Written by Kiel DiGiovanni | Co-founder
Fact checked by Kirsten Yovino, CPT Brookbush Institute
FACT CHECKED
This post covers Jim Wendler’s 5/3/1 Program which is one of the most popular workout programs around. After reading this you will understand how the 5/3/1 Program works, the benefits of running this program and the answers to commonly asked questions surrounding it. To simplify it, the 5/3/1 Program is an effective strength program for intermediate lifters that centers around four core compound lifts. You will progressively get stronger month over month if you follow this program; that's a promise.
What is the 5/3/1 Program?
The 5/3/1 Program was developed by Jim Wendler who was an elite powerlifter with a squat of over 1000 pounds and big 3 total of 2,375 pounds. The 5/3/1 Workout Program is built around mesocycles of 4 weeks or "waves". Each week consists of 3-4 days of training. Four days being the optimal frequency because each training day is centered around a core lift. The four core lifts are Overhead Press, Bench Press, Deadlift, and Squat.
If your schedule doesn’t allow it and you can only get 3 days of training in per week then you will still only perform one of the major lifts each session before running through the cycle again, thus extending the 4 weeks to 5 weeks. Each workout session should include 3 different exercises including the core lift. So, you can choose the other two accessory lifts to fit your goals; maybe you need more shoulder work, maybe you need to hit your triceps more. The accessory lifts can be programmed to suit your personal situation in terms of exercise choice. Just make sure you choose exercises that equate to a well-rounded lifting program.
Each 4 week cycle you will have new weight goals for the core lifts. Here’s a high-level look at the tenets of the 5/3/1 Program.
Step 1: Find your 1RM of the core lifts (Overhead press, Bench press, Squat, Deadlift) then subtract 10% from your 1RM. This is the number you will base your workouts around.
Step 2: Each workout you will perform one core lift for 3 sets using a weight that’s a percentage of the 90% of the 1RM.
|
Week 1 |
Week 2 |
Week 3 |
Week 4 |
|
|
Set 1 |
65% x 5 |
70% x 3 |
75% x 5 |
40% x 5 |
|
Set 2 |
75% x 5 |
80% x 3 |
85% x 3 |
50% x 5 |
|
Set 3 |
85% x 5+ |
90% x 3+ |
95% x 1+ |
60% x 5 |
So let’s take a 300 pound squat 1RM as an example. The starting weight that determines the rest of the percentages would be 300*.9 = 270 pounds. The table below gives you the weights and sets you'd be lifting in this situation.
|
Week 1 |
Week 2 |
Week 3 |
Week 4 |
|
|
Set 1 |
175 x 5 |
190 x 3 |
200 x 5 |
110 x 5 |
|
Set 2 |
200 x 5 |
215 x 3 |
230 x 3 |
135 x 5 |
|
Set 3 |
230 x 5+ |
245 x 3+ |
255 x 1+ |
160 x 5 |
Note: We rounded to the closest 5lb increments. When you see the + in Set 3 this means you should aim for AMRAP (as many reps as possible). Week 4 is a de-loading week where you will have the chance to recoup and recover from the previous 3 weeks.
Once this mesocycle is completed then you will begin the next 4-week cycle using heavier weights on the 4 core lifts. You should try to add 5 pounds on upper body lifts of bench press and overhead press after the 4 week wave. Try to add 10 pounds to your lower body lifts of squats and deadlifts.
Looking to build strength like the 5/3/1 but with more flexibility? Check out our SFS Strength Program developed by Garett Reid (NSCA, CSCS, CISSN, M.S.E.S.S).
Prepare to maximize your strength with our exclusive 13-week strength training program. 3, 4, and 5 day per week programming options.
How do I calculate my 1RM?
To properly execute the 5/3/1 Program you will need to figure out your 1RM for the core lifts. This shouldn’t be based on guesses or maxes you wish you could do. You must start the 5/3/1 Program with your current max lifts, don’t over/underestimate your 1 rep max otherwise the program won’t work how it should. Take a few days or workout sessions to determine your 1RM for the core lifts.
Follow this method to hone in on your 1RM:
- Begin with an estimation of your 1RM
- Start with 80-85% of your guesstimated 1RM then perform as many reps as you can
- Use the formula below to figure out your 1RM for Bench Press, Overhead Press, Squat, Deadlift
Weight x Reps x .0333 + Weight = 1 Rep Max
Note: There are many free online calculators that can also help with determining your 1RM.
