Move gently and stop if you feel sharp pain, dizziness, numbness, or symptoms that feel unsafe. This routine is general fitness guidance, not medical care.
Exercises
1. Barbell Squat
3 sets 路 8 reps 路 90s rest
Brace before each rep and sit down between the heels. Go only as deep as the back stays neutral.
Steps
Set the bar in a rack at about chest height and step under it to rack it across your upper back.
Grip the bar slightly wider than shoulder width, brace your core, and step back from the rack.
Stand with feet shoulder-width apart, toes turned slightly out, and chest tall.
Push your hips back and down, bending the knees to squat down until your hips reach below the knees.
Drive through the full foot to stand back up, keeping the chest tall and bar path straight.
Lock out the hips and knees at the top, reset your breath and brace, and repeat for clean reps.
Cues
Brace first.
Knees track toes.
Drive through mid-foot.
Common mistakes
Letting the knees cave inward on the way up, which strains the knees and weakens the drive.
Cutting the depth short and not reaching at least parallel, missing the full quad and glute work.
Rounding the lower back at the bottom, which puts the spine at risk under heavy load.
Shifting the bar weight onto the toes, which throws off the balance and strains the lower back.
2. Barbell Deadlift
3 sets 路 6 reps 路 90s rest
Set a long back before the bar leaves the floor, then push the floor away. Reset your position between reps.
Steps
Stand with feet hip-width apart, the bar over mid-foot, and shins about an inch from the bar.
Hinge down and grip the bar just outside the knees with a flat back and chest tall.
Pull the slack out of the bar, brace your core, and take a big breath into your stomach.
Push the floor away with your legs while keeping the bar dragging close to your shins.
Stand fully tall by squeezing the glutes and locking out the hips and knees together.
Lower the bar by hinging at the hips first, then bending the knees once it passes them.
Cues
Brace before pulling.
Push the floor away.
Bar stays close.
Common mistakes
Rounding the lower back on the lift-off, which puts the spine in a weak position under heavy load.
Yanking the bar off the floor without pulling the slack first, leading to a jerky pull and missed reps.
Letting the bar drift away from the shins, which lengthens the lever arm and crushes the lower back.
Hyperextending at the top instead of finishing with a tight glute squeeze and stacked rib cage.
3. Barbell Stiff Leg Deadlifts
3 sets 路 10 reps 路 75s rest
Soft knees and a long spine. Stop the descent where the back would start to round.
Steps
Stand with feet hip-width apart and grip the bar just outside the knees with arms extended.
Stand tall holding the bar at the hips, then unlock the knees with a small soft bend.
Push the hips back and lower the bar down the legs by hinging at the hips, keeping the back flat.
Continue lowering until you feel a strong stretch in the hamstrings, with the bar staying close to the legs.
Drive the hips forward and squeeze the glutes hard to stand back up to the starting position.
Lock out the hips at the top with a tall chest, reset your breath, and repeat for clean reps.
Cues
Hips travel back.
Long spine.
Stop at the stretch.
Common mistakes
Locking the knees fully straight, which turns the lift into a back-stress machine instead of a hamstring builder.
Rounding the lower back at the bottom, which loads the spine instead of stretching the hamstrings.
Letting the bar drift away from the legs, which crushes the lower back at the bottom range.
Bending the knees too much, which turns the lift back into a regular deadlift.
4. Barbell Split Squat
3 sets 路 8 reps 路 75s rest 路 both sides
One leg at a time after the squat, when balance matters more than load.
Steps
Rack the bar across the upper back and step into a long split stance with feet hip-width apart.
Brace your core and stand tall with most of your weight on the front foot.
Lower the back knee straight down toward the floor, keeping the front shin close to vertical.
Stop just before the back knee touches the floor, keeping the torso upright and chest up.
Drive through the front foot to stand back up to the starting split-stance position.
Complete all reps on one side before switching legs, keeping the same setup each time.
Cues
Front foot loaded.
Torso tall.
Down slow, up strong.
Common mistakes
Letting the front knee cave inward, which strains the knee and reduces glute engagement.
Pushing off the back foot to stand up, which removes load from the front working leg.
Leaning the torso too far forward, which turns the lift into a hinge and loses the quad focus.
Setting the stance too short, which forces the front knee far past the toes and stresses the joint.
5. Barbell Front Rack Step Up Knee Drive
3 sets 路 8 reps 路 60s rest 路 both sides
Step up under control and drive the free knee to hip height. Use a lower box if the balance wobbles.
Steps
Set a box at about knee height and rack the barbell across the front of your shoulders with high elbows.
Stand close to the box, brace your core, and place one foot fully flat on top of it.
Drive through the full foot on the box to stand tall, keeping the chest up and bar steady.
At the top, drive the trailing knee up and forward to hip height in a sprint-style action.
Lower that leg back down and step the foot off the box under control with no thud.
Reset to the starting position and repeat for the prescribed reps before switching legs.
Cues
Whole foot on box.
Drive through the platform.
Finish tall.
Common mistakes
Pushing off the trailing leg instead of driving through the working leg on top of the box.
Letting the front-rack elbows drop, which collapses the bar onto the chest and rounds the back.
Choosing a box that's too tall, forcing a hip-shift and removing tension from the quads.
Stepping down hard instead of with control, beating up the joints and breaking position.
6. Plate Forward Lunge
3 sets 路 10 reps 路 60s rest 路 both sides
Holding a plate in front asks the core to keep the torso upright through each step.
Steps
Stand tall holding a weight plate horizontally against your upper chest with both hands.
Brace your core, pull your shoulders back, and set your feet hip-width apart.
Step one foot forward into a long stride, lowering your back knee toward the floor.
Stop when your front thigh is roughly parallel to the floor and your back knee hovers above it.
Drive through the heel of your front foot to push back to the standing start position.
Repeat on the opposite leg, alternating sides for the full set with the plate locked at the chest.
Cues
Plate at the chest.
Step and settle.
Quiet landing.
Common mistakes
Letting the front knee cave inward on the step, which strains the joint and reduces force production.
Taking a stride that's too short, which puts the front knee far past the toes and overloads it.
Leaning the torso forward over the plate instead of staying upright through the descent.
Pushing off the back foot to stand up, which steals work from the front leg the lunge is meant to load.
7. Barbell Rack Pull
3 sets 路 8 reps 路 75s rest
A short-range pull from the rack, so you can load the upper back without a full deadlift.
Steps
Set the safety pins in a rack at about knee height and load the bar to your working weight.
Stand with feet hip-width apart, bar over mid-foot, and grip just outside the knees.
Pull the slack out of the bar, brace the core, and pull the chest up tall with a flat back.
Drive the floor away with your legs while keeping the bar dragging close to your thighs.
Stand fully tall by squeezing the glutes and locking out the hips and knees together.
Lower the bar back to the pins under control, reset your breath, and repeat for clean reps.
Cues
Bar close to the legs.
Long spine.
Stand tall to finish.
Common mistakes
Setting the pins too low or too high, which removes the partial-lift benefit and risks form breakdown.
Rounding the upper back hard to grind the rep, which strains the spine under heavy load.
Hyperextending at the top instead of finishing with a tight glute squeeze and stacked rib cage.
Bouncing the bar off the pins and using momentum instead of resetting between reps.