If you’re reading this, then it appears you’ve made it all the way to the end of my guide to creating The Ultimate Weight Training Workout Routine. Nice!
At this point, I have just 5 things left to say.
1. Congrats!
First of all… congratulations are in order.
You’ve now learned more about weight training, program design, and how to get the results you want than the majority of the population will ever learn in their lifetime. So… congrats on that!
2. Put It To Use!
I hope you liked the guide and actually use what you’ve learned.
Because honestly, reading and learning and understanding are great and all, but the only way it’s truly going to work is if you actually put it into action. So… do that.
3. But Wait, There’s MORE!
Believe it or not, I still have a ton of information to share with you.
While this guide was pretty damn comprehensive, there’s actually plenty of stuff that I purposely left out, skipped over, or didn’t think fit right within this guide.
Stuff about weight training, cardio, diet and nutrition, supplements, building muscle, losing fat, increasing strength and performance, improving health, and much more.
And I’ll be sharing all of it right here on a regular basis. To make sure you never miss any of it, you can subscribe for free, and also follow me on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter.
4. More Workouts To Choose From!
Even though I just covered how to create your own workout routine, I’ve realized that many people want something more.
More what? More proven workouts to choose from that I designed myself and have been using with my coaching clients for years with amazing results.
They are now all included as part of my Superior Muscle Growth program.
Feel free to check it out.
5. Give Me Your Feedback!
And last but not least, I want to hear your feedback. In fact, I want 3 different kinds of feedback.
- First, I want to know what you thought of the guide.
I want to know what you liked best, what section was most useful, what you wish I covered in more detail or explained better, what you felt was missing (if anything), and basically just your thoughts and opinions on the guide itself. - Second, I want to answer your questions.
If you had any questions about any aspect of weight training, creating your routine, reaching your specific goal (building muscle, increasing strength, losing fat, etc.), the sample workouts or anything else while reading any part of this guide, email me here and ask. I will answer. Also be sure to check out the nearly 3000 comments below this post. Most questions have already been asked/answered at this point. - Third, I want to hear how well it’s working for you.
Once you start using the information contained in this guide, guess what’s going to happen? You’re going to start getting the results you want. Sounds good, huh? Trust me… it is. And when that starts happening for you, I want to hear all about it. So, email me and let me know.
The End
Well, that’s about it.
I hope you liked the guide (and if you did, be sure to tell your friends about it) and I hope you actually use what you’ve learned from it.
I also hope you subscribe for free, because I plan on writing similarly awesome and useful guides in the future.
And again, if you have any questions, comments, feedback, or just want to tell me how well it’s working for you, email me here.
Enjoy your results.
(This article is part of a completely free guide to creating the best workout routine possible for your exact goal. It starts here: The Ultimate Weight Training Workout Routine)
Hey, i have a question regarding when to decrease my caloric surplus when i see that im not gaining at the ideal rate. Last week i took the average and it showed that i had gained 1.5 pounds which is a bit much from my ideal rate of .5-1, but this week im sticking to the same surplus because i read in your guide that i should wait 2 consecutive weeks before decreasing or increasing my surplus, so im wondering if i should decrease the surplus by 250 for the remainder of the week, or should i just continue with the same surplus for this week and see if i lose 1.5 again and than make the decrease at the beginning of next week?. Thanks again for all your help.
If you’re gaining more than 0.5lb per week for 2 weeks straight, reduce your calorie intake by 250 and see what happens over the next week or two.
How do you work you hamstrings around the lower body part of my workout, as you say total volume is 60 to 120 reps per week. Example: that would involve something like two exercises for hamstrings and 3 sets of 10 to 12 reps for both exercises. how would you arrange the exercise for hamstrings as they get used secondary while performing most quad exercises like squats and leg presses. My idea was to do two compound quad exercises and one hamstring exercise, but just wanted to confirm.
That’s why I designed The Muscle Building Workout Routine with a more quad dominant day (where there is less direct hamstring volume) and then a hamstring dominant day (where’s there more direct ham work, but less quad work). Check it out.
I have just finished reading every single word of your guide.
