Home About Start Here Training Guides Nutrition Exercise Library Suspension Training Training Log Fitness Testing Articles Media Personal Training Contact
← Back to Training Guides Archive · Gym Only · Advanced · 8 Weeks

Summer Conditioning 1997

A complete eight-week gym conditioning programme written in March 1997. Six phases, percentage-based intensity loading, real recorded weights. Designed for the already-trained. Not a beginner programme. Not a compromise.

Written
March 1997
Duration
8 Weeks · 6 Phases
Level
Advanced
Equipment
Full Gym Required
Aerobic
Included Throughout
Origin
Personal Training Archive
This is an advanced programme. It was designed and executed by a 21-year-old who had been training seriously for several years. The volume — particularly in Phases 3 and 4 — is high. The intensity in Phase 2 reaches 95 per cent of working maximum. If you are new to training, or returning after a long break, this is not your starting point. See the 40+ Starting Programme or Beginner Resistance Training instead.

What This Document Is

This is a training programme written in March 1997, signed at the bottom, and followed through to completion. It was not designed in a gym office or assembled from a textbook. It was written by someone in the middle of training seriously, refined across several months, and used not just by the author but by a group of training partners who followed it alongside him.

The weights recorded in each table are the actual kilograms lifted at the time. They reflect the strength levels of a young man with a well-established base of compound lifting. They are published here as a historical record, not as targets. The programme title says eight weeks to get in shape for the summer. That remains true. The principles inside it are not products of their time.

Understanding the Intensity System

Every exercise in this programme is prescribed as a percentage of your working maximum — the heaviest weight you can lift with sound technique for the given rep range. You do not need to test your absolute one-repetition maximum before starting. Begin with a weight that is genuinely challenging while remaining completely controlled, record it, and apply the percentages to that figure.

The system scales automatically. A lifter with a 100 kg squat working at 65% uses 65 kg. A lifter with a 60 kg squat working at 65% uses 39 kg. The relative demand is identical. What matters is honest application. Training at 65% when the prescription says 80% will produce 65% results. The percentages are not decorative — they structure the progression across all six phases.

The Aerobic Component

The intensity percentages for aerobic sessions refer to approximate maximum heart rate. In 1997, heart rate monitors were not in common use. These sessions were calibrated by feel, using rate of perceived exertion on a scale of one to ten. At 50 per cent maximum heart rate — which appears only in the first two weeks — the effort is light and fully conversational, RPE 3 to 4. At 80 per cent, which appears in the final two phases alongside 45-minute sessions, you are working hard and sustaining it, RPE 7 to 8. Use a monitor if you have one. If not, honest perceived effort is sufficient and is exactly what was used in 1997.

The Six Phases at a Glance

Phase Weeks Goal Intensity Reps
Establish Your Foundation 1–2 Build the base at moderate load 65–70% 8
Get Bigger 3–4 Strength and size — heavy compound work 85–95% 5–6
Get Tough 5 Boost overall conditioning — full body volume 80% 10
Get Intense 6 Increase endurance while maintaining size 75% 12
Get Ripped 7 Optimise fat burning — elevated cardio 70% 14
Get Dialed In 8 Fine tune your physique — techniques introduced 70–80% 10–16
Phase 1 · Weeks 1–2
Establish Your Foundation
Moderate intensity at 65–70% of working maximum. Eight reps throughout. Three resistance sessions and two aerobic sessions per week. The purpose of these two weeks is not to train hard — it is to train consistently and establish the movement patterns that the heavier phases depend on.
Week 1
Day 1 Resistance Training
Squat
1997: 65 kg
4 × 8
65%
Deadlift
1997: 97.5 kg
4 × 8
65%
Bench Press
1997: 65 kg
4 × 8
65%
Incline Dumbbell Press
1997: 20 kg
4 × 8
65%
Standing Calf Raise
1997: 70 kg
4 × 8
65%
Day 2 Aerobics — 20 minutes CV
Steady-state cardio
Light and conversational — RPE 3 to 4
20 min
50%
Day 3 Resistance Training
Lunge
1997: 14 kg
4 × 8
65%
Overhead Press
1997: 32 kg
4 × 8
65%
Back Extension
1997: 10 kg
4 × 8
65%
Pressdown
1997: 45 kg
4 × 8
65%
Barbell Curl
1997: 40 kg
4 × 8
65%
Day 5 Aerobics — 20 minutes CV
Steady-state cardio
Light and conversational — RPE 3 to 4
20 min
50%
Day 6 Resistance Training
Squat
1997: 65 kg
5 × 8
65%
Barbell Shrug
1997: 70 kg
5 × 8
65%
Front Pulldown
1997: 45 kg
4 × 8
65%
Dip
1997: 30 kg added
4 × 8
65%
Crunch
1997: 5 kg weighted
5 × 8
65%

