Weightlifting can help you to get stronger, increase muscle size and improve your physique. However, the mistake many people make when beginning weightlifting is not having a clear, well-thought-out plan. This leads to a lack of progress and, in some cases, injury. When looking to add muscle mass, it is vital that you stick to a clear, balanced routine. A popular beginner mass-gain routine is a push-pull-legs split.
Push Workout
Your push workout comprises exercises for your chest, shoulders and triceps muscles. Start your workout with a bench press. When bench-pressing, corrective exercise specialist Mike Robertson advises keeping your elbows tucked in and your shoulder blades squeezed together to help increase your strength and avoid injuries. Aim for five sets of five repetitions each. Move on to military presses. No other exercise compares with the military press when it comes to building big shoulders, according to strength coach Charles Poliquin. Do five sets of five reps on these, too. Finish your workout with isolation exercises for your pushing muscles, such as flies, lateral raises and triceps pushdowns, all for three sets of 15 to 20 reps each.
Pull Workout
Your pull workout is made up of exercises for your back and biceps. Start the workout with deadlifts. Deadlifts may be one of the best all-round muscle-building exercises, although you need to be very careful with your technique. Strength coach Jim Smith recommends keeping the bar close to your body at all times and maintaining a slight lower-back arch. Work up to a top set of three reps. Move on to two upper-back exercises -- one in the vertical plane, such as chinups or lat pulldowns, and one in the horizontal plane, like dumbbell rows or face pulls. Do both of these for four sets of 12, then finish off with three sets of curls for your biceps.
Leg Workout
Your leg work will be the most gruelling of the three sessions, but don't use that as an excuse to skip it -- muscular legs can greatly enhance your appearance and help you avoid injuries. Perform a squat variation, such as a back squat, front squat or Zercher squat, first, for five heavy sets of five reps, then immediately reduce the weight by 50 percent and perform one set of as many reps as possible. Move on to leg curls and do five sets of 12 reps, squeezing your hamstrings hard on each rep. Finish off with three sets of walking dumbbell lunges and five sets of any calf raise variation.
Considerations
You may well find this workout very tough at the outset, so leave one or two days between each session. As you get more accustomed to it, you will probably find that training for two days then resting for one works well. Aim to increase the weights you're lifting over time, but always maintain perfect technique and avoid any exercises which cause you pain. Consult your doctor before beginning any new exercise regimen.
