Sample Beginner Weight Training Program

Before we get to an actual sample program, let’s first go over a few important things you
need to know about beginners and beginner programs.

How to tell if you’re a beginner.

As I mentioned earlier, a beginner is typically anyone who has been weight training for
LESS than 6 months. And obviously, anyone about to start weight training for the very
first time is a beginner as well.

And again, that’s 6 months of consistent training. I don’t care if you’ve been training
inconsistently for the last decade (or just in an incorrect way where your results were
nonexistent). If you haven’t been following some sort of intelligently designed weight
training program for the last 6 months, you are most likely a beginner, at least for a
short amount of time.

This also includes people who DID train consistently at some time in their life, but
stopped for a significant period of time. In most cases, you are considered a beginner all
over again.

Now that we know what qualifies a person as a beginner, it’s time to go over a few facts
of an effective beginner program.

The general guidelines of a beginner program.

One thing you’ll notice about most beginner programs is that they will almost always
have a lot in common. Why? Because there is a very specific list of guidelines beginner
weight training programs typically need to meet.

This includes:

• Higher frequency (usually 3 times per week).
• Full body split.
• Low volume.
• Primarily comprised of basic compound exercises and very little (or nothing) else.

And the reason for these specific guidelines is because all beginner programs typically
have the same equally specific goals in mind.

The general goals of a beginner.

Whether you realize it not, all beginners essentially have the exact same goals.

Sure, someone might be more interested in losing a significant amount of fat, and
someone else might be more interested in gaining a significant amount of muscle.
Someone else might just want to get stronger, and someone else might just want to be
more fit and healthy.

Those goals are all fine and good, and any intelligently designed beginner program
WILL make each of them happen. But, they are NOT the true goals of a beginner.

See, the true goals of a beginner generally involve becoming better at weight training so
you can then become better at reaching your other weight training related goals
(muscle, tone, strength, fat loss, etc.).

What I mean is, all intelligently designed beginner programs are created with these
specific goals in mind:

• Fastest improvement of motor learning, coordination, and proper form.
• Fastest improvement of work capacity, volume tolerance and recovery.
• Fastest improvement in building up a base level of strength, muscle and
endurance.

At the beginner stage, these are the goals that are truly important. In fact, it’s reaching
these goals as a beginner that makes those other goals (increased muscle, strength,
tone, fat loss, improved health/fitness level) begin to happen rapidly pretty much as a
side effect.

The sample program.

With all of that out of the way, here now is a sample beginner’s program that takes all of
above (and everything else you’ve learned in this guide so far) into account so you can
get the best possible results in the shortest amount of time.

 

The Basic Beginner Program

 

• Best Suited For: Beginners with virtually any goal of any kind.
Here now is a fully put together sample beginner’s program that I created myself
(although I certainly didn’t invent it) and tend to recommend most often to beginners
who ask me about what program is best for them.

It uses a 3 day full body split (which, as mentioned before, is the best way for most
beginners to train), and the workouts are done in a rotating “ABA BAB” format.

That last part probably makes no sense to you, but it will when you see this split…

The Split

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 switch back
and forth between them each workout. Meaning, you end up doing ABA one week, and
then BAB the next. Makes sense now, right? Good.

As for the actual workouts themselves, 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 the beginner’s
programs you’ve seen before were likely pretty damn horrible. How do I know?

Because some variation of the workouts you are about to see is what’s ideal and most
often recommended for beginners.

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 this.

Having said that, here are the workouts…

 

As you can see, it’s just the basic 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.

Details and clarifications for Workout A:

• The “A” workout is a quad dominant 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 exercise (deadlifts), a vertical push
(overhead press), and a vertical pull (pull-ups/pull-downs).
• 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 desired.
• For the overhead press, any type of seated overhead shoulder press is fine
(seated barbell press, seated dumbbell press, whatever).
• Pull-ups are recommended for the vertical pull, but if you can’t do them yet, lat
pull-downs or an assisted pull-up machine would be a suitable replacement.

Focus on proper form first.

It is typically recommended that all beginners spend their first few weeks on a weight
training program 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, and focus on using
perfect form. Getting exercise technique right at this stage is extremely important, so
make sure you do.

During this period of time, an ascending ramp (meaning progressively heavier weights
each set, but still the same 8-10 reps per set) can be used. As I explained earlier, this is
useful for beginners who are learning proper form as well as trying to figure out how
much weight is right for them (not too heavy, not too light) on a given exercise.

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 straight sets (meaning the same weight each
set). So, for example, let’s say you’ve been learning proper form on the bench press
those last couple of weeks and found 50lbs to be pretty close to the right weight for you
at this point. 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.

As a beginner, you should be able to progress like this consistently for quite a while,
partly because you are starting a little lighter to master proper form, and partly because
beginners are just more capable of progressing at a more consistent rate than anyone
else.

So, make sure you do. The more advanced you get, the slower the progression will be.
Take advantage of it while you can.

An important final message about this program.

When looking at this beginner program and the workouts it entails, the thing you need to
remember is that the goal of a beginner is NOT to try to blast every muscle with all kinds
of exercises and do various advanced things with a bunch of isolation movements and a
high amount of volume and other things a beginner has no business doing.

Like I was saying before, the primary goal of a beginner (besides learning perfect form
on all of their exercises) is to take advantage of a borderline super power that all
beginners have for a short period of time that allows them to progress and improve
FASTER at all things weight training related than any intermediate or advanced trainee
ever could.

That’s right beginners, you can build muscle faster, get stronger faster, get “toned”
faster, lose fat faster, and generally get better in every way FASTER than anyone else.

