The End Of The Ultimate Weight Training Workout Routine

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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.

  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. 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)

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
About Jay
Jay is the science-based writer and researcher behind everything you've seen here. He has 15+ years of experience helping thousands of men and women lose fat, gain muscle, and build their "goal body." His work has been featured by the likes of Time, The Huffington Post, CNET, Business Week and more, referenced in studies, used in textbooks, quoted in publications, and adapted by coaches, trainers, and diet professionals at every level.

2,735 thoughts on “The End Of The Ultimate Weight Training Workout Routine”

2,735 Comments

  1. I accidently found this site in search of toning up workouts. I read that article and then your entire site. I realized that, my workout routine was bullshit and my trainer is an idiot. I had a lot of friends who love to lift weight, sweat and pain, doing it for years with no expected results. Your straight forward way is awesome. You did a great job. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

  2. Decided to try doing a full body workout 4 to 5 days a week while staying within your training volume guideline. What say you?

  3. Great website great website I’ve been losing about 2 pounds a week and building a little mucle too. Do you suggest taking Glutamine and BCAAS?

  4. Hey, i just finished reading the guide and taking notes about each section and wanted to say thank you. This guide is indeed awesome, increadibly detailed and comprehensive. I read a lot of stuff on the internet but nothing compares to this, i really liked how detailed and sincere you were. I also respect the fact that you dont have annoying adds on the site.

    I havent noticed anything worth criticizing, but a cardio guide would most certainly be useful.

    On the othe hand i wanted to know your opinions on:

    Super 21’s exercice for biceps;
    Hand grippers (such as Captains of crush)

    I currently have them in my routine and wanted to see what you thought about them…

    Thank you so much Jay. I hope you know how great your work really is.

    PS: i have already shared the site to a couple of friends down here in Argentina 😉

    • Thanks dude, glad you liked it!

      Super 21′s exercice for biceps = mostly just silly bodybuilder pump nonsense.

      Hand grippers (such as Captains of crush) = I had them years ago, I remember them being pretty good.

  5. Your beginner workout incorporates squats and deadlift. Do you find it is absolutely necessary to do these compound exercises? I’ve searched the internet and come to the conclusion it’s not worth the risk to me to do these exercises. There doesn’t seem to be a consensus whether these exercises are dangerous, but I’ve had a weak back since ages and would rather do some isolated exercises that take longer if I have to and don’t require perfect form all the time. What about the leg press? Are you able to recommend a squat/deadlift free beginner workout?

    • These exercises may be a bit harder to learn than others, but in terms of danger, ALL exercises are dangerous. Use good form, warm up sufficiently and progress intelligently and you instantly reduce/eliminate that danger. Do the opposite and you increase it. This applies to all exercises just the same.

      Having said that, assuming your goal is muscle growth, replacing squats with leg presses is fine. Replacing deadlifts with something like the Romanian deadlift is also perfectly fine.

  6. Great site!!! I have a question though about the beginners program. You recommended three days week doing a full body workout each day. However for me, I dont have that much time in one day. would it be okay to split the workout in to two days? I would still do my whole body three times a week, and have one off day.

    • You mean do part of one workout one day, and the other part of it the next day? Nah, not something I’d recommend.

      These workouts are actually quite short as it is… shouldn’t take too long at all (under 45 minutes probably).

      • Doing it all at once takes at least 90 minutes. You really wouldnt recommend splitting upper body and lower bodies in to different days even if i get 3 full body workouts?

        • The beginner routine is 3 sets of 3 exercises for a total of 9 sets. How could that possibly take 90 minutes or more? The workouts I’m currently doing are a total of almost 20 sets and THAT takes me 90 minutes. The beginner workouts should take half that long.

          And if you split the workouts up, it’s no longer 3 full body workouts.

  7. I want to take dextrose. But I’m borderline type 2 diabetic. I’d like to take it with my post workout shake. I heard it doesn’t react the same way in the body in a diabetic negative way if taken after hard trainingbecause the body uses it in a different way. Is this true? I’d like to benefit from the fast digestionof it.

