A Simple Beginner's Routine

[dbjorn]

Np man. Goodluck in the gym

[courtsidebum]

Np man. Goodluck in the gym

Another question, do you have to do all of those seven exercises or can you just select any of those? Thanks again in advance

[dbjorn]

Another question, do you have to do all of those seven exercises or can you just select any of those? Thanks again in advance

Yes you shuld be doing all 7. If you arent able to because of injury thats ok. but if able to, do them all.

[rolexbody]

Can somebody please help here, is it ok to do:

q1.LEG PRESS instead of Squats?

q2. DUMBBELL ROW instead of Bent-Over Rows, or is it ok just to do PULL UPS?

q3.not sure what to do instead of Stiff-Legged Deadlifts

I believe above exercises are 'high risk' for the back so i want to do similar exercises that are much safe.

[dbjorn]

Can somebody please help here, is it ok to do:

q1.LEG PRESS instead of Squats?

q2. DUMBBELL ROW instead of Bent-Over Rows, or is it ok just to do PULL UPS?

q3.not sure what to do instead of Stiff-Legged Deadlifts

I believe above exercises are 'high risk' for the back so i want to do similar exercises that are much safe.

1. Squats are king.
2. DB is ok. Pullups no
3.SLDL is a light lift compared to reg Deads.
Adressing belief: keep your back locked and flat and you should avoid injury as long as you dont think you are stronger than you are. unless you have lower back problems, now is a good time to start strengthening it.

[MatTheCur]

1. Squats are king.
2. DB is ok. Pullups no
3.SLDL is a light lift compared to reg Deads.
Adressing belief: keep your back locked and flat and you should avoid injury as long as you dont think you are stronger than you are. unless you have lower back problems, now is a good time to start strengthening it.

Regular deadlifts are a no-no in this routine. Your CNS will be overloaded, and you'll be overworking a huge amount of muscles.

[vsnb]

guys,

I freaking tremble after heavy days but light days seem to be too easy - don't even sweat and have feelings like I'm able to do even more than 12 reps. What am I doing wrong?



Looking for a good advise. Thanks.

[dbjorn]

Ya wasnt suggesting reg deads. Was saying SLDL shouldnt be a problem because its meant to be a light exercise.

[dbjorn]

guys,

I freaking tremble after heavy days but light days seem to be too easy - don't even sweat and have feelings like I'm able to do even more than 12 reps. What am I doing wrong?



Looking for a good advise. Thanks.

Take comfort that you are recovering quickly and your light days are rly easy. You just have to worry once your heavy day becomes easy than its time to up the weight.

[baxtermedic]

I am really pretty new to weightlifting seriously, I did p90x for a few weeks but really didn't like the routines and whatnot.

I am 6 ft 183 lbs right now, I don't know my body fat %. I am planning on starting this program on monday.

I don't have the money or time for a gym membership and at home I have a set of powerblocks, adjustable to 50 lbs in 2.5 lb increments. As well as an adjustable bench.

I don't really have any definition at all and have been skinny most of my life, well at least until i got out of the army 5 years ago.

I am going to be doing protien, glutamine, and creatine as a post workout shake and more protien throughout the day. I also was thinking of doing 20 minutes of HIIT and abs on the off days 2 times a week. For the abs i will more than likely be doing the p90x ab exercise, since it's simple to follow and thoroughly works all of em.

My older brother is having a beach wedding in September and I wanna look good.

Any suggestions are well appreciated!

[7arakat]

hi..just quick Q.. i have been doing this program for a long time (just finished my 8th cycle) and i love it for many reasons..but the problem now is that the last cycle some something happened to me and i dont know what?? i was always tired and missed few days of training and felt very weak and i could not do all the reps even when i reduced the weight. especially the bench press..
may be because im doing this program for long time so my body stopped responding>>
im thinking to change to another routine like split program for few weeks then return to this program but i dont want to because i gained so much muscles and strenght compared to when i started..also the reviews on split workout makes me think more about it..i have few more fat to get rid off so my aim is to get ripped..
im doning two heavy days and one light and added few more like hammer grip dumb bell press, and standing row

thanks>>

[dbjorn]

hi..just quick Q.. i have been doing this program for a long time (just finished my 8th cycle) and i love it for many reasons..but the problem now is that the last cycle some something happened to me and i dont know what?? i was always tired and missed few days of training and felt very weak and i could not do all the reps even when i reduced the weight. especially the bench press..
may be because im doing this program for long time so my body stopped responding>>
im thinking to change to another routine like split program for few weeks then return to this program but i dont want to because i gained so much muscles and strenght compared to when i started..also the reviews on split workout makes me think more about it..i have few more fat to get rid off so my aim is to get ripped..
im doning two heavy days and one light and added few more like hammer grip dumb bell press, and standing row

thanks>>

Maybe its time to move onto the intermediate program. And congrats for going 8 cycles long man. Dedicated

