based on Starting Strength and several articles for beginners
I wanted to translate a few beginner programs, but almost all articles say the same thing, so to save time, I’ll provide a short summary:
Before you start weight training, strengthen yourself by doing bodyweight exercises (push-ups, squats, pull-ups, crunches, etc.). Also read this article: http://powerbuilding.pl/jak-wprowadzamy-poczatkujacych-do-treningu/
Get in shape; a few walks a week, even on a treadmill, will suffice.
Focus on bench press, rows, squats, and deadlifts. Do these exercises frequently, always prioritizing technique. If your technique breaks down (you lose stability or someone has to help you re-rack the bar, it means you did one repetition too many – always finish a set with 1-2 reps in reserve).
Almost any training method works for beginners, but the exercises above engage the most muscle mass. Therefore, if you get stronger in these exercises, you will increase your overall body muscle mass. Training biceps, triceps, calves, or forearms at the beginning is a waste of time because these muscles already work during the exercises mentioned above, so there’s no need to spend extra time on them.
Not only will these exercises develop muscle mass faster than anything else, but they are also the foundation of any sensible training plan and will accompany you throughout your gym career. So, at the beginning, while everything still works for you, instead of doing pointless exercises, do these often – if you focus on technique, doing them frequently will help you learn to perform them correctly faster (before each workout, read how to perform them correctly).
Sample Workout Program:
Monday (Workout A):
- Squat or Box Squat 3 sets of 5 reps
- Bench Press 3 x 5
- Barbell Row 3 x 5
Wednesday (Workout B):
- Squat or Box Squat 3 x 5
- Overhead Press 3 x 5
- Deadlift 3 x 5
Friday – Workout A again
Monday – Workout B again
Wednesday – Workout A again
etc… alternating ABABABA…
Load Selection
Since you’re training your whole body frequently, to ensure continuous progress, check what weight you can do for 5 reps in squats, deadlifts, presses, and rows (spread this over 2 days).
When testing your maxes, don’t overdo it. These should be maxes with good technique, with 1-2 reps in reserve, not maxes where you’re shaking all over and risk injury.
Now, subtract about 18-20 kg from your maxes in presses and rows, and 36-40 kg from squats and deadlifts:
For example:
Bench Press max 50 kg – 20 = 30 kg
Overhead Press max 30 kg – 20 kg = 10 kg
Barbell Row max 50 kg – 20 = 30 kg
Squat max 60 kg – 20 = 40 kg
Deadlift max 60 kg – 20 kg = 40 kg
You will start training with these numbers, and each workout, add 2 kg to presses, rows, and squats, and 4 kg to deadlifts (you do 3 sets with the same weight):
before each exercise, do 4-5 warm-up sets, e.g.:
empty bar x 8
10 kg x 6
15 kg x 6
20 kg x 5
25 kg x 5
working sets 30 kg x 5,5,5
Monday (Workout A):
- Squat or Box Squat – 40 kg 3 x 5
- Bench Press – 30 kg 3 x 5
- Barbell Row – 30 kg 3 x 5
Wednesday (Workout B):
- Squat or Box Squat – 42 kg 3 x 5
- Overhead Press – 30 kg 3 x 5
- Deadlift – 40 kg 3 x 5
Friday (Workout A):
- Squat or Box Squat – 44 kg 3 x 5
- Bench Press – 32 kg 3 x 5
- Barbell Row – 32 kg 3 x 5
… etc.
Too little? At this rate, after 10 weeks, you’ll add 60 kg to your squats and 30 kg to your bench press. If that’s too little for you, good luck at the gym.
What if progress stops?
When your strength stops progressing and you can no longer add weight to exercises (for about 2 weeks; one bad workout doesn’t mean anything yet), then subtract about 20 kg from presses and rows again, and about 35-40 kg from squats and deadlifts.
Perform this load reset 3 times. In total, this program should work for about 6-8 months. If stagnation occurs 3 times, switch to a program where exercises are not repeated as often.
If you rush – if you don’t start this program lighter by those 20-40 kg – your progress will quickly end, and you’ll only waste time.
What next?
Once you’ve gotten all you can from this program, switch to one of these two programs. It’s hard to find anything equally simple and effective (you can slightly change exercises or hand spacing when choosing one of these programs, because doing the same thing all the time slows down progress, so for example, you can swap flat bench press for incline press, etc… small changes are enough, nothing drastic):
http://powerbuilding.pl/prosty-trening-3x-tydzen/
http://powerbuilding.pl/prosty-skuteczny-plan-treningowy-od-exmgq/
Exercise Technique
Technique is very important; bad technique = slower progress and risk of injury.
You won’t learn technique by watching one video or reading one description. Read the technique description before and after each workout; it will be easier for you to find and correct mistakes. I will be posting technique descriptions on the website soon.
Nutrition
Without food, muscles won’t grow; there are no miracles.
Muscles are built by protein (meat, eggs, fish) – try to eat as much of these as possible.
Carbohydrates and fats provide energy. If you don’t tend to gain weight easily, you can eat plenty of carbohydrates (rice, pasta, potatoes), plus some healthy fats (olive oil, nuts). If you are overweight or tend to gain weight, eat more healthy fats and fewer carbohydrates (preferably only after training and earlier in the day, e.g., for breakfast).
If your weight is stagnant – eat more. If your weight is increasing but you’re gaining fat, eat more protein and fats and fewer carbohydrates.
What progress can you expect?
Despite the fairy tales you might read in bodybuilding magazines, realistic progress for beginners, assuming you eat enough and don’t mess up your workouts by rushing and training to failure, is about 5-15 kg of muscle gain over several months.
10 kg in a month from the latest super supplement is a fairy tale.
The choice is yours: you can do something that works and has been proven for years, or you can buy a bodybuilding magazine, believe you can build 10 kg of muscle and burn 5 kg of fat in a month, and do the latest ‘best’ workout with the latest ‘best’ supplements, only for them to write something ‘best’ again next month… don’t be naive.
If you think something else should be included here, let me know,
cheers
Epkie
