5/3/1 Program Calculator
Generate your complete Jim Wendler 5/3/1 cycle: enter a 1RM (or a weight × reps set) for squat, bench press, deadlift and overhead press, and get all 4 weeks of sets, reps and training-max weights — with warm-ups, per-side plate loads, AMRAP rep-out analysis and cycle-to-cycle progression. Free, 100% client-side.
Build your 4-week cycle
Squatlower body · +5 kg / +10 lb per cycle
Bench Pressupper body · +2.5 kg / +5 lb per cycle
Deadliftlower body · +5 kg / +10 lb per cycle
Overhead Pressupper body · +2.5 kg / +5 lb per cycle
Your 4-week cycle
Enter your four lifts above and press Generate program — every set, rep, weight, warm-up and plate load appears here.
AMRAP rep-out estimator
Finished a top set? Enter the weight and the reps you got — the Epley formula estimates your true 1RM and advises whether to increase, hold, or reset your training max.
Progression planner
Projects training maxes with Wendler's rule: +2.5 kg (+5 lb) upper body, +5 kg (+10 lb) lower body per 4-week cycle.
My cycles
Save each cycle's training maxes here — stored in your browser only, never uploaded.
What is the 5/3/1 program?
In 2009, strength coach Jim Wendler published a program built on a deliberately unfashionable idea: get strong slowly. Instead of maxing out or adding weight every session, 5/3/1 organizes training into 4-week waves around four barbell lifts — squat, bench press, deadlift, and overhead press. Each week has a rep scheme (3×5, 3×3, then 5/3/1) and every working set is a percentage of a training max, not your true max. The top set each week is pushed for as many reps as possible (AMRAP), so you still set records — rep records instead of weight records. After the wave, you add a small fixed jump and repeat. A year of patient 2.5–5 kg jumps beats two months of heroic grinding followed by a stall, which is exactly why the program has survived fifteen years of fitness trends.
The training max: why you start at 90%
Your training max (TM) is the number every percentage is calculated from. Wendler's classic prescription is 90% of your true one-rep max — a 100 kg max becomes a 90 kg TM. Starting light is the whole trick: bar speed stays high, joints stay happy, and you can beat rep records for many months before weights get genuinely heavy. Lifters who want an even longer runway use 85%. This calculator offers 90%, 85%, or a custom percentage, because the right TM is the one that keeps you progressing instead of testing.
The 4-week cycle
Each lift is trained once per week. The percentages below are taken off your training max, and the “+” marks an AMRAP top set:
| Week | Scheme | Set 1 | Set 2 | Set 3 (top) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | 3×5 | 65% × 5 | 75% × 5 | 85% × 5+ |
| Week 2 | 3×3 | 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 |
Week 4 is a deload — 40%, 50%, 60% for 5 reps. It feels easy on purpose: accumulated fatigue dissipates so the next cycle starts fresh. Warm up before every session with 5 reps at 40%, 5 at 50%, and 3 at 60% of your TM.
AMRAP sets: the engine of progress
The top set of weeks 1–3 is where 5/3/1 lives. Instead of stopping at the prescribed reps, you do as many good-form reps as you can. Beating last cycle's reps at the same weight is a personal record, and chasing rep PRs month after month is what drives the program. Push hard, but leave 1–2 reps in reserve on the early weeks and save the true grinders for week 3. Use the AMRAP estimator tab after a rep-out: it converts your top set into an estimated 1RM via the Epley formula and tells you whether to increase, hold, or reset your training max.
Progression: the +2.5 / +5 kg rule
After each 4-week cycle, add 2.5 kg (5 lb) to upper-body lifts (bench, press) and 5 kg (10 lb) to lower-body lifts (squat, deadlift) — added to the training max, not the bar. A squat TM of 126 kg becomes 131 kg; a bench TM of 90 kg becomes 92.5 kg. Twelve cycles later that is 60 kg on your squat TM without ever taking a heroic jump. When a lift genuinely stalls (you miss the minimum reps on week 3's top set), reset that lift's TM back about 10% — or three cycles, the “5 forward, 3 back” rule — and build back up through rep records. The progression tab projects your training maxes several cycles ahead so you can see the compounding work.