A
Bench Presses do 4 work sets rep scheme 4-5-6-7-8
Bent-Over Rows do 4 work sets rep scheme 4-5-6-7-8
Overhead Barbell Presses do 2 work sets rep scheme 6-7-8-9-10
Barbell Curls do 2 work sets rep scheme 8-9-10-11-12
Tricep press do 2 work sets rep scheme 8-9-10-11-12
Hammer grip dumb bell press do 2 work sets rep scheme 8-9-10-11-12
Pull down do 2 work sets rep scheme 8-9-10-11-12

B
Squats do 4 work sets rep scheme 4-5-6-7-8
Leg extensions do 2 work sets rep scheme 8-10-12-15-20
Stiff-Legged Deadlifts do 2 work sets rep scheme 8-9-10-11-12
Leg curls do 2 work sets rep scheme 8-9-10-11-12
Calf Raises do 2 work sets rep scheme 8-10-12-15-20
Seated calf press do 2 work sets rep scheme 8-10-12-15-20
Add ab work
That should get you started. I would do this A/B/A then B/A/B until you come up to speed. Then try 4 work outs per week. A-B off. A-B off off.

[7arakat]

Maybe its time to move onto the intermediate program. And congrats for going 8 cycles long man. Dedicated

A
Bench Presses do 4 work sets rep scheme 4-5-6-7-8
Bent-Over Rows do 4 work sets rep scheme 4-5-6-7-8
Overhead Barbell Presses do 2 work sets rep scheme 6-7-8-9-10
Barbell Curls do 2 work sets rep scheme 8-9-10-11-12
Tricep press do 2 work sets rep scheme 8-9-10-11-12
Hammer grip dumb bell press do 2 work sets rep scheme 8-9-10-11-12
Pull down do 2 work sets rep scheme 8-9-10-11-12

B
Squats do 4 work sets rep scheme 4-5-6-7-8
Leg extensions do 2 work sets rep scheme 8-10-12-15-20
Stiff-Legged Deadlifts do 2 work sets rep scheme 8-9-10-11-12
Leg curls do 2 work sets rep scheme 8-9-10-11-12
Calf Raises do 2 work sets rep scheme 8-10-12-15-20
Seated calf press do 2 work sets rep scheme 8-10-12-15-20
Add ab work
That should get you started. I would do this A/B/A then B/A/B until you come up to speed. Then try 4 work outs per week. A-B off. A-B off off.

thank you for your reply >>just Q?? do i increase the weight in the same manner and the first 2 sets will be my warm up?
and for the 2 work sets exersize i dont have to do warm up sets and i will start with my target weight.... Right?

[dbjorn]

thank you for your reply >>just Q?? do i increase the weight in the same manner and the first 2 sets will be my warm up?
and for the 2 work sets exersize i dont have to do warm up sets and i will start with my target weight.... Right?

For each rep scheme take what u can lift of the middle rep. i.e.(8-9-10-11-12) is based of 10 rep max. And yes the weight increase is the same. Although I have only moved up 10% from cycle1-2 all the other cycles have been almost a 2.5-5% increase. So i think you shuld know what you can handle when it comes time to increase weight.
I personally would do 2 warm up sets for the 1st 2 exercises than just go straight into worksets after that. So bench 2 warm ups 4 work sets example.

[7arakat]

For each rep scheme take what u can lift of the middle rep. i.e.(8-9-10-11-12) is based of 10 rep max. And yes the weight increase is the same. Although I have only moved up 10% from cycle1-2 all the other cycles have been almost a 2.5-5% increase. So i think you shuld know what you can handle when it comes time to increase weight.
I personally would do 2 warm up sets for the 1st 2 exercises than just go straight into worksets after that. So bench 2 warm ups 4 work sets example.

im sorry last Q on how to do the triceps press and pull down>>i searched and got so many results and i dont know which one..

and to get it clear.. my work out for today will be like this

Bench Presses do 2 warm up set and 4 work sets (of my target weight which is now 100 kg) rep scheme 4-5-6-7-8 (total of 6 sets)
Barbell Curls do 2 warm up set and 2 work sets rep scheme 8-9-10-11-12 (total of 4 sets)

for this week i will do A-B-A then next week i will swap to B-A-B
after 5 weeks i will increase my weight according to my performance..
i dont know but im having a feeling like this work out is going to be a day for upper body and the other for lower body?