It was great!!
I have really benefited from your no nonsense hilarious way of making me realize what an excuse maker I was being (loved the Starvation Mode post!), your guidance on the different mechanics to include in your workout, the best splits and macro nutrients explanation.
I was probably over training, but hitting each muscle group once per week, I was definitely overeating yet still not having enough protein, plus so much more. I happened upon your website at a time when I was wandering around the gym feeling down that I wasn’t getting results. Since reading your guide I have been eating a reduced calorie diet focused on lean protein intake and healthy fats. I’ve switch to a four day upper lower split and have committed to sticking with this for quite a while because I feel great!
Your guide has left me feeling educated and inspired!
THANK YOU!!
I really can’t ask for any feedback better than that… exactly what I want to hear! Glad the site has helped.
Be sure to post again and keep us updated on your progress.
Hey, just following up my previous post, i did what you say and decreased my calories by 250 for this week since the last 2 weeks i gained 1.5 pounds on each week, however its friday and i’ve been weighing myself in the morning since monday and hoping to take the average on sunday, but looking over the weight numbers it does not seem like i will gain anything this week, if anything it seems like i might lose .5-1 which is the opposite of what im trying to do, do you think this is because im probably not eating as many calories as i think i am, or should i maybe increase my surplus to like 150 or 200 since the last 2 weeks i was gaining 1.5 pounds with a 250 surplus which is not the ideal rate, please help thanks.
Wait 1-2 weeks. If your weight isn’t doing what it should be at the rate it should be, adjust in small increments. Give it another 1-2 weeks.
Keep repeating this until things are working like they should.
Hey, your site has been a godsend, considering how much misinformation there is out there on the subject of weight training, thanks for the resources, they are some of the best I’ve encountered so far. Anyway, I was wondering how exactly to fit various stationary bodyweight exercises, and their progressions, like the planche, front/back levers, etc. into a workout routine considering they don’t involve any repetitions but are just held positions. Or does holding these positions have a similar effect? Thanks for taking the time to maintain this site and share all of this info, and in advance for your response.
Glad to hear it dude.
Regarding the exercises you mentioned, they’re honestly not the type of stuff I have much (or really any) experience with programming, so I’m probably not the best person to ask.
Hello,
I just stumbled upon your site and feel like I have been in a rut at the gym. I tried a free session with a trainer and he seemed to mostly want me to do bodyweight, cardio, and kept touting the benefits of yoga. I like lifting weights and told him this. So after seeing him, I was even more discouraged. I just read through your articles and must say, you have given me hope. Recognizing that I am still a beginner and have probably been overtraining and not eating the right ration of calories and probably to many of them, I feel like a new course of action has been plotted. I had one question though: I have had a hip replacement and can probably do leg presses, but feel uncomfortable doing deadlifts. Do you have a recommendation that would be ok for someone who has had a hip replacement?
Thanks you for the obvious time and commitment you have put into this site.
Training around a hip replacement is really not something I feel qualified to advise you on.
I’m Plateauing in my weight loss. I have 10 more lbs to lose. What should I do?
Decrease your calories.
Eat less or burn more.
Hi, I like your guide, but there’s one thing that isn’t clear to me. You mention that a frequency of 3 times a week is ideal for beginners, yet in your beginner workout you do ABA and then BAB, which seems to average 1.5 times a week per exercise.
Shorter answer: don’t worry about.
Longer answer: I need to write an article about this one day.
I am following your begginer routine now and I have question regaig the bench press. I hurt my sholder while doing barbll bench press six month back.For some reason it feesl weired when I do barbll or dumbell flat bench press. I lik doing the incline dumbell press. I can lift more weight with incline dumbell than the other two.
Can I replace the flat benck press wihe incline dumbell press or I need some form of flat bench pess ?
If flat benching bothers your shoulder, replace it with some other chest press that doesn’t.
Is there and author to this article or no? Also when was this article last updated?
It was last updated whenever I finished writing it. 😉 I’ve lost track of the date.
