Beginner 5X5
Introduction: A common routine that is thought out to be the most potentially advanced for a beginner lifter will involve some type of isolation exercise; it is here the first mistake is made.
Isolation exercises are intended to correct posture and imbalances in muscles that are developed through indirect use of compounds (later on down the road).
Excessive use of isolating muscle groups in a beginner stage leads to significant imbalance promoted through lack of stabilizer maturity before compound movements have been developed, and a weak point has yet to occur.
Principles: Progressive resistance training is the most beneficial principle that can be used in beginner barbell programs.
Beginners, to the sport of resistance training, are capable of making what we call linear (constant) progress on their basic compound exercises: squats, deadlifts, and bench presses.
This is a method of increasing natural forces by the body and strengthening the joints, ligaments, and tendons before attempting to being to personalize or specialize in specific goals.
Linear Progress: Regardless if you're a bodybuilder, powerlifter, or just some guy that likes to lift stuff you need to take advantage of linear progression; not even professional bodybuilders on drugs can meet this type of performance enhancement.
Linear, referring to constant; and progress, referring to increments of overload brought upon to the muscle through free weights is a method of muscle building.
When you overload a muscle and it has not been placed upon similar stress, the nervous system activates motor units in the muscle that may have been previously shut down (unused strength).
The same reason is why you can make the same linear progression as you stop lifting weights after hitting a personal record; it doesn't mean that you are atrophied and began to hypertrophy again; it simply means that you are reactivating motor units.
Form: Teaching the body proper body mechanics and form during the first several weeks of training is beneficial to teaching the CNS to program correct movement pattern in a program.
You should always start with boringly light weight and add 5-10 lbs to that weight each week.
Adding 10 lbs per week will effect form, and I say this without caring of your coach is.
If you add weight too frequently when just getting form down, it will eventually collapse.
You want your body to lift weights properly and then add linear increments in resistance.
Program Design: With each full body routine, the same program design applies: horizontal pull for every horizontal push; vertical pull, for ever vertical push; and lower body push and pull, so when we add the above together we design a program with the following exercises: squats, deadlifts, barbell rows, overhead presses, pullups, and bench presses.
You can always incorporate accessory movements: weighted dips, hang cleans, lunges, calf raises, etc.
later on down the road, but the six movements presented in the earlier post should be the prime focus of your program.
Workout 1: 1) Squat 2) Bench Press 3) Barbell Row 4) Pullup Workout 2: 1) Squat 2) OHP 3) Deadlift 4) Chinup Workout 3: 1) Squat 2) Bench Press 3) Barbell Row 4) Pullup Accessory Work: The following routine applies focus on each muscle of the human body without neglecting any type of imbalance causes.
You can add direct core or grip work, but do not substitute the movements.
If you do decide to incorporate abdominal movements, try to utilize movements that focus on merely isometric contraction from the rectus abdominis; this will enable the hip flexors from taking a bulk of the load and creating a potential lordosis and lower back problems.
Since the hip flexors are more demanding than the abdominal muscles, they will often overpower them during the range of motion.
Hanging leg raises, planks, bridges, side bridges, dragon flies, and suitcase deadlifts are the best way to incorporate movement variation and core work for the function development of the abdominals.
What is more functional? A plank or a sit up? A plank.
Why? How does your abdominal muscles contraction under exercise? Do they concentrically move or do they focus on isometric contraction to stabilize the entire core.
Sit ups not only predominantly exercise the hip flexors, but they also do not work together like they would during an overhead press or pullup.
Teaching the body to work as it does under stress is far more functional than finding an exercise that gives stimulus.
You want to focus on isometric tension on the entire core as a whole: planks and dragon flies are your greatest compromise.
Stretches: Stretching is important for a variety of reasons: maintaining proper posture, increasing flexibility, preventing imbalances, and increasing recuperation rate to name a few.
You essentially want to maintain great flexibility particularly in the glenohumeral joint.
You can apply specific stretches like the doorway stretch to keep the internal rotators (lats, pecs) and focusing on development of the upper back muscles and posterior deltoids through opposition.
Nutrition: The general rule of thumb for someone trying to gain muscle is 1g of protein for every lb of lean bodyweight and this should increase by approximately 1g every 1-2 weeks.
Applying your bodyweight (in pounds) and multiplying that by 16 will give you your weight to maintain; adding 500 calories to that will put you in a pace to gain 1 lb of muscle per week.
In general guidelines, you should have two plates present during meal time.
One plate, containing 50% grain, 25% fats, and 25% protein, and the other being a bowl or plate full of fibrous veggies like: broccoli, spinach, celery, or similar green/leafy nutrient.
Isolation exercises are intended to correct posture and imbalances in muscles that are developed through indirect use of compounds (later on down the road).
Excessive use of isolating muscle groups in a beginner stage leads to significant imbalance promoted through lack of stabilizer maturity before compound movements have been developed, and a weak point has yet to occur.
Principles: Progressive resistance training is the most beneficial principle that can be used in beginner barbell programs.
Beginners, to the sport of resistance training, are capable of making what we call linear (constant) progress on their basic compound exercises: squats, deadlifts, and bench presses.
This is a method of increasing natural forces by the body and strengthening the joints, ligaments, and tendons before attempting to being to personalize or specialize in specific goals.
Linear Progress: Regardless if you're a bodybuilder, powerlifter, or just some guy that likes to lift stuff you need to take advantage of linear progression; not even professional bodybuilders on drugs can meet this type of performance enhancement.
Linear, referring to constant; and progress, referring to increments of overload brought upon to the muscle through free weights is a method of muscle building.
When you overload a muscle and it has not been placed upon similar stress, the nervous system activates motor units in the muscle that may have been previously shut down (unused strength).
The same reason is why you can make the same linear progression as you stop lifting weights after hitting a personal record; it doesn't mean that you are atrophied and began to hypertrophy again; it simply means that you are reactivating motor units.
Form: Teaching the body proper body mechanics and form during the first several weeks of training is beneficial to teaching the CNS to program correct movement pattern in a program.
You should always start with boringly light weight and add 5-10 lbs to that weight each week.
Adding 10 lbs per week will effect form, and I say this without caring of your coach is.
If you add weight too frequently when just getting form down, it will eventually collapse.
You want your body to lift weights properly and then add linear increments in resistance.
Program Design: With each full body routine, the same program design applies: horizontal pull for every horizontal push; vertical pull, for ever vertical push; and lower body push and pull, so when we add the above together we design a program with the following exercises: squats, deadlifts, barbell rows, overhead presses, pullups, and bench presses.
You can always incorporate accessory movements: weighted dips, hang cleans, lunges, calf raises, etc.
later on down the road, but the six movements presented in the earlier post should be the prime focus of your program.
Workout 1: 1) Squat 2) Bench Press 3) Barbell Row 4) Pullup Workout 2: 1) Squat 2) OHP 3) Deadlift 4) Chinup Workout 3: 1) Squat 2) Bench Press 3) Barbell Row 4) Pullup Accessory Work: The following routine applies focus on each muscle of the human body without neglecting any type of imbalance causes.
You can add direct core or grip work, but do not substitute the movements.
If you do decide to incorporate abdominal movements, try to utilize movements that focus on merely isometric contraction from the rectus abdominis; this will enable the hip flexors from taking a bulk of the load and creating a potential lordosis and lower back problems.
Since the hip flexors are more demanding than the abdominal muscles, they will often overpower them during the range of motion.
Hanging leg raises, planks, bridges, side bridges, dragon flies, and suitcase deadlifts are the best way to incorporate movement variation and core work for the function development of the abdominals.
What is more functional? A plank or a sit up? A plank.
Why? How does your abdominal muscles contraction under exercise? Do they concentrically move or do they focus on isometric contraction to stabilize the entire core.
Sit ups not only predominantly exercise the hip flexors, but they also do not work together like they would during an overhead press or pullup.
Teaching the body to work as it does under stress is far more functional than finding an exercise that gives stimulus.
You want to focus on isometric tension on the entire core as a whole: planks and dragon flies are your greatest compromise.
Stretches: Stretching is important for a variety of reasons: maintaining proper posture, increasing flexibility, preventing imbalances, and increasing recuperation rate to name a few.
You essentially want to maintain great flexibility particularly in the glenohumeral joint.
You can apply specific stretches like the doorway stretch to keep the internal rotators (lats, pecs) and focusing on development of the upper back muscles and posterior deltoids through opposition.
Nutrition: The general rule of thumb for someone trying to gain muscle is 1g of protein for every lb of lean bodyweight and this should increase by approximately 1g every 1-2 weeks.
Applying your bodyweight (in pounds) and multiplying that by 16 will give you your weight to maintain; adding 500 calories to that will put you in a pace to gain 1 lb of muscle per week.
In general guidelines, you should have two plates present during meal time.
One plate, containing 50% grain, 25% fats, and 25% protein, and the other being a bowl or plate full of fibrous veggies like: broccoli, spinach, celery, or similar green/leafy nutrient.
