Gym Workouts for Men

Men go to the gym for many reasons, two of which are to get in shape or to put on muscle. Both objectives are completed through the same action of lifting weights. Building lean muscle increases the metabolism which burns calories and reduces body fat. For these goals, men work on different body parts than women do. Men are not typically concerned with the inner thighs or hips and women are not typically concerned with getting big arms.

The Beginner Workout

The beginner workout trains the entire body in each workout. It should be done three days a week on non-consecutive days. The exercises are to be completed two or three times each with no more than 90 seconds of rest in between the sets. Beginning each exercise with a weight that can be performed 10 times in proper form and progress until the movement can be properly performed 12 times, then increase the weight by five pounds and lower the repetitions back down to 10. The exercises in the workout are performed in this order: leg press, flat bench press, lat pull-down, shoulder press, biceps curl, triceps push-down and abdominal crunches.

The Intermediate Workout

The intermediate workouts train the entire body in two separate workouts. The first of the workouts is done on days one and four, the second workout is done on days two and five and days three and five are rest days. The exercises are to be completed three times each with no more than 60 seconds of rest in between the sets. Beginning each exercise with a weight that can be performed eight times in proper form and progress until the movement can be properly performed 12 times, then increase the weight by five pounds and lower the repetitions back down to eight. The exercises in the first workout are performed in this order: flat bench press, incline bench press, seated row, lat pull-down, biceps curl and triceps push-down. The exercises in the second workout are performed in this order: leg press, leg extension, leg curl, shoulder press, lateral raise and abdominal crunches.

The Advanced Workout

The advanced workouts train the entire body in three separate workouts. The first of the workouts is done on day one, the second workout is done on day two, the third workout is done on day three and day four is the rest day. The exercises are to be completed three to four times each with no more than 30 seconds of rest in between the sets. Beginning each exercise with a weight that can be performed eight times in proper form and progress until the movement can be properly performed 12 times, then increase the weight by five pounds and lower the repetitions back down to eight. The exercises in the first workout are performed in this order: flat bench press, incline bench press, flyes, wide-grip pull-up, seated row, dumbbell pull-over and abdominal crunches. The exercises in the second workout are performed in this order: leg press, dead-lift, leg extension, leg curl, shoulder press, upright row, dumbbell lateral raise and alternating crunches.