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The most common question I am asked from skinny guys who are trying to bulk up and develop some muscle tone, is where they should start. Most have the drive and enthusiasm but are unsure of the best weight and exercise routine for optimum success. This simple and easy to follow outline is a brilliant one for those just starting out or for those just simply wanting to add some weight training to their already existing program. Low impact sportspeople such as golfers right through to high impact sportspeople can adopt this easy to manage routine and reap the rewards. Always start with an activity that increases heart rate and gets the blood pumping through the body. You can simply do some star jumps, jogging on the spot or use a stationary bike or treadmill for this purpose. These apparatus can also be used on the off days from your weight training if you have the time. Make sure you drink water or a sports drink 15 minutes before you begin and it is imperative that you continue to hydrate during the session. Every 1% body weight lost (due to fluid loss through sweating) will cause a 5% decrease in performance. So keep drinking, it will help you get more out of your session! Few people I know have spare hours every day to devote to body-building. I think it's reasonable to expect that this process be completed 2 or 3 times every week. You must be a bit flexible in terms of weight loadings dependent on your sex and size etc. Whatever level you start at, though, I'm confident you will see an impressive increase in your capacity to lift weights just a few weeks after you start your routine. Only start with light weights as this will help you establish correct technique before advancing to the next step. Starting with the larger muscle groups has always been a common format and one that I would advise. Remember the order; warm up, stretch, chest exercises, shoulders, legs, biceps and triceps. Complete 3 sets of 10 reps for every activity mentioned with a weight that allows you to complete the 10 reps without total exhaustion. Also stretching the specific muscle group you are working on between sets will increase growth as you address the tissue that has been under load. Give yourself about 1 minute rest in between sets. Keep this timing consistent, as well as your routine for the first few weeks so you can better judge your growth and development. I suggest having a training partner to encourage and spot for you for safety reasons. Spotting is mostly used in bench presses and involves someone helping you get the bar back onto the supports (rather than it landing across you neck!) if you find yourself struggling. Ideally you will require some warm up equipment, a weight bench, a long barbell with a variety of weight discs that can be easily changed and at least 2 small dumbells for some one handed lifting exercises and a large exercise ball for seated activities. All of this equipment can be purchased new from most large retail stores or can be found incredibly cheaply at garage sales or in the second hand for sale section of the local newspaper. Try ebay and other online auctions for bargain prices. Larger machines can be inflexible, hard to store and require lots of space. However, if you have the room or already have one they will definitely do the job. For your chest, commence exercising with bench presses on a flat bench. Then do some flys, laying flat on the bench with comfortably weighted dumbells in both of your hands. Raise each dumbell above the level of your chest then lower them at once to your side, like a giant clap, all the while bending both elbows. Next do some seated flys. An exercise ball is ideal for this: with a straight back lean forward and lift both dumbells to the side. Again you'll need slightly bent elbows. Always move smoothly and ensure that your grip is not too tight for comfort. Consciously tell yourself to loosen your grip as you progress in your routine. To work your shoulders you should aim, as usual, for three sets of ten reps, lifting and lowering very slowly. Sit on the bench in a straddling position and use the longer barbell. Then lift the barbell to below your chin, extend past your face and to the point at which your arms are stretched to capacity, then lower your hands and start again. Do the same this time behind your neck. You may try one handed lifts with dumbells commencing at your shoulders, past the side of your head and to capacity point above your head. (Try lifting both together). Finally put the dumbells at your side and stand with your elbows bent a little. Lift the dumbells outwards as though flapping. Legs. If you have a stationary bike, start with 1 minute of steady pedalling. Then sprint for 10 seconds, slow for 10 seconds. Continue this for 2 minutes. Follow with 3 sets of leg raises. If you have a bench with leg raise bar, place the appropriate weights on and complete 3 sets. One facing up and one facing down to work the quads and the hamstrings. Finish with squats. In the first week or so use no weights then progress to holding a weight disc across your chest. After a few weeks, begin to use a barbell resting on your shoulders and gradually increase the weight to a comfortable level. Overloading the bar is not wise and will place unnecessary pressure on your knees. If joint pain is a problem to you I would suggest taking a supplement containing the amazing combination glucosamine and chondroitin. Arthtitis sufferers and those who've played a lot of sport (including my father!) swear by it. For your biceps you need to commence with a longer barbell whilst standing and hold it with palms forward, bar resting on your thighs. Then you need to curl it up to your chest whilst holding your upper arm by your side and moving your other arm in an upward circular motion before lowering it to your thighs. Then, do the same with single hand dumbells, possibly lifting both together as well. It is important that you make your arms do the work, don't swing down to lift, which is the easy option, though tempting when you're a beginner! Then, hold the dumbells by your side with your palms facing in towards your legs (the dumbell should be facing ahead). Together lift them as before. Triceps. Commence with sitting on the floor and placing your hands to the rear of you a little wider than shoulder width and with the fingers pointing forward. Lift your bottom off the ground and bend legs with feet flat. Lower and raise your body using your arms bending and straightening. Next sit on an exercise ball with a dumbell in each hand and lean forward. Move the upper arm to the rear of you and parallel to the ground. Using the lower part of the arm lift the dumbell like a pendulum toward the rear and then lower to perpendicular position. Lift simultaneously. Can also add variety by standing and leaning over the bench and placing one knee on the bench. Work one arm at a time using the same method outlined above. One step many body builders neglect is the step that should follow exercise. This can make a huge difference to the effectiveness of your hard work. When you exercise, your muscle cells suffer damage and tear: this is how muscle growth occurs as your muscles begin the repair process. If you take a protein supplement in the half hour after completing your workout, recovery of your muscles will be quicker and therefore growth will occur sooner. For building muscle, use a protein shake high in carbs and for extra assistance, add some creatine. An xtreme mass gainer is what you need to find. (For those looking to tone up, without mass gain, low fat and low carb protein shakes are ideal). It would be a shame to not fulfil your body building potential by neglecting this post exercise step.
Article Source: http://www.bodyformind.com/db
Colin Johnson has been an elite sports coach majoring on technical side of sport. He strongly recommends whey protein shakes for muscle repair and development for the performance conscious. He suggests xtreme mass for muscle bulk. You can get a unique content version of this article.
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