“If you hurry, you will make people laugh” - folk wisdom, relevant at all times. This proverb often comes to mind when observing beginners in the gym. As a rule, the mistakes they make are typical and easily predictable. Of course, it is unlikely that it will be possible to completely avoid all mistakes - but it is still possible. To do this, you need to choose a trainer, first study the basic principles, terms, concepts with him, and only then go to the simulators.
An important task of a trainer is to show you the technique of performing various exercises on machines, help you calculate the load and select effective exercises. Exercises “under supervision” will help you avoid injuries and achieve the desired result faster.
What is important to know before starting training
It is very important to organize yours. So, between the last meal and classes there should be a break of 1-1.5 hours. After training, it is better to eat 0.5-1 hour later. In order not to disturb the water balance in the body, you need to drink water before, during and after training. In addition to internal comfort, external comfort is no less important: it should be comfortable, it should not tighten or dig into your body, it should give you room for action. It’s also worth thinking about this in advance.
The most common mistake newbies make is being overly enthusiastic. In the gym, a beginner does a lot of exercises on various machines, trying not to miss anything. This leads to overwork and refusal to continue training. It's better not to rush in this matter.
If the exercises were performed correctly, the muscles should ache a little and become stiff. This feeling goes away after 2-4 days. If pain occurs in the joints and spine, you should immediately stop training. If these symptoms are observed, most likely the exercise technique is incorrect or the weight is selected incorrectly.
The workout must consist of 3 parts - warm-up, main part, relaxation exercises.
The purpose of the warm-up is to activate the respiratory and circulatory systems, and warm up the muscles that will be loaded during the main part of the workout. Usually, the main problems for beginners occur due to ignoring the warm-up (injuries, discomfort after training, etc.). Warm-up should last at least 10-15 minutes. It should include at least 5 minutes of cardio on any cardio machine to prepare the heart, a light set of joint exercises, dynamic stretching and bodyweight exercises to prepare the joints.
The task of the main part is to perform exercises on the planned muscle groups. The number of exercises, sets and repetitions depends strictly on individual goals and may vary. The main part of the training should contain 6-8 exercises. There should be 1-3 exercises for each muscle group. For beginners, it is important to work out all the muscles in one workout in order to teach your body to move correctly and remember the technique. The exercises are arranged in the training according to the principle from complex (multi-joint for large muscle groups) to simple (single-joint for small muscles). At the end of the workout, pay attention to working out your abs.
The number of approaches for beginners should not be large - 2-3 approaches in each exercise are enough. The number of repetitions in each approach is 10-12. Rest between approaches until breathing and heart rate are restored. When you feel ready, continue training. On average, rest after each approach is 1.5 minutes.
Let's decipher such concepts as the number of approaches, the number of repetitions. For example, you train your leg muscles by doing a squat with a barbell on your shoulders. We walked up to the racks, took the barbell on our shoulders, did 8 squats with it, then put the barbell back. In this case, you did 1 set of 8 reps. You can rest and repeat the exercise 1-2 more times, and then rest again and move on to the next exercise.
The purpose of the third part of the workout is to normalize breathing and blood circulation. It is recommended to take 5-10 deep breaths, perform a simple stretching routine and hang on the bar.
There are 3 types of equipment in fitness centers: strength training equipment, cardio training equipment and free weights (dumbbells and barbells).
Strength machines are needed to work muscles anaerobically using weights. On them you give stress to the skeletal muscles. Most of the exercises in the beginner's core should be done on machines. The fact is that a novice athlete still does not feel his body well and does not have the knowledge of the technique of performing exercises that would allow him not to make mistakes. The trajectory of movement in strength training equipment is thought out in advance, which will allow you to feel your muscles.
They mainly provide a general load on the body in an aerobic mode. With them you train your cardiovascular endurance. They are suitable for those who want to lose weight or warm up before a more serious workout.
These are dumbbells and a barbell. There are basic (core) exercises for each muscle group, with the bulk of the basic exercises performed using dumbbells and barbells. To ensure that your muscles receive the proper load, regardless of your goals, do not forget about this type of equipment. However, you need to add free weight exercises gradually. This is especially true for technically complex basic exercises.
Newbie program example
Warm-up: 5 minutes on the elliptical trainer and joint exercises.
Main part: 8 exercises, each performed in 2-3 sets of 10-12 repetitions.
- Leg press in the simulator;
- Extension of the lower leg in the simulator;
- Flexion of the lower leg in the simulator;
- Pulldown of a vertical block to the chest;
- Horizontal block thrust;
- Hammer chest press or push-ups (can be done from your knees);
- Swings with dumbbells through the sides;
- Lying crunches.
Cool down: 15 minutes of cardio and simple stretching.
Depending on your level of fitness, you can replace leg extensions with a more complex basic exercise - lunges in place in a Smith machine, or learn the technique of squats in the same machine. Then gradually expand your vocabulary of exercises, mastering the technique of new movements with barbells and dumbbells.
