Hello friends! My name is Nikita Volkov. If you are completely new to bodybuilding or just planning to join the gym, then this article is for you! How many difficulties a beginner has to overcome even before he grabs the barbell for the first time in the gym!
Changing your usual lifestyle (leaving your “comfort zone”) causes anxiety for the vast majority of people! After all, after work or study, you won’t have to collapse on the sofa, but go somewhere, load yourself with weights, and then eat. Nutrition... You will have to control how much you eat, stop stuffing yourself with all kinds of infection, such as poisonous Cola, carcinogenic chips and... limit your consumption of sweets.
My head was spinning from the amount of various information that I could not put together. So many different techniques and methods. Moreover, there are a lot of rumors floating around this simple sport. At that moment I was unsure of myself. I was ashamed of my body. But I wanted to start changing myself and my life.
“Why do I need all this?” – any “normal” person would think. “And in general, my genes are bad, my bones are heavy and wide, and my muscles also hinder my movement and make me enslaved. I also heard that jocks have a boom-boom sex life. Besides, they are stupid!” – this “sensible” person will continue.
This is all just funny! Now I will not dispel these myths of not very smart people, otherwise the article will be very long. I am sure that you understand that these are banal excuses that you need to either forget or remain in your world of prejudices and justifications.
Where should I start?
There are many options on how to create a training program for a beginner, but I want to say one thing: there is NO universal training! Each organism is individual and how it will adapt to stress, muscle tissue, depends on many factors, such as: gender, age, training, genetics.
Now I will give you a scheme that you will need to follow in the first 3-4 months of your training. What is characteristic of this period?
- Poor muscle-brain connection (a beginner does not understand and does not know how muscles contract), and also, they are not able to abstract themselves (forget that someone is looking at them).
- Any physical activity is stress for an unprepared body, so there is no point in overloading the system with excessive weights
- Muscle fibers adapt to new loads, so fairly rapid increases in strength and volume are observed.
- There is no point in dividing workouts into splits (by body parts), because... this is necessary for a targeted, increased load on the muscles being worked.
These were the main points. I'll quickly go through all the points before giving you a program in which you will need to begin the path to climbing to the top, where respect awaits you, beautiful girls and success.
Poor muscle-brain connection. Most beginners come into the gym and just mindlessly lift and press weights without thinking about how the muscle they are working works. This is fine. This is the mistake of almost 100% of new bodybuilders. You need to read about how you need to learn to contract muscles.
About stress from anyone physical activity, I think it's clear. Your goals in the first months are setting correct technique performing exercises, getting the body accustomed to weights and the ability to focus on the muscle being worked.
Next point. In the first months of training, quite large increases in muscle volume and strength are observed, do not rush to rejoice, this is only the body’s response to an external load after a “long sleep”.
I advise you to measure all your volumes with a centimeter and write down all the data on paper. In a month or two, measure yourself again and you will be pleasantly surprised. Just don’t be a fan of it, don’t measure every other day and expect crazy gains.
Next. There is no point in splitting in the beginning. A beginner’s muscles are not adapted to such loads and such training will not give the expected result, as for example after 1.5-2 years of training. Just forget about it for now. Everything will happen, but everything will happen in due time.
Next point. Most beginners cannot abstract themselves. They think that everyone in the room, and even people passing by, is looking at them to laugh at their still modest results. My dear friends! Understand that everyone in the gym is focused only on themselves and no one cares how you work out. Everyone was there at first, just like you. They came to the hall with frightened eyes and were afraid of doing something weird. Relax! The race you are running is only with yourself.
You should be better than only one person today, that was you yesterday.
What types of exercises are there?
Exercises are divided into basic and isolating. Read more.
Compound exercises involve multiple joints and muscle groups during their execution. Such exercises include, for example: bench press/dumbbells, squats with a barbell/dumbbells, barbell rows, etc. The principle, I think, is clear.
