I’m writing a new book for anyone new to weight lifting or anyone who goes to the gym regularily but doesn’t see results. This 12 week program is simple, and the book comes with all you need in terms of the routine, instruction, nutrition, and a host of other advice to get you great results.
Here’s the basics of the program:
The Basics: How to Get Started with the LIFT Workout Today
You don’t need to finish this book before you start getting stronger.
One of the central ideas behind LIFT is that fitness doesn’t need to be complicated. I’ve written the rest of this book to explain why the program works, teach you how to perform the exercises properly, show you how to progress, and help you improve your nutrition, activity, and other habits along the way.
But you don’t need to understand everything before you begin.
If you have access to a reasonably equipped gym, you can start the LIFT program today. You’ll be using machines, rather than free weights for the program. Here’s everything you need to know.
The LIFT Workout
You’ll perform the same nine exercises three times per week on nonconsecutive days. Monday, Wednesday, and Friday works well, as does Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday.
For each exercise, perform one lighter warm-up set followed by two working sets.
| Exercise | Sets | Repetitions |
| Chest Press | 1 Warm-Up + 2 Working | 8–12 |
| Leg Press | 1 Warm-Up + 2 Working | 8–12 |
| Lat Pulldown | 1 Warm-Up + 2 Working | 8–12 |
| Shoulder Press | 1 Warm-Up + 2 Working | 8–12 |
| Leg Curl | 1 Warm-Up + 2 Working | 10–15 |
| Biceps Curl | 1 Warm-Up + 2 Working | 10–15 |
| Triceps Extension | 1 Warm-Up + 2 Working | 10–15 |
| Leg Extension | 1 Warm-Up + 2 Working | 10–15 |
| Seated Row | 1 Warm-Up + 2 Working | 8–12 |
That’s the entire strength program.
Nine exercises. Three days per week. About 45–55 minutes per workout.
Your First Workout
Don’t worry about finding the perfect weight on your first day. Start lighter than you think you need to and concentrate on learning the machines and performing each exercise correctly.
For your warm-up set, use roughly 50–60% of the weight you expect to use for your working sets and perform about eight easy, controlled repetitions. The warm-up should prepare you for the exercise, not tire you out.
Then perform two working sets at the same weight. Move the weight under control—approximately two seconds up and two seconds down—and use the full comfortable range of motion.
On your first few workouts, concentrate primarily on learning the movements and establishing good form. As you become comfortable with the exercises, I want you to learn to push your working sets hard. Keep performing good repetitions until you reach muscular failure or the top of the prescribed repetition range.
Never sacrifice good form just to force out another repetition.
Rest approximately one minute between sets. Take enough time to record what you did, catch your breath, and get ready to go again. Allow another minute or two to move between exercises.
Write Everything Down
This part is important.
Record the weight and repetitions for both working sets of every exercise. You can use a workout app such as Strong or the workout log I’ve included in the back of this book.
When you return to the gym, look at what you did last time and try to beat it.
If you chest pressed 80 pounds for 10 repetitions and nine repetitions last time, try to get 10 and 10. Next time, maybe you get 11 and 10. Eventually you’ll reach 12 and 12.
Once you reach the top of the repetition range on both working sets with good form, increase the weight. Your repetitions will probably fall back toward the bottom of the range, and you’ll begin building them up again.
More reps → More weight → More reps → More weight.
That’s progressive overload, and it’s the basic engine behind LIFT.
Add the LIFT Core Routine
Two or three times per week, spend another 10–15 minutes working your core. You can do this at the gym, at home, or anywhere else you have enough room.
Perform three rounds of:
| Exercise | Starting Repetitions |
| Crunches | 8-25 |
| Leg Raises | 8-25 |
| Prone Back Extensions | 8-25 |
| Russian Twists | 8-25 |
Start with as many reps as you can do with perfect form for each exercise.
Rest about 30 seconds between exercises, or simply long enough to catch your breath and get into position for the next one. Perform each repetition under control, using approximately the same two-seconds-up, two-seconds-down cadence you’ll use in the gym.
For Russian Twists, a rotation to the right and left together counts as one repetition.
If you can’t perform eight good repetitions of an exercise, start with however many you can perform correctly. From there, try to add one good repetition every time you perform the core workout. You may not improve every exercise during every workout, and that’s fine. Keep working until you can perform 25 controlled repetitions with perfect form.
Once you reach 25 repetitions, add resistance. My preferred choice is a medicine ball or soft weighted throw ball, although you can also use a dumbbell or kettlebell when appropriate. Start with a light weight and don’t worry when your repetitions drop—that’s exactly what should happen.
Then start building them back up again.
More reps → 25 reps → Add weight → Build the reps again.
It’s the same progressive-overload principle that drives the nine-exercise LIFT workout. Keep challenging yourself a little more over time, and your core will get stronger along with the rest of your body.
Then Start Moving
Strength training is the foundation of LIFT, but I also want you moving every day.
Walking is the simplest way to do it. Don’t worry if you’re nowhere near 10,000 steps per day right now. Find out how much you’re currently walking and begin increasing it.
Over time, we’ll work toward approximately 10,000 steps per day. You don’t have to get there tomorrow.
That’s Enough to Start
There’s much more to come.
We’ll talk about why strength training matters, how to perform each exercise, how progressive overload changes your body, how to train your core, how to choose the right training partner, how to use walking and cardio, what to eat, and how to make all of this something you can continue doing for the rest of your life.
But I don’t want reading about getting stronger to become another excuse for waiting to get stronger.
You already know enough to begin.
Go to the gym. Find the nine machines. Start light. Learn the movements. Record what you do.
Then come back two days later and try to do a little better.
Show up. Do the work. Get better.
That’s LIFT.