When we start out, everything is so very exciting and it's extremely easy to get torn between loads of different training systems and to become paralysed with doubt as everyone has an opinion seemingly diametrically opposed top the one you had just considered.

On reflection, there's nothing much new in the garden and most systems are just a variation on a theme.

If I was starting again today, this is what I'd do:

Chest

Incline Dumbell Press 4 sets of 10

Incline DB Flyes 4 sets of 12

Seated machine press 3 sets of 8


Back

Dumbell rows 4 sets of 10

Pulldowns wide or narrow grip 4 sest of 12

Machine or Iso rows 3 sets of 15


Legs

Squats 3 sets of 15

Leg Press 2 sets of 25

Leg Curls 4 sets of 15


Shoulders

4 sets of Machine, iso or military press - 10 reps per set

Bent over DB Raises 2 sets of 12

DB side laterals 3 sets of 8


Arms

Triceps

Cable Rope Extensions 3 sets of 15
Cable Triceps press down 3 sets of 15

Biceps

Incline DB curls - 2 sets of 10

DB Preacher Curls - 2 sets of 10

Heavy Hammer Curls - 2 sets of 6


In terms of grouping body parts, you could do:

Session 1: chest/back

Session 2: Legs/Shoulders

Session 3: Arms

If you trained two days on, two off, you'd get a good amount of training in, have sufficient recovery time and grow fairly well.

Weight progression

As and when you feel stronger, increase the weight so the last two/three reps are hard work.

Supplements

Protein powder is all you really need and perhaps some mono creatine. There's loads of super supplements promising you the earth but don't waste your money when starting out. With protein have a couple of scoops when you wake and a couple after training. Creatine, just take post workout

A few more to add:

Chest
Chest Dips (wide'ish grip, elbows out and lean into it - full range, so go low)

Back
Chin-Ups / Pull-Ups - all varieties (assuming you can do them).

Legs
Romanian Deadlifts (RDLs)
Splits Squats
Lunges
Hyper-extensions

Arms
Triceps Dips (narrow grip, elbows in and keep upright - full range, so go low)

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simon m has made it quite easy to get started on the road to looking & feeling better with some fairly standard but excellent exercises. Add in the above extras and you'll be onto a winner for sure.

I just wish I knew this when I started.

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Biggest mistake people make: neglecting legs! Don't do it. Do the right exercsies (squats, RDLs etc) and you'll get bigger & stronger & leaner much faster. Men & women.

I think if I knew what I know now Id have won the lottery many times over.

But in the real world Id have

- Spent 12-15 months on

Squats - Deadlifts - Dips - BB Rows and Shoulder Presses

I think for a beginner it's important to create the foundation - and the above in 3x3 or 5x5 would be an excellengt start for anyone.

health4ni, I get the impression you prefer RDLs over deadlifts, am I right?

If i was to know what i know now i would have spent the first year on nothing but squats, deadlifts incline press, dips, pullups, bb rows military press and bb curls.

KP

What's important for a beginner is fun as so many give up as they're stuck doing boring exercises and getting nowhere.

If you enjoy your training, you'll want to get down the gym and workout.

Im the same as the vast majority. Wish id done the basics then got stronger on them rather than having to do that 2 years in

Echoing more or less what everybody has said, though I'd keep it even simpler than most suggest.
Dips
Pullups
Squats
Deadlifts
For maybe six to nine months, THEN start swapping out, possibly alternating dips with inclines, pullups with rows, squats with fronts/splits/zerchers and deads with RDL/goodmornings.

I'd keep that as my core routine (just like I do now) and then occasionally add in some arm/shoulder work.

JohnC wrote:health4ni, I get the impression you prefer RDLs over deadlifts, am I right?

No, not really.

I think that on a legs day some sort of squatting is needed. That is primarily quad dominant. RDLs are primarily hamstring dominant so fit well as a compound posterior chain exercise in the same session as squats.

Thus two compound lifts with relatively heavy weights.

Deadlifts tend to hit both quads and hams (although quads more) and to do Deadlifts with those two exercises in the same session is quite a lot of lower back work imo. However, if the sets are kept low (3 working sets say) then adding Deadlifts into it is fine.

For me personally I like to do Deadlifts on a different day so that I reap the benefits of this excellent exercise; perhaps doing it on a day when I do some Power Cleans or Push Presses etc. A session I like to call my "Olympic Lifting" session (Cleans are normally done or perhaps High Pulls etc).

