Posts by Kyle Risley

Enter your squat, bench, and deadlift and this calculator checks your lift ratios against typical ranges for raw lifters, then flags the lift that’s lagging. Add your overhead press if you want that checked too.

The point is finding your weak lift while it’s cheap to fix. A lagging bench means months of missed pressing volume you could be doing right now.

The Typical Ratios

For a raw lifter, bench usually lands around 0.75x your squat, with most lifters falling between 0.60 and 0.85. Deadlift usually lands around 1.2x your squat, between 1.10 and 1.30. Overhead press runs about two thirds of your bench.

These come from two independent places that happen to agree. Christian Thibaudeau’s Know Your Ratios table (adapted from Poliquin’s work) lines up with aggregated data from millions of logged lifts. When a coach’s table and a big pile of meet data land on the same numbers, they’re worth taking seriously.

What to Do About a Lagging Lift

More of that lift. Frequency and volume fix most imbalances, and the cleanest way to get them is a program built around the weak movement.

For a lagging bench, run a bench-focused block or add a second pressing day. nSuns benches up to 4 times a week and is famous for fixing benches. For a lagging deadlift, the Candito deadlift program is a dedicated pulling block. For a lagging squat, Sheiko squats you often at manageable intensities and cleans up technique along the way.

Read the Ratios With Some Slack

These are balance checks, and they move with your build and history. Long arms help your deadlift and hurt your bench, so a lanky puller can sit outside the bench range forever without anything being wrong. Women typically bench a lower fraction of their squat, so read the bench ratio toward the low end. And newer lifters often show a high deadlift ratio simply because squat technique takes longer to learn.

If a ratio is far outside its range and it matches what you feel in training, that’s the signal worth acting on.

Related Calculators

Get your 1RMs from the 1RM calculator if you haven’t tested lately, compare each lift to the strength standards for your class, and score your total with the DOTS calculator.

Enter the working weight you’re building up to and this calculator lays out your warmup sets, with the exact plates to load on each side for every set. Just load what it says and go.

The ramp starts with the empty bar and works up through about 40%, 55%, 70%, and 85% of your working weight. Reps drop as the weight climbs. That gets you warm without burning energy you’ll want for your work sets.

Why Ramp Like This

The goal of a warmup is to groove the movement and prepare your body for the load, and then get out of the way. Early sets are light and higher rep to get blood moving. The later sets are heavy enough to make the working weight feel normal, but only a rep or two so they cost you almost nothing.

A common mistake is doing 8 to 10 reps on every warmup set all the way up. By the time you reach your work sets you’ve done half a workout. Keep the reps low once the bar gets heavy.

Adjusting the Ramp

Treat the ramp as a default, and shift it when the day calls for it. Cold morning session or a long layoff? Add a set at the bottom and take smaller jumps. Deadlifting after squats? You’re already warm, so you can usually skip the first set or two. Older lifters and anyone with cranky joints will do better with an extra set early rather than bigger jumps later.

Rest is short on the light sets, 30 to 60 seconds, and closer to 2 minutes on the last one or two ramp sets so you start your work sets fresh.

Related Calculators

If you don’t know your working weight yet, estimate it with the 1RM calculator and take your percentage from there. Warming up for a meet? Your ramp should end at your opener, and the attempt calculator will set that for you.

Enter a target weight and your bar, and this calculator shows you exactly which plates to load on each side of the barbell. It draws the loaded bar so you can check your math at a glance, and it tells you when a weight can’t be made exactly with standard plates.

It works in kg and lb with the standard plate sets for each. Handy when you’re working in unfamiliar units, loading for a percentage that lands on an odd number, or just tired between sets and don’t trust your arithmetic (we’ve all been there).

How the Calculator Loads the Bar

It subtracts the bar from your target, splits the rest across both sides, and loads the biggest plates first. That’s the same way you’d load a bar in the gym, and it uses the fewest plates per side.

Standard kg plates run 25, 20, 15, 10, 5, 2.5, and 1.25. Standard lb plates run 45, 35, 25, 10, 5, and 2.5. If your target lands between what the plates can make, the calculator flags it and gives you the closest weight you can actually load.

