This is a program I used once after a lay-off of not working out for a few months. The idea is quite simple. I selected 5 of my favorite lifts (benchpress, dumbbell press, T-Bar rows, cross-bench pullovers, and squats), selected the number of workouts (in this case, 90), selected a low weight for each lift to start with, and selected a "goal weight" I wanted to achieve at the end of the 90 workouts.
I used a spreadsheet to gradually work from the beginning weight to the ending weight. At first, when the weights were light, I increased the weight every workout. As things got heavier, I'd increase the weight every other workout. I always did sets of 10 reps.
I started doing 3 sets of 10 reps of each lift. Since the weights were pretty light, I worked out every day, and on a weekend, sometimes twice a day. As the weights got heavier I would do only 2 sets of 10, and work out every other day. Towards the end I was doing only 1 set of 10 (my goal) for the selected weight. The frequency of workouts depended on how rested I felt. I always tried to work out at least 3 times a week.
I found this to be a pretty flexible plan, since I based the number of sets and number of workouts on how heavy the weights were, and how I felt. (All weights are in pounds, and the weight for the dumbbell press is the total for both dumbbells.) Here's what I did:
Do 3 sets of 10 |
Do 2 sets of 10 |
Do 1 set of 10 |
|||
WO # |
Benchpress |
Dumbbell Press |
T-Bar Rows |
Cross-Bench PO |
Squats |
1 |
95.00 |
80.00 |
90.00 |
65.00 |
140.00 |
2 |
97.50 |
82.50 |
92.50 |
65.00 |
142.50 |
3 |
100.00 |
85.00 |
95.00 |
66.25 |
145.00 |
4 |
102.50 |
87.50 |
97.50 |
66.25 |
147.50 |
5 |
105.00 |
90.00 |
100.00 |
67.50 |
150.00 |
6 |
107.50 |
92.50 |
102.50 |
67.50 |
152.50 |
7 |
110.00 |
95.00 |
105.00 |
68.75 |
155.00 |
8 |
112.50 |
97.50 |
107.50 |
68.75 |
157.50 |
9 |
115.00 |
100.00 |
110.00 |
70.00 |
160.00 |
10 |
117.50 |
100.00 |
112.50 |
70.00 |
162.50 |
11 |
120.00 |
102.50 |
115.00 |
71.25 |
165.00 |
12 |
122.50 |
102.50 |
117.50 |
71.25 |
167.50 |
13 |
125.00 |
105.00 |
120.00 |
72.50 |
170.00 |
14 |
127.50 |
105.00 |
122.50 |
72.50 |
172.50 |
15 |
130.00 |
107.50 |
125.00 |
73.75 |
175.00 |
16 |
132.50 |
107.50 |
127.50 |
73.75 |
177.50 |
17 |
135.00 |
110.00 |
130.00 |
75.00 |
180.00 |
18 |
137.50 |
110.00 |
132.50 |
75.00 |
182.50 |
19 |
140.00 |
112.50 |
135.00 |
76.25 |
185.00 |
20 |
142.50 |
112.50 |
137.50 |
76.25 |
187.50 |
21 |
145.00 |
115.00 |
140.00 |
77.50 |
190.00 |
22 |
147.50 |
115.00 |
142.50 |
77.50 |
192.50 |
23 |
150.00 |
117.50 |
145.00 |
78.75 |
195.00 |
24 |
152.50 |
117.50 |
147.50 |
78.75 |
197.50 |
25 |
155.00 |
120.00 |
150.00 |
80.00 |
200.00 |
26 |
157.50 |
120.00 |
152.50 |
80.00 |
202.50 |
27 |
160.00 |
122.50 |
155.00 |
81.25 |
205.00 |
28 |
162.50 |
122.50 |
157.50 |
81.25 |
207.50 |
29 |
165.00 |
125.00 |
160.00 |
82.50 |
210.00 |
30 |
167.50 |
125.00 |
160.00 |
82.50 |
212.50 |
31 |
170.00 |
