There are plenty of great free training programs out there, and they’re not too hard to find, especially once you get the hang of it. start browsing fitness forums like those on Reddit. But even when these programs are free, there are still barriers to getting started, like figuring out how to get a program from a spreadsheet on your phone (or, if you’re like me, a precious newspaper you wear to the gym).
I know I’m not the only one who chose a not very good beginner program because it comes with an easy to use app. My mistake happened years ago. Fortunately, today there are impulse camp.
Boostcamp is a training app that comes with various preloaded programs, with a focus on those which are suitable for beginners. The application is free and almost all the programs it contains they are free, although you are they have the option to tip the creators of the program.
Programs currently available on Boostcamp include:
- GZCLP, a linear progression (LP) designed by powerlifter Cody Lefever. (LPs are designed for beginners in that honeymoon stage where you can keep adding weight with each workout.)
- nSoles, the famous Reddit show that is based on 5/3/1 by packing about a week of training into each day; gives you the main lifts each day and lets you choose your own props.
- Candito 6 weeksDesigned by powerlifter Jonnie Candito, it provides short but intense workouts with the goal of increasing your strength in the main lifts (squat, bench, deadlift).
- PHULa program with “power” and “hypertrophy” days for the upper and lower body each week, with the goal of building strength and muscle size with a variety of rep ranges and props.
- The reddit ppla push-pull-leg split (i.e. three different types of workouts, each done twice a week) that has more of a bodybuilding feel, with 8-12 reps of most exercises and a focus on part of the body every day.
- Greg Nuckols Beginner Program, a program of short and customizable workouts designed specifically for this application. (Nuckols has a few other cheap and free programs that are highly recommended on Reddit and elsewhere; Nuckols is also a Boostcamp advisor.)
- The r/bodyweightfitness Recommended Workoutwhich we have written in the past; It’s a great way to strength train without weights. The app also includes a “First” routine that assumes you know nothing and starts with one or two beginner-level exercises each day.
- Several programs for beginners, including sizes, from mori summerswhich includes a “Fit at Every Size” series without weights and two premium programs that require a subscription.
- A mobility program matt hsu which can be run alongside any of the other programs.
- And two programs running from John Henwood: one for those who start running (you start with intervals of only one minute) and another for those who return after a rest period. They both have audio tracks to guide you through the run and you can listen to your own music while you do them.
These are not only good programs, I would not hesitate to recommend any of them, the application also has special features for each one. If I were to load any of the spreadsheet programs into a general purpose application like Strong, you could follow the workouts with no problem, but you would still have to read the details of how to progress from session to session and apply them manually. Boostcamp takes care of that for you.
In the bodyweightfitness program, for example, you can Progress by choosing the appropriate level of each exercise. If you can do regular overhead squats, you can move on to single-leg squat progressions. There’s a “progression” button in the corner while you’re doing your workout, and you can select the one that’s most appropriate. (There are also video demos for each move, which is extremely helpful.)
METERany of the weight training programs include a configuration step in which it tells you how much you can lift, and then the programs adapt as you go, telling you how much to put on the bar for each set of each workout. Some, like nSuns, unlock an “analysis” card that shows how your strength is increasing overtime. And each program has a “community” tab where you can ask questions or encourage others who are running the same program.
You can also run multiple programs at the same time, such as a strength program and a running program. Runners may like the bodyweight fitness program; lifters may want to jump into “zero to hero” for returning runners if they already have some fitness but aren’t used to running.
In a nutshell, this is a great app for running a variety of tried and tested programs, and it doesn’t have to process a bunch of numbers or understand the progression schemes before you begin. If you’ve been intimidated by spreadsheets, give Boostcamp a try.
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