Weightlifting for dummies
Discussion
Is there somewhere I can get a routine for starting a bit of weightlifting. I have a home gym set up with bench and multigym but I'm not really sure what I should be lifting, how heavy, how many times and what techniques to use.
I am after a bit of bulking up, tone and fitness. I am 46 years old and around 16.5 stone and out of shape.
Can anyone recommend a routine or website that is written for a complete newbie to this.
I am after a bit of bulking up, tone and fitness. I am 46 years old and around 16.5 stone and out of shape.
Can anyone recommend a routine or website that is written for a complete newbie to this.
alan36 said:
Is there somewhere I can get a routine for starting a bit of weightlifting. I have a home gym set up with bench and multigym but I'm not really sure what I should be lifting, how heavy, how many times and what techniques to use.
I am after a bit of bulking up, tone and fitness. I am 46 years old and around 16.5 stone and out of shape.
Can anyone recommend a routine or website that is written for a complete newbie to this.
Might be worth paying a PT for one gym session. Explain to them what your goals are. They will give you exercises to achieve them. Go home and follow the plan. I am after a bit of bulking up, tone and fitness. I am 46 years old and around 16.5 stone and out of shape.
Can anyone recommend a routine or website that is written for a complete newbie to this.
InitialDave said:
Look up "starting strength" by Mark Rippetoe.
Not a bad shout, although he does say he has a multigym and his routines are largely barbell routines.Another site you could look at OP is 'nerdfitness' I've seen some good advice and articles on there aimed at beginners.
Also exrx.net.
5x5, starting Strength are all good however I think you’ll need a squat rack to benefit long term.
Perhaps start with a simple Push/Pull/Legs routine?
I saw my best results from ‘A simple power based routine’ by a chap with the username Iron Addicts.
Below copied from Ironaddicts.com
Here is a routine a LARGE percentage of the lifters here could make great gains doing.
Monday
Squat or box squat 2-3 x 5
Glute/Ham Raises or pullthroughs 3 x 10
Bent Row or Chest Supported row 4 x 6
Barbell or Dumbbell Curl 3 x 8
Calf Raises 3 x 15
Wednesday
Bench Press or low board press 3 x 5, or 3 x 3
Incline Dumbbell Bench Press 4 x 8
Military or Dumbbell Shoulder Press 3 x 8
Skull Crushers 3 x 10
Ab work 3 x 10
Friday
Deadlift or rack deadlift 2-3 x 5
Leg press 2 x 10
Chin or lat pull-down 4 x 6
Barbell or Dumbbell Curl 3 x 8
Calf Raises 3 x 15
Monday
Incline bench press or Incline Dumbbell Press 3 x 5, or 3 x 3
Dumbbell Bench Press 4 x 8
Military or Dumbbell Shoulder Press 3 x 8
Tricep pushdowns 3 x 10
Ab work 3 x 10 Monday
FOR THOSE THAT ARE READING COMPREHENSION CHALLENGED THE SCHEDULE GOES LIKE THIS:
1st workout
Monday
Squat or box squat 2-3 x 5
Glute/Ham Raises or pullthroughs 3 x 10
Bent Row or Chest Supported row 4 x 6
Barbell or Dumbbell Curl 3 x 8
Calf Raises 3 x 15
2nd workout 1 day later
Wednesday
Bench Press or low board press 3 x 5, or 3 x 3
Incline Dumbbell Bench Press 4 x 8
Military or Dumbbell Shoulder Press 3 x 8
Skull Crushers 3 x 10
Ab work 3 x 10
3rd workout 1 day later
Friday
Deadlift or rack deadlift 2-3 x 5
Leg press 2 x 10
Chin or lat pull-down 4 x 6
Barbell or Dumbbell Curl 3 x 8
Calf Raises 3 x 15
4th workout After TWO DAYS OFF
Monday
Incline bench press or Incline Dumbbell Press 3 x 5, or 3 x 3
Dumbbell Bench Press 4 x 8
Military or Dumbbell Shoulder Press 3 x 8
Tricep pushdowns 3 x 10
Ab work 3 x 10 Monday
next workout sequence repeat 1st through 4th workouts
Sets are NOT taken to failure, at least 1 rep short, or to the point RIGHT before form starts to break down. If you do not recover well, reduce 1 set from each of the lifts.
