Brielle Cox

Maintenance week helped me, but progress stays slow with kids and chaos. For what it's worth, taking a few minutes to practice this in a calm setting usually helps it stick.

Hi Marcus. think of the first month as a ramp, not a test. Aim for three total body days per week with a 5 minute warm up like easy biking or brisk walking, then 20 minutes of strength at an easy effort. In week 1 do two sets of 8 to 10 reps of bodyweight squats, incline push ups against a bench or counter, a hip hinge like a light kettlebell deadlift or band pull through, a row with a band or dumbbell, and a 20 to 30 second plank. Rest 60 to 90 seconds between sets, keep the weight light, and stop each set with two reps left in the tank which is about RPE 6 out of 10. On the other days walk 20 to 30 minutes at a conversational pace. You should feel a little worked but be able to do the same session again the next day if you had to & which keeps soreness minimal. In week 2 keep the same exercises and add one set to just two of them, or add 2 to 3 reps per set, but do not change both volume and weight at the same time. In week 3 start adding light load if you were bodyweight only, like a 15 to 25 pound goblet squat and 15 to 30 pound one arm dumbbell rows, still ending each set with two reps in reserve and keeping the total session under 35 minutes. In week 4 you can either add a third set to the remaining movements or add a short cardio finisher like 5 rounds of 1 minute brisk walk or easy bike and 1 minute very easy. Follow a simple rule that weekly increases should be about 10 to 15 percent in total sets or load, and if soreness hits more than a 4 out of 10 then repeat the last week instead of progressing. Sleep 7 to 8 hours and drink water, and anchor each day with protein at meals like a palm sized portion to help recovery. Log what you did so you can nudge one variable each week and leave the gym feeling like you could have done a bit more. If you keep sessions short, stop before failure, and progress one notch at a time, you will avoid burnout and build momentum fast.