WEEK 150 :: What Is The Best Workout For A Newbie?

[the_fake_webmaster]

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* Note: How can I win? Answer all questions in the order that they are asked.

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TOPIC: What Is The Best Workout For A Newbie?

For the week of: 2/24 - 3/2
Monday @ Midnight Is The Final Cut (Mountain Time, US & Canada).

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He is motivated and excited... but has no idea what to do with all the dumbbells, barbells, and odd machines that he sees in front of him in the gym. It can be overwhelming.

What workout program would you design for them so they can gain as much mass as possible in the shortest amount of time?

What should a beginner avoid when just starting a training program?

What additional tips would aid a new gym enthusiast to long-term success?

Bonus Question: We've all been there - What helped you get over your initial fear of the gym and lifting weights? How did you overcome it?


* IMPORTANT: Please make sure your responses are original and not copied from previous topics.

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[grim83]

What workout program would you design for them so they can gain as much mass as possible in the shortest amount of time?
Try a 4 day split like this.
DAY 1
Bench press- 2x4-6
military press- 2x4-6
french press- 2x8-10
crunches- 3x25

DAY 2
squats- 1x15-20
dumbbell rows- 2x4-6
barbell curls- 2x 6-8

precede all sets with 1-2 warm-up sets.


What should a beginner avoid when just starting a training program?
over complication

What additional tips would aid a new gym enthusiast to long-term success?
1. remember strength builds muscle
2. good form is key
3. eat

Bonus Question: We've all been there - What helped you get over your initial fear of the gym and lifting weights? How did you overcome it?
I realized everyone had to start off somewhere, and most guys are willing to help you.

[tcaratelli76@hotmail.com]

The only way to learn something is by doing it. As far as gaining the most mass in the shortest amount of time, I recommend the following. It's a 4 day split, with nothing special. As a beginner, you should primarily stick to basics.

Monday - Chest/Tris

Incline Barbell Press (3 x 6-10)
Flat Barbell Press (3 x 6-10)
Dips (3 x Failure)
Flat DB Flies (3 x 10-12)

EZ Bar Tricep Extension (3 x 10-12)
Cable Pulldowns (3 x 10-12)

Tuesday - Legs

Squats (3 x 6-10)
Leg Press (3 x 8-10)
Lunges (3 x 10-12)
Lying Leg Curl (3 x 8-10)
Standing Calf Raise (3 x 10-15)

Wednesday - Abs

Hanging Knee Raises (3 x 10)
Cable Crunch (3 x 10)
Oblique Crunch (3 x 15 per side)


Thursday - Shoulders/Traps

Barbell (or Smith) Overhead Press (3 x 6-10)
Wide Grip Upright Rows (3 x 8-10)
Side Laterals (3 x 8-10)
Lying Rear Delt Raise (3 x 8-10)
Barbell Shrugs (3 x 6-10)

Friday - Back/Bis

Barbell Rows (3 x 6-10)
Chins (3 x Failure)
Cable Rows (3 x 8-10)
Hyperextensions
-I wouldn?t recommend Deads yet as you'll need to acquire good form and strength to do them properly.

Standing Barbell Curls (3 x 6-8)
Alternate Incline DB Curl (3 x 8-10)

Sat and Sun - Off


When starting a new program, a beginner should primarily avoid 2 things:

1. Intensity Techniques. Avoid supersetting, dropsets, negatives, etc. If you're just starting off, you need to learn the basics first. You don?t need to get into the more sophisticated techniques until you have some time under your belt.

2. Keeping it simple. Use basics and you'll see huge improvements.

As far as tips that would aid in long term success:

Don?t be afraid to ask for help. Anyone at the gym (whether it be trainers or other members) usually would be more than happy to help. Just don?t ask mid-set. Wait until they are done.

Learn as much as you can outside the gym. Read as much literature and as much online that you can to help you further your knowledge about lifting and nutrition. The more you know, the better off you'll be.

Set goals. Even if you have no aspirations of competing, set yourself some long and short term goals. That way you always have something to look forward to and push yourself towards. It'll keep you motivated like no other means.


Bonus Question:

What helps get over your initial fear of the gym and lifting weights?

Easy - surround yourself with people that you can learn from. It?s much easier when you have someone to ask questions and that can help you when necessary. Find an environment that suites you, where you have the most potential to grow both physically and mentally.

[UCIMTHEROCK]

This is without a doubt the best workout for anyone new to training or if you have had and extended layoff. You will train only three days per week!
you do not want to burn out and need the rest to recover.
Frank Zane set me up with this when I decided I was going to be a competitive bodybuilder. I gained 15 pounds in six months and got harder than hell!
Same workout three times a week for the first 8 weeks and then you can modify it.
Squat 3x10
Bench Press 3x10
Military Press 3x10
Pull ups 3x10
Calf raises 3x10
Abs 3x25
This workout is designed to train your whole body three times a week with 2 full days off for the weekend.
Why this works- This workout is designed to train your muscles to feel the pump and tax your nervous system, the weight you lift should be heavy but not super hard, what you need to focus on his perfect form and feeling the muscle work. I also use this workout on guys that train all the time but say they can't grow! do this for a solid 8 weeks and do not miss one workout. notice it is only 6 excercises but the are the 6 basics that do not leave any muscles out and are hard to do, always remember to keep your abs tight on every rep and breathe rest no longer than 2 minutes in between sets after 8 weeks you can add in deadlifts 3x10 and watch your muscles and strength shoot through the roof!

[jglickfield]

Newton's first law of motion is that an object which is at rest tends to stay at rest and an object which is moving tends to continue moving until another force acts upon it. What is the cornerstone of physics coming to tell us? The hardest part about anything is getting started. Being a bodybuilding "newbie" is certainly no different. I don't remember anything more intimidating than my first day at the gym... and believe me, it's not because I haven't lived! I've traveled the world, spoken in front of auditoriums full of hundreds of people, climbed mountains, swam with sharks, and even gotten married! But alas, nothing was as daunting as that first time that I saw all of the weights, machines, and most of all, the huge, muscular people using them. I knew that I couldn't do what they could do... in fact, half the time I wasn't even sure what they were doing. Not that day, and not even a year from that day. But that if I wanted to be like them it would take long, consistent, determined efforts. But what I didn't realize then, was that I needed a plan. I made a lot of mistakes when I got started, and now I am going to explain what I believe to be the ideal mass building workout for the beginning bodybuilder.

The Workout

Note: All rep ranges will be written with a range (eg 10-12) because as a newbie your strength may not be so obviously stratified that you can just add 10 pounds to the barbell and do 2 fewer reps than you did with the lesser weight. There are many factors to take into account, such as the strength of your tendons, muscle endurance, cardiovascular endurance, mental focus, etc which may affect how you lift. The first set (or two sets) should be with lighter weight (though the rep range may be the same) as a warm up. That said, all sets and reps should be done slowly, carefully, and with good form. This is a three day split system workout with at least one day off between workouts. Abs should be worked with every workout.

Day 1: Chest and Back

Warm-up: 1 set of 10-20 push ups, NOT to failure
Barbell Bench Press: 3x10-12
Barbell Incline BP: 3x10-12
Reverse Grip (knuckles facing your body) Chin-ups: 4 sets to failure
Barbell Rows: 3x10-12
Crunches: 2x15
Reverse Crunches: 2x15

Day 2: Biceps and Triceps

Barbell Curl: 3x12-15 (super strict form with peak contraction!)
Dumbbell Curl: 3x10-12 (super strict form with peak contraction!)
Dips: 3 sets to failure (If you cannot do more than 3 dips on the last set, do bench dips)
Cable Pushdowns (with a bar, overhand grip): 3x10-12
Bicycle Kicks (abs): 3x12

Day 3: Legs and Shoulders

Squats: 3x10-15
Leg Extensions: 3x12-15
Leg Curls (lying): 3x12-15
Standing Calf Raises: 4x15-20
Side Lateral Raise: 3x10-12 (use strict form and don't cheat!)
Bent-over lateral raises: 3x10-12
Crunches on a Swiss Ball: 3x15

This workout something noticeably missing: exercises isolating the anterior (front) deltoid. Why is that? Because for a true newbie, the biggest threat that he faces is overtraining, and the front delt is certainly hit hard enough to stimulate growth in barbell bench/incline presses, so why abuse your body? You will grow anyway, so who needs to waste their time (and risk the complications which overtraining causes) with sets of military presses, shrugs, front raises, etc?

Things to Avoid When Getting Started

The biggest risk to the newbie is "over doing it". It is only natural that when you are the new guy you want to prove yourself to everyone else. I have seen people come into the gym for the fifth time with a workout based on what Jay Cutler does. They don't realize that when he was a newbie, he did only the basic exercises, just like everyone else. Many people overtrain so horrendously that they get no results after the second month and quit their gyms because they have "bad genetics". Another way to over do it is with which exercises they choose. It is so tempting to decide that your inner pectorals need work, and add in some sets of cable cross instead of sticking with mass building basics. There is also over-supplementation. Many newbies think that buying everything in the Muscletech line will make them get big in a month or two. A newbie needs to start out slowly in ALL AREAS and not skip steps. Overcomplicating his workout, overtraining his body, and overly relying on supplements are all major stumbling blocks to early bodybuilding progress.

Tips for Beginners to Succeed

1. Master the basic exercises with proper form. Don't be in such a rush to raise weight and impress people that you start to do all of the exercises wrong. Don't experiment with intensity techniques (forced reps, negatives, super-sets, etc) until you need them.

2. Eat and sleep properly. Your muscles cannot grow without materials to build them, and sleep is the ideal setting for muscle growth and recovery.

3. Ask for help. There are plenty of people in any gym who can make sure that you are doing your exercises properly, critique your training plan and diet, or just provide you with support and motivation. Most people in gyms are perfectly willing to share what they know to help others.

4. Don't get discouraged. Rome wasn't built overnight and your body won't be either. Keep on track and realize that if you stick with it, you will see major changes.

5. Find a partner. There is no thing more motivational than knowing that someone else is counting on you. If you have someone else there, you will find that your workouts go more quickly and more enjoyably with better results.

Bonus Question: What helped me get over my initial trepidation about lifting?

I talked to people at the gym and enough people said "wow, I remember when I first got started" and said that they were just like me, and now they bench 300lbs. I saw that everyone has to start at the bottom and there was hope for me too. Ask around, everyone was small, weak and pale when they started lifting. There is nothing to be afraid of.

[pt-putt]

3X10 with one minute break between sets. Therefore, each exercise takes approximately six minutes, with three exercises per body part and two body parts per day. So this work out should take around 36 minutes leaving 20 minutes for cardio.



Monday-chest and Triceps
Barbell Bench 3x10
Incline dumbell 3x10
Pectoral fly machine (pec deck) 3x10

Tricep pushdowns (cable) 3x10
Skull-crushers 3x10
Reverse pushdowns (cable) 3x10

Cardio: 20 min

Wednesday-Leg and Shoulders
Leg press 3x10
Leg curl machine 2x10
Leg extension 2x10
Lunges 2x10

Military Press dumbbell 3x10
Lateral raises dumbbells 3x10
Dumbbell shrugs 3x10

Cardio: 20 min

Friday-Back and Biceps
Bent over row (barbell) 3x10
Lat pulldown 3x10
Low-row with triangle attch. 3x10

Dumbbell curl standing 3x10
Preacher curl 3x10
Reverse curl 3x10

Cardio:20 min

[Chirs93]

Your first day of lifting is probably your scariest. You walk into the gym ready to really kick some ass. But as soon as you walk in, you?re overwhelmed by all the equipment and huge guys. So you start to wander towards a bench, because bench press is something everyone should do right? Here is the best beginner workout program to get you started in the gym so that you don?t have to wander around aimlessly. After you become comfortable with this workout and the gym environment you can make changes to it as you see necessary. In my opinion, you should start lifting by doing three total body workouts three times a week.

THE WORKOUT

MODAY:
-Flat Bench Press (3 x 8-10)
-Barbell Rows (3 x 10-12)
-Standing Barbell Curls (3 x 12-15)
-Cable Pushdowns (3 x 10-12)
-Side Lateral Raises (3 x 10)
-Squats (3 x 10-15)

WEDNESDAY:
-Incline Bench Press (3 x 8-10)
-Lat Pulldowns (3 x 10-12)
-Hammer Curl (3 x 12-15)
-Bench Dips (3 x Failure)
-Barbell Shoulder Press (3 x 10-12)
-Barbell Deadlift (3 x 10-12)

FRIDAY:
-Incline Flyes (3 x 10-12)
-Pullups (3 x Failure)
-Chin-Ups (3 x Failure)
-Dumbbell One Arm Triceps Extension (3 x 10-12)
-Front Dumbbell Raise (3 x 12-15)
-Calf Raises (5 x 10-12)

ABS (This can be done whenever. Some choose everyday, other choose every off day, and some choose every workout day)
-Cable Crunch (3 x 20)
-Decline Reverse Cruches (3 x 20)
-Oblique Crunches (3 x 20)
***Abs are very important because not only do they look good when they are well developed, they support your body during a lot of lifts.

This is the program I used when I first began lifting. Using it I managed to gain 20 pounds in 4 months without the use of any supplements. I just consumed 1.5 times my bodyweight in grams of protein.

SOME THINGS TO AVOID

When you first begin lifting there are a lot of newbie traps that many people fall into. First of all, the programs in the magazines are meant for guys on roids and freaks of nature. I?m assuming that you are neither of those. Next, just because every other guy in the gym is lifting tons of weight doesn?t mean you have to also. They also started out just like you where they couldn?t lift much either. Don?t worry; you also have your biggest weight gains (in the amount you lift) during your first few months. So just let your ego go, and lift the heaviest amount of weight you can while still keeping strict form.

