Proven program, faithfully implemented
Bigger Leaner Stronger
Bigger Leaner Stronger is a strength + hypertrophy programme from Mike Matthews (Legion Athletics). Unlike 5/3/1 and Juggernaut, BLS does not use percentages of a Training Max — it uses double progression against a per-exercise working weight.
About the program
Created by: Michael Matthews — Bigger Leaner Stronger — official workout routines (free bonus).
- Creator: Mike Matthews — Legion Athletics
- Book: Bigger Leaner Stronger
- Free guide: BLS workout plan
Bigger Leaner Stronger is a trademark of its respective owner; Iron Forge is not affiliated with or endorsed by them.
Who it's for
- Best for: Both — size with steady strength gains. The 4-6 rep ranges drive real strength on compounds while the 6-8 work and accessories build muscle.
- Experience: None required. BLS was written for newcomers — Matthews explicitly teaches the lifts in the book and the auto-bumping working weight removes most of the programming decisions. A safe and well-supported entry point.
- Time: 8-week phases, 6 phases over ~year-long macrocycle, 3-5 sessions per week (you pick).
How you can run it
Bigger Leaner Stronger runs three ways, and you pick which one when you start it — Iron Forge builds the sessions to match.
- 3-day · Push / Pull / Legs
- 4-day · Push / Pull / Upper / Legs
- 5-day · Push / Pull / Upper A / Legs / Upper B
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. Shown below: the 3-day · Push / Pull / Legs layout — see “How you can run it” above for the rest.
Phase 1
Push
- Barbell Bench Press — 3×4-6
- + 3 more exercises
Pull
- Deadlift — 3×4-6
- + 3 more exercises
Legs
- Barbell Squat — 3×4-6
- + 3 more exercises
Phase 2
Push
- Incline Barbell Bench Press — 3×4-6
- + 3 more exercises
Pull
- Deadlift — 3×4-6
- + 3 more exercises
Legs
- Barbell Squat — 3×4-6
- + 3 more exercises
Phase 3
Push
- Dumbbell Bench Press — 3×4-6
- + 3 more exercises
Pull
- Deadlift — 3×4-6
- + 3 more exercises
Legs
- Barbell Squat — 3×4-6
- + 3 more exercises
Phase 4
Push
- Incline Dumbbell Bench Press — 3×4-6
- + 3 more exercises
Pull
- Deadlift — 3×4-6
- + 3 more exercises
Legs
- Barbell Squat — 3×4-6
- + 3 more exercises
Phase 5
Push
- Barbell Bench Press — 3×4-6
- + 3 more exercises
Pull
- Deadlift — 3×4-6
- + 3 more exercises
Legs
- Barbell Squat — 3×4-6
- + 3 more exercises
Phase 6
Push
- Incline Barbell Bench Press — 3×4-6
- + 3 more exercises
Pull
- Deadlift — 3×4-6
- + 3 more exercises
Legs
- Barbell Squat — 3×4-6
- + 3 more exercises
How Iron Forge runs it
How it works
Bigger Leaner Stronger is a strength-and-size barbell programme built on a handful of heavy sets per exercise and one simple rule for adding weight. Every exercise is 3 hard working sets — 4-6 reps for the day's primary lift and the compound accessories, 6-8 reps for isolation work. There are no AMRAP sets and no percentages to calculate: each exercise carries its own working weight, and you push it up by double progression — hit the top of the rep range on a set and the very next set goes up.
You train 3, 4 or 5 days a week, and you pick the split at the start of each phase. A phase is 8 weeks of the same workouts followed by a one-week deload; six phases (the last without a deload) make up the full 53-week programme, and the exercise roster rotates every phase.
Load and progression
Every exercise is 3 hard sets in one of two rep ranges:
- 4-6 reps for the day's primary lift and most compound accessories
- 6-8 reps for isolation/pump accessories
No AMRAP sets. The whole point is that every set is a clean 3 hard sets within the prescribed range.
