The Program 2026

 “Built to Last” by G Diesel 

This is not a fad, a fading phase or a passing fancy. 

Our commitment to strength, to training, to athletics, to self-improvement and self-actualization is lifelong. Not just in our youth, not merely in our twenties, but for life. We are married to the iron game. 

I’ve been training in some capacity since I was a kid. Lifting regularly, since I was a teenager. Living the lifestyle daily since college. Averaging 52 workouts per bodypart per year since I was twenty. I plan to train forever, God willing, with my descendants carrying on the tradition throughout their lives. In that time, I will evangelize on behalf of the iron, spreading the good word and its life lessons to all who will listen. That is the mission of this brand. That is the purpose of “The Program”. 

Just as we are building our bodies for longevity, we are creating concrete legacies intended to endure. With each workout there is an homage to past traditions and an investment in the future. What we are crafting, is being “built to last”. 

The Standard. 

Each day, in our actions and behaviors, we set a standard—for ourselves and others. 

As Aristotle once said…

“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is a habit.”

We are role models for others, whether our kids or our peers. Someone is always watching. Show them the best of you, even when you don’t feel your best. This journey is not one of perfection. But of fighting daily to get just a little bit better. Defiant to circumstances. It is the struggle that inspires. It is the practice that creates the champion. It is the thankless daily process, infused with relentless consistency and unreasonable enthusiasm, that fundamentally changes us. It is this new, more ideal, ever-evolving version of ourselves that changes the world. Our inherent flaws and imperfections, and our commitment to not allow them to hold us back is what will truly encourage others. This is the new standard. 

No Burnout. No Shortcuts. 

We are human beings… No matter how determined or disciplined. Our motivation will wane. Our routine will become routine. Food will taste especially bland. Training feels stale. We must anticipate the ebbs and flows of our personality and plan accordingly. We must actively search for education and mine inspiration, we must remain open to new ideas and theories in order to keep our pursuit fresh. We can’t allow ourselves to “run hot and cold”. Instead, we stoke the coals of our souls to burn steadily. We aren’t entering into this pursuit manic and over-zealous. We are focused, man. With a vision. The Program is the blueprint. No tricks. No gimmicks. Just a plan of attack, and the resolve to see things through. Remember, at GCode we do not mock “resolutioners” for we know that anything great that has ever been accomplished began with a decision, a starting point, and a determined individual resolute in their aspirations. 

Be Present.

“Most people struggle to be present… Most people live in fear because they project the past into the future. Michael’s a mystic. He was never anywhere else. His gift was not that he could jump high, run fast, shoot a basketball; his gift was that he was completely present and that was the separator… His superpower. A big downfall of a lot of players who are otherwise gifted is thinking about failure. Michael didn’t allow what he couldn’t control to get inside his head. He would say, ‘Why would I think about missing a shot I haven’t even taken yet?’”

For myself personally, this is HUGE. Discipline in our thinking is mission critical. Are we able to focus on the task at hand, live in the moment and dominate the NOW, without obsessing over the future or the past? Without doubting? Without frustration or anxiety? Without fear? Can we engage with others, can we invest time with loved ones, completely immersed in these moments and interactions—keeping our minds from wandering and worrying? This “present” is quite literally a gift. How we treat it and care for it, and our gratitude for its inherent opportunity will define our future—reality existing first in our minds. This moment right now is all we have. It is all there is. Cherish it. Be present. 

Feed The Machine. 

Instead of eating for clout, eat to perform. Eat like the growing athlete that you are. There are no skinny champions, starving yourself won’t get you to the mountaintop. Yes we need to modify our food choices and calibrate our calories to suit our goals. But you’re not a ballerina or an underwear model. Focus on eating nutrient dense whole foods. Real food like Ma Dukes made growing up. It doesn’t have to be pretty, curated meal prep for social medial. It just has to do the job. So make your burgers, your PB&J sandwiches, your tacos, your chicken and rice, your eggs and toast. Like everything else, be consistent with it. And pair the food you’re eating commensurate to the intensity of your training. The harder you go with your lifting, your cardio, your sports, the more you need to eat in order to properly recover. Your supplemental strategy should be the same—the more serious and sophisticated your workouts, the more specialized your supplement regimen. Focus on crushing the basics—healthy, hearty food and simple supps, and good things will happen.

