The Recommended Routine was built and refined by the r/bodyweightfitness community as the default answer to "what routine should I start with?" The current version is the Summer 2018 rewrite, which reorganized the exercises into paired supersets and formalized the progression paths. It draws heavily on gymnastics-style bodyweight strength training.
The core idea: you can't easily add 5lb to a push-up, so you change the leverage instead. Every slot in the routine is a progression - an ordered list of movements from easiest to hardest. You pick the hardest variation you can do for 3 sets of 5, add a rep each session until you hit 3 sets of 8, then move up to the next movement and start again at 3 sets of 5. Strength comes from grinding those double-progression reps and then graduating the movement.
Experience level: Complete beginners through early intermediate. If you've never trained before, this is one of the best on-ramps available.
Prerequisites: None to start - the easiest rungs (assisted squats, wall push-ups, vertical rows) are accessible to almost anyone. You do need a bar for rows (non-negotiable) and ideally a pull-up bar and parallel bars (or substitutes).
Primary goal: Strength and hypertrophy. It builds real relative strength and, with adequate protein and calories, noticeable muscle.
Cut/bulk/maintenance: Works on all three. On a cut it preserves muscle; on a bulk it drives growth. Progress on the harder rungs is faster when you're eating at maintenance or a surplus.
Pros & Cons
Pros
Needs almost no equipment - a bar to row on and a pull-up bar cover the whole routine, so it runs anywhere including a home gym or a park.
Antagonist supersets (pull-ups with squats, dips with hinges, rows with push-ups) mean one muscle rests while the other works, keeping the whole session around 45-60 minutes.
Progression ladders auto-scale difficulty - the same routine works for a deconditioned beginner and someone banging out weighted pull-ups.
Builds impressive relative strength and body control (the "can you do a pull-up" kind of strength) that barbell programs don't directly train.
Cons
Requires a horizontal bar for rows - this genuinely cannot be substituted, and finding one is the most common blocker for beginners.
More targets to track than a barbell program - some rungs progress by hold time, others by reps, then by weight at the top - so it's not a single "add 5lb" rule across the board.
Progress on lower-body movements is limited without added weight - once you reach shrimp squats and nordic curls, most people add a barbell to keep progressing.
Judging the right starting rung takes a couple of sessions of trial and error.
Program Structure
Split: Full body, every session. All 3 weekly workouts are identical - it's the same 9-exercise workout repeated, with the progression logic advancing you over time.
Periodization: Double progression on reps (5 to 8) layered on top of a movement-difficulty ladder. There's no weekly waving or deload - you simply do the workout, add reps, and graduate movements when you cap the rep range.
Schedule: Fixed weekly, 3 non-consecutive days (Mon/Wed/Fri, Tue/Thu/Sat, whatever fits) with at least one rest day between sessions. It's deliberately not split across days - it's meant to be full-body each time.
A typical session: Warm-up, then First Pair (pull-up + squat progressions), Second Pair (dip + hinge), Third Pair (row + push-up), then the Core Triplet (anti-extension, anti-rotation, extension).
Exercise Selection & Rationale
The six main exercises are chosen to cover every fundamental movement pattern with compound, multi-joint work:
Pull-up progression (Scapular Pull Up -> Arch Hang -> Negative Pull Up -> Pull Up) is the vertical pull - lats, upper back, biceps. The early rungs build the scapular control and eccentric strength you need before you can do a full pull-up.
Squat progression (Assisted Squat -> Squat, Bodyweight -> Split Squat, Bodyweight -> Bulgarian Split Squat, Bodyweight -> Shrimp Squat -> Pistol Squat) is the knee-dominant leg pattern. It moves from two-leg to single-leg to load each leg progressively without weights, ending on the full pistol squat (which you can then load with a held dumbbell).
Dip progression (Support Hold -> Negative Dip -> Chest Dip) is the vertical push - chest, triceps, front delts. The support hold teaches the top position before you lower into full dips.
Hinge progression (Romanian Deadlift, Bodyweight -> Single Leg Deadlift, Bodyweight -> Nordic Curl) is the hip-dominant leg pattern for hamstrings and glutes, ending in one of the hardest bodyweight hamstring exercises there is.
Row progression (Vertical Row -> Inverted Row -> Wide Row) is the horizontal pull. Rows are the non-negotiable backbone of the routine - they build the mid-back that pressing alone neglects and keep the shoulders healthy.
Push-up progression (Wall Push Up -> Incline Push Up -> Push Up -> Diamond Push Up -> Pseudo Planche Push Up) is the horizontal push - chest, triceps, front delts, and a lot of core.
The pairing is deliberate: a pull is always supersetted with a leg movement (or a push with a hinge), so the working muscle of one exercise rests fully during the other. The core triplet targets the three jobs of the trunk - resisting extension (Plank -> Ab Wheel -> Dragon Flag), resisting rotation (Pallof Press -> Copenhagen Plank -> Renegade Row), and producing extension (Superman -> Reverse Hyperextension -> Back Extension, Bodyweight).
If you have a barbell and rack, the RR recommends swapping the squat and hinge progressions for real Squat and Romanian Deadlift, Barbell/Deadlift once you've mastered the bodyweight basics - added weight is simply a more scalable way to load the legs.
Set & Rep Scheme
Main six exercises: 3 sets of 5-8 reps. Start any new movement at 3x5, add a rep to every set each session, and once you hit 3x8 with good form you graduate to the next harder movement (back to 3x5).
Core triplet: 3 sets of 8-12 reps, same double-progression logic - cap 3x12, then graduate.