  8. Great info! The best in all my research as I’m trying to create a routine for myself. My question is should I use weights with the squats if I’m a beginner?

    Thanks….Amber

    • Depends on what you’re capable of. Some beginners are starting out in much better or worse shape than others with much high or lower capabilities than others. So if all you can do right now is body weight squats, then do that until you get the prescribed amount of reps with good form. At that point, add weight.

      Otherwise, start out using weight right from day 1.

  9. My doctor told me, lifting weights is bad. He thinks its not good for anyones blood pressure and it will probably cause problems down the line for anybody. After I researched, I think he’s a moron.What do you think the Sreason why so many health professionals think this way? He also said that’s why Arnold Schwarzenegger had heart surgery??

    • If your doctor knows something specific about your body and recommends avoiding weight training because of this specific thing he knows, there might be something to what he’s saying.

      But if he’s just saying this as a generality that applies just as much to you as it does to me and everyone else… then yes… he’s definitely a moron.

  10. I just wanted to say I love this site. It made things a lot simpler for me. I have been lifting for years on and off but steadily for the last year. I want to do a separate workout for push and pull and legs. I also wanted to hit each muscle group twice a week however I know in some of your workouts you combine push/pull exercises together. do you think my workout would lead to overtraining.

  11. Hey mate thanks for all your great articles, I first read your ultimate guide to building muscle 9 months ago and decided to do the sample workout ofun you put there, have followed all advice exactly and im happy with results so far. Im cutting for first time at the moment with good maintanence and slight progression and im just wondering how this sample workout stacks up against your others as an intermediate workout for when i return to growth phase?

  12. IF I HAD TO MAKE A HEALTH/WORKOUT GUIDE,I WOULD MAKE SURE IT WAS CREDITABLE AS THIS

    * All i ask for is a “ABB WORKOUT” routine for beginners and

    * ITS ALL THATS MISSING!!!

  13. Hi Jay, Thanks you so much for your information !!

    Could you please help in taking a decision here.. I am one of those guys who is not strong but has good amount of belly fat.

    I understood from your articles that I have to create calorie deficit to reduce that fat, at the same time, I understand, I can try to maintain the muscle.

    One question is at what level does an individual decide whether to really go for calorie deficit or surplus? does it depend on any body fat %?

  14. Hi Jay, I have posted a question a while ago. in addition to that question, I am trying to set up a diet plan based on your valuable inputs. I am trying to use – Calorie Cycling and see if it suits my body and my goals.

    One question, on training days, should I have to consider the calories burnt due to strength training? I mean, on training days, If I have to eat up to my maintenance calories, say 2300 calories, should I have to consider calories burnt in my weight training and count my calories to eat?

  15. After reading your articles it sounds like I need to start the beginning workout routine. I’ve been lifting for over a year now using a “traditional” routine where each body part is worked once per week. I’ve seen results, just not great ones like I had hoped for. I know, I read the articles, so you probably think I’m an idiot. That said, do you indeed recommend that I basically act as if I’m starting over and use your full-body workout three times per week? Also, if that’s the case, I didn’t see anything about warm-up sets in the beginning routine. I only saw warm-up sets in the intermediate routine on the larger muscle groups, i.e. chest, back. If I do the beginning routine should I do warm-up sets or just jump right into the 3 sets, 8-10 reps after a 5-10 minutes of cardio and stretching? Thanks for your help.

    FYI. I feel like I’m taking a huge leap of faith trying this stuff because it goes against everything I’ve ever heard in the gym. But what you say in your articles makes sense so I’m giving it a shot. Just don’t know if I should do the beginning or intermediate routine. Thanks again.

    • Deciding if you should go to the beginner routine or an intermediate routine depends mostly on what degree of progress was made during that year of lifting you mentioned. Did you make a decent base level amount of strength gains? Did you build a decent base level amount of muscle? If not, then the beginner routine is probably a good idea (otherwise, you might be ready for an intermediate routine instead).

      As for warming up for the beginner routine, you should be doing warm-up sets for the 3 compound lifts in each workout.

