nSuns 5/3/1 LP is a four to six day program from a Reddit lifter called nSuns. It uses the training max from Jim Wendler's 5/3/1 but adds weight every week, based on one all out set. Each day stacks nine heavy sets on eight lighter ones. It suits lifters past the beginner stage who recover well and have time.
This is general training information, not medical advice. If you have an injury or a health condition, talk to a qualified professional before starting a new program.
What is nSuns 5/3/1 LP?
nSuns is a linear progression built out of 5/3/1 parts. The author posted it to Reddit's r/Fitness under the name nSuns, and it spread through the r/Fitness wiki, which still keeps a page on nSuns LP with links to the original post and the official spreadsheet. Everything below is our own summary of that sheet. Read the source before you start, because the spreadsheet does the math for you and the math is the program.
The bones come from Wendler. You work off a training max, or TM, set at 90% of your true one rep max, and the percentages are all taken from that number. What nSuns changes is speed and volume. Classic 5/3/1 adds weight once a month. nSuns adds it every week, and it gives you a lot more sets to earn it.
What does a week of nSuns look like?
Every session has two main parts. First comes the T1 lift: nine sets of one main lift. On most days one of those sets is marked 1+, meaning do at least one rep and then as many clean reps as you have. Then the T2 lift: eight lighter sets of a related lift. After that you do accessory work for whatever muscles the sheet assigns that day.
The four day version runs like this:
- Monday: bench press as the T1, overhead press as the T2.
- Tuesday: squat, then sumo deadlift.
- Thursday: bench again, heavier, then close grip bench.
- Friday: deadlift, then front squat.
The five day version adds a Wednesday of overhead press with incline bench and shuffles the other days around it. The six day versions add a Saturday of extra triples on either deadlift or squat, depending on which version you pick. Bench gets trained more than anything else in every version, so if your bench is your favorite lift, this program is going to feel like a love letter.
The T1 sets walk up to a top set and then come back down in a pyramid, and on most days the reps climb as the weight drops. The heavy days build to that 1+ set, while the first bench day of the week is a lighter volume day with more reps per set. Seventeen working sets of barbell before you touch a cable is a lot. Bring snacks and a playlist with real length to it.
How does nSuns progression work?
This is the part people love. The spreadsheet ties your weekly increase to how you do on the 1+ set:
- Zero or one rep: keep the same TM.
- Two or three reps: add 5 lb.
- Four or five reps: add 5 to 10 lb.
- More than five reps: add 10 to 15 lb.
You type the new TM into the sheet each week and it recalculates every set, including the T2 lifts that are tied to that main lift. The progression regulates itself. A good week moves you a lot, a rough week moves you a little, and a terrible week holds you still without any drama.
The catch is that "clean reps" has to mean clean. If you grind out ugly sixth and seventh reps to unlock the bigger jump, you are borrowing from next week's session at a bad interest rate. Stop the 1+ set when your form starts to slip.
Who is nSuns good for?
nSuns fits lifters who have outgrown a pure beginner program and still make progress almost every week. Think of someone whose squat stalls on a simple 3x5 plan, who recovers well, sleeps decently and can get to the gym four or more days a week for well over an hour each time.
It is a rough choice for a true first timer. A brand new lifter can add weight every session on something far simpler, like Starting Strength or GZCLP, without 17 sets a day of technique to protect. It is also a poor fit if you can only train three days, because there is no official three day version. In that case run 5/3/1 Boring But Big or GZCLP instead of cutting nSuns into pieces.
What are the pros and cons of nSuns?
What we like:
- Weekly progress you can see. Watching the TM tick up on a good week is great for motivation.
- The 1+ set is honest feedback. It tells you how you are recovering, and the program listens.
- Huge amounts of bench practice. If bench is your weak lift, frequency and volume like this tend to help.
- Little thinking. The sheet does the percentages, so you show up and lift what it says.
What we don't:
- The volume adds up fast. Nine plus eight sets, four to six days a week, is a big load on top of a job and a life. Many lifters find it stalls once fatigue catches up.
- Long sessions. If your gym gets busy, holding a rack or bench for an hour and a half is a real cost to you and to everyone waiting.
- Lots of pressing for shoulders and elbows. Bench twice, plus overhead press and close grip work, is a lot of pushing. If your shoulders already talk to you, listen.
- Linear progress ends. No program adds weight weekly forever. Plan for when it slows instead of acting surprised.
What swaps make nSuns easier to run?
These are our suggestions, not part of the original program:
- Trim the T2. If you are falling apart by week three, cut the T2 to five or six sets and keep the T1 intact. The T1 drives the progression.
- Use the lighter end of the ranges. When the sheet offers 5 to 10 lb, take 5. Smaller jumps mean the run lasts longer.
- Match the deadlift to your style. The Tuesday T2 is sumo. If you compete conventional, you can swap it, and our sumo vs conventional guide can help you pick.
- Pick accessories you recover from. The sheet suggests muscle groups for each day. Choose two or three moves, not six. Rows and pull work balance out all that pressing nicely.
- Deload before you need one. When two or more lifts stall in the same week, take an easy week and reset the TM a little lower. Our deload guide covers how.
When the weekly jumps finally stop working, a program built around monthly progress, like 5/3/1 or one from our best powerlifting programs list, is the natural next step.
Where do chalk and grip matter on nSuns?
Deadlift day and sumo day. Between Friday's nine deadlift sets and Tuesday's eight sumo sets, your hands do more pulling on nSuns than on most beginner programs, and the 1+ set is where a slipping grip gets expensive. Losing the bar on rep six of an AMRAP means a smaller TM bump for the next four weeks, all because your palms were sweaty.
Chalk every working set, not just the heavy ones. Our guide to chalking up for deadlifts covers how much and where. If grip is still the thing that gives out on the back off sets, straps on those sets are a fair call, as long as you pull the 1+ set without them if you ever plan to compete. The PRGRIP blog, which belongs to the same company as Proof of Chalk, has a guide to which type of lifting straps to use when.
Chalk helps the bench too. A dry grip keeps the bar from creeping in your hands over 17 sets. Not every gym allows chalk, so check which gyms allow chalk before you start a program that leans on it this hard.
What kind of gym do you need for nSuns?
A power rack, a bench, a barbell and enough plates to load it all. Deadlift day needs a spot where pulling heavy is normal, ideally a platform. Because sessions run long, a gym that is quiet at the times you train matters more on nSuns than on most programs. Our powerlifting gym etiquette guide has tips on sharing a rack when you are going to be on it a while.
If your current gym can't handle it, the Proof of Chalk map and powerlifting gyms near me list gyms with racks, platforms and chalk rules checked against their own sources.
Common questions
Is nSuns good for beginners?
It can work, but it is more than most beginners need. A new lifter can progress every session on a simpler program with far less volume. nSuns makes more sense once that easy progress slows down.
How long can you run nSuns?
There is no fixed length. You run it as long as the weekly TM increases keep coming. When several lifts stall even after a deload and a TM reset, it is time to switch to a program with slower progression.
What does 1+ mean on nSuns?
It means do at least one rep, then keep going for as many clean reps as you can. The number of reps you get on that set decides how much your training max goes up the next week.
Is there a 3 day version of nSuns?
The official spreadsheet has four, five and six day versions. If you can only train three days, a program built for three days, such as GZCLP or 5/3/1 Boring But Big, is a better choice.
Is nSuns the same as 5/3/1?
No. It uses the 5/3/1 idea of a training max at 90% of your max, but it adds weight weekly instead of monthly and uses many more sets. Jim Wendler's own 5/3/1 is a separate program.
