Tilted Forum Project Discussion Community - View Single Post - Advice on beginning strength training program

odu_sonar_AE · 06-29-2005, 10:37 AM

Does your new gym have personal trainers that you can use? If so, look into how much it costs to get them to help. I’ve never used them before, but I’ve seen others who have, and made some decent results fairly quickly.

As far as a lifting program goes, remember you body usually needs somewhere around 48 hours to repair the muscle torn while lifting. Lifting the same muscle groups every other day will keep you from seeing results b/c your muscles don’t have the proper time to repair themselves. Another thing to remember is to breathe. I know how simple this sounds, but I’ve seen many new people not breathe while lifting (exhale while lifting). Your muscles need the oxygen while lifting.

I like to do muscle groups the compliment themselves. A normal routine would be: Day 1 – Chest, Triceps; Day 2 – legs; Day 3 – Shoulders & Traps, Day 4 – Back, Biceps, Forearms. This was I’m not straining muscles I will need the next day.

Also, do not to over-train the muscles…especially in the beginning. According to a Men’s Health article, beginning lifters can see about the same results from doing one set of an exercise or doing three sets. I can’t remember the number of sets you shouldn’t go over, but it’s a little bit more for bigger muscle groups than smaller muscle groups (I think it was 7-9 sets for larger groups, and 4-6 for smaller groups). This would be another good area for a trainer.

There are also two approaches you can take when lifting. Doing less reps (8-10) with more weight will increase your size. Doing more reps (13+) with less weight will tone you muscles. Both ways provide a way to increase strength. You aren’t stuck with one strategy for your whole body as you can pick & choose what works for each part. I have huge legs & calves, so I focus on toning them while I do more “bulk” work for my upper body.

If you are curious about lifting, and don’t want to talk to the trainers, there are plenty of books on the subject. My first book was the Weider Bodybuilding book, and it had a lot of good information in it.

One last thing, remember to change your routines every so often. The body gets smart to what it needs to do. As you’ve been doing the routine for a few months, it has learned what the smallest amount of muscles it needs to get the job done. This means you won’t see the same results as you did at the beginning of the routine.

Good luck with your training!

06-29-2005, 10:37 AM	#6 (permalink)
odu_sonar_AE Tilted	Does your new gym have personal trainers that you can use? If so, look into how much it costs to get them to help. I’ve never used them before, but I’ve seen others who have, and made some decent results fairly quickly. As far as a lifting program goes, remember you body usually needs somewhere around 48 hours to repair the muscle torn while lifting. Lifting the same muscle groups every other day will keep you from seeing results b/c your muscles don’t have the proper time to repair themselves. Another thing to remember is to breathe. I know how simple this sounds, but I’ve seen many new people not breathe while lifting (exhale while lifting). Your muscles need the oxygen while lifting. I like to do muscle groups the compliment themselves. A normal routine would be: Day 1 – Chest, Triceps; Day 2 – legs; Day 3 – Shoulders & Traps, Day 4 – Back, Biceps, Forearms. This was I’m not straining muscles I will need the next day. Also, do not to over-train the muscles…especially in the beginning. According to a Men’s Health article, beginning lifters can see about the same results from doing one set of an exercise or doing three sets. I can’t remember the number of sets you shouldn’t go over, but it’s a little bit more for bigger muscle groups than smaller muscle groups (I think it was 7-9 sets for larger groups, and 4-6 for smaller groups). This would be another good area for a trainer. There are also two approaches you can take when lifting. Doing less reps (8-10) with more weight will increase your size. Doing more reps (13+) with less weight will tone you muscles. Both ways provide a way to increase strength. You aren’t stuck with one strategy for your whole body as you can pick & choose what works for each part. I have huge legs & calves, so I focus on toning them while I do more “bulk” work for my upper body. If you are curious about lifting, and don’t want to talk to the trainers, there are plenty of books on the subject. My first book was the Weider Bodybuilding book, and it had a lot of good information in it. One last thing, remember to change your routines every so often. The body gets smart to what it needs to do. As you’ve been doing the routine for a few months, it has learned what the smallest amount of muscles it needs to get the job done. This means you won’t see the same results as you did at the beginning of the routine. Good luck with your training!