SOME OTHER TIPS

Some other tips would be to get a workout partner. A partner is there to spot you on the heavier lifts. In addition to providing safety, a workout partner also provides a lot of motivation. You will both encourage each to get to the gym three times a week and bust your ass when you get there. Another thing, take pictures, lots of them. Take pictures before you go to the gym for the first time and then every week after that. This will help you to see the results and keep you motivated. When the results start to slow, don?t worry, this just means that you?re hitting a plateau that you can get over with a little work and some changing of your routine. Lastly, don?t be afraid to ask for help. The bigger guys in the gym are glad to help you and so are the employees, I mean it?s their job.

WE'VE ALL BEEN THERE - WHAT HELPED YOU GET OVER YOUR INITIAL FEAR OF THE GYM AND LIFTING WEIGHTS? HOW DID YOU OVERCOME IT?

Before I ever stepped foot in the gym I did a lot of reading on bodybuilding.com. I tried to learn everything that I could. Once I was confident that I knew enough to start lifting and not make an ass of myself I found a workout partner. Finding a workout partner can be tough, try asking your friends or coworkers if they are interested in going to the gym with you sometime because having someone with you really helps you become more comfortable. Then you just go for it. After my first day in the gym I was addicted. I loved the feeling that I accomplished something and the pump just felt absolutely amazing.

[johnauthier]

in order to get big and add muscle, your reps need to be in the range of 8-15. Reps shorter than 8 add strength, but not as much muscle. Thats why bodybuilders use higher reps than power lifters. So i suggest a reverse pyramid scheme, starting at 8 reps and ending at 15 reps while decreasing weight. i like reverse pyramids more than regular pyramids because you can put more effort into heavier weight. As for how often to workout, you should start out going every other day and doing a split workout. Here's my example:

DAY 1: CHEST/BICEPS/SHOULDERS/ABS
DAY 2: OFF
DAY 3: LEGS/BACK/TRICEPS/ABS
DAY 4: OFF
AND REPEAT..

THE WORKOUT (do one warm up set and decrease weight after each set)

CHEST
1. BARBELL BENCH PRESS: 4x8,10,12,15
2. INCLINE BB* BENCH PRESS: 4X8,10,12,15
3. FLYES(MACHINE OR DUMBELL):4X8,10,12,15

BICEPS

1. PREACHER CURL (CURL BAR OR DUMBELL): 4X8,10,12,15
2. STANDING DB** CURLS: 4X8,10,12,15

SHOULDERS

1. DUMBELL MILITARY PRESS: 4X8,10,12,15
2. SIDE LATERAL RAISES: 4X8,10,12,15
3. REAR DELT MACHINE (OR W. DUMBELLS): 4X8,10,12,15

LEGS

1. SQUATS: 4X8,10,12,15
2. LUNGES: 4X8,10,12,15
3. LEG CURL MACHINE: 4X8,10,12,15
4. CALF RAISES: 4X8,10,12,15

BACK

1. LAT PULLDOWN: 4X8,10,12,15
2. DB ROWS: 4X8,10,12,15
3. SHRUGS: 4X8,10,12,15
4. DEADLIFTS: 4X8,10,12,15

TRICEPS

1. PULLDOWNS W. CABLE: 4X8,10,12,15
2. FRENCH PRESS: 4X8,10,12,15
3. TRICEPS EXTENSIONS W. DB: 4X8,10,12,15

ABS (its just like all the other muscles so the reps scheme stays the same)

1. CABLE CRUNCHES: 4X8,10,12,15
2. DECLINE CRUNCHES W. WEIGHT: 4X8,10,12,15

*BB=BARBELL
**DB=DUMBELL

THINGS TO AVOID:
1. DONT OVER TRAIN! Off days are there for a reason. No weight lifting at all on off days. It doesnt help, it actually delays progress.
2. DONT TRY TO LIFT TOO HEAVY. Ive seen a lot of kids try to lift heavier than they are able to so they can impress someone. Not only will you look foolish, youll hurt yourself too.
3. ALWAYS HAVE A SPOTTER. Just so you dont get hurt.

TIPS
1. find a gym buddy/partner. Theyll keep you motivated and give you a spot.
2. Eat a lot and make sure its healthy. Cut out the junk food and fast food.
3. Buy a journal to keep track of your progress. Its good to look back on in the future.
4. Dont go crazy on supplements. All you need is protien and some multi-vitamins.
5. If you find yourself getting bored or forcing yourself to go, then take a break. It should be something you truly WANT to do or youll get sick of it.
6. REMBER TO NEVER SACRAFICE GOOD FORM FOR MORE WEIGHT. you dont want an injury to delay your progress

HOW I OVERCAME IT

i remember when i first walked into my school weightroom with the football team. I was scared to do certain exercises like bench press, squat, power cleans, etc. I was a lot weaker then most of the guys and i didnt want to look stupid. But eventually i found someone in the same boat i was in. We helped each other out and eventually i got used to doing all the exercises. Even today hes still my gym partner. I also did my research online. Thats how i came across this website.

[cmarrone]

What workout program would you design for them so they can gain as much mass as possible in the shortest amount of time?

DAY- 1 UPPER BODY

Barbell Bench Press(5x5)
Dumbell Shoulder Press(5x5)
Skull Crushers(5x5)
Pull Ups(Add Weight if Necessary)(5x5)


DAY 2- LOWER BODY

Barbell Squat(3x10-12)
Dumbell Lunges(Each Leg)(3x10-12)
Lying Leg Curl(3x10-12)
Seated Calf Raise(3x10-12)
Crunches(3x25)

DAY 3- OFF

DAY 4- UPPER BODY

Dumbell Incline Press(3x10-12)
Dips(Add Weight if Necessary)(3x10-12)
Lat Pulldowns(3x10-12)
Seated Rows(3x10-12)
Barbell Curls(3x10-12)

DAY 5- Lower Body

Hyperextensions(5x5)
Dumbell Step Ups(Each Leg)(5x5)
Leg Extensions(5x5)
Standing Calf Raise(5x5)
Crunches(3x25)

DAY 6- OFF

DAY 7- OFF

***Important Note- All excercises should be preceded by 1-2 light warm up sets.

This workout is good for beginners or anyone for that matter because it incorporates two different set/rep schemes which stimulates all of the different muscle fibers in the muscle. The workout?s are also fun and relatively short so going to the gym won?t feel like as much of a chore!


What should a beginner avoid when just starting a training program?


It seems pretty simple but the biggest thing a beginner should avoid when starting a training program would be stopping that training program. With exception to being sick or injured there is no reason to skip a workout. My experiences tell me that when a person go?s a period time without being in the gym, the likelihood that they never return to the gym increases the longer they remain away from it.



What additional tips would aid a new gym enthusiast to long-term success?


1.You are what you eat. I put this as my first tip because it is simply the most important aspect to any athletes success. Without a healthy balanced diet there is NO WAY your gains will meet there maximum potential. You could workout like a beast with perfect form and still not make gains, that is if you don?t give your body the proper nutrients to repair itself from your strenuous workouts. I would recommend keeping a ?meal log? in which you keep track of all the food you eat during the course of a day. This is a great way to keep tabs on what and how much your eating. If this meal log is full of words like ?Twinkies? and ?Big Mac?s? then your diet has got to change.

FOODS TO EAT
Lean Meats and Fish
Eggs
Milk (skim,1%,2%)
Nuts(especially Almonds)
Fruits and vegetables
Whole grain Breads/cereals

FOODS TO AVOID
Sugary Fruit Juices and Soda
Fatty Meats/Sausage/Bacon
White Breads/Cereals
BEER! and Alcohol in general
Fast Food
Anything Fried


2 Take Supplements. It is important to know that supplements alone will not change your physique if you just lay on your butt all day, but when combined with a proper strength training regimen supplements can do magic. In fact you would be crazy not to use them given the benefits that have been shown! For beginners I would advise sticking to the basics; Whey Protein, Creatine, and multivitamins.

For Whey Protein- Take 20-30 grams pre and post workout. Also try to ingest 1 Gram of Protein per pound of bodyweight per day, by eating a combination of high protein foods and whey protein.

For Creatine- Take 5 grams post workout. On off days consume 5 grams upon waking. While taking creatine it is important to drink at least ten glasses of water daily.

For multivitamin- Take as directed. I think even beginners know how to take a multivitamin.



3. Don?t Get Down on yourself. So you didn?t bench press as much weight as you thought you where going to, or maybe the scale reads a number higher or lower than you where hoping. Who cares. It has happened to the best of us, especially when just starting out. You'll do yourself no good by dwelling on it and getting depressed. Just promise yourself if this happens to you, that you will work even harder next time your in the gym. If you do this you will succeed, I Guarantee it.



4.Get Your Form Right. I see so many people, beginners and experienced lifters, who have terrible form. Bad form leads to less muscle stimulation(which means less growth) and a greater chance of hurting yourself. If you are doing your exercises improperly, you probably have a better chance of getting injured, then you do of getting big.



5.Keep a training log. It helps to keep a little workout book in which you write down what exercises you did, what weight you used and which sets/reps you used. Using a training log is a great way to chart your progress. If you don?t know what you have done in the past, how do you expect to move forward.



Bonus Question: We've all been there - What helped you get over your initial fear of the gym and lifting weights? How did you overcome it?


Like most people I was extremely scared and confused when I first started going to the gym. After about a month of going to the gym with little success, I finally worked up the courage to ask one of the guys at my gym for some pointers. To my surprise he did not crush me like a bug like I had pictured in my head, but was actually very helpful and taught me a bunch of useful workout tips.

So when you are in the gym and you are feeling completely overwhelmed and at a loss of what to do, just ask for help. You?ll be surprised just how willing and eager people are to assist you. Also we live in a world where you can find pretty much any type of information you want on the internet. So it never hurts to do some research of your own on this website or other one?s like it.

[orcu100]

What workout program would you design for them so they can gain as much mass as possible in the shortest amount of time?
3 workouts per week with cardio least five days a week. The cardio should start out around 20 minutes of moderate intensity and move up five minutes per week until around 40-45 minutes each day. It is best to do cardio early in the morning if you have time.
Can be done any three days of the week. Rest one day in between each lifting day and two days after the third day.
Each workout should be preceded by 10 minutes of cardio(stair stepper, bike, treadmill, elliptical).
day 1

chest
1 warm set up flat bench 10-12 reps
flat bench press 3 sets x6-8reps
incline bench press 3 sets x6-8
decline bench press 3 sets x6-8 reps
alternate exercises

triceps
1 warm up set skull crushers 10-12 reps
Skull crushers on bench 3 sets x6-8 reps
tricep kick backs 3 sets 6-8 reps
dips 3 sets to failure
alt exercises standing tricep extensions, close grip bench press

abs
incline sit ups 3 sets to failure

day 2
biceps
1 warm up set 10-12 reps curl with straight or e-z bar
biceps
alternate curls 3sets x6-8 reps
hammer curls 3 sets x6-8 reps
preacher curls with dumb bell 3 sets x6-8 reps
Alt. exercises ez curls, straight bar curls, reverse grip(overhand grip) curls

back
1 warm up set bent over rows 10-12 reps
bent over rows 3 sets x6-8 reps
lying t bar row 3 sets x6-8 reps
regular grip chin ups 3 sets to failure
calves standing calf raises

day 3
shoulders
1 warm up set barbell shoulder press 10-12
barbell shoulder press 3 sets x6-8 reps
Bent Over Low-Pulley Side Lateral 3 sets 6-8 reps
Barbell Incline Shoulder Raise 3 sets 6-8 reps
legs
1 warm up set barbell squat 10-12 reps
barbell squat 3 sets x6-8reps
cable hip extension 3 sets x6-8 reps
lying leg curls 3 sets x6-8 reps
abs
Ab Crunch Machine 3 sets to failure

What should a beginner avoid when just starting a training program?
Do not buy into all of the hype. Do not try any of the crazy new work outs they will usually only lead to disappointment. Time proven techniques of working hard, eating good foods, taking essential supplements such as creatine, protein, and glutamine, and get plenty of rest. Make sure to cut out as much of the unhealthy food as you can. The better you eat the more you will get out of your workouts. You will probably refine your eating several times before finding a good solid meal plan that will not leave you feeling starved, and will help you get bigger. Healthy eating should consist of 5-6 meals a day spread out around every three hours. 3-4 of the meals should be regular food, while the remaining meals can be a protein shake. I do not recommend any protein bars as most of them are high in fat and sugar, but if you are in a pinch they are ok. Lean meat is great for each meal (turkey, tuna, extra lean beef, chicken). If you are still hungry after each meal you can add a salad, but try to avoid salad dressings they are usually high in calories, fat, and/or sugar. The total portion of the meal should usually be around two cups.It is ok to have an unhealthy meal once in a while. I try to treat myself once a month. Healthy fay can come from almonds, olive oil, or flax seed. I usually add a table spoon of flax to each of my solid meals to get the fat I need each day. Adding fat to a meal will help you feel more full, and it will take your body longer to break down the protein it just ingested. Make sure to drink at least a gallon of water a day. If you do not drink enough water you may feel tired, and may not be able to work out as hard in the gym.

