Programme guide
Power 5×5: how the block runs
Power 5×5 is a 3-day-per-week advanced programme built for maximal strength. Compound lifts, heavy loading. Across the week it covers 3 exercises and roughly 15 working sets, loading quads, back, chest and shoulders, with rest periods between 120 and 180 seconds depending on how heavy the movement is.
Who this programme suits
It is written for advanced trainees who can commit to 3 sessions a week in a fully equipped gym. Age bands 20s-30s and 40s-50s are supported, and the app scales volume and tempo to the band you selected during calibration rather than handing everyone the same numbers.
If you miss a session, run it on the next available day rather than doubling up. Missing one session in a week costs almost nothing; two heavy sessions back to back costs recovery you will pay for later in the block.
A — Squat Focus
Back Squat: 5 × 5, 180s rest. Bench Press: 5 × 5, 180s rest. Barbell Row: 5 × 5, 120s rest.
Back Squat — Brace, break at hips and knees together. Bench Press — Bar path over lower sternum. Barbell Row — Torso stable, elbows to hips.
Progressing the block
Keep the prescribed sets and reps for the first two weeks and treat that as your baseline. From week three, add load when you finish every set of an exercise at the top of its rep range with clean technique — roughly 2.5kg on upper-body lifts and 5kg on lower-body lifts, or one extra rep per set on bodyweight movements.
Rest matters as much as load. The 180-second rests on the heaviest movements exist so the following set is not compromised; cutting them short turns a maximal strength session into a conditioning session. The in-app countdown handles this automatically and rolls straight into the next block.
Recovery and fuel around the session
Drink through the session — the runner prompts you between exercises — and eat a protein-led meal within a couple of hours of finishing. The Fuel section carries matching meal blocks, macro targets and a one-tap grocery list, and the Recovery dashboard tracks sleep alongside your completion meter.
Frequently asked
- How long does one Power 5×5 session take?
- Most sessions run 35 to 55 minutes including warm-up and prescribed rests, depending on how quickly you set up between exercises.
- Do I need to sign in to run it?
- The programme is free, but an account is required so your sets, completion percentage and resume point sync across devices.
- What if an exercise is not available to me?
- Open the exercise card and use the substitute suggested for the same movement pattern, or generate a replacement session in Session Forge with the equipment you actually have.
- How long should I run this block before changing?
- Run it for four to eight weeks. Change programme when progress stalls for three consecutive sessions, not because the sessions started to feel familiar.