocol for upper body but problem is my adjustable dumbbells top out at 90 lbs each. Would I get the same effect by doing slower 3-5 reps to reach failure or would the weight need to keep progressing heavier?
Andrew, you need to investigate the Starting Strength program--progressive overload with compound lifts, three sets of 5 each. The same protocol.
5 x 5
Dr. You look fit. Keep doing what you’re doing. I see you being right, correct. Core foundation assists all around at a high percentage. 😎👍
This sounds a lot like Stronglifts or a variation of it. Great information, thanks!
Nice, will try out
I did a program 6 years ago that was similar to this. It was called Stronglifts and you did 3 sets of 5 reps just under failure. It was all compound exercises. Bench press, Squats, Shoulder Press, Deadlifts, and bent over barbell rows. It was a Monday, Wednesday, Friday schedule with resting the other days. It was incredibly taxing. It worked well but I got so run down every 2.5 to 3 months that I would get a cold and lose 7 days of workout and drop back a bit on my 1 rep maxes. Overall I did gain a lot of strength but getting so run down all the time and not being able to do any other activities was not worth it.
Also, I'll take an opportunity to request some content with regards to kids/teenagers nutrition focusing on these young athletes like my 13 years old son who is a competitive swimmer that trains in the pool 5-6 times a week, often even twice a day (am & pm session) plus land training. As a mother that is health conscious I always worry about my son's nutrition part even though i mostly cook homemade meals from scratch that are high protein & wholefoods. If he gets enough fuel for him to recover from his training and go into puberty as he should 😊 Thank you in advance Dr Huberman 🤗
Moving from a bodybuilding split to start powerlifting as a sport Glad this video came up to tell me the benefits
Feedback: it would be helpful to hear a specific example applied, including amount of weight (percent of max)
I'm pretty sure Dr Andy Galpin said to focus on type of movement for strength not trying to hit a certain muscle group, so don't worry about trying to hit your chest, legs, etc every workout or something like that that's a bodybuilding concept. Andy Galpin suggested 3 to 5 exercises push, pull, rotation.
For me it depends on the body part , some body parts I get too much pain in the wrong areas if I train too heavy , wear and tear stuff , for example shoulder pain training chest
yes
3-5 Protocol by legend Dan John
This is honestly common sense. Handling heavier weight loads in a 3 to 5 rep range if it’s the correct weight forces the nervous system to adapt to that load. The time under tension with a heavy weight improves ligament and tendon strength, while addressing the specificity of training. Also, those lower rep ranges allow you to do less volume since the loads are heavier. Periodization is key. Reps should be cycles about every 4 or so weeks. I generally follow 4 weeks of 8s - 4 weeks of 5s - 4 weeks of 3s and deload after each cycle. I’ll also mix in some top 95% of a top single on workout to measure strength. For accessory lifts I’ll add some 10-15 ranges so the rep ranges don’t get too stagnant.
You mentioned specific muscle group exercises, would this still work with say a push pull legs split?
This smacks of Dan John’s Easy Strength program using 3x3
Or starting strength
@@chris51ificationyup, or almost any program from an experienced Olympic weightlifting coach or powerlifting coach.
Would you recommend just sticking with this 3 to 5 concept with all weight training and just changing the exercise every 12 weeks?
Would love to see Dr. Huberman work out.
Is this doing isolation exercises as well within the 3-5 rep range e.g. tricep pushdowns or did you shift to more compound movements for the program
If I'm not looking to gain size, should I just stay in the lower rep range? Also what's the best way to increase skeletal muscle? I always thought I had sufficient muscle but I got one of those special scales and I know they are not particularly accurate, but my muscle mass and skeletal muscle is lower than I had hoped.
Dr. H How are you and thank you. 5 rep x 12 week. OK how many sets. When I start powerlifting jim use to tell me was 8rep x 4sets to start off with. As a beginner. I became stronger. Did pretty well 3rd place in USA Powerlifting meet in 2000 . At new 60 I haven't been to a gym in years. Only jiu-jitsu on and off. Now I'm missing powerlifting aspect to lifting. Sarcopina has started as well. I just want to gain strength, feel and look good with mobility at 60's. Thanks
When we talk about a 3 by 5 protocol, at what intensity of your 1 rep max are we talking? Not sure if you mention it in the video, must have missed that bit. Because he specifically says this isn't going to failure, so the recovery is faster...