  16. Hi Jay,
    I bought your book and it’s really worth it, but I notice you don’t write much about abs. Then, most of information I got on internet about abs says you should do high amounts of reps, instead of just doing about 8 or 10 (which would mean I need a lot of weigh, and I’m afraid to get injured). And I don’t really know if I should think of abs like an small muscle (like biceps or triceps) or work it like a big muscle.
    Also if I don’t work with weight I won’t be able to do progressive overload.
    After I know how to work on abs the routine will be perfect. Thanks a lot.

    • Glad to hear it Gerard! As for abs, that will need a full article to properly cover. But hang in there, it’s one of the next handful of topics I plan to write about. Stay tuned.

  17. Hello. Thanks a million for the guide. I am planning to begin your workout routine immediately.

    I am new to weight training but I work out at least 4 days per week at my gym where I train Krav Maga. These workouts vary from very cardio-centered to very strength-centered but every day I feel very fatigued afterward with my whole body. Some examples of my classes outside of Krav are kickboxing, kettle bells, trx, etc.

    So my question is can I work weight training into my schedule? Or do I have to cut back on some of my other training? Should I do weight lifting on my days away from gym? Or would that not allow enough time for rest? Or should I lift on gym days? Or is that too much work?

    Any advice at all would be very much appreciated. I am in pretty good shape right now but I have decided that I would like to try to get bigger and stronger .

    Thanks!

    • 4 weight training workouts in addition to kickboxing, kettle bells, TRX and more on the other 3 days?

      If so, I think it would be safe to say that this would be too much if your goal is gaining muscle/strength.

  18. Great article! Really helped me get a better understanding of better routines.
    Can I apply the same progressive overload principle written in The Muscle Building Workout Routine (increasing weight) to the rotating push pull legs split? For example, if I do the barbell bench press on the first push day successfully getting all 3 sets of 6-8 reps, can I still increase the weight for the next push day (5 days later) without any problems? I’m only asking because in the Muscle Building Workout Routine, the barbell bench press is done only once a week (every Monday), and I wanted to know if it can still be just as effective about twice a week (5 days). Any feedback would mean so much. Thanks again!

  19. Hi jay, I really like your “damn” comprehensive articles and really appreciate your notable efforts for helping us to know the truth. U r the best man ! So here’s my 2 questions:
    1) how can i mix my cardio with my begginner workout rotine of weight lifting? And what if it was intermediate or advanced?
    2) how to maintain my body after i have reached my goals?

    I will be really grateful to hear ur answer.

    • 1. This one needs a full article to properly answer. It’s on my to-do list.

      2. This is pretty much just as simple as maintaining your current levels of strength on every exercise at that point (rather than trying to progress any further) and setting your calorie intake at your maintenance level (so your weight stays the same rather than increasing or decreasing).

      • Thanks dude, really great answers as usual!
        Staying tuned for the article concerning my problem 🙂
        Keep hard work man!

      • Sorry for interruption but answering ths really helps:D
        I am now planning to train for MMA training and martial arts, specifically kongfu and kickboxing and these sort of stuff, but it seems it will go for 3 times a week which sounds a high frequency training program. So the big question:

        How to mix it with a three full body split plan or upper/lower body split for 4 days per week plan ( ur begginner and intermediate/advanced plans ) and with cardio if neccessary to produce the optimal progress ever 🙂 ?

  20. I always find your articles to be the best!! Now one question. I want to contribute power lifts such as power cleans and snatches to my workout schedule to get better at them to compete in hopefully one day at the crossfit games. Should I just throw them in at the end of the workout or should I give them its own day to be worked on? If it helps any, Im on a 4 day upper/lower split.

    • Honestly, when it comes to training for a specific performance goal like this (which in your case is the crossfit games), my advice would be to use/design a program aimed directly at that goal rather than taking a routine designed for something else (in this case, muscle growth) and trying to adjust it for that other goal.

