You’ll begin the program with a full-body training split, meaning you’ll train all major bodyparts in each workout (as opposed to “splitting up” your training). Train three days this first week, performing just one exercise per bodypart in each session. It’s important that you have a day of rest between each workout to allow your body to recover; this makes training Monday, Wednesday and Friday — with Saturday and Sunday being rest days — a good approach.

 

The exercises listed in Week 1 are a collection of basic moves that, while also used by advanced lifters, we feel are suitable for the beginner as well. Notice we’re not starting you off with only machine exercises; a handful of free-weight movements are present right off the bat. Reason being, these are the exercises you need to master for long-term gains in muscular size and strength, so you may as well start learning them now. Carefully read all exercise descriptions, starting on page, before attempting them yourself.

 

In Week 1 you’ll perform three sets of every exercise per workout, which over the course of the week adds up to nine sets total for each bodypart, a good starting volume for your purposes. With the exception of crunches for abs, you’ll do 8–12 reps per set. This rep scheme is widely considered ideal for achieving gains in muscle size (the scientific term is hypertrophy) and is commonly employed by amateur and pro bodybuilders alike.

 

Notice in the workouts below that your first set calls for eight reps, your second set 10 reps and your third set 12. This is referred to in bodybuilding circles as a “reverse pyramid” (a standard pyramid goes from higher to lower reps), where you decrease the weight each set to complete the higher rep count. For example, if on your first set of lat pulldowns you used 140 pounds for eight reps, try using 120 or 130 pounds on set two and 100–120 pounds on set three.

 

Full-Body Split

MUSCLE GROUP             EXERCISE                                  SETS                REPS

Chest                                   Dumbbell Bench Press               3                         8,10,12 

Back                                     Lat Pull down                               3                         8,10,12 

Shoulders Back                  Dumbbell Overhead Press          3                        8,10,12 

Quads                                  Leg Press                                      3                        8,10,12 

Hamstrings                          Lying Leg Curl                               3                        8,10,12 

Triceps                                 Rope Press down                         3                        8,10,12 

Biceps                                  Barbell Curl                                    3                        8,10,12 

Calves                                  Standing Calf raise                       3                        8,10,12 

Abs                                       Crunch                                            3                         15