The 0-50 Workout
This is a great workout for beginners or those just getting back to resistance training after a break. Going too hard, too fast can wreck your plan, which can set you back before you start, essentially making you less fit than if you didn’t start a lifting program at all.
That being said, you can progress quickly depending on how your muscles feel the next day. Speaking of days, this workout doesn’t follow a weekly schedule. While there are 3 different workouts that you will repeat over time, you can do as many per week as you like. If you are sore after Day 1, you can take a day or 2 off before starting Day 2, or you can do them every day if you like.
Mat Fraser’s home gym where he trained for CrossFit dominance.
It turns out, your muscles don’t know what day of the week it is. Ask them! They don’t know. They also can’t tell time, so do these workout in the morning or at midnight. Whatever you like. A short workout at 10 o’clock before you go to bed is better than no workout at all.
These workouts can also be done at home because muscles are blind and can’t tell if your at a gym or in your basement. “Going to the gym” has never made anyone stronger. You actually need to challenge your muscles to do that, and the “Worlds fittest man” used to train in his mom’s basement before killing the competition in international competitions.
The final thing to know about these workouts is that they build in reps only when you are ready to do so. The first 3 days are just 5 reps per exercise. That’s it! Don’t do any more. You’ll know you’re ready to increase the number of reps when you’re muscles are sore the next day but not so sore you can’t brush your teeth or get off of the toilet. I used to train like that in college and probably missed out on a lot of strength gains because my muscles were too injured to grow. Some soreness is good, pain is not. And if you’re not feeling any soreness, increase your reps next go around.
I guess I should explain “reps” and “sets” as well as supersets and tri-sets that you will see below. Click the links to go to the lifting lingo blog post to learn more. In short, reps is short for repetitions, which is the number of times you complete the exercise movement before putting the weight down and stopping. A set is a completion of the prescribed number of reps. The classic 3 sets of 10 (reps) means lifting the weight 10 times, resting, and lifting it again 10 times, for 3 total rounds. A superset or tri-set just means that perform 2 (super) or 3 (tri-) every set instead of repeating the same exercise 3 times in a row. For more, click the links.
On to the workouts.
Day 1 you will only do 5 reps of each exercise for 2 rounds and you’re done! Don’t do more. Don’t do less. Just 5 reps x 2 supersets, exactly as you see it below.
Do this for Day 2 and Day 3. Just 5 reps each time. Done. If you’re not sore at all, great move on to Day 4 which is just like Day 1 but higher reps. If you feel too sore or the lifts were awkward or you’re unsure or just want a do over, repeat days 1-3!
If at any point you want to repeat a day or days, do it. Slow progress is better than no progress. Sometimes I’ve started a workout and quit because I just couldn’t do it, and started it again the next day. It’s better to keep going than to burn out and quit.
Building your muscles should build confidence. Betraying yourself builds nothing.
This workout builds from doing 10 reps of each exercise to 50! Enjoy.
Day 1:
Superset for 2 rounds: (exercises back-to-back for 2 rounds, so it will look like this…)
BW squat x 5 reps
BW straight leg deadlift x 5 reps
(rest)
BW squat x 5 reps
BW straight leg deadlift x 5 reps
Superset: 2 rounds
DB curls x 5 reps
DB shoulder press x 5 reps
Superset: 2 rounds
Lying (on the floor) DB chest press x 5
(Knees bent) crunches x 5
Day 3:
Superset: 2 sets
Squat shuffle (band around knees) x 5
Front shoulder raise (band or DB) x 5
Superset: 2 sets
Plank shoulder touches x 5
DB squat to shoulder press x 5
Superset: 2 sets
Band rear delt shoulder abduction x 5
BW burpee - stand-to-plank-to-squat x 5
Day 2:
Superset: 2 rounds
Single DB goblet squat x 5 reps
Single DB overhead triceps extensions x 5
Tri-set: 2 rounds (sets)
BW lunges x 5
Single arm DB row - Right arm x 5
Single arm DB row - Left arm x 5
Superset: 2 sets
DB curl and press x 5
DB standing toe-ups 5
During each of your first 3 workouts, you did 80 total reps each day!
Feel free to repeat that, if it was sufficiently hard, or move on to days 4-6 below. These are the same 3 workouts but increased reps on each day. Instead of stopping at 5 reps, push to 10 or more! Record your workouts and how you feel after them. If you find you are doing 20+ reps on an exercise, increase the weight the next set or workout.
