Section 01
WHAT TO
BUY
Keep it simple. Keep it cheap. You do not need a home gym. You need a few tools that last forever and cover everything.
Must Have
Adjustable Dumbbells
The core of this programme. Every pressing, pulling, and hinging movement uses them. Get adjustable ones. One pair covers 5 kg to 30 kg. Saves space and money.
€40 – €120
Must Have
Resistance Bands
Shoulder warmups before every upper day. Banded squats on lower day. Ab finisher — attach to a pole, loop around your feet, pull knees to chest. One set covers it all.
€10 – €20
Must Have
Pull-Up Bar
Doorframe mount. No drilling. Costs almost nothing. Unlocks rows, pull-ups, and hanging work. Best €15 you will spend on training.
€10 – €20
Must Have
Dip Bars
Dips for upper body mass. The band ab finisher anchors here too — loop bands around the base, feet in the band, pull knees to chest. Best lower-ab exercise you can do at home. Works both days.
€25 – €50
Recommended
Foam Roller
Roll your back, glutes, and IT band post-session. Breaks up tension. Speeds up recovery. Use it every day — before bed works well. Cheap and lasts years.
€10 – €25
Recommended — Men
Neck Trainer
A thick neck is built over months, not weeks. Neck curls front and back. 3 sets a day. Takes 5 minutes. You can also use a dumbbell on your forehead lying down if you want to start cheap.
€15 – €30
Recommended
Hand Gripper
Grip strength carries over to every pull movement. Use it while watching TV. Progress through resistance levels over time. Cheap, small, effective.
€5 – €15
Total Cost
You can be fully equipped for under €150. That is two months of a gym membership. This setup lasts years. The gym membership lasts until you stop paying.
Upper day. Then lower day. If you are sore — rest. Not sore anymore — go again. Upper. Lower. Repeat. No fixed rest days. Your body tells you when to train.
01
UPPER
→
02
LOWER
→
REST
IF SORE
→
REPEAT
A
Upper Day
Push · Pull · Carry
Chest, back, shoulders, arms, neck, traps
Warm-Up — Do This Every Time
Band Pull-Aparts
Arms at 90°, elbows tucked, palms up. Pulse the band to the side 10 times. Hold 5 sec at the end.
3 × 10
Hold 5 sec at end of each set
Overhead Tricep Extension + Bicep Curl
Light weight. This is blood flow, not training.
1 × 15
Light. Warm up only.
Main Work
Single-Arm Rear Delt Fly
Hinge at the hips. Control the arm out to the side. Feel it in the rear shoulder.
2 × 15
Each side
Decline Push-Ups
Feet elevated. Add sets over time. When sets feel easy — add a weighted backpack instead of more sets.
3 × 15
Add sets with time
Single-Arm Dumbbell Row
Brace your core. Pull the elbow back, not up.
2 × 15–30
Each side
Single-Arm Dumbbell Row
Brace your core. Pull the elbow back, not up.
2 × 15–30
Each side
Kneeling Push-Ups
Start here. Once you hit 10 reps — add a set. Build to full push-ups, then decline.
2 × 5–10
Add sets after hitting 10
Dumbbell Side Raises
Slight forward lean. Control the descent. Add sets over time — this builds the shoulder width that changes your silhouette.
3 × 15
Add sets with time
Dumbbell Side Raises
Slight forward lean. Control the descent.
2 × 15
Slow on the way down
Overhead Tricep Extension
Full stretch at the bottom. Lock out at the top.
2 × 15
Bicep / Hammer Curl — Alternate Each Session
Supinated for bicep peak. Neutral grip hammer for thickness and forearm.
2 × 15
Rotate weekly
Forearm Curls
Both directions. Wrist up and wrist down. Forearms are a weak point most men skip.
2 × 20
Both directions
Shrugs
Lean slightly forward. Squeeze at the top for a full second. Do not roll the shoulders.
