Types of Lifting Programs

There’s no one-size-fits-all weightlifting program. Choose a lifting routine that works best for your fitness level and your workout schedule. For instance, beginners may benefit most from a body weight resistance training program, while advanced lifters can benefit more from the increased resistance offered by free weights and machines.

  1. Full-Body Workouts

    • A full-body workout targets all the major muscle groups during each workout, including the chest, back, legs, arms, abdominals, hips and glutes. This workout incorporates a variety of compound exercises, which are exercises that target multiple muscles groups at once. A sample routine may include bench press, squats, calf raises, lateral rows, pullups, shoulder presses and abdominal crunches. Do one or two sets of each exercise at 10 to 12 repetitions per set. Never do this routine two days in a row – resting your muscles is very important.

    Circuit Training

    • Circuit training is a way to combine a full-body lifting routine with aerobic exercise to add a cardio benefit to the workout. The idea behind circuit training is to choose six to eight different lifting stations and to move from one to the next with no more than 30 seconds of rest in between each station. This fast-paced workout helps keep your heart rate elevated. Do one set of 10 to 12 reps at each station. Rest for a couple minutes at the end of a circuit, and complete one or two additional circuits to complete the workout. You can include any resistance training exercises in your circuit -- just be sure to target all the major muscle groups.

    Body Weight Resistance Training

    • You can still get an effective strength-training workout even if you don’t have access to weightlifting machines or free weights. It helps to utilize some sort of hand weights, such as two 1-gallon milk jugs filled with equal amounts of water. A full-body body weight workout could include pushups, crunches, biceps curls and shoulder presses with milk jugs, wall squats, calf raises and bent-over reverse flyes. Aim for three sets of 12 to 15 reps for each exercise per workout. A minimum of two workouts per week is ideal for beginners.

    Bodybuilding Workout

    • The list of bodybuilding workouts out there is extensive, but the basics are almost always the same. For building muscle size and strength, use a heavy amount of weight and a low number of reps. The right amount of weight is one that really pushes you to the limit trying to finish the final rep. Four to five sets per exercise is effective in bodybuilding. Bodybuilders focus on one or two muscle groups per workout. For example, target the chest and upper back on Monday, legs on Tuesday, rest on Wednesday, arms on Thursday, lower back and shoulders on Friday and abs at the end of every workout. It’s important to completely exhaust the targeted muscle groups during each workout, but it’s even more important to get adequate rest for fatigued muscles after the workout. This is the reason that major muscle groups are exercised only once – or maybe twice -- per week.