● TRAINER 12-WEEK PLAN
Get back on track with our 12-week programme, perfect for anyone new to strength training or who simply doesn’t have time to work out more than three times a week
This Get Back Plan was created by body transformation coach Diego Carrete. It’s been carefully designed for efficient, targeted gym workouts tailored to the unique needs of busy men.
The programme is 12 weeks long, and prioritises fundamental movement patterns, strategically engaging major muscle chains with optimal efficiency.
How does it work?
Each month of this plan is slightly different, with progressive overload built in to encourage muscle and strength progressions. Every week features three workouts: two full-body strength sessions, plus a high-intensity metabolic circuit for aerobic conditioning and fat loss. There is a slight modification of exercises throughout, to keep things fresh and prevent motivation from waning.
In Month 1, the emphasis is on hypertrophy and neuromuscular adaptation. With a rep range of 12-15, we prioritise range of motion, time under tension and technique. Rest intervals of 60-120 seconds facilitate optimal recovery.
The pyramid structure of the circuit protocol – performed once each week – progressively challenges cardiovascular pathways. In Month 1, you will work up to 5 reps of each exercise, before descending back down to 1.
Month 2 introduces a periodisation shift, lowering the rep range to 10-12, to elicit further strength gains while maintaining movement patterns. The inclusion of varied exercises enhances programme adherence, by introducing novel stimuli. The circuit progression advances to a peak of 10 reps of each exercise.
As you enter the final stretch in Month 3, the programme evolves with a rep range of 8-10. You should be able to lift heavier weights at this range, forcing further muscular adaptation. The pyramid circuit peaks at 10 reps of each exercise again, before working back down to 1. Only this time, if you can handle it, you will repeat the whole thing twice.
This periodised approach, blending hypertrophy, strength and endurance, means sticking to this plan for the 12 weeks is guaranteed to get you in serious shape. It ensures systematic progression, while aligning with the hectic schedules of busy men.
MONTH 1
STRENGTH WORKOUT
• Perform this workout twice a week for the first month.
• Do 3 sets of 12-15 reps for every exercise.
• Rest for 90 secs between sets.
1. Leg press
2. Bent-over barbell row
3. Incline dumbbell bench press
4. Wide-grip lat pulldown
Superset
5a. Barbell curl
5b. Triceps pushdown
CIRCUIT CONDITIONING
• Perform this circuit once each week for the first month.
• Do each exercise back-to-back, for a total of 10 rounds.