Isolation exercises involve only one muscle group and one joint. For example: leg extension/bending in a machine. Such exercises are good for pumping blood into the muscles or for pre-tiring the muscles, but not for great muscle growth.
Therefore, in the training program for a beginner, I included only basic exercises! No isolation for a year and a half of training!
Now it's time to get down to the fun part. How you should train in the first 3-4 months of your training.
Training program for beginners
The training program for beginners will look like this:
Do the above workout 3 times a week, every other day (Monday, Wednesday, Friday, or Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday).
Let's start with shoulder girdle, because in the future, this will allow you to increase your chest and back volumes.
First we do one warm-up approach(usually with an empty bar) for 12 reps, then 3 sets of 10-12 reps with a weight that allows you to perform the exercises with correct technique and feel your muscles working.
The weight, as you already understand, will increase on its own. But make sure that you don’t fall out of the corridor in 10-12 repetitions. Can you lift more reps without? Throw another 2.5-5 kg onto the bar, don’t be afraid. But remember Now the main thing is technology!
If you are not yet 23-24 years old, then your growth zones are open, and you can significantly expand your backbone. Therefore, the above complex needs to be slightly adjusted.
Therefore, one workout (usually the middle one, for example on Wednesday) should be replaced with this one:
- Deep squats (20 repetitions) + Pullover with a dumbbell, lying across the bench (15 repetitions). They are performed one after another without rest (first squats, then pullovers...rest 1-1.15 minutes...then again). Complete three super series.
- Pull-up by the head wide grip(30 repetitions, excluding sets). For example: 10, 8, 8, 6.
- Pull-ups to the chest with a wide grip (30 repetitions, excluding approaches). For example: 10, 8, 8, 6.
- Medium pull-up reverse grip, palms towards you (on the biceps) until your stomach touches the bar (30 repetitions, excluding approaches). For example: 10, 8, 8, 6.
- Push-ups on wide bars with maximum chest stretch at the lowest point (100 repetitions, excluding sets). For example: 25, 25, 20, 15, 15
- Hanging straight leg raise (abs exercise)
This alternation of training will give an even greater effect, because... work with weights will be performed not 3, but 2 times a week. Plus, it will expand your core.
This is how your training will take place over the next 3-4 months! No isolation! Only basic exercises! This will be enough! You will grow well the first time, because... At first, the progress is generally great! The body gets used to the load and responds to it very well!
P.P.S. To choose an INDIVIDUAL TRAINING PROGRAM based on your individual characteristics, you can download my “Selection System individual program training." Details below:
P.S. Subscribe to blog updates. It will only get worse.
With respect and best wishes,!
First questions
1. Do you need a coach?
Mentors are different. Objective indicators of a coach’s professionalism are as follows: availability of specialized higher education; work experience - the more, the better; own sports achievements; excellent physical shape of his clients; his reputation at the club. You should not demand that the coach be in great physical shape and have an attractive appearance. The most successful mentors look at least inconspicuous, an example is the legendary Alvin Cosgrove. They have already taken exercise in the past, so seriously that the training actually makes them sick. Plus, the constant influx of clients simply does not leave time to stay in shape. Conclusion: spend time searching good coach costs. Found it? Take at least 2-3 training sessions a month from him. According to Moscow prices, this will cost you 3–9 thousand rubles. per month. A responsible specialist will use this money to draw up a program for you and keep an eye on its implementation.
2. What is the best time to train?
On weekdays - at lunchtime, in the range from 13:00 to 16:00. During this period the majority physical qualities(strength, endurance, flexibility) are manifested to the maximum, which means best effect from classes. In addition, at this time there are the least people in the fitness club. Peak hours, when it is better not to appear in the gym due to the abundance of athletes, are from 7:00 to 9:00 and from 18:00 to 21:00 on weekdays and from 9:00 to 16:00 on weekends and holidays. If you can’t train during the day on weekdays, go after work, but be prepared for the fact that the training will stretch out, since you will have to wait until one or another exercise machine is free.
