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Monthly cycles on a training max

5/3/1
calculator

Your training max and every main set of the 4-week cycle, rounded to the plates you have.

Cycle
4 weeks
Days
3–4 / week
Level
All levels

5/3/1 weights for every set

01Week 1 · 5s

  1. Set 1105kg× 5 · 65%
  2. Set 2122.5kg× 5 · 75%
  3. Set 3137.5kg× 5+ · 85%

02Week 2 · 3s

  1. Set 1112.5kg× 3 · 70%
  2. Set 2130kg× 3 · 80%
  3. Set 3145kg× 3+ · 90%

03Week 3 · 5/3/1

  1. Set 1122.5kg× 5 · 75%
  2. Set 2137.5kg× 3 · 85%
  3. Set 3155kg× 1+ · 95%

04Week 4 · Deload

  1. Set 165kg× 5 · 40%
  2. Set 280kg× 5 · 50%
  3. Set 397.5kg× 5 · 60%

This table won’t change if a session goes badly.

The adaptive version re-calculates next week from one tap after each top set, and lowers the jump if you miss reps.

Make it adaptive · $19
How it works

How 5/3/1 works

Everything is a percentage of a training max, which is 90% of your real max. Week 1 works up to 85% for fives, week 2 to 90% for threes, week 3 to 95% for a single, and week 4 is a deload. The last set of the first three weeks is an AMRAP: as many good reps as you can.

After each cycle you raise the training max and start again. The small, steady jumps are the point: it is built to keep working for a long time.

5/3/1 is Jim Wendler’s program; this page only does the arithmetic. His books cover the assistance work, conditioning and the many variants.

FAQ

Before you start 5/3/1

Why 90% for the training max?
Starting light leaves room to progress for many cycles and keeps the AMRAP sets honest. If the first cycle feels too easy, that is by design.
How much do I add after each cycle?
The common rule is +5 lb (about 2.5 kg) for bench and press, +10 lb (about 5 kg) for squat and deadlift.
Sources

Where the numbers come from

Last reviewed by the PowerliftMath team. How we build and check these tools.

  1. Jim Wendler

    The author of 5/3/1. The books cover assistance work, deloads and variations this calculator leaves out.

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