Days 4 and 7 — Rest.

Week 2
Day 1 Resistance Training
Squat
1997: 70 kg
5 × 8
70%
Bent-Over Row
1997: 55 kg
5 × 8
70%
Dumbbell Bench Press
1997: 30 kg
5 × 8
70%
Incline Dumbbell Press
1997: 25 kg
5 × 8
70%
Seated Calf Raise
1997: 65 kg
8 × 8
70%
Day 2 Aerobics — 20 minutes CV
Steady-state cardio
Slightly elevated from Week 1 — RPE 4 to 5
20 min
60%
Day 4 Resistance Training
Step-Up
1997: 17 kg
5 × 8
70%
Overhead Press
1997: 35 kg
5 × 8
70%
Back Extension
1997: 10 kg
5 × 8
70%
Lying French Press
1997: 38 kg
6 × 8
70%
Concentration Curl
1997: 10 kg
6 × 8
70%
Hip Thrust
Not established at the time
6 × 8
70%
Day 5 Aerobics — 20 minutes CV
Steady-state cardio
RPE 4 to 5
20 min
60%
Day 6 Resistance Training
Lunge
1997: 15 kg
5 × 8
60%
Dumbbell Shrug
1997: 25 kg
5 × 8
70%
Incline Bench Press
1997: 50 kg
4 × 5
70%
Flyes
1997: 17 kg
4 × 8
70%
Pull-Up
1997: +5 kg added weight
6 × 8
70%

Days 3 and 7 — Rest.

Phase 2 · Weeks 3–4
Get Bigger
Intensity steps up sharply — 85% in Week 3, 95% in Week 4. Reps drop to six, then five. Sets increase. This is the heaviest phase in the programme. Week 4 introduces drop sets on selected exercises: reduce the load by 10 kg after the final prescribed set and continue to failure. Aerobic duration extends to 25 minutes at 65%.
Week 3
Day 1 Resistance Training
Lunge
1997: 17 kg
5 × 6
85%
Deadlift
1997: 127.5 kg
5 × 6
85%
Bench Press
1997: 85 kg
5 × 6
85%
Incline Dumbbell Press
1997: 30 kg
5 × 6
85%
Hanging Leg Raise
Bodyweight
7 × 6
85%
Standing Calf Raise
1997: 93.5 kg
7 × 6
85%
Day 2 Aerobics — 20 minutes CV
Steady-state cardio
Moderate effort — RPE 5 to 6
20 min
65%
Day 3 Resistance Training
Step-Up
1997: 20 kg
5 × 6
85%
Good Morning
1997: 25 kg
5 × 6
85%
Overhead Press
1997: 25 kg
6 × 6
85%
Dumbbell Extension
1997: 35 kg
6 × 6
85%
EZ Bar Curl
1997: 40 kg
6 × 6
85%
Day 5 Aerobics — 20 minutes CV
Steady-state cardio
RPE 5 to 6
20 min
65%
Day 6 Resistance Training
Squat
1997: 90 kg
5 × 6
85%
Barbell Shrug
1997: 90 kg
6 × 6
85%
Incline Bench Press
1997: 60 kg
6 × 6
85%
Dumbbell Curl
1997: 20 kg
6 × 6
85%
Pull-Up
1997: +6 kg added weight
6 × 6
85%
Close Grip Bench Press
1997: 70 kg
6 × 6
85%

Days 4 and 7 — Rest.

