Muscle
building tips and advize
BODY BUILDING ROUTINE
What routine or regime you select is dependent on several factors,
age, sex, goals and overall physical fitness. There is no such
thing as “one routine fits all.”
Without getting too technical
for purposes of our overview here, let’s take a very
simple, straightforward approach.
Generally speaking, it is
recommended to do three sets of ten repetitions on each exercise
you select. Beginners
need to stick
to a routine for at least 3 months of regular training. During
this time it is important to follow a plan of good diet and
nutrition. The recipes found elsewhere in this document
are a great place
to start.
Whatever exercises you plan
to follow, you should always start off by warming up. Warm
up exercises should be aerobic
in nature
which should include running on the treadmill, jogging
, or skipping for a period of about 10-15 minutes. The
overall
warm
up time
should last between 15-20 minutes. Always remember that
a warmed up body responds faster and there is less chance
of
injury
(like muscle catch, tear, pull, etc). Warm up results in
an increase
in the pulse and the heart- rate.
Many factors go in to the
finalization of the routine for a bodybuilder, such as the
current health condition,
the goal
and the number
of days in a week the bodybuilder is going to visit the
gym.
For example, if the bodybuilder
visits the gym 6 days a week, then the schedule will be of
one kind. Whereas,
if
the bodybuilder
works out three times a week, then the schedule is
likely to be more intense.
However do keep in mind that
no schedule should be for a long term. The long term goal should
be broken
down
in to
short
and mid term targets - and the routine should be
devised accordingly. Thus one short term schedule may
be for
3 days a week followed
by a 6 day week routine, depending on the condition
and the rate
of development/growth.
A good beginner routine might
be to start off using a bar that is light enough to handle
comfortably.
Don’t begin by using
equipment that is not appropriate for a beginner.
The only thing that may result is an overall feeling
that exercise is “too
hard.” Work up to your routine gradually.
A beginner’s session
should initially cover the major muscle groups. Start off with
the two hands barbell press. This is productive
for developing the upper and lower arms, shoulders
and back. Because it isn’t the easiest exercise it should
begin first when strength is at the highest. This exercise
is intended for
the deltoids and triceps.
A second exercise might be
the two hands curl with barbell. This will work the biceps
situated
at
the front of the
arms , in contrast
to the triceps at the back of the arms exercised
earlier. The biceps is conventionally the muscle
which all desire
to develop
and is usually already one of the beginner’s
strongest.
A third exercise to consider
is the bench press. The lift lies on the back and is handed
the
bar which is
then lowered
to
the chest. This exercise primarily works the
pectorals but also exercises
the triceps and deltoids like the first exercise.
The fourth exercise is upright
rowing where the barbell is raised with a narrow hand
spacing to the region
of the chin,
lowered
to arms’ length and the movement repeated.
This is generally for the trapezius muscles
(which lie between the neck and the
shoulder socket on top of the shoulders)-
so a different muscle is targeted this time.
There are many sources available
to help you determine what “routine” is
best for you. Here is one that we found,
but be aware that it isn’t the only option available
nor the only one you should use. Let us see how a 5 day week
routine might look:
Monday
• Behind Neck Shoulder Press: 4 sets 6-10 repetitions
• Upright Row: 4 sets 6-10 repetitions
• Incline Dumbbell Press: 4 sets 6-10 repetitions
• Bench Press: 4 sets 6-10 repetitions
• Crunches: 3 sets 6-10 repetitions
Tuesday
• Close Grip Lat Pull down: 4 sets 6-10 repetitions
• Close Grip Seated Pulley Row: 4 sets 6-10 repetitions
• Seated Calf Raise: 4 sets 6-10 repetitions
• Reverse Wrist Curl: 4 sets 6-10 repetitions
Wednesday
• Squats: 5 sets 6-10 repetitions
• Leg Press: 5 sets 6-10 repetitions
• Leg Curl: 4 sets 6-10 repetitions
Thursday
• Close Grip Bench Press: 4 sets 6-10 repetitions
• Tricep Dip: 4 sets 6-10 repetitions
• Dumbbell Shrug: 4 sets 6-10 repetitions
• Standing Calf Raise: 4 sets 6-10 repetitions
Friday
• Pull Ups: 4 sets 6-10 repetitions
• E-Z Bar Curl: 4 sets 6-10 repetitions
• Hammer Curl 4 sets 6-10 repetitions
• Crunches: (with weight) 4 sets 6-10 repetitions
As we said, there are a number
of training programs available for bodybuilders and this is
just one.
There are other factors to
look at before selecting one for
yourself. Let’s explore them:
• Has the program been experimentally tested?
• Are there specific goals, training loads, progressive monitoring
and recovery periods in the program routine?
• Does the program specify what types of people are eligible for
it?
Only after going through
them should the bodybuilder
enroll
for the
routines of
such a program.
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