Bodybuilding for the Beginner!

Good post, read it a few months ago when i joined and it did help, even with a years training I still didn't know all that much!

great post cashman! if i may add my own thoughts on 'mindset and desire'....
 
Our 'mind' is by far the most important element. From your mind comes the level of DESIRE that you need to build the level of muscle that you want. Simply 'wanting' something isn't enough - you must truly 'desire' it to convince your mind to push you hard enough when the going gets tough. So you need to take some time out to 'program' your mind that this is indeed what you really want.
 
Now, desire comes from having a REASON. So you need to look at the 'reasons' for you wanting to build muscle. Are you getting bullied maybe? Maybe you feel insecure and need the confidence that comes from having a powerful physique? Maybe you want to be more attractive to the opposite sex? Maybe you have a fear of getting old, and all the medical conditions that come with older age - osteoporosis, cancers, etc etc.
 
Whatever the reason, you must firmly and unequivocably plant this desire firmly into your mind's subconscious, and be ready to call upon it every single time the going gets tough. Because it is from this ability to, at the very do-or-die moment of your set, constantly draw on your reason for wanting to build muscle in the first place, that truly rapid muscle growth can occur.
 
Desire, therefore, creates the MOTIVATION, and it is this that ultimately decides whether you will acheive your muscle-building goals or not. The mind is the absolute critical part of the equation. If your mind isn't totally and 100% in the game, then you might as well not bother.
 
One extra thing that has alwasy helped me is to ask yourself, when you THINK you have done all the reps you possibly can in a particular set, this question..."is it really true that i cannot do one more rep?" And the only way to answer that, if you are going to be true to yourself, is to prove yourself wrong and do an extra rep. And it is this extra rep, when the goign is really really tough, that can make the diofference between growing and not growing, all else being equal.
 
Hope that helps
Matt

Great Article! Thanks Cashman  .Important Mindset,Training  . Forever Thinking To Success ^^

Fast Muscle Building Tips Free!

Great guide for beginners
I am also a beginner.I am trying to lose some weight before building some muscles
 Thanks for all the usefull info

BUILD MUSCLE FAST
LOSE WEIGHT FAST 

i just started bc of this thread!

great article,

just started liftin weights myself, first few things i had to get my head round was its going to take time to gain weight and the fact about starting a gym, stood there with a huge guy pumpin iron nxt to you, i found it very off puttin myself they all seem to have there heads up there asses where i live. But loving it now

Good post. IMO though there are too many exercises there for a beginners routine. I'd prefert o start someone off on a 2/3 day full body split. Emphasising the big 5 lifts, focusing on strength for the first few months. That'll be the uickest way to pack on muscle and size.

Nothing contributes so much to tranquilizing the mind as a steady purpose - a point on which the soul may fix its intellectual eye.

I would like to hear from people who were beginners late in life. I am mid '50s male. Some health issues typical of my age group (moderate obesity, hypertension, etc.) I'm not expecting much, but, should such a person even try? I do still have a Bally's gym membership that I never managed to make time for.
All tips, guides etc aimed at my age group welcome and thanks in advance!

^^^ It's never too late to start training buddy.

I'd go for a low volume and intensity full-body workout twice pre week for a few months.

Something like:

Squat 3x15
Bench 3x10
Military Press 2x10
Seated Row 2x10
Push ups 1x F ("F" for failiure)
Chin ups 1x F


I'm certainly not the best to ask for advice though. I know there are some more mature bodybuilders on here. May be best to ask in the "general" section, would get a better response.

Nothing contributes so much to tranquilizing the mind as a steady purpose - a point on which the soul may fix its intellectual eye.

Great post really usefull thanks.

ITS NOT HOW HARD YOU HIT ITS HOW HARD YOU CAN GET HIT AND KEEP MOVING FORWARD!

Hi im new to bodybuilding have done bits before but nothing serious looking at getting into it more now ive read the first post very helpful thanks, the thing i struggle with is finding a good routine i have been looking at sum people have posted, also i struggle because i dont no how to carry out sum off the excersises thats required for a proper workout i have been looking on the how to section about doing the excersises which again is very useful hopefully this will come with time and experience Thanks ian

Great post and really informative. I'm a 26 yo female who is looking to get back in training. Used to train with my dad and the doormen back in the day but moved away and lost all my fitness and strength due to no training buddy's.

Great thread to motivate myself back into the swing of ot all. Thanks

i've been reading for a few weeks now and just signed up today so thought i should say thanks for the info, well written and easy to understand for a beginner. i keep having to look up the individual exercises which is a pain in the neck 10 minutes into a session, lol. But slowly getting the hang of them thanks to this site. Nick

This is the kind of no nonesense well structured advice I have been looking for. Thank you.

The best thing to learn something is to listen an advises from those who already did it, tnx Cashman
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Crazzy about jessica alba wallpaper...              