But don’t worry, it’s not outdated. In fact, 100 years from now it will still not be outdated. What works best has always worked best and will always work best. It’s not going to change.
Hey, thanks for answering my previous question, i have another one regarding my workout if you don’t mind. I’m currently on your beginner workout version 2 but doing 6-8 reps as opposed to 8-10, the thing is the last time i did workout A, which was on wednesday of last week, i could only do 5 reps on the bench so i decided to do 5 reps also for the rest of the compound exercises even though i probably could have done more reps on the squat, i did this because i figured i should do the same reps for every exercise, not sure if this is correct. But anyways, i am wondering if i change to 5 reps from now on will it still be as good as doing 6-8 reps or should i just keep the same weight on the bench next time and try for 6-8?, please help thanks.
First, no… you don’t have to do the same reps for squats as you do for bench press.
Second, the most important thing is consistency. So if you do 3×6-8, always do 3×6-8.
The guide is very comprehensive. I’m going to start the workout tomorrow, I’ll check back with you in about 4 weeks. I know it was included somewhere in the guide but I must have overlooked the section on cardio. On what days should I do cardio?
Read this one.
Hey, thanks for the guide it’s really full of valuable info, I am aiming to muscle building and I know I have to have a calorie surplus, but do I have to eat that much during the resting days too?
Thanks
Lots of ways to do it (and this really needs a full article to properly explain). But as long as there is a net surplus for the week, you can put that surplus on whatever days you want (every day, just training days, etc.).
This guide is really helpful. I learned so much and can now use it to make my routine more beneficial. I just have a question about post workout carbs. Are oats just as good of a carb source as dextrose post workout? I know that you wrote in one of your articles that you take dextrose with post workout whey protein, and I wanted to know if oats would also be just as beneficial? Thanks very much. Again, this guide has such useful info and I’m thankful that you wrote it.
As long as your total calorie and macronutrient intake is what it needs to be each day, it won’t make any difference what your post workout carb source is. Eat whatever you like best.
I was wondering, would it be possible to swap out the barbell exercises for dumbell ones instead? I prefer to work out alone, and i find using barbells without a spotter can be a bit dangerous in some instances.
Yup, that’s fine.
Dude YOur article on weight training is awesome. its very simple and am sure i will maximise my results using it. i just have one question, and i believe it is an important one.
HOw about cardio? you havent mentioned anything about it. should one combine cardiovascular training along with the compound exercises described? or should one do this on rest days? or not at all? please inform us.
THanks
Read this one.
Hey, i have a question if you don’t mind, if i were to stop weight lifting but kept eating at maintenance, would i lose muscle?
Yes you would.
So how does one need to train when they feel they have reached their desired physique and would just like to maintain it?
Maintain your current level of strength on all exercises and don’t try to make any additional progress. Volume and/or frequency can also be reduced slightly.
And your diet would switch to maintenance (no surplus or deficit) as well.
I have absolutely loved reading this guide, and it has become my go-to spot for info when I have questions regarding my training. I have always been a runner but have wanted to start lifting and building some muscle. I have been using the beginner workout for about 3 months and I am really seeing some great results, as well as an increased confidence in the weight room. I’m starting to feel less like a silly little girl around all those gigantic, super ripped dudes 🙂 I was pretty intimidated going in, but I’m falling in love with lifting, I’m obsessed! I plan on using these guides for as long as I can as I progress, thank you so much!
Exactly what I like to hear!
Hey Jay, so I’m only a tad confused.
The progressive overload I am used to is for example
shoulder press
1×8 100
1×8 110
1×8 120
but you are recommending something along the lines of
3×8 110 until you can do it for higher reps? And then you raise amount for shoulder press on the next B day?
Yup, that’s correct.
Thank you for the clarification broseph!
I feel like I avoided loads of sensationalized BS in the bodybuilding industry by reading this article. Great stuff.
I finally got tired of being a fatso, so I decided to embark on a lifestyle change. Back in August, I weighed 235 lbs, and had a big gut. (I AM 55Years old, and 5’8″ by the way). I completely cut my daily diet to ~1700 calories, and began running 5 miles each morning @ 5mph pace with an 8º incline. I then run 5 sets of wind sprints @ 10mph (1 minute sprint, 1 minute 5mph cool down, 1 minute sprint, 1 minute 5mph cool down).
