Weight Training Workout Plan

Weight training workout plans are geared to build muscle mass. If you are beginning a body building workout plan your regimen will be different from advanced body builders. Beginners are able to work out more frequently than someone who is more advanced. Advanced body builders require more rest between their workouts because they inflict more damage to their muscles. They need more rest. Beginners get sore but can workout quicker since the damage to the muscles is not as severe.

"Damage" is a severe word. Bodybuilders have to have small muscle damage. The reason is because the body will recover but overcompensate in repairing (building) the muscle to prepare for the next workouts.

The following workout plan is designed to focus on one part of your body each day of your workout. Rest days are planned for mid week and weekends. Remember: recovery is just as important as weight lifting. Obviously this plan is just a suggestion and is really geared for the beginner as a starting point for his workout. Advanced bodybuilders develop their own program as they get more experience. Anyway, you can adapt this weight training workout plan to suit your workout goals. Just remember to start out slow and not push yourself beyond your limits.

Use weights that are not too heavy for you but that will give you enough resistance to build your muscles. You can progressively increase the amount of weight you lift as you get stronger.

For the following exercises, begin with two sets of 10-12 reps each.

• Dumbbell press
• Standing barbell military press
• Lying tricep press
• Side lateral raise
• Preacher curls
• Seated dumbbell curl
• Dumbbell rows
• Dumbbell shrugs

If you have access to weight machines, add the following to your weight training workout plan:

• Pec deck butterflys
• V-bar pushdowns
• Lat pulls with pulley machine

Again, begin doing each exercise with two sets of 10-12 reps each except for the crunches which you can do as many of them as you can stand.

• Barbell squat
• One leg barbell squat
• Lunges
• Standing calf press
• Stiff leg barbell
• Crunches

Machines can be especially helpful when working your lower body. Here are some you should consider on this day:

• Leg presses on a plate loaded machine
• Leg extension machine
• Seated hamstring curls
• Standing hamstring curls
• Ab machine

Drink plenty of water and rest on this day. Your body needs to time to repair itsef. If you are a beginner you may feel a great deal of soreness. It is not a bad idea to add some light stretching exercises on this day.

Today you will want to increase your sets to 3 with 10 - 12 reps each:

• Chin ups (get assistance if necessary or use a machine)
• Seated dumbbell hammer curls
• Dumbbell presses on an inclined bench
• Standing barbell military press
• Standing bicep curls Barbell tricep extension
• Upright barbell row
• Front dumbbell raise

The machines you can use on this day include:

• Seated cable rows
• Upright cable rows
• Cable crossover flies
• Tricep rope pushdowns

You will want to do just two sets of 10-12 reps each except for the crunches which you can do a many as you can stand.

• Standing calf press
• Lunges
• Barbell squat
• Stiff leg barbell
• Standing calf raises
• Crunches
• Machine exercises include:

• Leg presses on a plate loaded machine
• Seated hamstring curls
• Kneeling hamstring curls

Let your body repair itself on these two days. If 4 days of working out are two much you can condense the weight training workout plan to three days. On Day 1: back-chest-abs; Day 2: Legs-Shoulders and on Day : Biceps-Triceps and Abs. This will work the total body and give it time to rest and repair.

This works well for some people who are active outside of the gym. They still want to do some strength training, not necessarily weight training/bodybuilding, but have time to do other activities like swimming, running and cycling.