Nishaana
GZCLP generator — build your 4-day plan.
GZCLP is a beginner strength program that sorts every lift into three tiers — heavy T1, secondary T2 and accessory T3 — each with its own rep scheme and progression rule. Enter your starting weights and this generator lays out all four days with sets, reps and the exact stage rules. Free, no signup.
T2 weights start at roughly 60–70% of the T1 weight for the same lift — the generator applies 65% as a sensible default.
How GZCLP progresses.
GZCLP does not just add weight — when you fail a tier it drops you to a harder-per-set, lower-rep stage before it ever lowers the load. Here are the exact rules.
Add +2.5 kg upper / +5 kg lower each success. Fail 5×3 → try 6×2 same weight; fail that → 10×1; fail that → reset to ~85–90% and restart at 5×3.
No AMRAP. Complete all sets → add the same increments as T1. Fail 3×10 → 3×8 → 3×6, then reset the weight and restart at 3×10.
3 × 15+ Three sets of 15 with an AMRAP last set. Keep the weight until you hit 25 reps on the AMRAP set, then add a small increment and start again. Choose T3 work — rows, pulldowns, curls, ab work — to cover what the compounds miss.
The staged deload is what makes GZCLP outlast a simple 5x5: instead of resetting weight the moment you miss, you squeeze more sessions out of each load by lowering reps-per-set first (5×3 → 6×2 → 10×1), so total volume stays high while the bar keeps climbing.
How to run GZCLP
Run GZCLP four days a week over two rotating templates (A and B). Every session opens with one heavy T1 lift, follows with a lighter T2 compound, then finishes with two T3 accessories. Each main lift is trained twice a week — once as a T1, once as a T2.
The four-day rotation — A1, B1, A2, B2 — means the squat is a heavy triple on one day and a set of tens two days later, and the same is true of the bench, deadlift and press. That double exposure at two intensities is the whole point: the T1 builds strength through low reps and heavy load, while the T2 adds the volume that drives muscle growth and reinforces technique. Rest 3 to 5 minutes on T1 sets, 2 to 3 minutes on T2, and 60 to 90 seconds on the T3 accessories.
Warm up to each T1 with several ramp-up sets, then perform the working sets at the printed weight. The last T1 set is an AMRAP — push it, but stop a rep or two before form breaks, and cap it around 10 reps as the program prescribes. Log every set: GZCLP lives or dies on whether you actually beat last session, and the stage rules only work if you know exactly what you did.
Who GZCLP is for
GZCLP suits beginners and returning lifters who want a structured, four-day strength program with a bit more volume than the classic 5x5 templates. If you can recover from four sessions a week and want to build the squat, bench, deadlift and press together, it is an excellent first or second program.
If three days is your ceiling, Starting Strength or a simpler 5x5 will fit better. When GZCLP finally stops progressing — you have cycled through the stages and reset a few times — that is your cue to graduate to an intermediate percentage program like nSuns 531 LP or the classic 5/3/1. And if pure strength is not your goal, the program generator will recommend a hypertrophy-focused split matched to your days and equipment.
Related program generators.
The next programs to run — and the tracker that runs them for you.
nSuns generator
The high-volume 5/3/1 LP you graduate to when GZCLP stalls.
Open tool5/3/1 calculator
Wendler's classic 3-week percentage wave for intermediates.
Open tool1RM calculator
Estimate your maxes to pick a sensible starting weight.
Open toolProgram generator
Want size over a barbell total? Get a hypertrophy split instead.
Open toolGZCLP questions.
What is GZCLP?
GZCLP is a beginner strength program by Cody Lefever, a linear-progression version of his GZCL method. It runs four days a week and sorts every exercise into three tiers — T1 heavy compounds, T2 secondary compounds and T3 accessories — each with its own rep scheme and its own progression and failure rules.
How does GZCLP progression work?
You add weight every session you succeed: 2.5 kg (5 lb) to bench and overhead press, 5 kg (10 lb) to squat and deadlift. When you fail a tier, you drop to the next stage at the same weight — T1 goes 5×3 to 6×2 to 10×1 — and only reset the weight after failing the final stage.
What are the T1, T2 and T3 rep schemes?
T1 (heavy compounds) starts at 5×3 with an AMRAP on the last set, capped at around 10 reps. T2 (secondary compounds) starts at 3×10 with no AMRAP. T3 (accessories) starts at 3×15 with an AMRAP last set; add weight to a T3 lift once you hit 25 reps on that AMRAP set.
How do I set my starting weights for GZCLP?
Start light — the program is designed to add weight fast, so a conservative start buys you weeks of easy progress. A common rule is to begin your T1 lifts around 80 to 85 percent of a weight you could hit for a hard set of 5, or estimate your 1RM and take a fraction of it. Enter those numbers in the generator.
How many days a week is GZCLP?
GZCLP runs four days a week, rotating two workout templates (A and B) so each main lift is trained as a T1 and again as a T2 across the week. A typical layout is A1, B1, A2, B2 with rest days between as your schedule allows.
GZCLP vs StrongLifts 5x5 — which is better for a beginner?
Both are solid novice linear programs. StrongLifts 5x5 is simpler with three sessions and three lifts; GZCLP adds a fourth day, higher total volume and a tiered structure that keeps you progressing longer through its stage-based deloads. Pick GZCLP if you want more volume and a smoother stall-recovery path.
Run GZCLP on autopilot.
Free in your browser — Nishaana pre-fills every set, tracks your AMRAPs, and walks you through the stage deloads so you always know the exact weight to load next.
Try for free