Tips For Beginners

There are many things in training that you can get caught up in that really don't matter so much, especially when starting out.

First off, if you are first starting off training, don’t freaking worry about a million little things. Worry about being consistent. Endeavor to never miss a workout, excuses be damned. People get so stressed out about how they should be training and also how they should be eating, sometimes so much so that they end up not training because they are so confused. Analysis Paralysis.

The lifting is number one. What kind of program? Well, what are your goals? Powerlifting, bodybuilding, olympic lifting? Just get in shape? Get stronger and more muscular?

For any of those(except olympic lifting, too specialized), you can , for a long while, focus on benches, squats, presses and rows and deadlifts. Stay 5-8 reps and perfect form. Don't be greedy and don't be stupid. Add weight only when you have completed your sets with good form. When you are young, you do all kind of stupid shit, swinging the weight, bouncing the bar on the bench press, rounding your back on the deadlift. But, I'm telling you, there is no place for that stuff. However, it's so hard to tell a gung ho beginner to go slowly, to have patience with the training. It's more important to never miss a workout than to go crazy in there and not be able to train because you got greedy. Anyway, the key is the basic stuff and consistency. That's not to say that the aforementioned “basics” are for everyone. The barbell squat may be a safety squat for you, the bench press may be a barbell incline.  You don't have to be married to a particular exercise to get stronger or bigger. You may not be built for the exercise, so you find a substitute. No big deal. 

Diet is number two. Tying to get huge? Trying to get stronger? Protein. And you don't have to get too specialized here either. My son is 13 and he has started training with me. As far as his diet goes, I am realistic. He's gonna have some junk: Ice cream and breaded stuff sometimes. What I am stressing with him is to minimize the junk, yes, but just to make sure that he has protein at every meal. That's simple enough. Then I will just keep talking to him about the right choices to make, but I'm not going crazy about it. Just get the protein at every meal. And screw the supplements when you are starting off. I mean, have a whey shake if it makes you feel cool. That’s what I always thought of when I was a kid. I’m taking this and it looks cool and I am gonna drink it because Arnold and Mentzer drink it even though it tastes awful. These days, the shakes taste great, But if you are eating real food and making gains, skip the pre, intra and post workout stuff, or rather , get into the mindset that food is number one, there is no magic in the supplements and when you get further down the road , you can experiment more. 

On the training, just use progressive overload and go a little heavier each week on the exercises. It is pretty simple. But you must learn how to correctly lift. Then, once you know the form, you are ready to go. That , along with a protein-first eating plan, will be your recipe for success in the weight room. 

So don't worry about a bunch of stuff when starting off, just say to yourself that you won't miss a workout and that you will have protein at every meal. Do that for 3 months, and your whole body will change.