Sweat Equity · beginner program

Beginner Blueprint

A simple, no-nonsense plan to get you strong and moving. Push, Pull, Shoulders & Legs, plus a day to explore. Built to run in any gym with a bench and the basic machines.

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a note from Solo

Why this guide exists

Hey, thanks for opening this.

If you're from the community, you already know what we're about: leveling up in our careers. A big part of that is building a strong mind and a strong body. This plan is one way to work on the second part.

Most beginners spam sets, ego lift, or try to live in the gym. The real game is quieter: be a little better than you were the week before. That's progressive overload, and it's why even once or twice a week can build real gains, as long as you're serious about it and actually put in the effort.

I'd also push everyone to track their progress. That's the whole reason this plan exists. Stick to the same handful of movements, put your energy into overloading them, and skip the endless hunt for new exercises that leaves you training without direction.

If you're in the server, post your workouts. You'll get feedback from people already in this cycle, and you'll learn quickly what improving every week actually looks like.

I'll keep beating this dead horse, because progressive overload is the one thing that matters most. Every week, try to lift a little more weight or do a few more reps. Can't do either? Work on your form, slower and cleaner. Then rinse and repeat. And if you're cranking out way too many reps on a weight, you're not adding weight fast enough. Stay in a normal range, 8 to 12 reps, and once you hit the top, add weight and start back at 8.

More reps

More weight

Fix form

repeat

With or without my help - I wish you the best.

Start here

Before you start

This is for beginners. If you have been training hard for a year already, this is not your plan.

Built for minimum equipment. A bench, some dumbbells, and the basic machines every gym has. Nothing fancy, nothing hard to find.

The number of exercises does not matter, effort does. Going hard beats doing more. Each week, aim for a little progress: one more rep, or a bit more weight than last time. Piling on extra sets and exercises usually does not lead to growth in the long run.

Every move has a dumbbell or simple alternative. If your gym does not have the primary, run the alternate. It counts the same.

Not sure on a movement or a swap? Just ask in the chat. That is what it is for.

Never done a movement and not sure how it works? ExRx.net has an in-depth library of pretty much every exercise, with proper form for each. Find the closest match by name and study it there.

How Often

Built for 3 days: Push, Pull, and Shoulders & Legs. Only have 1 day a week? Just run the next split each time, Push this week, Pull the next, then Shoulders & Legs. You'll still progress. Get started and improve over time, no need to overwhelm yourself.

Warm Up & Every Set

Open with 5 to 10 minutes of light cardio, no more, just enough to get loose without gassing you. Then per exercise: warm-up set + 2 to 4 working sets of 8 to 12 reps. Save any extra cardio for after the workout.

Variations Are a Ladder

Lots of moves have many variations. They are not meant to be stacked together in one session, they are a ladder to climb. Start on the easier version, and when it gets too light (you max out the machine's stack), step up to the harder one. Running three variations of the same move in one day just hits the same muscle twice, wasted work. Example: a tricep pushdown is easiest on a straight bar. Max the stack, then move up to a V-bar, then a rope. One at a time, not all at once.

the plan

The Splits

🏋️

Push

Chest · Shoulders · Triceps

Warm-up + 2-4 sets · 8-12 reps

Warm Up 5 to 10 min light cardio + warm-up 10 minutes max before you lift, save the rest for after
Chest Barbell Bench Press

Alternate Dumbbell Bench Press / Incline DB Press
Chest Pec Deck (Machine Fly)

Alternate Cable Fly
Shoulder Dumbbell Lateral Raise

Alternate Cable Lateral Raise
Tricep Cable Tricep Pushdown

Alternate Rope Pushdown
Tricep Overhead Dumbbell Extension

Alternate Cable Overhead Extension

💪

Pull

Back · Biceps

Warm-up + 2-4 sets · 8-12 reps

Warm Up 5 to 10 min light cardio + warm-up 10 minutes max before you lift, save the rest for after
Back Lat Pulldown, Wide Grip

