Training Guide for Beginners

A beginner should be able to perform up to 15 to 30 reps per set at 50% to 70% of 1 RM (repetition maximum) and up to 6 to 8 reps at around 85% of 1 RM.

At first — perhaps for about a month of training — stay in the 60-70% range (excluding the warm-up set), and perform about 2 or 3 sets per exercise (excluding the warm-up set). Each set should be followed by a rest period of 2 to 3 minutes long.

For the first 3 months of training, it is probably more effective to work out 3 times weekly, hitting each muscle group in all three workouts. However, as strength and size progress and training becomes more intense, additional recuperation time becomes more important. At that point, begin training each body part only twice weekly — which necessitates switching to a split routine, a system requiring more than 3 workouts per week.

In the beginning months, perform basic exercises that involve all antigravity muscle groups, atrophic-weakening muscle groups, and the major muscles of the body.

• Beginner capacity: up to 15-30 reps at 50-70% of 1 RM, and up to 6-8 reps at ~85% of 1 RM.
• First month: stay at 60-70% of 1 RM, 2-3 sets per exercise (excluding warm-up set).
• Rest 2-3 minutes between sets.
• First 3 months: train 3x/week, hitting each muscle group every workout.
• Then switch to training each body part twice weekly via a split routine.
• Use basic exercises covering antigravity, atrophic-weakening, and major muscles.

• intensity — 60-70% of 1 RM starting load.
• number-of-sets — 2-3 sets per exercise to start.
• frequency — 3x/week initially, each muscle every session.
• split-routine — adopted when frequency exceeds 3 days/week.
• progressive-overload — progression as the body adapts.