• A full section per area of the body so you can have guidelines that help you with YOUR main focus points.

• A focused program PER AREA that you can apply today.

  • These will be designed for you to just slide into your current plan

• A full on program that shows you how to hit every single area in one program instead of feeling like you have to choose.

  • This will be designed to replace your current plan

I am going to do my absolute darndest to make this as easy for you to go apply TODAY while adding some education so you can know WHY each thing works the area you want it to work.

Here is how to read this article series:

• Each section will START with an accessory program (in case you are impatient like me 🙉🙈🙊)

• Then it will move into everything you need to know for each area 🧠

• At the end of the article series I will show you how to put everything together and I will just give you a full program 🎁

Alright ladies and ladies! Let’s get this show on the road.

Lower Body (Pt. 1 Glutes → Pt. 2 Hamstrings → Pt. 3 Quads)

Pt. 1 → Glutes

(all images courtesy of strongcurves)

3 Day Glute Specific Accessory Program 👇

How to Grow Your Glutes 👇

Let’s make the education easy, breezy, and beautiful here.

There are 3 main glutes muscles (as shown in the image below):

Glute Max → Glute Med → Glute Min

Here is what they give you:

Glute Max = BIG Booty

Glute Med/Min = ROUND/SHAPED Booty

Below I will breakdown what exercises to pick for each area but let’s clear one really important thing up first.

You do not JUST want big glutes.

You do not JUST want round glutes.

You want ALL of it.

When it comes to glute training I have one major rule:

BE GREEDY!

1. You will be so much happier with big glutes that ALSO have shape.

2. You will be so much happier having shaped glutes that are ALSO big.

3. You will also notice massive improvements in low back, knee, and hip health when all 3 of these are strong.

The internet will tell you to hit one main exercise but the reality is that the best glutes on the planet are the best glutes because they have developed all 3 of the main glute muscles instead of just focusing on 1.

With all of that out of the way here are the exercises you need to focus on 👇

Hip Thrusts

These are going to give you the best glutes of your life when you make them a staple.

Here’s why they will work for you 👇

1. There are ZERO glute exercises you can “progressively overload” (translation - get stronger and get more out of) than thrusts.

2. You can load these heavy heavy heavy and do an army of reps and wont ever be loading your spine (translation - minimal low back in this exercise) which is almost impossible on other lifts.

3. You can do these for sets of 4-6 HEAVY or sets of 25 reps and you will always feel your glutes firing.

If you do nothing else for glutes you have to do these as they will cover 60-70% of your total needs in one lift.

RDLs

These are one of the most underrated glute builders.

Here’s why they will work for you 👇

1. When you want great size AND shape you have to flex a muscle and then make it stretch. This is the STRETCH and the hip thrust is the FLEX. The other side of the coin

   .

2. These are going to be another exercise you can load heavier for years at a time.

3. They help develop a really healthy low back for people who sit a good amount for work.

Quick Note: WHY IS LIFTING HEAVY IMPORTANT?

Imagine your name is Jennifer (or whatever cute name you prefer).

You get a new job and you are getting paid $35/hour at 40 hours of work per week.

This = $1400/week.

After 7 months you get a raise and now you make $40/hour.

You now have two options:

1. Work less! If you go to 35 hours (@ $40/hour) you will make the same amount of money you were already making. WIN!

2. Make more money! If you stay at 40 hours you will be getting $200 more per week. WIN!

So you can have more time in your locket or more dollars in your pocket but it’s fully your choice.

Lifting ✨progressively✨ heavier works the EXACT same way.

The muscle you used to build in 16 sets/week can now be built in 14-15 sets/week (less time) OR you can keep everything the same and just build muscle faster.

There is NO cheat code (other than nutrition obvi) that will speed your results up as effectively as just getting progressively stronger.

Back to it…

Lunges

If RDLs are the most underrated glute builders then lunges are the most underused glute builders.

Here’s why they will work for you 👇

1. Building big glutes is relatively easy. Building symmetrical glutes is actually pretty tough. Lunges are there to improve size and shape while keeping everything in line. Checks and balances.

2. These are also one of your biggest “low back/hip supporters” that you have. Legs that can lunge are usually attached to great backs (and not just great backsides).

3. These are SO INTENSE. After some time doing hip thrusts and rdls you will adjust and will start to just move and groove when you do them but there will never be a single week of your life that you lunge and it’s just all of the sudden easy. Having an “intensity” exercise really matters and this is a great one.

Bonus Note: WHICH LUNGES DO I NEED???

Personally, I think this gets way overcomplicated so I am going to do my best to untangle some stuff in a few points.

1. They literally all work. Every lunge hits the glutes, quads, and hamstrings. If you are lunging you can’t “avoid” one muscle.

2. So you need to pick the one you enjoy the most (or hate the least?) and then you need to spend 10-12 months getting strong as heckkkk in it. The “thing” that gives you the result is the way you make it harder week o

   ver week (progressively overload) and so the option you can work hardest in for the longest time is your best option.

3. But… if you NEED a specific answer it goes like this:

   1. Deficit Reverse Lunge

   2. Reverse Lunge

   3. Long Step Walking Lunge

   4. Bulgarian Split Squats (CONTROVERSIAL!!!)

Why this order?

Deficit reverse lunges → you can go heavyyyyy while getting a massive stretch. These two things make them the most impactful for 99.99999% of women.

Reverse lunges → the exact same but are great if you aren’t ready for a deficit lunge yet. Same same…but a little less spice.

Long step lunges → these stretch the glutes really well while also still being pretty heavy. They wont be as heavy as a reverse lunge so I bumped them down because of that.

Bulgarians → I know that IG coaches wont ever tell you this but I will so here is the real. Everyone that LOVES bulgarians either can reverse lunge a house already or they just like the stretch and burn they are getting when they do bulgarians and equate that to growth.

I can do unweighted bulgarians and my legs will be screaming but does that mean they are going to do more for me than when I do sets of 14-16 reverse lunges with 100 lbs in each hand?

Let’s go back to the dollars per hour at work analogy.

A work task can FEEL really hard without it increasing your dollar per hour rate.

Similarly you can do something that FEELS hard and it doesn’t do more for you than the exercise that you are making harder by choice.

Bulgarians are an exercise that just automatically feels really hard because you are off balance and dont want to look like a silly goose when you fall over at your local Planet Fitness.

But if I worked with you one on one you would be able to go from 15 lbs/hand on a reverse lunge to 40 lbs/hand in 4-5 weeks whereas doing the same thing on bulgarians would be other-wordly.

Always prioritize the options that give you the most bang for your buck (so you dont have to do 3 leg days/week just to get the backside you want).

Transparently, I was planning on doing glutes, hamstrings, and quads in the same article but I am getting a message that says I am “nearing length limit” so I am going to swerve and make this a big article series.

Here is what this series will cover:

Part 1 → Glutes

Part 2 → Hamstrings

Part 3 → Quads

Part 4 → Shoulders

Part 5 → Back

Part 6 → Chest

Part 7 → Arms

Part 8 → Core

(But if you just comment one of the parts above that you want see covered faster I may go out of order for you 😉)

Make sure you are subscribed to get each one as they come out.

P.S. Bonus Resources (If you just want things done for you) 👇

This is a collection of ways to work with me that I put together for you 🎁

Work With Me 🤝

The following article has:

1. A 2 day training plan

2. A 3 day training plan

3. A plan for women that can only train for 20-30 min at a time

4. A guide to adjusting all exercises to dumbbell options

5. A full guide for women who want to lose weight (how a client lost 90+ lbs)

6. A full goal setting guide for those who want self accountability

7. Bonus Resources (if you just want things done for you)

If you follow all of this you will be absolutely invincible!

Here we go!

I can only train 2x/week. What do I do? 👇

I can only train 3x/week. What do I do?

I only have 30 minutes to train. What do I do?

I only have dumbbells available. What do I do?

I want to lose weight but am not sure where to start. What do I do?

I set goals but always fall off. What do I do?

P.S. Bonus Resources (If you just want things done for you) 👇

This is a collection of ways to work with me that I put together for you 🎁

Work With Me 🤝

Hitting a muscle once every seven days is like trying to build a serious relationship by seeing the person one date a week. It’s going to take forever to get anywhere.

If you increase your training frequency so you’re hitting those same muscle groups two or three times a week, you will see progress at two to three times the rate (if not more).

Here is how I am going to lay out this article:

1. The Core Principle of Female Training Frequency

2. Option 1: The 3-Day Full-Body Split (The Non-Fail Option)

3. Option 2: The 4-Day Full-Body Split with Glute Emphasis (My Favorite Option)

4. Option 3: The 4-Day Upper/Lower Split (The Advanced Option)

5. How to Choose Which Split Is Right for You

1. The Core Principle of Training Frequency

Before jumping into the programs, here is what you need to know about training frequency and volume for women:

• Frequency REALLY Matters: hitting a muscle group one time a week = maintenance. Hitting a muscle group two to three times a week = progress. There is a total amount of work that you need to do per week if you want to see progress, and hitting a muscle one time a week will never meet those requirements. For almost every single person, we need to see sets in the 12 to 20 rep range per week if we want to see growth. (All 3 of the programs below will fix this problem.)

2. Option 1: The 3-Day Full-Body Split

This is the ultimate "non-fail" option. If you only have three days per week to commit to the gym, this setup ensures every muscle group gets hit 3x per week while allowing plenty of recovery days.

Schedule

• Monday: Full Body A

• Tuesday: Rest

• Wednesday: Full Body B

• Thursday: Rest

• Friday: Full Body C

• Saturday & Sunday: Rest

Day 1: Full Body A

Day 2: Full Body B

Day 3: Full Body C

3. Option 2: The 4-Day Full-Body Split (Glute Emphasis)

If you have 4 days a week to train and want to prioritize a specific muscle group like glute this is the sweet spot. You still hit the whole body, but you have can build in dedicated specialization work into your program since you have an extra day.

Schedule

• Monday: Full Body + Glute Focus 1

• Tuesday: Full Body + Upper Focus

• Wednesday: Rest

• Thursday: Full Body + Glute Focus 2

• Friday: Full Body + Lower/Upper Balance

• Saturday & Sunday: Rest

Day 1: Full Body (Glute Focus 1)

Day 2: Full Body (Upper Focus)

Day 3: Full Body (Glute Focus 2)

Day 4: Full Body (Lower/Upper Balance)

4. Option 3: The 4-Day Upper / Lower Split

For more advanced lifters, a 4-day Upper/Lower split is a perfect option. This works incredibly well if you are already used to pushing hard in the gym and may need a little more recovery time between sessions in order to continue pushing hard.

Schedule

• Monday: Lower A

• Tuesday: Upper A

• Wednesday: Rest

• Thursday: Lower B

• Friday: Upper B

• Saturday & Sunday: Rest

Day 1: Lower A (Glute & Quad Focus)

Day 2: Upper A (Push / Pull Balance)

Day 3: Lower B (Glute & Hamstring Focus)

Day 4: Upper B (Push / Pull Focus)

5. Which Should YOU Do?

Here are really easy ways to decide which program is for you.

• If you only have 3 days: Run the 3-Day Full Body Split.

• If you have 4 days and want to target an area (like glutes): Run the 4-Day Full Body (Specialization) Split.

• If you have 4 days and are you used to more advanced training plans: Run the 4-Day Upper/Lower Split.

Pick one and run it consistently for 4-6 weeks.

All three of these options are better than the typical bro split and I can absolutely promise you that.

If you have any questions, just email me at williamholman91@gmail.com.

P.S. Small Plug

My favorite split is a full body split and my online women’s program always utilizes really fun and unique variations of it every month.

I was running a free trial that was supposed to end today, August 7th, but I had so many sign-ups that I’m going to extend it through August 9th. If you’re interested, definitely jump on (I will delete this section starting on August 9th and close the link so I hope I see you inside!)

ONLINE WOMEN'S PROGRAM LINK

The #1 problem I ALWAYS see is that women choose decent exercises but miss all of the rules that make an exercise impactful.

There are absolute rules to training that guarantee success but if you don’t know what those are it doesn’t really matter what exercises you do.

Once you know these rules you can ensure you are seeing growth even if your exercises aren’t that good.

There are 3 rules that dictate everything:

1. You need to hit glutes for 15-20 sets/week in order to see results (weekly volume)

2. You need to do this in 2-4 sessions to account for recovery (weekly stress)

3. You need 5 of these sets to be V tough (weekly effort)

These 3 things are the absolute “game changers” of glute growth.

Let’s break them down!

Rule 1, 2, AND 3 - Sets Per Week + HOW To Divide Them + Recovery

Rule 1 = You need 15-20 sets per week to see muscle growth in an area

Rule 2 = You need to divide these between 2-4 sessions so you can recover

Rule 3 = You need these sets be toughhhhhh

One of my favorite graphics that represents this is from a book called “Glute Lab” by Bret Contreras (“aka The Glute Guy”)

Have you ever heard someone say “all that matters is that you eat your total calories every day and you’ll hit X result so it doesn’t matter if you eat it in 5 meals or a single meal” or some version of that?

While true in theory it doesn’t play out well in the context of an actual life.

Why?

First, no one wants to spend their entire day starving so eating multiple meals helps that.

Second, being starving will cause you to overeat so you are making it harder to control hunger signals (for no reason).

Third, you are turning something the decreases stress (eating) into something that is incredibly stressful (eating 1 time a day and all at once) which is going to be hard on digestion.

So while it fundamentally sounds sound it is really (reallyyyyyy) easy to see how bad of an idea it is in reality.

Your sets per week are the exact same.

Every set you perform is causing stress on the system.

If you are working hard enough that hard work will demand that you recover from it (rule 3).

But lets say your session looks like this:

A. Hip Thrust - 3 Sets x 8 Reps

B. Long Step Lunges - 3 Set x 8 Reps/Side

C. RDLs - 3 Sets x 10 Reps

D. Cable Glute Kickbacks - 3 Sets x 10 Reps/Side

E. Hip Abduction Machine - 3 Sets x 15 Reps

This is the kind of stuff that would genuinely make you throw up.

Wrekt doesn’t even begin to describe how you would feel walking out of this session.

It’s too much to recover from.

So what would your body do?

1. It would make it really hard for you to do really good work after a few exercises. Maybe your final 2 exercises are just total trash sets where you can’t even put in 70% effort.

2. It would be too much to recover from so all of the sudden you are in a “recovery” deficit that looks alot like being overdrafted. All of your lil recovery coins will go to just getting you back to baseline instead of actually making you better.

So let’s go back to the graphic I added earlier and divide our work out in different ways.

Day 1

A. Hip Thrust - 3 Sets x 8 Reps

B. Long Step Lunges - 3 Set x 8 Reps/Side

Day 2

A. RDLs - 3 Sets x 10 Reps

B. Cable Glute Kickbacks - 3 Sets x 10 Reps/Side

Day 3

A. Hip Abduction Machine - 3 Sets x 15 Reps

The exact same amount of work but now it is divided in a way that allows us to do 2 things:

1. GO. SO. HARD!

2. Recover from those high efforts (without being in a deficit)

3. Add more work if we wanted to. This is a massive win!

Ok! Now that we know how are 3 rules work let’s look at 3 different glute training plans that you could add to your plan immediately based off of how much time you have to train each week.

2 Day Glute Training Plan

3 Day Glute Training Plan

4 Day Glute Training Plan

A Full Week Example

My online women’s plan ALWAYS utilizes a full body approach so that we can divide work evenly across the week.

This is what it looks like to add your work into an entire week of training (Sorry for my little handdrawn scribbles)

This is 15 HARD sets divided out across an entire week in order to ensure that this program emphasizes glute growth.

If I just put everything on one day the women who are training on my online platform would all be dead with zero results but instead we are feeling better than ever while getting more results every single training block.

THIS is the secret sauce.

Hope it helps!

P.S.

My online women’s plan does all of this for you…

Hope to see you inside!!

ONLINE WOMEN’S PROGRAM ACCESS

Any woman who genuinely doesn’t have the bandwidth to train AND think.

You have a thousand other things to think about but you still REALLy want to get in shape.

Until now you haven’t been able to get in shape because it feels like all of the information is just too much.

Until now you have had to choose thinking over training and I fully get it.

The “I’ll read this article when I have more room…” articles are piling up and this should fix it.

Here is how I am going to lay this article out ⬇️

Level 1 - The “it genuinely doesn’t get less overwhelming than this” level

Level 2 - The “It almost doesn’t get less overwhelming than this” level

Level 3 - The “this level is a little more complex than the last two but it’s still so simple” level

As I go through the article I will be more detailed and educational but it will essentially start with “just do this” and work to “this is how you’d do this.”

Personal Note

I try to minimize as many personal points as possible because I know it can be boring but I felt like this point may help.

I’ve had a few points where my whole world fell apart.

I won’t give details but if you took random guesses and just put answers for what “whole world fell apart” means you will be very likely to get at least one guess right.

When those things happened I could barely function but I knew if I could get myself to train I would be more likely to have a better tomorrow.

These workouts are actual workouts I did…for years…

In some of those seasons I ended up stronger or happier with my body composition because I had a system that I could work hard in that was effective without overwhelming me.

Then I had a client come to me after a major loss and she asked me to make things as simple as I possibly could.

She told me she didn’t even want to have to think once during her sessions.

I had never considered that the workouts I was using could be impactful for someone else but I told her what I was doing (she knew my situation) and asked if she would like to try it.

She was very kind and she said she would love to as long as she had the freedom to just tell me if she hated an exercise and we would immediately change it.

We (literally) shook on it and off we went.

Within 5 months she was stronger than she had EVER been.

Within 7 months she was at her goal for body composition.

Within a year she was one of the fittest clients I had ever worked with.

That was 5 years ago and I just finished a new program for her and guess what?

It looks VERY similar and all of the sudden all of her friends want to know her secret.

This is that secret (in 3 levels).

I hope this changes your views on training in really healthy ways.

Steal it all.

Fast Notes That Hit All 3 Plans

1. Complex does NOT = Good

2. More does NOT = Good

3. A program’s main value is in how hard it allows you to work. The best programs are so simple that you can’t help but work hard.

4. You need to work your tail off. This program is VERY easy to work hard on.

5. Just because these plans are simple does not mean they won’t really push you if you work hard. It’s possible that these can make you very sore. Watch your back.

Level 1 - The Minimal Info Level

If you did the following workout 3 times a week you would see UNBELIEVABLE results.

In the “resources” section at the very bottom there will be a resource that teaches you exactly how to make any program work for 4 weeks in a row and I would use that for this program.

The reason this program works is because you have almost zero thinking to do once you have done the workout 2-3x.

By week 2 you have everything memorized and you are off to the races.

ZERO overwhelm.

Here is a crazy quick cheat sheet:

1. Every week add 5-15 lbs for the lower body exercises

2. Every week add 5 lbs for the upper body exercises

3. Can’t add weight? No sweat! Add 2 reps! Done!

Program Details:

→ 2-3 Days/Week (Your Choice)

→ Full Body Training

→ Same 5 Exercises Every Day

→ Same Reps Every Day

Workout A/B/C

A. Goblet Squat - 3 Sets of 8 Reps

B. Dumbbell Romanian Deadlifts - 3 Sets of 8 Reps

C. Dumbbell Bench Press - 3 Sets of 8 Reps

D. Single Arm DB Row - 3 Sets of 8 Reps/Side

E. Weighted Dead Bugs - 3 Sets of 20 Alt. Reps

Level 2 - The Moderate Info Level

This program will use different rep ranges but will use the same exercises for each day still.

Personally I think this is the best of the 3 options because it is much easier to really push this program.

Translation - this is a much harder program.

Having a day for strength is incredibly important for most women because it allows them a full day to really build up their nervous system and increase their ability to use higher weights overall.

