Program comparison · KeyLifts schedule data
Compare six 5/3/1 workout plans
Boring But Big, First Set Last, 1000% Awesome, Building the Monolith, Bodybuilding, and Leviathan differ in more than their names. Compare the exact versions stored in KeyLifts: how often you train, how long the schedule runs, and what the first week prescribes.
Start with the days you can train, then compare the actual sets below. These are schedule differences, not a ranking of muscle growth or strength gains. Other versions of the same program can differ.
Method reviewed October 23, 2026 · Schedule snapshot 2026-10-25 · How we count
BBB vs. three-day FSL: what changes?
In these KeyLifts versions, BBB schedules 4 days per week and 200 supplemental reps in week one. The 5’s PRO First Set Last 3 Day entry schedules 3 days and 75 supplemental reps. The difference reflects both the session prescriptions and the weekly schedule; it is not a comparison at equal frequency. Check assistance and later weeks in the full templates before choosing.
Schedule and first-week prescriptions
Main and supplemental work are counted separately. Assistance and warmups are excluded. A zero supplemental count means no separately classified supplemental block; it does not mean there is no other work.
| KeyLifts template | Days / week | Cycle weeks | Cycle sessions | Week 1 main | Week 1 supplemental |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boring But Big | 4 | 3 | 12 | 12 sets / 60+ reps | 20 sets / 200 reps |
| 5’s PRO First Set Last 3 Day | 3 | 4 | 12 | 9 sets / 45 reps | 15 sets / 75 reps |
| 5’s PRO 1000% Awesome, Anchor | 3 | 3 | 9 | 9 sets / 45 reps | 15 sets / 75 reps |
| Building The Monolith | 3 | 6 | 18 | 27 sets / 146+ reps | 10 sets / 50 reps |
| 5/3/1 Bodybuilding | 4 | 3 | 12 | 12 sets / 60+ reps | 0 sets / 0 reps |
| Leviathan | 4 | 3 | 12 | 16 sets / 16 reps | 20 sets / 100 reps |
“+” means a rep-record set can exceed the prescribed minimum. Percentages in the examples are percentages of training max, not one-rep max.
Check the differences in the workouts
Open a first-week example to see the counted prescriptions. Follow the template link for the complete cycle and assistance work, and the program source for the creator's explanation.
Boring But Big
4 days per week across 3 weeks. Week one contains 12 sets / 60+ reps in main work and 20 sets / 200 reps in separate supplemental work.
View first-week prescriptions
Day 1
- Main — Lift label unavailable: 5 @ 65%; 5 @ 75%; 5+ @ 85%
- Supplemental — Lift label unavailable: 5 × 10 @ 50%
Day 2
- Main — Lift label unavailable: 5 @ 65%; 5 @ 75%; 5+ @ 85%
- Supplemental — Lift label unavailable: 5 × 10 @ 50%
Day 3
- Main — Lift label unavailable: 5 @ 65%; 5 @ 75%; 5+ @ 85%
- Supplemental — Lift label unavailable: 5 × 10 @ 50%
Day 4
- Main — Lift label unavailable: 5 @ 65%; 5 @ 75%; 5+ @ 85%
- Supplemental — Lift label unavailable: 5 × 10 @ 50%
5’s PRO First Set Last 3 Day
3 days per week across 4 weeks. Week one contains 9 sets / 45 reps in main work and 15 sets / 75 reps in separate supplemental work.
View first-week prescriptions
Day 1
- Main — Squat: 5 @ 65%; 5 @ 75%; 5 @ 85%
- Supplemental — Lift label unavailable: 5 × 5 @ 65%
Day 2
- Main — Bench Press: 5 @ 65%; 5 @ 75%; 5 @ 85%
- Supplemental — Lift label unavailable: 5 × 5 @ 65%
Day 3
- Main — Deadlift: 5 @ 65%; 5 @ 75%; 5 @ 85%
- Supplemental — Lift label unavailable: 5 × 5 @ 65%
Full 5’s PRO First Set Last 3 Day template
An original-source link is not recorded for this exact entry.
5’s PRO 1000% Awesome, Anchor
3 days per week across 3 weeks. Week one contains 9 sets / 45 reps in main work and 15 sets / 75 reps in separate supplemental work.
