You'll find all types of workout routines here: from full body workouts to highly specialized split routines for bodybuilding.
I'm pretty sure you'll consider this to be the most comprehensive guide to weight training routines in existence. If you find something better, please let me know.
Today, I'll answer questions like this for you:
- What weight lifting routine is best?
- How do you plan a weight lifting routine?
- What body parts and muscle groups to work on which days?
- What are the best muscle groups to workout together?
As you'll see, this is a very large page with a huge amount of information about weight lifting routines.
Once you're finished studying this page, you'll know how to design your very own workout routines.
Beginner Weight Lifting Routines
It's very easy to get started with weight lifting. I've always said that the best way to learn how to do something is to simply start doing it.
Yes, you might not know everything at first, but you're going to get better and better at weight lifting as you practice more and more.
The key to getting started is to start with very light weights.
Your body weight is a great way to get started, but sometimes your body weight is too heavy for your current strength levels.
For instance, chin ups at your body weight are usually very difficult for beginners to strength training. But, there's a way around that too.
Bodyweight Weight Lifting Routines
I want to give you a few bodyweight beginner weight lifting routines that you can start using right now.
First thing you need to know are the bodyweight exercises.
Beginner Bodyweight Exercises Requiring No Weight Lifting Equipment
This means you can start doing these exercises right now as no equipment is required.
Squats
The first and most important lower body bodyweight exercise is the squat.
Here's a video showing you how to do body weight squats:
If you have any trouble doing these, you might have to work on flexibility first.
Push Ups
The upper body bodyweight exercise (that you can do without any equipment) for beginners is the push up.
If you can't do a push up as shown in the video below, try doing them from your knees or do them standing up against a wall or leaning against a counter top.
Weighted push ups are an even better exercise than the bench press so you should definitely start doing push ups now.
Get down and give me 20!
The Starting Bodyweight Routine for Complete Beginners
Here's what the weight lifting routine looks like:
1. Squat, 3 sets of 5 reps
2. Push Ups, 3 sets of 5 reps
Do a set of squats for 5 reps first. Do them slow and easy and make sure you're getting good depth on your squat.
Then do a set of push ups for 5 reps.
Repeat for another set of squats and then push ups.
Finally, do the third and final set of each exercise.
If you get 5 reps on the first set of squats, do 6 reps the next workout. Do the same thing for push ups.
Continue adding a rep to each workout in which you attempt to get all reps for each exercise.
If you aren't able to get the target reps for an exercise on the first set, repeat the workout again with the same reps until you are able to get the target for the first set of squats or push ups.
Before you know it, you'll be much stronger in both your upper body and lower body.
Starting Bodyweight Routine Download
You can download the starting body weight routine below:
Right click on the link above and save target as or save link as.
Create a folder on your computer or phone called “Weight-Lifting-Complete.com” and save it there.
You'll find other downloads here that will be helpful so it's important to save them all in one folder.
Within the download above, I've also included a printable workout log for you to record your workouts. This is very important to do so you can see the progress you are making with your weight lifting routines.
Here's Another Bodyweight Routine You Can Use
Within the WLC Workouts Manual, you'll find about 70 different weight lifting routines. I am including a body weight routine that you'll find within that workouts manual.
This a level 2 full body size specific weight lifting routine (intended to build muscle).
Weight Lifting Workouts for This Routine
There are 2 different workouts that will alternate for this routine:
Workout A
- Push Ups, 3 sets to failure
- Chin Ups, 3 sets to failure
- Inverted Rows Overhand, 3 sets to failure
- Forward Lunges, 3 sets to failure
- Squats, 3 sets to failure
Workout B
- Dips, 3 sets to failure
- Pull Ups, 3 sets to failure
- Inverted Rows Underhand, 3 sets to failure
- Reverse Lunges, 3 sets to failure
- Bulgarian Squats, 3 sets to failure
How To Do The Exercises In This Weight Lifting Routine
You already learned how to do bodyweight squats and push ups.
But now you need to know how to do inverted rows, lunges, dips, chin ups, pull ups, and bulgarian squats.
This page: Bodyweight Exercises will show you how to do all of those exercises except the Bulgarian squat, which I have included in a video below:
Now let's see what equipment you need for this routine.
Equipment for This Bodyweight Routine
You're going to need equipment that allows you to do chin ups, inverted rows, dips, and Bulgarian squats (just use a chair for Bulgarian squats if you don't have a weight bench).
