Proven program, faithfully implemented
r/Fitness Basic Beginner Routine
The r/Fitness Basic Beginner Routine is the wiki's starter barbell programme — two full-body sessions, A and B, alternated three days a week. What sets it apart from other novice linear programmes is that the weight goes up every single session regardless of how the last one went — the step is not earned, it is scheduled — and failure is judged on the whole lift rather than a single set: miss 15 total reps and that lift drops 10%.
About the program
Created by: r/Fitness community — The r/Fitness Basic Beginner Routine (thefitness.wiki).
Who it's for
- Best for: A first barbell programme, and only a first one — the routine sets its own expiry at three months.
- Experience: None. It starts you with an empty bar and walks you up until a set of five is honest work, and it names substitutes for chin-ups if you cannot yet do them.
- Time: Three days a week, alternating A and B, for a maximum of three months. It also asks for two cardio sessions a week.
How it's built
The shape of the program — sessions, sets and rep scheme. Iron Forge fills in the exact weights for you from your maxes.
Linear progression
Workout A
- Barbell Row — 2×5, 1×5+
- + 2 more exercises
Workout B
- Overhead Press — 2×5, 1×5+
- + 2 more exercises
How Iron Forge runs it
How it works
Two workouts, A and B, alternated with a rest day between — most people run it Monday, Wednesday, Friday. Workout A is rows, bench press and squats; Workout B is chin-ups, overhead press and deadlifts. Every lift is three sets of five, and the last set is a "5+": do as many reps as you can. Do all the sets of one lift before moving to the next, resting 2-3 minutes between sets.
Adding weight
Add 2.5 lb1.25 kg to the upper-body lifts (bench, overhead press, row, chin-up) and 5 lb2.5 kg to the lower-body lifts (squat, deadlift) every time you do them — it is not conditional on how the last set went. If you get more than 10 reps on the AMRAP set, add double instead. In kilos the app scales those steps to 2.5 lb1.25 kg and 5 lb2.5 kg and then snaps them to plates you can actually load.
When you stall
The failure rule counts your whole session, not just the last set: if you fail to complete at least 15 total reps for a lift, that lift drops 10% next time so you can build back up. Three sets of five is exactly 15, so clearing the programme as written is enough.
Starting weights and chin-ups
Start with an empty barbell, do a set of five, and if it moved easily add 10-20 lb5-10 kg and go again — keep going until the weight is a real but manageable set of five. That is your starting number. If you cannot yet do chin-ups, use negatives, a lat pulldown, resistance bands or an assisted machine; pick your load at the bar each time.
How long to run it
Follow it for a maximum of three months. After that your progress is better served by moving on to a more comprehensive routine. The programme also asks for two days of cardio a week — one easier session of 15-30 minutes and one harder one of 10-15 minutes — which the app does not track.
r/Fitness Basic Beginner Routine in Iron Forge
FAQ
- Why did my weight drop when I hit my reps on the last set?
Because this programme judges the whole lift, not the last set. The rule is 15 total reps across your three sets; if you got, say, 5, 5 and then only 4, that is 14 and the lift backs off 10%. It is the one rule that makes this routine behave differently from Greyskull LP, which looks only at the AMRAP.
- Do I add weight even if the last set was bad?
Yes, as long as you made 15 total reps. The source says to add weight "each day you do the lift" without any condition on the AMRAP set. Only falling short of the total takes weight off.
- What counts as "more than 10 reps" for the double jump?
Eleven or more on the 5+ set. Ten is not more than ten, so ten earns the ordinary step.
- What if I cannot do a chin-up?
Use negatives, a lat pulldown machine, resistance bands or an assisted chin-up machine, or follow a chin-up progression. You choose the load at the bar, so log whatever you actually did.
- How is this different from Greyskull LP?
Same family and the same engine, different numbers. Greyskull doubles the jump at 10 reps on a 5+ set and deloads when you miss the AMRAP; this one doubles above 10 and deloads on total reps. It also runs all six lifts for 3×5+ rather than pairing straight sets with accessory work.
- Is three months really the limit?
That is what the source says: run it for at most three months, then move to a more comprehensive routine. The block here is 12 weeks for that reason.
- How do I pick my starting weights?
In the gym, on day one. Start with an empty bar and do a set of five; if that was easy with good form, put another 10 to 20 lb5 to 10 kg on and go again, until a set of five is a genuine effort. That is your starting weight, and it is meant to feel too light for the first fortnight.
- Which days do I train?
Three a week with a rest day between — Monday, Wednesday, Friday is the usual answer — alternating the two workouts. Because there are two of them and three sessions a week, you get A-B-A one week and B-A-B the next.
- What about the cardio the routine asks for?
It is part of the source and it is not generated here, so you have to arrange it yourself: at least two sessions a week, one easy one of fifteen to thirty minutes and one hard one of ten to fifteen. The app tracks barbell work, so it would be pretending to schedule it.
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