Isometric holds: Some rungs (arch hangs, support holds, planks, Copenhagen planks) are timed holds, not reps. The app runs a set timer for these - you hold, and each session it adds 5 seconds to the target until you reach 30 seconds, then you graduate to the next movement.
Intensity: Every set is taken to roughly one rep short of failure - "failure minus 1." Don't grind the first sets to total failure or your later sets collapse. If your pull-up max is 8, do 7-7-7, not 8-6-5.
Tempo: The RR prescribes a 10X0 tempo - 1 second down, no pause, explode up, no pause. Controlled eccentrics are where a lot of the strength is built.
The rep ranges are chosen for strength-plus-size: 5-8 on the harder compound patterns sits in the strength/hypertrophy overlap, while 8-12 on core work builds endurance and control in the trunk.
Progressive Overload
Within a movement: Add one rep per set each session (3x5 -> 3x6 -> 3x7 -> 3x8).
Between movements: Once you complete 3x8 (or 3x12 for core) on every set, you graduate to the next, harder variation in that slot and reset to the bottom of the rep range.
At the top of a ladder: When you've maxed out the hardest listed movement, the routine starts adding weight - weighted pull-ups, weighted dips, weighted rows, weighted shrimp squats. In this app that means it begins bumping the weight (5lb upper body, 10lb lower body) once you cap reps on the final rung.
When you stall: If you can't add a rep, just repeat the same numbers next session. If you drop reps badly on later sets (8 then 5-6), take longer rest (up to 3 minutes) rather than reducing the movement. There's no formal deload - bodyweight fatigue is low enough that you rarely need one.
How Long to Run It / What Next
Run the RR until you stop making progress for several weeks in a row (with diet, sleep, and stress in check) or until you exhaust the progressions. For most beginners that's several months to a year of solid gains.
By then you're no longer a beginner - you've built real strength and muscle - so don't drop back into a novice program. If you want to keep training bodyweight, move to an intermediate calisthenics routine or build your own using the progressions you've already mastered. If your goals shift toward maximal strength with a barbell, go to an intermediate program like 5/3/1: Boring But Big, Madcow 5x5, or GZCL: The Rippler. The one caveat: barbell technique is its own skill, so spend a few sessions learning the lifts with light weight first. A pure novice linear-progression program like GZCLP works as a short on-ramp for that, but with your existing muscle you'll blow through it in weeks and should move to an intermediate program quickly.
Equipment Needed
A bar to row on - low bar, gymnastics rings, a sturdy table, even a knotted bedsheet in a door. This is mandatory.
A pull-up bar - once you reach the pull-up rungs (monkey bars, doorway bar, rings).
Parallel bars for dips - or two sturdy chairs, the corner of a kitchen counter, or rings. Ring dips are a valid alternate path.
A band for the Pallof press.
A bench, box, or sturdy edge for reverse hyperextensions, back extensions, Copenhagen planks, and dragon flags.
An ab wheel (or gymnastics rings) once you reach the ab-wheel rung of the core triplet.
A pair of dumbbells - not needed to start, but used for renegade rows and to load the top rung of every ladder once you outgrow bodyweight (weighted pull-ups/dips, goblet pistol squats, weighted back extensions, etc.).
Nothing else is required to begin - the early rungs are all pure bodyweight.
Rest Times
Between paired exercises: 90 seconds. You alternate the two exercises in a pair, so each individual movement gets ~3 minutes of rest between its sets - enough for near-full recovery.
Core triplet: 60 seconds between exercises (you can stretch to 90s, or cut to 30-45s to save time).
If you're dropping reps hard, extend rest up to 3 minutes. Quality reps matter more than a fast workout.
How to Pick Starting Weights
There are no weights to pick - you pick your starting rung instead. For each of the nine slots, try the movements from the top of the ladder down and settle on the hardest one you can do for 3 clean sets of 5 (3 sets of 8 for core). It's normal to be on rung 4 for one slot and rung 1 for another.
The most common mistake is starting too hard - if your reps collapse (8, then 5, then 3), drop to an easier rung. Err on the side of a variation that feels almost too easy for the first session; you'll progress out of it in a week or two anyway.
Common Modifications
Too much volume? Drop to 1-2 sets per exercise and build up, or cut to 2 days a week.
No parallel bars? Use the ring dip path, or substitute another push progression.
No pull-up bar yet? Stay on rows and scapular/arch-hang work until you have access to one.
Have a barbell? Swap the squat progression for back squats and the hinge progression for Romanian deadlifts (workouts 1 and 3) and deadlifts (workout 2) once you've got the movements down.
Want more? Add skill work (handstands, L-sits) or mobility on your off days rather than lengthening the main session.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Recommended Routine good for beginners?
Yes - it's specifically designed as a first program for people new to training. The easiest rungs (assisted squats, wall push-ups, vertical rows) require no baseline strength, and the progression system automatically scales difficulty as you get stronger. It's one of the most widely recommended starting points in all of calisthenics.
How many days a week is the Recommended Routine?
Three days a week, with at least one rest day between sessions - for example Monday, Wednesday, Friday. Every session is the same full-body workout. Don't split it across more days; it's built to be trained full-body each time, and the rest days are when you actually get stronger.
How do the progressions work?
Each of the nine exercise slots is a ladder of movements from easiest to hardest. Pick the hardest one you can do for 3 sets of 5, add a rep to each set every session, and once you can do 3 sets of 8 with good form, graduate to the next movement and start again at 3 sets of 5. Core exercises use 3 sets of 8-12. You only ever do one movement per slot per session.
