Madcow 5x5 Program

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{"program":{"vtype":"program","id":"madcow","name":"Madcow 5x5","url":"https://stronglifts.com/madcow-5x5/","author":"Madcow","shortDescription":"Weekly linear progression for intermediates - Heavy/Light/Medium ramping sets across 3 full-body days","description":"An intermediate strength program built on Bill Starr's 5x5 system, designed for lifters who've outgrown beginner programs like Starting Strength or StrongLifts. Instead of adding weight every session, Madcow shifts to weekly linear progression using a Heavy/Light/Medium framework across three full-body days, with ramping sets that build to a single top set each workout.","nextDay":1,"weeks":[],"isMultiweek":true,"days":[{"id":"kdqmwsqr","name":"Day 1","exercises":[]}],"exercises":[],"tags":[],"deletedDays":[],"deletedWeeks":[],"deletedExercises":[],"clonedAt":1771794133583,"planner":{"vtype":"planner","name":"Madcow 5x5","weeks":[{"name":"Week 1","days":[{"name":"Workout A","exerciseText":"main / used: none / 1x5 40%, 1x5 55%, 1x5 65%, 1x5 75%, 1x5 85% / progress: custom(increment: 5lb) {~\n if (completedReps >= reps && dayInWeek == 3) {\n weights += state.increment\n }\n~} / update: custom() {~\n if (dayInWeek == 3 && setIndex == 4) {\n if (completedReps[setIndex] >= reps[setIndex]) {\n weights[5] = weights[5] + state.increment\n }\n }\n~}\nSquat / ...main[1]\nBench Press / ...main[1] / progress: custom(increment: 2.5lb) { ...main }\nBent Over Row / ...main[1] / progress: custom(increment: 2.5lb) { ...main }\nBicep Curl / 3x8-12 / progress: lp(5lb)"},{"name":"Workout B","exerciseText":"main / 1x5 40%, 1x5 55%, 2x5 65%\nSquat / ...main[2]\nIncline Bench Press / ...main[2] / progress: lp(2.5lb)\nDeadlift / ...main[2] / progress: lp(5lb)\nSkullcrusher / 3x8-12 / progress: lp(5lb)"},{"name":"Workout C","exerciseText":"main / 1x5 40%, 1x5 55%, 1x5 65%, 1x5 75%, 1x3 85%, 1x8 65%\nSquat / ...main[3]\nBench Press / ...main[3]\nBent Over Row / ...main[3]\nHammer Curl / 3x8-12 / progress: lp(5lb)"}]}]}},"fullDescription":"## Origin & Philosophy\n\nThe Madcow 5x5 was popularized by a forum poster named \"Madcow\" (also known as \"Madcow2\") who was active on [EliteFitness.com](https://www.elitefitness.com/forum/threads/bill-starrs-5-x-5-program-variation-per-madcow2-thanx-so-here-it-is-k-up-now.375215/) and bodybuilding.com in the mid-2000s. It's a modification of Bill Starr's Heavy/Light/Medium 5x5 system from his 1976 book *The Strongest Shall Survive*. Madcow [reportedly spoke with Glenn Pendlay](https://stronglifts.com/stronglifts-5x5/history/) (the Olympic weightlifting coach behind Pendlay Rows and co-creator of the Texas Method) and adapted the original program to be more accessible -- replacing Olympic lifts like Power Cleans with [{Bent Over Row}] and High Pulls with [{Deadlift}].\n\nThe core insight: once you can no longer add weight every session (the hallmark of a beginner), you need a longer recovery cycle. Madcow spreads the stress-recovery-adaptation cycle across an entire week. Monday provides the heavy stimulus, Wednesday allows active recovery, and Friday tests a new heavier weight for a triple before next Monday's attempt at a full set of 5. This \"preview and prove\" approach builds both strength and confidence.\n\n## Who It's For\n\n- **Experience level**: Late novice to early intermediate (6-18 months of consistent barbell training). You should have completed a beginner linear progression program like Starting Strength, StrongLifts 5x5, or GZCLP and can no longer add weight every session.\n- **Prerequisites**: Comfortable with [{Squat}], [{Bench Press}], [{Deadlift}], [{Incline Bench Press}], and [{Bent Over Row}] technique. You should know your 5-rep maxes for the main lifts.\n- **Primary goal**: Strength with some hypertrophy from the Friday back-off sets.\n- **Best suited for**: Bulking or maintenance. The weekly PRs require adequate recovery, so a caloric deficit will limit how long you can progress.