Fitness & Nutrition Resources

Many gym goers believe you need to train five or six times a week to see strength gains and build muscle mass. 

But if you’re too busy to make it to the gym more than three times a week, don’t fret.

Three high-quality workout sessions are better than dragging yourself to the gym every day to do subpar workouts with no energy or focus.

We’ll explore how to achieve your fitness and aesthetic goals with just three weekly gym sessions. 

You’ll learn how to plan a 3-day workout split to strengthen your upper body and lower body muscle groups and promote muscle growth.

We’ve also provided links to the six best 3-day training split programs, where you’ll find free, downloadable spreadsheets to help you reach your goals. 

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Last Modified: August 12, 2026

Bullmastiff is an 18 week base-building strength program created by Alex Bromley at Empire Barbell. It originally appeared in Alex’s book Peak Strength. You’ll train 4 days per week, with each day anchored by one of the four big lifts (squat, bench press, deadlift, overhead press) plus developmental and accessory work.

The program runs in two 9 week phases. The base phase builds work capacity and muscle by steadily ramping volume; the peak phase drops the volume, dials up the intensity, and points everything at a new 1RM in each main lift. AMRAP sets drive the weekly loading, and the spreadsheet does that math for you.

Bullmastiff is built for intermediate and advanced lifters who have a base of training behind them and want a long runway to a real peak.

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Last Modified: August 11, 2026

GZCLP is a linear progression strength program for beginners, available in 3 day and 4 day versions. Each session is built from three tiers: a T1 main lift (starting at 5 sets of 3), a T2 variation (3 sets of 10), and a T3 accessory (3 sets of 15), with the last set of each tier an AMRAP.

It’s a simpler, faster-progressing version of Cody Lefever’s GZCL method. You add weight every time a lift comes up, like Starting Strength, but the tier structure gets you a lot more volume per session.

It’s highly customizable too: you pick the lifts you want to run in each tier, and the spreadsheets below handle the progression math for you.

Program Type: 12 Week Programs, Powerlifting Program, Programs, Strength Training Program
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Last Modified: August 10, 2026

What is an Intermediate Powerlifter?

An intermediate lifter is, by one rule of thumb, an individual that is no longer able to increase weight lifted on a per training session or per week basis and instead is able to reliably make progress on a monthly basis.

After the novice phase of a lifter’s development is complete, it is time to begin considering programs for the intermediate powerlifter. Therefore it is not advantageous to move to an intermediate powerlifting program until it is truly necessary – to do otherwise slows progress unnecessarily (see “Intermediate Syndrome” for more on this). Once a lifter has reached the intermediate phase of their development, here are some recommended intermediate powerlifting programs. (more…)

Program Type: Powerlifting Program, Programs
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Last Modified: August 9, 2026

The Original Matrix and Modified Matrix bench programs were designed by Ken Lain to help peak his bench press.

While both versions calls for a heavy and light bench day, the original version is much more aggressive in its  programming, especially on heavy days.

For this reason, most athletes are recommended to start with the “modified matrix” version. (more…)

Program Type: 10 Week Bench Press Programs, 10 Week Programs, Bench Press Workout Program, Lift Specific Program, Powerlifting Program, Programs
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Last Modified: August 9, 2026

Daily Undulating Periodization or DUP is a scientifically proven method to get stronger, making it ideal for athletes, powerlifters, and anyone looking to gain strength.

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Program Type: 13 Week Programs, 3 Week Programs, 4 Week Programs, 8 Week Programs, Peaking Program, Powerbuilding Program, Powerlifting Program, Programs
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Last Modified: August 9, 2026

Written and popularized by Redditor Matt Disbrow (aka /u/mdisbrow) – the Deathbench program is a disciple of the “if you want a bigger bench press, bench more” church.

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Program Type: 10 Week Bench Press Programs, 10 Week Programs, Bench Press Workout Program, Lift Specific Program, Powerlifting Program, Programs
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Last Modified: August 9, 2026

The GZCL Method is Cody Lefever’s powerlifting training framework, named after his Reddit username, /u/gzcl. This page collects free spreadsheets for every major GZCL program: General Gainz, Jacked & Tan 2.0, UHF, The Rippler, VDIP, and more.

Everything GZCL is built on a tier system. T1 is the day’s main lift (heavy, low reps), T2 is a variation of it (moderate weight and reps), and T3 is higher-rep accessory work. How each tier progresses is what separates the different programs.

