getting started to lifting weights

Introduction

As a newcomer to lifting weights, the first goal should be to learn and get good at the basic movement patterns.

• Pulling
  • A Vertical Pull (like Pullups)
  • A Horizontal Pull or a Row (like Barbell Rows)
• Pushing
  • A Horizontal Push (like Pushups)
  • An Overhead Press (like standing barbell overhead press).
• Legs
  • A Squat Pattern
  • A Hip-Hinge (like Deadlifts)

Most people just wanna look good and feel strong, just getting stronger at the basics along with some isolation work should do that.

Sample program

If you wanna just get started, which is what this page aims to do, here is a sample workout for that incorporates all the basic movement patterns mentioned above.

Keep in mind, you should have as good of a form as you possibly can, while training till muscular failure. It’ll be hard in the beginning to achieve that, but training to failure is a skill, which will improve the more you try to do it.

Focus on learning how to perform the movements as perfect as humanly possible. Your central nervous system and muscles will learn how to do the movement and your structure will know how to work as one unit in harmony, and within 1-2 months’ time you’ll have a really good form.
Don’t focus on putting too much weight in this phase as you don’t really know the proper form and may injure yourself.
This phase should help you to overcome feeling like an impostor in the gym and help you overcome the anxiety of being in a new environment.

Below are short guides on how to perform these exercises with good form.

Learning the Basic Movements

Vertical Pull

We pull top to down.

Lat Pulldown

Alternatively, if you’re good at pullups, you could do those instead.
Any variation (grip width/orientation) should work, start with the one you’re strongest at.

Horizontal Pull

2a. Barbell Bent over rows

2b. DB rows

Horizontal Push

3. Barbell Bench Press

Vertical Push

4. DB overhead press

Legs (squat and hip-hinge)

5. High bar squat

6. Deadlifts

Isolations

Most of your mass will come from compounds, so always prioritise them, but isolations are still necessary for building a well rounded physique.

Tricep

8. Pushdown

9. Overhead Extension

Bicep

10. Curl

11. Hammer Curls

Delts

12. Lateral Raises (Side Delt)

13. Reverse Pec Deck (Rear Delt)

Abs

14. Hanging Knee Raises

15. Cable Crunch

Calves

16. Standing Calf Raises

Perform each of the mentioned exercises (1)-(16) for 3-6 sets per week for now. If there’s an option (a) or (b), choose any one of them, but stick to the one you chose for at least a few months. I’ve added a sample program as well to make life easier.

Getting stronger at the Basics

Once proper technique is learnt, focus on progressive overload. This is what’ll allow you to build muscle now, the previous step was a foundation or a precursor to this.

But before I tell you the progression I recommend, you should first know what progressive overload actually mean.
Progressive Overload means you either increase the reps and sets at the same weight, or you increase the weight. In the long run, your weights increase.
If you don’t progressively overload, you simply won’t keep growing as the muscles need more stimulus to grow more.

The Method of Unlimited Hypertrophy

Also known as Double Progression.

The summary is that, you decide a rep range and a set range, and first session you do the least amount of reps and sets in the range. The next time you come, you’re reps will increase, and you increase the set only if you feel like you can perform it for at least more than lower end of the rep range.
You’ll repeat this every session, till you reach a volume peak of doing max amount of sets, with the first set having max rep, and last one having at least min rep.
All the sets should be done close to muscular failure.

Example, take skull crushers 5-10 reps 2-4 sets.
When I am at a new weight, I pick it such that I can fail in 5-10 rep range. In the first session, let’s say I do 6,5 (two sets, first of 6 second 5), I know doing if I do one more set I won’t be able to do 5+ reps, so I stop. Next time I do the same movement, let’s say I could do 7,6 in first two, then I’ll probably also do a third one, let’s say of 5, ie 7,6,5 for the day. Next time it could be 8,6,5 so on and so forth.
I’ll keep increasing the reps and sets in such manner, till i reach 10 reps in the first set with at least 5 reps in the fourth one. Once this is accomplished, I increase the weight and start with the lower volume all over again.

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