What additional tips would aid a new gym enthusiast to long-term success? Try to keep the workouts simple and to a reasonable time limit 30-45 minutes. You will be really sore the first couple pf weeks, but the longer you workout the faster the soreness will go away. Do not give up because it hurts, the pain will eventually subside. If you can have a buddy that can help make sure you keep the correct form and spot you in case you get in trouble you will be better off. Don't look for results immediately, whether you are in decent shape or not it will take a month or two before you will notice results, and maybe even longer for other people comment on your success. Do not count on others to help you. More than likely you are going to the gym for your self, impressing others is just an added bonus. If you rely on other people to train with or to keep you motivated you will eventually be let down. As long as you rely on yourself and remember why you started you will have enough motivation to keep going. Constantly refine everything you do. Look for ways to improve the quality of your nutrition and workouts. If you start to get bored change things up. I will general eat the same two items (tuna chicken e.g.) for weeks before I get bored and switch to something else. This makes it easy to prepare my food in advance and make sure that I always eat the right food.

Bonus Question: We've all been there -
What helped you get over your initial fear of the gym and lifting weights? How did you overcome it? I lifted at home to start off, this way I had good form and could lift a fair amount of weight before I went to the gym. Another way to get over the fear of the gym is to go at a time when the gym is less crowded than peak time. When you do go to the gym do not worry about the guy who is benching more than 300#s. He started off just the same as you are. Most people go to the gym to workout they are not there to pay attention to you or any one else.

[Silver-Wolfe]

He is motivated and excited... but has no idea what to do with all the dumbbells, barbells, and odd machines that he sees in front of him in the gym. It can be overwhelming.
But no matter what we all start somewhere and we all eventually get there. Bodybuilding is a sport of knowing yourself and your body. Even the most advance bodybuilders are still looking for answers to better themelves. Don't think that they know everything. and no so-called experts know what is best for you or what will pack on the most slabs of muscle for you. Only you can find that out for youselves. The secret to succeeding in bodybuilding at the beginning is to keep everything simple, be motivated, be consistent, and become the best you can, becoming better everytime not trying to look like pro bodybuilders and trying lift lift the weights they are lifting.

What workout program would you design for them so they can gain as much mass as possible in the shortest amount of time?
For a newbie beginning bodybuilding or maybe just lift weights to look better need to set a solid foundation. If you build a house with clay sand because it is faster to build and easier then your setting yourself up for failure. Although the brick and rocks are way harder to set up, in the long run you have a solid foundation which you can add more bricks on(aka muscles). So for a newbie the best routine is a fullbody workout three times a week. Now I know you're saying: what the hell? Won't I overtrain this way? Why don't I start with a split and do a whole bunch of exercise with endless reps and sets. Well I can guarantee that you definately over train if you do the latter. You also probably have gotten the idead from a bodybuilding magazine of a pro bodybuilder's routine. They are more advance and has probably train way longer then you thus need more stimulus to break the plateau. You are less likey to overtrain because you are using weights which will be considered light to somebody advance. For example a newbie squating 100 pounds can recover faster than an advance squating 350 pounds get the picture now? Ok lets get into the meat and poatoes of all this.

Before you do anything, I would highly reccommend you go on a bike or a treadmill and warm up a bit. You'll know that you're warmed up when you start breaking a sweat. Remember, think of your musles as rubber bands. When you put it in cold water then stretch it, the rubber band breaks. But if it is warm you can really stretch it. For your exercises like squats for example do a few easy sets of light weight and adding weights on each set. Go slow and practice your form; feel the muscle. Stretching is not a warm up. I would reccommend you strech after your set because you muscle more warmed up and streches better.

Barbell Squats 3 sets x 6-12 reps
Barbell Rows 3 sets x 6-12 reps
Bench Press 3 sets x 6-12 reps
Military Press 3 sets x 6-12 reps
Stiff-Legged Deadlift 3 sets x 6-12 reps
Barbell Curls 3 sets x 6-12 reps
Tricep Dips 3 sets x 6-12 reps
Standing Calf Raises 3 sets x 12-15 reps
Reverse Crunch On Parallel Bar 3 sets x 15-30 reps
Crunch 3 sets x 15-30 reps

These are only guidelines and you don't have to follow it to the T. So if some of the exercise you don't like or get bored of you can exchange it for another exercise. For example if you rather do deadlifts than bent over rows, then by all means do so. If the volumes is too high lower the sets to 2 sets. Choose a weight that you can do in the 6 to 12 rep ranges. When you can hit 12 all by yourself with perfect form up the weight by 5 or 10 pounds. I know most program suggest a rep range of 8-12 but I think 6-12 is better. Why? Because 6 builds strength and I believe that you need to get strong to get bigger. If thats not the case then how do you get bigger? By getting weaker? I dont think so. Do you? ALso that way you can experience a variety of rep range and won't hit a platueau. As a newbie do not go to failure. Go 1 to 2 rep short of failure. Go slow and feel the muscles working and not just going from point A to B. On the abdominal exercise always do the lower abs first because if you work the upper abs first you will pre exhaust the upper abs then when you work on lower abs your upper abs will fail before you get a chance to really stimulate the lower abs. My recommended rest time is between 45 second to 90 second at the max. This will get the pump going which will help you feel the muscles more. You also might have to lower th weights a bit but hey you will get the muscles stimulated and you'll look great in no time!



What should a beginner avoid when just starting a training program?

Beginners should avoid doing complicated trainign routine and try to copy pro bodybuilder's routine or even the guy at your gym. Tommy has been training at your gym for 3+ years and is way more experience and stronger then you. Why would you do his routine if he won't even look at your routine? We are all different. If you copy someone else you will never reach your full potential.

Don't do a lot of machine or cable work. Free weights like barbell or dumbbells are better becasue you have to use other muscles to keep the weight in place and thus works more msucle and is much harder. But if you have trouble perfoming the exercise the first time you can ask someone for help or you can practice the movement with a machine/cable first and then go to free weights as you get the hang of it. So for example if it is the first time you're doing squats but it feels awkward and you want to add more weights to the abr to make the exercise more challenging then do leg press or hack squat.


Also ALWAYS go slow and FEEL the muscle working. On the negative(lowering the weights), lower the weights for 4 second. Then pause for 2 seconds and breathe in. Lift the weａights up last 4 seconds while blow all the air in your lungs out. Pause for 2 seconds again and repeat。Again everything is not set in stone。 Do what feels right to you.

Last but no least always go by how you feel. Remember bodybuilding is an art. You get to know who you are and how your body works as you go on. So always watch out for overtraining. Stimulate the muscles and get out of there. Don't do an extra set. Work hard and intense and keep it short.

What additional tips would aid a new gym enthusiast to long-term success?

Consistency, dedication, and sacrifice is what a true bodybuilders lives through. Whether you are becoming a bodybuiler or just an average guy lifting to look good, if you dont have any of these things, don't be suprise with lack of result. You need to be consistent with everything. Your diet, your training and your rest and sleeping. You need to be dedicated to you training and not workout on week and the next blow the whole thing off and drink beers. And you need to sacrifice staying out late so you can get some quality sleep to recover and GROW and sacrifice your love for pizza and burgers and eat good food but after you'll love it and won't see the need for junk foods, sacrifice the time at the gym and sacrifice the extra money for quality food and supplements.

And the most important thing of all: keep everything simple. Whether it be your diet, training or supplements; stick to the basics and keep it simple. If you don't you'll quit and set yourself up for failure.
Another thing is set up a plan. Plan out your foods throughout the day and your routines. Set up a deadline so you'll pressure yourself to not cheat and set up long term goals and short term goals like getting your meals in everyday. I canot stress hwo important goals and deadlines are. I won't go into too much details about this because it would be too long. But make you long and short term goals and read them everyday. It will help motivate you and set you towards success.

Also remember diet is the most important factor for your gains. For diet I would put 100% focus on it. I would also put 100% on traing and 100% on rest. I do not like putting half percents like 30% or 20%. All I know is 0% or 100%. No one thing is important than the other. Without training the diet is nothing and you'll juts be a sedentary person. Without diet you'll just being getting 4-5 punds of fat for every 1 pound of muscle or maybe even lossing muscle. Without sleep you can't grow because the growing is actually doen outside of teh gym with the muscle repairs itself and then afterwards start getting bigger so they can handle the stress next time. So I hope I give you an idea of how important all those things are. But since you're a beginner I'd want to keep things simple. So start with have 6 meals a day in a 2-3 hour intervals. Have a palm sized portion of protein, palm sized portion of carbs and a teaspoon of good fats( from olive oil, natural peanut butter, almond butter, nuts, etc.)
Remember to keep everything simple and then after your have set a foundation, then and only then start advancing things.

If you're considering supplements remember supplements are just that. Supplements! They supplment your diet and training. Supplements are not drugs and will not have drug-like effect. If they do they would have been off the shelves faster than you can say.... See its so fast I couldn't even say the words. The FDA would check into it. Remember without a good clean diet, supplements will do nothing. Think of supplements as a insurance policy. They help you get all the nutrients you didn't get from the foods. A basic basic supplement stack would be whey protien, multi-vitamins, and creatine. If you can't get creatine the whey protein and multi-vitamins are a must. Remember to keep everything simple. You do not have to buy a 500 dollar multi-vitamin that does nothing. Some products are just overly hyped and you can usually predict the outcome of the results(Hey man this supplment sucks!). Rememeber to stick to the basics and keep everything. Bodybuilding is simple really but takes work.

Bonus Question: We've all been there - What helped you get over your initial fear of the gym and lifting weights? How did you overcome it?

I really didn't have that problem as I was more then excited to lift weights and I have worked out before with calisthenics which is where I started it all. But I still was intimidated. But the people are eally nice. I remember a guy came over and showed me how I would do a tricep extension with a dumbbell correctly. Then another guy cam and showed me how I was doing the wrist curls wrong( standing) and then after a few eeks or so I saw them again and did a chest workout with them. The guy showed me how to bench press correctly by gett back more so I don't have to use so much energy to pull the bar from inches abover my head to my chest. Showed me how I should pause at the top take a deep breath lower the weights and and push and blow out all. Anyway that was my experience. I train alone but what I would highly reccommend is to find a workout partner. Since you are a newbie you will need someone to spot you. I would reccommend get someone this is more experienced than youa re but any will do.

Don't be afraid to talk to people and ask for their advice of help or show you how to lift the weights correctly. The gym is a great relaxing place and you should make some good friends and trust me you will feel like your family.
Before you lift your first weights, take some time to look at your gym and get familiar with your surrounding. Remember, don't be afriad to ask for help and ask where things are. After a few weeks you'll be addicted in working out.

[soundcheck129]

He is motivated and excited... but has no idea what to do with all the dumbbells, barbells, and odd machines that he sees in front of him in the gym. It can be overwhelming.

The first visit to the gym for a new lifter can be one of his fondest memories, although at the time it may seem like a nightmare - a bunch of people with great physiques striding confidently from machine to machine, lost in the tunes blasting out of their iPods. The smell of sweat and iron mingle in the air with grunts and echos of steel plates slamming together. It's enough to make a newbie feel as if he's stumbled into the modern Mount Olympus, as god-like figures are all around. If getting huge is your goal, this seems to be the place. But what's the best way to start when everyone else already seems so far ahead? Don't sweat it - beginning on the journey to the body of your dreams doesn't have to be difficult.

What workout program would you design for them so they can gain as much mass as possible in the shortest amount of time?

I believe that the ideal program for a beginner is a simple, three day split that focuses on compound lifts. This gives the lifter plenty of recovery time and makes use of exercises that activate a large number of muscles at one time, rather than isolation exercises that focus on one or two. Compound lifts pack on muscle, giving a beginning lifter a great base to start from. While some may recommend four day splits, I think the extra day off is important for beginners because their muscles and CNS have not yet been properly conditioned to handle such a load. Such splits are susceptible to overtraining. In addition, a beginning lifter may be overwhelmed and feel that lifting is taking over his life if he's at the gym too frequently. I've also placed the more strenuous days on Monday and Friday so there is plenty of space between them.

Cardio will vary depending on one's goals; in order to minimize fat gains, 30 minutes of cardio on off days will be helpful, but not necessary. The beginner may also be involved in other sports, which would constitute sufficient cardio in themselves. Ab work can be added at the end of workouts or done on the weekends.

Beginners should remember to warm up with stretching and two warm-up sets before each lift to ensure that they have the proper form and range of motion down, as well as to gauge how much weight they can handle.

MONDAY

Bench Press: 3x8
Squat: 3x6
Bent Over Row: 3x6-10
Military Press: 3x6-10
Deadlift: 3x6

WEDNESDAY

Leg Press: 3x8
Skull Crushers: 3x6-10
Lat Pulldown: 3x8
Calf Raise: 3x8
Lateral Raise: 3x8
DB Curls: 3x6-10

FRIDAY

Deadlift: 3x6
Incline DB Press: 3x8
Barbell Row: 3x6-10
Smith Machine Squats: 3x6
DB Shrugs: 3x6-10

What should a beginner avoid when just starting a training program?

Ego Lifting
This is an easy trap to fall into. With so many other, more experienced lifters surrounding a newbie, he may become obsessed with the numbers on the weights rather than the quality of the lifts. However, if form is compromised for the sake of putting up heavier weights, by putting one's back and legs into DB curls, for example, the target muscle groups are not being sufficiently stimulated and the risk of injury is high. These consequences are counterproductive and should be avoided at all costs. It's important to remember that everyone has to start somewhere, and there's no shame in using lighter weights if you're working hard.

Undereating
A common complaint from new bodybuilders is that they just can't seem to put on mass. Often, this arises because they don't realize that eating big is necessary to get big. This can be difficult to get used to, and many newbies may underestimate how many calories they need - enough to compensate for the expenditure in the gym plus a surplus to grow. The fact that most newbies are young and have naturally quick metabolisms doesn't help either, creating a lot of "hardgainers." However, this shouldn't be too much of a problem, because who doesn't like to go back for seconds?

