Ready to Start Building Lean Muscle?
Congratulations… you’ve have taken the most important step on your journey to burn fat and get in the best shape of your life. As a long time hard core fitness enthusiast I am always impressed when somebody is finally ready to take this breakthrough step. Every January like clockwork I see the masses all flood into the gym ready to “get in shape”. Unfortunately by the end of February 95% of them have fallen back into their previous patterns.
Ahhh but for those 5%… I see these new faces start to get it and they become “regular” fixtures in the gym and their bodies go through that transformation. Can you picture yourself becoming one of these elite 5%?
Part of the challenge is that most people are never able to follow through with their new found motivation because there’s an overwhelming amount of workout information available. Or that trainer in the gym is either too expensive or worse yet they are complete buffoons (the good ones are out there they are just awful hard to find).
So where do you turn? Go ahead and pick up the latest fitness magazine and try to find a beginner workout… good luck with that, you’ll most likely end up more confused than when you started.
So with this amazing amount of info flooding your brain… how much cardio, should I begin lifting weights, do I workout like a bodybuilder? How often should I train… 3 days per week, 5 days, should I go crazy and go 6 days per week?
There are so many individual variables involved and all of it is part of the process of you understanding your unique makeup and what works for you. For a beginner it is all about K.I.S.S. (Keep It Simple Sam). This is a great place to start whether you are a man or a women because at this stage it is just about building the foundation.
Am I going to see results?
In order to finally achieve success you are in search of you’re going to need to see some results and the best bet is with the four week beginners program. I am going to focus on you getting the most benefit possible in this initial 4 week program, and the foundation will be on weight training in the 8-12 rep range. As I mentioned earlier most people on any new program quickly get overwhelmed and quit because of too much to do. So for the first week we are only going to concentrate on lifting weights. In week three you will be introduced a very simple diet and in week four you will be introduced to limited cardio with highly effective interval cardio as you are eased into your new lifestyle.
What am I going to get out of this workout program?
No matter if you are a man or a woman this beginners program is going to:
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Burn fat
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Speed up your metabolism
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Start sculpting lean muscle in the critical chest, back, shoulders, arms, legs and butt area (this is not bulky muscle)
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Establish a solid base for more advanced workout programs in later phases
Who is this workout geared to?
Well we’ve already set the very basic parameters — it is for a man or a woman but is really ideal for:
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Who may have not really worked out much before
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May have been in decent shape in the past
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Have been going to the gym for a while but mostly floating from machine to machine or spending most of the time on the elliptical trainer
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The individual who is ready to really burn fat and finally make the lifestyle change that they know deep down inside is needed
The guts of this beginner’s program
What you’ll find here is a no nonsense approach to beginning your quest to get in the best shape of your life.
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This three day a week program will take you step-by-step and put the building blocks in place with a solid foundation
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An initial simple-to-follow nutrition plan to help you accelerate the fat burning process
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An introduction to interval cardio training so that you maximize your time in the gym while literally lighting a fire in the fat burning furnace
Are you ready?
Beginner’s Workout Program
The main goal of this four week program is for you to establish a foundation from which all future phases will be based on. If you have worked out in the past you have probably gone down one of several very typical paths.
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You concentrated on machines
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You found an initial program that you liked and you stuck with it no matter what (even though your results dwindled down to nothing)
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You concentrated on bodybuilding isolation exercises (lots of curls) or did exercises that put your body out of balance (lots of chest exercises with not enough back exercises)
The beginners program will be establishing compound exercises (uses multiple muscles with each lift). Not only does this supercharge your workout by utilizing more of all your available muscles it gets you in and out of the gym quickly.
This beginner’s workout program is done three times per week. The key here is to not work out on consecutive days. So you can do your training split several ways. The most common is the M/W/F or Tu/Th/Sa split but you can also do M/W/Sa if you prefer. Remember it’s your program use it to fit your lifestyle just give your body enough time to rest (at least one day off in between workouts).
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Week 1 workout program
One of the best things that you can do is to start a workout log. This can be as simple as small ringed binder. Mine tend to be the 5-1/2” x 4” versions that you can get in most grocery stores or at your local Office Depot or Staples.