Many of these towers allow you to do chin ups, pull ups, dips, inverted rows and other exercises.
And that's all the weight training equipment you'll need for this workout routine.
Trouble Doing Body Weight Chin Ups, Dips, and Inverted Rows?
If you have trouble doing chin ups, dips, or even inverted rows, you can use resistance bands to assist you with those exercises.
Here's a video showing you what I mean:
You simply wrap a heavy band around your bar and put a knee or foot into the loop. Or, your entire body for exercises like inverted rows.
Multiple resistance bands can be used around the bar to provide more assistance. Get a good variety of different level resistances so you can make progress by decreasing the amount of assistance over time.
Soon, you will be doing body weight reps without any assistance.
WLC Level 2.4 Body Weight Only Full Body Size Specific Weight Lifting Routines Download
You can download this routine at the link below.
Just right click on the link above and save the file to your computer or phone.
This weight lifting routines download also includes a printable chart to record your workouts.
Bowflex Weight Lifting Routines
Another great way to get started into weight lifting routines is to use a Bowflex machine that you already have.
If you don't already have one, I highly recommend that you don't purchase a Bowflex but instead purchase free weights like adjustable dumbbell sets, barbells, and weight plates.
Here's a page that I've written for a Free Bowflex Workout Routine.
There's also a free download to the workout routine with printable log charts.
This is one of the most popular pages on the website because this routine works very well.
Free Weight Routines
The absolute best way to get started is to use free weights.
Definition of free weights (from Merriam-Webster): “Heavy objects that are lifted during exercising (such as dumbbells and barbells) that are not attached to a piece of equipment.”
Here's a list of some forms of free weight:
- Barbells
- Dumbbells
- Kettlebells
- Chains
- Clubbells
- Hammers
- Body Weight
- Sand Bags
- Weight Vests
My favorite forms of free weight are barbells, dumbbells, and kettlebells because they allow you to safely and easily increase the amount of weight you are lifting over time by small amounts.
THE single most important factor in building muscle and strength is increasing the amount of weight you are lifting over time.
With body weight routines, you can see that you must increase the number of reps you are doing to make progress as you can't increase your body weight without addind equipment.
This is why I recommend body weight routines to beginners who have no equipment but highly recommend they graduate over to free weights whenever possible.
Body weight workouts are great to stay in shape, but you'll eventually hit a plateua and further progress will be very difficult.
The 7 Best Weight Lifting Exercise Movements
Here at Weight Lifting Complete, you'll find that all weight lifting routines using free weights will use a combination of all of these 7 weight lifting exercises:
- The Squat
- The Deadlift
- The Push Up
- The Row
- The Overhead Press
- The Chin Up
- The Dip
These are THE 7 best movements you can do because the combination of these exercises will build a balanced, strong, muscular, and powerful body.
If you aren't doing these 7 exercises in your strength training routines, you're missing out on tremendous gains in physical fitness.
The Goal is to Increase the Weight You Are Lifting Over Time
Getting amazing results from weight training is rather simple to understand so please don't let anyone confuse you with their confusing information or routines.
You simply need to use a weightlifting routine or program that gives you a plan to increase the amount of weight you are lifting over time.
This is only possible with free weights or machines that give you the ability to increase resistance used.
I want to give you an example of increasing resistance over time for low bar barbell squats. This is only an example:
Look at the column on the far right labeled “1-Rep Max Calculation.” This is a great way to measure progress.
Now, look down that column and you'll see the number increasing all the way to day 12, then decreases due to fewer reps, but then starts increasing again.
It's great if you can keep it increasing every workout, but sometimes your body needs an active break so you can do fewer reps in a workout and then continue the progress. This all depends on the design of weight lifting routines.
But, from day 1 to day 26, the 1-rep max estimate goes from 51 to 164.
If you would like a free one rep max calculator to help you measure your progress with each exercise, here's the link: One Rep Max Calculator.
You should now see the goal of all weight lifting routines is to increase the amount of weight lifted. Increasing reps also increases your 1-rep max and that's great, but increasing weight is the most important factor to build muscle and strength.
Go Back to the Weight Lifting Routines Table of Contents
Dumbbell Weight Lifting Routines
If you don't want to have area for a home gym and want to minimize the amount of weight lifting equipment that you have, adjustable dumbbells are a great way to do so.
There are so many different adjustable dumbbell options now and most of them work very well.
A huge rack of fixed dumbbells take up a lot of space compared to adjustable sets.
