Every movement in the program, in plain English. Each entry gives you
the setup and the form cues that matter most. Some entries include a
joint-friendly substitution — and if an exercise doesn't work for
your body, note it in your session log. Your coach can swap it for
you, and the change will be waiting in your next session.
Substitutions are not a downgrade.
Smart training is training you can repeat for years.
Safety First: The Pain Rules
Pain is never progressed through. Every sensation during training
fits one of three lights:
Green — keep going.
Muscle burn during a set, effort, mild muscle soreness a day or two
after a workout. That's normal, especially early on.
Yellow — adjust.
A joint feels achy or "off," or something pinches at a certain angle.
Lighten the load, shorten the range of motion, slow down — and if
it's still yellow, swap in a joint-friendly variation if the
entry lists one, note it in your log, and move on.
Red — stop that exercise for the day.
Sharp pain, pain that makes you change how you move, numbness or
tingling, or joint pain that keeps getting worse set to set.
The 24-hour rule: how you feel the next day tells you if
yesterday's dose was right. If a joint is still grumpy and clearly
worse the next day, last session was a little too much — next time,
repeat the same weights or drop about 10% and build again. That's
not failure. That's information.
If pain shows up, or a joint gets worse, stop and tell Ryan. Don't
push through it and don't wait it out quietly — that's what he's
there for.
Stop exercising and contact a medical professional promptly if you
experience:
Chest pain, pressure, or tightness
Severe or unusual shortness of breath
Dizziness, lightheadedness, or fainting
Sudden weakness or numbness in the face, arm, or leg
Pain radiating down an arm or leg with weakness
Loss of bladder or bowel control, or numbness in the saddle area
Back pain with fever, or pain after a fall or trauma
Unexplained swelling in one leg, especially with calf pain
These are rare — but they're never "push through it" symptoms. Get
checked first. Training can wait.
Block 1 Movements
Exercise 01 · Block 1
Goblet Squat to Box/Chair
Setup
Hold one dumbbell vertically at your chest, both hands under the top
end like you're holding a goblet. Feet about shoulder-width, toes
turned out slightly. Box, bench, or sturdy chair behind you at about
knee height.
Form cues
Sit your hips back and down until you lightly touch the box — touch it, don't plop onto it.
Keep your chest tall and the weight glued to your chest; elbows point down, not out.
Drive the floor away and stand tall, knees tracking out over your toes.
Joint-friendly swap
Raise the target. A higher box or a chair with a firm cushion
shortens the range and is usually kinder to cranky knees and hips.
Same pattern, friendlier depth.
Lie on your back on the floor, knees bent, feet flat. One dumbbell in
each hand, upper arms resting on the floor at about 45° from your
torso.
Form cues
Press the weights straight up until your arms are straight but not locked hard.
Lower slowly until your upper arms rest on the floor for a one-count, then press again.
Keep your wrists straight and stacked over your elbows.
Joint-friendly swap
Use a neutral grip — palms facing each other the whole way. The
floor already limits the range (that's why it's in Block 1 — it's a
shoulder-friendly press), and the neutral grip is often the most
comfortable version of all.
One knee and the same-side hand on a bench or chair, other foot on
the floor, back flat like a tabletop. Dumbbell hangs from the free
hand under your shoulder.
Form cues
Pull the weight to your hip — not your chest — like you're starting a lawnmower gently.
Keep your back flat and your hips square; don't rotate open as you pull.
Lower under control until your arm is straight. No dropping, no jerking.
Joint-friendly swap
The chest-supported row (Block 2) — same muscles, and the bench
supports your trunk so your lower back doesn't have to. Fine to
swap it in early if your back dislikes the bent-over position.
Stand tall, a dumbbell in each hand resting against the front of
your thighs, feet hip-width, knees soft.
Form cues
Push your hips straight back like you're closing a car door with your backside. The weights slide down the front of your legs.
Keep your back flat and your chest proud; stop when you feel a strong stretch in the back of your thighs (usually around knee to mid-shin height).
Drive your hips forward to stand. Squeeze your glutes at the top — don't lean back.
Joint-friendly swap
Raise the start. Rest the dumbbells on a low box or step at
mid-shin height so you don't have to reach as low. Shorter range,
same hip training — a great option for stiff hamstrings or a
sensitive lower back.
Kneel on one knee (pad under it) like you're about to propose, other
foot planted in front. Dumbbell in the hand on the kneeling-knee
side, at shoulder height.
