CrossFit Bodmin · free resource
This plan is built around the postnatal return-to-training guidance, to take you from beginner back to the gym steadily. It’s designed around those criteria, but it works well for any beginner. All of it can be done in a gym too. If you want faster progress, for example towards heavier, bone-building lifting in menopause, reach out to a coach who can help you from day one and teach you to strength train.
Strength three times a week, walking and low-impact cardio, and a test in weeks 1, 4 and 12, so what changed is written down in your own numbers. Tick each box as you go.
Weeks 1 to 4: a steady start. The breath, the pelvic floor and walking, then squats, bridges and lunges, low-impact cardio and a light hinge.
Weeks 5 to 8: load it. A dumbbell or kettlebell, the main lifts in sets of 5, and single-leg strength.
Weeks 9 to 12: gym ready. The deadlift from the floor and the step-up, then the tests that clear you for running and jumping.
To start, a dumbbell or a kettlebell, or a backpack of books (weigh it, and add a book to progress). Plus a sturdy chair, a table and a step. From week 5 you’ll want heavier weights as you get stronger: a few kettlebells, an adjustable dumbbell, or a gym’s.
New mum? You can start this plan after your six-week check. Running and jumping wait until you’ve passed the week 12 tests, at 12 weeks or more after the birth, and had a pelvic health check: see Figure 4, the return-to-training ladder, in the guide. If you’re pregnant, this plan isn’t written for pregnancy: see the guide’s pregnancy chapter, and talk to a coach. If you have osteoporosis, a heart condition, high blood pressure, or pain that wakes you at night, see your GP first. Chest pain, feeling faint or sharp pain in a session: stop and get checked.
Sitting or lying down, imagine you’re stopping wind and a wee at the same time, and draw the muscles up and forwards. Up to 10 long holds of up to 10 seconds, then 10 quick squeezes, at least three times a day. Let go fully after each one, start with what you can manage, and keep breathing.
From week 5, add one light set of 5 of each main lift before its working sets.
Stop with reps left in the tank: 2 to 3 on sets of 8 or more, three on sets of 5. Never to failure. Last rep a fight? Go lighter or down a version. Could have done ten more? Add a book or go up a version. Breathe out as you push or stand, and breathe through every rep.
Every set reaches its reps with that stage’s reps still in the tank, and every rep looks the same. One change per movement, and the smallest step you have: the next version, one more book, or the next weight up.
Weeks 1 and 2: walks, building to 30 minutes at a brisk pace.
From week 3: intervals on a static bike, a cross-trainer or a rower, or a fast walk uphill.
No running yet: it comes after the week 12 tests.
Do a lighter session rather than skipping it. Take a set off, or use the easier version. A lighter session still counts.
Week 1: breathe, brace, walk. Learn the breath and the Knack, start your pelvic floor exercises, and walk most days. Then find the version of each Session A movement where you can do 8 tidy reps with 2 to 3 left in the tank. Session A at 2 sets, light.
Week 2: add the lunge. Session A at all its sets. Session B joins, with the split squat, light. Once a movement feels steady, add a rep a set, as long as every rep looks the same.
Week 3: low-impact cardio. Intervals on a bike or cross-trainer take over from two of the walks. Keep adding a rep until every set reaches the top of its range, then go up one step on that movement next time.
Week 4: a light hinge, then retest. Stay at your week 3 level, learn the Romanian deadlift with a light weight, and redo the Four Checks.
| Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 4 | Day 5 | Day 6 | Day 7 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1Breathe, brace, walk | Learn the shapesThe breath and the Knack, then 1 easy round of Session A, 5 reps each, no weight | Walk15 to 20 minutes | The Four ChecksPage 5. Write down your answers | Walk15 to 20 minutes | Session A2 sets, light | Walk20 minutes | Rest |
| Week 2Add the lunge | Session AAll the sets, your week 1 level | Walk20 to 30 minutes, brisk | Session B2 sets, light, to learn it | Rest or a walk | Session AAdd a rep where it stays tidy | Walk20 to 30 minutes, brisk | Rest |
| Week 3Low-impact cardio | Session BAll the sets | Intervals6 rounds | Session AAdd a rep, or go up a step | Rest or a walk | Session BAdd a rep, or go up a step | Intervals6 rounds | Rest |
| Week 4A light hinge, then retest | Session AYour week 3 level, plus the Romanian deadlift, light | Intervals7 rounds | The Four ChecksSame order, same chair, same backpack | Rest or a walk | Session BYour week 3 level, plus the Romanian deadlift, light | Intervals7 rounds | Rest |
| End of week 4Look back | Put week 1 and week 4 side by sideWhatever moved in those four weeks, you’re the one who moved it. | ||||||
| Movement | Sets and reps | In the tank | Rest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Squat, paired with | 3 sets of 8 to 10 | 2 to 3 reps | 1 minute after the pair |
| Push-up | 3 sets of 8 to 10 | 2 to 3 reps | |
| Glute bridge, paired with | 3 sets of 8 to 10 | 2 to 3 reps | 1 minute after the pair |
| Core: pelvic tilts, bent-knee drop-outs or the dead bug | 2 sets of 5 each side | Slow |
| Movement | Sets and reps | In the tank | Rest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Split squat, paired with | 2 sets of 8 to 10 each leg | 2 to 3 reps | 1 minute after the pair |
| One-arm row | 3 sets of 8 to 10 each arm | 2 to 3 reps | |
| Side-lying leg lift, paired with | 2 sets of 8 to 10 each side | 2 to 3 reps | 1 minute after the pair |
| Suitcase carry | 3 carries of 20 to 30 seconds each side | Walk tall |
Week 4, both sessions: add the Romanian deadlift, 2 sets of 8, light, to learn it. Warm-up, session and cool-down: 20 to 30 minutes.
The main lifts move to 4 sets of 5, heavier, with three reps left in the tank. The rest stay at sets of 8 to 10, with single-leg work that builds towards the week 12 strength tests. Two sessions, C and D, in turn.
| Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 4 | Day 5 | Day 6 | Day 7 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 5Learn the loaded lifts | Session CMain lifts 3 sets of 8, light | Intervals8 rounds | Session DMain lifts 3 sets of 8, light | WalkBuilding to 30 minutes | Session C4 sets of 5: find your weight | Intervals8 rounds | Rest |
| Week 6Sets of 5 | Session D4 sets of 5: find your weight | Intervals8 rounds | Session CSame weights | WalkBuilding to 30 minutes | Session DSame weights | Intervals8 rounds | Rest |
| Week 7Up one step when it’s tidy | Session CUp one step where it was tidy | Intervals8 rounds | Session DUp one step where it was tidy | Walk30 minutes | Session CUp one step where it was tidy | Intervals8 rounds | Rest |
| Week 8Keep building | Session DUp one step where it was tidy | Intervals8 rounds | Session CUp one step where it was tidy | Walk30 minutes | Session DThen fill in your lift log | Intervals8 rounds | Rest |
| Movement | Sets and reps | In the tank | Rest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Goblet squat | 4 sets of 5 | 3 reps | 2 minutes |
| Romanian deadlift, dumbbell or kettlebell | 4 sets of 5 | 3 reps | 2 minutes |
| Push-up, paired with | 3 sets of 8 to 10 | 2 to 3 reps | 1 minute after the pair |
| Single-leg bridge | 2 sets of 8 to 10 each leg | 2 to 3 reps | |
| Dead bug, paired with | 2 sets of 5 each side | Slow | 1 minute after the pair |
| Single-leg calf raise | 2 sets of 8 to 10 each leg | 2 to 3 reps |
| Movement | Sets and reps | In the tank | Rest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overhead press, one arm | 4 sets of 5 each arm | 3 reps | 2 minutes |
| One-arm row | 4 sets of 5 each arm | 3 reps | 2 minutes |
| Split squat, weight in hand, paired with | 3 sets of 8 to 10 each leg | 2 to 3 reps | 1 minute after the pair |
| Side-lying leg lift | 2 sets of 8 to 10 each side | 2 to 3 reps | |
| Suitcase carry, heavier | 3 carries of 30 seconds each side | Walk tall | 1 minute |
The first time you do a main lift with a weight, do 3 sets of 8, light, with 2 to 3 in the tank, to learn it. Sets of 5 from the next session. Find your weight: the weight where all 4 sets of 5 end with three still in the tank. Going up: when every set reaches 5 with three in the tank and every rep looks the same, go up one step next time: the next weight, or one more book. One movement at a time. Warm-up, session and cool-down: about 35 to 45 minutes.
