5/3/1: Boring But Big vs 5/3/1 Triumvirate
Both are free in Durata and shown in full on their own pages. Here they are side by side, from the same program data the app runs.
- Session: 5/3/1: Boring But Big, 50–70 min; 5/3/1 Triumvirate, 45–60 min.
- Goal: 5/3/1: Boring But Big, powerbuilding, strength, hypertrophy; 5/3/1 Triumvirate, strength.
- The same: days a week (4), length (4-week cycle, repeats), level (intermediate), equipment (full gym) and progression (% of training max, +5 kg tm per cycle; double: reach rep ceiling on all sets → +2.5 kg, deload 10% after 2 misses).
5/3/1: Boring But Big and 5/3/1 Triumvirate, line by line
| 5/3/1: Boring But Big | 5/3/1 Triumvirate | |
|---|---|---|
| Days a week | 4 | 4 |
| Session | 50–70 min | 45–60 min |
| Length | 4-week cycle, repeats | 4-week cycle, repeats |
| Level | Intermediate | Intermediate |
| Goal | Powerbuilding, Strength, Hypertrophy | Strength |
| Equipment | Full gym | Full gym |
| Written by | Jim Wendler | Jim Wendler |
| Progression | % of Training Max, +5 kg TM per cycle; Double: reach rep ceiling on all sets → +2.5 kg, deload 10% after 2 misses | % of Training Max, +5 kg TM per cycle; Double: reach rep ceiling on all sets → +2.5 kg, deload 10% after 2 misses |
Who it suits. BBB is built for lifters past the beginner stage — you've run a linear progression like Starting Strength or GZCLP, adding weight every session no longer works, and you want to get bigger while your strength keeps climbing. It's a powerbuilding program at heart: the 5/3/1 sets drive strength, the 5×10 drives size. It is not the right pick if you're brand new (run a novice LP first and enjoy the fast gains), and the 5×10 squat and deadlift sets are genuinely punishing — if your recovery, sleep or calories are marginal, you will feel it by week three. Wendler himself says to eat big while running it.
How it progresses. You start by setting a training max — 90% of your true 1RM — for each of the four lifts. All percentages work off that number, not your real max. Week one is 5s (65/75/85% of TM), week two is 3s (70/80/90%), week three is 5/3/1 (75/85/95%), and week four is a deload at 40/50/60%. On the top set of the first three weeks you do as many quality reps as possible. At the end of each cycle the training max goes up: +2.5 kg on bench and press, and it's standard to double that jump on squat and deadlift. Miss your minimum reps and you reduce the TM by 10% and rebuild — the program is self-correcting by design.
Who it suits. This is the post-novice default. If session-to-session weight jumps have stopped working and you want a program you could run for years, the Triumvirate asks the least of any 5/3/1 spreadsheet: four moderate-length days, ordinary gym equipment, and enough recovery headroom that it survives a cut, a stressful job or a sport season. Choose Boring But Big over it when getting bigger is the priority and you can eat for it; choose the Triumvirate when you mainly want the four lifts going up without wrecking yourself. Coming off 5/3/1 For Beginners, this is the intended next step — Durata carries your training maxes over automatically.
How it progresses. Each lift's weights are percentages of a training max, not your true max. The four-week cycle runs 5s week, 3s week, then the namesake 5/3/1 week where the final single sits at 95% of TM — and the last set of each of those weeks is pushed for maximum reps. Week four is a light deload, after which the TM rises: 2.5 kg for bench and overhead press, 5 kg for squat and deadlift. The assistance work advances on its own double-progression rule — work each 5×10 exercise up to sets of 12, add 2.5 kg, drop back to tens. Durata tracks the AMRAP reps and applies both rules for you.
Common questions
Triumvirate or Boring But Big — which should I run first?
Run the Triumvirate first. It teaches you the 5/3/1 rhythm at a volume almost anyone recovers from, and you can always bolt on size later. BBB's 5×10 squat and deadlift sets punish thin recovery; the Triumvirate's leg press and good mornings don't.
Are 5/3/1: Boring But Big and 5/3/1 Triumvirate free?
Yes. Both are free to run in Durata, and each one's page shows every set of every session.
Run 5/3/1: Boring But Big or 5/3/1 Triumvirate in Durata
Every program here is free in Durata, with each one's own progression worked out for you as you log.