Training guide / 5/3/1
5/3/1 on iPhone: running Wendler 5/3/1 with automatic training maxes
Jim Wendler created 5/3/1 around planned main lifts and gradual progression. An iPhone can hold the calculations and your completed sets, but understanding the training max matters more than the screen. Here is a worked version of the classic four-week wave, followed by how IronThane supports the programming in its iOS preview.
iOS preview · Registered iPhones only · Not on the App Store yet
Start with a training max, not your best lift
A one-rep max, or 1RM, is the weight you can lift once. A training max, or TM, is the lower number used to calculate the programme’s work sets. For the classic starting rule here, TM = 90% of 1RM. If your current bench 1RM is 100 kg, the calculation is 100 × 0.90 = 90 kg.
Apply the weekly percentages to 90 kg, not 100 kg. Keep separate TMs for squat, bench press, deadlift and standing overhead press. This page uses the classic wave; other Wendler templates use different starting TMs and schedules. The creator’s training max explanation describes why 90% is a starting point rather than a permanent ratio to your actual maximum.
The four-week table, worked in kilograms
The table uses a 90 kg TM throughout this cycle. Each cell shows percentage, exact calculation, then load rounded down to a buildable 2.5 kg step and target reps. Rounding down is the example’s stated policy; it keeps a rounded set from exceeding the calculated load.
| Week | Set 1 | Set 2 | Set 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 / Fives | 65% × 90 = 58.5 kg 57.5 kg × 5 | 75% × 90 = 67.5 kg 67.5 kg × 5 | 85% × 90 = 76.5 kg 75 kg × 5+ |
| 2 / Threes | 70% × 90 = 63 kg 62.5 kg × 3 | 80% × 90 = 72 kg 70 kg × 3 | 90% × 90 = 81 kg 80 kg × 3+ |
| 3 / Five, three, one | 75% × 90 = 67.5 kg 67.5 kg × 5 | 85% × 90 = 76.5 kg 75 kg × 3 | 95% × 90 = 85.5 kg 85 kg × 1+ |
| 4 / Deload | 40% × 90 = 36 kg 35 kg × 5 | 50% × 90 = 45 kg 45 kg × 5 | 60% × 90 = 54 kg 52.5 kg × 5 |
The plus sign allows extra quality reps on the final work set. It does not require a failed rep. Warm-ups come before these sets. Wendler’s original 5/3/1 article supplies the classic percentages and rep sequence; the kilogram calculations above are our worked example.
Keep deloads and cycle increases separate
Week four reduces the main work instead of chasing another rep record. A planned deload and a stall reset do different jobs: the deload is a lighter week within the schedule, while a reset changes the TM used for future calculations. Do not replace a deload with another hard test because the loads look easy.
After a successful cycle, a practical metric convention is to add 2.5 kg to upper-body TMs and 5 kg to lower-body TMs. These are convenient metric steps, not exact conversions of Wendler’s five- and ten-pound increments. A 90 kg bench TM becomes 92.5 kg. Its next 65% set is 92.5 × 0.65 = 60.125 kg, rounded down here to 60 kg.
What to do when a lift stalls
If prescribed reps or rep quality repeatedly fall short, stop increasing that lift’s TM and review recent sessions. A single poor workout is not enough evidence to rewrite every lift. Wendler’s beginner guidance makes quality a condition for increasing the TM.
As an illustrative reset policy, reduce a stalled 100 kg TM by 10%: 100 × 0.90 = 90 kg. Recalculate the next cycle from 90 kg; its 85% set becomes 76.5 kg, or 75 kg under our rounding rule. This resets the training max, not your claimed 1RM. Choose reset rules and deload timing for the template you actually follow rather than mixing instructions from different editions.
Set up an iPhone log you can audit
Record the lift, TM, cycle week, calculated load, actual load and completed reps. Include the bar weight and available plates when rounding. At 57.5 kg with a 20 kg bar, each side needs (57.5 − 20) ÷ 2 = 18.75 kg. Check your plate set can supply that before the session.
Keep supplemental and assistance work labelled separately from the three main sets. The table explains the main wave, not a complete template. Read the chosen programme for the rest of the session. Our progressive overload logging guide helps you compare sessions without confusing a different exercise or rep standard with progress.
How IronThane handles 5/3/1
IronThane supports 5/3/1 programming with automatic training max progression, next-lift targets, stall resets and plate-aware loads. Check the suggested target against your programme and equipment.
The Free tier includes logging, records and progress, deterministic plans, check-ins, next-move guidance, import/export including Strong CSV, and the default 80s theme. Cloud backup requires a configured, signed-in preview build. Coach Preview adds AI-assisted plan wording and coach chat. Coach-proposed plan changes need your review and Apply.
Paid Coach is coming soon; billing is not live. At App Store launch: £9.99/month or £59.99/year; lifetime £149.99, limited to 500 buyers. The default Coach plan is £59.99/year. Founding annual is £39.99/year, available only for the first 30 days after App Store launch.
IronThane is an iOS preview for registered iPhones only and is not on the App Store yet. Join the homepage waitlist for updates. Jim Wendler is the programme’s creator; this guide implies no affiliation or endorsement.
Frequently asked questions
Is 90% applied to my 1RM or my training max?
Set the initial training max to 90% of your 1RM in this classic example. Apply each work-set percentage to that training max; do not reduce it by 90% again.
Is a deload the same as a reset?
No. A deload is a lighter scheduled week. A reset lowers the training max used to calculate future work. Follow the rules of your chosen 5/3/1 template.
Can I install IronThane from the App Store?
IronThane is an iOS preview for registered iPhones only and is not on the App Store yet. The homepage waitlist is the route for access updates.