Weekend-first
The Weekender
Two sessions on the weekend and one midweek, for the schedule you actually have.
- Length
- 8 weeks
- Frequency
- 3 days a week
- Sessions
- 45 minutes
- Phases
- 2
Free to download. Eligible new subscribers get 14 days free, then $89.99 a year or $14.99 a month.
The short version
The Weekender is an 8-week, three-day program for people whose training time is the weekend. A lower-body session and an upper-body session fall on Saturday and Sunday, and a shorter full-body session sits midweek. Two phases move from about 10 reps to about 8. Sessions run about 45 minutes.
A good fit if
Weekdays are full and weekends are yours. You want to train properly on Saturday and Sunday without overdoing it, and you can fit in one session midweek.
Look elsewhere if
Weekdays are easier for you, or you want to train more than three days a week. Look at Weekday Warrior or the 3-Day Full-Body.
How it's built
- Phase 1 · Weeks 1 to 4
Anchor
Learn the weekend rhythm. Moderate weights, around 10 reps.
- Phase 2 · Weeks 5 to 8
Extend
Add weight. Around 8 reps on the main lifts, one or two in reserve.
Deloads. No deload weeks. Three sessions a week over eight weeks leaves room to recover.
A typical week
Built around the weekend: lower body and upper body on Saturday and Sunday, plus one midweek session.
- 01 Full Body: Midweek 40 min
- 02 Lower: Hinge, Squat and Glutes 45 min
- 03 Upper: Push, Pull and Shoulders 40 to 45 min
Session times are the app's own estimates, including the guided warm-up and cool-down.
A sample session
Lower: Hinge, Squat and Glutes
- DB Romanian Deadlift
- DB Suitcase Squat
- DB Hip Thrust
- DB Standing Calf Raise
- Plank with Dead Bug
Measured sets the weight and reps for every set from your starting weights, then adjusts them from what you lift and how many reps you had left. The movements change to fit your equipment.
Gym, home or bodyweight
Written around Dumbbells and an adjustable bench.
Gym
Runs as written, with a few dumbbell moves swapped for gym equivalents, such as a cable pushdown.
Home
Runs on the dumbbells you own. Weights snap to your set, and Measured adds reps first when your next dumbbell up is a big jump.
Bodyweight
Each lift is swapped for a bodyweight or band version that works the same muscles.
Why run it in Measured
You could follow a program from a PDF. Here is what changes when the app runs it.
How to start
- Download Measured and answer a few setup questions: your experience, your goal, your days, your time and where you train.
- See what it suggests. Setup recommends up to three programs that fit, with one marked as its pick. Take it, or choose The Weekender from the full library.
- Set your starting weights, or tell it to start you light. Then start your subscription (14 days free for eligible new subscribers) and your first session is ready.
Questions
Isn't back-to-back weekend training a lot?
Saturday is lower body and Sunday is upper body, so the same muscles are not trained two days running.
Which day is the midweek session?
You choose Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday when you start. Wednesday is the default and leaves two rest days on each side. It is one of the shorter sessions of the week.
What equipment do I need?
Dumbbells and an adjustable bench. Measured fits it to the dumbbells you own, or swaps in bodyweight versions.