bb beg training the ultimate beginners guide

92 MUSCLE&FITNESS February 2007

THEBEGINNULTIMATE

TRAINING

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MUSCLE-FITNESS.COM 93

Whether you’re a rank

beginner, coming back

after a long layoff or just

want to kick-start your way

out of a training rut, this

radical program will transform

your physique in 12 weeks

By Jim Stoppani, PhD,

and Joe Wuebben

NNER’SGUIDE*Part II will be published in the March 2007 issue of M&F.

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94 MUSCLE & FITNESS

The toughest part of any major undertaking — in thiscase, getting in the best shape of your life — is just start-ing. Maybe you used to be lean and muscular but are nowquite a bit softer than you’d like since taking a hiatus fromthe gym. Or, truth be told, maybe you’ve never been inshape but are determined to get as fit, healthy and rippedas the guys you see in this magazine. � Your dilemma:Where do I start? � Our straight-to-the-point, no-beat-ing-around-the-bush answer: Right here. � This full-body program, which will span two issues, is just whatyou need to go from rank beginner to hardcore trainee injust three months. The key to this routine, and every goodlifting program, for that matter, is progression — everytwo weeks, you’ll progress to a higher level of training.

The first area in which you’ll advanceis in your choice of exercises. Ratherthan going under an Olympic bar forheavy squats or bench presses rightaway, you’ll begin with simple machineexercises that isolate single musclegroups and eventually work up to multi-joint free-weight moves. Multijointexercises such as the bench press andsquat require the coordinated use of sev-eral muscle groups to perform the exer-cise; isolation exercises such as thebiceps curl and leg extension require theuse of only one muscle group.

A lot of trainers think it’s best to starta beginner out with basic multijointexercises and eventually add isolationmoves. But many experts, includingrenowned resistance-training researcherWilliam J. Kraemer, PhD, professor ofkinesiology at the University of Con-necticut–Storrs (recently ranked thetop doctoral kinesiology program in thecountry by the American Academy ofKinesiology and Physical Education),believe the opposite. “The best plan forbeginners now appears to be startingwith single-joint exercises and slowlyprogressing to complex multijoint exer-cises,” says Kraemer. “This way, they

BASICTRAINING

PROGRAMTHE PROGRAM OUTLINED BELOW IS YOUR INTRODUCTORY

PHASE, TAKING YOU THROUGH THE FIRST TWO WEEKS

WEEKS 1+2 Monday, Wednesday, FridayMUSCLE GROUP EXERCISE SETS/REPS REST

CHEST Flye Machine 3/15 2 min.

SHOULDERS Machine Lateral Raise 3/15 2 min.

BACK Seated Row Machine 3/15 2 min.

BICEPS Horizontal Curl Machine 3/15 2 min.

TRICEPS Triceps Extension Machine 3/15 2 min.

QUADS Leg Extension 3/15 2 min.

HAMSTRINGS Lying Leg Curl 3/15 2 min.

CALVES Standing Calf Raise 3/20 1 min.

ABS Ab Machine 3/20 1 min.

NOTE Substitute exercises if your gym doesn’t have a particular machine:

Chest: Pec-Deck Flye or Cable Crossover; Shoulders: Cable Lateral Raise;

Back: Seated Cable Row; Biceps: Preacher Curl Machine or Cable Curl;

Triceps: Cable Pressdown; Hamstrings: Seated or Standing Leg Curl Machine;

Calves: Seated Calf Raise or Leg Press Calf Raise; Abs: Cable Crunch

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WEEKS 3+4 Monday, ThursdayMUSCLE GROUP EXERCISE SETS/REPS REST

CHEST Chest Press Machine1 3/15 2 min.

Machine Flye 3/15 2 min.

SHOULDERS Shoulder Press Machine1 3/15 2 min.

Machine Lateral Raise 3/15 2 min.

TRICEPS Triceps Dip Machine2 2/15 2 min.

Triceps Extension Machine 2/15 2 min.

ABS Ab Machine 3/20 1 min.

1 If your gym isn’t equipped with these machines, do the Smith machine version.2 If your gym doesn’t have this machine, use the assisted pull-up/dip station.

