Trust me. This is what works best for beginners. This is all PERFECTLY ideal for beginners, and this is what will allow for the fastest progression and the best overall weight training results. It is typically recommended that all beginners spend their first few weeks on a weight training workout routine focusing primarily on learning proper form.

I recommend you do the same with this program. Just pick a weight for each exercise that is definitely a little too light and easy for you more here: How Much Weight Should You Lift? Getting exercise technique right at this beginner stage is extremely important, so make sure you do.

Full details here: How To Learn Proper Weight Lifting Form. Let me explain…. You should now be doing 3 sets of bench presses using that same 50lbs on all 3 of your sets.

All of the above applies to each exercise just the same. As a beginner, you should be able to progress like this consistently for quite a while, partly because you are starting a little lighter to master proper form, and partly because beginners are just more capable of progressing at a more consistent rate than anyone else.

So, make sure you do. The more advanced you get, the slower the progression will be. Take advantage of it while you can. To ensure the fastest and most consistent rate of progression, the weight you start off using for each exercise needs to be a bit lighter than you are truly capable of lifting.

When looking at this beginner workout routine, the thing you need to remember is that the goal of a beginner is NOT to try to blast every muscle with all kinds of exercises and do various advanced things with a bunch of isolation movements and a high amount of volume and other things a beginner has no business doing.

Like I was saying before, the primary goal of a beginner besides learning perfect form on all of their exercises is to take advantage of a borderline super power that all beginners have for a short period of time that allows them to progress and improve FASTER at all things weight training related than any intermediate or advanced trainee ever could.

That typically means higher frequency, lower volume, small and basic exercise selection, nothing fancy. Hey, what a coincidence… this sample beginner program fits that description perfectly.

And any other intelligently designed beginner program will too. So please, beginners, I beg of you. If you want the best results possible, do it exactly as is and focus on perfect form and consistent progression.

The sample weight training program laid out above is a pretty damn perfect beginner workout routine. One new exercise is added to each bodypart routine to provide even more angles from which to train your target muscles to promote complete development.

The result is 16 total sets for the week for large bodyparts and 12 sets total for smaller ones—again, working in the 8—rep range—which is a substantial increase in volume from Week 1. Four-day splits are common among experienced lifters because they involve training fewer bodyparts typically 2—3 per workout, which gives each muscle group ample attention and allows you to train with higher volume.

No new exercises are introduced in Week 4 so that you can focus on intensity in your workouts instead of learning new movements. Rep schemes remain in the hypertrophy range this week, but overall volume increases by adding more sets to individual exercises: up to five sets per move for larger bodyparts, and even 10 sets of calf raises on Thursday.

Completion of this four-week program now entitles you to go to the next stage. This 4-week program comprised entirely of supersets will turn your love handl Close Ad ×. I want content for: Both Men Women. Facebook Twitter Youtube Pinterest.

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If you can do more than 30 repetitions, use a heavier weight or a more difficult variation such as doing push-ups from the floor.

That will guarantee that the workout is helping you gain muscle size and strength, not making endurance adaptations. But your strengths and the weights you have available will vary, so some flexibility will go a long way. Try pushing yourself all the way until your muscles give out.

Next time, stop right before that point. Start with just a couple sets, then add more sets as you get stronger. We recommend doing two sets of each exercise the first week.

Practice your form, find the right weights, take your time. If that goes well and you feel ready for more, add another set next week. You can do around 3—6 sets per exercise. Most people will do best with 3—4 sets including us.

Each workout will stimulate muscle growth for the next 2—3 days. After those 2—3 days, your muscles will be mostly repaired, and you should be ready for another workout.

More importantly, you should be stronger. You should be able to lift more weight or eke out more repetitions than last time.

Because each workout stimulates a couple of days of muscle growth, training every second or third day works very well. We want to challenge your muscles , not just your heart though your heart will get a good workout, too! The main reason to rest for just a couple of minutes is to keep your workouts short and dense.

