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.
Table of Contents
What is Last Set Last?
5/3/1’s “set last” supplemental schemes take one of your three main-work percentages and repeat it for 5 sets of 5. First Set Last uses the first and lightest set’s percentage, Second Set Last uses the middle one, and Last Set Last uses the last and heaviest. Because LSL borrows your top set’s load, it’s the most demanding of the three and adds the most strength-oriented volume.
Last Set Last Example
The last working set each week is 85% of your training max in week 1, 90% in week 2, and 95% in week 3. With a deadlift training max of 400 lb, your LSL supplemental work is:
- Week 1: 85% x 400 = 340 lb, for 5 sets of 5
- Week 2: 90% x 400 = 360 lb, for 5 sets of 5
- Week 3: 95% x 400 = 380 lb, for 5 sets of 5
Week 3 is brutal, since 95% for five sets of five is a lot of near-max work. Plenty of lifters cap LSL at the lighter weeks or save it for short blocks for exactly that reason.
Who Should Use It
LSL is for experienced lifters who want heavy supplemental volume and recover well enough to handle it. It’s not a beginner scheme, and it’s a poor choice during a high-fatigue stretch. If 5 sets of 5 at your top set sounds like too much (it often is), First Set Last is the lighter, more sustainable default.
Last Set Last Resources
Here are some helpful discussions of Last Set Last and the other “set last” schemes:
5/3/1 Glossary
Learn about other 5/3/1 terms in our 5/3/1 glossary.
5/3/1 Forever Book (Recommended Reading)
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