I am now down to ~195lbs, but seem to have pataued. I have been told that to resume losing weight, I need to incorporate some weight training. I want to switch up my workout to the same cardio on Sun, Tues, and Thurs. I want to start weight training on Mon, Wed, and Fri. (Saturday is my day of rest)
My question is, since I love running so much, would it be counter-productive if I continued to run, but only for 1/2 hour, on my weight training days? Its (running) has really become almost a ritual, but I don’t want to condradict my goal. Thoughts???
It will most likely be fine. Read this one.
And if you’re not losing weight, the one and only thing you need to do to resume losing weight is create a caloric deficit (meaning eat a little less, burn a little more, or both).
Love reading your guides. Tons of pragmatic, concrete and bullsh*t-free advice, just the way I like my stuff 🙂
Started your recommended beginner program a few weeks ago, with the intent of building muscle and gain a few kilos (2.2*few pounds).
Started with light loads, focusing on technique (most of it learnt from Rippetoe’s Starting Strength book, any opinions on it btw?), and been increasing the loads slowly but steadily as I’ve always hit the 3×10 rep mark in the first ~12 sessions. Finally I reached a weight on the bench press which I struggled with, only managing to complete 8-6-6 reps; and I suspect I’ll hit my limit on most of the other exercises with the next increase as well.
My question is simple: should I feel my muscles sore after these workouts? I mean, I only did 20 reps total on the bench press, ended up the workout feeling fresh and the following day (and the day after) I felt no soreness at all on the pecs. Is this expected because of the low intensity? Will my body adapt and gain strength if it’s not sore?
Also, should I try finishing the 30 reps with the spotter’s help so the training is harder on the body? Say I fail to complete 8 reps on a given set, should I do the remaining reps with help (although I only log the ones I finished by myself)?
Many thanks and keep up the excellent work!
Starting Strength is a great book.
Regarding soreness, read this one.
And for the last question, definitely not.
Hey,
This was a great guide, I learned a lot from reading through each section and gained insight towards how to approach working out again.
As the new years is approaching I would love to get back to going to the gym, and making the goal of gaining mass while getting that strong core.
I’m 20 years old currently attending university and was looking for some tips for a guy whose fairly slim (6’1 and 160 pounds) and is looking to get back into exercising and working out. My main goal is to get my upper body bigger (lower body is less of a goal). I would also like my abs to be more exposed as I have some body fat along my lower stomach and a little of those love handles. Another big reason I’m going back to exercising is to take my mind off school and relieve some stress, which I think is a huge plus.
I was looking at your sample workouts and was quite interested in the intermediate skill level one. It’s been about 4 months since I had a steady workout routine going for me (in the summer) and felt I would be able to start off from the intermediate level. What’s your thoughts about this in regard to skipping the beginner workout routine. Also from reading your article about getting toned abs, I understand that working out abs isn’t that important if you can’t get rid of the excess fat on your stomach. Do you have any small sample workout routines that will help me accomplish losing those small love handles and lower stomach fat, or specific foods I should be eating (I know this may be hard considering my main goal is to gain muscle on my upper body).
Also could you please provide me with a link on your site to creating a good meal plan. As a university student its always hard to eat the right things due to my limited time to cook. I want to make it a priority however this new year to eat the right things and a good meal plan would definitely guide me in the right way.
Any information you could provide to me regarding these things would be great!
Thanks,
Connor.
If you’re a beginner, you’ll do better with the beginner routine than the intermediate routine.
Read that article again. It has nothing whatsoever to do with special workouts or specific foods. It’s about a caloric deficit.
Regarding a meal plan, read this from beginning to end.
Hey, i was wondering if you’ve ever heard of stronglifts 5×5?, and if so do you think it is a good beginner program?
Yes I have. I think it’s a slightly shittier version of every other basic 5×5 program.
Can you please elaborate, why do you think its shitty?, also what other basic 5×5 programs are you referring to?.