Thanks for that post, really helpful. I've been looking for some advice like that for a while! I'll certainly be correcting a few things now. Quick question though....on rest days should i consume as much whey as i would on my workout days?

hey im new here, what would u recommend for a beginner....real beginner?

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www.musclebuildingblog101.blogspot.com

As a newbie struggling a bit, this post just gave me a bit of a pick up and is helping my get a bit more motivated.
Just found this forum and will be spending a lot more time on it.
Thanks a lot fellas.

Wow that means i'll have to have 330g of protein! where the hell am i going to get that from. >.> Does it actually mean i have to eat that much to lose weight/fat? i'll be doing cardio everyday

Suku! 

cashman TOPMAN!!
 
work as a teacher in secondary school, just printed a few copies and going to pass them on to lads in the rugby teams that have started to weight  train recently
 
EXCELLENT POST!
 

great post, this is exactly the info I need!!

many thanks!

Beginner female...

Cashman - Fab thread, will be printing this off and trying it out myself.

Cheers :-)

Thank you Cashman, very useful article.

i learned alot here :)

Cheers for this - most appreciated!

I am so pleased I found this site, just read through your thread Cashman and feel inspired, I have copied your routine and pasted pics of each exercise next to it on a training sheet that I will now take to the gym with me. I feel this is what I have been missing as I never knew how to put a routine together.
 

new to all this bodybuilding love some tips and advice  from any  please

nice post.. interesting point about the whole 'bodybuilding for life not for xmas' - as you say, can see why lots of people would be disheartened after believing all the 'miracle' results in the media

I have just started using cashman's guide around 4 weeks ago and it's doing me the world of good!  Top notch cashman!

I have a few questions but for now I have this one; after following this part...

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

...after the Barbell Biceps curl my arms can't cope with a decent weight doing the Hammer curls so I have to drop the weight.  Is this normal and good form or can anyone offer me any advice?

Thanks

Hi, I also have a question about the Back/Biceps day. I don't feel like I am working my upper back very hard these days - should I be feeling it in my upper back from the Back/Biceps day? Or is the Delts/Traps day when I should be feeling it in my upper back?

Thanks all, LOVE this site

The more you get used to it, the less you will feel doms anywhere. If you're worried try changing a few of the exercises around, add weight to chins, change the grip etc. This routine is a very good base with all you need.

Nice stuff !
I found guide that really help me to build muscles
You can try it too
__________________________
http://muscles-workout.com

Nice stuff !
I found guide that really help me to build muscles
You can try it too
__________________________
http://muscles-workout.com

I'm a complete beginner to bodybuilding and that post has helped a lot, i've been doing weight training semi-seriously for a couple of months but want to get serious now, cheers!

CASHMAN   you sound very very knowledgable please look at my work out and tell me if im doing it wrong etc..

ok work out...

5- 10 mins on the boxing bag and sum days il go for a 5-10 min ride on my bike

CHEST

bench press 3 sets of 10 ( i have a joe weider cable home gym so you sit up and bench press)

bench press 3 sets of 10... there is 2 dofferent hand positions on the bench press bit so on this one my thumbs are facing up

peck dek 3 sets of 10

i start at a lower weight on the first set then go higher on the second then higher on 3rd i usualy do this on all my lifting

SHOLDERS

arnold sholder press 3 sets of 10

bent over butterflys 3 sets of 10

standing butterflys 3 sets of 10
front raises 3 sets of 10
TRICEPS

dumbell lifts 3 sets of 10

tricep dips 3 sets of 10

tricep pull downs (sitting down) 3 sets of 10

tricep pull downs(standing up) 3 sets of 10

BICEPS

hammer curls(with dumbells) 3 sets of 10

curls(with dumbells) 3 sets of 10

TRAPS

i use the long bar an do 3 sets of 10

ABS

i have a ab rocker works good

LEGS

leg pull ups--3 sets of 10 

im working on splitting it all in to 3 days 
  
 
im after creating a good muscle building routine any help will be much apreciated

Does anyone have an speadsheet of Cashman's routine so that I can keep tabs on a daily basis of weights/reps etc?  If not is there anyone that is savvy enough to draft one up for me?

budest


Does anyone have an speadsheet of Cashman's routine so that I can keep tabs on a daily basis of weights/reps etc?  If not is there anyone that is savvy enough to draft one up for me?

Budest, do you have iphone or android device at all? There are a few apps that do this.

I have just started also, and am using JEFit on my HTC desire. I must say, it's top notch! Keeps a good journal of all your weights/reps etc...and it's free!

Nothing in the world is worth having or worth doing unless it means effort, pain, difficulty... Theodore Roosevelt 

Hey Cashman good post! But I think it would be better for the hardgainer to focus on compound exercises and rest more though. i.e only working on alternate days. I was one, and I found this works for me more than splitting up my routine, but that's just me.

But to each his own, since we all have different body types/make up.

Ectomorphworkout.org - Discover how I went from benching a weightless bar to 265lbs

Excellent post Cashman!  A great summary for a beginner.