Home Dumbbell Strength Program — restart / body-recomp
Built for the founder 2026-05-27 on request. Equipment: adjustable dumbbells 5–55 lb (2.5 lb increments) + adjustable bench. Goal: rebuild strength + preserve/build lean mass while cutting 202 → 180 lb. Training is unmedicated (no GLP-1). Hydrate well every session — gout/dehydration link.
Structure
3 days/week, full-body, ~45 min. Two alternating templates (A / B). Run A–B–A one week, B–A–B the next, so each template lands ~1.5×/week and every muscle gets ~3 weekly exposures. Rest day between sessions where possible (e.g. Mon/Wed/Fri or Tue/Thu/Sat).
Why full-body over a bro split: as a restart, frequency beats per-session volume, it's time-efficient for a full-time-job + kid schedule, and it's more forgiving if a day gets skipped.
Intensity: leave 1–2 reps in reserve (RIR) — don't grind to failure as a restart; that's how you stay consistent and avoid joint flare-ups. First set of each lift is a lighter warm-up set, then the working sets listed.
Rest: 90–120s on compounds (squat/press/row/RDL), 60s on isolation (curls/raises/triceps).
Warm-up (5 min): light cardio or arm circles + bodyweight squats, then the warm-up set per lift.
Template A
| # | Exercise | Sets × Reps |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Goblet Squat | 3 × 10–12 |
| 2 | DB Flat Bench Press | 3 × 8–12 |
| 3 | DB Romanian Deadlift (RDL) | 3 × 10–12 |
| 4 | DB One-Arm Row (hand on bench) | 3 × 10–12 / side |
| 5 | DB Seated Shoulder Press | 3 × 8–12 |
| 6 | Superset: DB Curl + DB Overhead Triceps Ext | 2 × 12 each |
| — | Finisher: Plank | 3 × 30–45s |
Template B
| # | Exercise | Sets × Reps |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | DB Reverse Lunge | 3 × 10 / leg |
| 2 | DB Incline Bench Press (bench ~30°) | 3 × 8–12 |
| 3 | DB Hip Thrust (shoulders on bench) or stiff-leg RDL | 3 × 12 |
| 4 | DB Chest-Supported Row (lie chest-down on incline bench) | 3 × 10–12 |
| 5 | DB Lateral Raise | 3 × 12–15 |
| 6 | Superset: DB Hammer Curl + DB Skullcrusher | 2 × 12 each |
| — | Finisher: Lying Leg Raise or Russian Twist | 3 × 12–15 |
Starting weights — session 1 (Template A)
Calibrated conservative for a restart (set 1 should leave 2-3 reps in reserve). Per hand on two-DB lifts; single DB where noted.
| Exercise | Start |
|---|---|
| Goblet Squat | 30 lb (single) |
| DB Flat Bench | 25 / hand |
| DB Romanian Deadlift | 30 / hand |
| DB One-Arm Row | 30 lb |
| DB Seated Shoulder Press | 15 / hand |
| DB Curl | 15 / hand |
| DB Overhead Triceps Ext | 20 lb (single) |
Self-calibrate on set 1: 4+ reps left in the tank → bump +2.5–5; can't hit the bottom of the range with clean form → drop down. Real numbers dial in by session 2-3. Shoulders/arms feel lighter than the ego wants — start light on press + curls (detrained joints complain there first). Template B movements: calibrate by the same feel-based rule on first exposure.
Progression (double-progression)
For each lift, start at a weight where the bottom of the rep range feels like RIR 1–2. When you can hit the top of the range for all working sets with good form, bump that DB +2.5–5 lb next session and work back up the range. Log weight × reps each session (a notes app or the longevity tracker) so progression is mechanical, not guesswork.
How this fits the 202 → 180 goal
- The cut is diet-driven — lifting won't out-train the kitchen. Training's job here is to make sure the ~22 lb you lose is fat, not muscle: resistance training + adequate protein (aim ~0.7–1 g/lb target bodyweight ≈ 130–160 g/day) is the lean-mass-preservation lever.
- Cardio: keep the daily walks (steps are the sustainable deficit driver + vitamin D + low gout-joint stress). Add 1–2 short treadmill sessions/week if you want, but don't let cardio cannibalize lifting recovery.
- Sustainability > optimality: 3 honest full-body days you actually do beats a 5-day split you abandon in three weeks.
Session log
Session 1 — 2026-05-27 (Template A): completed full. Actuals (per hand unless noted):
- Goblet squat: ~30 (single, recommended — not explicitly confirmed)
- DB flat bench: 30 (calibrated up from rec 25)
- DB Romanian deadlift: 30 — reported "hardest yet, more in tank" (good RIR)
- DB one-arm row: 30
- DB seated shoulder press: 15 — honest ceiling, didn't force up (correct: overhead = weakest pattern)
- Superset DB curl + overhead triceps ext: both 15 (kept equal to avoid mid-superset DB re-adjust)
- Plank finisher: yes
Next session = Template B. Progression target: when top-of-range hit on all sets, bump that DB +2.5–5. Likely first bumps: bench, RDL, row (all felt sub-maximal at 30).
Session 2 — 2026-06-06 (Template B): completed full (first time through B). Reported live, rep-by-rep; all sets came in at RIR 1–2 ("tough but doable" / "sweet spot"). Actuals (per hand unless noted), all 3×10 except the superset:
- Reverse lunge: 25
- DB incline bench (~30°): 25
- DB hip thrust: 35 (single DB across hips) — set 3 tough (good RIR); bench slides on dismount → form/setup note: push bench against a wall, and lower hips fully before setting the DB down rather than pushing back off the bench
- DB chest-supported row: 25 — "hitting the sweet spot, tough but doable"
- DB lateral raise: 10 — honest weight; the burn is real even light (shoulders = weakest pattern, consistent with Session 1 press at 15)
- Superset DB hammer curl + skullcrusher: both 15 (2×12, as prescribed)
- Finisher: Russian twist 3×15 (founder preference over lying leg raise) — performed seated sideways on top of the incline bench with feet elevated. Form (video reviewed): core engaged, harder feet-up variation; coaching given = (a) elevated narrow bench during rotation is a roll-off risk for marginal benefit, floor is equivalent + safer; (b) slight lumbar rounding/collapse at bottom of lean → cue "stay tall, hinge from hips, rotate through ribcage"; (c) control tempo, aim each side, avoid arm-swing momentum
Notes: strong calibration across the board — landed at or near recommended anchors on first B exposure. Reps came in at 10 (not top-of-range 12) on the working lifts, which is correct for a first-exposure RIR-1–2 day. Session 1 (Template A, 05-27) left him sore 3 days ("productive sore" — restart signal). Progression target next B: when 12 reps hit on all sets, bump that DB +2.5–5. Likely first bumps: hip thrust (strong mover, 35 had more in the tank), incline bench, chest-supported row.
Related
- [[2026-05-22-execution-system-v1]] — the longevity execution system this plugs into
- [[user_health_clinical]] — gout (hydrate), weight target 202→180, unmedicated
~/rdco-vault/01-projects/longevity/2026-05-21-founder-health-assessment-v1.md