Talos

Whatever lift you are chasing, your plan starts from the weights you log today.

Every week between the weights you log today and the lift you are chasing. The same lifts run heavier and lower-rep as the block goes, and the loads follow the reps you actually logged.

£19.99/month FIRST 7 DAYS FREE · CANCEL ANYTIME
Build my programme

PB your lifts or your money back.

Rob under a heavy back squat

How muscle and strength are actually built

Volume drives growth, and it is counted in hard sets per muscle per week.

Roughly ten to twenty for most muscles, spread across at least two sessions rather than one heroic one. Frequency beats a single weekly annihilation.

Progressive overload has to be measured to exist.

Adding reps at the same load, then load at the same reps. Without a record of last week you are not progressing, you are repeating.

Reps in reserve beat percentages for most people.

A percentage assumes a max that changes with sleep, food and stress. Leaving two or three reps in the tank auto-regulates the session to the day you are actually having.

Getting bigger and getting stronger are different prescriptions.

Size responds to volume in moderate rep ranges; strength responds to heavier loads, lower reps and longer rest. The same exercises, dosed differently.

In the app

Talos app screen
Talos app screen
Talos app screen
Talos app screen

A real week, generated

Intermediate lifter, 4-day upper/lower split, Build Muscle focus.

Hypertrophy block: a mid-block week (Hypertrophy)Higher reps, more sets: the block accumulates volume in the muscle-building range.
Mon
Lower & Core A
MainBarbell Back Squat3 × 8-10
StrengthBarbell Romanian Deadlift3 × 8-12
AccessoryMachine Seated Leg Curl2 × 15-20
AccessoryMachine Hip Thrust2 × 15-20
AccessoryMachine Seated Calf Raise3 × 12-15
AccessoryBanded Monster Walk3 × 12-15
StrengthCable Pull-through3 × 8-12
CoreReverse Crunch3 × 12-15
CarrySuitcase Carry3 × 30m each
CarryFarmers Carry3 × 40m
Squat pattern first, hinge second, then the accessory and core work that holds the knee and hip together.
Tue
Upper A
MainBarbell Bench Press3 × 8-10
MainPull-ups3 × 8-10
StrengthDumbbell Arnold Press3 × 8-12
StrengthBarbell Bent Over Row3 × 8-12
StrengthDips3 × 8-12
AccessoryBarbell Curl2 × 15-20
AccessoryCable Overhead Tricep Extension2 × 15-20
AccessoryDumbbell Lateral Raise2 × 15-20
CoreLong-Lever Plank2 × 20-30s
A press and a pull as the mains, then volume split across both so one does not get chased at the expense of the other.
Wed
Rest
Thu
Lower & Core B
MainBarbell Front Squat3 × 8-10
StrengthSmith Machine Romanian Deadlift3 × 8-12
AccessoryBarbell Hip Thrust2 × 15-20
AccessoryNordic Hamstring Curl2 × 5-8
AccessoryDumbbell Bulgarian Split Squat2 × 15-20
AccessorySingle Leg Calf Raise3 × 12-15
AccessoryCable Pull-through3 × 12-15
CoreHanging Knee Raise3 × 12-15
CoreMed Ball Russian Twist3 × 12-15
Fri
Upper B
MainBarbell T-Bar Row3 × 8-10
MainBarbell Overhead Press3 × 8-10
StrengthDumbbell Incline Bench Press3 × 8-12
StrengthCable Close Grip Lat Pulldown3 × 8-12
AccessoryDumbbell Hammer Curl2 × 15-20
AccessoryEZ Bar Skull Crusher2 × 15-20
AccessoryDumbbell Rear Delt Fly2 × 15-20
AccessoryCable Fly2 × 15-20
CoreDead Bug2 × 10 each
Sat
Rest
Sun
Rest
Strength block: the same split, later (Strength)The block wave is real, not a label: the same lifts, now heavier and lower-rep.
Mon
Lower & Core A
MainBarbell Back Squat4 × 6-8
StrengthBarbell Romanian Deadlift3 × 8-12
AccessoryMachine Seated Leg Curl2 × 12-15
AccessoryMachine Lying Leg Curl2 × 12-15
AccessoryMachine Seated Calf Raise3 × 10-12
AccessoryMachine Hip Adductor2 × 12-15
StrengthBarbell Hip Thrust3 × 8-12
CoreHanging Leg Raise3 × 10-12
CoreCable Woodchop3 × 10-12
CarryFarmers Carry3 × 40m
Squat pattern first, hinge second, then the accessory and core work that holds the knee and hip together.
Tue
Upper A
MainBarbell Bench Press4 × 6-8
MainPull-ups4 × 6-8
StrengthDumbbell Arnold Press3 × 8-12
StrengthBarbell Bent Over Row3 × 8-12
StrengthDips3 × 8-12
AccessoryBarbell Curl2 × 12-15
AccessoryCable Overhead Tricep Extension2 × 12-15
AccessoryMachine Lateral Raise2 × 12-15
CoreReverse Crunch2 × 12-15
A press and a pull as the mains, then volume split across both so one does not get chased at the expense of the other.
Wed
Rest
Thu
Lower & Core B
MainBarbell Front Squat4 × 6-8
StrengthSmith Machine Romanian Deadlift3 × 8-12
AccessoryDumbbell Bulgarian Split Squat2 × 12-15
AccessoryNordic Hamstring Curl2 × 5-8
AccessoryMachine Hip Thrust2 × 12-15
AccessorySingle Leg Calf Raise3 × 10-12
AccessoryCable Glute Kickback2 × 12-15
CoreLying Leg Raise3 × 10-12
CoreWeighted Side Plank3 × 20-30s each
Fri
Upper B
MainBarbell T-Bar Row4 × 6-8
MainBarbell Overhead Press4 × 6-8
StrengthDumbbell Incline Bench Press3 × 8-12
StrengthCable Close Grip Lat Pulldown3 × 8-12
AccessoryCable Rope Hammer Curl2 × 12-15
AccessoryWeighted Dip2 × 12-15
AccessoryCable Rear Delt Fly2 × 12-15
AccessoryDumbbell Fly2 × 12-15
CarrySuitcase Carry2 × 30m each
Sat
Rest
Sun
Rest