Overtraining
Remember when your mother told you too much of anything wasn't good for you? You probably didn't realize she was talking about weight lifting, did you? Some newbies can become so enamored with training that they want to do nothing but. In other cases, they may think they can speed up progress by logging more time at the gym. However, excessive volume will only hold one back, and training to often won't provide enough time for one's body to recover. Muscles grow OUTSIDE of the gym; don't skimp on rest.

Oversupplementation
While some supplements can be a great help in adding muscle or retaining it on a cut, newbies should stick to the basics, as they probably wont' have enough experience or knowledge to weed out what's truly effective from what just claims it is. Also, supplements can be expensive, and if the newbie decides not to stick with weight lifting, it could be a poor investment. Besides, those just starting out can always count on "noob gains" at first. Don't get me wrong - supplements are valuable, but a newbie should exercise for a while on his own to figure out what's lacking and can be covered by extras. That said, I would recommend using whey protein and supplementing with a multi-vitamin.

Believing Everything Joe Bro says
When one is unfamiliar with how things work, he may look to someone more experienced for advice. A beginning lifter will find many muscular, potential role models at the gym, and it can be tempting to follow everything they say to the letter. This isn't a good thing though - these experienced lifters have found out what works for them personally, and everyone's body is different. Newbies should see how their body reacts to things rather than trusting the advice of others. A lot of misinformation and "broscience" tends to be spread around the gym, and there is a high potential for harm to enjoyment and health. Avoid self-appointed 'experts' and question the illogical.

What additional tips would aid a new gym enthusiast to long-term success?

Educate Yourself
There's nothing wrong with not knowing much when you first begin, but there's no reason to remain ignorant, whether the matter is on lifting, nutrition or anything else. Asking other people at the gym can be helpful, and consult a trainer if there is one available. Most people love to share their knowledge, and no one will criticize you for trying to better yourself. If you're too shy, don't worry - there are thousands of articles on Bodybuilding.com to answer all of your questions. And if you still can't find what you're looking for, check out the Forum for additional advice or just to chat and make some new friends.

Find a Partner
It can be intimidating to walk into a strange, new gym by yourself, so why not go with a friend? This will make you more relaxed and comfortable, and will also give you someone who can critique your form and share ideas. Partners are also excellent at keeping you motivated and challenging you to pump out a few extra reps. Partners can help you get through tough days and share in your moments of glory, and you'll never have to worry about finding a spotter on short notice.

Get Adequate Rest
Beginners may feel that muscles are made in the gym, so the more time spent there, the better. Unfortunately, that's not how it works, or I'd be at the gym right now instead of writing this! Your muscles need time for growth and repair, especially when first starting, because your body isn't used to the trauma. Try to get 8 hours of sleep every night and give your body some relaxation time.

Eat up!
It can't be said enough - eating big is the key to getting big. But even if you don't want to pack on mountains of mass, you're going to need extra food just to fuel your workouts. The more food you eat, the more intensity you'll be able to bring to the gym, and the more success you're likely to see. You'll need a surplus of calories to develop muscle, so don't worry about eating 'clean' all the time, just use common sense. If you're confused about how much to eat, look for an online calculator, such as Berardi's Massive Eating plan.

Be Patient
Enthusiasm can easily turn into frustration if results don't come as quickly as you want. Remember - bodybuilding is a process, and it takes time to reshape your physique. Setting goals can keep things in proper perspective, and logging workouts is a good way to judge progress if you can't tell by the mirror. Don't try to rush through things and pound out a lot of sets in order to spur growth, let it happen naturally. And it's not fair to compare yourself to others who have had more experience; everyone started somewhere.

Be Well-Rounded
With ridiculous media portrayals all around, it can be tempting to concentrate on hot spots such as biceps and abs and forget everything else. However, you will see the biggest gains if you train all parts of your body; big lifts like deadlifts and squats can shock your core just as effectively as crunches. If you neglect some areas now, you'll find yourself with some asymmetry or lagging parts later, and that can be difficult to correct.

And most importantly....HAVE FUN!

Bonus Question: We've all been there - What helped you get over your initial fear of the gym and lifting weights? How did you overcome it?
My first real gym experience was tough - it was my freshman year at college, and I knew absolutely no one. I had only lifted a few times with buddies on my hockey team in high school, so I was completely out of my element. Everyone at the gym seemed massive to me and also appeared to no one another. I was afraid I'd look like a fool because of my inexperience. However, I kept training and my hard work spoke louder than my inexperience, and the other lifters seemed to appreciate it. Because we were all lifting around our class schedules, I tended to see the same people a lot of the time and got up the courage to start some conversations and ask for help. Thankfully, everyone was friendly and I came to be a lot more comfortable at the gym, which made lifting much more enjoyable.

I also did a lot of reading on my own so that I could educate myself and have something to share with others. This helped me form a bond with others and allowed me to be at ease, which is conducive to success. Now I just enjoy myself as much as possible and look for others to help progress.

[r7955]

"He is motivated and excited... but has no idea what to do with all the dumbbells, barbells, and odd machines that he sees in front of him in the gym. It can be overwhelming."

We've all felt this way when we first started training. And for me, I see it everyday that I'm at work in the gym. Hey, I get it. There are some really intense and fit people there, and they're barely wearing enough clothes to keep them decent. For someone new to this atmosphere, it can definitely be overwhelming.

For anyone new to the gym life wanting to gain some muscle mass, it is important to keep things simple. Any stimulus they place on their body at this point will start their body on the road to results. The trick is to not overdo it. This will keep the gains coming, and most major soreness (the kind that makes you want to stay in bed all day) that might scare them away from rearing its ugly head.

*I would keep the lifting portion to 2-3 days a week, with 2 days between sessions. This should be the max for the first 8 weeks.

Assuming that the individual does not have any limitations, such as poor range of motion, injuries, etc... I would design a program that looks much like the one noted below.
(If there are any questions regarding form or the setup of a machine, be sure to ask a staff member for their assistance. They are there to get you acclimated, so use their service.)


10 minutes of warmup activity, perhaps on the elliptical, treadmill, or bike.

Seated Row 3x12
Chest Press 3x12
Lat pulldown 3x12
Leg press 3x15
Leg curl 3x12
Ab Crunches 2x15
Good mornings 2x10

20-30 minutes of any light cardio activity that you choose. On a scale of 1-10, you want this to feel like a 6.


This workout will work every major and minor muscle group. You can't work your back without working your biceps, and you can't work your chest or shoulders without working your triceps. This is the reason there are few isolation movements in the program. You get the most bang for your buck by working major muscle groups in Big Compound Movements.


*Things to avoid when just starting out????
1. Avoid lifting more than you're capable. Focus on feeling the muscle while using good form. Many people hurt themselves early on by trying to use too much weight with bad form.
2. Avoid trying to jump right into Free Weight training. The body takes some time to get used to the movements, and by building a solid base around machine work, it makes it much easier to make the transition into Free Weights.
3. Avoid adding "extras". Extra sets, extra exercises, etc. Your body doesn't need all of these extra movements when you're first starting. And believe me, if you're focusing on correct form and feeling the muscle work, you just won't need anything else. Avoid the "more is better" mentality. More is simply more.


*My additional tip(s) for long-term success?
1. Take your time building a solid base with Compound movements.
2. Don't focus only on 1 or 2 bodyparts at the expense of the others. We've all seen the "lightbulb" shaped lifter in the gym with no leg development. It looks ridiculous.
3. Let your body respond to the weight training and food intake on it's own. Don't try to rush results by quick fixes (drugs, or otherwise).


*There are a few things that helped me overcome my initial fear of the gym.
I realized that every person in that weight room had to start somewhere, and that nobody is sculpted like a Greek God overnight.
The second thing that helped me was to simply talk and ask other people around me a few questions. People in the gym are always ready to lend their expertise and knowledge to someone new. Just don't ask in the middle of their set and you'll be good to go!

[psycheMAX]

So I found this thread the day this was due. I?m sure I left something out, or fudged up with trying to type it all up so quick. Ill do my best to amend it if I?m able to, but I wanted to post it for the deadlines sake.




What is the best workout for a newbie.

To start, a future gym rat needs to learn a few basics of the realm.

1; Everyone is different.
There are so many elements that make up our body. Any change in any one of these thousands of areas in our body will affect how our body uses that input (the work out or supplement etc). Some exercises work better for some. Some supplements work better for some. You will learn what is best for you and your body type after a little time under the steel. Try, Fail, Adjust!

2; There is a method to the madness.
What ever your goal may be, not just mass gaining, requires more than just coming into the gym once a week to lift some weight. There is an exact science behind part of enhancing your body?s performance. It takes learning this to give you the edge you need to gain (in this case) mass and strength as fast as possible. From the way you work out and when and how to eat; to every part of your daily life that will either contribute to or against your goal. Even how late you decide to stay up playing video games or out at the bar to the snacks you grab on the fly when your late for school or work, everything plays a role. Just remember that it takes educating yourself in various areas here to become successful. (This will be covered more later)

3; Get a FRIEND!!
A friend to lift with is a golden opportunity. They can spot you when you get in trouble with almost dropping a weight, or assist you on a rep that you are almost able to complete. They are there to PUSH you, make you not quit and force those extra reps that you would of pussed out over. And most guys are competitive, so there you go, compete with each other (safely).

4; Dear diary?
It doesn?t have to be pink, but you need one. Writing down what you lift is crucial. Don?t think you?ll remember it next week, sometimes you will, sometimes not. But when you have the data available it enables you to push your self week after week always making sure you are lifting more or running faster.

And a few things you need to avoid;

1; Who cares what that other freak is lifting
Listen, you have NO idea who the other dude is, so just because your max is his warm up doesn?t mean you need to add weight to impress him, he doesn?t care, and neither should you! You WILL end up hurting your self, and putting self behind on schedule. Lift whats right for you, you?ll get stronger faster that way.

2; being shy
If youre lifting alone and need a spot, or just have some general questions, ASK SOMEONE. You would be surprised, people at the gym are usually awesome and don?t mind flabn their jaw about a few things. BUT BE CAREFULL WITH GYM ADVISE, there is a ton of crap that gets tossed around, always verify information elsewhere.

Okay, so here we are, you are motivated and ready to tackle what ever it is you need to obtain your goal of gaining mass, and fast. Lets start with your diet since that is actually MORE important than how you work out.

We?ll start with how much to eat. That will be determined by your body type. Are you a naturally very slim person who stores virtually no fat on their body, or are you the opposite? The scale spans from 3,500 to 6,000 calories per day. If you have always eaten whatever you wanted and never gained any weight or fat, then you will be at the high end of the scale, 6,000+ calories a day. If you are at the other end of the spectrum where whatever you eat is always stored around rather than inside your stomach, then you?ll want to start at the lower end, around 4,000 calories. That may seem like a lot of food, and it is, however you?ll see why it?s ok to eat it as long as you eat it the right way which ill go over next.

Losing fat to look better and gaining mass/strength do not go hand in hand very well. The most effective approach is to accomplish the strength and/or size you would like with no regard to aesthetics. Upon completing your goal, your diet and exercise routines will adjust and at that point you can work on maintaining your strength/size and lowering your body fat. Don?t worry though, I?m not talking about becoming a swollen hippopotamus here. If you are skinny and enjoy how high metabolism has left you naturally ripped, you WONT lose it in the end. You might appear to soften up a little for a short duration, but no sooner do you reach the size you wanted to add will adjust your program and virtually instaneously become ripped again. And if you are beginning from obese or larger platform there is still nothing to worry about. Your body won?t get the nutrition it needs to heal and refuel yourself from intense workouts just from the stored fat energy you have. You?ll need to offer your body a fresh source to build new muscle. Again, as you reach your goal, adjust your program, and you?ll watch the fat melt off your body so fast you wont believe it. When you increase the amount of muscle mass on your body, you are indirectly increasing your natural testosterone levels. Testosterone devours fat cells way faster than a fat kid after cake. Its better to over-nourish your system than to under-nourish it. While your body is trying to build all this new muscle from your workouts it needs so many sources of nutrition and if the nutrition is not there, then it will not build as much as it could.

Remember, everyone is different, it takes playing around with exercises and diet types to see what?s best for you. So even after you?ve decided on a calorie intake, you can always adjust it accordingly. If you feel your storing more than you need, by all means, drop it 250 calories a week until you find what is working best for you. Lets say 4500 calories is good enough (it?s a good average start point for most). You are going to want to spread the food you eat throughout the day, not eat it in big meals. Eating every two hours seems to be an industry standard. It will keep your metabolism up, and make sure your body needs whatever it wants when it wants it. You can picture your metabolism like a fireplace. Its easier to keep tossing a small logs on it to keep the fire going than to burn a big stash of wood and then try to relight it after it has been put out for a while. Same with your metabolism, keep something in there so its always burning. It helps to prep your days in advance. Think the night before what you?ll be doing the next day. When you will and wont be around food. Try to make some meals in advance and pack them in a bag or cooler so you can grab them easily. it?s a chore. But its absolutely necessary. I?ve found for myself that twice my weight in protein works well. So If I weigh in at 190, I will eat 380 grams of protein in that 4500 calories. Again, everyone is different, some claim a 1:1 ratio is adequate, and others say 1.5 grams per body pound. Its important to keep these calories clean. By that I mean, healthy foods. Some examples are; chicken, tuna, salmon, turkey, ham, eggs, wheat or multi grain breads, salad, fruit, vegetables, etc? You have to eat for your body, not eat for taste. There are plenty of guides out there with great menu samples of how to eat healthy food and make it taste great. You?ll want to stay away from sugars, soda, and junk food. Its alright to have some here and there. I usually have a little something once a week.

Lets run through an example day. So you can picture this. I?ll also bring up some new points.