Assistance work: don't major in the minors
Assistance supports the main lift; it never replaces it. The proven templates:
| Template | What to do | When to use it |
|---|---|---|
| Boring But Big (BBB) | 5×10 at 50–60% TM after the main lift | Building size alongside strength |
| First Set Last (FSL) | 3–5×5–8 at your first working-set weight | Extra quality volume, short on time |
| Triumvirate | Two assistance moves, 5 sets each | Balanced, minimal time |
| 5s PRO | All working sets are straight 5s, no AMRAP | Recovery blocks, coming back from a layoff |
Pick one template per lift, run it at least two full cycles, then evaluate. Rest 2–5 minutes between heavy working sets and 60–120 seconds on assistance.
Who is 5/3/1 for?
Anyone past the first few weeks of lifting who wants a program they can run for years: intermediates who keep stalling on aggressive linear progression, busy lifters who need four focused sessions a week, and patient beginners with solid technique. It is less ideal if you need rapid peaking for a competition next month — that is what peaking blocks are for — or if you cannot yet perform the four lifts safely, in which case learn the movements first.
Common mistakes
- Starting too heavy. A TM above 90% turns every AMRAP into a grinder and stalls you by cycle 3. When in doubt, start lighter.
- Adding weight faster than prescribed. The jumps feel small because they are supposed to. Customizing the progression is how people break the program.
- Skipping the deload. Week 4 is what makes week 1 of the next cycle productive.
- Testing instead of building. AMRAP means as many good reps as possible — a rep you barely survive with broken form is not progress.
- Program-hopping. Run at least 3–4 full cycles before judging anything.
Worked example 1: bench press, 100 kg 1RM
You bench a 100 kg one-rep max. With the classic 90% training max (90 kg) and rounding to the nearest 2.5 kg, the calculator produces this full cycle (warm-up every day: 35 × 5, 45 × 5, 55 × 3):
| Set 1 | Set 2 | Set 3 (top) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 (3×5) | 65% → 57.5 kg × 5 | 75% → 67.5 kg × 5 | 85% → 77.5 kg × 5+ |
| Week 2 (3×3) | 70% → 62.5 kg × 3 | 80% → 72.5 kg × 3 | 90% → 80 kg × 3+ |
| Week 3 (5/3/1+) | 75% → 67.5 kg × 5 | 85% → 77.5 kg × 3 | 95% → 85 kg × 1+ |
| Week 4 (deload) | 40% → 35 kg × 5 | 50% → 45 kg × 5 | 60% → 55 kg × 5 |
Notice week 3's top set: 85 kg × 1+. If you hit, say, 5 reps there, that is a rep PR — and the AMRAP estimator would convert 85 × 5 into an estimated 1RM of 99.17 kg via Epley (85 × 35/30), confirming your 100 kg max is honest.
Worked example 2: a full 4-lift cycle and what comes next
Four 1RMs: squat 140 kg, bench 100 kg, deadlift 180 kg, press 60 kg. Training maxes at 90%: 126, 90, 162, and 54 kg. The week-3 top sets (95% of TM, rounded to 2.5 kg) are 120, 85, 155, and 52.5 kg × 1+.
Finish the cycle, then apply the progression rule (+5 kg lower, +2.5 kg upper). Cycle-2 training maxes: 131, 92.5, 167, and 56.5 kg — every number on the next cycle's tables rises from there, no guesswork. Rep-out check: pressing the week-3 top set of 52.5 kg for 6 reps estimates a 63.0 kg max via Epley (52.5 × 36/30) — exactly 5% over the 60 kg 1RM, a green light to progress. Plate math is handled per set: loading 77.5 kg on a 20 kg bar, for instance, is 25 + 2.5 + 1.25 kg per side.