Let’s say Katrina can goblet squat 50 lbs for 5 reps and 35 lbs for 12 reps.

If we can get Katrina’s goblet squat to 75 lbs for 5 reps in 6 weeks then we know her 12 rep squat is probably higher than 35 lbs now.

Why?

Because her “strength ceiling” is higher.

What used to be 70% is now probably more like her 50-60%.

If we look at the program below we will see an entire day dedicated entirely to raising that ceiling while still working the other rep ranges as well.

Think of day 1 as a trampoline for day 2 and day 3 so that everything is improving simultaneously.

In short, this is a super speed version of the Level 1 program.

The reason this is a slightly more complicated program than the Level 1 option is because you have to remember that your reps change every day but after 2 weeks you will absolutely have the hang of it.

Program Details:

→ 2-3 Days/Week (Your Choice)

→ Full Body Training

→ Same 5 Exercises Every Day

→ Different Reps Each Day

Workout A (Heavy Day)

A. Goblet Squat - 3 Sets of 5 Reps

B. Dumbbell Romanian Deadlifts - 3 Sets of 5 Reps

C. Dumbbell Bench Press - 3 Sets of 5 Reps

D. Single Arm DB Row - 3 Sets of 5 Reps/Side

E. Weighted Dead Bugs - 3 Sets of 20 Alt. Reps

Workout B (Moderate Day)

A. Goblet Squat - 3 Sets of 8-10 Reps

B. Dumbbell Romanian Deadlifts - 3 Sets of 8-10 Reps

C. Dumbbell Bench Press - 3 Sets of 8-10 Reps

D. Single Arm DB Row - 3 Sets of 8-10 Reps/Side

E. Weighted Dead Bugs - 3 Sets of 20 Alt. Reps

Workout C (High Rep Day)

A. Goblet Squat - 3 Sets of 12-15 Reps

B. Dumbbell Romanian Deadlifts - 3 Sets of 12-15 Reps

C. Dumbbell Bench Press - 3 Sets of 12-15 Reps

D. Single Arm DB Row - 3 Sets of 12-15 Reps/Side

E. Weighted Dead Bugs - 3 Sets of 20 Alt. Reps

Level 3 - The More Info Level

Now we are getting a little more spicy.

Exercises and reps changing every day can be a little harder to remember.

But why is changing exercises good?

1. Practical point - it’s just more fun? If you are someone who doesn’t like repetition then this one is more for you. Bored is bad. Fun is good.

2. This will “technically” allow you to hit more muscles in the same amount of time.

3. This allows you to make progress on your exercises in a lot more ways than the first 2 programs.

   1. NOTE - That isn’t usually necessary. If you are someone who can just be repetitive then the other 2 plans will probably give you better body comp and strength gains. Just because you are making more progress on more things doesn’t mean you are making the same total amount of progress. Think of it like multi-tasking. It’s not good or bad. Just go based off of your preference.

4. Some people would say that this program is easier on your joints. Personally, I haven’t seen that to be true but I can still see why people would say/think that and don’t fundamentally disagree with the concept. If you feel joint discomfort it’s good to change the exercise and this would technically minimize that.

If you are someone who likes things to be fun and exciting this is probably the best option for you but if you are ok just doing the same thing over and over and minimizing brain space this is definitely not it.

Just remember that each program will work the exact same based off of how consistently you can put forth really hard efforts.

Program Details:

→ 2-3 Days/Week (Your Choice)

→ Full Body Training

→ Differnt 5 Exercises Every Day

→ Different Reps Each Day

Workout A (Heavy Day)

A. Goblet Squat - 3 Sets of 5 Reps

B. Dumbbell Romanian Deadlifts - 3 Sets of 5 Reps

C. Dumbbell Bench Press - 3 Sets of 5 Reps

D. Single Arm DB Row - 3 Sets of 5 Reps/Side

E. Weighted Dead Bugs - 3 Sets of 20 Alt. Reps

Workout B (Moderate Day)

A. Goblet Box Squat - 3 Sets of 8-10 Reps

B. Staggered Stance RDLs - 3 Sets of 8-10 Reps/Side

C. Dumbbell Overhead Press - 3 Sets of 8-10 Reps

D. Cable Lat Pulldowns - 3 Sets of 8-10 Reps/Side

E. Weighted Dead Bugs - 3 Sets of 20 Alt. Reps

Workout C (High Rep Day)

A. One and a Quarter Goblet Squat - 3 Sets of 12-15 Reps

B. Hip Thrusts - 3 Sets of 12-15 Reps

C. Incline Dumbbell Bench Press - 3 Sets of 12-15 Reps

D. 3 Point DB Row - 3 Sets of 12-15 Reps/Side

E. Weighted Dead Bugs - 3 Sets of 20 Alt. Reps

Final Points

If you do not want to be thinking while you train these programs will work wonders for you.

Thinking doesn’t make your workouts better and turning your brain off doesn’t make your workouts worse.

The reason people pay $200+/hour for a personal trainer is because they want a result without having to think about every detail and realistically these programs are better than 9/10 programs you will pay for.

(I buy 10+ programs a month to see what’s happening in the industry…trust me… it’s not amazing out there if you know what “bad” looks like)

You need the following:

1. A program you feel like you can work really hard on

2. A program you feel like you can stay consistent on

3. Exercises that you can get better and better at week over week

All 3 of these will fit the bill and I genuinely hope they help you.

Resources

The following resource will teach you how to make each of these into a 4 week plan. Just follow the first section of this article and you will be set.

If you like the plan but want to change the exercises this resource will teach you how to swap exercises in your current plan.

P.S.

I am late for a dinner so I can’t drop links (and my goal was to have this out by 5 pm…cutting it closeeee) but if you are interested in coaching just email me at Williamholman91@gmail.com. I would love to work with you! Hope your dinner is so good!

This will be the most clear/simple article you ever read on Progressive Overload.

(if you find a clearer one than this send it to me because I will be so happy to read it)

Progressive Overload Is SO Easy!

Progressive Overload is just you getting better over time.

How?

Things were made progressively harder.

So if you are experiencing progressively harder training sessions you are experiencing Progressive Overload.

But the question then becomes “HOW do I make things progressively harder?”

This is even easier than the first answer…

You only have 2 options you ever need to consider:

1. Time worked goes up

2. Weight lifted goes up

Let’s look at each one.

Time Worked Goes Up

You only have a few options here you will ever need:

1. You do more reps per set - Ex. In week 1 you did 8 reps per set and now you do 9 reps in week 2

2. You do more sets per exercise - Ex. In week 1 you did 2 sets of back squats and now you are doing 3 sets

3. You do more exercises per session/week - Ex. You did 6 exercises per session in July but now you are doing 7 exercises per session

Weight Lifted Goes Up

You only have a few options here you will ever need as well:

1. You lift more weight per exercise - Ex. In week 1 you did 50 lbs on your goblet squat and in week 2 you do 55 lbs on your goblet squat

2. You lift more weight per session - Ex. In week 1 you lifted 350 total lbs in your session and now you lift 385 lbs in your session

3. You lift more weight per week - Ex. In week 1 you totaled 1050 lbs lifted across your 3 sessions and now you lift 1200 total lbs across your 3 sessions

Reality Check

If you ONLY focused on the 1st point in each section you would cover all of your bases.

Coaches LOVE to make it complicated but it’s the old question of “how do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time.”

If you focus on getting better at the singular thing in front of you you will see everything else improve by default (without the algebra…).

How to Pick Between Time/Weight

This is (also) incredibly simple.

These two things work in tandem and operate as 2 sides of the exact same coin.

Let’s break it down by goal.

Want to get stronger?

1. Increase in reps for 4-12 weeks.

2. Then increase in weight for 8-12 weeks.

3. Then continue repeating this pattern until you are the “strong” you would like to be.

Want to improve body composition?

1. Increase in weight for 4-12 weeks.

2. Then increase in reps for 8-12 weeks.

3. Then continue repeating this pattern until you are the “fit” you would like to be.

Want to feel amazing?

1. Increase in weight for 8-12 weeks.

2. Then increase in reps for 8-12 weeks.

3. Then continue repeating this pattern until you feel amazing.

Instead of demonizing one option you step back and realize that each option (weight/time) both serve one another and are the foundations for each other (based off of your goals).

Why?

More Strength = Makes your high rep work more impactful (ex. doing 80 lbs for 10 reps will build more muscle than 60 lbs for 10 reps will)

More Reps = Gives you the “fitness” to be able to handle the stress of high weights

Pause

I hope this is SO easy so far!

Let’s do quick review before we look at how these would look in real life.

1. Progressive overload just means things are getting harder in a scheduled way

2. You can do more time per exercise, session, or week and that will be harder

3. You can do more weight per exercise, session, or week and that will be harder

4. You need both options and you just choose based off of your goals (listed above)

If you stop here you will know more than almost everyone in the coaching industry.

I hope that we have cut alot of the instagram noise out so far.

Now that we have a clear way of looking at things let’s look at examples of how this all works in real life so you can go apply it for yourself.

Examples of Time Progressions

REMINDER - if you do the first one all the other ones happen by default but I’m giving you the fancy pants options so internet coaches don’t lose sleep over it.

Example 1 - More reps per set

Week 1 - 3 Sets of 6 Reps @ 50 lbs

Week 2 - 3 Sets of 7 Reps @ 50 lbs

Week 3 - 3 Sets of 8 Reps @ 50 lbs

Week 4 - 3 Sets of 9 Reps @ 50 lbs

Example 2 - More sets per exercise

Week 1 - 2 Sets of 6 Reps @ 50 lbs

Week 2 - 2 Sets of 6 Reps @ 50 lbs

Week 3 - 3 Sets of 6 Reps @ 50 lbs

Week 4 - 4 Sets of 6 Reps @ 50 lbs

Example 3 - More exercises per session

January - 5 Exercises Per Session

February - 6 Exercises Per Session

March - 7 Exercises Per Session

Start Over w/ Harder Exercises

Examples of Weight Progressions

REMINDER - if you do the first one all the other ones happen by default but I’m giving you the fancy pants options so internet coaches don’t lose sleep over it.

Example 1 - More weight per set

Week 1 - 3 Sets of 6 Reps @ 50 lbs

Week 2 - 3 Sets of 6 Reps @ 55 lbs

Week 3 - 3 Sets of 6 Reps @ 60 lbs

Week 4 - 3 Sets of 6 Reps @ 65 lbs

Example 2 - More weight per session

Week 1 - 350 total lbs lifted per session

Week 2 - 400 total lbs lifted per session

Week 3 - 450 total lbs lifted per session

Week 4 - 500 total lbs lifted per session

→ This is great when you are only trying to make progress on a few exercises and not all exercises (ex. maybe you are only focused on increasing your squat but not your lunge or leg extension)

Example 3 - More weight per week

Week 1 - 1050 total lbs lifted per week

Week 2 - 1250 total lbs lifted per week

Week 3 - 1400 total lbs lifted per week

Week 4 - 1450 total lbs lifted per week

→ This is great when you are only trying to make progress on a few exercises and not all exercises (ex. maybe you are only focused on increasing your squat but not your lunge or leg extension)

Nuance (The Arms and Shoulders Rule)

Ok there is one exception to this and I am going to show you exactly how to fix it.

Let’s say you are doing a bicep curl or a lateral shoulder raise.

On week 1 you use 10 lbs x 8 reps.

On week 2 you use 12.5 lbs x 8 reps.

On week 3 you try to use 15 lbs and can’t even do a single rep.

WHAT THE HECK?!

There are exercises that use less muscles and since they use less muscles they are just not super strong.

Here is how we are going to get around that:

We are going to use 2 different things at once

1. We will increase reps every week x 1 rep (ex. 10-11-12, etc.) but WON’T increase in weight

2. We will start as high in reps as we can (ex. 10-15 or 15-20 reps)

Here is what this would look like:

Week 1 - 15 reps @ 12.5 lbs

Week 2 - 16 reps @ 12.5 lbs

Week 3 - 17 reps @ 12.5 lbs

Week 4 - 18 reps @ 12.5 lbs

Here is why this works:

In order for a muscle to grow we need enough tension on it (it needs to FEEL heavy) and we need to be between 1-4 reps away from failing.

The problem with smaller muscles is that they fail REALLY fast with even slightly challenging weight.

The great part of smaller muscles is that they can do a bajillion reps because they are so enduring.

30 barbell back squats would be (actual) death.

30 lateral raises would be something you could recover from in :60 seconds.

So we assume we won’t be lifting wildly heavy on our smaller exercises (arms/shoulders) and we plan to increase in reps while starting at higher reps.

Easy peasy!

Bonus Note: This will work for your final 2 exercises in almost every (good) program.

Hope this helped you!

Want a program that just does this for you?

I am giving away 3 day trials to my online women’s program that has all of this baked in so you just have to follow the instructions on every single exercise and you’ll always get stronger.

Easy.

(NOTE: I will take this trial down on 8/24 and will delete this section. I’d LOVE to have you! So many women jumped on my last trial offer and it’s been really fun seeing them already getting stronger)

3 Day Trial Link

But a few (quick) words before we start:

1. You absolutely do not have to hip thrust 405 lbs if it isn’t your goal BUT you should absolutely be working to increase your glute strength. This is just a really fun way to do it.

2. The more you hip thrust the better your 🐝-hind is going to look but it will also drastically impact lower back health, ability to do more things in and out of the gym, and will have a major impact on long term hip health. These are all major wins!

Section 1 - Why The Hip Thrust?

Let’s see if I can do this without being too nerdy.

(Grade me in the comments)

The Hip Thrust and The Romanian Deadlift (RDL) are essentially two parts of the same coin.

The hip thrust is a SQUEEZE/FLEX (tails) and the RDL is a STRETCH (heads).

The problem?

If you train well (and if you use this guide you will absolutely be training well) you will get ALOT stronger.

As you get stronger you will put more “pressure” on the body.

(Translation - your chance of injury goes UP.)

But if you are smart you can pick what “pressure” you put on the system.

Option 1 - Spine and Muscles

Option 2 - Muscles

Since the RDL is a STRETCH it puts more pressure on your lower back/spine (option 1) as you increase in weight.

(Translation - risk of back injury increases as you increase weight)

Obvi we don’t like this.

So what do we do?

We switch to a Hip Thrust.

Why?

Since the Hip Thrust is a FLEX/SQUEEZE exercise it allows us to go bananas with minimal (if any) pressure to the lower back.

So with the RDL we are almost penalized for getting better but with the Hip Thrust our only big penalty is we may have to shop for new jeans by the end of the program.

There are worse penalties.

(Quick note if you are a smarty pants reading this - the major difference in the two exercises is an RDL is focused on axial loading whereas the hip thrust mitigates axial loading. Since we are minimize axial loading we reduce CNS impact and can really focus on the actual muscle tissue.)

So to close this crazy quick…

RDLs and Hip Thrusts are the same thing in a lot of ways but you would choose to go crazy on a Hip Thrust because you can A. get farther (faster) with B. zero speedbumps along the way.

Section 2 - The 3 Biggest Issues I Help Women Fix

Rule 1 - You can thrust 1.5-2x what you squat

The biggest problem with hip thrusts is that most women have no clue what is “normal” or “good.”

Here are some easy guidelines for you:

1. Take your squat weight and x it by 1.5-2 (ex. if you back squat 100 lbs you can hip thrust 150-200 lbs…pretty easily)

2. Not sure what your squat weight is? Take your bodyweight and multiply that by 1.25-1.75 and that is almost definitely something you can thrust

In the plan below I will teach you exactly how a program should look from complete beginner to 405 lb hip thrusts but if you are already lifting these are two really good places to start.

As you improve in the future you will see these numbers change to 3-4x (ex. if you can squat 100 lbs you can thrust 300-400 lbs) but we will get there later.

Rule 2 - It’s a THRUST, girl

The second biggest problem women have is that they are lifting slow on the way up.

The “thrust” in the title has to be there.

I have had women come to me for a single session with a 225 thrust and they leave having hit 315+ lbs.

Did I increase their strength by almost 100 lbs in 60 minutes?

God…I wish.

But no I am not that good and no one will ever be that good.

But not being aggressive is one the most common lifting inefficiencies when it comes to a thrust.

If you don’t drive up hard you will always struggle to get much farther than 225 lbs.

The plan below will teach you how to work at different speeds to make sure you are moving incredibly well while being aggressive.

Be aggressive. B-E aggressive! 🤸‍♀️

Rule 3 - You have to be a killer

Earlier I said you are taking pressure off of the spine when by switching from exercises like deadlifts/rdls to hip thrusts which is GREAT!

But…

This comes with some trade offs.

You are going to feel your muscles in ways you have almost never felt.

Like full on shaking.

The stronger you get the harder it is going to be to really hype yourself for the work.

At the beginning you may only need a minute of rest but as you get stronger you may be resting 3-5 minutes between sets because you are working so hard and just need the mental break.

Treat this section like a kind warning because when things get harder here there is almost nothing like it.

You have to be a killer here.

You have to know it’s going to hurt (really really bad) and you have to bite down and just do the thing.

(For some reason no one ever tells you this and now that I’m writing it maybe I should have left it for after I show you the program… ooooof. Bad marketing on my part)

Section 3 - The Plan

→ This is a 6 month training plan (holy moly!)

→ You can add this to your current training plan

→ Always do your thrusts at the beginning of the session unless specified in the notes

Month 1

→ 2 Thrust Specific Days/Week

→ 1 Main Lift (Perform At Beginning of Session)

→ 1 Specific Accessory Lift (Perform At End of Session)

→ Focus = Getting REALLY good at your patterns here. Every rep should look the same.

→ Increase weight every week (on thrusts) by 5-10%

Day 1

→ Hip Thrust - 3 Sets of 10-12 Reps

→ Seated Abduction Machine - 3 Sets of 10-12 Reps

Day 2

→ Pause Hip Thrust - 3 Sets of 10-12 Reps w 3 Sec Pause At Top

→ Bodyweight Walking Lunges (SLOW) - 2 Sets of 40-50 Alt. Reps

Month 2

→ 2 Thrust Specific Days/Week

→ 1 Main Lift (Perform At Beginning of Session)

→ 1 Specific Accessory Lift (Perform At End of Session)

→ Focus = Getting REALLY strong at your patterns here. Every rep should be aggressive

→ Increase weight every week (on thrusts) by 5-10%

Day 1

→ Hip Thrust - 3 Sets of 8 Reps w Slow Lower

→ Front Foot Elevated Split Squats - 2 Sets of 12-15 Reps/Side w 2 Sec Lower

Day 2

→ Pause Hip Thrust - 3 Sets of 8 Reps w 3 Sec Pause At Top

→ Seated Abduction Machine - 3 Sets of 12-15 Reps

Month 3

→ 2 Thrust Specific Days/Week

→ 1 Main Lift (Perform At Beginning of Session)

→ 1 Specific Accessory Lift (Perform When Specified In Notes)

→ Focus = Getting REALLY strong at your patterns still. Every rep should be aggressive

→ Increase weight every week (on thrusts) by 5-10%

Day 1

→ Hip Thrust - 3 Sets of 6 Reps w Slow Lower

→ Dumbbell Walking Lunges - 2 Sets of 20 Alt. Reps (Total) w 2 Sec Lower

• Perform after thrusts

Day 2

→ Pause Hip Thrust - 3 Sets of 6 Reps w 3 Sec Pause At Top

→ Seated Abduction Machine - 3 Sets of 15-20 Reps

• Perform at end of session

Pause

→ If you have been increasing by 5-10% per week (and you started at 100 lbs) you would be lifting 170-280 lbs by the end of month 3. HUGE WINS!!!

→ Everything is about to get ALOT harder!

