Beginner Workout Frequency
Working the whole body three times/week as a beginner is a good way to develop a strength base to work from.
Basic Exercises
The reason basic, multi-joint exercises, such as the bench press, leg press, squats, and military press, are good for building a strength base is that they involve several muscle groups and therefore require you to balance and coordinate a variety of muscles at the same time.
General Training Progression
Begin your musclebuilding program slowly, and gradually progress by adding more sets, reps, and exercises.
Repetition-Defined
A repetition consists of one complete movement of an exercise (e.g. doing a push-up, moving all the way down and back up).
Arm Size
To develop arm size focus more on triceps exercises, because the triceps makes up the majority of the mass of the upper arm.
Time Your Workouts
Use a stopwatch to time your rest and increase intensity, which will help you keep your workout more focused and efficient. This is especially helpful as a beginner when you are not used to training.
Frequency of Training
Training with weights three times per week is a good place to start building quality muscle.
Musclebuilding While Traveling
When traveling, to maintain your program, choose a hotel with a fitness facility, or if you are more advanced look in the yellow pages or ask at the front desk about a gym or club nearby. Typically there will be one fairly close that you can use for a small daily fee, and you may even get a complimentary pass depending on the hotel you are staying at. The cost is usually between five and ten dollars per day.
Controlled Movements
When performing a repetition of an exercise move in a controlled manner, focusing on the muscle you are working.
Getting More Muscle Activation
When performing a repetition, a slight pause at the top and bottom of the movement gives the extra contraction and stretch needed to work the muscle more fully and hence stimulate more development.
Focus on Goals
Focus your musclebuilding program around your individual goals. In other words do exercises and movements which will get you to your goals. For example, if you want to be a bodybuilder you would not want to focus your program on doing olympic style lifts such as power cleans, snatches etc. The same goes for athletes or any other group. Use a program which is specific to you and your goals.
Training Muscle Groups
When starting out work each of the major muscle groups during each weight training session.
Counting reps
Instead of counting reps starting at one and counting up, start at your target number and count backward. When you get near the end of your set, you?ll be thinking how few you have left instead of how many you?ve done.
Abs and Low Back Vital
Building the muscles of the low back and abs allows you to perform other exercises correctly, because these muscles stabilize the spine and torso.
When to Change the Program
Altering your workout program by changing exercises every four to six weeks will help you avoid plateaus in your muscle and strength gains.