Prefer a printable reference? The kg and lb loading chart covers common loads at a glance.

Kg Plate Colors

Competition kg plates follow a standard color scheme, which is why the calculator draws them the way it does. Red is 25 kg, blue is 20, yellow is 15, green is 10, and white is 5. Once you know the colors you can read a loaded bar across the gym without counting.

A Note on Competition Collars

Competition collars weigh 2.5 kg each, and meet loading counts them in the total. This calculator assumes plain training collars that don’t add meaningful weight. If you’re rehearsing meet loading, subtract 5 kg from your target before you plug it in.

Related Calculators

If you’re loading to a percentage, get the number from the 1RM calculator first. Planning attempts for a meet? The attempt calculator includes plate loading for every attempt.

Powerlifting weight classes are set in kilograms, and you compete in the lightest class whose limit is at or above your weigh-in bodyweight. A 90 kg lifter in the IPF competes in the -93 kg class. Different federations use different class lists, so your class can change depending on where you enter.

Enter your bodyweight and federation below to find your class, how much room you have under the limit, and what you’d need to cut to drop a class.

IPF Weight Classes

The IPF has used these classes since 2019, and Powerlifting America (the IPF’s US affiliate) uses them too. Sub-Junior and Junior lifters get one extra lighter class, -53 kg for men and -43 kg for women. USA Powerlifting (USAPL) split from the IPF in 2021 and now runs its own old-style class list.

Men (kg)	Women (kg)
-59	-47
-66	-52
-74	-57
-83	-63
-93	-69
-105	-76
-120	-84
120+	84+

USPA, IPL, and WRPF Weight Classes

The USPA (and the IPL, its international parent) uses the older-style class list with more classes and finer steps. The WRPF men’s classes match the USPA exactly. WRPF women top out at 90+ in the standard list, while USPA women continue up to 110+.

Men (kg)	Women (kg)
-52, -56, -60	-44, -48, -52
-67.5, -75, -82.5	-56, -60, -67.5
-90, -100, -110	-75, -82.5, -90
-125, -140, 140+	-100, -110, 110+ (USPA)

At the same bodyweight, your class number differs by federation. A 91 kg man is a -93 lifter in the IPF and a -100 lifter in the USPA.

Should You Cut to a Lower Class?

For your first meet, no. Compete at your walking-around weight, learn how a meet works, and set a total. Cutting adds stress and costs strength, and there’s no prize money on the line at a local meet.

Once you’re competitive, the question is whether the strength you keep at a lower bodyweight beats the class you leave. See the strength standards for your class to gauge the competition, and check your DOTS score at both bodyweights to see whether the cut actually improves your relative standing. Small cuts of 2 to 3% of bodyweight over a normal 2-hour weigh-in are manageable. Bigger cuts need a real plan and a 24-hour weigh-in.

Sources

Class limits from the IPF Technical Rules and the USPA weight class limits.

These strength standards come from real powerlifting competition results, millions of them, via the OpenPowerlifting dataset. In each weight class, intermediate is the median competitor, advanced is the top 20%, elite is the top 5%, and world class is the top 1%. Every tier maps to where actual competitors fall.

Enter your sex, lift, and bodyweight to see the tiers for your weight class. Add what you lifted and it tells you where you stand.

Where These Numbers Come From

Most strength standards online are either self-reported gym numbers (inflated, nobody logs their missed lifts) or tier labels someone invented. Every number is a percentile over raw lifters who stepped on a platform and had their lifts judged, from the OpenPowerlifting dataset behind Powerlifting Records. That site has the live version of this tool, filterable by federation, equipment, and age, if you want to slice deeper.

Because the population is competitors, these standards run stronger than gym-population standards. The median lifter at your gym has never competed. Hitting “intermediate” here means you’d hold your own at a meet.

