The program
StrongLifts 5x5
A three-day beginner barbell plan with alternating workouts. Train squats, presses, rows and deadlifts on a consistent 12-week schedule.
- Schedule
- 3 days/wk
- Length
- 12 weeks
- Main lifts
- 5
What you’ll train
The main movements in this program.
Review exercise techniqueBefore you start
No measured max is needed to start. Guided setup lets you choose a comfortable working weight in the gym and adjust your logged sets as you go.
If you already know your lifting numbers, you can enter them during setup instead. Review the program guide for this template's load and progression rules.
Optional max estimation toolsSpreadsheet & Calculator
Download the StrongLifts 5x5 spreadsheet
Enter your current lifts to preview every week’s weights, download Excel/CSV, or start tracking in your browser.
Lifts marked “Estimated from your lifts” are guesses based on the lifts in your link — edit or clear any lift you haven’t tested yet.
Spreadsheet Preview
| Day | Exercise | Sets | Reps | % | Weight (lbs) | Plates / side | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Workout A — Squat / Bench / Row | Back Squat | 5 | 5 | 80% | 240 lbs | 2×45 + 1×5 + 1×2.5 | Full depth — hip crease below knee. No half squats. |
| Workout A — Squat / Bench / Row | Bench Press | 5 | 5 | 80% | 180 lbs | 1×45 + 2×10 + 1×2.5 | Touch chest on every rep. Full lockout at top. |
| Workout A — Squat / Bench / Row | Barbell Row | 5 | 5 | 80% | 170 lbs | 1×45 + 1×10 + 1×5 + 1×2.5 | Pendlay rows from the floor. Chest stays over the bar. |
| Workout B — Squat / OHP / Deadlift | Back Squat | 5 | 5 | +5 lb | 245 lbs | 2×45 + 1×10 | Full depth — hip crease below knee. |
| Workout B — Squat / OHP / Deadlift | Overhead Press | 5 | 5 | 80% | 115 lbs | 1×25 + 1×10 | Strict press — no leg drive. Lock out overhead. |
| Workout B — Squat / OHP / Deadlift | Deadlift | 1 | 5 | 80% | 290 lbs | 2×45 + 1×25 + 1×5 + 1×2.5 | Just 1 set of 5. Make it count.; One heavy set. Reset each rep from a dead stop. |
| Workout A — Squat / Bench / Row | Back Squat | 5 | 5 | +5 lb | 250 lbs | 2×45 + 1×10 + 1×2.5 | Full depth — hip crease below knee. No half squats. |
| Workout A — Squat / Bench / Row | Bench Press | 5 | 5 | +5 lb | 185 lbs | 1×45 + 1×25 | Touch chest on every rep. Full lockout at top. |
| Workout A — Squat / Bench / Row | Barbell Row | 5 | 5 | +5 lb | 175 lbs | 1×45 + 2×10 | Pendlay rows from the floor. Chest stays over the bar. |
Use Strength Programs free in your browser with automated rest timers, plate math, and workout logging.
General strength plan
Barbell strength with rows
Newer lifters who prefer repeated sets of five and a simple alternating routine.
Plain-English Lifting Glossary
- T1 (Main heavy lift): Primary barbell movement trained for low reps and strength.
- T2 (Secondary volume lift): Supporting compound movement for moderate reps (6–10) to build muscle and stability.
- T3 (Light accessory lift): Higher-rep isolation or cable/dumbbell work (12–15+ reps) for joint health and hypertrophy.
- AMRAP (As Many Reps As Possible): Perform as many clean reps as you can with good form — stop 1 rep before failure.
Before choosing this plan
Squats appear in every session; five working sets can become demanding as loads rise.
Equipment
- Barbell and plates
- Squat rack with safeties
- Bench
Progression in this app
How progression works
With known-weight setup, completing all working targets adds 5 lb by default (10 lb on deadlift) to the reference for later sessions. Custom increases override that default; setting 0 keeps the reference unchanged. With progression enabled, misses hold it; three consecutive failed exposures reduce it by 10%. These are generic app rules, not the full original method. Guided starting weights stay under your control.
About this template
Uses the familiar A/B lift selection, with percentage-based initial loads and a fixed enrollment block. StrongLifts-specific plateau and deload rules are not fully automated.
