Bodybuilding for the Beginner!

just new to the forum and looking for inspiration and advice

just wanted to say, enjoyed your post m8

cheers bear

nice info m8 will try it out

A fantastic article/thread this has become and a great training program for the beginner.

this is great, im a complete noob.... but going to give your routine a go :)

instead of swimming (cardio) a 20 minute jog be ok ?

any good writeups on warm ups. i may need to call on assistance for alternate excersises that i cant do (home gym only). if you dont mind that is.

thanks very much cashman, loved it

Cashman,

Regarding your training program for the Beginner on Page 1 - is this program suitable for intermediate trainers too (looking for muscle gain and definition) ? or is this only for beginners ?

If not, what sort of things would you change for the intermediate trainer ? different exercises ? different rep programs ? still only train each muscle group once a week ?

Hope you can advise ...

Thanks

Sukrw.

ORIGINAL: he.man

this is great, im a complete noob.... but going to give your routine a go :)

instead of swimming (cardio) a 20 minute jog be ok ?

any good writeups on warm ups. i may need to call on assistance for alternate excersises that i cant do (home gym only). if you dont mind that is.

thanks very much cashman, loved it

20 min jog is fine (even better as it's weight bearing exercise)

Warm ups should be around light sets with higher reps to get blood flow to the muscles you are about to work hard.

Warm downs are VITAL with stretching being essential after your session to help maintain flexibility and limit risk of injury in future.

enjoy...

ORIGINAL: sukrw

Cashman,

Regarding your training program for the Beginner on Page 1 - is this program suitable for intermediate trainers too (looking for muscle gain and definition) ? or is this only for beginners ?

If not, what sort of things would you change for the intermediate trainer ? different exercises ? different rep programs ? still only train each muscle group once a week ?

Hope you can advise ...

Thanks

Sukrw.

This program is fine for intermediate trainers also. It's really about weight and intensity of training that's going to make the differences (along with diet, rest and supplementation)

You can always try the 5x5 rep/set range routine listed if you need a change.

Thanks for the endorsement btw

Thanks Cashman for the quick reply/advice, it is much appreciated.

Nice to know I can train smarter but give the body more rest, spread the training over more days and still get great results !

Top bloke :)

great article

just starting out on the long road and this was a very useful piece.

just one point i may have missed, the 5 mins warmup, is this light cardio or light set of high rep weights?

cheers rob

ORIGINAL: ch33ky.m0nk3y

great article

just starting out on the long road and this was a very useful piece.

just one point i may have missed, the 5 mins warmup, is this light cardio or light set of high rep weights?

cheers rob

it's a light resistance warmup of the muscle groups you are about to warm up... e.g pressups for chest & tri session warm up

Superb advice and tips.

Cashman - whats the best alternative excercise to weighted dips for chest ??

Also im mixing my training between gym at home and 1 at work - the work one having less
kit - can the barbell shrugs and barbell biceps be done with dumbells instead?

cheers

ORIGINAL: bugsbunny

Superb advice and tips.

Cashman - whats the best alternative excercise to weighted dips for chest ??

Also im mixing my training between gym at home and 1 at work - the work one having less
kit - can the barbell shrugs and barbell biceps be done with dumbells instead?

cheers

shrugs and curls are fine with DBs

You could replace weighted dips with an incline/flat bench depending upon which one you are already doing.

Thanks Cashman

Whilst thinking about it and having just been downstairs to see what the gym has - there are no barbells at all
due to health and safety !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! -CRAZY !

with that in mind, i dont know which days i will train in work so

is there alternatives for the "barbell" excercises in your routine :-

Chest -

Could 8 sets off Dumbell Flat bench be done or should i use the bench Machine for 4 ?

Tri

skull crusher alternative with dumbell / machine

Back

Deadlift alternative with dumbell /machine


My gym at home has got all i need but sometimes with work and family etc ill have to do with work for a session !

cheers

BB

cheers cashman

i have a work college who subscibes to the light set method of warm up, as opposed to the magazine/gym pt style of cardio, but just wanted to clarify

LEGS GET MASSED NOW!

Cashman

Just thought id put up little note to say thanks for the great advice, i can honestly say your routine has changed my approach to training forever.

Started the routine first week in January and to date have added over a stone of what as far as i can see is mostly muscle with some good definition - admittidly i have addressed my diet aswell but think the motivation for doing that was a result of an enjoyable routine that delivers noticable results.

Before i used to avoid deadlifts and squats like the plague and tended to do chest, biceps and tris most days - not feeling like id worked hard enough if i didnt have a "pump" in my arms, and the thought of having a session at the gym purely for legs was unthinkable!!

But like i said this routine has changed my approach for the better and at first my mates were sceptical - prefering there machines and isolation exercises but as the results have become evident they are slowly coming round to "cash's way"

Thinking of giving it another couple of weeks then maybe switching over to Frankies 5*5 but we'll see.

