As simple as the Novice Linear Progression (NLP) is, there is an awful lot of opportunity to mess it up. Mistakes usually come at points when a slight program adjustment is needed, but either too drastic a change is made or no change is made at all. This leads to lots of preventable problems.

I’ve been putting people through the NLP since 2012 and have made plenty of mistakes. In that time, I have learned from my lifters and other coaches. I have refined my process to what you see here.

This article is a roadmap made from what I believe to be best practices for running a smooth NLP. This is certainly not the only way to do it, but I have found it to be extremely reliable. This approach produces 16-weeks of NLP at a minimum. I’ve seen men and women in their 40s go 6-months, while virtually eliminating the common bottlenecks.

So, if you have experienced frustration due to frequent stalls, resets, and injury, just follow the path laid out for you here.

But first, the ground rules.

I’m not going to waste a bunch of space on rehashing what has already been covered very thoroughly. Instead, I am going to point you to some resources so you can get the most out of this. Do not make the mistake of ignoring these articles.

Incremental Increases – This article discusses some of the key variables in selecting appropriate weight increases for the lifts.

The First Three Questions – The most important questions a person can ask himself during the NLP. Ask them every session. Make it a habit. Do not make a program change before answering the questions.

Sleep – Some stuff you know and some stuff you may not know about getting quality sleep.

Protein and Barbell Training – A great summary of muscle protein synthesis, and practical advice for protein requirements.

Interpreting Failure – SSC Andrew Lewis gives practical advice on what causes a missed rep and what to do about it.

Bench Press Safety – Do not die for the bench press. Have a spotter, set your safeties appropriately, and do not collar the bar. If you are benching alone and get stuck you want to be able to tilt the bar so the plates slide off.  

The Phases of the NLP

Moving from one phase to the next is like shifting gears in a car. As the RPM increase, you are running out of room to reach a top speed. Shifting to the next gear drops the RPM and buys more room for speed. As you reach the upper limit of weight with a particular set/rep scheme you switch to the next scheme to buy room for more weight on the bar.

---

Moving to the next phase is indicated by a failed rep. An exception to this is the bench press. It’s a bit easier to tell how grindy a bench rep is than the other lifts. If you barely locked out the 4^th rep you should probably just rack the bar. Be sure to answer the three questions! If you identify and make appropriate changes and still miss reps, move to the next phase.

Each phase has its own shelf life. You may get several weeks of progress on one phase, but only several workouts on the next. Don’t try to set a strict time frame for each.

Squat

Which track do I take? – As a general rule, men will use track 1 and women will use track 2. There are times when this is flipped, such as an above-average woman responding better to track 1 and a below-average man responding better to track 2. Don’t worry about that now though. Men, track 1. Women, track 2. And if you are offended by potentially being called “below average” you can leave me a “Hater’s Comment” and I will get back to you in 3-4 business years.

Track 1: Men

Phase 1 – This is the starting line. Unless very detrained, everyone begins here. Heavy squats are done three times per week for 3x5 and weight is added each session. An ideal schedule would be Monday/Wednesday/Friday or Tuesday/Thursday/Saturday.

Phase 2 – After a number of weeks, you’re now producing enough stress to where you cannot recover in a 48-hour window. The Stress/Recovery/Adaptation Cycle (SRA) has to be stretched out a bit. The mid-week session becomes a light squat. This is approximately 80% of the previous heavy day and still done for 3x5.

Phase 3 – The next phase uses a top set of 5 with 2 back-off sets. Back-offs are approximately 90% of the top set weight. Pay close attention to the load on the back-off sets, as they should maintain approximately a 10% separation from the top set. This means sometimes the weight of back-offs will remain unchanged for a couple of sessions.

Use the back-off sets to calculate the light day squat. So if you did 250x5x2 for your backoffs, then your light squats will be 225x5x3.

Phase 4 – The top set goes from 5 reps to 3 reps. The back-offs can stay at 2x5, or go to 3x3. This is also a good place to remove the light squats from the middle of the week, provided technique is dialed in.

Phase 5 – The top set of 3 becomes a top set of 1 or 2 reps. Exercise some discretion with including singles. They aren’t absolutely necessary, or even desirable for some populations. It would be totally acceptable to reset back to 3x5 at this point. But if you’re feeling frisky and want to test yourself, go for it.

After Phase 5, I recommend resetting back to Phase 2 and making another run. It’s tempting to move to an intermediate template, but just know there is still a lot of progress to be made by doing a simple reset. You already have experience with this programming and know what to expect. Switching to an intermediate template will add layers of complication that may only derail you.

If you reset, just look back through your training log and see where you finished Phase 2. Let’s say it ended at 250x5x3. Start the new training cycle at 255x5x3 and leave out the light squats.

