This is the move that’s going to change everything….
Weight lifting is generally a masculine endevour for a variety of reasons. When your testosterone is up from healthy dietary choices and your feeling good, there is just something satisfying about moving big heavy things. Physically satisfying and mentally satisfying.
Endorphins are released….feel good chemicals!
After you’ve completed your body weight level training, you’ve built enough of a frame work to safely move onto to lifting heavier things. This increase in weight creates greater stress and micro tears to the muscle fibers resulting in bigger pieces getting filled in. It also boosts testosterone in a big way. Time to put on some size!
Along with this size comes strength. What can be more masculine! For me the feeling of full muscles that are strong and well balanced is addicting. One of the best feelings for a man is to feel strong…capable.
There are so many different weight lifting programs out there it would be pointless for me to list them all. Rather, i’ll again give you a basic outline. The way that I do it. Once you get a basic feel for throwing some weight around, you can fine tune your program as you see fit. The point here again is to just DO IT…..CONSISTENTLY.
You’re going to want to structure your work outs so that you have sufficient rest between working each muscle group. I set my workouts up so that I have four or five days rest between each one.
You’ll start with the one most of you have heard of and is usually the one that most men brag about…the bench press. This exercise works your chest…the pride of most weight lifters.
Start out with a weight you can JUST about manage 12 repetitions with, with good form. Correct form is more important then the AMOUNT of weight you can lift. With correct form and good controlled motion, you guarantee you’re correctly working the muscles.
So…Bench press, 12 reps, rest for 90 seconds, then do another set. You’re going to want to TRY and do another 12 reps. If you almost get it but fall short, you’ve selected the correct amount of weight. Do 3 sets of 12 reps and you’re done with that exercise.
This is how you’re going to do MOST of the exercises listed here in this level of training.
*If you don’t want to do traditional benching because you don’t have a spotter, that is, some one who can help you lift the weight up if it’s too much then you can do the bench press on a hammer strength machine. By using this set up you don’t need a spotter.
Move onto fly’s. 12 reps, 3 sets, 90 seconds of rest.
Now do dips, body weight, as many as you can, 3 sets.
So…..
Chest day:(A)
Bench Press (Barbell or Hammer strength)
Flys
Dips.
Triceps over head extension with cable machine and rope
Triceps pull down with rope
Core circut.
That was chest day. The following day you’re going to want to do your back. Again all exercises are going to be 12 reps, 3 sets with 90 seconds of rest in between.
You’re going to want to time your rest between sets as outlined here. I wear a cheap digital watch and just time the 90 seconds rest by glancing at my watch after each set is complete. It’s always a good idea to keep track of how long you are resting as it’s a variable that can be changed as you progress to increase the load and stress on the muscle.
Back work out as follows:(B)
Wide grip Cable rows
Close grip cable pulls
Lat pull down
Facepulls
*Biceps: Because back work ultimately works the biceps, we are only going to do 4 sets of any type of bicep curling exercise and be done with it. You’re going to work biceps again on shoulder day.
Core circut.
Leg Workout (C)
Squat or Deadlift
Weighted step ups
Body weight squats to failure, three sets
Core circut.
Shoulder/Biceps (D)
Military or dumbell press
Lateral and front raises, alternating sides, same exercise.
Bicep curl, 3 sets, 12 reps, 90 sec. rest.
Hammer curl, 3 sets, 12 reps, 90 sec. rest.
Core circut.
So there you have it. These are going to be your exercises for the next six to eight weeks. They are called A, B,C and D respectively. You can stack them anyway you like in regards to what days to do them, but do them in this order. You also want to keep four to five days between doing the same exercise letter over again.
The best way to do this is to get a calendar or planner and plot them out in writing. It allows you to see things much more clearly when written out like this. By plotting them on the planner you can see how many days are in between each Letter.
You can run through them all back to back, going to the gym four days in a row and then taking two days off and stating them all over again, or you can work out A, then B, then take a day off, then go to C and D and then another day off, etc.
You plan it out so that it is as convenient for you as possible. The most important thing here is control and form along with consistency.
Wait an hour after finishing your workout and then take in some kind of post workout nutrition. I usually take a protein shake or just have lunch depending on the day.
Despite what alot of people may say, it’s actually better to wait an hour after your workout is complete to take in your post work out nutrition as opposed to right away. When you take in nutrition immediately after working out you virtually stop the catabolic process (breaking down of muscle tissue). You want this to continue on just long enough, but not too much. After about an hour it’s okay to take in your nutrition to stop the catabolism and start the anabolic process (building muscle)
Now you’re getting somewhere…
Lifting weights is going to completely change the way you look and feel. Your confidence is going to rise. Your testosterone is going to go even higher do to the weight baring exercises. Lifting heavy things and using your muscles is shown to increase testosterone levels five fold over someone who does nothing. That’s one of the reasons you’re going to be feeling so good.
With your new diet and your new training, you’re going to start to feel like a new man. At the end of 8 weeks, you’ll be ready to take things to yet another level. It’s time to …..
“Treat a man how he is, and he will remain how he is. Treat a man as he could be, and he will become what he should be.”
-Ralph Waldo Emerson.