But if you need more rest or get interrupted partway through your workout, no problem. Just pick up where you left off.

Do a set of push-ups, rest a minute, then do a set of squats, rest a minute, then do your second set of push-ups, and then do your second set of squats. This simple workout is a great foundation, but feel free to build on it.

If you want bigger glutes, no problem. To build muscle, you need to force yourself to get gradually stronger over time.

You can do this by lifting more weight e. doing one extra rep on your second set , squeezing out more sets e. doing 3 sets of exercises or using a deeper range of motion e. switching from push-ups to deficit push-ups. This is called progressive overload.

Precede every workout with one warm-up set with moderate weights. Do one warm-up set with about 15 reps. Click Here For A Printable Log Of big game hunter's Day 1 Workout.

You can perform incline bench dumbbell flyes or parallel bar dips instead of flat bench dumbbell flyes. You can choose any one for a particular week and another one for the next if you like.

Click Here For A Printable Log Of big game hunter's Day 2 Workout. Click Here For A Printable Log Of big game hunter's Day 3 Workout. Click Here For A Printable Log Of big game hunter's Day 4 Workout. Click Here For A Printable Log Of big game hunter's Day 5 Workout.

Click Here For A Printable Log Of big game hunter's Day 6 Workout. There are several things that a newbie needs to avoid. I can only hope to cover a few of them here in this section. But please take note. What Helped Me Get Over My Initial Fear Of The Gym And Lifting Weights? I have never lacked the desire to get fit and stay fit.

I have been a fitness freak and athlete basically all my life. I always wanted to be at my best at whatever sport I took up as a kid and the same is true even today. This was a big advantage when I went to the gym the first time. Obviously the decision to join a gym did not happen overnight.

Every person ponders joining a gym over a period of time before making the decision. In that period of pondering, I did my research on weight training - the benefits, challenges and the demands of it. I finally decided that it was something I needed to try.

The day I joined, I must admit that I was nervous and did not know what to do in there. And at the time, I was in a new state where people spoke a totally different language which I did not know a word of.

But my mental focus and my desire to get over the challenge pushed me on Bodybuilding and fitness really does improve you physically and mentally. In my case my mental toughness came from my experience as an athlete. Once in there, I took my first week just to learn the names of the exercises and equipment Luckily the names people use all over the world are pretty much in English.

At this point I knew no more than a dozen words of the new language people spoke. The following 2-to-3 weeks, I learned from a well experienced coach by use of sign language and the dozen words I already learned, how to perform every exercise and what routine I need to follow.

It was tough, but I knew I was tougher. And the coach was always ready to help and pass down his knowledge and experience.

That was it. After my first month, I was ready to tackle the challenges a whole lot better. All along, I read a lot of stuff on the Internet and amassed a plethora of information. It was like I was studying for a big test that my life depended on.

I still read a lot even today 7 years after my first day at the gym. Workout of the Week is where forum members are asked to answer questions about what they think the best workouts are.

Training What Is The Best Muscle Building Workout For A Newbie? The Question: He is motivated and excited What should a beginner avoid when just starting a training program? What additional tips would aid a new gym enthusiast to long-term success?

Show off your knowledge to the world! The Winners: soundcheck View Profile big game hunter View Profile Prizes: 1st place - 75 in store credit. Monday: Bench Press: 3 Sets Of 8 Reps Squat: 3 Sets Of 6 Reps Bent-Over Row: 3 Sets Of Reps Military Press: 3 Sets Of Reps Deadlift: 3 Sets Of 6 Reps Click Here For A Printable Log Of soundcheck's Monday Workout.

Wednesday: Leg Press: 3 Sets Of 8 Reps Skull Crushers: 3 Sets Of Reps Lat Pulldown: 3 Sets Of 8 Reps Calf Raise: 3 Sets Of 8 Reps Lateral Raise: 3 Sets Of 8 Reps Dumbbell Curls: 3 Sets Of Reps Click Here For A Printable Log Of soundcheck's Wednesday Workout.

