3×5 Workout Program – Introduction
The 3×5 workout is a weight training program designed to build strength with the following guidelines:
- Perform strength training three days a week, every other day (traditionally Monday, Wednesday, and Friday)
- Take the weekend off to recover
The 3×5 workout is ideal for anyone looking to gain strength and build muscle efficiently. This powerful strength training program uses simple yet effective exercises to help you achieve impressive results, even for someone like me, who was over 55 when I first discovered it.
This article explores the 3×5 workout plan, including the exercises, routines, benefits, and my personal success story.
What is the 3×5 Workout Plan?
The core of the 3×5 program is full-body compound barbell exercises:
- Squats
- Bench press
- Overhead press (OHP) or shoulder press
- Power cleans
- Deadlifts
These barbell exercises target all the muscles of your body.
The term 3×5 refers to the program’s set and repetition scheme: 3 sets of 5 repetitions for the main work sets.
Mark Rippetoe popularized the 3×5 workout in his classic book on basic barbell training, “Starting Strength.”
As always, seek professional medical advice before starting any training program.
3×5 Workouts A and B
Order of Exercises
The foundation of the 3×5 workout is the squat.
The purpose of squatting first and then pressing is that once you get to the deadlift, your legs are warmed up for it.
There are two workouts, A and B:
Workout A
- Squats – 3 sets of 5 repetitions (3×5)
- Overhead or military press – 3×5
- Deadlift – 1 set of 5 reps
Workout B
- Squats – 3×5
- Bench press – 3×5
- Deadlift – 1×5, or power clean (as you get more comfortable with pulling weight from the floor) – 3×5
You alternate workout A and workout B on your strength training days. For example:
- Mon – Workout A
- Wed – Workout B
- Fri – Workout A, and continue the Monday of next week with Workout B
Recovery
Built into the 3×5 workout is the primacy of recovery:
- Perform a 3×5 training session three times a week with a rest day in between and weekends off
- This helps your muscles recover from the stress of the previous workout
- Avoid chronic injuries like tendonitis by moderating the training volume
- Recovery also means eating quality food and getting good sleep
There are other modifications of the 3×5 workout, such as Phraks Greyskull LP and its variant.
Why the 3×5 Workout Plan Works
The squat, bench press, and deadlift form the foundation of the 3×5 workout plan. These exercises are also the only competitive lifts in the sport of powerlifting. With these three lifts, you target all the muscles of your body instead of focusing on strength gains in smaller muscle groups like your biceps or triceps only.
Smaller muscle exercises will result in less muscle strength gains than large muscles. Full-body compound lifts like squats and deadlifts work the largest muscle groups in your body. This is why the 3×5 workout is useful for athletes and anyone wanting to build muscle mass and improve health and fitness.
Personal success story
In a typical gym workout, you might spend thirty minutes walking on the treadmill or elliptical and then do some bicep curls, tricep press-downs with dumbbells, and even some leg presses. But then you finish up, leave the gym, and wonder why your body did not change much after years of working out like this!
However, the 3×5 workout routine will stress the muscles of your entire body, forcing them to adapt and grow. Your skeletal muscles will strengthen, as will your ligaments, tendons, bone strength, cardiovascular health, and endurance.
I have my personal experience as anecdotal evidence. Back in 2012, I was struggling with obesity and followed a routine of walking on the treadmill, lifting some dumbbells, and using machines. Despite my efforts, nothing seemed to make a significant difference.
The turning point came when I discovered the power of compound lifts through the 3×5 workout. This program, combined with changes to my diet, allowed me to start with light weights and quickly feel the effects. Even though I used fractional plates to gradually increase the weight, the results were significant.
I no longer had a pear-shaped body that I hid in extra-large flannel shirts. After six months of consistent training, I achieved a 32-inch waist for the first time in decades at 56! This transformation boosted my physical appearance, confidence, and overall health.
Linear progression in the 3×5 workout
A critical component of the 3×5 workout is increasing the weight for every exercise and training session. Even if you only increase your work set by half a pound, that is another personal victory for you. Just as high-quality real food is your friend, so is your muscle mass because muscle keeps you functional and mobile as long as you live.
A powerful multi-joint exercise like the deadlift can help rehabilitate older people with mobility problems. For a dramatic illustration, Shirley Webb, the “Powerlifting Grandma,” can now stand up unassisted from the floor because she started deadlifting at 75. That’s right, Shirley is far stronger at age 81 than when she began deadlifting at 75. It is never too late.
As reported in the British Medical Journal, progressive resistance training can help improve your mental and physical health and fitness, regardless of age. ²
Squats, deadlifts, overhead presses, bench presses, and power cleans are remarkable movements because they target the largest muscle groups of your body.
For this reason, these exercises form the foundation of the 3×5 workout plan.
3×5 Workout Routine – Wrapping Up
Mark Rippetoe popularized the 3×5 workout, also known as the Rippetoe 3×5 workout. In a structured sequence, Rippetoe explains why full-body compound weight training is practical for building strength.
