How Madcow 5×5 works
Madcow 5×5 is the classic step up from a novice 5×5 — the program you switch to when you can no longer add weight every single session. Instead of progressing each workout, you progress each week, and instead of flat sets you ramp up to a top set. Everything is computed from one number: your top 5×5 weight.
The weekly structure
- Monday — Volume: 5 ramped sets of 5 at 50, 62.5, 75, 87.5 and 100% of your top weight. The fifth set is the top set of the day.
- Wednesday — Light: 4 sets of 5 at 50, 62.5, 75 and 75% — a deliberately easy recovery day so Friday can be heavy.
- Friday — Intensity: ramp 50, 62.5, 75, 87.5%, then a top set of 1×3 at about 102.5% — a small PR, heavier than Monday's top set. This is the week's peak.
Progression
Add roughly 2.5 kg / 5 lb to your top weight each week. Because every set is a percentage of that one number, Monday, Wednesday and Friday all scale up together — you only ever change the top weight. The Friday triple is the new high-water mark; when it stalls for a couple of weeks, reset about 10% and ramp back.
A note on the numbers
Madcow is usually run per main lift — you'd calculate a separate week for squat, bench, deadlift and press, each off its own top weight. The percentages above are the canonical Madcow ramp; the Friday ~102.5% top single-progression is what nudges your strength upward week over week. These are estimates, not coaching advice — round to the plates you own and leave the ego at the door.