8-Week Strength Program for Beginners – Train the Whole Body | Hardworkout Magazine
Key takeaways
- The programme runs for eight weeks with five strength sessions and two recovery days per week, each session lasting 45-60 minutes.
- Each session opens with one of five compound lifts – squat, bench press, deadlift, standing shoulder press or barbell row – followed by three accessory exercises.
- Training weights are set as a percentage of 1RM, rising from 80% for 4 reps in week 2 to 90% for 2 reps in weeks 4 and 7.
- Beginners are advised to estimate 1RM from a heavy set of 3-5 repetitions rather than attempting a true maximum lift.
- A daily protein intake of 1.6-2.2 grams per kilogram of body weight is given as the starting point for regular strength trainees.
Do you want to get stronger and build a solid foundation for further strength training? This eight-week program is suitable for those who are relatively new to strength training and want to increase strength throughout the body.
By training systematically over several weeks, you will have the opportunity to develop both strength and better control in the exercises. At the same time, you will learn to adjust the weights according to your own level and gain experience in how to train to become stronger.
About the Program
The program consists of five strength workouts and two rest days per week. Each workout takes around 45-60 minutes and focuses on one of five key compound exercises: squats, bench press, deadlifts, standing shoulder press, and barbell rows.
The compound exercises are performed first in each workout, when you have the most energy and can lift the heaviest. This is followed by three accessory exercises that target the muscles used in the compound exercises, strengthen the supporting muscles, and contribute to better stability and more versatile strength.
The program is best suited for beginners who have learned the basic technique of the compound exercises. You do not need to be particularly strong beforehand, but you should be able to perform the exercises with the correct technique before you start training with heavier weights.
The goal is to increase strength, and therefore the program is designed with relatively few repetitions and gradually heavier weights. You should not train to exhaustion in each set, but be able to complete all repetitions with good control.
The first week is used to find a baseline for how much you should lift. This is followed by six weeks of planned increases in weights, before you test your strength again in week eight.
Rest Between Sets
- Compound Exercises: 3 minutes
- Accessory Exercises: 2 minutes
Start each workout with 5-10 minutes of general warm-up, and perform some lighter warm-up sets before you begin the working sets in the compound exercise.
Week 1 – Test the Strength in the Basic Exercises
In the first week, you will find out how much you can lift in the five basic exercises. The results will be used to calculate the weights you will train with over the next six weeks.
How do you estimate your 1RM without lifting maximum?
Maximum strength is usually expressed as 1RM (one repetition maximum), which is the heaviest weight you can lift once with proper technique.
For beginners, it is often better to calculate 1RM based on a heavy set of 3-5 repetitions. This way, you avoid testing how much you can lift at maximum while still getting a good starting point for the program.
How to Conduct the Test
Start with some light warm-up sets and gradually increase the weights. When you approach a weight that feels heavy, perform a set of 3-5 repetitions.
Choose a weight that is challenging but that you can lift with proper technique throughout the entire set. You do not need to push yourself to exhaustion.
You can then use a 1RM calculator to estimate maximum strength based on the weight and number of repetitions.
Example:
- You lift 60 kg in the squat.
- You manage 5 repetitions with good technique.
- Estimated 1RM becomes approximately 70 kg.
This number will be used when calculating the weights in the squat.
Do the same for the other four basic exercises, and write down the results.
Spread the tests over five days, with one basic exercise each day. This will give you a better starting point for each exercise than if you test several on the same day.
How to Increase Weights Throughout the Program
From week 2 to week 7, you will follow a fixed plan for how heavy you should lift in the main exercises.
The weights are calculated as a percentage of 1RM, and the number of sets and repetitions changes from week to week.
- First week: Test your strength and calculate 1RM.
- Second week: 5 sets × 4 reps – 80% of 1RM.
- Third week: 5 sets × 3 reps – 85% of 1RM.
- Fourth week: 5 sets × 2 reps – 90% of 1RM.
- Fifth week: 4 sets × 4 reps – 80% of 1RM.
- Sixth week: 4 sets × 3 reps – 85% of 1RM.
- Seventh week: 4 sets × 2 reps – 90% of 1RM.
- Eighth week: Test your strength again and compare the results with the first week.
This plan applies to all five main exercises.
For example, if you have a calculated 1RM of 100 kg in bench press, you should lift 80 kg for 5 sets of 4 repetitions in week 2.
In week 3, the weight increases to 85 kg, while you reduce to 3 repetitions per set. In week 4, you lift 90 kg for 5 sets of 2 repetitions.
From week 5, the number of sets decreases from five to four, while the weights follow the same pattern as in the previous weeks.
Important: The percentages are guidelines, especially if you are using a calculated 1RM. If the weights become too heavy for you to complete all repetitions with proper technique, you should reduce them somewhat.
Weekly Plan – Five Strength Workouts and Two Rest Days
The program is spread over five training days from Monday to Friday, with active recovery on Saturday and rest on Sunday.
- Monday: Squats and front thighs
- Tuesday: Bench press, chest and triceps
- Wednesday: Deadlifts, back thighs and glutes
- Thursday: Shoulders and triceps
- Friday: Back and biceps
- Saturday: Active recovery
- Sunday: Rest day
Can you move the training days around?