Six minutes on an incline, enough to feel warm and a little out of breath.
Set up: treadmill, incline up until it feels like walking up a decent hill.
Movement: steady walking pace. You should be able to talk, but you should notice it.
Golden tip: this is to get warm, not to get tired. The long walk comes at the end.
Sit back until you touch the box behind you, then stand straight back up.
Set up: a box or bench behind you, feet shoulder width, toes turned out a little.
Movement: sit your hips back and down until you touch the box, then stand up.
Golden tip: breathe OUT on the way up. Start that habit here, before there is any weight involved.
Pull a light band apart in front of you and squeeze your shoulder blades together.
Set up: light band held at chest height, arms straight out in front of you.
Movement: pull the band apart until your arms are wide, squeeze your shoulder blades, then come back slowly.
Golden tip: shoulders stay down away from your ears.
Squat down with the weight at your shoulders, then press it overhead as you stand up.
Set up: dumbbells or kettlebells at your shoulders, feet shoulder width, toes turned out a little.
Movement: squat down, drive up, and press the weight overhead as you finish standing.
Golden tip: do not start the press until you are fully stood up. Ribs down, not arched.
Last time: 8kg for all 3 sets, clean. Today we go to 10kg.
Watch out for this
The press overhead is where her ribs flare and her back arches, and that is exactly what pushes pressure into her stomach. Breathe out as the weight goes up, and finish standing tall before pressing.
Coach trick: hand flat on her lower ribs on the first rep so she feels them flare. Tell her to press the ceiling away while blowing the air out. Nobody can flare and exhale hard at the same time.
Stand side-on to a cable, press the handle straight out from your chest, and do not let it twist you.
Set up: cable at chest height with a single handle. Stand side-on, feet shoulder width, handle at your chest in both hands.
Movement: press the handle straight out in front of your chest, hold a second, bring it back in. The cable tries to twist you. Your job is not to let it.
Golden tip: start light and find the weight. Only your arms move, everything else stays still.
Brand new. Whatever you settle on today becomes the number to beat.
Watch out for this
This one tempts everybody to hold their breath and clamp down, because she is resisting a pull. That is the one thing we never do.
Coach trick: ask her a question mid-set. If she can answer you, she is not holding her breath. Works far better than telling her to breathe.
Hinge your hips back with the weight close to your legs, then squeeze your glutes to stand.
Set up: bar or dumbbells in front of your thighs, feet hip width, a soft bend in the knees.
Movement: push your hips back, weight travelling close to your legs, until you feel your hamstrings. Then squeeze your glutes to stand.
Golden tip: weight stays close to your legs, back stays flat, never rounded.
Last time: 16kg, and it moved well. Today we build to 18-20kg.
Watch out for this
The lift she is most likely to hold her breath on, and the one where her back rounds first as the weight climbs. If the back rounds, the weight comes down. No debate.
Coach trick: have her count the reps out loud on the way up. You cannot hold your breath and count at the same time, and it tells you instantly when a set is getting too heavy.
Seated, pull the handles back and squeeze your shoulder blades together.
Set up: sit tall, grip the handles, arms extended in front of you.
Movement: pull your elbows back, squeeze your shoulder blades together, then return with control.
Golden tip: shoulders stay down away from your ears the whole set.
Last time: 32kg, your strongest lift of the session. Today 34kg.
Seated, push the handles away from your chest and return with control.
Set up: seat set so the handles line up with the middle of your chest.
Movement: push the handles out to full extension, then return with control.
Golden tip: breathe out as you push. No hard elbow lock at the end.
Last time: 25kg. Today try 27.5kg. If that drops you under 10 reps, go back to 25kg and chase reps.
Seated, pull the bar down to your upper chest, then let it rise back up slowly.
Set up: sit down, thighs snug under the pads, hands on the bar a little wider than your shoulders.
Movement: pull the bar down to your upper chest, elbows driving down and back, then let it rise back up slowly.
Golden tip: pull with your ELBOWS, not your hands. Chest up and proud, do not lean way back.
Brand new. We start light and find the right weight.
Step up onto a box holding dumbbells, pause at the top, and lower slowly.
Set up: a low step or box, a rail within reach, a dumbbell in each hand.
Movement: step up through your whole foot, pause at the top, then lower slowly and under control.
Golden tip: control the way DOWN. That is where the strength is built.
Last time: bodyweight, and it was too easy for you. Today you hold 6kg in each hand.
Watch out for this
Her knee wants to fall inward as she pushes up, and with dumbbells in her hands that gets more likely, not less. Knee tracks over the middle toes.
Coach trick: stand where she can see her own knee. Ask her to push the floor away rather than pull herself up with the front leg. If it still caves, lower the step before you lower the weight.
On your back with a plate on your chest, curl your ribs toward your pelvis.
Set up: on your back, knees bent, plate held on your chest.
Movement: curl your ribs toward your pelvis, then lower back down with control.
Golden tip: breathe OUT on the way up, never hold it. Do not pull on your neck.
Last time: 5kg, 15 reps, no trouble at all. Today 7.5kg.
Watch out for this
Loaded work directly over her surgery, so the breathing rule matters most here. If anything feels off in her stomach, during or the day after, the session stops and it gets logged.
Coach trick: get her blowing the air out like blowing out candles as she curls up. Ask NEXT session how her stomach felt the day after, not just in the moment. That answer decides the next weight jump.
Fourteen minutes, easy pace, a pace you can still talk through.
Set up: treadmill on an incline, or the bike if your knees or hips are feeling it today.
Movement: easy walk or ride, a pace where you could still hold a conversation.
Golden tip: small sips of water rather than big gulps. Keep going longer on your own if you have time.
Before she leaves
Ask her
You did it! 🎉
How did it go?