5/3/1 program explained
5/3/1 is Jim Wendler's strength programme built on the squat, bench press, deadlift and overhead press. You work from a training max of 90% of your one-rep max and run three-week waves (5s, 3s, then 5/3/1) followed by a deload, taking the last set of each session for as many good reps as you can. After every four-week cycle you add 2.5 kg to the training max for upper-body lifts and 5 kg for lower-body lifts.
How 5/3/1 works
Jim Wendler published 5/3/1 in 2009. It is built on four main lifts: the squat, bench press, deadlift and overhead press. Each training day has one main lift, done for three working sets, followed by extra volume and a little assistance work. A cycle lasts four weeks: three working weeks that get heavier, then a deload week.
The programme rests on a few simple rules that are worth taking seriously, because most people who fail on 5/3/1 break them:
- Start light. Every percentage comes from a training max that is lower than your true max.
- Progress slowly. You add a small, fixed amount to each lift once a month, not every session.
- Beat rep records. The last set of each week is a "plus" set: do the minimum, then as many good reps as you can.
- Keep the main lifts first. Everything else in the session supports them.
Step 1: set your training max
Every 5/3/1 percentage is a percentage of your training max, not your true one-rep max. In the original programme the training max is 90% of your one-rep max. If your best squat is 140 kg, your training max is 126 kg.
If you have not tested a max recently, estimate it from a recent hard set rather than testing a fresh single. Wendler's own formula is weight x reps x 0.0333 + weight, so 110 kg for 5 reps gives an estimated max of about 128 kg. The one-rep max calculator does this for you. If in doubt, go lighter: a training max that is too high is the most common reason the programme stalls early.
Starting at 90% keeps your heaviest working set at about 85% of your real max (95% of 90%), so even the hardest week is a set you can do with good form. Some of Wendler's later templates use an 85% training max for even more room to progress; either works if you are honest about your starting numbers.
The 5/3/1 percentages
These are the working sets for every main lift. All percentages are of the training max. The "+" means the minimum reps for that set: do them, then keep going while your form holds.
| Week | Set 1 | Set 2 | Set 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 (5s) | 65% x 5 | 75% x 5 | 85% x 5+ |
| Week 2 (3s) | 70% x 3 | 80% x 3 | 90% x 3+ |
| Week 3 (5/3/1) | 75% x 5 | 85% x 3 | 95% x 1+ |
| Week 4 (deload) | 40% x 5 | 50% x 5 | 60% x 5 |
Before the working sets, warm up with the empty bar and then the standard 5/3/1 warm-up of 40% x 5, 50% x 5 and 60% x 3 of the training max. The deload week has no plus set: it is there to let your joints and nervous system recover before the next cycle. The warm-up calculator can work out the jumps for you.
Worked example in kg
Here is one full cycle for a lifter with a 140 kg (309 lb) squat and a 100 kg (220 lb) bench press. Training maxes are 126 kg and 90 kg. Weights are rounded to the nearest 2.5 kg so you can load them with standard plates.
Squat: training max 126 kg
| Week | Set 1 | Set 2 | Set 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | 82.5 kg x 5 | 95 kg x 5 | 107.5 kg x 5+ |
| Week 2 | 87.5 kg x 3 | 100 kg x 3 | 112.5 kg x 3+ |
| Week 3 | 95 kg x 5 | 107.5 kg x 3 | 120 kg x 1+ |
| Week 4 | 50 kg x 5 | 62.5 kg x 5 | 75 kg x 5 |
Bench press: training max 90 kg
| Week | Set 1 | Set 2 | Set 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | 57.5 kg x 5 | 67.5 kg x 5 | 77.5 kg x 5+ |
| Week 2 | 62.5 kg x 3 | 72.5 kg x 3 | 80 kg x 3+ |
| Week 3 | 67.5 kg x 5 | 77.5 kg x 3 | 85 kg x 1+ |
| Week 4 | 35 kg x 5 | 45 kg x 5 | 55 kg x 5 |
For the next cycle, the squat training max becomes 131 kg and the bench training max becomes 92.5 kg, and you work out the table again. The plate calculator shows what to load on each side of the bar.
The plus set: how hard to push
The plus set is where 5/3/1 drives progress. Hit the minimum every time, then do as many clean reps as you can. Wendler's advice is to push these sets hard but not to grind out ugly reps: stop when the bar slows right down or your form starts to change.
Track your plus sets as estimated maxes so different weeks can be compared. If you squat 107.5 kg for 8 reps in week 1, that is an estimated max of about 136 kg (107.5 x 8 x 0.0333 + 107.5). Beat that number next cycle, at any weight, and you have set a rep record. Strong plus sets on week 1 often mean your training max is conservative, which is exactly how the programme is meant to feel.
