BLEST Early Novice

Three-week cycles of four-day powerlifting use effort-chart percentages and four max-test workouts per cycle.

By Garrett BlevinsOriginal program

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Your numbers

Worked out for an example lifter who squats 100 kg × 5, benches 75 kg × 5, deadlifts 130 kg × 5 and presses 50 kg × 5. Change any number to see your own.

Details

The program’s usual settings

Week by week

Every workout, as Catalyst would give it to you.

Week 1, day 1

Session 1

This workout’s sets follow from your answers on the day.

BLEST Early Novice asks you questions before this workout, so its sets follow from your answers on the day.

The schedule

4 workouts a week, on whichever days suit you.

WeekSession 1Session 2Session 3Session 4
1day 1day 2day 3day 4
2day 1day 2day 3day 4
3day 1day 2day 3day 4

Then it starts again from week 1, carrying on from the weights you reached.

How it works

The program’s own rules, as Catalyst runs them.

Follow the three-week order. Choose weights wherever the program calls for your own, using the effort targets rather than an automatic weight estimate. Fill empty assistance positions with exercises you choose. Count walking lunges in total, and use dumbbell curls for arm work. Perform tests for the required reps, then do their fatigue backoffs. Round weights to the equipment increment you choose. Before another cycle, choose the new starting values; there is no automatic reset or estimate of your maximum.

What you need

Everything its exercises call for. Missing something? The app suggests swaps that train the same thing.

  • Barbell
  • Dumbbells
  • Flat bench
  • Lat pulldown machine
  • Squat rack

Not sure it’s the one?

See every program like it ranked for what you want, how often you train and what you have, each with why it fits and what doesn’t. Compare any three side by side.

Find your program

Run BLEST Early Novice in Catalyst

Every set ready. Every weight right.

Join the waitlist and we’ll email you the day Catalyst launches.