5/3/1 For Beginners
By Jim Wendler · From Original Source
Jim Wendler's full-body 5/3/1 for beginners, from his own page: three days a week, two main lifts a day. Monday squat and bench, Wednesday deadlift and press, Friday bench and squat, every week. Each lift runs the 5/3/1 sets and then 5 sets of 5 at the first set's weight. Your training max is 85% of your max. After the main lifts, one push, one pull and one single-leg or core exercise, 50 to 100 reps each.
Free to use · auto progression, rest timers & PR tracking built in
What is 5/3/1 For Beginners?
5/3/1 For Beginners is Jim Wendler's own answer to a newer lifter running his program without a coach. Standard 5/3/1 puts one main lift on each training day; his beginner page swaps that for three full-body days with two main lifts each, so every lift gets trained more often while the program and its slow progression stay intact. This build follows the page as it reads on his blog today: Monday is squat and bench press, Wednesday is deadlift and overhead press, Friday is bench press and squat, and the same three days repeat every week.
Each main lift runs the usual 5/3/1 sets and then First Set Last: five sets of five back at the first set's weight. After the barbell work come three assistance exercises, one from each of his categories (push, pull, and single leg or core), for 50 to 100 total reps each in whatever sets you like. Durata starts you on dips, chin-ups and the ab wheel and the notes list his other choices. Before lifting, Wendler asks for Joe DeFranco's Agile 8 and 10 to 15 box jumps or medicine ball throws, and some running or conditioning on the four days off.
Is 5/3/1 For Beginners right for you?
This is for a lifter early in their training who wants a proper structure rather than advice from other beginners, which Wendler warns against. You need three days a week, a barbell and rack, and somewhere to do chin-ups and dips. His own standards for a base level of fitness are a useful yardstick: 10 chin-ups, 35 push-ups, 20 dips and a 20-rep dumbbell squat with half your bodyweight. If those are already easy and you have a year or two of training behind you, the four-day templates such as the Triumvirate will suit you better.
How progression works
Your training max is 85% of your max, the top of the 80 to 85% Wendler gives on the page, and every percentage is taken from it. His beginner page does not spell out the weekly percentages or the deload, so those come from his 2009 5/3/1 article: 65/75/85% for fives in week one, 70/80/90% for threes in week two, 75/85/95% in week three with the last set as many reps as you can, and a deload at 40/50/60% in week four, without the First Set Last sets. At the end of each cycle the training max goes up 5 lb (2.5 kg) on bench and press and 10 lb (5 kg) on squat and deadlift. Wendler is strict about rep quality: a slow, grinding or ugly rep means you have not earned the increase, so if the last set falls short, that lift's training max stays where it is for the next cycle.
Durata runs this progression for you — every session's weights are computed from your training maxes, and your logged AMRAP sets are what move those maxes.
5/3/1 For Beginners — every set, every session
Percentages are of your training max (TM). AMRAP = as many reps as possible on the sets marked AMRAP.
