Lifting Workout routine

See, even though there are 3 workout days per week, there’s just 2 actual workouts.

The first is the “A” workout and the second is the “B” workout. Then you just alternate between them each workout. Meaning, you end up doing ABA one week, and then BAB the next, and so on.

Makes sense now, right? Good.

I will also mention that the exact days of the week you choose really doesn’t matter at all as long as the same every-other-day format is kept intact with 2 consecutive days off at the end.

That’s pretty much all there is to say about the split and schedule itself. Now let’s get to the workouts…

The Workouts: Version 1

Before you see the workouts, let me prepare you in advance by saying that they are probably going to seem a little strange looking to many people. You’ll probably think it’s WAY too little, or WAY too simple and basic.

Well, if you think any of those things, then it’s pretty obvious that any beginner workout routine you’ve seen before this was likely pretty damn horrible.

How do I know? Because some variation of the workouts you are about to see is what’s proven to be most ideal (and most often recommended) for beginners with virtually any goal.

Even if you might not think it is, and even if what you’ve seen before is very different. Trust me. This is what works best for beginners. All research, real world experience and expert recommendations support some form of what you’re about to see.

Having said that, here are the workouts…

Workout A

1. Squats
   3 sets of 8-10 reps.
   2 minutes rest between sets.
2. Bench Press
   3 sets of 8-10 reps.
   2 minutes rest between sets.
3. Rows
   3 sets of 8-10 reps.
   2 minutes rest between sets.

Workout B

1. Deadlifts
   3 sets of 8-10 reps.
   2 minutes rest between sets.
2. Pull-Ups (or Lat Pull-Downs)
   3 sets of 8-10 reps.
   2 minutes rest between sets.
3. Overhead Shoulder Press
   3 sets of 8-10 reps.
   2 minutes rest between sets.

As you can see, it’s the most basic and important compound exercises put together in a way that ensures perfect balance, sufficient frequency and recovery, and low volume.

This is all PERFECTLY ideal for beginners, and this is what will allow for the fastest progression and the best overall weight training results.

Now to answer any questions you may have about this workout routine…

Details and clarifications for Workout A:

• The “A” workout is a quad dominant leg exercise (squats), a horizontal push (bench press), and a horizontal pull (rows).
• Squats are definitely recommended, but leg presses could be used in their place if necessary.
• For the bench press, a flat barbell bench press is recommended, but a flat dumbbell bench press can work too. Use a spotter whenever possible/necessary.
• For the row, pick any one you want. Bent over barbell or dumbbell rows, seated cable rows, chest supported machine rows. It’s all fine.

Details and clarifications for Workout B:

• The “B” workout is a hip/ham dominant leg exercise (deadlifts), a vertical pull (pull-ups/pull-downs), and a vertical push (overhead press).
• For the deadlift, a conventional deadlift would probably be most often recommended for beginners, but a Romanian deadlift (or straight legged deadlift) could be used instead if necessary.
• Pull-ups are recommended for the vertical pull, but if you can’t do them yet, lat pull-downs or some form of assisted pull-up would be a suitable replacement.
• For the overhead press, any type of seated overhead shoulder press is fine (seated barbell press, seated dumbbell press, whatever).

Now here’s how to make it all work.

Focus on proper form first.

It is typically recommended that all beginners spend their first few weeks on a weight training workout routine focusing primarily on learning proper form. I recommend you do the same with this program.

Don’t worry about anything else during those first couple of weeks. Just pick a weight for each exercise that is definitely a little too light and easy for you (more here: How Much Weight Should You Lift?), and focus on learning and using perfect form.

Getting exercise technique right at this beginner stage is extremely important, so make sure you do.

Once those few weeks are up and you feel like your form is what it needs to be on every exercise, it’s then time to focus on consistent progression while keeping that perfect form intact. Let me explain…

Sets, reps, weight and progression.

For each exercise, you should now use the same weight each set.

So, for example, let’s say you’ve been learning proper form on the bench press those last few weeks and found 50lbs to be pretty close to the right weight for you at this point (that’s just a completely made up example amount, by the way). You should now be doing 3 sets of bench presses using that same 50lbs on all 3 of your sets.

Then, when you are capable of doing 3 sets with 50lbs (again, just an example) for the prescribed 8-10 reps each set with perfect form, you’d then increase the weight by the smallest possible increment (usually 5lbs) the next time you bench press.

You’d then aim to do 3 sets of 8-10 reps again with this new slightly heavier weight (55lbs in this example). And when you are capable of doing that, you’d increase the weight again by about 5lbs (60lbs in this example) the next time you bench press and then keep repeating this process over and over.

All of the above applies to each exercise just the same. You use the same weight for all 3 sets of each exercise, meet the prescribed set/rep goal with perfect form, and then increase the weight in the smallest possible increment the next time you do that exercise.