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Build muscle. Get stronger. Know your next step.
Build muscle, get stronger, and find a plan you can follow. Free guides and tools for beginners, intermediate and advanced lifters.
You want to feel stronger and build a physique you’re proud of. Start with a plan you can follow, know what to do in each session, and keep a record of your progress. Choose the next step that fits your training today.
Already know your program? Go straight to the calculators →
01 · Beginner
Beginner: build your strength foundation
Start with a first week you can feel confident about: a manageable schedule, clear starting weights and a record of each session. You do not need to test a maximum to begin either novice program below.
- Choose a schedule. Starting Strength uses three non-consecutive days. GZCLP offers three or four days with heavy, lighter and accessory work.
- Find your starting weights. Follow Starting Strength’s first-day instructions or GZCLP’s starting-weight options. Examples are not targets you must match.
- Prepare your session. Use the plate calculator to load the bar. The GZCLP calculator projects your upcoming workouts.
- Give yourself progress to look back on. Note your weights and reps after each session. Read linear progression to understand the next session and each program’s missed-rep rules.
Returning after time away? Base your inputs on current performance rather than an old personal best. The nutrition explainer covers the food side of training with sources and a worked example.
Keep your next workout clear: Follow guided sessions and record your progress in Physique. GZCLP is in its program library; Starting Strength is not currently a built-in program.
02 · Intermediate
Intermediate: keep building muscle and strength
If session-to-session increases have become difficult, start by reviewing your inputs and your program’s own rules. One bad week does not determine your experience level.
- Review before switching. Use the reset-or-change checklist.
- Compare the workload. nSuns uses weekly progression and substantial barbell volume. 5/3/1 BBB combines cycle-based progression with five sets of ten.
- Set current numbers. The 1RM calculator estimates a max from a recent set. Each program applies its own training-max rules.
- Prepare the plan. Open the 5/3/1 calculator or nSuns calculator, then record actual results alongside the plan.
See the work adding up: Review your sessions and strength progress in Physique. 5/3/1 BBB is built in; the free nSuns calculator is available on this website, but nSuns is not currently in the app’s built-in library.
03 · Advanced
Advanced: make your next training block count
Already organizing training over longer blocks? This site’s tools can support your review even though it does not yet provide a complete guide to individualized block programming or meet preparation.
- Compare strength estimates. Use the 1RM calculator with comparable sets of the same lift. Keep estimated and tested maxes separate.
- Review what you completed. Compare weights, reps and session context across the block. Read how to review progress before treating a training-max increase as a result.
- Use practical tools at the rack. The plate calculator handles your bar, plates and collars in pounds or kilograms.
- Keep the record together. Physique’s strength charts and workout history put estimated and tested maxes alongside the sessions you log. They support your review; they do not replace an individualized coaching plan.
Which program
| Program | Days | Progression | Consider it when |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starting Strength | 3 | Session-to-session work weights | You want a simple novice barbell plan |
| GZCLP | 3 or 4 | Separate progression for heavy and lighter tiers | You want novice progression with accessories and stage changes |
| nSuns | 4 to 6 | Weekly training-max decisions from the 1+ set | You can accommodate its barbell volume |
| 5/3/1 BBB | 4 | Training max changes between cycles | You want strength and size work over repeated cycles |
Choose a schedule you can keep, then compare the session workload and how each plan builds toward your goals. Read the guide before entering numbers. Starting Strength uses our plate calculator; the other three have program calculators with worked examples.