Is 20 minutes of HIIT cardio on a stationary bike going to kill recovery on 5/3/1 + Trimuvirate?

Question

to make a long question short, I'm currently doing Wendler's 5/3/1 with the Triumvirate assistance. I'm following the exercises he has in his book as part of the triumvirate because I am interested in getting stronger in some areas(like chin ups, good mornings, etc).

The program is recommended for 4 times a week so I'm doing the 4 main lifts on Mon/Tues/Thurs/Fri and 30 minutes of just HIIT cardio on a stationary bike on the Wednesday I'm off.

However right now since the first week of 5/3/1 is relatively light, I've been able to power through the main lifts, my two accessory exercises, and still get 20 minutes of HIIT cardio in after lifting all in about an hour. I wonder if this will simply be too much later on and if I should replace the accessory exercises with the cardio completely?

Thanks.

Answer 1

Per a 5/3/1 article by Jim Wendler on T-Nation, you're supposed to have supplemental cardio two or three times a week:

The Triumvirate uses three exercises per workout, one of which is a core lift. Before each workout, do a warm-up that includes mobility, flexibility, something to raise your core temperature and heart rate (like rope jumping), and foam rolling.

I recommend adding two or three conditioning sessions per week, using hill sprints, Prowler pushes, or whatever else works for you.

Doing some cardio shouldn't be a problem in general. Then again, any amount of work might be too much for a given person. Twenty or thirty minutes of intervals can also be a lot.

That said, replacing the accessories with the cardio is Not Doing The Program and should be avoided unless you know what you're doing with program design.