3. What to wear to training?
Ideal clothing is a short-sleeve T-shirt, shorts or sweatpants, fitness sneakers and, in case the room is heavily air-conditioned, a warm hoodie. Please note that any sportswear, including socks, will stink if used without washing more than once! So get two or three sets of uniforms, and wash them regularly. You will not need knee pads, elbow pads, wristbands and other similar additional equipment at first. A weightlifting belt and wrist straps Usually there is already one in the hall.
4. How else can you prepare for going to the gym?
It wouldn't hurt to read a couple of books on fitness and techniques. strength training. There is no need to rely on complex scientific literature; understandable popular books are enough. Don't think that this is a formality that can be ignored. The gym, if treated carelessly, - dangerous place, where health may not be strengthened as one would like, but completely ruined. I would immodestly recommend to you my book “Fitness for Smart People,” published in 2011 in the “Men’s Health Library” series (it can still be found in stores or online).
5. Should you be examined by a doctor before starting training?
Need to! Today (with the desire and skills of a trainer) it is possible to fully train even a dying person. The main thing is to get your doctor’s approval to go to the gym if you have: problems with vision and the cardiovascular system, you have had fractures and surgeries in the past (especially recently), if you have abnormal blood pressure, diabetes, asthma, joint or kidney diseases. Even if there are serious contraindications, you will most likely not be prohibited from training completely, but will only be given a number of recommendations on limiting certain loads.
6. Should you pay attention to nutrition?
There’s no point in delving too deeply into the jungle of dietetics. With proper organization of the training process, even the simplest sports nutrition will not be useful for at least a year, and some athletes can do just fine without it, even competing international level. It is enough to accustom yourself to eat not 1-2 times a day, but 4-5, and start eating breakfast without fail. And for the right start, immediately get used to high-quality protein foods and vegetables - they form the basis of any healthy diet, regardless of whether you gain or lose weight.
Problems
With the beginning training is yours the body will begin to experience unusual loads and respond to them with new sensations. Know in advance what to prepare for.
1. Muscle pain. Aka “delayed post-workout pain”
It is not dangerous at all, it is only a slight inflammation in places of microtraumas muscle fibers. As a rule, the peak of training pain occurs 24 hours after training.
2. Hypoglycemia
An unpleasant condition in which your blood sugar levels drop dangerously and quickly. It often happens that, having forgotten to eat on time, a beginner comes to the gym and after 10-15 minutes of training falls into a hypoglycemic faint. Always eat a full meal an hour and a half before training and exercise under guidance experienced trainer who knows how to bring a temporarily “left” client back to life.
3. Slight increase in temperature and pulse at rest
In the evening after training or even the next day, you may feel that your heart is beating a little more actively than it usually does at rest. This condition can last up to several hours and is associated with a metabolic response to excessive stress. Don't exercise too intensely or excessively warm clothes, especially at night.
4. Calluses
I hope this doesn’t scare you, because rough palms with hard calluses are a hallmark of every serious athlete. However, if for one reason or another you need to protect your hands, then you can use special projectile gloves. Keep in mind that with gloves the grip on the barbell is slightly worse than when working with your bare palm. This is the inevitable price to pay for comfort.
5. Dizziness
Most beginners have problems with endurance cardiovascular system, after approaches they may experience short-term dizziness. This usually happens when you overdo it - the working weight was too heavy, you did too many repetitions, the exercise you chose was too energy-intensive. Wear a heart rate monitor during workouts and try not to raise your heart rate above 140-150 beats per minute during the set. As soon as your heart rate reaches the specified numbers, immediately complete the approach. And don't start the next set until your heart slows to 110 beats per minute or below.
