Session Structure

A well-structured session has a clear order: warm-up, main work, accessory work, and a brief cooldown. The order exists for physiological reasons — not convention.

Warm-Up

Raise core temperature and prime movement patterns relevant to the session. A useful warm-up has two phases:

General warm-up (3–5 min)

• Light cardio (bike, row, or jog) to elevate heart rate
• Joint mobility work for the main movements of the day

Specific warm-up (5–10 min)

• Warm-up sets of the main lift at progressively heavier loads
• Example for a 140 kg squat day: bar × 10, 60 × 5, 100 × 3, 120 × 2, then work sets

Never skip the specific warm-up. A 5-minute investment eliminates most acute training injuries.

Main Work

The primary exercise for the session — squat, deadlift, bench, or equivalent. Work up to the target weight across the prescribed sets and reps.

Rest periods for main work by intensity:

Heavy work demands full neurological recovery between sets. Cutting rest short to save time is a false economy.

Exercise selection

Pick one movement per session that best matches your training goal:

• Strength — barbell squat, deadlift, bench press, overhead press
• Hypertrophy — any compound movement in a moderate rep range (6–12)
• Power — Olympic lifts, jumps, throws

Accessory Work

Supplementary exercises that address weaknesses or add volume to supporting muscles. Higher rep ranges (8–15), shorter rests, and less intensity than main work.

A typical accessory block after a squat session:

1. Romanian deadlift — 3 × 10 (posterior chain, hamstrings)
2. Bulgarian split squat — 3 × 8/leg (unilateral leg strength)
3. Leg curl — 3 × 12 (isolated hamstring)
4. Calf raise — 3 × 15 (often neglected)

Keep accessory selections stable for 4–6 weeks. Swapping exercises every session prevents tracking progress and accumulating adaptation.

Cooldown

A brief cooldown (5 min) lowers heart rate and reduces acute soreness. Static stretching after training is more effective than before, as the tissue is warm and pliable.

Prioritise stretching the muscle groups that tend to tighten: hip flexors, thoracic spine, lats, and calves. One 30-second hold per group is sufficient.