MUSCLE / 2 DAYS PER WEEK / ABOUT 40 MINUTES
18+ · First muscle-building block
Learn the lifts and build muscle with two repeatable full-body sessions.
A modest, repeated training dose builds skill and establishes progression. Two full-body days train each major pattern twice without assuming an 18-year-old already has lifting experience.
Your weekly sessions
SESSION 1 / Squat, push, pull and hinge
Full body A
Squat, push, pull and hinge
- Goblet squat — 2 × 8–12 · 90–120 sec rest
Quadriceps with glute support. Sit between the hips and stand through the whole foot.
- Dumbbell bench press — 2 × 8–12 · 90–120 sec rest
Pectorals, anterior shoulders and triceps. Set shoulder blades and press weights over the chest.
- Chest-supported row — 2 × 8–12 · 90–120 sec rest
Lats, rhomboids, mid-back and biceps. Keep chest against the pad and row without swinging.
- Dumbbell Romanian deadlift — 2 × 8–12 · 90–120 sec rest
Hamstrings and posterior chain. Keep weights close and shift hips back with a long spine.
SESSION 2 / Single-leg, vertical pull, shoulders and glutes
Full body B
Single-leg, vertical pull, shoulders and glutes
- Supported split squat — 2 × 8–10/side · 90–120 sec rest
Quadriceps and glutes; hip stabilizers assist. Use a wall or rail for balance; lower vertically and press through the front foot.
- Lat pulldown — 2 × 8–12 · 90–120 sec rest
Lats, rhomboids, mid-back and biceps. Pull elbows toward ribs while keeping your chest tall.
- Dumbbell overhead press — 2 × 8–12 · 90–120 sec rest
Deltoids and upper-back stabilizers. Press upward with ribs stacked over pelvis.
- Hip thrust — 2 × 8–12 · 90–120 sec rest
Gluteus maximus and hip stabilizers. Drive through feet and finish with ribs over pelvis.
How to progress
Weeks 1–2: learn the setups with 2 sets per lift. Weeks 3–5: use the listed dose and build repetitions while keeping 1–3 in reserve. Weeks 6–8: when every set reaches the top of its range at the same effort, add the smallest practical load and return to the lower end. Reduce sets for a week if performance repeatedly declines.
Adjust the plan to your starting point
Age labels describe the intended audience, not a restriction. Choose loads from current skill and capacity. Start with the lower dose and keep 1–3 controlled repetitions in reserve.
Recovery and weekly placement
Put an easier day between full-body or demanding lower-body sessions. Session time includes 5–8 minutes of warming up and lighter practice sets; allow longer if technique or equipment changes need it. Add easy movement on other days without turning every rest day into another hard session.
Continue building your plan
Use the exercise library to review technique, then explore sport guides, recipes and planning tools to fit the week around your life.
General fitness education. Choose loads and ranges that match your ability. This program is not individualized medical care and does not guarantee a particular result.
Browse all training programs