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Workout Plan Templates for Hardgainers: SDPUD, Full Body A/B and PPL
Three free workout plan templates for every hardgainer and hard gainer, anyone who struggles to gain weight despite training. Pick a template, log your numbers for 6 weeks and save everything as a PDF.
How to read an exercise
Every exercise has four numbers. That is all you need to know to get started.
SDPUD: the full body workout plan with 4 exercises
SDPUD stands for squat, deadlift, pull-ups, dips. Four compound lifts, three times a week, every session the same. You train every major muscle three times a week without getting lost in twenty exercises.
Every muscle 3 × per week. The same session on every training day.
Session, the same 3 × per week
Same depth every rep, technique first.
Pull clean, neutral back.
Use a band if you get fewer than 5. Add weight from 10.
Pain free, shoulders stable.
Three rules for this template
- Double progression: reps first, then weight. Squat example: start with 3 × 5 at 60 kg, add one rep per week up to 3 × 8, then go to 62.5 kg and back to 3 × 5.
- Only the four lifts count. No extra exercises, even on days you feel fresh.
- Keep rest times strict, set a timer. When technique breaks down, the set is over.
Full body workout plan A/B: two sessions in rotation
Two full body sessions in rotation. Each one covers legs, pushing and pulling, but with different exercises. You spread more volume across the week without any single session getting out of hand.
Every muscle 3 × per week, the exercises alternate between A and B.
Day A
One heavy set, then two lighter ones. Same depth every rep.
Reps up first, then weight.
Control, no swinging.
Focus on the hamstrings.
Light weight, clean path.
Elbows stay fixed.
Day B
Hips back, neutral back.
Standing or seated, no arching.
Drive the elbows down.
Pause briefly at the top.
Lower slowly.
Pause briefly at the bottom and the top.
Three rules for this template
- One heavy set plus two lighter ones: the first set sits at the low end of the rep range. Then drop the weight until you land in the higher range.
- Rate RIR honestly. RIR 1 to 2 means you could have done one or two more reps.
- Keep volume stable. More sets do nothing if you cannot recover from them.
PPL split: push, pull, legs
Push trains the pushing muscles (chest, shoulders, triceps), pull the pulling muscles (back, biceps), legs the legs. With 3 days every muscle gets trained only once a week. With 6 days it is twice, but that takes sleep, food and time.
With 3 days every muscle gets trained 1 × per week, with 6 days 2 ×.
Push
One heavy set, then two lighter ones.
Stable and clean.
Controlled stretch.
After the first set rest 15 to 20 seconds, then do short sets of a few reps.
Steady tempo.
Pull
Control, no swinging.
No momentum from the upper body.
Hold the end position briefly.
Light weight, clean path.
Lower slowly.
Forearms stay stable.
Legs
One heavy set, then two lighter ones. Same depth every rep.
Hips back, neutral back.
Focus on the hamstrings.
Pause briefly at the top.
Pause briefly at the bottom and the top.
Three rules for this template
- Myo-reps only on isolation exercises like lateral raises, never on squats or deadlifts.
- Deload earlier: when fatigue builds up or your joints complain, train one week with half the sets.
- Only go to 6 days when sleep, food and recovery are on point. Otherwise 3 days or back to A/B.
How you progress: double progression
More reps first, then more weight. That way you know exactly what to do every week.
- Start at the bottom of the range, here 5 reps.
- Add one rep per week, same weight.
- At the top: add 2.5 kg and start at the bottom again.
Your schedule does not fit the template?
The templates are fixed. The workout plan generator builds a plan from your own inputs. And whatever plan you run: without a calorie surplus no muscle grows.
Which template fits you?
The three templates are levels. You only move up when you deliver consistently, and you step back when performance or recovery drops.
Why PPL with 3 days is usually the weaker choice for hardgainers: every muscle gets trained only once a week. A meta-analysis found more muscle growth with at least two sessions per muscle per week than with one. Schoenfeld et al., 2016 More on training frequency.
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BackgroundHow to get the most out of the templatesProgression, RIR and tempo explained, common questions and the studies behind it.ShowClose
In the beginning I copied plans from magazines. 20 sets of biceps. Result: nothing. Then two training partners and I cut everything except four exercises. Squat, deadlift, pull-ups, dips. Against all advice. The weights went up. So did the scale.