In pounds: a 220 lb bench 1RM gives a 198 lb TM; week 1 loads 130, 150, and 170 lb and the week-3 top set is 190 lb × 1+ (rounded to 5 lb).
Practical tips
- Train each lift once a week: press, deadlift, bench, squat is the classic order — or squat, bench, deadlift, press. Consistency beats the perfect split.
- Time your rest: 3–5 minutes before top sets, 1–2 minutes for assistance. Rushing heavy sets is a hidden stall-maker.
- Log every AMRAP. “85 × 5” written down is a target next cycle; remembered vaguely, it is nothing. The My cycles tab stores your training maxes per cycle.
- Microload the press: 1–1.25 kg jumps per cycle keep the smallest lift progressing longest.
- Eat and sleep like it matters — because on a slow-progression program, recovery is the program.
- On deload week, do something you enjoy: walk, stretch, leave the gym early. Come back hungry.
Frequently asked questions
What is the 5/3/1 workout program?
5/3/1 is a strength program created by Jim Wendler built around four barbell lifts: squat, bench press, deadlift, and overhead press. You train in 4-week waves: week 1 is 3 sets of 5 (65%, 75%, 85%), week 2 is 3 sets of 3 (70%, 80%, 90%), week 3 is the 5/3/1 week (75% x 5, 85% x 3, 95% x 1+), and week 4 is a deload (40%, 50%, 60% x 5). All percentages come off a training max, not your true max, and the last set of each week is pushed for as many reps as possible (AMRAP). After each 4-week cycle you add a little weight and repeat — slow, sustainable, long-term progress.
What are the exact 5/3/1 percentages?
Week 1 (3x5): 65% x 5, 75% x 5, 85% x 5+. Week 2 (3x3): 70% x 3, 80% x 3, 90% x 3+. Week 3 (5/3/1+): 75% x 5, 85% x 3, 95% x 1+. Week 4 (deload): 40% x 5, 50% x 5, 60% x 5. The '+' marks an AMRAP set. For example, with a 100 kg bench 1RM and the standard 90% training max (90 kg), week 1 works out to 57.5 x 5, 67.5 x 5, 77.5 x 5+, and week 3 tops out at 85 x 1+.
What is a training max, and why 90% of my 1RM?
Your training max (TM) is the number every percentage is calculated from — Wendler's classic recommendation is 90% of your true one-rep max. Starting 10% light is the whole trick: it keeps bar speed high, lets you set rep records on AMRAP sets, and gives you many months of uninterrupted progress before weights get truly heavy. A 100 kg max becomes a 90 kg TM; an 85% TM variant (85 kg) is also popular for lifters who want an even longer runway. This calculator lets you pick 90%, 85%, or any custom percentage.
How do the AMRAP (+) sets work?
On the top set of weeks 1-3 you do as many good-form reps as possible instead of stopping at the prescribed number — that is the '+' in 5+, 3+, and 1+. These rep-outs are where progress is measured: beating last cycle's reps at the same weight is a PR. Push hard but keep 1-2 reps in reserve on the early weeks; save the true grinders for week 3. The calculator's AMRAP estimator turns your rep-out into an estimated 1RM (Epley formula) and tells you whether to increase, hold, or reset your training max.
How much weight do I add each cycle?
Wendler's rule: add 2.5 kg (5 lb) to upper-body lifts (bench, press) and 5 kg (10 lb) to lower-body lifts (squat, deadlift) per 4-week cycle — added to the training max, not the bar. Example: squat TM 126 kg becomes 131 kg next cycle; bench TM 90 kg becomes 92.5 kg. It looks slow. That is the point: compounding small jumps for a year beats stalling after six weeks. The progression planner above projects your training maxes several cycles ahead.
What do I do on the deload week?
Week 4 is 3 sets of 5 at 40%, 50%, and 60% of your training max — for a 90 kg TM that is 35, 45, and 55 kg. It feels easy on purpose: four weeks of accumulated fatigue dissipate so you start the next cycle fresh and ready to set rep records. Do your normal warm-up, keep assistance light, and resist the urge to 'make it harder'. Lifters who skip deloads usually stall sooner, not later.