I don’t think it’s shitty, I think it’s shittier than the various other 5×5 programs (like MadCow) it’s obviously based on.
But isi’nt Madcows for intermediates?, also i read that Stronglifts is basically a ripoff of starting strength, the author just added 2 extra sets to work on form as well as a bit better for mass, and replaced power cleans with rows. Also what do you think of Reg park’s beginner 5×5, is it any better in your opinion?
That’s what I’m saying. SL is just a slightly less-good version of every other basic beginner or 5×5 program.
Reg Park’s beginner routine is alright.
There’s like 10 different beginner type routines like this that are all very similar and will all probably work just fine.
Ok, thanks man.
Thanks for this info, it really taught me ALOT! I was too scared to try weights as it seemed so confusing to start. I feel really confident that I can do this and am looking forward to beginning. This has guide given me a huge confidence boost. Thank you.
Happy to hear it! Feel free to update again and let us know how it goes.
I was just wondering how many exercises should I choose for hamstrings, as I am currently doing squats and leg press for quads 3 sets for both exerciseson my lower body days, and one hamstring exercise with 4 sets per exercise. I’m am doing only one exercise for hamstrings as this muscle is getting used secondary with the quad exercise ,does this sound like a good approach.
See my reply to your previous comment.
Thanks for your reply. I have shown my mates your website as I believe it’s the best information you can get as I have researched many websites and many books. Before following your routine I was mislead by other information doing the 1 muscle group a day once a week style under the idea of shoulders being a large muscle and hamstrings being a small muscle, information i got from the ultimate guide to building muscle (muscle and strength website) thanks again for correcting this for me.
Glad to hear it man!
Thank you sharing your wealth of information! You have really simplified things for people, myself included, who get misinformation from every direction. I read your post regarding how to avoid burning muscle instead of fat, and that is originally what got me hooked on your site. I have a question though: If I am interested in burning fat AND building a moderate amount of muscle, do you think it makes sense to start at a caloric deficit until I am comfortable with my body fat % and then approach the building muscle portion of my goal by changing my diet to incorporate more calories for that process to take place? I’ve read articles regarding “secrets” to achieving both at the same time involving interchanging a surplus and deficit based on the days you do weight training and cardio respectively. Seems like bullshit that will cause me to stagnate. I don’t mind pressing forward with either a deficit or surplus since I will probably need to do both in the end, I am just interested to know which you think it would make sense to start with. For some background on me, younger male, 6’4” 210lbs and about 15% body fat. I am committed to both diet and exercise… and have some patience 🙂
Definitely read this one.
Hi jay I’ve paid for your workout routines once before. How do I go about getting them again because they were saved on my old computer and I now don’t have access to them
Just resent it to you… check your email.
Absolutely fantastic article, I thoroughly enjoyed reading it.
If you could spare it, I could really use your help: I have been training for the past 7 months (as of the 16th of Dec) my primary goal is weight loss. I was 262lbs, I am currently 213lbs. I began my journey doing full body circuit training for the first 3 months, saw great results, but I hated them, and so for the next 3 I trained a body part-per day plus cardio. For the past month, after reading your article, I have decided on your upper/lower body split.
I follow your routine to the letter and I document my progress thoroughly using a spreadsheet to track exercise/reps/weight.
Every week I have increased the reps or weight…but I only manage to (usually) do this on the first 4 or 5, where the rep range is slightly lower and the movement is compound, when I try to attempt this on Bicep Curls, for example, I fail and I have been stuck using the same rep/weight for weeks.
My question is this; is it common whilst on a calorie deficit to have strength issues?…My main goal is still losing weight, which I am doing consistently, but I now want to preserve as much muscle as possible and I would love to increase it if possible. Considering what you said about progressive overload being THE most important factor, irrespective of exercise or rep ranges, I can’t help but wonder what I am doing wrong.
Any help would be greatly appreciated.
L. J.
Read this one (specifically #1, #2 and #5) and this one.
They’ll explain everything you need to know.
Thank you, I really appreciate you taking the time to reply, I know you must be busy.
