Five Short Days
Eight weeks of twenty-five-minute barbell days, Monday to Friday. One main lift each day and two things after it.
- Weeks
- 3 8 weeks · with a trainer
- Days a week
- 5
- Level
- Intermediate
- Gear
- A barbell, plates, a rack with a chin-up bar, and a flat bench. No cables and no machines.
The sessions Five 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 Squat
- Back Squat 4 × 8
- Walking Lunge 3 × 12 steps
- Plank 3 × 45 sec
Two minutes between squat sets and no more — the clock is part of the programme.
Day 2 Bench
- Bench Press 4 × 8
- Close-Grip Bench Press 3 × 8
- Push-up 3 × 15
Training alone: keep the top set two reps short and the pins where the bar can land. The close grip is lighter than it feels like it should be.
Day 3 Pull
- Barbell Row 4 × 10
- Pull-up 3 × 8
- Barbell Curl 3 × 12
Pull the bar into your hip, not your chest, on rows.
Day 4 Hinge
- Romanian Deadlift 4 × 8
- Hip Thrust 3 × 12
- Side Plank 3 × 30 sec each side
The Romanian deadlift stops at the knee. Nothing today comes off the floor.
Day 5 Press
- Overhead Press 4 × 8
- Barbell Shrug 3 × 12
- Dead Bug 3 × 12
Strict press — no leg drive, no leaning back. Shortest day of the week.
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
Abdominals · Chest · Quadriceps · Biceps · Glutes · Hamstrings · Lats · Middle back · Shoulders · Traps · 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 barbell, plates, a rack with a chin-up bar, and a flat bench. No cables and no machines. Train 5 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 Five Short Days” 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.
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