Overview

This 10-week programme is designed for people who have some training experience and are ready to work with barbells and dumbbells in a gym. The focus is on five core compound lifts — the movements that give you the most strength for your time.

You'll train 3 days per week with a simple A/B split, progressing the weight each week. By Week 10, you'll be noticeably stronger in every lift.

Golden Rule: Add weight only when you can complete all prescribed sets and reps with solid form. Ego lifting is the fastest route to an injury.

What You'll Need

Access to a gym with a squat rack, barbell, bench, and dumbbells
Flat-soled shoes or dedicated lifting shoes (avoid thick-cushioned trainers)
A training log — notebook or app
A water bottle
Optionally, a lifting belt for heavier squat and deadlift sets

The Core Lifts

Lift	Primary Muscles	Why It Matters
Back Squat	Quads, glutes, core	The king of lower body strength
Barbell Deadlift	Hamstrings, glutes, back, grip	Full-body pulling power
Bench Press	Chest, shoulders, triceps	Upper body pressing foundation
Barbell Row	Upper back, lats, biceps	Balances out pressing work
Overhead Press	Shoulders, triceps, core	Builds strong, stable shoulders

Warm-Up Protocol

Complete this before every session. It takes roughly 10 minutes and makes a big difference.

Step	Exercise	Duration
1	Light cardio (rowing, cycling, or brisk walk)	5 minutes
2	Arm circles and leg swings	1 minute
3	Bodyweight squats	10 reps
4	Press-ups	10 reps
5	Band pull-aparts	15 reps
6	Ramp-up sets of the first lift (empty bar → working weight)	3–4 sets

The 10-Week Plan

Programme Structure

You'll alternate between two sessions across your 3 training days each week.

Session A: Back Squat, Bench Press, Barbell Row, Plank (3 × 30–45 sec)

Session B: Deadlift, Overhead Press, Barbell Row, Dumbbell Lunges (3 × 10 each leg)

Week 1 would be A / B / A. Week 2 would be B / A / B. Continue alternating.

Weeks 1–3: Foundation (3 × 8 reps)

Start with a weight you can manage for 3 sets of 8 with 2 reps left in reserve.

Week	Sets × Reps	Rest Between Sets	Progression
1	3 × 8	2 minutes	Establish working weights for all lifts
2	3 × 8	2 minutes	Add 2.5 kg to upper body lifts, 5 kg to lower body
3	3 × 8	2 minutes	Add another 2.5 kg upper / 5 kg lower if form is solid

Weeks 4–6: Building Strength (4 × 6 reps)

Heavier loads, fewer reps, more sets. This is where real strength develops.

Week	Sets × Reps	Rest Between Sets	Progression
4	4 × 6	2.5 minutes	Recalculate working weights — aim for 2 reps in reserve
5	4 × 6	2.5 minutes	Add 2.5 kg upper / 5 kg lower
6	4 × 6	2.5 minutes	Add 1.25–2.5 kg upper / 2.5–5 kg lower

Week 7: Deload

Reduce the load to let your body recover and supercompensate (come back stronger than before — your body overcompensates for the stress of training). This is not a wasted week — it's where adaptation happens.

Week	Sets × Reps	Rest Between Sets	Progression
7	3 × 8	2 minutes	Use your Week 1 weights. Focus on perfect form

Trust the deload. You'll come back stronger in Week 8. Every good programme has built-in recovery.

Weeks 8–10: Peak (4 × 5 reps, then test)

Push towards your best numbers.

Week	Sets × Reps	Rest Between Sets	Progression
8	4 × 5	3 minutes	Start 5 kg above your Week 6 upper / 10 kg above lower
9	4 × 5	3 minutes	Add 1.25–2.5 kg upper / 2.5–5 kg lower
10	Work up to a heavy set of 3, then 2 back-off sets of 5	3–4 minutes	Testing week — find your 3-rep max on each lift

Recovery Tips

Area	Recommendation
Sleep	Aim for 7–9 hours. Sleep is when your muscles repair and grow
Nutrition	Eat 1.6–2.0 g protein per kg of bodyweight daily
Hydration	Drink 2–3 litres of water throughout the day
Rest days	Light walking or gentle stretching — avoid heavy cardio
Soreness	DOMS (Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness — the aching you feel 24–48 hours after a hard session) is normal in the first 2 weeks. Persistent joint pain is not — see a professional

Tips for Success

Log every session — write down the weight, sets, and reps so you know what to beat next time
Don't skip the warm-up — cold muscles under a heavy barbell is asking for trouble
Ask for a spot on heavy bench press sets — it's completely normal and expected in any gym
Film your lifts occasionally to check your form, especially squats and deadlifts
Eat enough — you can't build strength in a calorie deficit. Fuel the work

What's Next?

Ten weeks done and you've built serious strength. Here's where to go:

Take your training further with the Periodised Strength and Power Plan
Add conditioning with our Beginner HIIT guide
Work on mobility with the Beginner Yoga guide

Gym Strength Programme🔒

Supporter content