This English text is an AI-assisted translation pending human review; the Chinese version is authoritative.
Who this is for
- Adults with no training experience who can get to the gym three times a week
- 35–40 minutes per session
- Prefer to focus on one barbell lift per session
Not for
- People recovering from injury, after surgery, or with clear pain or medical restrictions (consult a doctor or rehabilitation professional first)
- Advanced trainees with specific goals such as contest preparation, specialised strength work or a fat-loss push (outside the scope of this first release)
- Minors and people who are pregnant or postpartum (train under professional supervision)
Weekly schedule
Per training day: exercises, sets, reps or seconds, rest and starting load. Load basis comes from the exercise definition and is never mixed.
Day 1 · Squat day
5-min warm-up: 3 min bike/brisk walk, mobility, then an empty-bar warm-up set for barbell lifts (counted as the prescribed warm-up set).
| Exercise | Sets | Reps / seconds | Rest | Starting load · basis |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Barbell Back Squat Start with the empty bar | 3 incl. 1 warm-up | 6–8 reps | 120 s | 20 kg Barbell total (bar + plates) |
| Lat Pulldown | 3 | 8–12 reps | 90 s | — Cable stack |
| Seated Dumbbell Shoulder Press | 2 | 8–10 reps | 90 s | — Per dumbbell |
| Plank Hold | 2 | 30 s | 45 s | — Timed |
Cool-down: 2 min easy walk and 20–30 s gentle stretches for the muscles trained.
At least 24 hours between training days (reviewed template rule)
Progression
Beginners progress by reps: barbell lifts start with the empty bar or a very light weight (the prescription gives only the 20 kg empty bar as a starting point); each week, as long as you complete the upper end of the range with good form, add a small amount (usually the smallest plates) and return to the lower end of the range; the same applies to machine and dumbbell exercises. Leave 2–3 reps in reserve on every set and do not train to failure.
Progression notes are for reading; the system never adds load, sets or changes prescriptions automatically.
FAQ
Keep the day's barbell/main lifts with 1 fewer set each and drop the final single-joint exercise; do not merge two days into one.
Use a substitute exercise reviewed for this program (such as the dumbbell bench press for the barbell bench press, or the dumbbell goblet squat for the barbell back squat), choose the substitute when logging and note the reason; you can also do the day's next exercise first and come back.
Continue from the day you missed; do not make up two sessions in one day, just shift the week's schedule. On a 3-day schedule, leave at least 24 hours between sessions and avoid three days in a row.
General muscle soreness in the 1–2 days after starting a new program or increasing load is common and usually eases within a few days. If you have joint pain, sharp pain, swelling, or soreness that keeps getting worse, stop training and consult a professional; the content on this site does not replace medical advice.
Program Q&A
Questions about this program are answered by editors or reviewers; answers are tied to the program version at the time of asking. Featured Q&A is public and never shows who asked.
Featured Q&A
No featured Q&A for this program yet.