However, the key to using this beginner “super power” of yours is using a program that
follows the guidelines that best allow it to be taken advantage of. That typically means
high frequency, low volume, small and basic exercise selection, nothing fancy.

Hey, what a coincidence… my beginner program fits that description perfectly. And any
other intelligently designed beginner program will too.

So please, beginners, I beg of you. Don’t try to do something more advanced, and don’t
try to add additional advanced stuff to the program laid out above. If you want the best
results possible, do it exactly as is and focus on perfect form and consistent
progression.

Don’t forget your diet.

No matter how perfectly designed your weight training program is and no matter well
you put it all into action, this still only accounts for just half of the equation.

The other half is your diet. Whatever your specific weight training goal is, you MUST eat
right to support it. If you don’t, it just won’t work.

The full diet and nutrition details are coming up later, but it’s worth mentioning now just
so you keep it in mind. Your diet is key.

 

 

The Basic Beginner Program Version 2.0

 

• Best Suited For: Beginners with virtually any goal of any kind who want to
ignore my above recommendations and add additional stuff to
my beginner program without completely screwing it up.
The sample program I just laid out above is my recommended beginner’s program for
most people.

But, you see… I know that no matter how many times I explain that the above program
is perfect and totally ideal for beginners as is, many people are just going to ignore me
and add more to it as they please.

You were already thinking about doing it, weren’t you? Don’t lie. Admit it.

Yeah, I knew it.

Well, if you are one of these people, this second version (v2.0) is me trying to help you
not screw it up too much. It will still use the same 3 day full body split with the same
ABA BAB format. You know, like this:

 

As you will see, the workouts this time are still nearly identical to the workouts
mentioned before, except now a few very small additions have been made.

 

 

 

Everything else is just like before (see the notes from the previous program if you need
additional details/clarifications), except now we’ve added some direct biceps and triceps
work along with a little bit of calves and abs as well. (For abs, do 1 or 2 sets of whatever
ab exercise you want).

The program is still pretty perfect for beginners, AND you got some extra stuff added to
it.

Are you happy now? I hope so, because the more you try to add on top of this, the more
it starts to become an intermediate program. And the more that happens, the less and
less effective it’s going to be for beginners.

The Generic Adjustable Full Body Beginner Template

 

• Best Suited For: Beginners with virtually any goal of any kind.
Older people, very overweight people, or out of shape people
who have different training needs than everyone else.
• Also Suited For: Beginners who will only be doing 2 full body workouts per
week. (And yes, it will still work 3 times per week, too).

 

Even though The Basic Beginner Program is the beginner program I’d definitely
recommend most often to most people, that doesn’t mean it’s absolutely perfect for
everyone.

See, I don’t know who is reading this guide. I don’t know your background or your
current condition. I don’t know your age or weight. I don’t know your specific goals and
situation.

What I’m getting at here is that the problem with writing “sample programs” is that some
older men and women, some very overweight men and women, and/or some very out of
shape men and women sometimes have significantly different training needs than other
people.

This is especially true in the case of beginners. With intermediate or advanced trainees,
everyone is within some sane range and level of fitness and will be capable of doing
similar workouts.

But with beginners, you get ALL kinds of people in ALL kinds of different situations and
conditions who are NOT all capable of the same things.

For example, should an overweight 50 year old woman who sometimes has trouble
getting up a flight of stairs do the exact same beginner workout as a fit and athletic 20
year old guy or girl?

Even if their goals are exactly the same (which, as I mentioned before, is essentially
true with beginners), and even if they could both benefit most from the exact same
workout, they probably aren’t anywhere near capable of the same things at this
beginning point.

And this of course is the problem with creating “sample programs” for beginners. The
guidelines and principles and fundamentals of the program will always be perfect, but
sometimes it’s the minor details (which usually don’t matter) that end up causing
problems based on the specific person using the program.

This of course is something I have no control over.

So, here’s what I’m going to do.

The best possible solution I can think of.

I’m going to lay out the textbook definition of a generic “full body workout” template. It
will contain 1 exercise for each movement pattern and/or muscle group. For each
exercise I will list a suitable (usually machine) exercise that can be done in its place
below it.

I will then give you a range of sets and reps that can be done depending on how much
volume you can handle, and a suggested rest interval will be listed as well.

And then from there… it’s up to you.

Use everything you’ve learned in this guide so far (and everything you will still learn
throughout the rest of this guide) as well as everything you know about YOU and YOUR
situation and YOUR needs to try to design a beginner program that’s tailored to YOU.

Here now is the basic template of a generic full body workout…

 

 

Some general suggestions.

• If you’re going to do this full body work out just 2 times per week (using a 2 day
full body split), I’d recommend using the higher range of sets for each exercise.
• If you’re going to do this work out 3 times per week (with a 3 day full body split),
I’d recommend using the lower range of sets and/or not doing all of the exercises
listed each work out.
• If you want to do the same full body work out each time, that’s fine. If not, splitting
the exercises up into an A and B workout and then doing them in the ABA BAB
format is fine too.
• You should aim do each of the first 6 exercises 2-3 times per week. The others
can be done 0-3 times per week.

The rest is up to you.

Some people would say that putting program design in the hands of a beginner is
usually a very bad idea. I agree with this. But, at the same time, I think it’s an even
worse idea to put a beginner program out there and say it’s perfect for ALL beginners to
use.

So, I’ve included this general beginner template because I just didn’t feel comfortable
putting this guide out there for anyone and everyone to use without giving you some
kind of option to personalize it to your needs and preferences.

Yes, for most of the people reading this, I definitely recommend My Basic Beginner
Program that I laid out earlier.

But, for that group of people who need a program that is more geared towards their
specific needs at this beginning stage, do your best to use the template and
suggestions I just gave to put something together that is right for you.