What equipment do I need for the Recommended Routine?
At minimum, something horizontal to row under - a low bar, rings, or a sturdy table. Rows cannot be skipped or substituted. Ideally you also have a pull-up bar, parallel bars (or chairs), a band for Pallof presses, and a bench for reverse hyperextensions. Everything else is pure bodyweight.
How long should I run the Recommended Routine?
Until you plateau for several weeks with your diet and recovery dialed in, or until you run out of progressions - usually several months to a year for a beginner. After that, move to an intermediate bodyweight routine or a barbell program depending on your goals.
Can I do the Recommended Routine every day?
No. It's a 3x-a-week routine on purpose - you build strength and muscle while recovering, not while training. Training it daily would compromise recovery and slow your progress. Put skill work or mobility on the off days if you want to do something.
Where's the arm and shoulder work?
It's already there. Pull-ups and rows hit the biceps and forearms hard through gripping and pulling; dips and push-ups hammer the triceps and front delts. Every exercise is a compound movement, so your arms and shoulders get plenty of stimulus without isolation work. Add direct arm work later if you want, but it isn't necessary to grow.
What do I do about the isometric holds like planks and support holds?
The app handles them as timed sets - it runs a set timer while you hold the position, so you don't count reps. Each session the target grows by 5 seconds until you reach a 30-second hold across all 3 sets, at which point the program automatically graduates you to the next, harder movement in that slot.
~45-60 min per workout
3x/week, 9 exercises per day
Band
Total Sets: 27
Strength Sets: 21, 78%
Hypertrophy Sets: 6, 22%
Upper Sets:12(12s), 1d
Lower Sets:6(6s), 1d
Core Sets:9(3s, 6h), 1d
Push Sets:6(6s), 1d
Pull Sets:6(6s), 1d
Legs Sets:6(6s), 1d
Shoulders:6↑(6s), 1d
Triceps:3↑(3s), 1d
Back:12(9s, 3h), 1d
Abs:6↑(3s, 3h), 1d
Glutes:6↑(5s, 2h), 1d
Hamstrings:5↑(3s, 2h), 1d
Quadriceps:3↑(3s), 1d
Chest:9↑(9s), 1d
Biceps:2↑(2s), 1d
Calves:2↑(2s), 1d
Forearms:2↑(2s), 1d
Day 1
Warm-up (5-10 min): shoulder band dislocates, squat sky reaches, wrist prep, deadbugs. Add arch hangs once you reach Negative Pull Ups, and support holds once you reach Negative Dips.
Scapular Pull Up
Bodyweight
3 × 5 × 0lb90s
First Pair. Pull-up progression - vertical pull. Pick the hardest rung you can do for 3x5, add a rep each session, graduate at 3x8. Arch Hang is a timed hold - hold 20-30s per set, graduate at 30s.
Assisted Squat
Bodyweight
3 × 5 × 0lb90s
Squat progression. If you have a barbell, swap this for barbell Squats once you've mastered the basic squat.
Support Hold
Bodyweight
3 × 1 × 0lb20s|90s
Second Pair. Dip progression - vertical push. Support Hold is a timed hold - hold 20-30s, graduate at 30s.
Romanian Deadlift
Bodyweight
3 × 5 × 0lb90s
Hinge progression - hamstrings and glutes. With a barbell, swap for Romanian Deadlifts / Deadlifts.
Vertical Row
Bodyweight
3 × 5 × 0lb90s
Third Pair. Row progression - horizontal pull.
Wall Push Up
Bodyweight
3 × 5 × 0lb90s
Push-up progression - horizontal push.
Plank
Bodyweight
3 × 1 × 0lb20s|60s
Core Triplet (3x8-12). Anti-Extension. Plank is a timed hold - hold 20-30s, graduate at 30s. Ab Wheel: start kneeling, then progress to standing rollouts before graduating to the Dragon Flag.
Pallof Press
Band
3 × 8 × 0lb60s
Anti-Rotation - Banded Pallof Press, then Copenhagen Plank (a timed hold - hold 20-30s, graduate at 30s), then the Renegade Row as the loadable endpoint (add weight once you cap 3x12).
Superman
Bodyweight
3 × 8 × 0lb60s
Extension - Superman -> Reverse Hyperextension -> Back Extension (hold a plate to load once you cap 3x12).
# Week 1
// **Warm-up (5-10 min):** shoulder band dislocates, squat sky reaches, wrist prep,
// deadbugs. Add arch hangs once you reach Negative Pull Ups, and support holds once
// you reach Negative Dips.
## Day 1
/// Rep ladders: add a rep each session; at the top of the range graduate to the next movement, or
/// (on the final rung) start adding weight.
rrProgress /used: none/3x50lb/90s/warmup: none/progress: custom(topVar: 4, addWeight: 5lb, minReps: 5, maxReps: 8) {~
if (completedReps >= reps) {
if (reps >= state.maxReps) {
if (exerciseVariationIndex >= state.topVar) {
weights += state.addWeight
} else {
exerciseVariationIndex += 1
}
reps = state.minReps
} else {
reps += 1
}
}
~}
/// Ladders that contain a timed isometric hold. Set variation 1 = timed hold, set variation 2 = reps;
/// `holdRung` is which movement in the ladder is the hold. On the hold you add 5s each session until the
/// holdTarget (then graduate); on the rep rungs you add a rep. The set scheme flips when you cross the hold.