Friday: Deadlift: 3 Sets Of 6 Reps Incline Dumbbell Press: 3 Sets Of 8 Reps Barbell Row: 3 Sets Of Reps Smith Machine Squats: 3 Sets Of 6 Reps Dumbbell Shrugs: 3 Sets Of Reps Click Here For A Printable Log Of soundcheck's Friday Workout.

Ego Lifting This is an easy trap to fall into. Under-Eating A common complaint from new bodybuilders is that they just can't seem to put on mass. Overtraining Remember when your mother told you too much of anything wasn't good for you? Over Supplementation While some supplements Besides, those just starting out can always count on "noob gains" at first.

Believing Everything Joe Bro Says When one is unfamiliar with how things work, he may look to someone more experienced for advice. Educate Yourself There's nothing wrong with not knowing much when you first begin, but there's no reason to remain ignorant, whether the matter is on lifting, nutrition or anything else.

Find A Partner It can be intimidating to walk into a strange, new gym by yourself, so why not go with a friend? Get Adequate Rest Beginners may feel that muscles are made in the gym, so the more time spent there, the better.

Be Patient Enthusiasm can easily turn into frustration if results don't come as quickly as you want. Don't try to rush through things and pound out a lot of sets in order to spur growth, let it happen naturally.

And it's not fair to compare yourself to others who have had more experience; everyone started somewhere. Be Well-Rounded With ridiculous media portrayals all around, it can be tempting to concentrate on hot spots such as biceps and abs and forget everything else.

And most importantly Have Fun! Best Routine For A Newbie Oh Yeah. This brings us to the workout. Let me now come to the workout that I would suggest for a newbie. This should take about 10 minutes and I would recommend the following - Jogging: 3 Minutes Cycling Or Skipping: 2 Minutes Bench Press With The Rod Alone Or Very Light Weight Dumbbells : 1 Set Of 10 Reps Pull-Ups: 1 Set Of 10 Reps Good Mornings With The Rod Alone: 1 Set Of 10 Reps Overhead Tricep Extensions With Very Light Weight Dumbbells: 1 Set Of 10 Reps Bicep Curls With The Rod Alone: 1 Set Of 10 Reps Click Here For A Printable Log Of big game hunter's Warm Up.

After a couple of minutes rest, I would suggest a stretching routine for about 3-to-5 minutes. I recommend the above two warm-up and stretching routines on all workout days. Now, let us come to the main workout routines that a newbie needs to follow. Day 1: Chest Barbell Bench Press: 3 Sets Of 8 to 12 Reps Barbell Incline Bench Press: 3 Sets Of 8 to 12 Reps Flat Bench Dumbbell Flyes: 3 Sets Of 8 to 12 Reps Click Here For A Printable Log Of big game hunter's Day 1 Workout.

Day 2: Back Chin Ups to the front or back but not both : 3 Sets Of 10 Reps Lat Pulldowns to the front or back but not both : 3 Sets Of 8 to 12 Reps Single Arm Dumbbell Rows: 3 Sets Of 8 to 12 Reps Back Extensions: 3 Sets Of 10 Reps Click Here For A Printable Log Of big game hunter's Day 2 Workout.

Day 3: Cardio, Abs and Forearms Jogging: 20 Minutes Cycling Or Skipping: 10 Minutes Swiss Ball Crunches: 3 Sets Of 10 to 15 Reps Rope Crunches: 3 Sets Of 10 to 15 Reps Hanging Abdominal Leg Raises: 3 Sets Of 10 to 15 Reps Forearm Curls: 3 Sets Of 10 to 15 Reps Reverse Forearm Curls: 3 Sets Of 10 to 15 Reps Click Here For A Printable Log Of big game hunter's Day 3 Workout.

