You've probably already thought about exercising at home, especially when you thought about your desire to lose weight and lose weight.
Of course, to do this, you can make room in your apartment and get up 15 minutes earlier than usual in order to have time to do a short set of exercises before going to work. You can also buy sports equipment and place it in your apartment. But what to do next and which home workout program for men will be more effective? Especially for you, we have selected the best home fitness routines for almost every day, so that they are not boring and difficult.
How to train correctly in the gym for a man
Massive and lean muscles, great strength and a wide upper body are characteristic of men, and all this is thanks to testosterone. It is better to perform in the gym those exercises that promote the synthesis of your own testosterone, namely basic ones. This type of exercise should be the basis of every workout. Highly effective exercises for men's training will be those using free weights and those that allow the use of large working weights, for example, in simulators.
Of course, you cannot ignore cardio exercise, however, this type of training should be a small part of the time. Use a treadmill or exercise bike at the beginning of your workout to adapt your body to the upcoming strength load.
The number of workouts should be chosen to be minimal, and when a certain level is reached, increase the number of sessions. Three to four workouts per week are considered optimal. This approach is due to the fact that after a heavy load the body needs more time to recover.
The training process is best structured as follows:
- The workout should consist of six exercises.
- Each workout should be aimed at working one or two muscle groups, for example, the first day - pectoral muscles and triceps; second day – back muscles and biceps; third day – leg and deltoid muscles. Each workout can focus on your abdominal muscles.
- Stick to the traditional number of sets and repetitions : 3-4 to 8-12. Although the optimal amount is selected individually.
Of course, the training process diagram presented above is just the initial stage of training; the next step will be not only adding a fourth day of training, but also a combination of loads, for example, alternating strength training for mass with functional ones. This approach will maximize intensity, move forward, sooner or later, stopped progress, and also create severe stress for the body, which mobilizes human resources. This method also does not allow you to get used to the load, and effectively affects metabolic processes and the production of your own anabolic hormones.
Use this guide to master sports equipment
The good thing is that once you learn all the names and types of exercise equipment, you will be relieved of the initial shock and intimidation. The more you learn, the less fear you have of choosing the wrong exercise machine or being a laughing stock.
This guide will help you become well versed in the machines and you will be equipped with knowledge about the most popular equipment and the workouts that go with it. With its help, you will also be prepared to even build your own gym if you rent or own a house with spacious rooms.
Recommendations for strength training in the gym
Training for men is a set of energy-intensive, heavy exercises that require a sufficient amount of energy and strength to perform. Only a proper diet and proper rest will help an athlete train as effectively as possible, so much attention should be paid to a balanced diet rich in proteins, fats and carbohydrates. The ideal option would be to eat multiple meals throughout the day, for example, five to six meals.
And also read how to eat before and after training.
Sports nutrition is an effective aid in achieving results. It should be chosen based on body composition, but sports supplements such as amino acids and protein will not hurt anyone, and you can also consider taking pre-workout cocktails in the future. Sports nutrition is best used as a means to close the protein-carbohydrate window after training and in the morning, immediately after sleep. It can also be used in cases where a full meal is not possible.
Another important point is proper rest after training. The recovery process lasts from two to ten days, so it is best to distribute training so that after the load the muscle group has the opportunity to rest for at least six days.
Read more about post-workout recovery →
It is very important to do a warm-up before performing the main approaches, since all basic exercises, and training in the gym for men is built on the basis of basic exercises, are very traumatic.