rrHold /used: none/3x10lb20s|60s/3x80lb60s/warmup: none/progress: custom(topVar: 4, holdRung: 2, holdTarget: 30, minReps: 5, maxReps: 8, addWeight: 5lb) {~
if (exerciseVariationIndex == state.holdRung) {
setVariationIndex = 1
if (completedSetTime >= setTime) {
if (setTime >= state.holdTarget && exerciseVariationIndex < state.topVar) {
exerciseVariationIndex += 1setVariationIndex = 2
} else {
setTime[*:*:1:*] += 5
}
}
} else {
setVariationIndex = 2
if (completedReps >= reps) {
if (reps >= state.maxReps) {
if (exerciseVariationIndex >= state.topVar) {
weights += state.addWeight
} else {
var.next = exerciseVariationIndex + 1exerciseVariationIndex = var.next
setVariationIndex = var.next == state.holdRung ? 1 : 2
}
reps[*:*:2:*] = state.minReps
} else {
reps[*:*:2:*] += 1
}
}
}
~}
// **First Pair.** Pull-up progression - vertical pull. Pick the hardest rung you can do for 3x5, add a rep
// each session, graduate at 3x8. Arch Hang is a timed hold - hold 20-30s per set, graduate at 30s.
Scapular Pull Up | Arch Hang | Negative Pull Up | Pull Up /3x10lb20s|90s/ ! 3x50lb90s/warmup: none/superset: A /progress: custom(topVar: 4, holdRung: 2) { ...rrHold }
// Squat progression. *If you have a barbell, swap this for barbell Squats once you've mastered the basic squat.*
Assisted Squat | Squat, Bodyweight | Split Squat, Bodyweight | Bulgarian Split Squat, Bodyweight | Shrimp Squat | Pistol Squat /3x50lb/90s/warmup: none/superset: A /progress: custom(topVar: 6, addWeight: 10lb) { ...rrProgress }
// **Second Pair.** Dip progression - vertical push. Support Hold is a timed hold - hold 20-30s, graduate at 30s.
Support Hold | Negative Dip | Chest Dip /3x10lb20s|90s/3x50lb90s/warmup: none/superset: B /progress: custom(topVar: 3, holdRung: 1) { ...rrHold }
// Hinge progression - hamstrings and glutes. *With a barbell, swap for Romanian Deadlifts / Deadlifts.*
Romanian Deadlift, Bodyweight | Single Leg Deadlift, Bodyweight | Nordic Curl /3x50lb/90s/warmup: none/superset: B /progress: custom(topVar: 3, addWeight: 10lb) { ...rrProgress }
// **Third Pair.** Row progression - horizontal pull.
Vertical Row | Inverted Row | Wide Row /3x50lb/90s/warmup: none/superset: C /progress: custom(topVar: 3) { ...rrProgress }
// Push-up progression - horizontal push.
Wall Push Up | Incline Push Up | Push Up | Diamond Push Up | Pseudo Planche Push Up /3x50lb/90s/warmup: none/superset: C /progress: custom(topVar: 5) { ...rrProgress }
// **Core Triplet** (3x8-12). Anti-Extension. Plank is a timed hold - hold 20-30s, graduate at 30s.
// Ab Wheel: start kneeling, then progress to standing rollouts before graduating to the Dragon Flag.
Plank | Ab Wheel | Dragon Flag /3x10lb20s|60s/3x80lb60s/warmup: none/superset: D /progress: custom(topVar: 3, holdRung: 1, minReps: 8, maxReps: 12) { ...rrHold }
// Anti-Rotation - Banded Pallof Press, then Copenhagen Plank (a timed hold - hold 20-30s, graduate at 30s),
// then the Renegade Row as the loadable endpoint (add weight once you cap 3x12).
Pallof Press | Copenhagen Plank | Renegade Row /3x10lb20s|60s/ ! 3x80lb60s/warmup: none/superset: D /progress: custom(topVar: 3, holdRung: 2, minReps: 8, maxReps: 12) { ...rrHold }
// Extension - Superman -> Reverse Hyperextension -> Back Extension (hold a plate to load once you cap 3x12).
Superman | Reverse Hyperextension | Back Extension, Bodyweight /3x80lb/60s/warmup: none/superset: D /progress: custom(topVar: 3, minReps: 8, maxReps: 12) { ...rrProgress }
Enter reps and weight for each set, then tap the checkmark to complete it. Finish the workout day and see how the program adjusts weights, reps, and sets for next time.
Day 1
Warm-up (5-10 min): shoulder band dislocates, squat sky reaches, wrist prep, deadbugs. Add arch hangs once you reach Negative Pull Ups, and support holds once you reach Negative Dips.
0/3
0/3
0/3
0/3
0/3
0/3
0/3
0/3
0/3
Scapular Pull Up, Bodyweight
Equipment: None
Supersets with: Assisted Squat
First Pair. Pull-up progression - vertical pull. Pick the hardest rung you can do for 3x5, add a rep each session, graduate at 3x8. Arch Hang is a timed hold - hold 20-30s per set, graduate at 30s.
Set
Target
Reps
lb
1
5 × 0lb 90s
5
×
0
Edit
Delete
2
5 × 0lb 90s
5
×
0
Edit
Delete
3
5 × 0lb 90s
5
×
0
Edit
Delete
Add Warmup Set
Add Set
You can use this program on Liftosaur - a weightlifting tracker app!
Log your workouts there, and have a history of all your workouts on your phone
It will automatically update weights, reps and sets for you from workout to workout - according to the program logic
And you can customize the programs in any way, change exercises, the exercise logic, sets/reps/weights, etc.
