Beginner to Beast - Always Ready

This protocol is designed for true beginners. If your coordination is already developed or your nutrition is fairly solid, start further down and stay consistent. The results will come.

The first 18 months is not about perfecting a routine or optimising a diet. It is about learning — developing the coordination, skill, and intention required to efficiently train with genuine intensity, and building a relationship with nutrition that supports training and recovery without obsession. Consistency before complexity. The habit before the refinement.

Most programs sell a destination. This one is transparent about what the journey actually is. The beast is not the result of 18 months of training — it is what happens when someone who has learned to move and eat well simply never stops. The destination is not a physique or a number — it is being Always Ready.

This approach demands maturity — the willingness to choose slower, less glamorous progress over quick wins. It is about doing the work not only for yourself, but for those who depend on you, without chasing instant recognition. Consistency without immediate gratification is hard, but it forges true resilience. Being Always Ready means being confident that you can handle the challenges life presents you.

The Protocol

The protocol spans 12–18 months, gradually layering volume and complexity as your capacity grows. What follows is the structure: the workout examples, nutrition, and recovery principles that make up the program, and the progressive timeline that maps out how it all builds.

Strength workout example

The movements listed are joint actions, not specific exercises, and can be performed with a range of tools and variations. For a full exercise list for each joint action see the Physical Health Reference. Movements marked with an asterisk are not necessary to build a strong physique but can become important for specialisation, prehabilitation, or rehabilitation.

FULL BODY 1	FULL BODY 2
2 X Squat	2 X Hinge
2 X Horizontal Pull	2 X Vertical Push
2 X Horizontal Push	2 X Vertical Pull
2 X Hinge	2 X Squat
2 X Vertical Pull	2 X Horizontal Push
2 X Vertical Push	2 X Horizontal Pull
2 X Knee Extension	2 X Knee Flexion
2 X Horizontal Shoulder Abduction	2 X Horizontal Shoulder Adduction
2 X Hip Abduction*	2 X Hip Adduction*
2 X Elbow Extension	2 X Elbow Flexion
2 X Shoulder Abduction	2 X Shoulder Adduction
2 X Shoulder Flexion*	2 X Shoulder Extension*
2 X Ankle Flexion	2 X Ankle Extension
2 X Wrist Flexion*	2 X Wrist Extension*
2 X Hip Flexion*	2 X Spine Extension*
2 X Spine Flexion	2 X Hip Extension
2 X Spine Lateral Flexion	2 X Spine Rotation

Supersets and giant sets can be added to reduce session time without sacrificing volume. This table just showcases total volume in a week. For a deeper breakdown on strength training read Physical Health: Philosophy & Practice.

Functional HIIT Example: 20–45 mins

This is introduced after a year of training but if fitness allows for it, start earlier.

• 250m–1km run / 125–500m SkiErg / 6–25m Sled (50–170kg) / 10–30 leg raises

• 250m–1km run / 125–500m rowing / 30 seconds kettlebell swings / 10–30 crunches

• 250m–1km run / 10–30 calories assault bike / 8–12 medicine ball slams or overhead / 10–30 Russian twists

• 250m–1km run / 10–40m burpee broad jumps / 25–100m farmer carries (12–32kg) / 13–50 wall balls (4–9kg)

Nutrition & Recovery

Nutrition doesn't need to be complicated at this stage. The macro targets below are a starting point: enough protein to support muscle growth and recovery, enough fats to maintain hormonal health, and carbohydrates adjusted to your activity level. Don't stress about perfection. Prioritise whole foods where possible and limit ultra-processed foods, drinks, and alcohol. The goal is to build a consistent relationship with nutrition that supports your training without becoming a source of anxiety. As you progress, your understanding of what works for your body will refine itself naturally — IIFYM becomes IIFYM&M as you start paying attention to micronutrient quality alongside macros. For more details, check out Physical Health: Philosophy & Practice.

