5/3/1 is a strength-building program created by Jim Wendler. I started seriously lifting in March of 2025 after starting and stopping a lot. I’ve tried Stronglifts 5x5 a few times, but the simplicity and philosophy behind 5/3/1 has stuck with me.
5/3/1 is a four-week cycle of four main lifts: bench, squat, overhead press, and deadlift. Each week you do three work sets at a specified percentage of your “training max.” Your last set is AMRAP, as many reps as possible. Your training max is roughly a three-rep max.
| Warm-up | Week 1 | Week 2 | Week 3 | Week 4 (Deload) | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weight | Reps | Weight | Reps | Weight | Reps | Weight | Reps | Weight | Reps | |
| Set 1 | 40% | 5 | 65% | 5 | 70% | 3 | 75% | 5 | 40% | 5 |
| Set 2 | 50% | 5 | 75% | 5 | 80% | 3 | 85% | 3 | 50% | 5 |
| Set 3 | 60% | 3 | 85% | 5+ | 90% | 3+ | 95% | 1+ | 60% | 5 |
After each successful cycle you increase the weight: 5 lbs for upper body lifts, 10 lbs for lower body lifts.
Here is how much my estimated one-rep max has increased since April 2025 (estimated one-rep max - first week 3 AMRAP):
| Lift | Weight |
|---|---|
| Bench | +25 lbs |
| Squat | +61 lbs |
| Overhead press | +32 lbs |
| Deadlift | +77 lbs |
I try to lift 3-4 times a week. In reality it’s more like 1-2x week on average. I track each of my workouts in a Google Sheet.
My routine typically looks like this:
- Warm-up for main lift
- Main lift work sets
- Related pull exercise
- Complementary push exercise if I have time
I try to squeeze the entire workout into a 30-minute window.