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Six push/pull/legs exercises are paired into antagonist supersets to save time, followed by a three-exercise core triplet.","nextDay":1,"weeks":[],"isMultiweek":false,"days":[{"id":"hhhxvugd","name":"Day 1","exercises":[]}],"exercises":[],"tags":[],"deletedDays":[],"deletedWeeks":[],"deletedExercises":[],"clonedAt":1783726786130,"planner":{"vtype":"planner","name":"r/bodyweightfitness Recommended Routine","weeks":[{"name":"Week 1","days":[{"name":"Day 1","description":"**Warm-up (5-10 min):** shoulder band dislocates, squat sky reaches, wrist prep,\ndeadbugs. Add arch hangs once you reach Negative Pull Ups, and support holds once\nyou reach Negative Dips.","exerciseText":"/// Rep ladders: add a rep each session; at the top of the range graduate to the next movement, or\n/// (on the final rung) start adding weight.\nrrProgress / used: none / 3x5 0lb / 90s / warmup: none / progress: custom(topVar: 4, addWeight: 5lb, minReps: 5, maxReps: 8) {~\n if (completedReps >= reps) {\n if (reps >= state.maxReps) {\n if (exerciseVariationIndex >= state.topVar) {\n weights += state.addWeight\n } else {\n exerciseVariationIndex += 1\n }\n reps = state.minReps\n } else {\n reps += 1\n }\n }\n~}\n\n/// Ladders that contain a timed isometric hold. Set variation 1 = timed hold, set variation 2 = reps;\n/// `holdRung` is which movement in the ladder is the hold. On the hold you add 5s each session until the\n/// holdTarget (then graduate); on the rep rungs you add a rep. The set scheme flips when you cross the hold.\nrrHold / used: none / 3x1 0lb 20s|60s / 3x8 0lb 60s / warmup: none / progress: custom(topVar: 4, holdRung: 2, holdTarget: 30, minReps: 5, maxReps: 8, addWeight: 5lb) {~\n if (exerciseVariationIndex == state.holdRung) {\n setVariationIndex = 1\n if (completedSetTime >= setTime) {\n if (setTime >= state.holdTarget && exerciseVariationIndex < state.topVar) {\n exerciseVariationIndex += 1\n setVariationIndex = 2\n } else {\n setTime[*:*:1:*] += 5\n }\n }\n } else {\n setVariationIndex = 2\n if (completedReps >= reps) {\n if (reps >= state.maxReps) {\n if (exerciseVariationIndex >= state.topVar) {\n weights += state.addWeight\n } else {\n var.next = exerciseVariationIndex + 1\n exerciseVariationIndex = var.next\n setVariationIndex = var.next == state.holdRung ? 1 : 2\n }\n reps[*:*:2:*] = state.minReps\n } else {\n reps[*:*:2:*] += 1\n }\n }\n }\n~}\n\n// **First Pair.** Pull-up progression - vertical pull. Pick the hardest rung you can do for 3x5, add a rep\n// each session, graduate at 3x8. Arch Hang is a timed hold - hold 20-30s per set, graduate at 30s.\nScapular Pull Up | Arch Hang | Negative Pull Up | Pull Up / 3x1 0lb 20s|90s / ! 3x5 0lb 90s / warmup: none / superset: A / progress: custom(topVar: 4, holdRung: 2) { ...rrHold }\n\n// Squat progression. *If you have a barbell, swap this for barbell Squats once you've mastered the basic squat.*\nAssisted Squat | Squat, Bodyweight | Split Squat, Bodyweight | Bulgarian Split Squat, Bodyweight | Shrimp Squat | Pistol Squat / 3x5 0lb / 90s / warmup: none / superset: A / progress: custom(topVar: 6, addWeight: 10lb) { ...rrProgress }\n\n// **Second Pair.** Dip progression - vertical push. Support Hold is a timed hold - hold 20-30s, graduate at 30s.\nSupport Hold | Negative Dip | Chest Dip / 3x1 0lb 20s|90s / 3x5 0lb 90s / warmup: none / superset: B / progress: custom(topVar: 3, holdRung: 1) { ...rrHold }\n\n// Hinge progression - hamstrings and glutes. *With a barbell, swap for Romanian Deadlifts / Deadlifts.*\nRomanian Deadlift, Bodyweight | Single Leg Deadlift, Bodyweight | Nordic Curl / 3x5 0lb / 90s / warmup: none / superset: B / progress: custom(topVar: 3, addWeight: 10lb) { ...rrProgress }\n\n// **Third Pair.** Row progression - horizontal pull.\nVertical Row | Inverted Row | Wide Row / 3x5 0lb / 90s / warmup: none / superset: C / progress: custom(topVar: 3) { ...rrProgress }\n\n// Push-up progression - horizontal push.\nWall Push Up | Incline Push Up | Push Up | Diamond Push Up | Pseudo Planche Push Up / 3x5 0lb / 90s / warmup: none / superset: C / progress: custom(topVar: 5) { ...rrProgress }\n\n// **Core Triplet** (3x8-12). Anti-Extension. Plank is a timed hold - hold 20-30s, graduate at 30s.\n// Ab Wheel: start kneeling, then progress to standing rollouts before graduating to the Dragon Flag.\nPlank | Ab Wheel | Dragon Flag / 3x1 0lb 20s|60s / 3x8 0lb 60s / warmup: none / superset: D / progress: custom(topVar: 3, holdRung: 1, minReps: 8, maxReps: 12) { ...rrHold }\n\n// Anti-Rotation - Banded Pallof Press, then Copenhagen Plank (a timed hold - hold 20-30s, graduate at 30s),\n// then the Renegade Row as the loadable endpoint (add weight once you cap 3x12).\nPallof Press | Copenhagen Plank | Renegade Row / 3x1 0lb 20s|60s / ! 3x8 0lb 60s / warmup: none / superset: D / progress: custom(topVar: 3, holdRung: 2, minReps: 8, maxReps: 12) { ...rrHold }\n\n// Extension - Superman -> Reverse Hyperextension -> Back Extension (hold a plate to load once you cap 3x12).\nSuperman | Reverse Hyperextension | Back Extension, Bodyweight / 3x8 0lb / 60s / warmup: none / superset: D / progress: custom(topVar: 3, minReps: 8, maxReps: 12) { ...rrProgress }"}]}]}},"fullDescription":"## Origin & Philosophy\n\nThe Recommended Routine was built and refined by the r/bodyweightfitness community as the default answer to \"what routine should I start with?