Intro
5/3/1 has lasted because it is simple to follow and hard to mess up. You work from a training max, not your true max. Each week has three working sets at fixed percentages. The last set is an AMRAP set, where you push for as many good reps as you can. Then you deload, add a little weight, and run the cycle again. The hard part is not the idea. The hard part is the arithmetic: turning four lifts, four weeks, and three sets per week into the exact weights on the bar without a spreadsheet open at the rack. This calculator does that arithmetic. You enter a max for squat, bench press, deadlift, and overhead press. It sets each training max at 90% of the max you entered, lays out all four weeks of sets and reps, and shows the next session’s weights so you know what to load before you walk up to the bar. The program stays Wendler’s published scheme. The calculator just does the maths.
Calculator
5/3/1 Training-Max Calculator
Week 1/2/3 + deload for all four lifts, with plates per set. AMRAP sets marked +.
Sets marked + are AMRAP: do as many good reps as you can on that set. Training maxes are rounded to the nearest loadable step (2.5 kg / 5 lb). Plates use a standard plate set (kg: 25/20/15/10/5/2.5/1.25 · lb: 45/35/25/10/5/2.5). Percentages follow the published 5/3/1 scheme (Wendler): Week 1 — 65%x5, 75%x5, 85%x5+ · Week 2 — 70%x3, 80%x3, 90%x3+ · Week 3 — 75%x5, 85%x3, 95%x1+ · Deload — 40%x5, 50%x5, 60%x5.
Estimate a 1RM with the One-Rep Max Calculator, then enter it above to get your training max.
Estimates only — see our Disclaimer
Estimates only — see our Disclaimer.
How it works
Training max
The training max is 90% of the max you enter, per the published 5/3/1 scheme by Jim Wendler. Every percentage in the four-week cycle is a percentage of the training max, not of your true max. That is what keeps the weights submaximal and the program repeatable cycle after cycle. Enter an honest max. An inflated max inflates every set for four weeks.
The four-week cycle
All percentages are of the training max. A “+” marks an AMRAP set: as many good reps as you can, stopping with form intact.
| Week | Set 1 | Set 2 | Set 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 — 5s | 65% × 5 | 75% × 5 | 85% × 5+ |
| Week 2 — 3s | 70% × 3 | 80% × 3 | 90% × 3+ |
| Week 3 — 5/3/1 | 75% × 5 | 85% × 3 | 95% × 1+ |
| Week 4 — Deload | 40% × 5 | 50% × 5 | 60% × 5 |
The deload week has no AMRAP set. Its job is recovery before the next cycle.
Next-session output
The calculator shows the next session’s sets so you can load the bar without reworking the whole cycle. After each session, it advances to the next one in the cycle. The four lifts run on the same four-week shape; the calculator tracks each lift separately so a missed day does not scramble the other lifts.
Progression
The published scheme adds a small increment to the training max at the end of each full four-week cycle, then runs the cycle again from the new training max. The calculator applies the scheme’s progression as published. It does not invent extra progression rules, extra sets, or variant templates. Joker sets and Boring But Big are separate templates and are not part of this calculator.
Honest limits
- The percentages assume the max you entered is honest and recent. A stale or hopeful max throws off all four weeks.
- The calculator plans weights. It does not watch your form, your fatigue, or your recovery between sessions.
- AMRAP sets mean as many good reps as you can. Reps with broken form do not count toward anything useful.
- Rounding follows the plate set. A rounded set may sit a kilo or two off the exact percentage.
How to set up your 5/3/1 cycle
- Enter an honest max for each lift. The calculator sets the training max at 90% of the max you entered.
- Week 1 (5s): 65% × 5, 75% × 5, 85% × 5+. The “+” means AMRAP — as many good reps as you can with form intact.
- Week 2 (3s): 70% × 3, 80% × 3, 90% × 3+.
- Week 3 (5/3/1): 75% × 5, 85% × 3, 95% × 1+.
- Week 4 (deload): 40% × 5, 50% × 5, 60% × 5, with no AMRAP set.
- After Week 4, raise the training max per the published scheme and run the cycle again. All percentages are of the training max.
FAQs
What is a training max in 5/3/1?
It is 90% of your max. Every set in the cycle is a percentage of the training max, not of your true max. That keeps the working weights submaximal so you can complete the cycle and repeat it.
Do I use my true max or an estimated max?
Either, as long as it is honest and recent. A tested max is best. A careful estimate from a recent hard set works. Enter the max for the lift as you would test it today, not the number you hope to hit.
What does the “+” mean on the last set?
AMRAP: as many good reps as you can with form intact. On Week 1 it is 85% × 5+, on Week 2 it is 90% × 3+, on Week 3 it is 95% × 1+. Stop the set when form breaks, not when you fail a rep.
Do I AMRAP the deload week?
No. The deload week is 40% × 5, 50% × 5, 60% × 5 with no AMRAP set. Its job is recovery. Pushing the deload defeats its purpose.
What happens after Week 4?
The cycle repeats from a slightly higher training max, per the published scheme. The calculator advances the training max and lays out the next cycle. Do not skip the deload to start the next cycle early.
Can I run this for one lift only?
Yes. Enter the lifts you want to plan and leave the rest blank. Each lift is tracked separately, so planning one lift does not depend on the others.
- Out: Barbell Plate Calculator — plates for every set. Warm-Up Calculator — warm-up ladder for the top set. One-Rep Max Calculator — estimate the training max from a 1RM.
See also
- nSuns Calculator — a higher-volume program that pairs a heavy main lift with a volume second lift each day.
- GZCLP Calculator — a three-tier program (heavy T1, volume T2, accessory T3) with clear progression rules.