Who is 5/3/1 program Good For?
The 5/3/1 Program is best suited to intermediate lifters who are looking to steadily improve their strength and max lifts. People who’ve completed the Starting Strength and Strong Lift Programs often move on to Wendler’s 5/3/1 Program as the next step in their weightlifting journey. The linear progression combined with one week of de-loading in each 4-week cycle helps you to stay focused and avoids burning out.
Is 5/3/1 Program Good for Beginners?
The 5/3/1 Program is good for anyone that wants to progressively get stronger. With that said, beginners could be better served by other lifting protocols, such as the 531 for Beginners (surprise!). The standard 5/3/1 Program isn’t intended to produce massive results in a short amount of time so beginners would find other programs, like the beginner version, more useful as they should see faster gains in a shorter time-frames. In other words, newbie gains. Intermediate and advanced lifters are better suited for the 5/3/1 Program above, as it can help to incrementally improve strength gains at times where they might’ve stalled out. Beginners need a straightforward linear progression plan, like '531 for beginners' or GZCLP.
Jim Wendler’s 5/3/1 In A Nutshell
- Focus on Improving Core Lifts: Compound, multi-joint movements enable us to build the most muscle and that’s why Bench Press, Squats, Overhead Press and Deadlifts are the cornerstone of this strength program.
- Start With Lighter Weights: In this program you’ll start with weights that are light enough that you can make good progress as you move through the program. Wendler created the 5/3/1 Strength Program around the idea of building strength and power over time because trying to get quick gains will lead to more plateaus faster. Usually when people stall out in their progress, they might lose interest and give up so the smaller victories as you move forward allow you to build up momentum.
- Slow Progress = Breaking Records: The 5/3/1 Program is set up so that you collect small victories as you move through it. The goal here is to add to your lifts but if you end up being able to lift more reps of the same weight then you've still gotten stronger. Fitness should be a lifetime journey not a few months workout program where you’re trying to add 20 pounds to your bench. With small bite sized goals of adding 5-10 pounds to your lifts it helps not only physically but psychologically as well. Once you get in the mindset of setting smaller yet manageable goals you will understand the power these small achievements have over the long run. It’s not all about 1RM, the simple truth is that if you keep setting new PRs for reps and or weight, your 1RM will also go up. The 5/3/1 Strength Program allows you to constantly push and motivate yourself by setting new PRs without focusing in on only breaking the 1RM.
Benefits of 5/3/1 Program
It seems like there’s always a new workout program or methodology that pops up in the fitness industry but most don’t have legs to stand on. Wendler’s 5/3/1 Program has longevity in the fitness industry and is respected by everyone who has used it and/or is a respected figure in the weightlifting world. Let’s have a look at some of the benefits of running the 5/3/1 Program to see why it’s been used by people around the world.
- Easy To Follow: Once you have your 1RM dialed in for the 4 core lifts the 5/3/1 Program is straightforward to follow (Spreadsheet below will do calculations). The sets and reps are simply laid out so that you just need to track your progress week to week, cycle to cycle.
- Results Driven: Wendler’s 5/3/1 Program is all about the continuous improvement on the 4 core lifts through progressive overload. You will see results if you stick to the 5/3/1 Program while eating and sleeping right. This is no gimmick program that promises unrealistic results. We like to think of it as slow and steady progress that adds up over time.
- Centered Around Core Lifts: If you want to get stronger you need to focus on the main compound lifts; Bench Press, Squats, Deadlifts and Overhead Press. There are multiple variations of the 5/3/1 Program that switch up assistance lifts in terms of sets/reps schemes but the core lifts remain as the foundation of the program.
- Efficient: Some workout programs require never ending hours spent in the gym. The 5/3/1 Program allows you to gain serious strength and size in a relative short amount of time. You can complete a workout session in the 5/3/1 Program within 45-60 minutes, considering you’ve properly warmed up beforehand with a short but effective dynamic stretching routine.
Disadvantages of 5/3/1 Workout Program
There aren’t many complaints around the programming of the 5/3/1 Workout Program but of course there are always a few dissenting opinions in everything regarding fitness.
- Slow Progress: The methodical linear progression in the 5/3/1 Workout Program isn’t for everyone. This program is built around long-lasting gains over time. Some people might want to try to add more weight to their lifts in a shorter amount of time.