\n\n## Pros & Cons\n\n**Pros**\n\n- [{Squat}] 3x/week at varying intensities builds technique and movement quality fast\n- Ramping sets (4 progressively heavier warmup sets before the top set) serve as a built-in, structured warmup\n- Friday's triple at a heavier weight \"previews\" next Monday's target, building confidence for the PR attempt\n- Simple 3-day Mon/Wed/Fri structure with no complicated percentage cycling\n- Weekly progression is sustainable for 8-12 weeks, much longer than session-to-session programs\n\n**Cons**\n\n- [{Bench Press}] and [{Bent Over Row}] only get 2x/week frequency (Monday and Friday), while [{Incline Bench Press}] and [{Deadlift}] only get 1x/week (Wednesday)\n- No AMRAP sets, so you can't auto-regulate based on how you feel on a given day\n- Limited upper back and shoulder accessory volume -- lifters with lagging shoulders or rear delts should add their own work\n- Once you stall, options are limited to deloading and restarting; no built-in stage system like GZCLP\n\n## Program Structure\n\n- **Split**: Full body, 3 days per week\n- **Periodization**: Heavy/Light/Medium weekly undulation\n- **Schedule**: Fixed Monday/Wednesday/Friday\n- **Monday (Workout A - Heavy)**: Highest-volume day. [{Squat}], [{Bench Press}], and [{Bent Over Row}] each ramp through 5 sets of 5 to a top set at your current working weight.\n- **Wednesday (Workout B - Light)**: Recovery day. [{Squat}] tops out at ~75% of Monday's top set. [{Incline Bench Press}] and [{Deadlift}] get their own ramping work since they don't appear on other days.\n- **Friday (Workout C - Heavy)**: PR day. [{Squat}], [{Bench Press}], and [{Bent Over Row}] ramp to a triple at a weight slightly above Monday's top set, followed by a back-off set of 8 for hypertrophy.\n\n## Exercise Selection & Rationale\n\n[{Squat}], [{Bench Press}], and [{Bent Over Row}] form the core, appearing on both Monday and Friday. This gives the squat and both upper-body compounds 2 heavy exposures per week at different intensities. [{Bent Over Row}] balances the horizontal pressing with horizontal pulling.\n\nWednesday replaces [{Bench Press}] with [{Incline Bench Press}] to provide a different pressing angle and give the flat bench a recovery day. [{Deadlift}] only appears on Wednesday because the posterior chain is already heavily taxed by squatting 3x/week; adding heavy deadlifts more often would compromise recovery.\n\nAccessories are kept to one exercise per day: [{Bicep Curl}] on Monday, [{Skullcrusher}] on Wednesday, and [{Hammer Curl}] on Friday. These provide direct arm work across multiple sessions without interfering with recovery for the main lifts. The original Madcow program specifies additional accessories (hyperextensions, sit-ups, dips), which can be added as modifications.\n\n**Substitutions**: [{Incline Bench Press}] can be swapped for [{Overhead Press}] on Wednesday. [{Bent Over Row}] can be replaced with [{Pendlay Row}]. [{Bicep Curl}] and [{Hammer Curl}] can be swapped for each other or for [{Chin Up}].\n\n## Set & Rep Scheme\n\n- **Monday main lifts**: 5 sets of 5, ramping from ~40% to ~85% of 1RM. Only the final top set is truly challenging; the preceding 4 sets are progressive warmups at 40%, 55%, 65%, and 75% of 1RM.\n- **Wednesday main lifts**: 4 sets of 5, topping out at ~65% of 1RM (roughly 75% of Monday's top set). Light enough to promote recovery without generating meaningful fatigue.\n- **Friday main lifts**: 4 sets of 5 ramping (40%, 55%, 65%, 75%), then 1 set of 3 at a weight slightly above Monday's top set (the app automatically bumps the triple by the weekly increment after you complete set 4), then 1 back-off set of 8 at ~65% for hypertrophy.\n- **Accessories**: 3 sets of 8-12 reps with double progression. These support the main lifts without interfering with recovery.\n\n## Progressive Overload\n\nThe program uses **weekly linear progression**. Progression is triggered after a successful Friday workout:\n\n- **[{Squat}]**: +5lb per week on all sets\n- **[{Bench Press}] and [{Bent Over Row}]**: +2.5lb per week on all sets\n- **[{Incline Bench Press}]**: +2.5lb per week (independent progression)\n- **[{Deadlift}]**: +5lb per week (independent progression)\n\n**How it works**: On Friday, you attempt a triple at a weight ~5lb (or ~2.5lb for upper body) above Monday's top set. If you complete all prescribed reps on Friday, the app adds the increment to all sets for next week. Next Monday, you attempt that Friday triple weight for a full set of 5.\n\n**When you fail**: Attempt the same weight again the following week. One bad session doesn't mean you've stalled -- sleep, nutrition, and stress all affect performance.\n\n**When you fail the same weight twice**: Reduce your 1RM in the app by about 10% for that specific lift. This drops all your working weights proportionally. Work back up over 3-4 weeks. Only deload the lift that stalled, not the entire program.\n\n**Before deloading**, try: switching from 5lb to 2.5lb weekly increments (especially on pressing movements), extending rest periods to 5 minutes before heavy sets, or adding a belt for heavy squats and deadlifts.