I coach elite soccer so this is right up my alley....
1. Get Stronger. Strength training builds muscle. The stronger you are, the stronger you’ll look. Check out a Beginner Strength Training Program online if you don’t know where to start. It takes 3 x 30-45 mins a week.
2. Use Free Weights. Free weights are your best tool to get stronger. Free weights are:
• Efficient. Work more muscles, learn you to balance & control the bar.
• Safe. Work your body through natural motions, not fixed ones.
• Versatile. Plenty of exercises with one barbell. Great for home gyms.
Start with an empty barbell to avoid injuries. Add weight gradually. Read articles on exercise technique & get Starting Strength. They are plenty online….
3. Train Your Legs. Don’t lose your time training abs, chest & biceps only. You need to train your whole body, especially the legs. If you could do only one exercise, it should be the Squat.
4. Eat. Food speeds up recovery & builds muscle. Eat at least your body-weight in lbs x 18 calories. Eat every 3 hours. Eat post workout.
Strength training burns calories. You’ll need to eat more to keep your current body-weight. Never starve yourself to death, even if you want to build muscle while losing fat.
5. Eat Healthy. Limit junk food & alcohol consumption to once or twice a week. Eat healthy the rest of the time, you need:
• Vitamins & Minerals. All kind of veggies & fruits.
• Whole Grain Carbs. Brown rice, bread, pasta, oatmeal.
• Healthy Fats. Fish oil, saturated fat, flax seeds, olive oil.
• Fiber. Green veggies, flax seeds, whole grains.
Go for whole food. Use multi-vitamins & fish oil supplements if you want. It doesn’t need to be expensive, you can eat healthy while keeping it cheap.
6. Drink Water. Strength training causes water loss. Drink water to avoid dehydration & help muscle recovery. One gallon a day will do.
7. Get Protein. Proteins are the muscle building blocks. You need protein for recovery & to build muscle. Plenty of sources you can choose from:
• Meat. Beef, pork, lamb, deer, buffalo, …
• Eggs. Eat the yolk, it’s full of vitamins.
• Poultry. Chicken, turkey, duck, …
• Fish. Tuna, salmon, sardines, mackerel, …
• Dairy. Milk, cheese, cottage cheese, yogurt, …
• Whey.
Eat at least 1g protein/body-weight in lbs daily. Feel free to experiment with higher protein intakes.
8. Rest. Muscles grow after your workout, not during. Give your muscles time to recover & grow.
• Don’t Train Daily. Keep one day rest between two workouts.
• Sleep. 8 hours of sleep on average should be enough.
9. Plan Ahead. Career, business, family, friends, hobbies, etc. All will interfere with your goal to build muscle. Plan ahead:
• Free Time. Train early in the morning or directly after work.
• Prepare. Prepare your food for work, prepare your gym bag.
• Shop. Go to the grocery store, get the food you need to build muscle.
Build a lifestyle that helps you achieving your goals. Build the exercise habit.
10. Persist. Don’t believe the hype. It takes time to get in shape and build muscle. If you’re a beginner which you are you will need at least 2 months to see serious change dont pay attention to the scale instead measure your decrease in size, muscle gains & keep a training log to keep yourself motivated.
The only thing that will prevent you achieving success is you, so go hard or go home.
Get moving man ,… I want to say good luck, but I don’t believe in luck. To me luck is a mixture of anticipation, hard work, and consistency.
Sample workouts
Before every workout you should be sweating. I advise 5 minutes to stretch and then 5-10 doing a brisk walk or job. REMEMBER TO DRINK WATER before, during, and after. After works outs there should be 20-40mins cardio at moderate rate. Followed by 10 minute cool down consisting of a slow walk and stretching. Also stretch more at home.
Strength training/Weight Lifting
Day 1—Monday, Workout #1
CHEST TRAINING
Incline Dumbbell Presses
1 set x 15 reps(light weight)
2-3 sets x 10 reps / 3-0-2 tempo
(Take three seconds to lower the weight, no pause, and two seconds to raise the weight.)
Flat Dumbbell Presses
4-5 x 10-15 (increase weight each set) / 3-0-2 tempo
Incline Dumbbell Flyes
3 x 15-20 / 3-0-2 tempo
AB EXERCISES
Crunches
4 x 25
fairly slow tempo, but don't obsess about counting
Reverse Crunches
3 x 10-20 / 3-0-3 tempo
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Day 3—Wednesday, Workout #2
Back Muscles Weight Training Exercises
BACK MUSCLES
Pullups (Chin ups)
3-4 to failure / 3-0-2 tempo
Bent-Over Rows
3-4 x 10-12 / 2-0-3 tempo
One-Arm Dumbbell Rows
3 x 12-15 / 2-0-2 tempo
SHOULDER TRAINING
Shoulder Weight Training Exercises
Overhead Dumbbell Presses
3-4 to failure / 3-1-2 tempo
Lateral Dumbbell Raises
3 x 8-10 / 2-1-2 tempo
Seated Rear Dumbbell Rows
3 x 10-12 / 2-0-2 tempo
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Day 5—Friday, Workout #3
BICEPS
Biceps and Triceps Training Exercises
Standing Barbell Curls
3 x 15 / 3-0-2 tempo
Preacher Curls
3-4 x 10-12 / 4-0-3 tempo
Seated Dumbbell Curls
2-3 x 8-12 (each arm) / 2-0-2 tempo
TRICEPS
Overhead Triceps Extensions
3 x 15 or to total failure / 4-1-2 tempo
Lying Overhead Triceps Extensions
4-6 x 15 / 4-1-4 tempo
Cable Rope Extensions
3 x 10-15 reps / 3-2-3 tempo
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Day 7—Sunday, Workout #4
LEG MUSCLES
Lifting Exercises for Leg Muscles
Free-Weight Squats
Sometimes, just for the sake of variety, I'll use squats as my only exercise.
6-12 x 4-6 to 12-15 / 3-0-3 tempo
(Take about three minutes to fully recuperate between sets if you're really working out hard.)
Or Leg Presses
(I recommend using this exercise every third workout instead of squatting.)
4-8 x 8-15 / 2-0-2 or 2-0-1 tempo
(Again, take about three minutes to fully recuperate between sets.)
Dumbbell Lunges
3-4 x 10-15 Or 1 to failure for a burnout at the end of the leg workout / 2-0-2 tempo
Stiff-Legged Deadlifts
3-4 x 8-15 / 3-0-3 tempo
Or Lying Leg Curls
3-6 x 8-10 / 2-0-2 to 4-0-4 tempo
Seated Calf Raises
3-4 x 12 / 3-0-1 tempo
Or Standing Heel Raises
3-4 x 8 / 3-0-1 tempo
My mother is a personal trainer, and my father did professional wheelchair body-building, so I can offer some tips/advice for you.
