Strength Training Articles
Deep dives into strength training programs: how they work, how they compare, and what to do when progress stalls. For step-by-step instructions, see our guides.
5/3/1 Boring But Big, Explained: The Complete Guide to Wendler's BBB Template
The 4-day layout, weekly percentage table, the 5x10 supplemental work and everything else you need to run Wendler's most popular template.
Read ArticleThe 5/3/1 Training Max: What It Is and How to Calculate Yours
Why 5/3/1 runs off 90% of your max, how to find your 1RM without testing it, and how the Training Max moves cycle to cycle.
Read Article5/3/1 Percentages by Week: Every Set of the 4-Week Cycle
The complete percentage chart for all four weeks of a 5/3/1 cycle, plus warm-ups, AMRAP expectations and the deload week.
Read ArticleThe Best App for 5/3/1 Boring But Big: Run Wendler's Program Without a Spreadsheet
The checklist an app has to pass to replace the 5/3/1 spreadsheet, and how Hardy handles Training Maxes, percentages, AMRAPs and cycle increments.
Read Article5/3/1 vs 5x5: Which Program Fits You, and When to Switch
How the two most popular barbell programs differ, why beginners should start with 5x5, and exactly when and how to move on to 5/3/1.
Read Article5/3/1 Boring But Big vs First Set Last: Which Supplemental Template to Run
The two most popular 5/3/1 supplemental templates compared - what each is for, what each costs, and how to pick.
Read Article5/3/1 vs GZCLP vs nSuns: Choosing the Right Intermediate Program
The three programs every post-beginner considers, compared on the things that actually decide it: volume, complexity and how long you can sustain them.
Read Article5/3/1 Boring But Big Results: What to Realistically Expect
How much strength and muscle 5/3/1 BBB actually delivers per cycle and per 6 months, what your results depend on, and what to do when it feels too easy.
Read ArticleCommon 5/3/1 Mistakes: Why You Stall and How to Reset Your Training Max
The six mistakes that stall most 5/3/1 runs, the stall-and-reset protocol for your Training Max, and what to do when squat or deadlift day feels impossible.
Read Article5/3/1 While Cutting: How to Keep Your Strength in a Calorie Deficit
The exact modifications that let 5/3/1 preserve strength in a calorie deficit - what to keep, what to cut, what to expect, and a time-crunched session layout.
Read Article5/3/1 Triumvirate, Explained: Wendler's Original Three-Lift Template
The original three-lifts-per-day 5/3/1 template - the 4-day schedule, weekly percentage table and the exact assistance pairings.
Read Article5/3/1 Triumvirate Assistance Work: The Exercises, the 5x15/5x10 Scheme, and How to Substitute
What each assistance slot is for, how heavy the 5-set blocks should be, and legitimate swaps for every exercise in the template.
Read Article5/3/1 Triumvirate vs Boring But Big: Which Template to Run
The two classic 5/3/1 templates from the original book compared - what each costs, what each builds, and how to pick.
Read ArticleIs the 5/3/1 Triumvirate Enough Volume? When to Add Work and When to Leave It Alone
An honest look at the template's deliberately low volume - who it is enough for, the signs it is not, and the right way to add more.
Read Article5/3/1 Triumvirate Results: What to Realistically Expect, and How Long to Run It
Cycle-by-cycle expectations for strength and size, why the deload week is part of the results, and how many cycles to commit to.
Read Article5/3/1 Triumvirate for Beginners: First-Cycle Setup Without the Mistakes
Who the template suits, how to set your first Training Max, and how to scale the assistance work when the book numbers are too much.
Read ArticleThe Best App for the 5/3/1 Triumvirate: Run the Template Without a Spreadsheet
The checklist an app must pass to replace the Triumvirate spreadsheet, and how Hardy handles the percentages, AMRAPs and assistance progression.
Read ArticleRun These Programs in Hardy
Every program covered here is available as a ready-to-run Hardy routine with automatic weight progression — pick from 1800+ community routines or build your own.
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/r/HardyApp