← Use cases

Full body strength session

From the gym floor to logged and done.

The case

Most gym sessions follow the same pattern. The warm-up gets compressed or skipped. The main lifts get done. Everything after that depends on how much time and energy is left, which means the accessory work, the core, and the cooldown are the first things to disappear. The session ends when the person runs out of motivation, not when the work is done.

The problem isn’t effort. Most people who train regularly work hard when they’re in the gym. The problem is structure. Without a fixed sequence, every session involves small negotiations — skip the glute bridges, maybe just two sets here, the stretching can wait. Those negotiations are where the quality of the session quietly erodes.

Running this in Patter makes the session a fixed object rather than a variable one. The warm-up is step three, not a suggestion. The cool-down has its own section with a skip option for genuinely short days, but the default is to do it. Each exercise is its own step — a single tap moves you forward, which keeps the focus on the movement rather than on deciding what comes next.

The numbers — sets, reps, RPE — mean this routine works for anyone regardless of strength level. RPE 8 on a back squat is the same relative effort whether the bar has 60kg on it or 160kg. The structure scales; the weights are yours to fill in.

Full Body Strength Session

  1. Check today's session in your training log. What weight did you hit last time on the main lifts? Know your numbers before you start.
  2. Get everything ready before you begin. Load the bar, set the bench, grab the dumbbells you'll need. Nothing worse than hunting for a plate mid-session.
  3. Warm-up. Short on time or skipping today? Skip to @10.
  4. Rowing machine or bike — 5 minutes. Conversational pace. Warm, not tired.
  5. Hip circles. 60 seconds each side.
  6. Thoracic rotations. 60 seconds each side.
  7. Shoulder circles. 60 seconds each direction.
  8. Glute bridges. 2 sets of 10. Deliberate, not rushed.
  9. Face pulls — light cable or band. 2 sets of 10. Full range.
  10. Back squat — warm-up sets. Empty bar x 10, 50% x 5, 70% x 3. Not working sets.
  11. Back squat. 3 sets of 5. RPE 8. Rest 3 minutes.
  12. Bench press — warm-up sets. Empty bar x 10, 50% x 5, 70% x 3.
  13. Bench press. 3 sets of 5. RPE 8. Rest 3 minutes.
  14. Romanian deadlift. 3 sets of 8. RPE 7. Rest 2 minutes. Hinge, not squat.
  15. Dumbbell row. 3 sets of 10 each side. RPE 7. Rest 90 seconds.
  16. Dumbbell shoulder press. 3 sets of 10. RPE 7. Rest 90 seconds.
  17. Pull-ups or lat pulldown. 3 sets to 1 rep short of failure. Rest 90 seconds.
  18. Medicine ball slam. 3 sets of 10. Explosive. Full reset between reps.
  19. Box step-up with dumbbells. 3 sets of 10 each leg. RPE 6. Controlled tempo. Rest 60 seconds.
  20. Cable face pull. 3 sets of 15. RPE 6. Rest 60 seconds.
  21. Dead bug. 3 sets of 8 each side. Lower back stays flat.
  22. Plank. 3 sets to 2 seconds short of form breakdown. Rest 45 seconds.
  23. Cool-down. Skipping today? Skip to @30.
  24. Treadmill — 5 minutes. Easy walk. Bring the heart rate down.
  25. Hip flexor stretch — left. 60 seconds.
  26. Hip flexor stretch — right. 60 seconds.
  27. Hamstring stretch — left. 60 seconds.
  28. Hamstring stretch — right. 60 seconds.
  29. Chest and shoulder stretch. 45 seconds each side.
  30. Lat stretch — left. 45 seconds.
  31. Lat stretch — right. 45 seconds.
  32. Log the session. Weights, reps, anything that felt off. Do it now.

Make it yours

The warm-up is not optional on the days that matter most. The sessions where you're tempted to skip it — tired, short on time, just want to get to the work — are the sessions where it earns its place. Five minutes on the rower and some mobility work is the difference between a session that feels grinding and one that clicks into place by the third set.

RPE 8 on the main lifts means two reps left in the tank — not a grind, not a comfortable cruise. If 3 sets of 5 at RPE 8 feels too easy, the weight needs to go up next session. If it feels like RPE 9 or 10, it was too heavy. Log it and adjust.

The order is deliberate. Squats before bench, compounds before accessories, power work before isolation, core last. Changing the order changes the session. If you're short on time, cut from the accessories and isolation end, not from the compounds.

The face pull appears twice — in the warm-up as activation and as an accessory movement. That's intentional. It's one of the most underused exercises for shoulder health and upper back development. The warm-up sets are light and about waking up the rear delts. The accessory sets are working sets.

Once you've run this a few times, adjust the numbers to match your programme. The sets, reps, and RPE targets here are a starting point for an intermediate lifter. Beginners may want fewer sets or lower RPE. Advanced lifters will have their own programme and can use this routine as a structural template.