Build a Consistent Strength Habit

Proof required

Share: (1) the name of the program you chose and a link or description of its structure, and (2) your log for all 8 sessions showing date, exercises, sets × reps × weight. A screenshot of a lifting app or a spreadsheet both work.

What gets checked

• A specific named program is identified — 'I lift 3 times a week' without a named program does not meet the standard; the program name tells the verifier whether the progression scheme is sensible
• All 8 sessions are logged with exercises, sets, reps, and weight — a session log that says 'squats and bench' with no sets, reps, or weight cannot be used to track progression in M2 and M3
• Sessions are distributed across at least 2 weeks — 8 sessions in 4 days would indicate insufficient rest between sessions; the log should show rest days between lifting days

Common mistakes

• Starting without a program and doing whatever feels good each session — unstructured lifting in the first weeks produces random load that does not allow progression to be tracked; choose a program before session 1
• Using weights that are too heavy to complete the prescribed reps correctly — ego loading in week 1 causes form breakdown and injury; start lighter than you think necessary and progress from a clean baseline

Resources

What a verifier looks for

• Ask the submitter to name the program and describe its progression scheme in one sentence — if they cannot describe how the program adds weight over time, they have not read it
• Check that the log shows sets × reps × weight for each exercise in each session — 'did squats' without weight is not a lifting log
• Count the sessions and check the date spread — 8 sessions should span at least 2 weeks; 8 sessions in less than 10 days suggests insufficient rest between sessions

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Proof required

Share your log for sessions 9–16 (continuing from M1). State the weight you lifted on 2 main lifts in session 1 and the weight you lifted on those same lifts in session 16. The progression is the key evidence for this milestone.

What gets checked

• 16 sessions are logged total (M1 + M2 combined), distributed across 6 weeks from the first session date — 16 sessions in 3 weeks does not meet the 6-week minimum
• Weight has increased on at least 2 main lifts from M1 session 1 (or session 8) to M2 session 16 — 'I got stronger' without specific weight numbers before and after is not verifiable
• The log continues from M1 as a single unbroken document — a log that restarts at session 1 for M2 means M1 and M2 cannot be compared

Common mistakes

• Missing sessions when travelling and not adjusting the 6-week window — if 2 sessions are missed due to travel, the 6-week window extends by the appropriate number of weeks; 16 sessions is the volume constraint, not a sessions-per-calendar-week constraint
• Switching programs midway — if the M1 program is not working, note the reason in the log before switching; switching silently makes the M2 progression comparison invalid because the baseline exercises may be different

Resources

What a verifier looks for

• Ask for the session 1 weight and session 16 weight on the same 2 lifts — the specific before/after numbers are the claim
• Calculate the percentage increase — a 15–25% increase on a main compound lift across 16 sessions for a true beginner is normal; less than 10% might indicate the starting weight was too high or sessions were inconsistent
• Check that 16 sessions span at least 6 weeks from the first session date in M1 — calculate the days between M1 session 1 and M2 session 16

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Proof required

Share your complete 24-session log with dates, exercises, sets × reps × weight. State the weight progression on 2 main lifts across 4 checkpoints: session 1, session 8, session 16, and session 24. A one-paragraph summary naming what surprised you about the 8-week process is also required.

What gets checked

• 24 sessions are logged with full data (exercises, sets × reps × weight per session) spanning at least 8 weeks from session 1 date — the log is the single continuous document from M1 through M3
• Weight progression on 2 main lifts is documented at 4 checkpoints (sessions 1, 8, 16, 24) — the 4-point progression arc is more informative than a single before/after comparison; a period of stalled progress is honest and does not fail the standard if the overall arc shows improvement
• The one-paragraph reflection names something specific that was surprising — 'it was harder than I thought' is not specific; 'I expected to add 5 kg per session but stalled on squats at 80 kg and had to deload to 70 kg before progressing again' is specific and honest

Common mistakes

• Treating a stall or deload as a failure rather than part of the process — most beginners stall at least once in 8 weeks; a deload (reducing weight and rebuilding) is a feature of the program, not a failure; the log should document the stall and the deload honestly
• Stopping the log once the habit feels embedded — the M3 submission requires the full 24-session log; stop logging and you stop progressing toward the milestone even if you continue training

Resources

What a verifier looks for

• Ask for the 4-checkpoint weight progression on 2 lifts — a submitter who logged honestly will have these numbers readily available
• Check for at least one honest moment in the log — a stall, a missed session, a deload — an 8-week log with no setbacks is unusual and warrants asking whether the log was kept contemporaneously
• Count the sessions and verify the 8-week span — calculate the number of days between session 1 and session 24 and confirm it is at least 56 days

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