What does this all mean to a beginner? Well I wouldn't worry too much tbh. Perhaps do RDLs for 6 sessions, then swap to Deadluifts for the next 6 sessions. Or do them in the same session. The point is, when you are a beginner almost anything & everything works. BUT to make things work faster you choose the best exercises (most of them are in this thread) and getting lifting.

The more complex stuff comes after a few years of lifting weights when you're beginning to be classed as an experienced lifter and results require more programme complexity.

Slow down your negatives and focus on feeling the movement in the muscles you are trying to train, rather than just going for as much weight as possible.

I'm still guilty of this sometimes, especially when it comes to barbell benching. I'll often just press away but I know if I dropped the weight, and focused on squeezing my chest from the bottom and all the way up, i'd get better chest results. Generally for barbell bench I just power it up and don't really think about my chest contraction.

Vary your exercises, number or sets and reps, even a change in grip can be enough.

If I started again, Go straight into powerlifting, I would take whey and fish oil. Joined a proper gym!!

1
Powerlifting Stance Squat 10x10 (daddy of all exercises)
Reverse hypers (neglected my lower back resulting in such a poor body part)

2
Heavy Sumo Deadlift 10x3
T-Bar Row 5x5
Chins 5x5
Heavy Hammer Curl 3v3

3
Decline DB Bench 5x5 (shown to stimulate most fibers, and its most fun angle)
CG BB Bench 3x3 (never neglect triceps)
Heavy DB Press's 5x5
Heavy Side Laterals 3x3
Heavy Push Downs 3v3

I would never of starved my self to lose weight as well.. or spent shat loads of money on useless supps and personal training.

If I could go back and have a word with my former self, I'd explain the importance of diet, I explain what made me different from other in the gym so I could understand what works for one does not work for another.

Eg.

Ecto's (Skinny guys) Need high carbs, high protein and low fat to grow at speed.
Endo's (Big boned guys ) Need very little carbs, medium protein, medium fat.


Trainings the same, what works for your mate will not necessarly do the same for you.

I wish i could go back and tell myself that it really isnt wise to train on with painkillers when injured to keep up cardio in some shape or form!

Well still being relatively new, I'd just make sure I new my body a little better, play with my diet to see what calories/training are required to keep my body clean and in shape before I started out in any direction be it PL or BB. I'd work on my fitness and basic strength first before attepmting to gain weight and I'd have been in the gym age 15 not nearly 30.

I can't expand on gym stuff as it's all covered!

I'd tell myself not to have went on that crazy ass bulk which caused me to go up to about 20%bf

-Seriously though, beginners. Some people will tell you to eat everything in sight. Don't do it. If you want to gain weight, eat alot of clean food. Monitor carbs. If your gaining fat on 300g per day, remove some and increase fat. Also eat most of your daily carbs when the body handles them best - in the morning and PWO.

Oh - and don't neglect cardiovascular fitness, good point upright. Even if you're bulking, 2 hiit days in a week keep conditioning in check and create a muscle building environment.

NOTE:HIIT is better than steady state cardio, but if you're unfit/overweight hiit may be unsuitable and dangerous.

I'd only really say one sentence, YOU CAN NOT TOLERATE CARBS! Jesus I would have save myself about a years worth of cutting if I'd know from the start.

RoB wrote:I'd only really say one sentence, YOU CAN NOT TOLERATE CARBS! Jesus I would have save myself about a years worth of cutting if I'd know from the start.

Who was that aimed at? Alot of people can tolerate carbs, infact some would get no where without them!

Karlos wrote:

RoB wrote:I'd only really say one sentence, YOU CAN NOT TOLERATE CARBS! Jesus I would have save myself about a years worth of cutting if I'd know from the start.

Who was that aimed at? Alot of people can tolerate carbs, infact some would get no where without them!

Me ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------->

All women are evil and only after your money



Edit : Sorry wrong forum

Gym-pig wrote:All women are evil and only after your money



Edit : Sorry wrong forum

and you sperm and then after they have it, they don't want it ever again.

RoB wrote:I'd only really say one sentence, YOU CAN NOT TOLERATE CARBS! Jesus I would have save myself about a years worth of cutting if I'd know from the start.

lol ahh, it was a hypothetical word to yourself. Come k-dawg, think before you post.

No one else disturbed Karlos referred to himself as the K-dawg?

Shicky wrote:No one else disturbed Karlos referred to himself as the K-dawg?

Nope.

Shicky wrote:No one else disturbed Karlos referred to himself as the K-dawg?

He IS the K-dawg fo sheezy ni'a!

Shicky wrote:No one else disturbed Karlos referred to himself as the K-dawg?

'The k-dawg' cannot be spoken in 1st person my friend.