Form cues
Squeeze the glute of your kneeling leg and brace like you're about to be poked in the stomach — this keeps your lower back quiet.
Press straight up until your arm is by your ear, wrist straight.
Lower to shoulder height with control. Do all your reps, then switch sides.
Joint-friendly swap
The landmine press, if you have a barbell and a corner — or simply
press at a slight forward angle with a neutral grip. If overhead
range is limited, pressing to "almost straight" within your
comfortable range is completely fine.
Anchor a long band high — over a door with a door anchor, or to a
rack. Kneel tall or sit on a chair facing the anchor, holding the
handles overhead with straight arms.
Setup — machine (gym)
Sit, thighs pinned under the pads, grip a bit wider than shoulders.
Form cues
Start the pull with your shoulder blades — think "elbows down to your ribs," not "hands to my chest."
Pull until your hands are about chin height, chest tall, no leaning way back.
Let the weight take your arms back up slowly until you feel a gentle stretch.
Joint-friendly swap
Use a neutral (palms-facing) grip — a V-handle on the machine or two
band handles at home. It's the friendliest grip for most shoulders
and elbows.
A low step, box, or sturdy stair, roughly 6–10 inches high — shin
height or a bit lower. Optional dumbbell in one or both hands once
bodyweight is easy.
Form cues
Place your whole foot on the step and press through your whole foot to stand up — the leg on the step does the work; the bottom foot doesn't push off.
Stand tall at the top, then lower slowly, 2–3 seconds down.
Keep your knee tracking over your toes, not caving inward.
Joint-friendly swap
Lower the step. A 4-inch step or a single stair still trains the
pattern. Height is a dial, not a test — turn it to where your knee
stays happy.
On your side, forearm on the floor, elbow under your shoulder, feet
stacked or staggered. Lift your hips until your body is one straight
line from head to heels.
Form cues
Push the floor away with your forearm — don't sink into your shoulder.
Ribs down, glutes squeezed, breathe steadily.
If your form breaks, the set is over. Short and clean beats long and saggy.
Joint-friendly swap
Bend your knees and plank from your knees instead of your feet.
Half the lever, same lesson — and the version many of my own
clients start with.
Stand in a long stride — one foot forward, one back, like you're
frozen mid-step. Torso tall. Hold a chair or wall for balance if you
want it (please do, if you need it). Dumbbells optional, in both
hands.
Form cues
Lower straight down, like an elevator — front knee bends, back knee drops toward the floor.
Most of your weight stays on the front leg; the back leg is a kickstand, not a crutch.
Drive through your whole front foot to stand. Keep your front knee tracking over your toes.
Joint-friendly swap
Shorten the stride and hold support the whole set, or swap in the
goblet squat from Block 1 at a heavier load. If one knee dislikes
split squats on a given day, the goblet squat keeps the session on
track.
Bench set to a low incline (about 30–45°), or a firm wedge of
cushions on the floor. Dumbbells start at shoulder height, palms
forward.
Form cues
Press up and slightly together, finishing with the weights over your upper chest.
Lower with control until your upper arms are roughly parallel to your torso — no need to touch weights to shoulders.
Keep your shoulder blades pinched into the bench and your feet planted.
Joint-friendly swap
Back to the floor press (Block 1) with heavier dumbbells. The floor
sets the range for you, and heavier floor pressing is a perfectly
good Block 2 — the angle is a detail, the effort is the program.
Bench at a low incline. Lie face-down with your chest on the bench,
feet on the floor for support, a dumbbell in each hand hanging toward
the floor. No bench? Set up exactly like the one-arm row but brace
your free forearm on the bench — the glossary's Block 1 version,
loaded heavier.
Form cues
Pull the weights toward your lower ribs, shoulder blades squeezing together.
Keep your chest glued to the bench — if your chest lifts, the weight is too heavy.
Lower slowly to a full hang. Let your shoulder blades spread at the bottom.
Joint-friendly swap
The band row — anchor a band at chest height, sit or stand tall,
and row with a neutral grip. Less load available, but zero spinal
stress and easy to set up anywhere.
One heavy dumbbell in each hand (start with the heaviest pair you can
hold with perfect posture). Stand tall before you take a single step.
Form cues
Shoulders down and back, ribs down, chin level — walk like you're balancing a book on your head and carrying two full suitcases.
Short, smooth steps. Heel to toe. No rushing, no waddling.
Set the weights down before your grip fails completely — a dropped dumbbell on a foot teaches the wrong lesson.