Many beginners think that muscles become stronger and more resilient during training, but this is not at all true. During training, the whole body receives an impulse in which direction it should move, and this happens during rest. For example, you did a workout to lose excess weight; in this case, fat tissue will be broken down mainly after the workout.
From here we can conclude: proper nutrition combined with quality rest is the key to successful training that brings results.
Good luck to you in this difficult task - building a figure!
A training program is what a man needs to make his body perfect.
After all, the combination of exercises, frequency of exercises and even the number of repetitions are of enormous importance.
Let's look at several options for classes for men with different goals - for weight loss, for gaining muscle mass and with varying degrees of training.
Gym training program
To properly create a training plan in the gym, First you need to decide on your goal which is being persecuted. It could be:
- fight against excess weight;
- muscle building;
- increase in strength indicators;
- improvement of relief;
- maintaining the achieved form.
Choose only one direction. You shouldn’t spread yourself thin: if you set two goals, then neither of them will be fully achieved.
Warm-up
Warm-up without workout is healthier than workout without warm-upWarm-up exercises warm up the joints, their lubrication improves, and as a result, less stress is placed on the cartilage. The tendons become more elastic and the risk of rupture is reduced. More force develops in the muscles.
Warming up without further training is more beneficial than training without warming up.
10 minutes are allotted for warming up. It is formed from the following components:
- Running, jumping, working on cardio equipment - 4–5 minutes. The pulse should increase to 130-160 beats/min. This warms up the body as a whole.
- Rotational movements, and the whole body is loaded, especially the spine, knees, shoulders. This allows you to prepare the joints.
Basic Workout Plan
The advantage of the “base” is that the largest number of muscles and joints are involved in the work.
Main basic exercises:
- squats using a barbell;
- bench press;
- deadlift.
Before drawing up a personal program, the athlete selects exercises, sorting them by muscle groups. Their number varies depending on the frequency of training. If you go to the gym twice a week, a dozen exercises are enough, five per session. This is enough to keep fit.
Then the exercises are distributed between workouts according to the following principle:
- muscle building workout(strengths): up to 3 groups are worked out (depending on the frequency of training), exercises are arranged in blocks - 2–3 per muscle group, another option is to train antagonist muscles in turn;
- excess weight: a small load on all muscles, load top and bottom in turn, the block principle is not used;
- relief study: both the first and second principles are possible, which depends on the characteristics of the body, the nature of the diet; exercises are performed in the same order as when gaining weight;
- form support: depends on how the form was acquired.
The duration of the basic training is 40 minutes, no longer. During this time, the athlete spends all testosterone.
Number of repetitions and approaches
This parameter especially affects the intensity of training. Approaches and repetitions, including in the warm-up, are distributed as follows (approaches/repetitions):
- for muscle growth: basic - 4-6/6-12, auxiliary - 3-4/10-15;
- increase in strength: basic - 4-7/2-6, auxiliary - 3/8-12;
- excess weight: 3-4/12-20;
- relief: 3-4/12-15.
For muscles to grow, they need stress.. Such stress is a change in repetitions of exercises (adding or reducing), increasing weight, changing the method of performing an exercise. Then the body does not have time to adapt to the stress. Another factor is replacing the exercises in the program with similar ones, then the same muscle groups begin to work differently. You should add unfamiliar movements to your workouts.
Stretching
This block is also performed before the start of training. Stretch:
- quadriceps;
- femoral biceps;
- outer, inner surface of the thigh;
- buttocks;
- small of the back;
- caviar.
Stretching is performed for 5 minutes, more rigid groups work twice as long.
Programs
For weight loss
The training is carried out in supersets. Exercises in pairs are performed one after another, then take a break for 2-3 minutes, and repeat the pair. When the initial level is mastered, the number of repetitions and sets is increased.
Workout number | Pair | Exercise | sets/repetitions |
1st | 1 | Crunches on an incline gymnastic bench | 3/12 |
3/10 | |||
2 | Squats using a barbell (on the shoulders) | 3/10 | |
Head pull, overhead block | 3/10 | ||
3 | Standing chest press, standing position | 3/10 | |
Lying leg curls on a lying machine | 3/12 | ||
4 | from the gymnastics shop, behind | 3/10 | |
Pulling with a barbell, standing position | 3/12 | ||
2nd | 1 | Leg raises | 3/10 |
using dumbbells | 3/10 | ||
2 | Lunges using dumbbells | 3/10 | |
Block pull (horizontal) | 3/10 | ||
3 | Barbell press, performed from behind the head while standing | 3/10 | |
Leg extension performed on a machine | 3/12 | ||
4 | Horizontal push-ups, performed with a wide grip | 3/10 | |
Curling arms with weight (barbell), performed while standing | 3/10 | ||
3rd | 1 | Crunches, performed while lying down | 3/10 |
Hyperextension | 3/10 | ||
2 | Leg press | 3/10 | |
3/10 | |||
3 | Rows from the upper block, performed with a narrow grip | 3/10 | |
Bend over, place a barbell on your shoulders | 3/10 | ||
4 | Stepping behind a bench using dumbbells | 3/10 | |
Dumbbell raise, lying position | 3/10 |
The program is accompanied by a diet.
