Gym Routine for Beginners

In this day and age, the abundance of information can be both a blessing and a curse.
Pre-made strength training programmes are just a click away - can they be useful?
Absolutely!
The one thing I want to stress, however, is the need to keep things simple.

When you are starting out at the gym you only need minimal stimulus for maximum growth.
And this is what we want to aim for.
So many people start their resistance training schedules with so much volume that their bodies just can’t recover. Much of this volume is likely going to contribute to cumulative fatigue, which ultimately leads to burnout and overtraining.

Slowly increasing training volume over time will do you well.

So, how does this translate across to a training program?
Keep things simple! Here are 5 tips:

1. Two exercises max for each body part.

2. Focus on compound lifts and working large muscles more than smaller ones.

3. Limit the number of sets of each exercise to around 3 or 4.

4. Don’t train every day and have plenty of rest days.

5. Focus on form and technique over weight.

So let me break this down for you.

1. Many people focus on introducing a wide range of exercises for each body part when you don’t need this! Focusing on a few select exercises, nailing the form and getting stronger over time is what will build muscle size, density and tone.
   Don’t find yourself getting bogged down with 7 different exercises for chest if you have limited chest density and mass in the first place.

2. Your chest, back and legs need more volume to grow than your arms and shoulders.
   Larger muscle = more work needed.
   Your arms and shoulders are also likely to be worked WITH your chest and back anyway.
   Focus on the big muscles and compounds first - don’t waste 30 minutes on your forearms!!

3. Links to point 1. As a beginner, it is likely that your capacity for high sets and reps is limited. This will translate across to lower quality reps as you progress through the sets in your workout.
   Do fewer, higher quality sets and get the maximum growth with the lowest amount of junk volume (+ cumulative fatigue).

4. Rest = growth. Period.
   If you’re training 4/5x a week, try scaling back to 3/4 and see an improvement in size and strength.

5. Self explanatory but gold standard.
   Form = muscle.

So let me stress these things for you again.

Keep things simple!

A few select exercises with perfect form is the way to growth.
If you are completing 12 reps of an exercise with good form, increase the weight.
Simple!
Intensity and going to failure can come at a later time when your form is perfect.

The recipe for success?

Show up.
Be consistent.
Enjoy the process.

Sunny

"Nothing in the world can take the place of Persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. The slogan 'Press On' has solved and always will solve the problems of the human race."

Calvin Coolidge