[MatTheCur]

I am really pretty new to weightlifting seriously, I did p90x for a few weeks but really didn't like the routines and whatnot.

I am 6 ft 183 lbs right now, I don't know my body fat %. I am planning on starting this program on monday.

I don't have the money or time for a gym membership and at home I have a set of powerblocks, adjustable to 50 lbs in 2.5 lb increments. As well as an adjustable bench.

I don't really have any definition at all and have been skinny most of my life, well at least until i got out of the army 5 years ago.

I am going to be doing protien, glutamine, and creatine as a post workout shake and more protien throughout the day. I also was thinking of doing 20 minutes of HIIT and abs on the off days 2 times a week. For the abs i will more than likely be doing the p90x ab exercise, since it's simple to follow and thoroughly works all of em.

My older brother is having a beach wedding in September and I wanna look good.

Any suggestions are well appreciated!

What suggestions are you looking for? You really haven't given us any inkling as to what you want to do.

If you'd like to give this program a try, you can do so with the powerblocks. Else, you're going to need at least a rack, bench, and barbell set, or the gym.

[johnblythe]

I am really pretty new to weightlifting seriously, I did p90x for a few weeks but really didn't like the routines and whatnot.

I am 6 ft 183 lbs right now, I don't know my body fat %. I am planning on starting this program on monday.

I don't have the money or time for a gym membership and at home I have a set of powerblocks, adjustable to 50 lbs in 2.5 lb increments. As well as an adjustable bench.

I don't really have any definition at all and have been skinny most of my life, well at least until i got out of the army 5 years ago.

I am going to be doing protien, glutamine, and creatine as a post workout shake and more protien throughout the day. I also was thinking of doing 20 minutes of HIIT and abs on the off days 2 times a week. For the abs i will more than likely be doing the p90x ab exercise, since it's simple to follow and thoroughly works all of em.

My older brother is having a beach wedding in September and I wanna look good.

Any suggestions are well appreciated!

you don't know your BF%, but do you think it's higher than what you want? are you wanting to lose weight? gain muscle? a bit of both? a lot of one and some of the other? etc?

your diet will control the effects of this routine, so you need to figure out what "look good" in September means to you in more precise terms so you can determine goals and move towards them.

quick tip in the meantime: glutamine isn't worth your money. i got dupped into using it initially when i began working out a few months ago and have since read a good few articles about how absolutely unproven the claims are. it seems like its most valuable help at this point is better absorption of food, but you can get that for cheaper with something like alpha-lipoic acid capsules or something similar.

for now spend more time dialing in a diet rather than worrying about supps. stick with creatine and protein since they're both tried and true. in the meantime, get the diet going and read your arse off about best methods for your goals, best supps, research, etc.

best of luck.

[johnblythe]

What suggestions are you looking for? You really haven't given us any inkling as to what you want to do.

If you'd like to give this program a try, you can do so with the powerblocks. Else, you're going to need at least a rack, bench, and barbell set, or the gym.

WHOA!! matt is finally getting some recognition around here! keep the reps comin his way guys

[Deviant Motive]

im sorry last Q on how to do the triceps press and pull down>>i searched and got so many results and i dont know which one..

and to get it clear.. my work out for today will be like this

Bench Presses do 2 warm up set and 4 work sets (of my target weight which is now 100 kg) rep scheme 4-5-6-7-8 (total of 6 sets)
Barbell Curls do 2 warm up set and 2 work sets rep scheme 8-9-10-11-12 (total of 4 sets)

for this week i will do A-B-A then next week i will swap to B-A-B
after 5 weeks i will increase my weight according to my performance..
i dont know but im having a feeling like this work out is going to be a day for upper body and the other for lower body?

I'm on this program and yes, it is an upper/lower body split. I do warmups for the first 2 exercises and just pound out the others without warmups. By the time you get to the curls your body is already warmed up. No need to do them unless you want to.

Unfortunately, I've been sick this week and can't workout. This would've been my second week on this program

[MatTheCur]

WHOA!! matt is finally getting some recognition around here! keep the reps comin his way guys

I'd like to thank the people who have repped me since John's little poem (which was awesome)

I'm glad to lend a hand around here! Ask, and ye shall receive.

[moosifee]

Can somebody please help here, is it ok to do:

q1.LEG PRESS instead of Squats?

q2. DUMBBELL ROW instead of Bent-Over Rows, or is it ok just to do PULL UPS?

q3.not sure what to do instead of Stiff-Legged Deadlifts

I believe above exercises are 'high risk' for the back so i want to do similar exercises that are much safe.

