Plan description
Machines guide the movement, so they are the safest place to start.
Each session works the whole body. Do the moves in order.
Pick a weight you could lift 14 times, but stop at 12. Write it down.
Your first gym plan overview
This plan runs for 12 weeks, 3 sessions a week.
Warm up first: 5 minutes on a bike or cross-trainer.
The twelve weeks
| Weeks | Sets | Reps | Focus |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1–2 | 2 | 12 | Light weights. Learn each machine. |
| 3–4 | 3 | 10–12 | Add a little weight. |
| 5–8 | 3 | 8–12 | Get all 12 on every set? Add weight next time. |
| 9–12 | 3 | 8–12 | Same rule. Keep adding. |
Each session
Rest 1–2 min between sets. Weeks 1–2: 2 × 12. Weeks 3–4: 3 × 10–12.
| Exercise | How | Sets × reps |
|---|---|---|
| Leg press | Feet flat. Lower until knees bend to 90°. Push back. | 3 × 8–12 |
| Chest press | Handles at chest height. Push out. Back slow. | 3 × 8–12 |
| Lat pulldown | Pull the bar to your upper chest. Back slow. | 3 × 8–12 |
| Seated row | Chest up. Pull handles to your belly. | 3 × 8–12 |
| Shoulder press | Push handles overhead. Back slow. | 3 × 8–12 |
| Leg curl | Bend your knees to pull the pad toward you. | 3 × 8–12 |
| Plank | Forearms and toes, body straight. (Knees down.) | 3 × 30 sec |
The rules
- Ask the staff to set up each machine for you on day one.
- Lift slowly. Two seconds up, two seconds down.
- Add the smallest weight step the machine has. Small jumps add up.
- Rest a day between sessions. Monday, Wednesday, Friday works.
- Sharp pain in a joint? Stop that move and ask for help.
Your lifts, week by week
Once a week, write the weight you used and the reps you got on your last set.
The PDF has a page for it, one row each for: Leg press, Chest press, Lat pulldown, Seated row, Shoulder press, Leg curl. The spreadsheet log works out your next weights for you.
After week 12
Keep three days a week. Then pick your next step.
| Next step | What it is |
|---|---|
| Barbell strength | Free weights, three days a week. Ask a coach to check your form. |
| Keep going | Same machines, a little more weight when you can. |
When to stop
Dizzy, faint, sick, chest pain, very short of breath, or a racing heart.
Call emergency services for: chest pain that does not stop with rest, or spreads to your arm, jaw or back.
Not medical advice. Check with your doctor before you start.
Based on 2 sources
- How many sets and reps, and how heavy, for strength and sizeGuidance · 2026 · Med Sci Sports Exerc
- Physical activity fact sheet2024 · who.int
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