Dude this web cleared a lot of things up. I’ve been lifting for about 8 months now and realized i was doing it all wrong.
Im going to stick to that beginner’s guide for quite some time and i hope it gives good results. Until now i did see some improvements in my body but since 2 or 3 months ago i havent been able to progress at all.
Damn thank god i know english because this web is awesome. Greetings from Spain.
Ha, glad to hear it!
thank you so much on all the hard work u put out here man this is the best thing ive read on the internet so far thanks a lot!!!!!!
You’re welcome!
Hey jay what’s your advise on lagging chest. I was thinking about lowering volume on all other muscles untill chest catches up. Any advise would be much appreciated.
This one is a good place to start.
Hi. If i want to get a six pack, i should be cutting fat and maintaining/gaining muscle, right? Well then i would want to stick to the lower end of volume, like you say here: https://www.aworkoutroutine.com/optimal-workout-volume/ which is around 30 reps per week for abs according to this website. That seems like an extremely low amount of reps. are you sure that just 30 reps will get me a six pack? Thanks!
Well, it never said that this work out would give you a six pack. What i mean to say is would an ab workout with just 30 reps per week get me a six pack? Thanks
Read this one.
I happened upon this website just browsing for something to help me stay fit. I must say I have read a bunch of information and bought a bunch of nonsense on these subjects for years and I love the true, blunt, upfront no-nonsense approach. I’m not going anywhere else for any of my fit/health needs than here. I have just finished the guide and I’m going to start putting all I’ve learned into practice starting next week. I’m excited to do so. I’m eager to see my results over time. I will keep you posted Jay and you keep writing and sharing my man. This is good stuff!
Awesome! Very happy to hear it.
Definitely looking forward to seeing how well you do.
I have decided to try your beginner workout (the larger one) after intermittent and out of balance training. I only have free weights so is it ok to sub tri pushdowns with any other free weight tri exercise?
I also practise Iyengar Yoga in a strength format 2 x per week, 1 hr per session. Could this have any bearing on the weight training outcomes?
Replacing pushdowns with any other triceps isolation exercise (such as an overhead dumbbell extension) will be fine.
I honestly don’t know anything about Iyengar Yoga, so I can’t really answer that one.
Do you recommend smith machine bench press if you have no spotter so you can go to failure with reps?
Nope, I don’t. I’d recommend either asking someone to spot you, putting the bench in a rack where the safety bars can act as your spotter if you get stuck or using dumbbells. Some additional details are here.
Hi,
In an earlier reply to someone else you said that using dumbbells instead of barbells for this is fine. However, I’m having a hard time differentiating between a dumbbell dead lift and a dumbbell squat; the two motions look almost identical to me in videos. Is the difference between the two only that in one, the dumbbells are held more to the side, and in the other, more to the front?
That’s one exercise where using a barbell vs using dumbbells significantly changes what the exercise is training (similar to a straight bar deadlift vs a trap bar deadlift). In both cases, it becomes more of a squat than a deadlift when the weight is held at your sides.
Hi. I have to thank you. You’ve done an awesome job with this guide and is a massive help. In regards to the splits, you said that the 4 day upper/lower split or the 3 day full body split are both ideal for people with strength related goals. My goal is to get better at track sprinting (100, 200, 400m). Would strength be the right goal for that? And if so, which would be more effective-the 4 day upper/lower or 3 day full body? Also, what other recommendations would you give me in regards to creating a program tailored to a sprinting goal? Cheers.
I honestly don’t have much experience training for sprinting, so I’m probably not the best person to ask.
Hey man. Just one question. At the moment I workout at home and I don’t have access to more weights. Although the ones I have push me almost to the limit, would adding 1 rep to each set (10-10-10 to 11-11-11 for example) work as progressive overload ?
Yup, definitely.
Although at some point (e.g. 20 20 20 to 21 21 21) it becomes more optimal for endurance than growth/strength.
