Gym Programmes

sazzyanne14

Anyone got any good programmes for building strength and muscles up ?? I'm fine when it comes to cardio work in the gym but my weights programme could do with a serious overhaul

cmeiron

Curious to know this too. I don't have access to a gym, but I have dumbbells (up to 45 lbs), bands and a chin-up bar. I wonder if there's a modified version of "heavy lifting" I can accomplish with this stuff (i.e., without olympic bars etc.) I've never really liked working with free weights; that stuff is all my partners...

tameko2

Heavy just means 'heavy to you' - so yes those dumbbells will work for a while. Eventually you'll need more but you can get started that way. If you can self motivate, I'll find some dumbbell based programs that look good, but if you feel like you might need a helping hand, I have friends who have said good things about Chalean Extreme - although all of those friends have now moved to barbell compounds chalean extreme helped them break through some of the nervousness.

Anne - whats your gym options/equipment like? I would recommend for a beginner, either Starting Strength/Stronglifts 5x5 (they're basically the same program, either one is fine), or New Rules of Lifting (for women or not, the program is the same but the text is more 'rahrah ladies' in the women one, or so I hear. Generally, people like one or the other - some people start with NROL and hate it after phase 1 (it starts to add a lot of different exercises) and switch to SL/SS. Some people try SS/SL, think its boring and doesn't have enough different exercises, and prefer NROL. (It seems to lean a bit more heavily on the SS/SL side but I know both types).

what I would NOT recommend is:
1) Anything that has you lifting more than 3 days a week. Beginners shouldn't lift more than this.
2) Anything that has you lifting in body part splits - so something that has an 'arms' day or a 'chest' day - these are for super advanced body builder aspiring types. Steer clear for at LEAST a year. Ideally more.
3) Anything that has you lifting for more than 12 reps. Again. It has a time and place but beginner isn't it.
4) anything that isn't PRIMARILY compound movements, which just means movements that involve more than one joint. So a bicep curl or tricep kickback isn't a compound movement, but a pull up or dip is (because you move your shoulders AND elbows).

sazzyanne14

thanks for the info...i'm not really a beginner to lifting, did it under the guidance of a sports trainer as I chose my college (UK) because I played football there. I just find it harder now that i'm at uni and by myself coming up with ways to keep it fresh and not boring. I use my university gym which is very well equipped with all the latest machines and what not

cmeiron

This is very helpful, thanks!

tameko2

thanks for the info...i'm not really a beginner to lifting, did it under the guidance of a sports trainer as I chose my college (UK) because I played football there. I just find it harder now that i'm at uni and by myself coming up with ways to keep it fresh and not boring. I use my university gym which is very well equipped with all the latest machines and what not

Oh well, my number 5 is stay away from machines (which are isolation exercises anyway, mostly) - since you've got the equipment, get yourself to a power rack and a barbell and get going. start with NROLFW though, since you said you want to keep it fresh. That changes the workout every 4-6 weeks I believe.

cmeirun -
not everything on this site will be good but this is a decent beginner workout.
http://www.muscleandstrength.com/workouts/dumbbell-only-home-or-gym-fullbody-workout.html

you can find examples of the exercises on youtube.