Proven program, faithfully implemented
Greyskull LP
Greyskull LP is the r/Fitness wiki's bare-bones novice barbell programme, and its engine is the AMRAP top set: every lift finishes on a set taken as far as you can, and beating ten reps earns you a double jump. Every session runs in the same order — a pull, then a press, then legs.
About the program
Created by: John Sheaffer (method) / Phrak (the implemented variant) — Phrak's Greyskull LP Variant (r/Fitness wiki).
Who it's for
- Best for: A first barbell programme where your own top set decides how fast the weight climbs.
- Experience: Beginner to intermediate. It assumes the standard barbell lifts and names substitutes if you cannot yet do chin-ups.
- Time: Three days a week with a rest day between. It runs until the resets outpace the gains.
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
Session 1 — Chins · Press · Squat
- Overhead Press — 2×5, 1×5+
- + 2 more exercises
Session 2 — Rows · Bench · Deadlift
- Barbell Row — 2×5, 1×5+
- + 2 more exercises
Session 3 — Chins · Press · Squat
- Overhead Press — 2×5, 1×5+
- + 2 more exercises
Session 4 — Rows · Bench · Squat
- Barbell Row — 2×5, 1×5+
- + 2 more exercises
Session 5 — Chins · Press · Deadlift
- Overhead Press — 2×5, 1×5+
- + 2 more exercises
Session 6 — Rows · Bench · Squat
- Barbell Row — 2×5, 1×5+
- + 2 more exercises
How Iron Forge runs it
How it works
Three days a week with a rest day between each — most people run it Monday, Wednesday, Friday. Every session is a pull, then a press, then legs, in that order. Every lift is three sets of five with the last set a "5+" (as many reps as you can, stopping one or two short of failure), and the deadlift is a single 5+ set. The pulling and pressing lifts alternate in pairs from one workout to the next: chin-ups with the overhead press, then barbell rows with the bench press. Squats come twice a week and the deadlift once, so it takes six sessions for the rotation to come back round.
How the weight goes up
Add 2.5 lb1.25 kg to the upper-body lifts and 5 lb2.5 kg to the squat and deadlift between workouts, using micro-plates where you can. If your AMRAP set beats 10 reps — 11 or more — you may double that jump. If you cannot get micro-plates, the source suggests moving in 5 lb2.5 kg steps and accepting more frequent deloads, or adding 5 lb2.5 kg every other session.
When a lift stalls
Fall short of a lift's prescribed total reps — 15 across the three sets, or 5 on the single deadlift set — and that lift drops 10% next time, and you build it back up. The AMRAP sets usually carry you past the sticking point on the second climb.
If you cannot do chin-ups
The source says do negatives until you can, or substitute a palms-facing pulldown. Pick whichever you are using at the bar; once you are adding weight the app progresses it like any other upper-body lift.
Greyskull LP in Iron Forge
FAQ
- What makes Greyskull different from other beginner LPs?
The last set of each lift is an AMRAP, and beating 10 reps on it earns a double weight jump. That performance-based top set lets you progress faster on good days and self-regulates when a lift gets hard.
- How much weight do I add each session?
+2.5 lb1.25 kg on the upper-body lifts and +5 lb2.5 kg on the squat and deadlift, every time you do them. Beat 10 reps on the AMRAP set and you may double that.
- Why do the lifts keep swapping around?
The source alternates chin-ups with barbell rows and the overhead press with the bench press between workouts, pairing chin-ups with the press and rows with the bench. Squats are on two of the three weekly sessions and the deadlift on one, so the pattern only repeats after six sessions.
- Why is the deadlift only one set?
That is what the source prescribes — 1x5+, against 3x5+ for everything else. It also offers 3x5+ deadlifts as a way to add pulling volume once you want it.
- How often do I train?
Three days a week with one rest day between each — Monday, Wednesday and Friday is the example the source gives.
- What do I do when I stall?
The programme handles it: miss the lift's total reps and it drops 10% next time. Repeated stalls after the second climb mean it is time for an intermediate programme.
- Why AMRAP instead of straight 3x5?
The extra reps both build work capacity and measure your readiness that day, so progression tracks how strong you actually are rather than a fixed schedule. The source asks you to leave one or two reps in the tank rather than going to true failure.
- What if I cannot do a chin-up?
Do negatives — jump or step to the top and lower yourself slowly — until you can, or use a palms-facing pulldown instead. That is the source's own answer. The chin-up is picked at the bar here rather than given a weight, precisely because it has to cover everything from negatives to a belt with plates hanging off it.
- How do I pick my starting weights?
In the gym on day one, not from a calculation. Work up from the empty bar in small jumps and stop at the weight where bar speed starts to slow or your technique slips slightly — that is where you begin. Erring light costs you a couple of sessions; erring heavy costs you the run.
Start Greyskull LP for free today.
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