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The program

Ivysaur 4-4-8

A three-day strength template combining heavy 4×4 work, 4×8 volume and AMRAP sets across the main lifts, rows and chinups.

Schedule: 3 days/week
Length: 12 weeks
Main lifts: 6

What you’ll train

The main movements in this program.

Bench Press
Squat
Deadlift
Overhead Press
Barbell Row
Chinups

Review exercise technique

Before you start

No measured max is needed to start. Guided setup lets you choose a comfortable working weight in the gym and adjust your logged sets as you go.

If you already know your lifting numbers, you can enter them during setup instead. Review the program guide for this template's load and progression rules.

Optional max estimation tools

General strength plan

Barbell strength and upper-body volume

Lifters comfortable with the basic lifts who want rows, chin-ups and alternating heavy/volume work.

Before choosing this plan

Bench and overhead press appear frequently. Chin-ups and several working sets per lift add to the workload.

Equipment

Barbell and plates
Squat rack with safeties
Bench
Chin-up bar

Progression in this app

With known-weight setup, completing all working targets adds 5 lb by default to the reference for later sessions. Custom increases override that default; setting 0 keeps the reference unchanged. With progression enabled, misses hold it; three consecutive failed exposures reduce it by 10%. These are generic app rules, not the full original method. Guided starting weights stay under your control.

About this template

An alternating two-week adaptation using percentage references and AMRAP finishers. The original weekly increments and AMRAP doubling rules are not reproduced by the generic progression behavior.

Methodology and sources

Read the program guide

A look at the plan

Sessions and prescriptions

The first week is open below. Expand later weeks to compare their schedules. Percentages use the reference described in the program guide; guided starting loads are chosen in your first workout.

Week 1

3 sessions

Day 1 · Day 1 (Week A)

Bench Press main

4 × 4 @ 85%working

Squat main

4 × 8 @ 76.5%working

Overhead Press main

4 × 8 @ 76.5%working

Chinups main

Bodyweight chinups. Add weight via belt if too easy.

4 × 8 · Bodyweightworking

Day 2 · Day 2 (Week A)

Bench Press main

4 × 8 @ 76.5%working

Deadlift main

4 × 4 @ 85%working

Overhead Press main

4 × 4 @ 85%working

Barbell Row main

4 × 8 @ 76.5%working

Day 3 · Day 3 (Week A)

Bench Press main

3 × 4 @ 85%working
1 × 4+ AMRAP @ 85%working

Squat main

3 × 4 @ 85%working
1 × 4+ AMRAP @ 85%working

Overhead Press main

4 × 8 @ 76.5%working

Chinups main

Bodyweight chinups. Go for heavy sets of 4.

4 × 4 · Bodyweightworking

Week 2

3 sessions

Day 1 · Day 1 (Week B)

Bench Press main

4 × 8 @ 76.5%working

Deadlift main

4 × 8 @ 76.5%working

Overhead Press main

4 × 4 @ 85%working

Barbell Row main

4 × 4 @ 85%working

Day 2 · Day 2 (Week B)

Bench Press main

4 × 4 @ 85%working

Squat main

4 × 8 @ 76.5%working

Overhead Press main

4 × 8 @ 76.5%working

Chinups main

Bodyweight chinups for volume.

4 × 8 · Bodyweightworking

Day 3 · Day 3 (Week B)

Bench Press main

4 × 8 @ 76.5%working

Deadlift main

3 × 4 @ 85%working
1 × 4+ AMRAP @ 85%working

Overhead Press main

3 × 4 @ 85%working
1 × 4+ AMRAP @ 85%working

Barbell Row main

4 × 8 @ 76.5%working

Week 3

3 sessions

Day 1 · Day 1 (Week A)

Bench Press main

4 × 4 @ 85%working

Squat main

4 × 8 @ 76.5%working

Overhead Press main

4 × 8 @ 76.5%working

Chinups main

Bodyweight chinups. Add weight via belt if too easy.

4 × 8 · Bodyweightworking

Day 2 · Day 2 (Week A)

Bench Press main

4 × 8 @ 76.5%working

Deadlift main

4 × 4 @ 85%working

Overhead Press main

4 × 4 @ 85%working

Barbell Row main

4 × 8 @ 76.5%working

Day 3 · Day 3 (Week A)

Bench Press main

3 × 4 @ 85%working
1 × 4+ AMRAP @ 85%working

Squat main

3 × 4 @ 85%working
1 × 4+ AMRAP @ 85%working

Overhead Press main

4 × 8 @ 76.5%working

Chinups main

Bodyweight chinups. Go for heavy sets of 4.

