FOUNDATIONAL WORKOUT PROGRAM
This program is "foundational" in two different senses:
Alternate workouts A & B on 3 non-consecutive days per week (Mon-Wed-Fri or Tues-Thurs-Sat, etc)
Start each workout with a general warm-up: ~5-10 min of joint mobility exercises and light calisthenics.
Then start each exercise with ramped warm-up sets:
Then do 3 sets of 5 reps with your work weight for each exercise.
As you gain more experience, you can increase to 4 or 5 sets of each exercise if you wish.
WORKOUT A:
1. Squats
2. Bench Press
3. 2-Arm Rows (Chest-Supported Rows, Seated Cable Rows, or Barbell Rows if you can do them correctly)
Finish with Core Stability Circuit – do twice:
WORKOUT B:
1. Barbell Overhead Press
2. Pullup, Assisted Pullup, or Pulldown
3. Deadlift
Finish with Walkouts with a plank-up – 2 sets, build from 5 to 15 reps/set
If possible, alternate your sets of the two upper body exercises (e.g., do 1 set of bench presses, then 1 set of rows, and continue alternating.)
Progression of Work Weights:
Go back to Course Outline
- Strength and proper exercise technique are the best foundation for whatever you want to achieve through weight training;
- The big compound free weight exercises should be the foundation of any weight training program you might do.
Alternate workouts A & B on 3 non-consecutive days per week (Mon-Wed-Fri or Tues-Thurs-Sat, etc)
Start each workout with a general warm-up: ~5-10 min of joint mobility exercises and light calisthenics.
Then start each exercise with ramped warm-up sets:
- Set 1: empty bar for 5 reps
- Set 2: add 10-25 pounds per side and do 3 reps
- Continue adding 10-25 pounds per side and doing 3 reps until work weight is reached
Then do 3 sets of 5 reps with your work weight for each exercise.
As you gain more experience, you can increase to 4 or 5 sets of each exercise if you wish.
WORKOUT A:
1. Squats
2. Bench Press
3. 2-Arm Rows (Chest-Supported Rows, Seated Cable Rows, or Barbell Rows if you can do them correctly)
Finish with Core Stability Circuit – do twice:
- Plank – build up to 1 min
- Side bridge – build up to 1 min/side
- 1-leg glute bridges – build from 5 to 15 reps per side
WORKOUT B:
1. Barbell Overhead Press
2. Pullup, Assisted Pullup, or Pulldown
3. Deadlift
Finish with Walkouts with a plank-up – 2 sets, build from 5 to 15 reps/set
If possible, alternate your sets of the two upper body exercises (e.g., do 1 set of bench presses, then 1 set of rows, and continue alternating.)
Progression of Work Weights:
- Start each exercise with a weight you can comfortably do 10 reps with (but only do 5 reps per set)
- Add 5 lbs (2.5 lbs/side) to each exercise every workout
- When you can’t make all your reps at a workout, stay with the same weight for the next workout. Do this for up to 3 workouts.
- If you can’t make all your reps for 3 straight workouts, reduce the weight by 10% at the next workout and start adding 5 lbs/workout again.
- If doing regular pullups – do max perfect reps and try to add 1 rep to total rep count every workout
Go back to Course Outline