Peaked_18

A Mass Building Workout For Beginners

When starting out being a skinny bodybuilder is a good base to start off on. The main focus of a skinny beginner is to always get bigger and gradually add mass to his frame. One of the best way to stimulate growth is to train with a serious mind set of what he/she is doing. One of the best basic workouts for building mass would be to start lifting heavy with low/moderate rep ranges. Using a lot of compound movements and little single joint (isolation) exercises to get bigger.

Why do you get bigger from lifting heavier?

One of the common myth’s I hear a lot is lifting heavy will not do much for size, well this is true and false. People who train shit heavy for 3 lifts may not be as big as some bodybuilders. But some are, a lot of them eat a lot and lift heavy 24/7 and most have good genetics. I see plenty of guys who do this and diet down and enter bodybuilding shows and just crush their competitors. Rep ranges usually would be around 4-8 reps per set (a side from warm-up sets). Lifting more weights will tear the muscle fibers (what you want) instead of doing less weight and tearing less fibers. Now to make sure grow will occur you have to have proper nutrition to fully recover the torn muscle to grow and get bigger and stronger then before. This is the #1 reason why nutrition is important with a solid workout to grow bigger in the beginning.

What split should you use?

There are plenty of different ways to split your workouts and muscle groups in the week. Many people do basic 3-day splits (which is 3 workouts to work the entire body). Many like to do 6-day splits and working 1-2 muscles each workout. Many of these work well and don’t for many people. Recovery issues come to play when figuring a split and the right training split. Many with good recovery time would use more workouts to work the muscles instead of less workouts to work the same muscles. Many like to workout each body part twice a week (which should be used in advanced training later on) which I don’t recommend for beginning.

Muscle Groups

Here is a list of muscle groups that you will want to work each workout day.

Chest
Back (thickness, width)
Thighs (hamstrings, quadriceps)

Biceps
Triceps
Deltoids
Abdominals
Forearms
Calves

Chest:


Exercises:

• Flat Bench Press
Many bodybuilders don’t like this exercise due to how much they feel it doesn’t work the chest. This is a compound exercise that works the chest, triceps, and anterior deltoids. I have felt a beginner should always start with the basics. I used this exercise when I began and I had pretty good results with it. So I always add it because of personal experiences, but if someone feels they’re not growing enough from it, I would switch it to dumbbells instead.

• Incline Press
This exercise stresses more of the upper pectorals of the chest. It is a good exercise to use in your training program and should always be used to your advantage. Another good thing to use with this is dumbbells, every now and then if you need to switch over use dumbbells. Dumbbells will help you get a better range of motion (ROM), which are very useful in training.

• Decline Press
This is one of the exercises that has been lost in the past couple of years. No one seems to ever use it and that is one problem with today’s average training. This is one of the greatest exercises to add more stress to the lower pectorals. Using dumbbells with the is another option for variety and a better range of motion.

• Dips
Another good exercise to add to your training is chest dips. This will really bring out your lower pectorals and making your chest look a lot fuller. Another good compound exercise to use every workout.
• Push ups
Although most people don’t use this exercise as much, I always suggest to beginners that they try them. It’s a great exercise to pump up and tear the muscle fibers and is a good exercise to improve on.

Back:


Exercises:

• Deadlift
One of the best back builders is the deadlift. This is an exercise that should always be used with lower rep ranges and heavy weights. This exercise is really good for developing the lower back as well. Deadlifts will also improve back thickness which is one of the factors that makes a good back.

• Barbell Rows
Another good back thickness exercise is basic barbell rows. This exercise is one of the best exercises used in back training and should always be used to develop the lats of the back.

• Pull ups
One of the basic compound exercises should be added to your workout regime as well. This exercise should be the first exercise you do in a back workout. If you can do more then 12 reps with your body weight, add weight to it. Good in developing width in the lats.

• Lat Pull downs
Another good exercise to develop and widen the lats is lat pull downs. This exercise is a great beginning exercise to strength the lats and improve over development.

Thighs:


Exercises:

• Squats
The best thigh developer is the basic squat. This stresses the quadriceps and is a great mass builder. If you can go real deep on squatting without sacrificing form do that. If you can go to parallel, do that. It all depends on your abilities right now. When you get the hang of it, it will be easier to go deeper when squatting.

• Lunges
Another good exercise to use to develop the quadriceps and hamstrings are lunges. Great way to add mass and develop mass in the thighs.

• Leg Curls
To further develop the hamstrings is to use leg curls. Just a basic single joint movement to add more mass to the hamstrings.

Biceps:


Exercises:

• Barbell Curls
The overall mass builder for developing good biceps is the basic barbell curl. Use shoulder width for this exercise when gripping the barbell. You will most likely feel a pain in the forearms when using this exercise. Make sure to set the bar down slower so you don’t get as much pain. You can also use a EZ-Bar to take stress of the forearms.

• Incline Dumbbell Curls
This exercise by far is great for creatine more peak to the biceps. Doing this exercise heavy will greatly develop the biceps then most exercise. Great for adding mass.

• Chin ups
Many don’t understand how this exercise works the biceps. It works the biceps because it is a compound exercise. Underhand grip and pulling yourself up is a great way to add more mass to the biceps.

