This English text is an AI-assisted translation pending human review; the Chinese version is authoritative.
Answer three questions first
Before choosing a program, write down your own situation clearly, because every program in the library is classified by these three things:
- What equipment you have: only your bodyweight, dumbbells at home, or access to a gym with barbells and machines.
- How many days a week you can reliably show up: two or three. Use the most conservative estimate, the number you can still manage when life gets busy.
- Your current state: never trained, trained before but stopped for a long time, or just recovering from injury or a long layoff.
These three answers decide which category to choose from. They do not rank your ability.
Use the filters, not the titles
Open the program library. The left panel (a filter drawer on phones) narrows the list by equipment, days per week and intended audience. Each card shows equipment, days, estimated session length and level. The estimated length already includes the warm-up, rest between sets and moving between machines, so you can compare it directly with your schedule.
Within one category there are usually two or more comparable programs that differ substantially in audience, frequency or structure. When comparing, look at:
- Whether one session fits into the time slot you actually have.
- Whether you can perform every exercise it uses, or whether the program includes reviewed substitution rules.
- Whether the suitability notes explicitly mention your situation, such as "no bench" or "pull-up bar available".
If you are unsure, try AI pick for me on the programs page. It only matches among published programs and explains its reasoning; you still confirm the result, and it does not decide for you.
Reasonable expectations for a first program
The job of a first program is to build a rhythm of showing up, logging and recovering, not to chase load. Most beginner programs use fairly conservative starting loads and a fixed exercise order, and that is deliberate. In the first two weeks, getting the movements smooth and building the logging habit matters more than any number.
Run a program through at least one full cycle before judging it. People who switch programs frequently often end up never really doing any of them.
When to switch
The end of a cycle, a change in equipment, or a change in how many days you can show up are all legitimate reasons to switch. Feeling that a program is "too easy" usually is not: first check your records to see whether load and reps are actually progressing as the program intends. The program page shows each program's author, reviewer and version; check these too when switching.
Every program on this site states its scope. Advanced contest preparation and specialised rehabilitation are outside the scope of this first release, and the interface says so honestly. If you feel unwell or have a previous injury, consult a doctor or a qualified coach first.
Scope: general training knowledge for adult beginners and people returning to training; competition prep, specialised rehabilitation and individual nutrition prescriptions are out of scope.