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mini course
Section 3 How Women Build
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section 4
How Often Should I Work Each Body Part?
You should try to train each body part twice (sometimes 3 x) in a 7 day period. This gives you plenty of rest before the next workout.
By all means try different things. I made my best gains when I broke all the rules. (ex. I would work a body part two days in a row, skip a day and train the same body part again on the fourth day!). Exercise is not an exact science and no one has all the answers, feel free to experiment. What works for someone else may not work for you... so have fun with it - keep what works and discard that which doesn't.
You should try to train each body part twice (sometimes 3 x) in a 7 day period. This gives you plenty of rest before the next workout.
By all means try different things. I made my best gains when I broke all the rules. (ex. I would work a body part two days in a row, skip a day and train the same body part again on the fourth day!). Exercise is not an exact science and no one has all the answers, feel free to experiment. What works for someone else may not work for you... so have fun with it - keep what works and discard that which doesn't.
Angled Leg Press Machine
You want bigger thighs (quads)? Try working your legs 3x Week
3 x Week?
I can hear all the ‘experts’ now: “Training a body part three times a week, that’s too much.” Most of these gym ‘experts’ know as much about muscle growth as they know about Quantum Physics. Trust me, I've seen 3 x week training work great for lagging body parts. Volume training (more sets and reps) is the most successful form of training. Training a body part only 1 x per week is not going to work for the average person. Remember that much of the advice people follow comes from men & women who are featured in the biggest bodybuilding magazines which promote the biggest and most genetically gifted physiques in the world many of whom, besides their genetic advantages, had additional ‘help’ in growing their muscles... If you know what I mean. There is a real good chance you can’t train the way that they can...
I can hear all the ‘experts’ now: “Training a body part three times a week, that’s too much.” Most of these gym ‘experts’ know as much about muscle growth as they know about Quantum Physics. Trust me, I've seen 3 x week training work great for lagging body parts. Volume training (more sets and reps) is the most successful form of training. Training a body part only 1 x per week is not going to work for the average person. Remember that much of the advice people follow comes from men & women who are featured in the biggest bodybuilding magazines which promote the biggest and most genetically gifted physiques in the world many of whom, besides their genetic advantages, had additional ‘help’ in growing their muscles... If you know what I mean. There is a real good chance you can’t train the way that they can...
Fact: In strength sports, there are training philosophies that advocate training 3 X day in one country and in another country there are world champions that train 3 x week! Both philosophies have produced world champions. So never feel you have to follow the exact same routine every week.
Workouts
IMPORTANT
This is a basic mass building program. Each week you want to try and increase the amount of weight you can lift on each exercise - sometime this will happen, sometimes it won’t. The idea is to keep trying to improve.
This is a basic mass building program. Each week you want to try and increase the amount of weight you can lift on each exercise - sometime this will happen, sometimes it won’t. The idea is to keep trying to improve.
Biceps
Biceps:
Notes: Start out with BB curls since you can lift more weight with a barbell than with 2 dumbbells and because you will be stronger at the beginning of your workout.
- if you can curl 30 lb dumbbells (60 lbs total) for 1 rep max, you would probably be able to curl a 65 lb barbell for a few reps. Your biceps are able to lift more when the weight is on a fixed object like a barbell.
- Exercise #1: Barbell (BB) curls 4 sets of 6-10 reps
- Exercise #2: Db bicep curl 5 sets of 6-12 reps
Notes: Start out with BB curls since you can lift more weight with a barbell than with 2 dumbbells and because you will be stronger at the beginning of your workout.
- if you can curl 30 lb dumbbells (60 lbs total) for 1 rep max, you would probably be able to curl a 65 lb barbell for a few reps. Your biceps are able to lift more when the weight is on a fixed object like a barbell.
Triceps
Triceps:
Notes: Close grip pushups - arms in close to body, elbows stay close to body during entire pushup, don’t let them go out towards the side as in a regular pushup. Go down slowly, pause for a split second at the bottom before pushing up. If you can do more than 12 reps then buy a weight vest or have someone put a plate on your back as you do the pushups.
- Exercise #1: Tricep pressdown (cable machine) 6 sets of 8-12 reps
- Exercise #2: Close grip pushups 6 sets of 6-12 reps
Notes: Close grip pushups - arms in close to body, elbows stay close to body during entire pushup, don’t let them go out towards the side as in a regular pushup. Go down slowly, pause for a split second at the bottom before pushing up. If you can do more than 12 reps then buy a weight vest or have someone put a plate on your back as you do the pushups.
Back
Lats:
Notes: It’s important that when working your back you need to include a movement where your arms are parallel to your body (pulldown/pullup) and an exercise where your arms are perpendicular to your body (seated row). You need to hit the upper back from both angles to fully develop the muscle.
- Exercise #1: Pulldown or pullups - 7 sets of 6-12 reps
- Exercise #2: Seated row - 7 sets of 6-12 reps
Notes: It’s important that when working your back you need to include a movement where your arms are parallel to your body (pulldown/pullup) and an exercise where your arms are perpendicular to your body (seated row). You need to hit the upper back from both angles to fully develop the muscle.