127.50 |
162.50 |
83.75 |
215.00 |
32 |
172.50 |
127.50 |
162.50 |
83.75 |
217.50 |
33 |
175.00 |
130.00 |
165.00 |
85.00 |
220.00 |
34 |
177.50 |
130.00 |
165.00 |
85.00 |
222.50 |
35 |
180.00 |
132.50 |
167.50 |
86.25 |
225.00 |
36 |
182.50 |
132.50 |
167.50 |
86.25 |
227.50 |
37 |
185.00 |
135.00 |
170.00 |
87.50 |
230.00 |
38 |
185.00 |
135.00 |
170.00 |
87.50 |
232.50 |
39 |
185.00 |
137.50 |
172.50 |
88.75 |
235.00 |
40 |
187.50 |
137.50 |
172.50 |
88.75 |
237.50 |
41 |
187.50 |
140.00 |
175.00 |
90.00 |
240.00 |
42 |
187.50 |
140.00 |
175.00 |
90.00 |
240.00 |
43 |
190.00 |
142.50 |
177.50 |
91.25 |
242.50 |
44 |
190.00 |
142.50 |
177.50 |
91.25 |
242.50 |
45 |
190.00 |
145.00 |
180.00 |
92.50 |
245.00 |
46 |
192.50 |
145.00 |
180.00 |
92.50 |
245.00 |
47 |
192.50 |
147.50 |
182.50 |
93.75 |
247.50 |
48 |
192.50 |
147.50 |
182.50 |
93.75 |
247.50 |
49 |
195.00 |
150.00 |
185.00 |
95.00 |
250.00 |
50 |
195.00 |
150.00 |
185.00 |
95.00 |
250.00 |
51 |
195.00 |
152.50 |
187.50 |
96.25 |
252.50 |
52 |
197.50 |
152.50 |
187.50 |
96.25 |
252.50 |
53 |
197.50 |
155.00 |
190.00 |
97.50 |
255.00 |
54 |
197.50 |
155.00 |
190.00 |
97.50 |
255.00 |
55 |
200.00 |
157.50 |
192.50 |
98.75 |
257.50 |
56 |
200.00 |
157.50 |
192.50 |
98.75 |
257.50 |
57 |
200.00 |
160.00 |
195.00 |
100.00 |
260.00 |
58 |
202.50 |
160.00 |
195.00 |
100.00 |
260.00 |
59 |
202.50 |
162.50 |
197.50 |
101.25 |
262.50 |
60 |
202.50 |
162.50 |
197.50 |
101.25 |
262.50 |
61 |
205.00 |
165.00 |
200.00 |
102.50 |
265.00 |
62 |
205.00 |
165.00 |
200.00 |
102.50 |
265.00 |
63 |
205.00 |
167.50 |
202.50 |
103.75 |
267.50 |
64 |
207.50 |
167.50 |
202.50 |
103.75 |
267.50 |
65 |
207.50 |
170.00 |
205.00 |
105.00 |
270.00 |
66 |
207.50 |
170.00 |
205.00 |
105.00 |
270.00 |
67 |
210.00 |
172.50 |
207.50 |
106.25 |
272.50 |
68 |
210.00 |
172.50 |
207.50 |
106.25 |
272.50 |
69 |
210.00 |
175.00 |
210.00 |
107.50 |
275.00 |
70 |
212.50 |
175.00 |
210.00 |
107.50 |
275.00 |
71 |
212.50 |
177.50 |
212.50 |
108.75 |
277.50 |
72 |
212.50 |
177.50 |
212.50 |
108.75 |
277.50 |
73 |
215.00 |
180.00 |
215.00 |
110.00 |
280.00 |
74 |
215.00 |
180.00 |
215.00 |
110.00 |
280.00 |
75 |
215.00 |
182.50 |
217.50 |
111.25 |
282.50 |
76 |
217.50 |
182.50 |
217.50 |
111.25 |
282.50 |
77 |
217.50 |
185.00 |
220.00 |
112.50 |
285.00 |
78 |
217.50 |
185.00 |
220.00 |
112.50 |
285.00 |
79 |
220.00 |
187.50 |
222.50 |
113.75 |
287.50 |
80 |
220.00 |
187.50 |
222.50 |
113.75 |
287.50 |
81 |
220.00 |
190.00 |
225.00 |
115.00 |
290.00 |
82 |
222.50 |
190.00 |
225.00 |
115.00 |
290.00 |
83 |
222.50 |
192.50 |
227.50 |
116.25 |
292.50 |
84 |
222.50 |
192.50 |
227.50 |
116.25 |
292.50 |
85 |
225.00 |
195.00 |
230.00 |
117.50 |
295.00 |
86 |
225.00 |
195.00 |
230.00 |
117.50 |
295.00 |
87 |
225.00 |
197.50 |
232.50 |
118.75 |
297.50 |
88 |
227.50 |
197.50 |
232.50 |
118.75 |
297.50 |
89 |
227.50 |
200.00 |
235.00 |
120.00 |
300.00 |
90 |
227.50 |
200.00 |
235.00 |
120.00 |
300.00 |