  21. Stumbled across this while looking into starting weight training. So question, I don’t weigh very much but do have areas that are flabby and not toned, so should I be trying to lose the fat and then go into lifting, or just go straight into lifting? I’m a 25 year old female, 5’4″ and weight 108 lbs. Thank you so much for all your in depth information you have shared on here!

  22. Hi,

    Taking advice from you, I have designed my own program (Upper/Lower Split); My main goal is to build muscle with secondary goal of loosin fats. I would highly appreiciate you comment on program:

    Monday/Thursday

    Flat bench press 4×6-8
    Bent over rows 4×6-8
    Military press 3×8-10
    Db rows 3×8-10
    Incline db press 3×10-12
    Db upright row 3×10-12
    Bb curls 3×10-12 supersetted with skullcrushers 3×10-12

    Tuesday/Friday

    Back squat 4×6-8
    Goblet squat 3×10-12
    Clean Deadlift 4×6-8
    RDL 3×6-8
    Dumbbel lunges 3×10-12
    Calf raises 4×10-20
    Crunches 3×10-12 supersetted with Leg raise/Bridge 3×10-12

    My Majority of diet consists of Eggs, Chicken, Rice/Wheat, Banana, Potatoes.

    • People come to me all the time with their diets and workouts and ask me to look it over for them, but it’s unfortunately not something I do at all for anyone anymore.

      It’s nothing personal of course. It’s just too time consuming to go through every detail and provide the proper feedback. So, it’s just one of those things I always avoid doing. Sorry man.

  23. Thank You So Much!!
    Ive just finished reading the entire website and have sent the link to all my family and friends 🙂
    Just what we need to create a REGULAR WORKOUT SCHEDULE

  24. Your site is awesome man!

    This is exactly what I have been looking for and you have absolutely encompassed everything for working out and diet.

    I commend you and the way your site is laid out.

    Can’t thank you enough!!!

  25. Completely agree with the two day split program. Suggestions on where and how long to fit in cardio for someone who is looking to maintain and perhaps lose a few lbs?

  26. Like a few others that found this site while looking for more in-depth info on weight training in general. I went though the whole damn guide page after page and I’ve never been more impressed. That book will be mine, and this page is officially bookmarked. I’ll be spreading the word about this place. You kick ass my friend, thank you for the straight forward information and lack of pussy-footing around on important spots (Training to Failure)

  27. Sup bro.

    Love the Muscle Building Workout Routine that you have created, looking to start it next week! Question. How many weeks would you do Muscle Building Workout Routine for?

    Cheers

  28. Hi! I have been following a program which involves each body part only being trained once weekly & have only seen minimal gains, so when I came across your Muscle Building Workout Routine I have decided to give it a shot!
    However, I am having breast augmentation surgery in the near future & I have been advised to avoid any chest specific exercises as I am quite lean & the implant may show if my pecs grow too much. So basically I am wondering what you suggest I replace the chest exercises in the upper body areas of the program with? I started today & replaced bench press with assisted dips & incline dumbbell press with dumbbell shoulder press (as shoulders is an area I feel I need to work on) …but I would like to hear what you suggest? Thank you in advance 🙂

  30. This set of articles was heaven sent! I learned so much and it was exactly what I needed to start seeing results! Thank you so much for making this information available and free!

  31. Really, really good guide. I’m a runner who recently started doing some strength training, and doesn’t have access to weights. I started with a random bodyweight routine I found online, but I like to get knowledgeable about any activity I take up. Your website doesn’t have much information I hadn’t found elsewhere over the last month between browsing online and reading books, but it is far and away the single clearest, most comprehensive guide I’ve found. I didn’t really fit into any of your categories, because strength is only a minor goal for me, and I’m not really interested in weights at this point (very limited access). You still gave enough information for me to figure out how I can balance the types of exercises I’m doing, and how often I should do it. The whole walkthrough format of the article is great. Thanks!

  32. I was doing MusclePharm’s Get Swole, and it had me doing 20, 40, even 60 reps, was absolutely killing me, after doing some research i found your site. Not to sound cheesy but some of your article’s were like you were talking to me and about my workout, especially the article about things that SUCK!!! Anyway, i’ve switched to upper/lower split, now elbows, and shoulders don’t hurt anymore..