6. Insomnia
This is the first sign of overtraining or incorrect timing of training. If you finish your workout too late (less than 2 hours before going to bed) or overdo it, you can say goodbye to a good night. Finish early or reduce the intensity of your workouts until you start sleeping like a log again.
Keep your finger on the pulse
Always remember: appearance is not an accurate indicator of poor or good fitness. Therefore, to avoid disappointment and more clearly track your own progress, do not rely on dynamics own weight or biceps volume, but on strength indicators of physical fitness. For example, like this:
Thanks to this table you can monitor whether you are moving forward or not. Even if external changes are not noticeable, progress from 8-10 push-ups to 20-30 already indicates that you are doing everything right.
Rules of behavior in the hall
The gym is a harsh place, and therefore the rules of behavior there are reduced to almost nothing but prohibitions. In short, you can't:
Step over the bar
This is a demonstration of disrespect for the projectile. An unofficial taboo of this kind exists only in our country, but experts are sure that it should not be broken. The bar can take revenge, that is, crush and disgrace you at the most inopportune moment. Do you need it?
Push the barbell or dumbbells lying on the floor with your feet
The bar is grabbed by hand, and the soles of the sneakers are in different places, including in the toilet.
Do not carry weights with you
Respect other club visitors, because a fragile girl may approach the exercise machine you abandoned and simply will not remove eight 25-kilogram disks from it.
Throw shells on the floor if not required
It’s one thing to slam the barbell onto the floor after doing the tenth repetition of a deadlift weighing 270 kilograms - people will turn around, but out of respect they will forgive it. And it’s quite another thing to throw a forty kilogram onto the racks or the floor after doing a standing press or lunges. Excessive noise in the gym is very annoying, especially for those who train seriously. If you are idle and ruin the silence, they might drop something on you.
Disassemble someone else's barbell without asking
You thought that this was a thrown projectile, and someone serious was working with it, it’s just that now this “someone” is in a rest phase. Always, if you need this or that disc on the bar, before disassembling the apparatus, politely ask the nearest practitioners if it is occupied.
Skip the pre-workout shower and indulge in perfume
Make it a rule to take a shower not only after, but also before training, especially if you come to the gym after a working day. Even if you are dressed all clean, your body, heated by exertion, will still reveal you as a lazy and unclean athlete. Your deodorants or perfumes, like the stench, are also not needed by anyone in the gym.
Occupy a power rack
A power rack or squat rack is designed to perform squats or various types traction Doing other exercises like biceps curls in a rack, and even with light weights, is bad form.
Beginner's Dictionary
Aerobic
This refers to the training mode. Aerobic - “in the presence of oxygen”, energy supply muscle activity in this mode, it is carried out due to oxidative reactions of the breakdown of fat and carbohydrate reserves (lipolysis and glycolysis). This is any low-intensity load (not higher than 80% of MAX heart rate). Typical examples aerobic exercise: walking, jogging, cycling.
Anaerobic
An intense, but short-term (no more than 90 seconds) training regimen, in which the energy supply to muscle activity is provided by faster sources (creatine phosphate and glycogen) without the participation of oxygen. A typical example of anaerobic exercises is strength exercises with a barbell, 100-meter sprint and others.
"Until full recovery"
Cardio
This is what they call either cardio equipment - treadmill, stationary bike, stepper, elliptical cross trainer, rowing machine, AMT and others. Or the training itself on these machines.
Core
Several muscle groups located in the geometric center of the body. If you try to determine this very center, you will immediately stumble upon the abs (or whatever you have in its place). The core also includes a number of muscles of the back and hips.
Repeat
Performing the exercise from the starting position to the final position and back. For example, in a barbell curl, one repetition is bending your elbows and returning to starting position once.
Approach (set)
The sequence of repetitions of one exercise specified by the trainer - from the first to the last. The trainer's recommendation usually sounds like this: “Do three sets of push-ups of 15 repetitions each.”