Alternate MAG Wide Grip Pulldown
Back Chest-Supported Dumbbell Row

Alternate Chest-Supported Machine Row
Back Seated Cable Row

Alternate Machine Row
Back Reverse Pec Deck (rear delt)

Alternate Dumbbell Bent-over Rear Delt
Bicep Standing Hammer Curl

Alternate Seated / Incline Hammer Curl
Bicep Preacher Curl (Machine)

Alternate EZ-Bar Preacher Curl

🦵

Shoulders & Legs

Shoulders · Legs

Warm-up + 2-4 sets · 8-12 reps

Warm Up 5 to 10 min light cardio + warm-up 10 minutes max before you lift, save the rest for after
Shoulder Smith Machine Shoulder Press

Alternate Seated Dumbbell Shoulder Press
Shoulder Cable Upright Row (side delts & traps)

Alternate EZ-Bar Upright Row
Legs Leg Press

Alternate Squat
Legs Leg Extension (quads)

Alternate No swap, just do it
Legs Leg Curl, Lying (hamstrings)

Alternate Seated Leg Curl
Legs Back Extension (posterior chain)

Alternate Bench / Bodyweight Back Extension
Legs Calf Raise optional

Alternate Seated Calf Raise

🧪

Your Playground

Experiment, learn, then focus

No fixed list, and that is the point. Head to the full exercise list at solokarry.com, pick 4 to 6 movements, and run the same scheme. Repeat what you know, or try variations you have never done. Chase whatever lagged this week. For a beginner, poking around and learning your own body is half the game. Do this at least once a week, then commit to what actually works for you.

Learn the lingo

Glossary

Rep

One full movement of an exercise. Lower the weight, lift it back, that is 1 rep.

Set

A group of reps done back to back, then you rest. "3 sets of 10" means 10 reps, rest, repeat 3 times.

Working Set

A real, hard set with your actual weight. Your warm-up set does not count toward this.

Rep Range

How many reps you aim for. 8 to 12 is the sweet spot for size. Push 15 to 20 on small muscles like side delts. Low reps (4 to 6) lean toward pure strength.

Concentric

The lifting half of a rep, when the muscle shortens under load. Pushing the bar up, curling the weight up.

Eccentric

The lowering half of a rep, when the muscle lengthens under load. Control it. A lot of your growth and soreness comes from a slow eccentric.

RIR Reps In Reserve

How many reps you had left in you. "2 RIR" means you could have done 2 more. As a beginner, stop a rep or two before you fail.

RPE Rate of Perceived Exertion

A 1 to 10 scale for how hard a set felt. 10 is all-out, nothing left. Most of your sets should sit around 7 to 8.

Progressive Overload

Doing a little more over time: more weight, an extra rep, a cleaner set. This is the whole reason you grow. No overload, no progress.

Compound vs Isolation

Compounds hit many muscles at once (bench, row, leg press). Isolations target one (lateral raise, curl). Build around compounds, finish with isolation.

Hypertrophy

Training to make muscles bigger. Moderate weight, 8 to 15 reps, steady volume. This is most people's goal.

Strength Training

Training to lift heavier, not always bigger. Heavy weight, low reps (3 to 6), longer rest. Different goal, different rep range.

Superset

Two exercises done back to back with no rest between them. Saves time and cranks up the burn.

Drop Set

Hit failure, drop the weight, keep going with no rest. A finisher, not something to do on every set.

Straight Sets

The default. Same weight and same rep target on every set. "3 sets of 10 at 20kg." Simple, and where beginners should start.

Pyramid Sets

Change the weight across sets, two ways. High to low: heaviest set first while fresh, so you move the most weight, but it is harder on the joints. Low to high: start light and build to your heaviest last, easier on the joints and great for warming up or older lifters, though fatigue may cap your top weight.