--- id: "5_3_1" name: 5/3/1 aliases: [Wendler 5/3/1] category: program system: powerlifting goal: Slow, sustainable strength progress on the squat, bench, press, and deadlift goals: [strength] level: intermediate duration_weeks: 4 frequency_per_week: 4 periodization: linear origin: classic progression_model: > After each 4-week cycle, add 2.5 kg to upper-body training maxes (bench, overhead press) and 5 kg to lower-body training maxes (squat, deadlift). When AMRAP reps stall for two consecutive cycles on a lift, reset that lift's TM to 85–90% of current TM and rebuild. exercises: - ref: back_squat role: primary frequency_per_week: 1 technical_notes: > Use a low bar position: rest the bar across the rear delts, not the traps. The shorter moment arm allows more forward lean, distributing the load across the hips and hamstrings alongside the quads — critical for moving maximal weight. Stance wider than shoulder-width, toes turned out 30–45 degrees. Depth to just below parallel (hip crease below top of knee) as required by IPF rules. Brace with a full Valsalva maneuver before unracking. Drive the hips up out of the hole — the cue is "hip drive", not "chest up". Bar path should stay over mid-foot. weeks: - week: 1 sets: 3 reps: [5, 5, "5+"] intensity: - {pct_tm: 65} - {pct_tm: 75} - {pct_tm: 85, amrap: true} - week: 2 sets: 3 reps: [3, 3, "3+"] intensity: - {pct_tm: 70} - {pct_tm: 80} - {pct_tm: 90, amrap: true} - week: 3 sets: 3 reps: [5, 3, "1+"] intensity: - {pct_tm: 75} - {pct_tm: 85} - {pct_tm: 95, amrap: true} - week: 4 label: deload sets: 3 reps: [5, 5, 5] intensity: - {pct_tm: 40} - {pct_tm: 50} - {pct_tm: 60} - ref: bench_press role: primary frequency_per_week: 1 technical_notes: > Grip width: index finger on or slightly inside the ring marks on the bar. Retract and depress the scapulae before unracking — the upper back must stay tight throughout the set. A slight arch is acceptable and keeps the shoulder in a safer position. Touch the bar to the lower chest (nipple line) with controlled speed; touch-and-go is acceptable in training, but a brief pause is preferred for competition prep. Bar path: slight diagonal, lowering to the lower chest and pressing back toward the face at lockout so the bar finishes over the shoulders. Leg drive into the floor is legal and recommended. weeks: - week: 1 sets: 3 reps: [5, 5, "5+"] intensity: - {pct_tm: 65} - {pct_tm: 75} - {pct_tm: 85, amrap: true} - week: 2 sets: 3 reps: [3, 3, "3+"] intensity: - {pct_tm: 70} - {pct_tm: 80} - {pct_tm: 90, amrap: true} - week: 3 sets: 3 reps: [5, 3, "1+"] intensity: - {pct_tm: 75} - {pct_tm: 85} - {pct_tm: 95, amrap: true} - week: 4 label: deload sets: 3 reps: [5, 5, 5] intensity: - {pct_tm: 40} - {pct_tm: 50} - {pct_tm: 60} - ref: overhead_press role: primary frequency_per_week: 1 technical_notes: > Strict standing press — no leg drive. Grip just outside shoulder width. Bar starts at clavicle level in a front rack position; elbows slightly in front of the bar. Move the head back (not the bar forward) to clear the face, then drive the bar in a vertical line. At lockout, shove the head through so ears are forward of the arms — this is the strong overhead position. Core braced throughout; squeeze the glutes to prevent lumbar hyperextension. The bar should finish over the mid-foot, not in front of it. Lower under control back to the clavicle. weeks: - week: 1 sets: 3 reps: [5, 5, "5+"] intensity: - {pct_tm: 65} - {pct_tm: 75} - {pct_tm: 85, amrap: true} - week: 2 sets: 3 reps: [3, 3, "3+"] intensity: - {pct_tm: 70} - {pct_tm: 80} - {pct_tm: 90, amrap: true} - week: 3 sets: 3 reps: [5, 3, "1+"] intensity: - {pct_tm: 75} - {pct_tm: 85} - {pct_tm: 95, amrap: true} - week: 4 label: deload sets: 3 reps: [5, 5, 5] intensity: - {pct_tm: 40} - {pct_tm: 50} - {pct_tm: 60} - ref: conventional_deadlift role: primary frequency_per_week: 1 technical_notes: > Hip-width stance, feet roughly parallel or toes slightly out. Double overhand grip (or mixed grip for heavy sets; hook grip is acceptable). Set up with the bar over mid-foot — not touching the shins yet. Hip hinge to grip the bar, then pull the shins to the bar (not the bar to the shins). Before breaking the floor, engage the lats hard ("protect your armpits" / "bend the bar around your legs") — this locks the upper back and keeps the bar close. Take a full breath and brace; drive the floor away rather than pulling the bar up. At lockout, squeeze the glutes and stand tall — do not hyperextend the lumbar. For volume work, touch-and-go between reps is acceptable; for competition specificity, reset between each rep. weeks: - week: 1 sets: 3 reps: [5, 5, "5+"] intensity: - {pct_tm: 65} - {pct_tm: 75} - {pct_tm: 85, amrap: true} - week: 2 sets: 3 reps: [3, 3, "3+"] intensity: - {pct_tm: 