One aspect of fitness that has always been lacking in my life is strength training. I’ve learned how to lose weight, jog, and sprint but I’ve never actively trained with weights or done any other strength building exercises. So, a few weeks ago, I decided to begin a weight training schedule. Since I’m essentially starting from scratch here I decided to seek the help of experts. Vic Magary of GymJunkies.com has a great workout plan for beginners (like myself) who want to begin using weights. The program is very straight forward and includes some great exercises that work the whole body and not just the glamor muscles.
Honestly, I started the program a little skeptical because he insists on using low weights for the first week or two. However, I was struggling to finish the first workout and was shocked to find just how difficult these simple exercises can really be. I’m now on my fourth week and have already seen some improvements. I have been using more weights and am finding myself really enjoying the workouts. The feeling of exhausting yourself in strength training is different from the feeling I get when I jog but no less enjoyable.
Below is the first week of Vic’s plan. If you are interested in learning more about weight training, his site is loaded with great information for both beginners and experts.
Week 1 workout
Monday
- Warm up for 3-5 minutes by either jumping rope, doing jumping jacks, using a rower machine or riding a stationary bike
- Squats - 1 set of 12 repetitions with no barbell and then 3 sets of 12 repetitions with the barbell (no added weights
- Shoulder Press - 3 sets of 12 reps with the barbell
Notes: Rest 60-90 seconds between each set
Wednesday
- Warm up for 3-5 minutes by either jumping rope, using a rower machine or riding a stationary bike
- Deadlift – 3 sets of 12 repetitions with the barbell. (see note #2 below)
- Chin ups/pull ups – 3 sets of 8 reps (see note #3 below if you cant do a chinup yet)
Note: Take a 60-90 second rest between each set
Note 2: To perform the deadlift with just a barbell, you’ll need to put the bar on something about 6-8 inches high to simulate the height the bar would be if there were weight plates on it. My suggestions would be putting the hooks on the squat bar really low, stacking weights up, using step ups or stools, use fake plastic plates or use plyo boxes. The goal is to simulate the height that the bar would be with real plates on it.
Note 3: If you can’t complete 8 chinups (most newbies can’t) there are a few ways to get assistance. Use an assisted chinup machine at the gym which will provide assistance for you and help push you up. Make sure the asssistance you use makes it hard to finish 8 reps (dont use it as a trampoline!) You can also use stretch bands by hanging them over the top of a squat rack and hooking them under your feet. Your last option is to have a partner hold your feet and help push you up and down.
Friday
- Warm up for 3-5 minutes by either jumping rope, using a rower machine or riding a stationary bike
- Squats - 1 set of 12 repetitions with no barbell and then 3 sets of 12 repetitions with the barbell (no added weights
- Bench Press – 3 sets of 12 repetitions with the barbell (no weight added). If the barbell is too heavy then use dumbbells that allow you to do 12 reps.
Notes: Rest 60-90 seconds between each set