To build muscle mass
Day, muscle group | Exercise | sets/repetitions |
1st, legs and chest | Barbell squats, 60% of working weight | 3/10 |
Bench press | 4/10 | |
Push-ups performed on parallel bars | 3/12 | |
Incline Press | 4/12 | |
2nd | Rest | |
3rd, lats, biceps | Pull-ups performed with a wide grip | 4/until tired |
Barbell row to the waist | 4/12 | |
Deadlift using a T bar | 3/12 | |
Hammers | 4/12 | |
4th | Rest | |
5th, leg and shoulder muscles | Barbell squats, 80% working weight | 4/12 |
Romanian deadlift | 4/12 | |
Seated press | 4/12 | |
Pull up to chin level | 4/12 | |
swing to the sides | 4/12 | |
6th | Rest | |
7th, lats and chest | Bench press | 4/8 |
Press performed on an inclined plane | 4/12 | |
Pull-ups performed with a wide grip | 4/until tired | |
Dumbbell row | 4/12 | |
Lower block thrust | 4/12 | |
8th, 9th | Rest | |
10th, long dorsi muscles, triceps | Deadlift | 5/8 |
Shrugs | 4/20 | |
Press (close grip) | 4/12 | |
Standing French press | 4/12 | |
11th, 12th | Rest | |
13th, legs | Barbell squats, 100% working weight | 4/10 |
Leg press | 4/12 | |
Romanian deadlift | 3/12 | |
Lunges | 3/12 | |
Calf raises | 3/20 | |
14th, 15th | Rest |
For beginner athletes
Training for beginners accustoms the body to stress, allows you to build muscles and increase strength.
Day | Exercise | sets/reps |
1st | Roman chair crunches | 3/10 |
Bends using a goat | 3/10 | |
Sumo squats, a barbell is placed on the shoulders | 4/12 | |
Seated bench press | 4/12 | |
Chest rows from the upper block, performed with a wide grip | 3/10 | |
Half-over with weight (barbell), performed with a wide grip while lying down | 3/10 | |
Wrist flexion/extension | 3/10 | |
2nd | Leg raises on the horizontal bar | 3/10 |
Push-ups on a bench from behind | 4/10 | |
Pull-ups performed with a narrow grip | 3/10 | |
One-arm French press | 3/10 | |
Curls with EZ bar | 3/12 | |
Chest press, performed while sitting | 3/12 | |
Shin performed in a standing machine | 3/12 | |
3rd | Back extension performed on a machine | 3/10 |
Crunches using the Roman chair machine | 3/10 | |
Deadlift, performed with dumbbells | 4/6 | |
Lunges with raised barbell | 3/12 | |
Barbell press, performed standing or sitting from behind the head | 4/8 | |
Swing forward using one dumbbell | 3/10 | |
Lateral arm swings, from the lower block | 3/10 |
For advanced athletes
after 2 years of constant exercise, muscle growth slows down
The difficulty in creating a program for such an athlete is that after the first or second year, muscle growth stops. Then they organize training according to a different principle. The program is built on the following principles:
- High intensity.
- The working weight is chosen so that you can complete the program with it.
- The order of the described exercises changes in each new workout.
- The muscles are worked with two basic and as many auxiliary exercises.
- Between sets the athlete rests for about 3 minutes.
Day | Exercise | sets/reps |
1st, chest muscles, biceps | Barbell press, performed lying down | 3/6 |
Same thing, dumbbells | 3/8 | |
Press performed in the Hammer machine | 3/12 | |
Raises with dumbbells, performed lying down | 3/15 | |
Barbell curls, performed in a standing position | 3/6 | |
EZ-bar biceps curls | 3/8 | |
"Hammer" | 3/12 | |
Arm curl using a block | 3/12 | |
2nd, leg and deltoid muscles | Leg press | 3/6 |
Lunges, performed with dumbbells in hands | 3/8 | |
Extension of the lower limbs | 3/10 | |
Leg Curl | 3/10 | |
Army press | 3/6 | |
Press using dumbbells, performed while sitting | 3/8 | |
Inclined dumbbell flyes | 3/10 | |
Reverse dilutions, use “peck-dec” | 3/12 | |
3rd, back muscles, triceps | Deadlift | 3/6 |
Weighted pull-ups | 3/8 | |
Wide row, performed on the upper block | 3/10 | |
Head Pull | 3/12 | |
Push-ups performed on weighted parallel bars | 3/6 | |
Press, prone position, close grip | 3/8 | |
Arm extension with a dumbbell, performed from behind the head | 3/10 | |
Same thing on the block | 3/10 |
For legs and buttocks
To prevent the body from looking disproportionate, special programs are provided for pumping the leg and gluteal muscles. The training includes the following exercises:
Training is carried out 1–2 times a week.
Full program for 3 days
With regular training, this program will help bring the male body back to normal.
