The main goal of this workout is to develop a foundation to prepare you for the move on to free weight split routines where you can really start to work on increasing your strength and muscle mass. It works the whole body in one single workout. The workout is designed around increasing muscle size, but also to condition the muscles and tendons ready for the next stage.

This workout is aimed at beginners who have been training for 6 to 8 weeks on gym machines and have some free weight experience.

1 - Full Body Workout

This full body workout is built around a combination of multi joint exercises and single joint exercises. The multiple joint exercises like squats and bench press use groups of muscles which help to build size, strength and coordination. The single joint exercises like, leg curl and bicep curl really focus on the individual muscles, which increase the intensity to help them to grow. It’s good to focus on a full body workout at this stage so your body can get used to the stresses placed upon it during an intense weights workout.

2 - Why can’t I use machines for the same exercises?

Gym machines are great for introducing beginners into the world of weight training, but they do have their limitations. For example a gym machine follows a fixed path, so you are only working the muscles required for that specific exercise movement. If you do the same exercise but using free weights, then your body is not guided by a fixed path, so it has to utilise other smaller muscles to help stabilize the movement. So you can see the exercise instantly becomes more challenging with free weights, which will enable you to progress a lot quicker.

3 - Why only 12 reps, I was doing 20 on my last workout?

Beginners’ workouts are traditionally based around muscle endurance and that means exercising at lower (weight) intensity but with higher repetitions. This workout is based around increasing muscle size which means working at a higher (weight) intensity with an increase in volume, so 3 sets instead of 2. This actually means a greater number of repetitions by the end of the workout, which means more work.

4 - The key points for a successful muscle building workout

To develop muscle size, the key points to focus on are (1) the intensity of the weight (2) the speed at which you perform each repetition (3) the amount of sets and reps that you do (4) your recovery time between each set and (5) the amount of time you work out each week. Getting each of these core elements correct will create a recipe for success. Varying these elements will allow you to progress further in your workout

5 - It’s not just the workout but also your diet and rest that count.

If you want to increase the size of your muscles then you must eat enough quality food to ensure your muscles get the nutrients they need to grow. Your muscles need protein to grow effectively; they also need plenty of rest. Quality food in the form of fresh lean meats, fish, dairy, grains, fruit and vegetables are all key ingredients to a successful physique. Low quality food equals a low quality body. That goes for sleep as well. Get at least 8 hours a night.

Do this workout at least 3 times per week. Allow at least 1 full day's rest between each workout for adequate recovery.

It is suggested to continue with this workout program for a period 12 weeks. By the end of this initial period the exerciser should be better prepared to progress on to a split program and be better conditioned for training with heavier weights.