Plans
Find the Right Workout Plan for You
25 ready-made plans for muscle growth and strength, with exercises, sets, and reps. Free in the app.
25 plans · 44 variants · 2–6 days per week
Full Body Essentials
A two-day full-body plan for beginners and returning trainees who want to train the whole body with two sessions per week. Sessions A and B use different emphases and distribute lower-body, pressing, pulling, and accessory work across the week. The Machines variant uses cables and machines; the Free Weights variant combines barbells, dumbbells, cables, bodyweight, and weighted exercises.
Barbell Starter (Basic Beginner Routine)
A short introduction to barbell training for complete beginners: two full-body workouts alternate, with three exercises per session. This simplified hitPR version uses fixed rep targets and consistent weight increments. It follows the structure of the strength-training portion of the r/Fitness Basic Beginner Routine while deliberately adapting its progression.
Dumbbell Foundation
A straightforward full-body plan for three training days per week, using the same session each day. You need dumbbells and a stable bench. Compact contains five core exercises; Standard adds a second row plus work for the side delts, abs, and calves. Every dumbbell exercise uses double progression.
Full Body (Fierce 5)
Fierce 5 is a three-day full-body plan for beginners built around two alternating workouts. Compared with very minimalist routines, it adds more pulling, arm, calf, and core work. The hitPR version keeps the A/B structure while adapting automatic progression and selected exercises to the app. It offers a full-gym version, a barbell-focused version with dumbbell and bodyweight work, and a dumbbell version.
Machine Only
A hypertrophy-focused plan built around machines and cable stations, without exercises using a free barbell or dumbbells. The 2- and 3-day options are full-body plans for beginners; the 4-day option uses an upper/lower split for intermediate trainees. All weighted exercises use double progression: first increase reps within the assigned range, then increase the load. The 4-day option also uses a Smith machine.
Full Body Hypertrophy
A hypertrophy-focused full-body plan for three training days per week. Workouts A and B rotate continuously as A/B/A in week 1 and B/A/B in week 2, distributing weekly volume across two different full-body sessions. The Machine variant uses cables, machines, and one bodyweight exercise, while the Free Weight variant uses barbells, dumbbells, and supplementary bodyweight exercises. Most loaded exercises use double progression, while the remaining bodyweight exercises progress their repetition targets.
Upper / Lower
A four-day upper/lower plan for trainees with some lifting experience who want to distribute hypertrophy work across four weekly sessions. Upper 1 and Upper 2 combine horizontal and vertical pressing and pulling; Lower 1 and Lower 2 use different emphases across squat-dominant, hinge-dominant, and unilateral work. The Full Gym variant uses barbells, dumbbells, cables, machines, and bodyweight exercises; the Dumbbells variant requires dumbbells, a bench, and a pull-up bar.
Power & Hypertrophy (PHUL)
PHUL is Brandon Campbell’s four-day upper/lower routine for strength and muscle gain. Upper and lower body are each trained once with heavier work and once with higher-rep volume. The Full Gym variant stays close to the exercise selection and rep ranges published in 2013; the Free Weights variant replaces cable and machine movements with catalog-available barbell, dumbbell, and bodyweight alternatives.
Upper Body Focus
A hypertrophy-focused specialization plan that directs most weekly work toward the chest, back, shoulders and arms. The 4-day variant spreads upper-body training across three sessions, while the 3-day variant uses two; both keep one short lower-body day with deliberately reduced volume. It is designed for lifters with some training experience who want to prioritize the upper body while keeping gym-based leg work lower.
Upper/Lower + PPL Hybrid
A five-day hypertrophy plan for trainees with resistance-training experience who want to combine an Upper/Lower split with a Push/Pull/Legs structure. The first two sessions emphasize the upper and lower body with heavier compound exercises; Push, Pull and Legs then distribute the remaining weekly work across three shorter sessions. Weighted exercises use double progression, while the two bodyweight exercises progress through repetitions.