Methodology and sources
A look at the plan
Sessions and prescriptions
The first week is open below. Expand later weeks to compare their schedules. Percentages use the reference described in the program guide; guided starting loads are chosen in your first workout.
Week 1
3
sessions
Week 1
3 sessions
Day 1 · Workout A — Squat / Bench / Row
Back Squat main
Full depth — hip crease below knee. No half squats.
5 × 5 @ 80% (start light, add 5 lb/session)working
Rest 3:00
Bench Press main
Touch chest on every rep. Full lockout at top.
5 × 5 @ 80% (start light, add 5 lb/session)working
Rest 3:00
Barbell Row main
Pendlay rows from the floor. Chest stays over the bar.
5 × 5 @ 80% (start light, add 5 lb/session)working
Rest 3:00
Day 2 · Workout B — Squat / OHP / Deadlift
Overhead Press main
Strict press — no leg drive. Lock out overhead.
5 × 5 @ 80% (start light, add 5 lb/session)working
Rest 3:00
Deadlift main
One heavy set. Reset each rep from a dead stop.
1 × 5 @ 80% (start light, add 5 lb/session)working
Just 1 set of 5. Make it count.
Day 3 · Workout A — Squat / Bench / Row
Barbell Row main
Pendlay rows from the floor. Chest stays over the bar.
5 × 5 · +5 lbworking
Rest 3:00
Week 2
3
sessions
Week 2
3 sessions
Day 1 · Workout B — Squat / OHP / Deadlift
Deadlift main
One heavy set. Reset each rep from a dead stop.
1 × 5 · +10 lbworking
Just 1 set of 5. Make it count.
Day 2 · Workout A — Squat / Bench / Row
Barbell Row main
Pendlay rows from the floor. Chest stays over the bar.
5 × 5 · +5 lbworking
Rest 3:00
Day 3 · Workout B — Squat / OHP / Deadlift
Deadlift main
One heavy set. Reset each rep from a dead stop.
1 × 5 · +10 lbworking
Just 1 set of 5. Make it count.
Week 3
3
sessions
Week 3
3 sessions
Day 1 · Workout A — Squat / Bench / Row
Barbell Row main
Pendlay rows from the floor. Chest stays over the bar.
5 × 5 · +5 lbworking
Rest 3:00
Day 2 · Workout B — Squat / OHP / Deadlift
Deadlift main
One heavy set. Reset each rep from a dead stop.
1 × 5 · +10 lbworking
Just 1 set of 5. Make it count.
Day 3 · Workout A — Squat / Bench / Row
Barbell Row main
Pendlay rows from the floor. Chest stays over the bar.
5 × 5 · +5 lbworking
Rest 3:00
Week 4
3
sessions
Week 4
3 sessions
Day 1 · Workout B — Squat / OHP / Deadlift
Deadlift main
One heavy set. Reset each rep from a dead stop.
1 × 5 · +10 lbworking
Just 1 set of 5. Make it count.
Day 2 · Workout A — Squat / Bench / Row
Barbell Row main
Pendlay rows from the floor. Chest stays over the bar.
5 × 5 · +5 lbworking
Rest 3:00
Day 3 · Workout B — Squat / OHP / Deadlift
Deadlift main
One heavy set. Reset each rep from a dead stop.
1 × 5 · +10 lbworking
Just 1 set of 5. Make it count.
Week 5
3
sessions
Week 5
3 sessions
Day 1 · Workout A — Squat / Bench / Row
Barbell Row main
Pendlay rows from the floor. Chest stays over the bar.
5 × 5 · +5 lbworking
Rest 3:00
Day 2 · Workout B — Squat / OHP / Deadlift
Deadlift main
One heavy set. Reset each rep from a dead stop.
1 × 5 · +10 lbworking
Just 1 set of 5. Make it count.
Day 3 · Workout A — Squat / Bench / Row
Barbell Row main
Pendlay rows from the floor. Chest stays over the bar.
5 × 5 · +5 lbworking
Rest 3:00
Week 6
3
sessions
Week 6
3 sessions
Day 1 · Workout B — Squat / OHP / Deadlift
Deadlift main
One heavy set. Reset each rep from a dead stop.
1 × 5 · +10 lbworking
Just 1 set of 5. Make it count.
