Programme · Intermediate · 6 days a week
Reddit PPL — CoolCicada
Reddit PPL — CoolCicada is a common intermediate muscle-building programme. Six-day push/pull/legs from three repeated sessions — three barbell presses on push day, straight sets throughout. VALDA has it in its programme library: start it and VALDA sets up the sessions and starting weights, then adds weight when you complete every working set.
Free to start, 1 programme at a time. Already have the app? Open in VALDA takes you straight to it.
Is Reddit PPL — CoolCicada for you?
Lifters who want a bodybuilding-shaped week with a heavy barbell opener in every session, and who prefer a fixed, repeatable routine over an A/B rotation. The pressing volume is high — three barbell presses twice a week — so it suits people whose shoulders and elbows tolerate frequent pressing, and it is usually run on a surplus rather than a deficit.
At a glance
- Level
- Intermediate
- Goal
- Muscle size
- Time
- 6 days a week, ~60–90 min a session
A six-day push/pull/legs routine that runs three sessions twice each week rather than alternating A and B versions. Each session opens with heavy barbell work in the 5-6 rep range and finishes with isolation work at 8-12. Push day is unusual in running three separate barbell presses — flat bench, overhead press and incline — all at 3×5, before a single lateral raise and two triceps movements.
6 sessions
| Session | Exercises |
|---|---|
| Push |
|
| Pull |
|
| Legs |
|
| Push |
|
| Pull |
|
| Legs |
|
Push: bench press 3×5, overhead press 3×5, incline barbell bench 3×5, lateral raise 3×10-12, rope pushdown 3×10-12, overhead triceps extension 3×10-12. Pull: barbell row 3×5 (deadlifts 3×5 may be used instead), lat pulldown 3×8-10, seated cable row 3×8-10, face pull 3×10-12, barbell shrug 3×10-12, barbell curl 4×10-12, hammer curl 3×10-12. Legs: squat 4×5-6, leg press 3×8-10, leg extension 3×10-12, hamstring curl 3×10-12, standing calf raise 5×10-12. All three sessions repeat in the second half of the week exactly as written.
How the weights move
Linear progression on the compounds: add about 5 lb to squat, bench, overhead press and row whenever you complete every set at the target reps. Accessories use rep-then-weight — hold the weight until you can hit the top of the prescribed range on all sets, then add weight. The source is explicit that you should not rush the accessory increases; the compound lifts are where the progression matters. Inside VALDA, the accessory rep ranges drive a progression suggestion once you hit the top of the range on every set, and the 5-6 rep compounds get one after two sessions at the same weight. Suggestions are 2.5 kg (2 kg on dumbbells) and you choose whether to take them.
Reddit PPL — CoolCicada, with the maths done
- Sessions set up from the programme, ready to log
- Starting weights worked out from the programme's own rules and your estimated maxes, with a default where VALDA has no history yet. You can change any of them
- Weight added when you complete every working set
- A missed session holds the weight; 3 misses in a row bring it down 10%
- Log sets from your phone, Apple Watch or Wear OS watch
Reddit PPL — CoolCicada questions
Who is Reddit PPL — CoolCicada for?
Lifters who want a bodybuilding-shaped week with a heavy barbell opener in every session, and who prefer a fixed, repeatable routine over an A/B rotation. The pressing volume is high — three barbell presses twice a week — so it suits people whose shoulders and elbows tolerate frequent pressing, and it is usually run on a surplus rather than a deficit.
How many days a week is Reddit PPL — CoolCicada?
As VALDA runs it: 6 days a week, ~60–90 min a session.
How does progression work on Reddit PPL — CoolCicada?
Linear progression on the compounds: add about 5 lb to squat, bench, overhead press and row whenever you complete every set at the target reps. Accessories use rep-then-weight — hold the weight until you can hit the top of the prescribed range on all sets, then add weight. The source is explicit that you should not rush the accessory increases; the compound lifts are where the progression matters. Inside VALDA, the accessory rep ranges drive a progression suggestion once you hit the top of the range on every set, and the 5-6 rep compounds get one after two sessions at the same weight. Suggestions are 2.5 kg (2 kg on dumbbells) and you choose whether to take them.
Can I run Reddit PPL — CoolCicada in VALDA?
Yes. It's in VALDA's programme library: start it and VALDA sets up the sessions and starting weights, then adds weight when you complete every working set. You can start it on the free plan, 1 programme at a time. Automatic progression: Free: 6 sessions · Pro: unlimited.
Is VALDA affiliated with Coolcicada (bodybuilding.com forums, 2012)?
No. VALDA is not affiliated with or endorsed by Coolcicada (bodybuilding.com forums, 2012). This page describes the programme as VALDA runs it.
Where Reddit PPL — CoolCicada comes from
Coolcicada posted this routine to the bodybuilding.com forums on 21 November 2012, as "Coolcicada's Push/Pull/Legs Routine" (thread 149807833). It was not written for r/Fitness — it spread there afterwards, along with a widely-shared spreadsheet, which is why it is usually met under the "Reddit PPL" name and is now one of the standard named PPL references alongside Metallicadpa's. VALDA follows the published exercise selection, set counts and rep ranges, and adapts the progression structure for use inside the app, but does not claim authorship of the method.
VALDA is not affiliated with or endorsed by Coolcicada (bodybuilding.com forums, 2012). The programme belongs to its author; this page describes it as VALDA runs it.
This page describes a common training programme for information. It isn't a personal prescription.