Weekly layout: 4, 3 or 2 days
The standard version trains four days a week with one main lift per day:
| Day | Main lift | Typical supplemental | Assistance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | Overhead press | Press or bench 5 x 10 | Chin-ups, dips, rows |
| Day 2 | Deadlift | Deadlift or squat 5 x 10 | Leg raises, back extensions |
| Day 3 | Bench press | Bench or press 5 x 10 | Rows, push-ups |
| Day 4 | Squat | Squat or deadlift 5 x 10 | Lunges, ab work |
On three days a week, rotate the four lifts through the sessions in order, so each "week" of the cycle takes a little longer than seven days. On two days a week, pair the lifts (squat with bench, deadlift with press) and do two main lifts per session.
Boring But Big (BBB)
Boring But Big is the best-known 5/3/1 template. After your three main sets you do 5 sets of 10 reps at 50-60% of the training max. In the original version that is the same lift you just trained; some lifters prefer the opposite lift (deadlift on squat day, for example). Start at 50% and move up over several cycles rather than starting heavy. After BBB, add a modest amount of assistance work: Wendler's later guideline is 50-100 total reps each of a pushing, pulling and single-leg or core movement.
A week 1 squat day for our example lifter looks like this:
| Exercise | Sets x reps | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Squat warm-up | 5, 5, 3 | 50, 62.5, 75 kg |
| Squat | 5, 5, 5+ | 82.5, 95, 107.5 kg |
| Squat (BBB) | 5 x 10 | 62.5 kg (50%) |
| Chin-ups or rows | 50-100 total reps | Bodyweight or moderate |
| Hanging leg raises | 50-100 total reps | Bodyweight |
Five sets of ten after heavy work is hard. If your sessions run long or your plus sets start to suffer, take BBB down a few percent or use "First Set Last" instead: 3 to 5 sets of 5 to 8 reps with your first working set weight.
How to progress, and what to do when you stall
After each four-week cycle, add to the training max regardless of how the plus sets went:
| Lift | Add per cycle |
|---|---|
| Bench press | 2.5 kg (5 lb) |
| Overhead press | 2.5 kg (5 lb) |
| Squat | 5 kg (10 lb) |
| Deadlift | 5 kg (10 lb) |
If you fail to get the minimum reps on a plus set, the training max has got ahead of your real strength. The usual fix is to take the training max back by about 10% and build again. It feels like a step back but your rep records usually climb quickly.
Who 5/3/1 suits
5/3/1 is best for lifters who have finished their beginner gains and can no longer add weight every session. True beginners can run it, but they will usually progress faster on a simple beginner strength programme that adds weight every session. Lifters chasing muscle more than strength can still use it with BBB, but a dedicated hypertrophy programme puts more work into each muscle.
Common 5/3/1 mistakes
- Using your true max instead of 90%. The programme then feels too hard within two cycles.
- Grinding every plus set. A few reps short of a true limit is enough. Ugly reps cost more recovery than they give back.
- Skipping the deload. It is part of the design, not an optional rest.
- Adding weight faster than the rules. Big plus sets are the sign the programme is working, not a reason to jump the training max.
- Piling on assistance work. Keep it to what supports the main lifts.
- Changing templates every cycle. Give a template at least two or three cycles before judging it.
How Lift Proven uses 5/3/1
Lift Proven does not run Wendler's 5/3/1 word for word. Its coach uses 5/3/1-style waves (a week of 5s, a week of 3s and a 5/3/1 week, with the last set taken for as many clean reps as you can, then lighter sets at the first set's weight) and Boring But Big-style extra volume on your priority lift, loaded a little heavier at 4 sets of 8. It sets the weights for you from your logged sets and adjusts after every session, and lighter weeks come when you need them rather than on a fixed calendar.
Let Lift Proven set your 5/3/1-style weights
Log your sets and the coach works out every wave, plus set and back-off weight from what you actually lifted, then adjusts after each session. Warm-ups and plates for each side are worked out too.
Questions
- Is 5/3/1 good for beginners?
- It works, but most beginners progress faster on a simple programme that adds weight every session, such as a three-day A/B barbell plan. 5/3/1 adds weight once a month, which suits lifters who can no longer progress session to session.
- What is the training max in 5/3/1?
- The training max is 90% of your one-rep max, and every percentage in the programme is taken from it. A 140 kg squatter uses a training max of 126 kg. Some of Wendler's later templates use 85%.
- How much weight do you add each cycle on 5/3/1?
- Add 2.5 kg (5 lb) to the training max for the bench press and overhead press, and 5 kg (10 lb) for the squat and deadlift, after every four-week cycle.
- How many days a week is 5/3/1?
- The standard version is four days a week with one main lift per day. It also runs on three days by rotating the lifts, or two days by doing two main lifts per session.
- What is Boring But Big on 5/3/1?
- Boring But Big is a 5/3/1 template where you do 5 sets of 10 reps at 50-60% of your training max after the main sets, plus a small amount of assistance work. It adds muscle-building volume to a strength programme.
- Can you build muscle on 5/3/1?
- Yes, especially with Boring But Big or another high-volume template, because the extra sets add a lot of weekly volume. If muscle is your main goal, a programme built around 10-20 hard sets per muscle each week will usually do more.