nSuns 531 Program Guide & Review (+FREE APP)

1RM and TM Calculator

Before starting the nSuns program, athletes need to input their current 1 Rep Max (1RM) for their 4 major lifts: squat, deadlift, bench press, and overhead press. The 1RM test determines the maximum weight at which you can perform 1 rep of an exercise. This will allow you to determine your Training Max (TM) for each exercise.

How to calculate 1 Rep Max on nSuns?

If you do not know your 1RM, but can gauge how much you can lift on the exercises for reps, use Boostcamp's built-in calculator to find out your estimated 1RM. Alternatively, you can go into the gym and actually test for your 1RM. If you do, ensure that the exercises are performed with good form (ego reps don't count!).

In general, the more conservative you are with your 1RM estimate starting weight, the more you allow your body to adapt to the volume and intensity of the program and make long-term strength gains.

What is TM in nSuns?

Your TM is calculated as 90% of your 1RM, which is the number used to calculate the prescribed training weights over the next week.

Jump to see the recommended nSuns accessories list here.

Make sure to warm up before your training session. In general, start with ~5 min of dynamic stretching and ~10 min of brisk walking to prepare your body for movement. After that, you can get into your exercise-specific warmup sets before your work sets.

The goal of warmup sets is to prime your body and mind for the exercise, not to pre-exhaust your muscles. Therefore, we recommend a reverse pyramid warmup scheme with lower weights and higher reps to start and then gradually increasing weights and lower reps.

For example, if your 1st work set of bench starts at 175x8, start with bar x8, 95x5, 135x3, 155x2. Another example, if your 1st working set of deadlifts start at 275x5, start with bar x8, 135x5, 185x3, 225x2, 250x1.

How much you increase your Training Max (TM) each week is based on how many reps you perform on your “1+ set” (highlighted below in orange), also known as your AMRAP set (As Many Reps As Possible). Important: while this set is meant to push you, it should still be performed with good form.

The progressions for the following week are based on how many reps you get:

• If you get 0-1 reps, your TM stays the same

• If you get 2-3 reps, your TM will increase by 5 lbs / 2.5 kg

• If you get 4-5 reps, your TM will increase by 10 lbs / 5.0 kg

• If you get more than 5 reps, your TM will increase by 15 lbs / 7.5 kg

If you find that the preset nSuns TM progressions are too aggressive or too fast, you can go into Boostcamp's Program Settings page and manually change this week's TMs or the TM Progression Scheme.

nSuns often have an AMRAP (as many reps as possible) set at the end of an exercise. As the title suggest, aim to get more reps than the lowest minimum. It is okay to stop at RPE9 (1 rep shy of failure).

• For x3+ rep sets, aim to do x3-6 reps

• For x5+ rep sets, aim to do x5-8 reps

• For x8+ rep sets, aim to do x8-12 reps

• Each training day will show recommended accessory muscle parts to target

• Consider choosing some single-joint isolation exercises(machine fly, dumbbell row, leg extension, leg curl, etc.) as you will be doing heavy volume on the compound exercises

• You can also choose specific exercises to bring up your weak points. For example, if your triceps are a weak point, add more tricep extensions

• Consider adding more back (vertical & horizontal pulls) and rear delt work as nSuns has a lot of push volume. Healthy shoulders go a long way!

• Each training day will show recommended accessory muscle parts to target

• Pick 1 to 3 accessory movements per body part based on your goals

• How many sets for accessories? Generally pick between 2-4 sets per exercise at 8-12 reps per set

• Boostcamp's tracker will automatically show you last week's input. For progressions, go by feel — If you feel good, shoot for either weight or rep, but there is no need to increase weekly

• Generally speaking, aim for 8-9 RPE (i.e. stopping 1-2 reps shy of failure) per set

For building strength on nSuns, there is no need to time your rest periods between sets. Take as much time as you need to feel recovered to perform your next set. In general 2-5 min is a good cadence.

Given the high volume nature of the program, expect to be in the gym for 1-2 hours per session.

Perform the exercises with proper form and control. A great piece of advice I once heard is to lift heavy weights like they are light and light weights like they are heavy. No matter the weight on the bar, your form should be consistent. Perform the movement with control (not to be confused with slow) and power.

Except for your 1+ set on the main compound movement, stay at RPE 8-9 (i.e., 1-2 reps shy of failure). While training to failure has its place in certain programs, given the high volume requirement of nSuns it is better to shy away from it to avoid burnout.

For cooldown after training, perform static stretches to better allow your muscles to loosen and recover. Check out coach Matt Hsu's Length & Strength mobility program on Boostcamp for a ~15 min guided stretching session 3x/week.

A few hours before training, consider eating a high quality meal of mostly protein and carbs to fuel your session. Within a few hours after training, eat a nutritious meal of protein, fat, and carbs to refuel your body. Proper sleep is also critical. Remember: training breaks down your muscle and the rebuilding happens outside of the gym. While you can do nSuns on a cut, the high volume approach can be very taxing on your body. If you wish to do so, consider dropping your 1RMs to be more conservative.

How to keep progressing?

