Phase 1: Foundation•Week 3 • Wednesday

Day 17: Heavier, cleaner

Full Body Strength B

45 minutes

Today's workout

Hip-hinge focused. Posterior chain, glutes, back.

Warm up (5-7 min)

•5 minutes easy walk or bike
•Cat-cow x 10
•Hip circles x 10 per direction
•Glute bridges x 12
•Band pull-aparts x 15

Showing gym version. Switch to home above if needed.

1. Dumbbell Deadlift

3 x 8-10

Rest: 90 sec • Equipment: dumbbells

Form cues:

→Dumbbells at sides, shoulders back
→Hinge at hips first, then bend knees
→Drive floor away to stand

Common mistakes to avoid

✗Hyperextending at the top - stand tall, don't lean back
✗Starting the pull with your back - drive the floor away with your legs
✗Letting dumbbells drift from your body - keep them close

Easier

Kettlebell deadlift
Rack pull with dumbbells on blocks

Harder

Trap bar deadlift
Conventional barbell deadlift

Dumbbell deadlift demo

2. Reverse Lunge

3 x 10 per side

Rest: 60 sec • Equipment: dumbbells

Form cues:

→Step back, drop rear knee toward floor
→Front shin vertical, weight on front heel
→Push through front foot to return

Common mistakes to avoid

✗Stepping too short - you should feel a stretch in the rear hip
✗Front knee caving in - track knee over middle toe
✗Leaning forward excessively - keep torso vertical

Easier

Bodyweight reverse lunge with chair assist

Harder

Heavier dumbbells
Deficit reverse lunge

Home alternative: Bodyweight reverse lunge

Reverse lunge demo

3. Standing Dumbbell Shoulder Press

3 x 8-10

Rest: 90 sec • Equipment: dumbbells

Form cues:

→Elbows in front of body, not flared
→Brace core before pressing
→Lockout directly overhead

Common mistakes to avoid

✗Hyperextending the lower back - brace abs and squeeze glutes
✗Flaring elbows fully out - elbows should be slightly in front of the torso
✗Not locking out - press until arms are straight overhead

Easier

Seated dumbbell press
Half-kneeling press

Harder

Barbell overhead press
Push press

Shoulder press demo

4. Seated Row or Band Row

3 x 10-12

Rest: 60 sec • Equipment: bands

Form cues:

→Chest tall, shoulders down
→Pull handles to lower ribs
→Squeeze and control back to start

Common mistakes to avoid

✗Using momentum - control the eccentric on the way back
✗Elbows flaring too wide - for rows, keep them at 45 degrees
✗Not squeezing shoulder blades at the end - full range matters

Easier

Seated cable row at light weight

Harder

Heavier band tension
Cable row or machine row

Band row demo

5. Dead Bug

3 x 8 per side

Rest: 45 sec • Equipment: bodyweight

Form cues:

→Lower back pressed into floor
→Extend opposite arm and leg slowly
→Return with control

Common mistakes to avoid

✗Letting the lower back arch off the floor - press it down the entire rep
✗Moving too fast - this is a slow, controlled exercise
✗Holding your breath - exhale as you extend the limb

Easier

Bent knee dead bug, one limb at a time

Harder

Weighted dead bug
Resistance band dead bug

Dead bug demo

Cool down (5 min)

•5 minutes easy walk
•Pigeon pose x 30 sec per side
•Lying hamstring stretch x 30 sec per side
•Deep breathing x 2 minutes

Today's nutrition focus

Veggie diversity

Aim for 20 different plant foods per week. Each color brings different phytonutrients. This matters more than fancy supplements. A rainbow salad, berries, onions, garlic, beans, herbs - all count. Your gut bacteria and hormone metabolism depend on this diversity.

Mindset brief

Progress is invisible until it isn't

Most real change happens below the surface for weeks before it becomes visible. Muscles are strengthening. Bones are remodeling. Mitochondria are multiplying. The scale doesn't know. Your jeans don't know yet. But your body does.

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