→ Our goal is going to be 5% increases every week from now on but you will have weeks where you do more (7-10%) and weeks where you don’t increase at all and thats ok! Keep swinging.

Month 4

→ 3 Thrust Specific Days/Week

→ 1 Main Lift (Perform At Beginning of Session)

→ 1 Specific Accessory Lift (Perform When Specified In Notes)

→ Focus = Finding ways to improve fitness and strength.

→ Increase weight every week (on thrusts) by 5-10%

Day 1

→ Hip Thrust - 3 Sets of 6 Reps w Slow Lower

→ Cluster Seated Abduction Machine - 2 Sets of 5.5.5 Reps

• Cluster = 15 reps divided like this → 5 reps, rest :20s, 5 reps, rest :20s, 5 reps. Thats one set.

• Perform at end of session

Day 2

→ Cluster Hip Thrusts - 3 Sets of 3.3.3 Reps

• Cluster = 9 reps divided like this → 3 reps, rest :20s, 3 reps, rest :20s, 3 reps. Thats one set.

→ High Glute Focused Step Ups - 3 Sets of 8-10 Reps/Side

• Perform at end of session

Day 3 (Accessory Only)

→ B Stance Hip Thrust - 3 Sets of 8-10 Reps/Side w 1 Sec Pause At Top

• Perform at end of session

Month 5

→ 3 Thrust Specific Days/Week

→ 1 Main Lift (Perform At Beginning of Session)

→ 1 Specific Accessory Lift (Perform When Specified In Notes)

→ Focus = Starting to push max weights

→ Increase weight every week (on thrusts) by 5+%

Day 1

→ Hip Thrust - 4 Sets of 4 Reps w Slow Lower

• Build to a heavy 4 rep (aim for 5-10% higher each week)

→ Staggered Stance Single Arm Cable RDLs - 3 Sets of 8 Reps/Side

• Perform at middle or end of session

Day 2

→ Cluster Hip Thrusts - 3 Sets of 2.2.2 Reps

• Cluster = 6 reps divided like this → 2 reps, rest :20s, 2 reps, rest :20s, 2 reps. Thats one set.

→ High Glute Focused Step Ups - 3 Sets of 10-12 Reps/Side

• Perform at end of session

Day 3 (Accessory Only)

→ B Stance Hip Thrust - 3 Sets of 8-10 Reps/Side w 1 Sec Pause At Top

• Perform at middle of session

• Same as last month but we need to be pushing this this month

Month 6

→ 3 Thrust Specific Days/Week

→ 1 Main Lift (Perform At Beginning of Session)

→ 1 Specific Accessory Lift (Perform When Specified In Notes)

→ Focus = Starting to push max weights

→ Increase weight every week (on thrusts) by 5+%

Day 1

→ Hip Thrust - 5-6 Sets of 2-3 Reps w Slow Lower

• Build to a heavy 2-3 rep (aim for 5-10% higher each week)

→ Seated Hamstring Curls - 3 Sets of 10-12 Reps

• Perform in the middle of session

Day 2

→ Cluster Hip Thrusts - 3 Sets of 2.1.1 Reps

• Cluster = 4 reps divided like this → 2 reps, rest :20s, 1 rep, rest :20s, 1 rep. Thats one set.

→ Seated Abduction Machine - 2-3 Sets of 10-15 Reps w 2 Sec Pause

• Perform at end of session

Day 3 (Accessory Only)

→ Glute Focused 45 Degree Extensions - 2-3 Sets of 20-30 Reps

• Perform at end of session

Conclusion

Even if things weren’t absolutely perfect and you had weeks where you couldn’t make increases you will be between 275-315 lbs by the final week.

You started at 100 lbs and now you can do 2-3x that!

CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!

I AM SO PROUD OF YOU!!!

Your glutes look and perform completely different now and you did so many things you didn’t think you could do!

But seriously… if you take this program and do exactly what it says it will give you everything you want/need.

Pinky promise!

Thanks so much for reading and if this was helpful share it with someone else!

P.S. Want your training done for you?

My online women’s program does all of this with access to my app, daily video content, daily notes and coaching, and full access to automatic tracking

ONLINE TRAINING PLATFORM LINK

In order to do that I try to find the biggest problems I possibly can and I just give away as much as I can think of on that topic (while still getting to bed at a reasonable time of course).

Recently I have had so many kind messages like this (that I don’t really deserve) find their way to me.

But the BIGGEST question I get all of the time is “how do I do all of this if I only have 20-30 minutes 2-3x a week? Can I even get in shape with that little amount of time?”

I hear this from moms, women working INSANE hours, and women who are going through really challenging life circumstances that demand incredible amounts of their time.

This article is my answer to those women and any women who found this while feeling like they couldn’t possibly see progress in such a short window of time.

I hope this serves you so well.

(Quick Note - assuming you don’t have a ton of time I am going to be as concise and respectful as possible. A woman I liked one time said “don’t be so verbose.” We didn’t make the cut but lets see if the lesson still landed.)

“Can I Get In Shape In 60-90 Total Minutes Per Week?” - Busy Woman

The answer…

an EMPHATIC “YES MA’AM!!!”

You don’t have a ton of time so I am going to shoot you so straight here.

1. Most people in the gym are only training for 30 minutes per 60 minute session because they are mind numbingly inefficient with their time.

2. You don’t have time to blow so you are going to have to be insanely efficient (and I am going to teach you exactly how to do that) with your time.

The BIG lesson ➡️ With the right system you honestly shouldn’t NEED more than 30 minutes to get one of the best workouts of your life

The System

Ok! Most programs are designed based off of the work they need to get done.

But you don’t have that much time so let’s make TIME our priority.

How?

Let me show you!

A normal training day looks something like this:

A. Goblet Squat - 3 Sets of 8 Reps

B. Dumbbell Bench Press - 3 Sets of 8 Reps

C. Dual DB RDLs - 3 Sets of 10 Reps

D. Single Arm DB Row - 3 Sets of 10 Reps/Side

E. Deadbugs - 3 Sets of 20 Alt. Reps

F. DB Hammer Curls - 3 Sets of 10-15 Reps

This is GREAT and if you have the time this is how I would write every workout BUT we don’t have the time.

Do we just throw it all out?

NOOOOOOOOOOOO!

Instead we actually USE TIME TO OUR ADVANTAGE.

Let me show you!

Here is what a TIME BASED training day looks like:

A. On an 8 Min Running Clock:

• 8-10 Goblet Squats

• 8-10 DB Bench Press

Rest 2-3 Min Before B

B. On an 8 Min Running Clock:

• 10-12 Dual DB RDLs

• 10-12 Single Arm DB Rows/Side

Rest 2-3 Min Before C

C. On a 6 Min Running Clock:

• 20 Alt. Deadbugs

• 10-15 DB Hammer Curls

Here are the rules:

1. Cycle through the 2 movements for the duration of the clock (ex. 8 minutes)

2. Rest as needed and aim for 3-4 total sets

3. Use the same weight for all of your sets

4. The next week do the same thing but add weight to the section (ex. maybe you did 20 lbs for goblet squats and now you will try 25 lbs)

IT’S THAT SIMPLE!

WEDIDIT!

YOU CAN BE A MOM AND BE FIT!

YOU CAN BE A CAREER WOMAN AND BE FIT!

YOU CAN BE ANXIOUS/DEPRESSED/EXHAUSTED AND BE FIT!

YAY!!!

Quick Notes

1. I am going to give you a full 3 day plan in the next section so you can see what you need to do if you are too busy to read the rest right now.

2. Below that I am going to teach you how to build this entire thing for yourself so you can train for the rest of the year!!!

Here. We. Go!

Full 3 Day Plan

→ This is a FULL BODY plan

→ Can’t do 3 days? No problem! I made it so you could do 2 and STILL get results!

→ I made this a complete dumbbell and bodyweight plan but if you have barbells and want to add those just use the next section to see how

Day 1

A. On an 8 Min Running Clock:

• 8-10 Goblet Squats

• 8-10 DB Bench Press

Rest 2-3 Min Before B

B. On an 8 Min Running Clock:

• 10-12 Dual DB RDLs

• 10-12 Single Arm DB Rows/Side

Rest 2-3 Min Before C

C. On a 6 Min Running Clock:

• 20 Alt. Deadbugs

• 10-15 DB Hammer Curls

Day 2

A. On an 8 Min Running Clock:

• 8-10 Goblet Reverse Lunges

• 8-10 DB Strict Press

Rest 2-3 Min Before B

B. On an 8 Min Running Clock:

• 10-12 DB Hip Thrust

• 10-12 Elevated DB Plank Rows/Side

Rest 2-3 Min Before C

C. On a 6 Min Running Clock:

• 15-20 Reverse Crunches

• 10-15 Single DB Tricep Extensions

Day 3

A. On an 8 Min Running Clock:

• 8-10 Goblet Box Squats

• 8-10 Alt. DB Floor Press

Rest 2-3 Min Before B

B. On an 8 Min Running Clock:

• 10-12 Single Leg DB RDLs w Hand Support on Wall/Side

• 10-12 3 Point DB Row/Side

Rest 2-3 Min Before C

C. On a 6 Min Running Clock:

• 30-50 Alt. Mountain Climbers

• 10-15 DB Curls

How to DIY

Ok! I am going to speed run this but before I do I will drop a MUCH bigger article that will teach you all of this in depth.

(Pieces of this next section will be taken from this ⬇️ article)

Ok let’s speed run this!

Step 1 - Select and Copy the Following Template Into an Apple Note

Day 1

A. On an 8 Min Running Clock:

• 8-10 Squat Pattern

• 8-10 Push Pattern

Rest 2-3 Min Before B

B. On an 8 Min Running Clock:

• 10-12 Bend Pattern

• 10-12 Pull Pattern

Rest 2-3 Min Before C

C. On a 6 Min Running Clock:

• 20 Alt. Core Pattern

• 10-15 Arm Pattern

Day 2

A. On an 8 Min Running Clock:

• 8-10 Single Leg Pattern

• 8-10 Push Pattern

Rest 2-3 Min Before B

B. On an 8 Min Running Clock:

• 10-12 Bend Pattern

• 10-12 Pull Pattern

Rest 2-3 Min Before C

C. On a 6 Min Running Clock:

• 15-20 Core Pattern

• 10-15 Arm Pattern

Day 3

A. On an 8 Min Running Clock:

• 8-10 Squat Pattern

• 8-10 Push Pattern

Rest 2-3 Min Before B

B. On an 8 Min Running Clock:

• 10-12 Bend Pattern

• 10-12 Pull Pattern

Rest 2-3 Min Before C

C. On a 6 Min Running Clock:

• 30-50 Core Pattern

• 10-15 Arm Pattern

Step 2 - Fill In The Template W/ Your Favorite Exercises From the Following Cheat Sheets

Here are all of the dumbbell options you will need ⬇️

Here are all of the in gym options you will need ⬇️

Step 3 - Rotate Those Exercises Every 2-4 Weeks Based Off Of The Following

1. If you can’t lift any more weight on the exercise then rotate the exercise

2. If you are just kind of over the exercise then rotate the exercise

3. If you start feeling discomfort or pain then rotate the exercise

4. BUT! When you rotate the exercise always always always (!) keep it in the same pattern. Ex. Goblet squat would become some other type of squat.

Closing

1. Yes! You can do this! Time is irrelevant in good systems.

2. It’s REALLY that easy to do! I swear!

3. Get back to your life…but message me when you start your program!

I am so proud of you and thank you so much for your time as I know its precious and hard to come by.

Hopefully this time spent will drastically improve your life.

P.S. You are doing great. Don’t stress. Take whatever steps you can take and then do it over and over and over until you are where you want to be.

A friend of ours told her what I do and she was so unbelievably kind and open… but I was running late and couldn’t be late.

I promised her I would write her her very own article to make up for it.

This is that article.

She told me she felt like she was completely out of shape and had no clue what to do.

She didn’t have much exercise experience at all and described herself as “a complete beginner.”

Her job is very sedentary and she said she was just so overwhelmed that she didn’t know where to start.

I was so grateful for her honesty and I hope this article can clear things up for her and you if you have felt any of those things.

In this article I want to give you the entire playbook so you don’t have a single question.

Here is what we are going to cover:

1. Goal Setting - Probably the biggest piece of the whole article

2. Training - A Full Training Plan

3. A Full Resource List

This is a roadmap from “lost and out of shape” to feeling extremely healthy and confident in your body.

I hope this helps!

Point of Empathy (Going to be mushy for a second so skip this if you hate that stuff)

Nothing feels like the feeling of “lost.”

Your chest feels like it’s caving in.

You feel like every step you take is wrong (or “not right” at best).

You feel like you missed your shot.

Every day feels like you are one day further from the ability to change your life.

Everything hurts more and more and you start questioning your worth.

I have felt this in extremely challenging ways and I think that’s why I empathized with everything this woman told me.

The sound of “is it too late?” has a ring to it that can break your heart.

But the truth is…

Despite all of the pain in your chest you aren’t lost.

AT ALL.

You are still on the map.

We just need to redirect and offer you a lifeboat.

I hope this article puts air back in your lungs and let’s your shoulders fall.

Step 1 - How to Create A Vision

If you really lock in to one thing make it this.

Goals are massive, daunting, and usually out of our current reach (or they wouldn’t be goals).

The first thing we need to do is realize that every goal is just a combination of a few skills that you don’t have yet and a few practices you need to apply in order to reach those goals.

We just need a clear path to what we want.

Here is a visual representation of this

So if we did this together in steps it would go like this:

(I will break this down below for this woman specifically but apply this as you will)

Step 1 - What is my 4 month goal?

Step 2 - What skills will I need to have to make sure that goal is achieved?

Step 3 - What are the practices/action steps I need to take every 2 weeks to grow that skill?

Here is how this would look in real life:

Step 1 - My 4 month goal is to lose 20 lbs

Step 2 - Pick 1 of the following for a month 1 skill:

1. I need to learn how to cook most (18 out of 21) meals at home

2. I need to learn how to get to the gym 3 times a week

3. I need to learn how to keep my step count at 8k per day

Step 3 - My 1st Practice is “Mastering My Schedule.” Here is how it would look (based off of what you picked in Step 2):

1. Cooking - I need to master my calendar (schedule grocery shopping, scheduling times to cook/prep food, schedule meals out in advance instead of just letting them happen)

2. Training - I need to master my calendar (schedule training sessions ahead of time, have my workouts already set in my calendar or app, and schedule what days I won’t be working out)

3. Movement - I need to master my calendar (schedule times a day to walk, schedule time on a treadmill if needed, schedule a reminder to check my steps at 4 pm so I know if I need to do more)

Step 4 - Schedule a time to plan and review

THIS IS THE BIGGEST PART AND IF YOU SKIP THIS YOU WILL ALWAYS FEEL LOST!

So many people start something but in order to continue you have to have a time to reflect on your actions in order to make sure you are on track or not.

If you are someone who feels behind then no matter how many good things you do you will feel behind IF YOU DON’T DO ANYTHING TO PROVE TO YOURSELF THAT YOU AREN’T IN FACT LOST.

Here is exactly how to do this:

1. Have a specific time block on your google calendar to check on your habits/practices

2. When you sit down to review you are checking how many times you did what you said you would (ex. if you said you would make 18 out of 21 meals and you made 12 out of 21 then all you need is to add 6 more prepped meals the following week. SO easy) and what you need to adjust the following week.

3. In week 2 you are just making sure you do what you said you would (move from 12 prepped meals to 15 prepped meals)

This does a few VERY important things:

1. It shows you exactly what you need to improve

2. It shows you you are a lot closer than you think you are

Ok! Quick overview:

1. Pick a goal

2. Pick a skill that would make that goal possible

3. Pick habits/actions that will make that skill available to you

4. Review how you are doing every week

Goal setting ✅

Now let’s look at…

Training (A Full 4 Week Plan)

Ok so training is actually the easiest part of the puzzle.

Below I am going to give you:

1. A full training plan (exercises, sets, and reps)

2. Videos for every exercise so you don’t have to wonder what the exercise is

We need to make sure a few things are covered each week:

1. 2-3 Sessions Per Week

2. Hit Each Muscle Group 2x Per Week

3. Things Get a Little Harder Each Week

In order to make sure all 3 of those happen we are going to use a Full Body Training plan.

A super simple way to think about this - it just means we hit every area of your body in each session.

We are going to really emphasize building strong legs and a really strong core so we can do more work in the future.

Here we go!

Day 1

A. Goblet Squat - 3 Sets x 8-12 Reps

B. Dumbbell Bench Press - 3 Sets x 8-12 Reps

C. 3 Point DB Row - 3 Sets x 8-12 Reps/Side

D. Dumbbell Reverse Lunge - 3 Sets x 8-10 Reps/Side

E. Split Stance Cable Pallof Press - 3 Sets x 10-12 Reps/Side

Day 2

A. Dumbbell Romanian Deadlifts - 3 Sets x 8-10 Reps

B. Cable Lat Pulldowns - 3 Sets x 10-12 Reps

C. Incline Dumbbell Bench Press - 3 Sets x 8-12 Reps

D. Dumbbell Step Ups - 3 Sets x 8-10 Reps/Side

E. High to Low Cable Rotation - 3 Sets x 10-12 Reps/Side

Day 3

A. Dumbbell Split Squats - 3 Sets x 8-10 Reps/Side

B. Dumbbell Glute Bridge - 3 Sets x 10-12 Reps

C. Seated Cable Row - 3 Sets x 10-12 Reps

D. Seated Dumbbell Overhead Press - 3 Sets x 8-12 Reps

E. Dumbbell Farmers Carry - 3 Sets x 1 Min

Closing Thoughts

Below I will drop a ton of different resources for you so you can start training.

If you are someone who feels extremely lost in your health I want to say that I fully understand.

The reason my one on one virtual clients do a check in with me every week is because it is so easy to feel lost or out of control and having a point in your week that keeps you grounded can be the difference between being exactly what you want to be and feeling even more lost.

I am trying to make as many resources as humanly possible for women all over the world so that you don’t have to feel lost, alone, or like you have no clue what to do next.

I genuinely hope these resources serve you.

Bonus Resources

This article will teach you how to turn this into a 4 week program ⬇️

These 2 articles will teach you how to change all of the exercises to at home options if thats all you have ⬇️

This is a package of 2 programs PDF format so you can just start training

PROGRAM LINK

This is my online women’s program with access to my app, daily video content, daily notes and coaching, and full access to automatic tracking

ONLINE TRAINING PLATFORM LINK

P.S.

A client of mine got mad at me the other day for not doing a great job of offering my services more.

If you would like to work with me I would absolutely LOVE to work with you.

The two program links above are honestly amazing but if you feel like you want a private coach and fully individual experience just email me at Williamholman91@gmail.com to schedule a free consult to see if we are a good fit!

“In this economy?!”

The good news?

If you know what you are doing you really never need to be training more than 3x a week.

The bad news?

If you mess all of this up you won’t get very far at all.

I am going to do my absolute darndest to make sure you know exactly how to train 3x a week and still get everything you want.

Training Is a Science

If you know the following rules you can make every single 3 day program incredibly successful (while avoiding all of the pitfalls).

Here are the absolute rules of training 3x a week:

Patterns Need Love 2x A Week

The 7 things you can do in the gym are:

Squat, Bend, Push, Pull, Single Leg (ex. Lunges), Core, and Arms

That’s it.

Hit the pattern 1x a week = That area will stay the same

Hit the pattern 2-3x a week = That area will improve

It’s honestly that simple.

But a lot of people training 6x a week aren’t even applying this so they are spending 6+ hours a week training but missing the foundation of growth or change.

