Best Reddit Workout Programs: 7 Reddit Routines and Who Each Is For
The best Reddit workout program for most new lifters is the r/Fitness Basic Beginner Routine or GZCLP, both three barbell days a week; Reddit PPL suits beginners who want six days, and the Dumbbell Stopgap and r/bodyweightfitness Recommended Routine cover training at home. All seven programs below are free, written by Reddit users, and progress by adding weight or reps on a fixed rule.
What are the best Reddit workout programs?
These are seven free, Reddit-born programs from the r/Fitness and r/bodyweightfitness wikis, ordered from first barbell program to home options.
- Best first barbell program: r/Fitness Basic Beginner Routine — six lifts, two workouts, weight added every session.
- Best for beginners who want to keep progressing: GZCLP by Cody LeFever — rep schemes that change when you stall, so the program lasts longer.
- Best six-day muscle builder: Reddit PPL by u/Metallicdpa — barbell lifts plus bodybuilding accessories.
- Best for strength after a beginner program: nSuns LP by u/nSuns — weekly test sets drive the training max.
- Best with dumbbells only: Dumbbell Stopgap by u/Cammorak — four exercises a session for a gym or home with only dumbbells.
- Best dumbbell program for muscle: Dumbbell PPL by u/gregariousHermit — more exercises and higher reps than the Stopgap.
- Best for bodyweight training at home: r/bodyweightfitness Recommended Routine — exercise ladders from easy to hard.
| Program | Created by | Days a week | Equipment | Level | How it progresses |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Basic Beginner Routine | r/Fitness wiki | 3 + 2 cardio | Barbell, pull-up bar | New lifter | Weight every session |
| GZCLP | Cody LeFever | 3 or 4 | Barbell, cable, dumbbells | New lifter | Weight every session; rep scheme changes on a stall |
| Reddit PPL | u/Metallicdpa | 6 | Full gym | New lifter | Weight every session on main lifts; accessories at 3×12 |
| nSuns LP | u/nSuns | 4, 5 or 6 | Full gym | Past a beginner program | Training max raised weekly from a test set |
| Dumbbell Stopgap | u/Cammorak | 3 | Dumbbell rack or adjustable dumbbells | New lifter | Heavier dumbbells at 3×10 |
| Dumbbell PPL | u/gregariousHermit | 6, or 3 of every 4 days | Dumbbells, bench, pull-up bar | New lifter | Heavier dumbbells at 3×12 |
| Bodyweight Recommended Routine | r/bodyweightfitness | 3 | Pull-up bar, dip bars or rings | New lifter | Harder exercise at 3×8 |
Which Reddit program should you pick?
Pick by the equipment you can reach and the days you can train, then by how much you have lifted before.
- Never lifted, 3 days, gym: the Basic Beginner Routine, or GZCLP if you want a program that adapts when you stall.
- New, can train 6 days, wants size: Reddit PPL.
- Linear gains have stopped: nSuns LP if you want a strength focus.
- Dumbbells only, at home or in a gym: the Dumbbell Stopgap; move to the Dumbbell PPL once you add a bench and a pull-up bar.
- Home, nothing but a bar or rings: the r/bodyweightfitness Recommended Routine.
Three barbell days a week sits inside the 2–3 days the American College of Sports Medicine recommends for new lifters (ACSM position stand, Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, 2009).
How were these programs chosen?
- Scope: routines listed on the r/Fitness wiki's recommended-routines page and the r/bodyweightfitness wiki, as of November 2026.
- Method: each program is described from its own wiki page or the creator's original post, not from a summary site. We did not run the programs for this article.
- What we compared: days a week, equipment, the level it is written for, and the rule that decides when the weight goes up.
- Left out: programs sold as books or tied to a coach's brand, even when Reddit discusses them, and programs that did not start on Reddit.
- Disclosure: we make JEFIT. None of these programs are made by JEFIT, and none of them is affiliated with JEFIT; they belong to the Reddit users and coaches credited below.
1. r/Fitness Basic Beginner Routine: best first barbell program
The r/Fitness Basic Beginner Routine is a 3-day barbell program that alternates two workouts of three lifts each, with 3 sets of 5 reps and the last set taken for as many reps as possible (AMRAP) (r/Fitness wiki).
| Workout A | Workout B |
|---|---|
| Barbell row 3×5+ | Chin-ups 3×5+ |
| Bench press 3×5+ | Overhead press 3×5+ |
| Squat 3×5+ | Deadlift 3×5+ |
- Schedule: A and B on alternating days with a rest day between, such as Monday, Wednesday and Friday, plus two cardio sessions a week: one easy 15–30 minutes, one hard 10–15 minutes.
- Progression: add 2.5 lb to upper-body lifts and 5 lb to squats and deadlifts each session. If the AMRAP set passes 10 reps, double the jump.
- When it stalls: fewer than 15 total reps on a lift means a 10% cut on that lift next time.
- How long: the wiki caps it at about three months, then points you to GZCLP and other recommended routines.
