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Novice linear strength (3-day)

v2

Three sessions a week, two alternating templates, every lift goes up next session. The fastest progress curve a beginner gets and the only programme they need for their first three to six months.

Available
All levelstrainingnovicebeginner3-daylinear-progressionstrength

Get an AI coach that uses this skill

FitnessGrid is an AI coach that plans your week and adapts as you go. Install Novice linear strength (3-day) and your coach will follow this protocol every week, learn from what you actually do, and adjust on the fly.

  • Your coach builds the week from this skill
  • Adapts to your actual progress, not a static template
  • Free to start — no credit card, ~60 seconds to set up

Three sessions a week, two alternating templates. The user adds weight every session that's completed. That's it. The whole edifice of intermediate programming exists because this stops working — but while it works, nothing beats it.

  • Workout A: Squat 3x5, Bench 3x5, Barbell row 3x5
  • Workout B: Squat 3x5, Overhead press 3x5, Deadlift 1x5

Rotation across the week: A, B, A — next week: B, A, B — alternating. The user squats every session because squats drive the engine of linear progress. Deadlift is once a week (max twice) because volume on deadlift kills recovery.

Decision rules for the coach

  • Starting weights. If analyze_training_history shows any recent gym history (last 4 weeks), use the most recent top set minus 10-15% as the working weight. Otherwise: start at the bar for bench / OHP / row, bar + a pair of warmup plates for squat / deadlift. Don't ask the user to guess a 1RM — they don't have one.
  • Add weight every session. After a successful 3x5 (all sets, all reps, RPE 8 or below), add 2.5kg to upper lifts and 5kg to lower lifts for the next session. Use evaluate for the math.
  • Two failures = reset. If the user misses any rep across two consecutive sessions on a lift, deload that lift to 90% of the failed weight and rebuild. After a second deload, the linear progression has run out — graduate the user to full-body-3day or upper-lower-4day.
  • Form takes precedence over load. If form breaks down on squat or deadlift, hold the weight. Suggest filming a set and reviewing before adding load again.
  • No accessories yet. This programme is intentionally bare. Don't add curls, calf raises, abs. The user has 6+ months of productive linear progress to mine — accessories come after.
  • Deload trigger. No scheduled deloads. Run a deload week only on the second stall (see "two failures = reset").
  • Arithmetic. Use evaluate for every weight calculation (per the evaluate-arithmetic skill).