Power & Hypertrophy 6-Day (PHUL)
This six-day version expands Brandon Campbell’s PHUL routine published in 2013. The first four sessions retain the familiar Upper Power, Lower Power, Upper Hypertrophy, and Lower Hypertrophy structure, while a second upper/lower hypertrophy pair increases training frequency and weekly volume. The additional six-day structure and automatic progression rules are hitPR adaptations, not part of the verified original template.
Push / Pull / Legs (Reddit PPL)
u/Metallicdpa’s Reddit PPL combines linear progression on five barbell main lifts with substantial whole-body accessory work. Heavy Push days alternate the bench press and overhead press; Pull days alternate the deadlift and bent-over row, while both Legs days are identical. Full Gym stays close to the published exercise selection, while Free Weights replaces cable and machine movements. This beginner routine requires six weekly sessions and basic competence in the main lifts.
Arnold Split
This hitPR version keeps the classic six-day rhythm: chest/back, shoulders/arms, and legs, each trained twice per week. Compared with the Level I program in the book, the exercise selection is substantially modernized and the set volume reduced; at 138 working sets per week, it is still a high-volume plan. Most exercises with added load use double progression. The bodyweight exercises pull-up, hanging leg raise, and walking lunge progress by adding reps.
Tiered Progression (GZCLP)
GZCLP is Cody LeFever's linear full-body program for new lifters. Each session combines a heavy T1, a moderate T2, and a lighter T3 pulling movement; the barbell squat, bench press, deadlift, and overhead press rotate between T1 and T2. When base volume is missed, the set and rep scheme changes before the lift is fully reset. The 3-day variants follow the published rotation, while the 4-day variants run the same four workouts as a denser hitPR adaptation.
Full Body (5/3/1 for Beginners)
This hitPR version implements Jim Wendler’s 5/3/1 for Beginners as a three-day full-body program. Each session contains two main lifts using the classic three-week wave followed by 5×5 First Set Last. After that, you complete 50 total reps each of one fixed push, pull, and single-leg/core exercise. Unlike the original, hitPR preselects the assistance exercises and increases the Training Max automatically at the end of each cycle.
Boring But Big (5/3/1)
This hitPR version implements Jim Wendler’s Boring But Big as a four-day 5/3/1 volume block. In each session, the classic three-week wave with a plus set is followed by 5×10 of the same main lift at 50% of the Training Max. Three fixed assistance exercises for 3×10 each finish the session. The block covers two cycles, and hitPR increases the Training Max automatically after each cycle.
TM Test (5/3/1)
This hitPR version combines a 3/5/1 wave with 5×5 First Set Last and a final Training Max test week. During the first three weeks, the barbell overhead press, deadlift, bench press, and squat each have their own training day; the 3s and 5/3/1 weeks use a plus set, while the lighter 5s week does not. Week four reduces training to the main lift and works up to 100% of the current Training Max. The block uses elements from Jim Wendler’s 5/3/1 system, but this four-week combination is a hitPR adaptation.
nSuns LP
nSuns LP combines percentage-based main lifts with very high training volume. Each session pairs a nine-set T1 block with an eight-set T2 block and two fixed accessory exercises. The 4-day version centers on the barbell bench press, squat and deadlift, while the 5-day version adds a dedicated heavy overhead press day. It suits intermediate trainees with solid technique who can reliably handle four or five longer sessions per week.
German Volume Training — Phase 1 (Volume)
German Volume Training is a high-volume hypertrophy block based on the 10-set method popularized by Charles Poliquin. In this hitPR version, you train three sessions per week; each day uses two main exercises for 10×10 followed by two accessory exercises for 3×10–15. Exercise selection and weekly scheduling are partly adapted for hitPR. The core rule remains: use one load across all ten sets and increase it only after completing the full 10×10 target.
