12 weeks · 3 sessions a week
First Twelve Weeks
From your first dowel to a tested squat, deadlift and press — with a coach at every step.
Includedwith Club membership
The shape of the block
Week by week
Bar height is the week's planned working intensity — a percentage of your one-rep max for lifting, of your benchmark pace for conditioning.
- Learn — Technique at light loads
- Build — Volume rises, loads moderate
- Load — Fewer reps, heavier bars
- Peak — Heaviest, lowest volume
- Deload — Planned easy week
- Test — Measure, then plan the next block
| Week | Phase | Intensity | Main work |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Learn | 30% | Dowel and empty bar |
| 2 | Learn | 35% | Squat and hinge |
| 3 | Learn | 40% | Press and pull |
| 4 | Learn | 45% | First loaded sets |
| 5 | Build | 55% | 3 × 8 |
| 6 | Build | 60% | 3 × 8 |
| 7 | Build | 65% | 4 × 6 |
| 8 | Deload | 45% | 2 × 6 easy |
| 9 | Load | 70% | 4 × 5 |
| 10 | Load | 75% | 5 × 3 |
| 11 | Peak | 82% | 3 × 2 |
| 12 | Test | 90% | Build to a top set |
The programme every new member starts on. Four weeks of Foundations teach the lifts; eight weeks of classes and one Open Floor session a week turn them into numbers you can test. You finish with three tested lifts and a plan for what comes next.
- Squat, hinge, press and pull taught and checked
- A tested squat, deadlift and press
- A written plan for your next block
A sample week
What a typical week asks of you
| Day | Session | Work |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | Foundations | Squat pattern · dowel → bar · 5 × 5 light |
| Wednesday | Foundations | Hinge pattern · Romanian deadlift · 4 × 6 |
| Saturday | Mobility | Hips and ankles · loaded range · 3 rounds |
Classes it uses
- Foundations60 min
- Barbell Club75 min
- Mobility45 min
Written by
Mara Quinn, head coach, strengthOther programmes