Free weights
Barbells of any configuration, as well as dumbbells and kettlebells (but not exercise equipment, including the Smith machine). It is believed that the use of free weights provides the best training effect compared to any other device.
Heart rate
Heart rate, or simply pulse. Serves as an indicator of the intensity, degree of “severity” of the workout (mostly we are talking about cardio). The higher the heart rate, the more intense the load. You may also come across the term “maximum heart rate”. This is the conditional upper limit of the heart rate necessary to calculate the intensity of the load. Maximum heart rate can be calculated using the formula: HR MAX = 220 – age in years
Beginner training
1. Never rush, increase the intensity gradually, and unpleasant mistakes will bypass you.
2. The duration of this training is a month. Then the classes can be complicated by changing the exercises and increasing their number.
Valuable Instructions Train 3-4 times a week, doing every other day. Please note: at first the training duration will be no more than 40 minutes, but the number of approaches will increase every week, and with it the duration of the classes. The sequence of exercises cannot be changed; follow the plan exactly. Perform the exercises in order, resting between sets until complete recovery. And don’t forget about warming up: the required minimum is 5–10 minutes. active walking on the treadmill. After your workout, cool down by walking quietly on the treadmill for another 10–15 minutes.
| Week 1 | Week 2 | Week 3 | Week 4 | |
| 1*10 | 2*10 | 3*10 | 4*10 | |
| 1*12 | 2*12 | 3*12 | 3*12 | |
| 1*8 | 2*8 | 3*8 | 4*8 | |
| 1*8 | 2*8 | 3*8 | 4*8 | |
| 1*10 | 2*10 | 3*10 | 4*10 | |
| 1*10 | 2*10 | 3*10 | 4*10 | |
| 1*15–20 | 2*15–20 | 3*15–20 | 4*15–20 |
1.
Muscles: quadriceps
Sit on the machine with the support on the bottom of your shin and your back pressed firmly against the back of the device. Do not spread your knees too far apart; hold the handles with your hands (A). Smoothly straighten your legs, raising the support of the machine (B). Return under control to the starting position and repeat.
2.
Muscles: back surface thighs, legs
Sit on the machine so that its emphasis is on the lower part of your shins, just above your heels. Hold the handles of the machine and bend your knees slightly (A). Without bending at the lower back, bend your knees all the way (B). Smoothly return to the starting position and repeat.
3.
Muscles: quadriceps, glutes, hamstrings, calves
Lie down on the machine with your feet on the platform slightly wider than shoulder-width apart. Grab the handles and bend your knees slightly (A). Slightly spreading your knees to the sides, bend your legs and lower the platform towards you as low as possible, but do not lift your lower back from the back of the machine (B). Squeeze the platform powerfully, returning to the starting position.
Important: throughout the entire approach, do not straighten your legs completely.
4.
Muscles: pectorals, triceps, deltoids
Sit in the machine, adjusting the seat so that the handles are level with the bottom of your legs. pectoral muscles. Grab the handles, spread your elbows to the sides, squeeze your shoulder blades together and push your chest forward (A). Without spreading your shoulder blades, squeeze the handles in front of you until your arms are almost completely straight (B). Smoothly return to the starting position and repeat.
5.
Muscles: lats, biceps
Sit on the machine with your knees under the supports. Grasp the handle with an overhand grip (palms facing away from you) shoulder-width apart. Look up and bend over thoracic region spine, raising the chest. Straighten your arms (A). As you lower your shoulders, pull the handle toward your upper chest and squeeze your shoulder blades together (B). Return to starting position and repeat.
6.
Muscles: deltoid
Stand straight, feet hip-width apart, lower the dumbbells to your sides, bend your arms slightly at the elbows (A). Without shrugging your shoulders, raise the dumbbells to the sides (B). Smoothly return to the starting position and repeat.
7.
