Need routine advice

**Zinthar** · 08-31-2005, 03:49 PM

I'm a beginning lifter, 21 years old, 6'3", 205 lbs. To give you an idea of my strength (or lack thereof) I could barely bench 135 yesterday. I've spent the last 4 weeks getting my diet down (lots of whey protein, good calories) and have started supplementing with creatine now as well. I just got back to college and so now I finally have a full gym at my disposal at just about any time of the day.

I would post my routine, but so far I'm still in the process of learning what lifts are best for each muscle group.

I've looked at a lot of routine examples on this website and just about all of them seem to agree that you shouldn't train the same muscle set more than once per week. I've noticed that I always feel fully recovered from workouts within 1-3 days (it takes 3 after squats). Am I not hitting the weights hard enough when at the gym, or does it have something to do with the fact that I'm a beginner? Or is my experience normal and do I need those 4-5 off days (off for that muscle group at least) after losing the soreness to allow for the muscles to actually grow?

I hate to ask such a beginner's question, but I just wanted to see if there was anything that I should do differently than everyone else on these forums because of the fact that my body isn't used to weight training yet, whereas it seems like virtually everyone on these boards is already huge and their bodies are used to it by now. Thanks.

**buildingup** · 08-31-2005, 03:53 PM

soreness is by no means an indicator of muscle growth, i cant tell when my muscles have recovered and grown only by the fact it has if you go up in weights or reps! just go by only training each muscle once a week!

**TJ Cline** · 08-31-2005, 03:54 PM

I would recoment you try both. Train each muscle 2x a week for a few months, then try it 1x a week....play around with it and see what is best for you.
Personally I have done both for several years and I find 1x a week ( right now I train each muscle every 6 days) is best for me, but some people are differant.

**Squaggleboggin** · 08-31-2005, 05:28 PM

Personally I wouldn't recommend taking any supplements unless you had no choice to get your nutrients except from them. It'll add water weight and make you look bigger, but when you get off creatine you'll lose those gains, thus making you want to take it again, etc. However, many people will tell you otherwise. I'd say, read up on it and decide for yourself. Knowledge is power.

**Zinthar** · 08-31-2005, 09:43 PM

Originally Posted by Squaggleboggin

Personally I wouldn't recommend taking any supplements unless you had no choice to get your nutrients except from them. It'll add water weight and make you look bigger, but when you get off creatine you'll lose those gains, thus making you want to take it again, etc. However, many people will tell you otherwise. I'd say, read up on it and decide for yourself. Knowledge is power.

I'm taking San V12 at the moment, which I thought didn't increase the amount of water weight quite as much as using creatine monohydrate.

I have no idea whether it has actually helped me or not, but I do like the fact that it instantly made me bigger because from a psychological standpoint, that only pushes me to hit the weights harder and keep on my diet and try to keep growing.

**CowPimp** · 09-02-2005, 01:15 AM

Originally Posted by Zinthar

I've looked at a lot of routine examples on this website and just about all of them seem to agree that you shouldn't train the same muscle set more than once per week. I've noticed that I always feel fully recovered from workouts within 1-3 days (it takes 3 after squats). Am I not hitting the weights hard enough when at the gym, or does it have something to do with the fact that I'm a beginner? Or is my experience normal and do I need those 4-5 off days (off for that muscle group at least) after losing the soreness to allow for the muscles to actually grow?

Everyone is so caught up in split routines that they can't conceive of anything else. There is absolutely nothing wrong with training a body part 2-3 times per week. However, you have to use 1/2 or 1/3 of the volume each workout to compensate. I much prefer full body routines to split routines.

Furthermore, soreness doesn't mean you are going to grow or get stronger. Lack of soreness doesn't mean your fully healed. It really can't tell you anything on it's own.

I hate to ask such a beginner's question, but I just wanted to see if there was anything that I should do differently than everyone else on these forums because of the fact that my body isn't used to weight training yet, whereas it seems like virtually everyone on these boards is already huge and their bodies are used to it by now. Thanks.

Yes, you should start out differently. I highly recommend you begin with a week or two of bodyweight training. Pushups, pullups, squats, and situps should all be done with no weight. Other bodyweight exercises are great too. After this period, start out using very light weights, and use weight that you can move for 15 repetitions in good form. Focus on developing a strong core via situps, hanging leg raises, hyperextensions, reverse hyperextensions, etc. in addition to standard all-encompassing compound movements. After you do that for a couple of weeks, you can be begin to start moving heavier weight.

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