Day, muscle group | Exercises | Sets/reps |
1st, chest muscles, abs, biceps | Barbell press, lying position | 3/10 |
Dumbbell press, performed lying on a horizontal or inclined surface | 3/10 | |
Horizontal push-ups | 3/10 | |
Barbell curl, standing position | 3/10 | |
Dumbbell curls, performed lying or standing | 3/10 | |
Pelvic lift, lying position | 3/10 | |
2nd, shoulder girdle, leg muscles | Squats using a barbell placed on the shoulders | 3/10 |
Leg press performed in a machine | 3/10 | |
Leg extensions, performed while sitting | 3/10 | |
Leg curl, performed lying down | 3/10 | |
Calf raise | 3/10 | |
Barbell press, performed sitting or standing | 3/10 | |
Dumbbell press, take a standing or sitting position | 3/10 | |
3rd, back muscles, abs, triceps | Sumo | 3/10 |
Pull-up on the horizontal bar | 3/10 | |
Block pull up to waist height | 3/10 | |
Hyperextension (reverse) | 3/10 | |
French press, performed in a prone position | 3/10 | |
Extension of arms on a block | 3/10 | |
Lifting the body, lying down | 3/10 |
Traditionally, they warm up first and stretch at the end.
Split training
These workouts involve working individual muscle groups on different days. They are associated with a high level of stress. Here's a four-day split for an experienced athlete.
Day | What muscles | Exercises | sets/repetitions |
Monday | Breasts | Decline Barbell Press | 4/6 |
Same thing, dumbbells | 4/6 | ||
Horizontal push-ups | 4/6 | ||
Tuesday | Back muscles | Deadlift | sets of 10-8-6-3 reps |
Linkage | 4/6 | ||
Head Pull | 4/6 | ||
Horizontal thrust | 4/6 | ||
Thursday | Shoulders, arms | Press, performed sitting, from behind the head with a barbell or dumbbells | 4/6 |
Retraction of arms with dumbbells to the side | 4/6 | ||
Barbell curl | 4/6 | ||
Press (narrow grip) | 4/6 | ||
Friday | Legs | Squats performed with a barbell | 4/6 |
Leg press | 4/6 | ||
Leg extension, performed while sitting | 4/6 | ||
Calves, standing | 4/15 | ||
Same thing when sitting | 4/15 |
How long to study?
The lesson plan is adjusted every few months
Designing a workout is not an easy process. It requires adjustments, which are carried out after 1-2 months, in order to know the strengths and weaknesses of the athlete. Some exercises may not only not produce results, but also have the opposite effect.
Depending on the level of training, the body gets used to the program in different ways:
- for beginners - 10–18 weeks;
- for those who have been practicing for more than a year - in 8–10 weeks;
- for experienced athletes - in 4–6 weeks.
If there is a need to change the training program, then they change not only the strength, but also.
With a constant frequency of loads and following the recommendations of trainers, the first results appear within 1.5–2 months. But it is important to consider that different muscles develop differently. For example, it is more difficult to pump up abs than arm muscles.
Also, the effectiveness depends on the method of nutrition. Food should contain a sufficient amount of protein, which is the building material for muscles.
If you exercise without warming up, you greatly increase the risk of injury and reduce the effectiveness of your workout. In addition, this is how you form the wrong habits.
Warm-up is a mandatory element of training. You can easily get your muscles into working condition by following a simple procedure:
- Use a massage roller. Such rollers help to thoroughly warm up the muscles of the whole body. Here Lifehacker explained in detail what these tools are and how to use them.
- Do cardio for five minutes: Briskly walk uphill, exercise on an elliptical trainer or exercise bike. If you are overweight, you should not run - take care of your knees.
- Be sure to do joint warm-up and dynamic stretching. you will find a video of a good warm-up.
After this, you will be warmed up enough to begin the lesson.
How to create a training program
When you come to the gym, you should already have a clear action plan: what exercises you will do, what muscle groups you will work.
There are a huge number of training programs, but beginners without a coach should not try complex options. To begin with, it is better to limit yourself to sequentially working all muscles.
Let's conditionally divide the body into several muscle groups: biceps, triceps, shoulders, chest, back, buttocks, thighs and abs. If you're going to train twice a week, divide the muscle groups equally. For example, in the first workout, work your biceps, back, hips and abs, and in the second, work your triceps, chest, shoulders and buttocks.
Here are some exercises with machines and free weights for different muscle groups.
Exercises for legs and buttocks
Using this simulator, you can move the emphasis on different muscle groups by simply changing the position of your legs on the platform:
- Legs at the top of the platform - emphasis on the gluteal muscles and hamstrings.
- Feet at the bottom of the platform - emphasis on quadriceps.
- Narrow leg stance - emphasis on the outer thigh.
- Wide stance of the legs - emphasis on the inner thigh.
Leg abduction in the simulator
This exercise works great on the buttocks. Walk your leg back until your shin is parallel to the floor, but do not extend your knees completely. To better work the muscles, lower your leg to its original position slowly.
Squats
This is a basic exercise with a huge number of variations: with a wide stance or on one leg, with a barbell or with dumbbells, from an elevation or with a jump. Lifehacker analyzes in detail the technique of performing squats, and there are several options for squats and other exercises for the hips.
