Madcow 5x5 is an intermediate barbell strength program attributed to Bill Starr and popularized by the user "Madcow" on bodybuilding forums. It uses three full-body sessions per week (Mon/Wed/Fri) with ramping sets, and progresses weekly rather than every session — making it suitable for lifters who can no longer add weight every workout.

What 5RM should I enter?

Enter the most weight you can lift for exactly 5 clean reps with good form — your current working 5RM, not your all-time best. If you have only tested a 1RM, multiply it by 0.85 to estimate your 5RM.

How are Monday and Wednesday different from Friday?

Monday ramps to the weekly top set of five. Wednesday is lighter, with four reduced squat sets and lighter bench work. Friday uses four ramping sets of five followed by a heavier triple and a back-off set of eight for squat and bench.

How much weight is added each week?

The calculator applies a 2.5% increase to the top working weight each week, rounded to the nearest 5 lb (2.5 kg) to match standard plate increments. Real-world progress may vary; deload or retest when lifts stall.

Does this include the deadlift?

Yes. In the classic Madcow template, the deadlift appears on Friday only. This calculator follows that convention: squats and bench are trained Mon/Wed/Fri; deadlift is programmed on Fridays.

How many weeks should I run this program?

Most lifters run Madcow 5x5 for 8–12 weeks before retesting maxes. Four weeks is the minimum to see meaningful adaptation. Use the weeks selector to preview as many weeks as you like.

Madcow 5x5 Calculator

Enter your current 5-rep max for squat, bench press, and deadlift to generate a week-by-week Madcow 5x5 intermediate program with all working weights.

Your Current 5-Rep Maxes

Squat 5RM

Bench Press 5RM

Deadlift 5RM

Unit

lb kg

Weeks to display

Enter your 5RMs on the left and click Generate Program.

Summary

Enter your current 5-rep max for squat, bench press, and deadlift to generate a week-by-week Madcow 5x5 intermediate program with all working weights.

How it works

Enter your current 5-rep max (5RM) for squat, bench press, and deadlift.
Select pounds or kilograms.
The calculator sets Week 1 working weights from your 5RM and computes Monday/Wednesday/Friday sessions.
Monday uses ramping 5x5 work; Wednesday uses four lighter squat sets and lighter bench work.
Friday uses four ramping sets of 5, a heavier triple, and a back-off set of 8 for squat and bench; deadlift uses four ramping sets of 5.
Each subsequent week increases the top weight by approximately 2.5% (rounded to the nearest 5 lb / 2.5 kg).
Choose how many weeks to display (4–12) and review the full schedule at a glance.

Use cases

Intermediate lifters who stalled on a linear progression program like StrongLifts or Starting Strength.
Plan a full training block with exact weights before the cycle starts.
Quickly recalculate after testing a new 5RM on squat, bench, or deadlift.
Compare weekly load increases across the three main lifts.
Print or screenshot a specific week to take to the gym.

Frequently Asked Questions

Last updated: 2026-09-16 · Reviewed by Nham Vu