Platesmith

First Strength: Five Fives (3 day)

The big barbell lifts, five sets of five, three days a week. A little more weight every session while every rep is clean. More volume than First Strength for the same lifts.

  • Beginner
  • 3 days a week
  • About 55 min
  • Barbell and rack
  • Get stronger

All programs

Free in Platesmith. Start this program in the app and it fills in your weights, times your rests and moves the weight up for you. No subscription needed for any program.

Coming soon toiPhone Coming soon toAndroid

How it progresses

Add a little weight every session while every set hits its reps. Miss twice and the weight stays; keep missing and it drops back about 10% so you can build up again. The 2 workouts rotate across your 3 training days, so each week starts where the last one finished.

The workouts

Every exercise can be swapped in the app for one that works the same muscles, so missing equipment never stops you.

Day A

ExerciseSets × reps
Back Squat5 × 5
Barbell Bench Press5 × 5
Barbell Row5 × 5

Day B

ExerciseSets × reps
Back Squat5 × 5
Overhead Press5 × 5
Deadlift1 × 5

Similar programs

General guidance, not medical advice. Start lighter than you think, and check with a doctor first if you have a health condition or injury.