Keeping a detailed record of what your workout entails to ensure that you are resting long enough (but not too long) in between sets, which exercise is up next, how many reps you should do vs. how many you actually did, how much weight to lift, etc.
If you can get into this habit it will reap major benefits as you progress towards your fitness goals.
Day 1 (this would typically be Monday or Tuesday depending on your split)
Now the important thing here is that you want to do each exercise with excellent form (click on the links to show you more and give you some additional insights) and you want to keep your rest periods timed just right.
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Do a warm up for 5 minutes by either walking on the treadmill at a 3.0-3.5 pace or riding the stationary bike
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Squats – perform 1 set of 12 repetitions with no barbell and then 3 sets of 12 repetitions with the barbell (no added weights)
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Notes for men use the large Olympic-style barbell this weighs 45 lbs. for women use the smaller straight barbell this weighs 30-35 lbs. depending on your gym
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Rest Period 90 seconds between each lift/ set
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Standing Dumbbell Shoulder Press – perform 3 sets of 12 reps with two dumbbells that you can get the weight up with (the last set should be harder than the first but you should be able to still complete all 12 reps)
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Do this one standing even though the exercise video shows them sitting
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Rest Period 60 seconds between each set
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Day 2 (this would typically be Wednesday or Thursday depending on your split)
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Do a warm up for 5 minutes by either walking on a treadmill at a 3.0-3.5 pace or riding a stationary bike
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Dumbbell Deadlift – perform 3 sets of 12 repetitions with two dumbbells
- Do not go too heavy on this exercise to start
- Men for the first set use 20 lb dumbbells to get the feel of the exercise and work up to a weight you are comfortable with doing 12 reps
- Women for the first set use 12 lb dumbbells to get the feel of the exercise and work up to a weight you are comfortable with doing 12 reps with
- While the instruction video shows keeping your legs straight be sure to not lock out your knees
- Rest 90 seconds in between sets
- Chin ups – perform 3 sets of 8 reps (with no weight)
- This can be difficult for many veterans let alone newbies and you may have to work up to this level, if you can not do a chin up (or pull up) these are two other options 1) Assisted chin up (with as little assisted weight as possible) or 2) wide grip pulldown
- Rest period 60 seconds between each set
Day 3 (this would typically be Friday or Saturday depending on your split)
- Do a warm up 5 minutes by either walking on a treadmill at a 3.0-3.5 pace or riding a stationary bike
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Squats – perform 1 set of 12 reps with no barbell (use a broomstick or weighted bar – no more than 10 lb. weight) and then 3 sets of 12 repetitions with the barbell (no added weights)
- Notes for men use the large Olympic-style barbell this weighs 45 lbs. for women use the smaller straight barbell this weighs 30-35 lbs. depending on your gym
- Rest Period 90 seconds between each lift/ set
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Alternating Dumbbell Bench Press- 3 sets of 12 reps with the dumbbells
- Use a weight that you can do three sets with (these should not be easy but you should be able to complete three sets)
- You want to alternate these – when the right hand goes up the left hand stays down, then the right hand comes down and the left hand goes up. You want to complete twelve reps for each side
- Rest period 60 seconds between sets
Congratulations you have completed week #1. Now that wasn’t
so bad was it? Enjoy your day(s) off you’ve earned it!!
