Basics of a routine
Well, now, you’re all excited and ready to go to the gym. But where do you start? There’s no point in stumbling around the gym with no particular plan in mind. If you don’t have a focus it’s easy to get bored and give up. The solution? A routine. Here’s how to put one together.
Sit yo ass down! The importance of rest
Contrary to what you might think, you don’t get stronger and fitter IN the gym, but OUTSIDE of it. The recovery, not the workout stimulus, is what makes the magic. Rest big to gain big.
Workout 6: All dumbbells! All the time!
Routine 1 is a good workout for folks who have minimal equipment, and/or who are just starting out with a basic dumbbell set.
Routine 2 combines dumbbell exercises with bodyweight exercises for some strength-endurance and conditioning benefits. Good if you play sports, and as part of a fat loss program. Not your Curves circuit training, baby!
Workout 5: Intermediate, 4-day split
Conventional body part split and less conventional push/pull-light/heavy split routines.
Workout 4: Intermediate, 3-day split
A standard body part/bodybuilding style 3-day split. Legs, push, pull.
Workout 3: Intermediate, 3-day full body
Full body, basic routines for strength and conditioning.
Workout 2: Beginner, upper/lower split
A 2-day upper body – lower body split for beginners or folks just looking for a very basic split routine.
Periodization: not just for menstrual cycles any more
You hear about how “low-rep sets” are better for goal X and “high-rep sets” are better for goal Y. What does that really mean? Here, an introduction to the concepts of intensity, volume, and planned variation — aka periodization.
Sport-specific training
We used to think that weight training would slow you down for other activities. We heard of mythical athletes who got “muscle-bound” after training and wound up with the agility of Jabba the Hutt. We know now that weight training is an excellent companion to just about any sport. It can help you be stronger, faster, leaner, more powerful, and even help you prevent and recover from injuries.
But how do you go about designing a weight training program for your chosen activity? Clearly a skier is going to have different needs than a rock climber. One size doesn’t fit all when it comes to weight training. Here are some suggestions.
Workout 1: Beginner, full-body
Very basic intro routines with a full-body focus. Good for folks just starting out.