Track 2: Women

Phase 1 – Women will begin with the same programming as men. Heavy squats are done three times per week for 3x5 and weight is added each session. An ideal schedule would be Monday/Wednesday/Friday or Tuesday/Thursday/Saturday.

Phase 2 – Sets of 5 reps are no longer stressful enough. Sets of 3 are heavier, and are needed to keep the neuromuscular system recruiting as much muscle per rep as possible, while also keeping the total reps at 15. For a more detailed explanation as to why, read Do Your 3s, Ladies.

A light squat day may or may not be needed yet. If they are, a 20% reduction in weight might be too much. I suggest starting with 15%.

Phase 3 – Two top sets of 3 are followed by back-offs of 3x3. Initially, do a 10% reduction from the top set. But if it’s too easy (be honest with yourself) it may need to be adjusted to 7-8%.

Phase 4 – The final phase uses 3 singles, followed by 4 sets of 3 reps. These can be tough sessions. You are lifting near the edge of your current ability, but the light at the end of the tunnel draws near.

The light squat may have been omitted by now, provided technique is solid and consistent.

After Phase 4, reset to Phase 2. If you have been doing a light squat, keep it for now. If not, continue to leave it out.

Again, I know an intermediate template looks really good right now, but you will have more predictable progress with a simple reset.

Press

The press programming is straight forward. There are no considerations made for genetic endowment. There are no light days. Just a progression of sets and reps that allow for session-to-session weight increases across the entirety of the NLP.

Unlike the squat, bench press, and deadlift, missing reps on the press is less an indication to move to the next phase. The press is very intolerant of errors. Most of your misses will be due to floppy wrists, dropping your elbows, and pushing the bar out in front of you. Be diligent in your hand placement, elbow position, and bar path. And stay very tight. These are not arbitrary. Give yourself the chance to correct form errors before changing the program.

Phase 1 – Start with 3x5 just like the squat and bench press. A lighter bar will be needed if you cannot do 5s with a standard 45-lb bar. If you don’t have access to a lighter bar, see if you can manage sets of 3 reps with the 45-lb bar. In this case it’s acceptable to start in phase 2. The last resort is to do bench press every session until a press can be done with the empty bar.

Phase 2 – Sets of 5 become sets of 3, but the total reps are kept at 15 with 5 sets. Be careful with your weight increases from this point forward. Small jumps will yield more consistent results.

Phase 2B – The primary goal is to accumulate the total reps without having to drop weight. It’s perfectly okay if your session goes something like 3,3,3,2,2,1,1. And you will likely enter this phase by force, rather than by choice. The downside of this scheme is it can result in a ton of missed reps, which burns energy.

If you get tired of this you can switch to phase 3 or 4 at any time.

Phase 3 – Seven sets of 2 is my default after 3s. My lifters usually cringe when they see this, but it works very well for producing consistent reps.

Phase 4 – I have seen people do singles for several weeks (mostly women) before finally reaching a limit. For me, the decision to do 10 singles versus 15 is mostly logistical. Sometimes there just isn’t enough time. Sometimes it’s psychological. The lifter would rather eat metal shavings than do 15 press singles – I completely understand. Carve out the time to get at least 10, but more is better.

The press is a fickle creature.

For some, the Compressed Texas Method is the way to go after Phase 4. I’ve also seen great results by resetting and running the NLP again, albeit more aggressively the second time around. Hit a couple PR 3x5s and move back to 3s as soon as possible.

Deadlift

This lift sees the greatest shift in exercise variation and frequency of heavy and light days. Several examples are included to help illustrate how the varied pulling programs can be organized. The set/rep progression for the pulling exercises are as follows:

• Deadlift and Rack Pull: 1x5, 2x3, 3x2, 5x1
• Power Clean: 5x3, 5x2, 10x1
• Barbell Row: 3x8, 3-4x6, 3-4x5
• Lat Pulldown: 3x8-10
• Chins: 3-4xFailure

Phase 1 – Deadlifts start off being done 3-times per week for 1 set of 5 reps. Around the time 2x3 is needed is also a good time to consider the next change. If you are a low responder to training, I suggest alternating deadlifts and rack pulls while keeping the frequency at 3-times per week. I have found this to be a very powerful training stimulus for women. Here is what that looks like:

Phase 1	Monday	Wednesday	Friday
Week 1	Deadlift	Rack Pull	Deadlift
Week 2	Rack Pull	Deadlift	Rack Pull

Phase 2 – The frequency of heavy pulling is reduced from 3-times to 2-times per week, placing them at the beginning and end of the training week. You’re probably doing a light squat by now too, making the middle training day a nice reprieve.