\" The current version is the Summer 2018 rewrite, which reorganized the exercises into paired supersets and formalized the progression paths. It draws heavily on gymnastics-style bodyweight strength training.\n\nThe core idea: you can't easily add 5lb to a push-up, so you change the *leverage* instead. Every slot in the routine is a progression - an ordered list of movements from easiest to hardest. You pick the hardest variation you can do for 3 sets of 5, add a rep each session until you hit 3 sets of 8, then move up to the next movement and start again at 3 sets of 5. Strength comes from grinding those double-progression reps and then graduating the movement.\n\nRead the full writeup on the [r/bodyweightfitness wiki](https://www.reddit.com/r/bodyweightfitness/wiki/kb/recommended_routine).\n\n## Who It's For\n\n- **Experience level**: Complete beginners through early intermediate. If you've never trained before, this is one of the best on-ramps available.\n- **Prerequisites**: None to start - the easiest rungs (assisted squats, wall push-ups, vertical rows) are accessible to almost anyone. You do need a bar for rows (non-negotiable) and ideally a pull-up bar and parallel bars (or substitutes).\n- **Primary goal**: Strength and hypertrophy. It builds real relative strength and, with adequate protein and calories, noticeable muscle.\n- **Cut/bulk/maintenance**: Works on all three. On a cut it preserves muscle; on a bulk it drives growth. Progress on the harder rungs is faster when you're eating at maintenance or a surplus.\n\n## Pros & Cons\n\n**Pros**\n\n- Needs almost no equipment - a bar to row on and a pull-up bar cover the whole routine, so it runs anywhere including a home gym or a park.\n- Antagonist supersets (pull-ups with squats, dips with hinges, rows with push-ups) mean one muscle rests while the other works, keeping the whole session around 45-60 minutes.\n- Progression ladders auto-scale difficulty - the same routine works for a deconditioned beginner and someone banging out weighted pull-ups.\n- Builds impressive relative strength and body control (the \"can you do a pull-up\" kind of strength) that barbell programs don't directly train.\n\n**Cons**\n\n- Requires a horizontal bar for rows - this genuinely cannot be substituted, and finding one is the most common blocker for beginners.\n- More targets to track than a barbell program - some rungs progress by hold time, others by reps, then by weight at the top - so it's not a single \"add 5lb\" rule across the board.\n- Progress on lower-body movements is limited without added weight - once you reach shrimp squats and nordic curls, most people add a barbell to keep progressing.\n- Judging the right starting rung takes a couple of sessions of trial and error.\n\n## Program Structure\n\n- **Split**: Full body, every session. All 3 weekly workouts are identical - it's the same 9-exercise workout repeated, with the progression logic advancing you over time.\n- **Periodization**: Double progression on reps (5 to 8) layered on top of a movement-difficulty ladder. There's no weekly waving or deload - you simply do the workout, add reps, and graduate movements when you cap the rep range.\n- **Schedule**: Fixed weekly, 3 non-consecutive days (Mon/Wed/Fri, Tue/Thu/Sat, whatever fits) with at least one rest day between sessions. It's deliberately *not* split across days - it's meant to be full-body each time.\n- **A typical session**: Warm-up, then First Pair (pull-up + squat progressions), Second Pair (dip + hinge), Third Pair (row + push-up), then the Core Triplet (anti-extension, anti-rotation, extension).\n\n## Exercise Selection & Rationale\n\nThe six main exercises are chosen to cover every fundamental movement pattern with compound, multi-joint work:\n\n- **Pull-up progression** ([{Scapular Pull Up}] -> [{Arch Hang}] -> [{Negative Pull Up}] -> [{Pull Up}]) is the vertical pull - lats, upper back, biceps. The early rungs build the scapular control and eccentric strength you need before you can do a full pull-up.\n- **Squat progression** ([{Assisted Squat}] -> [{Squat, Bodyweight}] -> [{Split Squat, Bodyweight}] -> [{Bulgarian Split Squat, Bodyweight}] -> [{Shrimp Squat}] -> [{Pistol Squat}]) is the knee-dominant leg pattern. It moves from two-leg to single-leg to load each leg progressively without weights, ending on the full pistol squat (which you can then load with a held dumbbell).\n- **Dip progression** ([{Support Hold}] -> [{Negative Dip}] -> [{Chest Dip}]) is the vertical push - chest, triceps, front delts. The support hold teaches the top position before you lower into full dips.\n- **Hinge progression** ([{Romanian Deadlift, Bodyweight}] -> [{Single Leg Deadlift, Bodyweight}] -> [{Nordic Curl}]) is the hip-dominant leg pattern for hamstrings and glutes, ending in one of the hardest bodyweight hamstring exercises there is.\n- **Row progression** ([{Vertical Row}] -> [{Inverted Row}] -> [{Wide Row}]) is the horizontal pull. Rows are the non-negotiable backbone of the routine - they build the mid-back that pressing alone neglects and keep the shoulders healthy.\n- **Push-up progression** ([{Wall Push Up}] -> [{Incline Push Up}] -> [{Push Up}] -> [{Diamond Push Up}] -> [{Pseudo Planche Push Up}]) is the horizontal push - chest, triceps, front delts, and a lot of core.