When it comes to weight lifting, making any kind of progress can be a real struggle. There are so many "experts", strategies, weight lifting routines and ideas that it can be overwhelming.
How can anyone know where to start or what to do, let alone actually make good progress?
Weight Lifting Workouts
One great idea is to learn from the past. The old timers, long before anabolic steroids, diuretics, growth hormone and other exotic muscle building drugs, were big, muscular and strong. Oh, and also healthy.
Nowadays, it's all about complicated exercises, convoluted (and long!) weightlifting routines, and "science" when it comes to training.
But guys like Joe Hise, Eugene Sandow, Arthur Saxon, George Hackenschmidt and Eugene Sandow were big and strong long before "modern" routines, "scientific" training and serious drug regimens.
So what did they do?
They focused on the fundamentals of weight lifting routines. They didn't make it complicated.
The most important aspects of successful training include extremely hard work, good form, progression, motivation and abbreviated training programs using the big, basic, compound exercises with heavy weights.
Weight Lifting Exercises
Exercises like the following:
- Chin Ups and Pull Ups
- Dips
- Bench Press
- Barbell Squat
- Barbell Deadlift
- Standing Barbell Press
- Barbell Snatch
- Barbell Clean
- Barbell or Dumbbell Push Press
You'll want to keep the repetitions relatively low (from 2 to 6 reps per set) and keep the rest periods in the one minute to three minute range so your muscles can recover and you can give your all to each set.
An example of a good weight lifting routine would look like:
Weight Lifting Program
Workout #1
- Deadlift 4 sets of 6 reps each
- Bench Press 4 sets of 6 reps each
- Standing Dumbbell Press 4 sets of 6 reps each
Workout #2
- Barbell Squat 8 sets of 3 reps each
- Chin Ups 8 sets of 3 reps each
- Barbell Curls 8 sets of 3 reps each
Workout #3
- One Arm Dumbbell Row 5 sets of 5 reps
- One Arm Dumbbell Snatch 5 sets of 5 reps
- Dips 5 sets of 5 reps
You could do this routine on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. If you were to continue with this same routine the following week you could change the rep scheme.
For Workout #1 do 10 sets of 2 reps. For Workout #2, complete 3 sets of 8 reps and for Workout #3 go to 8 sets of 3 reps.
Whenever you can complete all the reps on all the sets, add a little weight to the barbell or dumbbell for the next workout.
Weight lifting routines do not have to be complicated to be effective. Stick to the basics, work hard, use short workouts, add weight to the bar whenever you can, and get at least one day of rest between each workout.
It's not sexy and there is no great marketing angle, but it works!
Video On Weight Lifting Routines