7 am - wake up ; Protein/honey/water drink
Why; Your body has been fasting all night, it needs protein immediately. When your body is looking for food it goes to the easiest source, which happens to be your muscle! So get something in there fast so it stops taking from what your trying to build. The honey is doing the same thing, you need a fast carb, and sugar is it, honey is healthier. Drinking all this with water ensures no delay in the digestion.
8 am - breakfast ; good 30 g of carbs, 4 egg whites (around 40g protein total with the meal)
Some more carbs for the day, you?ll need them, English muffin (whole wheat), bagel, fruit etc. Eat some eggs, good source of a different type of protein. Milk, Oj, etc
10 am - shake ; two scoops whey/water, few Oz of mixed nuts
This is just to keep the metabolism fire going. Its very low in calories. The nuts help slow the digestion of the protein so it stays with you longer. Fats will do that.
12 - lunch ; big salad w veggies (very little dressing), fish or chicken
(here 50g protein is good, while only around 10g carb needed)
Getting close to work out time, so make sure to eat salad an veggies, you?ll want the phytonutrients they offer.
2 - pre workout; Orange, scoop of protein
Youll ant a fast digestiong carb like sugar) before working out so that your body has . immediate energy for your lift and isn?t looking to take from your muscle for energy as I sated before about while you sleep. If youd prefer you can take a sahke with you to the gym loaded with a mass gainer. They have good carbs for at the gym and you can sip on it through out your work out. That will ensure your body isn?t eating its slef for energy and only focusing on exercising your muscle.
5 - post work out ; whey, casein, CARBS
After your workout you?ll want something that can digest fast so that your body can utilize it during this crucial recovery time. Generally it?s a 30 minute window to get something in your stomach. Youll want whey isolate for a fast protein to get to your muscles quickly. Casein has been found in studies to be great for a post workout as well, however, you?ll want mostly whey. Fast digesting carbs are also important. Even a little sugar is okay. Mass gainers are great at this point. They are chaulk full of a variety of carbs that would work great. 60+g of carbs is good.

7 - dinner time ; lots of greens, carbs, and protein again
Broccoli is great, STEAMED. Sweet potatoes work well for carbs. Fish or any of the lean meats fit fine. 20g carbs is plenty.

9 - its ok to eat before bed!!
Just as you lay down grab a casein shake mixed with milk. Two scoops of casein should last you most of the night. This slow digesting protein will sit in your stomach and slowly digest while you sleep to keep a constant food supply to prevent going into an extreme catabolic state (eating your muscles for energy). The milk also slows it down. Adding natural peanut butter is a good idea as well, 2 tbsp.

[psycheMAX]

Ok so there is a basic outline on eating. There is much more to it than that and if you are that motivated to learn about it, it WILL help your gains significantly. On to the lifting!! Well being your first time in the gym I will not recommend lifting a whole lot. You need to prep your body for a week or so. Get it loosened up and ready for what to come. Injury will set you so far back in the gym that it could debunk you completely from ever coming back!! So here is how you can do an easy once over on your system. Get your body ready to start producing more hormone, send more blood to the muscles, and begin building more mass on your frame.

Exercise

Your first week will get you familiar with your exercises, get your body ready to start lifting heavier (it?s a bad idea to jump right into heavy weights and injury will set you very far back on track). For these exercises your first set will be the lightest weight available to you at the gym. If its bench press that would be 45lbs, curls, maybe 5lbs, etc. Your first set will be of 20 repetitions. Your second set of the same exercise will be up to. You want to be able to do 15 to 20 repetitions, so based off how light the first set was try and find what weight will be good for you. Your third set will be the same 15 to 20 reps. If you were off on the second set you can correct it here on the third. Rest 90 to 120 seconds between each set. Make sure to RECORD this in your workout log.

Day 1
Warm up run ; half mile brisk walk
Warm up Pushups (15 to 20 pushups is fine, only one set here)
Smith Machine Incline Bench Press
Barbell Flat Bench Press
Dumbbell Decline Bench Press
Cable Cross Overs
Cool down run; half mile brisk walk

Day 2
Warm up run ; half mile slow jog (11 minute mile)
Smith Machine Squats
Leg press machine
Leg extension machine
Romanian deadlifts
Lying leg curl machine

Day 3
Warm up run ; half mile slow run (9 minute mile)
Deadlift
Bent over row
Wide grip pull down
Seated row
Cool down run; half mile brisk walk

Day 4
Warm up run ; one mile slow jog (9 minute mile)
Smith machine overhead press
Smith machine upright row
Dumbbell lateral raise
Smith machine shrug
Cool down run; half mile brisk walk

Day 5
Warm up run ; one mile slow run (8:30 minute mile)
Lying tri extension with dumbbells
Tri cep rope pushdown
Preacher ez-bar curl
Seated slight incline dumbbell serpenated (one arm at a time) curls
Cool down run; half mile brisk walk

Day 6
Run ; One mile as fast as possible.
Abs ; Stick with the good ol situps for now. Throw down your body weight for a 3 or 4 sets of however many reps you can handle.

Day 7
Run ; Two miles at a comfortable pace. Somewhere in the park of under 20 minutes preferably. (13 minutes is great!)

That will prep your body in more ways than you might think. Hormones adjusting, metabolic rate increasing, neurosystems activated beyond typical use, etc, etc Now you are ready to start lifting for mass!! The previous week should of given you experience with various weights so that you will have a better idea of how much to use here. When in doubt, GO LIGHTER!! It?s better to mess up a set with too many reps than to injury yourself and be out of the gym for 6 months or longer!!

Your lifting here is for mass, so you?ll want heavier weight and less reps. You will do each exercise 3 times. Each time you do it you?ll want to aim for 6 to 10 reps. The exception here is legs; 12 to 15 reps I find works better (but again, EVERYONE IS DIFFERENT). Once you reach the 10 reps mark it?s a good idea to add weight to bring you back down to the 6 rep mark. As the weeks go by you?ll add more and more weight. Again, a 2 minute rest period between sets is good. And always warm up with extreme low weight at first for each exercise just to run your body through the motion and loosen it up.

Day 1
Chest and tri
Start with larger muscles first.
Incline Dumbbell Press
Flat barbell Press
Decline Smith Press
Cable Flyes
Close Grip Flat Barbell Bench Press
Weighted Dips
Lying Dumbbell Tricep Extensions

Day 2
Legs and shoulders
I always find it good to warm up a little extra on leg days to prevent injury
Squats
Leg press
Leg Extension
Leg Curl
Calf Raise
Seated Over head Barbell press
EZ-bar upright Row
Seated Dumbbell lateral raise
Reverse PecDeck
Dumbbell Shrugs

Day 3
Back and bi
Deadlift
Bent over row with barbell
Wide griped cable pull down
Seated row, narrow grip
Standing barbell curl
Incline dumbbell serpenated curl
Preacher-seated curl ez-bar
Scott curls (reverse grip preacher ez-bar curl)

Day 4
Run and abs
Get a good 3 mile run in at your own pace. Just make sure you reduce your time every week. Set ambitious goals and attack them. As you get more advanced you can increase your distance. An hour of running is plenty. 8 miles is a good level to reach for. Start with 30 minutes for your 3 mile, and improve from there.

Day 5
Repeat



Now eating and lifting alone is fine. You?ll have great success. If you want to expedite it, you can start with some basic supplements like?.
Weight gainer which has bcaa?s, glutamine, etc.
Wheys and caseins that are bcaa and glutamine enriched
A pre-workout cocktail like NANO Vapor
A post-workout cocktail like Halo
ZMA for before bed
L-carnitine 1 to 3 g with your first thing morning shake, just before working out and with your post work out shake.
A good multi-vitamin with your breakfast and diner.
Omega 3 oils daily with lunch
Glucosamine daily with your post breakfast shake and mixed nuts meal.

The world of supplements is complex, and another topic all together here. The list above is plenty to start with. Together all of those supplements cover just about all the hard hitters on the market and are relatively inexpensive.

Mind body connection
Focus is also important. When you are getting ready to do an exercise think about what you are about to do. Example, seated cable row narrow grip; here it is all too easy to use the wrong muscles to bring the cable to you. What you want to do is think about what muscle the exercise is suppose to work. Here it is your back. So when you pull the cable out, think about your brain sending its electric impulses down to your back, initiating those muscle fibers to contract and pull that cable rather then letting your arms or shoulders pull it out. Keep this in mind when you are unsure of proper form. If you are feeling your target muscle being used, and do not feel uncomfortable in other areas then most likely you are doing what form is best for your body. This takes time to get down, but it certainly makes a difference. Ask Arnold S., he?s written about it.

Log
Loging your workouts gives you a huge advantage. When you write down a workout it guarantees you?ll be getting stronger (as long as your doing the other basics). When you go to week three and you look back at your chest day and see that you lifted 135lbs on the flat barbell, then you know this time you MUST do it at least two more reps. You can set your own goals there, but the idea is to always lift more.

Spotter/ friend
Having a friend to lift with is also a must. Not only can they assist your lift incase you might not be able to complete an entire rep, but they will end up being great motivational support. Trust me. Learn how to get along with someone if you like to lift alone, or talk a friend into lifting with you. It helps.

Assisted reps
Assisted reps are when you are reaching failure. When you are at the point where you are only getting 80% of the back up with the bar, your spotter reaches in and only offers JUST ENOUGH help to get the bar moving again. These reps really tear down your muscle and will give you great results. You don?t want to do these on EVERY set. Maybe one assisted rep on your second set, and two on your last. Again, everyone is different and you?ll find how to implement these accordingly..

There?s nothing to fear here. You are now armed with more information than most of the people you?ll find in the gym. Take the confidence of what you know and watch the results explode in your log before your eyes. No matter how far down the totem pole you start, with a good attitude and the right information, you?ll scream past goals so fast you wont be able to keep the chicks off you

Ok, now go lift, eat, and then SLEEP. Yes? SLEEP SLEEP SLEEP. For real, sleep. Your body rebuilds its self while you rest. 8 hours a night minimum. Also add in a nap if you can. Or add more time to your 8 hours sleep. Seriously, go sleep.

Oh and for the thirsty crowd, alcohol lowers your natural testosterone. Oops

[big game hunter]

Oh Yeah. The FIRST DAY AT THE GYM. It is something everyone who has experienced , remembers for the rest of his/her life. It is just one of those things in life that involves so much of a mental factor, that it creates a lasting impression - one that will surely last a lifetime.

But you are ready to enter a gym and give exercising a try. That itself puts you ahead of the millions of lazy people around the world, who would never do such a thing. But that is just step one. Now let us ensure that your time in the gym is not wasted.

This brings us to the workout. Let me now come to the workout that I would suggest for a newbie.

First, start off with a very light warm up. This should take about 10 minutes and I would recommend the following -

3 minutes of jogging
2 minutes of cycling or skipping
1 set of 10 reps - bench press with the rod alone (or very light weight dumb bells)
1 set of 10 reps - pull ups
1 set of 10 reps - good mornings with the rod alone.
1 set of 10 reps - overhead tricep extensions with very light weight dumb bells
1 set of 10 reps - bicep curls with the rod alone.

This light warm up is done in order to get your body ready for the heavier sessions that lie ahead. It is important to note that you do not go to failure on any of the warm up sets. This would leave you exhausted for the main workout.

After a couple of minutes rest, I would suggest a stretching routine for about 3 to 5 minutes.

This procedure ensures that your muscles are not COLD when you stretch them. They are already warmed up a little. This helps prevent injury.

I recommend the above two warm up and stretching routines on all workout days.

Now, let us come to the main workout routines that a newbie needs to follow.

Precede every workout with one warm up set with moderate weights. Do one warm up set with about 15 reps.

Day 1 - Chest
Barbell Bench Press - 3 sets of 8 to 12 reps each

Barbell Incline Bench Press - 3 sets of 8 to 12 reps each

Flat Bench Dumb Bell Flyes - 3 sets of 8 to 12 reps each

You can perform incline bench dumb bell flyes or parallel bar dips instead of flat bench dumb bell flyes. You can choose any one for a particular week and another one for the next if you like.


Day 2 - Back
Chin Ups to the front or back (but not both) - 3 sets of 10 reps each.

Lat Pulldowns to the front or back (but not both) - 3 sets of 8 to 12 reps each

Single Arm Dumb Bell Rows - 3 sets of 8 to 12 reps each

Back Extensions - 3 sets of 10 reps each.

Day 3 - Cardio, Abs and Forearms
20 minutes of jogging

10 minutes of cycling or skipping

Swiss Ball Crunches - 3 sets of 10 to 15 reps each

Rope Crunches - 3 sets of 10 to 15 reps each

Hanging Abdominal Leg Raises - 3 sets of 10 to 15 reps each

Forearm Curls - 3 sets of 10 to 15 reps each

Reverse Forearm Curls - 3 sets of 10 to 15 reps each

Day 4 - Shoulders and Traps
Shoulder Presses - 3 sets of 8 to 12 reps each

Standing Lateral Raises - 3 sets of 8 to 12 reps each

Front Dumb Bell Raises - 3 sets of 8 to 12 reps each

Shrugs or Upright Barbell Rows - 3 sets of 8 to 12 reps each

Day 5 - Arms
Close Grip Bench Press - 3 sets of 8 to 12 reps each

Barbell Lying Tricep Extensions - 3 sets of 8 to 12 reps each

Tricep Kick Backs - 2 sets of 8 to 10 reps each.

Alternate Dumb Bell Bicep Curls - 3 sets of 8 to 12 reps each

Preacher Curls - 3 sets of 8 to 12 reps each

Concentration Curls - 2 sets of 8 to 10 reps each.