\n\nThe pairing is deliberate: a pull is always supersetted with a leg movement (or a push with a hinge), so the working muscle of one exercise rests fully during the other. The core triplet targets the three jobs of the trunk - resisting extension ([{Plank}] -> [{Ab Wheel}] -> [{Dragon Flag}]), resisting rotation ([{Pallof Press}] -> [{Copenhagen Plank}] -> [{Renegade Row}]), and producing extension ([{Superman}] -> [{Reverse Hyperextension}] -> [{Back Extension, Bodyweight}]).\n\nIf you have a barbell and rack, the RR recommends swapping the squat and hinge progressions for real [{Squat}] and [{Romanian Deadlift, Barbell}]/[{Deadlift}] once you've mastered the bodyweight basics - added weight is simply a more scalable way to load the legs.\n\n## Set & Rep Scheme\n\n- **Main six exercises**: 3 sets of 5-8 reps. Start any new movement at 3x5, add a rep to every set each session, and once you hit 3x8 with good form you graduate to the next harder movement (back to 3x5).\n- **Core triplet**: 3 sets of 8-12 reps, same double-progression logic - cap 3x12, then graduate.\n- **Isometric holds**: Some rungs (arch hangs, support holds, planks, Copenhagen planks) are timed holds, not reps. The app runs a set timer for these - you hold, and each session it adds 5 seconds to the target until you reach 30 seconds, then you graduate to the next movement.\n- **Intensity**: Every set is taken to roughly one rep short of failure - \"failure minus 1.\" Don't grind the first sets to total failure or your later sets collapse. If your pull-up max is 8, do 7-7-7, not 8-6-5.\n- **Tempo**: The RR prescribes a 10X0 tempo - 1 second down, no pause, explode up, no pause. Controlled eccentrics are where a lot of the strength is built.\n\nThe rep ranges are chosen for strength-plus-size: 5-8 on the harder compound patterns sits in the strength/hypertrophy overlap, while 8-12 on core work builds endurance and control in the trunk.\n\n## Progressive Overload\n\n- **Within a movement**: Add one rep per set each session (3x5 -> 3x6 -> 3x7 -> 3x8).\n- **Between movements**: Once you complete 3x8 (or 3x12 for core) on every set, you graduate to the next, harder variation in that slot and reset to the bottom of the rep range.\n- **At the top of a ladder**: When you've maxed out the hardest listed movement, the routine starts adding weight - weighted pull-ups, weighted dips, weighted rows, weighted shrimp squats. In this app that means it begins bumping the weight (5lb upper body, 10lb lower body) once you cap reps on the final rung.\n- **When you stall**: If you can't add a rep, just repeat the same numbers next session. If you drop reps badly on later sets (8 then 5-6), take longer rest (up to 3 minutes) rather than reducing the movement. There's no formal deload - bodyweight fatigue is low enough that you rarely need one.\n\n## How Long to Run It / What Next\n\nRun the RR until you stop making progress for several weeks in a row (with diet, sleep, and stress in check) or until you exhaust the progressions. For most beginners that's several months to a year of solid gains.\n\nBy then you're no longer a beginner - you've built real strength and muscle - so don't drop back into a novice program. If you want to keep training bodyweight, move to an intermediate calisthenics routine or build your own using the progressions you've already mastered. If your goals shift toward maximal strength with a barbell, go to an intermediate program like [5/3/1: Boring But Big](/programs/the531bbb), [Madcow 5x5](/programs/madcow), or [GZCL: The Rippler](/programs/gzcl-the-rippler). The one caveat: barbell technique is its own skill, so spend a few sessions learning the lifts with light weight first. A pure novice linear-progression program like [GZCLP](/programs/gzclp) works as a short on-ramp for that, but with your existing muscle you'll blow through it in weeks and should move to an intermediate program quickly.\n\n## Equipment Needed\n\n- **A bar to row on** - low bar, gymnastics rings, a sturdy table, even a knotted bedsheet in a door. This is mandatory.\n- **A pull-up bar** - once you reach the pull-up rungs (monkey bars, doorway bar, rings).\n- **Parallel bars** for dips - or two sturdy chairs, the corner of a kitchen counter, or rings. Ring dips are a valid alternate path.\n- **A band** for the Pallof press.\n- **A bench, box, or sturdy edge** for reverse hyperextensions, back extensions, Copenhagen planks, and dragon flags.\n- **An ab wheel** (or gymnastics rings) once you reach the ab-wheel rung of the core triplet.\n- **A pair of dumbbells** - not needed to start, but used for renegade rows and to load the top rung of every ladder once you outgrow bodyweight (weighted pull-ups/dips, goblet pistol squats, weighted back extensions, etc.).\n- Nothing else is required to begin - the early rungs are all pure bodyweight.\n\n## Rest Times\n\n- **Between paired exercises**: 90 seconds. You alternate the two exercises in a pair, so each individual movement gets ~3 minutes of rest between its sets - enough for near-full recovery.\n- **Core triplet**: 60 seconds between exercises (you can stretch to 90s, or cut to 30-45s to save time).\n- If you're dropping reps hard, extend rest up to 3 minutes. Quality reps matter more than a fast workout.\n\n## How to Pick Starting Weights\n\nThere are no weights to pick - you pick your **starting rung** instead. For each of the nine slots, try the movements from the top of the ladder down and settle on the hardest one you can do for 3 clean sets of 5 (3 sets of 8 for core). It's normal to be on rung 4 for one slot and rung 1 for another.