- Frequency: Some might want to train the main lifts more than once per week. We believe that if you can achieve results when performing the major lifts only once a week then the frequency shouldn’t matter much. However, if you’re looking for more work on specific lifts then the 5/3/1 Workout Program might not be the perfect fit.
5/3/1 Triumvirate Workout Program
As we stated before you can do 3-4 workout sessions per week and still follow the 5/3/1 Strength Program but in this 5/3/1 workout routine we are sticking with 4 workout sessions weekly. If you can’t get 4 workouts in weekly, you can still follow 5/3/1 Workout plan but it will just take longer to cycle through it.
To start the 5/3/1 Program make sure you know what your 1RM is on the core lifts.
We workout with the following program on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday. The days of the week to workout should fit your lifestyle and schedule. If you decide to run the 5/3/1 Strength Program on a 3 day a week schedule then it will take 5 weeks to run through one cycle of the program compared with our 4 day a week schedule where we’ll finish in 4 weeks.
Start with a Warm Up, Wendler recommends the following warmup of the targeted main lift:
- 1 set x 5 reps @40% 1RM
- 1 set x 5 reps @50% 1RM
- 1 set x 3 reps @60% 1RM
NOW, LET'S GET TO WORK!!
Note: Rest between sets can be anywhere from 3-5 minutes for the core lift sets and 60-90 seconds between assistance exercises sets.
WORKOUT 1
| Exercise | Sets | Reps | %1RM |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overhead Press Week 1 | 3 | 5, 5, 5+ | 65, 75, 85 |
| Overhead Press Week 2 | 3 | 3, 3, 3+ | 70, 80, 90 |
| Overhead Press Week 3 | 3 | 5/3/1+ | 75, 85, 95 |
| Overhead Press Week 4 (deload) | 3 | 5 | 40, 50, 60 |
| Dips (Week 1-4) | 5 | 15 | Weighted if needed |
| Chinups (Week 1-4) | 5 | 10 | Weighted if needed |
WORKOUT 2
Assistance Work Variations
Wendler offers 5 variations of assistance work that can be done in tandem with the 5/3/1 Program.
Assistance #1: Boring But Big
One of the most popular assistance programing for the 5/3/1 is the BBB version where you will perform the same exercise after the main lift but with the rep/set scheme of 5 sets of 10 reps. For example, if on bench press day of week 1 you would do:
|
Exercise |
Set |
Rep |
%1RM |
|
Bench press |
3 |
5 |
65, 75, 85 |
|
Bench press |
5 |
10 |
30-60 |
|
Dumbbell Row |
5 |
10 |
moderate intensity |
Assistance #2: Triumvirate
Similar to BBB variation except you don’t have to follow the main lift with the exact same lift and you can switch up the set/rep range if you’d like. Wendler’s version of the Triumvirate is detailed above.
Assistance #3: I’m Not Doing Jack Shit
Possibly Wendler’s favorite version, this assistance work includes no assistance work. You basically go into the gym to do the main lifting portion of 5/3/1 then leave, that’s it. If you’re short of time then this might be the variation that’s best for you. There might be a few disadvantages here in terms of limited volume and breadth of exercises.
Assistance #4: Periodization Bible by Dave Tate
Modeled after an article called The Periodization Bible, Part 1. This article was missing some key aspects of core lifting principles but did cover exercises like speed benches. Here is an example deadlift day week 1:
| Exercise | Set | Rep | %1RM |
|---|---|---|---|
| Deadlift | 3 | 5 | 65, 75, 85 |
| Hamstrings (Leg Curls, Glute-Ham Raise) | 5 | 10-20 | 30-60 |
| Quads (Leg Press, Lunges, Hack Squats) | 5 | 10-20 | - |
| Abs (Sit ups, Hanging Leg Raises, Ab Wheel, DB Side Crunch) | 5 | 10-20 | - |
Assistance #5: Bodyweight
With this version all assistance work will be done with bodyweight exercises. This can help you stay athletic while maintaining and gaining muscle mass. You should aim for at least 75 reps of each bodyweight exercise without defined sets. Here’s an example with squat day week 1:
| Exercise | Set | Rep | %1RM |
|---|---|---|---|
| Squat | 3 | 5 | 65, 75, 85 |
| Lunges | 3-5 | 75 or more total | - |
| Sit ups | 3-5 | 75 or more total | - |
Why is the 5/3/1 Program So Effective?