Day 4: Shoulders and Traps Shoulder Presses: 3 Sets Of 8 to 12 Reps Standing Lateral Raises: 3 Sets Of 8 to 12 Reps Front Dumbbell Raises: 3 Sets Of 8 to 12 Reps Shrugs or Upright Barbell Rows: 3 Sets Of 8 to 12 Reps Click Here For A Printable Log Of big game hunter's Day 4 Workout.

Day 5: Arms Close-Grip Bench Press: 3 Sets Of 8 to 12 Reps Barbell Lying Tricep Extensions: 3 Sets Of 8 to 12 Reps Tricep Kick Backs: 2 Sets Of 8 to 10 Reps Alternate Dumbbell Bicep Curls: 3 Sets Of 8 to 12 Reps Preacher Curls: 3 Sets Of 8 to 12 Reps Concentration Curls: 2 Sets Of 8 to 10 Reps Click Here For A Printable Log Of big game hunter's Day 5 Workout.

Day 6: Legs Squats: 3 Sets Of 8 to 12 Reps Lunges: 3 Sets Of 8 to 12 Reps Leg Extensions: 3 Sets Of 8 to 12 Reps Hamstring Leg Curls: 3 Sets Of 8 to 12 Reps Standing Calf Raises: 3 Sets Of 15 to 20 Reps Click Here For A Printable Log Of big game hunter's Day 6 Workout.

Day 7: Rest What Should A Beginner Avoid When Just Starting A Training Program? Improper clothing and that includes shoes too. Proper attire helps prevent injury and allows proper movement of body parts for exercise.

Avoid the company of people who take banned substances like drugs, steroids, etc. Avoid the gym wise guy who thinks he knows more than he actually does.

And the worst part is, these people think that they have all the experience and right to go about telling people what to do and what not to.

Avoid advice from people who do not have proper training knowledge. Avoid socializing. The gym is not meant for that. Avoid assuming things. Please clarify before getting into anything. There is no harm in that. Moreover, the coach is there to help you at such times and that is what he is paid for.

Get rid of the ego. Remember, never to try and impress people at the gym by going overboard or by trying something new that you are not certain of. Avoid junk food.

Bodybuilding and fitness is a lifestyle. Unlike other sports, the training does not end when the workout or session is done. Training for bodybuilding or fitness goes a whole long way more than just the gym.

Diet forms a major part of the training program. Get your diet right and follow it morning to night. Squat down slowly, while keeping your spine neutral here's more squat technique tips. You should be able to go a little bit lower than parallel with your thighs. Push back up to the starting position.

Why :"It's an easy way to learn the squat pattern and, since the load is being held front of you, it really helps to clean up any potential movement imbalances. Make it harder: Put that kettlebell down. Now grab a heavier one. Obvious, yes — but effective. How: Get a two-inch width resistance band and tie it to the pull-up bar.

Pull it down and step one foot into it. Grab the bar above your head, arms shoulder-width apart, with palms facing away from you. A study in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning found this grips leads to greater stimulation of your back musculature.

Pull the top of your chest all the way up to the bar. Ensure your shoulder blades are depressing and retracting with every rep. Lower slowly to the start position. If your gym doesn't have any resistance bands, try negative chin-ups. Why: "Pull-ups are far more effective than any type of lat pull-down using a machine," says Parasiliti.

The band allows you to effectively build the strength required for unassisted bar work. Make it harder: Bend your leg and loop the band around one knee. Less tension means less resistance, forcing you to pull up more weight. How: Holding two dumb-bells or kettlebells by your sides, step back with one foot, bending your knee so it almost brushes the floor and dropping your hips straight down.

Drive through the heel of your front foot back to the start position. Why: Incorporating a lunge move into any workout puts added stress on the biggest muscles in the body. It also helps to improve functional flexibility without compromising the lumbar spine. Make it harder: Lunge to the side. Often called newbie gains, you rapidly gain muscle and become stronger when you take up weight training for the first time.

