The 4 day
strength programme.
One main lift per session across ninety days, built around the squat, bench press, deadlift and overhead press. Phase three peaks the lifts, so the plan finishes with a number rather than a feeling.
- Length
- 90 days
- Days a week
- 4
- Sessions listed
- 12
- Equipment
- A gym with dumbbells, barbells, cables and machines.
The plan
Everything below is the actual programme, not a summary of one. Work down each session in order. The sets and reps shown are the starting prescription for that phase.
Foundation
Refine technique on the squat, press, hinge and pull while building work capacity.
Squat
| Exercise | Sets & reps |
|---|---|
| Back squat | 5 × 5 @ RPE 6 |
| Paused squat | 3 × 5 |
| Romanian deadlift | 3 × 8 |
| Plank | 3 × 45 sec |
Bench
| Exercise | Sets & reps |
|---|---|
| Bench press | 5 × 5 @ RPE 6 |
| Incline dumbbell press | 3 × 8 |
| Barbell row | 4 × 8 |
| Triceps pressdown | 3 × 12 |
Deadlift
| Exercise | Sets & reps |
|---|---|
| Deadlift | 4 × 4 @ RPE 6 |
| Front squat | 3 × 6 |
| Lat pulldown | 4 × 8 |
| Farmer carry | 4 × 30 m |
Press
| Exercise | Sets & reps |
|---|---|
| Overhead press | 5 × 5 |
| Close-grip bench | 3 × 8 |
| Pull-up / pulldown | 4 × 8 |
| Face pull | 3 × 15 |
Progression: Add repetitions within the range before increasing load. Keep technique controlled and take an easier week when needed. Rest 60-90 seconds on accessory exercises and 2-3 minutes on main lifts.
Build
Add load steadily while using assistance work to strengthen limiting positions.
Heavy Squat
| Exercise | Sets & reps |
|---|---|
| Back squat | 5 × 3 @ RPE 7-8 |
| Tempo squat | 3 × 4 |
| Romanian deadlift | 4 × 6 |
| Ab wheel | 3 × 10 |
Heavy Bench
| Exercise | Sets & reps |
|---|---|
| Bench press | 5 × 3 @ RPE 7-8 |
| Paused bench | 3 × 5 |
| Barbell row | 4 × 6 |
| Triceps extension | 3 × 10 |
Heavy Deadlift
| Exercise | Sets & reps |
|---|---|
| Deadlift | 5 × 3 @ RPE 7-8 |
| Block pull | 3 × 4 |
| Front squat | 3 × 5 |
| Weighted carry | 5 × 30 m |
Volume Press
| Exercise | Sets & reps |
|---|---|
| Overhead press | 4 × 6 |
| Close-grip bench | 4 × 6 |
| Pull-up | 4 × 6 |
| Rear-delt fly | 3 × 15 |
Progression: Add repetitions within the range before increasing load. Keep technique controlled and take an easier week when needed. Rest 60-90 seconds on accessory exercises and 2-3 minutes on main lifts.
Perform
Peak neural readiness and express strength with a controlled testing week.
Squat Peak
| Exercise | Sets & reps |
|---|---|
| Back squat | 1 × 1 + 3 × 3 |
| Paused squat | 3 × 3 |
| Romanian deadlift | 3 × 5 |
| Core brace drill | 3 × 8 |
Bench Peak
| Exercise | Sets & reps |
|---|---|
| Bench press | 1 × 1 + 4 × 3 |
| Spoto press | 3 × 4 |
| Chest-supported row | 4 × 6 |
| Triceps pressdown | 3 × 10 |
Deadlift Peak
| Exercise | Sets & reps |
|---|---|
| Deadlift | 1 × 1 + 3 × 2 |
| Speed deadlift | 5 × 2 |
| Front squat | 3 × 4 |
| Farmer carry | 3 × 40 m |
Recovery Press
| Exercise | Sets & reps |
|---|---|
| Overhead press | 3 × 5 |
| Close-grip bench | 3 × 5 |
| Lat pulldown | 3 × 8 |
| Mobility | 15 min |
Progression: Add repetitions within the range before increasing load. Keep technique controlled and take an easier week when needed. Rest 60-90 seconds on accessory exercises and 2-3 minutes on main lifts.
Days 85-90: recovery and review
Take easier activity days. Review completed sessions, movement control and energy. Keep a manageable schedule, and repeat or progress gradually. Seek qualified advice about pain or nutrition concerns.
The main lift and its assistance have different roles
The opening day starts with back-squat sets and then paused squats, a hinge and trunk work. The first lift is the main practice target; the remaining work adds its own fatigue. A paused squat is not just a second name for the main set. This template also uses effort targets, which require judgement the app cannot verify. Seek qualified instruction for unfamiliar barbell lifts; if effort scales are unfamiliar, compare the beginner gym route before using this one.
Worked log: Back squat
This fictional example uses the Back squat entry in this routine: 5 × 5 @ RPE 6. It illustrates a way to record comparable sessions, not a starting load or an individual progression prescription.
| Appearance | Log entry |
|---|---|
| First | Same load: 5/5/5/5/5; effort about 6 |
| Next | Same load: 5/5/5/5/5; setup reviewed |
| Following | Same load: 5/5/5/5/5; effort comparable |
Keep the prescribed rep count. RPE 6 is a subjective effort guide, not a measured permission to increase weight. If actual effort is much higher than intended, do not add weight merely because the next calendar week has begun. Record the effort and review the starting load.
Further reading: ACSM progression position stand. This supports general progression principles; it does not validate this particular template. See our worked progression guide for the shared method.
Reviewed 26 October 2026 by Phasebuilt. Worked examples are fictional teaching examples, not client results or individual prescriptions. No clinical review is claimed.
How to run it
Warm up for five to ten minutes before the first working set: easy movement, then one or two comfortable practice sets of the first exercise. For floor-only sessions use an easier bodyweight variation; for weighted sessions use a lighter load. Rest 60 to 90 seconds between accessory exercises and two to three minutes after main lifts.
Leave about three reps in reserve for the first fortnight of each phase. When the top of the rep range is clean on every set, add load. Compare like-for-like log entries before changing the demand. Keep fixed-repetition and effort-based prescriptions intact; the worked example below explains how to read this particular template. Progressive overload covers this in more detail.
Record what you lift. A plan you cannot compare to last week is a workout, not a programme.
Who this suits
- You want to get stronger at specific barbell lifts.
- You have access to a barbell and a rack.
- You can train four days a week and are happy with lower rep ranges.
Who it does not
- You mainly want to change how you look. Use the muscle building plan.
- You have no barbell access.
Equipment and pain
Use the listed equipment. To see a different setup, choose it in the builder. Start with easier practice repetitions of the movements you will use, then work at a controlled effort. No generic substitution can establish that an exercise is suitable for an injury. Stop painful movements and seek qualified advice.
For bodyweight sessions, progress repetitions and control before harder variations. For loaded sessions, increase load only after the prescribed repetitions feel controlled. Record what you did so you can compare the next session.
Make it yours
The plan above is one configuration. Phasebuilt will rebuild it around your goal, equipment, activity days, experience and approximate session length, and set the calorie and protein targets alongside it. It is free, takes about a minute, and runs entirely in your browser.