5/3/1 Program Guide: Wendler's Strength System Explained
Wendler's 5/3/1 program is the strength program serious lifters keep coming back to — for good reason. Here's the complete guide: training maxes, the 5/3/1 percentages, assistance work, and how to actually run it.
Jim Wendler's 5/3/1 program is the strength program serious lifters keep coming back to. It's been around since 2009 and still produces results today. Why? Because the 5/3/1 program is built around the only two things that actually matter: slow, sustainable progressive overload, and never missing reps.
I'm Pasha, founder of 1RM.fit. The 5/3/1 program is the most-loaded strength program in our database. Here's the complete guide — how it works, the percentages, the assistance work, and how to actually run it.
How the 5/3/1 Program Works
The 5/3/1 program is a 4-week cycle (5/3/1 calls it a "training cycle"). Each week you hit each of the four main lifts (squat, bench, deadlift, overhead press) once. The top set follows this pattern:
- Week 1: 5 reps @ 65%, 5 reps @ 75%, 5+ reps @ 85% (last set = AMRAP)
- Week 2: 3 reps @ 70%, 3 reps @ 80%, 3+ reps @ 90% (AMRAP)
- Week 3: 5 reps @ 75%, 3 reps @ 85%, 1+ reps @ 95% (AMRAP)
- Week 4 (Deload): 5 reps @ 40%, 5 reps @ 50%, 5 reps @ 60%
All percentages are based on your Training Max, NOT your true 1RM. Training Max = 90% of your 1RM. This is the most important rule in 5/3/1.
Setting Your Training Max
Take 90% of your current 1RM for each lift. That's your Training Max. Example:
- Squat 1RM = 150 kg → Training Max = 135 kg
- Bench 1RM = 100 kg → Training Max = 90 kg
- Deadlift 1RM = 180 kg → Training Max = 162 kg
- OHP 1RM = 70 kg → Training Max = 63 kg
Don't know your 1RM? Use our one rep max calculator — estimate from a 3-10 rep top set.
Sample 5/3/1 Program Week (Week 1)
Day 1 — Overhead Press
Training Max = 60 kg
- Warm-up: 40% × 5, 50% × 5, 60% × 3
- Set 1: 39 kg × 5 (65% of TM)
- Set 2: 45 kg × 5 (75% of TM)
- Set 3: 51 kg × 5+ AMRAP (85% of TM) — go to failure with good form
- Assistance: 5×10 dumbbell press + 5×10 chin-ups + 5×10 face pulls
Day 2 — Deadlift
Training Max = 160 kg
- Set 1: 104 kg × 5
- Set 2: 120 kg × 5
- Set 3: 136 kg × 5+ AMRAP
- Assistance: 5×10 Romanian deadlift + 5×10 hanging leg raise
Day 3 — Bench Press
Training Max = 90 kg
- Set 1: 58 kg × 5
- Set 2: 67 kg × 5
- Set 3: 76 kg × 5+ AMRAP
- Assistance: 5×10 dumbbell row + 5×10 dumbbell press
Day 4 — Squat
Training Max = 135 kg
- Set 1: 87 kg × 5
- Set 2: 101 kg × 5
- Set 3: 115 kg × 5+ AMRAP
- Assistance: 5×10 leg curl + 5×10 ab work
The 5/3/1 Progression Rule
After every 4-week cycle, increase your Training Max:
- Upper body lifts (bench, OHP): +2.5 kg per cycle
- Lower body lifts (squat, deadlift): +5 kg per cycle
That's it. Slow. Boring. Sustainable. Most lifters fail at 5/3/1 because they jump TM too fast — chasing PRs every week and burning out. Trust the percentages.
5/3/1 Assistance Work — The "Boring But Big" Template
The most popular 5/3/1 assistance template is BBB (Boring But Big):
- After your top set: 5 sets × 10 reps of the same lift at 50% of TM
- Optional: 1-2 accessory movements at 5×10 reps
Example: After bench top sets, do 5×10 bench at 45 kg (50% of 90 kg TM). Plus 5×10 dumbbell rows for balance.
The 5/3/1 program works because it's designed to be slow. The lifters who succeed are the ones who add 2.5 kg every 4 weeks and never miss a session. The lifters who fail are the ones who try to jump 5 kg per cycle.
Who 5/3/1 Is For
- Intermediate lifters who've outgrown beginner linear progression
- Anyone who wants to focus on the big 4 lifts
- Lifters chasing long-term strength gains (years, not weeks)
Track Your 5/3/1 Program Automatically
1RM.fit has a 5/3/1 routine template built in. Load your Training Maxes once and the app auto-calculates every working set, every week, every cycle. AMRAP tracking. Auto Training Max bump after each cycle. PR detection on every lift.
Download 1RM.fit free and load 5/3/1 in 60 seconds. No spreadsheet needed.
Looking for a different program? Read our push pull legs routine guide for hypertrophy or our workout plans to build muscle comparison.
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