You might be able to increase your weights from workout to workout and add pounds of pure muscle to your frame in a short time. How much training is enough for someone starting bodybuilding, and how much is too much?

You want to hit the sweet spot that lets you consistently gain muscle mass and strength and still recover from your workouts.

Research shows that the more sets you do for a muscle every week, the better your gains — up to a point. One set is better than not training at all. However, three or four sets per muscle mean significantly better gains than one set. More sets increase muscle growth even further, but every added set leads to smaller and smaller additional gains.

Current research suggests that well-trained athletes need at least ten weekly sets per muscle to optimize muscle growth. We suggest you start with ten sets maximum for the first month or two, then use it as a minimum guideline.

You can train your chest, for example, once per week and get the same gains as if you worked it three times if the total training volume is the same. For powerlifters and other athletes training for pure strength, a lower number of reps, 1—5 per set, produces the best results.

Light training with many reps, heavy training with few reps, and anything in between builds similar amounts of muscle. Many bodybuilders consider training to failure necessary for maximum muscle growth.

While training with high intensity is challenging and fun, training to failure can lead to overtraining and psychological burnout if you do it all the time. If you want to challenge yourself now and then and go all-out on a set, sure, go for it. Also, avoid failure in heavy compound exercises like the bench press and the squat, where you can easily injure yourself.

Work hard, absolutely, but work smart. For trained athletes, long rest intervals between sets are slightly better for bodybuilding purposes than short rest periods. As you gain training experience, taking two to three minutes to recover between sets allows you to lift heavier and do more reps for possibly slightly better gains over time.

At that point, they have years and years of training experience. Their bodies can handle a very high training volume and still recuperate and grow. At worst, overtraining, which could grind your progress to a halt, becomes a concern. For someone new to bodybuilding training, I recommend following a full-body workout routine of basic exercises three days per week for the first few months.

Full-body training offers several benefits for the beginner. Instead of completely destroying a muscle group with a dozen or more sets, which could require many days to recover from, you train each muscle a little each workout, but you do it more often. Doing too many sets eats into your recovery.

Instead, you hit each muscle with just enough training for optimal muscle growth and do it three times per week instead of one. The Bodybuilding for Beginners workout routine consists of two different full-body sessions. Just make sure you have one day of rest between workouts. The full-body approach is still optimal if you can only work out twice weekly.

Most sets consist of 8—10 reps, an excellent rep interval for the beginner bodybuilder and for building muscle and becoming stronger. When you can perform 8—10 reps with that weight, increase your training weights a little, and rinse and repeat.

Bodybuilding for Beginne rs is one of many training programs available in the StrengthLog workout tracker app.

You increase your overall body temperature and the blood flow to your muscles, allowing you to perform your best. It could also decrease your risk of injuring yourself compared to jumping straight into your first set. Consider spending five to ten minutes of low to moderate-intensity cardio gets your heart pumping and blood flowing.

Any type of cardio that gets your heart rate up is suitable: walking or jogging on an incline treadmill, the cross-trainer or rowing machine , or the stationary bike , for example. Because the shoulder joint is complex and with a unique range of motion, you might want to do some shoulder-specific dynamic warm-up movements first.

Start with an empty bar, really light dumbbells, or by selecting a light load on a machine, depending on the exercise. As a beginner, you might not be able to handle heavy loads, meaning there is not much to ramp up. You might notice the optional exercise for calves.

Why is it optional? Some argue that your genetics almost entirely determines your calf development. You perform this workout twice every other week and once every other. It consists primarily of free-weight compound movements for a complete full-body session.

These are far from all possible exercises for bodybuilding, but they provide a great place to start,. The barbell squat is the most popular and likely the best exercise to improve overall athletic performance, regardless of sport.

