Strength · 6 min read
Building your first strength block
You don't need a fancy split or a coach yelling in your ear. You need six weeks of the same four lifts, done twice a week, with weight going up by a small amount every session. Here's exactly how we run it on the floor at Vincy's.
Most beginners quit strength training in the first month for one of two reasons: they lift too heavy in week one and hurt something, or they lift the same 20 kg dumbbells for six months and see nothing change. This plan sits in the middle. It's boring on purpose.
The four lifts
Everything runs off a barbell squat, a Romanian deadlift, a horizontal press (bench or push-up if bench is intimidating) and a horizontal row (chest-supported dumbbell row is our default for new members). That's it. No curls. No cable kickbacks. Not yet.
Two sessions a week, at least 48 hours apart. Warm up with 5 minutes on the bike or a walk, then two empty-bar sets before your working weight. Skipping the warm-up is where 90% of gym injuries start.
Week 1 — learn the pattern
Three sets of 8 on each lift. Pick a weight where the last rep is clearly clean — 4 reps left in the tank. If you don't know your numbers yet, start comically light. A 40 kg squat done well beats a 60 kg squat with a rounded back and a shrug.
Week 2 — add a rep, not weight
Same weight as last week. Three sets of 10. If your bar speed slows down or your form breaks, end the set. Write the numbers down. A notebook or a Notes app — either works, but you must log it. Progress you can't measure is progress you can't repeat.
Weeks 3–4 — the first real jumps
Now weight goes up. Add 2.5 kg to your squat and deadlift, 1.25 kg to your press and row. Yes, that small. This is where beginners get greedy and load 10 kg jumps, and this is exactly why they stall by week five. Reps drop to 3 sets of 8 in week 3, then 3 sets of 6 in week 4. Rest three minutes between working sets. Not 45 seconds. Three minutes.
Weeks 5–6 — top set, then test
Week 5 introduces one heavy set of 5, followed by two "backoff" sets at 90% for 6–8 reps. This teaches your nervous system to handle heavier loads without frying you. Week 6 is a test — work up in singles and doubles to a heavy set of 3 on squat and deadlift. This number becomes your new baseline for the next block.
What to expect
- Your squat and deadlift should each go up 10–20 kg across six weeks. Press and row will move slower — 2.5 to 5 kg is normal.
- You will be sore in week 1 and week 3. You should not be so sore you can't walk. If you are, you added too much weight.
- You will not "look bigger" in six weeks. You will feel steadier, sleep better and pick up your kid or your groceries without wincing. That's the point.
After week 6
Take a lighter week — cut the weights by 30% and just move. Then repeat the same six weeks with your new baseline. Do that four times and you'll have a full year of measurable strength on paper. That's how real physiques get built — not in a month, in a habit.
Want this coached in person?
One free session on the floor is worth more than ten articles. We'll build a plan that fits your body, your goals and your schedule.