how many sets and reps for beginners

[stigi]

Hi,
where can I find how many sets and reps are required for beginners ( and if possible for intermediates) for the following exercises:

Flat Chest Presses
Incline Chest Presses
Flat Chest Flies
Incline Chest Flies

Seated Shoulder Presses
Lateral Raises
Reverse Flies
Front Raises

Dead Lifts
Single Arm Row
Lying Bent Over Rows

Upright Rows
Shrugs

Decline Seated Bicep Curls
Hammer curls
Preacher Curls
Concentration Curls

Overhead Triceps Extensions
French Presses
Triceps Kickbacks

Half Squats
Dumbbell Lunges



Thanks in advanced

[aldinton]

When I just started I did pretty much all my exercises 3-4 sets and 8-12 reps. and I don't consider myself an expert as yet, but i still do the same thing and it has worked great for me...gained 30+ lbs in 7 months.

[Dominik]

When I just started I did pretty much all my exercises 3-4 sets and 8-12 reps.

Ditto for me. Worked really well. Got plenty of form practice and progressed without any injuries.

[IslandB01]

I guess in my opinion, it would almost be up to the lifter. Meaning, are you trying to get more ripped, or gain size? But if you're going for size, lift heavier weight, at less reps (Still same amount of sets 3-4) and for more cutting, lift a lot lighter weight, but at a higher amount of reps (again, still keeping the same amount of sets 3-4).

[w830i]

Hi,
where can I find how many sets and reps are required for beginners ( and if possible for intermediates) for the following exercises:

Flat Chest Presses
Incline Chest Presses
Flat Chest Flies
Incline Chest Flies

Seated Shoulder Presses
Lateral Raises
Reverse Flies
Front Raises

Dead Lifts
Single Arm Row
Lying Bent Over Rows

Upright Rows
Shrugs

Decline Seated Bicep Curls
Hammer curls
Preacher Curls
Concentration Curls

Overhead Triceps Extensions
French Presses
Triceps Kickbacks

Half Squats
Dumbbell Lunges



Thanks in advanced

you're a beginner, i dont see the need for all those exercises especially those curls. really, you got a bunch of curls in there. i dont wanna be one of those guys who recommends rippetoes to all beginners, but really, it works. do it.

anyway, regarding your question, id do it max ot style, 4-6 reps. 8 on some exercises.

[PimpedHerOut]

4 biceps excercises and only 2 leg excercises?
Forget about reps and sets... you have bigger problems than that.
If u are a beginner then stop doign all the silly detail work and isolation crap... focus on building size with compound movements. For starters drop all the curls, kickbacks and flyes. Add dips and pullups/chins. Apart from that u should focus on presses, rows, and squats.

[houpty32]

I'd personally go with the 5x5.

[khajja]

I guess in my opinion, it would almost be up to the lifter. Meaning, are you trying to get more ripped, or gain size? But if you're going for size, lift heavier weight, at less reps (Still same amount of sets 3-4) and for more cutting, lift a lot lighter weight, but at a higher amount of reps (again, still keeping the same amount of sets 3-4).

i agree, except not at all.

if you want to get more ripped then get your bf down, if you want to gain size don't worry about your bf. given that both ripped and size involve big muscles, i don't see how the set/rep scheme would have any effect.

[khajja]

4 biceps excercises and only 2 leg excercises?
Forget about reps and sets... you have bigger problems than that.
If u are a beginner then stop doign all the silly detail work and isolation crap... focus on building size with compound movements. For starters drop all the curls, kickbacks and flyes. Add dips and pullups/chins. Apart from that u should focus on presses, rows, and squats.

i'd have to agree. don't develop your own workout routine unless you kno what you're doing. go with a tried and true such as rippetoe or 5x5, or brit beef's 3-day split if you want higher volume.

as pimped says, stick to compounds. if you're starting out, 4 exercises for biceps is unnecessary.

[stigi]

Thanks to all for help

i'd have to agree. don't develop your own workout routine unless you kno what you're doing.

I found them here http://www.sport-fitness-advisor.com...exercises.html but I don't know is it for beginners or not.

4 biceps excercises and only 2 leg excercises?
Forget about reps and sets... you have bigger problems than that.
If u are a beginner then stop doign all the silly detail work and isolation crap... focus on building size with compound movements. For starters drop all the curls, kickbacks and flyes. Add dips and pullups/chins. Apart from that u should focus on presses, rows, and squats.

Thanks for info. but I didn't understand compound movements

For starters drop all the curls

these are for biceps:
Decline Seated Bicep Curls
Hammer curls
Preacher Curls
Concentration Curls

then if I don't do them, what should I do for bieps?

[stigi]

two more question. suppose I select x kilograms and 3 days a week I exercise. Then how many days should I
remain in x kilograms?

if I want to select more weights, then how heavy should I add to current weight (x)?

[aldinton]

two more question. suppose I select x kilograms and 3 days a week I exercise. Then how many days should I
remain in x kilograms?

if I want to select more weights, then how heavy should I add to current weight (x)?

you are going to be doing the same exercise 3 times per week?? that's way too many times.

