Consistency is key, and so for those of you coming to the end of Build program, you’ll be pleased to hear that we’re bringing you 12 more weeks of Maddie’s signature program.
Build will now be a total of 36 weeks across all levels. With 12 more weeks of advanced workouts.
By popular demand we’ve now extended the advanced level of Maddie’s program to bring you 12 more weeks of Build. Perfect for any community members coming to the end of the existing Build program or for anyone currently following another program and looking to switch up their current training style.
If you’re switching programs to Build advanced you will automatically be assigned the additional weeks.
If you’re already following this program and want to update, you’ll be prompted to select the 12 additional weeks at the bottom of your weekly planner. Alternatively, if you reselect this advanced program by clicking ‘change program’ on your dashboard this will automatically be the 24 week program.
Meet our newest strength trainer Maddie, a former competitive swimmer who knows what it takes to help you push your limits, achieve your goals and reach your full potential.
Her own fitness journey hasn't been linear. Having experienced periods of restriction, under-eating, overdoing cardio, and having a lot of exercise and food guilt, Maddie took the time to build long-lasting and sustainable habits and reaped the benefits.
With her guidance and expertise you'll learn how to make fitness part of your daily routine, so you can stay on track and build consistency long after the program ends.
Whether you’re a newbie to lifting or are looking for new ways to increase your lean muscle and define your physique, Build is the ultimate staple gym program that uses traditional tried and tested bodybuilding techniques aimed at helping you increase your total body strength and muscle, while helping you build better habits in and outside the gym. Based on mainly free weights, you can also expect to increase your core strength, stability and coordination and improve your mind to muscle connection, enabling you to move better, feel stronger and lift heavier.
Maddie’s training style is based on hypertrophy bodybuilding with a touch of intermittent cardio designed to help you transform your physique and build strength, muscle and confidence.
A solid and staple gym program for anyone serious about their results, Build has been carefully created using the key principles of strength and conditioning. Using mainly free weights, combined with effective compound movements, you can expect to increase lean muscle, whilst enhancing strength, stability and coordination. Over the course of your program you'll follow a science-backed full-body split, built on the foundations of bodybuilding moves. In true Maddie style, you'll also focus on core, cardio, HIIT & LISS days or finishers, aimed at maximising your performance and elevating your results.
Each workout in the Build program takes approximately 45-60 mins to complete.
Designed for beginners through to advanced, each level will be broken down into a full body weekly split, focusing and targeting specific muscle groups to increase lean muscle and strength in each area.
Build is 36 weeks in total from beginner to advanced.
- Beginner: 4 weeks - 3 workouts per week with an optional 4th
- Intermediate: 8 weeks - 4 workouts per week with an optional 5th
- Advanced: 24 weeks - 5 x per workouts per week
We've included a little taster of what to expect in each level below...
| Level | Workout Split |
|---|---|
| Beginner |
Day 1 - Lower Body Day 2 - Upper Body Day 3 - Full Body Day 4 (optional) - Abs & Cardio |
| Intermediate |
Day 1 - Legs Day 2 - Push Day 3 - Pull Day 4 - Legs Day 5 (optional) - Abs & Cardio |
| Advanced |
Day 1 - Pull Day 2 - Legs Day 3 - Push Day 4 - Full Body Day 5 - Legs |
With Beginner and Intermediate levels, you have a dedicated abs and cardio day, which will contain LISS (low intensity, steady state cardio), either on the treadmill or stairmaster, plus a sweaty and spicy Abs & HIIT circuit to enable you to increase fitness, boot your power, enhance stability as well as helping to sculpt and lean out your physique.
In Advanced, HIIT, LISS, Abs and core will be threaded throughout your program, which you’ll mainly see in terms of finishers at the end of the workout or as cardio based warm-ups. This is because for advanced lifters, in order to get the right stimulation you need for your muscles to grow and get stronger, Maddie believes volume is key. Therefore on Advanced you’ll be taken through an extra leg day each week instead to help you get the stimulation you need to maximise the effects of this program.
You’ll be given a number from the RPE scale for each exercise. The RPE scale (rate of perceived exertion) is a personalised way of measuring the intensity of your lifts by tuning into your body. Your RPE is based on how hard you feel like your body is working, considering physical sensations such as increased heart rate, breathing rate, sweating, and muscle fatigue.
1 | Very Light - Hardly any exertion, but more than sleeping/watching TV
2-4 | Light - Feels like you can maintain this level of exertion for hours. Easy to breathe and easy to hold a conversation. Good for mobility, recovery and form emphasis.
5-6| Moderate - A weight used for deload, speed work and hypertrophy. It’s a weight you can move quickly, withhold a short conversation, leaving you with 4-5 reps left in the tank.
7| Moderately Hard - Moderately challenging here, hard to have a conversation. 3 reps left in the tank.
8| Hard - Uncomfortable, very short of breath, hard to hold a conversation. 2 reps left in the tank.
9| Vigorously Hard - Very uncomfortable, you can only speak a few words. There’s 1 rep left in the tank, but you’ll have to grind and push hard to get it.
10| Max - This is your max effort, you’ll need all your energy to get this. Maintained for a very short amount of time. No reps left in the tank once you’ve finished.
It’s important that you take into account how you’re feeling as a whole, instead of focusing on one particular aspect. Remember your body isn’t a machine, it’s a beautiful complex system that is able to push harder on some days than others. So tune into your body and assess how hard you’re working using this RPE scale to help you scale back or push through your lifts.
Build uses a lot of free weights compared to Strong. Even at the beginner level, there are a lot of free weights. Maddie began training like this and thinks it's essential to start mastering the bodyweight basics from the get-go; as a beginner you’re challenged right from the start.
Although based on Bodybuilding (like Strong), Build contains some explosive & HIIT as well as an extra Abs & Cardio day on Beginner & Intermediate.
Ultimately, every trainer has exercises that they prefer and whilst the fundamental movement patterns will always be threaded through Squat, deadlift, push, pull) etc, each of our trainers has their favourite variation and training styles which will be reflected in their programs.