This is the engine of BLS. Hit the top of the rep range on a set, and the next set goes up.
- Get 6 reps in a 4-6 set → next set: +10 lb5 kg (lower body) or +5 lb (upper body) — kg equivalents 5 / 2.5.
- Land anywhere inside the range (4-5 in a 4-6 set) → next set: same weight, just keep working.
- Drop below the bottom of the range on the bumped weight (e.g. only 3 reps after a bump) → next set: drop the weight by 5 lb / 2.5 kg.
The bump applies on the very next set, not at the end of the workout. This is straight from Matthews: "If your BLS workout calls for 4-to-6 reps of the deadlift and you get 6 reps for a set, add 10 pounds to your next set."
BLS tracks the working weight separately for every exercise — Squat, Bench Press, Triceps Pushdown, Lat Pulldown, all of them. When you start a new phase, exercises you've trained before pre-fill from your last working weight; new exercises get a starting-weight wizard. For some new exercises you'll need a session or two to dial in the right weight — that's expected.
Phases and deloads
| Term | In BLS | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Microcycle | One week of training (3, 4, or 5 sessions) | 1 week |
| Mesocycle | One phase — 8 weeks of the same workouts | 8 weeks |
| Macrocycle | The whole programme: 6 phases + 5 inter-phase deload weeks | 53 weeks |
Phase 6 has no trailing deload (the programme is over). Phases 1-5 each end with a one-week deload at reduced volume.
After 8 weeks of the same workouts, you take a deload week before moving to the next phase. The deload uses the same exercises but at reduced volume: 2 sets × 2 reps for compounds, 2 sets × 4 reps for isolation. Skip the auto-bump rules during deload — your working weight is preserved going into the next phase.
Days and equipment
You pick your training frequency at the start of every phase. The default is the 4-day split. Change it in the corner of the start-block screen — circumstances change over a year and BLS is designed to flex.
| Schedule | Days |
|---|---|
| 3-day | Push, Pull, Legs |
| 4-day | Push, Pull, Upper Body, Legs |
| 5-day | Push, Pull, Upper Body A, Legs, Upper Body B |
If your equipment profile doesn't include cables or selectorised machines, the workout generator quietly substitutes free-weight or bodyweight alternatives at the start of each phase: Lat Pulldown becomes Pull-up; Triceps Pushdown becomes DB Overhead Triceps Extension; Seated Cable Row becomes Barbell Row or T-Bar Row; Leg Press becomes Goblet Squat; Leg Curl becomes Romanian Deadlift; Machine Reverse Fly becomes DB Bent-Over Reverse Fly.
Bigger Leaner Stronger in Iron Forge
FAQ
- How many sets and reps?
Three hard working sets of the big compounds in the 4–6 rep range, and accessory/isolation work in the 6–8 range. Quality heavy sets, not endless volume.
- How do I add weight?
Double progression: hit the top of the rep range on a set → add weight (about 2.5 kg/5 lb upper body) and work back up. Drop below the bottom of the range → reduce.
- How long should I rest between sets?
About 3–4 minutes on the heavy compounds so you can actually hit your reps, and less (roughly 1–2 minutes) on isolation work.
- How many days a week is it?
Classically a 5-day split. Iron Forge runs all three — 3-day, 4-day and 5-day — and you choose which when you start the programme. Pick the frequency you can train consistently.
- What are the deloads for?
Between phases you run a lighter, reduced-volume week (weight preserved) to recover and come back fresh for the next block of progression.
- Is BLS good for beginners?
Yes — it's beginner-friendly and compound-focused, and the double-progression scheme is simple to run. It carries you well into the intermediate stage.
- Do I need to warm up before the working sets?
Yes — the source prescribes a warm-up before your 3 hard working sets. Ramp up with a few light sets to your working weight (the app's guided warm-up can build this ramp for you); the sets shown in the app are the hard work sets, not the warm-up.
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