Personal Training Program Template

Jin Park Strength · Garage Gym Prepared for Ruth Adler

12

Weeks · 36 sessions

Strong at Fifty-Two

A twelve-week strength program for Ruth — three sessions a week, built around one goal: your own groceries, up your own stairs, at eighty.

CoachJin Park, CSCS

SessionsMon · Wed · Fri

Each session50 minutes

StartsMonday, Jan 12

Strong at Fifty-Two A letter before we start

Week zero

Before you

lift anything

Ruth — you told me you want to carry your own groceries up the stairs when you’re eighty.

I wrote that sentence on the whiteboard in the garage, and it stays there for the next twelve weeks. It is the whole program. The squats, the deadlifts, the slow walks down the driveway with a heavy bell in each hand — all of it is practice for a life where stairs, bags and grandkids stay easy.

After fifty, strength is the most protective thing we can build. It keeps bones dense, keeps balance sharp, and keeps you saying yes to things. The research is clear, and so is my own client list.

We will start lighter than you think you need. The first four weeks are about owning each movement, and you will finish every set feeling you had two more reps in you. That is on purpose. The weight goes up when a lift looks boring to me — not when it feels heroic to you.

Your left knee is part of the plan, not a problem in it. We squat to a box and add depth only as fast as the knee says yes.

Write everything in the log at the back, even the bad days. Especially the bad days. I’m so glad you’re here.

— Jin Coach · see you Monday, 6:30 pm

P.S. Bring flat shoes, a water bottle and this booklet. Leave the ego at the door — I already took mine out with the recycling.

Jin ParkStrength coach. Twelve years of training adults over 40, mostly in this garage.

Ruth’s goal

“Groceries up the stairs, two bags at a time, at eighty.”

Day-one numbers

Sit-to-stand, 30 sec13_reps_

Farmer carry, 2 × 25 lb40_yd_

Dead hang9_sec_

One-leg balance14_sec_

Notes from intakeAge 52. Walks daily, yoga two years, new to lifting. Old ski injury, left knee. DEXA: mild osteopenia — loading is good for bone. Doctor cleared all training.

Week 1 goal: show up three times. That’s it. That’s the goal.

Jin Park Strength · For Ruth 02

Strong at Fifty-Two The plan

How the 12 weeks work

Three phases.

One direction.

Every fourth week is lighter so your body can catch up with the work. Week 12 is a celebration, not a max-out: we test five-rep bests and the carry.

01

Foundation

Weeks 1–4

Learn the five patterns. Kettlebells and dumbbells, slow lowering, light enough to talk.

02

Build

Weeks 5–8

The trap bar and box squat arrive. More sets, a bit more weight, longer rest.

03

Strong

Weeks 9–12

Heavier, fewer reps, crisp technique. Carries get long. Week 12 we test.

_Easy _Easy _Test

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

Phase	Sets × reps	Effort	Rest	Main lifts
Foundation	2–3 × 8–12	RPE 6–7	60–90 s	Goblet squat to box, kettlebell deadlift, incline press, one-arm row, farmer carry
Build	3–4 × 6–10	RPE 7–8	90–120 s	Barbell box squat, trap-bar deadlift, dumbbell bench, chest-supported row, step-up
Strong	3–4 × 4–8	RPE 7–8	2–3 min	Same lifts, heavier: one top set, then back-off sets. Carries to 60 yd

A normal week

Mon A Squat, push, carry

Tue Walk 30 min, brisk

Wed B Hinge, press, pull

Thu Walk + 10 min mobility

Fri C One leg, row, carry

Sat Long Hike or long walk, 60 min

Sun Rest Really.

How hard? The RPE scale

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Warm-up We train here Not yet

RPE 7 means you could do three more reps with good form. RPE 8 means two. We stop before the grind.

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Strong at Fifty-Two Phase 01 · Foundation

Your first three sessions

Week one

Slow down on the way down: three seconds to lower, a short pause, then stand up with intent. Every set ends at RPE 6 — easy enough to chat.

01

Warm-up · 8 min 3 min easy rower · cat-cow ×6 · world’s greatest stretch ×3/side · glute bridge ×10 · band pull-apart ×15 · one light set of your first lift

