By: Shawn LeBrun

So how much resistance training is necessary to increase your lean muscle mass and strength? Not as much as you probably think. Unlike what you may read about in the muscle mags, you do not have to train hours a day, seven days a week to get results. In fact, any more weight/resistance training than 2 to 3 hours a week may be counter-productive.

The best results I've witnessed while in the personal training field come from 3-5 sessions a week with weights, less than an hour each session. Most people like the Monday, Wednesday, Friday approach to weight training. This leaves Tuesday and Thursday for cardio, which should be done separately from weight training.

The following outline for a workout routine is simplistic in it's approach, which is also why it's very effective. The key to proper weight training is to establish a good foundation in which to build upon, much like building a solid foundation for a house. If you cut corners and build a weak foundation for a house, as time goes on, the house will become weaker and less sturdy.

Click Image To Enlarge.
The Key To Proper Weight Training
Is To Establish A Good Foundation.

Same thing with weight training. Keep it simple. It's more productive to focus effectively on a few tasks (exercises) than it is to work out with less intensity on many different ones. You can revise and edit the program every 8 to 10 weeks to include different exercises or a different pairing of muscle groups.

Keep your routine simple, follow the suggested exercises (most are simple, well-known basic exercises) and I guarantee you will see more results.

Step 1:
Create Weekly Schedule

From the following muscle groups, pick two that you will be working out on Day 1 of weight training.

• Chest
• Back
• Shoulders
• Legs
• Biceps
• Triceps

Day 1 (Monday) of weight training ________ and __________.

Day 2 (Wednesday) of weight training _________ and __________.

Day 3 (Friday) of weight training_________ and ___________.

Here's your three day weight training routine. Monday, Wednesday, Friday is good or maybe Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday.

The key is to give yourself a day in between weight training sessions so that you may include a cardiovascular session on your non-weight training days. Include at least 1-2 days off each week for rest and recovery purposes.

Step 2:
Pick Exercises

Depending on which muscle groups you are training, pick 2-3 exercises for each muscle. Below is a sample week with sample exercises.

Monday: Back & Chest

Recommended Back Exercises:
• Bent Over Barbell Row
• Seated Cable Rows
• Stiff-Legged Barbell Deadlift

Recommended Chest Exercises:

• Barbell Bench Press
• Incline Dumbbell Press
• Dumbbell Flyes

Tuesday: Cardio

Wednesday: Legs & Shoulders

Recommended Leg Exercises:
• Seated Leg Curl
• Barbell Squat
• Leg Press
• Seated Calf Raise

Recommended Shoulder Exercises:

• Front Dumbbell Raise
• Side Lateral Raise
• Upright Barbell Row

Thursday: Cardio

Friday: Biceps & Triceps

Recommended Bicep Exercises:
• Barbell Curl
• EZ-Bar Curl
• Alternate Incline Dumbbell Curl

Recommended Tricep Exercises:

• Lying Triceps Press
• Close-Grip Bench Press
• Bench Dips

Saturday & Sunday: Off

Step 3:
Put Workout Together With Sets & Reps

Each workout day would look like this:

1st muscle group in workout __________
• 1st exercise _________x 4 sets of 8-10 reps
• 2nd exercise_________x 4 sets of 8-10 reps
• 3rd exercise (if applicable)_______x 4 sets of 8-10 reps

2nd muscle group in workout __________

• 1st exercise __________ x 4 sets of 8-10 reps
• 2nd exercise __________ x 4 sets of 8-10 reps
• 3rd exercise (if applicable)_______x 4 sets of 8-10 reps

Click Here For A Printable Log Of The Fill In The Blanks Workout.

Do only 2-3 heavy sets per exercise. You can do as many "warm-ups" as you feel necessary. For example:

• 1st set-10 reps (warm-up)
• 2nd set-8 reps (heavier warm-up)
• 3rd set & 4th sets (heavier sets) Hit Failure between 8 - 10 reps on last heavy sets.

shawn@shawnlebrunfitness.com

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