just starting out..

[bzt2520]

I'm just starting out lifting weights, my goal is to get bigger arms and mass.. I weigh 140 5'8.
I need help, can I get any suggestions for a beginner workout?

 

[JudoJosh]

Power Training


New Rules of Lifting

 

[dunhill225]

I would start with a real simple chest, delts and tris on Mon and thurs and back, bis and legs on tues and Friday.
Compound exs, maybe 2 exs for 2-3 sets each (post warm up) per body part and keep reps in the 4-10 range.
Example.
Mon and thurs
Bench 3X4-10
Inclines 2X4-10
Military presses 3X4-10
Laterals 2X8-12
Lying ext and over head ext for 2X8-12 each

Tues and Friday
Bent rows 3X4-10
Pull UPS 2X6-10
Ez or BB curls and hammer db curls 2X6-10 each
Squats 3X4-10
Side bends and crunches with wts for 2x15-25 each

After you reach a sticking point on this program I would tell you to check out "max-ot" and after that try DC or a Yates style HIT routine.

I'm a big believer in HIT for experienced trainees.
Peace

 

[owlicks]

I'd buy The New Encyclopedia of Modern Bodybuilding (http://www.amazon.com/New-Encyclopedia-Modern-Bodybuilding-Updated/dp/0684857219). It's a great general resource if you're just getting into lifting. Even though I've lifted for over a decade I still go back to it from time to time because it is such a great reference.

 

[dunhill225]

For exercise variations.... Sure.... A ton of exs BUT for routines? Don't read that book! Horrible.

 

[owlicks]

For exercise variations.... Sure.... A ton of exs BUT for routines? Don't read that book! Horrible.

Well I was mostly recommending the book as a reference, and that's what I've used it for, but it does recommend routines for beginners as well, which will be more helpful than what you listed. Two day split for a beginner? Weighted side bends? Apparently in your routine people need bulky obliques and no calves.

If I was recommending any kind of routine for a beginner, I'd look to Martin Berkhan and leangains.com for inspiration. This routine that he cited a reader using in his latest article would be a great place to start:

Day 1 (Monday)

5-min walk for warm-up.
Deadlift 2-3 sets of 4-5 reps reverse pyramid style.
Rest 5-10 mins.
Leg extensions - Same setup as deadlifts, but reps a bit higher (6-8).
Rest 5-10 mins.
Chins - Same as deads.

Day 3 (Wednesday)

5-min walk for warm-up.
Bench press 2-3 sets of 5-7 reps reverse pyramid style.
Rest 5-10 mins
Pull-ups 2-3 sets with body weight.
Rest 5-10 mins


Day 5 (Friday)

Squats 2-3 sets of 5-7 reps reverse pyramid style.
Rest 5-10 mins.
Walking lunges 2-3 sets same as squats.
Rest 5-10 mins.
Overhead Press 2-3 sets of 5-7 reps reverse pyramid style.
Rest 5-10 mins

As he said, "Throw in a set or two of curls, triceps and calves if you want but don't mess with it beyond that."

 

[dunhill225]

Well first we agree on the usefulness of that book. The routines are insane.
As far as the example I listed... A beginner at his size would have no problem recovering from a two way split, 4 day a week routine. It's along the lines of one of labradas basic routines. As far as side bends, a blocky or wide waste is genetic and side bends are not gonna turn a wasp waist into a wide one. The importance to me of weighted ab/oblique work is most about safety and spine support/avoiding imbalances than it is about asthetics. Back health and shoulder/rotator cuff health is what enables longevity in this "sport". As far as calves.... That's funny cause you then recommend a routine with no calf work! Squats will provide enough stimulation for a beginners calves. There is no harm in throwing in a cpl sets once a week but its really just not needed for a beginner.

The routine you listed would be fine for a beginner but even for a beginner I would not recommend deads and squats in the same week. Alternate each week would be fine but heavy deads and heavy squats in the same week is just not the best idea IMHO. I generally recommend a 2 way split/4 day workout week for noobs because their enthusiasm is so high that they seem to get discouraged and add an extra day... Or 2... Or 3 on their own.
A noob just doesn't have a problem recovering from that much volume and frequency but 99% of advanced trainers just can not. Example, someone that does bent rows with 100 lbs can so them twice a week where as I use over 4 and could never handle doing them twice a week.
I posted that quick as an example.... I could improve on it easily. An example that would Leon be better would be only one ex per body part each workout for 4-5 sets and a diff ex the second session like just benches on Mon and just inclines on Thursday.

Again the w.o. was just a quick example. I could give a bunch of sample w.o.'s that would work fine for any noob.