Week 4
Exercises marked # in Week 4 include a drop set: after completing all prescribed sets at 95%, reduce the load by 10 kg and continue to failure for one additional set.
Day 1 Resistance Training
Squat #
1997: 95 kg
5 × 5
95%
Bent-Over Row #
1997: 75 kg
5 × 5
95%
Dumbbell Bench Press
1997: 70 kg
5 × 5
95%
Flyes
1997: 40 kg
5 × 5
95%
Seated Calf Raise
1997: 85 kg
7 × 5
95%
Day 2 Aerobics — 25 minutes CV
Steady-state cardio
RPE 5 to 6
25 min
65%
Day 3 Resistance Training
Lunge #
1997: 18 kg
6 × 5
95%
Overhead Press
1997: 47.5 kg
6 × 5
95%
Deadlift
1997: 140 kg
6 × 5
95%
Pressdown
1997: 75 kg
6 × 5
95%
Barbell Curl
1997: 55 kg
6 × 5
95%
Crunch
1997: 10 kg weighted
6 × 5
95%
Day 5 Aerobics — 25 minutes CV
Steady-state cardio
RPE 5 to 6
25 min
65%
Day 6 Resistance Training
Step-Up
1997: 40 kg
5 × 5
95%
Incline Bench Press #
1997: 65 kg
5 × 5
95%
Dumbbell Shrug
1997: 70 kg
6 × 5
95%
Dip
1997: 35 kg added
5 × 5
95%
Pull-Up #
1997: +10 kg added weight
6 × 5
95%
Close Grip Bench Press
1997: 75 kg
5 × 5
95%

Days 4 and 7 — Rest.

Phase 3 · Week 5
Get Tough
Boost overall conditioning. Intensity drops back to 80% but volume increases significantly — four resistance sessions across the week, each covering multiple muscle groups. Reps rise to ten. Aerobic sessions on Days 3 and 6 extend to 35 minutes at 70%. This is the highest-volume week in the programme.
Day 1 Resistance — Legs, Chest Training
Squat
1997: 80 kg
6 × 10
80%
Leg Press
1997: 80 kg
4 × 10
80%
Lunge
1997: 16 kg
4 × 10
80%
Leg Curl
1997: 20 kg
5 × 10
80%
Romanian Deadlift
1997: 80 kg
5 × 10
80%
Leg Abductor
Not recorded
5 × 10
80%
Seated Calf Raise
1997: 72 kg
5 × 10
80%
Donkey Calf Raise
1997: 90 kg
5 × 10
80%
Bench Press
1997: 80 kg
6 × 10
80%
Incline Dumbbell Press
1997: 25 kg
4 × 10
80%
Flyes
1997: 20 kg
4 × 10
80%
Day 2 Resistance — Back, Shoulders, Arms Training
Power Clean
1997: 55 kg
6 × 10
80%
Good Morning
1997: 40 kg
5 × 10
80%
Front Pulldown
1997: 50 kg
6 × 10
80%
One Arm Dumbbell Row
1997: 35 kg
5 × 10
80%
Barbell Overhead Press
1997: 40 kg
6 × 10
80%
Lateral Raise
1997: 24 kg
5 × 10
80%
Front Raise
1997: 20 kg
5 × 10
80%
One Arm Reverse Grip Pressdown
1997: 20 kg
5 × 10
80%
Dumbbell French Press
1997: 11 kg
5 × 10
80%
Day 3 Aerobics — 35 minutes CV
Steady-state cardio
Working hard but sustainable — RPE 6
35 min
70%
Day 4 Resistance — Legs, Back, Biceps Training
Lunge
1997: 14 kg
6 × 10
70%
Hack Squat
Not recorded
6 × 10
70%
Pull-Up (wide grip)
Bodyweight
5 × 10
80%
Front Pulldown (close grip)
1997: 55 kg
5 × 10
80%
Preacher Curl
1997: 32 kg
5 × 10
80%
Dumbbell Curl
1997: 16 kg
5 × 10
80%
Day 5 Resistance — Chest, Back, Abs Training
Incline Bench Press
1997: 50 kg
6 × 10
70%
Dumbbell Bench Press
1997: 60 kg
6 × 10
70%
Triceps Kickbacks
1997: 10 kg
5 × 10
70%
Close Grip Bench Press
1997: 50 kg
5 × 10
70%
Deadlift
1997: 120 kg
6 × 10
80%
Barbell Shrug
1997: 85 kg
6 × 10
80%
Crunch
1997: 10 kg weighted
6 × 10
80%
Knee Raise
Bodyweight
4 × 10
80%
Hip Thrust
Not established at the time
4 × 10
80%
Day 6 Aerobics — 35 minutes CV
Steady-state cardio
RPE 6
35 min
70%