Joint-friendly swap
The suitcase carry — one dumbbell at a time, other hand free for a
rail or balance if you need it. Trains grip and core, adds a nice
anti-lean challenge, and is gentler on total load.
Anchor a band at chest height. Stand sideways to the anchor, holding
the handle at your sternum with both hands, feet shoulder-width, a
few steps away so the band has tension.
Form cues
Press your hands straight out in front of your chest — the band tries to rotate you toward the anchor; don't let it.
Pause one count with arms straight, ribs down, glutes squeezed.
Bring hands back to your chest under control. All reps, then face the other way.
Joint-friendly swap
Use a lighter band and stand closer to the anchor. The movement
itself is about as joint-friendly as core training gets — the dial
is band tension and distance.
Stand tall, feet shoulder-width, dumbbells at shoulder height, palms
forward or facing each other.
Form cues
Squeeze your glutes and brace your stomach before you press — your lower back stays neutral while your arms do the work.
Press until your arms are straight by your ears, without shrugging your shoulders to your ears.
Lower to shoulder height under control.
Joint-friendly swap
Go back to the half-kneeling press from Block 1. Half-kneeling
locks your pelvis in place and takes the lower back out of the
equation — for many people over 40 it stays the better choice
permanently, and that's fine.
Stand tall holding a barbell or EZ bar with an underhand grip, arms straight down, elbows pinned at your sides. A '21' is three partial ranges back to back: 7 reps from the bottom to halfway up, 7 from halfway to the top, then 7 full reps — no rest between.
Form cues
Keep your elbows glued to your ribs — if they drift forward, the weight is too heavy.
No swinging: your upper arms stay still, only the forearms move.
The burn is the point, but form doesn't get sloppy on the last 7.
Sit in the leg press with your back flat against the pad and feet hip-width on the platform, toes slightly out. Release the safety handles and lower the sled under control.
Form cues
Lower until your knees are near 90 degrees — or as deep as you can without your lower back rounding off the pad.
Push through your whole foot, heels included, not just your toes.
Don't lock your knees out hard at the top; stop just short.
Stand tall with a dumbbell in each hand, palms facing each other (neutral grip, like holding a hammer). Curl one at a time, keeping the palm facing in the whole way.
Form cues
Keep your wrists straight and strong, not bent back.
Elbows pinned at your sides; no torso swing.
This grip hits the outer arm and forearms — expect it to feel different from a regular curl.
Set the assistance on the machine (or a heavy band under your knee/foot) so you can complete the reps with good form — more assistance makes it easier. Grip the handles overhand, about shoulder-width.
Form cues
Start from straight arms and pull your chest toward the bar.
Think 'elbows down to your ribs,' not 'chin over.'
Lower slowly to a full stretch — don't drop into the bottom. As you get stronger, reduce the assistance.
Bar on the rack at upper-chest height. Duck under it so it rests across your upper back (not your neck), grip it wide, unrack, and take two small steps back. Feet shoulder-width, toes slightly out.
Form cues
Brace like you're about to be punched in the stomach before every rep.
Sit down between your heels; knees track out over your toes.
Drive up through your whole foot and stand tall — chest up, hips through.
Lie on the bench with your eyes under the bar, feet planted flat on the floor. Grip the bar so your forearms are vertical at the chest, unrack, and hold it over your shoulders.
Form cues
Lower the bar to mid-chest with control — no bouncing.
Keep your shoulder blades pinched into the bench and a small arch in your back.
Press up and slightly back toward the rack. Wrists straight, stacked over elbows.
Stand with the bar in front of your thighs, hinge at the hips until your torso is about 45 degrees, soft knees, flat back. The bar hangs from straight arms below your shoulders.
Form cues
Pull the bar to your lower ribs/upper stomach, squeezing your shoulder blades together.
Your torso angle doesn't change — if you have to stand up to finish the rep, it's too heavy.
Lower the bar slowly; don't let it yank your shoulders forward.
Bar at the rack about chin height, or cleaned up from the floor. Grip just outside shoulder-width, forearms vertical, bar resting on the heel of your palms. Stand tall and brace.
Form cues
Squeeze your glutes and brace your core — your lower back should not arch as you press.
Move your head back slightly as the bar passes your face, then push your head 'through the window' at the top.
Stand tall holding the bar in front of your thighs, overhand grip, feet hip-width. Unlock your knees slightly and hinge from the hips, sliding the bar down your legs.
Form cues
Push your hips back like you're closing a car door with your backside — this is a hinge, not a squat.
Keep the bar dragging close to your legs and your back flat; stop when your hips stop moving back (usually mid-shin).