Triceps:


Exercises:

• Close-Grip Press
This exercise is one of the best mass builders for triceps. Develops all the heads with a heavy weight and stimulating the muscle into growth. Weird movements, but you’ll get the hang of it a few weeks after doing them.

• French Press
Another good exercise is basically extending the triceps at a different angle. Great developing exercise for the three heads of the triceps.

• Dips
Heavy dips are another good mass building exercise for the triceps. When training the triceps, heavy compounds are the only way to go.

Peaked_18

Deltoids:


Exercises:

• Barbell Shoulder Press
Some of the best movements to hit the deltoids are mainly heavy compound presses. You can go a lot heavier on presses then regular raises causing more stimulation to the deltoids.

• Push Press
Another over head press were you can add a lot more weight and stimulating the deltoids more then regular seated overhead presses. Good exercise to develop the deltoids.

• Dumbbell Shoulder Press
For more variety and stabilizer muscles being used, try these. With dumbbells you get a lot better range of motion (ROM) which develops the deltoids better.

• Side laterals
The only raising movement I suggest for deltoids is side laterals. Most overhead presses don’t hit the medial deltoid as much as anterior and posterior deltoids.

Abdominals:


Exercises:

• Crunch
One of the basic exercises to work the abdominals is the crunch. Just a basic contraction to stimulate growth.

• Oblique Crunch
Side bends are one exercise that can ruin your v-taper, that is why I suggest you use a oblique crunch instead to keep your v-taper and still have obliques.

• Knee Raises
For lower abdominal work, just simple leg raises are enough to hit them. Crunches don’t hit the lower abdominals as much as knee raises will.

Forearms:


Exercises:

• Wrist Curls
Just the basic wrist curl is enough to help stimulate growth in the forearm. Most the time it gets worked when doing back exercises. This exercise is good because it is safer then others.

• Reverse Wrist Curls
Another exercise to stimulate the other side of the forearm. Again another safe exercise and is also worked by other exercises performed with different muscle groups.

Calves:


Exercises:

• Calf Raises
Whether it is standing, seated, or donkey calf raises, those are all you need to stimulate growth for the calves. many people grow from high rep ranges and serious weights to make the calves pop out.

Traps:


Exercises:

• Shrugs
he traps get a lot of stimulation from other exercises, but the basic exercise for traps are shrugs. I recommend barbell or dumbbell shrugs and keep it at that.

The Workout

Monday: Chest, Triceps, Abs
• Bench Press 3 sets 4-6 reps (2-3 warm-up sets 12 reps)
• Incline Press 3 sets 4-6 reps
• Push ups 2 sets failure
• Close-Grip Press 3 sets 8 reps
• French Press 3 sets 8 reps
• Dips 2 sets failure
• Crunches 5 sets 25 reps

Wednesday: Back, Biceps, Forearms
• Pull ups 2 sets failure
• Deadlift 3 sets 4 reps (2-3 warm-up sets 12 reps)
• Barbell Rows 3 sets 4-6 reps
• Lat Pull downs 3 sets 8 reps
• Barbell Curls 3 sets 8
• Dumbbell Incline Curls 3 sets 8 reps
• Wrist Curls 2 sets failure
• Reverse Wrist Curls 2 sets failure

Friday: Legs, Deltoids
• Squats 3 sets 4-6 reps (2-3 warm-up sets 12 reps)
• Lunges 3 sets 4-6 reps
• Leg Curls 3 sets 8 reps
• Barbell Shoulder Press 3 sets 4-6 reps (2-3 warm-up sets 12 reps)
• Dumbbell Shoulder Press 3 sets 4-6 reps
• Side Laterals 3 sets 8 reps
• Calf Raises 4 sets failure

Basic Nutrition
Now remember don’t always expect that your training will make you grow. When you lift you stimulate your muscles and your nutrition recovers them making them grow and get stronger. Proper nutrition is always your #1 key when starting bodybuilding. Especially when your skinny, you diet will determine 9/10 of whether your going to gain weight or not.

Included in the attachments below are a few various articles on nutrition written by me to teach you about proper nutrition to grow.

Information for Safety

1. Always work on form before you add weight. Make sure to get all your lifts down and have good form before you start lifting.
2. Make sure when you do this workout that you always have a spotter or a power rack with you to insure yo don’t get hurt.

List of exercises and how to perform them...Exercise Guide

Peaked_18

Diet

Basic Nutrition
Nutrition Facts For Foods
Workout Nutrition

Flowsybaby

MOTM 2 months in a row. GOLD status now too. I'm calling it now.

Master Of Puppets

Good stuff. :bigthumbu You seem to be doin everything in this section. :p

MOP

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Peaked_18

lol...

johnsbod

Maybe you can start helping out. You guys need to invite some newbies over to IronMass too, and all the threads that Peaked posted should give everyone who is here some good info for discussion.

I'll throw something out there. I think for newbies it might be a good idea to work in higher rep ranges on lifts like squats and deads to help prevent injury while they get the form down. Higher rep ranges would mean lower weight=less chance of injury.

Excellant thread though Peaked.

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Misc Perv #69

2Ripped4U

Typo.... sorry I just HAD to say it :p

Peaked_18

Thanks, John can you help me out here?

johnsbod

I put my recommendations in your quote, but of course they are just recommendations.

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Misc Perv #69

Peaked_18

lol

I mean put "creating" instead of "creatine" like 2R4U pointed out...?