  33. Thank you very very much for this site!It helps everyone to save a lot of time and energy.

    Also, I have a question. Isn’t it better to do high reps for calves?

    Oh, and btw, why no trapz in Muscle Building Routine?

    Thanks, again!

    • Calves tend to need a combination of heavy lower rep work (ideally with straight legged calf exercises like standing calf raises) and lighter lower rep work (ideally with bent legged exercises like seated calf raises). This is incorporated into the routine.

      As for traps, they’ll get hit during a few different exercises (like most rows). But if preferred, adding in shrugs is one of the few adjustments I’m fine with making. You can throw in 3×8-10 of some type of shrugs once per week at the end of one of the upper body workouts. Or, if preferred, they can be thrown in at the end of Lower Body A instead.

  34. Is progressive overload a goal when it comes to abs? As you recommend, I do x sets of 10-15 reps and get a good ab burn each time but am not really seeing how to “progress” on this one.

    • To some extent, yes. With something like a weighted crunch, you’d progress like any other exercise (meet the rep goal, then add 5lbs). With something like hanging leg raises, you might progress from only being able to do a few to being able to do 15. With something like planks, you might progress in time and then onto harder variations.

  35. Hey man, i have a question. I’m doing my squad workouts by smith machine, because i’m working out alone and it’s safer than working out by free-weight. But i read at some places that it’s less effective to workout that way. What would you advise me?

  36. First I must say this is truly fantastic site. Even with my very limited knowledge I can see that this was written by very competent and intellectually honest person. The clearness, the sharpens of the article is far beyond anything I saw on internet. I can just say thank you for so much so high quality information in one place in such structured form. There is no compliment that could totally cover your truly superb work you did with this site!

    But I have few question, maybe some are answered but I missed the information, there is a lot of material…

    1) In your beginner workout there is an exercise Abs (1-2 sets of 10-12 reps). (I assume Abs is abdominal exercises). But I didn’t find any suggestions which exercises are suitable for abs. Especially the one that would allow steady progression and would be hard enough to be done just 10-12 reps.

    I know you will probably answer in a way that is most useful for most of people, but I would love to hear also something that include either body weight or dumbbells. Different kind of sit-ups are obvious answer but for me (I am in middle 20s, with solid athletic fitness) they are to easy for small number of reps. and I can’t steadily progress.

    2) Similar question for Pull-Ups (3 sets of 8-10 reps). I have a feeling that it will be either to hard at the beginning or too easy with time. How can I steadily progress and don’t find ma self in state of equilibrium?

    3) For a beginner what would be best substitution for Triceps Press Downs that doesn’t need a machine (pulleys)? I kind of “choose” Laying Barbell or Dumbbell Triceps Extensions from your list of best exercises… is it OK?

    I am sorry if I did wrote too much…

  37. Hi Jay,

    A little intro: finished cutting 4 weeks ago to high 7’s-8% bodyfat at 197 pounds, never been below 9.5% or something like that by the way and first of all, I have to say this have been the best cutting process in my life, not only for the low bodyfat level itself but for achieving it without any, repeat, ANY sense of hunger and any, repeat again, ANY lost in performance (struggling with last reps on the last week of cutting only). I am a little bit ashamed saying that it has been quite easy this time and hey, this is thanks to you and all of the secrets I’ve been stealing from you for the last 2 years 😉

    And a question: As I was afraid of the cutting-to-maintenance process, regaining a little bit of fat, and have no anxiety to start bulking again I decided to increase my calories very slow till I reach the maintenance level, so I’ve been adding 75-100 calories each week as I’ve been losing weight week after week. The fact is, skipping the first three weeks (I continue to lose weight) on week 4, I lost 0,45 lbs so I decided to increase calories by another 100. And … tadaaa, one week later, on week 5, I’ve gone from losing 0,45 to gaining 0,49 with all being equal and the only difference of those 100 calories. Has any sense to you? Water, reffilled glycogen as I definitely have reached maintenance? Fat? Do I have to get crazy by this? Can you give a little advice on the approach I have to follow on this situation and the process till I reach maintenance again?

