Phrak's Greyskull LP
By u/phrakture · From Original Source
Three full-body days. Every day has a press (overhead press and bench press take turns), a pull (chin-ups and barbell rows take turns) and a lower lift: squats on Days 1 and 3, one set of deadlifts on Day 2. Two sets of five, then the last set for as many reps as you can. Add 2.5 lb (1.25 kg) to upper-body lifts and 5 lb (2.5 kg) to lower-body lifts each session; 10 or more reps on the last set doubles the jump. Miss 5 reps on the last set and that lift drops 10%.
Free to use · auto progression, rest timers & PR tracking built in
What is Phrak's Greyskull LP?
Phrak's Greyskull LP is a three-day full-body linear progression. Every day has three lifts: a press, a pull and a lower-body lift. The press alternates between overhead press and bench press, the pull between chin-ups and barbell rows, and the lower lift is squats on Days 1 and 3 and deadlifts on Day 2. Each lift is three sets of five, and the last set is as many reps as you can. Deadlifts are a single set of five, done the same way.
u/phrakture wrote it on the r/Fitness wiki as a variant of John Sheaffer's (Johnny Pain's) Greyskull LP. Durata runs it from his own page: the days, the lifts and the rules are his.
Is Phrak's Greyskull LP right for you?
It suits a lifter starting out with a barbell who wants a short session and a clear signal every time: the last set shows whether the weight is moving easily, just right, or too heavy. Each day is three lifts. If you cannot do three sets of five chin-ups yet, Phrak's answer is negatives until you can. Any barbell row variant will do (he liked Yates rows), and power cleans are an optional warmup for deadlifts.
How progression works
Add 2.5 lb to an upper-body lift and 5 lb to a lower-body lift each session. In kilograms Durata uses 1.25 kg and 2.5 kg. If your weights move in 2.5 kg or 5 lb steps, the upper-body lifts go up one step at a time. If the last set reaches ten reps or more, the jump doubles. If the last set falls short of five reps, that lift drops 10% next session. Chin-ups start with no added weight and go up in the same small steps as the other upper-body lifts. Durata works out each session's weight from these rules.
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.
Phrak's Greyskull LP — every set, every session
AMRAP = as many reps as possible on the final set.
Week 13 sessions
Day 1 · OHP, Chin-up, Squat
| Exercise | Sets × Reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|
| Overhead Press (Barbell) | 2×5 1×5++ AMRAP | — |
| Chin Up (Weighted) | 2×5 1×5++ AMRAP | — |
| Squat (Barbell) | 2×5 1×5++ AMRAP | — |
Day 2 · Bench, Row, Deadlift
| Exercise | Sets × Reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|
| Bench Press (Barbell) | 2×5 1×5++ AMRAP | — |
| Bent Over Row (Barbell) | 2×5 1×5++ AMRAP | — |
| Deadlift (Barbell) | 1×5++ AMRAP | — |
Day 3 · OHP, Chin-up, Squat
| Exercise | Sets × Reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|
| Overhead Press (Barbell) | 2×5 1×5++ AMRAP | — |
| Chin Up (Weighted) | 2×5 1×5++ AMRAP | — |
| Squat (Barbell) | 2×5 1×5++ AMRAP | — |
Week 23 sessions
Day 1 · Bench, Row, Squat
| Exercise | Sets × Reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|
| Bench Press (Barbell) | 2×5 1×5++ AMRAP | — |
| Bent Over Row (Barbell) | 2×5 1×5++ AMRAP | — |
| Squat (Barbell) | 2×5 1×5++ AMRAP | — |
Day 2 · OHP, Chin-up, Deadlift
| Exercise | Sets × Reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|
| Overhead Press (Barbell) | 2×5 1×5++ AMRAP | — |
| Chin Up (Weighted) | 2×5 1×5++ AMRAP | — |
| Deadlift (Barbell) | 1×5++ AMRAP | — |
Day 3 · Bench, Row, Squat
| Exercise | Sets × Reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|
| Bench Press (Barbell) | 2×5 1×5++ AMRAP | — |
| Bent Over Row (Barbell) | 2×5 1×5++ AMRAP | — |
| Squat (Barbell) | 2×5 1×5++ AMRAP | — |
Phrak's Greyskull LP — common questions
Why does the press alternate?
Phrak wrote it that way: overhead press one session, bench press the next, and chin-ups and barbell rows take turns the same way. Squats come on Days 1 and 3 and deadlifts on Day 2, every week.
What happens if I only get four reps on the last set?
That is a miss. Phrak's rule is to drop that lift by 10%, so the next session is lighter, and you build back up from there.
Why is the deadlift only one set?
That is how Phrak wrote Day 2: one set of five deadlifts, and as the last set it is as many reps as you can. It goes up 5 lb (2.5 kg) a session like the squat, and doubles at ten reps.
I can't do chin-ups yet. What do I do?
Do negatives until you can do three sets of five. Use a palms-facing grip about shoulder width apart. Once you can do three sets of five, add weight in 2.5 lb steps.
Is there an app that runs Phrak's Greyskull LP for you?
Yes. Durata runs Phrak's Greyskull LP as written, free: the 3-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: Phrak's variant (u/phrakture, r/Fitness) of the Greyskull LP by John Sheaffer (Johnny Pain)
Durata is not affiliated with or endorsed by the program's author. The program structure (sets, reps, exercise selection) is presented as published methodology.
Run Phrak's Greyskull LP in Durata
AMRAP tracking, automatic progression, plate calculator, rest timers and PR tracking — the whole program, ready to log.