If you’re a newer lifter, start with GZCLP, the linear progression version – it has its own page with dedicated spreadsheets. For the theory behind all of it, read Cody’s blog and the r/gzcl subreddit.

Program Type: 11 Week Programs, 12 Week Programs, 13 Week Programs, 15 Week Programs, 5 Week Programs, Powerlifting Program, Programs
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Last Modified: August 9, 2026

Written by Calgary Barbell, the 16 week and 8 week programs are designed to improve the squat, bench press, and deadlift of the athlete in preparation for a powerlifting meet. You can, however, run them even if you’re not prepping for a meet.

Both programs run 4 sessions per week, hitting the squat and deadlift 3 times per week and the bench 4 times (counting competition lifts and variations). Load is programmed with a mix of 1RM percentages and RPE, and both include a taper week if you’re peaking for a meet.

The two are quite similar. The main difference is that the 16 week program has a fuller progression of each lift, whereas the 8 week program is more of a training snapshot. These suit intermediate lifters who are comfortable working with RPE. For another proven free meet prep option, check out the TSA 9 Week Intermediate Program.

Program Type: 16 Week Programs, 8 Week Programs, Powerlifting Program, Programs
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Last Modified: August 9, 2026

Sheiko programs are powerlifting programs attributed to Boris Sheiko, the renowned Russian powerlifting coach. They’re known for their high volume – lots of submaximal doubles and triples on the competition lifts, often multiple times per session.

More of a loose working template than a strict program, many different variations of Sheiko powerlifting programs have been circulating Internet forums for years. This page gathers the most useful ones in one place, all as Google Sheets (better than PDF), from beginner through advanced.

To best understand Sheiko’s training methodology, Lift Vault highly recommends you read or listen to his interview with Omar Isuf.

Program Type: 12 Week Programs, 13 Week Programs, 4 Week Programs, 8 Week Programs, Powerlifting Program, Programs
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Last Modified: August 9, 2026

nSuns 5/3/1 is a high volume linear progression powerlifting program inspired by Jim Wendler’s 5/3/1. It comes in 4, 5, and 6 day versions (plus squat and deadlift focused variants), and it progresses weekly instead of monthly.

Each day you’ll work the main lift for 9 sets, including an AMRAP set that drives next week’s weights, then a secondary lift for 8 more. It’s a ton of volume. Those who stick with it tend to add pounds to their total quickly, and the extra work capacity pays off in whatever program they run next. All of the spreadsheets below were assembled by Redditor /u/nsuns.

nSuns is best suited to late stage novices and early intermediates who recover well and want to push hard. If you’re brand new to lifting, you’ll progress faster on a simpler program like Starting Strength – a true novice can add weight multiple times per week and doesn’t need this much volume.

Program Type: Deadlift Program, Lift Specific Program, Powerlifting Program, Programs, Squat Program, Strength Training Program
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Last Modified: August 8, 2026

This is a collection of templates for the Tactical Barbell program. Included are the Operator, Zulu, Fighter, Gladiator, Mass, and Grey Man templates – all in the same spreadsheet, with drop down menus and 1RM inputs for easy customization.

Tactical Barbell is K. Black’s strength system for people whose job demands more than lifting: military, law enforcement, fire fighters, and other first responders. Sessions are short and submaximal – you’ll work between 70% and 90% of your 1RM in 3 week waves – so you can keep training hard on the conditioning side without digging yourself into a recovery hole.

Most templates run 2 to 4 days per week on a 6 week cycle, so there’s a version for almost any schedule. If you want a minimalist strength base that leaves room for everything else in your life, it’s hard to beat. If a bigger squat or bench is your main goal, a dedicated program like 5/3/1 will get you there faster.

Program Type: 12 Week Programs, 6 Week Programs, Programs, Strength Training Program
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Last Modified: August 8, 2026

Fierce 5 is a 3-day-per-week full body program built for beginners. You train 3 non-consecutive days a week, usually Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, and you alternate two full body workouts called A and B. Each session runs six exercises: three compound lifts plus a few accessories. It was put together by davisj3537 and shared on the Bodybuilding.com forums.

