Your initial goal is to boost muscular strength. The solid strength foundation will help prepare you for future workouts in this series. “A conditioning base needs to be established before high stresses are placed on the body,” says Juan Carlos Santana, M.Ed., C.S.C.S., director of the Institute of Human Performance in Boca Raton, Fla. In other words, too much too soon will result in crippling soreness, thus slowing your progress from the start.

The initial eight weeks of this program train your muscles to deal with maximal forces—any increase in muscle size at the start is a bonus, not the primary goal. Pay particular attention to exercise technique, since you’ll be handling heavy weights at relatively low repetitions. Remember to consult your physician before starting this program.

Frequency of training

• Beginner: If you’re new to the iron game—that is, if you have less than 12 months of consistent strength and conditioning activity under your belt—consider yourself a beginner. In addition, it’s a good idea to follow the beginner plan if you’ve been away from the gym for two or more months. Contrary to popular belief, for the beginner, less is more. You will make steady progress with just two sessions each week. Be sure to rest 48 to 72 hours between training days. Monday/Thursday, Tuesday/Friday or Wednesday/Saturday training splits work best. For example, perform Schedule A on Monday and Schedule B on Thursday.

• Intermediate/Advanced: If you have been involved in organized strength training and conditioning exercise for the previous year or more, you’re in the Intermediate/Advanced category. Perform three workouts per week, alternating between Schedule A and Schedule B.

Track your progress
A training diary is an invaluable organizational tool. It will also help you avoid the symptoms of overtraining, in that you can make adjustments if you experience undue fatigue or joint pain. Also a training log allows you to determine what formula works best for you, so you can customize future workouts.

Phase 1 Schedules (Excel)

Keep track of the forces used, as well as the number of repetitions completed for each set. We’ve provided a training log for the Intermediate/Advanced athlete; however, beginners can use the same template by eliminating the third workout in each week.

Dynamic warm-up
Before you get started with each training session, warm up on the stationary cycle or treadmill for five minutes. This will help you increase your core body temperature and reduce the chance of injury.

Cardiovascular/flexibility exercise
Perform 20 minutes of cardiovascular activity at the end of each session, followed by the flexibility routine provided. Hold each stretch for 30 seconds.

Demonstrations for many of the exercises below can be seen here

Resistance training exercises
Phase 1: Strength 1A/C

• Barbell squats
• Barbell standing hip extensions
• Machine prone leg curls
• Machine seated calf flexions
• Barbell standing biceps curls
• Dumbbell standing triceps extensions
• Cable standing lat extensions

Core exercises
Phase 1: Strength 1A/C

• Trunk raises
• Hanging leg raises

Resistance training exercises
Phase 1: Strength 1B/D

• Barbell flat chest presses
• Dumbbell standing upright rows
• Barbell incline chest presses
• Machine standing calf flexions
• Barbell standing deltoid front presses
• Machine seated lat pulldowns

Core exercises
Phase 1: Strength 1A/C

• Medicine ball standing trunk rotations
• Stability ball prone hip extensions

Cardiovascular exercises
Phase 1: Strength 1A-D

• Treadmill
• Stationary upright cycle

Flexibility exercises
Phase 1: Strength 1A-D

• Supine shoulder stretch with hands behind head
• Side lying quadriceps stretch
• Supine single-leg hamstring stretch