I love 5/3/1 but I don't know if I would recommend it to a beginner. The progression is just too slow compared to one of the daily progression programs like 5x5 or StartingStrength.
Yeah, I totally agree - you don't need to progress that slowly at the beginning, so why would you? 5 lbs a workout is totally doable, not 5/10 lbs a month. I'm a big fan of slow and steady, but there's a difference between that and a flagrant waste of time.
You don’t even technically _need_ a program if you’re just doing it for fun.
I work out twice a week, bench both days and squat/deadlift on each of the other. Some days I do 6 sets of 5-10 reps, some days I do heavy doubles/triples, whatever I feel like doing, depending on how I feel that day. I’m almost 40 so I’m sure if I had started 15 years ago I’d have way better numbers.
~325 wilks with a poor squat because of an old hip injury (it’s less than my bench)