Training Templates

Starting Strength (3 Days/Week)

Overview: The most popular beginner strength program. Alternates between two workouts (A and B) focusing on heavy compound movements with linear progression. Simple, effective, and proven for novice strength gains.

Best For: Complete beginners who want to get strong as quickly as possible. Ideal for first 3-6 months of training.

Program Structure:

• Frequency: 3 days per week (Mon/Wed/Fri or similar)
• Duration: 3-6 months (until linear progression stalls)
• Rep Scheme: 3 sets of 5 reps (3x5) for main lifts, 1x5 for deadlifts
• Progression: Add 5-10 lbs per session on squats/deadlifts, 2.5-5 lbs on bench/press

Weekly Schedule Example:

• Monday: Workout A
• Wednesday: Workout B
• Friday: Workout A
• Monday: Workout B (alternate each week)

StrongLifts 5x5 (3 Days/Week)

Overview: Similar to Starting Strength but with 5 sets of 5 reps (5x5) instead of 3x5. More volume makes it slightly better for building muscle mass alongside strength. Alternates between A and B workouts.

Best For: Beginners who want balanced strength and muscle development. Good for those with 6-12 months available before plateauing.

Progression Protocol:

• Start with empty bar (45 lbs) or a weight you can do 5x5 easily
• Add 5 lbs to squats and deadlifts every successful workout
• Add 2.5 lbs to bench and press every successful workout
• If you fail to complete 5x5 three workouts in a row, deload 10% and build back up

GZCLP - Linear Progression (4 Days/Week)

Overview: More sophisticated beginner program that introduces tier-based training (T1 heavy compounds, T2 moderate compounds, T3 light accessories). Better balance between strength and hypertrophy than Starting Strength/StrongLifts.

Best For: Beginners who can commit to 4 days per week and want a more well-rounded program that includes accessory work for muscle building.

Tier Structure:

• Tier 1 (T1): Main compound lift, 5 sets of 3 reps (5x3), heavy weight, focus on strength
• Tier 2 (T2): Secondary compound, 3 sets of 10 reps (3x10), moderate weight, volume for hypertrophy
• Tier 3 (T3): Accessories, 3 sets of 15+ reps (3x15+), light weight, pump and isolation

T1 Progression (5x3+):

1. Start at a weight you can do 5x3 comfortably. Last set = AMRAP (as many reps as possible)
2. If you get 3+ reps on AMRAP set, add 5 lbs (lower body) or 2.5 lbs (upper body) next session
3. If you fail to get 3 reps on AMRAP set twice, switch to 6x2
4. At 6x2, if you fail to get 2 reps on AMRAP twice, switch to 10x1
5. At 10x1, if you fail to get 1 rep, reset to 85% of starting weight and begin 5x3 again

T2 & T3 Progression: Add weight when you can complete all prescribed reps with good form.

5/3/1 for Beginners (3 Days/Week)

Overview: Jim Wendler's 5/3/1 program adapted for 3 days per week. Each workout contains 2 main lifts plus assistance work. Uses submaximal training (based on 90% of 1RM) with monthly progression. Builds strength while leaving room for recovery.

Best For: Lifters who've exhausted linear progression and need slower, sustainable strength gains. Great for long-term progression (can run for years).

Key Principles:

• Training Max (TM): 90% of your true 1RM. All percentages based on TM, not true max
• 4-Week Cycles: Week 1 (3x5), Week 2 (3x3), Week 3 (3x5/3/1), Week 4 (Deload 3x5 at 40-60%)
• AMRAP Sets: Last set of each workout = as many reps as possible (AMRAP) for autoregulation
• Monthly Progression: After 4-week cycle, add 5 lbs to upper body TM, 10 lbs to lower body TM

4-Week Cycle Breakdown:

• Week 1 (3x5): 65% x 5, 75% x 5, 85% x 5+ (AMRAP)
• Week 2 (3x3): 70% x 3, 80% x 3, 90% x 3+ (AMRAP)
• Week 3 (5/3/1): 75% x 5, 85% x 3, 95% x 1+ (AMRAP)
• Week 4 (Deload): 40% x 5, 50% x 5, 60% x 5 (no AMRAP, recovery week)

Assistance Work (50-100 reps each category):

• Push: Dips, push-ups, dumbbell press, overhead press variations
• Pull: Pull-ups, chin-ups, rows, face pulls, curls
• Single Leg/Core: Lunges, split squats, leg curls, ab wheel, planks

PPL - Push/Pull/Legs (6 Days/Week)

Overview: The most popular bodybuilding split. Divides body into Push (chest, shoulders, triceps), Pull (back, biceps), and Legs (quads, hamstrings, glutes, calves). Each muscle group trained 2x per week with high volume. Excellent for muscle building.

Best For: Intermediate lifters focused on hypertrophy who can train 6 days per week. Ideal for aesthetics and balanced physique development.

Weekly Schedule:

• Monday: Push
• Tuesday: Pull
• Wednesday: Legs
• Thursday: Push
• Friday: Pull
• Saturday: Legs
• Sunday: Rest

Progression: Add weight when you can complete all sets at top of rep range (e.g., 4x8 → add 5 lbs, work back up to 4x8).

Upper/Lower 4-Day Split

Overview: Efficient split that trains each muscle group 2x per week in only 4 training days. Excellent balance between frequency, volume, and recovery. Each muscle hit with ~10-16 sets per week.

