One idea runs underneath all of it. The athletes who progress fastest become their own coach. You are the one feeling the bar move, so a lot of this is about handing that judgement to you.

01 / Getting startedGetting started

Download the TeamBuildr app, log in with the details you have been sent, and your program is there waiting. Today's session loads first. It is built to be intuitive, so have a tap around.

02 / Reading a sessionReading a session

Supersets

Exercises that share a letter are a superset. Do one set of each, back to back, for the reps given, then rest and reset for the next round. Think of them as mini rounds.

The exercise video and comments

Every exercise displays a video. It is your best tool for understanding form, so watch it before you load up. Below it you will find a description of how to perform the movement, and my comments on what to focus on, the cue or intention I want in your head while you train it. Read them. Two things make a movement better over time, consistency and intent, and that intention is where the intent comes from.

Tempo

Tempo is the rhythm of the lift, written as four numbers like 3110. Each digit is a phase.

So a deadlift at 3110 is 3 seconds down, 1 second pause, 1 second up, no pause at the top. When tempo is prescribed, it usually is the point of the exercise. Give it the same attention as the load.

03 / LoadingLoading with RPE and RIR

Without testing or a clear read on your strength metrics, any coach is really only guessing at your load. The most accurate way around that is to let your effort set the weight. We do this with two tools, RPE and RIR, so the load always matches the intent of the exercise. As you log your loads week to week, you build your own data and get sharper at reading yourself.

RPE — rate of perceived effort

A rating out of 10 for how hard the set felt.

RIR — reps in reserve

A more literal count of the good reps left in the tank when you stop.

Which one, and why

They measure the same thing from two angles, so they line up. RIR 0 sits with RPE 10, RIR 2 with RPE 8. I lean on RIR for strict sets and reps work, where counting reps left is simple. I use RPE for effort based work with timing or a specific intent, where how hard you pushed matters more than a rep count. Either way, log the load you used. That data is what lets us plan the next block together.

04 / Working through itWorking through it

Tick each exercise off as you go and record the weight and reps you actually did, not just what I prescribed. Some days your body gives you less, and that is fine. The honest number is the useful one.