Muscles: rectus abdominis and oblique muscles
Lie on the floor with your knees bent to a right angle. Bring your knees together, press your feet to the floor. Raise your palms to your face and spread your elbows to the sides as in photo (A). Tighten your abdominal muscles and lift your head and upper back off the floor (B). Without relaxing your abdominal muscles, return to the starting position and repeat.
- Fish oil- a natural restorative containing vitamins A, D and polyunsaturated higher fatty acids, including omega-3.
- Category:
Take 3 capsules daily with meals. Duration of treatment is 4 weeks.
OMEGA-3D "Academy-T" is an innovative TRIPLE ACTION FORMULA. A unique combination of Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, the antioxidant Coenzyme Q10 and the amino acid L-carnitine provides the product with powerful synergistic properties and ensures the supply of healthy fats, protection of fats from oxidants and complete absorption in cells.
Beneficial effects of OMEGA-3D:
- increase in metabolic rate;
- improving the rheological properties of blood by reducing viscosity, resulting in lower blood pressure, reducing the risk of cardiovascular diseases, blood clots, strokes and heart attacks;
- reduces the level of triglycerides in the blood, which leads to a reduced risk of heart disease;
- stimulation of ATP production for heart cells;
- increasing overall tone and endurance;
- weight loss;
- normalization of immunity;
- improving brain function, elevating mood. The medulla is made up of 60% fat and especially needs Omega-3 fatty acids to function properly;
- a healthy source of energy that does not pose the risk of increasing fat mass;
- increased production of hormones, including the most important testosterone in sports.
VPLAB Nutrition | BCAA 8:1:1 ?
Mix 10 g (one scoop) with 200 ml of water. Drink immediately after preparation. 1 serving before training.
Essential amino acids with branched chains (BCAA), which are the main material for protein synthesis, have a strong anabolic effect and prevent catabolism. L-glutamine enhances the effect of BCAAs, promoting more efficient growth muscle mass and recovery. New generation ultramicronized BCAA are distinguished by the best solubility and complete absence of bitterness. The ratio of leucine - isoleucine - valine 8:1:1 is optimal for maximizing the anabolic potential of muscle tissue.
VPLAB Nutrition | Joint Formula?
Glucosamine in combination with chondroitin takes part in the synthesis of connective tissue, prevents the processes of cartilage destruction - restores and even reverses the development of osteoarthritis, stimulates the active restoration of cartilage tissue.
VPLab "Liquid Joint Formula":
- Improves joint mobility and functional state musculoskeletal system
- Reduces muscle fatigue
- Restores joints after exercise
- For diseases of the joints and spine, reduces pain and inflammation
VPLAB Nutrition | Ultra Men's Sport Multivitamin Formula?
1 capsule 2 times a day
Taking the vitamin and mineral complex VPLaboratory Ultra Men's Sport Multivitamin Formula will help eliminate nutrient deficiency in the body, which causes premature fatigue, insufficient recovery and decreased body tone.
Want to start strength training, but don't know where to start? Here are the basic principles and rules of training for beginners in gym who just decided to start studying.
Have you decided to get in shape? Looking for a suitable training program for beginners? Don't know what exercises to do and what equipment to use? No problem!
I will tell you how to properly start working out in the gym and about the basic recommendations and rules for those who are just starting strength training. Whether you want to get stronger, lose weight, build... muscle mass or just improve your physical fitness, this article will help you go along the right way to health and achieving fitness goals.
Strength training will also give wonderful results those who have tried (and failed) to get in shape with just diet and cardio. Consistent and regular training (more than 2 times a week for 12 weeks) will lead to:
- Increased muscle fiber size
- Building strength
- Increasing tendon strength
- Increasing the strength of ligaments
All this will help you build a healthy and resilient body, and also reduce the risk of injury. You will end up looking absolutely amazing!
Gym for beginners: rules of conduct
- Always bring a towel with you to place on the machines and equipment you will be using.
- Return dumbbells, barbells, weight plates, and other equipment after use.