Powerlifters are primarily interested in lifting as heavy as possible and getting the weight up no matter what. However, for hypertrophy training, you want to perform the squat in a controlled manner, keeping tension in your muscles throughout the set. Place the bar relatively high up, slightly below your trapezius muscles, and use a reasonably narrow foot placement.

The high bar squat allows you to target your quads effectively and work them through an extended range of motion: a recipe for muscle growth. Squat down to parallel or below. If you lack the mobility for a full squat, go as deep as possible with good technique.

The Romanian deadlift is an excellent exercise for strengthening and building your posterior chain muscles, including your hamstrings and lower back.

Keep your knees slightly bent during the exercise and get a good stretch in your hamstrings at the bottom without rounding your lower back.

Slow and controlled movements are key here. You want to feel it in your hamstrings, not turn it into a whole-body exercise. Some call the barbell bench press the king of upper body exercise, and they are not wrong.

The bench press involves all the muscle fibers in your pecs but also hits your shoulders and triceps, making it a fantastic exercise for building a strong and massive upper body and a given in Bodybuilding for Beginners.

Keep it under control and press the bar upwards using your muscle strength to complete the lift. The lat pulldown is one of the best exercises to increase the width of your back. It effectively targets your lats, a large muscle covering almost your entire back except for your trapezius at the top.

In addition, the lat pulldown is an effective mass-builder for your biceps as well. Use a medium-width grip with your palms facing forward when performing the lat pulldown.

It gives you an extended range of motion and activates your lat muscles fully. Rocking back and forth during the lat pulldown is a common mistake.

Yes, it allows you to use more weight, but you reduce the amount of work your lats are doing. Instead, keep your chest out and your shoulders back, allowing you to contract your lats completely.

If you perform the pulldowns leaning way backward, you turn them into a rowing exercise and transfer the load to your inner back instead of focusing on your lats. Primarily a shoulder exercise, the overhead press also works your chest, triceps, and core muscles, making it an excellent overall compound movement for size, strength, and stability.

Instead, contract your glutes, brace your abdominal wall to achieve stability, and use a full range of motion from below your chin up to straight arms. The dumbbell curl isolates your arm flexors a fancy word for your biceps!

and is an excellent exercise for building great guns. Besides, getting a good biceps pump is a great feeling. Keep constant tension on your biceps throughout the set by not resting at the bottom of the movement. Also, avoid using upper body momentum to swing the dumbbells and curl only using your biceps.

Probably the most popular of all triceps exercises , the pushdown is easy to do and effectively isolates your triceps. The triceps is a surprisingly large muscle, making up two-thirds of your upper arms, and it makes sense to include direct triceps work in your workout regimen. Keep your arms tucked to your sides and the movement to the elbow joint.

Try to squeeze your triceps as you extend your arms and feel it working. Prioritize form over using as heavy a weight as possible. You can use a rope instead of a bar if you prefer.

Some say that training your abs is unnecessary, that other compound movements take care of them, and that abs are made in the kitchen. They grow bigger and stronger, and if you want stand-out abdominals, treat them like the rest of your muscles and work them hard.

The hanging knee raise is a great overall core exercise , as it targets your abs and hip flexors. Avoid swinging your body back and forth to focus all the work to your abdominal area. The calf raise is an easy-to-do exercise that isolates your inner and outer calf muscles.

Contract them fully at the top and ensure you get a good stretch without bouncing at the bottom. The second workout of Bodybuilding for Beginners hits the major muscle groups of your body, just like the first, but with some variety and different exercises to cover all aspects of a complete full-body experience.

Adding the leg extension makes for complete quadriceps development. Keep tension in your leg muscles by contracting them when you straighten your legs and lower the weight under complete control. The leg curl isolates your hamstrings and perfectly complements the Romanian deadlifts in workout A of Bodybuilding for Beginners.

Just like with leg extensions, maintain muscle tension throughout the set and contract your hamstrings fully. Feel free to use either the lying leg curl machine or the seated leg curl, depending on which you prefer and which are available at your gym.

