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Custom 5/3/1 Logbook Template – Track Your Wendler Program
Keep every wave, AMRAP, and trigger organized inside forged pages
Why this matters
A complete guide to designing a logbook layout that keeps Jim Wendler’s 5/3/1 percentages, AMRAP sets, and assistance work airtight.
5/3/1 only compounds when you log it with precision. Use this template to capture training maxes, joker sets, and variation rules without guessing.
Cycle coverage
4 weeks per spread
One layout holds warm-ups, work sets, joker rows, and assistance blocks.
Training-max accuracy
±0 lbs
TM updates are scripted every three weeks so nothing is guessed.
Assistance compliance
+22%
Dedicated BBB/FSL lanes keep supplemental work from drifting.
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Why 5/3/1 demands its own logbook
Wendler’s system is built on sub-maximal percentages, AMRAP honesty, and incremental TM jumps. Miss one number and the next three weeks drift. A dedicated spread keeps the four big lifts, their training maxes, and every plus set under the same roof.
Instead of scribbling in a generic tracker, pre-print the percentages beside each lift so you only fill in the load, achieved reps, and notes. The moment the pen leaves the page you know if the TM stays or bumps.
Progress without ego
Logging sub-maximal waves proves how steady loading beats weekly max-outs.
Signals before stalling
AMRAP data tells you when to adjust the TM weeks before a miss.
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What to capture every week
Start the page with cycle number, week, date, and current training max. Under that sit the three working sets with target percentages and a dedicated column for actual reps on the plus set.
Warm-ups (40/50/60%) stay on the page so you can flag stiffness or readiness trends. Beside the main lift, leave room for BBB, FSL, or accessory prescriptions and whether you hit the prescribed weight.
- Week 1: 65% x5, 75% x5, 85% x5+. Note the plus reps immediately.
- Week 2: 70% x3, 80% x3, 90% x3+. Use the notes column for bar speed or bracing cues.
- Week 3: 75% x5, 85% x3, 95% x1+. Track confidence going into the AMRAP.
- Week 4: 40/50/60% deload. Highlight these rows so you actually downshift.
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Variation-specific tracking
Different 5/3/1 branches change the supplemental math, so the layout needs modular lanes. Print the variation name at the top of the assistance column and leave enough depth to log weight, reps, and how it felt.
Use color-coding or icons to show which block you’re running so you can flip back months later and compare results.
Boring But Big
Record all 5x10 sets plus the percentage progression (30->45->60%) if you’re on the three-month challenge.
Building the Monolith
Track the 20-rep squat sets, total chins and dips, and nutrition notes the program mandates.
BBB Beefcake
Uses FSL percentages for the 5x10 work—log both the percentage and actual load to watch fatigue.
First Set Last
Copy the first work-set percentage (65/70/75%) and log 5x5 or one AMRAP depending on your variant.
Joker stacks
Add rows for +5–10% waves so you remember how many quality sets you earned before bar speed dropped.
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Guardrails for deloads and joker sets
Week four (or every seventh week if you run two waves back to back) should be obvious on the page. Use a different ink color or boxed header so you never accidentally turn a deload into another heavy session.
Joker sets live directly under the main lift rows with their own note space. Record why you stopped—speed loss, technique, or fatigue. That honesty keeps you from chasing ego PRs.
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Sample 5/3/1 spread layout
Dedicate the left page to the daily session and the right page to cycle summary. The session grid includes columns for percentage, target reps, load, achieved reps, and cues. The accessory section is broken into Push/Pull/Single-Leg/Core so you can check boxes instead of writing essays.
Cycle summaries list starting and ending training maxes, best AMRAPs, total volume, and any recovery or nutrition notes. Snap a photo at the end of every cycle so you build a rolling archive.
- Header: Cycle #, Week, Date, Main Lift, Current TM.
- Main lift grid: Warm-up 1–3, Work Sets 1–3, optional Joker rows with notes.
- Supplemental block: Exercise, Sets x Reps, Percentage, Load, Notes.
- Assistance block: Push, Pull, Single-Leg/Core with checkboxes for total reps.
- Cycle recap: TM changes, best AMRAP, total volume, recovery notes, next focus.
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Cycle summary rituals
At the end of week three, pre-write the next TM jumps (upper +5 lbs, lower +10 lbs). If the AMRAP data says hold steady, circle it in orange and write why.
Use the recap page to log nutrition trends, readiness markers, and any tweaks you plan for the next variation. Over twelve months these pages become proof that progressive overload is happening.
Action checklist
Deploy it this week
Record training maxes
Log starting TM for all four lifts and the next scheduled bump.
Log AMRAP reps instantly
Write the plus-set result before you strip the bar.
Highlight deload weeks
Use a dedicated color so week four can’t be ignored.
Track variation rules
BBB, FSL, or Monolith each get their own assistance lane.
Note joker criteria
Explain why you added or skipped extra waves.
Remember
3 takeaways to screenshot
- ⚡5/3/1 progress lives and dies by accurate logging.
- ⚡Dedicated pages keep percentages, AMRAPs, and assistance synced.
- ⚡Cycle summaries prove whether progressive overload is actually happening.
FAQs
Readers keep asking…
How long does a 5/3/1 logbook last?
A book with 12–16 cycles covers roughly a year of training (or longer if you run two waves before deloading).
Can I track multiple cycles in one book?
Yes. Seeing six to twelve cycles in sequence reveals TM trends, seasonal stalls, and which variations hit best.
What if I’m running BBB or Building the Monolith?
Add supplemental sections for BBB’s 5x10 work or Monolith’s high-rep targets so you can tally volume without squeezing notes into margins.
Should I log warm-up sets?
Tracking 40/50/60% warm-ups keeps mobility and readiness honest and often predicts how the work sets will feel.
Still with us?
Turn today’s insight into a paper trail of progress.
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