Online Exclusive: Gym Guide 2: Getting down to business

Last week, I explained the necessary mindset and the realistic expectations a new trainee should have before embarking on a weight training program (If you haven’t read the first installment yet, please go back and read it before continuing. The right attitude is often what separates those who succeed from those who fail). Now that the readers presumably have their heads clear and focused, it’s time to get to the actual training.

The first thing to be aware of is that there are literally thousands of weight training and exercise programs out there. Many of them may claim to be the best, but in my opinion and in my experiences, there is no single “best” routine. A new trainee should pick a program (I will outline a basic one at the end of this article) and stick with it for at least three months before jumping to another routine. Jumping from routine to routine makes it difficult to track progress, and for a beginner, may lead to total stagnation.

Exercise selection and training for a balanced body

The majority of trainees will get the best “bang for their buck” by sticking to the basics. This means making compound (i.e. multi-joint) free-weight exercises like the squat, deadlift, bench press, row, pull-up and overhead press the core component of the routine. Using compound exercises generally activates more muscle fibers, better stimulating both muscle growth and strength than isolation (i.e. single-joint) exercises. This isn’t to say that no isolation exercises should be used; but that the isolation exercises should be used sparingly—or at least until the trainee has made considerable progress and has gained adequate training experience. If isolation exercises are used, they should only be performed once all the compound exercises have been completed. Also, major muscle groups should be trained before moving onto smaller muscle groups, e.g. don’t perform bicep curls before pull-ups or rows.

It is important for any trainee to strive for balance in their routine, and by “balance,” I mean giving equal attention and effort to all muscle groups. For example, while most people consider the bench press a more “fun” exercise than a row, if a trainee neglects the row they will most likely overdevelop their chest and pushing muscles. The result is a grossly imbalanced upper body that looks pulled forward and is also more prone to injury. A balanced routine keeps the body looking proportional and helps guard against injury.

Split training and workout recovery

Keeping in mind that there is no “best” or “perfect” routine, let me lay out what I believe to be a basic and effective routine for a beginner. I’m personally a fan of split training. This means training a group of muscles in a session (e.g. pushing muscles, pulling muscles, lower body muscles, etc.) rather than the whole body. This isn’t to say that there is anything wrong or inferior about whole-body routines, but that’s just how I prefer to do things. Here is my current split training routine:

Day 1 – Lower body, i.e. hamstring, quadriceps, and calves.

Day 2 – Upper body pushing muscles, i.e. chest, triceps, and shoulders.

Day 3 – Upper body pulling muscles, i.e. back and biceps.

I then take one or two days off from weight training, and then repeat the split from the beginning.

In regards to rest between workouts, I suggest a minimum of two or three days between directly working a muscle group to allow for adequate muscle recovery. For example, if I bench press on Monday, I won’t bench press—or do other chest exercises—until probably Thursday. I can certainly go into the gym Tuesday and Wednesday to train other muscle groups, but I won’t directly work my chest again until it is rested and ready.

Sets, repetitions and rest periods

I’m a fan of low-volume training. This means using a low number of sets and repetitions. Again, low-volume training isn’t the “best,” but for most beginners it will allow for quicker gains, especially in muscle strength. I’d recommend six to nine sets total per major muscle group, not including warm-ups, which I’ll get to shortly. These sets should consist of at least four reps, but no more than eight. Personally, I rarely perform above six reps. For smaller muscle groups, like biceps and triceps, three or four sets is adequate.

I prefer to perform a set until I absolutely can’t complete another full rep on my own safely. For example, if I’m bench pressing and I know I can’t get another rep without assistance from my spotter, I end the set right there. This is called training to failure. Training to failure is far from being the only productive technique, but for a beginner it will help develop the habit of training intensely.

After completing a set, I recommend resting for 90 seconds to three minutes, depending on how “spent” the trainee feels. Rest periods are pretty subjective, though. My rule of thumb is to rest to the point where I feel mentally and physically ready for another set, but not rest so long that I lose focus on my workout. Following these guidelines, the average workout shouldn’t exceed an hour total in length.

Warm-ups

Most people warm up in a counter-productive manner. They either warm up for the wrong exercise—like jogging to prepare their body for weight training, despite the two exercises being totally unrelated—or expend too much energy on warm-ups, thereby depleting their strength before they even start their real workout.

While there is nothing wrong with a few minutes of cardio to get your body warm before a weight training session, cardio doesn’t prepare your muscles or connective tissues for the loads you are going to place on them. I suggest warming up with the actual exercise that will be performed during the workout. For example, if I know I am going to bench press 185 pounds, I will perform four or five warm-up sets of bench press first. I will do a short set with just the bar, then with 75 pounds, then 95 pounds, then 135 pounds and finally 155 pounds. I will only perform a few reps with each of these poundages because the goal is to warm up, not to fatigue myself before my actual workout. This type of warm-up can be applied to any exercise.

Also, the trainee only needs to warm up for their first exercise for the particular muscle group they’re training. So, if the bench press is being performed first and is then to be followed by the incline bench press, there is no need to warm up for the incline bench press. The body will already be prepared. Furthermore, if training triceps and shoulders in this same session, there is no need to warm up the shoulders or triceps following the bench press exercises. These smaller muscle groups are also used during the bench press, so no additional warm-ups are required.

The “secret” to progress

The real reason most people don’t progress is simply lack of intensity and focus. Like anything else in life, one gets out of weight training what they put in. If workouts are unfocused and the trainee is simply going through the motions, little progress will be made. Conversely, if the trainee focuses and strives for heavier weights, more reps or better exercise execution each workout, progress is all but guaranteed. Don’t be that person talking on their cellphone or reading gossip magazines on the bench.  Focus, work hard and make me proud, dammit.

Next week we’ll take a look at the basics of cardiovascular exercise for enhancing health and aiding in fat loss. We’ll also examine the wacky world of dietary supplements to see if there are any legitimate products that enhance results from training, or if it’s all just a bunch of scams and rip-offs.

Example training routine (visit exrx.net for exercise descriptions)

 

Day 1- Lower body

• Warm-up for squat
• 3 sets of squats for
• 2 sets of leg press for
• 3 sets of straight-leg deadlifts
• 2 sets of hamstring curls
• 3 sets of standing calf raises (optional)

 

Day 2- Upper body pushing muscle

• Warm-up for bench press
• 3 sets of bench press
• 3 sets of incline bench press with dumbbells
• 2 sets of standing overhead presses
• 2 sets of dumbbell lateral raises
• 3 sets of lying triceps extensions

 

Day 3- Upper body pulling muscles

• Warm-up for barbell row
• 2 sets of barbell or rows
• 2 sets of seated cable rows
• 3 sets of pull-ups (or lat pulldowns if trainee is not yet strong enough for pull-ups)
• 3 sets of dumbbell curls
• 3 sets of rear lateral raises

Take one or two days off from weight training, then repeat.