Another exercise with a lot of variations. Lunges can be done with your own weight, with a barbell or with dumbbells, moving around the room or on the spot.
As you lunge, make sure your front knee is directly above your heel. By slightly tilting your body forward, you will shift the emphasis to the buttocks.
This basic exercise works not only the muscles of the hips and buttocks, but also the extensor muscles of the back and trapezius. Start with classic deadlifts, but don't use too much weight.
Here is a video with the technique of performing the exercise:
To add variety to your workouts, explore other glute workouts as well.
Back exercises
This exercise strengthens the back extensor muscles. It warms you up perfectly and prepares you for an important basic exercise - the deadlift.
If you want to pump up your back muscles, and not your legs, start doing the exercise from a position where your body is in a straight line with the machine. Then lift your back, squeezing your shoulder blades together and moving your arms back. Stay in this position for 3-5 seconds.
The key point in this exercise: you need to pull the block not with your hands, but with your back. While pulling, fix your back and squeeze your shoulder blades. The video shows the technique and features of the exercise:
This exercise also helps to effectively pump up your back muscles. The video below explains the execution technique and the main mistakes:
Chest exercises
Bench press
This basic exercise involves the pectoral muscles, triceps, and deltoids. The emphasis can be shifted by changing the grip: bench press with a narrow grip loads the triceps more, and with a wide grip the chest. Also, the emphasis on the chest shifts if you take the barbell with a reverse grip, that is, with your palms facing you.
The video explains the technique of performing the exercise:
This machine allows you to perform exercises that only work the pectoral muscles. Do not straighten your arms completely at the extreme points, perform the exercise smoothly.
Dips with forward bend
If you can't do dips without help yet, use an expander or a special exercise machine for support. To place the emphasis on your chest, tilt your body forward.
The technique of performing the exercise can be seen in the video:
In this you can find chest exercises in pictures.
Triceps Exercises
Try not to spread your elbows out to the sides. If shoulder mobility allows, lower yourself until your elbows are at a 90-degree angle.
Extension of arms on a block
This exercise can be performed with a regular or rope handle. The back is straight, the elbows are located close to the body and do not move.
Exercises for biceps
Standing barbell curl
This is a basic exercise that helps to work your biceps well. Here is a video with the technique of performing the exercise:
Unlike the previous exercise, when lifting the dumbbells, you should rotate your wrists, as this provides additional stress to the biceps. At the bottom, the hands should look at each other, and during the rise, turn towards the body.
Shoulder Exercises
Standing chest press
Before this exercise, you should do a dynamic shoulder stretch: pick up a stick or expander and move your straight arms behind your back several times, and then forward again. Do not bend your elbows while stretching. The closer you place your hands, the more effective the stretch will be.
While pressing, move the barbell behind your head. If it stays forward, it will put a lot of stress on the lower back.
When performing the exercise, your elbows should be slightly bent. Do not raise your arms above your shoulders - this can cause impingement syndrome (inflammation of the rotator cuff).
Bent-over dumbbell raises
The body is tilted forward, the back is straight. Hand movements are similar to the previous exercise.
In this section you will find an analysis of the technique of performing other shoulder exercises.
Ab exercises
Elevated leg crunches
Abdominal exercise with legs elevated
By placing your feet on an elevation, you will eliminate unnecessary stress on the iliopsoas muscles and harm to the lower back. If you want to make the exercise more challenging, pick up a medicine ball.
The plank perfectly works all the core muscles. To complicate it, you can place your feet on an unstable support: in loops or on, as shown in the photo.
Hanging Leg Raise
In a simpler version, you need to pull only your knees to your chest.
If this is easy, try lifting your legs straight to the horizontal bar.
How to Choose the Right Weight and Number of Reps
Take such a weight that you can perform the exercise 5-8 times. The last repetitions should be performed with effort. If you can easily do all eight reps, then the selected weight is too light for you.
Perform three sets of 5–10 reps. Rest between sets should be 1–2 minutes, between exercises - 2–3 minutes.
If you are doing exercises without weights, you will need to do more repetitions to properly engage the muscles. For these exercises, perform three sets of 20 repetitions.
After training
After training, be sure to stretch: you need to relax the muscles that worked. In you can find exercises for stretching different muscle groups, and - exercises with expander bands.
From the very first training, you need to pay attention to your nutrition. From this you will learn what to eat before and after training to speed up your progress and not harm your body.
Don't be shy, listen to your body and have fun.
When newcomers come to the gym, due to their inexperience, they make many mistakes. Of course, there is a fitness instructor in the gym who will show you a number of exercises and correct any errors that appear. However, in this article we will tell you what exercises you need to do and how many approaches.
Training program
The effectiveness of the “1+1” program is that it allows beginners to increase their muscle mass in a short period of time.
Its essence is as follows: the loads during training are distributed over two halves of your body, that is, on the 1st day you use exercises on one half, then you rest one day, the next day you exercise the other half of the body. This system will be discussed in the article, since I believe that it is optimal for muscle development for beginners.