- Where it comes from: the Basic Beginner Routine is the r/Fitness wiki's simplified successor to Phrak's Greyskull LP.
- Watch out: there is no direct arm, calf or rear-delt work. That is by design for the first months.
- In JEFIT: a member-shared copy, r/Fitness Basic Beginner Routine, links back to the wiki; set the row to 3×5 and swap in a plain chin-up before you start.
2. GZCLP: best for beginners who want to keep progressing
GZCLP is a linear progression by powerlifter and coach Cody LeFever that sorts each workout into three tiers: one heavy main lift, one lighter volume lift and one accessory (r/Fitness wiki).
- Schedule: four workouts rotated across three or four days a week, so a weekday doesn't always get the same session.
- Tiers: Tier 1 starts at 5×3 with an AMRAP last set, Tier 2 at 3×10, Tier 3 at 3×15 with an AMRAP last set.
- Progression: 5 lb a session on the bench and overhead press, 10 lb on the squat and deadlift.
- When it stalls: instead of cutting the weight, change the rep scheme. Tier 1 moves from 5×3 to 6×2 to 10×1, Tier 2 from 3×10 to 3×8 to 3×6. Tier 3 adds weight once the last set reaches 25 reps. Failing Tier 1's last stage means testing a new 5-rep max and restarting at 85% of it.
- Watch out: the stage rules take a page to learn. Write them down before your first session.
- In JEFIT: GZCLP reddit, a member copy downloaded 481 times.
Main lifts: squat, bench press, overhead press, deadlift; accessories: lat pulldown and dumbbell row.
3. Reddit PPL: best six-day muscle builder
Reddit PPL is a linear-progression push/pull/legs program by u/Metallicdpa (often spelled Metallicadpa) that trains six days a week with a heavy barbell lift and a top set at the start of each session, then 4–5 accessories for size (r/Fitness wiki archive).
| Pull | Push | Legs |
|---|---|---|
| Deadlift 1×5+ or barbell row 4×5, 1×5+ (alternate) | Bench or overhead press 4×5, 1×5+ (alternate) | Squat 2×5, 1×5+ |
| Pulldowns or pull-ups 3×8–12 | The other press 3×8–12 | Romanian deadlift 3×8–12 |
| Seated cable row 3×8–12 | Incline dumbbell press 3×8–12 | Leg press 3×8–12 |
| Face pulls 5×15–20 | Triceps pushdowns 3×8–12 + lateral raises 3×15–20 | Leg curls 3×8–12 |
| Hammer curls 4×8–12 and dumbbell curls 4×8–12 | Overhead triceps extensions 3×8–12 + lateral raises 3×15–20 | Calf raises 5×8–12 |
- Schedule: pull, push, legs twice through with one rest day, either PPL-rest-PPL or PPLPPL-rest.
- Progression: main lifts go up every session, 2.5 kg (5 lb) for bench, overhead press, rows and squats, 5 kg (10 lb) for deadlifts. Accessories go up once all sets reach 12 reps.
- When it stalls: fail the same session three times in a row, then take about 10% off and build back.
- Watch out: the author writes it for beginners only. Once a session-to-session jump stops sticking, it is time for a weekly scheme.
- In JEFIT: Reddit Metallicadpa's Beginner PPL, a member copy downloaded 8,613 times. For a 6-day push pull legs plan with every set, rep and rest time, see the push pull legs split guide.
4. nSuns LP: best for strength after a beginner program
nSuns LP is a high-volume, percentage-based program by Reddit user nSuns in which one AMRAP set a week decides how much your training max goes up (r/Fitness wiki).
- Schedule: 4-, 5- or 6-day versions; each day has two programmed lifts, then accessories you choose.
- Training max: start at 90% of your one-rep max; every working set is a percentage of it.
- Progression: the weekly "1+" set sets the next week's jump: 0–1 reps, no change; 2–3 reps, +5 lb; 4–5 reps, +5–10 lb; more than 5 reps, +10–15 lb.
- Watch out: sessions are long. In the member copy below, the first lift alone has nine sets on bench day.
- In JEFIT: nSuns LP, 6-day squat version, a member copy downloaded 182 times.
5. Dumbbell Stopgap: best with dumbbells only
The Dumbbell Stopgap by u/Cammorak is a 3-day program of two alternating full-body workouts for lifters with only dumbbells, at home or in a gym, written as a short-term bridge until you can reach a barbell (r/Fitness wiki archive).
| Workout A | Workout B |
|---|---|
| Bulgarian split squat or lunge 3×up to 10 | Bulgarian split squat or lunge 3×up to 10 |
| Dumbbell floor press 3×up to 10 | Seated shoulder press 3×up to 10 |
| Straight-legged deadlift 3×up to 10 | Two-dumbbell bent-over row 3×up to 10 |
| Plank 3 × max hold | Plank 3 × max hold |
- Schedule: three days with a rest day between; rest 1 minute between sets.