Day 7 — Rest.

Phase 4 · Week 6
Get Intense
Increase endurance while maintaining strength and size. Intensity holds at 75% — not heavy, but the reps rise to twelve and the session volume remains high. Day 1 contains thirteen exercises. Aerobic sessions extend to 40 minutes. The combination of high-rep resistance work and extended cardio is where the conditioning gains accelerate.
Day 1 Resistance — Legs, Chest, Triceps Training
Step-Up
1997: 18 kg
6 × 12
75%
Leg Press
1997: 75 kg
5 × 12
75%
Side Lunge
1997: 8 kg
5 × 12
75%
Leg Curl
1997: 20 kg
5 × 12
75%
Standing Leg Curl
1997: 10 kg
5 × 12
75%
Leg Abductor
1997: 5 kg
6 × 12
75%
Standing Calf Raise
1997: 80 kg
7 × 12
75%
Donkey Calf Raise
1997: 90 kg
7 × 12
75%
Dumbbell Bench Press
1997: 60 kg
6 × 12
75%
Incline Dumbbell Press
1997: 50 kg
4 × 12
75%
Flyes
1997: 18 kg
4 × 12
75%
Dips
1997: 30 kg added
5 × 12
75%
Pressdown
1997: 55 kg
5 × 12
75%
Day 2 Resistance — Back, Shoulders, Biceps Training
Good Morning
1997: 35 kg
5 × 12
75%
Power Clean
1997: 52 kg
5 × 12
75%
Upright Row
1997: 35 kg
5 × 12
75%
One Arm Dumbbell Row
1997: 35 kg
5 × 12
75%
Standing Dumbbell Curl
1997: 18 kg
5 × 12
75%
Lateral Raise
1997: 11 kg
5 × 12
75%
Bent-Over Laterals
1997: 7 kg
5 × 12
75%
Day 3 Aerobics — 40 minutes CV
Steady-state cardio
Sustained effort — RPE 6
40 min
70%
Day 4 Resistance — Legs, Back, Biceps Training
Lunge
1997: 13 kg
6 × 12
65%
Squat
1997: 65 kg
6 × 12
65%
Pull-Up (close grip)
1997: +7 kg added weight
5 × 12
75%
Front Pulldown (close grip)
1997: 50 kg
5 × 12
75%
Standing Dumbbell Curl
1997: 18 kg
5 × 12
75%
Concentration Curl
1997: 11 kg
5 × 12
75%
Day 5 Resistance — Chest, Back, Abs Training
Bench Press
1997: 65 kg
5 × 12
65%
Flyes
1997: 16 kg
5 × 12
65%
Pressdown
1997: 45 kg
5 × 12
65%
Reverse Grip Pressdown
1997: 35 kg
5 × 12
65%
Deadlift
1997: 110 kg
6 × 12
75%
Barbell Shrug
1997: 80 kg
6 × 12
75%
Sit-Up
1997: 5 kg weighted
5 × 12
75%
Knee Raise
1997: 4 kg
5 × 12
75%
Hip Thrust
Not established at the time
5 × 12
75%
Day 6 Aerobics — 40 minutes CV
Steady-state cardio
RPE 6
40 min
70%

Day 7 — Rest.

