How to run the 5/3/1 Boring But Big program

Who Is This Program For?

Boring But Big is for lifters who want to get bigger and stronger at the same time with a dead-simple structure. It is "boring" because you repeat the same main lift for 5×10 after the heavy work, and "big" because that is exactly what the volume makes you.

The program focuses on:

• Submaximal main work: 5/3/1 waves based on a Training Max you can always beat
• AMRAP top sets: the last working set is "as many reps as possible" to drive progress
• Big supplemental volume: 5×10 builds muscle mass that later turns into strength
• 4-week cycles: three loading weeks, then a mandatory deload

If you have a linear progression behind you and want a long-term program that builds size along with strength, this is the standard choice.

Program Structure

The 4 Main Lifts

The 4-Day Split

One main lift per day, followed by 5×10 supplemental work:

Wendler also offers an opposite-lift pairing: OHP day gets Bench 5×10, Deadlift day gets Squat 5×10, Bench day gets OHP 5×10, and Squat day gets Deadlift 5×10. Both versions are canonical. Same-lift pairing is the simplest starting point.

The Training Max Concept

The entire program is built around your Training Max (TM), which is 90% of your estimated 1-rep max. Every percentage below is calculated from the TM, not your true max.

Example:

Your estimated 1RM Squat: 140 kg (308 lbs)
Your Training Max: 140 × 0.90 = 126 kg (277 lbs)
All percentages are calculated from 126 kg

Training with submaximal weights keeps every prescribed rep achievable, leaves room for AMRAP sets, and lets you progress for many cycles without burning out.

The 4-Week Cycle

All percentages are based on your Training Max. The last working set of each week is an AMRAP: the prescribed reps are the minimum.

Week 1 (5s)

Set 1: 5 reps @ 65%
Set 2: 5 reps @ 75%
Set 3: 5 reps @ 85% (AMRAP)
Then: 5×10 @ 50-60%

Week 2 (3s)

Set 1: 3 reps @ 70%
Set 2: 3 reps @ 80%
Set 3: 3 reps @ 90% (AMRAP)
Then: 5×10 @ 50-60%

Week 3 (5/3/1)

Set 1: 5 reps @ 75%
Set 2: 3 reps @ 85%
Set 3: 1 rep  @ 95% (AMRAP)
Then: 5×10 @ 50-60%

Week 4 (Deload)

Set 1: 5 reps @ 40%
Set 2: 5 reps @ 50%
Set 3: 5 reps @ 60% (no AMRAP)
Light or no supplemental work

The deload is not optional. The 5×10 volume accumulates fatigue that must dissipate before the next cycle.

The 5×10 Supplemental Work

After the main working sets, perform 5 sets of 10 reps of the supplemental lift at 50-60% of your Training Max.

Wendler's own advice on loading:

• The standard prescription is 50-60% of TM
• If you are new to the volume, start light, around 30-50% of TM. One canonical ramp: cycle one at 30%, cycle two at 45%, cycle three at 60%
• 50% looks insultingly light on paper. By the fourth set of 10 it will not be.

The 5×10 squat and deadlift sets are the heart of the template. They are miserable, and they are where the size comes from.

Assistance Work

Keep assistance simple. Wendler's baseline for this template:

Pulling work between sets of bench and press keeps the shoulders healthy and the session short. Do not pile more pressing or squatting on top: the 5×10 already covers it.

Progression: How Weights Increase

After each 4-week cycle, your Training Max increases:

The increases are small on purpose. Slow, deliberate TM jumps keep every AMRAP set productive and let you run cycle after cycle without stalling.

Get Your Form Right First

Everything below assumes your form is already solid. Finding your working weight, adding weight, chasing reps, all of it only works if you can perform the lift correctly. While your form is not locked in, that is your only job. Make good form the goal of every set, not the weight on the bar. Drilling the movement with an empty bar beats loading plates onto a lift you cannot control yet.

To learn, don't hesitate to search Google and YouTube (there is a lot of good free material) and record yourself from the side to compare against a proper demonstration. In general, good form means a full controlled range of motion, a braced neutral spine, no bouncing or momentum, a consistent setup every rep, and ending the set when technique breaks down rather than grinding sloppy reps.

Finding Your Starting Weights

You need your estimated 1-rep max (1RM) for each lift. The app calculates your Training Max (90% of 1RM) and all working weights from there.

If You Know Your 1RM

Enter it directly. If in doubt, round down.

If You Don't Know Your 1RM

1. Find a weight you can lift for 3-5 reps with good form
2. Use the formula: Weight × Reps × 0.0333 + Weight

Example:

You bench 80 kg (176 lbs) for 5 reps:
  Estimated 1RM = 80 × 5 × 0.0333 + 80 = 93.3 kg (205 lbs)
  Training Max = 93.3 × 0.90 = 84 kg (185 lbs)

It's better to start too light than too heavy. Wendler is emphatic about this: a lower TM means better AMRAP sets, better bar speed, and more total progress over the cycles.

Warming Up

Before the main working sets, take 2-4 progressively heavier warm-up sets. A standard 5/3/1 warm-up uses 40% ×5, 50% ×5, 60% ×3 of your Training Max, then you begin the first working set. The 5×10 needs no extra warm-up since the main work already prepared the movement.

Rest Times

The original template does not prescribe strict rest times. These guidelines fit the workload:

Keeping the 5×10 rests short is part of the stimulus. If you rest 4 minutes between sets of 10, the "big" part stops working.

When You Fail Reps

Failure on this program means missing the minimum prescribed reps on a working set:

1. One bad AMRAP day: hit the minimum and move on. The program absorbs bad days by design.
2. Missing minimum reps repeatedly: your TM has drifted too high. Reduce that lift's TM by 10% and rebuild through the following cycles.
3. Can't complete the 5×10 at 60%: stay at 55% until you can. Volume tolerance grows with exposure.
4. Never skip the deload week. Most grinding and missed reps trace back to skipped deloads and accumulated fatigue.

Check recovery basics as always: 7-9 hours of sleep, enough calories (5×10 squats demand food), protein at 1.5-2.2 g per kg (0.7-1 g per lb) of bodyweight.

Program Duration

One cycle is 4 weeks (16 workouts). Run BBB for 3-6 cycles (12-24 weeks). After each cycle, the TM increases take effect, and after a few cycles you can rotate to another 5/3/1 template or keep running BBB as long as it keeps working.

Access the Original Program

If you would like to read the original program page:

Boring But Big by Jim Wendler