The home foundational program is all about building a foundation for future growth. Without a solid base, you risk plateauing in progress later on so nail this program down before advancing to the hypertrophy program.
Step 1: Get the workout routines
If you're reading on your phone and have Strong downloaded, you can import each day's routines onto your phone by clicking the headings below. If you don't have Strong, just copy the routines to your workout app or journal of choice.
| Exercise Name: | Sets | Reps | Rest Time (min) |
|---|---|---|---|
Bench Press (Barbell) | 3 | 8-10 | 3 |
Lunge (Dumbell) | 3 | 8-10 | 3 |
Bent Over One Arm Row (Dumbbell) | 3 | 8-10 | 3 |
Standing Calf Raise (Dumbell) | 3 | 8-10 | 2 |
Crunch | 3 | 8-10 | 2 |
Face Pull (Band) | 3 | ∞ | 2 |
| Exercise Name: | Sets | Reps | Rest Time (min) |
|---|---|---|---|
Deadlift (Barbell) | 3 | 8-10 | 3 |
Chest Fly (Band) | 3 | ∞ | 3 |
Hammer Curl (Dumbell) | 3 | 8-10 | 2 |
Tricep Extension (Dumbbell) | 3 | 8-10 | 2 |
Seated Palm Up Wrist Curl (Dumbbell) | 3 | 8-10 | 2 |
Single Leg Bridge | 3 | ∞ | 2 |
| Exercise Name: | Sets | Reps | Rest Time (min) |
|---|---|---|---|
Incline Bench Press (Barbell) | 3 | 8-10 | 3 |
Lunge (Dumbell) | 3 | 8-10 | 3 |
Bent Over One Arm Row (Dumbbell) | 3 | 8-10 | 3 |
Standing Calf Raise (Dumbbell) | 3 | 8-10 | 2 |
Side Bend (Dumbbell) | 3 | 8-10 | 2 |
Face Pull (Band) | 3 | ∞ | 2 |
Step 2: The workout notes
The titles say it all but there's more info underneath each toggle if you have questions.
By focusing on it, you can avoid plateaus later on and prevent bad habits from forming.
Complete as many reps as you can, but it is the last rep where people tend to injure themselves leading to months of recovery. Each rep should feel difficult but the tenth one should never be impossible.
On this program, only the face pulls, chest flies, and single leg bridges are unweighted. For these exercises try to get as many reps as you can for each set. In good form, of course!
For exercises that only target one muscle (think bicep curls) rest for two minutes. For exercises that utilize multiple muscles (bench press, squat, deadlift, etc), rest for three minutes. Should you not feel rested when the timer is done, add more time until your breath is back to normal and your target muscle(s) relaxed.
As a reminder, never skip your rest time. Doing so will lead to half-reps that are suboptimal in promoting muscle growth. If you are in a rush, just complete the exercises that you can get to.
The amount of pre-workout supplements you need is found under your copy of "The Ideal Body Calculator". Also, remember to stay hydrated before and during your workout!
For example, after completing Day 1 on Monday perform Day 2 on Wednesday and Day 3 on Friday. You don't need to start Day 1 on Monday, just make sure that you are leaving a day for rest between each workout session!
As you lower the weight for every exercise, resist it for 2 seconds. For example, after curling up a dumbbell it should take you 2 seconds to lower it back down.
Mind-Muscle Connection (MMC) is when you focus on using the target muscles to move a weight, not just going through the motions. Multiple studies have shown that having a well developed MMC can increase your muscle gains substantially, so it is a skill worth developing [1, 2]!
How to practice:
As you are performing an exercise make sure that you contract (squeeze) the target muscle. For example, while bench-pressing imagine squeezing a pencil between your chest muscles. Or while performing a lat pulldown, imaging squeezing a pen between your back muscles. You should see noticeable strength gains this way!
Even if you are confident that you will be able to perform all reps, do not bench without a spotter or with the correct safety precautions. Your safety should never be set aside for your ego.
Step 3: How to progress
Once you can get 10 reps for all three sets of a weighted exercise, add a total of 5lbs (2.2kg) to the exercise and try to get as many reps as you can again. Once you get 10 reps for all three sets with the increased weight, repeat the process. Here's a visual representation:
In week number two, this person was able to get 10 reps (in good form!) so they increased the weight of the exercise by 5lbs the following week. When they are able to reach 10 reps with the increased weight, they'll add another 5lbs and repeat.
For the first few weeks of the program, you should be able to add 5lbs per exercise every other week as you get the form down. If not either your nutrition, health or another factor hasn’t been taken care of!
As for the unweighted exercises, try to keep increasing your rep count for each exercise every time you workout. When you can no longer perform any more reps in proper form, stop. For each workout, you should be trying to beat your previous record!
Step 4: Record your progress
How you record your progress depends on what method you chose to track your workouts. Read the options below to figure out how to do so with your preferred method:
How to do so Strong:
- Enter the weight you used and then put your rep count under “reps”. Do not count those that you did not perform well.
- Then click the checkbox on the far right of the exercise.
- After clicking the checkbox, strong will automatically start your rest timer, so make sure that you make it set on the correct amount of time. Once the timer goes off, you should be lifting again!
On pencil and paper:
- Write down the weight you used and the reps you completed on the correct set number
- Start a timer for the correct amount of rest time
- Once the timer goes off, start your next set!
As a beginner, you will be able to gain 12lb(5.6kg) of muscle in just 10 weeks. For reference, here are two photos of the same person 10 weeks apart on the foundational program:
They’ve dropped about 1% of their body weight each week (following the research outlined in the cutting phase) and have gained about 12lbs of muscle mass overall.
Of course, your before and after progress pictures will look different than these!
The pace at which your body is molded into an ideal physique depends on your adherence to your nutrition, your health, and your training. Besides making sure that you have all of these components down, remember to take your progress photos each week!