My strength exercise routines

I began strength exercise training in early 2025 after realising I was gradually losing body strength. I worked with a personal trainer to set up the routines below, and to learn how to properly use the equipment.

My goal for each is to reach 5 sets comfortably, before increasing the weight and beginning again at 2 sets.

Rotation 1

Exercise	Weight (kg)	Sets	Reps
Weighted chest press1	15	5	20
Weighted shoulder press	22.5	5	20
Weighted row	50	3	20
Weighted tricep	50	4	20
Weighted 45° leg press	80	2	20
Weighted bicep curl	15	4	20
Weighted abdominals	10	62	60

Rotation 2

Exercise	Weight (kg)	Sets	Reps
Free weight chest press	8	5	20
Free weight shoulder press	6	5	20
Weighted lat pull down	42.5	3	20
Weighted hack squat	15	5	20
Seated bicep curl	6	5	20
Weighted cable tricep overhead extension	12.5	5	20
Floor crunches	Bodyweight	4	200
Floor reverse leg lifts	Bodyweight	4	40

Rotation 3

Exercise	Weight (kg)	Sets	Reps
Weighted back around the world3	45	2	40[^19]
Chest press	35	5	20
Weighted squat machine	10	3	20
Standing hammer curl	8	2	20
Bent over double kick back	8	3	20
Reverse crunches	Bodyweight	4	50

Total weight progress over time

The graph below shows progress as total weight moved in a session, excluding exercises which are bodyweight only. The minimum set calculation is:

$$w_t=\sum (20\text{reps}\times 2\text{sets}\times \text{weight per rep})$$

And the maximum set calculation for 5 sets is:

$$w_t=\sum (20\text{reps}\times 5\text{sets}\times \text{weight per rep})$$

Any given week will be somewhere between the min and max levels for the routine.

Footnotes

1. Weighted means machine assisted exercise. ↩

2. On this exercise a forward facing set, a left-angled set and a right-angled set. The goal is 5 full sets of three. I find it so difficult and progress so slow that it’s easier to count out of 15. ↩

3. 4 sequential exercises of 10 reps each. ↩