If you were training a beginner...

[b fold the truth]

Ok...I am putting together some research on this and would really like for EVERYONE to put together their ideas on this...

Right now...it is very vague what I want to do...so here goes.

Situation:
25-40 year old male wants you to train them. Goals are to become more muscular, leaner, bigger, stronger, and in better shape. He would like to look like 'the guy on the cover of the magazine' someday...or maybe not quite that much muscle.

He is of average height, average build, average genetics. He played some football and a few other sports in High School but wasn't a standout athlete in any of them. Over the past 8-15 years he just really hasn't done much but go to school, got married, has 1-4 kids, and works 8-4...for 40 hours a week.

How do you train this person for the first....
Week:
Month:
2 Months:

What are your...
1 Month goals:
2 Month goals:
6 Month goals:
1 Year Goals:

There are no right or wrong answers but I am interested in how each and everyone of us would take a complete beginner to strength training and start to transform their body from point A to point B. Remember...this person is paying you A LOT of money...so your time should be well spent and full of progress.

Please put some detailed thought into this...I'd like to have MANY MANY thoughts and ideas on this...

Thanks,

B True

 

[RusPA81]

Is this just a hypothetical situation or are you actually trying to develop a program for specific people? If they are for specific I would be nice to know their current stats to be able to make better judgement of goals. Anyways I will think about this and post my thoughts.

 

[Lord_Suston]

week 1-4; Would practice basic form on Squat, Dealift, Incline bench, Military press ect... adding very little weight but work on strict form and rducing any boucing, arching, cheating, or one part of their body moving out of sink.

Basic cardio should be done after workout 10-15 minutes, maybe a general mon/wens/ fri split

week 5-8 add weight and work muscular developement. use a simple progression system. reps shouls be from 8-12 since their form would most likely will not hold up well for lower reps. I would not recommend any sets to failure, to much shock and at this point you need steady progression. 3 day split + cardio 10-20 min

week 9-12 work on muscle imbalances and lower the rep range to 6-10. use strict form. I would not recommend using any bands or chains, too much shock on their body for this stage. maybe one set to failure per body part. 4 day split

Goals 1-4 form is good for all basic lift and teach general concepts on food and training

Goal 5-8 understands basic progression theory and to get past beginners mental blocks

Goal 9-12 understand value of shock sets and how to prioritize lagginf body parts to create a balanced physique.

I wish someone taught me this when i was younger

 

[Thaibox]

I would spend some time out of the gym with them first. We would discuss body mechanics, physiology and such, as well as diet and nutritional concepts, theories, etc. I would be certain he had a firm grasp on these topics before proceeding.

I would make sure he was rid of all misconceptions and myths about lifting before we even stepped foot into the gym. I would also get a feel for his level of commitment and mental strength.



First week:
Learn basic movements and form. We'd go over all the right and wrong things. While doing no weight and dealing with form, he'd learn to apply all the things and terminology discussed earlier by applying them and watching and feeling his body and its reaction to different things. I'd make sure he felt the difference between good form and bad in every lift.

First month:
By now he would be seeing progress in the gym and he'd be getting use to the discipline of the right diet. We'd still be focusing on basic movements with slightly heavier, but managable weight. Begin the training ancillary muscles and stress the importance of them. While he is becoming familiar with his own body, I'm becoming familiar with his mind and how he responds to things, how hard he pushes, how much heart he really has. Hopefully this month will build a good foundation of knowledge and understanding for him to continue with.

2nd Month:
We'd be hitting Prs now and doing 1 singles and doubles. I can't say for sure if I'd do it in the second month or not(depends on the trainee), but I would be introducing slightly more complex ideas into their training and becoming very strict with their lifting speed and other variables that may be overlooked in the interest of building a general knowledge and confort level with the weights.