Best For: Intermediates who want results but can't commit to 6 days per week. Great for strength and size gains with manageable time commitment.

Weekly Schedule: Mon (Upper A), Tue (Lower A), Thu (Upper B), Fri (Lower B)

PHAT - Power Hypertrophy Adaptive Training

Overview: Layne Norton's PHAT combines powerlifting-style heavy training (power days) with bodybuilding-style volume training (hypertrophy days) in the same week. Two power days focusing on strength (3-5 reps), three hypertrophy days focusing on muscle growth (8-20 reps).

Best For: Advanced lifters who want maximum strength AND size. Requires excellent recovery capacity and 5+ hours per week training time.

Weekly Structure:

• Day 1: Upper Body Power (heavy compounds, 3-5 reps)
• Day 2: Lower Body Power (heavy compounds, 3-5 reps)
• Day 3: Rest
• Day 4: Back & Shoulders Hypertrophy (volume, 8-20 reps)
• Day 5: Lower Body Hypertrophy (volume, 8-20 reps)
• Day 6: Chest & Arms Hypertrophy (volume, 8-20 reps)
• Day 7: Rest

Hypertrophy Days: Higher volume (15-25 sets per muscle group), moderate weight, variety of angles and exercises, shorter rest periods (60-90 sec), focus on muscle pump and time under tension.

nSuns LP - High Volume Linear Progression

Overview: Extremely high-volume program based on 5/3/1 principles but with linear progression. Features 9 sets of main lift plus 8 sets of secondary lift per session, totaling 17 working sets before accessories. Known for rapid strength gains but very demanding.

Best For: Advanced lifters with excellent recovery who want to push strength limits. Not for those with time constraints or poor recovery capacity.

Key Features:

• 9 sets of main compound lift per session (varied rep ranges 2-8 reps)
• 8 sets of secondary compound lift (6-10 reps)
• Weekly progression (+5 lbs if hit rep targets on AMRAP set)
• 4, 5, or 6-day variations available
• Accessories chosen by lifter (minimum requirements)

Progression: If you hit 2-3 reps on AMRAP set (last set), add 5 lbs to training max next week. If you get 4+ reps, add 10 lbs (lower body) or 5 lbs (upper body).

Accessories (minimum): 50-100 reps each of push, pull, and legs/core per session.

Candito 6-Week Strength Program

Overview: Jonnie Candito's 6-week peaking program designed to maximize 1RM in squat, bench, and deadlift. Progresses from high volume to low volume/high intensity, culminating in testing week. Excellent for powerlifting meet prep or testing maxes.

6-Week Phase Breakdown:

• Week 1-2: Muscular Conditioning (high volume 6-10 reps, build work capacity)
• Week 3: Heavy Weight Acclimation (low volume 3-5 reps, heavy weights 85-90%)
• Week 4-5: Intensification (very heavy 1-3 reps, 90-97.5%, low volume)
• Week 6: Deload and Max Testing (reduce volume, test new 1RMs)

Best For: Intermediate/advanced lifters preparing for powerlifting meet or wanting to set new PRs. Not for continuous year-round use—run 6 weeks, then switch to volume program.

Sheiko Powerlifting Programs

Overview: Boris Sheiko's renowned Russian powerlifting programs. Extremely high frequency of main lifts (squat/bench/deadlift multiple times per week) with moderate intensity (70-85% range). Focuses on skill practice and technical proficiency under submaximal loads.

Key Principles:

• Multiple main lift variations per week (competition squat, pause squat, squat with chains, etc.)
• Moderate intensity (rarely exceed 85%) but very high volume
• Emphasis on bar speed and technique perfection
• Minimal accessories—almost all compound movements
• 16-week competition prep cycles (Prep cycle → Competition cycle → Peak)

Best For: Advanced powerlifters (Intermediate+ classification) preparing for competitions. Requires significant time commitment (2-3 hours per session) and excellent recovery.

Reddit PPL (Metallicadpa's 6-Day)

Overview: The most popular PPL variation on Reddit. Linear progression on main lifts combined with bodybuilding-style accessories. Each muscle group hit twice per week with optimal volume for muscle growth.

Why It's Effective:

• Simple progression: add weight when you hit top of rep range
• Balanced volume: ~15-20 sets per muscle group per week
• Variety of rep ranges: 4-6 reps (strength), 8-12 reps (hypertrophy), 12-20 reps (pump work)
• Covers all muscle groups with appropriate exercise selection

Sample Progression: Bench press 3x5: Start 135 lbs → hit 3x5 → increase to 140 lbs → work back up to 3x5 → increase to 145 lbs → repeat.

Hypertrophy-Specific Training (HST)

Overview: Full-body program based on hypertrophy research. Uses strategic deconditioning, progressive overload across rep ranges, and high frequency (each muscle 3x/week). 8-week cycles progressing from 15 reps to 5 reps with same exercises.

8-Week Cycle Structure:

• Week 1-2: 2 sets of 15 reps (65% 1RM)
• Week 3-4: 2 sets of 10 reps (75% 1RM)
• Week 5-6: 3 sets of 5 reps (85% 1RM)
• Week 7-8: Negatives or max stimulation techniques
• Week 9-10: Strategic Deconditioning (1-2 weeks off to resensitize muscles)

Best For: Lifters who prefer full-body training and want evidence-based approach to muscle building. Good for those with limited time (45-60 min sessions).