Peace

 

[ZiR RED]

Hi,
I think if you're just starting you will want to focus on the basic movements; a push, a pull (upper body) legs and of course core.
So for a push you got presses, i.e. bench press, military press, etc. For pulls you have rows, pull downs and such. For legs you have leg press, leg extension, and calves. For your core work you can do crunches, hyperextensions, ab-coaster, there are lots of options.

If you're just starting out I would start with mostly machines. They control your movements so you can gain strength without having to do much accessory work, IOW, you can perform weightlifting more safely so that you don't have to run the risk of injury.

As for specific routines, you need to construct your workout schedule so that it works with your daily schedule. When deciding what exercises to do on what days, bear in mind the idea that you want to rest each body part for at least 1 day before working it again, so if you do bench presses Monday for instance, you won't want to do another push exercise until Wednesday.

Finally, if you're looking to increase your mass you will also need to change your diet, since what you're eating now isn't doing it right? The easiest way to do that is to start taking some protein supplements (shakes). A good rule seems to be consuming a shake right after working out.

Regards,

Compudog

P.S. There are a lot of resources available on the 'net, and I mean a lot, it's a firehose! The most important thing is to remember to actually get into the gym, and don't forget your shake.

I disagree 110%. First, there is no research showing that machines are safer than free weights.

Second, as you pointed out, you do not work the fixator or stabilizer muscles on machines. So a few things happen that can lead to injury:
Your primary movers get stronger than your support muscles - ie: muscular imbalance
You train a motor pattern that does not translate to functional or free weight lifting

A beginner is much better off doing body weight or bar only squats, push ups, inverted rows, etc. until they have built up the foundational skill and strength to perform these movements with weights. Once they can perform these movements efficiently, then machines can be added in as supplemental exercises.

Next, the core is more than the rectus abdominals and erector spinae. Training the global core (these two muscle groups) and not the local core will also greatly enhance the risk of injury. A lot of emphasis should be put on static and dynamic bridges early (and often) in the lifting career.

Br

 

[JudoJosh]

I disagree 110%. First, there is no research showing that machines are safer than free weights.

YUP!

I would actually argue that machine assisted lifts are in fact MORE dangerous and leads to more injuries, especially with athletes

 

[mattsams89]

Hi,
I agree that free weights are better, but only if either there's someone to show one how to do it, or if one has the basic
strength to be able to struggle through. The OP didn't indicate either condition.

I will say that strength does play a role as far as exercise selection goes. I recently held a training seminar with developmental canoe athletes, and they were extremely weak. their coach wanted us to cover the beginnings of the Olympic movements with these kids, but they weren't strong enough to even perform the first pull properly. In such cases, yeah, stick with basic strength movements and progress to more technical movements like dead lifts once the strength is there in the back.

I definitely agree that machines are not the way to go if the OP doesn't have any functional limitations. Shoot for compound movements that build strength and go from there.

 

[bzt2520]

Thanks, for the advice guys.
Really helpful..

 

[bzt2520]

I lifted weights today on the bench and I did 5x10
Should I keep doing this? Or step it up a little bit?
To get the most effectiveness ?

 

[mattsams89]

I lifted weights today on the bench and I did 5x10
Should I keep doing this? Or step it up a little bit?
To get the most effectiveness ?

This is where programing can become complicated, because a number of factors will play a role (training age, strength levels, goals, etc). In the beginning, just about anything will do in terms of increasing strength, but the focus should be on the bread and butter strength lifts (bench, squats, overhead presses, bent rows, etc). Some auxiliary movements will be included, but your focus will be on the main movements. Tens are a good place to start as they will increase your work capacity and tolerance during later training. Progression is important, but how you, as a beginner, will progress is different than someone who has trained for a number of years. Strength will come quickly, requiring a bit more work on your part on determining proper loading.

I would suggest one to two blocks of 3x10 (when I say blocks I'm typically speaking in four week blocks) as beginners need more base building. From there, you can move to heavier loads for fives and possibly threes, with exercise selection slightly varying every 4-8 weeks. If you're very new to training, periodically cycling back up to tens or 5x5 is recommended to continue building that base. Once you have some time under your belt, more advanced training will come.

For now it's all about building a solid foundation that will support you for years to come. Feel out your strength and begin to steadily progress while still allowing yourself time to recover every few weeks. This will prevent some nasty effects of long-term high volume training.

If you're interested in training for sport, Stone, Sands, Garhammer, Haff,and a few others are all good resources (and can be of use regardless). Also, if you have some college behind you, I can recommend a few books that discuss biochemistry, physiology, etc. and how everything comes together for strength and conditioning.

If general increases in strength and appearance are your thing, there are some good recommendations on here as well. And really, some of the programs would be good to check out if you aren't sure where to start.

Hope I didn't completely blow your mind!