K & A Performance · Reading workbook
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Strength is a skill you can practice. Load is the resistance: body weight, a band, a machine or a free weight. A rep is one complete repetition. A set is a group of repetitions followed by rest.
This is general education, not a personal exercise prescription. Adapt activity to your abilities and health. A coach can help with technique; a clinician can advise on symptoms, injuries or conditions that affect exercise.
Resistance work can improve muscle strength and help maintain muscular fitness. The useful question is what that capacity lets you do.
Think about a chair you stand from or a bag you carry.
Muscle-strengthening activity supports bone health. The right activity depends on the person, especially with pain, osteoporosis or a joint condition.
There is no single movement or guaranteed bone-density result for everyone.
For older adults, a mix that includes strength and balance practice can help reduce fall risk. Strength alone is not the whole balance plan.
Include specific balance practice appropriate to your abilities.
Regular physical activity can help manage blood sugar. This course does not replace treatment or medication guidance for diabetes.
If you have diabetes, discuss exercise and glucose management with your care team.
Physical activity can support sleep and reduce anxiety. Those benefits concern activity overall, not a promise from a particular lifting routine.
Choose a form of activity you can return to.
Strengthening work can improve physical function and make daily tasks easier. Progress and support needs vary.
A useful goal can be practical: carrying a bag, climbing stairs or rising from a chair.
These five patterns are a useful teaching framework. They are not a complete personal program, and do not replace planning for all major muscle groups.
Bend at hips and knees to lower and rise. Everyday example: Standing up from a chair.
Starting variations: Sit-to-stand from a stable chair or Body-weight squat.
Use a controlled range. Let the knees follow the direction of the feet. Use a suitable setup and get instruction if unfamiliar.
Send the hips back with a small knee bend, then stand tall. Everyday example: Reaching toward a box on the floor.
Starting variations: Unloaded hip hinge or Light Romanian deadlift.
Keep the load near you. Use a range you can control without forcing the back. Use a suitable setup and get instruction if unfamiliar.
Move your body or a load away from a support. Everyday example: Pushing a heavy door open.
Starting variations: Wall push-up or Incline push-up.
Choose a stable support. Keep the trunk controlled and use a comfortable elbow path. Use a suitable setup and get instruction if unfamiliar.
Bring a load toward you, or move toward a fixed support. Everyday example: Pulling open a heavy drawer.
Starting variations: Securely anchored band row or Supported dumbbell row.
Use a stable setup. Let the arms move without shrugging or throwing the torso. Use a suitable setup and get instruction if unfamiliar.
Hold a load while keeping your body controlled as you walk. Everyday example: Taking shopping bags to the kitchen.
Starting variations: Light two-handed carry or Light suitcase carry.
Choose a clear path and a manageable load. Walk steadily without leaning to compensate. Use a suitable setup and get instruction if unfamiliar.
For each task, identify the main movement. The reference matches are below. Real tasks may combine several patterns.
Effort is subjective. An easy set can be useful for warming up or learning a movement. A manageable challenge still leaves room for control. Beginners do not need to chase maximum effort to learn. Stop a set when you cannot keep the intended movement controlled.
An effort number does not map exactly to repetitions remaining. The course dial cannot prescribe your load or assess your readiness.
After practice feels controlled and recovery is manageable, consider one small change. Repeating the same practice is valid. A small increase in repetitions or resistance may be suitable. Changing load, repetitions and frequency together makes the response harder to judge.
These cues are starting points, not a diagnosis or an assessment of your form. A qualified coach can watch and adapt the movement.
In this practice example, the knees move inward as the person rises.
Possible adjustment: Reduce the challenge. Try a comfortable stance and let the knees follow the feet. A coach can help find a suitable variation.
The person reaches farther than they can control and loses their comfortable trunk position.
Possible adjustment: Shorten the range and lighten or remove the load. Practice moving from the hips, with the load close.
During an incline push-up, the person arches through the lower back to finish the rep.
Possible adjustment: Use a higher stable support or easier variation. Keep the trunk controlled and continue breathing.
The person shrugs and throws the torso to move the weight.
Possible adjustment: Reduce the resistance and use a steady setup. Practice a controlled row without forcing the shoulder down.
The person leans and rushes to keep walking.
Possible adjustment: Use less weight or a balanced two-handed carry. Clear the path and walk with control.
The person holds their breath throughout the set.
Possible adjustment: Pause and reset. Keep breathing; try exhaling during the effort. Stop if you feel dizzy or unwell and seek help as needed.
Choose practice days and leave recovery time between demanding sessions for the same muscles. Adult guidelines include strengthening all major muscle groups at least two days a week, alongside aerobic activity. Start with what you can manage and build gradually. Sunday and Monday are adjacent when a weekly pattern repeats.
Collect one suitable starting variation for each pattern, or note an adapted option to discuss. A personal plan should consider all major muscle groups, including the abdomen, plus your health, experience, equipment, intensity and recovery.
Practice days: __________________________________
Movement options to discuss: ______________________________
What would make starting easier: ___________________________
Progress can be a steadier habit or a more confident movement, not only a heavier weight. Take your draft week to someone who can help you adapt it.
Reviewed September 2026. No individual outcome is promised.