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Week 2 workout program
Day 1 (this would typically be Monday or Tuesday depending on your split)
- Do a warm up for 5 minutes by either walking on a treadmill at a 3.0-3.5 pace or riding a stationary bike
- Barbell Deadlift – perform 3 sets of 12 reps with the barbell
- Men use the Olympic-style barbell that weighs 45 lbs and women use the smaller straight bar that weighs 30-35 lbs depending on the gym
- Pay very close attention to good form here you want to keep your back flat
- Rest 90 seconds in between sets
- Chin ups – 3 sets of 8 reps (with no weight)
- This exercise can be very difficult for even accomplished gym veterans let alone newbies and you may have to work your way up to this level, if you can’t do a 8 chin ups (or pull ups) these are two other options 1) Assisted chin up (with as little assisted weight as possible) or 2) wide grip pulldown (with enough weight to do 8 reps)
- Rest 60 seconds in between sets
Day 2 (this would typically be Wednesday or Thursday depending on your split)
- Do a warm up for 5 minutes by either walking on a treadmill at a 3.0-3.5 pace or riding a stationary bike
- Squats – perform 1 set of 12 reps with no barbell and then 3 sets of 12 repetitions with the barbell (no added weights)
- Notes for men use the large Olympic-style barbell this weighs 45 lbs. for women use the smaller straight barbell this weighs 30-35 lbs. depending on your gym
- Rest Period 90 seconds between each lift/ set
- Alternating Dumbbell Bench Press- 3 sets of 12 reps with the dumbbells
- Use a weight that you can do three sets with (these should not be easy but you should be able to complete three sets)
- You want to alternate these – when the right hand goes up left hand stays down, the right hand comes down and then the left hand goes up. You want to complete twelve for each side
- Rest period 60 seconds between sets
Day 3 (this would typically be Friday or Saturday depending on your split)
- Do a warm up 5 minutes by either walking on a treadmill at a 3.0-3.5 pace or riding a stationary bike
- Barbell Deadlift – perform 3 sets of 12 reps with the barbell
- Men use the Olympic-style barbell that weighs 45 lbs and women use the smaller straight bar that weighs 30-35 lbs depending on the gym
- Pay very close attention to good form here you want to keep your back flat
- Rest 90 seconds in between sets
- Standing Barbell Shoulder Press – perform 3 sets of 12 reps with barbell only (no additional weights)
- Men use the Olympic-style barbell that weighs 45 lbs and women use the smaller straight bar that weighs 30-35 lbs depending on the gym
- Rest Period 60 seconds between each set
Congratulations you are well on your way and have now completed the first two weeks of your new transformation. Now that you have gotten the basic resistant training in place we will continue with this foundation but I will also add in your new diet into the mix in the next week. Enjoy your weekend!
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Week 3 workout program
Ok now it’s time to start ramping your intensity up a bit. We are going to add a little bit more weight to each exercise and also introduce the beginning of your easy-to-follow diet plan.
Now while this overall beginner’s program is a guideline it also has to be individualized to each person. You need to understand that in order to continue to see improvements you have to keep challenging your body to do more (the body is amazingly complex and can quickly adapt to the same stimulus that is applied to it). This is the basis for the need for additional weight and the addition of the diet program.
Now try the added weight but if it is still too much for you it is ok to keep your Week 2 workout program in place for another week.
Here is more info on the easy-to-follow diet plan.
As you are beginning to understand the key to a successful program is finding what works for each individual and while I want you to add weight to the bar I also don’t want you drop from 12 reps down to 6. So I want you to pick an amount to add that keeps it hard to do 12 reps (or 8 reps for those exercises that call for 8 reps) by the third set.
By this I mean that the first two sets while not easy you should still be able to get through without too much struggle but I want you to choose enough weight that by the third set those last few reps are hard (but not impossible) to complete. You also want to be sure that you can complete these in good form as the video pointers show.
There is really going to be some trial and error to getting this right and remember there is no wrong answer as you are discovering what works for you. I like to go up in weight slowly so try adding 5 lb. plates to each side of the bar. If with the added weight you are not able to go as deep on your squats or deadlifts then you’ve added too much weight and should back off to 2-1/2 lbs. per side or stay with just the bar for another week.
You’ll get better at understanding how much weight to add over time and remember the overriding goal with resistance training is to build up lean muscle to help you burn fat all day long so you want to add weight when possible as you begin to get stronger. It is also not uncommon for me to add say 10 lbs to a new first exercise and realize that I can easily go up another 5-10 lbs on the second set and still complete the total amount of targeted reps.
There have also been times when the new weight was too much on the first set and I backed off the weight for the second and third sets. You are learning to listen to your body and this takes time and lots of practice to master.