So thanks again and for anyone reading this thinking of giving the routine ago - DO IT - you wont regret it!!!!!!

ORIGINAL: owencd

Cashman

Just thought id put up little note to say thanks for the great advice, i can honestly say your routine has changed my approach to training forever.

Started the routine first week in January and to date have added over a stone of what as far as i can see is mostly muscle with some good definition - admittidly i have addressed my diet aswell but think the motivation for doing that was a result of an enjoyable routine that delivers noticable results.

Before i used to avoid deadlifts and squats like the plague and tended to do chest, biceps and tris most days - not feeling like id worked hard enough if i didnt have a "pump" in my arms, and the thought of having a session at the gym purely for legs was unthinkable!!

But like i said this routine has changed my approach for the better and at first my mates were sceptical - prefering there machines and isolation exercises but as the results have become evident they are slowly coming round to "cash's way"

Thinking of giving it another couple of weeks then maybe switching over to Frankies 5*5 but we'll see.

So thanks again and for anyone reading this thinking of giving the routine ago - DO IT - you wont regret it!!!!!!

Cheers for the endorsement owencd! It's always great to hear of someone that just gets stuck in and goes for it. Great progress and glad you are enjoying it. You're spot on about giving it another of couple of weeks then switching the routine around. You also might want to build a rest week in the change over period. Your body will thank you for it.

Good luck mate.

An excellent thread Cashman, just what I've been looking for - but without really knowing it.

It's good to read a thread that's so old and see the feedback and gains people have made over time.

I recently started training (2 weeks ago), this comes after almost 34 years of being a skinny lazy git (I'm 5'8" and 60kg) - I decided enough was enough so joined the work's (university) gym.

I have good enthusiasm for it, and have been going 4 times a week so far and enjoy it - though I'll admit that after reading this thread my technique hasn't been the best; I'll be starting this schedule tomorrow.
My diet is in the process of being sorted, I just need to adapt to eating more often.

I've updated the links on your workout schedule, which initially had links added to it by FlexMus on page 13 (post 258), but some of these links are now dead, and I've filled in some of the missing ones.
Though I'm struggling to find a link for the overhead cable presses, can someone post a link to it please?


I've used links to exrx.net for all of the exercises, but the weighted Swiss ball gif seems to be a bit wrong, it's more twist than weighted, but the description is right; I’ve also linked to the seated calf raise as this is what I do at my gym – there are many different ways of doing this exercise – many probably better than the seated.


SATURDAY - Chest/Tri
5 Min warm-up
Dumbell Flat Bench - 4 sets 6-8 reps
Weighted Dips For Chest - 4 sets 6-8 reps (last set to failure)
Incline Dumbell Fly- 4 sets 6-8 reps (last set to failure) (Lay so head is at the top of the bench)
Skull Crushers - 3 sets 6-8 reps (or close grip bench press)
overhead cable presses 3 sets 6-8 reps (last set to fail) (or close grip bench presses)


SUNDAY - Back/Bi
5 min warm-up
Deadlifts 4 sets 6-8 reps (last set to failure)
Bent Over One Arm Dumbell Rows 4 sets 6-8 reps
Chins or Lat pulldowns 3 sets 6-8 reps (last set to fail)
(I would prefer you to do chins instead though if you are strong enough to lift your bodyweight)
Barbell Bicep curl 3 sets 6-8 reps
One arm Dumbell Hammer curls 3 sets 6-8 reps


MONDAY
REST & Cardio (30 mins swimming before brekkie approx 40 lengths)

TUESDAY - Delts/traps
5 min warm-up
Seated Dumbell military press (Sit on Bench while executing) - 3 sets 6-8 reps
Lateral dumbell raises (side) 3 sets 6-8 reps (last to fail)
Barbell Shrugs 5 sets 6-8 reps

WEDNESDAY
REST & Cardio (30 mins swimming b4 brekkie)

THURSDAY - Legs & Abs
5 min warm-up
Barbell Squats 4 sets 6-8 reps
Stiff Legged Dead Lifts 3 sets 6-8 reps
Calf Raises (link shows seated) 4 sets 8-10 reps (last set to fail)
Weighted Swiss Ball crunches 4 sets 6-8 reps
hanging leg raises 4 sets 6-8 reps
Dumbell side bends 3 sets 6-8 reps

FRIDAY
REST & Cardio (30 mins swim b4 brekkie)

Hey Cash

Still progressing reasonably well with the routine but the one exercise that is not progressing aswell as the rest is the pull ups.
Dont think it helps the fact that i do them straight after deadlifts but even after 8 weeks i still struggle to get 3x5 narrow grips out let alone wide grips!!
So what you think? maybe drop onto lat pull or my gym has an assisted chin up machine aswell but dont feel that good or just stop moaning and keep going at the chins?
Or maybe do them first but think that will have negative effect on my deadlift!?
My weights are still going up on all other exercises but this is the one that is frustrating me the most.
Thanks in advance.

Owencd