5/3/1 calculator
Enter a work set or your one-rep max — I'll work out the training max and every weight for the four-week cycle, rounded to loadable plates.
| Week | Set 1 | Set 2 | Set 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 · 5/5/5+ | 67.5 kg× 5 · 65% | 77.5 kg× 5 · 75% | 87.5 kg× 5+ · 85% |
| 2 · 3/3/3+ | 72.5 kg× 3 · 70% | 82.5 kg× 3 · 80% | 92.5 kg× 3+ · 90% |
| 3 · 5/3/1+ | 77.5 kg× 5 · 75% | 87.5 kg× 3 · 85% | 97.5 kg× 1+ · 95% |
| 4 · deload | 40 kg× 5 · 40% | 52.5 kg× 5 · 50% | 62.5 kg× 5 · 60% |
How the 5/3/1 cycle works
5/3/1 is Jim Wendler's scheme for one main lift a day: squat, bench, deadlift or overhead press. Every weight is based not on your one-rep max but on a training max — 90% of it. That leaves room even on a hard day, so the cycle doesn't hit failure in week two.
- Week 1 — 65%, 75% and 85% of the training max for 5, 5 and 5+.
- Week 2 — 70%, 80% and 90% for 3, 3 and 3+.
- Week 3 — 75%, 85% and 95% for 5, 3 and 1+.
- Week 4 — deload: 40%, 50% and 60% for 5.
The "+" is an as-many-reps-as-possible set, but with good form, not a grind to the last rep. Before the work sets, warm up with 40%, 50% and 60% for 5, 5 and 3. I round the weights down to a loadable step — 2.5 kg or 5 lb — like the warm-up calculator.
After the cycle the training max goes up by 2.5 kg on presses and 5 kg on squats and deadlifts (5 and 10 lb). I estimate the one-rep max from a set with the Epley formula, the same as the 1RM calculator and the diary. The scheme and percentages follow public write-ups of the author's program, such as the 5/3/1 Primer.
Log the cycle's sets in your diary — I'll keep the reps from each "+" set, and they show whether your max is going up.
Prefer Telegram? Open the bot — same diary.