Well obviously thats not good news if you decide not to take steroids. But what the following training routines will provide you with is, a few less pounds of fat, a few more pounds of muscle, increased strength, more confidence and those lines around your shoulders and back you keep wanting to tense in the mirror!

I have wrote this article that in the general idea that you are fairly new to the gym (a beginner) or you havent yet joined a gym and you are considering joining your local fitness centre.

Firstly if you havent joined a gym, i suggest you take a look at the following link, as to what a gym should have, shouldn't have and what is worth the money.

                                         TAKE THE WHAT GYM FOR YOU TEST

Lets take your first gym session into consideration then, you turn up in a t-shirt, pair of shorts and your new running trainers!! The first thing you see is a meat head in a vest that doesn't quite cover his nipple's, curling twice your body weight and making noises you associate with the bedroom, not a gym!!

This is the guy to avoid!! Not because he'll ask to borrow your gym towel and leave the smell on it for 6 months, but because he is most likely on steroids, trains more than once a week and knows very little about training.

Enough chit chat, lets get down to the training.

Firstly you need to hit every muscle group in this workout as your only training one day a week. You must work the big muscles first and the smaller (party) ones after.

So LEGS, the biggest and the best, start off by doing a standard Squat on a smith machine, you want too do a heavy weight but at the start get used to the technique with a light weight and do 10-12 reps. When you become more experienced lower the reps to 4-8. Below is pictures of how to perform the squat exercise.


Preparation

With bar upper chest height, position bar on back of shoulders and grasp bar to sides. Place feet under bar. Disengage bar by rotating bar back.
 
Execution

Bend knees forward slightly while allowing hips to bend back behind, keeping back straight and knees pointed same direction as feet. Descend until thighs are just past parallel to floor. Extend knees and hips until legs are straight. Return and repeat.

This will build great strength in the upper legs, both the Quads and Hamstrings, while also engaging most other muscle groups.

When you've mastered the smith squat move onto regular squats.






2nd exercise, the deadlift, like the squat uses lots, if not all of the body muscles.
You want to go as heavy as possible on this exercise, but at the start get used to the technique with 10-12 reps, then lower it down to 4-6 reps, really busting your balls, but keep your back straight!!!

Its great for building a strong core, and really helps to raise hormone levels. These build muscle, reduce fat and generally make you in better shape.

Its such a hard exercise on the body it uses basically every muscle in the body, to get the weight up and stabilise the weight. Dont be surprised if you look in the mirror and see your whole upper body red with capilaries!! Or after a set of only 4 reps your out of breath!

Preparation

With feet flat beneath bar, squat down and grasp bar with shoulder width or slightly wider over hand or mixed grip.

Execution

Lift bar by extending hips and knees to full extension. Pull shoulders back at top of lift if rounded. Return and repeat.




So thats the lower body finished, but don't you dare take a step closer to that bench press!! Its time for a real mans exercise Pullups! the army do them, fireman do them and even the police do them, now its your turn!

This is great for building your lats, if you cant do a full pull up then go to the assisted pull up machine, don't be ashamed do it!!

If your wanting to fly, this exercise will give you wings!!

So you cant get yourself and your pride to go to the assisted machine, or maybe your nans using it?! Well go up to the chin up bar jump or step up to the contracting position and slowly lower yourself. But what ever you do, DO NOT go near the Lat pull down machine! Go as heavy as you can/ body weight and go until failure.


Preparation

Reach up and grasp bar with wide overhand grip.

Execution

Pull body up until neck reaches height of hands. Lower body until arms and shoulders are fully extended. Repeat.






Now you've made though pull ups you have finally earnt the right to bench press!

But hold on one second, why are you moving towards the flat barbell press? Were going to do incline dumbell presses! Crank the bench up to just below 45 degree's and get repping! Until you have the technique and you can feel it working your chest stick to 10-12 reps but then up the weight and go for 4-6 reps.

Before you stop reading and send me thousands of abusive emails, take a look in the mirror and tell me which part of you chest is thickest? The bottom right... so why would we want to make this any bigger? Take a second a google "breasts, tits, boobs" or you favourite topless model. See what im getting at? The flat bench press builds the middle and lower section of your chest, what you want is a strong V sticking out of your low cut top, at the top of your chest.

This creates a great wall of muscle as it links the front deltoids with the pecks, trust me you'll be making the great wall of china look small!

Preparation

Sit down on incline bench with dumbbells resting on lower thigh. Kick weights to shoulders and lean back. Position dumbbells to sides of chest with upper arm under each dumbbell.

Execution

Press dumbbells up with elbows to sides until arms are extended. Lower weight to the sides of your upper chest until slight stretch is felt in chest or shoulder. Repeat.




So your over your need to bench press, have you managed to drag yourself away from the mirror with your new found love for flexing your chest?!

Good now back onto the workout! So stay on the bench your on and lift it up to just below 90 degree's. Were going to do, Dumbell Shoulder presses.

This is very similar to the incline dumbell press and uses the same reps etc.
Bare in mind at this stage your shoulders have taken a battering and if you feel any pain in your shoulder then dont continue, one extra set now may seem great but will 6 weeks on the side line feel that good?! I didn't think so either!


Preparation

Position dumbbells to each side of shoulders with elbows below wrists.

Execution

Press dumbbells upward until arms are extended overhead. Lower to sides of shoulders and repeat.



So at this stage your body should feel like more of a corpse from the Micheal Jackson music video thriller than a active gym hommie!!

But this part should motivate you enough to drag your sorry ass to the protein shake waiting for you at the end.

Do you have your tickets? what for? THE GUN SHOW!!

But now to the bad news, before you start swinging a 30Kg dumbell in front of the mirror side on you should remember largest muscles first. And Triceps make up 70% of your arm! "DAMN" do i hear you say? Well worry not you wont have to wait long as this is a supset, so when you can't push your carcass up anymore, you have to bend over pick up a very light dumbell and do your curls!

So we will start off with a narrow grip dip, go until failure on body weight, then immediately after with NO rest pick up the dumbells and perform to failure also! Simple! Now with your dumbell selection bare this in mind, i incline press the 44Kg dumbells in each hand and i deadlift 145Kg, but i dont curl anything above a 7kg dumbell. So for god sake keep your shoulder still and use your biceps!!

Dips

Preparation

Mount shoulder width dip bar, arms straight with shoulders above hands. Step down onto assistance lever. Keep hips and knees straight.

Execution

Lower body until slight stretch is felt in shoulders. Push body up until arms are straight. Repeat.

Hammer Curls

Preparation

Position two dumbbells to sides, palms facing in, arms straight.

Execution

With elbows to sides, raise one dumbbell until forearm is vertical and thumb faces shoulder. Lower to original position and repeat with alternative arm.



So that concludes a pretty hectic one day a week workout, you may feel dizzy faint or even puke up after, but thats always a good indication you've had a good session. Below is a breakdown of the exercise and what reps and sets to do with each one.

Thanks for reading and follow the links at the bottom, for nutrition, other training atricles and the follow on for this article.

Any suggestions or questions email me at
completely-anabolic@hotmail.co.uk