From : https://www.muscleandstrength.com/workouts/beginner-long-cycle-muscle-strength-building-workout This is a beginner muscle and strength building workout system. It is called a “long cycle” because it is meant to be run from start to finish, without exceptions. This workout routine is designed to help beginning lifters add as much muscle and strength as possible, moving them to the intermediate stages of lifting as quickly as possible. Here’s how it works. Trainees will start with 12 rep sets for each exercise. They will continue adding weight each week to these exercises until they are no longer able to reach 12 reps per set. At that point they will decrease the weight by 10% and drop to 11 rep sets. Now using 11 reps per set, lifters will begin the process of adding weight to the bar each week on exercises until they are unable to perform 11 reps per set. When this occurs they will drop the weight by 10% and start over the following week performing 10 rep sets. Lifters will continue to use this pattern, working up in weight over time, and down to 5 reps per set. When a lifter is unable to reach 5 reps per set on a given exercise, they will drop the weight by 10% and begin the HLM (Heavy, Light, Medium) protocol detailed in the second half of this article. So, the pattern is: 12 Rep Sets – Work until you can no longer perform 12 reps for each of the 3 sets of a given exercise. At that point, drop the weight by 10% and start over with 11 rep sets. 11 Rep Sets - Work until you can no longer perform 11 reps for each of the 3 sets of a given exercise. At that point, drop the weight by 10% and start over with 10 rep sets. 10 Rep Sets - Work until you can no longer perform 10 reps for each of the 3 sets of a given exercise. At that point, drop the weight by 10% and start over with 9 rep sets. 9 Rep Sets - Work until you can no longer perform 9 reps for each of the 3 sets of a given exercise. At that point, drop the weight by 10% and start over with 8 rep sets. 8 Rep Sets - Work until you can no longer perform 8 reps for each of the 3 sets of a given exercise. At that point, drop the weight by 10% and start over with 7 rep sets. 7 Rep Sets - Work until you can no longer perform 7 reps for each of the 3 sets of a given exercise. At that point, drop the weight by 10% and start over with 6 rep sets. 6 Rep Sets - Work until you can no longer perform 6 reps for each of the 3 sets of a given exercise. At that point, drop the weight by 10% and start over with 5 rep sets. 5 Rep Sets - Work until you can no longer perform 5 reps for each of the 3 sets of a given exercise. At that point, drop the weight by 10% and start over with a 5 rep HLM approach Starting Weight, and Weight Additions If you are a rank beginner, and are completely new to resistance training, I recommend starting with the following weight for each lift: Bench Press – 45 pounds (The bar) Barbell Rows - 45 pounds (The bar) Overhead Press – 45 pounds (The bar) Squats – 95 pounds (Bar + 25 pound plates) Deadlifts - 95 pounds (Bar + 25 pound plates) For the smaller lifts, like lying tricep extensions and curls, you’ll simply need to start with a very easy weight that allows for 12 reps per set. If you make a mistake, and start to heavy, simply drop the weight the next time you perform this lift and start the process over. Add the following weight each week to these lifts: Bench Press - 5 pounds Barbell Rows - 5 pounds Overhead Press - 5 pounds Squats - 10 pounds Deadlifts - 10 pounds