Please note: This is not official 5/3/1 advice and is not associated in any way with Jim Wendler. If you want official 5/3/1 advice, buy the book.
The 3/5/1 progression is a small reordering of the standard 5/3/1 cycle. Instead of opening with the 5s week, you start with the 3s week, then run the 5s week, then finish with the 5/3/1 week. Everything else about the program stays exactly the same.
Table of Contents
What is the 3/5/1 Progression?
Standard 5/3/1 runs the 5s week first, then the 3s week, then the 5/3/1 (1s) week. The 3/5/1 variant simply switches weeks one and two so the heavier 3s percentages come first. The rep scheme, the percentages, the AMRAP sets, and the deload are all identical. Only the order of the first two weeks changes.
Wendler has offered this ordering for lifters who feel the 5s week is too light to open a cycle and would rather spend more time at heavier loads sooner. It shows up most in the powerlifting-flavored versions of the program, where getting under heavier bars earlier in the cycle is the point.
3/5/1 Example
Say you have a deadlift training max of 405 lb. Run through the standard percentages in the new order (rounded to the nearest 5 lb):
- Week 1 (3s): 70/80/90% = 285 / 325 / 365 lb, top set 365 for 3+
- Week 2 (5s): 65/75/85% = 265 / 305 / 345 lb, top set 345 for 5+
- Week 3 (1s): 75/85/95% = 305 / 345 / 385 lb, top set 385 for 1+
- Week 4: standard deload at 40/50/60%
Compare that to vanilla 5/3/1, where week one would be the lighter 5s week (345 lb top set) and week two the 3s (365 lb). Same loads, same AMRAP sets, just front-loaded.
Who Should Use It
This is a preference, not an upgrade. If the standard 5s week feels like a throwaway warm-up, the 3/5/1 order gives you a more meaningful opener. If you like easing into a cycle, the standard sequence is fine. Newer lifters are usually best served by vanilla 5/3/1 until the base progression stops driving steady rep PRs.
3/5/1 Resources
Here are some helpful discussions of the 3/5/1 ordering:
- A Review of Beyond 5/3/1 (PowerliftingToWin)
- r/531Discussion (Reddit)
- 5/3/1 for Beginners (The Fitness Wiki)
5/3/1 Glossary
Learn about other 5/3/1 terms in our 5/3/1 glossary.
5/3/1 Forever Book (Recommended Reading)
To best utilize the 5/3/1 training framework, the book is highly recommended. It’s a small investment for a lifetime of training knowledge.
The most up-to-date and complete collection of Jim Wendler's 5/3/1 programming framework. Contains dozens of templates to keep 5/3/1 fresh and adaptable.