- Don't rest for long periods of time between sets when working on machines while others are waiting their turn.
- Finally, leave your cell phone in a locker or car so that others won't be forced to listen to your conversations.
Common Newbie Mistakes
- Using weights that are too heavy in the early stages. Start with small loads and then gradually increase them. If your technique suffers, you sway or use the inertia of your movements, then this means that you have chosen too heavy weight. In addition, it increases the risk of injury and reduces the effectiveness of working the target muscle groups.
- Using too light weight . It always makes sense to play it safe, but if you can do 30 reps with a certain weight, then it's probably better to increase it. Tip: Increase weight by no more than 5% at a time.
- Doing reps too quickly. Lifting heavy weights at a slow and controlled pace results in more muscle tension and allows you to destroy more muscle fibers and reduce the risk of injury. Remember that joints are only as strong as the muscles that surround them.
- Insufficient or excessive rest. Both factors have a negative impact on training. It is recommended to rest between sets for 30 to 90 seconds.
Training program for beginners
This set of exercises in the gym for beginners is perfect even for those who even come to work out in the gym for the first time. By exercising according to this scheme, you can strengthen ligaments and joints, as well as prepare muscles for more difficult workouts and exercises.
- Running on a treadmill - 5-10 minutes
- Leg press - 1 approach
- Lying leg curl - 1 approach
- Traction upper block to the chest - 1 approach
- Reduction of arms in the butterfly simulator - 1 approach
- Arm extension in crossover with rope - 1 approach
- Biceps curls in the machine - 1 approach
- Overhead press in the simulator - 1 approach
- Crunches in the simulator - 1 approach
- "Bike" - 1 approach
Please note! Beginners should not use heavy basic exercises in their first workouts. This approach can result in injuries and forever discourage you from working out in the gym.
Moreover, a smooth entry into the training regime will provide a better start, help avoid injuries and soreness, and make it possible to get results faster.
Training Guidelines for Beginners
This program is designed to improve physical training a healthy adult who has never exercised before (or has little experience).
You will notice that most of the exercises are performed in machines. This is intentional because beginners have less stability in their joints and weaker muscles bark. When trying to immediately work with free weights (dumbbells or barbells), beginners increase the risk of injury.
Using machines provides support to these weak areas and allows you to isolate and strengthen the muscles before moving on to free weights.
- Perform the workout at least 2 times a week to ensure significant strength gains.
- Between each workout there should be 1 day of rest.
- At least 1 set of 8-12 repetitions should significantly fatigue the muscles. That is, you should choose a weight with which you will not be able to perform 2 sets in a row without a 30-90 second rest break.
- Performing one full range of motion repetition in a slow and controlled manner should take 4-5 seconds.
- Rest at least 30 and no more than 90 seconds between sets, and 1 to 2 minutes between exercises.
Here are some tips to help you get more out of your training:
- Stay hydrated! Be sure to drink at least 8-10 glasses of water per day. Dehydration can weaken you and reduce the effectiveness of your workouts. Also drink plenty of water during your workouts.
- Eat a small portion of food with equal parts lean protein (lean chicken, turkey, beef or fish) and complex carbohydrates(oatmeal, rice) 30-60 minutes before training, and also within 60 minutes after it. This will give the body energy and ensure its recovery.
- Do cardio (for fat burning) only after strength training or at other times of the day.
- Keep a training diary. Record the number of sets and repetitions, the size of the working weights, and the exercises performed. This will allow you to track your progress and progress.
- On your journey to building your body, take regular photos and measurements of all parts of your body to monitor your results.
Most beginners, when they come to the gym, often start doing heavy lifting. basic exercises without having a sufficient level of training for this. On the other hand, there are those who, from the very beginning, accustom themselves to training on simulators, without paying due attention free weights. However, these two categories of novice athletes are united by incorrectly constructed training programs, which they often write to themselves. In this article we will look at best programs training in the gym for beginner athletes.
