The training program for beginners is designed to create and strengthen the functional base of the body. In bodybuilding, it is very important to start training correctly, it is the wrong initial training program that can lead to failure, cause health problems and disappoint you in bodybuilding.
General recommendations for beginners
- The initial training program is designed for approximately 1 year of training, during which time it is progressively modified. Do not focus on one scheme, as the body quickly gets used to monotonous activities and the effectiveness of training decreases.
- When starting classes, do not try to load yourself as much as possible from the first workout, increase the intensity gradually. It is this approach that will allow you to adapt the body to stress, strengthen your health and allow you to develop a training mindset.
- Monitor the recovery of the body, do not allow overwork, do not exercise every day. The optimal frequency is 3-4 times a week, depending on the individual characteristics of the body.
Read the main article: Optimal training frequency
- The duration of training should not exceed 1.5 hours, and in some cases 1 hour.
Read the main article: Optimal training duration
- Do not resort at the initial stages of training to specialized exercisesthat target individual muscles , use mainly basic exercises.
- Focus your attention on proper exercise techniques and use light weights. In the future, it is the correct technique that is laid down at the beginning that will bring good results. If you initially do the exercises incorrectly, it will be much more difficult to realize your mistakes later, as a certain stereotype is developed. Without paying attention to the technique, you will not be able to fully pump the target muscles, respectively, the incentive to growth will be much less. Therefore, before the first trip to the gym, carefully study the exercise technique.
- In the first 2-3 months of training, most beginners will be able to use unpopular but very well-established full-body programs per workout.
- Train the core muscles: abs, back extensors, lower back muscles, back of the thigh. These muscles take an active part in all basic exercises and it is their strength and endurance that determine the results in squats with a barbell, deadlift and army bench press.
- Eat right, but remember that the initial stage of bodybuilding does not involve overeating.
Read the main article: Diet for gaining muscle mass
- For maximum quality training of muscle groups and sufficient rest, use split training.
- Use an electronic training diary, which greatly facilitates the process of building and adjusting a training plan.
Training program
First stage (aerobic training)
Do not rush to start strength training right away, but start your classes with aerobic training. This will prepare your cardiovascular system and increase your overall endurance. The most affordable and optimal option is running. In addition, you can do swimming, brisk walking, and aerobics etc. During this period, you can practice every other day or even every day, preferably in the morning. Before each workout, do a thorough warm-up, try to stretch all the main muscles, perform movements in the main joints with maximum amplitude. Don’t make any sudden movements. The purpose of the warm-up is to increase joint mobility, improve nutrition of muscles and ligaments.
Read the main article: Bodybuilding warm-up
During the first stage, you need to develop the body’s tolerance to exercise in order to prepare it for high-intensity strength training. If you are interested in any sport (football, basketball, volleyball, etc.) and regularly undergo physical exertion, then you can skip this stage. The average duration of the first stage is 2-4 weeks. Before your first strength training session, take a break of 2-3 days to give your body time to recover.
Second stage (fullbody)
As the study showed, novice athletes (or after a long break) have more intense muscle growth on fullbody programs . The use of full-body training is also justified by the fact that when performing basic exercises (squats, deadlifts, bench presses, pull-ups), sufficient amounts of hormones are released to help recovery after training, which does not happen with a rare load in split systems. One of these people is Professor Seluyanov who in his laboratory checked the number of hormones before and after the exercise, and if after lifting the bar on the biceps, the amount of hormones in the blood was 2-3 units, then after squats or deadlifts it became 5-7 units.
However, other equally reputable Russian experts in the field of powerlifting and bodybuilding (Faleev, etc.) believe that no hormonal emissions occur when performing basic exercises. And various effects (such as attraction) after the same squat are not considered as a release of testosterone, and a simple increase in blood circulation in the pelvic region. To support their hypothesis, we conducted studies of the hormonal background before and after exercise. In any case, to achieve the best results, a novice athlete (or after a long break in training) is recommended to practice at least 2-3 months on the fullbody system.
- Before you start performing the exercises, you need to warm up for 10 minutes. The purpose of the warm-up is to raise the pulse rate, improve blood circulation of tissues, develop tendons, and tone up the sympathetic nervous system.
- Use a working weight in your exercises.
- Each exercise starts with a warm-up set: 10 repetitions with 50% of the working weight.
- Each exercise consists of approximately 3 sets and 10-15 repetitions. Don’t be surprised by the high repetition rate. The training program for beginners is aimed not so much at stimulating muscles for growth, but at preparing them. With the first power loads, it is necessary to achieve supercompensation in glycogen metabolism, and this requires a larger number of repetitions. There are individual muscles (calves, abs) that require even more repetitions (about 20).
- Each approach should take 30-60 seconds to complete. This period is optimal for strength training.
- Monitor your heart rate during training. The optimal pulse interval is 100-140 beats per minute. If the pulse rate is less frequent, then the training intensity is too low, if the pulse rate is more frequent, then the intensity should be reduced.
Third stage (two-day split)
Gradually, the muscles adapt to the load, and in accordance with the principle of variability, in order to achieve a pronounced training effect, it is necessary to gradually increase the amount of load on individual muscle groups, as well as increase the intensity and increase the working weight. To increase the load on individual muscles without increasing the total amount of load (otherwise, overtraining may develop), a split program comes to the rescue.
Main article: two-day split.
Fourth stage (three-day split)
Day 1-Back and Biceps exercises
- Warm-up session
- Wide-grip pull-ups, 3x max.
- Deadlift, 2×8
- Barbell tilt, 3×8
- Bicep barbelllift , 2×12
- Hyperextesia (extension of the body)
- Any exercise on the press (twisting), without weights, 3 failure sets
- A hitch
Read the main article: Back exercises and training features
Read the main article: Biceps exercises and training features
Read the main article: Press exercises and training features
Day 2-Legs and Triceps
- Warm-up session
- 3×6 Barbell Squats
- 2×18 Leg Press
- Sitting toe lift, 3×15
- Narrow Grip Bench Press 2×12
- French bench press 1×12
- Any exercise on the press (twisting), without weights, 3 failure sets
- A hitch
Read the main article: Legs-exercises and training features
Read the main article: Triceps exercises and training features
Day 3-Chest, shoulders
- Warm-up session
- Wide grip benchpress, 5×5
- Push-ups on uneven bars, 3 failure sets
- Army benchpress , 3×8
- Arm extension with dumbbells, 2×12
- A hitch
Read the main article: Chest muscles-exercises and training features
Read the main article: Shoulders-exercises and training features
After the third day, you must take a break for at least two days. Classes at this stage can be continued for several months, gradually mastering new training principles.
The muscle groups that are first worked out during training grow faster and become stronger than other muscle groups.
The fifth stage (wave periodization)
This stage of the training program is essentially no different from the previous one, except that the program begins to include more complex exercises, a large proportion of isolation exercises, the number of repetitions varies from 6 to 15 using periodization. Read more: Planning the training process.
Additionally, start studying:
- How to create a training program.
- The best weight training programs.
- Effective principles of gaining muscle mass.
- Training program for professionals.
- High-intensity training.
Effectiveness of the program for beginners
This training program for beginners is based on the analysis of literature and is a typical basic scheme. The program is suitable for most beginners, but there are exceptions that cannot be predicted, and only empirical experience will allow them to be established. A much greater risk of poor performance occurs when using specific programs that are now widely advertised and promoted. Don’t fall for the marketing trap, as it is scientifically established that basic programs like this are the most effective.
Do not expect significant results, they will appear only in the third stage. Do not try to force development and skip stages, this will worsen your progress later.