The 5/3/1 Program is effective due to the knowledge and expertise that Wendler put into it from his many years of competitive powerlifting. You WILL get strong if you follow the program exactly as it was designed for 3 major reasons:
Linear Progression: The 5/3/1 Program is a simple straightforward method of achieving steady gains. The concept of linear progression plays out here because the goal is to add 5 lbs to your upper body lifts and 10 lbs to your lower body lifts after each 4 week cycle. This type of progression means attainable gains each cycle with lower chances of pain or injury.
De-loading: Wendler cleverly made the 4th week of each cycle a de-loading week. De-loading means you will lift much lighter weights so that your body has time to recover faster and better. De-loading also helps you psychologically as you can take it easy for a short amount of time before going back to giving it your all. In the 5/3/1 Program the de-loading week means you will only be lifting between 30-60% of your 1RM for 3 sets of 5. This is your time to relax a little so that your body is prepared to enter the next 4 week cycle with the increased weights. De-loading is important to keep the linear progression moving in a positive direction.
Built Around Core Lifts: It's likely that you will see the core lifts in almost every successful strength training program. Squats, deadlifts, bench press and overhead press are big compound lifts that engage major muscle groups to work in unison thus activating and stimulating the muscles to grow and become stronger. It's difficult to gain any real strength if you skip out on these lifts.
Tips For Wendler’s 5/3/1 Workout Program
- Make sure you start with the correct weights
- Follow the 5/3/1 Workout Program to the “T”
- Try to add some conditioning into your schedule. Wendler recommends hill sprints or pushing a sled but not on leg day training.
- Eat 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight
- Get 6-8 hours of sleep every night
5/3/1 Workout Program FAQs
Can I Do The 5/3/1 Program With 2 Workout Sessions A Week?
If you can only squeeze two days a week of workouts is then follow this:
- Monday or Tuesday- Squat and Bench Press
- Thursday or Friday- Deadlift and Overhead Press
Complete the same 4 week schedule then adjust weights. As always, perform the primary lifts first the add assistance work as needed. Try to limit total workout time to 60 minutes.
What Do I Do If My Progress Stalls On 5/3/1?
Although many people experience continuous improvements with their lifts throughout the duration of the 5/3/1 Workout Program, it is possible that you might trip up and not be able to max out on a lift. Recalculate your 1RM then take 90% of that and begin the program again for that particular lift. Continue uninterrupted on the other lifts.
Can I Build Muscle With 5/3/1 Workout Program?
The 5/3/1 Workout Program is designed for the user to get stronger but not necessarily with hypertrophy as the end goal. If you’re looking to build muscle while using the core principles of the 5/3/1 Program then you should try the 5/3/1 Boring But Big or 5/3/1 Bodybuilding variation.
Is 5/3/1 Program Good For Powerlifters?
The Triumvirate 5/3/1 Program that we link to in this post might not be the best choice for powerlifters. However, there are variations of the 5/3/1 Program out there like Jim Wendler’s 5/3/1 Program for Powerlifting.
Are there other variations of the 531 Program?
Yes, there are a number of variations that follow a similar methodology of the original 5/3/1 Program. These variations of the 5/3/1 Program include 5/3/1 Program for Powerlifting, 5/3/1 BBB Program, 5/3/1 BBB for Bodybuilding, Power & Hypertrophy 5/3/1 Program and 5/3/1 Vanilla + 3/5/1 Powerlifting Specific Program Variation, and 5/3/1 for Beginners.
FINAL NOTE
The 5/3/1 Workout Program is a solid choice for intermediate lifters who are looking to break through plateaus. The 5/3/1 Workout Program is a time tested, no bullshit plan that will add weight to your lifts if you stick to the script. Even if the regular 5/3/1 Workout Program doesn't fit your exact goals don't worry because you could always try one of the variations that will scratch your itch if you're a powerlifter looking for massive strength improvements or a bodybuilder that wants to build muscle and get stronger.
For more great strength workouts, check out the 5 Best Strength Training Programs (Beginner to Advanced).
Prepare to maximize your strength with our exclusive 13-week strength training program. 3, 4, and 5 day per week programming options.
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Kiel DiGiovanni
Author