| Lift | Week 6 | Week 8 | Week 11 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Goblet squat | |||
| Romanian deadlift | – | ||
| Deadlift from the floor | – | – | |
| Overhead press | |||
| One-arm row |
Two new movements, the deadlift from the floor and the step-up. The main lifts stay at 4 sets of 5 with three in the tank, and keep going up by the same rule. The single-leg work builds towards 20 reps for the strength tests. Two sessions, E and F, in turn.
| Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 4 | Day 5 | Day 6 | Day 7 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 9Learn the gym versions | Session EDeadlift 3 sets of 8, light; the rest at your week 8 weights | Intervals8 rounds | Session FStep-up light; the rest at your week 8 weights | Walk30 minutes | Session EDeadlift 4 sets of 5: find your weight | Intervals8 rounds | Rest |
| Week 10Build | Session FUp one step where it was tidy | Intervals8 rounds | Session EUp one step where it was tidy | Walk30 minutes | Session FUp one step where it was tidy | Intervals8 rounds | Rest |
| Week 11Build | Session EUp one step where it was tidy | Intervals8 rounds | Session FUp one step where it was tidy | Walk30 minutes | Session EThen fill in your lift log | Intervals8 rounds | Rest |
| Week 12Hold, then test | Session F2 sets at your week 11 weights, saving it up | Rest | The Four ChecksSame order, same chair, same weight | Intervals8 rounds | Session EYour week 11 weights | The seven tests, then the strength testsNew mum: only at 12 weeks or more after the birth, after a pelvic health check | Rest |
| End of week 12Look back | Put weeks 1, 4 and 12 side by sideThe Four Checks and your lift log, in your own numbers. | Your next stepPage 5: after the tests. | |||||
| Movement | Sets and reps | In the tank | Rest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Goblet squat | 4 sets of 5 | 3 reps | 2 minutes |
| Deadlift from the floor, kettlebell or dumbbell | 4 sets of 5 | 3 reps | 2 minutes |
| Push-up, paired with | 3 sets of 8 to 10 | 2 to 3 reps | 1 minute after the pair |
| Single-leg bridge | 2 sets of 10 to 15 each leg | 2 to 3 reps | |
| Dead bug, paired with | 2 sets of 5 each side | Slow | 1 minute after the pair |
| Single-leg balance | 3 holds of 10 seconds each leg | Steady |
| Movement | Sets and reps | In the tank | Rest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overhead press | 4 sets of 5 each arm | 3 reps | 2 minutes |
| One-arm row | 4 sets of 5 each arm | 3 reps | 2 minutes |
| Step-up, weight in hand, paired with | 3 sets of 8 to 10 each leg | 2 to 3 reps | 1 minute after the pair |
| Side-lying leg lift | 2 sets of 10 to 15 each side | 2 to 3 reps | |
| Single-leg sit-to-stand, paired with | 2 sets of 5 to 10 each leg | 2 to 3 reps | 1 minute after the pair |
| Single-leg calf raise | 2 sets of 10 to 15 each leg | 2 to 3 reps |
Warm up first. Nothing goes to failure. Write every answer down.