German Volume Training — Phase 2 (Intensity)
This hitPR version keeps the core of Poliquin's Phase 2: 10×6 on two main lifts per session with a starting load around a 12RM. In hitPR, that is set to 78% of Training Max; with a TM equal to 90% of 1RM, this is roughly 70% of 1RM. Unlike Poliquin's sample routine, hitPR uses an adapted exercise selection and runs the block on three fixed training days per week. The plan lasts three weeks; Poliquin's original sequence also included a three-week lower-volume transition phase before starting 10×6.
Strength Cycle (Candito 6 Week Strength Program)
This hitPR version implements Jonnie Candito’s 6 Week Strength Program as a six-week strength cycle for the barbell squat, bench press, and deadlift. Training frequency drops from five days in Weeks 1–2 to four days in Weeks 3–4 and three days in Weeks 5–6 while volume falls and loading progresses toward heavy 1–4-rep sets. For Week 6, hitPR uses the original optional 1RM-test path; the original percentages of 1RM are converted to a hitPR Training Max set at 90% of 1RM, and freely selectable accessory slots are prefilled with fixed catalog exercises.
Bodyweight Full Body (Recommended Routine)
This hitPR adaptation follows the 2018 structure of the r/bodyweightfitness Recommended Routine: the same full-body session three times per week, three exercise pairs, and a core triplet. The scheduled exercises are default choices; the exercise notes show optional easier and harder alternatives from the current hitPR catalog that can be selected manually. hitPR progresses reps or hold time on the selected exercise but never changes the exercise automatically. Because hitPR performs each group back-to-back, this version consolidates the original rests into three minutes after each completed pair or core round. The original 5–10 minute warm-up is not scheduled and comes on top of the displayed duration.
Bodyweight Muscle Builder
A custom full-body hypertrophy plan built around bodyweight exercises and a resistance band. The 2-day version is the lowest-volume entry point, while the 3- and 4-day versions add weekly volume and exercise variety. Automatic progression increases reps or hold time on the currently selected exercise; when a variation becomes too easy or is still too hard, many exercise notes provide a manual ladder to easier or harder catalog exercises. Depending on the variant, sessions take roughly 30–40 minutes.
Glute Builder (Home Gym)
Glute Builder is a hypertrophy plan for trainees with some lifting experience and a compact home-gym setup. The 4-day variant separates lower- and upper-body training, while the 3-day variant distributes the work across three full-body sessions. Hip extension, hip-hinge work, and unilateral lower-body exercises prioritize the glutes; quad volume stays deliberately lower while the upper body receives moderate supporting work.
Glute Focus
A gym-based glute specialization plan. The barbell hip thrust anchors two weekly sessions: a heavy 4 × 6–8 day and a volume-focused 3 × 10–12 day. Squats, hip hinges, unilateral work, cables, and abduction work support the focus. The 3-day version is intermediate; the 4-day version adds a short pump day and is intended for advanced trainees.
Guide
Which plan fits you?
Which workout plan fits you best for building muscle or strength comes down to four questions: what do you want to achieve, how many days do you have, how long have you been training, and what equipment do you have access to? Here you'll find 25 ready-made plans with exercises, sets, and reps, matched to each of those questions; all of them are free in the app.
Contents
Quick pick: which plan for how many days?
| Days per week | Brand new | A few months | 1+ years | 3+ years |
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| 6 days | – | – |
Goal: muscle growth or strength?
You train for both goals with the same basic exercises. The difference lies in how heavy you train, how many sets you do, and how long you rest.
Muscle growth: These plans rely on many sets per muscle per week, moderate to higher rep ranges, and shorter rest periods. Muscles grow about equally well with light and heavy weights when sets go to muscular failure. More sets help, but each additional one helps a little less.
Strength: These plans revolve around a few heavy basic exercises, usually the barbell squat, bench press, deadlift, and overhead press, with few reps and long rest periods. The reason: your maximum weight increases mainly through heavy loads.
What fits you: If you want visibly more muscle, pick a muscle-growth plan. If you want to move more weight on the squat, bench press, and deadlift, pick a strength plan. You build muscle with either one; the goal just shifts the emphasis.
