Cormac, here's your 4-week rebuild
Three days a week, a pair of dumbbells, and pressing that finally respects your right shoulder.
“My right shoulder has clicked ever since a rugby tackle in 2013. It's fine carrying shopping, fine on push-ups - but anything pressed straight overhead grumbles for two days afterwards.”
- Cormac, on what his body complains about
Where you're actually starting from
Years of structured training don't disappear - they go dormant. Your squat and hinge patterns are still in your nervous system, which means this block is a rebuild, not a from-scratch build: you'll re-learn fast and can progress weekly instead of monthly. The shoulder is information, not a limitation, and it rules out exactly one pattern. So we make one swap: neutral-grip floor pressing instead of overhead pressing. Elbows track a friendlier path, the floor stops the range right where your shoulder is happy, and the pressing muscles still work hard three times a week. You keep the strength. You lose the two-day tax.
Your training parameters
3
Days per week
Full-body A/B/A - a rest day between sessions
~45 min
Session length
Every session under 50 minutes, warm-up included
RPE 7-8
Effort target
Every set ends with 2 reps still in the tank
Your training week
| Mon | Wed | Fri | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Main lift | Goblet squat 3×8, RPE 7 | DB Romanian deadlift 3×8, slow lowering | Goblet squat - add one rep |
| Second lift | Neutral-grip floor press 3×8 | One-arm row 3×10 per side | Neutral-grip floor press, match Monday |
| Accessory pair | One-arm rows + farmer carries | Split squats + light floor press | One-arm rows + longer carries |
The three lifts that drive this block
Goblet squat
Main lift - Monday & Friday
Dumbbell hugged to your chest, sit down between your heels, stand up tall. The counterweight keeps your torso honest, so it rebuilds squat shape while it builds legs.
Neutral-grip floor press
Your shoulder-safe press
Palms facing each other, elbows at a comfortable angle, and the floor ends every rep before your shoulder can complain. This is the overhead swap - same pressing muscles, none of the grumbling range.
DB Romanian deadlift
Main lift - Wednesday
Soft knees, hips back, dumbbells sliding down your thighs until your hamstrings speak up. Take three slow counts on the way down - the lowering is where the strength gets built.
How the four weeks progress
Week 1
Learn it
- Pick loads that feel like an honest RPE 7 and log every set - this week is for finding your numbers, not testing them.
- Five minutes of prep before every session: hips, shoulders, one light ramp-up set of the main lift.
Week 2
Add reps
- Same loads, one more rep per set - main lifts drift toward 3×9-10, accessories toward 3×12.
- Add distance to the farmer carries before you add weight.
Week 3
Add load
- Back to 8s with the next dumbbell up on goblet squat, Romanian deadlift, and floor press.
- If split squats felt stable both weeks, move to the rear-foot-elevated version - hardest variation before more weight.
Week 4
Deload and test
- Ease off on purpose: two sets per exercise, one dumbbell lighter, everything at RPE 6.
- Friday, repeat your exact week-1 session. Those loads should feel a full effort-level easier - that's your proof.
Goblet squat projection - flat week 2 is the rep week, the dip is planned
⚠ About that shoulder
The neutral-grip floor press exists so pressing stays grumble-free - a click without pain is common and usually nothing. But we never program around pain by pushing through it: if the shoulder aches during a set, stop the set and swap the movement. And pain that persists belongs with a physio, not a program. Get it looked at, and the plan adapts around whatever they find.
Four weeks is the start - coaching is what compounds it
This block gets the patterns back. What it can't do is watch your squat depth on a Tuesday, adjust week 3 when work eats your sleep, or program block two off what your log actually says. That's what 1:1 coaching is for: personalized programming, weekly check-ins, and form review via video - send a set, get it fixed.
You've got the frame of an athlete and a program that fits your Tuesday-night reality - now it's about stacking quiet, consistent weeks. When you're ready to keep progressing past week 4, Forge Athletics' 1:1 online coaching builds every next block around your log, your schedule, and yes, that shoulder. Start Monday. We'll be here.