Intermediate lifter, 4-day upper/lower split, Get Stronger focus.

Hypertrophy block: a mid-block week (Hypertrophy)Higher reps, more sets: the block accumulates volume in the muscle-building range.
Mon
Lower & Core A
MainBarbell Back Squat4 × 4-6
StrengthBarbell Romanian Deadlift3 × 6-10
AccessoryMachine Seated Leg Curl2 × 12-15
AccessoryMachine Hip Thrust2 × 12-15
AccessoryMachine Seated Calf Raise3 × 10-12
AccessoryBanded Monster Walk3 × 10-12
StrengthCable Pull-through3 × 6-10
CoreReverse Crunch3 × 10-12
CarrySuitcase Carry3 × 30m each
CarryFarmers Carry3 × 40m
Squat pattern first, hinge second, then the accessory and core work that holds the knee and hip together.
Tue
Upper A
MainBarbell Bench Press4 × 4-6
MainPull-ups4 × 5-7
StrengthDumbbell Arnold Press3 × 6-10
StrengthBarbell Bent Over Row3 × 6-10
StrengthDips3 × 6-10
AccessoryBarbell Curl2 × 12-15
AccessoryCable Overhead Tricep Extension2 × 12-15
AccessoryDumbbell Lateral Raise2 × 12-15
CoreLong-Lever Plank2 × 20-30s
A press and a pull as the mains, then volume split across both so one does not get chased at the expense of the other.
Wed
Rest
Thu
Lower & Core B
MainBarbell Front Squat4 × 4-6
MainBarbell Conventional Deadlift4 × 4-6
AccessoryBarbell Hip Thrust2 × 12-15
AccessoryNordic Hamstring Curl2 × 5-8
AccessoryDumbbell Bulgarian Split Squat2 × 12-15
AccessorySingle Leg Calf Raise3 × 10-12
AccessoryCable Pull-through3 × 10-12
CoreHanging Knee Raise3 × 10-12
CoreMed Ball Russian Twist3 × 10-12
Fri
Upper B
MainBarbell Bench Press4 × 4-6
MainBarbell T-Bar Row4 × 5-7
MainBarbell Overhead Press4 × 4-6
StrengthCable Close Grip Lat Pulldown3 × 6-10
AccessoryDumbbell Hammer Curl2 × 12-15
AccessoryEZ Bar Skull Crusher2 × 12-15
AccessoryDumbbell Rear Delt Fly2 × 12-15
AccessoryCable Fly2 × 12-15
CoreDead Bug2 × 10 each
Sat
Rest
Sun
Rest
Strength block: the same split, later (Strength)The block wave is real, not a label: the same lifts, now heavier and lower-rep.
Mon
Lower & Core A
MainBarbell Back Squat5 × 2-3
StrengthBarbell Romanian Deadlift3 × 5-8
AccessoryMachine Seated Leg Curl2 × 10-12
AccessoryMachine Lying Leg Curl2 × 10-12
AccessoryMachine Seated Calf Raise3 × 8-10
AccessoryMachine Hip Adductor2 × 10-12
StrengthBarbell Hip Thrust3 × 5-8
CoreHanging Leg Raise3 × 8-10
CoreCable Woodchop3 × 8-10
CarryFarmers Carry3 × 40m
Squat pattern first, hinge second, then the accessory and core work that holds the knee and hip together.
Tue
Upper A
MainBarbell Bench Press5 × 2-3
MainPull-ups5 × 5-6
StrengthDumbbell Arnold Press3 × 5-8
StrengthBarbell Bent Over Row3 × 5-8
StrengthDips3 × 5-8
AccessoryBarbell Curl2 × 10-12
AccessoryCable Overhead Tricep Extension2 × 10-12
AccessoryMachine Lateral Raise2 × 10-12
CoreReverse Crunch2 × 12-15
A press and a pull as the mains, then volume split across both so one does not get chased at the expense of the other.
Wed
Rest
Thu
Lower & Core B
MainBarbell Front Squat5 × 2-3
MainBarbell Conventional Deadlift5 × 2-3
AccessoryDumbbell Bulgarian Split Squat2 × 10-12
AccessoryNordic Hamstring Curl2 × 6-8
AccessoryMachine Hip Thrust2 × 10-12
AccessorySingle Leg Calf Raise3 × 8-10
AccessoryCable Glute Kickback2 × 10-12
CoreLying Leg Raise3 × 8-10
CoreWeighted Side Plank3 × 20-30s each
Fri
Upper B
MainBarbell Bench Press5 × 2-3
MainBarbell T-Bar Row5 × 5-6
MainBarbell Overhead Press5 × 4-5
StrengthCable Close Grip Lat Pulldown3 × 5-8
AccessoryCable Rope Hammer Curl2 × 10-12
AccessoryWeighted Dip2 × 10-12
AccessoryCable Rear Delt Fly2 × 10-12
AccessoryDumbbell Fly2 × 10-12
CarrySuitcase Carry2 × 30m each
Sat
Rest
Sun
Rest

