5/3/1 For Hardgainers
By Jim Wendler · From Original Source
Also known as: 531 hardgainer · wendler hardgainer · 5/3/1 hardgainers
Jim Wendler's 5/3/1 for Hardgainers, from his own T-Nation article: size for lifters who struggle to gain it. Four days a week, each main lift trained its own way: squats end with a set of 20, bench gets 5 sets of 5 at the top weight, deadlifts a PR set and 5 sets of 5, and the press 10 sets of 5. Three-week cycles off a training max of 85% of your max, no deload week, and the max goes up 5 lb on the press and bench and 10 lb on the squat and deadlift each cycle. Then a push, a pull and core work or the sled. Just add food.
Free to use · auto progression, rest timers & PR tracking built in
What is 5/3/1 For Hardgainers?
5/3/1 for Hardgainers is Jim Wendler's template for lifters who find size hard to come by, from his 2016 T-Nation article. He built it from working with lifters and athletes and found that each lift does better trained its own way, so every main lift here has its own work after the same three sets of five.
There are four days. Monday is the squat: three sets of five, the last one a PR set for as many reps as you can, then one set of 20 at the first weight, which he calls the widowmaker. Tuesday is the bench press: two ramp sets, then 5 more sets of 5 at the top weight. Thursday is the deadlift: a PR set, then 5 more sets of 5 at the first weight. Friday is the press: three sets of five with no extra reps, then 10 more sets of 5 at the first weight. Every day also has a push and a pull for 50 to 100 total reps, then core or single-leg work on the lower days and the Prowler or sled on the upper days, for twenty to thirty minutes of pushing. Each session starts with DeFranco's Agile 8 and 10 box jumps.
Is 5/3/1 For Hardgainers right for you?
It is for the lifter who trains, eats and still struggles to gain, and who is willing to do the unglamorous part. Wendler's line is "just add food and effort": at least a pound or two of meat a day, a gallon of water and enough sleep to wake up rested. You need four days a week, a barbell and rack, a box, a pull-up bar and a sled or Prowler. He also recommends the Agile 8 and some easy riding on an Airdyne bike on your days off.
How progression works
Your training max is 85% of your max and stays the same for the whole cycle. The cycle is three weeks with no deload week: 65/75/85% in week one, 70/80/90% in week two and 75/85/95% in week three. After each cycle the training max goes up 5 lb (2.5 kg) on the bench and press and 10 lb (5 kg) on the squat and deadlift. Wendler's check is the PR set in week three: if you cannot get at least five reps at 95%, your training max is wrong, so in Durata a squat or deadlift that falls short holds its training max for the next cycle. He also warns that the lifts will not all go up at the same time, and that this is normal.
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 Hardgainers — every set, every session
Percentages are of your training max (TM). AMRAP = as many reps as possible on the sets marked AMRAP.
Week 14 sessions
Monday — Squat (Week 1)
| Exercise | Sets × Reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|
| Box Jump | 1×10 | — |
| Squat (Barbell) | 1×5 @ 65% 1×5 @ 75% 1×5++ @ 85% AMRAP 1×20 @ 65% | — |
| Triceps Dip | 5×10–20 | — |
| Chin Up | 5×10–20 | — |
| Ab Wheel | 5×10–20 | — |
Tuesday — Bench (Week 1)
| Exercise | Sets × Reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|
| Box Jump | 1×10 | — |
| Bench Press (Barbell) | 1×5 @ 65% 1×5 @ 75% 5×5 @ 85% | — |
| Triceps Dip | 5×10–20 | — |
| Chin Up | 5×10–20 | — |
| Sled Push | 25:00 steady | — |
Thursday — Deadlift (Week 1)
| Exercise | Sets × Reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|
| Box Jump | 1×10 | — |
| Deadlift (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 — Press (Week 1)
| Exercise | Sets × Reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|
