Two Plates · Basics

Is GZCLP any good?

It's on r/Fitness's list of recommended routines, a beginner program by powerlifter and coach Cody Lefever. Every session has heavy, medium and light work, and every stall has a rule.

By Anthony Topalides, who lifts and makes Two Plates. Checked against the sources below on 26 October 2026.

Three tiers every session

T1 is the heavy work, 5×3 with the last set as many as you can. T2 is 3×10. T3 is 3×15, with the last set as many as you can. The r/Fitness wiki says it has a significantly more balanced exercise selection than most beginner programs.

A rule for every stall

When a lift stalls, the sets and reps change at the same weight, so you never have to guess what to do next. The T1 rules in full.

Why it can look plain

It's built for newer lifters, so it looks plain next to a bodybuilding split.

Next session

Run it exactly as written.

About the app

I make Two Plates, so I'm biased. It runs GZCLP by its published rules and tells you why each weight changed. How it runs GZCLP.

Where this comes from

More basics