Rep cadence is explosive on the positive, controlled on the negative, no need to count cadence.
After warm-ups use the same weight for all sets. If you cannot get all the sets with the same weight, the weight is too heavy.
If you want to substitute something like dumbbell skull crushers for pushdowns, or hammer curls for barbell curls go ahead. DO NOT SUB OUT BIG COMPOUND MOVEMENTS FOR ISOLATION LIFTS. IF YOU CAN SQUAT AND DEADLIFT, DO THEM. THEY ARE THE MOST IMPORTANT LIFTS IN THE ROUTINE.
Rotate the lifts to something else every 4-8 weeks or whenever a lift stalls.
DELAOD BY DOING 1/2 THE SETS, OR 85% OF THE WEIGHT EVERY 4-8 WEEKS (4-5 WEEKS WORKS BEST FOR MOST PEOPLE.
Suitable substitute lifts:
Squat or box squat, you can front squat, or smith squat (smith ONLY if that is all you can do) You can leg press ONLY IF YOU ABSOLUTELY CANNOT DO REAGULAR SQUATS AND THE RESULTS WILL NOT BE AS GOOD.
Glute/Ham Raises or pullthroughs
Bent Row or Chest Supported row, you can dumbbell row or machine row
Barbell or Dumbbell Curl, you can do any curl variation
Calf Raises, you can do leg press calfs, standing barbell calf raises, or 1 arm, 1 leg dumbbell calf raises if you don't have a machine
Bench Press or low board press, you can do dumbbell presses or dips
Incline Dumbbell Bench Press, Dumbbell inclines, or smith inclines (use the SMITH ONLY IF THAT IS THE ONLY THING YOU CAN DO
Military or Dumbbell Shoulder Press, NO SUBS
Skull Crushers, you can do dumbbell skull crushers, overhead tricep extensions with a bar or dumbbells, or tricep push-downs if any of these movements bother your elbows.
Ab work, you can do a weighted sit-up, hanging leg raises, ab-wheel, or an ab machine
Deadlift or rack deadlift, you can do romanian deadlifts, or good-mornings
Leg press, you can front squat
Chin or lat pull-down, NO SUBS
Barbell or Dumbbell Curl, any curl variation
Calf Raises, you can do leg press calfs, standing barbell calf raises, or 1 arm, 1 leg dumbbell calf raises if you don't have a machine
Incline bench press or Incline Dumbbell Press, NO SUBS
Dumbbell Bench Press, You can do dips
Military or Dumbbell Shoulder Press, you can do upright rows
Tricep pushdowns, you can do a skull crusher, or overhead tricep extension with a barbell or dumbbells
Ab work 3 x 10, You can do a weighted sit-up, hanging leg raises, ab-wheel, or an ab machine
If you can't sub any of these lifts figure it out yourself and quit asking endless questions about what you can sub. The sub list just posted was created after over 100 questions have been asked about "can I do lift B instead of lift A
Perhaps start with a simple Push/Pull/Legs routine?
I saw my best results from ‘A simple power based routine’ by a chap with the username Iron Addicts.
Below copied from Ironaddicts.com
Here is a routine a LARGE percentage of the lifters here could make great gains doing.