Day 1 (this would typically be Monday or Tuesday depending on your split)
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Do a warm up for 5 minutes by either walking on a treadmill at a 3.0-3.5 pace or riding a stationary bike
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Squats – perform 1 set of 12 reps with barbell only and then 3 sets of 12 repetitions with the barbell + 10 lbs on each side
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Notes for men use the large Olympic-style barbell this weighs 45 lbs. for women use the smaller straight barbell this weighs 30-35 lbs. depending on your gym
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Rest period 90 seconds between each lift/ set
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Standing Barbell Shoulder Press – perform 1 set with just the barbell and then 3 sets of 12 reps with barbell + 5 lbs on each side
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Men use the Olympia style barbell that weighs 45 lbs and women use the smaller straight bar that weighs 30-35 lbs depending on the gym
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Rest Period 60 seconds between each set
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Day 2 (this would typically be Wednesday or Thursday depending on your split)
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Do a warm up for 5 minutes by either walking on a treadmill at a 3.0 or 3.5 pace or riding a stationary bike
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Barbell Deadlift – perform 1 set of 12 reps with barbell only and then 3 sets of 12 reps with the barbell + 5 lbs on each side
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Men use the Olympic-style barbell that weighs 45 lbs and women use the smaller straight bar that weighs 30-35 lbs depending on the gym
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Pay very close attention to good form here you want to keep your back flat
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Rest 90 seconds in between sets
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Chin ups – 3 sets of 8 reps (with no weight)
-
This exercise can be very difficult for even accomplished gym veterans let alone newbies and you may have to work your way up to this level, if you can’t do a 8 chin ups (or pull ups) these are two other options 1) Assisted chin up (with as little assisted weight as possible) or 2) wide grip pulldown (with enough weight to do 8 reps)
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Rest 60 seconds in between sets
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Day 3 (this would typically be Friday or Saturday depending on your split)
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Do a warm up for 5 minutes by either walking on a treadmill at a 3.0-3.5 pace or riding a stationary bike
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Squats – perform 1 set of 12 reps with barbell only and then 3 sets of 12 repetitions with the barbell + 5 lbs on each side
-
Notes for men use the large Olympic-style barbell this weighs 45 lbs. for women use the smaller straight barbell this weighs 30-35 lbs. depending on your gym
-
Rest period 90 seconds between each lift/ set
-
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Barbell Bench Press – perform 1 set of 12 reps with the barbell only and then 3 sets of 12 reps with the barbell + 10 lbs on each side
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Notes for men use the large Olympic-style barbell this weighs 45 lbs. for women use the smaller straight barbell this weighs 30-35 lbs. depending on your gym
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Rest period 60 seconds between each lift/ set
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Week 4 workout program
Way to go! You’ve been working hard and haven’t missed any workouts… you are well on your way to completing the beginners program. You’ve also completed the building blocks of a new nutrition program and you should be feeling pretty good about now.
This week I am going to ask you to continue to push yourself and add a bit more weight to each of your lifts, keep going on your new nutrition plan and we are going to introduce some cardio interval bursts at the end of each workout to really start kicking your metabolism into high gear.
Pay careful attention to your workout log, if you were falling short of the 12 rep target don’t increase your weights. If you are at 10 or 11 reps keep the same weight but try to push your reps to 12. It you are below 10 reps drop the weights (i.e. if you are at 8 or 9 drop the 10 lb weights on each side down to 5 lbs on each side. Remember you are learning what works for you but keep pushing yourself that is how you make progress and get your body to respond.