The point of this lesson schedule is this:: To begin with, we “divide” our body into two parts, and exercise only one part during training in the gym. This is followed by a day of rest. But if your age or busyness at work does not allow you, then you can use two days instead of one day of rest. This means that there will be either 3-4 or 2 workouts per week in the gym.
- First day:, and belly
- Second day: And ,
After starting regular training with this program, it is recommended to stick to it for at least six months. Both beginners and advanced and experienced bodybuilders are accustomed to frequently changing their gym schedule because they believe that they find something better to strengthen their body. But, unfortunately, this is not the case. Frequently changing programs can lead to disruption of the training system, which is important. Therefore, I advise you to follow this program until you notice any progress.
- First day: absence of classes
- Second day
- The third day: absence of classes
- Fourth day
- Fifth day: absence of classes
- Sixth day: a) muscles of the legs, back and abdomen
- Seventh day: absence of classes
- Eighth day: b) pectoral and shoulder muscles, arm muscles
Description of exercises
I offer you a set of exercises to pump up the recently mentioned muscles:
A) muscles of the legs, back and abdomen
Exercise 1 – Roman chair: working – 4 sets, number of repetitions: maximum
Perform the exercise extremely slowly, moving the torso along an imaginary arc between the starting and ending points of the movement.
Exercise 2 – Squats with a barbell on the shoulders: warm-up – 2 sets of 20 times, working – 3 sets of 10 times
Squats with a barbell on the shoulders are performed with different leg positions, the wider you spread your legs, the greater the load will be, you should NOT spread your legs very wide. When performing this exercise, you should watch your back, keep it straight and do not bend under any circumstances, as this can damage your spine; if your back is not correct, a nerve may be pinched, which can lead you to the operating table. Before you start squats with a barbell on your shoulders, practice the squatting technique itself, Initially, squat without a barbell, then switch to squats with a bar, and only after you have perfected your squat technique, switch to a barbell with weights.
Exercise 3 – Lying leg curls: warm-up – 20 times, working – 3 sets of 10 times
Sit on the seat and cross your arms over your chest. Lean back so that your torso is parallel to the floor. Now begin to raise your torso and determine the top point of the amplitude at which the tension in the abdominal muscles disappears. Perform the exercise extremely slowly, moving the torso along an imaginary arc between the starting and ending points of the movement.
Exercise 4 – Pull-ups or rows of a vertical block to the chest: workers – 4 sets of 10 times
Regular handles that are attached to the pulley cable, are not suitable for this exercise. It is better to disconnect them and throw a piece of thick rope over the cable hook. This “improvement” will allow you to pull the block with the most comfortable grip, when your clenched hands are parallel to each other. Without changing the position of your arms relative to your body, begin to lean forward until your forehead touches the floor. You will feel a strong tension in all the muscles in the waist area. Stay at the end point of the amplitude for a couple of seconds and return to the starting position. Repeat the exercise until complete failure.
B) pectoral and shoulder muscles, arm muscles
Exercise 5 – Incline bench press: warm-up – 2 sets of 15 times, working – 3 sets of 7 times
Raise the back of the bench 35-40 degrees relative to the horizontal. Lie down on a bench, place your feet wider than your shoulders and place them on the floor. Hips, shoulders and head are pressed against the bench. Grasp the barbell with an overhand grip. The distance between the palms is slightly more than shoulder width. Remove the barbell from the supports and smoothly lower it to your upper chest. Inhale and, holding your breath, press the barbell up. Elbows always point to the sides. Exhale only when you have overcome the most difficult part of the climb or when you reach the top point (arms are fully straightened, but not locked at the elbows). At the top point, pause and, with additional effort, tighten your chest muscles even more. Inhale and, holding your breath, smoothly lower the bar to your upper chest, and as soon as you touch it with the bar, immediately change the direction of movement and press the bar up. At the lowest point you can pause. In this case, as soon as the barbell touches your chest, exhale, then inhale deeply and, holding your breath, press the barbell up.
All phases of the exercise (lowering and pressing) are performed at a smooth, moderate pace.
Exercise 6 – Dumbbell press on a straight bench: workers – 4 sets of 7 times
Starting position – sitting on a bench, back straight, feet on the floor. Raise the dumbbells up above your head, keeping your arms straight, stop for two seconds at the top, and slowly lower the dumbbells.
Exercise 7 – Standing barbell press: warm-up – 10 times, working – 3 sets of 9 times
Grasp the barbell with an overhand grip slightly wider than shoulder-width apart and stand completely straight. The bar of the bar touches your hips. Place your feet parallel, shoulder-width apart, and bend your knees slightly. You can move one leg slightly forward - this will increase stability. Raise the barbell to your chest.
- The bar touches the upper chest, palms look at the ceiling, the back is slightly arched in the lower back, the shoulders are straightened, the chest is in a “wheel”.
This is the starting position. Inhale and, holding your breath, press the barbell up. After overcoming the most difficult part of the movement, exhale. At the top point, the arms are fully straightened and the shoulders are raised as much as possible. Having reached the top point, stop for a moment and strain your deltoids with all your might. Inhale and hold your breath as you lower the barbell to your chest and then begin the next rep. Press and lower the barbell at a moderate pace, with complete control over its movement. Don't push the barbell out or let it fly on its own.
