Ben's Beginner Weight Training Program

I'm pretty much a beginner to serious lifting, but I've been doing this routine for a couple months and it seems to be working. For every exercise I like to do 2 warm-up sets of 12 with light weight, and then increase the weight so I do sets of 10, then 8, then 6.

Sunday: Back and Biceps

Machine row - 2 warm-up sets

Dumbbell row

Lat pull down (I can't do pull-ups yet) - 2 warm-up sets, 3 working sets

Standing barbell curls - 1 warm-up set, 3 working sets

Concentration or preacher dumbbell curls, 2 working sets

Tuesday: Chest and triceps

Machine chest press - 2 warm-up sets

Machine chest flies - 2 warm-up sets, 2 working sets

Dumbbell bench press - 3 working sets

Dumbbell flies - 2 working sets

Dumbbell pullover - 2 working sets

Dips - 1 warm-up set, 3 working sets

Cable press down with rope, 2 warm-up sets

Overhead dumbbell press - 2 working sets

Thursday: Shoulders and abs

Machine shoulder (military) press - 2 warm-up sets

Dumbbell military press - 3 working sets

Lateral dumbbell raises - 3 working sets

Cable rear lateral raises - 2 working sets

Crunches - 2 sets of 30

Decline bench sit-ups - 1 set of 30

Hanging leg raises - 2 sets of 20

Saturday: Legs

45 minutes on an elliptical machine with a high resistance

Squats/leg press - 2 warm-up sets, 3 working sets

Machine leg extension - 2 warm-up sets with both legs, 3 working sets with each leg

Machine leg curl - same as extension

Standing calf raise - same as extension

- Routine submitted by Ben

For illustrations and descriptions of the weight training exercises, please go to the following page:

Weight lifting exercises