Here is an example of what you need to do:

Monday - Squat Pattern (Glutes, Quads, Hamstrings)

Friday - Squat Pattern (Glutes, Quads, Hamstrings)

To make this even more clear:

Monday - Goblet Squat

Friday - Box Squat

If you do this ONE thing you will absolutely get results in strength and body composition.

You HAVE to Do a Full Body Training Split

I want to say there are tons of training options but realistically because of our first rule (hit patterns 2x a week) a Full Body Split is the only option you have.

Why?

Let me show you.

A full body option takes all of the 7 patterns we listed above and allows you to divide them out in a way that let’s you hit each pattern 2x a week.

If you do an Upper/Lower Split then it would look like this:

Day 1 - Upper

Day 2 - Lower

Day 3 - Upper

Meaning that some of your patterns would only get 1 touch per week (not enough love 😭) and they would be staying the same at best.

But if I use a Full Body Split you can hit every pattern each day (in different ways).

(I will give you a full program below so you can see what I mean + steal it)

Since you can hit the patterns every day you can now ensure you are ALWAYS hitting every important thing 2-3x a week and never hitting a plateau.

You HAVE to Manage Your Efforts (This is the model I use for all of my clients)

Here is a full breakdown of what I mean (CLICK HERE) but the TLDR is…

You need to be increasing in effort every week of your program.

Here is what that would look like using a single exercise:

Leg Press

Week 1 - 155 lbs (7/10 Effort)

Week 2 - 175 lbs (8/10 Effort)

Week 3 - 195 lbs (9/10 Effort)

Week 4 - 215 lbs (10/10 Effort)

Week 1 was maybe easy but week 4 you should be really pushing yourself and then you start over with a new exercise in the same pattern.

Cycle 1 = Leg Press

Cycle 2 = Back Squat

Over the course of 2-3 cycles it should look like this:

Again, the article I included above will have all of this for you and is a great resource to make sure you aren’t overdoing it or not working hard enough.

Ok… so we know our 3 rules… but what does this look like in reality?

3 Day Full Body Training Plan (In Gym)

The following program is a full 3 day/week in gym plan that will hit every pattern 3x a week.

The beauty of this plan is you could scale it back to 2x a week AND STILL GET THE SAME RESULTS YOU WOULD GET ON A 5-6 DAY PROGRAM!!!

OMFG!

Here you go!

3 Day Full Body Training Plan (At Home)

This program follows the exact same patterns as the one above but is designed specifically for people who only have access to dumbbells.

Quick Review

Here are the main points you need to remember:

1. Hit your patterns 2-3x a week

2. Full body training does that by default (when done well)

3. Make sure your effort progresses every week for 4 weeks and then reset (with new exercises)

4. Steal the programs for yourself!

Want all of this done for you?

Here is a 4 week PDF program that you can try ⬇️

Program Link

Here is a link to my coaching platform where I do this for women all over the world every week with video content, coaching breakdowns, and notes for every single exercise to make sure everything is always going well ⬇️

Coaching Link

P.S. I am genuinely so grateful for your time and attention. All of my content is purely based off of the singular goal of “giving.” I hope these serve you in some small way each week.

I am going to try to make this as clear and easy to understand as possible.

I am also going to just add a whole 3 month lower body training plan at the end so you don’t even have to guess.

As always, I hope this serves you well.

Let’s get this bread!

Lower Body Training TLDR (Full Cheat Sheet)

I am just going to give you all of the answers FIRST and then I will go into more detail later.

• How many times do I need to train legs every week?

  • 2-4x a week

• What reps are best for me?

  • 5-10 reps = Increases strength and muscle

  • 8-15 Reps = Increases muscle and shape

• I want to grow my glutes. What are the best exercises?

  • Hip Thrusts

  • RDLs

  • Lunges

  • Abductions

• I want to grow my quads. What are the best exercises?

  • Squats

  • Leg Press

  • Lunges/Split Squats

  • Leg Extensions

• I want to grow my hamstrings. What are the best exercises?

  • RDLs

  • Leg Press

  • Hip Thrusts

  • Seated or Lying Leg Curls

• I want bigger legs in general. What do I need to know?

  • 5-10 Rep Range

  • Increase in weight on lifts every 1-2 weeks

  • Protein at .8-1g per lb of GOAL bodyweight (ex. your goal bodyweight is 160 lbs then you would need 130-160 g of protein per day)

  • Carbs at 40-45% of total calories

  • Fats at 20% of total calories

• I want leaner legs. What do I need to know?

  • 8-15 rep range

  • Increase in weight on lifts every 1-2 weeks

  • Protein at .8-1g per lb of GOAL bodyweight (ex. your goal bodyweight is 160 lbs then you would need 130-160 g of protein per day)

  • Carbs at 45-50% of total calories

  • Fats at 15-20% of total calories

Ok that about covers it!

Let’s dive deeper!

Lower Body Training (The Details)

Lower body training is honestly incredibly easy if you know a very important detail.

You can only do 5 main things:

1. Squat Down (ex. Back Squat)

2. Bend Over (ex. RDL)

3. Lunge/Step Up (ex. Reverse Lunge)

4. Abduct/Open Your Hip (ex. Hip Abduction Machine)

5. Adduct/Close Your Hip (ex. Hip Adduction Machine)

(I will add a list of every exercise under each category below to make it even easier)

All of the sudden picking exercises becomes much easier.

There are 3 main areas you need to highlight for great legs (in order):

1. Glutes (Squats, Bends, Lunges, Abductions)

2. Quads (Squats, Lunges)

3. Hamstrings (Squats, Bends, Lunges)

But how do you highlight an area?

1. The easiest thing to do is make sure each area gets hit 2x a week and that you are always focusing on progressive overload.

2. But maybe you REALLY want to emphasize an area. All you need to do is make sure you are hitting that specific area 3-4x a week instead of 2x.

   1. NOTE - You would probably need to bring down another area to 1-2x a week to make sure you aren’t destroyed. Ex. if glutes are 4x a week then maybe quads would only be 1x for a season.

Let’s look at 2 examples so we can see the difference.

Example 1 - 2x/Week (Moderate Glute Focus)

Monday - Hip Thrust

Thursday - RDL

Example 2 - 4x/Week (High Glute Focus)

Monday - Hip Thrust

Tuesday - Long Step Lunges

Thursday - RDL

Saturday - B Stance Hip Thrusts

Coaching Tip

Very few people really need more than a moderate focus but almost everyone needs to get better at really pushing weight week over week.

Always start by taking 4 weeks to really push yourself to increase weight every single week before adding more work.

Why?

If you aren’t good at adding weight at 2x a week you will be 2x worse at it when you get to 4x a week.

You need to be extremely good at really pushing weight so that you are never wasting reps, sets, or energy.

Ok so now that we know that… what exercises are in each category?

Squats

• Barbell Squats - Back Squat, Front Squat, Box Squat, Trap Bar Squat

• Dumbbell/Kettlebell Squats - Goblet Squats, Heel Elevated Goblet Squats, Box Squats, Dual DB/KB Front Squats, Single Arm KB Front Squats

• Machine Squats - Leg Press, Smith Machine Squats, Hack Squats, Pendulum Squats, Leg Extensions

Bend

• Barbell Bends - Deadlifts (Conventional or Sumo), RDLs, Hip Thrusts, Trap Bar Deadlift

• Dumbbell/Kettlebell Bends - Dumbbell RDLs, KB Deadlift (Conventional or Sumo), KB Swings, Dumbbell Hip Thrusts

• Machine Bends - Hip Thrusts, Smith Machine RDL, Hamstring Curl

Single Leg

• Barbell SL - Split Squats, Reverse Lunges, Split Stance RDLs, Step Ups

• Dumbbell/Kettlebell SL - Split Squats, Lunges (Forward, Reverse), Step Ups, Single Leg RDL, Split Stance RDL, Lateral Lunges

• Machine SL - SL Leg Extensions, SL Hamstring Curls, Split Stance Leg Press, Smith Machine Lunges or Split Squats, Cable or Machine Kickbacks

Abductions

• Machine - Hip Abduction Machine, Cable Abductions

Adductions

• Machine - Hip Adduction Machine, Cable Adductions

Lower Body Training (Putting It All Together)

Ok so we know what lower body patterns are (squat, bend, lunge, abduct, adduct) and we know what exercises fit in each category (ex. squat pattern = back squat) but now we need to put it all together in a way that everyone can understand.

I am going to show you 2 examples of different ways to put it all together and then I will fill it all in for you at the end so you don’t even have to think.

Before we start remember the one main rule:

1. If you want an area to change you need to work it 2+ times each week.

Let’s look at how we can do this on a Full Body Split and on an Upper/Lower Split.

Example 1 - 4 Day Full Body Split

Day 1

A. Squat Pattern

B. Bend Pattern

C. Upper Body Pattern

D. Upper Body Pattern

E. Adduction Pattern

Day 2

A. Single Leg Pattern

B. Abduction Pattern

C. Upper Body Pattern

D. Upper Body Pattern

E. Upper Body Pattern

Day 3

A. Squat Pattern

B. Bend Pattern

C. Upper Body Pattern

D. Upper Body Pattern

E. Adduction Pattern

Day 4

A. Single Leg Pattern

B. Upper Body Pattern

C. Upper Body Pattern

D. Upper Body Pattern

E. Abduction Pattern

This program ensures you get all of the work you need on every pattern:

Squat 2x (Day 1 and Day 3)

Bend 2x (Day 1 and Day 3)

Single Leg 2x (Day 2 and Day 4)

Abduction 2x (Day 2 and Day 4)

Adduction 2x (Day 1 and Day 3)

Example 2 - Upper/Lower Split

Day 1 (Lower)

A. Squat Pattern

B. Bend Pattern

C. Single Leg Pattern

D. Abduction Pattern

E. Adduction Pattern

Day 2 (Upper)

A. Upper Pattern

B. Upper Pattern

C. Upper Pattern

D. Upper Pattern

E. Upper Pattern

Day 3 (Lower)

A. Bend Pattern

B. Squat Pattern

C. Single Leg Pattern

D. Abduction Pattern

E. Adduction Pattern

Day 4 (Upper)

A. Upper Pattern

B. Upper Pattern

C. Upper Pattern

D. Upper Pattern

E. Upper Pattern

This program ensures you get all of the work you need on every pattern:

Squat 2x (Day 1 and Day 3)

Bend 2x (Day 1 and Day 3)

Single Leg 2x (Day 1 and Day 3)

Abduction 2x (Day 1 and Day 3)

Adduction 2x (Day 1 and Day 3)

Here Are 4 Different Lower Body Training Plans To Steal

Program #1 - 4 Day Full Body Split

Day 1

Day 2

Day 3

Day 4

Program #2 - 4 Day Upper/Lower Split

Day 1 (Lower)

Day 2 (Upper)

Day 3 (Lower)

Day 4 (Upper)

Program #3 - 4 Day Full Body Split (High Leg Focus)

Day 1

Day 2

Day 3

Day 4

And that’s literally all you need to know!

I was just told that this article is “too long for emails” so I am going to wrap it up but if you have questions or need everything done for you here are your options:

1. email me at williamholman91@gmail.com

2. Want all of this done for you every month? CLICK HERE

The problem?

Most upper/lower splits are designed specifically for men and women kind of just have to do them anyway because they don’t have other options?

I want to fix that.

The goal of this article is to show you what a program for women looks like and what you need to avoid if you are trying an upper/lower split.

Here is how I am going to lay this article out:

1. Examples of a difference between upper/lower for men and women

2. A full upper/lower women’s program (for you to steal)

3. Why women should choose an upper/lower split

Differences Between Men’s and Women’s Upper/Lower Splits

Below will be an example of the differences between lower body days for women/men and then examples of the differences between upper body days for women/men.

Before I show you the programs I will just give you everything you need to know in cheat sheet form:

1. Lower body:

   1. Men = 3-5 exercises in the 3-10 rep range

   2. Women = 5-7 exercises in the 6-15 rep range

2. Upper body:

   1. Men = 5-8 exercises in the 3-10 rep range

   2. Women = 6-8 exercises in the 6-20 rep range

3. Men:

   1. Focused primarily on size and strength

   2. Fatigue SO easily

4. Women:

   1. Focused primarily on shape and strength

   2. Nearly unlimited energy

The two big things that separate the options below are:

1. Targeted end result

   1. Men want size as a primary goal but women want to increase how their body is shaped. These are DRASTICALLY different.

2. Limitations

   1. Women have unlimited energy but need to push weight harder in order to see increases whereas men constantly push weight when they should probably focus more on increasing energy (but thats for a different article)

Let’s look at differences in mens and women’s programs.

Example Lower Body Day (Men’s Focus)

Example Lower Body Day (Women’s Focus)

Example Upper Body Day (Men’s Focus)

Example Upper Body Day (Women’s Focus)

A Full 4 Day Upper/Lower Split for Women

The following is a FULL 4 day split specifically designed for women.

The intent with this program would be as follows:

1. Heavy focus on lower body shape and power

2. Upper body focus on building tone and strength

I ran a program exactly like this with a woman from March to April and we saw unbelievable results.

To me, this is the holy grail of upper/lower training for women.

Day 1 - Lower

Day 2 - Upper

Day 3 - Lower

Day 4 - Upper

Bonus Notes

1. For most men this would be WAYYYY too much volume but for most women this would feel right on the money.

2. The only women who would struggle here are women who are already extremely strong (ex. back squat 300+ lbs, bench 150+ lbs, deadlift 365+ lbs) as they would be able to lift extremely heavy and it would be too much total work. But for 9.8/10 women this is honestly perfect.

3. Focus on adding 5 lbs a week on the upper body lifts and 10 lbs a week on the lower body lifts.

Why Should Women Choose an U/L Split?

1. If you are able to train 4x a week then an upper/lower split is perfect. If you can only train 3x a week then an upper/lower split won’t be very successful and I would make the switch to a full body training plan.

2. An U/L split allows you to really focus on one thing for a full day while giving you plenty of rest before hitting that same area again. Translation - recovery is really high. This is a major win!

3. An U/L split allows you to get extra work in per area while never missing anything. Another major win!

4. It is VERY easy to make progress on an U/L split since recovery is so high and you get a lot of good volume. For most women this is visible by week 3. Big win!

Takeaways

Steal this program if you have 4 days a week to train!

Don’t do your boyfriends training plan. Dear god PLEASE! There’s nothing worse.

My women’s training plan fluctuates between full body and upper/lower splits and I have 3 spaces open at the moment.

Want in? CLICK HERE

I am opening a SINGLE private coaching spot and I am only announcing it here.

Completely individual training, weekly consultations, full on nutrition, and we will absolutely get the result you want.

If that’s you email me at Williamholman91@gmail.com to schedule your initial consultation (free) so we can get started ASAP.

Go be great!

p.s genuinely, thank you for reading this. It means so much. I hope it helps!

This article includes:

1. A FULL guide on how to make sure you are making progress every week. I am basically just giving you the keys for free here.

2. A FULL 4 week full body + core/legs emphasis training program (this is an EXACT program I used for a client in February that has set us up to be SO successful this summer).

After this article you will be fully ready to do amazing things!

NOTE: At the end of the article I will attach bonus resources for you in case you only have dumbbells and are working out at home.

How to Make Progress

A training plan without the know-how to make it work is like having an unbelievable car with no keys.

But once you learn what I am about to teach you it actually becomes REALLY hard to NOT make progress.

Ok!

All great training programs utilize what is called an “Effort Model” to make sure you are always able to make progress.

The goal of training is to increase in effort every single week.

Translation - we need everything to get harder and harder every week so your body is forced to change.

(NOTE! You just read “I have to go ape s**t every single session” and I know you did. That is absolutely not what I am saying and I will detail that later for you so you can keep making progress without getting hurt or burning out)

There are 5 main “efforts” you need to understand I put them in a graphic for you so you can click and save it to your phone if you’d like.

Ok great…but what does that look like in practice?

Great question!

The program I included in this is a 4 week program and so I will use that for our example.

In practice it looks like:

Week 1 - 7/10 Effort for (almost) all exercises

→ This is a week where you are feeling things out and learning all of your new exercises. Everything should be only somewhat challenging but you definitely want to feel like you can do more.

Week 2 - 8/10 Effort for (almost) all exercises

→ This is our first “bite into the apple” in terms of effort. You will be a little sore this week and you will feel like you made progress from week 1.

Week 3 - 9/10 Effort for all exercises

→ This is a really hard week. A really really hard week. You may either fail or almost fail a few exercises this week. You are definitely sore and aren’t sure how much more weight you can do.

Week 4 - 9-10/10 Effort for all exercises

→ This is our big swing for the “cycle” and we want to be working out tail off on every single exercise. You do not want to be walking out of this week feeling like you could have done better than you did. You are pretty dang sore and tired here.

Week 1 - 7/10 Effort for (almost) all exercises

→ We are back to square 1 but we picked all new exercises that are harder now.

To make this SO SIMPLE a great training plan looks just like this

Here is what that would look like using a single exercise:

Leg Press

Week 1 - 155 lbs (7/10 Effort)

Week 2 - 175 lbs (8/10 Effort)

Week 3 - 195 lbs (9/10 Effort)

Week 4 - 215 lbs (10/10 Effort)

In this example you would have increased in weight 38.71% in a 4 week block…WHICH IS ABSURD!

Now imagine a world where you are getting 25-40% better EVERY month!

A full year of training later and you are unrecognizeable.

This is the magic of having a progressive plan that utilizes the effort model.

Ok… But Why Not a 10/10 Effort Every Week?

This is a really common and grounded question.

Effort = Progress…Right?

Yes and no.

Effort is finite.

Sleep is a great example of this.

When we create stress (ex. training) we need periods of rest/less stress (ex. 7/10 effort weeks) so we can create a “rebound” effect.

Think of training like a trampoline.

Without the dip there is no spring and the better your dip the higher the spring.

Stress demands periods of rest or de-stressing in order to make sure your body continually adapts to the demand placed on it.

Another super simple example of this is school.

Probably unwise to start everyone in their masters program at 5 years old.

The better we do with our “build” periods the better the chance we have to actually peak.

Bonus Note - most of my readers are women. This is a crucial strategy to apply to help you with any hormonal fluctuations you will experience.

The hardest part of training for women is that there will be massive fluctuations in stress levels throughout a training plan.

If you are constantly keeping stress high in training there will be massive repercussions you will experience outside of the gym.

Unreal fatigue, slower recovery from your period, increased PMS symptoms, terrible sleep, etc.

Fluctuating your stress in training is a non-negotiable for women.

OK! So now that we know what we need to know to make sure training is beneficial… what does training actually look like?

Here ya go!

4 Week Training Plan

A few notes before we start:

1. This program is a full body program but it highly focuses on legs and core

   1. Don’t want to work core? Switch the core exercises (last exercise) for arms, glutes, or shoulders and emphasize those.

2. Your A, B, C, and D exercises will progress gradually

3. Your E exercises will be to failure almost immediately as the core, arms, and shoulders aren’t as heavy weight wise so they require much higher efforts right away.

4. Your A and B exercises are your heavy exercises every day

5. Your C and D exercises are your moderate loaded exercises every day

6. Want to change the exercises? THIS ARTICLE will teach you how.

Lets get it!

