Gym
Back Under the Bar
Upper / Lower · Strength & Mass · Training block, months 1–12
This Week
“You don't have to be great to start, but you have to start to be great.” — Zig Ziglar
Weekly Log
| Week | Bench & Pull | Run | Squat Day | Run | Press & Row | Deadlift Day optional | Weak-point Pump optional | Run |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 3 – 9, '26 | 0/6 | — | 0/5 | — | 0/6 | 0/5 | 0/6 | — |
| Jul 27 – Aug 2, '26 | 0/6 | — | 0/5 | — | 0/6 | 0/5 | 0/6 | — |
| Jul 20 – 26, '26 | 5/6 | — | 0/5 | — | 0/6 | 0/5 | 0/6 | — |
| Jul 13 – 19, '26 | 5/6 | 5km | 4/5 | 5km | 0/6 | 0/5 | 0/6 | — |
| Jul 6 – 12, '26 | 0/6 | — | 0/5 | — | 0/6 | 0/5 | 0/6 | — |
| Jun 29 – Jul 5, '26 | 0/6 | — | 0/5 | — | 0/6 | 0/5 | 0/6 | — |
| Jun 22 – 28, '26 | 0/6 | — | 0/5 | — | 0/6 | 0/5 | 0/6 | — |
| Jun 15 – 21, '26 | 0/6 | — | 0/5 | — | 0/6 | 0/5 | 0/6 | — |
About this program— principles, weekly schedule, and progression rules
Principles
Running lives on its own days, away from the barbell, so neither steals from the other. You always start a lift session with fresh legs and a full tank, and your runs get real distance instead of a rushed finisher.
Pair opposing lifts, such as a push against a pull, so you fit real training volume into 70 minutes. Rest two to three minutes between your main lifts, and sixty to ninety seconds between accessories.
For the first four to six weeks, keep three to four reps in reserve. You're rebuilding movement patterns rather than chasing PRs, and the injury that costs you a month happens right here.
When you hit the top of the rep range with clean form, add weight the next week: 2.5kg on upper-body lifts and 5kg on lower. If you stall twice on the same lift, deload it ten percent and climb back.
The Week · 3–5 lifts · 3 runs · separated
Runs sit on non-lift days so neither trains against the other. On a five-lift week, Upper C slots onto Tuesday or Thursday after that day's run — never before a heavy lower session. Run in the morning before the 9am handover, or in the evening; keep them easy pace (conversational) so they aid recovery rather than compete with the lifting.
Run It Right
Progression
Hit the top of the rep range with clean form → add weight next session. +2.5kg upper body, +5kg lower body. Small jumps compound; big jumps stall you.
Stall on a lift two sessions running → deload it 10% and climb back up. Don't grind a weight that isn't moving.
First 4–6 weeks stay submaximal (3–4 reps in reserve). You're rebuilding patterns and connective tissue, not testing maxes.
Running
Three runs a week on non-lift days: Tue, Thu, Sun. Keep the two midweek runs easy at 5–8km, and the Sunday long run at 8–12km — all conversational pace, where you could hold a conversation without gasping.
Easy pace is the whole point. Slow running builds your aerobic base and actively aids recovery between lifts; hard running competes with muscle growth. If you want a faster or harder session, put it on Sunday and keep it to one per week — never the day before or after a heavy lower day.
Run in the morning before the 9am handover or in the evening — whenever fits the day. The runs live outside your gym window, so they don't fight the nanny schedule or the 70-minute lift budget.
Scaling to 5 lifts
The base week is 4 lifts + 3 runs. On a strong week, add Upper C onto Tuesday or Thursday, done after that day's easy run — never stacked before a heavy lower session.
Add Upper C, not more running or lower work. Upper volume is the growth-limiter; legs are already covered by two lower days plus three runs. If the fifth lift makes your main lifts stall, drop it — the barbell tells you when recovery is maxed.
Kill Switch
If after 8 weeks the four main lifts (bench, squat, press, deadlift) aren't adding weight, the program isn't the problem — recovery is.
With a newborn, the two levers are sleep and protein (~1.6–2.2 g/kg bodyweight). Fix those before changing a single exercise. If you force the 5th day and Monday's lifts stall, drop back to 4 — the barbell tells you the truth about recovery.