Day 1 (this would typically be Monday or Tuesday depending on your split)
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Do a warm up for 5 minutes by either walking on a treadmill at a 3.0-3.5 pace or riding a stationary bike
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Barbell Deadlift – perform 1 set of 12 reps with barbell only and then 3 sets of 12 reps with the barbell + 15 lbs on each side (women go to + 5 lbs on each side)
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Men use the Olympic-style barbell that weighs 45 lbs and women use the smaller straight bar that weighs 30-35 lbs depending on the gym
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Pay very close attention to good form here you want to keep your back flat
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Rest 90 seconds in between sets
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Chin ups – 3 sets of 8 reps (with no weight)
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This exercise can be very difficult for even accomplished gym veterans let alone newbies and you may have to work your way up to this level, if you can’t do a 8 chin ups (or pull ups) these are two other options 1) Assisted chin up (with as little assisted weight as possible) or 2) wide grip pulldown (with enough weight to do 8 reps — if you are doing these add 10 lbs to last week’s total)
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Rest 60 seconds in between sets
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Now for your first cardio interval (for more see this video on You Tube)
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Do a 4 minute warm up at a 3.0 pace on the treadmill
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Now you are going to up the pace to between 3.6-3.9 and go at this faster pace for 2 minutes and then you are going to drop it back down to a 3.0 pace for one minute – this represents one interval. Repeat two more times for a total of three intervals
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Now do a 4 minute cool down at a 3.0 pace
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Congratulations you’ve completed your first 17 minute interval cardio cycle
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Day 2 (this would typically be Wednesday or Thursday depending on your split)
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Do a warm up for 5 minutes by either walking on a treadmill at a 3.0-3.5 pace or riding a stationary bike
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Squats – perform 1 set of 12 reps with barbell only and then 3 sets of 12 repetitions with the barbell + 10 lbs on each side
-
Notes for men use the large Olympic-style barbell this weighs 45 lbs. for women use the smaller straight barbell this weighs 30-35 lbs. depending on your gym
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Rest period 90 seconds between each lift/ set
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Barbell Bench Press – perform 1 set of 12 reps with the barbell only and then 3 sets of 12 reps with the barbell + 7 ½ lbs on each side
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Notes for men use the large Olympic-style barbell this weighs 45 lbs. for women use the smaller straight barbell this weighs 30-35 lbs. depending on your gym
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Rest period 60 seconds between each lift/ set
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Interval cardio Now for your first cardio interval (for more see this video on You Tube)
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Do a 4 minute warm up at a 3.0 pace on the treadmill
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Now you are going to up this to 3.6-3.9 and go at this faster pace for 3 minutes and then you are going to drop it back down to a 3.0 pace for two minutes – this represents one interval. Repeat two more times for a total of three intervals
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Now do a 4 minute cool down at a 3.0 pace
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Congratulations you’ve completed your first 23 minute interval cardio cycle
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Day 3 (this would typically be Friday or Saturday depending on your split)
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Do a warm up for 5 minutes by either walking on a treadmill at a 3.0-3.5 pace or riding a stationary bike
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Barbell Deadlift – perform 1 set of 12 reps with barbell only and then 3 sets of 12 reps with the barbell + 15 lbs on each side (women go to + 5 lbs on each side)
-
Men use the Olympic-style barbell that weighs 45 lbs and women use the smaller straight bar that weighs 30-35 lbs depending on the gym
-
Pay very close attention to good form here you want to keep your back flat
Rest 90 seconds in between sets
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Standing Barbell Shoulder Press – perform 1 set with just the barbell and then 3 sets of 12 reps with barbell + 7 ½ lbs on each side
-
Men use the Olympia style barbell that weighs 45 lbs and women use the smaller straight bar that weighs 30-35 lbs depending on the gym
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Rest Period 60 seconds between each set
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Interval cardio
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Do a 4 minute warm up at a 3.0 pace on the treadmill
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Now you are going to up this to 3.8-4.1 and go at this faster pace for 3 minutes and then you are going to drop it back down to a 3.0 pace for two minutes – this represents one interval. Repeat two more times for a total of three intervals
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Now do a 4 minute cool down at a 3.0 pace
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Well way to go! You have now completed your first phase — the beginner’s workout program.
You have set the stage for other programs to follow and have established a good foundation.
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What happens now? Life after the beginners phase…
Now that you’ve completed the 4 week beginner’s workout program, it is now time to up the ante and start really building lean muscle and melting the body fat off. You’ve established a solid foundation with the beginner’s phase and now it’s time to build on that foundation by increasing your strength levels as much as possible.
It is very typical in these early stages to see substantial increases in strength and adding 10 lbs to your flat bench barbell or shoulder presses and 20 lbs to your squats and deadlifts every session is not out of the ordinary. You will literally be sculpting a new body right before your very eyes and your lean muscles will begin to show more and more as the fat starts dripping off your body!
So now it is time ot move onto the next phase. This lean muscle building phase will get you through the next twelve weeks and will start packing on the strength and muscle definition coupled with some additional fine tuning of the cardio blasting portion of the program. Some more attention will also be provided for the nutritional building blocks. So strap it on and get ready to obliterate the fat and continue to get in the best shape of your life.
If you’ve been pleased with your progress from the beginners program I guarantee that you’ll be blown away by the lean muscle building phase!
— Greg
I am not a doctor and you should always consult with your doctor before beginning any workout program. What I talk about has worked for me and I have seen it work first hand for others.