\n\nThe most common mistake is starting too hard - if your reps collapse (8, then 5, then 3), drop to an easier rung. Err on the side of a variation that feels almost too easy for the first session; you'll progress out of it in a week or two anyway.\n\n## Common Modifications\n\n- **Too much volume?** Drop to 1-2 sets per exercise and build up, or cut to 2 days a week.\n- **No parallel bars?** Use the ring dip path, or substitute another push progression.\n- **No pull-up bar yet?** Stay on rows and scapular/arch-hang work until you have access to one.\n- **Have a barbell?** Swap the squat progression for back squats and the hinge progression for Romanian deadlifts (workouts 1 and 3) and deadlifts (workout 2) once you've got the movements down.\n- **Want more?** Add skill work (handstands, L-sits) or mobility on your off days rather than lengthening the main session.","faq":"### Is the Recommended Routine good for beginners?\n\nYes - it's specifically designed as a first program for people new to training. The easiest rungs (assisted squats, wall push-ups, vertical rows) require no baseline strength, and the progression system automatically scales difficulty as you get stronger. It's one of the most widely recommended starting points in all of calisthenics.\n\n### How many days a week is the Recommended Routine?\n\nThree days a week, with at least one rest day between sessions - for example Monday, Wednesday, Friday. Every session is the same full-body workout. Don't split it across more days; it's built to be trained full-body each time, and the rest days are when you actually get stronger.\n\n### How do the progressions work?\n\nEach of the nine exercise slots is a ladder of movements from easiest to hardest. Pick the hardest one you can do for 3 sets of 5, add a rep to each set every session, and once you can do 3 sets of 8 with good form, graduate to the next movement and start again at 3 sets of 5. Core exercises use 3 sets of 8-12. You only ever do one movement per slot per session.\n\n### What equipment do I need for the Recommended Routine?\n\nAt minimum, something horizontal to row under - a low bar, rings, or a sturdy table. Rows cannot be skipped or substituted. Ideally you also have a pull-up bar, parallel bars (or chairs), a band for Pallof presses, and a bench for reverse hyperextensions. Everything else is pure bodyweight.\n\n### How long should I run the Recommended Routine?\n\nUntil you plateau for several weeks with your diet and recovery dialed in, or until you run out of progressions - usually several months to a year for a beginner. After that, move to an intermediate bodyweight routine or a barbell program depending on your goals.\n\n### Can I do the Recommended Routine every day?\n\nNo. It's a 3x-a-week routine on purpose - you build strength and muscle while recovering, not while training. Training it daily would compromise recovery and slow your progress. Put skill work or mobility on the off days if you want to do something.\n\n### Where's the arm and shoulder work?\n\nIt's already there. Pull-ups and rows hit the biceps and forearms hard through gripping and pulling; dips and push-ups hammer the triceps and front delts. Every exercise is a compound movement, so your arms and shoulders get plenty of stimulus without isolation work. Add direct arm work later if you want, but it isn't necessary to grow.\n\n### What do I do about the isometric holds like planks and support holds?\n\nThe app handles them as timed sets - it runs a set timer while you hold the position, so you don't count reps. Each session the target grows by 5 seconds until you reach a 30-second hold across all 3 sets, at which point the program automatically graduates you to the next, harder movement in that slot.","userAgent":"Mozilla/5.0 (Macintosh; Intel Mac OS X 10_15_7) AppleWebKit/537.36 (KHTML, like Gecko) Chrome/149.0.0.0 Safari/537.36","indexEntry":{"id":"recommended-routine","name":"r/bodyweightfitness Recommended Routine","author":"r/bodyweightfitness","authorUrl":"","url":"https://www.reddit.com/r/bodyweightfitness/wiki/kb/recommended_routine","shortDescription":"The community-designed full-body calisthenics routine - six paired progressions plus a core triplet, no weights required to start.","description":"The Recommended Routine (RR) is the flagship beginner program from the r/bodyweightfitness community - a full-body calisthenics workout done 3 times a week with no equipment beyond a pull-up bar and something to row on. Instead of adding plates, you climb a ladder of progressively harder movements: master a variation for 3 sets of 8, then graduate to the next. Six push/pull/legs exercises are paired into antagonist supersets to save time, followed by a three-exercise core triplet.","isMultiweek":false,"tags":[],"weeksCount":1,"exercises":[{"id":"scapularPullUp","equipment":"bodyweight"},{"id":"assistedSquat","equipment":"bodyweight"},{"id":"supportHold","equipment":"bodyweight"},{"id":"romanianDeadlift","equipment":"bodyweight"},{"id":"verticalRow","equipment":"bodyweight"},{"id":"wallPushup","equipment":"bodyweight"},{"id":"plank","equipment":"bodyweight"},{"id":"pallofPress","equipment":"band"},{"id":"superman","equipment":"bodyweight"}],"equipment":["band"],"exercisesRange":[9,9],"frequency":3,"age":"less_than_3_months","duration":"45-60","goal":"strength_and_hypertrophy","datePublished":"2026-07-07T18:18:11-05:00","dateModified":"2026-07-07T18:18:11-05:00"}}
