Weights Workout Routines That Work
This is really aimed at people who are not currently exercising regularly, but are considering getting into shape. If you are already a seasoned bodybuilder, then this is going to seem somewhat obvious, so maybe don’t read it, unless you just want a quick refresher.
For maximum results with minimum effort, I would suggest that anyone looking to start doing some wieghts workouts should concentrate on what are called “compound movements”. Compound movements are exercises that use up groups of muscles rather than isolating an individual muscle.
For example, the deadlift is the ultimate compound movement, as it uses the legs, upper and lower back, forearms, and stomach muscles in one exercise. An example of an exercise that isolates the muscles would be a bicep curl, which really only works the bicep, especially if it’s done on a preacher machine.
If you want to see results quickly, I would follow this simple plan for six weeks. At the end of it, you will see simultaneous strength gains and weight loss. The workout should only take about 45 minutes, and should be repeated 3 times a week, don’t worry too much about trying to go heavy with this six week programms, concentrate on doing 10-12 reps slowly (5-8 seconds per rep), and only up the weight if you feel that you can do 12 reps really easily. As much as anything, this six week programme will get your body used to doing weights, and strengthen up all the tendons and smaller supporting muscles that are needed for more advanced weight traininig.
Legs
Do three sets of squats, use a squat rack if you have one. If you are working out at home and don’t have a squat rack, just start off with 10kg of weight on a barbell across your shoulders. You may go slightly heavier if using a squat rack, but don’t overdo it. Remember, when squatting, you have to lift most of your body weight, plus the weight on the barbell, so even though 10kg may not look like much, if you weigh 80kg, you are lifting the best part of 90kg.
Legs / Back
Do three sets of dead lifts, don’t use wrist straps as they will prevent your forearms from getting a workout. Start off with a similar weight to your squat, keep the form good and don’t get too hung up on the weight for the moment. Might be a good idea to invest in a weights belt for this exercise as it will give your back support during this exercise and others that are in the programme.
Back
Bent over rowing for three sets. Use your weights belt to support your lower back. You can probably get away with a similar weight to that used in squats / dead lifts. Don’t use wrist straps initially, though as you get heavier, it might be a good idea to use them to ensure you can complete the set without your forearms failing.
Chest
Do three sets of bench press on a flat bench. Pick a weight that you feel you can comfortably do 12 reps on. Keep the reps slow and controlled, there’s no point throwing the weight up and down as it will eventually lead to shoulder injuries which really mess up your training schedule.
Shoulders
Do three sets of standing shoulder press, this will give you a bit of a workout in just getting the barbell to your starting position, which will be on your upper chest. You may try this across your shoulders, but for some this really hurts the neck. Choose a weight that you can lift up to your shoulders comfortably, and do 12 slow, controlled reps. Like with the bench press, don’t throw the weight up and down as this will lead to shoulder injuries.
You may want to add some abdominal work to this routine, if you feel the need, I would add a couple of sets of leg raises and a couple of sets of crunches. The whole workout should only take about 6-8 minutes per body part, allowing for 1-1.5 minutes rest between sets, and a bit of time to set up the weights/bench etc.
Remember, if you have not been doing much exercise before starting this programme to increase the amount of protein you are consuming. A good way to do this without getting too scientific is to make sure you eat protein with every meal, sometimes hard at breakfast, so perhaps buy a protein shake to supplement your normal breakfast.
One Response to “Weights Workout Routines That Work”
February 28th, 2009 saat: 12:52 pm
Keep working ,great job!
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