5/3/1 Triumvirate vs Boring But Big: Which Template to Run

Short AnswerThe Triumvirate and Boring But Big are the two best-known templates from Jim Wendler's original 5/3/1 book, and they differ only in what happens after the main lift. BBB adds 5x10 of the same barbell lift at 50% of Training Max - a blunt, high-volume hypertrophy tool with a real recovery cost. The Triumvirate instead adds two assistance exercises for 5 sets each - less total stress, more variety, easier to recover from. Run BBB when size is the goal and you are eating for it; run the Triumvirate when you want strength plus balanced accessory work, are short on recovery, or find 5x10 squats and deadlifts unsustainable. Both use identical main work, so switching between them cycle to cycle costs nothing.

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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.

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.

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

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.

The 5/3/1 Triumvirate routine is free in Hardy with every main set calculated from your Training Max - and if you switch to BBB for a cycle, that template is in the library too.

5/3/1 Triumvirate 4-Day Routine Download Hardy