Whenever I exercise I try to increase the weight, i keep a log of what i have done the previous week. But if I can only do say 4-6 with the weight I continue with it but try to do more reps. When I see I am doing about 10-12 reps I increase the weight. How much i increase the weight by is dependent on the type of exercise and how I feel when i add that weight. So if i add 10 lbs and I can only do 2 reps I may take of 5 lbs.

[PimpedHerOut]

compound means multi joint movements. for example:

squats
bench press
deadlift
rows
overhead press

they are the best way to work out esp 4 a beginner. They will work more than 1 muscle at a time, so it is much more efficient to train this way. They will make u stronger and will give u a great core foundation for later years.

As for biceps, there is nothing wrong with curls. But for now I wouldnt be focusing on them. Focus on chins/pullups also rowing and pulldown excercises will all hit the biceps nicely while also targeting the back. 1 or 2 curling excercises should be more than enough at this stage for you, and it wouldnt kill u at all if u didnt do any specific curls...

Same applies for chest. No need to do 2 flyes movements at all, esp 4 a beginner like yourself. Do more presses and add dips also.

[Bioteknik]

you're a beginner, i dont see the need for all those exercises especially those curls. really, you got a bunch of curls in there. i dont wanna be one of those guys who recommends rippetoes to all beginners, but really, it works. do it.

anyway, regarding your question, id do it max ot style, 4-6 reps. 8 on some exercises.

doesn't need to be rippetoe, but at least focus on major compounds as the foundation.

I'm still kind of a noob, and still perfecting my form, and I find it's best to start out light, get the proper form down, do 8-12 reps for a month or two, then start trying to go heavy and do some low rep sets. Just my 2 cents.

[khajja]

hey man, that link that you got this workout program from...thats not a workout program. thats just a listing of dumbbell exercises (with deadlift thrown in due to stupidity).

[Simmo0508]

I guess in my opinion, it would almost be up to the lifter. Meaning, are you trying to get more ripped, or gain size? But if you're going for size, lift heavier weight, at less reps (Still same amount of sets 3-4) and for more cutting, lift a lot lighter weight, but at a higher amount of reps (again, still keeping the same amount of sets 3-4).

Probably deserves it's own topic itself, but anyway, yeah massively disagree there. That right there is huge myth, yet many are convinced by that train of thought so i'll forgive ya this time buddy :P


Yes, lifting weights burns calories, but when it comes to "getting ripped" for instance, that goal has nothing to do with the weights room or resistance training in general. Lowering your body fat is all about the cardio and the nutrition. Definately lifting weights and building muscle increases the body's metabolism, but the statement itself of "lift lighter for more reps, to lose body fat and get ripped" is inaccurate and misleading. It's just the wording that's ****ty.

Everyone looking to grow, or keep as much size as possible whilst losing body fat, should still lift as heavy as they possibly can and aim to overload the muscle just like they normally would. All that lifting lighter does is really improve muscular endurance, and give you somewhat of a cardio workout with all those reps after reps after reps after reps. It's not challenging the body. It's a waste of valuable energy the body could be using elsewhere doing something more important.

If one hasn't got the energy to lift heavy or relatively heavy during a body fat loss phase for example, then they need to re-evaluate their nutrition and their rest. Simple as that imo.

You lift weights to build muscle, and you create calorie deficits and increase cardio activity to lose body fat. The end.

[stigi]

hey man, that link that you got this workout program from...thats not a workout program. thats just a listing of dumbbell exercises (with deadlift thrown in due to stupidity).

You are right.
so I am looking for a reference or web site that mention a workout program for beginners. what I understand from friends is the following exercises 3-4 sets and 8-12 reps:

Flat Chest Presses
Incline Chest Presses
Seated Shoulder Presses
French Presses

Single Arm Row
Lying Bent Over Rows
Upright Rows

Half Squats

Overhead Triceps Extensions

Dead Lifts

If there are other similar exercises related to press, row and squat please let me know. Also I didn't find chins/pullups and pulldown exercises as pimped said.

[khajja]

thats equally bad. spend a couple hours looking around the exercises and the workout programs forums.

you can start here:

http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showth...hp?t=107853341

[Dominik]

The best routines for beginners will always be debated but many beginner-intermediates get great results by giving 100% in the gym and eating right, even without a training program that is optimal.

I trained 5-6 days a week, 1 1/2-2hr workouts, in the first 2 years and went from 150 to around 215 with respectable numbers on my lifts. I'm sure if I posted here back then I'd be getting all kinds of insults about how ****ty my training looked on paper and how I should be doing Rippetoes. The reality was I gave 100% in there and I never trained half-assed. I didn't make excuses or waste time flip-flopping with different programs or searching for magic supplements either.

So even if your training isn't optimal, giving 100% will achieve a lot more than someone on a better program who isn't pushing themselves hard enough or eating right.