Exercise · start load	Sets	Reps	RPE	Rest	Coaching cue
AMonday · Squat, push, carry ≈ 48 min
_1_Goblet squat to box26 lb kettlebell · 18 in box	3	8	6	90s	Elbows inside knees. Touch the box, don’t sit and rest.
_2_Incline dumbbell press2 × 12 lb · bench at 30°	3	10	6	90s	Shoulder blades in your back pockets.
_3_One-arm dumbbell row15 lb · hand on bench	3	10/side	6	60s	Pull your elbow to your back pocket.
_4_Glute bridgeBodyweight	2	12	6	60s	Ribs down. Squeeze for a full second.
_5_Farmer carry2 × 25 lb kettlebells	3	40yd	6	60s	Tall and quiet. Walk like you own the driveway.
BWednesday · Hinge, press, pull ≈ 50 min
_1_Kettlebell deadlift35 lb · bell on a 4 in block	3	8	6	2min	Push the floor away. Hips and shoulders rise together.
_2_Half-kneeling press12 lb dumbbell, one arm	3	8/side	6	90s	Squeeze the glute of the down knee. Reach for the rafters.
_3_Ring rowFeet under the anchor, body at 45°	3	10	6	60s	Body stays one plank. Rings to your ribs.
_4_Supported split squatHand on the rack	2	8/side	6	60s	Straight down, like an elevator. Front heel heavy.
_5_Dead bugBodyweight	2	6/side	—	45s	Low back stays heavy on the floor. Breathe out long.
CFriday · One leg, row, carry ≈ 50 min
_1_Box step-upBodyweight · 12 in box	3	8/side	6	90s	Whole foot on the box. Drive through the top leg only.
_2_Romanian deadlift2 × 15 lb dumbbells	3	10	6	90s	Close the car door with your hips. Soft knees.
_3_Incline push-upHands on the bench	3	8	6	60s	Chest to the bench, body in one line.
_4_Chest-supported row2 × 12 lb · bench at 30°	3	12	6	60s	Pause at the top. Don’t shrug.
_5_Suitcase carry35 lb kettlebell, one hand	3	20yd/side	6	60s	Don’t lean. Pretend there is a bell in the other hand.

Cool-down · 5 min 90/90 hip switch, child’s pose, slow nose breathing. After Log it, then text me one line.

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Strong at Fifty-Two The movements

Six patterns, for life

Moves you’ll

own by week four

Every exercise in this program is a version of one of these six. Read the three cues before each set. If you can only remember one, remember the first.

Squat 01

Goblet squat to box

1. Hold the bell like a warm bowl of soup.
2. Elbows inside your knees on the way down.
3. Touch the box, then stand up tall.

Progresses toLower box → barbell box squat

Hinge 02

Kettlebell deadlift

1. Push your hips back, not down.
2. Long spine, chest proud, bell between your feet.
3. Push the floor away and stand tall.

Progresses toFloor pull → trap-bar deadlift

Push 03

Incline push-up

1. Hands under shoulders on the bench.
2. Squeeze your glutes; body is one plank.
3. Chest to the bench, then push it away.

Progresses toLower surface → dumbbell bench press

Pull 04

One-arm row

1. Hand and knee on the bench, flat back.
2. Pull your elbow toward your back pocket.
3. Lower slowly; feel the stretch.

Progresses toRing row → chest-supported row

Carry 05

Farmer carry

1. Deadlift the bells up; don’t yank them.
2. Shoulders down, crown of the head up.
3. Short, quiet steps. Breathe.

Progresses toHeavier, longer → stairs with bags

One leg 06

Box step-up

1. Whole foot on the box, knee over toes.
2. Lean in a little and drive through the top leg.
3. Step down slowly. Don’t drop.

Progresses toHolding dumbbells → higher box

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Strong at Fifty-Two Your log

Write it down, every week

Progress & check-ins

Tick each session. Note your heaviest set for the three anchor lifts, and how you felt. Bring this page to every check-in — the numbers tell us when to add weight.

Wk	A · B · C	Squattop set	Deadlifttop set	Carryload · yd	Energy1–5	Sleephrs	Notes
01 · Foundation
1		26 lb × 8	35 lb × 8	2×25 · 40	4	7	Sore Thursday. Fine by Sat!
2		26 lb × 10	35 lb × 10	2×25 · 50	3	6½	Missed Fri — Maya’s recital
3
4
02 · Build
5
6
7
8
03 · Strong
9
10
11
12

Day oneBaseline

Sit-to-stand, 30 s13

Carry, 2 × 25 lb40 yd

Dead hang9 s

One-leg balance14 s

The stairs, with two bags:

Had to stop halfway.

Check-inWeek 4

reps

yd

sec

sec

The stairs:

Check-inWeek 8

reps

yd

sec

sec

The stairs:

Test weekWeek 12

goal 18+

goal 60 yd

goal 20 s

goal 30 s

The stairs:

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Strong at Fifty-Two The garage rules

Rules we

live by

1. 1

Leave two in the tank

No set goes past RPE 8. Strength is built by good reps, not hard ones. 2. 2

Effort is fine. Pain is a stop sign.

Muscles burning: normal. A sharp or pinching joint: stop and tell me. We swap the move, never skip the day. 3. 3

Add a little, not a lot

One more rep, or the next bell up — 2½ to 5 lb. Small steps, every week, for twelve weeks. 4. 4

Showing up beats showing off

Three sessions at eighty percent beat one perfect session. A short day still counts. 5. 5

Protein at every meal

About 25–30 g each time — eggs, yogurt, fish, tofu, beans. Muscle is built at the table. 6. 6

Sleep is training too

Seven hours, most nights. When sleep is short, keep the session but drop one set. 7. 7

Walk every day

Even ten minutes after dinner. The walks are how the strength reaches real life. 8. 8

Text me after every session

One line is enough. “Done. Knee felt good.” I read every one.

Proud of you already. — Jin

Jin Park Strength
The garage gym · 418 Alder Lane
Mon–Sat by appointment

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