Training goals
Before starting to draw up any program, it is necessary, first of all, to decide on the goals that the future program should achieve. Training goals can be both physical body parameters (strength, endurance) and external ones (muscle mass, relief, weight loss, etc.). In this case, physical parameters are trained mainly due to strength exercises, and external parameters require not only a special training regimen, but also adherence to a proper diet. This is their key difference. It is a mistaken opinion that only with the help of training programs can one increase muscle mass, improve the relief or provide efficient combustion excess fat.
At the initial stage of training, your training goals will not be particularly important, but after completing the basic stage of training, you will have an idea of what programs to use and what parameters to work on improving. Therefore, the stage of defining training goals is key.
Introductory stage of training
This stage is a must-have for any novice athlete. The fact is that at first neither the muscles nor the cardio-respiratory system of the body are fully prepared for serious stress. In addition, you yourself are unlikely to know the limit of your physical capabilities. Therefore, the introductory stage of training includes work on all the basic muscle groups in minimal intensity and minimal volume.
The total duration of the introductory stage is 4 weeks.
Workout #1 (Monday)
Training#2 (Wednesday)
| Exercises | Approaches | Repetitions |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | 15 | |
| 2 | 15 | |
| 2 | 15 | |
| 2 | 15 | |
| 2 | 15 |
Training#3 (Friday)
| Exercises | Approaches | Repetitions |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | 15 | |
| 2 | 15 | |
| 2 | 15 | |
| 2 | 15 | |
| 2 | 15 |
Basic stage of training
At this stage, we will have to train according to split schemes, that is, on each training day we will specifically train two specific muscle groups. Basic period training is more intense and voluminous, and also provides greater load on the main muscle groups.
The basic stage of training will include 2 training programs - one is intended for intermediate beginners, the other for below-intermediate beginners.
Below the middle level This is understood as a level of fitness at which an athlete can perform basic exercises with his own weight - pull-ups and push-ups, at least in an average number of repetitions (at least 6-8).
Below average is understood as a level of fitness at which the athlete cannot perform exercises with his own weight (pull-ups, dips) or performs them in a small number of repetitions (less than 6).
The total duration of the basic stage is 8 weeks.
Training frequency – 3 times a week.
Basic complex for beginners of the INTERMEDIATE level
| Exercises | Approaches | Repetitions |
|---|---|---|
| 3 | 12 | |
| 3 | maximum | |
| 3 | 12 | |
| 3 | 12 | |
| 3 | 15 | |
| 3 | 15 | |
| 2 | 15 | |
| 2 | 15 |
Training#2 (Wednesday): Shoulders + Legs
| Exercises | Approaches | Repetitions |
|---|---|---|
| 3 | 12 | |
| 3 | 12 | |
| 3 | 15 | |
| 3 | 12 | |
| 3 | 15 | |
| 3 | 12 |
Training
| Exercises | Approaches | Repetitions |
|---|---|---|
| 3 | 12 | |
| 3 | maximum | |
| 3 | maximum | |
| 3 | 12 | |
| standing | 3 | 15 |
| 3 | 15 | |
| 2 | 15 | |
| 2 | 15 |
Basic complex for beginner athletes of BELOW INTERMEDIATE level
Workout #1 (Monday): Chest + Back + Abs
| Exercises | Approaches | Repetitions |
|---|---|---|
| 3 | 12 | |
| 3 | 12 | |
| 3 | 12 | |
| 3 | 12 | |
| 3 | 15 | |
| 3 | 15 | |
| 2 | 15 |
Training#2 (Wednesday): Shoulders + Legs
| Exercises | Approaches | Repetitions |
|---|---|---|
| 3 | 12 | |
| 3 | 12 | |
| 3 | 15 | |
| 3 | 12 | |
| 3 | 15 | |
| 3 | 12 |
Training#3 (Friday): Biceps + Triceps + Abs
