5/3/1 Forever is all about programming your total training; this includes mobility, jumps/med ball throws, main lifts, supplemental, assistance work, conditioning and recovery. As always, each part is broken down and addressed in a simple, easy to read/implement manner. 5/3/1: The Simplest and Most Effective Training System for Raw Strength, 2nd Edition The success of the 5/3/1 Method has been nothing short of extraordinary. For the 3 years, the response towards this simple but brutally effective training system has been overwhelming. This is because it works.

The original article by Jim Wendler that details 5/3/1 for Beginners (also known as “5314B”) can be found here. This page is intended to serve as a companion to this article, not a complete replacement for it, so please make sure to read the original in full as well as this page.

A spreadsheet for this program can be found here. It’s a good idea to have a look at it if you are confused about how the program works. Download it or Make a Copy to your own Google Drive if you want to make use of it.

Don’t be intimidated by the amount of detail on this page. This program is actually very simple. If you just want to dive right in to following the routine, you can absolutely just plug numbers into the spreadsheet and go. The detail here is for those who want to understand it a bit better. You might also want to read over our 5/3/1 Primer page for a better breakdown of 5/3/1 as a training system.

Many common questions about this routine have been discussed by the community in the Routine Campfire thread for it, so make sure to check there if anything is confusing.

If you are considering starting this program, please note…

All 5/3/1 variations (this is just one of many) use percentages of a Training Max to set the weights you use in training for the Squat, Deadlift, Overhead Press, and Bench Press. If you have never run 5/3/1 before, you will initially set your Training Max as a percentage of your Estimated 1 Rep Max. This is discussed in more detail below.

While there is technically no minimum strength requirement for this program, if your Estimated 1 Rep Maxes for the Squat, Overhead Press, and Bench Press are not at least 75lbs, you may find it logistically difficult to follow, because some days will take some of your training sets below 45lbs – the weight of an unloaded barbell. The best way to adapt to this is to use dumbbell variations of these three lifts.

In addition, if your Estimated 1 Rep Max for the Deadlift is below 230lbs, be sure you have a way to simulate the same bar height as if it were loaded with standard 45lb plates for some days, when some sets will be below 135lbs. This is most commonly done using bumper plates or blocks.

Quick Program Overview

This section is a barebones overview of the program. This is all covered in greater detail in the sections below.

On each of the three lifting days, you will be doing the following:

1. Quick warmup of jumping or throwing movements.
2. Eight sets of your first Main Lift for the day. Your third set is an AMRAP (As Many Reps As Possible) set. Optionally, three more warmup sets can be done first.
3. Eight sets of your second Main Lift for the day. Your third set is an AMRAP set.
4. 50-100 reps of one Push, one Pull, and one Single Leg or Core exercise.

The exercises you choose in #4 can be done between sets of either of your Main Lift to save time.

Training Max Basics

The main work for 5/3/1 programs is done as percentages of a Training Max (TM). Progression to higher weights is also via the Training Max, which is explained in further detail below.

To set your initial Training Max when starting this program:

1. For each of the main lifts (squat, bench press, overhead press, deadlift), work up to a weight that you can only complete 3-5 reps of with good bar speed.
2. Take this weight and the number of reps and calculate your estimated One Rep Max (1RM) using a calculator such as this one.
3. Take 90% of the estimated 1RM and use this as your starting Training Max.

ImportantNote: This will be the only time that your TM is so directly connected to your 1RM. A core philosophy of 5/3/1 is to train sub-maximally and drive steady progress over time. As you go through the program your strength will be increasing above what your TM is set at, and this is intended. Always remember that the purpose of the Training Max is to inform your workout – it is not a measure of your progress or your strength. With 5/3/1, your workouts are almost never about testing your strength – they are about building it.

General Pre-Workout Warm Up

Before you do any of the lifting, choose one of the following and perform 10-15 total reps over 2-3 sets. This should not take more than 5-10 minutes at most.

