Before step one
Weight training at SPARTANS is simple at its core. You pick up a barbell or a pair of dumbbells, you lift with good form, and next week you lift a little more. That is progressive overload, and it is how people actually get stronger. Our floor has Jerai squat racks, a Smith machine, plate-loaded and pin-loaded machines, a leg press and a full rack of barbells, plates and dumbbells, so you have what you need for every big lift and every small one.
Step by step
Four steps for the first four weeks. The day tables come from the sample week, and the split beside them shows where each day sits.
With us on the floor
Learn the movements. Empty bar or light dumbbells for squat, bench, deadlift, press and rows. Focus on how your feet, back and grip feel. Leave every session feeling you could have done more.
The programme is built around five lifts: squat, bench press, deadlift, overhead press and rows. We teach them slowly. The first few weeks are about depth, bar path, bracing and breathing, using weights that feel almost too light. Heavy comes later, once your form holds on the last rep of the last set. Ego lifting is how backs and shoulders get hurt, and we would rather you train with us for years than limp out after a month.
Lower body, squat focus 60 min · effort 4 of 5
| Exercise | Sets | Reps | Rest | Zone |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Barbell back squat | 4 | 5–6 | 2–3 min | Strength |
| Romanian deadlift with dumbbells | 3 | 8–10 | 90 sec | Muscle |
| Leg press | 3 | 10–12 | 90 sec | Muscle |
| Walking lunges | 2 | 10 each leg | 60 sec | Muscle |
| Standing calf raise | 3 | 12–15 | 45 sec | Endurance |
Upper body, bench focus 60 min · effort 4 of 5
| Exercise | Sets | Reps | Rest | Zone |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flat barbell bench press | 4 | 5–6 | 2–3 min | Strength |
| Barbell bent-over row | 4 | 6–8 | 2 min | Muscle |
| Incline dumbbell press | 3 | 8–10 | 90 sec | Muscle |
| Lat pulldown | 3 | 10–12 | 90 sec | Muscle |
| Dumbbell curl and rope pushdown | 2 | 12 each | 60 sec | Muscle |
Lower body, deadlift focus 60 min · effort 4 of 5
| Exercise | Sets | Reps | Rest | Zone |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conventional deadlift | 4 | 4–5 | 3 min | Strength |
| Smith machine split squat | 3 | 8 each leg | 90 sec | Muscle |
| Lying leg curl | 3 | 10–12 | 60 sec | Muscle |
| Leg extension | 3 | 12–15 | 60 sec | Endurance |
| Plank | 3 | 30–45 sec | 45 sec | Timed |
Upper body, press and rows 60 min · effort 4 of 5
| Exercise | Sets | Reps | Rest | Zone |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Standing barbell overhead press | 4 | 5–6 | 2–3 min | Strength |
| One-arm dumbbell row | 4 | 8–10 | 90 sec | Muscle |
| Machine chest press | 3 | 10–12 | 90 sec | Muscle |
| Seated cable row | 3 | 10–12 | 90 sec | Muscle |
| Dumbbell lateral raise | 3 | 12–15 | 60 sec | Endurance |
On your own
Same lifts, a little more weight where form stays clean. Start writing down every set and rep in a notebook or on your phone. You cannot add weight properly if you do not remember last week.
Fewer reps with heavier weight build strength, moderate reps build muscle and high reps build endurance. Here is where every exercise of the sample week falls, placed by the middle of its rep range.
Heavy weight, few reps and long rests. This is where the big barbell lifts live, and where raw strength is built.
Moderate weight for more reps. Most accessory and machine work sits here, and it is the main zone for building muscle size.
Lighter weight, higher reps and short rests. Good for calves, rear shoulders and other small muscles that recover quickly.
On your own
Settle into the full split, four or five days. Add small jumps, 2.5 kg on the bar for lower body and 1 to 2 kg on dumbbells. Expect some soreness. Sleep seven to eight hours.
This is a beginner-friendly upper and lower split. If you can only train four days, skip Saturday, and if a lift feels heavy for your form, drop the weight rather than the reps.
Machines and weak points 45 min · effort 3 of 5
| Exercise | Sets | Reps | Rest | Zone |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Goblet squat | 3 | 10–12 | 90 sec | Muscle |
| Pin-loaded shoulder press machine | 3 | 10–12 | 90 sec | Muscle |
| Assisted pull-up or lat pulldown | 3 | 8–10 | 90 sec | Muscle |
| Face pull | 3 | 15 | 60 sec | Endurance |
| Easy treadmill walk | 1 | 15 min | None | Timed |
With us on the floor
Repeat your strongest week and own those weights with tidy reps. Check your form on video or ask on the floor. If a joint hurts, as opposed to muscle soreness, stop that lift and get it checked.
Lifting is only half the work. Muscle is built while you rest, so sleep, food and rest days matter as much as the session. If you catch an early local train, come in at 5:30 AM. If office runs late, we are open till 10:30 PM, Monday to Saturday. Pick a time you can keep. Four or five days a week for months will do far more for you than a perfect plan you follow for two weeks.
Rest days: Wednesday and Sunday. The gym is closed on Sunday.
This is a sample for a lifter training in the morning, so adjust portions to your body weight and hunger, and move the meals around if you train in the evening. Drink 3 to 4 litres of water a day, and if you have diabetes, kidney trouble or any other medical condition, see your doctor or a dietitian first.
From the floor
Good to know
Yes. Most people who start here have never squatted with a barbell. You begin with an empty bar or light dumbbells and learn each lift step by step. Nobody expects you to lift heavy in the first month. Get the form right first and the weight on the bar will follow on its own.
Building big muscle takes years of focused training and eating for it, so it does not happen by accident. What most women notice is that they get stronger, feel firmer and find daily tasks easier. SPARTANS is a unisex gym with separate changing rooms for men and women, and the same programme works for you.
Start with four if you are new, busy at work or not sleeping well. Do the Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday sessions and rest the other days. Once you are recovering well and never missing those four, add the Saturday session. Five good days beat five tired ones.
Talk to your doctor or a physiotherapist first and get clearance, especially if the pain is recent or sharp. Once cleared, lighter weights, careful range of motion and machines like the leg press often let you train around the problem. Tell us about it at the start so we can adjust your lifts.
No, not to start. Most people can reach their protein from dal, paneer, curd, sprouts, eggs, chicken and fish. A protein powder can make it easier on busy days, but it is only a convenience, food still comes first. If you have kidney problems or any medical condition, check with your doctor before taking any supplement.
Walk in to SPARTANS on Shiv Mandir Road, Ramnagar, or call 081081 16555 to ask about weight training. We are open Monday to Saturday, 5:30 AM to 10:30 PM.