\n\n## How Long to Run It / What Next\n\nRun Madcow for **12-16 weeks total**. The first 2-3 weeks should feel moderate as you establish your working weights. Expect 8-12 weeks of genuine PRs before stalling.\n\n**Signs it's time to move on**: You've deloaded and rebuilt twice on the same lift, Friday triples are grinding, or you've been stuck at the same weights for 3+ weeks despite good sleep and nutrition.\n\n**Transition to**: **5/3/1** (monthly progression with AMRAP sets), **GZCL programs** like The Rippler (tiered approach with more volume), or the **Texas Method** (similar weekly structure but with more volume on Monday). If you want more hypertrophy, consider **PHUL** or **Lyle McDonald's Generic Bulking Routine**.\n\n## Equipment Needed\n\nBarbell, squat rack, flat bench, adjustable incline bench, and weight plates (including 1.25lb/0.5kg plates for microloading upper body lifts). Dumbbells for curls and skullcrushers.\n\n**Home gym substitutions**:\n- [{Incline Bench Press}] -> [{Overhead Press}] if no adjustable bench\n- [{Skullcrusher}] -> [{Triceps Extension}] or [{Triceps Dip}]\n- [{Hammer Curl}] -> [{Bicep Curl, Barbell}] or [{Chin Up}]\n\n## Rest Times\n\n- **Ramping/warmup sets** (sets 1-3 of main lifts): **90-120 seconds**. These are submaximal; keep moving.\n- **Heavy sets** (sets 4-5 on Monday, set 4 on Friday): **3-5 minutes**. You need full phosphocreatine recovery for top-end performance.\n- **Friday triple**: **5 minutes** before attempting. This is the heaviest weight of the week.\n- **Wednesday (Light Day)**: **2-3 minutes** between all sets. Nothing should feel heavy.\n- **Accessories**: **60-90 seconds**.\n\n## How to Pick Starting Weights\n\n**Set your 1RM in the app** for each main lift. If you don't know your 1RM, use this formula: **1RM = 5RM / 0.85**. For example, if you can squat 255lb for 5 reps, your estimated 1RM is 300lb.\n\nWith your 1RM set, Monday's top set will start at 85% of 1RM (roughly your 5RM). If you want a built-in ramp-up phase (recommended), enter a 1RM that's **5-10% higher** than your actual 1RM. This makes the first 2-3 weeks feel manageable, with true PRs starting around week 3-4.\n\n**Common mistake**: Starting too heavy. If Monday's top set is a grind from week 1, you'll stall quickly. The first week should feel like an 8/10 effort at most. Start light and let the weekly progression bring you to new territory.\n\n## Common Modifications\n\n- **Replace [{Incline Bench Press}] with [{Overhead Press}]** on Wednesday for more shoulder development\n- **Add [{Face Pull}]** (3x15-20) on any day for rear delt and rotator cuff health\n- **Replace [{Bent Over Row}] with [{Pendlay Row}]** for a stricter, more explosive rowing variation\n- **Add [{Hanging Leg Raise}]** (3x10) or [{Sit Up}] on Wednesday for direct ab work\n- **Add [{Back Extension}]** (2x10) or [{Chest Dip}] (3x8) on Monday or Friday for more posterior chain or chest volume\n- **Reduce upper body increments to 1.25lb** if 2.5lb/week stalls quickly (requires microplates)\n- **Replace [{Bicep Curl}] with [{Chin Up}]** for a compound pulling movement that also hits biceps","userAgent":"Mozilla/5.0 (X11; Linux x86_64) AppleWebKit/537.36 (KHTML, like Gecko) HeadlessChrome/145.0.0.0 Safari/537.36 Prerender (+https://github.com/prerender/prerender)","indexEntry":{"id":"madcow","name":"Madcow 5x5","author":"Madcow","authorUrl":"","url":"https://stronglifts.com/madcow-5x5/","shortDescription":"Weekly linear progression for intermediates - Heavy/Light/Medium ramping sets across 3 full-body days","description":"An intermediate strength program built on Bill Starr's 5x5 system, designed for lifters who've outgrown beginner programs like Starting Strength or StrongLifts. Instead of adding weight every session, Madcow shifts to weekly linear progression using a Heavy/Light/Medium framework across three full-body days, with ramping sets that build to a single top set each workout.","isMultiweek":true,"tags":[],"weeksCount":1,"exercises":[{"id":"squat","equipment":"barbell"},{"id":"benchPress","equipment":"barbell"},{"id":"bentOverRow","equipment":"barbell"},{"id":"bicepCurl","equipment":"dumbbell"},{"id":"inclineBenchPress","equipment":"barbell"},{"id":"deadlift","equipment":"barbell"},{"id":"skullcrusher","equipment":"ezbar"},{"id":"hammerCurl","equipment":"dumbbell"}],"equipment":["barbell","dumbbell","ezbar"],"exercisesRange":[4,4],"frequency":3,"age":"3_to_12_months","duration":"60-90","goal":"strength"}}