Stand by driving your hips forward — you should feel hamstrings and glutes, not your lower back.
Hands on the edge of a bench, chair, or parallel bars behind you, fingers forward. Legs extended out front (bend your knees to make it easier). Lower your body by bending the elbows.
Form cues
Elbows point straight back, not flared out to the sides.
Lower only as far as your shoulders comfortably allow — no forcing depth.
Press through your palms to straighten the arms. If shoulders complain, swap this for cable pushdowns.
Set both pulleys high, take a handle in each hand, and step forward into a staggered stance so the cables pull your arms up and back. Arms wide with a slight bend in the elbows.
Form cues
Sweep the handles down and together in front of your chest like you're hugging a big barrel.
Keep the elbow bend fixed — the movement comes from the shoulder, not the elbow.
Let your arms open back up slowly until you feel a stretch across your chest.
Clip a straight or EZ bar to the low pulley. Stand close to the machine, grip underhand, elbows at your sides, and step back a half-step so the cable stays taut.
Form cues
Curl the bar up in an arc; elbows don't move.
The cable keeps tension at the top where a dumbbell goes slack — squeeze there on purpose.
Clip a rope to a high pulley (or low pulley, facing away). Grip the rope overhead with both hands, elbows bent so your hands are behind your head, and face away from the machine for the low-pulley version.
Form cues
Upper arms stay vertical and still, close to your ears — only your forearms move.
Extend until your arms are straight, then lower slowly behind your head for a full stretch.
Keep your ribs down and core braced so your back doesn't arch.
Clip a rope or straight bar to a high pulley. Stand close, grip the attachment, and pin your elbows to your sides with your forearms about parallel to the floor.
Form cues
Push down until your arms are fully straight, then let the attachment rise only until your forearms are parallel — no higher.
Your upper arms don't move at all; if they do, lighten the weight.
With a rope, split the ends apart at the bottom for a stronger finish.
Set up like a regular bench press, but grip the bar with your hands about shoulder-width (not narrower — hands under shoulders). Unrack and hold over your chest.
Form cues
Lower the bar to your lower chest, keeping your elbows closer to your body than a normal bench.
Keep your wrists straight and stacked over your elbows.
Press up under control — this variation shifts the work to your triceps.
Sit on the bench with dumbbells resting on your thighs, then lie back and kick them up to chest height one at a time (or have someone hand them to you). Weights start at chest level, palms facing your feet.
Form cues
Press the dumbbells up and slightly together; lower until your upper arms are about parallel to the floor.
Keep your wrists straight and the weights from drifting out to the sides.
Set the weights down safely at the end — bring your knees up to catch them, don't drop them sideways off the bench.
Hold dumbbells at shoulder height, palms facing forward or toward each other. Seated with back support is fine and often steadier.
Form cues
Press straight up until your arms are fully extended overhead, biceps near your ears.
Brace your core so your lower back doesn't arch.
Lower back to shoulder height with control. Getting the weights up safely is part of the exercise — rest them on your thighs and kick them up one at a time.
Hinge forward at the hips (or sit on the edge of a bench and lean over your thighs), back flat, dumbbells hanging below your chest with a soft bend in the elbows.
Form cues
Lift the weights out and back in an arc, squeezing between your shoulder blades.
Think 'wide and back,' not 'up' — your hands should end up roughly level with your shoulders.
Keep it light and strict; momentum turns this into everything except rear delts.
Stand tall holding the EZ bar on the angled grips, underhand, arms fully extended. The angled bar is easier on most wrists and elbows than a straight bar.
Form cues
Curl in an arc with your elbows pinned at your sides.
No swinging or leaning back to start the rep.
Lower to straight arms slowly — full range, every rep.
Clip a rope to a pulley at about face height. Grip both ends with your thumbs toward you, step back until your arms are straight and the cable is taut.
Form cues
Pull the rope to your face, splitting the ends so your hands finish beside your ears, elbows high.
Think 'show me your biceps' at the finish — that's the external rotation that makes this exercise valuable.
Keep it light and smooth; this is shoulder-health work, not a strength test.
Hold one dumbbell vertically at your chest, both hands under the top end like a goblet. Feet shoulder-width, toes slightly out. This is the free-standing version — no box behind you.
Form cues
Sit down between your heels, keeping your chest tall and the weight glued to your chest.
Let your elbows brush inside your knees at the bottom — that keeps your knees tracking out.
Stand by driving the floor away. New to it? Use the box version until the pattern is automatic.