Day 1

A. Leg Press - 3 x 6-8 Reps

Week 1 - 7/10 Effort

Week 2- 8/10 Effort

Week 3 - 9/10 Effort

Week 4 - 9-10/10 Effort

B. Dumbbell Bench Press - 3 x 6-8 Reps

Week 1 - 7/10 Effort

Week 2- 8/10 Effort

Week 3 - 9/10 Effort

Week 4 - 9-10/10 Effort

C. Dual Dumbbell RDLs - 3 x 8-10 Reps

Week 1 - 7/10 Effort

Week 2- 8/10 Effort

Week 3 - 9/10 Effort

Week 4 - 9-10/10 Effort

D. Seated Machine Cable Rows - 3 x 10 Reps

Week 1 - 7/10 Effort

Week 2- 8/10 Effort

Week 3 - 9/10 Effort

Week 4 - 9-10/10 Effort

E. Kneeling Cable Crunches - 3 x 15 Reps

Week 1 - 8/10 Effort

Week 2- 9/10 Effort

Week 3 - 10/10 Effort

Week 4 - 10/10 Effort

Day 2

A. Machine Hip Thrust - 3 x 6-8 Reps

Week 1 - 7/10 Effort

Week 2- 8/10 Effort

Week 3 - 9/10 Effort

Week 4 - 9-10/10 Effort

B. Cable Lat Pulldown - 3 x 6-8 Reps

Week 1 - 7/10 Effort

Week 2- 8/10 Effort

Week 3 - 9/10 Effort

Week 4 - 9-10/10 Effort

C. Heel Elevated Goblet Squats - 3 x 8-10 Reps

Week 1 - 7/10 Effort

Week 2- 8/10 Effort

Week 3 - 9/10 Effort

Week 4 - 9-10/10 Effort

D. Seated Machine Overhead Press - 3 x 10 Reps

Week 1 - 7/10 Effort

Week 2- 8/10 Effort

Week 3 - 9/10 Effort

Week 4 - 9-10/10 Effort

E. Captains Chair Knee Raises - 3 x 15 Reps

Week 1 - 8/10 Effort

Week 2- 9/10 Effort

Week 3 - 10/10 Effort

Week 4 - 10/10 Effort

Day 3

A. Box Squats - 3 x 6-8 Reps

Week 1 - 7/10 Effort

Week 2- 8/10 Effort

Week 3 - 9/10 Effort

Week 4 - 9-10/10 Effort

B. Incline Dumbbell Bench Press - 3 x 6-8 Reps

Week 1 - 7/10 Effort

Week 2- 8/10 Effort

Week 3 - 9/10 Effort

Week 4 - 9-10/10 Effort

C. DB Reverse Lunges - 3 x 8-10 Reps/Side

Week 1 - 7/10 Effort

Week 2- 8/10 Effort

Week 3 - 9/10 Effort

Week 4 - 9-10/10 Effort

D. Half Kneeling Cable Row - 3 x 10 Reps/Side

Week 1 - 7/10 Effort

Week 2- 8/10 Effort

Week 3 - 9/10 Effort

Week 4 - 9-10/10 Effort

E. Weighted Crunches - 3 x 15 Reps

Week 1 - 8/10 Effort

Week 2- 9/10 Effort

Week 3 - 10/10 Effort

Week 4 - 10/10 Effort

BANG BANG BANG POP POP ROCKETSHIP!!!

WE DID IT!!!

Bonus Resources

Only have dumbbells? 👇

Only have 30 minutes to train? 👇

Are you a complete beginner? 👇

Training can be incredibly simple AND progressive if you know what to look for.

I hope this article helps you see what you need to be doing week over week in a really simple and understandable format.

I’ll see you in the next one!

P.S. Want someone to just do all of this for you?

I do this for women all over the world each month and would love to work with you too.

Here are some options ⬇️

Coaching Portal Link

Things were going great… but now you are scared you are about to lose all of your progress because you don’t know what to do next.

This article will fix that for you FOREVER.

Once you know how to switch your exercises from program to program you will know exactly how to avoid plateaus and stalling out forever.

My goal is to do this in the EASIEST possible way so you can apply it immediately.

I am even going to include full examples so you can just steal them.

Let’s learn!

Fast Notes (Skip This If You Want)

1. All programs are made up of 7 patterns

   1. Squat Pattern

   2. Bend Pattern

   3. Push Pattern

   4. Pull Pattern

   5. Single Leg Pattern

   6. Core Pattern

   7. Arm Pattern

2. Your goal every week is to do the same exercises with the same reps but to add wieght

   1. Upper body = 5+ lbs up a week

   2. Lower body = 10+ lbs up a week

3. All programs should be 3-6 weeks in length

   1. I think programs are really stressful at 3 weeks because it feels like you have to push so hard so fast and I think programs are super boring after 4 weeks so I make every program 4 weeks but you do you, boo

OK! Progressing a program and choosing next exercises is soooooo easy!

All we need are 4 really easy steps!

Step 1 - Pick a Template

This section will have 3 templates:

1. Full Body - No Emphasis

2. Full Body - Lower Body Emphasis

3. Full Body - Upper Body Emphasis

Here is a crazy fast guide on how to pick from the options below:

1. Nothing you really want to highlight? Want to just improve everything? Pick the no emphasis plan. (No emphasis just means everything gets worked evenly)

2. Really want to improve your legs while seeing some change to your upper body? Pick the lower body plan.

3. Really want to improve your upper body while seeing some change to your lower body? Pick the upper body plan.

Easy!

(If I were you I wouldn’t even read through the plans below because it can be alot and we will come back to it later so you aren’t a bad person if you skip this section and just mentally say “lower body”)

2 Day Full Body Template - No Emphasis

Day 1

A. Squat Pattern / 3 sets x 6-8 Reps

B. Push Pattern / 3 sets x 8-10 Reps

C. Bend Pattern / 3 sets x 8-10 Reps

D. Pull Pattern / 3 sets x 10-12 Reps/Side

E. Core Pattern / 3 sets x 10-12 Reps

F. Arm Pattern / 3 Sets x 10-12 Reps

Day 2

A. Push Pattern / 3 sets x 6-8 Reps

B. Single Leg Pattern / 3 sets x 8-10 Reps/Side

C. Pull Pattern / 3 sets x 8-10 Reps

D. Bend Pattern / 3 sets x 10-12 Reps

E. Core Pattern / 3 sets x 10-12 Reps

F. Arm Pattern / 3 sets x 10-12 Reps

2 Day Full Body Template - Lower Emphasis

Day 1

A. Squat Pattern / 3 sets x 6-8 Reps

B. Bend Pattern / 3 sets x 8-10 Reps

C. Push Pattern / 3 sets x 8-10 Reps

D. Pull Pattern / 3 sets x 10-12 Reps/Side

E. Core Pattern / 3 sets x 10-12 Reps

F. Arm Pattern / 3 sets x 10-12 Reps

Day 2

A. Bend Pattern / 3 sets x 6-8 Reps

B. Single Leg Pattern / 3 sets x 8-10 Reps/Side

C. Pull Pattern / 3 sets x 8-10 Reps

D. Push Pattern / 3 sets x 10-12 Reps

E. Core Pattern / 3 sets x 10-12 Reps

F. Arm Pattern / 3 sets x 10-12 Reps

2 Day Full Body Template - Upper Emphasis

Day 1

A. Push Pattern / 3 sets x 6-8 Reps

B. Pull Pattern / 3 sets x 8-10 Reps

C. Squat Pattern / 3 sets x 8-10 Reps

D. Bend Pattern / 3 sets x 10-12 Reps/Side

E. Core Pattern / 3 sets x 10-12 Reps

F. Arm Pattern / 3 sets x 10-12 Reps

Day 2

A. Pull Pattern / 3 sets x 6-8 Reps

B. Push Pattern / 3 sets x 8-10 Reps

C. Bend Pattern / 3 sets x 8-10 Reps

D. Single Leg Pattern / 3 sets x 10-12 Reps/Side

E. Core Pattern / 3 sets x 10-12 Reps

F. Arm Pattern / 3 sets x 10-12 Reps

Step 2 - Plug Your Exercises In

This section is soooooo easy!

All you do is take your template (above) → look at the pattern (ex. Squat) → look at the squat pattern options (ex. Leg press) → plug it into the template.

So so easy!

Below I attached list of exercises for you to pick from!

Step 3 - Pick How to Change Your Reps In The Next Cycle Based Off Of Goals

Ok this can get tricky so I am just going to build you a cheat sheet that you can steal so you don’t have to think too hard.

Option 1 - Keep all of your reps the EXACT same as last cycle

• This is almost always what I would recommend. The reps I put in there are almost magical.

Option 2 - Lower your reps to 5-8 reps for every exercise

• The only reason to do this is you really want to push how much weight you can lift and how much muscle you can build.

• You need to be pretty good with your sleep, water, and recovery if you will do this because it will work great for building muscle but it is hard hard hard.

Option 3 - Make every exercise 10 reps

• This is going to work really well if you are already really strong and can push alot of weight for 5-8 reps

• The hard part about this is you have to push it really hard or you will not get enough out of it (ex. every exercise needs to be at about a 9/10 effort). It can be really exhausting energy wise.

Bonus Note - The reason I LOVE blended reps (ex. some things at 6-8 reps, some things at 8-10 reps, and some things at 10+ reps) in a plan is because it makes sure you are always building muscle, always toning, and you never feel completely exhausted or beat up. You never miss a single thing and give yourself a really good shot at progressing for as long as you are willing to push.

Example Day

Let’s pretend you picked option 3.

You would just rewrite the entire template with 10 reps in each section.

Like this ⬇️

A. Squat Pattern / 3 sets x 6-8 Reps → 10 Reps

B. Push Pattern / 3 sets x 8-10 Reps → 10 Reps

C. Bend Pattern / 3 sets x 8-10 Reps → 10 Reps

D. Pull Pattern / 3 sets x 10-12 Reps/Side → 10 Reps

E. Core Pattern / 3 sets x 10-12 Reps → 10 Reps

F. Arm Pattern / 3 Sets x 10-12 Reps → 10 Reps

Here is a filled in example ⬇️

A. Squat Pattern / 3 sets x 10 Reps

B. Push Pattern / 3 sets x 10 Reps

C. Bend Pattern / 3 sets x 10 Reps

D. Pull Pattern / 3 sets x 10 Reps/Side

E. Core Pattern / 3 sets x 10 Reps

F. Arm Pattern / 3 Sets x 10 Reps

Step 4 - Progress Your Exercises

Ok here is where the magic happens.

You have a template and you picked your reps.

Now all you have to do is open your handy dandy exercise cheat sheet (from section 2) again and use the following 2 rules to choose your exercises:

1. What exercises fit into the pattern?

2. What exercises would I be really excited to push every week for the next 4 weeks?

Lets say you are filling in your squat pattern.

You look at your list and know you did leg press in the last cycle so you are going to change that.

You see Box Squats on the list and LOVE those!

You can lift so heavy on them and you feel like every time you do them your glutes grow alot.

You plug that in and you have your first progression!

OHMYGODMYBABYISGROWINGUP🥲

Here is what it would look like (i’ll fill a whole day in for you to show you how proud of you I am) ⬇️

Example Day

(“→” means “becomes” ex. leg press in cycle 1 becomes box squats in cycle 2)

A. Leg Press → Box Squat / 3 sets x 10 Reps

B. Dumbbell Bench Press → Barbell Incline Bench Press / 3 sets x 10 Reps

C. RDLs → Machine Hip Thrusts / 3 sets x 10 Reps

D. Single Arm DB Row → Single Arm Lat Pulldowns / 3 sets x 10 Reps/Side

E. Captains Chair Knee Tucks → Kneeling Cable Crunches / 3 sets x 10 Reps

F. DB Hammer Curls → Cable Tricep Extensions / 3 Sets x 10 Reps

Example Day (Filled Out)

A. Box Squat / 3 sets x 10 Reps

B. Barbell Incline Bench Press / 3 sets x 10 Reps

C. Machine Hip Thrusts / 3 sets x 10 Reps

D. Single Arm Lat Pulldowns / 3 sets x 10 Reps/Side

E. Kneeling Cable Crunches / 3 sets x 10 Reps

F. Cable Tricep Extensions / 3 Sets x 10 Reps

Then all you need to do is repeat with each day and you have a brand new program!

WEDIDIT!!!!!!!!

I know this is ALOT so if you ever have questions just email me at Williamholman91@gmail.com and I would be happy to help!

Hope this helps!

P.S. Want someone to just do all of this for you?

I do this for women in all over each month in my online training program!

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1. Stopped losing weight

2. Can lose weight but seems to gain it all back + some

3. Feels like everything you have done has stopped working

I am going to use a Tecovas and Ella Langley analogy to see if I can explain the problem that every single woman is running into in modern health and fitness.

Stay with me…

Ella Langley is coming to Knoxville (that’s where I live but I also know most of my readers aren’t from here so just apply your own city to this analogy) on September 24th and you are absolutely going.

There is absolutely no way you are missing this.

You and your friends all buy tickets and you are fully set…until Taylor calls you and tells you that all of the girls are buying matching boots from Tecova.

Specifically these baddies.

You don’t own Tecovas but now apparently you have to go get some.

(Thanks for including them in the “Choosin Texas” video, Ella 🥲)

You check the website and it’s going to be at least $300 for the pair.

But then Taylor texts you and tells you that all of the girls purchased theirs with a custom “Hot Damn” print.

Add $100 to the total and you are starting to sweatttttt that impending bill.

But you are going to make sure this happens!

You have 2.5 months and that’s plenty of time to budget.

So you go to a cute little coffeeshop on Saturday and you are going to start a budget to make sure you aren’t the only one without those boots walking into the concert.

Your goal = Budget enough money every 2 weeks to buy the boots in 4 paychecks.

You figure that $100 per check should be very doable.

Very VERY quickly you realize that not only is $100 per check completely out of the question but you aren’t even making enough money for your current bills and debt payments.

You feel absolutely sick.

When the heck did this even happen?

You realize that you’ve actually been behind for 4-5 months but you just missed it after you took that girls trip in February because you took on some debt for the trip but also made less money that month at work.

You are definitely not going to be able to afford those boots and all you can think about is how you are going to look in the pictures when all of the other girls are doing that picture where they all stand next to each other and someone takes a picture of the line of boots.

(You know what I’m talking about…)

But! There is actually a way you can still get the boots you want!

A credit card!

You’ll have to open a whole new line of credit but you can probably pay it back later.

And the cycle starts again…

The Problem

Imagine the things you may want from training (to be leaner or more toned, etc.) like the Tecovas.

You want them and are willing to go into debt to get them but going into debt is not necessary if you understand how body composition changes actually work.

Let’s learn!

Lifting weights mainly impacts muscle in 2 ways:

1. How much of it you have

2. How that muscle is shaped

In some way/shape/form everyone reading this understands that concept.

Here is what people miss though!

Start with Tecovas…

If I don’t have the money for the Tecovas then I either can’t buy them and I wait OR I go into debt for them to “have” them now.

But every time I take on more debt that I can’t afford I put the next thing I will inevitably want farther from me.

Translate to body comp…

If I don’t have enough total muscle to get lean then the next time I want to get leaner I either have to create a physical debt (I am going to write a whole bonus section detailing this) if I want to achieve this WITHOUT the proper steps.

Let me use an actual example to help you understand what I mean before we start looking at how to fix the problem.

It’s 2023.

A really amazing woman comes to train with me and she wants to get shredded for her trip in 10 weeks.

I use a fancy pants scanner to show total muscle, body fat percentage, and look for red flags so I can figure out how to get her to her goal in 10 weeks.

My fancy pants scanner shows me a massive problem…

She has no muscle to “shred.”

Actually she is at about 62% of the total muscle that she needs to be at.

(aka she is in debt and can’t afford the Tecovas she wants for the concert)

But the part that’s hardest for her to stomach isn’t that she has very little muscle.

The part she is tearing up over is that she is at 32% bodyfat…and she is TINY.

It is absolutely baffling to her.

It’s easy to think “how am I so small but have so much body fat?”

A few deep breaths (and tears) later she is ready for me to explain it.

(stay with me because this part will be big for you)

A lot of women are told they have a high body fat percentage which sounds like “you are fat.”

What do you naturally think you need to do?

Lose fat.

Duh…right?

But the word “percentage” REALLY MATTERS HERE.

Bodyfat PERCENTAGE is a percentage of:

1. Total Muscle

2. Total Fat

3. Total Water

Let’s say you have slightly high (but nothing crazy) bodyfat, low water weight, and low muscle mass.

Since the muscle and water are low your PERCENTAGE of body fat will look higher than it actually is because being low in one area makes the other area bigger by default.

Now let’s say you come back 1 month later and you have worked your tail off to increase both muscle and water (wins! go you!) but haven’t changed bodyfat at all.

Your actual weight may be the same (or even up) but your percentage of bodyfat will be lower?

Why?

Because the other two pieces of the bodyfat percentage puzzle (muscle and water) are now higher which creates a better balance in the body.

In a super easy nutshell - high muscle means a lower body fat PERCENTAGE regardless of the actual body fat.

Ok so now we meet our biggest and most evil nemesis!

All training for women is geared towards fat loss.

All. Training. For. Women. Is. Geared. Towards. Fat. Loss.

All. Spending. Habits. That. Are. Encouraged. For. Women. Create. Debt.

No one is teaching you how to have enough muscle that you could actually get shredded and it go soooooo great!

But I am going to fix that!

The Solution

I think this is last time I will talk about the Tecovas.

I think…

Rewind.

It’s January 2025.

You sit down at that same coffee shop and you decide to find a way to have everything you will want in the future before the future ever comes.

You haven’t even heard “Dandelion” yet and don’t even know Ella is making it.

You don’t even know you will need “Hot Damn” boots next September.

You don’t even know there will be a girls trip next February.

But that’s the point!

You know things are coming that you will want and you know all of those things will cost copious amounts of buckaroos that (as of right now) you do not have.

So you being the smart cookie you obviously are start to budget for them.

You are going to save $75 every paycheck and keep up with your budgeting every 2 weeks as well.

Because of this you naturally start cutting back on needless spending here and there which totals another $75/month.

By the following July (when you find out about the concert and the boots) you have saved a little more than $4000 dollars.

Because of this you don’t even have to think about the expenses from the concert and the boots.

Why?

Because you created a season where you prepared to have the things you would eventually want.

Not only can you get what you want but you can do it in a way that causes no stress in your life.

Another way to say it - it’s now VERY easy to get what you want.

Think of fat loss/toning like a season of spending.

Think of muscle growth like a season of saving.

Without each other they both create problems.

Eternal spending will leave you down baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaad.

Eternal saving will create a surplus that has no outlet (and will make you miserable).

The currently proposed plan for women is:

January - December = Tone/Fat Loss

The current state of women in fitness looks like:

1. Lose 20 lbs/Gain 25 lbs

2. Feel exhausted, burned out, and behind

3. Weight goes down but you don’t like your actual composition (“I’m skinny fat”)

So…it’s not working?

What needs to change?

What’s the solution?

I may have one…

Women (oh my god ESPECIALLY women!) need seasons where they build muscle that lead into seasons where they tone their body.

But what does that actually look like?

Let’s see!

Butterfly Season (Simple Version)

(this whole article has been building to me being able to use that butterfly season joke omfg)

In the next two sections I am going to tell you exactly what you need to do but I am going to write a super simple section (this one) and a much more in depth section below because we all like different things.

Here’s the easy version:

Month 1 - Lift weights on a full body plan 3x a week and eat 50-100 calories over your maintenance

Month 2 - Lift weights on a full body plan 4x a week and eat 75-150 calories over your maintenance

Month 3 - Lift weights on a full body plan 3x + 1 cardio session per week and eat 75-150 calories under your maintenance + Focus on step count at 8k+

Month 4 - Lift weights on a full body plan 3x + 1 cardio session per week and eat 125-250 calories under your maintenance+ Focus on step count at 8k+

Butterfly Season (Detailed Version)

In this section I am going to breakdown what it would look like over a 4 month period to really crush it and look amazing but the best versions of this are typically 9-12 months.

I am going to show you as many details as I can (without being overwhelming because I can be very overwhelming) but if you have questions just reach out!

