Workout guides
Plain-English answers to common training questions: workout plans, home and equipment-based workouts, sets and reps, rest and recovery. Each guide links the research or guidelines behind it.
Workout plans
3-Day Full-Body Workout Plan for Beginners
A simple 3-day full-body plan for beginners: the exercises, sets, reps and rest, how to progress each week, and how to adjust it for home or the gym.
2-Day-a-Week Workout Plan (When You Are Busy)
Only two days a week to train? A 2-day full-body plan that still meets the Australian guidelines for muscle strengthening, with how to make it count.
4-Day Upper/Lower Split Workout Plan
A 4-day upper/lower split: who it suits, the weekly layout, the exercises, sets and reps for each day, and how it compares with full-body training.
CrossFit Benchmark Workouts Explained (Fran, Cindy, Helen and More)
What the CrossFit benchmark workouts are, the standard version of Fran, Cindy, Helen, Grace, Karen, Diane and Murph, and how to scale them safely.
Beginner Gym Workout Plan (3 Days, Machines and Free Weights)
A first gym plan for beginners: two full-body workouts to alternate three days a week, sets, reps and rest, how to progress, and gym basics.
Push Pull Legs Split: 3-Day and 6-Day Plans
How the push/pull/legs split works, a sample 6-day week with exercises, sets and reps, and whether three or six days suits you better.
By equipment
Home Workout With No Equipment: A 3-Day Plan That Progresses
Build strength at home with no equipment: a 3-day bodyweight plan, a progression ladder for each movement, and what the research says works.
Dumbbell Workout for Beginners (Full Body, Home or Gym)
A full-body dumbbell workout for beginners: six exercises, how heavy to go, sets and reps, and how to progress with one pair of dumbbells.
Kettlebell Workout for Beginners
A beginner kettlebell workout: which weight to start with, how to learn the swing safely, and a 3-day plan built around five kettlebell exercises.
Resistance Band Workout: Full Body at Home
A full-body resistance band workout you can do at home or while travelling, with how to choose bands, anchor them safely and keep progressing.
Short on time
20-Minute Full-Body Workout (Home or Gym)
A 20-minute full-body workout with no wasted time: a short warm-up, supersets for strength, and a finisher. Versions for bodyweight, dumbbells or a gym.
30-Minute Gym Workout for Beginners
Get in and out of the gym in 30 minutes: two full-body sessions to alternate, how to set up supersets, and how to progress without spending longer.
How Long Should a Workout Be?
How long a workout needs to be depends on the work in it, not the clock. What fits in 20, 30, 45 and 60 minutes, and what to cut when time is short.
By goal
How to Build Muscle as a Beginner
The few things that drive muscle growth for beginners: hard sets, enough weekly volume, training each muscle twice a week, protein and patience.
Workout Plan for Fat Loss (What Actually Matters)
An honest fat-loss workout plan: why food drives most of it, why lifting still matters, and a weekly plan mixing strength training and cardio.
HIIT Workout for Beginners
What HIIT is, how hard and how often to do it as a beginner, three starter interval sessions, and how to progress them without getting hurt.
How Much Cardio Per Week Do You Need?
How much cardio per week the WHO and Australian guidelines recommend, what counts as moderate or vigorous, and sample weeks that fit it in.
Training basics
Progressive Overload: How to Keep Getting Stronger
Progressive overload explained: the five ways to make training harder over time, how much to add and when, and a simple double-progression method.
How Many Sets and Reps Should I Do?
Sets and reps for strength, muscle and general fitness, how many hard sets per muscle each week, and how close to failure each set should go.
How Many Days a Week Should I Work Out?
How many days a week to work out for health, strength or muscle, based on the Australian guidelines and training research, with sample weeks.
Rest Days and Sore Muscles: How Much Recovery You Need
How many rest days you need, why muscles get sore a day or two after training, whether to train when sore, and what actually helps recovery.
How to Warm Up Before a Workout
A simple 5 to 10 minute warm-up: general warm-up, dynamic movements and ramp-up sets, with examples for strength and HIIT days.
AI Workout Plan Generator: How It Works, How to Check a Plan
See what to tell an AI workout plan generator, what a good plan looks like, and six checks to run before you follow it. Free to try, no card.
Full-Body vs Split Training: Which Is Better?
Full-body or split routine? What the research says about training frequency and volume, and how to choose by the number of days you can train.
RPE and Reps in Reserve (RIR) Explained
What RPE and reps in reserve mean in lifting, the RPE-to-RIR scale, how hard your sets should be, and how session RPE measures a whole workout.
How to Start Working Out: A Simple 4-Week Plan
New to exercise? How much to do, a 4-week plan for strength and cardio, when to check with a doctor first, and how to make the habit stick.
Deload Week: What It Is and When to Take One
What a deload week is, three ways to do one, how often to deload, and why a lighter week helps you keep progressing without losing strength.
AI Personal Trainer Apps: What They Can and Cannot Do
What an AI personal trainer app does well, its limits next to a human coach, and a five-point check to judge any AI-written training plan.
Training around sport
How to Fit Gym Training Around Your Sport
How to plan gym sessions around sport training and games: a sample week, the 48-hour rule before matches, and tracking load with session RPE.
Strength Training for Team Sport Athletes (In and Off Season)
Strength training for football, rugby, netball and basketball players: what to train, how often in and off season, and a 40-minute session.
Strength Training for Runners
Why runners should lift, what the research shows for running economy, a twice-weekly strength session, and how to fit it around your runs.
Cardio Before or After Weights?
Should you do cardio before or after weights? What the research on concurrent training shows, and the best order for your main goal.
Exercise technique
How to Squat With Good Form
How to squat step by step, common squat mistakes and how to fix them, and a progression from box squats to the barbell back squat.
How to Deadlift Safely (Step by Step)
How to deadlift with a flat back: setup, the pull, lowering the bar, common mistakes, and beginner-friendly kettlebell and trap-bar variations.
How to Do a Push-Up (and Progress to Your First One)
How to do a push-up with good form, plus a five-level progression ladder from wall push-ups to full and feet-elevated push-ups.
How to Do a Pull-Up: Technique and Progressions
How to do a strict pull-up and how to get your first one: inverted rows, lat pulldowns, band-assisted pull-ups, negatives and dead hangs.
How to Do a Kettlebell Swing
How to do a kettlebell swing as a hip hinge, common mistakes, which weight to start with, and Russian versus American swings.
How to Bench Press Safely
How to bench press: setup, bar path, elbow position, safety arms and spotters, common mistakes, and how it compares with push-ups.
How to Do a Burpee (and Easier Versions)
How to do a burpee step by step, scaled versions for beginners and sore wrists or knees, and a simple burpee interval workout.
How to Do a Farmer's Carry
How to do a farmer's carry: technique, how heavy to go, suitcase, front-rack and overhead variations, and how to add carries to your sessions.