Day 4:
Superset for 2 rounds:
BW squat x 10 reps
BW straight leg deadlift x 10 reps
Superset: 2 rounds
DB curls x 10 reps
DB shoulder press x 10 reps
Superset: 2 rounds
Lying (on the floor) DB chest press x 10
(Knees bent) crunches x 10
Day 6:
Superset: 2 sets
Squat shuffle (band around knees) x 10
Front shoulder raise (band or DB) x 10
Superset: 2 sets
Plank shoulder touches x 10
DB squat to shoulder press x 10
Superset: 2 sets
Band rear delt shoulder abduction x 10
BW burpee - stand-to-plank-to-squat x 10
Day 5:
Superset: 2 rounds
Single DB goblet squat x 10 reps
Single DB overhead triceps extensions x 10
Tri-set: 2 sets
BW lunges x 10
Single arm DB row - Right arm x 10
Single arm DB row - Left arm x 10
Superset: 2 sets
DB curl and press x 10
DB standing toe-ups 10
Now it’s time to add an additional set!
On days 7, 8, and 9, you will add a third set while trying to maintain the same number of reps for each super set. Hopefully, you are able to et 10-15 reps per exercise while alternating between the 2 during your supersets.
Day 7:
Superset for 3 rounds:
BW squat
BW straight leg deadlift
(rest)
BW squat
BW straight leg deadlift
(rest)
BW squat
BW straight leg deadlift
Superset: 3 rounds
DB curls
DB shoulder press
Superset: 3 rounds
Lying (on the floor) DB chest press
(Knees bent) crunches
Day 9:
Superset x 3 sets
Squat shuffle (band around knees)
Front shoulder raise (band or DB)
Superset x 3 sets
Plank shoulder touches
DB squat to shoulder press
Superset x 3 sets
Band rear delt shoulder abduction
BW burpee - stand-to-plank-to-squat
Day 8:
Superset x 3 sets
Single DB goblet squat
Single DB overhead triceps extensions
Tri-set x 3 sets
BW lunges
Single arm DB row - Right arm
Single arm DB row - Left arm
Superset x 3 sets
DB curl and press
DB standing toe-ups
Now it’s time to add an additional set!
These next 3 days will be the same number of sets as your last 3, but look at the number of reps you completed each time and try to push for more. See if you can start to get up near 20 reps for each exercise.
Day 10:
Superset for 3 rounds:
BW squat
BW straight leg deadlift
Superset: 3 rounds
DB curls
DB shoulder press
Superset: 3 rounds
Lying (on the floor) DB chest press
(Knees bent) crunches
Day 12:
Superset x 3 sets
Squat shuffle (band around knees)
Front shoulder raise (band or DB)
Superset x 3 sets
Plank shoulder touches
DB squat to shoulder press
Superset x 3 sets
Band rear delt shoulder abduction
BW burpee - stand-to-plank-to-squat
Day 11:
Superset x 3 sets
Single DB goblet squat
Single DB overhead triceps extensions
Tri-set x 3 sets
BW lunges
Single arm DB row - Right arm
Single arm DB row - Left arm
Superset x 3 sets
DB curl and press
DB standing toe-ups
It’s the final count down!
The last 3 days of this workout you’ll be completing 50 repetitions for each exercise. Here’s how…
On your first set you will complete 20 reps of each exercise. If you can’t get 20 reps in your first try, take small rests until you reach 20. That might look like 14 reps of BW squat, rest for a couple seconds, and push out 6 more for a total of 20. Then you move on to BW straight leg deadlift, doing as many as you can until you reach 20.
Then, you repeat both exercises with a goal of 15 reps. You might need to stop once or twice to get to 15 reps, but don’t move on, until you complete 15 reps of both exercises. Following this, complete 10 reps and 5 reps of both exercises in the superset. By the end of your first superset you will have done 50 reps for each lift!
20 + 15 + 10 + 5 = 50 reps!
Day 13:
Superset for 4 rounds of 20, 15, 10, and 5 reps
BW squat
BW straight leg deadlift
Superset for 4 rounds of 20, 15, 10, and 5 reps
DB curls
DB shoulder press
Superset for 4 rounds of 20, 15, 10, and 5 reps
Lying (on the floor) DB chest press
(Knees bent) crunches
Day 15:
Superset for 4 rounds of 20, 15, 10, and 5 reps
Squat shuffle (band around knees)
Front shoulder raise (band or DB)
Superset for 4 rounds of 20, 15, 10, and 5 reps
Plank shoulder touches
DB squat to shoulder press
Superset for 4 rounds of 20, 15, 10, and 5 reps
Band rear delt shoulder abduction
BW burpee - stand-to-plank-to-squat
Day 14:
Superset for 4 rounds of 20, 15, 10, and 5 reps
Single DB goblet squat
Single DB overhead triceps extensions
Tri-set for 4 rounds of 20, 15, 10, and 5 reps
BW lunges
Single arm DB row - Right arm
Single arm DB row - Left arm
Superset for 4 rounds of 20, 15, 10, and 5 reps
DB curl and press
DB standing toe-ups
CONGRATS !!!
CONGRATS !!!
You just went 0-50 reps in 15 workouts.
Now, celebrate by finding a new way to challenge yourself!!!