When it comes to building serious size and strength, most lifters fall into two traps: doing too little or doing too much.
Some bounce from program to program, changing exercises every week. Others try to combine six different routines into one Frankenstein mess of overtraining.
But Jim Wendler, the legendary powerlifter behind the iconic 5/3/1 program, has a way of cutting through the noise—and his Building the Monolith workout might be the single most effective muscle-building protocol you’ve never tried.
It’s simple. It’s brutal. And it works like crazy.
What Is “Building the Monolith”?
Building the Monolith is a 6-week hypertrophy-focused variant of Wendler’s 5/3/1 training system. It’s designed specifically to help lifters gain muscle mass, while maintaining the raw strength and performance that 5/3/1 is known for.
Unlike typical bodybuilding plans, which can overcomplicate things with dozens of isolation exercises and volume for the sake of volume, Monolith keeps the focus on what Wendler calls “big, basic lifts done with intent.”
You’ll be training 3 days per week—just three—but the sessions are intense, heavy, and filled with high-volume accessory work that attacks every inch of your body.
The name “Monolith” is no accident. By the end of this program, you’re not just bigger. You’re denser. Stronger. Harder. A monolith.
Click here to get the program.
Who Is Jim Wendler?
Before diving into the nuts and bolts of the program, it’s worth understanding the mind behind it.
Jim Wendler is a former elite powerlifter who squatted over 1,000 pounds and has spent decades refining strength programs that actually work for real people—not just genetic outliers.
His 5/3/1 method became one of the most widely adopted strength systems in the world because it’s simple, adaptable, and effective over the long term. But Wendler also knows that not everyone lifts just to chase PRs. Many people want muscle—real size gains with strength to back them up.
Enter: Building the Monolith.
The Philosophy Behind the Program
Monolith is built on a few core principles:
- Big Compound Lifts First
Each session starts with one of the major barbell movements—squat, bench press, or deadlift. These lifts form the foundation of your strength and muscle growth. - High-Volume Assistance Work
You’ll perform 50–100 reps of push, pull, and lower-body accessory exercises after your main lift. It’s painful—but it’s effective. Wendler isn’t shy about volume when it’s applied with purpose. - Less is More (More is More)
While you only train three days per week, each workout is long and grueling. But outside the gym, you recover like a machine—sleep, eat, and rest. This intensity/frequency balance helps your body adapt and grow. - Eat to Grow
Wendler is blunt about nutrition: “If you’re not gaining weight on this program, you’re not eating enough.” To build size, you need calories—and Monolith demands a lot from your body.
Why It Works So Well for Muscle Growth
1. Progressive Overload Meets High Volume
The core of 5/3/1 is progressive overload—gradually adding weight to your main lifts over time. But Monolith combines this with bodybuilding-level volume, pushing the muscles to the brink while keeping the nervous system intact.
It’s the best of both worlds: strength and size.
2. You Actually Recover
Because you’re only training three days per week, the other four are dedicated to eating, sleeping, stretching, walking, or doing mobility work. This gives your body the ability to actually adapt and grow instead of constantly breaking down.
3. Frequency and Repetition
You’ll be squatting, benching, and deadlifting every week—repeating movement patterns that build total-body strength and reinforce good mechanics. This keeps gains consistent and measurable.
4. Simplicity That Demands Intensity
There’s no fluff here. No need to track 17 variables. You know what you’re lifting, how many reps to hit, and what to eat. All that’s left is to show up and go to war with the bar.
How to Eat for the Monolith
Wendler doesn’t mince words when it comes to food:
“Drink a gallon of milk a day. Eat a steak. Eat potatoes. Then eat again.”
This program is for mass. Not cutting. Not leaning out. You are feeding your muscles with enough protein, fat, and carbs to grow—and then training hard enough to earn those calories.
If you’re not gaining weight, the program’s not the problem. Your kitchen is.
What to Expect
Week 1: You’ll feel strong. Motivated. Hungry. The volume feels doable.
Week 3: Your CNS is taxed. You’re tired but starting to notice that your shirts fit tighter. Your appetite spikes.
Week 5: You’re sore all the time. But your body is changing—shoulders broader, legs thicker, back wider.
Week 6: You look like you lift. And not casually. You look like you could pick up a small car.
It’s hard. It’s not “optimized for time efficiency.” But it works.
Who Should Try This Program?
- Those stuck in a size plateau
- Strength athletes who want to add mass without losing power
- Anyone willing to train hard, eat harder, and trust the process
Click here to get the program.
Final Thoughts: Become the Monolith
In a world of overcomplicated routines, endless YouTube tutorials, and six-week abs scams, Building the Monolith is refreshingly brutal.
It’s a call to discipline. To simplicity. To training with purpose.
You won’t be checking your phone between sets. You’ll be too focused on getting through the next brutal superset of chin-ups and dips. And when you crawl out of the gym? You’ll feel it. The soreness. The pride. The growth.
This isn’t a lifestyle program. It’s not “balanced.” It’s a six-week war on smallness.
E. K. Soroba