Interactive prototype · iOS
9:41
Mesocycle
Science-based lifting

Built for lifters who read the research.

A hypertrophy tracker that stays current with the literature. Every default — volume, proximity to failure, exercise selection — is calibrated to what the most recent studies actually support.
The approach
  • Literature-first defaults. Programming reflects current hypertrophy research, not trends or guru opinions.
  • Stimulus over volume. Exercise choices weighted by stimulus-to-fatigue, not just "more sets."
  • Updated as the science is. New meta-analyses change the defaults — not a blog post.
Evidence-based. Not gimmick-based.

Create your account

So your plan, logs, and landmarks sync across devices.
or email
Step 1 of 5

A few basics

Used for calorie math, volume targets, and plate suggestions.

Male
Female
lb / in
kg / cm
Step 2 of 5

What's the main goal?

We'll calibrate volume, rep ranges, and calorie targets to match.

H
Build muscle Recommended
Pure hypertrophy. 2 × 6–8 reps at 1–2 RIR as the default.
R
Recomposition
Slow muscle gain at a slight deficit. Protein stays high.
C
Fat loss
Preserve muscle while dieting. Volume holds, intensity preserved.
S
Strength focus
Lower reps on the main lifts, hypertrophy rep ranges on the rest.
Step 3 of 5

How long have you been training?

Affects starting volume, progression rate, and deload spacing.

0–1
Beginner
Less than a year of consistent lifting. Start low, progress fast.
1–3
Intermediate
1–3 years. Progression is set-by-set, not session-by-session.
3+
Advanced
3+ years. Mesocycle-level progression, tighter deloads.
Step 4 of 5

How often can you train?

We recommend Upper/Lower 4×. Full-body every other day is the solid alternative.

4×
Upper / Lower 4× per week Recommended
Two upper, two lower. Best evidence-based balance of volume and recovery.
FB
Full body, every other day
3–4 sessions per week. Strong fit for time-limited intermediates.
⚙
Build my own Advanced
For experienced lifters who want granular control. Set your own days and muscle allocation.
Step 5 of 5

Weak and strong points

Tap muscles you want to prioritize (weak) or hold steady (strong). Priority muscles go first in each session.

CHEST BI BI SD SD ABS QUADS QUADS
Tap again to clear. Weak points get extra sets and earlier placement in each session. Strong points run at maintenance volume.

Building your plan

Reading the literature. Matching your weak points to the best stimulus-to-fatigue exercises.
Assembling Upper/Lower 4× template
Calculating starting volume at MEV
Prioritizing weak-point exercises
Selecting machine-first exercises
Wiring progression & deload rules
Thursday, April 17

Good morning, Noah.Let's train.

NO
This week Streak · 11 wks
Today's session · Upper B

Back emphasis

7 exercises · ~48 min · Week 3 of 5 · accumulation
0 / 7 done
16 working sets
RIR 2
Weekly check-in · due today

How's recovery feeling?

Takes ten seconds. Feeds your auto-deload and landmark calibration.

Sleep quality
12345
Overall soreness
12345
Training motivation
12345
Joint tenderness
12345
For you, this week
!
Rear delts are under MEV

7 sets logged vs. a 10-set floor this week. Consider adding a second rear delt movement on Upper B.

Open Plan →
›
✓
Bench progression on track

Estimated 1RM is up 4.2% this meso — top end of the expected range for Week 3.

Open Stats →
›
!
Overhead tri ext has stalled

No progression in two sessions. Try drop sets to failure, or swap to a skull crusher for one block.

See stagnation watch →
›
This month in the journal
Study of the month

Low-load training to failure produces equivalent hypertrophy to moderate loads — with a cost.

Refalo, Nuckols, Helms, Plotkin et al.
J. Strength Cond. Res. · March 2026 Read the 4-min brief →
Thursday · Week 3 of 5

Upper B

Back emphasis · 7 exercises · ~48 min
NO
4 / 7 done
Rest 1:42
Tap any exercise to log

  • 01Weighted Pull-up · neutral

    3 × 6–10 · RIR 2–3
    ✓Done

  • 02Flat DB Press

    67.5 × 10, 10, 9 · avg RIR 2
    ✓Done

  • 03Cable Row · mid-back

    140 × 11, 10, 10 · avg RIR 2
    ✓Done

  • 04Cable Y-Raise · rear delt

    3 × 12–20 · RIR 1 · set 2 of 3
    ●In progress
    01 22.5lb 15rp RIR 1 ✓
    02 22.5lb 14 RIR
    03 22.5lb — — ○
    0
    1
    2
    3
    4
    Last: 22 × 14 @ RIR 1 Suggests +0.5 lb or hold & add a rep

  • 05Cable Lateral Raise

    3 × 10–15 · RIR 1–2
    ○Next

  • 06Overhead Cable Tri Ext

    3 × 8–12 · RIR 2
    ○Up next

  • 07Hammer Curl · rope

    2 × 10–15 · RIR 1
    ○Up next
Mesocycle 3 · Upper/Lower 4×

Plan

Week 3 of 5 · accumulation phase
NO
W1MEV
W2+1
W3MAV
W4MRV
W5DL
Weekly volume vs. landmarks
Chest
14 / 22
Back
16 / 24
Side delts
12 / 26
Rear delts
7 / 22
Biceps
12 / 22
Triceps
12 / 22
Quads
14 / 24
Hamstrings
12 / 20
Glutes
12 / 22
Calves
12 / 22
MEV MAV MRV
!
Rear delts are under MEV this week. 7 sets logged vs. a 10-set floor. Consider adding a second rear delt movement on Upper B. Why it matters — Principle 2: Volume drives growth
✓
Bench progression on track. Estimated 1RM is up 4.2% this meso — top end of the expected range for Week 3.
The Journal

Science

New studies, translated. Monthly.
NO
Study of the Month April 2026 · Issue 14
PubMed#7
Hypertrophy · Rep range

Low-load training to failure produces equivalent hypertrophy to moderate loads, with a cost.