- Progression: reach 3×10, then move to the next dumbbell. Stuck at the same weight and reps for three workouts? Drop two weight steps and climb again.
- Watch out: it needs a dumbbell rack or an adjustable pair so the weight can go up; the author says one fixed pair won't work.
- In JEFIT: Dumbbell Stopgap, a member copy.
6. Dumbbell PPL: best dumbbell program for muscle
The Dumbbell PPL by u/gregariousHermit splits dumbbell training into push, pull and legs days of 4–5 exercises at up to 12 reps, written as a hypertrophy-focused alternative to the Stopgap (r/Fitness wiki archive).
| Push | Pull | Legs |
|---|---|---|
| Chest press | Pull-up | Goblet squat |
| Incline fly | Bent-over row | Lunge |
| Arnold press | Reverse fly | Single-leg deadlift |
| Overhead triceps extension | Shrug | Calf raise |
| Biceps curl |
- Sets and rest: 3 sets of each, as many reps as you can up to 12, 90 seconds between sets. Hanging leg raises finish every other workout.
- Schedule: push, pull, legs twice a week with one rest day, or push, pull, legs, rest on repeat.
- Progression: hit 12 reps on all three sets and use the next dumbbell next time. Three workouts with no change means two weight steps down.
- Watch out: it needs a pull-up bar and, ideally, an adjustable bench.
- In JEFIT: Reddit Dumbbell PPL (Dumbbell Stopgap Alternative), a member copy; its Legs day lists the lunge twice, so swap one for a single-leg deadlift.
7. r/bodyweightfitness Recommended Routine: best for bodyweight training at home
The r/bodyweightfitness Recommended Routine is a 3-day full-body program built on exercise ladders: you train the hardest version of each movement you can do for 5–8 reps, then move up a rung (r/bodyweightfitness wiki).
- Session: about an hour, with a 5–10 minute warm-up, then three strength pairs and a core triplet.
- Pairs: pull-up with squat progressions, dip with hinge progressions, row with push-up progressions, each 3×5–8; the core triplet is 3×8–12.
- Rest: 90 seconds between the two exercises of a pair, 60 seconds in the triplet.
- Progression: at 3×8 with clean form, switch to the next harder exercise and start again at 3×5.
- Why bodyweight pressing builds strength: in a 5-week study of trained lifters, push-ups loaded with elastic bands to a 6-rep max built similar bench press strength to the bench press (Calatayud et al., Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 2015).
- In JEFIT: no member copy follows the current routine closely, so build it yourself with the progressions you are on today.
Why do Reddit beginner programs add weight every session?
New lifters get stronger quickly, so a small jump every session keeps the weight just ahead of them for as long as that lasts. The ACSM position stand recommends raising the load 2–10% once you can do one or two reps more than the target (ACSM, 2009), and the AMRAP set in these programs is where that extra rep shows up.
The AMRAP set does not need to reach failure. The wiki pages for the Basic Beginner Routine and GZCLP ask you to stop one or two reps short, and a 2023 meta-analysis found no hypertrophy advantage for training to momentary failure over stopping short of it (Refalo et al., Sports Medicine, 2023).
Frequency is the other reason they work. The full-body programs train the legs every session and the chest, back and shoulders in at least every second session, and Reddit PPL trains every muscle twice a week. In a meta-analysis of 10 studies, higher training frequency produced a larger hypertrophy effect size than lower frequency (0.49 vs 0.30), and the authors conclude major muscles should be trained at least twice a week (Schoenfeld et al., Sports Medicine, 2016).
What should you run after a beginner program?
Move on when you stall on most lifts even after the program's own reset. The usual next steps are:
- For strength: nSuns LP, or GZCLP if you started on the Basic Beginner Routine.
- For size: a split with more sets per muscle. Weekly set count matters most here: each extra weekly set added about 0.37% to muscle growth across 15 studies (Schoenfeld et al., Journal of Sports Sciences, 2017). The 4-day upper lower split and the PPLUL split both raise it.
- For long-term progress: periodization, where training is planned in blocks instead of a weight jump every session. A common block is the mesocycle, a four-week training block that builds, peaks, then deloads. In JEFIT Elite, the Adaptive Plan runs training in mesocycles, and Periodization applies weekly adjustments to a plan you built yourself.
Still unsure which split fits your week? The workout split guide compares them by days a week.
How do you run a Reddit program in JEFIT?
Search the program's name in the JEFIT routine database, which holds 20,000+ community-built plans, save the copy that matches the original post, and log each session against it.
- Compare the copy's exercises, sets and reps with the program's wiki page before you start; member copies are made by users and some change the original.
- Log your AMRAP set reps on the last set of each main lift. The rep count tells you the next jump.
- Set the rest timer to the program's rest: 1 minute on the Dumbbell Stopgap, 90 seconds on the Dumbbell PPL, longer on heavy barbell sets.
- Check your 1RM chart after a month to see whether the main lifts are still climbing.