How To Choose a Body Building Routine That's Right For You

What routine or regime you select is dependent on several factors, age, sex, goals and overall physical fitness. There is no such thing as “one routine fits all.”

Without getting too technical for purposes of our overview here, let’s take a very simple, straightforward approach.

Generally speaking, it is recommended to do three sets of ten repetitions on each exercise you select. Beginners need to stick to a routine for at least 3 months of regular training. During this time it is important to follow a plan of good diet and nutrition. The recipes found elsewhere in this document are a great place to start.

Whatever exercises you plan to follow, you should always start off by warming up. Warm up exercises should be aerobic in nature which should include running on the treadmill, jogging , or skipping for a period of about 10-15 minutes. The overall warm up time should last between 15-20 minutes. Always remember that a warmed up body responds faster and there is less chance of injury (like muscle catch, tear, pull, etc). Warm up results in an increase in the pulse and the heart- rate.

Many factors go in to the finalization of the routine for a bodybuilder, such as the current health condition, the goal and the number of days in a week the bodybuilder is going to visit the gym.

For example, if the bodybuilder visits the gym 6 days a week, then the schedule will be of one kind. Whereas, if the bodybuilder works out three times a week, then the schedule is likely to be more intense.

However do keep in mind that no schedule should be for a long term. The long term goal should be broken down in to short and mid term targets - and the routine should be devised accordingly. Thus one short term schedule may be for 3 days a week followed by a 6 day week routine, depending on the condition and the rate of development/growth.

A good beginner routine might be to start off using a bar that is light enough to handle comfortably. Don’t begin by using equipment that is not appropriate for a beginner. The only thing that may result is an overall feeling that exercise is “too hard.” Work up to your routine gradually.

A beginner’s session should initially cover the major muscle groups. Start off with the two hands barbell press. This is productive for developing the upper and lower arms, shoulders and back. Because it isn’t the easiest exercise it should begin first when strength is at the highest. This exercise is intended for the deltoids and triceps.

A second exercise might be the two hands curl with barbell. This will work the biceps situated at the front of the arms , in contrast to the triceps at the back of the arms exercised earlier. The biceps is conventionally the muscle which all desire to develop and is usually already one of the beginner’s strongest.

A third exercise to consider is the bench press. The lift lies on the back and is handed the bar which is then lowered to the chest. This exercise primarily works the pectorals but also exercises the triceps and deltoids like the first exercise.

The fourth exercise is upright rowing where the barbell is raised with a narrow hand spacing to the region of the chin, lowered to arms’ length and the movement repeated. This is generally for the trapezius muscles (which lie between the neck and the shoulder socket on top of the shoulders)- so a different muscle is targeted this time.

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