In thinking of which topics to write about, I realized that I've never actually taken the time to discuss what one's workout could or should look like if they are considering getting into the bodybuilding game. What was helpful to me when I first got into bodybuilding, was looking at the sample routines on the website of the bodybuilder I was following (www.scoobysworkshop.com). So I thought I'd take some time to discuss a good all-around beginner exercise program that you could follow to get you started on your path to bodybuilding success.
My philosophy on building muscle has always been to heavily work out and exhaust a muscle group, and then rest it for a week (aside from the residual work that muscle will do from other exercises for other muscle groups throughout the week). On these exercises, you should also go until muscle failure and workout with a weight that lets you achieve that muscle failure within 8-12 repetitions. Since you'll be a beginner, try starting off with only 3 exercises per muscle group and 3 sets of each of those exercises. Consider using drop sets if you don't have a friend or gym buddy who can spot you to give you extra reps beyond failure. Also, fully extend and contract the muscle group you are working out, with full contraction at the end-range of motion.
Consistency is the key. You're doing this for the long term. If you won't be invested in doing this for a VERY long time consistently, it's probably best you don't even read on. You won't see results otherwise.
A lot of these exercises will seem basic and not as advanced as they could be. But this would be a program I'd give to beginners only. It's not meant to be advanced. Advanced technique comes with time, and it's best to get a feel for keystone exercises and lifting before you worry about the other stuff.
So here we go. This is just an EXAMPLE. You may mix and match these exercises and muscle groups / days as you deem fit. But try to workout the entire body! I workout 5 days a week, but starting out I only worked out 3 days a week. So this example program will reflect that. I also won't go into explicit detail as to how to do these exercises, as I've already explained them in my "top 5" series. I will provide a link on each muscle group you can follow to those "top 5" pages under each muscle group.
MONDAY (ARMS):
Source: biggerarms.com
Triceps:
"Top 5" Triceps exercises found here
1) Dips
- Make sure to get a full stretch in the tricep by going as far down as you can without shoulder pain
- When coming up, lean back slightly to extend the pump and flex in the triceps head
- Nice and slow for a nice time-under-tension.
- Do these with weight if you can do upwards of 20 without weight with ease
- Do not stand close to the machine, and stand further away and super-set in closer to work different parts of the triceps
- Pin your elbows to your sides and never move them
- Come up slowly to stretch the triceps, push down until you feel full flexion
- Keep arms at 90 degree angles with elbow slightly above your back
- Move back and upwards only at the elbow following the plane of your arm to get full activation of triceps
- hold at the top end range of motion and come back down slowly to a full stretch in the triceps
Biceps:
"Top 5" Biceps exercises found here
1) Dumbbell Curls
- Pin elbows to side and start with the weight so far back and stretched that your triceps get a pump
- Come up and turn the pinky-finger side of your palm in, trying to point towards the outside of your biceps head
- Line of drive should be followed towards the outside of your biceps head
- Adjust cable apparatus so that the handle is slightly above your head, and stand back until your arm is straight with your fist pointing towards the cable apparatus
- Stand with your body facing perpendicular to the straight line your arm makes towards your body
- Flex the biceps head and pull inward, with the Line of drive again being on the outside of your biceps head
- Fully extend the arm and flex the biceps
- Pin your elbows at your sides once again
- Bring your arms down and back so far that you get a pump in your triceps
- Moving only with your elbows, bring the weight up to your chest, and flex the biceps hard
- Can be performed with a wide grip or an inside grip for two different kinds of pumps
Nutrition:
Eat right and complete those macros.
TUESDAY (REST):
Rest today. Eat right and complete those macros.
