5/3/1 for beginners is a 3-day full-body plan built on Jim Wendler’s 5/3/1 method. You squat, bench, deadlift and overhead press from a training max, with the weights set by percentages that change each week of a 3-week cycle. Below you get the week, the percentages, the assistance work and how to add weight after each cycle.
How 5/3/1 works
Every main lift runs off a training max: 90% of the most you can lift for one rep. Each week sets its percentages of that number. The last of the 3 working sets is a plus set: do as many clean reps as you can, and stop 1 or 2 short of failure.
After each 3-week cycle, the training max goes up by a fixed step and the cycle starts again. Progress is slower than adding weight every session. It also keeps working for much longer.
The plan suits lifters who have outgrown adding weight every session, usually after 3 to 6 months on a plan like 5x5.
How the week looks
| Day | Main lifts |
|---|---|
| Monday | Squat, then bench press |
| Wednesday | Deadlift, then overhead press |
| Friday | Bench press, then squat |
Every other day is rest. Each main lift gets 2 sessions a week, except the deadlift and overhead press, which get one.
The main sets
Take each main lift through 3 working sets at the week’s percentages, then 5 sets of 5 at the first set’s weight.
| Week | Set 1 | Set 2 | Set 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | 65% for 5 | 75% for 5 | 85% for 5+ |
| Week 2 | 70% for 3 | 80% for 3 | 90% for 3+ |
| Week 3 | 75% for 5 | 85% for 3 | 95% for 1+ |
The plus sign marks the plus set. The 5 sets of 5 at the lighter weight add the volume that builds muscle.
Say your squat training max is 100 kg. In week 1 you squat 65 kg for 5, 75 kg for 5 and 85 kg for as many reps as you can, then 5 sets of 5 at 65 kg.
Assistance work
After the main lifts, do 50 to 100 total reps from each of these 3 groups, spread over as many sets as you need:
- Push: dips, push-ups or dumbbell presses.
- Pull: pull-ups, rows or face pulls.
- Legs or core: lunges, split squats, back extensions or planks.
Keep it moderate. The main lifts are the plan.
How to add weight
After each 3-week cycle, add 2.5 kg to the training max for the bench and overhead press, and 5 kg for the squat and deadlift. Then start again at week 1.
If a plus set falls short of the reps the table asks for, do not raise that lift’s training max. Take it down by 10% and build back up.
Run this plan in Trackist
Trackist writes its own plan from 14 questions about your goal, experience, equipment, joints, schedule, session length and age. It does not run 5/3/1 by name, and its load suggestion does not follow percentages of a training max. In the plan editor you can reorder, swap, add or remove any exercise, with or without Pro, and set your own weights from the table above.
The log still does the work 5/3/1 needs. Each exercise page shows your estimated one-rep max over time, which is the number your training max comes from. Trackist marks a record the moment a plus set beats your best reps at that weight. Last session’s numbers sit under each field, so the next cycle starts from what you actually lifted.
The guide to progressive overload explains why slower jumps keep working longer.
FAQ
Questions, answered.
How do I find my training max for 5/3/1?
Take 90% of your one-rep max. If you have not tested one, estimate it from a recent set: a set of 5 is roughly 87% of your one-rep max. Start low rather than high. A training max that is too light only costs a cycle, and one that is too heavy stalls you in week 3.
Is 5/3/1 good for complete beginners?
It works, but a brand-new lifter can add weight every session for months, and 5/3/1 adds it once every 3 weeks. Most people get more from 3 to 6 months of a simple linear plan first, then move to 5/3/1.
Does 5/3/1 for beginners have a deload week?
The original 5/3/1 adds a light fourth week. The beginner version runs cycle after cycle without one, because the 5 sets of 5 stay light. If your lifts start to drop, take a lighter week: the same weights with about 60% of the sets.
Can Trackist run 5/3/1?
Not by name. Trackist writes its own plan, and its weight suggestion does not follow training-max percentages. You can lay out the days in the plan editor and set your weights from the percentages, and the exercise pages track your estimated one-rep max between cycles.
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Answer 14 questions and Trackist writes a plan around your gym and your week. Log every set, and the next session shows the weight to lift. On the App Store now. Android is coming.