Here are a couple of examples of what this can look like:

Example 1: Deadlifts are on Monday and Friday. Notice how power cleans are 3-times per week. Monday and Friday’s power cleans are only done for 3x3, as part of the deadlift warmup. When first learning power cleans it is critical that the frequency be high. Including a few sets before the deadlift allows for much needed practice. Wednesday is for the full power clean session. If you cannot rack a power clean, a power snatch may be more useful. As you get more proficient the practice on Monday and Friday can be phased out, but it’s fine if you want to leave it in.

Phase 2	Monday	Wednesday	Friday
Weekly	Power Clean Deadlift	Power Clean	Power Clean Deadlift

Example 2: Along with adding the power clean, the deadlift is replaced with a rack pull on Friday.

Phase 2	Monday	Wednesday	Friday
Weekly	Power Clean Deadlift	Power Clean	Power Clean Rack Pull

Example 3: If you have excluded yourself from cleans and snatches, then this is your next move. But before you do that, read When to Omit the Power Clean.

Phase 2	Monday	Wednesday	Friday
Weekly	Deadlift	Barbell Row OR Lat Pulldown OR Chins	Deadlift OR Rack Pull

Phase 3 – Technically speaking, once the heavy pulls are moved to once per week this is an intermediate program. I have included this phase as part of the NLP because there is a damn good chance every other lift will either still be on the NLP, or will be making a second run through the phases as I recommended. This addition will reduce confusion on programming the pulls.

This example has cleans being done at the beginning and end of the week, with deadlifts or rack pulls in the middle. Chins or lat pulls can be included at the beginning and end of the week.

Phase 3	Monday	Wednesday	Friday
Weekly	Power Clean	Deadlift/Rack Pull	Power Clean

The sets/reps can be reset as often as necessary. You may also choose to cycle 5s, 3s, 1s week to week. Do not reset the pulling program back to heavy deadlifts 3x per week.

Bench Press

Which track do I take? Again, men, track 1, women, track 2. There are exceptions to this just as the squat, but let’s keep it simple for now.

Set your safeties so you don’t die. Properly set safeties will prevent the bar from making contact with your throat. Have a spotter, and don’t collar the bar so that in an emergency you can unload the plates by tilting the bar, thus saving your life at the expense of the floor.

Track 1: Men

Phase 1 – The bench press starts with 3x5, and frequently needs a lighter bar. If you don’t have access to a light bar, see if you can manage sets of 3 reps with the 45-lb bar. In this case it’s acceptable to start in Track 2, Phase 2.

Phase 2 – One top set of 5 is performed and back-off sets are introduced. Back-offs are approximately 90% of the top set weight. Pay close attention to the load on the back-off sets, as they should maintain approximately a 10% separation from the top set. Micro-loading becomes very useful if not absolutely necessary here.

Phase 3 – The top set of 5 becomes 1-2 sets of 3 reps. Back-off sets should be able to remain at 2x5 for a little longer, provided you have not been loading too aggressively.

Phase 4 – The top set of 3 becomes 1-2 sets of 2 reps. Back-offs of 2x5 become 3x3. The total volume still needs to be around 15 reps.

Phase 5 – Doubles become singles and the back-off sets remain at 3 reps. The number of singles and back-off sets you do are dependent on your tolerance to each. Aim for about 15 total reps. Once this phase has run its course, do yourself a favor and just reset back to 3x5. You will enjoy some PR 5s right off the bat.

Track 2: Women

Phase 1 – The bench press starts with 3x5, and frequently needs a lighter bar. If you don’t have access to a light bar, see if you can manage sets of 3 reps with the 45-lb bar. In this case it’s acceptable to start in phase 2.

Phase 2 – Just like the press, 3x5 becomes 5x3. It’s a smart move to start micro-loading soon, if you have not done so already.

Phase 3 – Back-off sets are included after 2 top sets of 3 reps. For the back-offs, lower the weight by 5-8%. A 10% back-off might be too much. The sets may be too easy and not generate enough stress.

Phase 4 – Ah yes, 7x2 – what joy! This works just as well for the bench as it does for the press.

As this phase comes to an end it’s perfectly acceptable to reset and adjust programming, but if you have the appetite for singles, move to Phase 5. Consider it a bonus round. The press kind of needs the heavier singles, whereas the bench press, not as much.

Phase 5 – Just like the press, I usually limit singles to 10 because of time constraints, but if you have the time and energy to do more it is probably a good idea. After Phase 5 you can reset back to 3x5 for a couple of sessions, but move back to 5x3 quickly.

There it is – a roadmap for programming a smooth NLP. Give this a shot. I hope it works well for you.

---

Discuss in Forums