What assistance work should I do with 5/3/1?
Assistance supports the main lift, never replaces it. The classics: Boring But Big (BBB) — 5 sets of 10 at 50-60% of your TM after the main lift; First Set Last (FSL) — 3-5 sets of 5-8 at your first working-set weight; the Triumvirate — two assistance exercises, 5 sets each; and 5s PRO, which drops the AMRAP sets in favor of straight 5s across when you need a break from rep-outs. Pick 1-2 templates, run them for at least two full cycles, then evaluate. As Wendler puts it: don't major in the minors.
I don't know my 1RM. Can I use a weight x reps set instead?
Yes — switch any lift to 'weight x reps' mode and the calculator estimates your 1RM with the Epley formula: 1RM = weight x (1 + reps/30). For example, 100 kg x 5 reps estimates 116.67 kg (100 x 35/30). Use a recent heavy set of 3-8 reps for the best estimate, then let the 90% training max absorb the uncertainty. For a dedicated max estimator with four formulas side by side, see our one-rep-max calculator.
What if I stall or miss reps on the week-3 top set?
First, check the basics: sleep, food, and whether you started too heavy (the classic cause). If the stall is real, reset: drop the stalled lift's training max by about 10% (or back 3 cycles — the '5 forward, 3 back' rule) and build back up, beating rep records along the way. Example: a 126 kg squat TM that stalls drops to roughly 113-115 kg. Never grind missed heavy singles week after week; the program works because the weights stay submaximal most of the time.
Is 5/3/1 good for beginners?
Yes, with two conditions: learn safe technique on the four lifts first (a few weeks of practice with light weights or a coach), and start with a conservative training max — 85% is a fine beginner choice. Beginners progress fast, which makes the slow-and-steady 5/3/1 structure ideal: it teaches patience while the AMRAP sets still let you push. If a lift's form breaks down, treat that set as over and ask a qualified coach for help.
How is this different from a 1RM calculator?
A 1RM calculator answers 'how much could I lift once?' — our one-rep-max calculator, deadlift max calculator, squat max calculator, and bench press calculator do exactly that, some with plate loaders. This tool answers the next question: 'what do I lift every session for the next month?' It turns four 1RMs into a complete 4-week program — every set, rep, weight, warm-up, plate load per side, AMRAP targets, and the next cycles' progression — in one place.
Is this affiliated with Jim Wendler? Is it medical advice?
No affiliation: this is an independent educational tool implementing the publicly documented 5/3/1 percentages. For the full methodology, coaching cues, and templates, read Jim Wendler's books. Nothing here is medical advice — lifting heavy has real risks. Learn proper form, use spotters or safety arms for heavy attempts, and consult a qualified coach or healthcare professional if you have any doubt about whether this program suits you.
Method & limitations
Percentages, rep schemes, warm-up protocol (40%×5, 50%×5, 60%×3), deload structure, and the +2.5/+5 kg (+5/+10 lb) progression rule follow Jim Wendler's publicly documented 5/3/1 system. Working weights are rounded half-up to your chosen plate increment (2.5 kg / 5 lb standard, or 1 kg / 1 lb for microloading) using exact rational arithmetic — no float boundary artifacts. 1RM-from-reps uses the Epley formula (1985), a regression fit validated mostly for sets under ~10 reps; treat it as an estimate, and the 90% training max absorbs its uncertainty. Plate loading is greedy, largest plate first, on standard 20 kg / 45 lb bars. All calculations run locally in your browser; nothing is uploaded.
Disclaimer: this is an independent educational tool, not affiliated with Jim Wendler. General fitness information only — not medical advice, not coaching. Heavy barbell training carries real risk: learn proper form, use spotters or correctly set safety arms, and consult a qualified coach or healthcare professional if you are unsure this program suits you.
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