Advice for beginners

A complete beginner should not jump in at the deep end and copy the workouts of advanced bodybuilders.

It is vitally important as a beginner to incorporate a programme so that the body is introduced gradually to the principles of weight training and used as a period to master good form.

A good programme for a complete beginner would be to perform an ALL OVER BODY WORKOUT using basic exercises for each body part.

Perform 3 sets of 10 reps on each exercise. Increase the weight on each set so that on the final set you stop just short of failure using a weight that you can still perform 10 good reps. This routine is only suggested for a complete beginner that has never trained before and I recommend an all over workout to be performed 2-3 times a week.

2 workouts a week
Tuesday & Thursday
3 workouts a week
Monday, Wednesday, Friday

This will provide sufficient rest and recovery time between each workout. NOTE - Do not train for consecutive days. Remember more is not better! Stick with this routine for 6 weeks. After this period then train by using a split routine whereby you split the body into either two groups or three groups and train 3 times a week (Monday, Wednesday & Friday).

Example Workout
Body Part Exercise
Quads Squats
Legs Lying leg curls
Back Barbell rows
Chest Bench press
Shoulders Shoulder press
Triceps Tricep pushdowns
Biceps Barbell curls
Abs Crunches
Calves Standing calf raise

I believe education is the key and I feel my site is a good part of the learning process for successful bodybuilding but I also strongly recommend especially for a beginner to purchase a copy of Dorian Yates book - A WARRIORS STORY.

For me it is a priceless tool for someone who wants to get into Bodybuilding and I cannot recommend it enough. It’s my favourite Bodybuilding book and I believe all bodybuilders should have a copy and is a book that you can turn to at anytime and refresh yourself/memory without getting confused by all the different ideas that the magazines and people can throw at you.

It is also very, very important that you back up your training by eating daily a good quality diet supplying the right amounts of protein, complex carbohydrates and healthy fats to maximise recovery, repair and ultimately your main goal – MUSCLE GROWTH!! - Check out my nutrition section!

Remember the key to Bodybuilding success or just building a decent physique is to KEEP IT SIMPLE!!

Train hard and smart ensuring you use good form/technique - See my DVD - Believe to Achieve on how to perfect good technique and how simple I keeps things, even as a Top Professional Bodybuilder.