Goal program

Heavy-Duty Kickstart

6 weeks of machines, walking and quick wins, with no jumping and no wrecked knees.

3 days a week
6 weeks
Beginner
For men
Gym

About this program

Three full-body sessions a week on joint-friendly machines and dumbbells, each finished with an incline walk or an easy bike ride, with no jumping and no running. The key rule: in weeks 1–2 do one set fewer than listed with light weights, then end every set with 2–3 clean reps left and add a rep or a little weight each week. Your belly shrinks through the calorie deficit and daily steps, not crunches, so in 6 weeks expect clearly stronger lifts, easier stairs and roughly 1–2 lb a week off the scale.

Who it’s for

New to training, or coming back after a break.
Written with men in mind; anyone can follow it.
A gym with machines, cables and free weights.
3 sessions a week, about 60 minutes each.
7–10k steps a day on top of the workouts.

The week

Warm up for 5–7 minutes first. Rest is the pause between sets. A1 and A2 (B1 and B2) are supersets: do one set of each back to back, then rest. Rest days: walk and recover.

Monday Full Body A: Press, Row, Hinge

Quads, chest, mid-back, hamstrings, grip · about 60 min

Exercise	Sets × reps	Rest
Leg PressWeeks 1–2: use a weight you could push 20 times. Lower to about a 90° knee bend, stop before your lower back peels off the pad, don't lock your knees, and breathe out as you push. Heart or blood-pressure issues? Get your doctor's OK first, and stop at once if you feel chest pain or dizziness.	3 × 10–⁠12	2 min
A1 Machine Chest PressSet the seat so the handles line up with mid-chest. Go straight to the row, then rest.	3 × 10–⁠12	—
A2 Seated Cable RowSit tall. Pull the handle to your belly button and squeeze your shoulder blades together for a second.	3 × 10–⁠12	90 s
Dumbbell RDLPush your hips back with soft knees and slide the dumbbells down your thighs to just below the knee. Keep your back flat and feel the stretch in your hamstrings. Start with 20–30 lb dumbbells.	3 × 10–⁠12	2 min
Dead BugKeep your lower back pressed into the floor the whole time. Move slowly and exhale fully.	2 × 6–⁠8 per side	60 s
Farmer's WalkStart with about 35–50 lb in each hand. Stand tall, take short steps and don't let the dumbbells swing. Builds grip, core and work capacity.	3 × 30–⁠40 s	90 s

Cardio after: Incline Treadmill Walk, 15–25 min · 3–6% incline · 2.5–3.2 mph. Walk at a pace where you can still talk in short sentences, and keep your hands off the rails if you can. Start at 15 minutes and add 2–3 minutes a week up to 25; after that, raise the incline 1% instead of the speed.

Wednesday Full Body B: Squat, Pulldown, Push-Up

Quads, hamstrings, lats, chest, upper back, core · about 60 min

Exercise	Sets × reps	Rest
Goblet SquatHold one dumbbell at your chest, sit back to a bench, then stand up. The bench sets your depth and protects your knees. When every set hits 12, grab a heavier dumbbell.	3 × 8–⁠12	2 min
A1 Lat PulldownPull the bar to your upper chest, driving your elbows down toward your ribs. No leaning back or swinging. Go straight to the push-ups.	3 × 10–⁠12	—
A2 Push-UpHands on a Smith machine bar set high enough (start around belly height) that you get 8–12 reps with 2–3 to spare. When every set hits 12, lower the bar a notch.	3 × 8–⁠12	90 s
B1 Lying Leg CurlHips pressed into the pad, 2 seconds down. If lying face down is uncomfortable, use the seated leg curl. Go straight to leg extensions.	3 × 12–⁠15	—
B2 Leg ExtensionLight weight: pause a second at the top and take 2 seconds to lower. If your kneecaps ache, work only the top half of the range.	3 × 12–⁠15	90 s
Face PullRope at face height. Pull toward your forehead and spread the ends apart. Keep it light. Helps counter the rounded shoulders from desk work.	3 × 12–⁠15	60 s
Forearm PlankStart on your knees or with your forearms on a bench if needed. Squeeze your glutes and keep breathing.	2 × 20–⁠40 s	60 s

Cardio after: Stationary Bike, 15–25 min · easy to moderate. A recumbent bike is the easiest on your back and knees. Ride at a steady pace where you can still talk, and add a few minutes each week.

Friday Full Body C: Legs, Push-Pull, Arms

Quads, glutes, chest, back, arms, grip · about 65 min

Exercise	Sets × reps	Rest
Leg PressA bit lighter than Monday, more reps. Try to beat last Friday by 1–2 reps or 10 lb.	3 × 12–⁠15	2 min
A1 Machine Chest PressWhen you hit 12 reps on every set, add weight next time. Go straight to the row.	3 × 10–⁠12	—
A2 One-Arm Dumbbell RowOne hand and one knee on a bench. Pull the dumbbell toward your hip without twisting. Do both arms, then rest.	3 × 10–⁠12 per arm	90 s
Cable Pull-ThroughFace away from the cable with the rope between your legs. Push your hips back, then drive them forward and squeeze your glutes. A hinge that is gentle on the lower back.	3 × 12–⁠15	90 s
B1 Rope Triceps PushdownKeep your elbows pinned to your sides and spread the rope at the bottom. Go straight to the curls.	2 × 12–⁠15	—
B2 Dumbbell Biceps CurlNo swinging. Lower slowly, then rest.	2 × 10–⁠12	60 s
Farmer's WalkGo a bit heavier than Monday. End the set if your grip starts to slip.	2 × 30–⁠40 s	90 s

Cardio after: Incline Treadmill Walk, 15–25 min · 3–6% incline · 2.5–3.2 mph. Same steady walk as Monday: add 2–3 minutes a week up to 25, then raise the incline 1% instead of the speed.

How to progress

Double progression: add reps within the range first. When every set reaches the top of the range with clean form, add a little weight (about 5–10 lb on lower-body lifts, 2.5–5 lb on upper-body lifts) and start again at the bottom.
Stop most sets 1–2 reps short of failure. Beginners stop 2–3 reps short for the first weeks.
Every 6–8 weeks, or when you feel run down, take an easier week: half the sets, same weights.

Food

Eat about 500–750 kcal a day below maintenance and get roughly 150–180 g of protein a day (1.6–2.2 g per kg of your goal weight), spread over 3–4 meals.

Find your numbers with the free TDEE calculator, the macro calculator and the protein calculator.