Help with a strength training routine, Please?

shorty35565

I've bought a bench and barbell with 100lbs of weight. I would like to build a strength training routine around it, but I have NO IDEA what to do. I do kno I would like to add in some different types of push up and some pull ups in tho. I want to get stronger & lose some body fat/inches. I would like to workout 6 days a week. Or 5 at the very least, but I really would like 6. I guess I could do some cardio some days if you thought I needed it.
If anyone would be willing to help me come up with something, I would be very grateful cuz, like I said, I have no idea what I'm doing. I've only done beachbody programs until now.

hesn92

Do have a rack? Like a squat/power rack?

I would suggest, if you're a beginner, read Starting Strength and either do that routine or the Stronglifts 5x5 routine to get started and build up some strength and have a good foundation. They are very simple routines but really good and a lot of people highly recommend them. They just use basic compound movements like squats, bench press, overhead press, bent over row, and deadlifts. 3x a week.

Helloitsdan

Do have a rack? Like a squat/power rack?

I would suggest, if you're a beginner, read Starting Strength and either do that routine or the Stronglifts 5x5 routine to get started and build up some strength and have a good foundation. They are very simple routines but really good and a lot of people highly recommend them. They just use basic compound movements like squats, bench press, overhead press, bent over row, and deadlifts. 3x a week.

Excellent advice.

Strong lifts 5x5 even has an app for tracking your lifts.

shorty35565

I was thinking of stronglifts, but it's on 3x a week. I want to do something 6x a week. I can't take 3 days off or rather, I really would hate too.
No, I don't have a rack. Those are kind of pricey. The bar & bench was all we could get for now.

mmapags

When you do strength training, it impacts your central nervous system with neuro muscular adaptation.3 or 4 times a week is max. If you want to do more, do low intensity steady state cardio like walking or biking on your off days (if you have the energy). When you start serious strength training, you will be surprised by the muscle fatigue and requiement for rest on off days. The rest is part of the cycle of training. Nutrition/ Stress the muscular system / rest and let the muscles recover and develop. Very healthy!!

Nerdy_Rose

I was thinking of stronglifts, but it's on 3x a week. I want to do something 6x a week. I can't take 3 days off or rather, I really would hate too.
No, I don't have a rack. Those are kind of pricey. The bar & bench was all we could get for now.

When lifting heavy, those days off are actually when your muscles get stronger and repair themselves -- the off days are just as important at the days you lift.

laddyboy

3 days of strenght and 3 days of cardio is a pretty good split.

Go checkout www.bodybuilding.com
Lots of free good workout routines.

nz_deevaa

I was thinking of stronglifts, but it's on 3x a week. I want to do something 6x a week. I can't take 3 days off or rather, I really would hate too.
No, I don't have a rack. Those are kind of pricey. The bar & bench was all we could get for now.

I wouldn't suggest lifting 6x a week, but you could lift 3 and cardio 3 if you wanted.

DPernet

A common mistake is that having sessions lasting hours long or performing tons of the same exercises several days a week will get you better gains. "Less is more" when it comes to weight training. Remember that your central nervous system and joints come into the picture, and suffer a lot more from the abuse of weight training then your muscles.

Your muscles grow when you are resting, not when you are at the gym. This is because when you lift weights, you create tears in the muscle tissue. When you rest, the muscle repairs itself and becomes larger than before. How long it takes to repair will depend largely on your diet and how much sleep you get per night.

Many people are under the impression that more is better, however this is often not the case when trying to gain muscle. To break this down and make it a little easier to understand, think of digging a hole, the time that you spend in the gym training is equivalent to digging a hole, the time your body needs after to recover from training is how long it takes to re-fill the hole, and piling a mound of dirt on top of the hole is growth of the muscle. So, you can pile extra dirt on top ONLY when the hole has been re-filled, which takes time! If you dig a hole that is too deep, it will take too long to re-fill… and there will be no time to place extra dirt on top… this means no muscle growth!! Training a body 2 days in a row would be equivalent to digging one hole, and then continuing to dig the same hole even deeper the next day… you will never have the chance to pile any dirt on top which means you will never gain any muscle training like this…. In fact you are moving backwards, you will probably be losing muscle and almost certainly over training!

tobnrn

Like everyone has said your body needs time to heal because of the stress placed on the body.

