5/3/1 Boring But Big (531 BBB) is Jim Wendler's 5/3/1 workout with five sets of ten added after the main lift. You train four days a week, one main lift per day, using percentages of a training max. Then you do 5×10 at 50 to 60% of that training max. The heavy sets build strength; the 5×10 builds size. The training max goes up after every four-week cycle.
Key takeaways
- Your training max (TM) is 90% of your one-rep max, and every percentage in the program is a percentage of the TM.
- Main sets run in three-week waves: 65/75/85% for 5s, 70/80/90% for 3s, then 75/85/95% for 5, 3 and 1. The last set of each day is as many reps as possible.
- The Boring But Big sets are 5×10 at 50 to 60% of the TM. Wendler suggests starting near 30% if you are new to it.
- After each cycle, add 5 lb to the bench and press training max and 10 lb to the squat and deadlift.
- Wendler's rule for the template: "Do not try to add more to this program."
In this guide
What is 5/3/1 Boring But Big?
Boring But Big (BBB) is the best-known assistance template for Jim Wendler's 5/3/1 program. 5/3/1 itself (often written 531, or Wendler 531) is a strength program built on monthly progress: four main lifts, percentage-based sets and a small training-max increase each cycle. BBB adds high-volume work for muscle, which is where the name comes from.
Wendler describes it on jimwendler.com as "best used in a 3 or 4 day training program." The four-day version below is the classic layout. It suits lifters who have finished a beginner program such as Starting Strength or GZCLP and can no longer add weight every session.
How do you set your training max?
Your training max is 90% of your current one-rep max for each lift. If your squat max is 300 lb, your squat TM is 270 lb, and every squat set is a percentage of 270. The r/Fitness wiki's 5/3/1 primer uses 90% as the default when a template doesn't say otherwise.
Wendler is often more conservative. In his 5/3/1 for beginners article he puts the TM at 80 to 85% of your max. A lighter TM means more reps on the last set and a longer run before you need to reset. When in doubt, start low.
Don't have a recent max? Use a recent heavy set and an estimated one-rep max. A set of 5 at 255 lb, for example, estimates to about 297 lb with the common Epley formula. Round down, then take 90%.
What are the 5/3/1 percentages?
The main work runs in three-week waves, with three working sets per lift per session. Each week gets heavier and the reps drop. The last set each day is an AMRAP: as many good reps as you can do at that weight, written with a plus sign.
| Week | Set 1 | Set 2 | Set 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 (5s) | 65% × 5 | 75% × 5 | 85% × 5+ |
| Week 2 (3s) | 70% × 3 | 80% × 3 | 90% × 3+ |
| Week 3 (5/3/1) | 75% × 5 | 85% × 3 | 95% × 1+ |
| Week 4 | Lighter week to recover before the next cycle | ||
All percentages are of the training max, not your true max. That is why 95% feels heavy but doable. Round each weight to the nearest plates you have, usually 5 lb or 2.5 kg.
How heavy should the 5×10 sets be?
Wendler's rule of thumb is 50 to 60% of your training max for all five sets of ten. If you are new to BBB, he suggests much lighter: about 30% in the first cycle, 45% in the second and 60% from the third cycle on. He warns that the 5×10 makes you very sore at first.
| Cycle | 5×10 load (new to BBB) | Example: 270 lb squat TM |
|---|---|---|
| Cycle 1 | 30% of TM | 80 lb |
| Cycle 2 | 45% of TM | 120 lb |
| Cycle 3 and on | 60% of TM | 160 lb |
The numbers look light on paper. Fifty reps of squats after your main sets is a lot of work, and rest between sets of ten should stay fairly short. If your last set of ten is a grind, the weight is right.
Wendler also lists alternatives once the straight sets get stale: ascending sets from 30 to 70%, descending from 70 to 30%, or a pyramid of 50, 60, 70, 60, 50%. On the lighter fourth week he says you can keep the 5×10 or cut it to 3×10.
What does a 531 BBB workout week look like?
Each of the four days has one main lift. Wendler gives two ways to pick the 5×10 lift: repeat the same lift, or do the opposite lift. Both add lat work on the upper days and ab work on the lower days, also for 5 sets of 10.
| Day | Main lift (5/3/1 sets) | 5×10, same lift | 5×10, opposite lift | Assistance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Overhead press | Press | Bench press | Lats 5×10 |
| 2 | Deadlift | Deadlift | Squat | Abs |
| 3 | Bench press | Bench press | Press | Lats 5×10 |
| 4 | Squat | Squat | Deadlift | Abs |
A common schedule is Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. That keeps two rest days between the two lower days and the two upper days.