Total Standards by Weight Class (Raw)

Men’s totals in kg per IPF class:

Class	Intermediate	Advanced	Elite	World class
-74 kg	477.5	550	620	682.5
-83 kg	522.5	597.5	670	735
-93 kg	557.5	637.5	715	780
-105 kg	592.5	677.5	760	825
-120 kg	625	715	805	877.5

Women’s totals in kg per IPF class:

Class	Intermediate	Advanced	Elite	World class
-57 kg	280	330	385	430
-63 kg	292.5	347.5	402.5	455
-69 kg	310	365	425	485
-76 kg	325	382.5	447.5	507.5
-84 kg	332.5	395	457.5	520

The calculator above has every class plus per-lift standards for squat, bench, and deadlift.

How to Move Up a Tier

The gap between tiers is usually 10 to 20% on the total, which is one to two years of consistent training for most intermediate lifters. Run a proven program and eat enough. Re-test each cycle. 5/3/1 and GZCLP are solid engines for that grind, and Madcow 5×5 works well if you’re still progressing week to week.

These standards are per IPF weight class, so find your class first if you are not sure. Check your estimated maxes along the way with the 1RM calculator, and once you’re thinking about a meet, score yourself with the DOTS calculator.

Enter a recent heavy set and this calculator lays out your entire 5/3/1 cycle, every main set for all four weeks plus your supplemental work. Pick your scheme (classic 5/3/1, 3/5/1, or 5s PRO), your supplemental template (BBB, First Set Last, Second Set Last, Widowmaker, or pyramid down sets), and toggle warm-up sets and Joker sets. The loading updates instantly.

You don’t need a true 1RM. Enter any hard set as weight and reps, like 140×5, and the calculator estimates your max the same way the 1RM calculator does, then sets your training max at 90% of it (or 85% if you prefer the conservative option). The training max is what keeps Wendler’s 5/3/1 sustainable. You’re always lifting percentages of a number you can beat.

The Main Rep Schemes

5/3/1 (classic) is the standard. Week 1 is sets of 5 at 65/75/85% of your training max, week 2 is sets of 3 at 70/80/90%, week 3 is 5/3/1 at 75/85/95%, and week 4 is a deload at 40/50/60%. The last set of each main week is an AMRAP, marked with a “+”, and that set is where your progress shows up.

3/5/1 uses the same weeks in a different order, with the 3s week first. The 5s week then acts as a lighter week before the heavy 5/3/1 week, a medium, light, heavy cadence some lifters recover better on.

5s PRO keeps the same percentages but makes every main set a clean 5 with no AMRAP. Wendler pairs it with harder supplemental work in his later templates. It’s the right pick when grinding rep PRs every week is running you down.

The Supplemental Templates

Boring But Big (BBB) is 5 sets of 10 at 50 to 60% of your training max, after the main work. It’s the volume block that built the program’s reputation for size. Start at 50%. It reads easy and isn’t, especially on squats. The full BBB spreadsheets lay out the whole program.

First Set Last (FSL) is 5 sets of 5 at the first working set’s percentage for that week, so 65% in the 5s week, 70% in the 3s week, 75% in the 5/3/1 week. More practice with the competition lifts at weights that don’t beat you up.

Second Set Last (SSL) is the same idea at the second set’s percentage, 75/80/85. Heavier than FSL, so treat it as something you earn after a few FSL cycles.

Widowmaker is one set of 15 to 20 reps at your FSL weight. One brutal set instead of five moderate ones. Squat widowmakers will change your relationship with the barbell.

Pyramid down sets work back down the two lighter sets after your top set, with the final down set taken for max reps. It’s the simplest way to add volume without changing the weights on the bar.

Warm-Ups and Joker Sets

Toggle on warm-up sets and the calculator adds Wendler’s standard ramp before the work sets: 40% x5, 50% x5, 60% x3 of your training max. Same three sets every week.

Joker sets come from Beyond 5/3/1. On days the top set moves like nothing, you keep going: extra sets at +5% and +10% of your training max at the day’s rep target. The calculator shows the weights so you’re not doing math between heavy singles. On a normal day, skip them.

How to Use the Numbers

Run the calculator once per lift, since each lift has its own training max. After each cycle, add 2.5 kg (5 lb) to your upper body training maxes and 5 kg (10 lb) to squat and deadlift, then recalculate. When you fail to beat your minimum reps on the AMRAP sets, reset that lift’s training max to 90% of its current value and build back up.