• Box Jumps
• Broad Jumps
• Medicine Ball Throws

Main Lifts – Sets and Reps

This section outlines the sets and reps used for the Main Lifts in the 5/3/1 for Beginners program. Sets, reps, and percentages used change each week on a repeating three week cycle.

• The notation below is “Number of Sets x Number of Reps”.
• The percentages listed are a percentage of your current Training Max.
• The “+” denotes that the set is AMRAP – As Many Reps As Possible. This set should not be to absolute muscular failure. A good way to gauge when to stop the speed of the bar slows significantly compared to the previous reps. You want these to be crisp, quality reps – never grinders.

Optional Warmup

You can warm up for your work on the Main Lifts with the following sets. This is optional and can be done with minimal rest between each set.

• 5 reps @ 40%
• 5 reps @ 50%
• 3 reps @ 60%

Work Sets

• Week 1
  • 5 reps @ 65%
  • 5 reps @ 75%
  • 5+ reps @ 85%
  • 5 sets of 5 reps @ 65%
• Week 2
  • 3 reps @ 70%
  • 3 reps @ 80%
  • 3+ reps @ 90%
  • 5×5 @ 70%
• Week 3
  • 5 reps @ 75%
  • 3 reps @ 85%
  • 1+ reps @ 95%
  • 5×5 @ 75%

The sets and reps for the Main Lifts are made up of two parts. The first three sets are the “Core” 5/3/1 sets that are used in most variants of 5/3/1. The 5×5 sets are “First Set Last” (FSL) sets, which are called “Supplementary Work” in 5/3/1 terms. Their purpose is to add volume to the Main Lift, and their name comes from the percentage used – it is the same as the first set of the day.

The Full Program

Day 1 (Monday)

• Squats – Main Lift Sets
• Bench Press – Main Lift Sets

Day 2 (Wednesday)

• Deadlift – Main Lift Sets
• Overhead Press – Main Lift Sets

Day 3 (Friday)

• Bench Press – Main Lift Sets
• Squats – Main Lift Sets

Assistance Work

Each day, choose one exercise for each of the three categories below, and perform 50 – 100 reps of it. The number of sets you use to accomplish this is not important. You can do all of your reps for each category one at a time, or to finish your workout faster, you can cycle through a set from each category in a circuit. If you choose a bodyweight exercise and cannot complete at least 50 reps, you can choose a second exercise to finish the total out. If you choose a weighted exercise and cannot complete at least 50 reps, you chose a weight that was too high.

Don’t overthink your exercise choices, your weight selection, or your sets and reps – What’s important about this work is just getting a lot of full body volume done.

Example Main Lifts Work

If you’re having trouble putting it all together, below is an example of the Main Lifts for Week 1, Day 1. We also recommend looking over the spreadsheet linked at the top of this page for a more full picture.

Rest Between Sets

Jim Wendler does not provide any guidelines for rest between sets, so you can tailor this to your recovery and scheduling needs. Most commonly, rest times are kept between 1.5-3 minutes between sets. Some additional considerations:

• You can generally use shorter rest times between your FSL sets, as well as your accessory work.
• Longer rest times will generally allow for greater performance in future sets.
• Longer rest times will allow you to superset more of your accessory work between main lifts.
• Shorter rest times will help build work capacity.

Progression

At the end of each three week cycle, you progress by adding weight to the Training Max of your lifts:

• Add 5lbs to the TM of upper body lifts (Bench Press and Overhead Press)
• Add 10lbs to the TM lower body lifts (Squat and Deadlift)

You add the same amount of weight to your Training Max no matter how many reps you hit on your AMRAP sets. Never more. Remember always that your Training Max is not a measure of your progress or your strength.

FAQ – Why is the progression so slow? Wouldn’t faster progression be better?

Trainees who are new to programs like 5/3/1 often get concerned about the “slower progression” of the Training Max when compared to some other novice programs that have you add weight to the bar every training day (“Linear Progression”). This is understandable, but it comes from a fundamental misunderstanding – that progression of the loading of the barbell in training is the same as the progression of the strength of the lifter. While these two things are definitely connected, they are far from being one-to-one, and submaximal training has been tested by both time and science as an effective method of driving strength and muscle development.

