https://joinrigor.com/guides Strength training programs, calculators and the rules behind them. en Tue, 20 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://joinrigor.com/guides/gym-terms https://joinrigor.com/guides/gym-terms Gym terms in one place: sets and reps, RIR and RPE, PR, splits, equipment and slang, each in a sentence or two, with how RIGOR uses the ones it does. article Tue, 20 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://joinrigor.com/guides/how-to-start-lifting-weights https://joinrigor.com/guides/how-to-start-lifting-weights How to start lifting weights: pick your days, get a plan, find a first weight for each lift, then add reps before weight. What RIGOR does at each step. article Tue, 20 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://joinrigor.com/guides/types-of-barbells https://joinrigor.com/guides/types-of-barbells The barbell types in a gym and what each weighs: the Olympic, trap, EZ curl and 1-inch bar, with the weight RIGOR assumes for each in kg and in lb. article Tue, 20 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://joinrigor.com/guides/warm-up-sets https://joinrigor.com/guides/warm-up-sets Warm-up sets for every exercise? RIGOR gives them to loaded lifts only and trims them once a movement or muscle is warm. The rule and a worked session. article Tue, 20 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://joinrigor.com/guides/what-weight-to-lift https://joinrigor.com/guides/what-weight-to-lift How to know what weight to lift: trial sets on day one, then the log. RIGOR's rule for a first guess, a guess that was far off and a new exercise, with numbers. article Tue, 20 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://joinrigor.com/guides/does-the-bar-count-as-weight https://joinrigor.com/guides/does-the-bar-count-as-weight Yes, on a barbell the bar counts: bar plus plates is the weight. The sums for bench and deadlift, the bar weights RIGOR starts from, and the Smith machine. article Mon, 19 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://joinrigor.com/guides/fractional-plates https://joinrigor.com/guides/fractional-plates What fractional plates are used for, and how a 0.5 kg pair changes the next weight on a barbell: the sums and a session-by-session run of RIGOR's rule. article Mon, 19 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://joinrigor.com/guides/rep-ranges https://joinrigor.com/guides/rep-ranges The best rep range for hypertrophy is not one number. The range RIGOR gives each kind of lift for muscle, strength or both, the research, and why a range. article Mon, 19 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://joinrigor.com/guides/training-to-failure https://joinrigor.com/guides/training-to-failure Should you train to failure? What four published studies found on failure vs stopping short, and the reps in reserve RIGOR plans in each week. article Mon, 19 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://joinrigor.com/guides/upper-lower-full-body https://joinrigor.com/guides/upper-lower-full-body An upper day, a lower day and a full-body day. Why RIGOR builds full body at three days instead, with the two plans' weekly sets side by side. article Mon, 19 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://joinrigor.com/guides/3x10-vs-5x5 https://joinrigor.com/guides/3x10-vs-5x5 3x10 vs 5x5 compared: what the research says about muscle and strength, the volume sums, and the one rule, a rep range and a trigger, that runs both. article Sun, 18 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://joinrigor.com/guides/compound-vs-isolation-exercises https://joinrigor.com/guides/compound-vs-isolation-exercises Compound vs isolation exercises: what each is, what the studies find for muscle growth, and how a plan sets order, sets, rest and warm-up for each. article Sun, 18 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://joinrigor.com/guides/straight-sets-vs-pyramid-sets https://joinrigor.com/guides/straight-sets-vs-pyramid-sets Straight sets keep one weight; pyramid sets change it every set. What the research found, a worked example of each, and why RIGOR uses straight sets. article Sun, 18 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://joinrigor.com/guides/strength-plateau https://joinrigor.com/guides/strength-plateau A strength plateau is a lift stuck for weeks, not one bad day. What counts as stuck in RIGOR's rules, a worked example with numbers, and what to change. article Sun, 18 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://joinrigor.com/guides/first-day-at-the-gym https://joinrigor.com/guides/first-day-at-the-gym What to do on your first day at the gym: one full-body workout, how to pick each weight, what to log, and what the app sets for next time. article Sat, 17 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://joinrigor.com/guides/full-body-every-other-day https://joinrigor.com/guides/full-body-every-other-day Full body every other day gives 3 or 4 sessions a week. How a three-day plan runs on a rolling schedule in RIGOR, with the weekly sets and what studies say. article Sat, 17 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://joinrigor.com/guides/how-to-track-workouts https://joinrigor.com/guides/how-to-track-workouts How to track workouts: log the weight, reps and reps in reserve for every set, on paper or a phone. A notebook line to copy and what RIGOR does next. article Sat, 17 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://joinrigor.com/guides/plate-math https://joinrigor.com/guides/plate-math Two plates a side on a 45 lb bar is 225 lb: 45 + 4 × 45. One to four plates in lb and kg, bar included, and what RIGOR logs for each. article Sat, 17 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://joinrigor.com/guides/track-gym-progress https://joinrigor.com/guides/track-gym-progress Track gym progress with more reps at a weight, then more weight, and estimated 1RM to compare sessions. The formula, a worked log and where it misleads. article Sat, 17 