The Adler Blog

One of our readers recently asked me about the best program for someone who has just joined the gym. This is a valid question, since it can be very overwhelming to be a newbie in the gym and be faced with a plethora of options in terms of equipment and exercise choices. On top of that, most gyms do not have qualified instructors. Most people end up doing 30+ sets on various machines without getting any real results.

Here is my advice: Keep It Simple, Stupid
Start by focusing on the main muscle groups. As a beginner, the most beneficial thing to do is train the whole body 2-3 times per week in a moderate set and repetition range. At Adler Training, we follow the “Legs/Push/Pull” model.

This is how it works: a solid leg exercise such as the squat will cover your lower body, a pushing exercise such as military press or incline bench takes care of shoulders, chest and triceps, and the pulling exercise (pull ups or rows) will focus on the back and biceps.

Do not worry about doing something extra for abs and lower back; they are already trained since they act as stabilizers for your body in each of the above exercises. What about curls? Glad you asked! For beginners, direct arm work is not necessary since you will be getting plenty of stimulation from the rows and presses.

Here are 2 beginner workouts along with a few pointers:
Rest one day in between.
Always focus on good form rather than weight; training with proper form will give you quicker gains than a sloppy execution (and keep you out of the hospital).
Make sure to write down all your weights, try to improve every week.
If you are unsure how to perform a certain exercise, either find a qualified trainer or check out http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/exercises.htm there you will find videos to almost all exercises.
These are only the work sets, I recommend doing 1-2 warm up sets before each exercise:
As for weight, always form over ego!
Workout A
3×10 leg press – feet positioned wide, shoulder width apart
3×12 lateral pull downs – grip slightly wider than shoulders, palms facing you. Always pull the weight, to the chest, NEVER behind the head!
3x 10 standing shoulder press with dumbbells

Workout B
3×12 dumbbell squats, feet positioned in a narrow stance
4×8 one arm dumbbell rows
3×10 incline bench press

There you have it, a simple and highly effective routine. After 6 weeks, add a 4th set if you feel comfortable.

Train hard
Scott and Maik