BEGINNER’S GUIDE TO TRAINING OVERVIEW 1. Taking the First Step When I initially discussed the idea of this training program with the viewers on my YouTube channel I thought it would be a simple plan with some workouts to follow for a few weeks. The more I thought about the project the more I wanted it to be different than that. Anyone can tell you to go to the gym and do 3 sets of 10 on a bench press. There is not real skill there. So, my goal is to combine both the training along with my thoughts on how to go about finding a gym, or a place to train consistently as well as doing the workout design. If you are reading this then you very likely already know the huge benefits to consistently resistance training. A better quality of life is something you are interested in and perhaps you are just intimidated by the process. So this will be my guide to you and I hope there is something helpful within these pages that allows you to take that step. 2. Finding “Your” Gym Where we go to train is going to have a huge impact on getting started and remaining consistent. There are so many options now from huge commercial gyms with state of the art facilities to personal training studios and even older locations which seem to be stuck in time. As a beginner, you have the luxury of testing the waters at all these places. Almost all gyms offer a free week or two with a tour of the gym. Take advantage while you are looking. Find a place which fits your budget, and feels welcoming for you and your goals. There is a gym for every person out there including some female only gyms, powerlifting gyms and the low cost of entry judgement free gyms which can be a great place to start your journey. As a side note I would also like to mention for those who are not familiar with the business that is run inside most of these gyms to be aware of the free trainer they will offer. This free trainer is a salesman first in almost all situations. The trainer gets paid by the company that runs the personal training business within the gym. The session they will put you through is designed to leave you sore and certain that you need someone to push you. I have no issue with good personal trainers and if you find one and it fits your budget that is fantastic. Just be aware you may get a sales pitch with some pressure in some settings. Try to attend the gyms at a time when you would normally be there. See how traffic is, how busy the floor of the gym is and how friendly the staff and members are. If you feel like something is off, then you may just be setting yourself up to avoid coming. Make your gym the easiest and least stressful situation it can be. This way you create the highest likelihood that you will go with consistency and not find reasons to avoid going. No training program works unless you do the work. You may outgrow the gym you are in and that is fine. The goal for your fitness journey is to take that first step and that may mean a gym so close to the house you can’t help but stop at first. Setup yourself up for success and don’t create hurdles early on. 1 3. How Do We Build Muscle? Building muscle happens as we apply stress to the muscle which forces it to adapt. As a beginner, this is going to be very easy as almost all resistance training is going to target muscles which have not been trained in the manner you get with a program like the one below. Our goal in the gym is going to be to train each muscle group and get it to respond and adapt so that each time we train we are improving. There are a few things that must be present to make sure our time is not wasted in the gym. First and foremost, we must be safe. If we get hurt and can’t train, then we can’t make progress. So, safety is the number one priority. Learning to execute properly will ensure the highest likelihood that we avoid injury. Does this eliminate the chance of injury? No. The only way to do that is to sit on the couch. However, training with proper form reduces the risk of injury to very low. As a beginner, the body has not adapted to lift using resistance which would be likely to cause injury. In any case, if you are not sure about what you are doing then stop. Find someone in the gym or online who you are comfortable speaking to and learning the movements from. Now that we understand we must stress the muscle for it to grow we need to discuss some nutrition basics. When you enter a resistance training program it’s also a good time to start paying attention to what you are fueling your body with. We will not go into detail but here are some basics to follow. Muscle Building Nutrition Basics: Daily protein intake should be between .9 and 1.2g per lb. of lean body mass. Daily fat intake should be 20-25% of your daily calorie intake. Daily carb intake should make up the rest of your daily calorie needs Example for 200lb male with a 2500 calorie metabolism would be 210g protein, 270g carbohydrates, 65g of fat. These are only estimates to ensure we are taking in enough to properly recover, diets can very much. There are different considerations for those who are vegetarian, use Keto, or have food intolerances 4. Training Program Setup First 4 weeks Episode Number 1: We are going to break this program down into three separate episodes. The first 4 weeks are going to be episode 1. There are 4 days of training each of the first 4 weeks. If you are not familiar with how to perform a lift, please ask a trainer at your gym or find a video which explains it. Episode 1: Adaptation Take a day off following the quad and hamstring day as well as the Back day if possible. Week 1 perform 2 sets per exercise Week 2 perform 3 sets per exercise Week 3 perform 4 sets per exercise Week 4 perform 5 sets per exercise Rest time will be 60 seconds after first set, 90 seconds after second set, 120 seconds after 3rd set and any additional sets as the weeks progress. Workout 1 Quads and Hamstrings Warm up with 20 body weight squats 2 Squat 10 reps DB Stiff Leg Deadlift 10 reps Goblet Squat 10 reps Leg Extension 15 reps Leg Curl 12 reps Workout 2 Chest and Biceps Bench Press 10 reps Standing DB Curl 10 reps Incline DB Bench Press 10 reps Barbell Curl 10 reps Body Weight Dips 10 reps (use assistance if necessary) Preacher Curl 10 reps Workout 3 Back and Calves Deadlift 10 reps Lat Pulldown 10 reps DB Row 10 reps Standing Calf Press 10 reps Seated Calf Raise 10 reps Workout 4 Shoulders, Traps and Triceps Seated DB Shoulder Press 10 reps DB Side Lateral Raise 10 reps DB Shrug 10 reps Reverse pec dec 10 reps (or bent over DB raise) Standing Cable Press down 10 reps Skull Crusher using EZ Curl or camber bar 10 reps 3 5. Cardio Depending on your goals cardio can be a very beneficial part of the fitness journey. My suggestion for those who are new to the process is to add 10 minutes of steady state cardio to your post workout cooldown routine. You will already be at the gym so 10 minutes on a bike or elliptical while you watch a YouTube video (preferably mine) is a great way to help improve body composition. This is only a suggestion but a strong one. 6. Culmination Thank you for reviewing this beginner’s guide. Based on response I will be happy to setup guides for nutrition, supplementation and more specific programs. Hopefully this is the beginning of a wonderful journey to a happier version of yourself. 4
