When getting started with a weight training program, sometimes it’s easy to lose sight of fundamentals with the abundance of training advice you read in the bodybuilding magazines. Hence it’s appropriate for a small checklist of Do’s and Don’ts to make sure you are on track!
DO:
Follow the K.I.S.S. (Keep It Simple Stupid) principle. That means a good basic training philosophy. There is so much information about bodybuilding. There are so many people telling you what to do. Forget all that. What works fine for me doesn’t have to work for you. I can’t tell you how many sets and reps to do. That’s something you have to find out for yourself. One will respond good at 4 to 8 reps. The other better at 8 to 15 reps. It’s hard to tell what is good for you. However, I can give you some guidelines.
When you’re trying to build a bigger, better body you need to stick to three basic rules:
1) Stimulation/overload of the muscles by doing resistance exercise. Stimulation means irritating the muscle. Try to overload your muscles by going heavier than the workouts before. Or doing more reps with the same amount of weight than before.
2) Good nutrition and adequate protein; to provide the building blocks for muscle. Good nutrition means eating plenty of carbohydrate, protein and healthy fats. For more info see the weight gain diet and nutrition article.
3) Sufficient rest is important for the actual growth of the muscle. Rest means getting quality sleep. At least 7 hours a day. 8 to 9 hours is even better. It’s essential for the muscles to recuperate and grow.
If only one of these factors is missing it can have a negative impact on your ability to build muscle mass.
Good training includes simple, basic exercises. They’re all you need to stick to, when you haven’t reached the bodyweight that you’re aiming for yet. The most important multi-joint exercises are:
- Bench/dumbbell presses
- Chinning
- Bent-over rows
- Military presses
- Barbell/dumbbell curls
- Skullcrushes
- Dips
- Squat’s
- Deadlifts
- Calf raises
These are the main mass building exercises that will make you bulk up and gain weight. For variation you can use some pully’s, machine’s and other weight training exercises. Your workout should be concentrated on the basic barbell and dumbbell exercises, as described above.
DON’T:
Don’t be an ego trainer. Leave your ego at home. We are lifting weights to gain muscle. So don’t go to the gym to impress everybody with the amount of weight you can lift.
Don’t look up too much at the big pro’s. What they do and what you’re doing are two very different things. They didn’t start training the same way as they are training now.
Don’t screw around when you are training with weights. Keep a good pace and stay focused on each exercise. Talking about the chicks and the weather can take place in the locker room when you’re finished training. Getting in and out of the gym should be the main priority.
Don’t train with a sloppy style. It will only bring you injuries. Cheating is allowed, but in a way of loosening up the style a bit more, to do a few more reps.
Don’t use steroids, you are putting your health at risk. When you start a weight training program to gain muscle, pretend you’re building a big skyscraper of your body. If the foundation is weak, the building will look like crap and will fall down before it’s even finished. On the other hand, on a good solid foundation you can put the biggest skyscraper you’ll ever want.
When getting started with a weight training program, sometimes it’s easy to lose sight of fundamentals with the abundance of training advice you read in the bodybuilding magazines. Hence it’s appropriate for a small checklist of Do’s and Don’ts to make sure you are on track!
DO:
Follow the K.I.S.S. (Keep It Simple Stupid) principle. That means a good basic training philosophy. There is so much information about bodybuilding. There are so many people telling you what to do. Forget all that. What works fine for me doesn’t have to work for you. I can’t tell you how many sets and reps to do. That’s something you have to find out for yourself. One will respond good at 4 to 8 reps. The other better at 8 to 15 reps. It’s hard to tell what is good for you. However, I can give you some guidelines.
When you’re trying to build a bigger, better body you need to stick to three basic rules:
1) Stimulation/overload of the muscles by doing resistance exercise. Stimulation means irritating the muscle. Try to overload your muscles by going heavier than the workouts before. Or doing more reps with the same amount of weight than before.
2) Good nutrition and adequate protein; to provide the building blocks for muscle. Good nutrition means eating plenty of carbohydrate, protein and healthy fats. For more info see the weight gain diet and nutrition article.
3) Sufficient rest is important for the actual growth of the muscle. Rest means getting quality sleep. At least 7 hours a day. 8 to 9 hours is even better. It’s essential for the muscles to recuperate and grow.
If only one of these factors is missing it can have a negative impact on your ability to build muscle mass.
Good training includes simple, basic exercises. They’re all you need to stick to, when you haven’t reached the bodyweight that you’re aiming for yet. The most important multi-joint exercises are:
- Bench/dumbbell presses
- Chinning
- Bent-over rows
- Military presses
- Barbell/dumbbell curls
- Skullcrushes
- Dips
- Squat’s
- Deadlifts
- Calf raises
These are the main mass building exercises that will make you bulk up and gain weight. For variation you can use some pully’s, machine’s and other weight training exercises. Your workout should be concentrated on the basic barbell and dumbbell exercises, as described above.
DON’T:
Don’t be an ego trainer. Leave your ego at home. We are lifting weights to gain muscle. So don’t go to the gym to impress everybody with the amount of weight you can lift.
Don’t look up too much at the big pro’s. What they do and what you’re doing are two very different things. They didn’t start training the same way as they are training now.
Don’t screw around when you are training with weights. Keep a good pace and stay focused on each exercise. Talking about the chicks and the weather can take place in the locker room when you’re finished training. Getting in and out of the gym should be the main priority.
Don’t train with a sloppy style. It will only bring you injuries. Cheating is allowed, but in a way of loosening up the style a bit more, to do a few more reps.
Don’t use steroids, you are putting your health at risk. When you start a weight training program to gain muscle, pretend you’re building a big skyscraper of your body. If the foundation is weak, the building will look like crap and will fall down before it’s even finished. On the other hand, on a good solid foundation you can put the biggest skyscraper you’ll ever want.