Exercise 8 - Biceps curls: warm-up – 15 times, working – 4 sets of 8 times
Standing, feet shoulder-width apart. Knees slightly bent, back straight. The arms with the barbell are straightened down. The grip is average, i.e. approximately shoulder width apart.
As you exhale: Smoothly bend your elbows and lift the barbell to your chest. Attention! The elbows remain motionless at waist level.
Exercise 9 – French bench press: working – 4 sets of 8 times
The French bench press can be considered a basic exercise for. This exercise is usually performed with a W-shaped bar on a horizontal bench. When performing lying down, the elbows are almost vertical, with a slight tilt towards the head. The grip is narrow, the barbell is lowered behind the head, the elbows are motionless during the movement. At the bottom point, the arms almost touch the head, at the top point they are completely straightened. The elbows should be fairly close to each other and should not be spread apart. When moving down, inhale; when moving up, exhale.
Earlier articles covered exercises:
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A selection of video exercises for beginners
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Incline Barbell Press
French bench press
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Now it has become fashionable to take care of the health and beauty of your body. The number of visitors is steadily growing. If you also decide to go in for sports, then you should know how to exercise correctly. First of all, you should pay attention to the choice of a training room, in particular to the competence of the trainer. After all, only a professional will help you choose the exercises and techniques that are right for you, and this is the key to time spent usefully. And remember, a good gym is not about new flooring and free water. The main thing in this case is the ability to achieve the desired result. A good gym should have a full set of basic exercise machines (including presses), benches for pressing, barbells with dumbbells, a large selection of handles and dumbbells, as well as mirrors.
After choosing a gym for training, you need to think about clothes for training. The main requirement here is that clothing does not restrict movement. If we talk about fabric, then avoid synthetics, which are poorly breathable and have a negative effect on the skin. It is better to purchase special shoes, but if this is not possible, then opt for comfortable sneakers with good performance.
Features of muscle physiology
To understand how to exercise correctly in the gym, you should consider that muscle groups consist of slow and fast fibers. The former are responsible for the breakdown of fats, the latter - for the consumption of glucose. The number and ratio of muscle fibers are the same and do not change throughout life. An effective gym program includes exercises that will keep your muscles under constant tension. When we exercise, muscle fibers are stretched and torn. The more the muscles are stretched, the faster the fibers will grow.
Any workout should always begin with a warm-up, for example, running - this will perfectly warm up the muscles and prepare them for further exercise. You need to run for 5-7 minutes. Be sure to remember this rule, otherwise you risk harming your health. After a short run on the treadmill, you can do some stretching exercises. They are also ideal for completing a workout.
Basic complex for beginners
At first, it is better to focus on a basic set of exercises in order to determine your physical fitness. The program for beginners is based on exercises with hardware. This way you will prepare your muscles for more serious loads.
After two weeks, the trainer should tell you how to properly exercise in the gym, taking into account the purpose of your visit. If you visit the gym in order to keep yourself in shape, then they will select one set of exercises for you, but to correct your figure - a completely different one. It is worth noting that such a complex should be selected individually for each visitor to the hall. A gym program for men can be based on powerlifting and bodybuilding exercises. The difference in these programs is that bodybuilding involves performing multiple sets of weights, while powerlifting involves lifting large weights a small number of times.
Training program
In order for your gym program to be as effective as possible, you need to decide on exercises for different muscle groups. Classes for beginners often include free weights: push-ups, squats, leg raises, torso lifts, presses, bent-over rows, deadlifts, flyes, biceps curls, biceps extensions. In addition, the program includes exercises for working the legs and back.
Exercises with free weights or on different machines allow you to work specific muscle groups. In addition, such exercises are used to change the impact or eliminate the load on the injured muscle.
Basic principles and rules of training in the gym
In order for a gym program to help you fight excess weight and shape your figure, you need to know some principles and rules for safe and healthy workouts. Before starting classes, you should always check whether the load is well secured, check the stability of the simulator and the integrity of the cable. In addition, you need to follow certain rules during exercise: do not make noise, put away sports equipment after yourself, do not lift too much weight and do not neglect safety nets.
Duration, intensity and consistency
Proper exercise in the gym is based on three principles: duration, intensity and sequence of exercises. You need to start training by working the large muscles and only then start working on the small ones. Specifically, you need to start with the abs, moving on to working out the hips, back, chest, deltoids, triceps, biceps, lower legs and forearm. Moreover, if you want to pump up a specific muscle, then you need to start with it. The number of approaches performed also affects the result. The minimum you need to do is three, and the optimal number is 4-5 approaches. For those who are just starting to visit the gym, we can recommend initially working on all muscle groups, devoting at least ten minutes to each. With this consistent approach, you can work all the muscles in an hour and a half.
