Jay's Workout Guide

[Jay-]

Jay's Workout Guide

I thought I'd share my weekly workout here, for those of you who'd like to start working out but don't know where to begin. I'll give brief descriptions of each exercise. I'm also going to give the weights I do on each, and those of you who do work out can compare, and post your own weights.

I'm not including any cardio workouts in here for one reason - I don't like them. I hate running, and I can't force myself to do it. I recommend that YOU do it, though.

The workout I give is over a five day period. Obviously, you don't have to stick to the days I give you. I give Saturday and Sunday as rest days. However, if you're busy Thursday, you can move your Thursday to Friday and Friday to Saturday to accommodate that. These days are just guidelines.

Watch this, the beginning will show you how to bring your weight up. This is very important for dumbbell excercises such as military press, incline press, and flat press. When you start doing high weight, you will NEED to know how to do this:

If you have any questions (if you don't understand what machine to use, etc), ask them here and I'll explain or post pictures if needed.

Me: 18 Years Old | 150 pounds | 5ft 7inches

Post One: Monday - Chest

Post Two: Tuesday - Back

Post Three: Wednesday: Shoulder

Post Four: Thursday: Biceps & Triceps

Post Five: Friday: Legs and Abs

Monday - Chest

- Flat Dumbbell Press: 65lbs x 8 reps | 70lbs x 6 reps | 75lbs x 4 reps

   - Simply use a flat bench and the dumbbell weights of your ability. If you need to tone your muscles before you build them (if you're not already in shape), you should do sets of 10 at one weight. Otherwise, do sets of 8-6-4 in increasing weights.

- Incline Dumbbell Press: 50lbs x 8 reps | 55lbs x 6 reps | 60lbs x 4 reps

   - Use an incline bench (or adjust your flat bench to about 30degrees incline), and use dumbbells of your ability. Same tips as flat press.

- Decline Barbell Press: 135lbs x 8 reps | 155lbs x 6 reps | 175lbs x 4 reps

   - Use a decline barbell bench. Same tips as flat press.

- Dumbbell Flies: 40lbs x 10 reps, 3 sets

   - I prefer to use an incline bench for this. Lift the dumbbells as if you were going to incline press, but lower them to your sides, keeping your elbows sightly bent. Bring your arms back together, tightening your chest, as if you were hugging a tree.

- Incline Cable Flies: 40lbs x 10 reps, 3 sets

   - Use cable machine with adjustable handles on each side. Raise them to highest height. Make sure you're in middle of machine, take a step forward and stable yourself. Keeping your arms straight, bring your hands together in front of you.

- Decline Cable Flies: 40lbs x 10reps, 3 sets

   - Use same cable machine, adjust height to lowest, do same as incline. Be sure you are not lifting your hands from your waist to in front of your chest. You want to keep your arms as horizontal as possible.

Notes:

- Dumbbell flies are interchangable with a peck-deck machine.

- I do not recommend doing incline, decline and flat presses in the same day. Only do two, and change which two you do every week.

- I prefer to do flat and incline dumbbells but decline barbbell because it's more difficult to get set on a decline bench with dumbbells by yourself. If you have a partner, you can do dumbbells.

[Jay-]

Tuesday - Back

- Wide Pull Ups: 3 sets of 10.

   - Do not confuse these with standard pull ups. Their should be horizontal handles that force your grip to be wider when doing the pull up. These are more difficult than regular pull ups. If you're good, you can use a weight belt.

- Seated Lat Pull Downs: 100lbs x 10 reps, 3 sets

   - This is a cable machine. There should be a seat with a cable above your head, where you can attach a long straight bar. When doing this, keep your back straight (leaning back slightly is okay), and bring the bar down until it touches your chest.

- Seated Rows: 115lbs x 10 reps, 3 sets

   - Machine similar to the pull downs, but the cable will be in front of you. Use a different attachment, one where your hands are closer together. Looks like a triangle. Keep your knees slightly bent, and bring your hands to your stomach.

- Back Raises: 25lbs x 10 reps, 3 sets

   - This machine has two spots for your feet, so that when you're on it, your thighs will be against two pads. Hold a weight to your chest. Lower your chest as far as you can, then back up. By your 10th rep, you'll feel it in your lower back.

[Jay-]

Wednesday - Shoulders

- Military Press (Dumbells): 50lbs x 8 reps | 55lbs x 6 reps | 60lbs x 4 reps

   - Use either a seated bench, or adjust a flat bench to a sitting position. Place dumbells on your knees. Throw your knees up consecutively, and lift your weight above your shoulders, then lift it above your head and begin your set.

- Upright Bar Rows: 70lbs x 10 reps, 3 sets

   - Use a straight bar of set weight. Hold the bar at your waist, then lift it to your pecks, hold it there for two seconds before lowering again.

- Side Raises: 15lbs x 10 reps, 3 sets

   - I like to use an incline bench for this. Lay sideways across it, and lock your opposite arm to hold yourself in place. Bring weight from your hip until your arm makes a straight line with your shoulders. Keep your arm as straight as possible.

- Reverse Peck Deck: 75lbs x 10 reps, 3 sets

   - Adjust the peck deck machine handles so they're behind the pad where your back sits against. Now sit so your chest is against that pad. Keeping your arms straight, move them so they're slightly behind you.

- Shrugs: Weight depending

   - There are several ways to do shrugs. You can hold dumbbells at your sides, or many gyms offer a machine that you can place weight on. Either is good. When lifting weight, be sure to use only your shoulders. The motion is as if you were shrugging. Go figure!

