Build a Solid Workout Routine

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Ever wondered how to get real results from your time in the gym? Too many people start weight training but never make real gains and find themselves in a constant cycle year after year. This article will show you how to benefit from only a few hours a week.

Steps

  1. Find a good gym or buy equipment. All you really need is a barbell, a bench and some Olympic weights, so think about whether joining a gym is really necessary.
  2. Your workout needs to be intense, you only get out what you put in. Don't make it too easy or you will be wasting your time.
    • "I only want big arms and chest, nothing else" This is not how you will workout. Your body will be completely out of proportion, accept this now. Your workout will cover the entire body, building solid strength.
  3. Forget isolation exercises, you're not a professional body builder, so ignore them. Concentrate on compound exercises which use several muscles at once; this will be faster, more effective, and more fun too.
  4. Working out a muscle once a week is a bad idea, you need to do it at least 2 times a week; but don't worry to much about this because a workout program based on compound exercises will prevent this.
  5. Proper form is very important. When squatting bring your rear end to the floor, if you aren't doing this then you are wasting your time. Also don't do ultra slow reps, do it naturally and controlled.
  6. Perform reps of 6-8, and about 4 sets. use the same weight for each. Hard, boring, but effective (a lot better than pyramid)

Exercises

Pull

  • Deadlifts
  • Barbell rows
  • Pullups
  • Barbell curls

Push

  • Flat bench press
  • Push-ups
  • Military press
  • Dips

Core & Legs

  • Crunch
  • Sit-up
  • Glut ham raises
  • Back extensions
  • Squats
  • Lunges
  1. Using push and pull is a nice way to break up your workout. The routine posted above can be followed completely and is very effective or you can adapt it for your own use. The exercises however are very important; note how they all use multiple muscles because they have a greater range of motion.
  2. Online video sites are very useful to see how to perform an exercise.
  3. Aim to workout 3 times a week, but avoid over training. Try using each of the workouts above once a week.
  4. Bench what you can Row. This is a simple piece of advice, antagonistic symmetry is when two muscles work in sync: like how you can straighten your arm, the triceps contracts and the bicep relaxes. Some people training one muscle too much and can damage themselves, the back is the most neglected muscle. The barbell row is pretty much the opposite of the bench press, so never bench more than you can row, this will avoid injury.

Tips

Sleep, rest and nutrition are all vital factors when building muscle. This article has focused on the training aspect.

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