Which plan:
- Getting started with strength: GZCLP, the Basic Beginner Routine, or Fierce 5; without weights, the Recommended Routine with bodyweight.
- Strength for intermediate lifters: The TM Test (5/3/1), nSuns LP, and Candito set weights as a percentage of a reference value (more on that under Experience). 5/3/1 for Beginners is the way in to this style of training.
- Strength and muscle at once: PHUL, with two heavy sessions for strength and two higher-rep sessions for muscle growth.
- Muscle growth: all the remaining plans — for a starting point, try Full Body Essentials and Machine Only. Boring But Big is built on 5/3/1 but adds five sets of ten reps after every main lift, which is why it belongs here.
Just staying fit: There’s no dedicated plan for that here. Anyone who does strength training regularly gets stronger, builds muscle, and even improves balance and walking speed. A full-body plan on two or three days, like Full Body Essentials or Bodyweight Muscle Builder, covers the whole body for that.
If you’re torn between GZCLP, 5/3/1, and nSuns, the comparison of Reddit training programs can help.
How many training days a week?
The number of days determines how a plan splits up your week. Whether you train a muscle two or three times a week matters less for muscle growth as long as the weekly set count is right. For strength, you should train at least two sessions a week.
2 days: Every session trains the whole body. Full Body Essentials packs so much work into two sessions that each one takes about an hour at the gym. It’s quicker with the two-day version of Machine Only, which uses less volume, or at home with Bodyweight Muscle Builder in about half an hour.
3 days: Three days has the widest choice, usually as a full-body plan with a rest day between sessions. For beginners, GZCLP, Fierce 5, or Dumbbell Foundation fit well; for muscle growth with some experience, Full Body Hypertrophy.
4 days: Usually you train upper and lower body twice each per week, and each session stays manageable. Upper / Lower is built for muscle growth, PHUL for strength and muscle growth. Anyone who wants to stay with full-body training takes the four-day version of GZCLP, an adaptation of the three-day original. With Boring But Big and the TM Test (5/3/1), one main lift is the focus of each day.
5 days: Upper/Lower + PPL Hybrid for muscle growth, nSuns LP and Candito for strength; Candito starts with five days and ends up at three after six weeks. All three assume prior training experience. As a beginner with five free days, take a three- or four-day plan and have days left over for recovery.
6 days: Push, pull, and legs, an Arnold split, or upper and lower body three times each, training every muscle group two to three times a week: Reddit PPL, the Arnold Split, and PHUL 6-Day for advanced lifters. All three bring a lot of volume, and six fixed days leave little room if a session gets skipped.
Rule of thumb: Plan around the days you can manage even in a full week, not the ones from a quiet one.
How often you should train each muscle group is explained in the article on training frequency per muscle group.
Experience: beginners, intermediate, advanced
As you gain experience, what mainly changes is how a plan progresses you and how much training you can handle.
Beginners progress linearly: hit all the prescribed reps, and weight gets added at the next workout. That’s how the Basic Beginner Routine, GZCLP, and Fierce 5 work with a barbell. Machine Only on machines and Dumbbell Foundation with dumbbells raise the reps first and then the weight. This simple progression is meant for the beginner phase; for the template behind the Basic Beginner Routine, the r/Fitness wiki recommends no more than three months.
Intermediate lifters with a strength goal mostly work with a Training Max: a deliberately conservative calculated value, often 90% of your one-rep max, from which the plan works out every weight as a percentage. This Training Max gets raised after every three-week cycle in 5/3/1 for Beginners, and every week based on performance in the heaviest set in nSuns LP. Candito moves from high volume to a test of your one-rep max over six weeks. For 5/3/1 for Beginners, you don’t need a linear program first, but you do need solid technique in the four barbell lifts and about an hour and a half per session.
