Bodybuilding Workouts for Beginners

Back in the late 80's, it was Hollywood's quintessential 'Commando', the macho man with the chiseled chest and massive muscles, the one and only Arnold Schwarzenegger, who kick-started a massive global bodybuilding revolution. Today, in the 21st century, bodybuilding enthusiasts have many more icons and idols to emulate and follow. Developing those bulging biceps, terrific triceps, awesome abs, etc. is something that every aspiring bodybuilder dreams of. However, when you are a novice to workouts that foster bodybuilding, you must understand that it is very important that you begin slowly and gradually build up speed, stamina, and intensity over a period of time. On that note, here are a few basic workouts for beginners who are interested in bodybuilding.

Basic Bodybuilding Workouts

Before we begin with bodybuilding exercises for beginners, here are 2 things which are very important from the point of view of staying injury-free during weightlifting sessions and workouts:

• How much weight you lift
• How you lift it

Now let us move on to the actual workouts. Always remember to warm up for 5 minutes before you begin any workout.

#1
In this case, you can start off with 15 minutes of cycling on the exercise cycle. This works on your thighs and your lower body and helps shedding excess fat and building muscle. Next, use a set of 10-pound dumbbells and perform 2 sets (12 repetitions each) of each of the following exercises:

• Side bends
• Dumbbell curls
• Tricep extensions
• Inclined chest fly
• Hammer curls
• Front raises

Once you are done with the dumbbell exercises, next up is a 15 minute session on the elliptical machine. After completing this exercise, head to the pull up bar. Perform one set each of regular pull ups and wide grip pull ups. The number of repetitions that you do, will depend on how strong you are. Upon completing the pull ups, get down on the floor for some push ups. Perform 2 sets of 15 repetitions each. Finally, spend 15 minutes doing a combination of walking and jogging on the treadmill. Finish your workout by lying in the yoga pose of shawasan i.e. corpse position for 5-7 minutes.

#2
In this workout, you start off with 15 minutes of walking-cum-jogging on the treadmill. Once you're done with the treadmill, move on to a machine bench press. Select a load which is comfortable for you and perform 2 sets of 12 repetitions each. Follow that with 2 sets (12 repetitions each) of dumbbell bench press, dumbbell preacher curls and dumbbell lateral raises. After working on your biceps, now it's time to exercise those triceps. Perform 2 sets of the tricep pushdown cable extension, dumbbell french presses, and tricep kickbacks. Once you're done with these, it is time to exercise your calves and your hamstring. This can be done through leg curls. Adjust the weight to a comfortable load and perform 2 sets of 12 repetitions each. Finally, end your workout with a 10 minute stretching session to cool down.

#3
In this variant, you begin with 15 minutes on the elliptical machine. Once you are done with that, it is time to work on your thighs and your lower body. Squats and lunges are the ideal exercises for this purpose. Perform 2 sets (12 repetitions each) of both, squats and lunges. Use a pair of dumbbells for better results. Once you're done with these exercises, it's time to work on your shoulders. Perform 1 set of 15 repetitions of the military shoulder press, followed by 2 sets (12 repetitions each) of barbell upright rows. Once you're done with these shoulder exercises, it's time to work on your back. First, perform 2 sets of pull ups (10 repetitions each). Follow that with 2 sets of cable rows (12 repetitions each) and 2 sets of T-bar rows (12 repetitions each). The last part of this workout involves 15 minutes of cycling on the exercise cycle. Finally, relax in the corpse pose to cool down.

Watching what you eat is an important bodybuilding tip for beginners. If you're interested in knowing about what is a must-have, as far as bodybuilding diet for beginners is concerned, well, here they are:

• Plenty of proteins in the form of eggs, chicken, fish and milk
• Energy drinks and shakes
• Nutritional supplements
• Adequate quantity of fiber and carbohydrates

This was a short introduction to bodybuilding workouts for those who have just begun working out. As you increase your strength and build up your stamina, you can then move on to developing a great physique, through some advanced workouts. All the best!