    I suppose in the end this have ended up being quite long but I don’t want to finish without giving another big thanks to you.

    • Nice! Awesome progress + easy = as good as it gets.

      As for your question, it all sounds pretty normal to me and I don’t think there’s anything you need to worry about. What you described is how it usually goes for me when coming out of a deficit. I increase the cals, still lose, increase some more, still lose, increase some more, finally stop losing and maybe gain a bit (it’s most likely not fat).

      Give it another week or two at this calorie intake and see if your weight starts to stabilize.

  38. Thank you for the answers. I would like you to ask something more.
    I like your beginner workout in general 3 times a week simple full body exercises are great for me and it will go great with other recreational sports I like to do so I am preparing to use it. But…
    As you could see from my first question I was already looking the 2nd version of your beginner workouts… But I am a person that love to accept advices from competent experts and you definitively got my trust as such. I don’t want to be a smart-ass, “one of these people (shame on you, silly beginner!)” as you nicely put it 🙂 It is just that I need only upper body exercise… I think you are probably thinking “one more guy who thinks he just need to grow big chest and arms and won’t train all his body equally… and stick to proven beginner workouts” Well I think I am a legitimately one of those that need a bit different type of beginner workouts. My “problem” is that I am not proportional by nature. My lover body from waist down is very strongly build, strong knees, strong ties, strong hips… my upper body is by constitution much weaker, narrow waist, relatively small bone structure. And on such genetics I added even recreational sports that mostly effect lover body (most of recreational sport do that)… So my whole purpose of some weight workout is not to reach my genetic potential or add those max 12-24 pound of muscles in a year. It is just to compliment my body to make my upper body a bit stronger so I will look more in proportion with my already quite strong legs. So to keep all the sports I love and to compensate my upper body by few pound of muscles with proper exercises. I do not want my thighs any bigger.

    So, should I just use your beginner workout and throw out Squats and probably Deadlifts also (I like the back and abdominal muscles part but realty I don’t want bigger thighs or a… hm… bottom). But than it is just two exercise per workout. Should I use your 2nd beginner workouts with out Squats and Deadlifts or would be the best to supplement the two exercises with some simple compound upper body exercises. The best that I could find from what you learned me would be Upright Row and than I would need some contra movement in the joints, maybe Dips… Although dips could be problematic to do them at home with out proper equipment…

    Which scenario would you recommend me or anyone who needs just upper body workout? I would love to keep to your philosophy of simple compound beginner workouts, to fallow your wise advices and experience, just I need to keep my legs out of it.

  40. Hey- I’m a little stuck on where to start. I have pretty thin legs and arms, but have belly/chest fast. Do you think I should gain muscle or loose more weight. I just feel with loosing more weight I’m going to disappear. Any advice is appreciated. Thanks

  41. Hey jay..,

    When doing the overhead barbell shoulder press, I feel some kind of pain in my left shoulder. It comes only when doing overhead press. It is not a huge pain. Very small pain. Is it something that I should want to worry.
    What should I do.. ?
    I have already read the article of you
    8 Ways To Avoid Common Shoulder Injuries Caused By Weight Lifting

    I don’t do it behind the neck though.
    Do you think is it something to do with it’s exercise form ?

    Some advice please.. !
    Thank you.

    • It’s impossible to try to diagnose an injury over the internet, so I always avoid trying. But what I can tell you is that if you get some sort of consistent shoulder pain from overhead barbell pressing, you should be concerned. The worst thing you can do is ignore it and keep working through it anyway.

      It could be form. It could be shoulder mobility. It could be an issue with some other exercise (or your overall training in general) and it’s only felt during overhead exercises. It could be that you’d be better off using dumbbells instead. It could be a dozen issues with a dozen causes and a dozen solutions.