Tuesday, FridayMUSCLE GROUP EXERCISE SETS/REPS REST

BACK Seated Row Machine 3/15 2 min.

Pulldown Machine1 3/15 2 min.

BICEPS Horizontal Curl Machine 4/15 2 min.

QUADS/HAMS Horizontal Squat Machine2 3/15 2 min.



CALVES Standing Calf Raise 4/20 1 min.

1 If your gym doesn’t have this machine, do the lat pulldown.2 If your gym doesn’t have this machine, do the leg press.

WEEKS 5+6 Monday, ThursdayMUSCLE GROUP EXERCISE SETS/REPS REST

CHEST Chest Press Machine 3/12 2 min.

Cable Crossover 3/12 2 min.

Machine Flye 3/12 2 min.

SHOULDERS Shoulder Press Machine 3/12 2 min.

Cable Front Raise 3/12 2 min.

Machine Lateral Raise 3/12 2 min.

TRICEPS Triceps Dip Machine 3/12 2 min.

Triceps Pressdown 3/12 2 min.

ABS Cable Crunch 2/15 1 min.

Ab Machine 2/15 1 min.

Tuesday, FridayMUSCLE GROUP EXERCISE SETS/REPS REST

BACK Seated Cable Row 3/12 2 min.

Lat Pulldown 3/12 2 min.

Seated Row Machine 3/12 2 min.

BICEPS Cable Curl 3/12 2 min.

Horizontal Curl Machine 3/12 2 min.

QUADS/HAMS Leg Press1 3/12 2 min.

Horizontal Squat Machine 3/12 2 min.



CALVES Leg Press Calf Raise1 2/15 1 min.

Standing Calf Raise 2/15 1 min.

1 Because there are no true cable exercises for quads, hams or calves,

this week you’ll add the leg press to your repertoire of leg exercises.

Weeks 7–12 will be published in the March 2007 issue of M&F. 96 MUSCLE & FITNESS

develop more strength and coordina-tion in the fibers of individual musclesbefore attempting complex exercisessuch as the squat.”

EXERCISE YOUR RIGHTThe first four weeks of the programwill consist of only machine exercises.In Weeks 1 and 2, you’ll perform allsingle-joint isolation moves such asthe machine flye, triceps extensionmachine, leg extension and leg curl.(The one exception is back, whichdoesn’t lend itself well to single-jointmoves.) During Weeks 3 and 4, you’lladd multijoint machine exercises suchas the chest press machine and shoulderpress machine; the exceptions here are

biceps, calves and abs, which don’t havemany multijoint moves to speak of.

In Weeks 5–6 you’ll progress to cableisolation exercises such as the cable curl,triceps pressdown and cable crossover.Then in Weeks 7 and 8 (which, alongwith Weeks 9–12, you’ll find in theMarch 2007 issue of m&f), you’ll moveon to Smith-machine multijoint exer-cises such as the bench press, overheadpress and squat. The Smith machineconsists of an Olympic barbell on afixed path of motion and serves as theperfect transition between standardresistance machines and free weights.

During the final four weeks, you’llprogress to using all free-weight movesin your repertoire. During Weeks 9 and10, you’ll perform free-weight isolationexercises such as the dumbbell flye,dumbbell lateral raise and lying tricepsextension; in the final two weeks you’ll

The key is progress.Every twoweeks you’llmove to ahigher level

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98 MUSCLE & FITNESS

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make the jump to free-weight multi-joint exercises such as the barbell benchpress, barbell squat and barbell bent-over row. And just like that, over thecourse of 12 weeks, you’ll climb theranks from beginning lifter to traininglike the pros — well, more or less.

CHANGE IS GOOD

To go from beginner status to hardcoretrainee, however, you need to progressin other areas besides exercise selection.During these three months you’ll alsoadvance in the amount of weight youuse, the number of sets you perform permuscle group and training frequency. >> For resistance, the program startswith light weight and high reps — 15 repsper set on most exercises. Reason being,beginners make most of their initialprogress in their nervous systems:Weightlifting trains the brain to con-

Lat Pulldown>> Adjust the seat of the machine

so your knees fit snugly under the

pads, and hold the bar with an

outside-shoulder-width grip, your

arms fully extended overhead.