How does the training max go up?
After each four-week cycle, add 5 lb to the training max for the bench and press, and 10 lb for the squat and deadlift. Then run the next cycle with the new numbers. Progress is slow on purpose: small monthly steps you can keep taking for a long time.
Use your AMRAP sets to check the TM. If you can't get the minimum reps on the last set, the TM is too high. The 5/3/1 primer suggests a TM test week every few cycles: work up to 100% of the TM for 3 to 5 reps. Fewer than 3 means you re-estimate your max and set a new TM.
The primer calls the old 40/50/60% fourth-week deload outdated and suggests the TM test instead. Either way, the point is to arrive at the next cycle fresh.
Why does 5×10 at a light weight build muscle?
Muscle growth responds to total hard sets more than to the exact load. A 2021 network meta-analysis by Lopez and colleagues found similar muscle growth across low, moderate and high loads, while strength gains favored heavier loads. That is the logic of BBB: heavy 5/3/1 sets for strength, moderate 5×10 for size.
Volume matters too. In a 2017 meta-analysis, Schoenfeld, Ogborn and Krieger found more weekly sets per muscle were linked to more growth, with 10 or more weekly sets outperforming fewer than 5. Five extra sets on each main lift, on top of the 5/3/1 sets, adds a lot of weekly volume for the legs, back, chest and shoulders.
If you want more upper-body and arm volume from a split instead of a single big lift, the PHUL workout is a good alternative. For more days in the gym, see Reddit PPL.
Want your numbers now? Our free 5/3/1 calculator turns your one-rep maxes into every set of the cycle, Boring But Big 5×10 included.
Why it works. Boring But Big removes almost every decision. Four lifts, fixed percentages, one assistance number, and a small step up each month. Run it in ReadyLift and the app sets your training max, works out every set to the nearest plate, and raises the TM when the cycle ends.
Frequently asked questions
What percentage is Boring But Big?
The 5×10 sets use 50 to 60% of your training max, which is itself 90% of your one-rep max. If you are new to BBB, Wendler suggests starting around 30% in the first cycle and building to 60% by the third. The main 5/3/1 sets use their own 65 to 95% wave.
Can you run Boring But Big three days a week?
Yes. Wendler says BBB is best used in a three- or four-day program. On three days, you rotate the four main lifts, so each lift comes around a little less than once a week. Four days is the classic layout and keeps each lift on its own day.
How long should you run 5/3/1 Boring But Big?
Many lifters run it for three cycles, about 12 weeks, then reassess. Because progress is monthly and the TM stays conservative, you can keep running it as long as your AMRAP sets hold up. Wendler's warning is not to add extra work on top while you do.
What accessories should you do with BBB?
Wendler's examples add lats on upper days and abs on lower days, also for 5 sets of 10. Chin-ups, rows and pulldowns all count as lat work. Keep it at that: the 5×10 is already the volume, and his rule is not to add more.
Should the 5×10 be the same lift or the opposite lift?
Both are Wendler's own options. Same lift (squat after squats) gives the most practice and the most soreness. Opposite lift (deadlift 5×10 on squat day) spreads the work out.
Sources
- Jim Wendler, Boring But Big (load, layouts, new-to-BBB ramp, deload options).
- Jim Wendler, The 5/3/1 Philosophy for Beginners (training max).
- r/Fitness wiki, 5/3/1 Primer (weekly percentages, TM increases, TM test week).
- Lopez et al. (2021). Resistance Training Load Effects on Muscle Hypertrophy and Strength Gain: Systematic Review and Network Meta-analysis. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, 53(6), 1206-1216.
- Schoenfeld, Ogborn & Krieger (2017). Dose-response relationship between weekly resistance training volume and increases in muscle mass. Journal of Sports Sciences, 35(11), 1073-1082.
General training information, not medical advice. If you have an injury, a heart condition or another health concern, check with a doctor or physical therapist before starting a new program.
Written by the ReadyLift team. We build ReadyLift, a lifting log that runs 5/3/1 Boring But Big and other proven programs with the load math done for you. We link the original program write-ups and the research we rely on. Questions or corrections? Get in touch.