Phase 5 · Week 7
Get Ripped
Optimise fat burning. Intensity drops to 70% and reps rise to fourteen. The combination of moderate load, high volume and 45-minute aerobic sessions at 80% maximum heart rate creates the conditions for accelerated conditioning. Day 1 contains twelve exercises. The drop set appears again on Step-Up.
Day 1 Resistance — Legs, Chest, Triceps Training
Squat
1997: 70 kg
6 × 14
70%
Step-Up #
1997: 17 kg
6 × 14
70%
Lunge
1997: 14 kg
4 × 14
70%
Leg Curl
1997: 15 kg
4 × 14
70%
Leg Abductor
Not recorded
4 × 14
70%
Romanian Deadlift
1997: 70 kg
4 × 14
70%
Bench Press
1997: 70 kg
6 × 14
70%
Incline Dumbbell Press
1997: 50 kg
3 × 14
70%
Flyes
1997: 17 kg
3 × 14
70%
One Arm Reverse Grip Pressdown
1997: 20 kg
5 × 14
70%
Dips
1997: 10 kg added
4 × 14
70%
Dumbbell French Press
1997: 30 kg
5 × 14
70%
# Step-Up: after completing all prescribed sets, drop the load by 10 kg and continue to failure for one additional set.
Day 2 Resistance — Back, Shoulders, Calves Training
Bent-Over Row
1997: 55 kg
6 × 14
70%
Power Clean
1997: 50 kg
6 × 14
70%
Front Pulldown
1997: 50 kg
5 × 14
70%
One Arm Dumbbell Row
1997: 35 kg
5 × 14
70%
Dumbbell Overhead Press
1997: 35 kg
6 × 14
70%
Bent-Over Laterals
1997: 9 kg
6 × 14
70%
Seated Calf Raise
1997: 65 kg
5 × 14
70%
Donkey Calf Raise
1997: 90 kg
5 × 14
70%
Standing Calf Raise
1997: 75 kg
5 × 14
70%
Day 3 Aerobics — 45 minutes CV
Steady-state cardio
Working hard and sustaining it — RPE 7 to 8
45 min
80%
Day 4 Resistance — Legs, Back, Biceps Training
Side Lunge
1997: 8 kg
6 × 12
70%
Front Squat
1997: 42 kg
6 × 12
70%
Pull-Up
Bodyweight
6 × 14
70%
Preacher Curl
1997: 28 kg
6 × 14
70%
Front Pulldown
1997: 50 kg
6 × 14
70%
Dumbbell Curl
1997: 17 kg
6 × 14
70%
Day 5 Resistance — Chest, Back, Abs Training
Dumbbell Bench Press
1997: 60 kg
4 × 12
70%
Cable Crossovers
1997: 25 kg
4 × 12
70%
Triceps Kickbacks
1997: 11 kg
4 × 12
70%
Close Grip Bench Press
1997: 50 kg
4 × 12
70%
Deadlift
1997: 105 kg
6 × 14
70%
Dumbbell Shrug
1997: 60 kg
6 × 14
70%
Crunch
Bodyweight
5 × 14
70%
Knee Raise
Bodyweight
5 × 14
70%
Hip Thrust
Not established at the time
5 × 14
70%
Day 6 Aerobics — 45 minutes CV
Steady-state cardio
RPE 7 to 8
45 min
80%

Day 7 — Rest.