View first-week prescriptions
Day 1
- Main — Squat: 5 @ 65%; 5 @ 75%; 5 @ 85%
- Supplemental — Lift label unavailable: 5 × 5 @ 65%
Day 2
- Main — Deadlift: 5 @ 65%; 5 @ 75%; 5 @ 85%
- Supplemental — Press: 5 × 5 @ 65%
Day 3
- Supplemental — Lift label unavailable: 5 × 5 @ 65%
- Main — Bench Press: 5 @ 65%; 5 @ 75%; 5 @ 85%
Building The Monolith
3 days per week across 6 weeks. Week one contains 27 sets / 146+ reps in main work and 10 sets / 50 reps in separate supplemental work.
View first-week prescriptions
Day 1
- Main — Lift label unavailable: 5 @ 70%; 5 @ 80%; 5 × 5 @ 90%
- Main — Lift label unavailable: 5 @ 70%; 5 @ 80%; 5 @ 90%; 1+ @ 70%
Day 2
- Main — Lift label unavailable: 5 @ 70%; 5 @ 80%; 5 × 5 @ 90%
- Main — Lift label unavailable: 5 @ 70%; 5 @ 80%; 3 × 5 @ 90%
Day 3
- Supplemental — Lift label unavailable: 10 × 5 @ 70%
- Main — Lift label unavailable: 5 @ 70%; 5 @ 80%; 5 @ 90%; 20 @ 45%
5/3/1 Bodybuilding
4 days per week across 3 weeks. Week one contains 12 sets / 60+ reps in main work and 0 sets / 0 reps in separate supplemental work.
View first-week prescriptions
Day 1
- Main — Lift label unavailable: 5 @ 65%; 5 @ 75%; 5+ @ 85%
Day 2
- Main — Lift label unavailable: 5 @ 65%; 5 @ 75%; 5+ @ 85%
Day 3
- Main — Lift label unavailable: 5 @ 65%; 5 @ 75%; 5+ @ 85%
Day 4
- Main — Lift label unavailable: 5 @ 65%; 5 @ 75%; 5+ @ 85%
Leviathan
4 days per week across 3 weeks. Week one contains 16 sets / 16 reps in main work and 20 sets / 100 reps in separate supplemental work.
View first-week prescriptions
Day 1
- Main — Lift label unavailable: 1 @ 70%; 1 @ 80%; 1 @ 90%; 1 @ 100%
- Supplemental — Lift label unavailable: 5 × 5 @ 70%
Day 2
- Main — Lift label unavailable: 1 @ 70%; 1 @ 80%; 1 @ 90%; 1 @ 100%
- Supplemental — Lift label unavailable: 5 × 5 @ 70%
Day 3
- Main — Lift label unavailable: 1 @ 70%; 1 @ 80%; 1 @ 90%; 1 @ 100%
- Supplemental — Lift label unavailable: 5 × 5 @ 70%
Day 4
- Main — Lift label unavailable: 1 @ 70%; 1 @ 80%; 1 @ 90%; 1 @ 100%
- Supplemental — Lift label unavailable: 5 × 5 @ 70%
How we count—and what the numbers mean
The source is each verified public KeyLifts template's stored workout schedule. Cycle sessions count every stored session. We check that each week matches the stated days per week and that the cycle has the stated number of weeks before publishing counts.
First-week main work includes blocks classified as T1. Supplemental work includes blocks classified as supplemental. We count each non-warmup set once and add its prescribed reps. Rep-record sets contribute their minimum reps and add a “+”. Assistance, conditioning, optional work, actual completed reps, load lifted, and later weeks are outside these totals.
A plan can classify demanding work as main or assistance rather than supplemental. The columns therefore do not measure total workload, difficulty, recovery, or effectiveness. We do not infer missing lift names from training-max reference IDs. “Lift label unavailable” means the stored block lacks a reliable name; its displayed set prescription remains available.
These are KeyLifts implementations of Jim Wendler's programs. KeyLifts is an independent tracker. The comparison does not replace the original publications or establish which plan is best for you.Read our editorial policy.