[Jay-]

Thursday - Biceps & Triceps

Biceps

- Barbell Curl: 60lbs x 10 reps, 3 sets

   - Use the same bar as from your standing rows from shoulders, and do a bicep curl. Keep your elbows steady at your sides.

- Wrist Turn Curls: 30 lbs x 10 reps, 3 sets

   - Standing with dumbbells, have them at your sides. One at a time, curl the weight to your chest, whilst turning your wriest so the bar of the dumbbell becomes parallel to your nipples. Keep your elbows steady at your sides.

- Preacher Curls: 45 lbs x 10 reps, 3 sets

   - Use the seated machine with the pad in front of you. Lay your arms on the pad, and adjust the seat so your armpits are against the top of the pad. Use a curled bar (where you add your own weight), and use the wider handgrips of the bar. Keep your arms flat against the pad and don't move them. Stay seated.

Triceps

- Skull Crushers: 65lbs x 10 reps, 3 sets

   - Using the curled bar, sit on a flat bench with the bar on your lap. Lay back while raising the bar above you as if you were benching it. Adjust your hands to the inner handles, then lower the bar to your forhead, and raise it again. Keep your elbows in and steady. This will seem awkward at first.

- Cable Extensions: 40lbs x 10 reps, 3 sets

   - Using a cable machine, attach the rope handles to the cable. If adjustable, set it to the top height. With a straight back and your elbows at your sides, bring your hands as far down as you can. When you reach the bottom, turn your wrists away from each other.

- Dips: 25lbs x 10 reps, 3 sets

   - A machine with two handles, which should serve both as leg raises (for abs) and dips (for triceps). Hold onto both handles and raise yourself up. Then lower your body until your arms are at a 90degree angle, and lift yourself again. If able, use a weight belt.

Note:

- Alternate between bicep and tricep exercises. Do three sets of one, then three of another.

[Jay-]

Friday - Legs & Abs

Legs

- Leg Curls: 100lbs x 10 reps, 3 sets

    - Seated machine. Keep your back against the pad, lower the weight as far as possible before returning to starting position. Practice slow motions.

- Leg Extensions: 125lbs x 10 reps, 3 sets

    - Opposite of leg curls, you now begin with your legs down and must raise them. Lift the weight slowly as high as you can before lowering to the starting position.

- Leg Press: 200 lbs x 10 reps, 3 sets

    - This machine will have you lay flat, and place your feet against a large pad of rubber. Make sure you bring the weight deep before raising again.

- Squats: 160lbs x 10 reps, 3 sets

    - I recommend using a smith machine at first, which is where the barbell is locked into a machine, and is not free weight. If the weight of the bar on your shoulders hurts, you can place a pad on the bar. Finding the right place to rest the bar between your shoulders is tough - ask for help if you need it. Make sure you lower your butt deep each set, but be careful. Don't use your back.

Abs

- Sit Ups: 10 reps, 3 sets

    - Using a decline bench, lay flat and then sit all of the way up. At your peak, twist your torso to the left, then the right. Straighten yourself before declining again.

- Leg Tuckks: 10 reps, 3 sets

    - Using the same machine from your dips, place your back against the pad and place your arms to hold your weight. Tuck your knees to your chest and then extend them so they're horizontal. Tuck them again, and lower your feet. That's one rep.

- Rotary Machine: 85lbs x 10 reps, 3 sets

    - Use your gyms abdominal rotary machine. Adjust it so it's all the way to your left, then rotate your body to the right. Do this ten times, then adjust the machine so you rotate to the left. That's one set.

[Mr-G-Maul]

Not the best doing triceps and biceps on the same do but other then that it looks good :)

[Jay-]

Not the best doing triceps and biceps on the same do but other then that it looks good :)

Would you recommend chest/biceps and back/triceps?

[Mr-G-Maul]

Yeah or back/biceps chest triceps. Its better to work opposite muscles so it gives you the full benefit of lifting heavier weights and not tiring yourself out as faster which in turn gives a better session :)

[Steroids]

na many people have an "arm day". is fine. fairly standard routine.

[Smush]

You know you could have placed it on one post ... but looks like a nice routine.

[SkidooosH]

na many people have an "arm day". is fine. fairly standard routine.

this, i like to do chest/triceps and back/biceps tho

[Jay-]

I didn't think an arms day was a big deal. I chose to spread it out over 5 posts cause I want to create quick links in the original post. Looks neater too :P

[Tango_Oscar]

IMO you shouldn't do upper body twice in a row. I find this because if you train chest, you will probs have a really sore chest the day after, so doing pull ups is going to hurt.

Also shoulder press gets triceps alot so doing them the day after your wasting your time.

Chest/Biceps

Quads + Hamstrings

Back/Triceps

Rest day

Shoulders/Traps

Fore-arms/Calfs

Restday

If you do triceps straight after chest, your triceps are already fucked :s

[Mr-G-Maul]

Trust me ive studied this for over a year you wont get as much benefit if you do triceps and biceps on the same day.

[Tango_Oscar]

Trust me ive studied this for over a year you wont get as much benefit if you do triceps and biceps on the same day.

Trust him, hes studied it for a year!  :whistle:

[Mr-G-Maul]

Trust me ive studied this for over a year you wont get as much benefit if you do triceps and biceps on the same day.

Trust him, hes studied it for a year!  :whistle:

Two words forum guest  :mellow:

[Tango_Oscar]

A forum guest whos bigger and stronger than you.

[Mr-G-Maul]

Just gonna stop with the flames no point ruining a good topic :)

[Ollie]

Tom knows his stuff

Nice workout Jay