The close-grip bench press is a variation of the standard bench press. Still an excellent exercise for your chest and shoulders, it targets the triceps more than the regular wide-grip bench. There is no reason to use a narrower grip than shoulder-width. Doing so just puts stress on your wrists without any benefits.

If the bench press is the king of exercises for the front of your upper body, the barbell row might be the monarch of the back. Like the overhead press of workout A of Bodybuilding for Beginners , the seated dumbbell press primarily targets the shoulders and is an excellent exercise for building massive delts.

Using a pair of dumbbells allows for a slightly longer range of motion, and by performing the exercise seated, you eliminate the need for other muscles to keep your body stable.

The barbell curl, just like the dumbbell variant you performed in Workout A of Bodybuilding for Beginners , allows you to focus on your biceps without involving much of the rest of your body.

Stay in control of the movement and avoid swinging the weight or leaning backward to get the bar up. No difference from workout A: the standing calf raise is the complete calf exercise, and there is no reason to change a winning concept.

The Bodybuilding for Beginners workout routine does require access to more advanced gym equipment. If you work out in your home gym, alternate between these two workouts instead:. The challenging exercise of these for the beginner is the pull-up.

Not many have the strength to go a significant number of pull-ups. If you place your training bench behind you, you can put your feet on it and push yourself up with leg power, just enough to complete the reps.

If you have a training partner, you can ask them to hold your lower legs and assist you. Alternatively, you might want to train exclusively using machines and cables. There are no set rules when it comes to bodybuilding. A Bodybuilding for Beginners alternate routine using only machines could look like this:.

Follow the Bodybuilding for Beginners workout routine for two months, and you should see a massive increase in strength and visible muscle growth all over your body. Instead of training your entire body every time, you split it into two workouts, one for your upper body and one for your lower body.

This allows you to do more work for each muscle group without your training sessions becoming overly long and still hit them twice per week. It consists mainly of compound movements that work several muscle groups simultaneously, with some select isolation exercises to target specific areas.

Since your main goal is bodybuilding, not just strength, I suggest you perform all the optional exercises for complete muscular development. You can download it using the buttons below:. All exercises come with complete instructions on how to perform them in the app, along with animations showing proper form.

For example, it could be your go-to program for the next four months. Then you have six months of bodybuilding experience under your belt.

After that? The bodybuilding world is your oyster. Your body is ready for whatever training program you decide to pursue. Experienced bodybuilders often split their muscle groups into three or more workouts.

You train your pushing muscles chest, shoulders, and triceps on day one, your pulling muscles back and biceps on day two, and finish off with legs and perhaps calves on day three.

The bro-split allows you to focus all your energy on one or two muscles, and the workouts are time-efficient and high-intensity. Typically, each gym session is dedicated to only one or two major muscle groups, but you perform many straight sets, sometimes 20 or more, for each. Also, because you do many sets for each muscle, your set quality might suffer towards the end of your training sessions.

The default five-day version looks like this:. There are many more bodybuilding splits in StrengthLog , including our 4-Day Bodybuilding Split and Bodybuilding Blitz , if you prefer your workouts short and sweet but still effective. Of course, these are just suggestions, workout routines successfully used by hundreds if not thousands of aspiring bodybuilders.

However, you are free to try out any bodybuilding program that catches your eye or even design your own. Bodybuilding has no rules you must follow for success. You can boil it down to four steps:. Providing your body with nutritious foods is critical for gaining lean mass, muscle recovery, and health.

Much like you build a house on a solid foundation, your diet is the foundation that supports your efforts to build a muscular physique.

A caloric surplus makes it easier to pack on muscle. If you carry excess body fat, a caloric deficit is needed to reduce it and get leaner. Eating fewer calories than you take in also makes it harder to gain muscle. You can use our calorie calculator below to estimate how many calories you need.