5×5 Linear Progression + Accessories
Also known as: stronglifts · stronglifts accessories · sl5x5 · 5x5 accessories
The 5×5 linear-progression strength core with hypertrophy accessory work bolted on — a size + strength step up from the plain 5×5. The five compound lifts progress every session exactly as the base program; chins, curls, delts, triceps and core add the volume that builds muscle.
Free to use · auto progression, rest timers & PR tracking built in
What is 5×5 Linear Progression + Accessories?
5×5 Linear Progression + Accessories takes the five-lift 5×5 core — the same A/B template StrongLifts turned into a household name — and welds a hypertrophy block onto the back of every session. Workout A runs squat, bench and rows at 5×5, then AMRAP chin-ups, incline dumbbell presses, triceps pushdowns, lateral raises and cable crunches. Workout B runs squat, overhead press and the single deadlift set, then AMRAP pull-ups, barbell curls, face pulls and hanging leg raises. Still three days a week, still alternating A-B-A / B-A-B across a two-week cycle.
Is 5×5 Linear Progression + Accessories right for you?
Run this when you want linear-progression strength but refuse to wait a year for arms. The bare-bones 5×5 leaves side delts, biceps, triceps, upper-back detail and abs essentially untrained; here every session ends with four or five higher-rep movements covering exactly those gaps. It suits lifters a few months into training who can absorb the extra volume, and returners who already know the barbell lifts and want size back alongside the numbers. Give it a miss if gym time is tight — the accessory tail adds a solid half hour — or if you are on day one: the plain version teaches the same five lifts with far less to juggle.
How progression works
The mains progress exactly as the base program: 2.5 kg per completed session on squat, bench, press and row, 5 kg on the deadlift, with a 10% deload after three straight misses. The accessories run double progression instead — hold the weight and work the rep range (8–12 on the presses, curls and pushdowns; 15–20 on laterals and face pulls; 12–15 on cable crunches), and once every set reaches the ceiling, add 2.5 kg and start over. Chin-ups and pull-ups are bodyweight AMRAPs where the currency is reps. Durata runs both systems side by side, jumping the barbell lifts every session while each accessory waits for its own rep ceiling — no spreadsheet required.
Durata runs this progression for you — there are no percentages to work out, so each session's target carries over from what you logged last time and the weight moves when you hit or miss the prescribed reps.
5×5 Linear Progression + Accessories — every set, every session
AMRAP = as many reps as possible on the sets marked AMRAP.
Week 13 sessions
Workout A
| Exercise | Sets × Reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|
| Squat (Barbell) | 5×5 | 3:00 |
| Bench Press (Barbell) | 5×5 | 3:00 |
| Bent Over Row (Barbell) | 5×5 | 2:30 |
| Chin Up | 3×10+ AMRAP | — |
| Incline Bench Press (Dumbbell) | 3×8–12 | — |
| Triceps Pushdown | 3×8–12 | — |
| Lateral Raise (Dumbbell) | 3×15–20 | — |
| Cable Crunch | 3×12–15 | — |
Workout B
| Exercise | Sets × Reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|
| Squat (Barbell) | 5×5 | 3:00 |
| Overhead Press (Barbell) | 5×5 | 3:00 |
| Deadlift (Barbell) | 1×5 | 4:00 |
| Pull Up | 3×10+ AMRAP | — |
| Bicep Curl (Barbell) | 3×8–12 | — |
| Face Pull | 3×15–20 | — |
| Hanging Leg Raise | 3×10–15 | — |
Workout A
| Exercise | Sets × Reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|
| Squat (Barbell) | 5×5 | 3:00 |
| Bench Press (Barbell) | 5×5 | 3:00 |
| Bent Over Row (Barbell) | 5×5 | 2:30 |
| Chin Up | 3×10+ AMRAP | — |
| Incline Bench Press (Dumbbell) | 3×8–12 | — |
| Triceps Pushdown | 3×8–12 | — |
| Lateral Raise (Dumbbell) | 3×15–20 | — |
| Cable Crunch | 3×12–15 | — |
Week 23 sessions
Workout B
| Exercise | Sets × Reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|
| Squat (Barbell) | 5×5 | 3:00 |
| Overhead Press (Barbell) | 5×5 | 3:00 |
| Deadlift (Barbell) | 1×5 | 4:00 |
| Pull Up | 3×10+ AMRAP | — |
| Bicep Curl (Barbell) | 3×8–12 | — |
| Face Pull | 3×15–20 | — |
| Hanging Leg Raise | 3×10–15 | — |
Workout A
| Exercise | Sets × Reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|
| Squat (Barbell) | 5×5 | 3:00 |
| Bench Press (Barbell) | 5×5 | 3:00 |
| Bent Over Row (Barbell) | 5×5 | 2:30 |
| Chin Up | 3×10+ AMRAP | — |
| Incline Bench Press (Dumbbell) | 3×8–12 | — |
| Triceps Pushdown | 3×8–12 | — |
| Lateral Raise (Dumbbell) | 3×15–20 | — |
| Cable Crunch | 3×12–15 | — |
Workout B
| Exercise | Sets × Reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|
| Squat (Barbell) | 5×5 | 3:00 |
| Overhead Press (Barbell) | 5×5 | 3:00 |
| Deadlift (Barbell) | 1×5 | 4:00 |
| Pull Up | 3×10+ AMRAP | — |
| Bicep Curl (Barbell) | 3×8–12 | — |
| Face Pull | 3×15–20 | — |
| Hanging Leg Raise | 3×10–15 | — |
5×5 Linear Progression + Accessories — common questions
How much longer is a session than plain 5×5?
Budget 75–90 minutes. The 5×5 mains with proper three-minute rests take 45–60 on their own; the accessories move faster on 60–90 second rests but there are four or five of them per day.
Can I drop some of the accessories when pressed for time?
Yes, with an order of priority: keep the chin-ups or pull-ups and the face pulls (they balance all that pressing), and trim the isolation work — laterals, curls, pushdowns — first. The strength engine is untouched either way.
Will the extra volume slow down my main lifts?
At novice and early-intermediate loads, no — the accessories are light, high-rep work that barely touches recovery. If your squat starts missing, the fix is almost always food and sleep before it is cutting a curl.
I'm already running the plain 5×5 — can I switch mid-stream?
Seamlessly. The five main lifts, set schemes and progression rules are identical, so you carry your working weights straight across; Durata seeds them from your existing history when you add the program. Nothing resets.
Source: A 5×5 linear progression with added hypertrophy accessories (Reg Park / Bill Starr lineage).
Durata is not affiliated with or endorsed by the program's author. The program structure (sets, reps, exercise selection) is presented as published methodology.
Run 5×5 Linear Progression + Accessories in Durata
AMRAP tracking, automatic progression, plate calculator, rest timers and PR tracking — the whole program, ready to log.