5/3/1, like the majority of lifting programs by reputable coaches, is a training methodology that operates in multiple dimensions – it manages intensity, volume, and fatigue, exposes you to different rep ranges and movements, and measures progress as more than just training weights – all very important factors for long term success in your training. A traditional LP program does not manage any of these things, and only works in a single dimension – weight on the bar – which is not only suboptimal but actively detrimental to your long term training and mindset. You can read some additional related thoughts here and here, from the page explaining why Starting Strength and StrongLifts are not recommended.

Most programs like 5/3/1 will have moments of testing built in to them for you to use to measure progress over time. If you want to succeed in the long term, you will need to learn to trust the process and use the periodic AMRAP sets and test weeks to check on your progress – not look to be testing your progress in every set of every training session.

Regular Training Max Testing / Deloading

Though this is not part of the original article, we strongly encourage using the TM Test Week protocol that is outlined on the 5/3/1 Primer page. You would do this every 10th week, or after three 3 week cycles.

For this week, the layout of your Main Lifts will be slightly different:

• Day 1 (Monday): OHP TM Test first, then Squat TM Test
• Day 2 (Wednesday): Bench TM Test
• Day 3 (Friday): Deadlift TM Test

Assistance work is unchanged.

Stalling / Missing Reps

At some point as you’re running this program, you may reach a point where you are unable to complete the sets and reps for your main lifts, either at all or with clean, fast reps. When this happens, it is important to remember:

• You may have just had a bad day, so don’t worry if it happens once or twice.
• It is an expected event in the process of training and getting stronger.
• It is not necessarily a reason to question, re-evaluate, or significantly change your training.

If you find that you are consistently not hitting the sets and reps for a lift over a period of at least one full three week cycle, it is time to lower your Training Max for that lift. The general guideline for this is to reduce it by three cycle increments (15lbs / 30lbs). If you find yourself feeling discouraged by this, again, remember – Your Training Max is not a measure of your progress or your strength. You will continue to make progress and set rep PRs on the AMRAP sets after you deload.

Reducing Workout Time

If you find your workouts running longer than you’d like, besides manipulating rest times, here are some other strategies you can use to complete the workout faster:

• Use the rest periods between sets of your main lifts to complete accessory work. This has the added benefit of helping to build your work capacity by increasing training density. If you do, you should choose an accessory that will not interfere with the main lift you are currently performing. (Ex: Squats + Face Pulls, Bench + Ab Wheels, Deadlifts + Curls, etc)
• Do your Push, Pull, and Single Leg / Core exercises in a circuit. Perform one set of each exercise, rest briefly, then repeat until you’re done.

Sample Assistance Templates

Here are some example setups for your Push/Pull/Single Leg or Core assistance work.

Bodyweight

Progression:
– Last set is always AMRAP. Push it.
– Start at a minimum of 10×5. If you can’t do this, do assisted reps using bands or a machine.
– Work up to 10×10.
– After you can comfortably do 10×10, start doing fewer sets with more reps. Work up to 5×20.

Day 1
– Pushups
– Chinups
– Leg Raises

Day 2
– Dips
– Inverted Rows
– Single Leg Split Squats

Day 3:
– Pushups
– Pullups
– Leg Raises

Mirror Bro

Progression:
– Do 8×8-12.
– When you can do 8×12, add some weight.
– If you can’t do at least 8×8 with the new weight, you added too much.
– Do planks at 8×20-60s.

Day 1:
– Lateral Raises
– Curls
– Leg Raises

Day 2:
– Incline DB Press
– Shrugs
– Cable Crunches

Day 3:
– Tricep Pushdowns
– Neutral Grip Chinups
– Planks

Time Saver
– Meant to be doable in circuit / superset in a potentially crowded public gym.
– Progress the DB lifts like Mirror Bro, BW movements like Bodyweight
– Do planks at 8×20-60s.
– Do a set of your main lift, a set of both accessories, then rest 90s. Repeat.

