Doug Hepburn Method — Strength A & B

The core Hepburn method breaks each lift into two parts: a strength block of heavy singles and a pump block of moderate-weight doubles or triples. For the strength block, you work with about 90 percent of your current 1RM and perform 8 singles. When you can hit all 8 cleanly across sessions, you add 5 pounds (2.5 kg) and start over at a lower rep count and build back up.

The pump block follows the strength work. It uses a weight you can triple for 3-5 reps and prescribes 3 sets. The pump block is where hypertrophy happens and where muscle is built to support the heavier singles. Most modern Hepburn templates combine an upper-body and lower-body lift each session, rotating through a 3- or 4-day-per-week split.

Progression is rep-based, not weight-based, within a block. You start with 2×1 of the strength weight and 2×3 of the pump weight. Each session you add a single or a rep to the pump. When 8×1 and 3×3 are clean, the weight goes up 5 pounds and you drop back to 2×1 and 2×3. This slow linear progression is the distinguishing feature. Hepburn claimed it could run for years without a deload — and his own career shows he lived that claim.

The method suits lifters who respond to low-rep singles and want to stay at a high training max most of the time. It does not suit lifters who need frequent variation or who find repeated heavy singles beat up their joints. The discipline required is unusual: you will not feel like the program is working for weeks at a time, then a 5-pound jump lands and the total for the lift has climbed steadily.

• Squat→
• Bench Press→
• Overhead Press→
• Deadlift→
• Barbell Row→
• Paused Bench Press→

1. Day 01

   Day A — Squat / Bench

   Squat: 8×1 @ ~90%, then 3×3 @ ~75% · Bench Press: 8×1 @ ~90%, then 3×3 @ ~75% · Paused Bench: 2×5 · Ab work

2. Day 02

   Day B — Deadlift / Overhead Press

   Deadlift: 8×1 @ ~90%, then 3×3 @ ~75% · Overhead Press: 8×1 @ ~90%, then 3×3 @ ~75% · Barbell Row: 3×5 · Ab work

3. Day 03

   Day A — Squat / Bench (week 2)

   Squat: 8×1 @ ~90% (rep added if all clean), then 3×3 @ ~75% · Bench: 8×1 @ ~90%, then 3×3 @ ~75% · Accessories

• The program demands accurate maxes. If your estimated 1RM is 5-10 kg too high, the strength block becomes grinders and you miss. If it is too low, the progression stalls because nothing feels heavy. Test your true 1RM before starting and be honest about it.
• Rotating through 8 heavy singles on the same lift at the same weight across multiple sessions can cause accumulated wear on wrists, elbows, shoulders, and knees. Watch joint complaints carefully. The method historically included deloads when needed — Hepburn himself took weeks off when joints flared up. Treat occasional deloads as part of the plan, not a failure.
• Hepburn's method predates modern autoregulation. It is built on fixed percentages, fixed rep schemes, and a single progression rule. Do not add RPE, velocity-based training, or Sheiko-style wave periodization on top of it — you change the program's premise. If you want those tools, pick a different program.