WEDNESDAY (BACK + SHOULDERS):
Source: ashevillemassageschool.org
Back:
"Top 5" back exercises found here
Plate-loaded row
- Place your chest up against the chest plate
- Pull the handle back in a line of drive that is under your lat
- At the end range of motion pulling back, pull in towards your mid back for a deeper flex
Lat Pull-downs / Pullups
- You can use a bar or two handles, but I'm fond of the two-handle method
- Lean back and curve your spine a bit
- Pull the handles down towards your chest and make a motion as if you were trying to pull them apart
- Get a nice stretch by letting the weight pull your arms all the way up, pulling the lats
Dumbbell rows
- Take the same stance you would for a triceps kickback exercise
- Pull a fairly heavy dumbbell up towards the side of your body, making sure the line of drive is under your lat
Shoulders:
"Top 5" shoulder exercises found here
Source: dietwebreport.com
Dumbbell Shoulder Press
- Sit upright in a chair
- Make right-angles with your arms with your fists pointing upward
- Let the weight kind of hang back behind your shoulder (not too much), to load your shoulders
- Perform an out-to-in motion and attempt to cross your wrists, without actually doing so and touching the inside parts of each dumbbell together
Reverse Fly
- Use a fly machine and sit with your chest inward (reversed from the seat)
- Adjust the arms of the apparatus to be close to one another
- Straighten your arms as you pull them back towards your back, and flex your rear delts at the end range of motion
- Stand with dumbbells at your side
- Lift the dumbbells upwards from your sides, in a line of drive that is BEHIND YOUR DELT
- Let me repeat that: Lift almost as if you're going backwards and through your lat; you should feel a pump in your whole delt
Nutrition:
Eat right and complete those macros.
THURSDAY (REST):
Rest today. Eat right and complete those macros.
FRIDAY (CHEST AND LEGS):
Source: myfit.ca
Chest:
"Top 5" chest exercises found here
Dumbbell Press
- Lay on your back with dumbbells at your sides and placed at your lower pec
- Push the weight outward to in, attempting to cross your wrists but never doing so
- When coming back down, do it slowly and end when you get a nice stretch in your pecs
- Use a chest fly machine
- Keep your arms as straight as possible as you bring the arms of the apparatus in towards your chest, following a line of drive that is under your pec
- Consider supersetting this exercise with the same exercise, but with one arm
- For chest, consider keeping your elbows in at your body and hands close together as you drive upward with the bottom of your palms
- Center your weight above your pecs
Legs:
"Top 5" leg exercises found here
Source: uscfitness.files.wordpress.com
Lunges
- Hold weight at your sides that you can handle in the form of kettlebells / dumbbells
- Step forward one leg at a time, each time making right angles with your legs
- For each leg that you step forward with, lean your weight onto that leg
- Drive upward with just that leg, trying not to use your back leg, through your heel
- Use a leg raise machine
- Bring your leg(s) upward slowly and hold at the end range of motion where you flex your quad
- Come back down slowly
- Consider doing this exercise one leg at a time
- Yes I'm cheating by using two exercises, but you need a COMPLETE leg workout
- Use a calf raise machine to lean back and drive through the balls of your feet until your calf flexes like a bicep
- For Hamstring curls, use a hamstring curl machine to lay on your stomach with a slight curve in your spine so that your head is lifted upward
- Bring your legs in and flex your back quad like a bicep curl
Nutrition:
Eat right and complete those macros.
SATURDAY + SUNDAY (REST):
Rest today. Eat right and complete those macros.
*For abs, do three sets of crunches until failure each day you workout, and have solid nutrition! Abs are made in the kitchen people!*
"Top 5" ab exercises found here
And there you have it! Try this out if you're just starting out in bodybuilding. But commit to this for at least 3 months before you try a new program, as it will take about that long to start to see results.
Good luck!
-Jtrain
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------*Have a question about natural bodybuilding / fitness / nutrition / stress? Need some advice? Email me at jtrainfitness@gmail.com and I will answer it on this blog! Be sure to enter your email to receive alerts for when the next blog post has come out, and be sure to tell your friends about this blog! Follow me on twitter @jtrainfitness and tell your friends to do the same!*
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
No comments:
Post a Comment