5x5 vs PPL: StrongLifts 5x5 and the Reddit PPL add weight every workout, one on three days and the other on six. GZCLP does too, and 5/3/1 for Beginners raises a training max every three weeks. RIGOR, which made this page, adds reps up a range first. Pick one of the others if you want a fixed template.
Beginner programs compared side by side
Each line was read on the program's own page, or on the wiki page named, and links there. The programs are described in words, not copied. Weights are in pounds as the pages write them.
| Program | Next weight | Days | After a miss |
|---|---|---|---|
| StrongLifts 5x5 | Add 5 lb next workout if every set was completed | Examples train Monday, Wednesday and Friday | Repeat the weight; after three failed repeats, about 10% off |
| GZCLP (wiki) | After each workout: 5 lb on bench and press, 10 lb on squat and deadlift | Three a week, four workouts in rotation | Move to the next stage of sets and reps; after the last, restart lighter |
| Reddit PPL | Every session: 5 lb on upper lifts and squat, 10 lb on deadlift | Six | Lower the weight after three failed sessions in a row; take 10% off |
| 5/3/1 for Beginners | The wiki says a training max rises every three weeks: 5 lb upper, 10 lb lower | Three | No rise if reps broke form; the wiki says lower the max after a full cycle of misses |
| RIGOR | Every set at the top of its rep range, at about the planned effort | The example plans use 3, 4 or 6 | Same weight; two missed sessions in a row cut that lift 10% |
Cost. StrongLifts says its spreadsheets are free and its app is free to download, and its US App Store listing says the app needs a subscription to use. The Reddit PPL is a free post. The GZCLP and 5/3/1 pages read show no price, and Wendler's page points to a book and eBook for the full program. RIGOR is $59.99 a year or $9.99 a month, and either plan starts with 7 days free for a new subscriber. It is for iPhone, with no Android app.
What a week looks like in each
A linear program has a fixed list of lifts and one question after each workout: did every set get done? See StrongLifts 5x5 next to RIGOR or the Reddit PPL compared with RIGOR's plan. In RIGOR each lift has a rep range and the plan comes from your goal, days and gym.
In a linear program
- Train the fixed days: three, or six for the Reddit PPL.
- If the sets were done, add the stated weight next time.
- If not, repeat, change stage or lower, as that program says.
In RIGOR
- Tell it your goal, your days and your gym.
- Open today's workout to see each lift's sets, reps and weight.
- Log it; the next target follows the rules, and the Why sheet shows the rule.
RIGOR is a strength training app for iPhone that builds your plan and sets every weight by rules you can read.
YOUR IPHONE
Where the free programs are better
- Cost. StrongLifts, the Reddit PPL and the wiki pages cost nothing to read. RIGOR has no free plan.
- Android. StrongLifts says its app is on iOS and Android. RIGOR has no Android app.
- A fixed template. Each names its lifts and its sets. Choose GZCLP if you want a built-in answer to failing: its stages change sets and reps before the weight resets.
- Six days. The Reddit PPL is written for six days a week. Choose it if that is the schedule you want.
- Slow on purpose. 5/3/1 for Beginners raises the training max once a cycle, by the wiki's account. Choose it if you want few decisions.
If any of these decides it for you, choose that program.
Where RIGOR is better
If you would rather not run a template by hand. For a lift with history, RIGOR sets the target from your last session of it and shows the rule.
- Reps before weight. Under double progression the reps rise first and the weight follows, so a jump too big for the range waits.
- Effort counts. If a set was logged two or more reps in reserve below plan, the weight holds.
- Your gym's weights. An increase takes the next weight your gym can make, not a fixed 5 lb.
None of this makes RIGOR the better choice for everyone. For plans by days, see the 3-day full-body program, the 6-day push-pull-legs program and how to pick a split. Just starting? See how to start lifting weights.
See the reason behind every target
StrongLifts 5x5, GZCLP, the Reddit PPL and 5/3/1 for Beginners are trademarks of their owners. RIGOR is not affiliated with them.
Questions
Is 5x5 or PPL better for a beginner?
This page does not rank them. StrongLifts 5x5's examples train three days a week, the Reddit PPL six. Both add weight after a completed workout, so the choice is how many days you can train.
Should I pick GZCLP or 5/3/1?
GZCLP adds weight after every workout and changes sets and reps when you fail. 5/3/1 for Beginners raises a training max once every three weeks. The first moves fast and resets often; the second moves slowly on purpose.
What is the Reddit beginner workout?
Here it means a linear-progression push, pull, legs program posted on r/Fitness, six days a week, with one heavy lift first and lighter lifts after it. The page read is a Wayback Machine copy.
What is a linear progression workout?
A program where the weight on the bar goes up every workout. The Reddit PPL post defines it that way: add weight workout to workout, every workout.
When should a beginner use a free program instead of RIGOR?
When you want a fixed template written by someone else, a free cost, or Android. RIGOR is a paid iPhone app with no free plan: its first workout is free, and later ones need the subscription.