Contract your lats to pull the bar

down past your chin, squeeze your

back muscles and then slowly

return the bar to the start position.

Pulling with

a wide grip

involves the

upper lats to a

greater extent

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100 MUSCLE & FITNESS February 2007

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tract the muscle fibers with more forceand better synchronicity between fibersbefore it actually helps build muscle(though in either case you get stronger).And the best way to train the nervoussystem is with repetition — literally.Doing more reps per set helps you tobetter train your nervous system forrapid gains in muscle strength.

After several weeks, however, yournervous system will adapt and you’llneed to turn your training focus to yourmuscle fibers. That’s when you’ll startto challenge them with heavier weights

Leg Press>> Sit on a leg-press machine and

place your feet shoulder-width

apart on the foot platform. Press

the weight up to a point at which

your knees are extended but not

locked out. Release the machine’s

safety catches. Lower the weight

under control until your knees form

90-degree angles or slightly less.

Press back up explosively to the

start position, again without locking

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Use a narrow stance to

blast the outersweep of

your quads

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to make them bigger and stronger. Thereps drop each month — from 15 reps inMonth 1 down to 10 reps per set in thefinal four weeks — while the weightincreases so your muscles are able tocomplete only that many reps per set. >> Volume, or the total number of setsyou do per muscle group, is also impor-tant for continual progress in strengthand muscle mass. Research shows thatas lifters get bigger and stronger, thenumber of sets performed over timemust increase. You’ll start off with justthree sets per muscle group, then add a few sets every couple of weeks untilyou’re doing about 12 sets for most largemuscle groups in the last four weeks.This gets you up to the typical sets per

(Continued on page 110)

This program is justwhat you need to go

from beginner to hardcore in 12 weeks

Leg Extension>> Adjust the seat so that your

lower back is flat against the

seatback and your knees line up

with the machine’s axis of rotation.

Begin with your knees bent

90 degrees and the weight lifted

a few inches off the stack. Contract

your quads until your legs are

completely straight. Squeeze

your quads for 1–2 counts at the

top, then return to the start.

Point your toes in to work the outer quads; point them

out to work the inner quads

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Lying Leg Curl>> Adjust the machine so the roller pad fits on the

backs of your ankles. Lie facedown and grasp the

handles. Start with your legs slightly bent and the

weight lifted a few inches off the stack. Bend your

knees to curl the roller pad toward your glutes.

Squeeze your hamstrings for a count at the top and

slowly lower to the start position.

A

Keep your head straight

to help protect your

cervical spine

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Standing Calf Raise (Above)>> Step onto the platform so only the balls of your feetand toes touch it and your heels are suspended. Placeyour shoulders snugly underneath the pads. Start withyour knees slightly bent (keep them bent throughout therange of motion) and your heels dropped toward thefloor below the level of the platform. Flex your calves toextend your ankles as high as possible. Squeeze for 1–2counts at the top, then lower back to the start position,feeling a stretch at the bottom.

Seated Calf Raise (Below)>> Sit on the seat and adjust the pads so they fit snuglyon your lower thighs. Place the balls of your feet andtoes on the platform so your heels are suspended.Release the safety catch, grasp the handles for stabilityand begin with your heels below the level of the platformso you feel a stretch in your calves. Extend your anklesto push the pads up as high as you can — you should bealmost on your tiptoes at the top. Squeeze your calves,then lower back down.

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Seated Cable Row>> Sit on the bench of a cable-row station with your feet

flat on the platform. Bend at your waist to grasp the

attachment with both hands and sit upright (back flat)

with your arms extended in front of you. Contract your

back muscles to pull the handle straight toward your

midsection; to keep maximal tension on your back, don’t

pull with your bi’s. When your hands reach your abs,

squeeze your shoulder blades together and pause

before slowly returning the weight to the start position.