Day 6 - Legs
Squats - 3 sets of 8 to 12 reps each

Lunges - 3 sets of 8 to 12 reps each

Leg Extensions - 3 sets of 8 to 12 reps each

Hamstring Leg Curls - 3 sets of 8 to 12 reps each

Standing Calf Raises - 3 sets of 15 to 20 reps each

Day 7 - Rest


What should a beginner avoid when just starting a training program?

There are several things that a newbie needs to avoid. I can only hope to cover a few of them here in this section. But please take note.

1. Improper clothing and that includes shoes too. Proper attire helps prevent injury and allows proper movement of body parts for exercise.
2. Avoid the company to people who take banned substances like drugs, drugs, steroids, etc.
3. Avoid the gym wise guy who thinks he knows more than he actually does. And the worst part is, these people think that they have all the experience and right to go about telling people what to do and what not to. Avoid advice from people who do not have proper training knowledge.
4. Avoid socializing. The gym is not meant for that.
5. Avoid assuming things. Please clarify before getting into anything. There is no harm in that. Moreover, the coach is there to help you at such times and that is what he is paid for.
6. Get rid of the ego. Remember, never to try and impress people at the gym by going overboard or by trying something new that you are not certain of.
7. Avoid junk food. Bodybuilding and fitness is a lifestyle. Unlike other sports, the training does not end when the workout or session is done. Training for bodybuilding or fitness goes a whole long way more than just the gym. Diet forms a major part of the training program. Get your diet right and follow it morning to night. Otherwise, no amount of exercise is going to help you. Newbies seldom understand the importance of diet.
8. Avoid dropping your guard. Injuries do happen at gyms. Stay safe and keep others around you safe
9. Stick to your program. Do not try something just because there is a bigger and better looking guy doing it. Carefully analyze what works and what does not.
10. Avoid stagnation. Lot of people do not update their knowledge. You have several tools such as books, magazines and the internet from where you can learn about the human body, training, exercises, diets, treating injuries, etc. Please invest quality time into this type of knowledge development. Especially as a newbie.
11. There are several people who spread rumors and believe in myths. Do not listen to them and avoid spreading them yourself.
12. Do not spend too much time on warm ups. You may have nothing left to give after that.
13. Avoid having misconceptions about supplements. Newbies believe that supplements play a bigger part than they actually do. A supplement is just that - a supplement. All its does is it helps you complete the diet and nutrition part of things. Supplements are just a way of avoiding deficiencies. Please do not think that supplements are more important than a proper well balanced diet. Like mentioned earlier, invest quality time in learning diet and how supplements can fit in.
14. Give your body time to grow. Do not be in a rush to see results. Body building, muscle building and fitness are not easy. If they were, everyone would be ripped, muscular and fit. It is tough. That is why there are so few who actually achieve success.
15. Avoid exercising beyond the 45 minute mark. It is easy to overshoot this limit as an enthusiastic newbie. There are several people who believe that the longer they stay at the gym, the more results they will see. Nothing could be further from the truth. Exercise for 45 minutes, then get out of the gym, eat well and rest your body. Relax and enjoy yourself. Results are not going to show immediately. The smart and well educated newbie knows this.


What additional tips would aid a new gym enthusiast to long-term success?

1. You are not going to be a newbie forever. There will come a stage when you need to kick things up a notch. Make sure you have all the knowledge and prepare yourself well in advance for such a stage. These stages come about every now and then. If you do not make them count, you will be a newbie in terms of knowledge and training all your life (and trust me - I have met dozens upon dozens of such people who are newbies even after over a decade of training).
2. Do not experiment too much with supplements. Stick to the ones that work.
3. Invest a few dollars and hours in learning things right as early as possible. This initial investment is priceless. The newbie stage is critical in many ways. It lays the foundation to your future in training. If you are on the right path, and are seeing results steadily, you are more likely to continue with it in the long run. On the other hand if a newbie does the wrong stuff and eventually sees no results, he is more likely to quit.
4. Find a training partner with goals similar to yours. This is a big psychological advantage for a newbie. However, remember not to form a group. I do not like to see people with more than one partner. Three or more partners leads to wastage of time at the gym since the waiting time in between sets is too large.
5. It is really tough on the body and mind in todays world to train and stick with it for long period. If you feel that your routine is getting too demanding on your mind or body because of some other commitments in life, it is ok to take a break every few months for like a few days or even a week. This will rejuvenate your body and mind and you will be ready to take on the challenges of training once again.
6. Do not cheat on your training or your diet. Cheating once in a fortnight is okay according to me. But this may vary depending on your goals. But then again a cheat day will provide pleasure to the mind and will keep you motivated for training.
7. Do not miss out on getting 7 to 9 hours of sleep a day.
8. Lastly, fix goals for yourself and give yourself enough time to achieve them. Maintain a log or a diary. Note down the exercises that you perform and the poundages used, note down diet, note down important tips, motivational lines, pictures, etc and frequently update and follow this log to monitor yourself.


Bonus Question: We've all been there - What helped me get over my initial fear of the gym and lifting weights? How did I overcome it?

I have never lacked the desire to get fit and stay fit. I have been a fitness freak and athlete basically all my life. I always wanted to be at my very best at whatever sport I took up as a kid and the same is true even today. This was a big advantage when I went to the gym the first time. Obviously the decision to join a gym did not happen overnight. Every person ponders joining a gym over a period of time before making the decision. In that period of pondering, I did my research on weight training ? the benefits, challenges and the demands of it. I finally decided that it was something that I needed to try. The day I joined, I must admit that I was very nervous and did not know what to do in there. And at the time, I was in a new state where people spoke a totally different language which I did not know a word of. But my mental focus and my desire to get over the challenge pushed me on (Bodybuilding and fitness really does improve you physically and mentally). In my case my mental toughness came from my experience as an athlete. Once in there, I took my first week just to learn the names of the exercises and equipment (Luckily the names people use all over the world are pretty much in English). At this point I knew no more than a dozen words of the new language people spoke. The following two to three weeks, I learnt from a well experienced coach by use of sign language and the dozen words I already learnt, how to perform every exercise and what routine I need to follow. It was tough, but I knew I was tougher. And the coach was always ready to help and pass down his knowledge and experience. That was it. After my first month, I was ready to tackle the challenges a whole lot better. All along, I read a lot of stuff on the internet and amassed a ton of information. It was like I was studying for a big test that my life depended on. I still read a lot even today (7 years after my FIRST DAY AT THE GYM).

[WrkHrd_PlyHrdr1]

Being new to the weight lifting scene can be frustrating. You don't know where to start, what to do with the equipment around you, or what exercise routine to use.
One of the most important things a newbie can do to set him/herself up for greater success in the future is to build a good base. To build a good base, one needs to utilize compound movements while also focusing on their lagging body parts. There are a few workouts that will help you build a good base, such as the pyramid and the 5x5 program. Here is an example of the 5x5 program.

The 5x5 Program

The 5x5 routine is a very good routine for building a solid base. While focusing on compound movements and strength, this program is sure to add mass on a newbie.
The 5x5 routine consists of doing 5 sets of 5 reps, starting off with a relatively light weight and working your way up to your 5 rep max (5RM). Your 5 rep max is the heaviest weight you can lift for 5 reps. Here is an example of a split:

Mon- Upper Body
Tues- Lower Body + Abs
Wed- OFF
Thur- Upper Body
Fri- Lower Body + Abs
Sat-OFF
Sun-OFF

Upper Body Compound lifts:

Back-
Straight Legged Deadlifts
Bent BB Rows
(Weighted) Pull-Ups
One Arm DB Rows

Chest-
BB Incline/Flat/ Decline Bench Press
DB Incline/Flat/ Decline Bench Press
DB Pullovers

Lower Body Compound Lifts
BB Squats
BB/ Smith Machine Front Squats
Leg Press
Deadlift
BB/DB Lunges
Machine/Seated Calf Raises

Personally, on the 5x5 routine, I don't like to do lifts for smaller body parts, unless it is for a lagging body part. One reason is because, in my quest to build the best base possible, I like to do compound movements that bring large increases in strength and work multiple body parts. The second reason is because most smaller body parts will be worked in the compound lifts.
Each time you do a certain lift, you will add 5 lbs (usually the smallest increment in any gym) to the previous 5 RM for that lift. I like to rotate exercises in order to be stronger by the time I get back to the first one I did. For Example:

Mon-
BB Incline Bench
Bent BB Row
Straight Legged Deadlift
DB Shrugs << This would be my lift for a lagging body part because my traps need work (tailor to your own needs)

Tues-
BB Front Squat
Leg Press
Calf Raises
Machine Rope Crunches

Thur-
DB Decline Bench
Weighted Pull-ups
Good Mornings
Exercise for Lagging body part

Fri-
Leg Press
BB Squat
Seated Calf Raises
Hanging Leg Raises


What To Avoid

1. Only working your upper body. No one wants to walk around with a big upper body and tiny legs, but often newbies forgo legs because working the upper body is more "fun" or appealing to them.

2. Skimping on form. A lot of newbies never learn proper form before they start lifting or they just let it go "down the drain" in an attempt to put up more weight. Learning good form is essential for building quality muscle mass and size.

3. Lifting too heavy. This goes hand in hand with #2. Trying to go heavy in order to impress your friends or the hotties at the gym will only hurt you in the end. Start off at a weight below what you think you can do and work your way up, focusing on your form at all times.

4. Incorrectly using gym equipment. If you don't know how to use a machine or do a lift, don't be afraid to ask someone who works at the gym. Using machines incorrectly is a safety hazard and could lead to injury.

5. Leaving your weights out. This is a big pet peeve to many gym goers. Make sure you put your weights back where they belong when you are done using them. Gym courtesy is a must.


Getting Over Your Fears

Everyone's initial fears of the gym and weight lifting may be different. For me, it was getting laughed at for lifting light weights. I was always real weak in my legs and would always skip out on my form in order to put on more weight when doing squats. One day, my football coach finally showed me proper form and made me do a REAL squat in front of the whole team. Well, as it turns out, no one made fun of me for the weight I was doing.
Just remember that whatever your fear is, other people have had the same fears and everyone started out as a newbie. It just takes some time to get over those fears and find the right way to do things. So, get in the gym and lift some weights!

[chazzabee]

Make it to the gym 3 times or more a week!
Each gym session I recommend doing the following training program (try to keep a day or two split in-between each training session, to let the muscles recuperate):
? I recommend doing 3 sets (a set is a certain number of repetitions done with no rest) of 10 reps (a full range motion of the pull/push). In other words: 10 repetitions, 3 times = 30 full reps of an exercise. I recommend doing this (3 sets of 10), for each of the following exercises in the program.
? For the last 3 or 4 reps of your set you should be exhausted if not, up the weight for your next set, so your muscles fail on the 10th rep. If you do this you will involve all the muscle fibres of that area causing the muscles to adapt and grow to this strain. However if you comfortably complete the sets with no real strain/pump, all your muscle fibre won?t be involved and your muscles wont grow and respond to getting bigger to cope with the load.
? Each exercise should take you 5 minutes to complete the 3 sets of 10 repetitions. Try not to rest for any longer than 1 minute in-between each set.
In the following program there is 1 exercise for each of the following major body parts:
? Shoulders
? Chest
? Back
? Biceps
? Triceps
? The Abdomen (Upper and Lower Abs)
? Thighs (Quads and hamstrings)
? Calves



Warm-up/Warm-down= (Cardiovascular):
5-10 minutes rowing/cycling/stepping/ on the cross trainer or treadmill, whatever you?re fancy for that day. The Warm down can be shorter than you?re warm up, as when you warm up you need to get your muscles ready for a pounding. However don?t push your heart rate too much in the warm-up as you won?t be able to train as hard and achieve the magnificent pump. Warming-down using cardiovascular or stretching does help to loosen the muscles up after training, helping with the aches and pains the next day!

PUMPING IRON
UPPER BODY EXERCISES

1) Machine Presses-
Purpose of Exercise: To train front and side deltoids, (works shoulders). Doing presses on a machine helps you do the movements very strictly, and allows you to avoid cleaning a weight if you have some sort of physical problem. There are a number of machines on which you can do shoulder press movements.
Execution: Grasp the handles at shoulder level and press upward until your arms are locked out, then come back down slowly (negative reps) to the starting position, going through the longest range of motion possible.
2) Peck Deck-
Purpose of Exercise: To develop the inside of the pectoral muscle (works chest), doing this fly motion also works the centre of the pecks, as well as developing the middle and lower pectoral region.
Execution: Whilst seated put your arms/hands on the outside of the panels. Pull them inwards until they touch to fully contract the pectoral muscles. Retreat slowly and repeat. When doing this exercise try to keep your back upright against the support of the machine and focus on using the pectorals (chest) instead of leaning forward and using your body?s momentum.
3) Machine Rows-

Purpose of Exercise: To develop the thickness of the back and the lower lats.

Execution: Sit on the machine and take hold of the handles and keep your back upright. Make sure the chest pad lies firmly on against your chest. From this beginning position, pull the handles back toward you body and if possible all the way to your abdomen, feeling the back muscles doing most of the work. Your back should arch your chest stick out. Don?t involve the lower back muscles by swaying forward and back. Keeping the weight under control, release and let the handles go back again. You can also do this exercise seated on the ground using a cable.


