On meet day your total comes from nine attempts, not three gym singles. This tool turns your training maxes into a realistic opener-to-third attempt plan and projects a best-case competition total you can build a strategy around.
How it works
For each lift the tool scales your gym max into three attempts using attempt percentages that mirror common coaching practice. Standard selection uses:
opener = gym max × 0.92 (a weight you could triple)
second = gym max × 0.97 (confident, sets up the third)
third = gym max × 1.02 (a small personal-record reach)
total = squat third + bench third + deadlift third (best case)Conservative selection caps the third at your gym max for a banked total; aggressive selection opens heavier and pushes thirds to about 104%. The projected total assumes you make all three third attempts — your realistic floor is the sum of your second attempts.
Worked example
For example, a lifter with a 200 kg squat, 130 kg bench, and 240 kg deadlift gym max would, on standard selection, open at roughly 184 / 120 / 221 kg and aim for thirds of 204 / 133 / 245 kg — a best-case total near 582 kg, with a safe floor (all seconds) around 553 kg.
Why gym maxes don’t equal competition thirds
A gym PR is often a near-miss grind performed when rested, well-fuelled, and with no time pressure. On the platform, several factors shift the effective ceiling:
- Three attempts per lift — each lift has to be judged legal. Even a technically valid gym max may receive a red light for depth, press command, or lockout under meet conditions.
- Accumulated fatigue — nine heavy attempts over two or three hours tax the CNS differently than three isolated singles with long rests in between.
- Meet-day adrenaline — some lifters go well beyond training maxes; others tighten up. The projections here are calibrated to typical performance, not peak.
- Rule set differences — some federations have stricter judging (no hitching on deadlift, mandatory pause on bench) that may require more conservative attempt selection than a gym PR suggests.
The golden rule: never miss an opener
A missed opener can lock you out of the meet on that lift (rules differ — some federations allow three attempts regardless; others move straight past a missed opener). More importantly, a missed opener destroys psychological momentum. Open with something you would smoke on a bad day, bank the lift, then build from there.
When to go conservative vs aggressive
Conservative — first competition, returning after injury, unfamiliar equipment (sleeves vs wraps, monolift vs walk-out), or a long peak cycle where gym maxes are from weeks ago.
Aggressive — experienced meet lifter, peaking well, confident openers in warm-up, targeting a record or a specific total threshold.
Always open with a weight you would not miss even tired; a missed opener can end your day before it starts.