An adjustable dumbbell set takes up a very small amount of space and is highly recommended. Here's a detailed guide I wrote: Dumbbell Guide.
Once you have sets of dumbbells ready (and a weight bench), you can start with the weight lifting routine below:
WLC Dumbbell Weight Lifting Routine
To give you an example dumbbell workout routine, I am going to use the WLC Level 4.2 2-Way 10-set low recovery split routine training program.
This is another one of the weight lifting routines you'll find within the WLC Workouts Manual.
Dumbbell Workouts for This Routine
You'll find there are 2 different workouts for this strength training routine (as shown):
Dumbbell Workout A
- Slight Incline Dumbbell Bench Press, 2 sets x 6 to 12 reps
- 1-Arm Overhead Dumbbell Press, 2 sets x 6 to 12 reps
- Dumbbell Kickbacks, 2 sets x 6 to 12 reps
- 1-Arm Dumbbell Rows, 2 sets x 6 to 12 reps
- Dumbbell Deadlifts, 2 sets x 6 to 12 reps
Dumbbell Workout B
- Alternate Dumbbell Curls, 2 sets x 6 to 12 reps
- Pinwheel Curls, 2 sets x 6 to 12 reps
- Single Leg Dumbbell Calf Raise, 2 sets x 6 to 12 reps
- Dumbbell Stiff Legged Deadlift, 2 sets x 6 to 12 reps
- Goblet Squats, 2 sets x 6 to 12 reps
How To Do the Dumbbell Exercises for These Workouts
The video below shows you the movements for all of these weightlifting exercises:
If you don't have a bench to do bench press, do the press from the floor. The range of motion is less but it still works.
Equipment Required for This Dumbbell Routine
All you need is a good set of adjustable dumbbells or a full set of hex dumbbells.
I highly recommend the Ironmaster dumbbells because you're able to increase the dumbbells by 2.5 pounds versus 5 pounds for most dumbbells.
Plate mates or fractional weight plates can also be used to get smaller increments on exercises. These are also highly recommended.
WLC Level 4.2 2-Way 10-Set Low Recovery Split Routine w/ Dumbbells Only
A free download of this dumbbell only workout routine is available right now by right clicking on the download link.
Just right click and save the file to your computer.
Open the file, print it out, and take it to the gym with you.
Record all of your dumbbell workout results with the printable workout log charts.
That's it. Now you have a dumbbell only routine you can start using today.
Go Back to the Weight Lifting Routines Table of Contents
Full Body Weight Lifting Routines
My absolute favorite style of weight lifting is full body workout routines.
Why would this be my favorite style?
Because full body workouts give the greatest results in the shortest amount of time.
Split routines work as well, but full body workouts are the absolute best.
Some people trash full body workouts because they don't know how they work or how to design the weight lifting routines.
An Example Full Body Weight Lifting Routine
For a full body routine, you're going to work all major muscle groups within your body during a single workout with multiple exercises.
Sample Full Body Workout Schedule
Most full body routines are going to have you lifting weights about 3 times per week as shown in this weight lifting schedule:
So you would work all major muscle groups in your body each and every workout.
Sample Full Body Workout
Here's an example full body workout so you understand exactly what I mean:
You can see that the entire body is worked with 8 of the best overall weight lifting exercises you can do.
There are 8 compound weight lifting exercises without any isolation exercises.
Adding Isolation Exercises
Yes, isolation exercises can also be added to a full body workout routine.
You can also add different workouts as you don't have to do the same workout all 3 days.
Full body workout routines are very versatile.
For example, you might want to build bigger arms so you add a couple of weight lifting exercises that work the biceps and triceps to your weight lifting routines.
- High Bar Squats, 3 sets x 12-15 reps
- Stiff Legged Deadlift, 2 sets x 12-15 reps
- Flat Barbell Bench Press, 3 sets x 12-15 reps
- T-Bar Rows, 3 sets x 12-15 reps
- Barbell Overhead Press, 2 sets x 12-15 reps
- Single Arm Pulldowns, 3 sets x 12-15 reps
- Close Grip Dumbbell Bench Press, 2 sets x 12-15 reps
- Dumbbell Preacher Curls, 3 sets x 12-15 reps
- Triceps Rope Pushdowns, 3 sets x 12-15 reps
Rep ranges can change throughout the course of a weight lifting program. For example, you see the rep range 12 to 15 reps in the list above.
This can change so that weights get heavier and heavier over the course of the program.