4) Standing Barbell Curls-
Purpose of Exercise: To Develop the overall size of the biceps. This is the most basic and popular of biceps exercises.
Execution: Stand with feet shoulder-width apart and grasp the bar with an underhand grip, hands about shoulder width apart also. Let the bar hang down at arms length in front of you. Curl the bar out and up in a wide arc and bring it up a high as you can, with your elbows close to the body and stationary. Keep the arc wide and long rather than bringing the bar straight up and making the movement to easy. Fully flex at the top. Lower the weight again, following the same arc and resisting the weight all the way down until your arms are fully extended. A small amount of body movement in this exercise is acceptable because it is a mass-building movement, but this is to be kept to a minimum unless you are doing deliberate cheat curls; bending forward and leaning back cut down on your range of motion.
Triceps Cable Press downs
Purpose of exercise: To work the triceps through a full range of motion.
Execution: Hook a short bar to an overhead cable and pulley, stand close to the bar and grasp it with an overhand grip, hands about ten inches apart. Keep your elbows locked in close to your body and avoid leaning forward and pressing the bar down using your body weight. Press the bar down as far as possible, locking out your arms and feeling the triceps contract fully. Release and let the bar come up as far as possible without moving your elbows.
Crunches
Purpose of Exercise: Emphasizes upper abs.
Execution: Lie on your back on the floor, your legs on/across a bench in front of you. Put your hands were preferred. Curl your shoulders and trunk upward towards your knees, rounding your back. Don?t try to lift your entire back up off the floor, just roll forward and crunch your ribcage toward your pelvis. Release after contraction and lower your shoulders back to the starting position.
(With abdomen movements do 3 sets of 25 to really feel the stress
Reverse Crunches
Purpose of Exercise: Emphasizes lower abs.
Execution: This exercise is best done lying on a bench. Lie on your back on the bench and reach behind you grabbing the rack (underside of bench) for support. Bend your knees and bring them up as far toward your face as you can without lifting your pelvis of the bench. From this starting position bring your knees up as close to your face as you can, rounding you back, with the glutes coming up off the bench and crunching up toward the rib cage. Slowly lower your knees until your rear end comes to rest on the bench again.
LOWER BODY EXERCISES
5) Leg Extensions
Purpose of Exercise: To define and shape the front of the thigh. Especially good for developing the areas around the knees.
Execution: Using one of the various leg extension machines, sit in the seat and hook your foot on the padded bar. Extend your legs out to the maximum, making sure you remain sitting flat on the machine. Extend your legs until they are locked, then lower the weight slowly until your feet are no further back than the knees.
Leg Curls
Purpose of Exercise: To develop the hamstrings (rear of thigh).
Execution: Lie face down on a leg curl machine and hook your heels under the lever mechanism. Your legs should be stretched out straight. Keeping flat on the bench, curl your legs up as far as possible, until the leg biceps are fully contracted. Release and lower the weight slowly back to the starting position. Hold on the handles or the bench itself to keep yourself from lifting of the bench.
6) Standing calf raises
Purpose of Exercise: To develop the overall mass of the calves.
Execution: Stand with your toes on the block of a standing calf machine, your heels extended out into space. Hook your shoulders under the pads and straighten your legs, lifting the weight clear of the support. From the bottom of the movement, come up on your toes as far as possible and repeat. You should do calves raises on a maximum weight and until you are too tired to complete any more repetitions. Make sure you stretch your calves out! (Before and after sets)

NOW YOU?VE WORKED ALL THE MAJOR BODY PARTS!

THANKS FOR READING MY PROGRAM

Here?s a recap of what to do and when:
Monday, Wednesday and Friday or if preferred Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday... hit the gym!
Each session try and do:
(Try and follow the order too)
? A quick warm-up=rowing/cycling/stepping etc. Or stretching.
? Machine presses=Shoulders
? Peck Deck=Chest
? Machine Rows=Back
? Standing Barbell Curls=Biceps
? Standing Cable Press-Downs=Triceps
? Crunches and Reverse Crunches=Abdomen
? Leg extensions and Leg curls=Thighs
? Standing Calf Raises=Calves
? Quick warm down.
For the workout you should allow a good hour if not more.
ENJOY AND REMEMBER LOOK FORWARD TO GOING TO THE GYM! AND BE POSITIVE!

[beth43149]

I would recommend that a newbie invest in a good basic beginners weight training book. A good book will illustrate the proper technique of each exercise. If you have the extra cash shop around for a reputable trainer who can get you started on the right track.

Break up you workout according to your schedule. You can workout Monday-Friday take weekends off. You can train 2 days on one off etc. Adapt the workout to your schedule. Do not weight train everyday. You need to rest to grow.


Legs
3x10 Leg press (a newbie may not be able to perform a squat safely)
3x10 Leg extensions
3x10 Leg Curl (lying or standing)
3x25 calve raises

Back
3x10 pullups (assisted if available)
3x10 Pulldowns to front
3x10 seated rows
3x10 one arm rows

Shoulders
3X10 dumbbell presses
3x10 dumbbell front delt raises
3x10 dumbbell standing side laterals
3x10 dumbbell bent over rear delt raises



Chest
3x10 flat dumbbell presses
3x10 flat flyes
3x10 incline dumbbell presses
3x10 incline flyes
3xfailure pushups

Biceps/Triceps
3x10 straight bar curls
3x10 preacher curls
3x10 seated alternate dumbbell curls
3x10 skull crushers
3x10 tricep pressdown (use various bars, rope etc)
3x10 tricep kickbacks

Abs
2-3 days a week at the completion of a workout
pick 2-3 of exercises for abdominals

Try to do 20-30 minutes of cardio a week

Do not overload yourself. If you try to do too much too soon, you will likely burnout and give up.

I would avoid trying anything complicated until you have mastered the basics.

To get over the fear of getting started you need to remember you are in there for you. Don't worry about everyone around you. Most people are in there to work out and are not paying any particular attention to you. If you have any questions about a particular machine or exercise ask the staff. That is what they are there for.

[cm45]

This is a great workout for a natural novice lifter.

*Training twice per week

*Cardio after workout

*Full Body Routine

*6-10 rep range (Upper)

*10-15 rep range (Lower)

*2-0-1 Tempo

*1-2 minutes rest between sets

*Stretch Muscles!!
---------------------------------------------

Weeks 1-6

Monday & Friday

1. Barbell Press 4x6-10 (2 warmup sets)

2. Barbell Deadlift 4x6-10 (3 warmup sets)

3. Barbell Squats 4x10-15 (2 warmup sets)
---------------------------------------------

Weeks 7-13

Tuesday & Saturday

1. Barbell Incline Press 4x6-10 (2 warmup sets)

2. Barbell Deadlift 4x6-10 (3 warmup sets)

3. Barbell Front Squats 4x10-15 (2 warmup sets)
-----------------------------------------------

Weeks 14-20

Wednesday & Sunday

1. DB Flat Press 4x6-10 (2 warmup sets)

2. DB Rows 4x6-10 (2 warmup sets)

3. Barbell Squats 4x10-15 (2 warmup sets)
---------------------------------------------

Weeks 21-26

Monday & Friday

1. DB Incline Press 4x6-10 (2 warmup sets)

2. Barbell Rows 4x6-10 (2 warmup sets)

3. Leg Press 4x10-15 (2 warmup sets)
---------------------------------------------

Weeks 27-32

Tuesday & Saturday

1. Barbell Flat Press 4x6-10 (2 warmup sets)

2. Lat Pulldowns 4x6-10 (2 warmup sets)

3. Barbell Squats 4x10-15 (2 warmup sets)
---------------------------------------------

There you have it!

[DE_58]

What workout program would you design for them so they can gain as much mass as possible in the shortest amount of time?
I am a strong believer in the basic, old school, time-tested compound movements. As a beginner, one should focus on building a strength base. Depending on their training past, they will likely make considerable strength and mass gains.

A sample routine would be a 2- or 3-day lifting week, working the trainee's whole body each workout.

The workouts would all have the same structure, but the trainee has some leeway as far as specific exercises go.

Basic Workout Structure:
Warmup: 5-10 minutes Cardio followed by stretching
(SetsxReps)
3x5 Hang Cleans (Still somewhat of a warmup. Gets your whole body working together)
3x6-10 Pressing Variation (Incline Bench, Push Press, Military Press, etc.)
3x6-10 Knee Extension (Squat, Front Squat, Box Squat, Split Squat, etc.)
3x6-10 Pulling Variation (Barbell Rows, DB Rows, T-Bar Rows, etc.)
Hip Extension, EITHER:
3x3-5 Deads
or 3x6-10 another hip ext. movement (SLDLs, Good Mornings, etc.)
Then train abs with a fairly large amount of volume.

ALLOW YOURSELF HOWEVER MANY WARMUP SETS YOU NEED as long as you keep it reasonable. If you don't feel comfortable with the movement then DO NOT do it. Three sets should be three work sets. Change reps around as you feel you need to with time.

So a week's worth of training days could look like this:
Monday:
Hang Cleans
Push Press
Back Barbell squat
T-Bar Rows
Stiff-legged Deadlifts
3x20-30 Decline Situps
2xFailure Planks

Thurday
Hang Cleans
Incline DB Press
Lunge variant
BB Rows
Deadlifts
3x8-12 Hanging Leg Raises
Any ab movement

Saturday (or Sunday, depending on soreness.)
Hang Cleans
Seated BB Military Press
Split or Front Squats
DB Rows
Good Mornings OR SLDLs
Abs

DON'T FORGET TO STRETCH!!


What should a beginner avoid when just starting a training program?
1.) Overcomplication of their routine (Keep it simple, stupid)
2.) Too much specialization on any body part
3.) Sacrificing form for "gains". You WILL get hurt if you neglect form. "NO EGO LIFTING, NO EXCEPTIONS!"
4.) Failing to stay consistent.
5.) Believing everything the "bros" tell you. Most are half truths, if true at all.

What additional tips would aid a new gym enthusiast to long-term success?
1.) Strength = Muscle. Someone might tell you that this is too much of a strength routine, but odds are they are training 20+ sets/Bodypart and haven't made any real gains doing so.
2.) Don't blow your load in the gym. Get in, lift heavy weights, get out. Eat. Sleep. Repeat.
3.) Keep things fresh. Tired of squats? Get a barbell and lunge around the parking lot.
4.) Stretch. A lot. It helps with the soreness and prevents injury. Just do it.
5.) Eat reasonably well. This will help with performance in the gym. Basic supplements should be used. Whey, Multi. Anything else it to be considered extra.
6.) Enjoy yourself! You are on the frontlines of your own personal war and you should love every second of it.


Bonus Question: We've all been there - What helped you get over your initial fear of the gym and lifting weights? How did you overcome it?

I remember going to the local gym when I was younger, and I was overwhelmed by all of the equipment. I only went to the gym a few times.

Fast forward a few years, after my 7th grade modified football was over.
Mandatory weightlifting and conditioning sessions for football got me in the weight room. If I didn't have the constant mentoring from the older guys/coaches, I wouldn't have taken up lifting outside of football. I was a tiny fat kid in 7th grade, and going to the high school to lift with the older guys WAS intimidating. We had a few HUGE upperclassmen, and after getting past their size, they had a lot to say about lifting.

Now I'm in their place, as a senior (upcoming season), guiding younger guys and showing them the ropes.

[spearmonkey]

Just like to say thanks for all your input on this post.
As a newbie I'm into my third week of lifting and feel a little concerned by my program the trainer set up for me, based on what you guys have said as my routine is push & pulls with super sets.

Which everyone who has posted has said these are more advanced technique's and shouldn't really be done for a newbie like me.

I think I may have to take one of these basis routines after I finish this six week program.

Thanks again.

[Curlingrack]

I know this is over, but what the hell...

He is motivated and excited... but has no idea what to do with all the dumbbells, barbells, and odd machines that he sees in front of him in the gym. It can be overwhelming.

What workout program would you design for them so they can gain as much mass as possible in the shortest amount of time?
Why design a program when, in general, newbies do not need specialization? No matter what their goals are, strength is always the best base, and the basis of many forms of physical fitness. Not only that, but training for maximal strength is also the easiest way for a novice to gain mass... it's a win-win situation. In this case I would suggest this person do a novice maximal strength program such as a typical 5x5 or, my favourite, Starting Strength. Not only will Starting Strength give them a solid base for whatever they happen to want to do after they've milked their novice gains, but it will also make them bigger, stronger, and more knowledgeable with weights, especially the 6 main compound lifts, which, much like the program itself, is the basis of many programs they will do in the future. The fact that SS teaches the Squat perhaps more intricately than any other book-program is fundamental as an introduction to the gym for a newbie excited and passionate about making real, no BS gains, and a great start to a fitness lifestyle, no matter Body Building, Power lifting, or Athletic Practitioner.

STARTING STRENGTH:

Workout A
3x5 Squat
3x5 Bench
1x5 Deadlift

Workout B
3x5 Squat
3x5 OHP
5x3 Power clean

Monday is W(A), Wednesday is W(B), and so on, alternating each workout every other day. Increase each exercise by 5lb each workout. Give yourself about 3-5 minutes rest in between each set. That's all. For more go to http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showth...=998224&page=1

What should a beginner avoid when just starting a training program?
ANY newbie should avoid overcomplicated programs and too many exercises. As a novice, you don't need to do 3 exercises for each body part several times a day. Focus and stick to the 6 main compound lifts, and until you get your Squat, Bench press, Overhead Press, Deadlift, and Power clean technique down, which even many seasoned lifters DO NOT, than you can move onto something more advanced. But right now, milking those lifts will maximize your gains, doing anything else not meant for you is a detriment.

Newbies also need REST. A lot of it. I understand many are excited to go to the gym everyday and lift weights like a badass after watching Pumping Iron for the 16th time, but please, you need to give your body some rest. The faster you recover the faster you will get another shot in the gym, and the better your lifts are going to be. With that said, even if you rest a lot, it amounts to nothing if you don't get a good night's sleep. Stop browsing Bodybuilding.com and get some sleep, boy!

Also remember, for gains, EAT. EAT. EAT. Hydrate yourself everyday and during workouts.