General Population Guide (excluding structured exercise)

Macros	Average Male (2,000–2,400 kcal)	Average Female (1,600–2,000 kcal)
Protein	120–140g (500–600 kcal)	100–125g (400–500 kcal)
Fats	65–90g (600–840 kcal)	53–78g (480–700 kcal)
Carbs	150–230g (640–960 kcal)	130–225g (520–900 kcal)

Sleep and recovery are simple but important. Have a consistent schedule, keep your room dark, quiet, and cool, cut screens before bed, and get direct sunlight in the morning. Beyond that, recovery has less to do with what you do after training and more to do with everything else — work stress, relationships, and unresolved pressure will break down recovery faster than a missed stretch session. Move consistently, eat well, sleep enough, and deal with what is actually keeping your nervous system on edge. The details are covered in the Physical Health post, but the principle is this: recovery does not need a complex protocol — it needs a life that is not constantly working against it.

Progressive structure: Beginner to Beast

The phases below are guidelines, not deadlines. Progression follows competence, not the calendar. There is no merit in rushing a phase you have not earned your way through. The more attention given to understanding movement outside the gym — watching, reading, and studying training techniques — the faster coordination develops inside it.

The more you put in, the more you get back. Progression will not always be linear. Life is unpredictable — illness, injury, work or family commitments can all cause minor setbacks. Missing a session here and there is not going to undo all your hard work. Trust the process and get back to it.

0–3 Months — Coordination & Mind-Muscle Connection

• 2 strength sessions per week (mostly machines, focus on breathing and mind-muscle connection)

• Slower eccentrics and concentrics, higher reps, lighter load

• Daily steps: 8–10k

3–6 Months — Coordination & Mind-Muscle Connection

• Continue machine strength training

• Add a zone 2 cardio session per week (30–45 mins — run, swim, cycle, etc.)

• This phase may extend to 6 months depending on how quickly coordination and technique develop

• Daily steps: 8–10k

6–9 Months — Technique & Range of Motion

• Can introduce iso-lateral machines, cables (Focus on full range of motion and the squeeze)

• Controlled eccentrics with a deep stretch, engaged concentrics

• Begin IIFYM nutrition tracking

• Daily steps: 8–10k

9–12 Months — Technique & Range of Motion

• Continue strength training and functional workouts

• Add supplements if recovery and lifestyle demands would benefit from them

• Daily steps: 8–10k

12–15 Months — Intensity

• Can introduce barbell lifts: squat variations, bench press, overhead press, trap bar deadlift

• Add one weekly functional HIIT session (carries, sleds, cardio, throws, rotations)

• Nutrition evolves to IIFYM&M (macros and micros)

• Daily steps: 8–10k

15–18 Months — Intensity

• Can introduce dumbbell variations and unilateral movements: chest press, single-arm rows, shoulder press, Bulgarian split squats

• Daily steps: 8–10k

18+ Months — Your Call The foundation is built. From here, training becomes personal — shaped by what you enjoy, what your life demands, and where you want to take it. More structure, less structure, a sport, a skill, a new discipline. The framework has done its job. What you do with it is yours.

Conclusion

Focus on the macro before the micro. Build consistency in training, nutrition, and sleep before layering in supplements or advanced recovery strategies. These tools can sharpen your results, but they will never replace the foundational habits that keep your body and psyche functioning at a high level. To truly improve health, develop other areas of your life — work, relationships, finances, environment.

Once the foundation is built, the Always Ready baseline is straightforward: 8–10k steps daily, 2–4 strength sessions per week performing 4–10 working sets per muscle group to or near failure, one functional HIIT session, and one zone 2 cardio session of 45 minutes or more. This isn't a rigid plan — if life calls for something different, you adjust. That's the point: your body is ready.

Wherever you're starting from, you may not be able to recover from all this immediately — or you may need more to keep progressing. This is simply the standard to build toward and maintain. Start with what your current capacity allows, train with intention, and let intensity rise as that capacity grows.

Ego removed, the path becomes obvious: not through cycles of obsession and collapse but consistent movement, honest nutrition, and genuine recovery — not a physique performed for others. Just someone who is strong, functional, resilient, and always ready for whatever life demands.