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 · 6 reps · 45s rest
The back-loaded barbell squat — the king of lower-body strength training and the standard for measuring leg power.
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 Bench Press
3 sets · 6 reps · 45s rest
The classic horizontal press for chest, triceps, and front-delt strength — the cornerstone of every push day.
Steps
Lie on the bench with your eyes directly under the bar and your feet planted flat on the floor.
Pull your shoulder blades back and down into the bench to create a stable pressing platform.
Grip the bar slightly wider than shoulder width with wrists stacked over elbows, then unrack to full arm extension.
Lower the bar slowly to your lower chest with elbows tracked at about 60 to 75 degrees from your torso.
Pause briefly with the bar touching the chest, keeping full-body tension and a tight upper back.
Drive the bar back up explosively by pressing through the chest and triceps until the arms lock out.
Cues
Shoulder blades set.
Touch with control.
Drive the bar up.
Common mistakes
Letting the elbows flare to 90 degrees, which strains the front shoulders and reduces chest engagement.
Losing the shoulder-blade squeeze mid-rep, causing the shoulders to roll forward under load.
Bouncing the bar off the chest to use momentum instead of a controlled touch or pause.
Lifting the glutes off the bench for leverage, which destabilizes the lift and risks back strain.
3. Barbell Bent Over Row
3 sets · 8 reps · 45s rest
A heavy horizontal pull from a hinged position — builds the lats, mid-back, and biceps in one of the most efficient movements in the gym.
Steps
Stand with feet shoulder-width apart and grip the barbell with hands just outside your knees, palms facing you.
Hinge at your hips with a flat back until your torso is at about a 45-degree angle to the floor.
Brace your core hard and let the bar hang directly below your shoulders at full arm extension.
Pull the bar up to your lower chest, keeping your elbows tucked at about 45 degrees from your torso.
Squeeze your shoulder blades together at the top, fully contracting the lats and mid-back.
Lower the bar back down with control over 2 to 3 seconds, keeping the back position locked the whole time.
Cues
Hinge stays locked.
Lead with elbows.
Pull to lower ribs.
Common mistakes
Standing too upright, turning the row into a partial deadlift instead of a back exercise.
Rounding the lower back as you pull, which puts the spine at serious risk under load.
Pulling with the biceps and bending the wrists, leaving the lats and mid-back understimulated.
Using too much momentum and swinging the bar up — the back stops working when the body cheats.
4. Barbell Deadlift
3 sets · 5 reps · 60s rest
The conventional pull from the floor — the gold-standard hinge that loads the back, glutes, and hamstrings heavier than any other lift.
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.
5. Barbell Overhead Press
2 sets · 8 reps · 45s rest
The standing strict press from shoulders to overhead — the gold-standard test of pure shoulder strength and bracing.
Steps
Stand with feet shoulder-width apart and rack the bar across the front of the shoulders just under the chin.
Grip the bar slightly wider than shoulder width with the wrists stacked over the elbows.
Brace your core, squeeze the glutes, and take a big breath to lock the torso in place.
Press the bar straight up by pushing through the shoulders and triceps, moving your head back slightly.
Lock out the arms overhead with the bar over the middle of the foot and biceps near the ears.
Lower the bar back to the front of the shoulders under control, reset your breath, and repeat.
Cues
Ribs down.
Press straight up.
Head comes through.
Common mistakes
Pressing the bar in front of the head instead of straight up, which strains the lower back and shoulders.
Leaning back excessively to turn the lift into an incline press, which overloads the spine.
Failing to brace the core, which lets the rib cage flare and weakens the press.
Bending the knees and using leg drive, which makes the lift a push press and not a strict press.