5/3/1 Triumvirate vs BBB (Boring But Big): Which to Run

5/3/1 Triumvirate vs BBB: run the Triumvirate unless size is your main goal, because its two assistance exercises are far easier to recover from than 5x10 barbell sets. Run Boring But Big when you want size and are eating for it, and switch between them any cycle, since the main work is identical.

In this article

Same engine, different back half

Every 5/3/1 session opens the same way: three ascending work sets of the day's main lift, calculated from your Training Max, the last one an AMRAP. Templates differ in what fills the rest of the session. Boring But Big fills it with 5x10 of the lift you just trained; the Triumvirate fills it with exactly two assistance exercises for 5 sets each - dips and chin-ups after pressing, good mornings and leg raises after deadlifts, and so on. Because the main work, TM increments and week-4 deload are identical, this is a choice about supplemental volume, not about the program.

Triumvirate vs BBB: the spec side by side

The two original-book templates compared
	Triumvirate	Boring But Big (BBB)
After the main lift	Two assistance exercises, 5 sets each (one ~15 reps, one ~10)	5x10 of the same barbell lift at 50% TM, plus light assistance
Barbell volume	Main sets only	Main sets + 50 supplemental barbell reps
Hypertrophy stimulus	Moderate, spread across varied movements	High, concentrated on the four main lifts
Recovery cost	Low to moderate - accessories, not heavy barbell work	High - the 5x10 squat and deadlift days are genuinely hard
Weak-point coverage	Built in: rows, abs, hamstrings, dips each week	Depends on the small assistance slot after the 5x10
Session length	Short - three exercises, done	Longer - main work, 50-rep block, then assistance

When the Triumvirate is the right call

Pick the Triumvirate when you want the 5/3/1 strength progression with a sane, balanced back half. It shines when recovery is the limiting factor - a physical job, poor sleep, a calorie deficit, or an older lifter's joints - because the assistance work adds muscle without the systemic hit of fifty more barbell reps. It also quietly fixes the holes a four-barbell-lift program leaves: every week includes vertical pulling, rowing, direct hamstring and ab work. And it is fast; three exercises per day keeps sessions under an hour, which is the difference between running a program and abandoning it.

Hardy's free 5/3/1 Triumvirate routine has all four days ready to run.

When BBB is the right call

Pick BBB when the goal on the wall is size. Fifty extra reps of the main lifts at 50% TM is a bigger hypertrophy stimulus than any accessory pairing, and it doubles as skill practice - a hundred submaximal squats a month grooves technique in a way leg presses cannot. The price is recovery: BBB deadlift and squat days are famous for a reason, and the template punishes a lifter who is cutting calories or sleeping five hours. If you run BBB, respect the 50% starting weight and eat like the program demands. The full comparison of BBB against its other rival is in BBB vs First Set Last.

Hardy's free 5/3/1 Boring But Big routine works out every 5x10 set from your Training Max.

Rule of thumb: BBB when the scale should go up and recovery is plentiful; Triumvirate when you want strength, balance and short sessions that fit around real life. If you cannot decide, the Triumvirate is the safer default - it is much easier to add volume next cycle than to dig out of three under-recovered weeks of 5x10 squats.

Switching between them, and the hybrid

Templates are modular: the main 5/3/1 work and TM progression never change, so you can swap Triumvirate for BBB between any two cycles with zero transition cost.
A classic rotation is 2-3 BBB cycles while building, then Triumvirate cycles while cutting or when life gets busy.
The community hybrid "Boring But Triumvirate" caps the idea of both: the main lift, then 5x10 of the same lift at 50% TM as one of the two assistance slots, then a single accessory. It works, but it inherits BBB's recovery bill - treat it as BBB with better pulling coverage, not as a Triumvirate variant.
Whichever you run, commit for the full 4-week cycle. Judging a template on one hard week tells you nothing.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Jim Wendler recommend the Triumvirate or BBB?

Jim Wendler published both in the original 5/3/1 book and does not rank them. He presents Boring But Big as the option for size and the Triumvirate as a balanced three-exercise session. Pick by goal and recovery.

Which is better for hypertrophy, Triumvirate or BBB?

BBB, and it is not close - 50 supplemental barbell reps per session is a far larger stimulus than two 5-set accessory blocks. The Triumvirate builds muscle, but it distributes a smaller dose across more movements. Size-first lifters should run BBB and accept the recovery cost.

Which is better for strength?

The main work is identical, so both progress strength the same way. In practice the Triumvirate often tests better in week 3 because you walk into the 95% AMRAP less fatigued, while BBB builds more muscle mass that pays off over a longer horizon. Strength-first, recovery-limited lifters lean Triumvirate.

How does the Triumvirate compare to First Set Last?

FSL fills the supplemental slot with 5x5 of the main lift at the week's first work-set percentage - heavier than BBB's 5x10, fewer reps, main-lift focused. The Triumvirate replaces barbell supplemental work with accessories entirely. FSL sits between the two: more barbell practice than the Triumvirate, less volume than BBB.

Is the Triumvirate better than a bodybuilding split?

For a lifter who wants to be strong, yes: it keeps a progressive strength backbone that a typical split lacks, while its 5x15/5x10 accessories still provide real hypertrophy work. For a pure physique goal, a dedicated split with more isolation volume can win.

Can I run BBB for upper body and Triumvirate for lower body?

Yes - 5x10 press and bench where recovery is cheap, accessory pairs on squat and deadlift days where 5x10 hurts most. The structure of the program is unchanged, so nothing else needs adjusting.

Both are free in Hardy, with every main set worked out from your Training Max. Start with the Triumvirate and switch to BBB for a cycle when size becomes the goal.

5/3/1 Triumvirate 4-Day Routine 5/3/1 Boring But Big Routine Download Hardy

Free Tools

5/3/1 Calculator

Every working weight for all 4 weeks of 5/3/1, with BBB and FSL options.

Training Max Calculator

Get your Training Max at 85% or 90% of your 1RM, rounded to real barbell loads.

5/3/1 Triumvirate: Wendler's Original Template, Explained

The original three-exercises-per-day 5/3/1 variant: the 4-day schedule, weekly percentage table, assistance pairings, and who it is enough for.

5/3/1 Boring But Big (BBB) Explained: What It Is and Who It's For

What Wendler's most popular 5/3/1 template is, who it suits and who it does not, and the reasoning behind the 5x10 supplemental work.

5/3/1 BBB vs FSL: Which Supplemental Work to Run

Boring But Big and First Set Last compared: what each is for, what each costs, and how to pick.

5/3/1 Assistance Work: Exercises, Sets and Substitutions

What 5/3/1 assistance work is for, which exercises fit each category, how heavy the sets should be, and legitimate swaps for every Triumvirate slot.

5/3/1 Triumvirate Results: What to Realistically Expect

Cycle-by-cycle strength and size to expect from the 5/3/1 Triumvirate, why the deload week is part of the results, and how many cycles to commit to.

The 5/3/1 Program: How It Works and How to Start

What Jim Wendler's 5/3/1 is, the four-week wave in one table, the three classic templates, and the six steps to run your first cycle.

Training Max: Why 90% of Your 1RM and How to Calculate It

What a training max is, why 5/3/1 runs off 90% of your max, how to calculate yours in five steps, and how it moves cycle to cycle.

Deload Week: What It Is, How to Do One and How Often

What a deload week is, a day-by-day example at 60%, six steps to run one, and how often to take it.

View All Articles