Week 13 sessions
Monday — Squat & Bench (5s week)
| Exercise | Sets × Reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|
| Box Jump | 1×10–15 | — |
| Squat (Barbell) | 1×5 @ 65% 1×5 @ 75% 1×5+ @ 85% AMRAP 5×5 @ 65% | — |
| Bench Press (Barbell) | 1×5 @ 65% 1×5 @ 75% 1×5+ @ 85% AMRAP 5×5 @ 65% | — |
| Triceps Dip | 5×10–20 | — |
| Chin Up | 5×10–20 | — |
| Ab Wheel | 5×10–20 | — |
Wednesday — Deadlift & Press (5s week)
| Exercise | Sets × Reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|
| Box Jump | 1×10–15 | — |
| Deadlift (Barbell) | 1×5 @ 65% 1×5 @ 75% 1×5+ @ 85% AMRAP 5×5 @ 65% | — |
| Overhead Press (Barbell) | 1×5 @ 65% 1×5 @ 75% 1×5+ @ 85% AMRAP 5×5 @ 65% | — |
| Triceps Dip | 5×10–20 | — |
| Chin Up | 5×10–20 | — |
| Ab Wheel | 5×10–20 | — |
Friday — Bench & Squat (5s week)
| Exercise | Sets × Reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|
| Box Jump | 1×10–15 | — |
| Bench Press (Barbell) | 1×5 @ 65% 1×5 @ 75% 1×5+ @ 85% AMRAP 5×5 @ 65% | — |
| Squat (Barbell) | 1×5 @ 65% 1×5 @ 75% 1×5+ @ 85% AMRAP 5×5 @ 65% | — |
| Triceps Dip | 5×10–20 | — |
| Chin Up | 5×10–20 | — |
| Ab Wheel | 5×10–20 | — |
Week 23 sessions
Monday — Squat & Bench (3s week)
| Exercise | Sets × Reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|
| Box Jump | 1×10–15 | — |
| Squat (Barbell) | 1×3 @ 70% 1×3 @ 80% 1×3+ @ 90% AMRAP 5×5 @ 70% | — |
| Bench Press (Barbell) | 1×3 @ 70% 1×3 @ 80% 1×3+ @ 90% AMRAP 5×5 @ 70% | — |
| Triceps Dip | 5×10–20 | — |
| Chin Up | 5×10–20 | — |
| Ab Wheel | 5×10–20 | — |
Wednesday — Deadlift & Press (3s week)
| Exercise | Sets × Reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|
| Box Jump | 1×10–15 | — |
| Deadlift (Barbell) | 1×3 @ 70% 1×3 @ 80% 1×3+ @ 90% AMRAP 5×5 @ 70% | — |
| Overhead Press (Barbell) | 1×3 @ 70% 1×3 @ 80% 1×3+ @ 90% AMRAP 5×5 @ 70% | — |
| Triceps Dip | 5×10–20 | — |
| Chin Up | 5×10–20 | — |
| Ab Wheel | 5×10–20 | — |
Friday — Bench & Squat (3s week)
| Exercise | Sets × Reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|
| Box Jump | 1×10–15 | — |
| Bench Press (Barbell) | 1×3 @ 70% 1×3 @ 80% 1×3+ @ 90% AMRAP 5×5 @ 70% | — |
| Squat (Barbell) | 1×3 @ 70% 1×3 @ 80% 1×3+ @ 90% AMRAP 5×5 @ 70% | — |
| Triceps Dip | 5×10–20 | — |
| Chin Up | 5×10–20 | — |
| Ab Wheel | 5×10–20 | — |
Week 33 sessions
Monday — Squat & Bench (5/3/1 week)
| Exercise | Sets × Reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|
| Box Jump | 1×10–15 | — |
| Squat (Barbell) | 1×5 @ 75% 1×3 @ 85% 1×1+ @ 95% AMRAP 5×5 @ 75% | — |
| Bench Press (Barbell) | 1×5 @ 75% 1×3 @ 85% 1×1+ @ 95% AMRAP 5×5 @ 75% | — |
| Triceps Dip | 5×10–20 | — |
| Chin Up | 5×10–20 | — |
| Ab Wheel | 5×10–20 | — |
Wednesday — Deadlift & Press (5/3/1 week)
| Exercise | Sets × Reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|
| Box Jump | 1×10–15 | — |
| Deadlift (Barbell) | 1×5 @ 75% 1×3 @ 85% 1×1+ @ 95% AMRAP 5×5 @ 75% | — |
| Overhead Press (Barbell) | 1×5 @ 75% 1×3 @ 85% 1×1+ @ 95% AMRAP 5×5 @ 75% | — |
| Triceps Dip | 5×10–20 | — |
| Chin Up | 5×10–20 | — |
| Ab Wheel | 5×10–20 | — |
Friday — Bench & Squat (5/3/1 week)
| Exercise | Sets × Reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|
| Box Jump | 1×10–15 | — |
| Bench Press (Barbell) | 1×5 @ 75% 1×3 @ 85% 1×1+ @ 95% AMRAP 5×5 @ 75% | — |
| Squat (Barbell) | 1×5 @ 75% 1×3 @ 85% 1×1+ @ 95% AMRAP 5×5 @ 75% | — |