Every one of these is real output from the generator, frozen on the page. Yours is built from your numbers, and unlike a page it moves every week.

Build my programme

7-day free trial, then £19.99/month. Cancel anytime.

PB your lifts or your money back.

Founding-member price. It will be £29.99 for new members later; join now and yours stays where it is.

The programme is most of this page. It is not most of the membership.

Your day, and what everyone else is doing.
Your day, and what everyone else is doing.
Message Rob, and a room open all week.
Message Rob, and a room open all week.
Recipes portioned to your macros, not just calories.
Recipes portioned to your macros, not just calories.

Build your own programme

Pick your goal in the app and your first week is generated in about a minute, free for 7 days. Every week after it is written too.

Build my programme

Before you decide

Will I be in the gym for two hours?

No. The accessories are paired into supersets, which is why a ten-movement session is eight stations, and the sessions are built to sit inside an hour.

What happens if my race moves, or I miss a week?

The block is rebuilt from where you actually are. Change the date and the phases and paces re-plan around the new runway. Miss a week and the following weeks adjust rather than carrying on as though it happened.

I am not fit enough to start yet.

The plan starts from your current numbers, not from a level you are supposed to have reached. Week one is anchored to the volume you are already doing, and if the goal you have picked is not reachable in the time available the plan says so in plain words instead of quietly failing.

Can I see what I would actually be doing before I pay?

You already can. Everything above this is real output from the same engine you would be using, and the picker on the home page will build any goal you like, week by week, without an account.

I do not have five or six days a week.

Pick the number you have. The plan is designed for that commitment from the start, and two days is a complete programme.

What do I need in the gym?

You tell it what you have and it selects from that. A full gym, a home rack, or dumbbells and a bench all produce a real programme rather than a reduced one.

Is there a real person, or just the app?

Rob Hartley built Talos and trains with it every day: he races HYROX and marathons on the same plans you would be given. You can message him any time from the coaching screen and he replies within 24 hours. That is included, not an upgrade.

How does the money-back guarantee work?

Finish the block, log your sessions, and test or race at the end. If you have not set a PB, email us within two weeks of the block ending and we refund your membership for it. No forms, no argument.

How do I cancel?

In the app, under Settings. If you subscribed through the App Store, cancel in your App Store subscription settings instead, the same as any other subscription. The first seven days are free and nothing is taken until they are up.

Build my programme

7-day free trial, then £19.99/month. Cancel anytime.

PB your lifts or your money back.

Founding-member price. It will be £29.99 for new members later; join now and yours stays where it is.