weight training routine

viki1983

I am want to start doing more weight training to gain muscle. I am doing kettle bell twice a week and and add one or two more days of weight training. Can anybody recommend a weight training program I can follow. I want mostly use weight machines at the gym. Thanks!

rick_po

I don't know a specific machine program that I can recommend. But I can tell you some things you can use to evaluate a beginner program for yourself.

1. Do a full-body workout every time you workout. Legs, glutes, core, back, chest, shoulders, arms.
2. Get a day or two of rest between workouts.
3. It's okay to lift very light when you're first starting.
4. Increase weight often. At first, you can probably add 5 pounds every single time you workout.
5. Keep adding weight every workout until you're struggling to complete 5-8 reps on the last set.

In my experience, your typical gym doesn't have machines that are great at hitting your glutes. Supplement your machine lifts with some extra glute work.

You need to log your workouts. Sets, reps, and weight for each lift. When using machines, you'll be doing a lot of different exercises, and it's easy to forget what weights/reps your doing.

I'm not against machines in general, but free weights are more efficient and more "functional". If you're pressed for time, or if you want to see results a little faster, consider a barbell compound lift routine (like New Rules of Lifting, Starting Strength, or Stronglifts) instead of a machine routine.

But most of all, have fun! If you've never done strength training before, you'll make a lot of progress fast, which is super motivating.

Beertroll

Obligatory Stronglifts plug. Alternately, check out the body weight routines on nerdfitness.com.

If the weight machines are all that's available, go ahead and use them; just stick with the compound exercises like squats, bench and shoulder presses, etc, and skip the isolation exercises. Don't be afraid of free weights, and don't overlook bodyweight exercises.