The Big Lifts
The twelve most-logged lifts in the world and nothing else, four days a week for eight weeks. Bench, squat, deadlift, pulldown, press, row — and the six that go with them.
- Weeks
- 3 8 weeks · with a trainer
- Days a week
- 4
- Level
- Beginner to Intermediate
- Gear
- A gym: a rack, a bench, a bar, a cable stack, a leg press and a leg extension.
The sessions Four days a week
Each session lands on its day in your calendar, with every set written in the event. Tap a movement to see it drawn.
Week 1
Day 1 Upper A
- Bench Press 4 × 6
- Barbell Row 4 × 8
- Overhead Press 3 × 8
- Lateral Raise 3 × 15
- Barbell Curl 3 × 10
Bench first while you are fresh. Rows: bar to the lower ribs, chest still.
Day 2 Lower A
- Back Squat 4 × 6
- Romanian Deadlift 3 × 8
- Leg Press 3 × 12
- Leg Extension 3 × 15
Squat first. The leg press is where the volume goes, not where the ego does.
Day 3 Upper B
- Overhead Press 4 × 6
- Lat Pulldown 4 × 10
- Bench Press 3 × 8
- Triceps Rope Pushdown 3 × 12
- Barbell Curl 3 × 10
Press first today. Pulldown to the collarbone, elbows down and in.
Day 4 Lower B
- Deadlift 3 × 5
- Leg Press 3 × 10
- Back Squat 3 × 8
- Leg Extension 3 × 15
- Lateral Raise 3 × 15
Deadlift first, every rep from a dead stop. The squat here is lighter than Lower A’s — eights, not sixes.
Week by week
- Week 1 · Introduce
- Week 2 · Build
- Week 3 · Build
- Week 4 · Deload with a trainer
- Week 5 · Push with a trainer
- Week 6 · Push with a trainer
- Week 7 · Peak with a trainer
- Week 8 · Deload and test with a trainer
What it trains
Quadriceps · Shoulders · Biceps · Chest · Hamstrings · Lats · Lower back · Middle back · Triceps
Questions
How do I add this to my calendar?
Tap Add to my calendar. Pick your days and your first session, then type your name and email. We email you a link. Open it and tap Apple Calendar, Google Calendar or Outlook. For any other app, copy the link. The plan arrives as its own calendar. Each session lands on its date with every set written in the event, so you can read it with no signal.
What do I need?
A gym: a rack, a bench, a bar, a cable stack, a leg press and a leg extension. Train 4 days a week.
What happens when the three weeks end?
You get the first three weeks free. The day after your last session, an event called “Keep going with The Big Lifts” lands in your calendar. No new sessions arrive after it. Get all 8 weeks free with a trainer. Ask your trainer for their physicalfeed page, open it and tap Move my plan here. Your calendar and what you have logged come with you. You can add a coach any time, you don't need to wait the three weeks.
Plans like this one
Get all 8 weeks free with a trainer.
Ask your trainer
physicalfeed works best with a professional trainer. If your trainer doesn’t have a physicalfeed, ask them why.