TemplateFree workout templates that set your weights for you
31 free workout templates, from StrongLifts 5x5 and GZCLP to 5/3/1, PHUL and push pull legs, that work out every session's weights from your own lifts.
A workout template is a written plan: which days you train, which exercises, how many sets and reps, and how the weight goes up. Most free templates are spreadsheets or PDFs, which means copying numbers into a log, doing the percentages yourself and fixing formulas when something breaks. Template Trainer's templates are live programs. Pick one, type in your current lifts once, and each session's weights are filled in for you, then raised by the template's own rules as you get stronger. All 31 are free.
Strength templates
| Template | Days a week | Level | What it's known for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starting Strength | 3 | Beginner | Two alternating full-body workouts around the squat |
| StrongLifts 5x5 | 3 | Beginner | Five sets of five, adding weight every session |
| Greyskull LP | 3 | Beginner | An all-out last set on every lift |
| GZCLP | 3 | Beginner | Three tiers per session; reps tighten when you miss |
| Madcow 5x5 | 3 | Intermediate | Weekly records instead of session-to-session jumps |
| Texas Method | 3 | Intermediate | Volume, recovery and intensity days |
| Sheiko Beginner | 3 | Beginner | Many short sets at set percentages |
| Easy Strength (Dan John) | 5 | Beginner to intermediate | Two lifts, 40 sessions, never grinding |
| 5/3/1 Boring But Big | 4 | Intermediate | Percentages of a training max plus five sets of ten |
| nSuns 531 LP | 4 | Intermediate | Nine-set main lifts off a percentage table |
| Juggernaut Method 2.0 (10s wave) | 4 | Intermediate | Accumulation, intensification and realization weeks |
| Candito 6 Week | 4 | Intermediate | A six-week block that peaks your total |
| Smolov Jr for bench press | 4 | Advanced | Three weeks of high-frequency bench |
| Westside Barbell Conjugate | 4 | Advanced | Max effort and dynamic effort days |
Bodybuilding and hypertrophy templates
| Template | Days a week | Level | What it's known for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arnold's Golden Six | 3 | Beginner | Six exercises, full body, three times a week |
| Reddit PPL | 6 | Beginner | Push, pull, legs twice a week |
| HST | 3 | Intermediate | Full body in two-week blocks of 15s, 10s and 5s |
| Generic Bulking Routine | 4 | Intermediate | Upper/lower with strict double progression |
| PHUL | 4 | Intermediate | Two power days, two hypertrophy days |
| German Volume Training | 3 sessions over 5 days | Intermediate | Ten sets of ten |
| PHAT | 5 | Intermediate | Powerbuilding with speed work |
| Y3T | 4 | Advanced | A three-week heavy, moderate and high-rep loop |
| FST-7 | 5 | Advanced | Seven-set finishers on short rests |
| Blood and Guts | 4 | Advanced | One all-out set per exercise |
More on these in the bodybuilding app page.
Athlete and power templates
| Template | Days a week | Level | What it's known for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bigger Faster Stronger rotation | 3 | Beginner | A new set-rep scheme every week |
| Olympic Weightlifting Basics | 4 | Beginner | Snatch, clean and jerk and squats |
| 5/3/1 for Athletes | 4 | Intermediate | Jumps and throws before each main lift |
| Westside for Skinny Bastards | 4 | Intermediate | Conjugate training for athletes |
| French Contrast Block | 3 | Advanced | Heavy, plyometric, light-fast and reactive circuits |
| Triphasic Training | 3 | Advanced | Eccentric, isometric and concentric blocks |
| The Bulgarian Method | 5 | Advanced | Daily maxes in the Olympic lifts |
Why a template that does the maths beats a spreadsheet
A good template answers "what do I lift next session?" A spreadsheet makes you answer it: look up last week, apply the rule, round to the nearest plate, and hope you copied it right. Template Trainer stores the rule with the template, for example "If every working set of Squat reached 5 reps, add 5 lb next session" or "Load the top set at 85% of your training max." Then it applies it for you, every session.
That matters most for the templates people get wrong on paper:
- Percentage programs like 5/3/1, nSuns and Candito load every set from your one rep max, week by week.
- Programs that react to misses like GZCLP change the reps or hold the weight when you fall short.
- Rep-range programs like PHUL and the Generic Bulking Routine add weight only when every set reaches the top of the range, then reset the reps.
See progressive overload for why the progression rule matters more than the exercises.
How to use a template
- Choose a template that matches your experience, the days you can really train and your goal. How to choose a workout program helps if you're unsure.
- Add it from the Program Library. Each card shows the template's workouts, cycle length, number of rules and which muscles it trains.
- Type in your current lifts once: a one rep max, or a recent best set of 5 that the app turns into an estimate. Templates that start from working weights let you enter those in the first week instead.
- Train from Today. The next workout is waiting with its weights. Tick sets as you go and the rest timer starts on its own.
- Change it if you need to. Swap an exercise, add a set, or edit a progression rule in the program editor. It's your copy.
Make your own template
Can't find the right one? Build your own in the program editor, with any number of workouts, exercises, sets, rep ranges, rest times and circuits, then add rules for how it progresses. You can also send a copy of any program to another Template Trainer member by email, or download it as a file to keep.
Frequently asked questions
Are these workout templates really free?
Yes. All 31 templates, the program editor and the progression rules are free, with no paid tier. Template Trainer shows a small sponsored card on some screens, never on the workout screen.
Can I download a workout template as a spreadsheet or PDF?
No. The templates run in the app, which is what lets them set your weights. You can download any program as a Template Trainer file, and export every set you've logged as a CSV.
Which workout template is best for beginners?
A simple full-body template you can run three days a week, like StrongLifts 5x5, Starting Strength, Greyskull LP, GZCLP or Arnold's Golden Six. Run it as written for 8 to 12 weeks before judging it.
Can I change a template?
Yes. Adding a program makes it yours, so you can change exercises, sets, reps and rest, and edit or add progression rules.
Does it work on my phone?
Yes. Template Trainer runs in the browser on any phone or computer, installs to your home screen like an app, and logs workouts offline.
About the author
Jordan DuBois has been lifting for 20 years and won men's lightweight bodybuilding as a natural at a 2013 NPC show in Mesa, Arizona. Jordan holds summa cum laude degrees in applied mathematics and biology from Arizona State University, and founded Template Trainer to run proven programs the way their authors wrote them.