Day 1:
– Superset Bench with: DB Row, Planks
– Superset Squat with: DB OHP, BW Bulgarian Split Squat

Day 2:
– Supserset OHP with: DB Curls, Paloff Press with Band
– Superset DL with: Pushups, DB Lunges

Day 3:
– Superset Squat with: DB Rows, DB Swings
– Superset Bench with: DB Lateral Raises, Leg Raises (on bench)

Here's what you need to know...

1. Getting good at the core lifts will have a huge carryover into everything else. Start light, progress slowly, and leave out the ego in order to bust PRs.
2. Train 3-4 days a week. Center each workout around one of the following: parallel squat, bench press, deadlift, or standing shoulder press.
3. Use a specific percentage of your one-rep max to lift 5 reps, then 3 reps, then 1 rep. These percentages are based on 90% of your 1RM.
4. Complement 5/3/1 training with assistance work to build muscle, prevent injury, and create a balanced physique. Options include chin-ups, dips, lunges, and back extensions.

The Reason for 5/3/1

Just so we're clear, either people want to do 5/3/1 or they don't. I really want to help people, but if they won't take my advice there's nothing I can do. That's fine by me. I don't fight the battles. I just don't fucking care.

Look, arguing about strength training theory is stupid. And the reason I came up with 5/3/1 was that I wanted a program that eliminated stupid thoughts from my head and just let me go into the weight room and get shit done.

I've been training for 20 years, and this is what I've learned.

A Powerlifter's Progress

My best powerlifting accomplishment in the 275-pound weight class was a 1,000-pound squat, 675-pound bench press, 700-pound deadlift, and a 2,375 total. No, I wasn't strong at all! Sure, I could waddle up to the monolith and squat, but I couldn't do anything else. Really, all I could do was squat, bench, and deadlift.

Today I have different aspirations. I want to be able to do a bunch of different activities and still kick ass in the weight room. I want to be as mobile, flexible, strong, and in as good a condition as I possibly can. That's how I came up with 5/3/1.

Philosophy 5/3/1

The core philosophy behind 5/3/1 revolves around the basic tenets of strength training that have stood the test of time.

Basic Multi-Joint Lifts

The bench press, parallel squat, deadlift, and standing press have been the staples of any strong man's repertoire. Those who ignore these lifts are generally the people who suck at them. If you get good at those, you'll get good at other stuff, as they have such a huge carryover.

Starting Light

While it may seem counterintuitive to take weight off the bar when the goal is to add weight to it, starting lighter allows you more room to progress forward. This is a very hard pill to swallow for most lifters. They want to start heavy and they want to start now.

This is nothing more than ego, and nothing will destroy a lifter faster, or for longer, than ego.

Progress Slowly

This ties in with starting light, and it keeps lifters who want to get big and strong yesterday from sabotaging their own progress.

People want a program that will add 40 pounds to their bench in eight weeks. When I ask how much their bench went up in the last year, they hang their heads in shame.

Break Personal Records

5/3/1 is set up to allow you to break a variety of repetition records throughout the year. Notice that it's 'rep records' and not 'one-rep max.' Most people live and die by their one-rep max. To me, this is foolish and short-sighted.

If your squat goes from 225 x 6 to 225 x 9, you've gotten stronger.

5/3/1 by the Numbers

In 5/3/1, you're expected to train three or four days a week. Each workout is centered around one core lift – the parallel squat, bench press, deadlift, and standing shoulder press.

Each training cycle lasts four weeks, with these set-rep goals for each major lift:

• Week 1 3 x 5
• Week 2 3 x 3
• Week 3 3 x 5, 3, 1
• Week 4 Deload

Then you start the next cycle, using heavier weights on the core lifts. And that's where a seemingly simple system starts getting a little more complicated.

You aren't just picking a weight to lift five times or three times or one time per set. You're using a specific percentage of your one-rep max. And not your full 1RM. The calculations are based on 90% of it.