Radiskull

You gain muscle on the days that you don't lift. Lifting more than that is counter-productive.

hesn92

If you want to do more than 3 days, you could try a split workout, maybe upper body and lower body each twice a week, but I think 4 times a week is the most you should do. You need to let your body rest and recover. If you want to work out 6 days a week you should do some type of cardio instead of lifting on your other days.

shorty35565

Thanks guys. I guess I'll just do strong lifts like I was originally thinking. My brain tells me more is better & that I'll b slowing down if I don't do a lot. I guess I should get that out of my head.
Any ideas as to what I should do from cardio on the other 3 days? Don't say swimming tho, cuz I can't swim. And I'd really like to do something other than walking.

juicemoogan

i second the recommendation of "www.bodybulding.com"

Its a great resource - and yes.. even for women..

Nerdy_Rose

Thanks guys. I guess I'll just do strong lifts like I was originally thinking. My brain tells me more is better & that I'll b slowing down if I don't do a lot. I guess I should get that out of my head.
Any ideas as to what I should do from cardio on the other 3 days? Don't say swimming tho, cuz I can't swim. And I'd really like to do something other than walking.

Running? Bicycling? Elliptical? Dancing? Yoga? Bodyweight circuits? Jump rope?

Helloitsdan

I was thinking of stronglifts, but it's on 3x a week. I want to do something 6x a week. I can't take 3 days off or rather, I really would hate too.
No, I don't have a rack. Those are kind of pricey. The bar & bench was all we could get for now.

When lifting heavy, those days off are actually when your muscles get stronger and repair themselves -- the off days are just as important at the days you lift.

Promoting this because its pretty important.
Want things to do on off days?
Paint pumpkins or go for a walk.

mmapags

I was thinking of stronglifts, but it's on 3x a week. I want to do something 6x a week. I can't take 3 days off or rather, I really would hate too.
No, I don't have a rack. Those are kind of pricey. The bar & bench was all we could get for now.

When lifting heavy, those days off are actually when your muscles get stronger and repair themselves -- the off days are just as important at the days you lift.

Promoting this because its pretty important.
Want things to do on off days?
Paint pumpkins or go for a walk.

What Dan said!! Do maybe one higher intensity cardio per week at most and the rest do low intensity like a walk or a leisurely bike ride. Rest is critical. More is not better in this case.

ilovedeadlifts

I was thinking of stronglifts, but it's on 3x a week. I want to do something 6x a week. I can't take 3 days off or rather, I really would hate too.
No, I don't have a rack. Those are kind of pricey. The bar & bench was all we could get for now.

6x a week is overkill for a beginner/natural athlete.

jacksonpt

I agree with everything already said.

For someone just starting out, 6x week is too much, and you're better off starting with something tried and true (like strong lifts or starting strength). Do that for 6 months, get a feel for the routine, the lifts, your body, etc, then you can start thinking about some minor tweaks if you really need to.

ilovedeadlifts

I agree with everything already said.

For someone just starting out, 6x week is too much, and you're better off starting with something tried and true (like strong lifts or starting strength). Do that for 6 months, get a feel for the routine, the lifts, your body, etc, then you can start thinking about some minor tweaks if you really need to.

This.
I've been lifting solid for 2 years and can't handle 6 workouts a week for an extended period of time.

I train 3x per week and have been seeing the best gains of my life. I like to be active daily so on my off days I do mobility work. Spend 40 minutes every other day working on recovery and the mobility of tight areas. I spend a lot of time opening up my hips w/ band distraction, and I foam roll 2x per day.

We aren't saying to do NOTHING when you aren't lifting, but you don't need to lift every day.

jacksonpt

We aren't saying to do NOTHING when you aren't lifting, but you don't need to lift every day.

Excellent clarification. I lift 4x week right now, and on my "off" days I do cardio or flexibility/stretching work.