Heavy.
Light. Medium.
The classic three-day intermediate template. One heavy day per lift, one light day, one medium day, every week. Stress is fluctuated so the body can actually recover and adapt instead of grinding into a hole.
I. Strength · Heavy-Light-Medium
Garage
Gym
Warrior.
A 13-week Heavy-Light-Medium peaking cycle for lifters with bare-bones equipment. A rack, a bar, a bench, and a chin bar is enough. Three days a week, three lifts a day, one PR test at the end.
- Schedule
- 3 days
per week - Length
- 13-week
cycle - Level
- Int — Adv
- Equipment
- Garage
minimum
Programmed by Andy Baker. Co-author, Practical Programming for Strength Training and The Barbell Prescription.
II. At a glance
The spec sheet.
Twelve weeks of programming you can pin to the rack. Here is what is in the PDF, in the order you will read it.
- Goal
- Build strength and muscle on the four main lifts using a classic Heavy-Light-Medium template. Repeatable cycle to cycle.
- Split
- Three days per week, ideally Monday / Wednesday / Friday. Monday is Heavy Squat, Medium Press, Medium Deadlift. Wednesday is Light Squat, Bench, Rows. Friday is Medium Squat, Heavy Press, Heavy Deadlift.
- Method
- Heavy-Light-Medium. Stress fluctuates within the week, easier to recover from than the Texas Method, and accessible to lifters over 40.
- Cycle structure
- Three progressively heavier 3-week strength blocks (9 weeks), a peaking week, a deload, and a testing week. Nine working weeks of waved volume and intensity, then PRs.
- Testing
- End the cycle with new 1RMs on the Press and Deadlift. Squat and Bench testing is optional and only recommended with proper safety pins, since most garage lifters train alone.
- Equipment
- Required: power rack, barbell with fractional plates, bench, chin bar. Helpful but not required: bumpers, EZ curl, dumbbells, a single piece of cardio equipment.
- Format
- PDF. Printable. Readable on a phone. Delivered by email link after checkout. No app, no login, no subscription.
- Price
- $25 USD, one-time. Yours to keep and re-run.
III. Inside the program
Strong and jacked. No contradiction.
Power-building means the main lifts go up while the assistance work fills the shirt. Three things make that possible.
Heavy.
13 weeks,
fully written.
Three 3-week strength blocks waving 6s, 5s, and 4s up the percentages. A peaking week of doubles at 95%. A deload. A testing week. Every set, rep, and percentage spelled out, week by week.
Built
for the garage.
No machines, no cables, no gym membership required. Squats three times a week, deadlifts twice, presses and benches alternating heavy and medium, rows on the light day. Optional assistance is listed for lifters who want it.
IV. Fit check
Who this is for.
Built for
- Intermediate-to-advanced lifters training in a garage, basement, or minimum-equipment home gym.
- Lifters who want a simple, repeatable 3-day template that doesn't require a full commercial setup.
- Trainees over 40 who recover better on Heavy-Light-Medium than on the Texas Method.
- Anyone who would rather follow a written 13-week cycle than program their own waves.
Not built for
- Day-one beginners. Run a linear progression first. The free bench program is a good place to land.
- Lifters peaking for a meet inside the next 6 weeks. Use a meet-prep program.
- Trainees who want a 4 or 5-day bodybuilding split with heavy machine work.
- People who can't or won't squat three times a week.
V. A look inside
Week one of the cycle.
The 8s week, taken straight from the program. Week two drops to 3×5 on the main lifts, week three to 3×2. Loads, rotation rules, and the full reset protocol live in the PDF.
Week 01 From the PDF
Monday
Heavy Squat · Medium Press
Medium Deadlift
- 01 Squat 4 × 6 × 70%
- 02 Press 3 × 6 × 65%
- 03 Deadlift 3 × 6 × 60%
Wednesday
Light Squat · Bench
Barbell Rows
- 01 Squat or Pause Squat 2 × 6 × 60%
- 02 Bench Press 4 × 6 × 70%
- 03 Barbell Rows 4 × 8 (strict form)
Friday
Medium Squat · Heavy Press
Heavy Deadlift
- 01 Squat 3 × 6 × 65%
- 02 Press 4 × 6 × 70%
- 03 Deadlift 1 × 6 × 70%
Verbatim from week 1 of the program · all 13 weeks, percentages, and reset notes in the PDF
VI. About the coach
Programmed by Andy Baker.
Coach · 2005 — Now VII. If this resonates
Programs in the same lane.
All strength →
Classic Heavy-Light-Medium
Twelve weeks of three-day Heavy-Light-Medium built around the squat, bench, and deadlift. Power clean variation included.
View program $25
Garage Gym Warrior 2
Fifteen weeks of basic-barbell training built on percentage work and bar speed. Three days a week, rack and barbell only.
View program $25
Strength & Mass After 40
Four-day Heavy-Light program for lifters past forty who still want strength and size. Periodized barbell lifts and a full assistance template.
View program $25
The Anchor When you finish
When you finish
the cycle, what then?
The Baker Barbell Club is the recurring side of the same coaching practice. New programming every week, written by Andy, delivered Sunday. 400+ members. $27 a month. Cancel any time.
IX. Before you buy
Common questions.
How is it delivered?
You will get an email with a download link to the PDF after checkout. Save it to your phone, your laptop, or print it. There is no login, no app, and no expiring access.
Can I run this on two days a week instead of three?
Yes. The PDF spells out two ways to do it. The first is to train, take two days off, train, take two days off, rotating Heavy / Light / Medium and accepting a varying weekly schedule. The second is two fixed days a week (for example Monday / Thursday) with the H/L/M rotation cycling through them.
I can't recover from deadlifting twice a week. Can I pull once?
Yes. Drop the Monday deadlift and replace it with chins, pull-ups, or bodyweight rows. Keep the Friday top set as written, then either run the Monday-style back-off sets or scale to one work set plus one back-off if needed. Straps on the medium pull help, and lighter pull variants like RDLs, stiff-leg deadlifts, or power cleans are valid swaps.
What's the minimum equipment I actually need?
A sturdy power rack, a good barbell with fractional plates, a bench, and a chin bar. Bumpers, an EZ curl bar, dumbbells, and a single piece of cardio equipment are nice but not required. Blast straps, TRX, or rings cover bodyweight rows if chins aren't an option.
Is this a beginner program?
No. It's written for intermediates and advanced lifters who already have a base of barbell training. If you're still adding weight to the bar every session on a linear progression, run that out first. The free 6-week bench program on this site is a good fit for novices.
Do I have to test 1RMs at the end?
No. For lifters training alone, the program recommends testing only the Press and the Deadlift, since both are safe to miss. Squat and Bench testing is optional and only with safety pins set correctly. If you skip testing, assume a conservative 5% PR per lift and start the next cycle from there.
How does this compare to the Club?
This program is a self-contained 13-week cycle that you own. The Baker Barbell Club is ongoing programming, written fresh every week, delivered Sunday. Many members run a PDF cycle while subscribed and use the Club for what to do next.