Guide For Newbie Weightlifters Part One

[WORKEROUTER]

Because there always seems to be a newbie coming in here asking how to start off, I decided to make this guide, which is in outline form.

A) Are you going to cut or bulk? If you are fairly thin, then you should probably consider bulking. If you're carrying a load of fat around your waist, try cutting. This is important since this will determine your method of training and dietary habits.

B) If you have never lifted weights before, you need to first begin with very basic exercises such as pushups, jumps, situps, and pullups...to get your body in gear. In addition, if your cardio system sux because you never worked it, start jogging or running. You have to have a fairly strong cardio system if your going to start doing squats and deadlifts. If you have already weight trained before and are a competant lifter, but dont know how to plan your training schedule, skip over these steps and wait for GUIDE NUMBER TWO.

C) While getting your body in gear, search around on the web and learn the CORRECT form of the following exercises, which will become the core of your future workouts:

Squat, Deadlift, Dips, Wide and Close grip Pullups, Back Rows, Barbell Bicep Curls, Dumbbell Barbell Curls, Military Presses, Shrugs, Lateral Raises (front and side)

It is important that you understand what not to do with many of the exercises, unless you want to be kept out of the gym do to injury.

D) Get your nutrition straight. To discuss with you the very details of this would require another post; basically, try to eat smaller meals, during more parts of the day, every 3 or 4 hours, for instance. Just as squats and deadlifts are the core of your routines, the following foods will become the core of your nutrition:

Oatmeal, Brown Rice, Wheat Bread, Skim Milk, Eggs, Green Tea, tuna, chicken, veggies, fruit, beef, porkchops.

For an indepth nutrion post, look af the GUIDE TO EATING.

E) Start working out 3 days a week, every other day or so...with one or two sets of each of the core exercises listed above. With CORRECT FORM, aim for a 10 to 12 rep range. You are still getting your body in gear.

Also, perform cardio, both HIGH and LOW intensity, 3 times a week to continue building up your body.

E) Continue this for a good couple months. This allows you to get ready for what I call the MOLDING process, which is PART TWO of the guide.

In guide number two, we will learn more advanced exercises and begin incorporating them into the routine.

 

[MetalFortress]

F) If you find your routine boring, start learning the olympic lifts ... believe me, that will make your routine WAY more fun, as well as give you new ways to add strength and mass... heck, do it anyway!

 

[WORKEROUTER]

Not a good idea.

Were dealing with guys who are still learning basic form of squats and presses...olympic lifts should not be incorporated until later, after the individual has mastered the basics.

 

[MetalFortress]

Originally posted by WORKEROUTER
Not a good idea.

Were dealing with guys who are still learning basic form of squats and presses...olympic lifts should not be incorporated until later, after the individual has mastered the basics.

It doesn't matter WHEN you learn them, as long as you are learning how to do them with CORRECT FORM. The clean and jerk were the first lifts I ever learned. Of course if you're smart you practice with low weight until you get your form down, then start increasing the weight.

 

[wheelin&dealin]

I recommend all newbies to start doing olympic lifts with extremely heavy weights as soon as possible. Load up a bar with 200+ lbs and try to execute a power snatch... all without warming up.


You'll know you're doing them right when the weight crushes your skull.

 

[NMMWCR]

LOL@wheelin&dealin.

I think the rank n00bs need to get more reps in than that to build their form. It probably takes around 2 or 3 THOUSAND reps before you start develop a muscle memory for it. Whenever I add a new exercise to my routine I start with the smallest weight possible usually the 5# dumbells. Do fifteen reps with the 5 pounds with perfect form. Go up to the 10# and do 15 more, perfect form(without resting between.) Go up another 5 pounds... Do that for as much as you can lift, which will end up being around 75% of your max. You spend a hell of a long time at near muscle failure that way, maybe 30 reps, without overexerting yourself or any underdeveloped supporting muscles. After a few weeks, you'll have learned how to keep form up to the point of failure which is what you have to do to grow anyway.

 

[DJ de Florida]

Originally posted by wheelin&dealin
I recommend all newbies to start doing olympic lifts with extremely heavy weights as soon as possible. Load up a bar with 200+ lbs and try to execute a power snatch... all without warming up.


You'll know you're doing them right when the weight crushes your skull.

They should also wear one of those rubber suits to help lose fat. Afterwards, they should hook up on of those electric shock belts to help on losing the belly fat.

 

[MetalFortress]

LOL wheelin

Originally posted by NMMWCR
LOL@wheelin&dealin.

I think the rank n00bs need to get more reps in than that to build their form. It probably takes around 2 or 3 THOUSAND reps before you start develop a muscle memory for it. Whenever I add a new exercise to my routine I start with the smallest weight possible usually the 5# dumbells. Do fifteen reps with the 5 pounds with perfect form. Go up to the 10# and do 15 more, perfect form(without resting between.) Go up another 5 pounds... Do that for as much as you can lift, which will end up being around 75% of your max. You spend a hell of a long time at near muscle failure that way, maybe 30 reps, without overexerting yourself or any underdeveloped supporting muscles. After a few weeks, you'll have learned how to keep form up to the point of failure which is what you have to do to grow anyway.

Yeah. My coach has newbie olympic lifters start off using PVC pipe to practice, then the 25 pound bar, and use light weights such as that to master their form, until they progress enough to be able to do good form on heavy weights. I was stupid and started off on the wrong foot, using heavy weight right away, and because of that I still can't clean more than I power clean despite good form, but I might go back to basics, take a light weight and do a ton of cleans, jerks and snatches with it to get the form down pat ...

 

[Baller1625]

Just want to add one thing: DON'T neglect training your legs. This is a BIG mistake made a lot by new lifters. You can't have a solid foundation without a strong base(is that how the cliche goes? )
But anyway my point is to work the legs and what better way than to SQUAT. Its the king of all exercises(only slightly ahead of my favorite the deadlift)

Jay

 

[NMMWCR]

Originally posted by Baller1625
Just want to add one thing: DON'T neglect training your legs. This is a BIG mistake made a lot by new lifters. You can't have a solid foundation without a strong base(is that how the cliche goes? )
But anyway my point is to work the legs and what better way than to SQUAT. Its the king of all exercises(only slightly ahead of my favorite the deadlift)

Jay

A leg day of four sets each of squats, deadlifts, leg presses, will do more for a newbie lifter than anything except diet. (and that routine will make them desperate to go carnivore and eat a ton of protein too!)

Hitting the biggest muscles in the body with compound movements is the key to stimulating production of the chemical soup of test, GH, IGF-1, luteinizing hormone, etc that you need to build muscle.

Deadlift is my fave too. It sucks 9 kinds of azz to do them but they must represent a third or more of my gains. Sometimes I think everything I do in the gym is to maintain the gains produced by deads.