Adaptive Hypertrophy: Novice
Used with Permission
Also known as: adaptive · novice · beginner hypertrophy · sets and reps · double progression · bodybuilding
A muscle-building program for new lifters, or anyone coming back after a break, that moves only when you do. Each lift starts at 3 sets of 8 with a weight you can manage comfortably. Make every set and next time you do a set more, then more reps, until you reach 5 sets of 12; then the weight goes up 10% and you start again at 3 sets of 8. Miss and you repeat it. Every lift once a week, on 3, 4 or 5 days.
Free to use · auto progression, rest timers & PR tracking built in
What is Adaptive Hypertrophy: Novice?
Adaptive Hypertrophy: Novice is a muscle-building program for new lifters, or anyone coming back after a break, who can still beat last week's numbers most weeks. It trains 22 lifts once a week each: dumbbell bench and incline presses, shoulder presses, rows, pulldowns and neutral-grip chin-ups, squats, leg presses, Romanian deadlifts and glute-ham raises, hamstring curls and split squats, two calf raises, and six smaller lifts for arms, shoulders, traps and chest. You choose 3, 4 or 5 days a week; fewer days put more lifts in each session.
There are no blocks and no fixed end. Each lift starts at 3 sets of 8 with a weight you can manage fairly comfortably, then climbs a ladder at that weight: a set more each time you make every set, up to 5 sets, then back to 3 sets with 2 more reps, up to 5 sets of 12.
Is Adaptive Hypertrophy: Novice right for you?
This suits a beginner who wants to build muscle and learn a wide range of lifts without testing maxes or working out percentages, and anyone returning to training who wants a steady way back. Because every weight stays put for weeks, you have time to own it before it goes up. A lifter who has stopped beating last week's numbers will do better on one of the other Adaptive programs, which plan their weeks.
How progression works
Make every set of a lift and next time it takes the next step: 3×8, 4×8, 5×8, 3×10, 4×10, 5×10, 3×12, 4×12, 5×12, all at the same weight. Miss a set and you repeat that step. Once you make 5×12, the weight goes up 10% (at least one plate step) and the lift starts again at 3×8. Made every week, that is nine weeks at each weight. The chin-up is bodyweight: it climbs 3, 4 and 5 sets at your reps, then goes back to 3 sets with one more rep each; your first session sets its reps.
Durata runs this progression for you — there are no percentages to work out, so each session's target carries over from what you logged last time and the weight moves when you hit or miss the prescribed reps.
Adaptive Hypertrophy: Novice — every set, every session
Day 1
| Exercise | Sets × Reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|
| Bench Press (Dumbbell) | 3×8 | — |
| T Bar Row | 3×8 | — |
| Seated Shoulder Press (Machine) | 3×8 | — |
| Reverse Grip Lat Pulldown (Cable) | 3×8 | — |
Day 2
| Exercise | Sets × Reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|
| Squat (Barbell) | 3×8 | — |
| Glute Ham Raise | 3×8 | — |
| Split Squat (Dumbbell) | 3×8 | — |
| Leg Press Calf Raise (Machine) | 3×8 | — |
Day 3
| Exercise | Sets × Reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|
| Seated Overhead Press (Dumbbell) | 3×8 | — |
| Chin Up - Narrow Parallel Grip | 3×null | — |
| Incline Bench Press (Dumbbell) | 3×8 | — |
| Seated Cable Row - V Grip (Cable) | 3×8 | — |
Day 4
| Exercise | Sets × Reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|
| Romanian Deadlift (Barbell) | 3×8 | — |
| Leg Press (Machine) | 3×8 | — |
| Seated Leg Curl (Machine) | 3×8 | — |
| Seated Calf Raise | 3×8 | — |
Day 5
| Exercise | Sets × Reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|
| Preacher Curl (Barbell) | 3×8 | — |
| Skullcrusher (Barbell) | 3×8 | — |
| Rear Delt Reverse Fly (Dumbbell) | 3×8 | — |
| Trap Bar Shrug | 3×8 | — |
| Chest Fly (Dumbbell) | 3×8 | — |
| Lateral Raise (Dumbbell) | 3×8 | — |
Adaptive Hypertrophy: Novice — common questions
What weight should I start with?
One you can lift for 3 sets of 8 that still feels fairly comfortable. Whatever you log in your first session becomes the lift's weight. If it was far too heavy, use a lighter one next time.
Why does the weight stay the same for so long?
It's by design. Adding sets and then reps at one weight gives you time to own it before the load goes up, which helps you learn each lift and keeps the jumps manageable. The weight still goes up 10% every time you finish the ladder.
What counts as making a step?
Every set ticked with all its reps. Miss one rep on one set and you repeat the same step next time; the weight never comes down.
How many days a week should I pick?
The ones you can keep. Every version trains each lift once a week; the 3-day version has seven or eight lifts a session, the 5-day version four to six.
How long does a session take?
About 45–60 minutes on the 4-day version at 3 sets a lift. Sessions get longer as a lift climbs to 4 and 5 sets, then shorter again when it drops back to 3.
Is there an app that runs Adaptive Hypertrophy: Novice for you?
Yes. Durata runs Adaptive Hypertrophy: Novice as written, free: the 5-day-a-week schedule, every set and rep, and the progression built in. Log your sets and the next session's weights are worked out for you, with the stalls and deloads the program calls for; a tap on any lift shows why the weight moved. It is on iPhone and Android, works offline, and your history from Hevy or Strong imports free.
Source: Adaptive Hypertrophy: Novice — Used with Permission
Used with permission from its author, who gave Durata permission to carry this program.
Run Adaptive Hypertrophy: Novice in Durata
Automatic progression, plate calculator, rest timers and PR tracking — the whole program, ready to log.