| Check | How | Week 1 | Week 4 | Week 12 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chair stand | Chair against a wall, arms crossed. Stand fully and sit with control for 30 seconds. Count them. Stop early if a knee or your back complains, and note where. | |||
| Push-up version | The hardest version where you can do 8 tidy reps: wall, counter, stairs, knees or full. | |||
| Row load | The weight you can row 10 tidy times each arm with 2 to 3 left in the tank. | |||
| Floor and back | Chair beside you, sit down on the floor and stand back up, slowly. What did you need: a chair, a hand, a knee, nothing? | |||
| How capable do you feel? | 1 to 10. |
The tests below are the return-to-running tests from the postnatal guidance by three UK physios, Goom, Donnelly and Brockwell (2019), the guidance this plan is built around. Their free guide shows how to do each one: absolute.physio/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/returning-to-running-postnatal-guidelines.pdf. Pass each one with no pain, heaviness, dragging or leaking. New mum? Take them at 12 weeks or more after the birth, after a pelvic health check.
| Test | Target | Passed? |
|---|---|---|
| Walk | 30 minutes | |
| Single-leg balance | 10 seconds | |
| Single-leg squat | 10 per side | |
| Jog on the spot | 1 minute | |
| Forward bounds | 10 | |
| Hop | 10 per leg | |
| Running man | 10 per side |
| Test | Left | Right |
|---|---|---|
| Single-leg calf raise | ||
| Single-leg bridge | ||
| Single-leg sit-to-stand | ||
| Side-lying leg lift |
A strength test short of 20 just shows you where to train. It doesn’t stop you going on to running.
After the tests: gym ready. You can squat, deadlift, press, row and step up for sets that look the same every rep. That’s the base the barbell lifts are built on.
Passed the seven tests? Run by time before speed: a couch-to-5K plan fits. Add impact the same way: step-off landings first, then small jumps, building over the weeks towards 50 a session, what UK bone guidance aims for. Had a spine fracture, or several bones broken in minor falls? The UK guidance usually keeps impact to a brisk walk, so ask your GP or physio first.
Leaking, heaviness or dragging on a test? Hold off running and jumping, keep lifting, and see a pelvic health physio.
Your next step: learn the barbell lifts with an experienced coach. The squat, the deadlift and the overhead press, from the lightest version up. The guide’s chapter “After 12 weeks: what we suggest” shows where it goes.
Every movement starts with the breath and the brace. Each one then has an easier and a harder version, easiest first: start where every rep looks the same.
Lie on your back, knees bent. Breathe in through your nose, low and wide: belly, sides, back. In, the pelvic floor drops a little. Out, it gently lifts. Five breaths lying, then sitting, then standing. Shoulders rising? Hands on your lower ribs. Breathe into your hands.
Feet set, grip set. Breathe in, low and wide. Gently lift your pelvic floor, as if stopping wind and a wee at once, just before the effort: that’s the Knack. Stiffen your middle all the way round, like someone’s about to poke you in the ribs. Don’t suck in. Lift, breathing out through the hard part. Reset every rep. Leaking, heaviness or doming? Drop the weight or go down a version, and carry on.
Feet shoulder-width, toes slightly out. Breathe, brace, and sit down between your heels, knees following toes, chest tall. As deep as your back stays flat and your heels stay down. Drive up, breathing out through the hardest part. For the goblet squat, hold the weight at your chest, elbows pointing down.
Versions: sit to a chair → touch the chair lightly → free squat → backpack hugged to your chest (goblet) → a dumbbell or kettlebell, heavier as you go.
Soft knees. Hips back until the backs of your legs load up. Weight close, back flat. Drive your hips forward and squeeze your bum to stand; stand tall at the top without leaning back. Only as low as your back stays flat.
Versions: hands slide from thighs to knees → backpack by its handle, or a dumbbell in each hand → a heavier kettlebell or dumbbells.
The same hinge, from the floor. Kettlebell between your feet, in line with your ankle bones. Hips back and knees bent until your hands reach the handle, back flat. Breathe, brace, push the floor away and stand tall, squeezing your bum. Lower it the same way, hips back first.
Versions: the bell raised on a step or books → from the floor → a heavier bell, or a dumbbell in each hand.
Hands under your shoulders, body in one line from head to heels. Brace, lower your chest to the edge, then push away, breathing out.
Versions: wall → kitchen counter → stairs (3rd step, 2nd, 1st) → knees → full.
One hand on a table, back flat, weight hanging below your shoulder. Brace, pull the backpack or dumbbell to your hip, breathing out. Shoulder away from your ear. Lower with control.