After your workout, it’s a good idea to take time to stretch the muscles involved. Stretching will reduce stiffness and increase the elasticity of the fibers. Read more about post-workout stretching →
Everyday training program for beginners
It is important for beginning athletes to learn the technique of performing exercises and develop neuromuscular communication, so they should train with “light” weights, that is, the athlete should always have 5-7 repetitions left when he completes a set. Let's say you can do 20 repetitions with 50kg, and 10 with 60kg, so you take 50kg and do 12-15 repetitions so that you can concentrate on technique, and not on lifting the weight at any cost. Since the athlete does not reach muscle “failure,” he can afford to train every day, due to which the nervous connection between the brain and muscles is significantly improved, so such an athlete can already afford such complex training schemes as the “ Ukrainian School ” . By the way, the modernized first phase of this program can be an excellent scheme for beginners:
Military press – 5 sets of 12-15 reps Bench press – 5 sets of 12-15 reps Deadlift – 5 sets of 20 reps Barbell rows – 5 sets of 15 reps Barbell squats – 5 sets of 15 reps Reverse hyperextension – 5 sets of 15 reps
When will you see results from doing strength exercises in the gym?
The fruits of working in the gym and, at times, a grueling lifestyle, when an athlete simply forces himself to eat a huge amount of food, and strictly according to the clock, can be noticed already in the first months of training. Much depends on the athlete’s genetics, his constitution and lifestyle. After all, in addition to working hard in the gym and eating well, an athlete should spend about eight hours sleeping. Testosterone levels and general hormonal levels also play an important role.
Without what will there be no success?
When building muscle tissue, you need multiple and plentiful meals 5-6 times a day. This way you do not overload the body, and the components regularly enter the blood in equal quantities. Thanks to this, nutrition is always supplied to the muscles. If you take the diet in the classical way (breakfast, lunch, dinner), then the excess nutritional compounds will not be used to increase muscle tissue, but to form fat deposits. In the future, following a high-calorie diet, it is impossible to remove these unwanted deposits.
The daily diet for a high-calorie diet should consist of 70% high-calorie products and 30% low-calorie products. The ratio helps to better absorb beneficial compounds and avoid overloading the digestive system. Plant fiber contained in low-calorie vegetables and fruits increases intestinal motility and makes it difficult to absorb high-calorie foods. However, you cannot completely give up vegetables and fruits, just their total volume in the diet should be less than 30%.
The daily amount of food consumed should be distributed in equal parts for each meal. Before 16:00, you need to digest approximately 70% of the prescribed amount of food. In the evenings, you should not eat fatty or sweet foods. In the evening, food should be easily digestible and include a lot of protein. The optimal set for dinner is salads, eggs, fish, vegetables (including legumes) and dairy products.
While adhering to a high-calorie diet, reduce the consumption of foods containing large amounts of fat (lard, fatty meat, butter and margarine, sausages, etc.). If the body contains the appropriate amount of carbohydrates to grow muscle tissue, then excess fat mass also accumulates in adipocytes, fat cells.
It is also recommended to limit fast carbohydrates (confectionery and bakery products, sweet fruits). They quickly increase the level of sucrose in the blood, and the body is forced to convert glucose into fat to lower sugar levels. This reduces the effectiveness of the diet.
However, such products are allowed to be consumed, but only immediately after training. At this time, a deficiency of glucose occurs in the muscles and organs and they can easily absorb it in large quantities due to increased secretion (release) of insulin.
Nutrient ratio: carbohydrates - 50-60%, proteins - 30-35%, fats - 10-20%. In the process of growing mass, you need to consume as many slow carbohydrates as possible, while simultaneously reducing the use of fast carbohydrates. You should also not reduce the amount of fat you consume below 10%. This will provoke unwanted changes in metabolism. Consuming exclusively vegetable fats is considered optimal. Oily fish can be consumed without restrictions.
These percentage data cannot be elevated to absolutes. Each person is individual. Therefore, you need to choose a percentage distribution of nutrients that is ideal for solving your problems.
Don't forget about drinking fluids. Any processes in the body require the consumption of a certain amount of water. A high-calorie diet and muscle growth accelerate metabolism in systems and tissues. This inevitably leads to a sharp increase in water consumption. In such conditions, you need to increase your total daily water consumption to 3 liters to avoid dehydration.
A high-calorie diet can be combined with sports nutrition. Supplements allow you to significantly accelerate muscle development and replenish the reserves of essential microelements required against the backdrop of increasing loads.
