The most effective workouts for muscle & strength development involve a barbell, dumbbell, pull up bar, and/or a dip bar. When you’re just getting started with fitness it is best to understand that even if you’ve only just started going to the gym eventually you will be using one (if not all) of these four pieces of gym equipment…so how about we skip that whole machine exercise nonsense and jump right into using them.
Ego lifting is probably the most detrimental thing you can do when weight lifting. Essentially it means that you are using too heavy of a weight that causes you to lift with extremely poor form.
Our Suggestion:
As a beginner you are in the most optimal position; with only starting strength for any movement you are going to go up in strength and muscle development at an accelerated rate! You will reach that dreaded plateau, but as long as you follow these steps here you will be able to fight through the phase that causes so many people to quit (or resort to steroids).
Become Comfortable With The Big Five:
- Squat (Regular/Front)
- Dead Lift (Regular/Sumo/Stiff Legged)
- Bench Press (Incline/Flat/Decline)
- Pull Up (Weighted/Unweighted)
- Dip (Weighted/Unweighted)
These five exercises are the starting point and will get you the fundamental strength at a far faster rate than any machine could. This is a result of you working at full range of motion; which is the action of going from the starting position to top position for each rep.
Full Range of Motion (Starting Position / End Position):
Squat
- Top: An upright position.
- Bottom: Your butt is at least parallel with your knees.
Dead Lift
- Bottom: Bar is on the floor.
- Top: An upright position.
Bench Press
- Top: Arms fully extended.
- Bottom: Bar is resting on your chest.
Pull Up
- Bottom: Arms fully extended and body hanging.
- Top: Pull your body up so that at least your nose is over the bar.
Dip
- Top: Arms fully extended.
- Bottom: Lower body until chest is either touching or at the same level as the bar.
What Weight Should You Use?
At first either just perform these movements with the bar or just your body weight. I suggest you stick with this until you can do perform 8 reps in the fashion mentioned above. Once you can do 8 you can increase the weight.
Next, as you become comfortable with the mechanics of the movements and the range of motion, you can begin to tailor the weight you use based on your One Rep Max (ORM). This will allow you to use the heaviest weight you can possibly lift for the prescribed number of reps: What Weight Should I Use?
Once you have become comfortable with these exercises you can venture off into other movements like the Standing Overhead Press (Military Press), Bent Over Row, Good Mornings, Lunges, Chest Fly’s, Shrugs, etc. Also, because you have been training with weights that allow you to perform with full range of motion, you will be stronger in these movements and less prone to injury.
This really is the only strategy anyone should follow when developing strength at any level. Leave the machines for the people who enjoy comfort; you are striving for growth and growth comes from hard work…and pain, can’t forget pain.
Eventually you will be using one, if not all, of these four pieces of gym equipment.
- Food For Thought
- Getting Started
- Muscle Size
- Weight Training