Phase 6 · Week 8
Get Dialed In
Fine tune your physique. Reps reach sixteen. Intensity holds at 70% for most exercises, stepping to 80% on specific compound movements. Three advanced techniques are introduced to increase training density: compound sets, tri-sets, and supersets. These are marked in each session below. Aerobic sessions remain at 45 minutes and 80%.
Technique notation for Week 8:  1 = use as a compound set with the following exercise   2 = use as a tri-set with the next two exercises   3 = use as a superset with the following exercise
Day 1 Resistance — Legs, Chest, Triceps Training
Squat 1
1997: 70 kg
4 × 16
70%
Leg Press
1997: 70 kg
4 × 16
70%
Lunge 1
1997: 14 kg
3 × 16
70%
Leg Curl
1997: 20 kg
3 × 16
70%
Romanian Deadlift
1997: 70 kg
3 × 16
70%
Leg Abductor
Not recorded
3 × 16
70%
Seated Calf Raise 1
1997: 65 kg
6 × 16
70%
Donkey Calf Raise
1997: 90 kg
6 × 16
70%
Bench Press
1997: 70 kg
6 × 16
70%
Incline Dumbbell Press
1997: 50 kg
3 × 16
70%
Flyes
1997: 14 kg
4 × 16
70%
One Arm Lying Extension 2
Not recorded
4 × 16
70%
Dumbbell French Press
1997: 30 kg
4 × 16
70%
Pressdown
1997: 50 kg
4 × 16
70%
Day 2 Resistance — Back, Shoulders Training
Bent-Over Row
1997: 55 kg
6 × 16
70%
Good Morning 1
1997: 35 kg
5 × 16
70%
Power Clean
1997: 50 kg
5 × 16
70%
Front Pulldown 1
1997: 50 kg
5 × 16
70%
One Arm Dumbbell Row
1997: 30–35 kg
5 × 16
70%
Barbell Overhead Press 2
1997: 35–40 kg
5 × 16
70%
Lateral Raise
1997: 10 kg
5 × 16
70%
Front Raise
1997: 10 kg
5 × 16
70%
Day 3 Aerobics — 45 minutes CV
Steady-state cardio
RPE 7 to 8 — same as Week 7
45 min
80%
Day 4 Resistance — Legs, Back, Biceps Training
Lunge
1997: 14 kg
6 × 10
70%
Side Lunge
1997: 8 kg
6 × 10
70%
Pull-Up (close grip)
1997: +5 kg added weight
6 × 16
80%
Front Pulldown
1997: 55 kg
6 × 16
80%
Preacher Curl
1997: 30 kg
6 × 16
80%
Standing Curl
1997: 20 kg
6 × 16
80%
Day 5 Resistance — Chest, Back, Abs Training
Incline Bench Press 1
1997: 50 kg
5 × 10
70%
Close Grip Bench Press
1997: 50 kg
5 × 10
70%
Triceps Kickbacks 1
1997: 12 kg
5 × 10
70%
Reverse Grip Pressdown
1997: 35 kg
5 × 10
70%
Power Clean 1
1997: 55 kg
5 × 16
80%
Barbell Shrug
1997: 90 kg
5 × 16
80%
Crunch 2
1997: 10 kg weighted
6 × 16
80%
Knee Raise
1997: 5 kg
6 × 16
80%
Hip Thrust
Not established at the time
6 × 16
80%
Day 6 Aerobics — 45 minutes CV
Steady-state cardio
RPE 7 to 8
45 min
80%

Day 7 — Rest.

What Still Holds Up

The principles embedded in this programme are not products of their time. Periodisation — the deliberate variation of intensity, volume and rep ranges across distinct phases — remains the most reliable method of producing long-term progress. Every credible programme written since 1997 uses the same underlying logic: expose the body to progressive overload, vary the stimulus periodically, allow recovery, and repeat. This programme does that across six phases with a clarity that many modern programmes obscure behind more complicated language.

The integration of cardiovascular work with resistance training throughout — rather than treating them as separate disciplines to be done on separate days or in separate programmes — is exactly what the evidence supports. The aerobic volume increases as the programme moves from the heavy strength phase into the conditioning phases. The sessions lengthen from twenty minutes to forty-five. The intensity at which aerobic work is performed rises from 50% to 80%. That progression is not accidental.

The percentage system deserves particular credit. In 1997 this approach was rarely seen outside serious athletic training environments. The idea that a training programme should scale to the individual rather than prescribe a fixed load was genuinely ahead of what most gym-goers were doing. It is the reason the programme worked for a range of people at different strength levels, and why it remains applicable today.

← Training Guides Intermediate Split →
oldschoolPT