The Plan: 2 Months of Muscle Building + 2 Months of Toning

First 2 Month Goal: Build As Much Lean Muscle As Possible WITHOUT Adding Body Fat

Second 2 Month Goal: Lose As Much Body Fat As Possible WITHOUT Losing Muscle

Month 1

The goal this month is to put on .6-1.3 lbs of muscle which is ALOT.

The trick?

You want to make sure you are building muscle across the entire body so you can tone the entire body later.

Here’s the plan!

1. 3-4 Full Body Strength Training Sessions Per Week

   1. This month will primarily be 8-10 reps of almost everything

   2. Your goal will be to increase in weight every week for 4 weeks

2. Calories @ 50-100 Calories Over Maintenance

   1. Enough to gain muscle but not enough to really gain weight

3. Keep most (or all?) of your cardio to walking

   1. Incline treadmill @ 2.3-3 speed + 4-7 incline

   2. Or just get outside and move and groove

4. Your main focuses are sleep and water every day

   1. Set bedtimes and wake times and stay consistent

   2. Water is set at 50-70% of GOAL bodyweight (ex. if you weight 180 and want to be at 165 then you will set your water at 50-70% of 165 lbs)

Month 2

This month’s goal is to build .4-1 lb of muscle which will be hard but it is very doable!

The plan from Month 1 will expand to make sure you are able to do it.

1. 3-4 Full Body Strength Training Sessions Per Week

   1. This month will primarily be 6-8 reps of almost everything

   2. Your goal will be to increase in weight every week for 4 weeks

2. Calories @ 75-150 Calories Over Maintenance

   1. Enough to continue gaining muscle but still not enough to gain weight

3. Start to highlight walking more

   1. 2-4 walks a week @ 30+ minutes per walk

   2. You could also focus on a step count of 8-10k per day

   3. If treadmill use incline treadmill @ 2.3-3 speed + 4-7 incline

4. You need to be nailing sleep and water every day by now

   1. Set bedtimes and wake times and stay consistent

   2. Water is still set at 50-70% of GOAL bodyweight (ex. if you weight 180 and want to be at 165 then you will set your water at 50-70% of 165 lbs)

Month 3

1. 3 Full Body Strength + 1 Cardio Based Training Sessions Per Week

   1. This month will primarily be 8-12 reps of almost everything

   2. Your goal will be to increase in weight every week for 4 weeks (just like the other months)

   3. The cardio session should be 30-60 min of interval based conditioning

      1. 1 Min On/1 Min Off

      2. 30 Min Running Clock but set rest breaks after each round

      3. EMOMs

      4. 3 Min On/2 Min Off

2. Calories @ 75-150 Calories UNDER Maintenance

   1. Enough to lose body fat but not enough to drop muscle

3. Keep highlighting walking

   1. 2-4 walks a week @ 30+ minutes per walk

   2. You could also focus on a step count of 8-10k per day

   3. If treadmill use incline treadmill @ 2.3-3 speed + 4-7 incline

4. Sleep and water have never been more important

   1. Set bedtimes and wake times and stay consistent

   2. Water is now set at 60-80% of GOAL bodyweight (ex. if you weight 180 and want to be at 165 then you will set your water at 60-80% of 165 lbs)

Month 4

1. 3 Full Body Strength + 1 Cardio Based Training Sessions Per Week

   1. This month will primarily be 6-10 reps of almost everything

   2. Your goal will be to increase in weight every week for 4 weeks (just like the other months)

   3. The cardio session should be 30-60 min of interval based conditioning

      1. 1 Min On/1 Min Off

      2. 30 Min Running Clock but set rest breaks after each round

      3. EMOMs

      4. 3 Min On/2 Min Off

2. Calories @ 125-250 Calories UNDER Maintenance

   1. Enough to lose body fat but you may drop some muscle

      1. NOTE - this is where you are now avoiding debt by having “budgeted” by building muscle in month 1 and 2. Because you built extra you can afford to lose some now.

3. Keep highlighting walking

   1. 2-4 walks a week @ 30+ minutes per walk

   2. You could also focus on a step count of 8-10k per day

   3. If treadmill use incline treadmill @ 2.3-3 speed + 4-7 incline

4. Sleep and water have never been more important

   1. Set bedtimes and wake times and stay consistent

   2. Water is now set at 60-80% of GOAL bodyweight (ex. if you weight 180 and want to be at 165 then you will set your water at 60-80% of 165 lbs)

Lovin Training Again (For the first time?)

Here’s your takeaway section.

You have to have enough muscle to have the body you want.

Muscle takes planning.

Fat loss doesn’t have to be reactive.

You don’t have to see an Orange Theory ad and just jump on the burn train.

You need to break your training up into seasons that will absolutely build the body you want.

By having seasons of building muscle you make it exponentially easier to tone/lose fat when the time comes.

A lot of training is painfully aware of how easy it is to sell you on fat loss and they have figured out how to “get you in the door” but the thing you need is time frames that help you “budget” instead of “spend.”

I think this is one of the hardest, confusing, and painful parts of wanting to improve your health as a woman in 2026 and I genuinely hope this gives you some room to breathe.

Bonus Depth (For Those Who Like To Know Things)

I am going to write this in a more bullet point format to make sure I hit everything.

1. When we consistently lose muscle tissue (the debt I was referring to) that we don’t actually have we create MASSIVE problems down the road. Hormones get crushed, your metabolism lowers, your body becomes much more averse to losing fat next time while simultaneously becoming much better at storing body fat, and your energy plummets.

2. In order for your body to cope with this debt it does things likes drives cravings through the roof, decreases your ability to move around (basically it makes you constantly sleepy), and decreases your strength so you can’t push hard enough in the gym to really get a result.

3. The next time you want to lose weight or change your body your body will be very very hesitant to do the things you want. Lets say you cut your calories down for 3 weeks. By week 3 you will be either so hungry you can barely think or so tired that you can barely move. In some cases you’ll be lucky enough to get both. Now instead of losing weight you start rapidly gaining weight (more cals + less movement) and can’t really do anything to fix it.

4. The reason having more muscle is SO valuabel is because muscle tissue is directly responsible for your metabolism. Every time you lose muscle your metabolism slows. Every time you gain muscle your metabolism increases.

   1. If I increase my metabolism by 125 cals per day (doesnt sound like much but watch this) then every month I am burning an extra 3,875 cals.

   2. Because of this I am losing an extra 1-2 lbs that I wasn’t planning on losing WHILE increasing muscle mass. THIS IS THE DEFINITION OF TONED!

   3. Now its month 3 and I am going to try to start losing fat so I cut my cals back a little. As I do this I may lose a teeny tiny bit of muscle. Maybe 25 cals off of my daily metabolism. Now my 125 extra cals per day burned looks like 100 cals per day which is till about a lb of body fat I will lose in month 3 JUST CAUSE I PREPARED.

   4. But what if I never gained muscle? Lets be nice and say you decrease your metabolism by 25 cals per month (you have no clue how much this is I swear) for 4 months. In the first example we were at a +100 cals burned per day at month 4. In this example we are at a -75 cals burned per day. Meaning you may actually not lose ANY weight on your deficit if it is only a 75 cal deficit.

   5. So what do you have to do? Eat less food… again. So now you are dealing with even more hunger, even more tired, workouts suck even worse, and you are sleeping like trashhhhhhhhh.

   6. Takeaway - you are trying to build a body that has the ability to burn!

Resource Center

Nutrition Guide (Fat Loss, Muscle Gain, Setting Calories, Etc.)

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1. How many hours you train per week does not matter

2. The best way to pick a program is to look at your google calendar and see what you realistically have available

3. You can do 4 days worth of work in 2 days time if you know what matters

4. Doing more work in a world where every woman is already doing so much work and completely burnt out is probably not the answer

I have primarily trained women for a decade+ now and I can almost count the amount of women I worked with who could realistically train 4x+ a week on one hand.

The reality is that life for women right now is absolutely insane.

Denying that and trying to work against it almost always ends up making you feel like a failure but if you acknowledge it you can easily move from 2 sessions a week to 3 and maybe even to 4 or 5 down the line.

But you have to look at like a progression or it leaves you feeling like something is wrong with you.

Below is an actual program I ran for a woman who was paying 4 figures per month to make sure the 2 sessions she did a week would work.

Oh…small bonus… she ended up losing 92 lbs in a single year.

This was the exact program we used as she got ready to jump into her entire year of weight loss.

Here is a full breakdown of that year if you are interested

Lets get into the program!

2 Day Full Body Program

Below I will drop the program and under each exercise I will give you full notes breaking down what we would be looking to do.

Day 1

A. Goblet Squat - 3 Sets x 8 Reps w 2 Sec Lower

• We would do this with heels elevated on a wedge or plates to increase range of motion

• We would really focus on the 2 second lower on the way down to make it feel harder

• We would increase weight every week on this for 4 weeks

B. Db Bench Press - 3 Sets x 8 Reps w 2 Sec Lower

• We would really emphasize driving up fast on the press

• We would also really emphasize pushing your feet into the floor as you press

• We would increase weight by 5 lbs (per hand) here every week for 4 weeks

C. Kettlebell Deadlift - 3 Sets x 10 Reps

• We would really emphasize keeping your chin tucked and core tight here to make this an ab exercise more than a low back exercise

• If the client couldnt touch the floor we would start the kb on a plate to make it easier

• We would get heavier here every 2 weeks instead of every week

D. Standing Single Arm Cable Row - 3 Sets x 10 Reps/Side

• We would emphasize not rotating as the client pulled here so that this exercise becomes a core exercise

• We would emphasize proper breathing techniques here week over week

• We would get 5 lbs heavier here every week

E. Reverse Lunges - 3 Sets x 20 Alt. Reps

• We would emphasize control. If you can’t control it with weight then do this unweighted

• We would emphasize adding 5 lbs every week for the following 3 weeks

• We would use this as a way to raise your heart rate in way that would feel like cardio while still being a strength exercise

F. Weighted Deadbugs - 3 Sets x 20 Alt. Reps

• We would spend 2 weeks really FEELING the exercise before making it heavy and hard

G. Cable Tricep Pushdowns - 3 Sets x 12-15 Reps

• We would try to make this an exercise we get very close to failure on for your final set

• We would increase in weight every week by 5 lbs

Day 2

A. Hip Thrust - 3 Sets x 8 Reps w 2 Sec Pause

• We would do this with a bar or machine based off of availability

• We would really focus on the 2 second pause at the top and your glutes would be on fire

• We would increase weight every week on this for 4 weeks and this would be your heaviest lift by week 4

B. Db Incline Bench Press - 3 Sets x 8 Reps w 2 Sec Lower

• We would really emphasize driving up fast on the press

• We would also really emphasize pushing your feet into the floor as you press

• We would increase weight by 5 lbs (per hand) here every week for 4 weeks

C. Single DB Reverse Lunge - 3 Sets x 10 Reps/Side

• We would really emphasize control on the way down

• If these were hard we would use a support in your opposite hand to teach balance

• We would increase weight by 5 lbs here every week for 4 weeks

D. 3 Point DB Row - 3 Sets x 10 Reps/Side

• We would really emphasize pulling up fast on the row and controlling the lower

• We would also really emphasize not rotating as your rowed

• We would increase weight by 5 lbs here every week for 4 weeks

E. Goblet Box Squats - 3 Sets x 12-15 Reps

• We would emphasize pushing your hips back before sitting all the way down

• We would get to a heavy weight by the final week but weeks 1 and 2 would be all about making sure you are in great positions

F. Reverse Crunches - 3 Sets x Failure

• We wouldn’t do this for reps. Instead we would do this till we were at failure. If you could do more than 20 reps we would slow down the lower

G. Hammer Curls - 3 Sets x 20 Alt. Reps

• We would pick a weight you could easily do 20 reps on but we would get heavier either on week 2 or 3 to make sure we were close to failure

Training Notes

1. I would start you at 2x a week and we would build to 3x a week in the second month

2. In order for a muscle to grow you need to hit it 2x a week and the program above hits EVERY part of your body 2x a week because it uses a full body approach every day.

3. We would add 5 lbs every week on upper body exercises and 10 lbs a week on lower body exercises

4. You would start seeing body composition changes by the third week.

Nutrition

This part is just as important as the training but while training is complicated we can get so many results from by only focusing on 2 major things in month 1.

Two Focus Points

1. We would increase your water intake

2. We would add a protein shake 5-7 days a week

Water

The muscles in your body are 72-76% water.

Want a muscle to grow?

Hydrate it.

The other piece of the puzzle is that bodyfat percentage is comprised of 3 components (not 2):

1. Body Fat

2. Muscle Mass

3. Water

So if I want my bodyfat percentage to drop I need to have my water balances at the right level.

I almost NEVER see women start at the right amount of water which makes the bodyfat percentage number look higher than actually is.

By adding strength training + water we typically see a 2-4% drop in bodyfat percentage just from these two things alone without actually changing the diet yet.

Water will also help increase energy, speed up recovery, improve sleep depth, and it drastically impacts focus and brain health.

These are all extremely important as our effort starts to increase month over month.

Protein

You are definitely not getting enough protein.

That is absolutely ok!

The problem is that most people start by tracking macros and it feels really overwhelming.

If you have ever used an app to track calories it has recommended you eat SO MUCH protein.

This isn’t exactly the worst advice but going from 65 grams of protein per day to 150 grams is a horrendous idea.

You will hate it and your stomach will hurt for weeks and by that time you are ready to just quit.

I’ve been there and I’ve done it myself.

It sucks.

I am about to give you massive gold nugget so lock in here.

You do not need to start by eating your bodyweight in grams of protein every day.

But! You HAVE to eat more protein than you currently are by about 25%.

You are in luck!

You live in 2026!

It is easier than ever to get added protein in if you don’t overcomplicate it.

All you need to do is add a protein shake 5-7 days a week.

This only adds 130-200 calories per day while increasing your total protein intake by about 25%.

Translation - You will see unbelievable changes in lean muscle without gaining weight.

For most women, adding 7 protein shakes a day increases their protein intake by 3 extra “days” of protein per week.

Over the month you added about 12 extra “days” worth of protein and this is a MASSIVE win!

Everything above is everything you need to make 2x a week really work.

The reason most 2 day programs don’t work is because they aren’t focused programs.

They are full of work that doesn’t ever build the body most women want so the cycle starts over where you feel exhausted from your “burn” classes and you think you aren’t doing enough so you try to do more.

It’s an unending circle that always leaves you burnt out.

But if you do the specific things you need to do you will see unbelievable progress WITHOUT burnout.

The best part?

The more progress you see the more energy you will have and all of the sudden you can train 3x a week and maybe more in the future.

I hope this helps!

If you have a PF membership and aren’t fully sure how to utilize it this article should be a godsend for you.

My goal is to teach you every single thing you need to know in order to maximize your specific gym and give you an entire program you can just start running tomorrow morning (before you hit the tanning bed).

I am also just going to give you 2 full 2 Day Full Body programs you can apply immediately.

Here is how I am going to lay this article out:

1. 2 Day Full Body Training Plans

   1. Free Weight Focused Plan

   2. Machine Focused Plan

2. A FULL Guide to Making Your Own Subs In a Planet Fitness

Lets go!

2 Day Full Body Plan - Free Weight Focused

Who is this for: Intermediate to Advance

Pros: SOOOO Fun/Challenging.

Cons: You Need to have some experience in order to push these. If you are new to it THATS OK! Just plan on taking 1-2 months to get really good at these before pushing these. It is also not very time efficient. This will take alot longer than the second option.

Day 1

A. Heels Elevated Goblet Squat - 3 Sets x 8-10 Reps w 3 Sec Lower

B. Dumbbell Bench Press - 3 Sets x 8-10 Reps w 3 Sec Lower

C. Dual DB Romanian Deadlift - 3 Sets x 10 Reps w 2 Sec Lower

D. Single Arm DB Row - 3 Sets x 10 Reps/Side w 1 Sec Pause At Top

E. DB Hammer Curls - 3 Sets x 8-10 Reps w 2 Sec Lower

F. Dumbbell Weighted Deadbugs - 3 Sets x 16-20 Alt. Reps

Day 2

A. Incline Dumbbell Bench Press - 3 Sets x 8-10 Reps w 3 Sec Lower

B. Goblet Box Squat - 3 Sets x 8-10 Reps w 2 Sec Lower

C. Inverted Row - 3 Sets x 10 Reps w Controlled Lower

D. Single Arm DB Reverse Lunge - 3 Sets x 10 Reps/Side w 2 Sec Lower

E. DB Tricep Extensions - 3 Sets x 8-10 Reps w 2 Sec Lower

F. Dumbbell Weighted Crunches - 3 Sets x 15-20 Reps

2 Day Full Body Plan - Machine Focused

Who is this for: Beginner to Advance

Pros: You can go SO heavy here. So so heavy! It allows you to push hard from day 1 and there is a minimal learning curve. It is also very time efficient because there is almost zero set up on anything.

Cons: You need to be on your game here and track your weights so you make sure you are doing more weight each week. It is very easy with machines to be lazy. And you aren’t lazy 😉

Day 1

A. Leg Press - 3 Sets x 8-10 Reps w 3 Sec Lower

B. Seated Chest Press - 3 Sets x 8-10 Reps w 3 Sec Lower

C. Seated Leg Curl Machine - 3 Sets x 10 Reps w 2 Sec Lower

D. Single Arm Seated Machine Row - 3 Sets x 10 Reps/Side w 1 Sec Pause At Top

E. Rope Hammer Curls - 3 Sets x 8-10 Reps w 2 Sec Lower

F. Cable Pallof Press - 3 Sets x 10 Reps/Side

Day 2

A. Incline Chest Press Machine - 3 Sets x 8-10 Reps w 3 Sec Lower

B. Close Stance Leg Press - 3 Sets x 8-10 Reps w 2 Sec Lower

C. Plate Loaded Seated Row - 3 Sets x 10 Reps w Controlled Lower

D. Leg Extension Machine - 3 Sets x 10 Reps w 2 Sec Lower

E. Cable Tricep Extensions - 3 Sets x 8-10 Reps w 2 Sec Lower

F. Kneeling Cable Crunches - 3 Sets x 15-20 Reps

Blending The Plans

The best programs are a really good blend of machines and free weights.

But the hard part is knowing when to sub free weights for machines and vice versa.

This section is a really simple guide to help you blend any program.

Quick Notes On Subs

1. Essentially every sub works as long as it stays in the same pattern

   1. Ex. A db bench is a push pattern so as long as the exercise you are choosing is still a “push” you are good

2. Heavy stuff has to stay heavy and moderate stay should stay moderate

   1. Ex. If you are doing a leg press (heavy) and you sub it for a bodyweight lunge it stops being a “heavy” exercise. You have to maintain your focuses. More on this in each step below.

3. The biggest thing to ask when you are subbing is “do I like this exercise?”

   1. The only exercises that work are the ones that you push really hard progressively over time. So if I pick an exercise I don’t like it is very unlikely I am going to stick it out and push it really hard. Pick things you like. Pinky promise this matters.

Step 1 - Focus On Your As and Bs, Please.

The A and B exercise in every program are your BIG focus points for every session.

Honestly, it is very hard to really focus on more than that in each session.

But what do I mean by “focus” because you are probably reading this thinking you can focus on all 5-7 exercises no problem.

Your A + B exercises are almost always meant to be done as heavy as you can possibly go.

(Bonus Note - almost every great program looks something like this:

A+B = 4-10 Reps

C+D = 8-15 Reps

E And Beyond = 10+ Reps

Why?

Because if you are doing your heaviest reps first then they always be the lowest reps.