Basically described Tactical Barbell training regime!
Yeah, Fighter 👌
Hi doc can we do weights in plantar fasciitis pls pls do let me know
Some people build muscle mass more effectively with low reps. My best gains happened while using 3x5 for compound exercises twice per week. It seemed that mass gains followed strength gains very closely.
6-4-2 strength method is great. Can be incorporated into any exercise 🤗 Also if you're hitting any given muscle 2/week, 1st day can be 6-4-2 (for the strength), 2nd day for that same muscle - usual 8-12 reps (for hypertrophy)
For balance and maintenace, this is perfect. With strength, you can do it more often in a week, since muscles don't deplete glycogen and no denaturation of muscle fibres from lactic acid buildup.
Nifty. I’ve been doing 5x5 for a while
I’m by no means an expert, but from my experience I think it’s important to have already developed some strength by working out regularly for some time with regular weight and 6-15 reps just to avoid injuries before going to heavier weights that take you to failure in just 3-5 reps. Please correct me if I’m wrong
Just start light and add 5 lbs each workout.
Well definitely having experience in a movement pattern and being good at it first, would be recommended or you can expect to get injured with compound movements
An observation, the weak feeling that you might have in your body and in general Is most likely that you have a pattern that affects these area, like a psychological pattern, u can work through it , as it might be due to trauma or a certain strong belief that made an imprint on your physical body. ❤
Great info! You should do a sit down video with Dorian Yates on this topic...I'm sure it would be super popular
Would you be able to mix this principle into a workout so that you hit hypertrophy and strength? E.g. doing chin-ups for volume at the start of a workout and then doing heavy deadlifts or DB rows for 3-5 reps Or vice versa and doing heavy at the start volume at the end? Would you get the benefits of both or does one hinder the other too much to experience substantial gain?
Say I do a push day..would this be 3-5 exercises totally, or 3-5 exercise per muscles? Is this protocol more for compound or isolations movement's?
Are you implementing this every 8-12 weeks for a whole week or 8-12 weeks of straight 3-5 schedule
Hunk science professor melts me and many others.
Oh wow, I was just considering joining a boot camp then I see this video notification.
📝💡 Makes Sense.
Caution to those with little training experience or none at all. 3-5 reps is considered 90%-85% of your 1 rep max. This is very heavy loads. High risk of injury is concurrent with this style of training without proper coaching or using a pyramid scheme of periodization to accumulate intensity with the decrease in volume. Please seek proper coaching prior endeavoring this "3 by 5" protocol
Agreed. I tore a bicep tendon trying to lift too heavy. Looking at a four to six month recovery from this and it's very limiting and frustrating
I'd love to know, does total work build muscle, I mean, if I did 5x5x100kg which equals 2500kg total. Then I did 2x5x120kg which equals 1200kg, then 3x10x80kg which equals 2400kg+the 1200kg for a total of 3600kg. Which workout would be better?
Of course there are few people that could or would last a day jackhammering above your head or for that manner below your head which was not much fun but hey I am sure you can listen to this dope and get. Super strong
What type of muscle building does super setting in a 3-5 range for the first exercise do?
Strength is everything.
What about injuries? Be real easy to pick up with such heavy weights. Would take months to years to build the base to lift this heavy
Just a quick question. Is this 3 by 5 protocol to be used with heavier weights than the ones I'd normaly use for hypertrophy training 8-12 reps, please? So you still want to go close to failure within max 5 reps? Thanks for help. Ps. As always ❤ Huberman Lab content!