Monday
Squat or box squat 2-3 x 5
Glute/Ham Raises or pullthroughs 3 x 10
Bent Row or Chest Supported row 4 x 6
Barbell or Dumbbell Curl 3 x 8
Calf Raises 3 x 15
Wednesday
Bench Press or low board press 3 x 5, or 3 x 3
Incline Dumbbell Bench Press 4 x 8
Military or Dumbbell Shoulder Press 3 x 8
Skull Crushers 3 x 10
Ab work 3 x 10
Friday
Deadlift or rack deadlift 2-3 x 5
Leg press 2 x 10
Chin or lat pull-down 4 x 6
Barbell or Dumbbell Curl 3 x 8
Calf Raises 3 x 15
Monday
Incline bench press or Incline Dumbbell Press 3 x 5, or 3 x 3
Dumbbell Bench Press 4 x 8
Military or Dumbbell Shoulder Press 3 x 8
Tricep pushdowns 3 x 10
Ab work 3 x 10 Monday
FOR THOSE THAT ARE READING COMPREHENSION CHALLENGED THE SCHEDULE GOES LIKE THIS:
1st workout
Monday
Squat or box squat 2-3 x 5
Glute/Ham Raises or pullthroughs 3 x 10
Bent Row or Chest Supported row 4 x 6
Barbell or Dumbbell Curl 3 x 8
Calf Raises 3 x 15
2nd workout 1 day later
Wednesday
Bench Press or low board press 3 x 5, or 3 x 3
Incline Dumbbell Bench Press 4 x 8
Military or Dumbbell Shoulder Press 3 x 8
Skull Crushers 3 x 10
Ab work 3 x 10
3rd workout 1 day later
Friday
Deadlift or rack deadlift 2-3 x 5
Leg press 2 x 10
Chin or lat pull-down 4 x 6
Barbell or Dumbbell Curl 3 x 8
Calf Raises 3 x 15
4th workout After TWO DAYS OFF
Monday
Incline bench press or Incline Dumbbell Press 3 x 5, or 3 x 3
Dumbbell Bench Press 4 x 8
Military or Dumbbell Shoulder Press 3 x 8
Tricep pushdowns 3 x 10
Ab work 3 x 10 Monday
next workout sequence repeat 1st through 4th workouts
Sets are NOT taken to failure, at least 1 rep short, or to the point RIGHT before form starts to break down. If you do not recover well, reduce 1 set from each of the lifts.
Rep cadence is explosive on the positive, controlled on the negative, no need to count cadence.
After warm-ups use the same weight for all sets. If you cannot get all the sets with the same weight, the weight is too heavy.
If you want to substitute something like dumbbell skull crushers for pushdowns, or hammer curls for barbell curls go ahead. DO NOT SUB OUT BIG COMPOUND MOVEMENTS FOR ISOLATION LIFTS. IF YOU CAN SQUAT AND DEADLIFT, DO THEM. THEY ARE THE MOST IMPORTANT LIFTS IN THE ROUTINE.
Rotate the lifts to something else every 4-8 weeks or whenever a lift stalls.
DELAOD BY DOING 1/2 THE SETS, OR 85% OF THE WEIGHT EVERY 4-8 WEEKS (4-5 WEEKS WORKS BEST FOR MOST PEOPLE.
Suitable substitute lifts:
Squat or box squat, you can front squat, or smith squat (smith ONLY if that is all you can do) You can leg press ONLY IF YOU ABSOLUTELY CANNOT DO REAGULAR SQUATS AND THE RESULTS WILL NOT BE AS GOOD.
Glute/Ham Raises or pullthroughs
Bent Row or Chest Supported row, you can dumbbell row or machine row
Barbell or Dumbbell Curl, you can do any curl variation
Calf Raises, you can do leg press calfs, standing barbell calf raises, or 1 arm, 1 leg dumbbell calf raises if you don't have a machine
Bench Press or low board press, you can do dumbbell presses or dips
Incline Dumbbell Bench Press, Dumbbell inclines, or smith inclines (use the SMITH ONLY IF THAT IS THE ONLY THING YOU CAN DO
Military or Dumbbell Shoulder Press, NO SUBS
Skull Crushers, you can do dumbbell skull crushers, overhead tricep extensions with a bar or dumbbells, or tricep push-downs if any of these movements bother your elbows.
Ab work, you can do a weighted sit-up, hanging leg raises, ab-wheel, or an ab machine
Deadlift or rack deadlift, you can do romanian deadlifts, or good-mornings
Leg press, you can front squat
Chin or lat pull-down, NO SUBS
Barbell or Dumbbell Curl, any curl variation
Calf Raises, you can do leg press calfs, standing barbell calf raises, or 1 arm, 1 leg dumbbell calf raises if you don't have a machine
Incline bench press or Incline Dumbbell Press, NO SUBS
Dumbbell Bench Press, You can do dips
Military or Dumbbell Shoulder Press, you can do upright rows
Tricep pushdowns, you can do a skull crusher, or overhead tricep extension with a barbell or dumbbells
Ab work 3 x 10, You can do a weighted sit-up, hanging leg raises, ab-wheel, or an ab machine
If you can't sub any of these lifts figure it out yourself and quit asking endless questions about what you can sub. The sub list just posted was created after over 100 questions have been asked about "can I do lift B instead of lift A
Sell the multigym buy a secondhand power cage, a set of olympic weights and a 20kg barbell. Get 120kg of weights and do a 5x5 programme until you run out of weight..... then buy some more.
