Bodybuilding Workouts for Beginners

Back in the late 80s, it was Hollywood's quintessential 'Commando', the macho man with the chiseled chest and massive muscles, the one and only Arnold Schwarzenegger, who kick-started a massive global bodybuilding revolution. Today, in the 21st century, bodybuilding enthusiasts have many more icons and idols to emulate and follow.

Developing those bulging biceps, terrific triceps, awesome abs, etc., is something that every aspiring bodybuilder dreams of. However, when you are a novice to workouts that foster muscle growth, you must understand that it is very important to begin slowly, and gradually build up speed, stamina, and intensity over a period of time.

There are 2 things which are very important from the point of view of staying injury-free during weightlifting sessions and workouts. These include the amount of weight you lift and the manner in which you lift it. Always remember to warm up for 5-10 minutes before starting any gym routine.

In this case, you can start off with 15 minutes of cycling on the exercise cycle. This exercise works on your thighs and lower body and helps shed excess fat. Next, use a set of 10-pound dumbbells and perform 2 sets (12 repetitions each) of each of these exercises:

• Side bends
• Dumbbell curls
• Tricep extensions
• Inclined chest fly
• Hammer curls
• Front raises

Once you are done with the dumbbell exercises, next up is a 15 minute session on the elliptical machine. After completing this, head over to the pull up bar and perform one set each of regular pull ups and wide grip pull ups. Do as many reps. as possible. Upon completing the pull ups, get down on the floor for some push ups.

Perform 2 sets of 15 repetitions each. Finally, spend 15 minutes doing a combination of walking and jogging on the treadmill. Finish your workout by lying in the yoga pose of shavasan, i.e., corpse position for 5-7 minutes.

In this workout, you start off with 15 minutes of walking-cum-jogging on the treadmill. Once you're done with the treadmill, move on to a machine bench press.

• Select a load which is comfortable for you and perform 2 sets of 12 repetitions each.

• Follow that with 2 sets (12 repetitions each) of dumbbell bench press, dumbbell preacher curls, and dumbbell lateral raises.
• After working on your biceps, perform 2 sets of the triceps push-down cable extension, dumbbell French press, and triceps kickback.

Once you're done with these, it is time to exercise the calves and hamstrings. Adjust the weight to a comfortable load and perform 2 sets of leg curls with 12 repetitions in each set. Finally, end your workout with a 10-minute stretching session to cool down.

In this variant, you begin with 15 minutes on the elliptical machine. Once you are done with that, it is time to work on your thighs and lower body. Squats and lunges are the ideal exercises for this purpose.

• Perform 2 sets (12 repetitions each) of both, squats and lunges. Use a pair of dumbbells for better results.
• Once you're done with these exercises, it's time to work on your shoulders. Perform 1 set of 15 repetitions of the military shoulder press, followed by 2 sets (12 repetitions each) of barbell upright rows.

• Next, perform 2 sets of pull ups (10 repetitions each).
• Follow that with 2 sets of cable rowing (12 repetitions each) and 2 sets of T-bar rowing (12 repetitions each).

The last part of this schedule involves 15 minutes of cycling on the exercise cycle. Finally, relax in the corpse position to cool down.

Besides following the exercise regimen religiously and increasing the water or fluid intake, you also need to follow a healthy diet. Some basic items to include in your diet can be:

• Plenty of proteins - in the form of eggs, chicken, fish, and milk
• Energy drinks, energy bars, and shakes
• Nutritional supplements
• Adequate quantity of fiber and carbohydrates

As you increase your strength and build up your stamina, you can move on to developing a great physique, through some advanced workouts.

Disclaimer: This story is for informative purposes only. Always consult a physician before starting any physical fitness program in order to reduce the risk of injury.