If you’re new to the program, start with the 5/3/1 for Beginners template, and keep the 5/3/1 glossary handy for any term you hit in the books. For a deeper look at the training max itself, see the training max guide.

Related Calculators

Want to know how your lifts stack up? See the strength standards for your weight class. And if you don’t know your 1RM, estimate it from any hard set with the 1RM calculator.

Please note: This is not official 5/3/1 advice and is not associated in any way with Jim Wendler. If you want official 5/3/1 advice, buy the book.

Krypteia is one of the harder programs in 5/3/1 Forever. It’s built on 5’s PRO and First Set Last for the main lifts, paired with a heavy dose of supersetted assistance work. The name comes from the ancient Spartan rite, which tells you most of what you need to know about the intent.

[Read more…]

Please note: This is not official 5/3/1 advice and is not associated in any way with Jim Wendler. If you want official 5/3/1 advice, buy the book.

Last Set Last, or LSL, is a supplemental work scheme in 5/3/1. After your main work, you do 5 sets of 5 reps using the percentage from your heaviest (last) working set. It’s the heaviest member of the “set last” family.

[Read more…]

Please note: This is not official 5/3/1 advice and is not associated in any way with Jim Wendler. If you want official 5/3/1 advice, buy the book.

Every 5/3/1 workout is built from three layers: the main work, the supplemental work, and the assistance work. Once you know what each one does, you can read any 5/3/1 template at a glance and build your own.

[Read more…]

Please note: This is not official 5/3/1 advice and is not associated in any way with Jim Wendler. If you want official 5/3/1 advice, buy the book.

A deload week is a planned easy week built into 5/3/1 to let you recover and come back fresh. You lift light, skip the AMRAP grind, and let fatigue drain off before the next block of hard training.

[Read more…]

Please note: This is not official 5/3/1 advice and is not associated in any way with Jim Wendler. If you want official 5/3/1 advice, buy the book.

Boring But Strong, or BBS, is a supplemental work scheme in 5/3/1. After your main work, you do 10 sets of 5 reps on the same lift using First Set Last percentages. It’s the heavier, lower-rep cousin of Boring But Big.

[Read more…]

Please note: This is not official 5/3/1 advice and is not associated in any way with Jim Wendler. If you want official 5/3/1 advice, buy the book.

The Bodyweight template is a 5/3/1 assistance option where every accessory movement is a bodyweight exercise. You run the main lift through 5/3/1, then build muscle and work capacity with chin-ups, dips, push-ups, and the like. No extra plates required.

[Read more…]

Please note: This is not official 5/3/1 advice and is not associated in any way with Jim Wendler. If you want official 5/3/1 advice, buy the book.

The Periodization Bible is a 5/3/1 assistance template Jim Wendler laid out in the original book, adapted from Dave Tate’s “Periodization Bible” article. You run your main lift through 5/3/1, then attack three assistance exercises for high reps to build muscle and work capacity.

[Read more…]

Please note: This is not official 5/3/1 advice and is not associated in any way with Jim Wendler. If you want official 5/3/1 advice, buy the book.

Spinal Tap is a high-frequency 5/3/1 variant where you compress all nine main-lift working sets of a normal three-week cycle into a single workout. Each week becomes its own mini cycle, so you raise the training max every week instead of every three.

[Read more…]

Please note: This is not official 5/3/1 advice and is not associated in any way with Jim Wendler. If you want official 5/3/1 advice, buy the book.

“I’m Not Doing Jack Shit” is Jim Wendler’s name for the most stripped-down 5/3/1 template there is. You walk in, train the day’s main lift through its 5/3/1 sets, and walk out. No assistance, no conditioning required, nothing else.

[Read more…]

Please note: This is not official 5/3/1 advice and is not associated in any way with Jim Wendler. If you want official 5/3/1 advice, buy the book.

The 3/5/1 progression is a small reordering of the standard 5/3/1 cycle. Instead of opening with the 5s week, you start with the 3s week, then run the 5s week, then finish with the 5/3/1 week. Everything else about the program stays exactly the same.

[Read more…]