HI, i have a question (sorry for bad english i live in holland)
i love the workout with 5 days a week(where you almost train every muscle twiche a week), but is there a workout with like 6 days a week? that suits all you requierment for being “The Ultimate Weight Training Workout Routine”
regards Mathijs
Nope, because weight training 6 days per week is not something I think is ideal for the majority of the population.
Aloha from sunny Malaysia! Just writing in to say that as an absolute beginner looking for a no-nonsense guide, your site covers just about everything I needed to know. It had a good overall summary of what it’s all about along with hilariously written in-depth insights into some of the finer points of fitness. It’s candid, readable, and a blessing to all of us seeking to take our health/ fitness goals seriously. I’m 2 months into it and looking forward to committing a whole year to this.
No questions, just a huge thank you!
Can’t ask for better feedback than that. 😉 Thanks!
This is great! I’ve looked everywhere for months trying to find something like this, and now I have!! Thank you so much!!
You’re welcome. 😉
Hey, I absolutely loved the article and it cleared up a bunch of mistakes I made. Although I do have one question, I am doing The Rotating Push/Pull/Legs Split and according to my goals, I should be doing 80 reps for major parts and 40 reps for minor muscles weekly. But, since the split i’m doing is a 5 day instead of 7, how should i approach this rep range?
Thanks in advance
If you’ve decided to do 80 reps/40 reps for the week total, and the frequency is more than once per week (100%) and less than twice per week (50%), going with about 75% of your intended weekly volume per workout is probably going to be about right.
Thanks for this great guide! I want to start the beginner work out plan but due to working out at home and lacking proper equipment I can’t perform pull-ups. Is there an exersize or combination of excersizes using free weights that could replace the pull-up?
See my reply to someone else’s comment asking the same thing right here.
Hi, love to read your stuff… completely change the way how I saw weight training. Been wasting last year and a half with split routines and complicate stuff … when it could be so simple!
I´m working now on your Upper/Lower split 4 day, and Im loving it, I was stucking in a split routine for a while with no visible gains … gain 1,5kg of muscle last month and a half and lost some big fat 🙂 …thanks Mate.
My question is that if we should cycle the reps you recommend , meaning should we change from time to time or should we keep the reps? For how many time?
Greetings from Portugal
Marco
Are you talking about some form of periodization?
Or just changing your workout around a little for the purpose of muscle confusion or shocking your body or something similar? If it’s this one, read this.
thanks for the website
how many exersies per body part should be done in a push pull routine?
a friend of mine says the best way to build muscle fast is by doing 4 to 5 exersies per body part, but i dont believe it.
See my comment here.
The whole website is awesome, i’m going to try the beginner guide now. I replaced some barbell exercise with dumbell because i just have a bench , pullup bar and dumbells at home. Is that fine?
Version 2: Workout A
Squats ( 3 sets of 8-10 reps )
Flat dumbell Bench Press ( 3 sets of 8-10 reps )
Dumbells Rows ( 3 sets of 8-10 reps )
Body Tricep Press ( 1 set of 10-12 reps )
Calf Raises with no equipment ( 1-2 sets of 10-12 reps )
Version 2 : Workout B
Dumbell Deadlifts ( 3 sets of 8-10 reps )
Pull-Ups ( 3 sets of 8-10 reps )
Seated dumbell press ( 3 sets of 8-10 reps )
Dumbell Biceps Curls ( 1 set of 10-12 reps )
Abs ( 1-2 sets of 10-12 reps )
I didnt change anything about sets & reps so just edited a little bit, please correct me if anything on the list goes wrong. Thank you Jay!
That looks fine to me.
Just to say wow! This is the best no-nonsense explanation of all things related to weight training I have yet seen. Can’t wait to see more of it, like exercise techniques and detailed explanation to perform certain exercises. Also about cardio and how to incorporate it in our routines. Give us more, please 🙂
PS I haven’t seen anything about timing the exercises during the day (morning, evening, etc), does it matter at all?
Glad to hear it dude! Stay tuned (and be sure to subscribe)… plenty of more is on the way.
As for when to workout, read this one.
Hi Jay,
Sorry I missed one question and have to ask again.
What is your opinion about home vs gym workout ? All I have at home are adjustable dumbell, push up bar and bench.
