How To Use Weight Lifting Routines From Bodybuilding Magazines

A common mistake amongst lifters trying to gain mass quickly is to copy one of the overwhelming weight lifting routines from the pages of Muscle and Fitness or Flex Magazine. This logic often comes from the belief that fast muscle gain can be achieved by following the exact workouts as professional bodybuilders. Unfortunately the result of performing the high number of sets to muscular failure as instructed is usually over training and disappointment (sometimes even to the point of quitting weight lifting). All of this frustration is completely unnecessary because great gains are can be achieved with a few minor adjustments. Many weight lifting workouts in bodybuilding magazines are composed of an effective combination exercises; the only problem is the overwhelming number of sets. As an example, let us examine one of the many chest workouts from Flex Magazine.

Beginners

• Incline barbell presses 4x6-8
• Flat-bench barbell presses 4x6-8

Advanced

• Incline barbell presses 4x6-8
• Flat-bench barbell presses 4x6-8
• Dumbbell flyes 3-4x12-15
• Cable crossovers 3-4x12-15

Unlike many weight lifting routines in bodybuilding magazines, the above features separate workouts for beginners and advanced lifters (it is important to note that many beginners will follow advanced routines with the expectation of fast muscle gain). Both workouts consist of the right exercises to stimulate overall chest growth but can potentially lead to over training due to the high number of sets (8 sets for beginners and 14-16 sets for advanced lifters). But performing only 2-3 sets of incline and flat barbell presses and 2 sets of dumbell flyes and cable crossovers solves this problem completely. After this modification, the result will be 4-6 sets for beginners and 8-10 sets for advanced lifters, which is sufficient for stimulation of muscle growth. Bodybuilding magazines are a valuable tool in building a great physique and minimal adjustment is required for the routines to result in optimal muscle gain rather than over training. For more information read the article Bodybuilding Magazines:  Make Or Break Your Workout Plan.