Protein shakes are consumed between meals, immediately before bed, immediately after sleep, and after training. If a gainer is used instead of pure protein, then it is taken exclusively after training.
Bodybuilders necessarily need a special vitamin and mineral complex to replace the deficiency of fruits and greens in their diet. Creatine is consumed only after training. It is better absorbed by muscle tissue when mixed with a gainer, sweet juice or protein shake.
Speeding up the process
We bring to your attention a reminder that will help you take sports nutrition correctly during the period of weight gain:
How to continue training in the gym
Everything listed above is information for those who are at the beginning of their sports journey. Subsequently, the load should be gradually increased, for example, in addition to the fourth training day and adding approaches and exercises, you will need to resort to changing the type of load to remove the body from comfortable conditions. For example, include exercises aimed at developing strength in the training process, or diversify the process with high-intensity CrossFit exercises.
In the future, the training process can be changed to a five-day training scheme, in which one muscle group is worked out in one workout. In fact, not many professional athletes use this option. In fact, such training may not be effective for all athletes and, most often, it is used by those athletes who use pharmacological agents to achieve results. After all, despite training just one muscle group, the number of exercises and their intensity does not decrease, which will sooner or later lead a follower of natural bodybuilding to overtraining.
Important things to remember when using exercise machines
It is important to have a clear understanding of the equipment you have in your gym or when building it, as this will help you achieve your desired bodybuilding and fitness results.
Another important thing to mention is that proper form when using these machines cannot be overemphasized. When choosing between using more weight on the machine or maintaining proper positioning with less weight, always choose the second option based on your fitness level.
This will help you achieve better results, but more importantly, avoid injury.
Good recovery
This is generally the shortest point, I think, of the four) Just sleep, be sure, for 8-10 hours and that’s it! You will be happy!
The fact is that muscles do not grow during training, but grow after! Because training is destruction! And during recovery, growth hormone (somatotropin) and testosterone (the main anabolic hormone) are produced in sleep, and cortisol is released from lack of sleep, which contributes to the destruction of muscle tissue! In short, healthy sleep everyone!
You should feel the muscles
The trick of bodybuilding is proper muscle contraction! You must know how this or that muscle contracts!
To do this, take five minutes before going to bed and just do exercises without weights! For example, to learn how to bench press, lie on a bed and raise your arms as if you were holding a barbell and contract your pectoral muscles! I think everything is clear here! It seems crazy, but it works! Just do it! Learn to contract your muscles correctly, learn to follow the correct technique when performing exercises!
Where do I begin?
We’ve sorted out the choice of a gym and what we need to pack with us, and now let’s get down to what causes the greatest fear and “evaporates” newcomers from hundreds of gyms.
Namely: beginners have little idea of exactly how to train! How many approaches, repetitions need to be done, how this or that muscle works, etc. It is not entirely clear how to eat, how much, what foods to exclude, etc. But the most important thing is how to create a training program for yourself. Let's figure it out.
When you decide on the choice of a gym and pack your bag for the gym, stuffing a bunch of sports things into it, be sure to read my article about how to stretch properly. Stretching will allow you to avoid a lot of troubles with your health, take it seriously.
Will I lose muscle mass after losing weight?
Sometimes losing weight can be accompanied not only by the loss of excess fat, but also by a decrease in the overall amount of muscle, which will negatively affect your strength.
However, you can still reduce muscle loss by paying close attention to your protein intake. This will help you maintain muscle mass and thereby prevent a decrease in your strength.
What has been done
The training worked on the leg muscles and gave a good impetus to their growth. The shoulder muscles also worked. Now we move on to cool down and stretching.
So, here I have given the entire weekly training cycle that works to gain muscle mass. An athlete can devote at most two to three months to it, and then he must make radical changes. This is done so that the body does not have time to get used to and adapt to monotonous loads. In my next articles, I will talk about proper nutrition for effective weight gain and provide an overview of the types of sports nutrition acceptable for an athlete to promote muscle gain.
Igor May 15, 2010