4 × 4 · Bodyweightworking

Week 4

3 sessions

Day 1 · Day 1 (Week B)

Bench Press main

4 × 8 @ 76.5%working

Deadlift main

4 × 8 @ 76.5%working

Overhead Press main

4 × 4 @ 85%working

Barbell Row main

4 × 4 @ 85%working

Day 2 · Day 2 (Week B)

Bench Press main

4 × 4 @ 85%working

Squat main

4 × 8 @ 76.5%working

Overhead Press main

4 × 8 @ 76.5%working

Chinups main

Bodyweight chinups for volume.

4 × 8 · Bodyweightworking

Day 3 · Day 3 (Week B)

Bench Press main

4 × 8 @ 76.5%working

Deadlift main

3 × 4 @ 85%working
1 × 4+ AMRAP @ 85%working

Overhead Press main

3 × 4 @ 85%working
1 × 4+ AMRAP @ 85%working

Barbell Row main

4 × 8 @ 76.5%working

Week 5

3 sessions

Day 1 · Day 1 (Week A)

Bench Press main

4 × 4 @ 85%working

Squat main

4 × 8 @ 76.5%working

Overhead Press main

4 × 8 @ 76.5%working

Chinups main

Bodyweight chinups. Add weight via belt if too easy.

4 × 8 · Bodyweightworking

Day 2 · Day 2 (Week A)

Bench Press main

4 × 8 @ 76.5%working

Deadlift main

4 × 4 @ 85%working

Overhead Press main

4 × 4 @ 85%working

Barbell Row main

4 × 8 @ 76.5%working

Day 3 · Day 3 (Week A)

Bench Press main

3 × 4 @ 85%working
1 × 4+ AMRAP @ 85%working

Squat main

3 × 4 @ 85%working
1 × 4+ AMRAP @ 85%working

Overhead Press main

4 × 8 @ 76.5%working

Chinups main

Bodyweight chinups. Go for heavy sets of 4.

4 × 4 · Bodyweightworking

Week 6

3 sessions

Day 1 · Day 1 (Week B)

Bench Press main

4 × 8 @ 76.5%working

Deadlift main

4 × 8 @ 76.5%working

Overhead Press main

4 × 4 @ 85%working

Barbell Row main

4 × 4 @ 85%working

Day 2 · Day 2 (Week B)

Bench Press main

4 × 4 @ 85%working

Squat main

4 × 8 @ 76.5%working

Overhead Press main

4 × 8 @ 76.5%working

Chinups main

Bodyweight chinups for volume.

4 × 8 · Bodyweightworking

Day 3 · Day 3 (Week B)

Bench Press main

4 × 8 @ 76.5%working

Deadlift main

3 × 4 @ 85%working
1 × 4+ AMRAP @ 85%working

Overhead Press main

3 × 4 @ 85%working
1 × 4+ AMRAP @ 85%working

Barbell Row main

4 × 8 @ 76.5%working

Week 7

3 sessions

Day 1 · Day 1 (Week A)

Bench Press main

4 × 4 @ 85%working

Squat main

4 × 8 @ 76.5%working

Overhead Press main

4 × 8 @ 76.5%working

Chinups main

Bodyweight chinups. Add weight via belt if too easy.

4 × 8 · Bodyweightworking

Day 2 · Day 2 (Week A)

Bench Press main

4 × 8 @ 76.5%working

Deadlift main

4 × 4 @ 85%working

Overhead Press main

4 × 4 @ 85%working

Barbell Row main

4 × 8 @ 76.5%working

Day 3 · Day 3 (Week A)

Bench Press main

3 × 4 @ 85%working
1 × 4+ AMRAP @ 85%working

Squat main

3 × 4 @ 85%working
1 × 4+ AMRAP @ 85%working

Overhead Press main

4 × 8 @ 76.5%working

Chinups main

Bodyweight chinups. Go for heavy sets of 4.

4 × 4 · Bodyweightworking

Week 8

3 sessions

Day 1 · Day 1 (Week B)

Bench Press main

4 × 8 @ 76.5%working

Deadlift main

4 × 8 @ 76.5%working

Overhead Press main

4 × 4 @ 85%working

Barbell Row main

4 × 4 @ 85%working

Day 2 · Day 2 (Week B)

Bench Press main

4 × 4 @ 85%working

Squat main

4 × 8 @ 76.5%working

Overhead Press main

4 × 8 @ 76.5%working

Chinups main

Bodyweight chinups for volume.

