Week 3 - Weight Increase

🎯 Week 3 Objectives

Add 2.5-5kg where applicable Maintain form with heavier loads Push intensity

Weight Increase Rules

If you hit the top of the rep range on ALL sets in Week 2:

• Upper body: Add 2.5kg (or 1kg per dumbbell)
• Lower body: Add 5kg
• Isolation exercises: Add 1-2.5kg

Then aim for the bottom of the rep range with the new weight.

---

🏋️ Day 1: Push (Chest, Shoulders, Triceps)

🎥 Key Exercise Videos

🏋️ Bench Press

🏋️ Incline DB Press

Weight Adjustment Guide

Exercise	Week 2 Performance	Week 3 Action
Bench Press	60kg × 10,10,10 ✅	62.5kg × 8-10
Bench Press	60kg × 10,9,8	Stay at 60kg
Incline DB Press	18kg × 12,12,12 ✅	20kg × 10-12
Shoulder Press	14kg × 12,11,11	Stay at 14kg
Lateral Raises	8kg × 15,15,14 ✅	9kg × 12-15

Full Workout

Exercise	Sets	Reps	Rest	Notes
Barbell Bench Press	3	8-10	90 sec	Add weight if qualified
Incline DB Press	3	10-12	75 sec	Add weight if qualified
Seated DB Shoulder Press	3	10-12	75 sec	Add weight if qualified
Lateral Raises	3	12-15	60 sec	Small increment only
Tricep Pushdowns	3	12-15	60 sec	Add weight if qualified
Overhead Tricep Extension	2	12-15	60 sec	Add weight if qualified

Intensity Technique: Pause Reps

On your last set of Bench Press, try adding a 1-second pause at the bottom:

• Lower the bar to your chest
• Pause for 1 full second (no bounce!)
• Press explosively

This builds strength out of the hole and improves mind-muscle connection.

---

🏋️ Day 2: Pull (Back, Biceps, Rear Delts)

🎥 Key Exercise Videos

🏋️ Barbell Row

💪 Lat Pulldown

Weight Adjustment Guide

Exercise	Typical Increase	New Rep Target
Barbell Rows	+5kg	8-10 reps
Lat Pulldowns	+5kg	10-12 reps
Cable Rows	+5kg	10-12 reps
Face Pulls	+2.5kg	15-20 reps
Barbell Curls	+2.5kg	10-12 reps
Hammer Curls	+1kg each	12-15 reps

Full Workout

Exercise	Sets	Reps	Rest	Notes
Barbell Rows	3	8-10	90 sec	Focus on back squeeze
Lat Pulldowns	3	10-12	75 sec	Full stretch at top
Seated Cable Rows	3	10-12	75 sec	Chest to handle
Face Pulls	3	15-20	60 sec	High reps, perfect form
Barbell Curls	3	10-12	60 sec	No swinging!
Hammer Curls	2	12-15	60 sec	Control the negative

Intensity Technique: Squeeze Hold

On Lat Pulldowns, hold the contracted position for 2 seconds on the last 3 reps of each set:

• Pull bar to chest
• Squeeze lats hard for 2 seconds
• Slowly release

This maximizes muscle fiber recruitment.

---

🏋️ Day 3: Legs (Quads, Hamstrings, Glutes, Calves)

🎥 Key Exercise Videos

🏋️ Squat

🏋️ Romanian Deadlift

Weight Adjustment Guide

Exercise	Typical Increase	Notes
Squat	+5kg	Keep depth!
RDL	+5kg	Don't sacrifice stretch
Leg Press	+10kg	Machine allows bigger jumps
Leg Curls	+2.5kg	Feel the hamstrings
Lunges	+2kg each hand	Or stay bodyweight
Calf Raises	+5kg	Full ROM priority

Full Workout

Exercise	Sets	Reps	Rest	Notes
Barbell Back Squat	3	8-10	120 sec	Add weight if qualified
Romanian Deadlifts	3	10-12	90 sec	Feel the stretch
Leg Press	3	10-12	90 sec	Full depth
Leg Curls	3	12-15	60 sec	Squeeze at top
Walking Lunges	2	12 each	60 sec	Add light DBs
Standing Calf Raises	3	15-20	45 sec	Pause at top

Intensity Technique: Tempo Squats

On your warm-up sets, practice tempo squats:

• 3 seconds down
• 1 second pause at bottom
• 1 second up

This ingrains perfect movement patterns before heavier sets.

---

📊 Week 3 Progress Analysis

Expected Performance

If your training and recovery are on point, you should see:

Metric	Week 1	Week 2	Week 3
Bench Press	60kg × 8	60kg × 10	62.5kg × 8
Squat	80kg × 8	80kg × 10	85kg × 8
Barbell Row	50kg × 8	50kg × 10	52.5kg × 8

What If You Can't Add Weight?

Don't panic! Here are your options:

Issue	Solution
Didn't hit rep target	Stay at same weight another week
Form breaks down with new weight	Drop back, focus on form
Energy is low	Check sleep and nutrition
Joints feel stressed	Extra warm-up, consider deload

Microloading

If 2.5kg feels too heavy, get fractional plates (0.5kg, 1kg). These allow smaller jumps that add up over time.

---

🔥 Mental Cues for Heavy Sets

Use these mental cues when the weight gets challenging:

Bench Press:

"Push the bar through the ceiling"

Squats:

"Spread the floor with your feet"

Deadlifts/Rows:

"Pull the bar into your body"

Overhead Press:

"Push your head through the window"

---

📝 Week 3 Workout Log

Day 1 - Push

Exercise	Week 2 Weight	Week 3 Weight	Set 1	Set 2	Set 3
Bench Press
Incline DB Press
Shoulder Press
Lateral Raises
Tricep Pushdowns
OH Tricep Ext

Day 2 - Pull

Exercise	Week 2 Weight	Week 3 Weight	Set 1	Set 2	Set 3
Barbell Rows
Lat Pulldowns
Cable Rows
Face Pulls
Barbell Curls
Hammer Curls

Day 3 - Legs

Exercise	Week 2 Weight	Week 3 Weight	Set 1	Set 2	Set 3
Squat
RDL
Leg Press
Leg Curls
Lunges
Calf Raises

---

✅ Week 3 Checklist

• Added weight on exercises where I hit rep targets
• Maintained good form with heavier weights
• Used intensity techniques (pause reps, squeeze holds)
• Recorded all new working weights
• Stayed within rep ranges
• No joint pain or excessive soreness

Week 3 Complete?

You've now completed 3 weeks of progressive overload! You should be lifting 5-10% more weight than Week 1 on most exercises.

Week 4 is the final week of Month 1 - we'll push for more reps with the new weights, then reassess for Month 2!