For the past 34 years I wondered what it was like to live without lower back problems, and then I started this routine and I found out.

[northend80]

Hey 7arakat, good job on 8 cycles! I noticed you are doing two heavy days and one light, is that one of allpros intermediate plans? I haven't read about that one yet, but might have just missed it in the 300+ pages. Have you taken any rest weeks during those 8 cycles? If not, I pretty sure that might be the problem.

[MatTheCur]

Hey 7arakat, good job on 8 cycles! I noticed you are doing two heavy days and one light, is that one of allpros intermediate plans? I haven't read about that one yet, but might have just missed it in the 300+ pages. Have you taken any rest weeks during those 8 cycles? If not, I pretty sure that might be the problem.

If anything, it should be Heavy/Medium/Light. Failing that, 2 Heavy days with two rest days in between is just fine.

Rest may be the problem ... But it sounds like it might be time to move on to a more intermediate level program.

[mmapcpro]

I don't have the money or time for a gym membership

I thought the same thing...

See if there's a local YMCA in your area...they are extremely cheap, and will even do a sliding scale if your income is low. And they have MUCH MORE than everything you would need to do this workout. In fact, since the machines are so popular amongst the kids and older folks, there's hardly ever anybody actually using the free weights, barbells, and racks.

Also, the money I've saved from not buying sweets, prepared foods, fast food, and eating out (including drive thrus) 2-3 times per day has more than afforded me the $25/month for a gym membership (btw, I only pay $8/month for the YMCA because of their sliding scale and bank autodraft)

Also, even factoring in the 15 minute drive to and from the gym, I found that it took no more time really per day to work out at the gym vs my house. At home, it took longer for me to stack and unstack weights, and to modify equipment from exercise to exercise than it does for me to just hop on the next bench over. So at WORST, (since we're talking bout 3 days/week), I'm looking at an extra 1.5 hours per WEEK! If I can't figure out a way to factor in 1.5 hours over the course of 3 non-consecutive days, then I probably won't have the commitment to stick with any routine anyway.

[northend80]

If anything, it should be Heavy/Medium/Light. Failing that, 2 Heavy days with two rest days in between is just fine.

Rest may be the problem ... But it sounds like it might be time to move on to a more intermediate level program.

I just wanted to point out that it did not appear that they are sticking to the original program. They seem to be doing 3 workouts a week but replacing light with another heavy. I would be interested to see 7arakarats progress number vs some of the others who have done the program as intended for long periods. Skipping the light day and replacing with a heavy day for 8 cycles straight sounds like a recipe for overtraining.

[rr1963]

I just wanted to point out that it did not appear that they are sticking to the original program. They seem to be doing 3 workouts a week but replacing light with another heavy. I would be interested to see 7arakarats progress number vs some of the others who have done the program as intended for long periods. Skipping the light day and replacing with a heavy day for 8 cycles straight sounds like a recipe for overtraining.

He also added other excesses. He might be over doing it.

[Basslover]

Hi, one quick question, the Barbell Curls, should i perform this at a sitting position or standing?

Thanks in advance.

[MatTheCur]

Hi, one quick question, the Barbell Curls, should i perform this at a sitting position or standing?

Thanks in advance.

Standing.

You're not doing preacher curls or any other variation. You can sub out the straight barbell for an EZ-curl bar, if you feel your forearms need more work.

[Basslover]

Standing.

You're not doing preacher curls or any other variation. You can sub out the straight barbell for an EZ-curl bar, if you fell your forearms need more work.

Thanks .

[dbjorn]

im sorry last Q on how to do the triceps press and pull down>>i searched and got so many results and i dont know which one..

and to get it clear.. my work out for today will be like this

Bench Presses do 2 warm up set and 4 work sets (of my target weight which is now 100 kg) rep scheme 4-5-6-7-8 (total of 6 sets)
Barbell Curls do 2 warm up set and 2 work sets rep scheme 8-9-10-11-12 (total of 4 sets)

for this week i will do A-B-A then next week i will swap to B-A-B
after 5 weeks i will increase my weight according to my performance..
i dont know but im having a feeling like this work out is going to be a day for upper body and the other for lower body?

Deviant motive answered most of your question.

As for the tricep press and pull down. You can check what deviant is doing at the moment, i havent moved onto this program just yet. But I personally would go with either skull crushers with an ez curl bar.
Or tricep extensions on a machine. Lat Pull Downs for the pull downs, dont do them behind your head or anything like that.