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.
Enter your 1-rep max and this calculator lays out the entire 5/3/1 cycle, every main set plus your supplemental work. Pick the classic 5/3/1, 3/5/1, or 5s PRO scheme, and add BBB, First Set Last, Second Set Last, or a Widowmaker. Example loading for a 90 kg training max is shown below.
| Week | Main sets (% of TM) | Supplemental |
|---|---|---|
| Week 1 (5s) | 65% x5, 75% x5, 85% x5+ | 5×10 @ 45 kg |
| Week 2 (3s) | 70% x3, 80% x3, 90% x3+ | 5×10 @ 45 kg |
| Week 3 (5/3/1) | 75% x5, 85% x3, 95% x1+ | 5×10 @ 45 kg |
| Deload | 40% x5, 50% x5, 60% x5 | none |
Sets marked with + are AMRAPs, as many quality reps as you can. See the full 5/3/1 spreadsheets to run the whole program, or the 5/3/1 glossary for every term.
Table of Contents
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.