If you watch Andy Galpin more he suggests that the load for strength|power training should be in 30-60% of 1RM depending on the exercise. So, it is unlikely to be close to failure with 3*5 approach. Failure should not be a concern for absolute majority of such program. Mr Huberman wasn't that clear on this. Also, deadlift isnt ideal for power training due to risk of injury as this type of training should be done with maximum speed intention on every rep. Hope this helps, but please, indulge yourself on watching full podcast they did.
@@danilabezmenov3489 Thanks so much. I definitely have to revisit the series with Dr Andy Galpin 😉
Doc i get yawns whenever I try to focus like cognitive activities.. what is the science behind it and talk about yawning pls
This 3x5 method is very, very age and functionality dependent. It’s simply a higher risk/ reward rep range. As a middle aged strength trainer with 20+ yrs of strength training I only use this rep range for 1-2 wks of every 6 wk training cycle. Otherwise, I tend to get injured.
Is there a link to the protocol?
AH was posted on “are we dating the same guy” It’s a true doctor, Jekyll, Mr. Hyde situation we got going on.
So the catch is we will try higher weights since we are doing less reps?
Yes
Is this protocol suitable on calorie deficit?
What about the weight? Do you need to do the reps with your full weight capacity?
To understand, my max set for leg press is 325 lb. So do I do my top set 3 times for 3 reps. BUT it's ok to do warm up before?
My understanding is that you would want to go close to your 1RM, lets say 80% or more of your 1RM where you can perform 3 to 5 reps. Those 3 to 5 reps should not be easy to do and you can adjust the weight based on the exercise you are doing and gradually increase the weight over time (ideally around 3-5% every time). And yes, you should warm up properly to not get injured.
What about this Full body work out Chest shoulder back arms legs. Mon Legs arms back shoulder chest .wed Chest shoulder back arm leg.friday Each muscle group 6 sets instead of 9 time spent in gym 1 hour maximum on the of day Tue Thursday run I personally think hitting one muscle once a week is not enough from my experience of twenty years of the gym .but then hitting one muscle group three times a week is too much unless sets are reduced.. then time spent in gym in one session is reduced.
Would the results of this not simply be based on introducing a change to what the body/muscles are used to?
5/3/1 all the way, never fails
I use to jackhammer above my head for a construction comps y I was like Superman of course there was dust in my lungs the whole day and I later got cancer but golly geez I was super strong
I have not weight trained for years. Should I start with 3x5s?
hmm, in addition to cardio, if i didn't want to get bigger and just stronger, why shouldn't i just focus on 3-5 program?
Does this type of training require a different strategy in regards to warm ups, safety and or recovery?
Barbell trainers would commonly agree that 15-20 minute mobility sessions 2x's or more weekly and 2x's or more weekly stretching. I do these either at work during the day or at night while listening to podcasts.
Do you recommend a static rest period for 3 to 5 minutes?
I've learned that 1.5-2 minutes is an excellent balance between sets and of course this depends on how heavy one is lifting. If you are resting for 3 to 5 minutes. Do not get yourself distracted by scrolling. Distract yourself with mental feedback on the completed set and then mental visualization on the next set. Be under the bar 30 seconds before your next lift off the bar. No one has time for shucking and jiving in the gym.
Sounds like Mark Rippetoe's Starting Strength program.
I need info to help me gain muscle! I'm old and only 5'3" and finally creeping up to 105#, but I want to get bigger! I'm strong for my size though!
Consider one of the below for a period of time but not all of them at one time: *Barbell logic *Starting Strength *Stronglifts *Greysteel Training
@godizself1 thank you!
00:05 Training in the 3 to 5 repetition range is beneficial for building strength 01:27 Using the '3 by 5' protocol led to lasting strength gains and unexpected cardiovascular improvement. 02:33 Strength training led to improved posture, endurance, and reduced soreness during cardiovascular training. 03:52 Training in the 3 to 5 repetition range improves strength without excessive bulk. 04:59 Increasing strength for hypertrophy training 06:20 Focus on lower repetition range for strength adaptations 07:38 Incorporate higher repetitions for small muscle groups to avoid restriction 08:53 Shifting to 6-10 repetition range induces more hypertrophy with reduced soreness and mental fatigue.