First Gym — Day A
Machine-led beginner day. Machine bench, leg press, lat pulldown, leg curl, plank. Lower technique barrier than free weights — perfect first month in a commercial gym. ~40 min, 5 exercises.
Estimated session
- Movements 5
- Loads Coach-filled
- Progresses Every session
Every movement, in order
Each lift with its working sets and target, in the order you run them. The coach sets the loads from your training and moves them up as the work gets easier.
| Order | Exercise | Sets | Target | Rest |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Machine Bench Press Adjust seat so handles align with mid-chest. Drive through; control return. 1 warm-up set first 3 × 10 · rest 1:30 | 3 | 10 | 1:30 |
| 02 | Leg Press Foot placement medium-width, hip-to-knee distance. Full ROM, drive up, no lockout. 1 warm-up set first 3 × 10 · rest 1:30 | 3 | 10 | 1:30 |
| 03 | Wide-Grip Lat Pulldown Initiate from lats, pull bar to upper chest. Mid-back squeeze. 3 × 10 · rest 1:15 | 3 | 10 | 1:15 |
| 04 | Lying Leg Curls Hips planted. Curl heels to glutes, pause 1 s, control eccentric. 3 × 12 · rest 1 min | 3 | 12 | 1 min |
| 05 | Plank Straight line, glutes squeezed. Breathe through. 2 × 30s · rest 45s | 2 | 30s | 45s |
The coach sets the loads and moves them up — these are the schemes
When to reach for this template
All selectorized; start ~1 pin under estimated working weight while technique stabilizes. Progress per movement: if every working set hits target reps at or below its target RPE, add one pin (or the smallest available increment) next session; if any set exceeds target RPE or misses reps, hold load and repeat. Push set-to-set RPE on the top set, not load. Substitutions if a machine is taken: chest press↔pec deck, leg press↔hack squat, lat pulldown↔seated row, lying curl↔seated curl — keep reps/RPE, recalibrate load from the first set.
Every workout
The coach reads your log, tunes the loads and volume to where you are today, and tells you when to add weight.
Programs that use this template
This session is scheduled across a week and progressed over the mesocycle in the programs below.
Common questions
The facts most people check before they drop this session into a week.
01When should I use the First Gym — Day A template?
All selectorized; start ~1 pin under estimated working weight while technique stabilizes. Add it to your week in Squatly and the coach schedules it, sets the loads from your training, and tells you when to move up.
02How many working sets is First Gym — Day A, and how long does it take?
First Gym — Day A runs 5 movements and about 14 working sets, roughly 50 minutes once warm-ups are in. The full per-exercise scheme — sets, reps or RPE, and rest — is in the session table above.
03What makes the Day A version different?
First Gym — Day A is the day a cut of this family — same method, but the movement order, set scheme, and emphasis are tuned for it. The session table shows exactly what changes; the coach sets the loads and drives the progression either way.
Built on the Squatly method
Every set count, rep target, and rest period here comes from how the coach weighs volume, intensity, and fatigue. See where the numbers come from.
Read the methodVolume, intensity, and fatigue — read per lift, every session.
Last updated: June 2026
Keep moving forward.
Add this template to your week. The coach reads your training, sets the loads, and tells you when to push.
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Aleks · Coach
Proposal — add weight