5/3/1 Boring But Big Reviews
by Jim Wendler
5/3/1 Boring But Big has an average rating of 4.3 out of 5 from 596 Boostcamp lifters. 88% rated it 4 or 5 stars. Read how it went for them below, then start the program in the Boostcamp app.
Good skeleton of a program. Layer onto it as much additional dumbell and barbell work as feel you can consistently do based on time and capacity available.
I'm still running this program but got past the first block and in deload. Good ramp up, challenging and does make you put in the effort. Changes I made are swapping accessory lifts and adding more pauses at the end of the sets of 10 to target tendon strength.
I was stuck at a plateau for fifteen years and was able to hit gains on all of the four main movements (shoulder press, deadlift, bench press & squat) excellent routine
I like the program but dislike some paying features
Good core with the 5/3/1 philosophy. Just make sure to adjust accessories correctly.
Very simple to follow and kept me motivated throughout the weeks
Slow but steady. Lots of below maximum volume work, which is something I'm not used to. Probably need to run the program for longer. Patience is key with this program, and I'm on my 4th cycle.
It's great for maintaining muscle mass, so I would encourage further accessories to get those muscles burning! I think it's perfect for me.
I had great success with Beginner 531 earlier this year, so I'm running it back on BBB. I love the pacing of the different effort levels throughout the month and flexibility for the accessories.
The Big but Boring program made me focus on the basic movement patterns of the lifts, there was always a challenging set in every workout, then the back down sets enabled me to focus on the fundamentals of the movement and bio mechanics.