Isolate your back by staying upright

and pulling yourelbows as far

back as possible

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bodypart with which most hardcorebodybuilders train.>> Regarding training frequency, orhow often you train each muscle groupper week, you may think that “progres-sion” means training each bodypart justonce weekly and slowly increasing thatto two, or even three, times per week.Actually, it’s the opposite: You’ll startby training each muscle group three

(Continued on page 114)

Cable Crunch>> Kneel a couple of feet in front of

a cable weight stack with a rope

attached to a high-pulley cable.

Grasp the ends of the rope and hold

them just behind your head or at

the sides of your head (whichever

is most comfortable). Begin slightly

bent over, then contract your abs

to curl your torso toward the floor.

As with the crunch, the range of

motion here is slight; your head

shouldn’t reach the floor. The key

is to fully contract your abs.

Keep your arms tight to the

sides of your headand focus solely

on your abs

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NOT INCLUDEDThe following machine exerciseswere not described here: chestpress machine, machine flye,machine lateral raise, shoulderpress machine, seated row machine,triceps extension machine, tricepsdip machine, horizontal curlmachine, horizontal squat machine,leg press calf raise and ab machine.Because such machines often varydepending on the brand and/or manufacturer, one description maynot pertain to all models. Moreover,appropriate technique can typicallybe found directly on the machine.Follow these instructions closely for optimal results and safety. But keep these tips in mind whentraining with machines:>> Read the instructions posted on the machine before attempting to use it. If the instructions are notposted, ask for an overview from the trainer at your gym.>> Be sure to adjust the machineproperly for your body. Don’t hesi-tate to ask the gym trainer for help in properly adjusting the machine.>> Lower the weight under controlon each rep. Don’t simply let it drop.>> Between reps, don’t let the weight rest on the stack; this allows your muscles to rest. Keeping constant tension on themthroughout each set is important.

One-Arm Cable Curl>> See “Training Notebook” pullout section for exercise photosand description.

Cable Crossover>> See “The Peter Principles” on page 230 for exercise photosand description. A

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Cable Front Raise>> Stand facing away from theweight stack of a low-pulley cablewith a straight bar attached. Usingan overhand grip, grasp the barwith both hands with the cablerunning between your legs. Withyour arms extended, pull the bar up and out in front of you until yourarms are parallel to the floor.Squeeze for a count, then slowlylower to the start position withoutletting the weight rest on the stackbetween reps.

For added difficulty, stop 6 inches from

your quads in thedown position

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Atimes per week, then switch to twice a week at Week 3 and eventually go tojust once per week in the last fourweeks. Remember how beginners needrepetition to make early progress?What applies to reps also applies to fre-quency. Think of it as learning to ride a bike: If you practiced just once a week,your progress would be slow. But if youpracticed three times per week or more,your progress would be more rapid. Thesame holds true for lifting.

As you move the focus from yournervous system to your muscle fibers,you’ll reduce training frequency sinceyour training volume is increasing. Themore sets you do per muscle group, themore recovery you’ll need betweenworkouts and the fewer muscle groups

you can train per workout.>> The muscle groups you train is afinal component that will evolve overthe next 12 weeks. You’ll start with justthe major ones in the first month —chest, shoulders, back, triceps, biceps,thighs (quads and hams), calves andabs. Traps are added in Week 7 whenyou start using the Smith machine, andforearms come in Week 9 when you addfree-weight isolation moves. This is butanother way of easing you into the pro-gram and avoiding any unnecessary orcounterproductive movements early onwhen your nervous system is adaptingto the new stimulus of training.

Now that you know where to begin,it’s time to do the work. Get these firstsix weeks of training under your belt,then check back with us for Weeks 7–12next issue. See you then. M&F

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Triceps Pressdown>> Stand facing a cable stack and attach a straight-bar, EZ-bar, V-bar

or rope handle to a high-pulley cable. Grasp the attachment with both

hands and begin with your elbows tight at your sides and your forearms

just shy of parallel to the floor. Keeping your elbows in, fully extend

your arms and squeeze your triceps at the bottom of the rep.

Doing morereps per sethelps trainyour nervoussystem forrapid gains

To add variety,reverse your

grip to hit the triceps

medial head

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bb beg training the ultimate beginners guide

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