  42. I like the detail you have put in routines. There are so many different philosophy’s nowadays. I have been doing about three a weeks. But I split lower and upper on the same day. My thinking is I can spend a little less time recovering while I am working the opposite end. Usually 6 routines per day 3 upper and three lower. My sets (5) have been tapered with a max set in the middle. Is this thinking flawed. I have seen strength with it so far.

  43. Hello,

    Your information is the most valuable I’ve read so far. Congratulations on a job very well done. I just have one question concerning the Upper/Lower Split: 4 Day Version. Instead of going to the gym on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, would it make any difference if I went on Sunday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday?

    Thanks

  44. Hey, I’ve been reading this Ultimate Weight Training Workout Routine guide for the past week and I wanted to say thanks for teaching me a lot of new things related to working out. I just joined a gym 2 weeks ago and I have been working out with my friends. I understand that I am a beginner.I’ve been doing a certain routine with my friends for the past couple of weeks. It consists of working out Monday, Tuesday, skip Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and skip weekends. The exercises we do is chest, back, and tricep related. Anyway, I feel like the workouts I’m doing are working and have positive results. My only thing is that I would like to focus on my abs too. I read your 3 day full body split and how you really recommend it but I’m not so positive it will help me acheive my goal of getting nice abs and pretty muscular arms. . Do you have any recommendations on what I should do? Im sorry the comment is so long.
    Thanks I appreciate it your help

  46. Hi Jay, I am hoping to start working out this week and just found your website. It looks interesting and comprehensive. I am 76 about 6′ and 180# and have lost a lot of muscle tone these past few years. (Of course the lower back isn’t what it used to be.) Would you recommend any changes to the basic routine for someone my age or should I jump right in.

  47. Hi, im 5′ 8″ and 129 pounds and im hoping to go on a clean bulk soon using a good workout routine. I’ve been checking out your beginners routine as well as starting strength and i see that they are similar in terms of progression and simplicity of exercises, however they are different when it comes to reps. Can you please explain to me why you chose the 8-10 rep range instead of the 5 reps, cause im just a bit concerned that i might stall quicker doing 8-10 reps with that type of fast progression as opposed to doing 5 reps. Btw, your ultimate guide is fantastic, thanks.

  48. Let me start by saying Thank You for publishing all this info!
    I’m ready to start the beginner workout but my crappy gym doesn’t have barbells. They do have benches, dumbells, and a smith machine.
    My question is: Can I do my squats on the smith machine(I assume yes), and what do you suggest for deadlifts?
    Thanks!
    Tim

    • I don’t like the smith machine for an exercise like squats (or deadlifts). Some kind of dumbbell split squat (regular split squat, not bulgarian) is an option, or better yet, leg presses.

      With deadlifts you can try a dumbbell Romanian deadlift, but it’s not quite the same.

      The best option? Find a better gym. 😉

  49. Hey, thanks for answering my question earlier, however i have a few more questions if you don’t mind.

    1. For my pre-workout meal, i have been eating oatmeal with milk alongside a water+whey shake, do you think this is a good option?.

    2. For my post-workout meal, i have been drinking a whey+dextrose shake immediately after the workout and was wondering what is the best ratio of whey to dextrose to use?.

    3. Lastly i was wondering if it would be ok to do your beginner workout routine using the 6-8 rep range as opposed to the 8-10 so that i could gain strength and size more equally, please let me know what you think, thank you.

  50. Ok thanks, i was just wondering because on your guide it says for post workout i should consume 0.25-0.5 per pound of target body weight for the carb source which in my case is dextrose, so basically what your saying is that it does’nt matter if i use .25 or .5 or will .5 be more effective?. Also, how exactly do i find out my target body weight, right now im 130 and im just bulking up to build muscle but im not sure what weight i need to get to in order to achieve my goals, thanks man.

    • The specifics of this stuff don’t really matter, but I included some in that article anyway because I know people (such as yourself) will still want specifics. So in that case, feel free to use those recommendations. Or, feel free to modify them to suit your needs and preferences.

      As long as your total daily calorie and macronutrient intake is what it needs to be each day (and you’re consuming some kind of protein/carb source sometime before and after your workout), the rest is just minor details that won’t matter much, if at all.

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