70} - {pct_tm: 80} - {pct_tm: 90, amrap: true} - week: 3 sets: 3 reps: [5, 3, "1+"] intensity: - {pct_tm: 75} - {pct_tm: 85} - {pct_tm: 95, amrap: true} - week: 4 label: deload sets: 3 reps: [5, 5, 5] intensity: - {pct_tm: 40} - {pct_tm: 50} - {pct_tm: 60} sources: - title: "5/3/1: The Simplest and Most Effective Training System" author: "Jim Wendler" credibility: practitioner --- # 5/3/1 5/3/1 is a percentage-based barbell strength program built around four main lifts — squat, bench press, overhead press, and deadlift — each trained once per week. The central philosophy is deliberate underloading: all working percentages are calculated from a **training max** (TM) set to roughly 90% of true 1RM, keeping most sessions comfortably below the athlete's actual limit. Progress is slow by design — small, reliable monthly increases compound into large long-term gains without the burnout and stalls that come from chasing true maxes every week. ## How the Training Max Works The training max is not your 1RM. Set it to approximately **90% of your current true 1RM**, or — if you are new to the program — use a conservative estimate (a weight you could lift for 3–5 reps with technique intact). All week-by-week percentages in the program are calculated from this TM, not your true 1RM. This means working sets feel moderate early in a cycle, which is intentional. The cumulative fatigue over weeks 1–3 is what drives adaptation; no single session should feel like a true max effort until the AMRAP set on week 3. ## The Four-Week Wave Each lift runs through the same 4-week wave. Percentages are of the **training max**: | Week | Set 1 | Set 2 | Set 3 | |------|-------|-------|-------| | 1 | 65% × 5 | 75% × 5 | 85% × **5+** | | 2 | 70% × 3 | 80% × 3 | 90% × **3+** | | 3 | 75% × 5 | 85% × 3 | 95% × **1+** | | 4 (deload) | 40% × 5 | 50% × 5 | 60% × 5 | The `+` notation on the final set means **AMRAP** (as many reps as possible). Do not sandbag the AMRAP — it is the primary progress signal and auto-regulation mechanism of the program. ## AMRAP Sets The AMRAP set on weeks 1–3 serves two purposes. First, it creates overload beyond what the prescribed rep target alone would provide — if you're capable of 12 reps at 85% TM (week 1), you should do 12. Second, the rep count becomes a real-time e1RM estimate: a high AMRAP indicates the TM is conservative and monthly increases are sustainable; a barely-made AMRAP suggests you are near the TM ceiling and a reset may be approaching. Do not end the AMRAP at a fixed number to "save something." Leave nothing on the bar (while maintaining form). ## Progression After completing each 4-week cycle, increase the training max: - **Upper body lifts** (bench press, overhead press): **+2.5 kg** - **Lower body lifts** (squat, deadlift): **+5 kg** These increases are applied to the TM, not the true 1RM. Repeat the wave with the new TM. **When to reset:** If AMRAP reps on the final set stall or decline across two consecutive cycles for the same lift, do not keep adding weight. Reset that lift's TM to **85–90% of the current TM** and rebuild from there. Resets are not failures — they are mandatory maintenance that keeps the program running for years. ## Assistance Work The four main-lift sets are the core of each session. Wendler prescribes assistance templates to build muscle and address weaknesses around the main lifts. The most common is **Boring But Big (BBB)**: after the main lift sets, perform 5 × 10 of the same lift (or a variation) at 50–60% TM. This adds significant volume without compromising recovery for the main sets. Other common templates: - **First Set Last (FSL)**: After the main wave, do multiple sets at the first-set percentage (e.g., 65% on week 1). Less volume than BBB, better for busier schedules. - **Triumvirate**: Three assistance exercises per session — one push, one pull, one single-leg/core — for 3–5 sets each. Assistance work is **not optional**, but it is secondary. If recovery is compromised, cut assistance first, never main lift volume. ## Why It Works The submaximal training max ensures that the vast majority of sessions stay well clear of true failure. This limits accumulated fatigue, keeps technique cleaner under load, and makes the small monthly increases sustainable for years rather than weeks. Most lifters on aggressive linear progression stall within 3–6 months; 5/3/1 athletes regularly run productive cycles for 2–3 years before needing a major programming change. The AMRAP set provides the intensity stimulus that simple submaximal training would lack, and the deload week provides the fatigue dissipation that allows the next cycle to start fresh. The result is a low-complexity, high-durability system that produces consistent strength gains without daily decision-making.