So if your 1RM in the bench press is 315 pounds, you use 285 (90%) as the base number for your training-weight calculations. Here's how it works:

When you see 5+, 3+, or 1+, that means you do the max reps you can manage with that weight, with the goal of setting a rep record in each workout.

Let's walk through the Week 1 workout for bench press. Using the example above, if your 1RM is 315, you calculate all your percentages from 90% of that max or 285 pounds.

So you're using 185 (65% of 285) x 5, 215 x 5, and 240 or 245 x 5 or more. (In my 5/3/1 ebook, I provide detailed lists of weights and percentages so you don't have to carry a calculator with you to the gym.)

After you finish the first cycle, you add five pounds to your 1RM calculations for the two upper-body lifts and 10 pounds to your 1RM for the squat and deadlift.

These specific instructions for 1RM percentages and monthly progression are what set 5/3/1 apart from less useful systems. When I see a program that says three sets of eight reps? That's the stupidest fucking thing ever.

If it doesn't have a specific percentage based on a specific max, it's useless. That's the hallmark of someone who doesn't understand basic programming.

One Goal Per Workout

With 5/3/1, you accomplish a goal every workout. Some programs have no progression from one day to the other.

Another unique feature is that final balls-out set in each workout. You don't have to go beyond the prescribed reps if you don't feel like it, but there are real benefits to doing so.

I've always thought of doing the prescribed reps as simply testing your strength. Anything over and above that builds strength, muscle, and character.

Yes, that last set is the one that puts hair on your chest, but the system doesn't work without the sets that precede it. I tried cutting those out but I got smaller and weaker. There might be only one really hard set, but the other sets are still quality work.

Assistance Work

Along with the bench press, squat, shoulder press, and deadlift, 5/3/1 includes assistance exercises to build muscle, prevent injury, and create a balanced physique. My favorites are strength-training staples like chin-ups, dips, lunges, and back extensions.

But don't go ape-shit with supplemental exercises. They should complement the training, not detract from it. You must have a very strong reason for doing an exercise. If you don't, scrap it and move on.

There are a number of ways to do assistance work: Boring But Big (my version of a hypertrophy program), The Triumvirate (shown below), and my favorite, I'm Not Doing Jack Shit, named for those times when you only have time to hit the PR in your key lift and leave.

People laugh and call me lazy, while they twit around in their three-hour workout making zero progress. Sometimes, instead of what you do in the weight room, it's what you don't do that will lead to success.

5/3/1 and Discontents

I've received a lot of positive feedback from lifters who used 5/3/1 to overcome plateaus in strength and size development. And it's not just from advanced guys. I received a thank-you from a guy who went from 135 for 1 rep on the bench to 135 for 17.

The program has also received criticism from lifters on two fronts: that lifters are told to start too light and build too slow.

'Start too light' refers to my insistence that the prescribed loads are calculated off of 90% of the lifter's 1RM. If your 1RM in the bench is 315, why calculate loads off a 1RM of 285?

My response? People who freak out about the 90% thing are usually weak in the first place. You don't need to operate at your max to increase your max. Why people get so bent out of shape about taking two steps back if it means they'll be taking 10 steps forward is beyond me.

Then there's the 'disconnected from reality' problem. Few lifters are willing to acknowledge their true 1RM.

At one time, I did a seminar every week. Every time, without fail, when I asked someone what their one-rep max was, I'd get this: 'Well, about three years ago I hit 365 for a triple, but that was when I was training heavier...' Most guys just don't have a fucking clue.

By using the 90%, I account for this bullshit. By using weights they can actually handle, guys are building muscle, avoiding burnout, and most importantly, making progress every workout.

None of this is exactly revolutionary. I learned this in my freshman year. I've always made my best gains when I left just a bit in the tank.

As for the 'build too slow' criticism, people tell me that they don't want to take three months to build up their strength. Where are you going to be in a year? Fuck that, where are you going to be in five years, when you're still benching 205 with your ass halfway off the bench?

