Phase 1: Foundation•Week 1 • Friday

Day 5: Unilateral day

Full Body Strength C

45 minutes

Today's workout

Unilateral work. Balance, stability, single-leg strength.

Warm up (5-7 min)

•5 minutes easy walk or bike
•Leg swings x 10 per direction per side
•Walking lunge x 8 per side
•Arm circles x 10 per direction
•Scapular pull-ups (or band) x 10

Showing gym version. Switch to home above if needed.

1. Split Squat

3 x 10 per side

Rest: 60 sec • Equipment: dumbbells

Form cues:

→Staggered stance, back heel up
→Drop straight down, not forward
→Front leg does the work

Common mistakes to avoid

✗Stepping too narrow - this stresses the knee, widen your split stance
✗Pushing off the back foot - the front leg does most of the work
✗Not going deep enough - aim for back knee a few inches from floor

Easier

Split squat to bench or box
Hands on counter for balance

Harder

Bulgarian split squat
Deficit split squat

Home alternative: Bodyweight split squat

Split squat demo

2. Single Leg Dumbbell Romanian Deadlift

3 x 8 per side

Rest: 60 sec • Equipment: dumbbells

Form cues:

→Soft bend in standing leg
→Hinge forward, back leg extends behind
→Return with control

Common mistakes to avoid

✗Twisting open at the hip - keep both hip bones pointing down
✗Lifting the back leg too high - it's a balance lever, not a kick
✗Rounding the back - brace core like the two-leg version

Easier

Kickstand RDL (back toe lightly touching floor)

Harder

Heavier dumbbells
Deficit single-leg RDL

Single-leg RDL demo

3. Push-Up (incline, knee, or standard)

3 x 8-12

Rest: 60 sec • Equipment: bodyweight

Form cues:

→Hands under shoulders
→Body in straight line
→Lower chest to hand level

Common mistakes to avoid

✗Sagging hips - brace your core like a plank
✗Flaring elbows out to 90 degrees - tuck them to about 45 degrees
✗Partial range - lower until chest is at hand level

Easier

Wall push-up
Incline push-up on bench or counter
Knee push-up

Harder

Deficit push-up
Weighted push-up
Archer push-up

Push-up demo

4. Band Face Pull

3 x 12-15

Rest: 45 sec • Equipment: bands

Form cues:

→Anchor band at eye level
→Pull hands toward ears, elbows high
→Squeeze upper back at end

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. Side Plank

3 x 20-30 sec per side

Rest: 45 sec • Equipment: bodyweight

Form cues:

→Hips stacked and lifted
→Feet stacked or staggered
→Breathe through the hold

Common mistakes to avoid

✗Hips sagging toward the floor - actively lift
✗Twisting torso forward - stack hips and shoulders in a straight line
✗Head drifting - keep neck neutral, eyes straight ahead

Easier

Knee side plank
Side plank on forearm with top foot in front

Harder

Side plank with leg lift
Side plank with hip dips

Side plank demo

Cool down (5 min)

•5 minutes easy walk
•Standing quad stretch x 30 sec per side
•Figure-4 stretch x 30 sec per side
•Deep breathing x 2 minutes

Today's nutrition focus

Fiber check: are you getting enough?

Most women get 12-15g of fiber daily. You need 25-30g. The gap is usually vegetables and beans. Add a cup of veg to every meal today and notice the difference in satiety and energy.

Mindset brief

Strong on one leg, strong on both

Single-leg work fixes imbalances you didn't know you had. Most women have a stronger dominant side and a weaker non-dominant side. The split squat, the single-leg RDL - they expose this and slowly correct it. That's why bilateral strength goes up too.

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