Day 2 · Workout A — Squat / Bench / Row
Barbell Row main
Pendlay rows from the floor. Chest stays over the bar.
5 × 5 · +5 lbworking
Rest 3:00
Day 3 · Workout B — Squat / OHP / Deadlift
Deadlift main
One heavy set. Reset each rep from a dead stop.
1 × 5 · +10 lbworking
Just 1 set of 5. Make it count.
Week 7
3
sessions
Week 7
3 sessions
Day 1 · Workout A — Squat / Bench / Row
Barbell Row main
Pendlay rows from the floor. Chest stays over the bar.
5 × 5 · +5 lbworking
Rest 3:00
Day 2 · Workout B — Squat / OHP / Deadlift
Deadlift main
One heavy set. Reset each rep from a dead stop.
1 × 5 · +10 lbworking
Just 1 set of 5. Make it count.
Day 3 · Workout A — Squat / Bench / Row
Barbell Row main
Pendlay rows from the floor. Chest stays over the bar.
5 × 5 · +5 lbworking
Rest 3:00
Week 8
3
sessions
Week 8
3 sessions
Day 1 · Workout B — Squat / OHP / Deadlift
Deadlift main
One heavy set. Reset each rep from a dead stop.
1 × 5 · +10 lbworking
Just 1 set of 5. Make it count.
Day 2 · Workout A — Squat / Bench / Row
Barbell Row main
Pendlay rows from the floor. Chest stays over the bar.
5 × 5 · +5 lbworking
Rest 3:00
Day 3 · Workout B — Squat / OHP / Deadlift
Deadlift main
One heavy set. Reset each rep from a dead stop.
1 × 5 · +10 lbworking
Just 1 set of 5. Make it count.
Week 9
3
sessions
Week 9
3 sessions
Day 1 · Workout A — Squat / Bench / Row
Barbell Row main
Pendlay rows from the floor. Chest stays over the bar.
5 × 5 · +5 lbworking
Rest 3:00
Day 2 · Workout B — Squat / OHP / Deadlift
Deadlift main
One heavy set. Reset each rep from a dead stop.
1 × 5 · +10 lbworking
Just 1 set of 5. Make it count.
Day 3 · Workout A — Squat / Bench / Row
Barbell Row main
Pendlay rows from the floor. Chest stays over the bar.
5 × 5 · +5 lbworking
Rest 3:00
Week 10
3
sessions
Week 10
3 sessions
Day 1 · Workout B — Squat / OHP / Deadlift
Deadlift main
One heavy set. Reset each rep from a dead stop.
1 × 5 · +10 lbworking
Just 1 set of 5. Make it count.
Day 2 · Workout A — Squat / Bench / Row
Barbell Row main
Pendlay rows from the floor. Chest stays over the bar.
5 × 5 · +5 lbworking
Rest 3:00
Day 3 · Workout B — Squat / OHP / Deadlift
Deadlift main
One heavy set. Reset each rep from a dead stop.
1 × 5 · +10 lbworking
Just 1 set of 5. Make it count.
Week 11
3
sessions
Week 11
3 sessions
Day 1 · Workout A — Squat / Bench / Row
Barbell Row main
Pendlay rows from the floor. Chest stays over the bar.
5 × 5 · +5 lbworking
Rest 3:00
Day 2 · Workout B — Squat / OHP / Deadlift
Deadlift main
One heavy set. Reset each rep from a dead stop.
1 × 5 · +10 lbworking
Just 1 set of 5. Make it count.
Day 3 · Workout A — Squat / Bench / Row
Barbell Row main
Pendlay rows from the floor. Chest stays over the bar.
5 × 5 · +5 lbworking
Rest 3:00
Week 12
3
sessions
Week 12
3 sessions
Day 1 · Workout B — Squat / OHP / Deadlift
Deadlift main
One heavy set. Reset each rep from a dead stop.
1 × 5 · +10 lbworking
Just 1 set of 5. Make it count.
Day 2 · Workout A — Squat / Bench / Row
Barbell Row main
Pendlay rows from the floor. Chest stays over the bar.
5 × 5 · +5 lbworking
Rest 3:00
Day 3 · Workout B — Squat / OHP / Deadlift
Deadlift main
One heavy set. Reset each rep from a dead stop.
1 × 5 · +10 lbworking
Just 1 set of 5. Make it count.