Repetition Ranges for Weight Lifting Routines
Repetition ranges might look like this:
- Weeks 1 and 2: 15 to 20 reps
- Weeks 3 and 4: 12 to 15 reps
- Weeks 5 and 6: 8 to 12 reps
- Weeks 7 and 8: 6 to 8 reps
- Weeks 9 and 10: 4 to 6 reps
The above is just an example, but rep ranges can be different for different exercises.
You might choose a rep range for squats that are higher so you place less stress on your lower back. Or, you have been measuring results with the WLC System and learn that your biceps respond better to lower rep ranges.
Go Back to the Weight Lifting Routines Table of Contents
Split Routines
Split routines “split” the muscle groups up within your body.
So there's no longer a full body workout but a workout that focuses on only certain muscle groups.
When people move to split routines, they sometimes start focusing on the “show” muscle groups too much and forget about the others.
Make sure you're always working all major muscle groups equally. The more sets of curls you do the more resources will be used to recover your biceps.
The 11 Major Muscle Groups In Split Weight Lifting Routines
What are the major muscle groups that we'll split up into different workouts?
- Quadriceps
- Hamstrings
- Calves
- Chest or Pecs
- Back
- Shoulders
- Triceps
- Biceps
- Forearms
- Trapezius
- Abdominals
Now, let's see some examples of split routines.
Example #1: Strength Specific Split Routine
This is a 3-way split routine. In other words, the entire body is worked in 3 combined workouts as shown.
Here are the weight lifting workouts that go with the above weight training schedule for this example split routine.
Workout A: Quadriceps, Hamstrings, and Calves (Lower Body)
- Low Bar Barbell Squats, 5 sets x 5 reps
- Glute/Ham Raise, 5 sets x 5 reps
- Standing Calf Raise, 5 sets x 5 reps
Workout B: Chest, Shoulders, and Triceps (Upper Body 1)
- Flat Barbell Bench Press, 5 sets x 5 reps
- Barbell Overhead Press, 5 sets x 5 reps
- Parallel Dips, 5 sets x 5 reps
Workout C: Back Depth, Back Width, Biceps (Upper Body 2)
- Trap Bar Deadlift, 5 sets x 5 reps
- Wide Grip Pull Ups, 5 sets x 5 reps
- Barbell Curls, 5 sets x 5 reps
Example #2: Double Frequency 4-Day Increased Volume Split Routine
This is a 2-way split routine while working the full body 2 times per week. In other words, the entire body is worked in 2 workouts but 4 workouts per week get you double frequency as given in the name of this split routine in the WLC Workouts Manual.
Now, let's take a look at the 4 strength training workouts that go with this split routine.
Workout A: Biceps, Calves, Hamstrings, Quadriceps
- Barbell Curls, 2 sets x 6 to 12 reps
- Alternate Hammer Curls, 2 sets x 6 to 12 reps
- Standing Calf Raises, 2 sets x 6 to 12 reps
- Cable Squat Raises, 2 sets x 6 to 12 reps
- Stiff Legged Deadlifts, 2 sets x 6 to 12 reps
- Pull Thru, 2 sets x 6 to 12 reps
- Barbell Lunges, 2 sets x 6 to 12 reps
- High Bar Squats, 2 sets x 6 to 12 reps
Workout B: Chest, Shoulders, Triceps, Back
- Flat Barbell Bench Press, 2 sets x 6 to 12 reps
- Incline Dumbbell Bench Press, 2 sets x 6 to 12 reps
- Single Arm Overhead Press, 2 sets x 6 to 12 reps
- Side Laterals, 2 sets x 6 to 12 reps
- Close Grip Bench Press, 2 sets x 6 to 12 reps
- Parallel Dips, 2 sets x 6 to 12 reps
- Rack Chin Ups, 2 sets x 6 to 12 reps
- Barbell Rows, 2 sets x 6 to 12 reps
Workout C: Biceps, Calves, Hamstrings, Quadriceps
- Dumbbell Preacher Curls, 2 sets x 6 to 12 reps
- Pinwheel Curls, 2 sets x 6 to 12 reps
- Leg Press Calf Raises, 2 sets x 6 to 12 reps
- Seated Calf Raises, 2 sets x 6 to 12 reps
- Glute/Ham Raises, 2 sets x 6 to 12 reps
- Good Mornings, 2 sets x 6 to 12 reps
- Dumbbell Lunges, 2 sets x 6 to 12 reps
- Front Squats, 2 sets x 6 to 12 reps
Workout D: Chest, Shoulders, Triceps, Back
- Flat Dumbbell Bench Press, 2 sets x 6 to 12 reps
- Incline Barbell Bench Press, 2 sets x 6 to 12 reps
- Overhead Barbell Press, 2 sets x 6 to 12 reps
- Upright Dumbbell Rows, 2 sets x 6 to 12 reps
- Reverse Grip Bench Press, 2 sets x 6 to 12 reps
- Dumbbell Kickbacks, 2 sets x 6 to 12 reps
- Pull Ups, 2 sets x 6 to 12 reps
- Single Arm Dumbbell Rows, 2 sets x 6 to 12 reps
Example #3: 5-Day Split Routine
This is a 5-way split routine that will work each of the major muscle groups just once per week. I don't split the body into so many different workouts usually, but I want you to see this example.