Results 5/3/1 Definition

The pursuit of strength is not a six-month or one-year pursuit. It's a 30-year pursuit for me. You've got to be smart about it. But everyone wants everything right now.

4 Rookie Mistakes to Avoid

If you're going to try 5/3/1, avoid these four common rookie mistakes.

1. Don't customize.

This applies to any program published on this site, but it especially matters for 5/3/1. You must do the program the way it's written.

People ask the craziest shit. 'Can I combine 5/3/1 with Westside for Skinny Bastards?' Why not just do one or the other and make progress?

Results 5/3/1 App

These same guys then bitch three months later on some message board that the program didn't work. That's like complaining that your girl got pregnant despite you using a Trojan condom, except you forget to mention you were wearing the condom on your fingers.

2. Take it easy with the assistance work.

Some people look for the magic combination of assistance exercises, and completely under-rate the key lift. I call that majoring in the minors. Assistance work is just that – assistance. Do one or two exercises for five sets of 10, or maybe do a few more exercises for fewer sets. It's assistance. It doesn't fucking matter.

I sometimes just give people a rep number and let them make it up on their own. Say, 'push movement: 60 reps,' or 'pull: 100 reps.' It's all just working the muscle.

3. Start with the right weights.

This bears repeating. I don't know how many times people have blown away their PRs because they learn to train with some restraint and actually use weights that they can handle with good form.

4. Progress slowly.

I tell guys that the longer your stride, the quicker you'll tear a hamstring. But the problem is, people live for today's workout. No one seems to have the vision anymore to look beyond just what they're doing today.

I plan my training for a year. I know exactly what I want to do, and what I want to accomplish 12 months in advance. And I know what 5 or 10 pounds a month adds up to over the course of a year.

The game of lifting isn't an eight-week pursuit. It doesn't last as long as your latest program does. It's a lifetime pursuit.

Keys to Making 5/3/1 Work

To look at 5/3/1 on your computer screen, it appears simple enough. That's exactly what I'm after. Getting big and strong just doesn't have to be complicated. Here are the keys to making it work:

• Start with a realistic idea of your one-rep max, and follow my instructions to base all training weights on 90% of that max. You can make it really easy on yourself by spending a couple of workouts working up to a four-rep-max set of each of the four core lifts.
• Your 3RM should be about 90% of your 1RM. Once you have that 3RM, you can skip a step in your calculations and just use it for all your subsequent percentages.
• The final set of your core lift in each workout is the one that produces mass and strength, so give it everything you have, and get as many reps as you can with that weight.
• The exceptions are the deloading workouts in Week 4. You're giving your muscles a break, not trying to establish new PRs.
• When you start a new four-week cycle, add 5 pounds to your 1RMs for bench and shoulder presses and 10 pounds for squats and deadlifts, and recalculate training weights using the new numbers.
• It works best if you train four times a week, although three times a week could work as well, as long as you train all four core lifts before repeating. In other words, don't skip one so you can do the other three once each week. Don't train more than two days in a row.
• If you want to see the results of 5/3/1, you have to do the program as written. As soon as you start customizing it, it's no longer 5/3/1.

You might like your own version of it better than the original, but you can't attribute your success or failure to the guy who wrote the program unless you're actually doing the program as he wrote it.

Sample Workout: The Triumvirate

The Triumvirate uses three exercises per workout, one of which is a core lift. Before each workout, do a warm-up that includes mobility, flexibility, something to raise your core temperature and heart rate (like rope jumping), and foam rolling.

I recommend adding two or three conditioning sessions per week, using hill sprints, Prowler pushes, or whatever else works for you.

In all workouts, rest 3 to 5 minutes between sets of the core lift, and 1 to 2 minutes between sets of the assistance exercises.

Remember that you're calculating percentages based on 90% of your current 1RM in each lift, not from the actual 1RM.

Workout 1

Workout 2

Workout 3

Workout 4

5/3/1 Results Reddit