| Triceps Dip | 5×10–20 | — |
| Chin Up | 5×10–20 | — |
| Ab Wheel | 5×10–20 | — |
Week 43 sessions
Monday — Squat & Bench (Deload)
| Exercise | Sets × Reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|
| Box Jump | 1×10–15 | — |
| Squat (Barbell) | 1×5 @ 40% 1×5 @ 50% 1×5 @ 60% | — |
| Bench Press (Barbell) | 1×5 @ 40% 1×5 @ 50% 1×5 @ 60% | — |
| Triceps Dip | 5×10–20 | — |
| Chin Up | 5×10–20 | — |
| Ab Wheel | 5×10–20 | — |
Wednesday — Deadlift & Press (Deload)
| Exercise | Sets × Reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|
| Box Jump | 1×10–15 | — |
| Deadlift (Barbell) | 1×5 @ 40% 1×5 @ 50% 1×5 @ 60% | — |
| Overhead Press (Barbell) | 1×5 @ 40% 1×5 @ 50% 1×5 @ 60% | — |
| Triceps Dip | 5×10–20 | — |
| Chin Up | 5×10–20 | — |
| Ab Wheel | 5×10–20 | — |
Friday — Bench & Squat (Deload)
| Exercise | Sets × Reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|
| Box Jump | 1×10–15 | — |
| Bench Press (Barbell) | 1×5 @ 40% 1×5 @ 50% 1×5 @ 60% | — |
| Squat (Barbell) | 1×5 @ 40% 1×5 @ 50% 1×5 @ 60% | — |
| Triceps Dip | 5×10–20 | — |
| Chin Up | 5×10–20 | — |
| Ab Wheel | 5×10–20 | — |
5/3/1 For Beginners — common questions
What does First Set Last (FSL) mean?
After the three 5/3/1 sets on a lift you go back to the weight of the first set and do five sets of five: 65% of your training max in week one, 70% in week two, 75% in week three. It is extra practice on the main lifts at a weight you can move well. The deload week has none.
What training max should I start with?
85% of your max. Wendler gives 80 to 85% on his beginner page and says that if in doubt, err on the side of too light. Durata can estimate it from a recent hard set if you have not tested a max.
Which assistance exercises can I use?
One from each category every day, 50 to 100 total reps. Push: dips, push-ups, dumbbell bench, incline or press, triceps extensions or pushdowns. Pull: chin-ups or pull-ups, inverted rows, rows, face pulls, band pull-aparts, lat pulldowns or curls. Single leg or core: any ab work, back raises, reverse hypers, lunges, step-ups, Bulgarian split squats, kettlebell swings or snatches. If you cannot get all the chin-ups yet, finish the reps with a second pull.
How long does a session take?
About 65–85 minutes: the box jumps, two main lifts at eight sets each, then the three assistance exercises. Deload sessions are shorter.
Why are the days the same every week?
That is how Wendler's page lays it out: Monday squat and bench, Wednesday deadlift and press, Friday bench and squat. Squat and bench come round twice a week, deadlift and press once.
Is there an app that runs 5/3/1 For Beginners for you?
Yes. Durata runs 5/3/1 For Beginners as written, free: the 3-day-a-week schedule, every set and rep, and the progression built in. Log your sets and the next session's weights are worked out for you, with the stalls and deloads the program calls for; a tap on any lift shows why the weight moved. It is on iPhone and Android, works offline, and your history from Hevy or Strong imports free.
Source: Based on Jim Wendler's 5/3/1
Durata is not affiliated with or endorsed by the program's author. The program structure (sets, reps, exercise selection) is presented as published methodology.
5/3/1 is a trademark of Jim Wendler.
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