Progression is simple linear weight gain. You start light, and every week you hit all your reps you add a little weight to the bar. Fierce 5 leans more toward building muscle than a bare-bones strength routine, with extra rowing, face pulls, and arm work in the mix. If you like the idea of a beginner program but want a different 3-day option, the All Pro Simple Beginner Routine is a close cousin.

It’s a good pick for a beginner whose main goal is building muscle and looking better, while still getting stronger along the way. If your focus is maxing out your squat, bench, and deadlift, you’ll get more out of a dedicated strength program or powerlifting program. For most people getting started in the gym, though, Fierce 5 gives you plenty to work with.

Program Type: 7 Week Programs, Bodybuilding Program, Programs
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Last Modified: August 6, 2026

New Rules of Lifting for Women is a 7-stage, full-body program from The New Rules of Lifting for Women by Lou Schuler, Cassandra Forsythe, and Alwyn Cosgrove. You train 3 days a week and alternate two workouts, an “A” workout and a “B” workout. Each session pairs compound lifts with core and single-leg work, and the whole program runs about 6 months.

Progression isn’t based on percentages of your 1RM. You pick a weight you can just finish for the sets and reps a stage calls for, and once you can complete every set at the top of the rep range, you add a little weight and start again at the bottom. The book also walks through exercise form and a nutrition plan, so it’s a full package if you’re newer to lifting or coming back to it.

It’s a good fit for beginner and intermediate women who want a structured full-body program with a diet plan built in. If you’re after a glute-focused routine, Strong Curves is worth a look, and if you want the simplest possible barbell start, StrongLifts 5×5 is a gentler on-ramp. If you’re chasing a percentage-driven powerlifting peak, you’ll want a different program.

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Last Modified: August 5, 2026

The Extended Russian Power Routine is a 9 week peaking program that runs 3 days a week on a Monday, Wednesday, Friday schedule. Each week you train squat and bench press twice and deadlift once. One lift is light and one is heavy on each pressing day: light squat with heavy bench on Monday, heavy deadlift on Wednesday, then heavy squat with light bench on Friday.

It’s an extended version of the Russian Squat Routine, worked up to peak all three competition lifts. The base routine runs 6 weeks and focuses on one lift; stretching it to 9 weeks gives you room to recover while squatting, benching, and deadlifting heavy in the same week. The first 4 weeks build volume at 80%, then the reps drop and the weight climbs each week up to 105% by week 9.

This one’s for experienced lifters who already have a base and want to peak for a meet. Running squat, bench, and deadlift all at high intensity in the same week is demanding on recovery, so it’s a lot to ask of a newer lifter. If that’s you, start with the plain 6 week Russian Squat Routine and come back to this once you’ve run a few cycles.

Program Type: 9 Week Programs, Peaking Program, Powerlifting Program, Programs
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Last Modified: August 3, 2026

The Infinite Off Season program from Kizen Training is a 5-week powerlifting off-season block you can run over and over. You train 4 days a week, one main lift per day (squat, bench, deadlift, and overhead press), and every main-lift session is a few straight sets of 5 plus one AMRAP top set. Squat, bench, and deadlift each get a second, lighter variation day, so the big three are trained twice a week.

It’s built around submaximal work and autoregulation. You start at 70% of your 1RM and climb to 80% over the five weeks, and the AMRAP set on each main lift decides what happens next: hit 8 or more reps and next week goes up 2.5%, 5 to 7 reps holds the weight, 4 or fewer drops it 2.5%. The goal is to add strength and work capacity between meets without grinding at true maxes.

It’s aimed at intermediate powerlifters who want a low-stress block between competition cycles. The percentages stay light on purpose, so stronger lifters may find the early weeks almost too easy (one reviewer routinely hit 15 or more reps on the first AMRAP sets). If you want heavier top-end work, look at the Kizen Powerbuilding preview or a dedicated peaking program instead. Infinite Off Season is deliberately a base-building block.

Program Type: 4 Week Programs, Powerlifting Program, Programs
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Last Modified: August 2, 2026

Jeff Seid’s workout routine is a 5 to 6 day bodybuilding split that trains one muscle group per day. You hit chest and calves on Monday, back on Tuesday, legs on Wednesday, arms and calves on Thursday, and shoulders on Friday. Saturday is an optional day for a lagging body part, and Sunday is rest.

It’s a high-volume aesthetics program built around hypertrophy rep ranges, mostly sets of 8 to 12 with some higher-rep calf and shrug work. There’s no percentage-based progression here. Jeff trains by feel, so you push the weight or reps up when a set starts to feel easy and track your tonnage week to week.