Then you’re tired and just want to scroll IG so higher reps are placed there as a pre-meditated handshake that says “you can go a little lighter now, Kaitlyn.”

The more ya know.)

So you walk into PF and you are FULLY locked in and ready to crank.

These exercises will be big swings like:

• Squats

• Bench Press

• RDLs

All of these exercises use ALOT of muscles.

So if you are making any subs here you need to focus on the subs being exercises that kind of intimidate you or make you red in the face.

Here are some subs you can easily make for A/B sections:

• Goblet Squats (Full Legs)

  • Goblet Box Squats

  • Smith Machine Squats

  • Leg Press

  • Barbell Squats (You will probably have enough weight on the A frame racks that people use the bars for curls)

• DB Bench Press (Chest/Shoulders/Triceps)

  • Machine Chest Press

  • Plate Loaded Press

  • Overhead DB Press

  • Machine Overhead Press

  • Plate Loaded Overhead Press

  • Dumbbell Floor Press

  • Pec Fly Machine

  • Cable Chest Press

  • Single Arm DB Overhead Press

• DB RDLs (Hamstrings, Glutes)

  • Smith Machine RDLs

  • Ground Based RDL Machine

  • Hip Thrust Machine

  • Kettlebell Deadlift (If they are heavy enough)

Step 2 - Cs and Ds Are How You C Dees Muscles. (This spelling joke is an example of trying too hard, kids)

Ok so by now you are kind of tired in your session.

That’s ok!

We are going to bring the reps up a little so we can lift a little lighter and focus on “hypertrophy.”

But here is where EVERYONE gets its wrong.

THE EFFORT ON HEAVY LIFTS AND MODERATE LIFTS IS THE EXACT SAME.

Let me explain…

Let’s say you just did 240 lbs for 6 reps on your leg press on A.

It was so heavy and you were so proud.

It only felt like you could have done 1 more rep before you were going to fail or technique would break down.

This would be a 9/10 effort.

Now you are on a seated machine row for your C exercise.

You need to do 10 reps.

You do 85 lbs for 10 reps.

The problem?

You could have done 4 more reps before failing.

This would a 6/10 effort.

The reason most women don’t build the muscle they want is because they equate high reps = light weight when they should be focusing more on high reps = high effort.

Going back to that same example above maybe you could have done 100 lbs for 10 reps before being 1 rep away from failing.

That would be the sweet spot!

(Bonus Note - coaching makes this weird because a coach will tell you specifically how hard they want things to be based off their global plan but if you don’t have a coach the best thing you can do is keep the effort the same for all exercises even if they reps are different.)

In the A/B section you should be doing your BIG exercises but here you are doing exercises like lunges, rows, and shoulders.

These are all still so so hard but they are automatically lighter.

Ex. You will always leg press more than you lunge even if you lunge 2x a week and you only leg press 2x a year because a leg press uses more overall muscle and requires less balance/coordination.

So if you are making subs here you need to make sure they are challenging but not the heaviest OR lightest exercises of the day.

These are your middle of the road weights.

Here are some subs you can easily make for C/D sections:

• DB Reverse Lunges (Quads, Glutes, Hamstrings)

  • Leg Extension Machine

  • Single Leg Leg Press Machine

  • Goblet Box Squats

  • Close Stance Heels Elevated Goblet Squats

  • DB Step Ups

• DB RDLs (Hamstrings/Glutes)

  • Seated Hamstring Curl Machine

  • Single Leg Hamstring Curl Machine

  • Cable RDLs

  • Single Leg RDLs

  • Staggered Stance RDLs

  • Dumbbell Glute Bridges

  • Staggered Stance Hip Thrusts

• Single Arm DB Row (Back/Lats)

  • Cable Rows

  • Machine Rows

  • 3 Point DB Rows

  • Gorilla Rows

  • Cable Lat Pulldowns

  • Single Arm Cable Lat Pulldowns

  • Cable Straight Arm Lat Pulldowns

• DB Overhead Press (Shoulders)

  • Machine Overhead Press

  • Incline Machine Press

  • Single Arm DB Press

  • Half Kneeling Single Arm DB Press

Step 3 - Es and Beyond Are Bathing Suit Prep

OK! Quick reminders:

1. Effort here should be NO DIFFERENT than everywhere else.

   1. Curls should suck just as bad as squats and lunges. Sorryyyyyyyyyyy.

2. You need to track your weights so you dont just do the same thing over and over again.

There is a huge issue that happens here.

All of us were taught to chase the burn but the burn technically doesn’t do anything for us IF we miss the most important step.

(Bonus Note - the burn makes your muscles look really good in the moment because it fills them with blood and water but its a quick visual change that doesn’t create an actual physical change. BUT! It is super motivating because gawdddddddd you look so good when you get a burn going. Its so motivating! You can and should absolutely keep things that burn but thats where this next part comes in so stay with me.)

Tell me if this sounds familiar.

Week 1 - You did 12.5 lbs for 20 reps on an exercise AND IT BURNED SO BAD

Week 2 - You did 12.5 lbs for 20 reps again because it burned so bad last week…and it burns again! Something must be going right!

You keep repeating this week after week and the burn never goes away (win!!!) but the “toning” never really happens (loss!!!).

What the heck?!

You’re working your tail/core/arms/shoulders off and it burns so bad!

How is nothing changing?

REALLY LOCK IN HERE, TIFFANY!

The only thing that changes a muscle is when you make things progressively harder.

The burn is a “consistent” hard so it doesn’t count.

Practically there is only 2 things you can do different than what you are currently doing:

1. You can do 15 lbs for 20 reps

2. You can do 12.5 lbs for 25 reps

That’s literally it.

The issue is that you are doing the same exact thing over and over looking at a feeling as your indicator instead of your effort.

Your body HAS to have an INCREASE in stress or it won’t change.

“But it feels stressful when I get a really good burn…”

It is absolutely stressful. You are right!

But since it isn’t increasing in stress your body is just getting more efficient at handling that exact same stress.

Efficiency is BAD NEWS!

Your body is an efficiency machine.

Remember the last time you jumped in a pool and it was freezing and then 4 minutes later you were just sitting there totally relaxed?

The temperature didn’t change so your body just adapted to it and made it comfortable.

Lets say you jump into that same pool tomorrow at the exact same time.

Now maybe it only take 3:30 to adapt to the cold.

This will consistently progress till you don’t really find it that cold at all when you jump in.

The same thing happens when you lift weights.

You have to keep making the pool colder (if you will) every time you lift weights.

And the only 2 options any of us have are always heavier weights or more reps at the same weight.

So if I am making subs here I want to make subs that I can progress in either weight or reps for as long as possible.

The other thing to note here is you may need to rotate these exercises much more frequently than you rotate your A-D exercises.

You can probably add weight on a leg press for around 10-16 weeks before being tapped out and needing a break but you can maybe only do a lateral raise for 3-4 weeks before needing to switch it.

Here are some subs you can easily make for E+ sections:

• DB Curls (Biceps)

  • Cable Curls

  • Alternating DB Curls

  • Single KB Curls

  • Machine Curls

• DB Tricep Extensions (Triceps)

  • DB Floor Press

  • Cable Pushdowns (Rope, Straight Bar, Single Arm)

  • Overhead Cable Extensions (Rope, Straight Bar, Single Arm)

  • Tricep Dip Machine

• Weighted Deadbugs (Core)

  • Crunch Machine

  • Floor Crunches

  • Birddogs

  • Hanging Knee Raises

  • Captains Chair Knee Raises

  • Sit Ups

  • Kneeling Cable Crunches

• DB Lateral Raises (Shoulders)

  • Cable Face Pulls

  • Rear Delt Fly Machine

Here are some quick takeaways for you:

1. Effort matters more than exercises

2. But once effort is there then exercises are crucial

3. All exercises get the same effort but the reps keep you from dying

4. Sub your exercises by pattern AND preference/You need to LOVE what you are doing or you’ll be a sad girl by week 3-4

Planet Fitness is an AMAZING option if you know how to use it!

I have had so many clients have amazing experiences on their private plans and I know you can have the same thing!

Hope this helps!

P.S. I am going to open ONE private coaching spot in July for women. If that’s you just email me at WilliamHolman91@gmail.com for a consultation to see if we are great fit!

P.P.S. Don’t want private coaching and just need a plan? The following program is currently being used in 29 different Planet Fitness locations across the world and has everything you need to be so successsful.

ONLINE WOMEN’S PROGAM LINK

(A takeaway - There is A LOT of growth in pressure…)

I am writing INDIVIDUAL programs for between 80-90 people every week + doing weekly consultations with every one that will make time for me (which was ALOT more people than I had planned).

My brain was working on 2000% because all of the sudden I had to figure out how to master moving “in gym” workouts to getting someone crazy fit with only 2 dumbbells…

And it was SO hard!

But a year of 85+ hour work weeks later and I had a skill that I would never have gained outside of that (horrible) year.

And now I am going to teach you EXACTLY how to do it yourself so you can skip all the boring parts.

This article will be a super simple breakdown of exactly how to move an exercise that you’d do in a “normal” gym to an at home dumbbell only option.

Let’s learn!

Step 1 - Patterns, patterns, patterns

Training is just a series of simple patterns and once you see them you can’t unsee them.

There are 7 main “patterns” in every training program:

1. Squat

2. Bend

3. Push

4. Pull

5. Single Leg

6. Core

7. Arms

When you are looking at any program you currently just see exercises (ex. Back Squat) but if you pull it apart you realize you are just looking at a pattern (ex. Squat Pattern) and all you need from there is to have a list of exercises that fall under that pattern.

Seriously, this is SO easy if you have a good cheat sheet.

And guess what?

I built you cheat sheets that will completely change your life and I am going to put them all in this article!

Ok so let’s do a breakdown here.

1. Lets look at what exercises (in gym) fall into each pattern so you know what you are looking at

2. Let’s do a practice exercise to see if we can figure out our patterns in a real program

Pattern Cheat Sheet 1 (In Gym Exercises)

Below I attached an entire cheat sheet of exercises that you would see in a full gym program. Don’t overthink these just yet. We will use this in a minute.

Note - I tried to copy all of this into an image so you could just save it on your phone. Fingers crossed I am tech savvy enough to have made that happen 🤞

Finding The Patterns In a Program

I am going to put a day of training below and then we will break it down to the patterns after.

Learning this will make you able to see how to make adjustments in ANY program you ever see.

Training Day Example

A. Back Squat / 3 sets x 6-8 Reps

B. Hip Thrust / 3 sets x 8-10 Reps

C. DB Bench / 3 sets x 8-10 Reps

D. Single Arm Row/ 3 sets x 10-12 Reps/Side

E. Kneeling Cable Crunch / 3 sets x 10-12 Reps

Now let’s take this exact day of training and break it down into patterns (using out cheat sheet from above) so we can switch the exercises on our own in the next section.

Training Day Example Broken Down Into Patterns

A. Squat Pattern / 3 sets x 6-8 Reps

B. Bend Pattern / 3 sets x 8-10 Reps

C. Push Pattern / 3 sets x 8-10 Reps

D. Pull Pattern / 3 sets x 10-12 Reps/Side

E. Core Pattern / 3 sets x 10-12 Reps

OHMYGODWEDIDIT!!!!

See? EASY!

If you know what to look for breaking a program into a set of patterns opens the entire thing up to you.

Now all we need to do is switch the exercises for exercises that will work if you only have dumbbells.

Step 2 - Swap the exercises

Ok! So if we take our pattern template we just made in section 1 all we need to know is what options do I have for dumbbell only workouts?

I am going to give you EVERY exercise you could use per pattern below and then we will do a practice day to see how easy it is to switch exercises once you have a cheat sheet.

Pattern Cheat Sheet 2 (Dumbbell Only Exercises)

Switching The Exercises Based On Patterns

So lets start by looking at your template from earlier.

Training Day Example Broken Into Patterns

A. Squat Pattern / 3 sets x 6-8 Reps

B. Bend Pattern / 3 sets x 8-10 Reps

C. Push Pattern / 3 sets x 8-10 Reps

D. Pull Pattern / 3 sets x 10-12 Reps/Side

E. Core Pattern / 3 sets x 10-12 Reps

Now lets take our cheat sheet from above and see what it looks like if we plug and play.

Training Day Example Adjusted for Dumbbell Only

A. Dumbbell Goblet Squat / 3 sets x 6-8 Reps

B. Dumbbell RDLs / 3 sets x 8-10 Reps

C. Dumbbell Floor Press / 3 sets x 8-10 Reps

D. Dumbbell Single Arm Row w Hand Support / 3 sets x 10-12 Reps/Side

E. Dumbbell Deadbugs / 3 sets x 10-12 Reps/Side

OMFGWEDIDITAGAIN!

That was sooooo easy!!!

All you ever need to do is pull out your handy dandy cheat sheets and then plug and play exercises you LOVE and have access to!

Bonus - Ways to Make Things Harder

Let’s say you are someone who only has dumbbells that go up to 25 lbs and in week 3 you are already at the top weights.

What do we do?

Here are my 3 favorite options:

Add a Tempo

All this means is that you slow the rep down on the part where you are lowering the weight.

Let’s say you are doing a goblet squat.

You would lower to the bottom for 2-5 seconds (depending on how hard you want it to be) and then explode up.

Rules:

1. 2 seconds is the minimum

2. 5 seconds is really the biggest number you’ll ever need

3. Try to focus on being really “tight” the entire time

Add Reps

I know this one is super obvious but knowing how many reps to add is definitely not obvious so I am going to try to give you some good guidelines.

1. Start by adding 2-4 reps

   1. This should be almost all you ever need. If not make sure you are adding tempo to every rep before moving to the next option

2. Add 5-8 reps

   1. This really is the ceiling for most things because this would probably put you between 10-20 reps

3. Use AMRAP(-1) sets

   1. This is a GREAT solution. AMRAP(-1) stands for As Many Reps As Possible Minus 1. An easy translation for this is you are going till you think you can only do one more rep before being cooked. If you are doing squats and will fail at 17 reps then you would do a set of 16.

   2. The bonus here is that the reps will most likely decrease as you go so your body will almost “automate” your reps. Ex. set 1 = 16 reps, set 2 = 14 reps (because you are getting tired), and set 3 = 9 reps because now you are cooked.

4. Use Time Instead of Reps

   1. This would look like doing goblet squats for a set amount of time and then having a set amount of rest. Ex. :20s of Squats/:40s of rest x 6 rounds.

   2. This also “automates” your reps alot like the AMRAP (-1) sets because as you get tired you will probably do a few reps in your final sets and thats absolutely ok.

Facebook Marketplace

I am only kind of joking here.

I’ve recently had a few clients purchase weights off of marketplace for next to nothing and it has really allowed us to expand their private programs as they were super capped out on the weights they had.

The reality is that if you are on a good program you should be budgeting ahead of time to buy new weights every 2-3 months because you are PLANNING ON MAKING PROGRESS.

If you aren’t planning on progress I would absolutely question my program.

Ok it’s dinner time for me!

Hopefully this made your life so so simple and shows you how simple it is to adjust a training plan to fit a dumbbell only option.

Until next time 🫶

The goal today is to give you the following:

1. A 3 Day Full Body Training Plan w A Lower Body Emphasis

2. A Full Nutrition Guide to Help You Connect Training and Nutrition

The unique thing I am going to do here is break both sections down into levels so you can start at the training/nutrition experience level you are currently at.

This will have the following levels:

1. “I am pretty new to training”

2. “I’ve been training for 6+ months”

3. “I’ve been training for 12+ months”

The goal is to give you a place to start AND a place you can go when you have completed that “level.”

I am going to do this the same way I always do and give you all the answers first (the program + nutrition guide) and then will have all of the “why” at the bottom for everyone interested in learning as much as they can.

This is going to be my biggest guide so if you have any questions just email me at WilliamHolman91@gmail.com.

Hereeeee weeeeeee goooooooo 🚀

Part 1: The Training Plan

The following programs are:

• Days Per Week: 3 Days

• Style: Full Body Training

  • If you are new to all of this this just means that every day you will work every part of your body. This makes sure you are never letting anything slip.

• Emphasis: Lower body (Glutes, Quads, Hamstrings)

Level 1: New to Training

• Goal: Let’s get confident, consistent, and ALOT stronger.

• Weekly Volume (Amount of Work): 8–10 sets per muscle group.

• Rest: 90–120 seconds between sets.

Day 1

• A. Goblet Squat: 3 sets x 8–10 reps (Quads/Glutes)

• B. Romanian Deadlift (Dumbbell RDL): 3 sets x 10 reps (Hamstrings/Glutes)

• C. Dumbbell Flat Bench Press: 3 sets x 10 reps (Chest/Arms)

• D. Half-Kneeling Lat Pulldown: 3 sets x 12 reps (Back/Arms)

• E. Plank: 3 sets x 30–45 second holds (Core)

Day 2

• A. Glute Bridge (Bodyweight or Dumbbell across hips): 3 sets x 12–15 reps (Glutes)

• B. Dumbbell Reverse Lunge: 3 sets x 10 reps per leg (Quad/Glute)

• C. Seated Dumbbell Shoulder Press: 3 sets x 10 reps (Shoulders/Arms)

• D. 3 Point Dumbbell Row: 3 sets x 12 reps (Back/Arms)

• E. Pallof Press: 3 sets x 12 reps per side (Core)

Day 3

• A. Leg Press (Feet placed high & wide): 3 sets x 10–12 reps (Quad/Glute)

• B. Seated Leg Curl Machine: 3 sets x 12 reps (Hamstrings)

• C. Hands Elevated Push-Ups: 3 sets x Max Reps (Chest/Arms)

• D. Cable Face Pulls: 3 sets x 15 reps (Back/Arms)

• E. Hanging Knee Raises: 3 sets x 10–12 reps (Core)

Level 2: 6+ Months of Training Experience

• Goal: Focus on progressive overload, introduce harder exercises, and increase volume/total work.

• Weekly Volume: 12–15 total sets per muscle group.

• Rest: 2 minutes for A/B lifts, 60–90 seconds for C/D lifts.

Day 1

• A. Smith Machine or Barbell Box Squat: 3 sets x 6–8 reps (Quad/Glutes)

• B. Dumbbell Romanian Deadlift (RDL): 3 sets x 8–10 reps (Hamstrings/Glutes)

• C. Incline Dumbbell Bench Press: 3 sets x 8–10 reps (Chest/Shoulders/Arms)

• D. Single-Arm Dumbbell Row: 3 sets x 10 reps per side (Back/Arms)

• E. Cable Hip Abduction: 3 sets x 12–15 reps (Upper/Side Glutes)

Day 2

• A. Barbell or Machine Hip Thrust: 3 sets x 8–10 reps w 1 Sec Pause At Top (Glutes/Hamstrings)

• B. Bulgarian Split Squat: 3 sets x 8–10 reps per leg (Glutes/Quads/Hamstrings/Soul)

• C. Overhead Barbell Press: 3 sets x 8 reps (Shoulders/Arms)

• D. Neutral Grip Lat Pulldown: 3 sets x 10 reps (Back/Shoulders/Arms)

• E. Captain’s Chair Leg Raise: 3 sets x 15 reps (Core)

Day 3

• A. Deficit Reverse Lunge (Standing on a 2” plate): 3 sets x 10 reps per leg (Glutes/Quads/Hamstrings)

• B. Seated Leg Curl Machine: 3 sets x 10–12 reps (Hamstrings)

• C. Dumbbell Floor Press: 3 sets x 10 reps (Chest/Arms)

• D. Seated Cable Row: 3 sets x 12 reps (Back/Arms)

• E. Seated Hip Abduction Machine: 3 sets x 15–20 reps (Upper/Side Glutes)

Level 3: 12+ Months of Training

• Goal: Maximize progressive overload, advanced movement options, and increase muscle tissue breakdown.

