5thSet for Powerlifting: Methodology for Training & Competition: Second Edition (5thSet Methodology)

Absolutely fantastically put together. had it for several weeks, and read through it, picked out the program that fit me best, and got my 1RMs calculated via the chart in the book. It's great, and he's not kidding when he says it's good for beginner, or advanced lifters. I haven't lifted in a decade, and this helped me remember everything important, and gave a great explanation for literally everything I needed answers on, and everything a beginner would need answers on. The only thing he doesn't get too detailed on, is diet, and I suspect that's because what you eat, is gonna be based on your own tastes, but he does express the importance of having good diet.He put the second edition (this one) together based on feedback from thousands of lifters who used the 1st edition. So the whole program's definitely gonna be a huge improvement compared to it's original version. The content isn't initially very intuitive, when you're thinking "I want to know about x", and then he actually covers that a bit later in the book, usually soon after you're thinking about it. But the only thing I wish he'd done, is explained what the acronyms are that he uses, right away, when he first starts using them, instead of saying "Yeah, I'll explain what those mean later", because that doesn't help me understand what he's saying until I've already seen so many of them a dozen times.It's very well put together, and the only other improvement I think he could have made to it, would have been to have certain things organised differently. 1 rep max chart and explanation, % calculations, things about the micro, and meso cycles, should be not only in the longer description sections that specifically talk on those things, but also should have short versions to show those things, right by, or with each of the exercises / programs.

The book provides a specific training methodology for powerlifting meet preparation, a bit expensive, but training methodology is solid. If your training for a meet and want to improve PR’s, this book is for you. Not for lifters seeking general knowledge.

I follow the training philosophy in this book. Squat went up 20% and bench went up 15% in 4 months. I’ve been lifting heavy for 5 years so to see gains like that at this stage of training is unheard of, will run this program the rest of my life. Book explains the nuances of practical application really well. And if you have any questions re-read the book and if you still have questions you can try emailing or reaching out to the author and he’ll probably help you. Just please check the book first because the poor guy gets 500 questions a day and 99% are addressed in the book.

I’m impressed with this book. Everything is explained in great detail yet is still simple and easy to understand. The writing is good and so is the training outlined in here. There’s so much down to earth good information in this book it was hard to put down. I’m almost mind blown how good this is and how everything just flows together. I will definitely be using this soon in my own training and may make some modifications geared more towards hypertrophy later on. Overall a great read and wish I would have come across it sooner.

I'm kicking myself for not buying this book sooner. Swede lays out his entire 5th Set program in an easily digestible format. From the foundation to the specifics, complete with example templates, it has everything needed to start your 5th Set journey. What are you waiting for?

Swede has laid everything out in a very logical format that's easy to follow. The auto-regulation aspect makes it usable year-round by everyone because if something happens and you don't hit your intended numbers then it has a built-in management system that will automatically spit your new numbers out and you never miss a beat. I guess the meet prep could be considered by some to be slightly complicated (if you're new to stuff like this), but by the time you've run the regular program a couple of times while working toward the meet prep then it will make sense and it's just as easy to apply as the rest. Basic numbers, basic lifts, you don't have to be a brain surgeon to run this program. 👍

So I coughed up the 40 bucks on the book. I felt it was worth it to have full access to the information burns put out. Especially after spending 30 bucks (I am pretty sure like 29.99) on grey skull LP. I think it is a pretty simple template/progression system that’s been proven to be effective by his athletes. I don’t necessarily like the assistance exercise recommendations but to be fair it is recommended to do what works for you, and what you’ll do consistently. I give it a 3 star for price and because I feel like a lot of the information could be gathered from his videos and podcasts.

Swede Burns has really set the bar for program design with his creation of 5th Set. His method has tons and tons of data to back up the method and it is so easily explained in his book. I would implore any lifter who wants to educate themselves to pick up this book and learn.

Overpriced IMO compared to other programs. Seems like too low of volume and intensity program for me. May work better for very advanced lifters. Very much powerlifting focused.

probably the best book for training raw powerlifting, includes everything you have to know. includes templates, so one can imagine it better. learn and execute.

Brilliant book! Arrived promptly as described.