Main Blog RSS feed

Using your principles, I was able to gain 20 pound of solid muscle over the past year.  I feel 100% better physically and 1000% mentally.  On my 63^rd birthday in August I was able to perform 15 dead hang pull ups, 63 strict push-ups, and ran 1 mile in 7:35.  Those numbers were remarkable to me.  My strength is returning, and I look forward to every day again.

5 of your training questions answered.

I love doing dips, although I'm 100% convinced they didn't help my bench press. I do think they helped my press, though.

Boring But Big is the top monkey for two reasons. First, it is simple to follow and truly lives up to its name: boring. Second, it does a good job of putting on strength and size.

So it's kinda based on your goals and where you are in your training. And one reason why PROGRAMS are so important. You don't stay LOCKED INTO one way of training for too long. AND...ready for this...now you see how you can do BBB, do 10-15 contacts of throws/jumps a session and retain power. So when you go into your Anchor, your body is more than ready; it's loaded to kill.

Since I released the first edition of 5/3/1: The Simplest and Most Effective Training System for Building Raw Strength in 2009, I've been asked many questions about supplemental and assistance work.

The most popular, effective, and brutal accessory plan is something I called Boring But Big.

The Boring But Big supplemental program is simple. After completing the strength work with the basic exercise (squat, press, bench press or deadlift), you perform 5 sets of 10 reps with a lighter weight. This might not seem like much work, but it'll lead to new gains in strength and hypertrophy.

I recently got a text from a good friend of mine who is a university strength and conditioning coach. He is the head coach for all sports and works directly with the baseball team. For 2.5 months (about 3 cycles) he used the 5/3/1 BBB training plan and reported the following...

Question: I've being doing the 5/3/1 full body routine that has me squatting 3 times a week for a while now. Very enjoyable, makes you feel like a man! About to move onto Phase 2. I like the sound of the 3 month BBB challenge, what are your thoughts on including that BBB template with the full body routine? If thumbs up, you got any pointers/dos & don'ts?

Without a doubt, the Boring But Big is the most popular assistance template for the 5/3/1 training program.  This is because it is easy to program, easy to use and great for both strength and size.  There are two basic ways to do the Boring But Big template: