There seem to be a trillion different weight lifting exercises — many targeting every little muscle in the body. That’s great if one’s looking to be a bodybuilder, but I want to my improve overall strength. If I gain some muscle mass, great. But it’s not my first goal.
What do you think are the key weight lifting exercises that work the major muscle groups?
Each week will have 2 upper body and 2 lower body workout days, but you will never work the same muscle more than once per week (with the exception of the abs which are worked on both lower body days). Workout 1 and workout 3 will focus on the muscles of your upper body and workout 2 and 4 will focus on the muscles of the lower body. It is a good idea to plan your week or month out in advance.
You might want to simply put a 1, 2, 3 or 4 on the calendar for the days that you will do each workout and then stick to it! You might also want to print out the workouts and stick them on the wall if you are working out at home or put them in a folder that you take to the gym.
Make sure to do each move slowly and with purpose. The “negative” part of the lift (usually the downward motion) should be done more slowly as the resistance to the weight at this point is the strongest and most of the results come from this part. Think of lifting for one second and returning to the start position in 3 seconds. Be sure to fully focus on the muscle you are working and feel it getting larger with each repetition.
I used to model my workouts after world champ power-lifter Franco Columbo (later turned Mr. Olympia after Arnold). Power-lifting exercises, Squat, Bench, Power-clean, Hang-clean, military presses and dead-lifts, work multiple muscles groups compound for strength (and mass is a by-product). Do these and you will get strong FAST. My bench went from 185 to 255 and I gained 10-pounds in just 2-months.
DO NOT WASTE TIME with “core” exercises. The Weight for core exercises are light-dumbbell and improve flexibility, not concentrating on strength,
You must also have a decent diet and supplement. I would supplement at good daily vitamin / mineral, protein (promax bars and whey powder) and creatine (Cell-mass). At minimum, the diet must have 1-gram protein per body Weight (200-lb man = 200 grams protein).
Here are the meat and potatoes of bodybuilding. Flat bench chest press, Dead lifts and Squats. “Can’t have your pie before you have your meat and potatoes”. Pick a few isolation exercises like bicep curls, shoulder presses and do some ab workouts (strengthening your core plays a vital role) and your numbers will be up in no time. Start light, don’t let the big guys intimidate you, and compare yourself to no one. They felt just like you when you started,
. Hope this helps, you can email me if you have any questions/concerns, and all these exercises are explained in most body building sites in great detail.
Good day and good luck.
Squats are a MUST! They will give you allround strength, working almost the whole body if performed heavy enough.
Deadlifts, bench press, wide pull ups.
if you stick to these basic building exercises, your overall strength will improve.
Diana