Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I posted in this sub-forum before, but I feel like I now have a more specialized question.
I've been working out for several years on and off and have become very motivated and consistently working out for a good few months as of late. In the past, I tended to spend my time doing cardio because I needed to actually lose weight and it was what I enjoyed.
I have now reached a point where I want to start weight training/working out more seriously and with more of a plan in mind.
I know I will still throw in a few days of cardio each week, mostly just running and Zumba. But the rest of my week I'd like to be able to rotate arm, leg, back/shoulder days.
The problem is, I don't know how to go about structuring each type of workout. I also don't know how to structure my week with each type of workout in order to get the best results possible.
Does anyone have a suggestion for resources to utilize in helping me plan? Ideally, I'd like to get a trainer for a few sessions to get me on the right track so I can then continue the plan on my own but right now, I'd rather not spend the extra money (I will eventually if I have to).
I posted in this sub-forum before, but I feel like I now have a more specialized question.
I've been working out for several years on and off and have become very motivated and consistently working out for a good few months as of late. In the past, I tended to spend my time doing cardio because I needed to actually lose weight and it was what I enjoyed.
I have now reached a point where I want to start weight training/working out more seriously and with more of a plan in mind.
I know I will still throw in a few days of cardio each week, mostly just running and Zumba. But the rest of my week I'd like to be able to rotate arm, leg, back/shoulder days.
The problem is, I don't know how to go about structuring each type of workout. I also don't know how to structure my week with each type of workout in order to get the best results possible.
Does anyone have a suggestion for resources to utilize in helping me plan? Ideally, I'd like to get a trainer for a few sessions to get me on the right track so I can then continue the plan on my own but right now, I'd rather not spend the extra money (I will eventually if I have to).
Don't bother with bodypart split routines at this point as it would be counterproductive in the long term. A simple full body workout is enough for a beginner.
The link below is a great resource for beginning lifters and what I point everyone to when they are just starting out. Actual workout templates are in part 4.
I don't know. I took a look and, maybe its me but it starts out pretty slow. My go to resource (of the scads that are out there) is bodybuilding dot com. There is a begginer training section and lots of pictures and videos and a variety of authors with their various styles. Something for everyone. But I think the takeaway from my post and the other poster is that you, the o.p. does not have to solicit info from us mouth-breathers. You are a mouse click away from carefully thought out work-out plans (with scheduling) crafted by people who have acquired degrees... doctorates in some cases, in exercise science.
You should have done weight training before you started burning off your muscle. Do a full body workout, don't do a split at this point. Check out all pros and stronglifts. If you're completely new to lifting, all pros will progress way too slowly, though. For this reason, SL may be a better starting point.
A trainer will have you doing some silly complex program so you have to stick with them. It's like an investment advisor giving you some complex portfolio instead of a simple indexed approach that anyone can manage.
A trainer will have you doing some silly complex program so you have to stick with them. It's like an investment advisor giving you some complex portfolio instead of a simple indexed approach that anyone can manage.
You are right about this. I got a complementary session with the head trainer when I joined my new gym. I had never ever had any kind of supervision of my work-outs. She did work me hard but recommended a split system that I pushed back on. Even now after months I occasionally run into her and she always asks "what are you working on today", meaning what part of my split: back, legs, arms, etc. I have always been a full body advocate and don't feel it is just for beginners. This trainer starts rank beginners on a four day upper body/lower body split.
I don't know. I took a look and, maybe its me but it starts out pretty slow. My go to resource (of the scads that are out there) is bodybuilding dot com. There is a begginer training section and lots of pictures and videos and a variety of authors with their various styles. Something for everyone. But I think the takeaway from my post and the other poster is that you, the o.p. does not have to solicit info from us mouth-breathers. You are a mouse click away from carefully thought out work-out plans (with scheduling) crafted by people who have acquired degrees... doctorates in some cases, in exercise science.
It starts out slow because Lyle likes people to understand why they are doing things. That's why he spends the first few parts explaining the physiology behind it before moving into exercise recommendations. It would have been easy to throw together a workout template and tell people to go have fun.
I have just done casual reading and everything I found seems to advocate for a split, and mixing up days.
Split routines are great if you're more advanced and need/want more isolation work. For a beginner though, you're better off just doing the full body routine and hitting everything with compound lifts.
I have just done casual reading and everything I found seems to advocate for a split, and mixing up days.
As a beginner, you just can't handle the volume of so many different exercises for each body part. What you can do is the basics: bench, squats, rows, deadlifts, overhead press. Doing these lifts (maybe not deadlifts every time since deadlifts and squats are so taxing) every time is optimal for beginner's.
You can sub in something like romanian deadlifts for deadlifts if you want since deadlifts + squats on the same day is bad. Or follow stronglifts and do one set of deadlifts once per week.
It's better because you stimulate your muscles more often. Muscles only synthesize protein and grow for a day or two after being worked. So you will grow more and get stronger more quickly working every muscle 3 days a week than working each muscle group separately one day a week. Eventually, your muscles adapt to the point that more work is required to make them grow than is possible to do in one full body session. Then it makes sense to go to some kind of split. But for beginners, full body workouts yield the best results.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