Intermediate lifters with a muscle-growth goal spread more sets across four to six days, for example with Upper / Lower, Upper/Lower + PPL Hybrid, or the Arnold Split. It pays off: lifters with more training history gain more from extra sessions.
Advanced lifters find plans with very high volume here: German Volume Training, Phase 1 with ten sets of ten reps per main lift, and PHUL 6-Day. Take these once you already know high volume and handle it well.
Rule of thumb: As long as you can add weight to the main lifts from workout to workout, stick with linear progression. If it stalls for several weeks despite good sleep and nutrition, a plan with a Training Max is the next step.
Reddit PPL started out as a program for beginners: the main lifts progress linearly. But it calls for six days a week and a lot of volume. Take it if you already know the basic barbell lifts and can genuinely fit in six sessions.
How to structure your first few weeks is covered in the guide strength training for beginners; after a longer break, the article on returning to strength training after a break can help.
Equipment: gym, home gym, dumbbells, or bodyweight?
Your equipment determines which exercises are possible. Whether you train with free weights or on machines makes little difference for strength and muscle growth; you mainly get stronger in the exercise pattern you actually train.
Gym: Every plan works here. Many come in a gym version and a free-weights-only version, such as Fierce 5, PHUL, and Reddit PPL. Upper/Lower + PPL Hybrid, the Arnold Split, nSuns LP, and Candito need the full gym.
Machines and cables only: Machine Only needs no barbell or dumbbells at all, with two, three, or four days; the two- and three-day versions are meant for beginners, and the four-day version additionally needs a Smith machine. Full Body Essentials and Full Body Hypertrophy each have a machine version.
Barbell and dumbbells: With a rack, a bench, a barbell, and dumbbells, most strength plans are open to you: Basic Beginner Routine, GZCLP, Fierce 5, and the 5/3/1 plans, plus the free-weight versions of PHUL, Full Body Hypertrophy, and Reddit PPL. For glutes and legs, Glute Builder is built for this exact setup and needs no rack, cables, or machines.
Dumbbells only: Dumbbell Foundation needs dumbbells and a sturdy bench. With a pull-up bar added, the dumbbell versions of Fierce 5 and Upper / Lower also become an option. On leg exercises, the available dumbbell weight can eventually get too light.
Bodyweight and bands: Bodyweight Muscle Builder for muscle growth on two to four days, the Recommended Routine for strength on three days. Both need a pull-up bar, a way to do dips and rows, and a resistance band; with absolutely no equipment, no plan fits fully. With bands, strength increases about as well as with dumbbells and machines. How to keep progressing without any equipment is explained in the article on strength training at home without equipment.
Time per workout: short or long sessions?
How long a session takes depends mainly on the number of sets and on rest periods. Strength plans usually call for around three minutes of rest after the heavy main lift, while muscle-growth plans often use only one to one and a half minutes after accessory exercises. The minutes shown on the cards are estimates based on sets, reps, and rest periods; resting for less gets you done sooner.
Short sessions come from few exercises or supersets. The Basic Beginner Routine takes about half an hour with three exercises, GZCLP a bit more. Bodyweight Muscle Builder saves time with supersets: you switch directly between two exercises and only rest after the pair. That roughly halves the training time without dropping a single set, and it suits muscle growth better than maximal strength.
Long sessions come from many sets per workout. 5/3/1 for Beginners takes about an hour and a half, nSuns LP and Full Body Essentials a good hour.
What fits you: Plan around the time you have even on full days, and factor in your warm-up; warm-up sets aren’t included in the estimated minutes.
Short on time: Compound exercises like the squat, row, and bench press train many muscles at once. Put them at the centre of your session when time is tight.
How long to rest between heavy and light sets is explained in the article on rest periods between sets.
Full body, split, or focus?
Full body or split is mainly a question of your week: at an equal number of weekly sets, both build about the same amount of strength and muscle. Choose whichever suits you better and fits your days.
Full body: Every session trains the lower and upper body, usually on two or three days. This suits beginners and those with few training days.