| Box Jump | 1×10 | — |
| Overhead Press (Barbell) | 1×5 @ 65% 1×5 @ 75% 1×5 @ 85% 10×5 @ 65% | — |
| Triceps Dip | 5×10–20 | — |
| Chin Up | 5×10–20 | — |
| Sled Push | 25:00 steady | — |
Week 24 sessions
Monday — Squat (Week 2)
| Exercise | Sets × Reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|
| Box Jump | 1×10 | — |
| Squat (Barbell) | 1×5 @ 70% 1×5 @ 80% 1×5++ @ 90% AMRAP 1×20 @ 70% | — |
| Triceps Dip | 5×10–20 | — |
| Chin Up | 5×10–20 | — |
| Ab Wheel | 5×10–20 | — |
Tuesday — Bench (Week 2)
| Exercise | Sets × Reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|
| Box Jump | 1×10 | — |
| Bench Press (Barbell) | 1×5 @ 70% 1×5 @ 80% 5×5 @ 90% | — |
| Triceps Dip | 5×10–20 | — |
| Chin Up | 5×10–20 | — |
| Sled Push | 25:00 steady | — |
Thursday — Deadlift (Week 2)
| Exercise | Sets × Reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|
| Box Jump | 1×10 | — |
| Deadlift (Barbell) | 1×5 @ 70% 1×5 @ 80% 1×5++ @ 90% AMRAP 5×5 @ 70% | — |
| Triceps Dip | 5×10–20 | — |
| Chin Up | 5×10–20 | — |
| Ab Wheel | 5×10–20 | — |
Friday — Press (Week 2)
| Exercise | Sets × Reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|
| Box Jump | 1×10 | — |
| Overhead Press (Barbell) | 1×5 @ 70% 1×5 @ 80% 1×5 @ 90% 10×5 @ 70% | — |
| Triceps Dip | 5×10–20 | — |
| Chin Up | 5×10–20 | — |
| Sled Push | 25:00 steady | — |
Week 34 sessions
Monday — Squat (Week 3)
| Exercise | Sets × Reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|
| Box Jump | 1×10 | — |
| Squat (Barbell) | 1×5 @ 75% 1×5 @ 85% 1×5++ @ 95% AMRAP 1×20 @ 75% | — |
| Triceps Dip | 5×10–20 | — |
| Chin Up | 5×10–20 | — |
| Ab Wheel | 5×10–20 | — |
Tuesday — Bench (Week 3)
| Exercise | Sets × Reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|
| Box Jump | 1×10 | — |
| Bench Press (Barbell) | 1×5 @ 75% 1×5 @ 85% 5×5 @ 95% | — |
| Triceps Dip | 5×10–20 | — |
| Chin Up | 5×10–20 | — |
| Sled Push | 25:00 steady | — |
Thursday — Deadlift (Week 3)
| Exercise | Sets × Reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|
| Box Jump | 1×10 | — |
| Deadlift (Barbell) | 1×5 @ 75% 1×5 @ 85% 1×5++ @ 95% AMRAP 5×5 @ 75% | — |
| Triceps Dip | 5×10–20 | — |
| Chin Up | 5×10–20 | — |
| Ab Wheel | 5×10–20 | — |
Friday — Press (Week 3)
| Exercise | Sets × Reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|
| Box Jump | 1×10 | — |
| Overhead Press (Barbell) | 1×5 @ 75% 1×5 @ 85% 1×5 @ 95% 10×5 @ 75% | — |
| Triceps Dip | 5×10–20 | — |
| Chin Up | 5×10–20 | — |
| Sled Push | 25:00 steady | — |
5/3/1 For Hardgainers — common questions
What is the widowmaker set?
A single set of 20 squats at the first weight of the day, after the PR set: 65% of your training max in week one, 70% in week two and 75% in week three. It is the squat's extra work in this program.
Why is there no deload week?
Wendler's template is three weeks on repeat, with the training max stepping up after each cycle. The assistance work is meant to be easy, and he recommends recovery work on your days off instead.
Which assistance exercises can I use?
Pick one of each, 50 to 100 total reps. Push: dips, push-ups, or dumbbell bench, incline or press. Pull: pull-ups, rows, lat pulldowns, inverted rows, curls or shrugs. On squat and deadlift days, any ab, low back or single-leg exercise, kettlebell swings or snatches. Durata starts you on dips, chin-ups and the ab wheel.
How long is a session?
About 60–85 minutes on average. Friday's ten sets of presses and the sled work make the upper days the long ones.
Is there an app that runs 5/3/1 For Hardgainers for you?
Yes. Durata runs 5/3/1 For Hardgainers as written, free: the 4-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 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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Training-max calculation, AMRAP tracking, automatic progression, plate calculator, rest timers and PR tracking — the whole program, ready to log.