The last advice I would give is to NOT listen to your gym rat friends, because chances are they don't know jack **** about working out properly. We've all been there, our buddies who've worked out longer than us (not saying much if you're a newbie) giving us retarded advices. Just say no.

What additional tips would aid a new gym enthusiast to long-term success?
Linear progression is your friend. Make sure you incrementally load your barbell for each lift each workout(after warming up of course!). Make sure you are consistently increasing your lifts, and log them. It's nice having a way to see your progress, and it helps too. Take before-and-after photos for inspiration and ALWAYS SET A GOAL. Set a short term goal and a long term goal, and try and reach those goals with all your heart.

Also, can't say this enough, but it will help immensely and I'm sure many lifters have made this mistake during their earlier days. STICK TO THE GOD DAMN PROGRAM. Don't change it up too much, or it simply won't be the program anymore.

Film yourself, and post it up on forums for critique. If you don't have a personal coach, than have online ones. Trust me, they help.

Finally, get a partner to weight lift with you, because it's more fun, you have someone to critique you, and it'll help motivation.

Bonus Question: We've all been there - What helped you get over your initial fear of the gym and lifting weights? How did you overcome it?
It's natural to be nervous the first time you step into the gym, it's a habitat you've never been in. The more you're exposed to that habitat, the more you're going to feel comfortable in it. Just go to the gym everyday, focus on your workout, everyone else is, and don't worry about what other people think. You can glance at the hot chicks, but FOCUS on your exercise, and sooner or later you'll feel more comfortable. Having a workout partner will help with this immensely. Other than that, grow some ball, all BEAST have them!

[sixpacksam]

Diet is essintial, try heavy weights for muscle building or super sets for extreme toning, for more tips i recommend this site

TheFitnessSuccess.com

[DerekEt]

#1
The Best Workout For a Newbie is the same workouts that produced some of bodybuilding's legends like Arnold. If you want to look like Arnold, you must train like how Arnold did; which he himself replicated off HIS bodybuilding idol - Reg Park. The beginner is in a state where he can attain the most drastic amounts of strength and size than any other time in his career. In order to maximize his gains, he must train not only his muscles,but his neuromuscular connection to the main lifts so that his body adjusts to the specific patterns and movements necessary for building this muscle. No other program delivers these results faster than a Full Body Training Routine - the same thing Arnold Schwarzenneger, and Reg Park used to build the foundation for becoming the behemoths they are known as today.

Under a Full Body Training protocol, you will train THREE DAYS a week. Yes , you heard that right. ONLY THREE DAYS. But in those three days, you will be tested to see if you can survive them, and you must EARN the other four days off. Not only will this put your body under an indescribable amount of sudden stress, but it will force it to quickly adapt both the neuromuscular and muscular system as soon as possible. The training routine will consist of heavy compound exercises with a few isolations. All the movements will be the basic,standard movements that from the dawn of bodybuilding history have proven to be the FOUNDATION for building a champion physique.

These routines are inspired directly from Arnold and his own idol Reg Park's Full Body Training Programs. There will be several phases, as the beginner will need to slowly adapt into increasing his overall workload in each workouts. Jumping straight into a plethora of exercises may burn them out, especially if their body has not adapted to it yet. As a result, they will first begin by choosing just a handful of top-notch mass producing exercises, and slowly adding in more until they have a solid selection of approximately 10 exercises to give the maximal physique and strength development.

<NOTE: 5x5 means 2 warm up sets of 60% and 80% of the WORKING WEIGHT you will use. The 3rd,4th,and 5th set will be the three WORKING SETS, meaning you will be using the maximum weight you can trying to complete 5 reps across all 3 sets. Once you can complete 5 reps across all 3 sets with the same weight, it's time to bump up the weight and start over! DO NOT increase the weight until you complete the prescribed repetitions. Follow the same rule for 5x10; you will have 2 warm up sets and three WORKING SETS. Deadlifts will be the one exception as they are very taxing to your entire body and nervous system, and you will only be performing ONE working set of five. Whenever you can complete the prescribed repetitions at a given weight - add 2.5-5 pounds and begin the journey again.>

PHASE 1:
1- Back Squat 5x5
2- Flat Bench 5x5
3- Deadlifts 1x5
4- Shoulder Press 5x5
5- Chin Ups superset to Dips 5x10 [May substitute Lat Pulldowns and Close Grip Bench Press if they can not perform these yet]

*Perform this workout for 3 months; 3 days a week on NON-CONSECUTIVE DAYS to give the muscles time to recover(Example: Monday - Wednesday - Friday )

PHASE 2:
1- Back Squat 5x5
2- Flat Bench 5x5
3- Deadlift 1x5
4- Shoulder Press 5x5
5- Barbell Row 5x5
6- Chin Ups superset to Dips 5x10 [Substitution is possible;but try to perform these as you have had 3 months to work on it already!]
7- Calf Raises 5x25

*Perform this workout for 3 months; 3 days a week on NON-CONSECUTIVE DAYS to give the muscles time to recover(Example: Monday - Wednesday - Friday )

PHASE 3:
1- Back Squat 5x5
2- Flat Bench 5x5
3- Incline Bench 5x5
4- Chin Ups 5x10 [Substitution is possible;but try to perform these as you have had 6 months to work on it already!]
5- Barbell Row 5x5
6- Shoulder Press 5x5
7- Bicep Curl 5x10
8- Tricep Extension 5x10
9- Calf Raises 5x25
10- Weighted Ab Work 5x10 (Cable Crunch is an example)

Congratulations, you are now at level 3. You will have built a large tolerance to full body training, and it is time to put on slabs of muscles training every single muscle fiber in your body to the point that it is absolutely forced to grow! Arnold himself stated he gained over 20 solid pounds of lean muscle on this kind of routine, and his idol Reg Park won 3 Mr.Universe titles with this method of training. Continue to train this way for another 6 months, and you will have earned yourself the title of completing your FIRST year of training with results that will blow away anybody who saw you before and now. Expect incredible strength gains, friends asking you how in the world you managed to build such an incredible physique this fast, and pat yourself on the back for getting through some grueling training!

#2
As a beginner, you want to avoid NOT training with a high frequency(for example;following a program that only has you training body parts once a week,or even two).You are at a critical stage,where you are not only being held back by your small amount of muscle development,but also by your nervous system which needs to learn how to engage all your muscle fibers in performing a lift,and getting the proper form or technique down. Who do you think will perform better, somebody who practices the Bench Press once a week , or THREE times a week? Your body is being forced to adapt as quickly as possible to gain strength, use the proper motor units to perform the lift, learn proper technique, and gain muscle as fast as possible. Make sure you take a look at lots of instructional videos with regards to performing the lifts properly and safely. Don't have ego, as it could cause you to get hurt, and then you can't train period! Leave the ego at the door and train intense,but with wits behind you.

Another thing to avoid is using exercises that have no place in your training protocol right now. You might see a professional bodybuilders routine, and see they have four to five difference exercises just for Biceps alone. Now is NOT the time to do them. You need to focus on the BIG movements that from the dawn of time have been proven to give the BIG gains across your body. The movements listed in the training program above will be more than enough in your training sessions; in fact I guarantee you won't even WANT to add anything else! Stick with the basics for each body part, such as Flat and Incline Barbell Presses for the Chest, and you will be on the road to success. Remember, if it worked for Arnold and Reg, it will work for you when you are starting out! The results don't lie.

One last thing to be taken into consideration, is that you will not grow or recover in time for training unless you have proper nutrition. This means you need to be taking at least 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight to fuel your muscles with the amino acids they need to grow. If you don't do this, all your training could literally be done in vain, with no results to show for it! Now is the time that your body is desperately trying to pack on slabs of muscle, and muscle doesn't come from thin air! You need to take in protein from all the sources you can to make sure your body is saturated with more than enough to meet the taxing demands you are putting on it. Eat big to get big. Period.

#3
Some tips you should remember now that you are starting out, is to stay CONSISTENT. CONSISTENCY is the KEY to making gains and achieving results. It can be VERY HARD going through day to day life and experiencing some of the traumatic things some of us are unfortunately exposed to, and then have a difficult training session ahead of us(especially if it has to be 12:00 at midnight for some of us). But this is a test of your will, this is a test of what YOU want, this is a test of what YOU PUT INTO IT and your DEDICATION. Do not miss training, make sure you get it done no matter what. If you stay consistent with training three days a week on a full body program, you will have done what causes so many others to stagnate and quit the iron game - BEEN CONSISTENT. Don't give up, no matter how hard it may be. Just remember, there is ALWAYS somebody out there in a WORSE situation than you and STILL PUSHING HARDER no matter how hard you are puffing and huffing during your training. Stay focused during your training. Don't let unnecessary things or people distract you; focus, focus,focus. Get the job done and get out. Then stay consistent with your eating and you will be on the road to success.

#4
It may be daunting at first to enter what may seem like a new realm where others surrounding you may be much more experienced. Just remember, everybody started SOMEWHERE. Your bodybuilding idol most likely started out struggling to use an empty barbell on their movements. This is the beginning of a long and fantastic journey that will change your life. It's not just about today, but about tomorrow. When one sows a seed, they will reap a harvest. The farmer does not look at the seed he just planted and say, "Look at this seed, it is just a small spec going into the ground". Instead he realizes what could be the outcome - a giant tree bearing so much fruit, that the branches are falling from being so heavy. Having a training partner who starts out will also help you since you are both working hard together to attain a goal. You can zone out all the people around you, and focus on pushing each other as hard as you can to break personal records, drive through grueling training sessions, and come out a stronger person - physically and psychologically.Think about the goal, and never stray away from it. This is how you will overcome any fear or anxiety you have about being in the gym.

[imperfectone123]

So! Your new in the gym? Good! Glad you could join us. First things first, your going to want to go ask the most "jacked" guy in the gym for advice, and more often than not they will give you their idea of what you should do. Which altough thoughtfull may not be helpfull for someone who is just now starting to learn how to truly contract their muscles. The gym is a great place, full of motivation and everything youll need to transfor your body. For now though lets keep it simple and get to the basics.

WARM UP!-Please for the sake of your joints, rotator cuffs and things you will come to learn get that blood flowin before you blow a gasket!

Arm Circles-10 forward and backward
Pushups-10
Bodyweight squats-20
Plank-30 sec hold

Feelin limber? Loose as a goose?

TESTING THE WATERS!- Lets see what you can do, bring a friend to help you out saftey is essential in all exercise movements.
1 rep max Barbell Bench
1 rep max Military Press
1 rep max Squat
1 rep max Deadlift

When obtaining your 1 rep max or (1RM) take it easy (so to speak) start gradual and work your way up to a weight that you can do once with correct form. Track that weigh and save it for a later day, after you collect this info go ahead and take a day of rest so your ready to hit it hard when you return.

THE ROUTINE-Saftey first! Dont go crazy just yet focus on form, contraction and FORM the weight will come in time! Work hard but live to lift another day!

MONDAY-CHEST & TRI'S
Barbell Benc pressh- 4X6-8
Incline Bench press- 4X6-8
Butterfly/Pec dec- 4X8-10
Tricep Dips- 4X8-10
Tricep Dumbell Kickbacks- 4X6-8
Cable one arm tricep extensions- 4X6-8

TUESDAY-DAY OFF!

WEDNESDAY-BACK AND BI'S
Barbell Deadlift- 4X6-8
Standing Military press- 4X6-8
Bent over two arm long barRow-4X6-8
EZ bar curl-4X6-8
Alternating Hammer curl-4X6-8

THURDAY-DAY OFF!

FRIDAY-LEGS
Barbell Squat- 4X6-8
Leg Press- 4X6-8
Standing Calf Raises- 4X6-8
Leg Extension- 4X6-8
Leg Curl- 4X6-8

SATURDAY SUNDAY=WEEKEND OFF!


What should a beginner avoid when just starting a training program?
Avoid concentraiting on a certian portion of your body. While your lifting you will feel the "pump" in your arms, chest and everywhere you hit. But the muscles that you see in the mirror arnt the only muscles that are important. While the cliche "Dream guy" May have big arms and chizzled abs, he may also have a weak squat or deadlift. Proportionality is essential to life, and trust me youll be glad you keep your whole body in shape when you get a little more into lifting. Also understand, while your friend may be in the gym for hours at a time and hit every muscle to exhaustion and he may be stronger and bigger than you but not all lifting rountines work for everyone. Your body is one of a kind, it will respond to certain things and be totally unresponsive to others. It is up to you to learn your body, so try new things but trust me keep it simple and live to lift another day.

What additional tips would aid a new gym enthusiast to long-term success
Sucess does not come overnight! Although we all wish it did, sadly there is no miracle pill or supplement that will get you there in rediculously fast time. Lifting/fitness is a LIFETIME goal, or more of a life long battle as i like to call it. Dont let this deter you! Although you have to put hardwork, dedication, time, money into this; The bi-product of it all is a longer healtier life. Whatever your goal may be gaining,trimming,impressing or whatever excercise and fitness will give you much more than bulging arms and tight shirts. It gives you more time on this earth to do as you please, succsess in the gym will follow you anywhere you bring and apply the same determination and will power.

Bonus Question: We've all been there - What helped you get over your initial fear of the gym and lifting weights? How did you overcome it?
The gym is a scary place, you walk in and people stare at you like you dont belong. Best way to get introduced into the gym is bring a friend, so you dont have to go it alone! Instead of just being utterly lost at first take a tour. Walk around whole gym so you know where you can find the free weights, the machines, tredmills and etc. But really find a friend or co-worker who shares your similar interest in the gym and wants the same goals and bring them along having a spotter and some one to talk to always helps. My friend and gym partner went to our first gym together and we are still hittin the gym together today, having that friend not only gives you company but gives you some friendly competetion and a spot on whatever excersice you do!