Versions: a lighter bag → one more book at a time → a dumbbell → a heavier one.
Stand tall, feet hip-width, weight at your shoulder. Breathe, brace and squeeze your bum. Press straight up until your arm is straight beside your ear, breathing out. Lower to your shoulder with control. Leaning back to finish? Go lighter.
Versions: half-kneeling, one arm → standing, one arm → standing, a dumbbell in each hand.
Hand on a wall, feet a long stride apart, front heel down. Brace, lower the back knee straight down, then drive up through the front foot, breathing out.
Versions: lower the back knee a little → lower → to a cushion → a weight in your free hand. Knee grumbling? Step-ups on the bottom stair.
Whole foot on a sturdy step or box. Brace, drive through that heel and stand tall on top, breathing out. Step down with control. All the reps on one leg, then swap.
Versions: bottom stair → a weight in each hand → a higher step.
On your back, heels near your bum. Breathe out, lift your hips and squeeze your bum for a full second, then lower slowly. For the single-leg bridge, lift one foot and keep your hips level.
Versions: feet on the sofa → feet on the floor → backpack on your hips → one leg.
On your back, knees bent. Pelvic tilt: breathe out and gently flatten your lower back to the floor, then let go. Bent-knee drop-out: breathe out as one knee slowly falls out to the side, pelvis still, then bring it back. Dead bug: knees up over your hips, arms up, lower back gently down; breathe out as you slowly lower the opposite arm and leg, then swap. Keep it small if your back lifts.
Versions: pelvic tilts → bent-knee drop-outs → dead bug on the bed → on the floor, small → arm and leg further out.
On your side, bottom knee bent, top leg straight in line with your body, toes facing forward. Breathe out and lift the top leg a hand’s height without rolling back, then lower slowly.
Versions: a small lift → a full lift → a slower lower.
Hand on a wall, stand on one foot. Rise onto the ball of your foot as high as you can, then lower slowly.
Versions: two feet → one foot → one foot on the edge of a step.
Sit on a chair, one foot lifted just off the floor. Brace, stand up on the other leg, then sit down slowly.
Versions: a higher seat, a hand on a table → a normal chair → no hands.
Stand on one foot, knee soft, hips level, eyes on a fixed point.
Versions: a hand near the wall → hands free → on a cushion.
Weight in one hand, brace, walk tall without leaning. Swap hands.
Versions: 20 seconds → 30 seconds → one more book → a heavier weight.
Landing: step off a low step, 10 to 20 cm, and land quietly on one foot, then two: knees over toes, hips soft, hold two seconds, breathe out. Brace as for the squat, just before you land. Small jumps: a small jump straight up, landing quietly the same way, and reset between jumps.
Versions: step-off landings → one small jump at a time → a few in a row.
Want a coach to watch your first squat, or a plan built for you? That’s what we’re here for. Message us on 07888 865631, or email info@crossfitbodmin.com.
This plan goes with Women’s Strength Training. Its order follows the postnatal return-to-running guidance by Goom, Donnelly and Brockwell (2019), as the guide’s Figures 3 and 4 set out: breathing, walking and pelvic floor work first; then squats, bridges and lunges; low-impact cardio; resistance work and light deadlift technique; and the seven tests and the strength tests, at 12 weeks or more after a birth, before running. The sets, the reps, the effort rule and when to go up a step follow the guide: sets of 8 to 10 with 2 to 3 reps in the tank, then 4 sets of 5 with three in the tank. The pelvic floor exercises follow the UK’s pelvic health physiotherapists (POGP). The 50 impacts a session, and usually keeping impact to a brisk walk after a spine fracture, are from the UK consensus on exercise for bone (Brooke-Wavell and colleagues, 2022). The movement choices, their order, the rest times, the warm-up and cool-down, the dead bug and carry, the single-leg practice reps, the Four Checks, the lift log, the intervals and the weekly layout are our own coaching; no trial tested them. This is a general plan, and not medical advice. CrossFit Bodmin · crossfitbodmin.com