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GZCLP

Also known as

gzcl · gzclp linear · t1 t2 t3 · cody lefever

Community talk may be wrong. Not medical, training, or diet advice. Sharp pain, fainting, or disordered-eating concerns need a clinician.

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In brief

GZCLP is a linear-progression strength routine that divides exercises into three tiers with different rep ranges and progression rules.

The common picture
Schedule: 3 or 4 days a weekThe main lifts are squat, bench press, deadlift and overhead press.
Tier 1 — main strength work: 5 × 3 → 6 × 2 → 10 × 1The notation here is sets × reps. The final set can include extra reps; it is part of the listed set count.
Tier 2 — secondary lift: 3 × 10 → 3 × 8 → 3 × 6This is the higher-rep work on a main or related movement.
Tier 3 — accessories: commonly 3 × 15In the original version, the last set has the extra-rep target for increasing weight.
AMRAP means as many reps as possibleCody’s original main-work guidance leaves 1–2 reps available rather than requiring an actual failed rep.
Main-lift progression: add weight while completing the base repsWhen the base rep total is missed, move to the next set-and-rep stage. The accessory progression uses a different rule.

Lifters discuss how the main lifts, secondary work and higher-rep accessories progress, especially when one tier stalls or available weights make the next increase awkward.

Good to know. Turning T3 into a second workout. Starting here as a true first week. Ignoring the stall rules.

What people say

  • The job: A structured way to keep linear gains with more than just 3×5.
  • Cody Lefever (GZCL) wrote a method; GZCLP is the LP people actually run from spreadsheets.
  • r/fitness and r/gzcl treat it as the default “I finished BBR / SS” next step.
  • Why it’s loved: stall rules are written down. You know what to do when 5×3 dies.
  • Why it’s hated: the AMRAP culture turns every T1 into a test if the ego is driving.
  • Boostcamp / Liftosaur / Lift Vault all ship a GZCLP tracker. The program is bigger than the PDF.
  • Compared to 5/3/1: more weekly AMRAPs, more accessory volume, less “this feels too light.”
  • Compared to PPL: it is a progression, not just a split.
  • True novices can run it, but BBR / first-gym-week is still the quieter on-ramp.
  • Women’s threads use the same T1/T2/T3. Loads start where they start.
  • The spreadsheet is not the program. The stall rules are.

How people do it

  • Pick 3 or 4 days and assign a T1 to each.
  • T2 is a related lift — front squat next to squat, close-grip next to bench — not a random TikTok move.
  • T3s are 2–4 accessories. They stop at “good pump, still recover.”
  • When T1 5×3 fails the AMRAP rule: they move to 6×2, then 10×1, then reset with a new 5×3.
  • They log the AMRAP. That number is the whole point.
  • Rest on T1s is real rest. Two minutes is not enough for a heavy squat AMRAP.
  • If life shrinks: they keep T1 + one T2 and go home.

Amounts people use

  • Days: 3–4.
  • T1: the ladder 5×3 → 6×2 → 10×1 is the picture people share.
  • T2: 3×10 / 3×8 / 3×6.
  • T3: often 3×15 or 3 sets near 15, last set AMRAP in some writeups.
  • Progression: main-work weight increases while the prescribed base reps are completed; a missed base total moves to the next rep stage. The original accessory rule raises weight after 25 reps on its last set.

How people keep it

  • One tracker. They stop rewriting the sheet every Sunday.
  • The same four T1s for a training block.
  • T3s can rotate every few weeks without guilt.
  • A rest day after a brutal squat AMRAP.
  • Food on 4-day GZCLP — this is not a cutting gimmick.

How it may feel

  • First T1 AMRAP that pops: they get hooked.
  • A failed 5×3: they feel like the program broke. It is the next ladder, not a funeral.
  • T3 days that run long: they leave tired and under-recovered. That is the usual miss.
  • Week 6: they either trust the rules or they hop to PPL.
  • Vs 5/3/1: this feels harder week to week. Some people want that.
  • Vs SS: less squat frequency, more variety. Knees often say thanks.

How long

  • Several months of the LP is common.
  • Then GZCL “method” programs (The Rippler, etc.) or 5/3/1.
  • Some people stay on GZCLP a year by resetting TMs and keeping T3s interesting.
  • A stall on all four T1s plus bad sleep is a deload, not a new identity.

The longer notes

  • GZCL is a framework (T1/T2/T3, AMRAP, failure rules). GZCLP is the beginner linear.
  • You do not need every GZCL program. Run the LP until it is honestly done.
  • 5/3/1 if they want fewer tests and a monthly TM bump.
  • PPL if they miss having a “chest day” more than they miss a progression.
  • Self lift 2–4 if 4 days will not fit — GZCLP still works in 3.

More from the community

The tier is part of the question, not just a label on an exercise. In a July 2026 GZCL megathread, a lifter asked why the first two T3 sets could feel manageable while the final set carried the rep target for increasing weight. Replies pointed back to the original program and also discussed practical modifications when dumbbells or machines have different-sized weight jumps.Source 1

Related

Good to know

  • The AMRAP is not a weekly max-out contest.
  • T3 is not a second workout.
  • True first-week lifters can start simpler.
  • Ignore the stall rules and you just have a random split.
  • Sharp pain on a T1 single is a stop.
Earlier wording (updated)
  • T1: 5×3 + AMRAP, then 6×2, then 10×1 The linear ladder when 5s stall.
  • T2: 3×10, then 3×8, then 3×6 A cousin lift, more reps, not another max.
  • T3: 3×15-style accessories The pump work. Not a third program.
  • 3 or 4 days Squat / bench / deadlift / OHP as the T1s.
  • Last-set AMRAP How GZCL decides you earned the add.
  • Add: small plate on T1 when the AMRAP earns it — same 5/10 lb slogan.

Checked sources

Selected links for the notes above, not a review of every historical claim.

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