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://joinrigor.com/guides/back-to-the-gym-after-a-break https://joinrigor.com/guides/back-to-the-gym-after-a-break How much weight and how many sets to cut when you return to lifting after weeks, months or years away: RIGOR's table, from 95% to 60%, with a worked example. article Fri, 16 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://joinrigor.com/guides/missed-a-week-of-gym https://joinrigor.com/guides/missed-a-week-of-gym Missed a week of gym? Strength is largely kept. What the research says about short breaks, what RIGOR changes after 7 days (nothing) and after 14. article Fri, 16 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://joinrigor.com/guides/track-progressive-overload https://joinrigor.com/guides/track-progressive-overload To track progressive overload, log weight, reps for every set and reps in reserve, then compare with last time. The three columns, a worked log and the rule. article Fri, 16 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://joinrigor.com/guides/1rm-calculator https://joinrigor.com/guides/1rm-calculator Estimate your one rep max from any set, in kg or lb. Add reps in reserve for a truer number and see the weight for each rep count. Epley formula shown. tool Sat, 10 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://joinrigor.com/guides/3-day-dumbbell-program https://joinrigor.com/guides/3-day-dumbbell-program A three-day full-body dumbbell and bench workout plan (“Dumbbells only” includes a bench), 30 to 45 minutes a session, with the progression written out. program Sat, 10 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://joinrigor.com/guides/3-day-full-body-program https://joinrigor.com/guides/3-day-full-body-program A three-day full-body routine for a commercial gym: the week, each workout, the weight to start with, and the rule that adds reps, then weight. program Sat, 10 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://joinrigor.com/guides/4-day-upper-lower-program https://joinrigor.com/guides/4-day-upper-lower-program A 4 day upper lower split workout plan for powerbuilding, on RIGOR's strength and size goal: all four workouts, sets and reps, and how the weights go up. program Sat, 10 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://joinrigor.com/guides/6-day-push-pull-legs-program https://joinrigor.com/guides/6-day-push-pull-legs-program Push, pull, legs, twice a week: all six workouts with sets, reps and rest, how the weights progress, where the deload goes, and who should not train six days. program Sat, 10 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://joinrigor.com/guides/best-workout-split https://joinrigor.com/guides/best-workout-split Full body, upper/lower or push pull legs? Pick a split by the days you can train: three, four or six a week. What each looks like and when to change. article Sat, 10 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://joinrigor.com/guides/deload-week https://joinrigor.com/guides/deload-week A deload is a planned lighter week. When to take one, how long it lasts, how much weight and how many sets to cut, and how it differs from a week off. article Sat, 10 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://joinrigor.com/guides/double-progression https://joinrigor.com/guides/double-progression Double progression means adding reps inside a range, then adding weight. The exact rule, a worked example from 90 kg to 92.5 kg and what to do when it stalls. article Sat, 10 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://joinrigor.com/guides/plate-calculator https://joinrigor.com/guides/plate-calculator Enter a weight and see the plates for each side of the bar, in kg or lb, on any bar. With a chart of how many plates make 135, 225, 315 and 405 lb. tool Sat, 10 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://joinrigor.com/guides/progressive-overload https://joinrigor.com/guides/progressive-overload Progressive overload means doing a little more over time. What to add first (reps, then weight), how fast, a worked example, and what to do when progress stops. article Sat, 10 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://joinrigor.com/guides/reps-in-reserve https://joinrigor.com/guides/reps-in-reserve Reps in reserve (RIR) is how many more reps you could have done. What each number feels like, the RIR to RPE chart, and how many to leave for muscle growth. article Sat, 10 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://joinrigor.com/guides/rest-between-sets https://joinrigor.com/guides/rest-between-sets How long to rest between sets for strength and for muscle growth, by type of lift, with the studies behind the numbers and when one minute is enough. article Sat, 10 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://joinrigor.com/guides/rigor-vs-fitbod https://joinrigor.com/guides/rigor-vs-fitbod RIGOR and Fitbod compared on price, platforms and how each builds your workout and sets the weight, each fact checked on Fitbod's own pages. Where Fitbod wins. comparison Sat, 10 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://joinrigor.com/guides/rigor-vs-hevy https://joinrigor.com/guides/rigor-vs-hevy RIGOR and Hevy compared on price, free plan, platforms and progression, each fact checked on Hevy's own pages. Who should pick which, and where Hevy wins. comparison Sat, 10 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://joinrigor.com/guides/rigor-vs-strong https://joinrigor.com/guides/rigor-vs-strong RIGOR and Strong compared on price, free limits, platforms and planning, each fact checked on Strong's own pages. Who should pick which, and where Strong wins. comparison Sat, 10 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://joinrigor.com/guides/warm-up-calculator https://joinrigor.com/guides/warm-up-calculator Enter your working weight and get each warm-up set: the empty bar, then 40%, 60% and 80%, rounded to plates you can load. In kg or lb. tool Sat, 10 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT