A Simple Workout Plan

The following workout is something that I have designed myself after trying every damn workout plan I saw in fitness magazines. You know those 5 day a week plans that focus on a different body part each day? Yeah, they’re crap. They are workouts designed for roid ragers who can lift a remote control and gain an inch on their biceps. Now, not to totally knock those programs, weight training like that is definitely better that not training at all, and you will probably notice size and strength gains to some extent. The fact is, for these programs to be truly effective you need to be an experienced weight lifter(5+ years or so) and the addition of certain chemicals doesn’t hurt either. Anyways, I digress. I am going to walk you through a plan that I use personally, a plan that can be done 2 or 3 days and week depending on your goals. A plan that focuses on compound movements for maximum effects!

The Plan

This plan is centered around 5 exercises (one is optional). The Squat, the Deadlift, Pull ups/Chin ups, Dips, Incline Sit ups (optional). The plan is similar to a 5x5 strength program where you perform 5 sets of 5 reps per each exercise. On the 5^th rep of each set you should be very close to failure. The weight needs to be HEAVY! After each set you can rest for a minute or two before moving onto the next set. A shorter rest period is more appropriate for mass building and a longer rest is more suited to strength. So, here’s the routine, make sure to perform warm up sets before starting each exercise.

Warm up – 10 Minutes (Running, jumping rope, jumping jacks, etc.)

Squats – 5x5

Deadlifts – 5x5

Pull ups or Chin ups – 5x5

Dips – 5x5

Incline Sit ups – 25 to 50

Perform this workout 2 to 3 times a week leaving at least 1 of day of rest in between workouts. Once dips and chin ups become to easy, invest in a dipping belt and start adding weight to the sets. The same goes with Incline Sit ups, once you can bang out 25 or 30 reps consider grabbing a 25lb plate and trying your sit ups with that, increase the weight as the exercise gets easier. For your Squats you should aim to add 10lbs every workout and 5-10lbs every workout for the Deadlift.