Advice on resistance training? page

[SJW2]

Hi all,

I was curious what people's advice for a good resistance training routine is?

I have been doing bodyweight, but want to get stronger quicker.

I want to do functional compound body movements with a simple, but intense workout. Namely, I want to do squats, deadlifts (which I have never done), bench press, chinups, and maybe shoulder presses and pullups.

So two main questions:

1. How should I divide the exercises across days?
2. How should I do the reps and sets?

I was thinking of checking out the book Starting Strength. I also like what Martin Berkhan says about reverse pyramid training. That makes intuitive sense to me. He also seems to have a little more time off between exercises (i.e., a week in between squat workouts or something like that). I appreciate any input!

[Annlee]

You can get extremely fit - and strong - with bodyweight alone. By the time you can do pistols, one-arm pushups, one-arm pullups, one-arm handstands, and full bridges ... you get the picture.

[jakey]

starting strength is a great book, because it teaches you how to do the movements properly. and does so really clearly!

now i do deviate from rip's recommended workout schedule, and ten dogmatic followers will chime in here and tell me i'm doing it wrong, but fuck it. the beauty of the book is that it teaches you the proper way to perform loaded movement. i'm not a powerlifter, nor am i trying to pack on massive amounts of weight in a short time.

by the way, there's no need to do chin ups and pull ups. and i still think dips are fucking awesome.

[sbhikes]

The pictures in Starting Strength are great. Rip also has videos which are even better. You could probably learn quite a bit from the videos alone.

[MikeD]

When I started back to weight training after a 4 year hiatus, I did a full body workout 3 days a week for a month. Then I split it and did upper body 2 days and lower body 2 days for 2 more months. Then I went into the traditional bodybuilder split for a few years. Until I found powerlifting. Everything builds on the previous foundation.
Sample month 1-- squat, bench and deadlift 3 sets of 5 reps per workout. Monday was heavy squats, medium bench and light deadlifts. Wednesday was light squats, heavy bench and medium deadlifts. Friday was medium squats, light bench and heavy deadlifts. You will be sore as hell for at least the first 2 weeks. Your body must adapt to the new loads being placed on it.
Months 2-3.
Monday- squats 3x5, leg curls 3 x10, lower back work 3x10 and weighted abs 3x15
Tuesday- incline bench 3x5, overhead press 2x10, dips 3x max reps, barbell or dumbbell curls 2x20.
Thursday- deadlift 3x5, leg press or front squats 3x10, lower back work 3x10, weighted abs 3x15
Friday- hang cleans 3x5, bench press 3x5, lateral raises (side or rear) 2x20, tricep push downs 3x15, curls 2x20

That's how I programmed my first 3 months back. The weights are up to you. Remember this while training, you may not be lifting the same way I am but, no one intentionally picked up a barbell to get smaller. Hope I helped.

[ctheflow]

You can get extremely fit - and strong - with bodyweight alone. By the time you can do pistols, one-arm pushups, one-arm pullups, one-arm handstands, and full bridges ... you get the picture.

Agreed. Just working on the progressions over the 6-12 months it may take to be able to do these movements will get you in awesome shape. Then you'll be a badass b/c you can do one-arm pullups

[poundslly]

i think so, the beauty of the book is that it teaches you the proper way to perform loaded movement.thanks

[Coach Palfrey]

You could do a lot worse than just picking 1 main lift per workout with some other supplemental exercises. Take a day or more off between sessions, keep the reps low, weight high and don't skimp on the rest period between sets.

And don't forget that the goal of a strength training programme is, generally, to lift more weight - so keep adding small increments over time. Most people lose track of this basic goal when they start considering all the different protocols available.

[Leonharte]

by the way, there's no need to do chin ups and pull ups.

That's a joke, right? Both are bloody excellent exercises and I'd strongly suggest putting them in whatever routine you come up with.

I'm much more impressed by someone that can do weighted or one armed pullups or chins than by whatever weight someone stacks onto their barbell curl. They're a hell of a lot more functional.

[rimam1]

Great advice here. Here's a sample workout you can follow:

I warm up with 10 bodyweight squats, 25 pushups, 7 pullups, and 10 lunges (twice).

Then I do this:

Squats: 155lbs x 8
Dumbbell Presses w/ Alternating Lunges: 45lbs x 8
Burpees x 8

Do all 3 exercises in a row, and THEN rest for a minute. Repeat 4-5 times. You WILL feel it and you WILL get stronger. Of course, start with lower weight if you need to and then increase as you feel stonger.

Here's a quick YouTube video I shot of me doing this same routine. My squat is not as low as it should be because I shot this video AFTER working out, but you should get the picture:

25 Minute Full Body Workout Routines for Men - YouTube

Good luck!
Raza