Refalo, Nuckols, Helms, Plotkin, et al.
J. Strength Cond. Res. · March 2026 · n = 46 · 10-week RCT · Peer-reviewed
"Sets taken to true failure at 30% 1RM produced statistically identical muscle growth to 80% 1RM, but subjects reported 2.3× more session-level fatigue."
  • FindingHypertrophy was equivalent across load conditions when volume was matched to failure.
  • NuanceLow-load subjects hit RIR 0 consistently; moderate-load groups averaged RIR 1.4.
  • App impactIsolation work in the 12–20 rep range is now preferred for high-stretch exercises. Compounds stay at 6–12.
Read the 4-min brief PubMed ↗ DOI ↗
This month's digests
Method
Apr 14
Lengthened partials vs. full ROM — meta-update

A revised meta covering 23 trials confirms long-length partials match full ROM for hypertrophy, with a small advantage in stretch-biased conditions.

Wolf et al. 2026 · Sports Medicine
Volume
Apr 08
Per-session volume ceiling is muscle-specific

New within-subject data suggests side delts tolerate 12+ sets/session before diminishing returns kick in — well above the ~10 ceiling for chest and back.

Plotkin et al. 2026 · SportRxiv preprint
Recovery
Apr 02
Sleep restriction blunts MPS independent of training

< 6 hr/night for 7 days reduced post-training muscle protein synthesis by 18% even with matched protein intake.

Morehen et al. 2026 · AJCN
Program
Mar 28
4× weekly frequency shows no advantage over 2× at matched volume

Finally some clean data on the upper bound of frequency. Past 2×, returns flatten in trained lifters.

Schoenfeld et al. 2026 · MSSE
The 8 principles
01

Mechanical tension is the primary driver

Load the muscle hard, through full ROM, in stretched positions.

Schoenfeld 2010 · Wackerhage 2019
02

Volume drives growth, with diminishing returns

Ramp MEV → MAV across 4–5 weeks, then deload.

Brigatto 2022 · Baz-Valle 2022
03

Frequency should match volume

2× weekly frequency beats 1× at matched volume.

Schoenfeld, Ogborn, Krieger 2016 · Ralston 2018
04

Proximity to failure matters more than load

Effective reps live in the last ~5 before failure.

Helms 2018 · Refalo 2023
05

Stretch-biased exercises are a free upgrade

Lengthened-position training consistently drives more growth.

Maeo 2021, 2022 · Wolf 2023 · Pedrosa 2022
06

Progressive overload, with multiple levers

Reps → weight → sets → reduced rest → ROM → reduced RIR.

07

Deloads are non-negotiable

Every 4–6 weeks: hold W3 loads, cut volume 50–60%, raise RIR to 4–5.

08

Individual response varies — the app learns you

Landmarks are population averages. Your personal optima drift in over time.

Last 12 weeks

Stats

Progression · calibration · stagnation
NO
Bench 1RM
237lb
+9 lb · 4.2%
Squat 1RM
345lb
+12 lb · 3.6%
Volume / wk
112sets
within MAV
RIR accuracy
84%
improving

Bench · est. 1RM

12-week trend
Deload

Weekly sets

last 8 weeks
W1 DL Now
RIR calibration
Predicted RIR 2Actual 1.8 accurate
Predicted RIR 1Actual 2.4 high
Predicted RIR 3Actual 2.9 accurate
!
Stagnation watch. Overhead Cable Triceps Extension has stalled for two weeks. Try drop sets to failure, or swap to a skull crusher for one block.

Settings

NO
Noah O.
183 lb · 5'10" · 4 yrs serious training
Profile & body stats
Display name
Age Years (13–100)
yrs
Bodyweight Used for 1RM estimation & relative strength
lb
Height
in
Sex For landmark calibration defaults
Experience
Units & display
Units
Smallest weight increment For auto-progression steps
Body diagram
Appearance
Rest timer sound
Haptics
Programming
Active split
Upper / Lower 4× ›
Default rep range
Default working sets
Default RIR · compounds
Default RIR · isolations
Exercise selection bias Prefer machines and stable, loadable patterns
Auto-progression App suggests weight / rep / set bumps each session
Deload frequency
Strict mode Hard-lock prescribed weight & reps
Personal landmark overrides
Defaults are population averages. Override any muscle's MEV where your personal response differs.
Side delts Default MEV 10 MEV
Chest Default MEV 8 MEV
Rear delts Default MEV 10 MEV
+ Add muscle override ›
Recovery & calibration
Weekly check-in · due today
How's your recovery feeling this week?
Sleep quality
12345
Overall soreness
12345
Training motivation
12345
Joint tenderness
12345
Recovery prompts Weekly reminder on Mondays
RIR calibration View accuracy + run a calibration set
84% ›
Auto-suggest unscheduled deloads When fatigue signals cross threshold
Account
Plan
Pro · $9/mo ›
Export data
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Privacy
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Mesocycle · v0.9.2 · build 148