This one’s for lifters chasing size and a classic physique who can commit to training 5 or 6 days a week. If you’re a beginner, or you’re mainly after a bigger 1RM, you’ll get more out of a program with built-in strength progression. It also carries high training volume, so make sure your recovery can keep up.

Program Type: 6 Week Programs, Bodybuilding Program, Programs
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Last Modified: July 31, 2026

Jonnie Candito’s Advanced Bench Program is a free 6-week bench specialization built for lifters who’ve stalled on the competition bench. You bench up to 5 days a week for the first 3 weeks, then drop to just 2 sessions a week for weeks 4 through 6. Each bench day pairs the flat bench with one primary press accessory and a couple of high-rep isolation lifts, and the loads run off your current 1RM early in the cycle, then off your goal max once you reach the peaking weeks.

Candito built this after a full year of stalled bench progress and nagging shoulder pain. He scrapped the “just bench more to bench more” approach and leaned on heavy barbell accessories, an RPE-based effort target on those accessories, and a much shorter taper than he runs on squat or deadlift. It’s the bench companion to his advanced squat program and advanced deadlift program, the same one-lift-at-a-time idea applied to the press.

This one is for advanced lifters, meaning your bench isn’t moving month to month anymore. If you’re still adding weight every few weeks, you’ll get more out of the Candito 6 Week Strength Program or the beginner-focused Candito Linear Program. There’s also a hybrid version that runs this bench work alongside the 6 Week Strength Program’s squat and deadlift.

Program Type: 6 Week Bench Press Programs, 6 Week Programs, Bench Press Workout Program, Lift Specific Program, Peaking Program, Powerlifting Program, Programs
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Last Modified: July 29, 2026

Heavy, Light, Medium (HLM) is a simple way to organize your training week so each lift gets a heavy, a medium, and a light session across three days. The heavy day pushes intensity, the light day keeps you moving and sharpens technique, and the medium day sits in between. This free spreadsheet turns that idea into a 12-week template based on Andy Baker’s framework, so you enter your maxes on the Input tab and every heavy, medium, and light load fills in for you.

The HLM idea goes back to coaches like Bill Starr, Mark Rippetoe, and Andy Baker, who used it to keep intermediate lifters progressing without burning out. Rotating the intensity day to day is much like a flexible daily undulating (DUP) split, and by the final week the medium day gets pushed hard enough that the program starts to look like a Texas Method setup, with one heavy intensity day and one hard volume day.

HLM works best for intermediate lifters who want a flexible template they can shape around their own recovery, not a fully prescriptive plan that dictates every set. If you’re newer and you just want to be told exactly what to do, a linear beginner program like Starting Strength will take you further before you need this kind of structure.

Program Type: 12 Week Programs, Powerlifting Program, Programs, Strength Training Program
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Last Modified: July 28, 2026

This Chinese Olympic weightlifting program is a 3 day, 4 week peaking block that runs Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. It was originally written for school-aged lifters who could only train 3 days per week, so it fits the snatch and clean & jerk plus all the supporting pulls, squats, and presses into three sessions. The block builds toward a peak at the end of the month.

It follows the classic Chinese high-intensity method: you train heavy often and aim to peak roughly once a month. That shows up in the loading, including the documented spots where the program calls for “100% or more” of a lift’s 1RM. Since you can’t actually grind multiple reps at a true max, the sheet keeps that prescription as written and pairs it with the practical “OR 5×3 @ 85%” approach so you have something you can actually load and hit.

It’s a good fit if you’re an intermediate or more advanced Olympic lifter who’s short on training days and wants a focused peaking block rather than a full year-round plan. If you want a longer Olympic lifting program to build base work first, check out the Torokhtiy 13 Week 3 Day Olympic Weightlifting Program, then come back to this block when you’re ready to peak.

Program Overview

• 4 week peaking mesocycle
• 3 training days per week
• Trains a variety lifts, but is designed to peak the snatch and clean & jerk
• Trained lifts include the snatch, clean & jerk, power snatch, power clean, snatch pull, clean pull, deadlift, Romanian deadlift, back squat, front squat, hang snatch, push press, and press.

Program Type: 4 Week Programs, Olympic Weightlifting Programs, Programs
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Last Modified: July 26, 2026