531 App: Run BBB, FSL and Your Next Cycle in Hardy

531 app or spreadsheet? Hardy is a free 5/3/1 app for iPhone and Android: pick a template, enter four Training Maxes once, and every set of the 4-week cycle is prescribed, your AMRAP reps are logged, and the next cycle's Training Maxes are proposed for you to review.

Download Hardy weight lifting app for iPhone on Apple App Store

Download Hardy weight lifting app for Android on Google Play Store

Choose your 5/3/1 routine

All four are Jim Wendler's templates with the same main work: three sets per lift at rising percentages, the last one an AMRAP. They differ in what comes after the main sets. Each link opens the full routine with every workout listed, and the routine page has the download and Open in App buttons.

5/3/1 Boring But Big

4 days a week, 4-week cycle

Main 5/3/1 work, then 5×10 of the same lift at 50% of your Training Max, plus one assistance exercise on double progression.

Fits if: You want size with your strength and can recover from the volume.

Open routine

5/3/1 Triumvirate

4 days a week, 4-week cycle

Main 5/3/1 work plus two targeted assistance exercises per session, the original template from the first book.

Fits if: You want assistance chosen by weak point rather than by volume.

Open routine

5/3/1 First Set Last

4 days a week, 4-week cycle

Main 5/3/1 work, then 5×5 back-off sets at the weight of your first work set.

Fits if: You want more practice on the main lift without BBB's fatigue.

Open routine

5/3/1 for Beginners

3 days a week, 3-week cycle

Two main lifts per full-body day with First Set Last back-offs, squatting and benching twice a week.

Fits if: You are new to 5/3/1 or to barbell training.

Open routine

More 5/3/1 routines: 5/3/1 I'm Not Doing Jack Shit (main lift only, four short sessions), 5/3/1 for MMA & Combat Sports (two lifting days around sport practice). Not sure? The BBB vs First Set Last and Triumvirate vs Boring But Big comparisons go deeper.

How Hardy runs 5/3/1

The example below is the Boring But Big routine; the other templates work the same way with different supplemental sets.

1. Set four Training Maxes

Open the routine and enter a Training Max for squat, bench press, deadlift and overhead press. The 4-day routines start the TM at 90% of your 1RM (5/3/1 for Beginners at 85%), so enter your 1RM and Hardy derives it, or type the TM you already train with. Change any of the four at any time.

Hardy routine screen with the 5/3/1 BBB Training Maxes for bench press, squat, deadlift and overhead press, and the four week blocks

2. Every set of the cycle is prescribed

Each session lists its sets as a percentage of the Training Max with the weight already worked out and rounded to your plate step, in kg or lb. Week 1 is 65/75/85%, week 2 is 70/80/90%, week 3 is 75/85/95%, and week 4 deloads at 40/50/60%.

Week 1 squat workout in Hardy: 65, 75 and 85 percent of a 126 kg Training Max, the AMRAP set, then 5 by 10 at 50 percent

3. Log the plus set

The last work set of weeks 1 to 3 is an AMRAP set. In the tracker you log the reps you got, rest on the built-in timer, and move on; the rep count stays in your history for every cycle.

Hardy tracker on the AMRAP set: 107.5 kg for 5 or more reps with a Set Done button

4. Review the next cycle's Training Max

After the last session of the cycle for each lift (week 4 in the 4-day templates, week 3 for Beginners), Hardy proposes the next cycle's Training Max: +2.5 kg (5 lb) for bench and press, +5 kg (10 lb) for squat and deadlift. You accept, adjust or decline each proposal; nothing changes silently. The routine then starts cycle 2 at week 1.

Hardy review screen proposing to raise the squat Training Max from 126 kg to 131 kg, with Apply and Skip buttons

The Training Max is the number the whole cycle hangs on. If you have not set one before, the training max guide explains the 90% rule, and the 5/3/1 calculator shows every set of a cycle in the browser.

What you get before you download

Templates	Boring But Big, Triumvirate, First Set Last, 5/3/1 for Beginners, I'm Not Doing Jack Shit and a 2-day version, each as a ready routine
Training Max	One TM per main lift, stored per routine; starts at 90% of your 1RM (85% for Beginners) and can be edited any time
Set weights	Every set is a percentage of the TM, rounded to your plate step, in kg or lb
AMRAP sets	Logged rep by rep; no cap, no forced stop
Progression	Training Max raises proposed after the last week of the cycle and reviewed by you; assistance lifts use double progression in every template
Editing	Make a private copy of any routine and change assistance exercises, sets, rest times or percentages
Price	Every 5/3/1 routine is free to follow. The free plan includes three routines you create yourself; Hardy PRO removes that cap
Platforms	iPhone and Android app; routine pages, calculators and the printable template on the web

Prefer a sheet? The 5/3/1 template prints or downloads a full cycle with your numbers, and the articles on the best app for Boring But Big and the best app for Triumvirate go through each template's requirements one by one.

Frequently asked questions

Is there a free 531 app?

Yes. Hardy is free on iPhone and Android, and every 5/3/1 routine above is free to add and follow. The free plan includes three routines you create yourself; following Hardy's routines does not count toward that.

Does the app calculate the 5/3/1 Training Max?

Yes. Enter a lift's 1RM and Hardy derives the Training Max at 90%, or enter the TM you already use. If you want the number before downloading, the free 5/3/1 calculator on this site does the same math.

Which 5/3/1 template should I start with?

New to barbell training: 5/3/1 for Beginners. Want size: Boring But Big. Want assistance chosen by weak point: Triumvirate. Want main-lift practice without BBB's fatigue: First Set Last. Short on time: I'm Not Doing Jack Shit or the 2-day version.

What happens after a cycle?

After the last session of the cycle for each lift Hardy proposes the next cycle's Training Max increase, +2.5 kg (5 lb) for bench and press and +5 kg (10 lb) for squat and deadlift. You accept, adjust or decline it, and the routine starts again at week 1.

Can I change the assistance work?

Yes. Make a private copy of the routine and swap any exercise, change the sets, reps, rest times or percentages. Your Training Maxes and history stay with you.

Does it work in lbs?

Yes. Choose kg or lb in the app and every prescribed weight is rounded to that unit's plate step, 2.5 kg or 5 lb for a barbell by default.

Is Hardy the best 531 app?

Dedicated 5/3/1 apps exist and do the percentages well. Hardy is worth choosing if you also want the routine to be editable, want to move on to another program later without changing apps, or want your routine visible on the web. Try a routine and decide from the first cycle.

Start your first cycle

Pick a routine above, download Hardy, add the routine and enter your four Training Maxes. The first workout is ready before you leave the gym car park.

Choose your 5/3/1 routine

531 App: Run BBB, FSL and Your Next Cycle in Hardy

Choose your 5/3/1 routine

5/3/1 Boring But Big

5/3/1 Triumvirate

5/3/1 First Set Last

5/3/1 for Beginners

How Hardy runs 5/3/1

1. Set four Training Maxes

2. Every set of the cycle is prescribed

3. Log the plus set

4. Review the next cycle's Training Max

What you get before you download

Frequently asked questions

Is there a free 531 app?

Does the app calculate the 5/3/1 Training Max?

Which 5/3/1 template should I start with?

What happens after a cycle?

Can I change the assistance work?

Does it work in lbs?

Is Hardy the best 531 app?

Start your first cycle

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