Start with the empty bar for all exercises apart from dead lift and lift consistently. Keep going, lift at least 3 time a week and stick with it. After a while it becomes addictive.
Start with the empty bar for all exercises apart from dead lift and lift consistently. Keep going, lift at least 3 time a week and stick with it. After a while it becomes addictive.
RTB said:
Sell the multigym buy a secondhand power cage, a set of olympic weights and a 20kg barbell. Get 120kg of weights and do a 5x5 programme until you run out of weight..... then buy some more.
Start with the empty bar for all exercises apart from dead lift and lift consistently. Keep going, lift at least 3 time a week and stick with it. After a while it becomes addictive.
Very much this. A very simple workout, but very effective. Start with the empty bar for all exercises apart from dead lift and lift consistently. Keep going, lift at least 3 time a week and stick with it. After a while it becomes addictive.
RTB said:
Sell the multigym buy a secondhand power cage, a set of olympic weights and a 20kg barbell. Get 120kg of weights and do a 5x5 programme until you run out of weight..... then buy some more.
Start with the empty bar for all exercises apart from dead lift and lift consistently. Keep going, lift at least 3 time a week and stick with it. After a while it becomes addictive.
Top advice. I bought my olympic bar and weights used, good saving over new, no reason not to. They're lumps of cast iron, there isn't really anything you can do to hurt them, worst case they need a brush down and some cheap black paint.Start with the empty bar for all exercises apart from dead lift and lift consistently. Keep going, lift at least 3 time a week and stick with it. After a while it becomes addictive.
Perfectly serviceable power cage was a couple of hundred pounds new.
alan36 said:
Is there somewhere I can get a routine for starting a bit of weightlifting. I have a home gym set up with bench and multigym but I'm not really sure what I should be lifting, how heavy, how many times and what techniques to use.
I am after a bit of bulking up, tone and fitness. I am 46 years old and around 16.5 stone and out of shape.
Can anyone recommend a routine or website that is written for a complete newbie to this.
Your post echoes one I did over 4 years ago, when I was 47:I am after a bit of bulking up, tone and fitness. I am 46 years old and around 16.5 stone and out of shape.
Can anyone recommend a routine or website that is written for a complete newbie to this.
https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...
As other have said, ditch the multi gym and get a cage (or half cage with spotter bars) and Olympic weight set, and just plug at the basics, Squats, Bench, Clean and Press, pull ups, rows and deadlifts. These are all you will ever need to lose weight and get strong - and diet, of course..
alan36 said:
How many reps and at what weight should i be doing?
5 sets 5 reps, start with an empty bar and add 2.5kgs every workout.https://stronglifts.com/5x5/
for example on this you squat every work out, after 4 weeks you would be squatting 50kg for 5 sets of 5 reps.
Sign up to the above site and download the excel spreadsheet. Plug in the numbers and do what it tells you. Once you're stronger you can decide what you want to do. I wouldn't start an isolation split workout until you're stronger though.
alan36 said:
I am after a bit of bulking up, tone and fitness.
For bulking up you'll need to work within a muscle growth (hypertrophy) rep range, which is 6-12 reps for 3-4 sets.I assume by 'tone' you mean you want the muscles to be more visible? You'll need a diet for that one. The protocol mentioned above will make the muscle bigger.
For fitness do you mean endurance? Strength? Power? All are different rep ranges. Endurance is +12 reps, strength is 3-6 reps for sets, power is 1-3 for short sets.
These ranges are not set in stone however, but generally heavy and not too many repetitions is good for growth.
I do similar workout to the 5*5 routines except I'm a bit more concerned with putting on a bit side so I use 3*8 reps as per the poster above advice. Also I don't have a cage just a normal rack in which case I just stop the moment my form suffers and repeat until I can do it perfectly before adding weight. This way I should avoid injuries, hopefully.
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