Train smarter - start small

Get stronger. One rep at a time.

Simple, illustrated training guides for skinny beginners. Learn the movement, start at your level and track your progress, with the evidence and its limits made clear.

Start free →Pick your path

No account, no email. Your plan stays on your device.

Pinky, the Pink Rep Lab character, pointing

Evidence-awareClaims linked to sources, limits stated.

Beginner-firstOptions for different starting levels.

Your data stays localLogs are saved in this browser.

Where are you starting?

01 - Push

I can't do 10 push-ups

Find a starting variation and learn how to progress.

Find my starting point → 02 - Understand

How do muscles grow?

The growth signal, how hard, how much, protein and sleep.

Learn the basics → 03 - No gym

I have no equipment

Four home moves and a simple starter plan.

See the home plan → 04 - Pull

I can't do a pull-up

Four coaching options, with honest limits.

See the options →

Latest videos

In review

In review. The training guide and video are still being finalized.

The Bar: Four Coaching Options Toward Your First Pull-Up

Why the bar feels impossible, four coaching options (hang with set shoulders, rows, band-assisted pulls, slow lowering), a starter template, and a way to track progress. These options have not been tested as a ladder in any trial.

Chapters

The goal and the muscles
Step 1: hang and set your shoulders
Step 2: rows
Step 3: band-assisted pulls
Step 4: slow lowering
Does the ladder work? (honest limits)
Starter template and sample session
When to move on
Staying safe
Record your baseline

Sources

Youdas et al. 2010, J Strength Cond Res (pull-up and chin-up EMG, 21 men and 4 women)
Dickie et al. 2017, J Electromyogr Kinesiol (pull-up variations, EMG)
Youdas et al. 2016, J Strength Cond Res (inverted row EMG)
Enes et al. 2025, J Strength Cond Res (repetition tempo meta-analysis)
ACE, NASM, Cleveland Clinic exercise guidance

Coming soon

Coming soon. Watch for it on the YouTube channel.

No Gym? Build Muscle at Home With Almost Nothing (4-Move Starter Plan)

Four home moves (incline push-up, table row, bodyweight squat, glute bridge), the muscles each one works, the mistakes to watch for, a simple 2-3 day starter plan, and when to stop. The table row is only an option if the support is secure.

Chapters