Priorities for the first eight weeks
| Priority | What it means | Progress signal |
|---|---|---|
| Attendance | Complete 2–3 sustainable days | You are not recovering missed sessions every week |
| Standard | Defined range and execution | Repetitions become comparable |
| Effort | Finish with deliberate reserve | RIR becomes less of a blind guess |
| Progression | Add repetitions or load by rule | The reference improves without degrading the standard |
The ACSM position stand summarizes a broad evidence base and prioritizes consistency and individualization. The full-body label is not an automatic physiological advantage; for a beginner it is a practical way to distribute patterns across few days and practice them again during the week.
Choose two or three days and six patterns
| Day A | Day B |
|---|---|
| Guided squat or leg press · 2×6–10 | Guided Romanian deadlift · 2×6–10 |
| Chest press · 2×8–12 | Overhead press · 2×8–12 |
| Row · 2×8–12 | Pulldown · 2×8–12 |
| Leg curl · 2×10–15 | Knee extension · 2×10–15 |
| Curl or triceps · 1–2×10–15 | Triceps or curl · 1–2×10–15 |
| Monday A | Wednesday B | Friday A; next week B-A-B |
|---|---|---|
| Knee · horizontal push | Hip · vertical push | Knee · horizontal push |
| Horizontal pull | Vertical pull | Horizontal pull |
| Leg curl | Knee extension | Leg curl |
| One optional isolation | One optional isolation | One optional isolation |
The names are categories, not requirements. Select variations you can perform with available equipment and obtain guidance to learn. If an option causes pain or you cannot perform it safely, do not force it; seek an appropriate alternative or qualified support.
Simple progression across eight weeks
- Weeks 1–2: learn
Use two sets per pattern, conservative load and roughly 3–4 RIR. Record the standard.
- Weeks 3–4: repeat
Keep exercises and add repetitions inside the range when the standard holds.
- Weeks 5–6: load
After reaching the ceiling across all sets, add the smallest increment and return lower.
- Weeks 7–8: consolidate
Keep two sets or add one set only to the priority pattern if attendance, quality and recovery remain stable.
| Outcome | Decision |
|---|---|
| Full range, stable standard and planned RIR | Add one total repetition or the smallest load |
| Lower RIR than planned with stable technique | Keep load and repeat |
| Range or control degrades | Reduce load and restore the standard |
| Two sessions below the reference | Do not add volume; review context and plan |
Press at 8–12
Week 1: 10 and 9 repetitions at 3 RIR. Week 2: 10 and 10. Week 3: 11 and 10. No exercise change is needed: keep load until you reach the ceiling with comparable execution.
What to log and what to do after a missed day
| Data | Use | It does not prove |
|---|---|---|
| Load | Compares external demand | Technique quality |
| Repetitions | Measures completed work | Exact stimulus |
| RIR | Describes estimated reserve | Precisely observed failure |
| Short note | Preserves a relevant limitation | A fatigue diagnosis |
BUSTAFIT lets you create a routine and log load, repetitions, RIR, the last reference and history on iPhone. This reduces memory demands and puts the last useful exposure in view. The app does not teach technique, prescribe weight, reorder days or automatically detect fatigue.