The problem that a lot of new lifters face is that they don’t know where to start. You’re often relying on what other people tell you, filling in the gaps with guesswork. There’s also a lot of information out there, and much of it is horseshit. Fortunately, I’m here to help.
When establishing your foundation, keep it simple. There are six major types of lifts, four of which are critical. Old-school bodybuilders from the Golden Age would say that there are only three. The fundamental, compound movements recruit more motor units; your muscles work harder when they work together. This will stimulate greater gains in strength and mass. The higher demand results in a more taxing workout, which will not only burn more calories at the gym, but will also cause you to burn much more during recovery. It will also trigger the release of more growth hormone. They complement each other so as to correct imbalances and prevent injuries. Whether your goal is strength, mass, or weight loss, some version of each of the basics should be in your arsenal.
1. Dead lifts.[fn1] So many lifters disregard this one. There are dozens of variations, but the basic principle is that there is something heavy on the ground, which you pick up. The work should be powered with your legs and hips, not your back: stick your hips out behind you, and push them in like you just bought her dinner. This is the most basic, practical lift, and it has the highest motor-unit recruitment: legs, glutes, back, traps, all the way through your forearms. It’s hard work, but we’re not here to take it easy. If you want to get in shape without doing actual work, buy a Wii and tell me how that works out for you.
I hear the whining: “but I only care about my chest and arms!” Stop being a little bitch and listen: an exclusive focus on your mirror muscles will screw up your back and shoulders, will fail at making you look impressive, and will make your body look stupid. Working your legs and glutes will make you strong. It will burn calories because it is taxing. Going heavy will signal muscle growth, which will help your precious fucking biceps.
What I do currently: Hex-bar dead lifts on one legs day and Romanian dead lifts on the other. Also: I do two legs days. They’re that important.
2. Squats. Pretty self-explanatory. The most popular is the back squat. I rely heavily on the front squat. There are also overhead squats, hack squats, box squats, sissy squats (which are actually pretty tough) and many other versions. Squats will take care of everything in your legs and core that the dead lift can’t.[fn2]
What I do currently: front squats and walking lunges.
3. Pull-ups. Hang from something and pull yourself up. It will rock your world. Golden-age lifters would say that a horizontal pressing movement (bench press) should be high on this list, and with good reason; it’s an important upper-body movement that recruits a lot of motor units. Life has changed since then, though. We spend more time than ever sitting down at computers or in our cars with our arms forward. This means that most of us already have tension pulling us forward, straining our backs and shoulders. Fixing this means working the muscles that pull your arms and shoulders backward. Vertical pulling movements are great for this. Chin-ups (palms facing you) let you work your back and your biceps. Wide-grip pull-ups (palms facing away) will force you to use your back more. There is plenty of room for variation. All variations will hit your lats, which can give you that strong, v-shaped look. If this is new territory for you, start with chin-ups. Until you can do a set of ten with good form and without assistance, they’ll do more for your biceps than pumping away with your sister’s pink 5-pound dumbbells ever could.
What I do currently: weighted pull-ups on back-heavy days, weighted close-grip chin-ups on arms-heavy days.
4. Bench presses and all known variations. Incline dumbbell presses. Decline barbell presses. Floor presses. Cable presses. Push-up variations.[fn3] You get the idea. The key principle here is that you press weight away from you along your body’s horizontal plane. This recruits your chest (pecs), shoulders (deltoids), and triceps to varying degrees, depending on what variations you choose. Many of these movements involve pressing weight directly over you, so make sure you have a spotter so you don’t risk injury. Also, make sure that your spotter can actually help you.
What I do currently: Barbell bench press, 10 sets of 3, at 85% of my one-rep max. I’m trying to break through a plateau.
Incorporating each of those four major movements will get you far in building your foundation. These are the two remaining major categories of compound movements:
5. Horizontal pulling movements or rowing movements: pull something toward your body along its horizontal plane, similar to rowing a boat. In other words, do the opposite of a bench press. Popular forms include barbell rows, dumbbell rows, seated cable rows, t-bar rows, inverted rows. These will hit your lats, mid and lower traps, posterior deltoids (the back part of your shoulders), and your biceps. If you choose a unilateral movement here, though, be careful not to rotate your lower back; stability is key to avoiding injury.
What I do currently: Seated cable rows, but I’m likely to switch to dumbbell rows soon.
6. Vertical pressing movements: while you’re standing (or sitting) upright, press something heavy over your head. This can be done with dumbbells or a barbell, standing or sitting. These movements recruit front and lateral deltoids, upper traps, and to a lesser extent, your triceps. They don’t recruit as many motor units as the other movements, which is why I have listed them last. However, they are essential to a complete lifting regimen. Remember your spotter; your shoulder is a complex joint, and a serious injury can put you out of the game permanently.
What I do currently: Power clean and press. Not easy. Very taxing. I’m hardkk0re. That’s with 2 “k”s, bitches.
These are the fundamentals. Stick with them for a few months. When you are ready to graduate to more specialized movements, again remember to start simple. Doing the basics well will get you much further than doing advanced techniques poorly.
Remember that there is no shame in asking for help with a new technique or asking someone more experienced how to perform something correctly. There is shame in landing in the hospital because you let your ego fuck you over. A sports-related injury is rarely funny unless you had it coming. In that case, post pictures. Schadenfreude is educational.
FN1: BTW, in case a particular term confuses you: you’re on the Internet. It’s called Google. Or, if you’re feeling conscientious and you know a participating worthy cause, try Goodsearch. For people in the Tampa Bay area, WMNF is an eligible charity.
FN2: Before you start squatting with extra weight, you should make sure that you can properly do it with just your bodyweight. Plant your heels on the ground and drop as low as you can go, then drive yourself up until your knees lockout. A reasonable benchmark is to be able to do twenty of these without stopping before you add extra weight.
FN3: Regular, normal push-ups are your benchmark here. You should be able to do twenty with good form before you start worrying about pushing iron around. I refer to real push-ups: unless you are a ten-year-old girl, get off your damn knees.