3rd Month:
Hopefully he's learning how to listen to his body, and how his body reacts to different things. I would introduce different training styles and options to him at this point. I slowly begin to introduce the many fun things more advanced lifters throw into their routines. By now I think he'd have a base of knowlegde that would allow me to teach him oly lifts and other more complex things. By now, he's becoming slightly obsessed with the results and the discipline it takes to get there. His wife is calling me twice a week to complain that he has been neglecting the kids and spends to much time eating and typing on elitefitness.com.


6th Month:
By now he has a solid understanding of his body and is seeing dramatic results. I would be using a training style that suited his interest at this point. I wouldn't force someone to do a certain style when they may adapt perfectly to another based on their body. By now, he should know his body enough to choose either a power, strength, or size based program, and I will simply be there to keep him on the path he chooses, not to put him where I want. His wife has finally accepted the monster we have created and calls me twice a week to thank me for the wonderful hardbody I have given her to play with. His kids proudly point out their daddy to all their friends at the public swimming pool.

Can't give statistical goals since they would be based on the individual.

Hope this made sense. I'm really tired and gonna go fall down now

 

[JOKER47]

I would try and find out how commited he/she really is before even beginning.

I have friends who always tell me they are "gonna start working out Monday!" I hear this from them every week, yet they never start. I have even offered to let them work out in my garage to save them a few bucks.

I wouldn't put much effort into trying to help train one of these guys until they proved to me that they were comitted to give it all they could. That doesn't mean they have to make it their life, but they have to give it all they can.


.02,
Joker

 

[Bigsatan13]

Joker is right. Before you dedicate the time to him test him to prove his dedication to your training methods. Have him stop over and make him sand your deck, small circles. Then have him paint your fence, up and down movements only. Finally when he is about to break, make him wax your truck.

 

[PolishHammer1977]

Training someone 1 on 1 is a special thing. Support, understanding, and effort all go into it. Kind of like asuccessful marriage.
Nothing crazy but it will give you both an idea of where he is. If he weighs 200 pounds, I would start him off @ 135 on the bench. Yes, very light but effective in the beginning. You can always go up. Remember that those tendons and ligaments have layed dormant for a long while. We don't want to stretch them too quickly!
I would definitely start slow with compound movements to test his strength;

Chest; flat, incline bench
Back; pull-ups (w/weight), bar rows, deadlifts
Legs: variations of squats to test weak points.
Shoulders; OHP, military

I would test him out the first week. Based on that its gonna go one of two ways. 1, he might quit. 2, he might realize that he really wants to do this. If he goes with 2, you have to make decisions based on how well he performs to the testing week. I know with your knowledge of fitness and the human anatomy that you can make an educated decision. In my eyes there is only one question mark with you training anyone;

You have to realize that not everyone has the same pain tolerance as you.

plain and simple, you are a monster. If I was this guy I would be happier than a pig in shit. lol I hope he realizes how lucky he is!

I can't lay out a program for someone I have never seen lift. I need to see the person actually doing the work. I hope what I said helps somewhere in your research B.

Peace

 

[gymtime]

For a first timer like that, I don't see the point in even thinking beyond the first four weeks. Most newbies will not even stick it out that long.

I would start them on a basic routine for the first few weeks and get an idea of a) what they are capable of in terms of excercise, and b) do they have the desire/discipline to stick it out.

So I wouldn't even begin writing a six-month program for someone until I'd spent at LEAST two weeks in the gym with them first.

 

[argent]

Do they have any weight training experience whatsoever rom there high school athletics?

 

[Him1]

Cool question.
I agree w/ everybody; teach the basics for the first 1-4 weeks. Week 1: Squats(mon) Deads(Wed) Bench(Fri) Maybe 3-5 sets to gauge natural strength level and form. From week 2-4, continue to work on good form w/ small increases in weight and maybe start to throw in variations(such as Incline Bench, SLDL's, etc,) By the end of the first month, he/she should be accustomed to the gym and comfortable w/ the movements. After that, maybe start Dc training!