Weight Training: For Beginners - Critique my program/Q & A

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Re: Weight Training Program

mcuzzy said:
Can agree with some of that. But there must be a reason bodybuilders usually only do one set of shoulder press?
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One set? That's definitely not true.

Cutler often does up to 5 or 6 sets on the primary shoulder press.
 
Re: Weight Training Program

I've mentioned this before, but a gym's out of question for me for a while, and the likelihood of an abundance of vain w***ers frequenting such places and having to be within so much as a 100m radius as people like that can be somewhat of an off putting thought, but I'm still game for heading to a gym when it becomes an option for me, so long as I don't have to put up with any smart ass shit from some dumb prick. Yeah, gone off track a bit, anyway...

I've got a barbell at home, about 60kg worth of weight plates (need to buy some more), got nowhere to put a bench so forget that, I've done practically bugger all weights, so I was wondering if anyone here had a decent barbell only strength training program for me, bearing in mind I'm a beginner?

Just think what you'd do in my shoes, with just the barbell at your disposal and you were trying to get as strong as possible. Couldn't care less about muscle building. If you got it, good, if not, no big deal, as far as I'm concerned. And yes I understand with 60kg of weight plates I won't get far (although I'm a weak as piss twig, can only shoulder press 30kg), hence why I said I'd get some more.
 
Re: Weight Training Program

well it all depends on how much you can lift for specififc exercises

test these (how many reps you can get with whatever wt) and get back to me:

floor press
front squat
back squat
bent row
shoulder press
reverse curl
tricep extension (lie on the floor)
romanain deadlifts
step ups
split squats
reverse lunges
deadlifts

if you've done them before then try hang cleans but if not don't bother

anywhere for chin ups to be done mate?
 

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Re: Weight Training Program

cptkirk said:
look at the wt you use for side raises...

now look at the wt you use for shoulder presses

which will make you bigger??
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Not really a great way of looking at it.

For example you could lift 100kg on the Bench Press, and 40kg dumbbells for Chest Press. You're lifting more with the Barbell, yet you yourself have agreed that Dumbbells are better for building mass.

See what I'm saying?

For the record, I've already stated that I agree a Shoulder Press is better for mass than a lateral raise, however your argument is flawed.
 
Re: Weight Training Program

Whomb said:
One set? That's definitely not true.

Cutler often does up to 5 or 6 sets on the primary shoulder press.
Click to expand...

Ahh thanks :) Taken everything into account. Last night I came home and did barbell press and one arm dumbell press after gym anyway.

YOu have some very good advice. On my bench (dumbell chest press) I think my main issue is getting the damn peanuts above elbow level to get me started. I always lean back with them just above my shoulder and go for my first rep and can barely get them up. I usually get someone to lift my elbows but I always see a technique guys use where they use their knees to push the dumbbells up while keeping their arms straight. But anyway, If it weren't for the many kilos of muscle I've gained, I would literally look like a starving african, not kidding. I still get frustrated with my pecs because lately I've been making sure I know that once my workout is done, my chest will be sore for 4 or 5 days. I'm kind of built like a 12 year old lanky kid, very undeveloped chest and body so my collar bones still stick out above my chest and the ribs in the middle are still slightly visible. But its just another thing in my mind to keep me pushing.

I last night experienced the realisation of bullshit in the magazines. Dorian
Yates did two 3 set tricep workouts with 1 set for warmup apparently. I know that isn't true.

But at the moment I'm just trying to stick with what's working. This week was massive. Spent so much time eating.
 
Re: Weight Training Program

Not really a great way of looking at it.

For example you could lift 100kg on the Bench Press, and 40kg dumbbells for Chest Press. You're lifting more with the Barbell, yet you yourself have agreed that Dumbbells are better for building mass.

See what I'm saying?

For the record, I've already stated that I agree a Shoulder Press is better for mass than a lateral raise, however your argument is flawed
Click to expand...

a ticky tacky response at best

2 40kg db's 80kgs total so it's not that far behind ewhat you could side raise or shoulder press

and when i refer to shoulder press, i always mean db's...i don't have any clioents do straight bar should er presses and i hardly do them either

see what i'm saying??

and getting the db's up is always an arseh*le, definately with the kick up and roll back option you said
 
Re: Weight Training Program

cptkirk said:
a ticky tacky response at best

2 40kg db's 80kgs total so it's not that far behind ewhat you could side raise or shoulder press

and when i refer to shoulder press, i always mean db's...i don't have any clioents do straight bar should er presses and i hardly do them either
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Still a significant weight difference. 20% of the said Bench weight, in fact.

I know what you were saying, and I agree that a regular Shoulder Press is far superior to a Lateral Raise. I just think the way you went about arguing it wasn't the best way.

Doesn't really matter, I guess; we're in agreeance on the exercise itself.
 
Re: Weight Training Program

cptkirk said:
well it all depends on how much you can lift for specififc exercises

test these (how many reps you can get with whatever wt) and get back to me:

floor press
front squat
back squat
bent row
shoulder press
reverse curl
tricep extension (lie on the floor)
romanain deadlifts
step ups
split squats
reverse lunges
deadlifts

if you've done them before then try hang cleans but if not don't bother

anywhere for chin ups to be done mate?
Click to expand...