How to use the templates in 3 steps
- Pick a template and set week 1. If in doubt: SDPUD.
- After the last session of the week, log weight, reps and RIR per set, plus your body weight as a weekly average.
- After week 6, save as PDF, take an easy week and start the next block.
Progression, RIR and tempo in plain words
Double progression
Every exercise has a rep range, for example 5 to 8. You stay at the same weight until you hit the top of the range on all sets. Then you add 2.5 kg and start again at the bottom. That way the load rises every week without guessing. The principle behind it is called progressive overload.
RIR: reps in reserve
RIR counts how many clean reps you could still have done at the end of a set. RIR 2 means two more would have been possible. For hardgainers that is the right zone: close enough to the limit for the stimulus, far enough away to recover by the next session.
Tempo
The three numbers are seconds. 3-0-2 means 3 seconds down, no pause at the bottom, 2 seconds up. A controlled tempo keeps tension on the muscle and protects your joints.
One heavy set, then lighter ones
With targets like 1 × 5 to 8 + 2 × 8 to 12 you do one heavy set first, then two sets with less weight and more reps. More under set structure.
Common questions about the workout plan templates
Which workout plan template fits me as a hardgainer?
Start with SDPUD if you are new, coming back after a break or have trained without a fixed plan so far. Switch to full body A/B once you have progressed cleanly for 6 weeks and your sleep is on point. PPL only pays off when food, sleep and recovery are stable and you can train 6 days.
How do I save my hardgainer workout plan PDF?
Tap “Save as PDF” and choose “Save as PDF” in the print dialog. Only the selected template is printed, as a table across 6 weeks with every value you have logged so far. Empty cells can be filled in on paper.
Where are my entries stored?
Only in your browser on this device. There is no account and no upload. If you clear your browser data or switch devices, the entries are gone. So save a PDF at the end of every block.
4 more questionsShow less
What do I do after the 6 weeks?
An easy week: same exercises, half the sets, keep the weight. Then start a new block with your week 6 numbers. If you have progressed cleanly for 2 to 3 weeks in a row and sleep well, that is the moment for the next level.
What if my joints or performance start to suffer?
Cut sets first, then weight. If your performance drops for 2 to 3 sessions in a row, step back one level: from PPL to A/B, from A/B to SDPUD. Joint pain is no reason to push through. Swap the exercise or drop it.
How often per week should I train as a hardgainer?
Three days are enough to build muscle. What matters more than the number of days is how often each muscle gets trained: at least twice a week came out ahead of once in a meta-analysis (Schoenfeld 2016). SDPUD and full body A/B get there with 3 days, a PPL split needs 6.
What is the difference to the workout plan generator?
The templates are fixed and ready to go. The workout plan generator builds a plan from your own inputs. Take a template if you want to start today without thinking, and the generator if your schedule or your gym does not fit the template.
What the research says
Three papers behind the templates
The templates put three findings into practice: train every muscle at least twice a week, progress through reps and weight, train close to the limit but not beyond it.
Frequency, progression and honest RIR matter more than the perfect exercise.
Show the papers and their limits
- Training a muscle at least twice a week builds more muscle than once. Systematic review and meta-analysis on training frequency. Twice a week came out ahead of once on average. That is why PPL with 3 days is usually the weaker choice for hardgainers. Schoenfeld et al., Sports Medicine, 2016
- Adding reps works about as well as adding weight. Randomized trial with trained participants over 8 weeks. Whether the groups progressed weight or reps each week made hardly any difference for muscle growth. That is exactly what double progression uses. Plotkin et al., PeerJ, 2022
- You do not have to train to failure. Meta-analysis on proximity to failure. Training to failure gave at most a very small advantage, stopping just short of it was equivalent. That is why the templates work with RIR 0 to 2. Refalo et al., Sports Medicine, 2023
What the studies do not cover
None of these papers looked at hardgainers specifically, and none tests these exact templates. Exercise selection, set numbers and the levels are our own derivation from the studies and from practice.
Further reading and resources
The terms used in the templates and the pages right next to them.
This content is general practical guidance and does not replace individual medical or professional training advice. If you have pain or a pre-existing condition, check with a doctor before you start.