The Long Haul. 

As I’ve said many times, I want to train for the rest of my life. Longevity, for me, is an important motivating factor. I was an athlete when I was a kid and intend to be an athlete as a senior citizen—to be the jacked old dude, outperforming those decades his junior. But that status begins with what we do today. How committed and consistent we are. How we pay attention to the details. How we take care of ourselves with the long game in mind. The goal is to be your best at every stage of life. Look at Vinny G. Look at Nash. Look at Higa. So when you hear me promote concepts like quality over quantity, full range of motion, pre-exhaustion, circuit training and proper recovery, it is because I don’t just want to be yoked in my twenties and forties but in my sixties and eighties. To truly be strong suggests that you’re rugged enough to endure. Not just built, built to last. 

Here’s week 1 of “The Program 2026”, hard in the paint. The beginning of a New Year, the emergence of a new you. Not in the cliched, greeting card kind of way. But the elevation of you the individual, growing into a greater version of yourself–mind, body and soul. One hard-fought, deliberate action at a time–stacking up the productive days. Just the right amount of “obsessed” with the process of building something meant to last.

The Program 2026: “Built to Last” Training Split: Week 1

#MondayGunday Arms, Monday, January 5, 2026

Cardio: Walk/Bike/Stairs x 20 mins 

DB Curls: 3 sets x 20-6 reps

Superset: Hammer DB Curls x 10 reps w/ Barbell 21s 

Superset: DB Skullcrushers w/ CGBP, 2 sets each x 15 reps per set 

Superset: Machine Curls w/ DB Overhead Extensions, 2 sets each x 15 reps 

DB Wrist Curls: 2 sets x 25 reps 

#DynamiteDelts Shoulders, Tuesday, January 6, 2026

Cardio: Walk/Bike/Stairs x 20 mins 

DB Side Raises: 3 sets x 25-8 reps 

Superset: Front Raises w/ Rear Delt Band Pull-Aparts, 3 sets each x 25-10 reps

Shoulder Presses: 3 sets x 20-10 reps 

DB Shrugs: 2 sets x 25 reps 

#WideWednesday Back, Wednesday, January 7, 2026

Cardio: Walk/Bike/Stairs x 20 mins 

Front Pulldowns: 3 sets x 20-10 reps

Behind The Neck Pulldowns: 3 sets x 15-10 reps

Superset: T-Bar Rows w/ Pull-ups, 3 sets each x 15-6 reps 

Hypertensions: 2 sets x 10 reps 

#LegendaryLegDay Quads, Thursday, January 8, 2026

Cardio: Walk/Bike/Stairs x 20 mins 

Leg Extensions: 4 sets x 25 reps 

Squats: 4 sets x 10-6 reps 

DB Sumo Squats: 2 sets x 15 reps 

Bulgarian Split Squats: 2 sets x 12 reps per leg

#BigFriday Chest, Friday, January 9, 2026

Cardio: Walk/Bike/Stairs x 20 mins 

Flat DB Flyes: 2 sets x 15 reps 

Barbell Bench Press: 4 sets x 10-4 reps 

Flat DB Press: 2 sets x 25 reps 

Superset: Push-ups w/ DB Pullovers, 2 sets each x 25-15 reps

#DetailsDay Hams/Calves/Abs, Saturday, January 10, 2026

Cardio: Walk/Bike/Stairs x 20 mins 

Lying Leg Curl: 3 sets x 15 reps 

SLDL: 2 sets x 10 reps 

Standing Calf Raises: 4 sets x 25 reps

Superset: Crunches w/ Leg Raises, 2 sets each x 25 reps per set

 #SundayService Squats, Sunday, January 11, 2026

Cardio: OFF

Squats (any kind): 10 sets x 10-6 reps 

“The Program 2026” Week 2 COMING SOON

The moment has arrived to test your mettle, living up to the standard of your dreams. Let’s embark on this journey of growth, strength and rugged endurance together. Let’s build one another up and encourage each other on our individual path, as we summon the courage to build ourselves. Life is brief and fragile. Time moves so quickly. People come and go. With the precious moments we have here on this planet, we might as well be great.

Here’s Week 1’s workouts to carry with you. Save this image. Crush the weights.