intermediateadvanced

5/3/1 Building the Monolith

Wendler's brutal 6-week, 3-day 5/3/1 block for size: heavy 5x5s, 20-rep squats and 100-rep chins and dips

program length: 6 weeks; program length
sessions per week: 3×; sessions per week
exercises: 11; exercises
average session: 90 min; average session

About this program

Building the Monolith is Jim Wendler's six-week 5/3/1 template for putting on size, published on his blog at jimwendler.com as "Building the Monolith - 5/3/1 for Size". It is hard, high-volume training for intermediate and advanced lifters who are willing to eat a lot and sleep well for six weeks.

Training max Every percentage here is of your training max (TM), not your 1RM. The standard 5/3/1 TM is 90% of your 1RM, but Wendler says to run this template with a lighter TM than you think you need (he suggests 85%). Start light.

The week

Monday: squat (two ramp-up sets, then 5x5 at the top weight), press (three ramping sets plus an AMRAP back-off set), 100 chin-ups, 100 face pulls or band pull-aparts, 100-200 dips.
Wednesday: deadlift (two ramp-up sets, then 3x5 at the top weight), bench press (two ramp-up sets, then 5x5 at the top weight), dumbbell rows, 100 curls.
Friday: squat (three ramping sets, then one 20-rep set, the "widowmaker"), press volume (10-15 sets of 5), weighted chin-ups 5x5, 100 face pulls or band pull-aparts, 100 shrugs.

"100 total reps" means get the reps in as many sets as you need. Only the squat, press and chin-ups are required; the rest is optional, but do it if you can. Wendler lets you swap the Monday and Friday press work and squat last on Friday. Never move the 20-rep squat to Monday.

The six weeks Main lifts run 70/80/90%, then 65/75/85%, then 75/85/95% of TM, twice. The 20-rep squat runs 45, 55, 55, 50, 65 and 70% across the six weeks. Raise your squat, deadlift, press and bench TMs before week 4 (typically 5 lb / 2.5 kg upper body, 10 lb / 5 kg lower body). Friday press percentages follow Wendler's table as published, including the light 50% in week 2.

The 20-rep squat A safety squat bar is fine for this set only. Breathe and settle between reps without resting too long. If the percentages are too much, lower them but keep a similar week-to-week climb.

Conditioning and food Conditioning is mandatory, 3-4 times a week on non-lifting days: weight-vest walks, an air bike, or Prowler pushes (no hill sprints). If you use the Prowler a lot, keep the lifting on the light side. Wendler's only diet rule for his test group was at least 1.5 lb of ground beef and a dozen whole eggs a day, on top of whatever else they ate.

After six weeks, assess, adjust your TMs and run it again if you still feel good.

Program structure

Every week, session, exercise and set, exactly as Titan runs it.

1Week 13 sessions

Monday

5 exercises

Squat (barbell)
5@ 70% TM5@ 80% TM5 × 5@ 90% TM
5 sets of 5 at the top weight.
Overhead Press (barbell)
5@ 70% TM5@ 80% TM5@ 90% TMAMRAP@ 70% TM
Last set: back down to the first weight for as many reps as possible
Chin Up
10 × 10
100 total reps, in as many sets as you need
Face Pull
5 × 20
100 total reps, in as many sets as you need. Band pull-aparts work too
Parallel Bar Dip
10 × 10–20
100-200 total reps, in as many sets as you need

Wednesday

4 exercises

Deadlift (barbell)
5@ 70% TM5@ 80% TM3 × 5@ 90% TM
3 sets of 5 at the top weight
Bench Press (barbell)
5@ 70% TM5@ 80% TM5 × 5@ 90% TM
5 sets of 5 at the top weight
One Arm Row (dumbbell)
5 × 10–20
Bicep Curl (barbell)
5 × 20
100 total reps, in as many sets as you need

Friday

6 exercises

Squat (barbell)
5@ 70% TM5@ 80% TM5@ 90% TM
Squat (barbell)
20@ 45% TM
Widowmaker: one set of 20. A safety squat bar is fine for this set. Breathe between reps, don't rush and don't linger
Overhead Press (barbell)
10 × 5@ 70% TM
Chin Up - Weighted
5 × 5
Face Pull
5 × 20
100 total reps, in as many sets as you need. Band pull-aparts work too
Shrug (barbell)
5 × 20
100 total reps, in as many sets as you need

2Week 23 sessions