Ivysaur 4-4-8
Lifters comfortable with the basic lifts who want rows, chin-ups and alternating heavy/volume work.
- Weekly schedule
- 3 days each week
- Program length
- 12 weeks
Battle-tested training routines
Explore proven, free strength training and powerlifting programs including Hatch Squat, Starting Strength, Greyskull LP, 5/3/1, Smolov, and Westside Conjugate. Choose your experience level, preview weekly schedules and percentages, and track workouts free in your browser.
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31 programs
Start with a comprehensive program covering the core barbell movements.
Lifters comfortable with the basic lifts who want rows, chin-ups and alternating heavy/volume work.
Newer lifters who prefer repeated sets of five and a simple alternating routine.
Late-beginner and early-intermediate lifters who want to build strength on 3×6 Heavy Days while mastering positional control with Paused Squat, Paused Bench, and Paused Deadlift.
Lifters who want lower-rep and higher-rep sessions and can choose appropriate working loads.
Intermediate lifters transitioning from high-volume muscular conditioning (Weeks 1–2) into heavy triples, doubles and a Week 6 peak.
Intermediate lifters who want to get heavier on 5×5 compound barbell lifts first, then chase a full bodybuilding pump on Chest, Back, Shoulders, Legs, and Arms.
Intermediate lifters combining 2 heavy Upper/Lower Power days (3–5 reps) with 3 high-volume bodybuilding hypertrophy days.
Lifters who enjoy training 6 days per week with a heavy barbell main lift first and high-frequency bodybuilding volume for every muscle group twice per week.
Intermediate lifters who have exhausted session-to-session linear progression and want weekly 5-rep max PRs on Squat, Bench Press, Overhead Press, and Deadlift.
Intermediate lifters transitioning off StrongLifts 5×5 or Starting Strength who respond best to ascending 5-rep ramp sets rather than 5×5 sets across.
Intermediate-to-advanced bodybuilders and powerbuilders who love high-volume, twice-per-week frequency with antagonist Chest + Back pump sessions and dedicated Shoulder + Arm days.
Lifters who want dedicated daily muscle-group focus—Monday Chest, Tuesday Back, Wednesday Shoulders, Thursday Legs, Friday Arms—anchored by a progressive barbell compound lift on each day.
Lifters seeking the sweet spot of 4 training days per week, hitting every muscle group twice weekly with moderate-to-high hypertrophy volume and progressive barbell anchors.
Late-beginner and early-intermediate lifters who want a structured tiered system: Tier 1 heavy 5×3+ strength sets, Tier 2 3×10 secondary barbell volume, and Tier 3 3×15+ hypertrophy work.
Intermediate lifters who want serious off-season size and strength through descending rep-max targets (10RM down to 1RM) paired with high-volume Tier 2 and Tier 3 bodybuilding work.
Intermediate and advanced strength athletes who dislike high-fatigue grinders and prefer submaximal, crisp 8×2 triples/doubles followed by 3×6 hypertrophy backoff work.
Intermediate and advanced powerlifters preparing for a meet or full 16-week macrocycle across Squat, Paused Bench Press, and Deadlift.
Intermediate powerlifters who respond well to frequent Squat and Bench Press practice paired with structured upper-back volume.
Intermediate lifters who love Jim Wendler’s 5/3/1 progression and want crisp, explosive 5×5 supplemental sets rather than high-fatigue 5×10 Boring But Big sets.
Lifters who want the rapid weekly Training Max gains of nSuns 5/3/1 LP condensed into a 4-day Monday/Tuesday/Thursday/Friday schedule.
High-work-capacity lifters who recover well from 6 days per week and want extra Saturday dynamic Squat and Speed Deadlift volume.
Intermediate lifters who want high-intensity barbell work (85%–100%) with manageable session length—or who want to maintain/peak strength during a fat-loss phase.
Lifters looking for an old-school, mentally tough 3-day full-body hypertrophy block anchored by a single 20-rep Breathing Squat ("Widowmaker") set.
Bodybuilders and powerbuilders looking to break through a size plateau with 10 sets of 10 reps at 60%–70% 1RM.
Bodybuilders and physique athletes who want heavy 4×6 barbell strength first and an extreme 7-set short-rest pump finisher at the end of every muscle group.
Experienced lifters familiar with exercise variations, speed work and judging heavy attempts.
Experienced bodybuilders and powerbuilders who want to beat the logbook every week using Rest-Pause clusters (8+4+2 reps) and 20-rep Squat Widowmakers.
Advanced lifters who prefer short, brutal workouts built around 1 feeder set and 1 all-out Top Set per exercise rather than high-volume marathon sessions.
Focused, high-volume work for a specific lift. These cycles are not complete whole-body plans.
Intermediate lifters running a 4-week Smolov Jr. squat block (6×6, 7×5, 8×4) while maintaining upper-body chest, shoulder, back, and arm hypertrophy.
Intermediate and advanced lifters dedicating one focused lower-body pull session per week to peak their 1-rep max Deadlift alongside speed pulls and heavy posterior-chain power circuits.
Intermediate and advanced lifters dedicating 1 pull session per week to peak their Deadlift via 4×4 volume, ascending heavy doubles, and an all-out 8+ rep backoff set.
Yes. Every program in our directory is 100% free to follow and track in your browser. We never charge subscription fees or lock percentages behind paywalls.
If you are new to barbell training, linear progression programs like Starting Strength or Greyskull LP are ideal for building technique and rapid base strength. You can also use our interactive program finder above to get a personalized recommendation.
Specialization cycles (such as Hatch Squat or Smolov) focus high training volume on a single lift to break through plateaus. They are demanding and best suited for intermediate or advanced lifters.