• Weekly Volume: 15–20 total sets per muscle group.

• Rest: 2–3 minutes for primary heavy lifts.

Day 1

• A. Heavy Barbell Back Squat: 4 sets x 5–7 reps (Glutes/Hamstrings/Quads)

• B. Barbell Romanian Deadlift (RDL): 4 sets x 6–8 reps (Glutes/Hamstrings)

• C. Heavy Lat Pulldown: 3 sets x 6–8 reps (Back/Arms)

• D. Incline Dumbbell Bench Press: 3 sets x 12 reps (Chest/Arms)

• E. Standing Calf Raises: 4 sets x 12–15 reps (Calves)

Day 2

• A. Heavy Barbell Hip Thrust: 4 sets x 6–8 reps (Glutes/Hamstrings)

• B. Dumbbell Bulgarian Split Squat: 3 sets x 6–8 reps per leg (Glutes/Hamstrings/Quads/Soul)

• C. Dumbbell Overhead Press: 3 sets x 8 reps (Shoulders/Arms)

• D. Plate Loaded Seated Row: 3 sets x 8–10 reps (Back/Arms)

• E. Hanging Knee Raises or Captains Chair Tucks: 3 sets x 12 reps per side (Core)

Day 3

• A. Barbell Box Squat: 4 sets x 8–10 reps (Glutes/Hamstrings/Quads)

• B. Machine Hip Thrusts: 3 sets x Max Control Reps @ 75% of Day 2s Top Weight (Glutes/Hamstrings)

• C. Dumbbell Floor Press: 3 sets x 8 reps (Chest/Arms)

• D. Machine Rear Delt Fly: 3 sets x 15 reps (Back/Arms)

• E. Seated Hip Abduction Machine: 3 sets x 20 reps (Upper/Side Glutes)

Part 2: The Nutrition Guide

This section will be broken into 3 main categories:

1. Goal 1 - Fat Loss

2. Goal 2 - Muscle Increase

3. Goal 3 - Body Recomp

Just like the training guide, each section will be broken up into experience levels but I want to start by saying that almost everyone can succeed at Level 1 in every category. Level 2 is a great and more focused option for everyone and then Level 3 will almost always be unnecessary.

Pinky promise.

Lets go!

Goal 1: Fat Loss (Dropping body fat to reveal the muscle underneath)

• Who this is for: You already have a decent foundation of muscle, but it is currently more important for you to lose body fat. Your main focus is leaning out so you can see the definition in your legs.

Level 1: New to Training

Keep it simple: Cut out liquid calories, processed snacks, and cooking oils. Focus on filling half your plate with vegetables and one quarter with lean protein (chicken, turkey, egg whites, white fish) at every meal. Don't worry about counting every calorie yet; just focus on the quality of your food.

Level 2: 6+ Months of Training Experience

Find your deficit: Find your baseline maintenance calories (the amount where your weight stays exactly the same) and subtract 10%. Track your food using an app to ensure you stay in this deficit daily.

Steps to find your baseline maintenance calories:

1. Input basic info into this calculator

   1. https://www.calculator.net/tdee-calculator.html

2. Your results will show up and look something like this

The first red circle (2,549) would be the baseline maintenance calories.

(Note - maintenance calories are the amount of calories you would need to consume to stay the exact same in weight, muscle, and bodyfat)

The second red circle (2,299) is the amount of calories you would need to eat every day (on average) to lose .5 lbs per week. This is the 10% sub I mentioned above in the “find your deficit” section.

This calculator is great and does all of the work for you.

What is the best calorie tracker?

Cronometer is my favorite option by far.

I personally use the free version but you are always welcome to do the paid version.

Once you have the app just plug the number above (your baseline number minus 10%) into the tracker and the macronutrients will populate for you.

SO SO easy.

Level 3: 12+ Months of Training

Focused tracking: Use a 15% to 25% caloric deficit for a 6-week block, followed by a 1-week "diet break" at maintenance calories (in the example from Level 2 this would be the 2,549 number) to give your metabolism a small break. Keep your protein at .8-1g of protein per lb of your GOAL bodyweight. Ex. if you weight 200 and your goal bodyweight is 170 then your protein intake would be 136-170 grams per day. After that try to keep your fats at 20% of your total calories and make the rest your carbohydrates. This will be a high protein, high carb, moderate fat diet.

Goal 2: Muscle Growth (Building up lean tissue to create curves and definition)

• Who this is for: You are naturally lean or maybe you feel “skinny-fat,” meaning you don’t have much weight to lose, but you lack shape/definition. You want to build muscle density to actually see curves and definition.

Before we start!

This graphic below will help you see what it looks like to realistically gain muscle based on where you are at.

Notice that this is PER MONTH.

Muscle is not an easy thing to increase so being focused here is very important.

Level 1: New to Training

Eat to grow: You need to eat slightly more than you do now. Focus on adding one extra protein-dense snack per day (like Greek yogurt or a protein shake) and 1-3 extra servings of fruit and veggies.

This will be enough to increase muscle tissue without being so much that you start to gain fat.

Note - This is actually one of the most successful strategies I have used in the last decade of coaching women.

Level 2: 6+ Months of Training Experience

The clean surplus: Add 5-10% to your daily maintenance (see level 2 of the fat loss section for a guide to finding maintenance calories + a calculator that will do this for you). This gives your body the extra energy it needs to build new muscle tissue without putting on unnecessary body fat just like level 1 but it a more focused version. Aim to gain about 1 to 1.5 pounds of scale weight per month.

Level 3: 12+ Months of Training

Focused target: Commit to a dedicated 12 to 16-week growth phase eating 10% to 15% above maintenance calories. Aim to gain .6 to 1.5 pounds of scale weight per month.

Bonus Notes on Weighing In:

1. Weigh 3-7x a week

2. Weigh at the same time each morning

3. Weigh after using the restroom + in the least amount of clothes possible

4. Take the average of the 3-7 weigh ins and that is your actual weight for the week

   1. Ex. 156 + 158 + 155 lbs = 469 then you divide it by 3 = 156.3 lbs

   2. So if starting weight was 156 on monday and average weight was 156.3 then you gained .3 lb that week

   3. If that same trend continued you would gain 1.2 lbs in the month. YOU DID IT!!!!

5. If weight is going up too fast then reduce your calories by 200 per day

Goal 3: Body Recomposition (Building muscle and losing fat at the same time)

• Who this is for: This is best suited for beginners or anyone returning to the gym after a long break.

Level 1: New to Training

Focus On Maintenance: Eat exactly at your maintenance calories (see level 2 of the fat loss section for a guide to finding maintenance calories + a calculator that will do this for you). Because weight training is brand new to your body, your system will naturally pull energy from your stored body fat to build new leg muscle, even though the scale weight might stay exactly the same.

Level 2: 6+ Months of Training Experience

The Small Pivot: Eat at a very tiny caloric deficit—around 100 to 200 calories below maintenance. Track your macros closely: keep protein high, keep your fats at 20% of your total calories, and fill the rest in with carbohydrates.

Level 3: 12+ Months of Training

Calorie Cycling: This requires alot of patience. On your 3 training days, eat at a 100-calorie surplus with higher carbohydrates to build muscle. On your 4 rest days, drop into a 300-calorie deficit by cutting your carbohydrates low and keeping your fats moderate. This is RARELY the option I would choose and I think 99% of people should stay with Level 2. This can definitely work but the con is that it is very easy to mess up or get lost in.

Part 3: The Why Behind It All (Training)

Full Body Training

I currently have ZERO women I am training who aren’t on full body splits and I want to explain why.

Full body is simply a math equation that ensures we are getting all of the most important things done every single week.

Training 3x a week is VERY tricky because it leaves us really open to missing things we need in order to get results.

In my opinion, the best programs do 2 things perfectly:

1. They hit the 6 main patterns every week

   1. Squat

   2. Bend

   3. Push

   4. Pull

   5. Single Leg

   6. Core

2. They hit each one of the 6 patterns 2x every week

   1. A muscle tissue responds extremely well to 2x a week. 1x a week is typically enough for a muscle to stay the same and 3x a week is perfect and anything more is too much.

By utilizing a full body style of training you can divide your work up into patterns (listed above) and ensure you are never falling behind.

Sets/Reps

Once you nail your patterns (above) and having them programmed 2-3x a week your biggest lever is applying the right amount of reps to each movement.

Sets - For almost everything you do you should be between 2-4 sets with a few exceptions for people who have either trained for a very long time or are completely new to training.

Reps - Almost everything is going to be best between 6-10 reps and then you fill in the gaps with your 10+ reps.

This is the difficult part of putting together programs and is where a lot of the “magic” is but I want to give you a big principle here.

How PROGRESSIVELY hard you go will do more for you than any specific rep scheme.

6-10 reps not pushed very hard (progressively) is no better than 10-15 reps not pushed very hard (progressively).

Take Away - really emphasize increasing weights each week.

Part 4: The Why Behind It All (Nutrition)

Almost all of us know that great training with poor nutrition is always going to leave us feeling defeated but I want to come at it from a different angle.

A lot of people talk about how you get your results “in the kitchen” but to me there is much more important layers that are rarely spoken about.

Energy

Training is so hard.

It can be flat out exhausting.

But if you are a woman reading this then chances are there are SO MANY other exhausting things that you are already dealing with.

Work/career, schedules, family, friends, relationships/dating, parenting, finances, mental health, self image, etc.

It can be absolutely draining just trying to hold it all together.

Adding exercise is an INCREDIBLE step but I want to empathize and say that I know that adding another energy depleting thing to the mix is not immediately exciting.

I totally get it.

That’s where nutrition comes in.

Nutrition is our ability to spend.

Poor nutrition = low ability to spend energy

Good nutrition = moderate ability to spend energy

Great nutrition = high level ability to spend energy

Everyone wants to talk about how exercise changes your body and that is extremely true but seeing nutrition as a way to drastically increase your bandwidth has always really been something I feel is missed.

The goal of health is to increase your bandwidth so you can be more YOU.

Nutrition is absolutely the foundation for that.

Note - I would say sleep is even more important but I know sleep is very very hard to control if you are working a crazy schedule, have high stress, or are dealing with being a parent so I am leaving that out. That being said! Nutrition can DRASTICALLY change how you sleep and rest so nutrition is fundamental to your rest as well as your work.

Control

The lists above are fully designed to help you feel like you have a sense of control in your daily life.

If you are picking an option that will leave you feeling stupid, lost, or behind then it is absolutely not the level for you.

Here is the big nutrition rule:

Find habits you can do 90%+ of the time.

If you cant do it 90%+ of the time it is too overwhelming and you need to pair it down.

For most of our habits we want to focus on having as much control as possible.

Without getting to “emotional” here…

We all feel completely out of control so often.

None of us need to add to that list.

When you are making your nutrition choices try to make ones that give you your power back.

As always, I really hope this gives you some power back in your life.

I try to make these to give you a GREAT start that most women will sadly never have.

If it helps you the only thing I would ask is that you share it with a woman who could really crush it if she just had great resources.

You. Are. Wonderful.

The problem?

Every video gets 10k or more saves and then I get emails asking me how to make the whole thing work for an entire training plan.

I want to fix that problem and make things even more accessible for as many women as I POSSIBLY can.

How?

I just went ahead and built out an entire 1 month program for in gym and a 1 month program for at home that you can take and run with immediately regardless of where you are at in your training journey.

I really hope this helps!

Let’s get to it!

p.s. I am about to go to the pool with my son so I didn’t have a ton of time to edit this so it has zero fluff which is honestly my personal preference.

p.p.s. but if you have ANY questions just email me at WilliamHolman91@gmail.com and I would be so happy to help.

Here Is A 3 Day Full Body In Gym Program 🫶

Day 1

A. Goblet Squat

Week 1 - 3 Sets x 10-12 Reps

Week 2 - 3 Sets x 10 Reps

Week 3 - 3 Sets x 8-10 Reps

Week 4 - 3 Sets x 6-8 Reps

B. Dumbbell Bench Press

Week 1 - 3 Sets x 10-12 Reps

Week 2 - 3 Sets x 10 Reps

Week 3 - 3 Sets x 8-10 Reps

Week 4 - 3 Sets x 6-8 Reps

C. Seated Machine Row

Week 1 - 3 Sets x 10-12 Reps

Week 2 - 3 Sets x 10 Reps

Week 3 - 3 Sets x 8-10 Reps

Week 4 - 3 Sets x 6-8 Reps

D. Reverse Lunge

Week 1 - 3 Sets x 10-12 Reps/Side

Week 2 - 3 Sets x 10 Reps/Side

Week 3 - 3 Sets x 8-10 Reps/Side

Week 4 - 3 Sets x 6-8 Reps/Side

E. Kneeling Cable Crunch

Week 1 - 2 Sets x Failure

Week 2 - 2 Sets x Failure

Week 3 - 3 Sets x Failure

Week 4 - 3 Sets x Failure

Day 2

A. Romanian Deadlifts

Week 1 - 3 Sets x 10-12 Reps

Week 2 - 3 Sets x 10 Reps

Week 3 - 3 Sets x 8-10 Reps

Week 4 - 3 Sets x 6-8 Reps

B. Neutral Grip Lat Pulldown

Week 1 - 3 Sets x 10-12 Reps

Week 2 - 3 Sets x 10 Reps

Week 3 - 3 Sets x 8-10 Reps

Week 4 - 3 Sets x 6-8 Reps

C. Incline Dumbbell Bench Press

Week 1 - 3 Sets x 10-12 Reps

Week 2 - 3 Sets x 10 Reps

Week 3 - 3 Sets x 8-10 Reps

Week 4 - 3 Sets x 6-8 Reps

D. Walking Lunge

Week 1 - 3 Sets x 10-12 Reps/Side

Week 2 - 3 Sets x 10 Reps/Side

Week 3 - 3 Sets x 8-10 Reps/Side

Week 4 - 3 Sets x 6-8 Reps/Side

E. Reverse Crunch or Hanging Knee Raises

Week 1 - 2 Sets x Failure

Week 2 - 2 Sets x Failure

Week 3 - 3 Sets x Failure

Week 4 - 3 Sets x Failure

Day 3

A. Front Foot Elevated Split Squats

Week 1 - 3 Sets x 10-12 Reps/Side

Week 2 - 3 Sets x 10 Reps/Side

Week 3 - 3 Sets x 8-10 Reps/Side

Week 4 - 3 Sets x 6-8 Reps/Side

B. Hip Thrusts

Week 1 - 3 Sets x 10-12 Reps

Week 2 - 3 Sets x 10 Reps

Week 3 - 3 Sets x 8-10 Reps

Week 4 - 3 Sets x 6-8 Reps

C. Seated Cable Row

Week 1 - 3 Sets x 10-12 Reps

Week 2 - 3 Sets x 10 Reps

Week 3 - 3 Sets x 8-10 Reps

Week 4 - 3 Sets x 6-8 Reps

D. Single Arm DB Shoulder Press (Seated or Standing)

Week 1 - 3 Sets x 10-12 Reps/Side

Week 2 - 3 Sets x 10 Reps/Side

Week 3 - 3 Sets x 8-10 Reps/Side

Week 4 - 3 Sets x 6-8 Reps/Side

E. Farmers Carry

Week 1 - 2 Sets x 40-60 Yards

Week 2 - 2 Sets x 40-60 Yard

Week 3 - 3 Sets x 60 Yards

Week 4 - 3 Sets x 60 Yards

Here Is A 3 Day Full Body Dumbbell Only Program 🎁

Day 1

A. Goblet Squat

Week 1 - 3 Sets x 10-12 Reps

Week 2 - 3 Sets x 10 Reps

Week 3 - 3 Sets x 8-10 Reps

Week 4 - 3 Sets x 6-8 Reps

B. Dumbbell Bench Press

Week 1 - 3 Sets x 10-12 Reps

Week 2 - 3 Sets x 10 Reps

Week 3 - 3 Sets x 8-10 Reps

Week 4 - 3 Sets x 6-8 Reps

C. Single Arm DB Row

Week 1 - 3 Sets x 10-12 Reps/Side

Week 2 - 3 Sets x 10 Reps/Side

Week 3 - 3 Sets x 8-10 Reps/Side

Week 4 - 3 Sets x 6-8 Reps/Side

D. Reverse Lunge

Week 1 - 3 Sets x 10-12 Reps/Side

Week 2 - 3 Sets x 10 Reps/Side

Week 3 - 3 Sets x 8-10 Reps/Side

Week 4 - 3 Sets x 6-8 Reps/Side

E. Weighted Deadbug

Week 1 - 2 Sets x 20 Alt. Reps

Week 2 - 2 Sets x 20-30 Alt. Reps

Week 3 - 3 Sets x 20-30 Alt. Reps

Week 4 - 3 Sets x 30 Alt. Reps

Day 2

A. Dumbbell Romanian Deadlifts

Week 1 - 3 Sets x 10-12 Reps

Week 2 - 3 Sets x 10 Reps

Week 3 - 3 Sets x 8-10 Reps

Week 4 - 3 Sets x 6-8 Reps

B. 3 Point DB Row

Week 1 - 3 Sets x 10-12 Reps/Side

Week 2 - 3 Sets x 10 Reps/Side

Week 3 - 3 Sets x 8-10 Reps/Side

Week 4 - 3 Sets x 6-8 Reps/Side

C. Incline Dumbbell Bench Press

Week 1 - 3 Sets x 10-12 Reps

Week 2 - 3 Sets x 10 Reps

Week 3 - 3 Sets x 8-10 Reps

Week 4 - 3 Sets x 6-8 Reps

D. Walking Lunge

Week 1 - 3 Sets x 10-12 Reps/Side

Week 2 - 3 Sets x 10 Reps/Side

Week 3 - 3 Sets x 8-10 Reps/Side

Week 4 - 3 Sets x 6-8 Reps/Side

E. Reverse Crunch

Week 1 - 2 Sets x Failure

Week 2 - 2 Sets x Failure

Week 3 - 3 Sets x Failure

Week 4 - 3 Sets x Failure

Day 3

A. Front Foot Elevated Split Squats

Week 1 - 3 Sets x 10-12 Reps/Side

Week 2 - 3 Sets x 10 Reps/Side

Week 3 - 3 Sets x 8-10 Reps/Side

Week 4 - 3 Sets x 6-8 Reps/Side

B. Staggered Stance DB RDLs

Week 1 - 3 Sets x 10-12 Reps/Side

Week 2 - 3 Sets x 10 Reps/Side

Week 3 - 3 Sets x 8-10 Reps/Side

Week 4 - 3 Sets x 6-8 Reps/Side

C. Elevated Plank Rows

Week 1 - 3 Sets x 10-12 Reps/Side

Week 2 - 3 Sets x 10 Reps/Side

Week 3 - 3 Sets x 8-10 Reps/Side

Week 4 - 3 Sets x 6-8 Reps/Side

D. Single Arm DB Shoulder Press (Seated or Standing)

Week 1 - 3 Sets x 10-12 Reps/Side

Week 2 - 3 Sets x 10 Reps/Side

Week 3 - 3 Sets x 8-10 Reps/Side

Week 4 - 3 Sets x 6-8 Reps/Side

E. Farmers Carry

Week 1 - 2 Sets x 40-60 Yards

Week 2 - 2 Sets x 40-60 Yard

Week 3 - 3 Sets x 60 Yards

Week 4 - 3 Sets x 60 Yards

If you want all of this done for you with video content, weekly video breakdowns, and exercise notes and substitutes for every exercise my Full Body Women’s Program is live at the link below ❤️

Full Body Online Program

p.s. again! if you have any questions or are more interested in private training just email me at WilliamHolman91@gmail.com and I would be happy to help!