This plan will allow you to throw down a 45kg goblet squat in just six weeks. For all exercises, make sure that your upper body stays rigid so that your glutes, quadriceps and hamstrings do most of the heavy lifting.

Forty five kilograms may not sound like all that much, but wait till you try it. Once you?re able to bang out a few sets of 10 with this weight, you?ll realize the full body benefits of squats.

Weeks One and Two

Hone your technique. Five days a week, do two to three sets of five to 20 reps of goblet squats. Use a light dumbbell, or even a heavy book.

Week Three

Do the following squat routines three days a week, resting for at least a day between sessions. You?ll improve your technique and increase strength and muscle endurance.

Day One: Do a ?rack walk-up?: grab the lightest dumbbell you can find and do a set of 5 goblet squats. Return the weight to the rack and grab the next heaviest dumbbell. The exchange should take less than 20 seconds. Do another set, then keep moving on to heavier weights until you find a dumbbell that?s challenging to lift but still allows perfect technique.

Day Two: Do the first day in reverse: a ?rack walk-down?. Start with the second heaviest dumbbell you managed on day one, doing a set of five reps. Move down the rack, lifting a lighter weight for each set of five. Aim for a total of 10 to 12 sets, resting for no more than 20 seconds between sets.

Day Three: Combine your workouts from days one and two. You?ll start by moving up in weight, doing sets of five repetitions. When you reach your heaviest weight, work back down the rack. Rest for two days before your next squat workout.

Week Four

By now you should feel comfortable doing the goblet squat. You?ll focus on building muscle and strength with the routines below.

Day One: Do two sets of 20 repetitions using a dumbbell that challenges you in the last five reps. Rest for two minutes between sets.

Day Two: Choose a weight that makes it difficult to finish 10 reps. Do three sets of 8 reps, resting 60 seconds between sets.

Day Three: Do a rack walk-up. Aim for three reps with each weight, stopping when you feel your technique beginning to falter.

Week Six

This week?s theme is simple: if you can pick it up, you can squat it.

Day One: Do a regular rack walk-down, doing three reps per set with a heavy weight. Then do another rack walk-down, this time starting with a slightly heavier dumbbell. Rest for no more than 20 seconds between sets and for 30 seconds between walk-downs.

Day Two: Do a couple of light warm up sets of goblet squats, then do the rack walk-up twice. Do three reps per set and rest for up to 30 seconds between sets.

Day Three: Do a few easy sets to warm up. Then find the heaviest dumbbell you can lift ? aim for 45 kg or more ? and do the goblet squat.