TemplateWhat is a training max?
A training max is a working number set a little below your one rep max, usually 90%, that programs like 5/3/1 and nSuns base every set on. How to work it out.
A training max (often shortened to TM) is a number a little below your real one rep max that a program uses to work out every set. Jim Wendler made it popular with 5/3/1, where it's usually 90% of your one rep max. When a 5/3/1 workout says "5 reps at 85%", that's 85% of your training max, not of your true max.
It sounds like a small detail, but getting it right decides whether a percentage program feels steady and repeatable or crushes you by week three.
How do you calculate a training max?
Multiply your one rep max by 0.9.
| Lift | One rep max | Training max (90%) |
|---|---|---|
| Squat | 140 kg (310 lb) | 126 kg (280 lb) |
| Bench press | 100 kg (225 lb) | 90 kg (200 lb) |
| Deadlift | 180 kg (400 lb) | 162 kg (360 lb) |
| Overhead press | 60 kg (135 lb) | 54 kg (120 lb) |
Round to a weight you can load. Rounding down is the safer choice.
What if you don't know your one rep max?
You don't need to test it. Estimate it from a recent hard set of 10 reps or fewer with the Epley formula: weight × (1 + reps ÷ 30). A 2006 study on the bench and leg press found that estimates like this were reasonable from sets of up to about 10 reps, and got less reliable beyond that.
For example, 100 kg for 5 reps gives an estimated max of 100 × (1 + 5 ÷ 30), about 117 kg. Your training max is 90% of that, about 105 kg.
Why use a training max instead of your real max?
- Your max on a good day isn't your max every day. Sleep, stress and food all change what you can lift. A number set 10% lower is one you can hit even on an average day.
- The same percentage means different reps on different lifts. A 2006 study found that at 60% of their max, lifters got more reps on the squat than on the bench press or arm curl. The differences shrank at 80 and 90%, but they show that a percentage is only an estimate of how hard a set will be.
- It leaves room to progress. Starting a little light means you can add weight every cycle for months before the numbers catch up with you.
- It keeps your form clean. Heavy sets based on your true max tend to turn into grinders. A training max keeps most reps fast.
Percentage programs work. A 2018 study of trained men found that a program loaded by fixed percentages of their max built strength and muscle about as well as the same program loaded by RPE, where lifters picked each weight by how hard it felt.
A worked example: one cycle of 5/3/1
Here's what a training max of 100 kg looks like across a standard 5/3/1 cycle. The last set of weeks 1 to 3 is taken for as many good reps as you can.
| Week | Set 1 | Set 2 | Set 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 (5s) | 65 kg × 5 | 75 kg × 5 | 85 kg × 5+ |
| 2 (3s) | 70 kg × 3 | 80 kg × 3 | 90 kg × 3+ |
| 3 (5/3/1) | 75 kg × 5 | 85 kg × 3 | 95 kg × 1+ |
| 4 (deload) | 40 kg × 5 | 50 kg × 5 | 60 kg × 5 |
Because the training max is 90% of your real max, the heaviest set in week 3 is only about 85% of what you could lift for a single. That's why you can usually beat the written reps on the last set.
How does the training max go up?
In standard 5/3/1, you add a fixed amount after each cycle: usually 2.5 kg (5 lb) to the bench press and overhead press, and 5 kg (10 lb) to the squat and deadlift. Small, steady jumps are the point. See progressive overload for why.
Other programs move it differently. nSuns 531 LP raises the training max each week based on how many reps you got on its all-out set, and some 5/3/1 templates, like Building the Monolith, start from a lower training max of 85%.
When should you lower your training max?
Lower it when the program stops working as written. Common signs:
- you can't get the minimum reps on the last set (for example, fewer than 5 reps in the 5s week),
- every set feels like a grind, not just the last one,
- your form breaks down well before the last set.
Many lifters drop the training max by about 10% and build back up. You'll usually pass your old numbers within a couple of cycles, with better reps along the way. If you're worn out across several lifts, a deload may be the better fix.
How does Template Trainer handle the training max?
Before your first session, open Progress, then Records, and type in your real one rep max for each lift. If you don't know it, enter a recent best set and the app estimates it. Programs built on a training max, like 5/3/1 Boring But Big, 5/3/1 for Athletes and nSuns 531 LP, store each percentage as a share of your one rep max. With a training max of 90%, "85% of the training max" is saved as 76.5% of your one rep max, so you never have to do the conversion.
Your one rep max record rises on its own whenever a logged set of 10 reps or fewer gives a higher Epley estimate, so a good all-out set at the end of the week moves your training max up with it. Records never go down on their own, so if you need to reset, tap the lift under Progress, then Records, and lower its one rep max by about 10%.
Frequently asked questions
Is the training max 85% or 90%?
Most 5/3/1 programs use 90%. Some of Wendler's later templates use 85% to keep the work lighter, especially when there's a lot of extra volume. If you're unsure, start at 85% or 90% and see how the last set of the first week goes.
Should I test my one rep max before starting 5/3/1?
You don't have to. An estimate from a recent hard set of 3 to 5 reps is accurate enough, and it saves you a risky max attempt.
What if my training max feels too light?
That's normal for the first cycle or two. Beat the written reps on the last set and let the program progress. If week 3's last set still feels easy after a few cycles, raise the training max by an extra step.
Do other programs use a training max?
Yes. nSuns uses one, as do most 5/3/1 variations. Programs that work from your true max instead, like the Calgary Barbell 16-Week program, simply write their percentages a little lower. Either way, check the program notes for which max it wants.
Sources
- Shimano et al. (2006), Relationship between the number of repetitions and selected percentages of one repetition maximum in free weight exercises in trained and untrained men, Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research
- Reynolds, Gordon and Robergs (2006), Prediction of one repetition maximum strength from multiple repetition maximum testing and anthropometry, Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research
- Helms et al. (2018), RPE vs. percentage 1RM loading in periodized programs matched for sets and repetitions, Frontiers in Physiology
About the author
Jordan DuBois has been lifting for 20 years and won the men's open lightweight class at the 2013 NPC Natural Western in Arizona as a natural, after placing 2nd at the 2011 NPC Western Regional. Jordan holds summa cum laude degrees in applied mathematics and biology from Arizona State University, and founded Template Trainer to run proven programs the way their authors wrote them.