Phases and Progression Rules in the Program Builder let you structure programs into distinct training blocks — Hypertrophy, Strength, Peaking, Deload — with automatic week-over-week adjustments. Instead of building each week from scratch, you define the rules once and let the builder do the math.
Why Use Phases
Structure periodized programs the way elite coaches do
Clearly communicate training intent to clients — each phase has a name and purpose
Avoid the "random workout" trap — every week has a logical place in the bigger picture
Easy to duplicate and modify phases for different clients
Clients stay engaged longer because they can see the progression plan ahead
Creating & Managing Phases
When you add a new phase to your program, you can choose to:
Add an empty phase — start from a blank slate
Duplicate an existing phase — copy the entire phase structure including all weeks and workouts
Copy workouts from another phase — pull in specific workouts without duplicating the full phase
Rename phases to reflect the training intent. For example: "Accumulation", "Intensification", "Deload". This helps both you and your clients understand the purpose of each block at a glance.
You can also reorder, duplicate, or delete phases at any time. Use the collapse/expand feature to focus on the phase you're currently working on without the clutter of other phases.
Progression Rules
Progression Rules let you define how training variables change from week to week within a phase. Instead of manually editing every week, you set the rules once and the builder handles the rest.
How they work:
Set rules per phase for sets, reps, and rest time
Choose between: None, Linear increase (+N per week), or Percentage increase (+N% per week)
When adding weeks with "Repeat with Progression", the builder auto-applies your rules to generate the next week's values
Apply progression from a specific week onward or to all weeks at once
Reset progression to return to Week 1 base values at any time
Progressive Overload Presets
The Program Builder includes built-in progressive overload presets — pre-configured templates for common progression patterns. These save you from having to configure rules from scratch every time. Simply select a preset and it will populate the progression rules for that phase automatically.
Deload Presets
Deloads are essential for recovery, injury prevention, and long-term progress. The Program Builder makes it easy to add deload weeks with built-in presets:
Standard Deload — 40% volume reduction across the board
Light Deload — 60% volume reduction for a more aggressive recovery week
Custom deload settings — fine-tune the exact reduction percentages for sets, reps, and weight to match your coaching approach
Regular deloads prevent overtraining, reduce injury risk, and allow your clients to come back stronger in the next training block.
Practical Example: 12-Week Program
Here's how you might structure a 12-week program using phases and progression rules:
Phase 1 — Hypertrophy (Weeks 1-4): 3x12, moderate weight. Focus on building muscle volume with controlled reps.
Phase 2 — Strength (Weeks 5-8): 4x6, heavier weight, +5% per week. Progressive overload with increasing intensity each week.
Phase 3 — Peaking (Weeks 9-11): 5x3, near-max weight. Low reps, high intensity to peak strength.
Phase 4 — Deload (Week 12): 40% volume reduction. Recovery week before the next training cycle.
Each phase has its own progression rules, so the builder automatically calculates the correct sets, reps, and loads for every week. You set it up once, and the entire 12-week plan is ready to assign.
Ready to build your first multi-phase program? Head over to the Program Builder and start creating.