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Starting StrengthWorkout calculator.

Enter your current work weights. See every session for 12 weeks with warm-up sets, power cleans from phase 2, the published progression and what to do when you stall.

Enter your numbersSee the weekly planRead the full guide

Program by Mark Rippetoe · Trainer editorial · Updated

Starting Strength 12-week plan

Enter your numbers. The whole plan updates as you type.

Squat
Press
Bench press
Deadlift
Power clean

Example numbers are loaded; replace them with yours. Loads include the 20 kg bar (change it in Your settings) and round down to your smallest jump.

Phase 1 usually lasts 1–3 weeks. Start cleans once your deadlift is heavy.
Two 1.25 kg plates make a 2.5 kg jump.

Squat · Week 12, if every session succeeds

147.5kg

Now: 60 kg. Every session is below, with warm-ups and what to do when you stall.

LiftNowWeek 12
Squat60 kg147.5 kg
Press30 kg72.5 kg
Bench press40 kg82.5 kg
Deadlift70 kg170 kg
Power clean40 kg75 kg

The sheet opens in Excel or Google Sheets: every set of every week, with empty columns for what you lift.

Week 1 · Phase 1: deadlift every session

Monday · Workout A

  • SquatWarm-up (kg): 2 × 5 at 20 · 5 at 35 · 3 at 42.5 · 2 at 503 × 560 kg
  • PressWarm-up (kg): 2 × 5 at 20 · 5 at 22.5 · 3 at 25 · 2 at 27.53 × 530 kg
  • DeadliftWarm-up (kg): 2 × 5 at 20 · 5 at 40 · 3 at 50 · 2 at 601 × 570 kg

Wednesday · Workout B

  • SquatWarm-up (kg): 2 × 5 at 20 · 5 at 35 · 3 at 45 · 2 at 52.53 × 562.5 kg
  • Bench pressWarm-up (kg): 2 × 5 at 20 · 5 at 27.5 · 3 at 30 · 2 at 353 × 540 kg
  • DeadliftWarm-up (kg): 2 × 5 at 20 · 5 at 40 · 3 at 52.5 · 2 at 62.51 × 575 kg

Friday · Workout A

  • SquatWarm-up (kg): 2 × 5 at 20 · 5 at 37.5 · 3 at 45 · 2 at 553 × 565 kg
  • PressWarm-up (kg): 2 × 5 at 20 · 5 at 25 · 3 at 27.5 · 2 at 303 × 532.5 kg
  • DeadliftWarm-up (kg): 2 × 5 at 20 · 5 at 42.5 · 3 at 55 · 2 at 67.51 × 580 kg

How it progresses

Three sessions a week, A and B in turn. Squat every session; press and bench take turns.

Add weight every time all sets are done: 2.5 kg on squat, press, bench press and power clean; 5 kg on deadlift.

A brand-new lifter starts faster: about 10 lb (5 kg) on the squat for the first 2–3 sessions and 15–20 lb on the deadlift for the first couple. Press and bench slow to 2.5 lb (about 1 kg) or less sooner than the lower body.

If you stall

Miss reps: repeat the same weight next session.

Miss it again: take that lift 8–10% lighter and build back with small jumps. A 147.5 kg squat drops to about 132.5–135 kg.

When 2–3 of these resets stall too, linear progress on that lift is over. Starting Strength's reset article uses a 5% reset with a light squat day instead.

Warm-up

Empty bar for 2 × 5, then three heavier sets up to the work weight, with 5, 3 and 2 reps. Heavier deadlifts start from the bar with a 20 kg (45 lb) plate a side; lighter ones start from the empty bar. Every lift shows its own warm-up sets.

What comes next

Phase 3, the advanced novice: Wednesday becomes a light squat day at 80% of Monday's load for 2 × 5 (about 117.5 kg after a 147.5 kg Monday), chin-ups join Workout B, and Workout A alternates deadlifts with power cleans.

When the resets stop working, move to intermediate programming such as the Texas Method.

Plan the Texas Method

Sources

Novice linear progression; exercise selection changes by phase.

Starting Strength: get started · Starting Strength

The First Three Questions · Mark Rippetoe

The Reset: Why and How · Rori Alter / Starting Strength

Every load assumes the sessions before it succeeded. Free, no signup. Your numbers stay in this browser; they are not sent to Trainer.

Use the sheet at your next session

  1. Replace the example numbers with your current weights. Set your bar in Your settings and pick the smallest jump your plates allow.
  2. Read how the plan progresses and what to do when you stall. Step through the weeks, or print every week at once.
  3. Download the sheet. In Excel, open it directly; in Google Sheets, choose File → Import → Upload.
  4. Record your actual reps and loads next to each target. When a session falls short, follow the stall rule, then update your numbers here for a fresh plan.

The downloaded file holds every set of every week, warm-ups included, with empty columns for your results. Your numbers stay in this browser, so the plan is still here when you come back after your next workout.

Read the progression and troubleshooting guide

Days / week
3
Experience
Beginner
Progression
Session by session
Focus
Strength

Version covered. Novice linear progression; exercise selection changes by phase. Independent editorial companion; no affiliation or endorsement is implied.

The people behind the program.

Primary references checked 15 October 2026. Public sources support the explanation; paid program details remain with their creators.

Frequently asked questions

Which version of Starting Strength does this cover?

Novice linear progression; exercise selection changes by phase.

How should I use the Starting Strength tool?

Enter your current work weights. See every session for 12 weeks with warm-up sets, power cleans from phase 2, the published progression and what to do when you stall.

Is this an official program spreadsheet?

This is an independent Trainer companion. Follow the original creator's instructions, especially for purchased programs. The CSV exports your calculated targets and blank result fields; it does not reproduce a paid spreadsheet or sync to the Trainer app.

A different method. A useful comparison.

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