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Strength

Strength

Work on squat, bench, deadlift, and press patterns, with lower rep targets and supporting exercises.

4 days / about 60 min / gym / consistent / 4 week block

About this example plan
  • Strength keeps the main movement patterns repeatable. Experienced lifters use a heavier rep wave; newer lifters focus on controlled practice.
  • Each main lift gets its own day, with a variation of another lift as secondary work.
  • All four weeks fit a modeled 60-minute budget including preparation and rest. Real pace and equipment waits vary; adjust the session when needed.
  • Exercise choices assume a full gym: barbells, rack, dumbbells, cables, and machines.
  • You get moderate volume and a weekly wave in effort. Progress comes from adding reps, then weight.

Choose your days, time, equipment, and experience

MON / Squat, hinge variation, single leg / ABOUT 60 MIN

Lower A: squat

  • Back squatSwap for: Front squat, Pause squat, Hack squat5 x 5RPE 7 / rest 3 min
  • Romanian deadliftSwap for: Conventional deadlift, Trap bar deadlift, DB Romanian deadlift3 x 6-8RPE 7 / rest 2 min
  • Reverse lungeSwap for: DB Bulgarian split squat, Walking lunge, DB step-up3 x 8-12RPE 8 / rest 1 min 30 s
  • Lying leg curlSwap for: Seated leg curl2 x 8-12RPE 8 / rest 1 min 30 s
  • Dead bugSwap for: Hanging knee raise, Pallof press, Ab wheel rollout2 x 10-15rest 45 s

TUE / Bench press, row, press / ABOUT 60 MIN

Upper A: bench

  • Flat barbell bench pressSwap for: Paused bench press, Incline barbell bench press, Flat DB press5 x 5RPE 7 / rest 3 min
  • Pendlay rowSwap for: Bent-over barbell row, Bent-over DB row, Underhand seated cable row2 x 6-8RPE 7 / rest 2 min
  • Overhead DB pressSwap for: Barbell overhead press, Standing DB overhead press, Machine shoulder press2 x 6-8RPE 7 / rest 2 min
  • Lat pulldownSwap for: Wide-grip pull-up, Chin-up, Close-grip neutral pull-up3 x 8-12RPE 8 / rest 1 min 30 s
  • DB overhead triceps extensionSwap for: Rope pushdown, Skull crusher, Close-grip bench press2 x 8-12RPE 8 / rest 1 min 30 s
  • Reverse pec deckSwap for: Face pull, Cable rear delt fly, Bent-over DB lateral raise2 x 8-12RPE 8 / rest 1 min 30 s

THU / Deadlift, squat variation, single leg / ABOUT 60 MIN

Lower B: deadlift

  • Conventional deadliftSwap for: Romanian deadlift, Trap bar deadlift, DB Romanian deadlift5 x 5RPE 7 / rest 3 min
  • Hack squatSwap for: Back squat, Front squat, Pause squat3 x 6-8RPE 7 / rest 2 min
  • Walking lungeSwap for: Reverse lunge, DB Bulgarian split squat, DB step-up3 x 8-12RPE 8 / rest 1 min 30 s
  • Leg press calf raiseSwap for: Standing calf raise, Seated calf raise3 x 8-12RPE 8 / rest 1 min 30 s
  • Pallof pressSwap for: Dead bug, Hanging knee raise, Ab wheel rollout2 x 10-15rest 45 s

FRI / Overhead press, pull-up, bench variation / ABOUT 60 MIN

Upper B: press

  • Barbell overhead pressSwap for: Push press, Standing DB overhead press, Overhead DB press5 x 5RPE 7 / rest 3 min
  • Wide-grip pull-upSwap for: Chin-up, Lat pulldown, Close-grip neutral pull-up2 x 6-8RPE 7 / rest 2 min
  • Paused bench pressSwap for: Flat barbell bench press, Incline barbell bench press, Flat DB press2 x 6-8RPE 7 / rest 2 min
  • Bent-over barbell rowSwap for: Pendlay row, Underhand seated cable row, Seated close-grip cable row3 x 8-12RPE 8 / rest 1 min 30 s
  • Standing DB curlSwap for: Standing barbell curl, Cable curl, DB hammer curl2 x 8-12RPE 8 / rest 1 min 30 s
  • DB lateral raiseSwap for: Cable lateral raise, Upright row2 x 8-12RPE 8 / rest 1 min 30 s
Build this plan for my schedule

Four-week block

  1. Week 1: Set your baseline. Find working weights you can control at the target effort. Record honest reps.
  2. Week 2: Build. Main lifts drop to sets of 4 at RPE 8. Add a little weight. Added work is capped by your session time; keep the prescribed rest.
  3. Week 3: Push. Main lifts move to sets of 3 at RPE 8.5. Add a set only where it fits. Extra sets or minutes are included only when they fit; progress can also come from controlled reps and load.
  4. Week 4: Deload and review. Fewer planned sets and lower effort targets. Review your completed sessions before deciding whether to repeat, adjust, or progress.

Progress and recovery

  • Follow the week's effort target. Keep the same weight if your reps slow sharply.
  • After a good week, consider adding 5 to 10 lb (2.5 to 5 kg) to lower body lifts or 2.5 to 5 lb (1 to 2.5 kg) to upper body lifts.
  • Rest at least 3 minutes between heavy sets.
  • RPE is effort out of 10. RPE 8 means you could have done about 2 more reps with good form.
  • Log completed reps, sets, and weights. Your next session uses them as a starting point.
  • Use the lighter fourth week to recover and review your log before repeating or progressing.

What RPE means

RPE (rate of perceived exertion) is how hard a set feels, on a scale of 1 to 10. It tells you where to stop: at RPE 8, you finish the set with about 2 good reps left.

RPE 10
Maximum effort. No more reps possible.
RPE 9
Very hard. About 1 more good rep.
RPE 8
Hard. About 2 more good reps.
RPE 7
Challenging. About 3 more good reps; the weight still moves quickly.
RPE 6
Moderate. About 4 more good reps.
RPE 5 or less
Light. Warm-up or technique practice.
  • Choose a weight that lets you reach the rep range at the target RPE. A good rep keeps your normal form and speed.
  • If the last rep felt easier than the target, add a little weight next set or next session. If form slipped or you reached failure, use less.
  • Half points, such as 7.5, sit between the two numbers. RPE is your best estimate, not a test; it gets more accurate with practice.

Start with this plan, then adjust the exercises and weights to suit your training. You choose the weights you use and record the reps you complete.