Two Basic Weight Training Routines

These two basic weight training routines are designed for when you're just getting started and want real results - fast. One is geared towards overall strength, and the other is geared more towards power.

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There are 3-4 large, multi-joint exercises for each day, plus 1 exercise each for your abs and wrists/forearms. That way, you're working your whole body during each workout and you're also hitting places that tend to get overlooked (abs and grip).

For each of these, go slowly in the beginning. At your first workout, do an exercise with a weight you can manage easily.

Then add weight in 5 lb. increments until you can't do all the repetitions for the set you're on (which will be five in most cases).

And always remember to warm-up in the beginning with 5-10 minutes of running, rope skipping, or whatever. At the end, some stretching will give you flexibility and make your pain the next day not quite as horrible.

- Routine for Overall Strength -

Click here to download a PDF of the Routine for Overall Strength. If that doesn't work, try right-clicking and selecting 'Save As...' or 'Save Link As...'

Pretty simple and straightforward. For the wrist roller exercise, put your weight on the roller and then gather the weight up and let it down with your palms facing UP, and then do the same with your palms facing down. So, the 1s there are actually pretty intense.

The Leverage Bar is just a short bar, 1.5 - 2 feet long, that your can put weight on and then, holding it in one hand, cast the weight forward and bring it back (kind of like throwing out a hook when fly fishing). These are both great forearm exercises.

- Routine for Power -

Click here to download a PDF of the Routine for Power. If that doesn't work, try right-clicking and selecting 'Save As...' or 'Save Link As...'

Of the two basic weight training routines, this one for power is the more dangerous. Since all the motions are geared specifically towards explosive lifting and fast muscle contractions, I recommend you start with the routine for overall strength first. There's less chance of tweaking something.

When you start the power routine, use light weight at first. Especially for the jump squats, do them lightly and focus on good landings that dissipate your force. If you have bad form at the beginning, these exercises will do bad things to your knees and other joints.

So, good form for everything in the beginning. But you should still be really sore the day after your workout; if you're not, I recommend making your next workout significantly harder.

Your sore pain should be obvious :-)

Take these to the gym and try them out. They're good basic weight training routines, straightforward, and you can download the free weight training schedule PDFs that go along with each of them.

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