2 × 30
1 sec squeeze at top
Neck Curls
Dumbbell on forehead lying down, or use a neck trainer. Slow and controlled. Do not rush this.
2 × 15
Front and back
Finisher — Every Upper Day
Band Knee Tucks
Loop band around dip bar base. Feet in the band. Stand facing bar. Pull knees to chest. Lower slow.
2 × 20
Lower abs. Do this last.
B
Lower Day
Hinge · Squat · Drive
Glutes, hamstrings, quads, calves, core
Warm-Up — Do This Every Time
Banded Bodyweight Squats
Band around knees. Push knees out against the band throughout the movement.
2 × 10
Knees out against band
Kneeling Hip Flexor Stretch
One knee down. Drive hips forward. Hold.
2 × 30s
Each side
Kneeling Hamstring Stretch
Leg extended. Reach toward foot. Hold at end range.
2 × 30s
Each side
Main Work
Dumbbell RDL
Hinge at the hips. Soft bend in the knee. Feel the stretch in the hamstring at the bottom.
2 × 15
Add sets or weight with time
Dumbbell RDL
Hinge at the hips. Soft bend in the knee. Feel the stretch in the hamstring at the bottom.
2 × 15
Add sets or weight with time
Hip Thrust
Back on a couch or bed edge. Drive through the heel. Squeeze hard at the top. Load with dumbbells, a backpack, or go single leg when it gets easy. This is your number one movement.
4 × 15
Priority. More sets than men.
Goblet Squat — Heels Elevated
Put a wooden plank or folded mat under your heels. About 5 cm. Keeps you upright. Targets the quads directly.
2 × 15
Add sets or weight with time
Goblet Squat — Heels Elevated
Put a wooden plank or folded mat under your heels. About 5 cm. Keeps you upright. Targets the quads directly.
2 × 15
Add sets with time
Dumbbell / Kettlebell Swing
Hinge hard. Drive through the hips. A bucket filled with earth works too.
2 × 20
Experiment with weight
Bodyweight Calf Raises
Stand on a step edge. Full range of motion. Slow and controlled.
2 × 50
Full range, slow
Bodyweight Calf Raises
Stand on a step edge. Full range of motion. Slow and controlled.
2 × 30
Full range, slow
Finisher — Every Lower Day
Band Knee Tucks
Same setup as upper day. Loop band around dip bar base. Feet in the band. Pull knees to chest. Lower slow.
2 × 20
Lower abs. Do this last.
The programme is the same. The priority shifts. Spend more energy on the movements that build the physique you are after.
Men — Build This
Side raises — shoulder width changes everything
Decline push-ups and dips — chest and tricep mass
RDLs — posterior chain, posture, and strength
Kettlebell swings — explosiveness and conditioning
Neck curls — train the neck for 3 months straight
Shrugs — traps are the hallmark of real strength
Women — Build This
Hip thrusts — the number one glute builder at home
RDLs — shapes the hamstring and glute tie-in
Dumbbell rows — upper back posture and definition
Kettlebell swings — full body fat burning movement
Single leg hip thrusts — once bilateral becomes easy
The programme works on its own. These additions make it work faster.
Walk every day. 10,000 steps. Outside or on a single staircase. Stair walking targets the glutes and posterior chain harder than flat ground. Mimics the gym stair machine at zero cost.
Touchdown exercise on the stair. Stand on one stair. Hinge down into a short-range RDL, then drop into a short squat. Hits the entire back side. Bodyweight but brutally effective with volume.
Progressive overload still applies. When bodyweight moves become easy — add a weighted backpack to hip thrusts, go single leg on RDLs and hip thrusts. Never plateau. Always add.
Use your grip work daily. Carry the hand gripper everywhere. Squeeze it while watching TV, in the car, before bed. Grip strength transfers to every pulling movement. Build it passively.
NO GYM.
NO EXCUSES.
The tools are cheap. The plan is simple. The only thing missing is the decision to start.