Proven programs, run for you
LiftRing ships 15 lifting programs that run their own progression. These guides break down each one in plain English, then the app takes over and runs it for you.
Here's where most program guides leave you hanging: now go build a spreadsheet, do the math every session, and somehow remember when to deload. LiftRing's whole pitch is that the program runs itself. Pick one of the 15 built-in routines and it pre-fills your next set's weight, applies the right jump, and tells you why in one line — "+10 lb — you hit all your reps." No programming. No math. You just lift.
This is the guides hub. Clear explainers of the strength programs people actually search for, written to be useful even if you never download a thing. Each one walks the exact structure, the sets and reps, and the progression rules — then shows you how LiftRing runs that program on iPhone without you touching a calculator.
Try LiftRing free →The program guides
- Push Pull LegsThe hypertrophy split everyone ends up running. Push, pull, and leg days, 3 or 6 times a week — where you go when beginner 5x5 stops adding plates.
- StrongLifts 5x5Five compound lifts, three days a week, more weight every session. The barbell program most beginners cut their teeth on — minus the spreadsheet.
- Starting StrengthBarbell 3×5 for novices — squat, press, deadlift. Add weight every session, and the linear progression does the rest. It's how beginners get strong fast.
- 5/3/1 ExplainedWendler's percentage-based template with an AMRAP top set. LiftRing's version is 5/3/1-inspired — we explain the real method and where ours differs, no spin.
- PHUL SplitPower Hypertrophy Upper Lower. Two heavy strength days, two higher-rep size days. A 4-day split that puts weight on the bar and size on the frame at once.
How the progression actually works
Every guide above runs on the same engine. Each of the 15 programs carries the progression method that fits it — linear progression for novice barbell work, double progression for hypertrophy splits, top-set / back-off for strength templates, and AMRAP / Greyskull-style top sets where the program asks for them.
Strong and Hevy are great logbooks. But that's what they are — they record what you type and hand the next-weight decision back to you. LiftRing decides the next weight and shows the reasoning. Fitbod decides too, and its auto-generated sessions are good, but the algorithm is a black box. Here, every recommendation comes with a plain reason you can check against your own gut. There's a full head-to-head in LiftRing vs the Strong app.
The full 15-program catalog
The guides above are the deep dives. The app ships all 15 — beginner to advanced, full barbell to dumbbells in your spare bedroom:
- Starter Full Body
- Minimalist 2-Day
- Linear Progression AMRAP (5/3/1-inspired)
- Barbell Strength 3×5 (Starting-Strength-style)
- Full Body 5×5 (StrongLifts-style)
- Tiered Progression LP
- PHUL
- Push Pull Legs
- 6-Day PPL
- Upper Lower Split
- Arnold Split
- Classic Bro Split
- Power Hypertrophy 5-Day
- Bodyweight Basics
- Dumbbell Only
Honest note: a few of these names borrow famous lineages, so let's be precise. Full Body 5×5 is StrongLifts-style and Barbell Strength 3×5 is Starting-Strength-style — our take on those methods, not the official apps or books. Linear Progression AMRAP is 5/3/1-inspired (it uses an AMRAP top set), not literal Wendler 5/3/1. We'd rather tell you exactly what you're running than dress it up.
Frequently asked questions
Which program should a beginner start with?
New to the barbell? Pick a novice linear-progression program — Full Body 5×5 (StrongLifts-style) or Barbell Strength 3×5 (Starting-Strength-style). Both add weight every session, so you get strong fast and you make almost no decisions doing it. Don't want to choose? LiftRing's onboarding recommender picks one for you from your experience and equipment.
Do I have to do the math or build a spreadsheet?
No. That's the whole reason this exists. Pick a program and LiftRing pre-fills your next set's weight, runs the jump or the deload on its own, and explains every change in one line. You never punch percentages into a calculator or count plates in your head.
Are these the official StrongLifts, Starting Strength and 5/3/1 programs?
The guides explain the real, original methods, straight. Inside the app, our versions are faithful implementations of those methods — StrongLifts-style, Starting-Strength-style, and 5/3/1-inspired — not the official branded apps or books. Each guide page spells out where ours differs, so you always know what you're actually running.
What does LiftRing cost?
Your first 3 workouts are free, with every program and feature unlocked. After that, LiftRing Pro is $4.99/month, $44.99/year, or $99.99 one-time lifetime, billed by Apple. No account to create, no data to harvest — the privacy page lays out exactly what we do and don't collect.
Is LiftRing on Android or the web?
No. LiftRing is iPhone-only. The rest timer lives on your Lock Screen as a Live Activity and in the Dynamic Island instead of a separate Watch or web app. If you want to run these programs on an iPhone without a spreadsheet, that's the whole job it was built for.
Start lifting
Read a guide above, or skip it and let the onboarding recommender pick a program for you. Either way, the program runs itself. You show up and lift.
Try LiftRing free →New here? The homepage has the full feature rundown, and support is one tap away whenever you need it.