Split: The plan divides the body across the days, for example into upper and lower body, or push, pull, and legs. That fits more sets into the week without any single session getting too long.
Focus: Upper Body Focus puts most of the weekly work on chest, back, shoulders, and arms while keeping a short leg day; it also suits you if running or cycling already works your legs. Glute Focus at the gym and Glute Builder for the home gym put glutes and legs at the centre. All three assume prior training experience.
For women, the same plans apply as for men: with the same training, both build about the same amount of muscle relative to their starting point. More on that in strength training for women.
When each split is worth it is explained in full body vs. split.
When no plan fits exactly
- Better one day fewer than one too many. With four free days, you can complete a three-day plan in full. With a plan that needs one day too many, a session gets skipped every week.
- Better shorter than longer. A shorter plan always fits your time window. The easiest way to shorten a longer one is to train accessory exercises as supersets.
- Swap an exercise instead of dropping the plan. If you’re missing a piece of equipment, use a variant of the same movement, such as a dumbbell row instead of a barbell row.
If nothing still fits, the guide how to create a training plan walks you through building your own, step by step.
Sources
- Currier BS, D’Souza AC, Singh MAF et al. (2026). American College of Sports Medicine Position Stand. Resistance Training Prescription for Muscle Function, Hypertrophy, and Physical Performance in Healthy Adults: An Overview of Reviews. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, 58(4):851–872. PubMed
- Haugen ME, Vårvik FT, Larsen S et al. (2023). Effect of free-weight vs. machine-based strength training on maximal strength, hypertrophy and jump performance – a systematic review and meta-analysis. BMC Sports Science, Medicine and Rehabilitation, 15:103. PubMed
- Iversen VM, Norum M, Schoenfeld BJ, Fimland MS (2021). No Time to Lift? Designing Time-Efficient Training Programs for Strength and Hypertrophy: A Narrative Review. Sports Medicine, 51(10):2079–2095. PubMed
- Lopes JSS, Machado AF, Micheletti JK et al. (2019). Effects of training with elastic resistance versus conventional resistance on muscular strength: A systematic review and meta-analysis. SAGE Open Medicine, 7:2050312119831116. PubMed
- Lopez P, Radaelli R, Taaffe DR et al. (2021). Resistance Training Load Effects on Muscle Hypertrophy and Strength Gain: Systematic Review and Network Meta-analysis. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, 53(6):1206–1216. PubMed
- Pelland JC, Remmert JF, Robinson ZP et al. (2026). The Resistance Training Dose Response: Meta-Regressions Exploring the Effects of Weekly Volume and Frequency on Muscle Hypertrophy and Strength Gains. Sports Medicine, 56(2):481–505. PubMed
- Ramos-Campo DJ, Benito-Peinado PJ, Andreu-Caravaca L et al. (2024). Efficacy of Split Versus Full-Body Resistance Training on Strength and Muscle Growth: A Systematic Review With Meta-Analysis. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 38(7):1330–1340. PubMed
- Refalo MC, Nuckols G, Galpin AJ et al. (2025). Sex differences in absolute and relative changes in muscle size following resistance training in healthy adults: a systematic review with Bayesian meta-analysis. PeerJ, 13:e19042. PubMed
- Roberts BM, Nuckols G, Krieger JW (2020). Sex Differences in Resistance Training: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 34(5):1448–1460. PubMed
- Schoenfeld BJ, Grgic J, Krieger J (2019). How many times per week should a muscle be trained to maximize muscle hypertrophy? A systematic review and meta-analysis of studies examining the effects of resistance training frequency. Journal of Sports Sciences, 37(11):1286–1295. PubMed
- Schoenfeld BJ, Grgic J, Ogborn D, Krieger JW (2017). Strength and Hypertrophy Adaptations Between Low- vs. High-Load Resistance Training: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 31(12):3508–3523. PubMed
- App training plan catalogue: target audiences, variants, equipment, progression rules, rest periods, and estimated durations for the plans.
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