You'll know that the program is working for you if you are able to consistently increase your strength on your main lifts. While you may be tempted to manually increase your TM by more than the automated progression, it is highly suggested that you stay conservative to ensure long term progress. As a novice-intermediate, a common misconception is that you must constantly be training at peak intensity or near maxes to make progress. However, keep in mind that even if you used the same weights for next week, your body is still adapting to the training stimulus.

nSuns 531: When to deload?

It is suggested to deload every 4-6 weeks. This timeframe can vary depending on various factors like 1) how conservative you are with your TM estimates, 2) your diet and sleep, 3) how much accessories volume, etc. As a general rule, if your body feels beat up and you're finding it hard to progress, consider taking a deload week.

nSuns 531: How to deload?

There are two primary ways to deload, either by lowering your weights or # of sets by ~30-50%. There is no need to completely stop training. In fact, research shows that your body may recover faster with some lighter weight training. Use this time to mentally prep for the next training cycle.

If you find that for several weeks you have stalled on gaining strength on your main lifts (i.e., just get 0-1 rep on your 1+ sets), then you have to troubleshoot:

If you stall 1-2 weeks after starting nSuns, then your 1RM estimates were too high. Consider dropping the weights by 10% and restarting the program.

If you have made consistent progress over several weeks before stalling, your body may just need a deload week. On your deload week, either lower your weights or # of sets by ~30-50%. There is no need to completely stop training.

If you have more than 2-4 accessories that you added per training session, consider decreasing the number of accessories or number of sets.

Alternatively, if you constantly train to failure (RPE 10) on accessories, consider stopping at RPE 8-9 (1-2 reps shy of failure).

If your accessories are primarily compound movements (like front squat, barbell row, RDL), consider switching to isolation movements that are less taxing. Remember that accessories are meant to be assistance, not main exercises.

Are you eating enough food? While you can do nSuns on a cut, the high volume approach can be very taxing on your body. If you wish to do so, consider dropping your 1RMs to be more conservative.

Are you sleeping well? If you are only getting 5-6 hours of sleep, it may not be enough for your body to recover from the volume. Consider sleeping and cutting off caffeine earlier. Check out our article on 3 most important tips for muscle recovery here.

Our TL;DR conclusion

Very effective for quickly increasing major lift numbers. However, volume and intensity are both very high so users need to be careful not to push too aggressively and take deload weeks or time off as necessary. We recommend this program for athletes in the advanced novice to intermediate stage, where it’s still possible to increase strength on a weekly basis. 

What users are saying

Pros

• Highly effective program for increasing major lift numbers (squat, bench, deadlift, overhead press (OHP), front squat, close grip deadlift)

• Simple progression scheme (every week is the same main lift progressions, while accessories have user flexibility)

• For those experienced intermediate to advanced level lifters who stopped lifting during COVID, it’s great for getting back into heavy lifting as the progressions can be quite fast (depending on 1+ sets)

Cons

• Users train close to one rep max (1rm) every day which could be increase injury risk / CNS fatigue

• Workout volume is very high and could be exhausting to sustain

• Each session is long

Source:  1, 2, 3, 4, 5

1. https://liftvault.com/programs/powerlifting/n-suns-lifting-spreadsheets/

2. https://physiqz.com/powerlifting-programs/nsuns-531-cap3/

3. https://www.reddit.com/r/weightroom/comments/auotxl/program_review_nsuns_531_5_day/

4. Boostcamp members support for reddit nSuns: https://www.reddit.com/r/Boostcamp/

nSuns is an overall excellent novice-intermediate level strength program, but there are other awesome alternative programs as well that can work just as well. The most important long-term success factor in the gym is consistency, and you can only be consistent by finding a program that best fits your goals.

GZCLP

• One of the most popular powerbuilding (strength + muscle) novice-intermediate programs on Reddit

• 3-4 days a week, with every day starting with compound exercises, coupled with secondary movements and accessory exercises (pyramid structure)

• Created by Cody Lefever (GZCL), Marine veteran and reknowned world-class strength coach

• Available for free on Boostcamp App

Reddit PPL (aka Metallicadpa PPL)

• THE unofficial official gym program to build significant strength and muscle

• Follows 6-days a week PPL (Push, Pull, Legs) structure. It can also be done 3 days a week.

• Fun program with compound movements and a mix of accessories to choose from

• Available for free on Boostcamp App

Boostcamp Mission

Boostcamp is a free fitness app with training programs made by elite-level coaches. Our coaches include Greg Nuckols (Stronger by Science), Morit Summers (home workouts and training programs), Matt Hsu (Upright Health, mobility expert), John Henwood (Olympian, running program), and more to come.

Our mission at Boostcamp is to make fitness accessible to everyone. This means two things:

• Free programs for all, not just those who can afford it. To that end, Boostcamp and our coaches rely on tips and optional services to fund new programs and product developments.

• Digitizing programs so that they are easier to use. We hope to make great programs like nSuns into an automated, personalized, and easy-to-view digital format for those not familiar with spreadsheets.

You can find our other programs in partnership with amazing coaches like Greg Nuckols, Morit Summers, Matt Hsu, and John Henwood at www.boostcamp.app

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