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Starting out
Starting from zero
The first month decides whether there is a second one. Almost everyone starts too hard.
Start below what you can do
Week one should feel easy. Not because easy is the goal, but because the first two weeks are for establishing that the schedule fits your life, not for finding your limits. Limits are cheap to find later and expensive to find now.
Two or three days, not five
Frequency you can sustain beats frequency you can manage for a fortnight. Three days completed for twelve weeks produces more training than five days abandoned in week three, and the protocol will happily add a day once the three are habitual.
Anchor the sessions
Habits attach to existing structure more reliably than to intentions. Train immediately after work, before the school run, or on the way home. Anchored to something that already happens rather than a time you have to remember.
Have a twenty-minute version
Build a short version of every session. On the days everything overruns, the choice stops being full session or nothing.
| Planned | Short version | Keeps |
|---|---|---|
| Full lower body, 60 min | Squat and hinge, 20 min | The two main lifts |
| Full upper body, 55 min | Press and row, 20 min | Push and pull balance |
| Conditioning, 40 min | 10 min intervals | The hard part |
Plan the comeback in advance
You will miss a week. Decide now what happens after: come back at roughly 80 per cent of previous loads for two or three sessions, then resume. Trying to make up missed work is the most reliable way to turn one lost week into an injury.
General guidance for healthy adults, not medical or dietetic advice. If you have a health condition or are unsure whether an approach suits you, speak to a qualified professional.
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