Never done hang cleans before. I can't do bugger all weight, really. Only know that I can shoulder press 30kg (it isn't my max but I struggle to get more than 3 correct form reps of that) and I don't know my bent over row max, I can do about 8 reps to failure of 30kg of that I think.

For the rest, I've tried the front squat and deadlift before, but I don't know what my best is. I only have 60kg worth of weight plates, and I can deadlift 60kg but even I find I can't do too many reps of that either. Yeah, I'm a weakling. Won't pretend to be an internet tough guy when I know I'm not. I'd fight dirty if my life was threatened. It'd be the only way I could win against the average bloke.

Anyway...

How would you arrange those exercises into a Mon/Wed/Fri routine?

Thanks in advance for your help.
 
Re: Weight Training Program

try all those exercises oput and find a 6 to 8 rep wt then we can work something put...no point me saying to do 3 rep deadlift sets if you can easily do 6 reps with all you're wts...

Still a significant weight difference. 20% of the said Bench weight
Click to expand...

compare that with a shoulder press and a side raise and you'd use probably less then 50% of the shoulder press wt is what i was getting at, didn't think i needed to break every little detail down
 
Re: Weight Training Program

cptkirk said:
try all those exercises oput and find a 6 to 8 rep wt then we can work something put...no point me saying to do 3 rep deadlift sets if you can easily do 6 reps with all you're wts...



compare that with a shoulder press and a side raise and you'd use probably less then 50% of the shoulder press wt is what i was getting at, didn't think i needed to break every little detail down
Click to expand...

i can tell by the way you write, you're a personal trainer at a major gym arent you?
 
Re: Weight Training Program

not sure what is meant by a major gym but i wouldn't be caught dead at fitness first or gensis

i'm almost 100% sure that none of those trainers would know half of what i know

i just bought my own pt business in south yarra though
 

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Re: Weight Training Program

cptkirk said:
i'd leave out leg presses and leg curls and add in deadlifts, rdl's etc...the hams are stronger when worked in hip extension (deads, rdl's, lunges etc)
Click to expand...

OH yes. Forgot to add I do deadlists. Have never tried roman deadlifts before to be honest. I only do curls at the end when I know my hamstrings are on fire.

thanks for the advice I'll work my way into this
 
Re: Weight Training Program

cptkirk don't worry about it mate, working out at home is just not going to work for me, I'll only start lifting when I go to a gym.

I need to be in the right environment with the right equipment and supervision.

But while we're at it, what do you think would be a good beginners workout program for someone going to the gym who just wants to get stronger?

I wouldn't want to do too many exercises either or worry about any isolation crap.

I know to have Squats, Deadlifts, Presses (Incline/Flat/Decline), Barbell Rows, Military Presses, Dips, Pull Ups and Planks in an effective strength training program, but would you really need much else?

And if a full body workout would be a good way to start off, wouldn't I have to go to failure (or otherwise do more sets... that'd be far too long each session though) all the time, or very close to it? Isn't that hard on the recovery of an untrained ectomorph body type?
 
Re: Weight Training Program

use variations of all those exercises, not just the one's listed

not a fan of going to failure a lot of the time, ecspecially on the big exercises that can run you down quick...volume will overtrain more so then intensity though
 
Re: Weight Training Program

With all this debate and varieties of training programs you can do, isn't progressive overload on the major compound lifts, in addition to good eating and sleeping, basically all you need to build muscle? As long as you're getting stronger, you should be getting more muscular, right? Hard to imagine, for instance, a skinny runt squatting 200kg.

For example, with my barbell at home, all I can military press is 32.5kg (yes I'm a puny weakling who doesn't lift weights on a regular basis or play sports etc), but if say, I worked up to military pressing 55kg, the parts of my body I am working with that exercise should be more bigger and muscular, right?

Also, I was thinking about what workout routine I would use if I was going to the gym, and the last thing I'd want to do is do an endless amount of exercises per session since I'd fatigue easily since I'm unfit, get bored quickly, and run out of gas even if I were fitter since if I were doing multiple sets each exercise and pushing myself, not quite to failure each set, my performances on the last few exercises would probably be crap, or so I would imagine.

So how does this sound for a strength training workout routine, keeping in mind I would alternate with set/rep numbers with less reps and less volume, although even if I tried to always do 5 x 5 of squats one week then 3 x 12 of squats the next, I'd probably **** it up somehow.

Anyway...

Monday

Squats 3 x 5
Lunges 3 x 5
Power Cleans 3 x 5
Prone Planks

Wednesday

Bench Press 1 x 5 (flat)/1 x 5 (incline)/1 x 5 (decline)
Dips 3 x 8
Military Presses 3 x 5
Side Planks

Friday

Deadlifts 2 x 5
Pull Ups 1 x 5/Chin Ups 1 x 5/2 x 5 with one arm pulling the other chinning
Barbell Rows 3 x 5
Roll Outs 3 x 12

Sound pretty good? What would you do to modify that, keeping in mind I would not use machines, cables or any isolation exercises whatsoever?
 

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Weight Training: For Beginners - Critique my program/Q & A

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