Learn how to pick the right basic exercises to create a foundation that will last a lifetime.
We get email here almost everyday asking about many of the articles that are in magazines about training. Many new comers want to know how one champion can train in a totally diffrent fashion than another but each says they are seeking more mass. On does realtivly high repettions and the other low to modest reps, but both say they are training for muscle mass. The whloe thing seems contradictory as hell if seen only from the surface. What you are not seeing is the foundation training that took place years earlier and laid the way for what you now see in the magazines. Foundation training is rooted in the very basics that are expounded here at GetBuilt.net as the foundamentals of all training.
Bedrock training begins and stays with you as a beginner, intermediate, and even advance intermediate. The best way to get started is with a two days split training schedule. On of the best is two on - one off - two on - two off. this kind of split allows for you to train as hard as possible with plenty of rest time between workouts. You would train half you body one day then half the next, then take a day off and repeat then two days off. For most this works out to Monday-Tuesday on, Wednesday Off - Thursday-Friday on, Saturday-Sunday off.
Training Split |
Workout One (Monday): Chest, Back & Shoulders | ||||
Workout Two (Tuesdays): Legs, Arms & Abs | ||||
Rest Day (Wednesdays) | ||||
Workout Three (Thursday): Chest, Back & Shoulders | ||||
Workout Four (Friday): Legs, Arms & Abs | ||||
Rest Day (Saturday & Sunday) | ||||
Now lets talk sets, reps, and exercises. Do three or four exercises, three or four sets of each for 6-10 reps per set, for large bodyparts, such as Legs, chest, back and shoulders. For smaller body parts such as biceps, triceps and forearms, perform two or three exercises, for three or four sets each with rep in the 6-10 rep range. Pyramid up in weight each set, and always go to failure or beyond if you have a spotter. Every two or three months try for a new max in the big three(deadlifts, squats, benches).
BedRock Exercises |
Chest: bench presses, incline barbell presses | ||||
Shoulders: standing military presses, seated military presses | ||||
Back: barbell rows, weighted chins, deadlifts | ||||
Quads: squats, leg presses | ||||
Hamstrings: stiff legged deadlifts, hypers | ||||
Biceps: standing barbell curls, standing alternated dumbbell curls | ||||
Triceps: close grip benches, overhead barbell extensions | ||||
Calves: standing calf raises, seated calf raises | ||||
Abdominals: romain chair situps, leg raises, crunches | ||||
Finally, for the most rapid gains always focus on compound movements using barbells and dumbbells. These exercises use the most muscles to perform each of them. When ever possible always pick your weight up off the floor and not a rack or bench. this build core strength over a period of time that most who don't do it will never get.
Don't get frustrated with trying to keep up with the exotic mass routines that you see in the magazines and just remember that every single Mr Olympia has lived on the basics for all of their core training. This is a fact and if its good enough to get Mr Olympia to the top, you have nothing to loose but sweat.