My friend told me that I must use gym’s machine to train chest and legs otherwise I won’t see any result. Is that true?
Read this one.
Also, your friend is an idiot. 😉
Hi. Phenomenal website, keep it up. I’m a 19 year old male and I am a beginner in terms of lifting weights. However, I have played a lot of sports so therefore I already have very developed leg, upper back and traps. I can squat more than guys I know who have trained for years after 2 months. But, my biceps, triceps, deltoids, core, pecs and lower back are at a novice level. Your beginner workout looks great; however I would want to swap out the Squats/Leg press and rows for some arm work and ab/core stuff. The reason I want to do this is so that I possess a well-proportioned physique. If I make anymore gains on my squat my ass is gonna be ridiculously huge (it’s already too big already lol). I was thinking doing Bench Press, Bicep curls, skull crushers and Ab work on one day and Deadlifts, Pull ups and Shoulder presses on the other. Then after about 6-12 months or however long it takes for my body to look proportioned, I can add in the squats, leg extensions and rows again in the intermediate programme. Are my alterations to the beginner workout suitable?
Those would be much more than just small alterations… you’d be changing the whole program which is honestly not something I’d recommend.
If I were you, I’d stick with the beginner routine as it’s written just for a couple of months and build an all around base level of strength/size, at which point I’d move on to an intermediate routine that will allow you to focus more on upper body than lower body. I actually have a program specifically for that in The Best Workout Routines.
You have no idea have much your articles have helped me in weight loss! I lost 20 lbs in 12 weeks (just through the notorious concept of having a CALORIE DEFICIT) which is absolutely amazing. Thank you so much for all of the information!
I just want to note that in regards to our protein intake, the recommended is at least 0.8 grams of protein for every KILOGRAM of body weight, not pound. That information makes a major difference.
When I started at 150 lbs, I found it HILARIOUS (and almost impossible) to consume 120 grams of protein per day. Good thing I googled “how much protein do we need” and I found out that your article needed to change from “0.8 grams of protein for every POUND of body weight” into “…for every KILOGRAM of body weight.”
So, when I weighed 150 lbs, my minimum protein intake was:
weight in kg x 0.8 = (150/2.2) x 0.8 = 55 grams of protein! A HUGE decrease from your calculation error of 120 grams.
But despite this oversight in one of your articles, I am still very grateful for all of your helpful and informative articles!
Congrats on the fat loss! Glad the site could help.
Regarding protein intake, it’s not a mistake. 1 gram of protein per POUND of body weight is in fact my recommendation.
Thanks for congratulating me! I couldn’t have done my achievement without initially reading your guide 🙂
As per your recommendation, if I was a 160-lb female adult who exercises regularly and wants to maintain my muscle mass, I should consume 160 grams of protein, which translates to 1440 calories (9 calories/g of protein) coming solely from protein? My reduced calorie intake that has been effective for me is 1300 though. So, more than 100% of my diet solely comes from protein? Is this correct?
On the other hand, if we change the “per pound” phrase of your recommended protein intake for diff situations/goals into “per kilogram”, it would be more feasible and sensible. It would also explain the scope of CDC’s RDA for protein, which states that Women ages 19 – 70+ need at least 46 grams of protein, while Men ages 19 – 70+ need at least 56 grams of protein. Thousands of scholarly articles also support a minimum protein intake of 0.8g/kg/day, but of course this figure increases with rigorous physical exercises.
Anyway, I am not here to have a long discussion or several copy&paste of sites to scholarly articles. Just wanted to point out the importance of looking at other sources of information before anyone believes what he reads/writes on the internet, especially if he will incorporate those info into his life.
Yet, I am still very grateful for all your articles and how they have inspired me to do more research about weight loss which eventually made me lose 20 pounds and counting… 🙂
Really 0.8g of protein per pound of bodyweight will usually be fine in most cases… 1g per pound is just neater/simpler and I just like shooting for slightly more protein than slightly less.
160g of protein would only be 640 calories. Protein is 4 calories per gram, not 9 (fat is 9).