On the hack squat machine, set your back and shoulders against the pads, feet shoulder-width on the platform. Release the safety and lower under control.
Form cues
Lower until your thighs are about parallel — or as deep as your knees comfortably allow.
Push through your whole foot; keep your back glued to the pad.
Don't slam the lockout at the top; finish tall but controlled.
Set the bench to a 30–45 degree incline. Lie back with your eyes under the bar, grip so your forearms are vertical when the bar touches your upper chest.
Form cues
Lower the bar to your upper chest (higher than a flat bench touch point).
Keep your shoulder blades pinched into the bench.
Press up and slightly back. If the angle bothers your shoulders, lower the incline.
On the leg press, place the balls of your feet on the bottom edge of the platform with your heels hanging off, legs straight but not locked. Keep the safeties within reach.
Form cues
Let your heels sink below the platform level for a full stretch.
Press up onto your toes as high as possible and pause at the top.
Slow and full range beats heavy and bouncy — calves respond to the stretch and the pause.
Adjust the seat so the handles line up with the middle of your chest. Sit with your back flat on the pad, grip the handles, and start with your hands beside your chest.
Form cues
Press straight out until your arms are extended but not slammed into lockout.
Keep your shoulder blades against the pad — don't roll your shoulders forward at the end.
Return slowly until you feel a mild stretch, then press again.
Set both pulleys to about chest height, take a handle in each hand, and step forward into a staggered stance with your arms open wide, soft bend in the elbows.
Form cues
Bring the handles together in front of your chest in a wide hugging arc.
Keep the elbow bend fixed throughout.
Open back up slowly to a full stretch — don't let the stacks yank you.
Grip the bar overhand, hands about shoulder-width, hanging from straight arms. If a full pull-up isn't there yet, the assisted version (or lat pulldown) builds the same pattern.
Form cues
Pull your chest to the bar, driving your elbows down to your ribs.
Start each rep from a dead hang — no kicking or swinging.
Lower all the way down slowly; the lowering builds as much strength as the pull.
Hands under your shoulders, body in one straight line from head to heels, on the floor — or with your hands on a bench or countertop to make it easier. Lower your chest toward the surface.
Form cues
Your body moves as one plank — no sagging hips or piked backside.
Elbows track about 45 degrees from your body, not straight out to the sides.
Chest to a fist's height from the surface, then press the floor away. Elevate your hands before you ever drop to your knees — it keeps the pattern the same.
Hold dumbbells at shoulder height with your palms facing you (like the top of a curl). As you press up, rotate your palms to face forward at the top — the Arnold press pattern.
Form cues
Rotate smoothly as you press — no jerking the weights around.
Finish with straight arms overhead, then reverse the rotation on the way down.
Go lighter than your regular press; the rotation adds difficulty.
Adjust the machine so the pad sits just above your heels/behind your ankles and the pivot lines up with your knees. (The dose in the library is a placeholder — your coach confirms the starting weight.)
Form cues
Curl your heels toward your seat as far as the machine comfortably allows.
Keep your hips pressed into the seat — if they lift, the weight is too heavy.
Lower slowly; don't let the stack crash down between reps.
Stand on a step or calf-raise machine with the balls of your feet on the edge and your heels free to drop below. Hold support for balance if you're free-standing.
Form cues
Drop your heels below the step for a full stretch at the bottom.
Rise as high onto your toes as you can and pause a full second at the top.
Hold a weight plate at your chest with both hands on its edges, standing tall. Press the plate straight out in front of your chest until your arms are extended.
Form cues
Keep your ribs down and glutes squeezed so your back doesn't arch as you press.
Press straight ahead, not up — the plate travels parallel to the floor.
Bring it back to your chest under control; don't let it pull you forward.
Stand inside the trap (hex) bar with your feet hip-width, handles at your sides. Hinge and squat down to grip the handles, chest up, back flat, arms straight.
Form cues
Push the floor away — think of it as a standing leg press more than a pull.
Keep your chest up and your back flat; the bar should travel straight up your shins.
Stand fully tall, hips through, then hinge and squat the bar back down under control.
Stand tall (dumbbells at your sides optional) and step forward into a long stride, lowering until both knees are bent about 90 degrees. Push through the front foot and step the back foot through into the next lunge.
Form cues
Torso stays tall — the most common fault is pitching forward as you fatigue.
Front knee tracks over the front foot; take a long enough step.
Move like you're walking a tightrope's wider cousin: feet land hip-width apart, not on a line, so you stay balanced.