For 30 years, he has tested his Starting Strength program³ as a powerlifter, coach, and gym owner. It gives the minimum effective dose of exercises needed to build muscle mass.
Thirty years is a long time. Why waste time trying to reinvent the wheel? Of course, there are many approaches to strength training, but the good news is that the 3×5 workout has stood the test of time and helped thousands improve their health and fitness.
Essential Equipment for the 3×5 Workout
An advantage of the 3×5 workout is that you only need minimal weightlifting gear. As a result, you can set up a garage gym or home workout area and save money and time on a gym membership.
Here are the essential pieces of equipment you need for the 3×5 workout:
- Beginner Powerlifting Barbell: An excellent beginner powerlifting barbell for squats, deadlifts, and bench presses is the CAP Barbell “Boss” Power bar. This barbell is 7 feet long and weighs 20 kilograms (44 pounds). (A must-have for a home gym)
- Bumper plates: These AMGYM Olympic Bumper plates meet the IPF and IWF standard 450 mm (17.72″) diameter and are a good start to building a home gym with plates that will protect your floor and minimize noise. (Great to have, especially if you want to avoid disturbing others while lifting.)
- Olympic Fractional plates: Adding as little as half a pound per training session is still great progress. These 44SPORT fractional plates are the perfect way to practice micro-loading and linear progression. They lead to more strength and mass with less risk of injury, especially for lifters over 50! (It is nice-to-have for many exercisers, but a must-have for beginners and over 50 so you can learn the lifts without hurting yourself.)
- Barbell collars for safety: Greententljs Quick Release Barbell Collars secure the plates, are easy to put on and take off, and come in multiple colors at a low price. (They are a must-have for safety.)
- Gym Chalk: Improve grip and reduce callouses with Gibson Athletic Gym Chalk. (nice to have, especially for heavier weights)
- Squat and deadlift shoes: While you do not need special shoes for the bench press, you do need shoes for squats and deadlifts to promote stability and minimize your risk of injury. The right shoes are a must-have, unless you want to lift without shoes in your socks.
- Deadlift shin guards: It is better to have appropriate shin protection before scraping up your legs while deadlifting. These easy-to-wear weightlifting shin guards will shield your shins, and you don’t need to remove your shoes or training pants. Proper shin guards are a must-have for learning the deadlift without killing your shins!
- Power cage with weight bench combo: If you have the space, a power cage with a weight bench is a safe workout station for squats and bench presses. An excellent choice is the Fitness Reality 810XLT. (nice to have if you do not have access to a gym.)
Download Your 3×5 Workout Program PDF
This monthly progress workout tracker helps you progress in your 3×5 workout plan.
Ed Coan, one of the greatest powerlifters of all time, attributed his success to recording and measuring training.
Included in this 15-page PDF are:
- All the exercises of the Rippetoe 3×5 workout program
- Each A and B workout is color-coded for ease of reference
- With sets, reps, rest, and a field to enter the lbs/kg you lift
- Beginner, Intermediate, and Advanced phases
- Plus three options for the 3×5 workout: to rest up on Sunday, take the weekends off, or have a Saturday rest day
- Last but not least, a full 12-month calendar to record your progress
Download your copy today; you have nothing to lose and plenty to gain!
Additional Tips for Weight Loss and Fitness
If the 3×5 workout seems too demanding at first, or if you’re looking for additional ways to improve your fitness, here are some simple tips based on my personal experience:
You might not have time for a full 3×5 workout, but fear not. You do not need 3×5 weight training every other day to transform your body into a leaner and stronger version of yourself, especially if you are overweight today.
#1. Follow this guide to lose 20 lbs in three months. It will help you quickly achieve a normal weight for your height.
#2. Take a 30-minute walk every day.
#3. Use this beginner deadlift workout routine and 12-week program to maximize the muscles you target during your training sessions.
#4. Do pushups at home to complement your deadlifting pull movement with the classic push movement, the pushup.
#5. Lastly, whenever you start an exercise program, get clearance from a medical professional and start with light weights!
Improving the quality of your food and adding deadlifts, pushups, and a 30-minute walk every day is a simple recipe for changing your body from fat to fit. And when you get more time, try out the 3×5 workout!
Related Posts:
- What Is Powerlifting? A Beginner’s Guide To A Sport For All
- Phraks Greyskull LP Variant vs. Starting Strength vs. GSLP
- 7 Best Compound Exercises for Muscle and Strength + Workout
- Shirley Webb Regained Mobility at 75 by Deadlifting!
Footnotes
¹ Starting Strength: Basic Barbell Training’ 3rd Edition by Coach Mark Rippetoe
² Effects of Strength Training on Mental Fitness – The British Medical Journal
³ The Starting Strength program on Coach Mark Rippetoe’s website, Starting Strength
* Mark Rippetoe is an American strength training coach, former powerlifter, and author of the classic barbell training book “Starting Strength.¹”