4 × 8 · Bodyweightworking

Day 3 · Day 3 (Week B)

Bench Press main

4 × 8 @ 76.5%working

Deadlift main

3 × 4 @ 85%working
1 × 4+ AMRAP @ 85%working

Overhead Press main

3 × 4 @ 85%working
1 × 4+ AMRAP @ 85%working

Barbell Row main

4 × 8 @ 76.5%working

Week 9

3 sessions

Day 1 · Day 1 (Week A)

Bench Press main

4 × 4 @ 85%working

Squat main

4 × 8 @ 76.5%working

Overhead Press main

4 × 8 @ 76.5%working

Chinups main

Bodyweight chinups. Add weight via belt if too easy.

4 × 8 · Bodyweightworking

Day 2 · Day 2 (Week A)

Bench Press main

4 × 8 @ 76.5%working

Deadlift main

4 × 4 @ 85%working

Overhead Press main

4 × 4 @ 85%working

Barbell Row main

4 × 8 @ 76.5%working

Day 3 · Day 3 (Week A)

Bench Press main

3 × 4 @ 85%working
1 × 4+ AMRAP @ 85%working

Squat main

3 × 4 @ 85%working
1 × 4+ AMRAP @ 85%working

Overhead Press main

4 × 8 @ 76.5%working

Chinups main

Bodyweight chinups. Go for heavy sets of 4.

4 × 4 · Bodyweightworking

Week 10

3 sessions

Day 1 · Day 1 (Week B)

Bench Press main

4 × 8 @ 76.5%working

Deadlift main

4 × 8 @ 76.5%working

Overhead Press main

4 × 4 @ 85%working

Barbell Row main

4 × 4 @ 85%working

Day 2 · Day 2 (Week B)

Bench Press main

4 × 4 @ 85%working

Squat main

4 × 8 @ 76.5%working

Overhead Press main

4 × 8 @ 76.5%working

Chinups main

Bodyweight chinups for volume.

4 × 8 · Bodyweightworking

Day 3 · Day 3 (Week B)

Bench Press main

4 × 8 @ 76.5%working

Deadlift main

3 × 4 @ 85%working
1 × 4+ AMRAP @ 85%working

Overhead Press main

3 × 4 @ 85%working
1 × 4+ AMRAP @ 85%working

Barbell Row main

4 × 8 @ 76.5%working

Week 11

3 sessions

Day 1 · Day 1 (Week A)

Bench Press main

4 × 4 @ 85%working

Squat main

4 × 8 @ 76.5%working

Overhead Press main

4 × 8 @ 76.5%working

Chinups main

Bodyweight chinups. Add weight via belt if too easy.

4 × 8 · Bodyweightworking

Day 2 · Day 2 (Week A)

Bench Press main

4 × 8 @ 76.5%working

Deadlift main

4 × 4 @ 85%working

Overhead Press main

4 × 4 @ 85%working

Barbell Row main

4 × 8 @ 76.5%working

Day 3 · Day 3 (Week A)

Bench Press main

3 × 4 @ 85%working
1 × 4+ AMRAP @ 85%working

Squat main

3 × 4 @ 85%working
1 × 4+ AMRAP @ 85%working

Overhead Press main

4 × 8 @ 76.5%working

Chinups main

Bodyweight chinups. Go for heavy sets of 4.

4 × 4 · Bodyweightworking

Week 12

3 sessions

Day 1 · Day 1 (Week B)

Bench Press main

4 × 8 @ 76.5%working

Deadlift main

4 × 8 @ 76.5%working

Overhead Press main

4 × 4 @ 85%working

Barbell Row main

4 × 4 @ 85%working

Day 2 · Day 2 (Week B)

Bench Press main

4 × 4 @ 85%working

Squat main

4 × 8 @ 76.5%working

Overhead Press main

4 × 8 @ 76.5%working

Chinups main

Bodyweight chinups for volume.

4 × 8 · Bodyweightworking

Day 3 · Day 3 (Week B)

Bench Press main

4 × 8 @ 76.5%working

Deadlift main

3 × 4 @ 85%working
1 × 4+ AMRAP @ 85%working

Overhead Press main

3 × 4 @ 85%working
1 × 4+ AMRAP @ 85%working

Barbell Row main

4 × 8 @ 76.5%working