5/3/1 Boring But Big, Explained: The Complete Guide to Wendler's BBB Template

What is 5/3/1 Boring But Big?

Boring But Big is a supplemental template for Jim Wendler's 5/3/1 program. The base 5/3/1 method gives you three heavy work sets per session, waved across a 4-week cycle; BBB adds 5 sets of 10 reps of the same lift immediately after. The name is honest: doing fifty more reps of the exercise you just did is boring, and the size it builds is big. It is the default recommendation for anyone running 5/3/1 who wants hypertrophy alongside strength. What follows is the widely published base template - also available as a free 5/3/1 Boring But Big routine in Hardy - buy Wendler's 5/3/1 Forever or Beyond 5/3/1 for the full method.

The 4-day layout

The classic BBB layout is four sessions per week, one main lift each. Every weight in the program is a percentage of your Training Max (TM) - 90% of your true or estimated 1RM - never of your actual max. A typical week looks like this:

• Day 1: Overhead press 5/3/1 sets, then press 5x10 at 50% TM
• Day 2: Deadlift 5/3/1 sets, then deadlift 5x10 at 50% TM
• Day 3: Bench press 5/3/1 sets, then bench 5x10 at 50% TM
• Day 4: Squat 5/3/1 sets, then squat 5x10 at 50% TM

The weekly percentages

The last set of weeks 1-3 is an AMRAP "plus" set: as many reps as possible, stopping 1-2 reps short of technical failure. On the deload week you do the main lift only - no AMRAP, no BBB sets. See 5/3/1 percentages by week for the full set-by-set breakdown including warm-ups.

The 5x10 supplemental: 50% vs 60-70%

The supplemental work is where BBB earns its name: 5 sets of 10 reps of the same lift you just trained heavy. The classic prescription is 50% of TM, and that is where everyone should start. It looks light on paper; by set four of ten-rep squats it will not feel light. Variants at 60-70% TM exist for advanced lifters who have adapted to the volume, and some run a "BBB challenge" ramping the percentage over three months - but jumping to 60-70% in your first cycle is the most common way to wreck recovery and stall the main lifts. Prove you can complete all 50 reps at 50% across several cycles before raising it.

Assistance work

After the main lift and the 5x10, add one or two simple assistance movements to cover what the barbell lifts miss - think chin-ups, dumbbell rows, hanging leg raises or leg curls. Wendler's guidance is 25-50 quality reps, not a second workout. A common pairing is press day + chin-ups, deadlift day + hanging leg raises, bench day + dumbbell rows, squat day + leg curls. He also recommends conditioning 2-3 times per week: hill sprints, prowler pushes or easy cardio on non-lifting days.

Progression and how long to run it

After each 4-week cycle, add 2.5 kg (5 lbs) to your upper-body Training Maxes and 5 kg (10 lbs) to your lower-body Training Maxes, then run the next cycle. Most lifters run BBB for 2-3 cycles (2-3 months) before switching supplemental templates, though it can be run far longer if the AMRAP sets keep moving and recovery holds up. If reps grind or you miss prescribed numbers repeatedly, reset that lift's TM to 90% of its current value and rebuild - the start 5/3/1 guide covers first-cycle setup in detail.