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Instructions on How to Get the Most out of the Program

Overview

 

The fastest way to make strength and muscle gains as a complete beginner is to train the main exercises often, about 2-3 times a week.

This is why you’ll be performing the same workout on Monday and Friday.

The vast majority of the strength gains you will make in the beginning will be neurological in nature. When you start lifting weights, you are weak not only because your muscles are small, but mainly because your nervous system is not trained to recruit muscle fibers properly. Training the main exercise 2-3 times a week gives you a lot of opportunities to practice the movement. That helps you make the neurological adaptations as fast as possible and get to the point where muscle fibers have to increase in size to contribute to strength.

Also, because initially you don’t lift heavy weights, you don’t create much muscle damage and therefore you don’t need much recovery after training. Two days of rest are usually enough to allow you to recover and be able to replicate or surpass your previous performance.

You’ve probably noticed this yourself. In the first weeks of lifting, you set a personal record every time you go the gym. So it make sense to train an exercise more often and progress as fast as possible.

The Novice Training

 Program

(the one you have in the app)

Monday - Upper Body

  • Incline Bench Press - 4 sets of 5 reps
  • Weighted Chins - 4 sets of 5 reps
  • Seated DB Shoulder Press - 4 sets of 8 reps
  • Machine Chest Press - 3 sets of 10 reps
  • Standing DB Curls - 3 sets of 10 reps
  • Cable Triceps Pushdowns - 3 sets of 10 reps

Wednesday - Lower Body

  • Barbell Squats - 4 sets of 5 reps
  • Romanian Deadlift - 4 sets of 6 reps
  • Leg Press - 4 sets of 8 reps
  • Seated Calf Raises - 4 sets of 12 reps

Friday - Upper Body

  • Incline Bench Press - 4 sets of 5 reps
  • Weighted Chins - 4 sets of 5 reps
  • Seated DB Shoulder Press - 4 sets of 8 reps
  • Cable Rows - 4 sets of 8 reps
  • Standing DB Curls - 3 sets of 10 reps
  • Cable Triceps Pushdowns - 3 sets of 10 reps

You should follow this routine for 3 months.

During that time it will have to be modified slightly. After 6-8 weeks you may find you no longer enjoy doing some of the exercises. What you need to do in that situation is to replace them with a similar variation to bring excitement back into your training.

Here is the routine again, this time with different exercises.

Important: Replace only the exercises you no longer enjoy doing. Keep those that you make great progress on.

Monday - Upper Body

  • Flat Bench Press - 4 sets of 5 reps
  • Weighted Pullups - 4 sets of 5 reps
  • Standing Shoulder Press - 4 sets of 8 reps
  • Machine Chest Flyes - 3 sets of 10 reps
  • Standing Barbell Curls - 3 sets of 10 reps
  • Skullcrushers - 3 sets of 10 reps

Wednesday - Lower Body

  • Barbell Squats - 4 sets of 5 reps
  • Romanian Deadlift - 4 sets of 6 reps
  • Leg Press - 4 sets of 8 reps
  • Seated Calf Raises - 4 sets of 12 reps

Friday - Upper Body

  • Flat Bench Press - 4 sets of 5 reps
  • Weighted Pullups - 4 sets of 5 reps
  • Standing Shoulder Press - 4 sets of 8 reps
  • Barbell Rows - 4 sets of 8 reps
  • Standing Barbell Curls - 3 sets of 10 reps
  • Skullcrushers - 3 sets of 10 reps

Notes for the Routine:

Rest 2 minutes between sets for the compound movements and one minute for the isolation movements.

When you hit the required reps for all sets, increase the weight with 5lbs (2.5kg) on all sets the following workout. This will probably make you lose 1 or 2 reps in the last 2 sets. That’s normal and the goal for the following workout is to add back the reps in those last sets so you can increase the weight again.

For example, let’s say this Monday you did 3 sets of 5 on bench press with 165 lbs / 75 kg.

Set 1 - 5 reps with 165 lbs / 75 kg

Set 2 - 5 reps with 165 lbs / 75 kg

Set 3 - 5 reps with 165 lbs / 75 kg

On Friday you add 5lbs (2.5kg) to all sets. With the new weight you may lose 2 reps in your last set:

Set 1 - 5 reps with 170 lbs / 77.5 kg

Set 2 - 5 reps with 170 lbs / 77.5 kg

Set 3 - 3 reps with 170 lbs / 77.5 kg

Next time you do bench press you will focus on adding reps to the last set until you hit 5 again.

You may do:

Set 1 - 5 reps with 170 lbs / 77.5 kg

Set 2 - 5 reps with 170 lbs / 77.5 kg

Set 3 - 4 reps with 170 lbs / 77.5 kg

When you hit 3 sets of 5 again, you increase the weight by 5lbs (2.5kg).

Don’t worry if you can’t add reps one workout. You can’t be stronger every single time you hit the gym. Focus on making good progress each month instead of getting frustrated you did not perform well one workout.

After 3 months on this routine, progress to the ShredSmart training program (also available in the app).