The duration and intensity of training also directly affects the results. For example, aerobic fitness, which is low-intensity, can last quite a long time, but strength fitness is not recommended for more than an hour and a half. Quite often, beginners think that the longer they train, the more noticeable the results will be. But in reality, overexertion leads to overwork, which will put you behind schedule for a long time. The load and duration of classes depend on the working weight, the program selected by the trainer, the speed of the exercises and rest between approaches.
How to choose the right weight
The weight should be selected in such a way that you can perform the required number of repetitions in each approach. To develop strength, you need to choose a load at which you are able to do 2-7 repetitions, to develop mass - a load of 8-12 repetitions, for losing weight and working out the relief - a load with more than 12 repetitions. In this case, the intensity of the exercises should be moderate, rest should not exceed 40-60 seconds. This time is enough for the heart to recover, and long breaks between exercises help the muscles “cool down”, and as a result, the impact on them is reduced.
Exercise technique
Not only the result of the workout, but also its safety depends on the correct performance of strength exercises. Very often, novice athletes mistakenly believe that for maximum effect it is necessary to take a lot of weight and use various exercise machines. But in reality, the effectiveness of training is primarily influenced by the training plan and exercise technique.
For example, if you do squats with a barbell incorrectly, then at best you will not pump up your hips enough, and at worst you will injure your spine. What else should you consider when visiting the gym? It is important for men to know the general rules that apply to all weight-bearing exercises. The main one is attention to the negative phase of the movement, that is, this phase is performed more slowly than the positive one. Let's say that when performing a bench press, you need to calmly lift the barbell and then slowly lower it to your chest.
How to create a gym workout program
Each person has individual physical characteristics. However, physical fitness is not always determined by age. There are young weak bodies, and there are adults and strong ones, and vice versa. Therefore, choosing a gym with a trainer is a great decision. A specialist will select a training regimen for you, taking into account, first of all, your physical fitness and only then your age.
It is very difficult to create a program without knowing what the person in the room is capable of. Nevertheless, there are simple rules for creating programs for beginners. The workout should begin with a warm-up - an exercise bike or a treadmill. 7-8 minutes is enough for him. During one workout you need to work all muscle groups. There should be a minimum of four sets of each exercise and a minimum of eight repetitions per set. Rest between approaches - no more than one minute. There should be 20-25 approaches in total. If you still have energy left at the end of your strength training session, you can finish your session on a stationary bike or treadmill for 12 to 45 minutes.
Pumping up muscles
The training complex for pumping muscles consists of four to five approaches, each with 8-12 exercises. Basically, they train three times a week, that is, every other day. The main goal of training is to maximally load an individual muscle, and not a limb or the body as a whole. In this case, rapid growth of muscle fibers is ensured. The training program must change so that the muscles do not adapt; they must always be in hypertonicity. This can be achieved if, on the last approach, you perform the exercises as many times as you have enough strength. A burning sensation should appear in the muscles you are working.
The most common mistakes in the gym
Many people are convinced that they should stick to the same workout program every day, but in reality, muscles need time to recover and rest. Daily exercise does not give the muscles the opportunity to recover, which means that they will never gain more strength and tone.
Gym goers often complain of weakness and sagging in the body. This condition indicates a lack of nutrition in the organs, which comes with the blood. You need to increase blood flow, and you will forget about weakness and flabbiness. The most effective way to speed up blood flow in the body is considered to be intense physical activity. In this sense, the most suitable exercises are with a heart rate of 140 beats for at least three hours a week. This load is quite enough for the whole body to receive adequate nutrition. With this training regimen, the flabbiness of the body will disappear within a couple of months. In addition, once your workouts become regular and frequent, your overall skin condition will improve significantly.
You also need to understand that it is impossible to achieve any significant changes with cardio training alone. Of course, you will get rid of extra pounds, but what will remain as a result? Only with strength training can you achieve the desired relief and acquire an overall attractive appearance.
It is worth noting the importance of replenishing water reserves in the body. During training, we sweat, and if we don’t drink water, fatigue will come ahead of time. In addition, water helps remove toxins, helps keep joints healthy, speeds up metabolism, and prevents fainting and dizziness.
Proper nutrition
A weight loss program in the gym includes not only training, but also a proper diet. But even if the goal of playing sports is not to lose weight, you should still eat a full and balanced diet so that the body receives the necessary energy to build muscle mass. At the same time, it is not recommended to adhere to a diet, since a decrease in food consumption very often leads to protein burning. Protein deficiency, in turn, leads to stretch marks, wasting muscle tissue and decreased skin elasticity. An athlete's daily diet must contain proteins and carbohydrates. It is useful to eat lean meat, cereals (rice, buckwheat and oatmeal), fish, nuts, fruits and honey. But it’s better to completely forget about baked goods, soda and alcoholic drinks.
After strength training, it is best to eat protein foods. For example, after an evening workout at the gym, vegetables and chicken breast are great for dinner. This diet helps not only burn fat, but also maintain muscle elasticity.
As a rule, the gym for girls is one of the ways to lose weight. Therefore, on training days, it is recommended to limit the consumption of animal fats and exclude fatty, salty and spicy foods from the diet. Therefore, in order to achieve the results you need, you need to combine the best gyms with the right nutritious diet.