Here are the 5 workout routines that go with this split routine. Notice how the major muscle groups are split up even more into individual workouts.
Workout A: Chest and Triceps
- Incline Barbell Bench Press, 3 sets x 4 to 6 reps
- Flat Barbell Bench Press, 2 sets x 4 to 6 reps
- Parallel Dips, 2 sets x 4 to 6 reps
- Close Grip Bench Press, 2 sets x 4 to 6 reps
- Triceps Pushdown, 2 sets x 4 to 6 reps
Workout B: Quadriceps, Hamstrings, and Trapezius
- Safety Bar Squats, 3 sets x 4 to 6 reps
- Dumbbell Stiff Legged Deadlift, 2 sets x 4 to 6 reps
- Safety Bar Lunges, 2 sets x 4 to 6 reps
- Standing Dumbbell Shrugs, 2 sets x 4 to 6 reps
- Barbell Power Shrugs, 2 sets x 4 to 6 reps
Workout C: Shoulders
- Barbell Overhead Press, 3 sets x 4 to 6 reps
- Dumbbell Shoulder Press, 2 sets x 4 to 6 reps
- Side Lateral Raises, 2 sets x 4 to 6 reps
- Dumbbell Upright Rows, 2 sets x 4 to 6 reps
- Rear Lateral Raises, 2 sets x 4 to 6 reps
Workout D: Back and Biceps
- Trap Bar Deadlifts, 3 sets x 4 to 6 reps
- Medium Grip Chin Ups, 2 sets x 4 to 6 reps
- Single Arm Pulldowns, 2 sets x 4 to 6 reps
- Alternate Dumbbell Curls, 2 sets x 4 to 6 reps
- Preacher Curls, 2 sets x 4 to 6 reps
Workout E: Abs, Calves, and Forearms
- Cable Crunches, 3 sets x 4 to 6 reps
- Leg Raises, 2 sets x 4 to 6 reps
- Donkey Calf Raises, 3 sets x 4 to 6 reps
- Seated Calf Raises, 3 sets x 4 to 6 reps
- Standing Dumbbell Wrist Curls, 2 sets x 4 to 6 reps
Split Routines vs. Full Body Weight Lifting Routines
You can see the huge difference in full body routines versus split routines.
You'll find both types within the WLC Workouts Manual, but I recommend that most people (unless already advanced) start with a full body workout routine.
If you can get good results from a full body routine, your results will be much faster.
Recovery abilities come into play and those abilities are affected by the foods you eat. Diet is highly important, and you need to be eating the healthiest foods all the time to improve your ability to do more in the gym.
When you can do more in the gym, your results improve even more.
Go Back to the Weight Lifting Routines Table of Contents
Weight Lifting Routines from WLC Workouts
Now, I want to give you even more weight lifting routines that I designed just for you.
Within the WLC Workouts Manual, you'll find 9 different styles or levels of weight lifting routines.
I'm giving you the BASE program for for each of these weight training styles.
The Weight Lifting Equipment You Need
Before we get to the actual routines and their downloads, I want you to see the weight lifting equipment I recommend so you can do all of these workouts.
Minimum Weight Lifting Equipment
You need to have the following weight lifting equipment in order to perform all the weight lifting routines as written:
- Power Rack
- Olympic Barbell Sets
- Adjustable Dumbbell Set
- Weight Bench
- Chin Up & Dip Station
- Extra Weight Plates
You can work around equipment limitations by changing exercises that use only the equipment you have available.
For example, if you only have dumbbells you won't be able to do low bar squats. Instead, you might choose goblet squats.
If you have the money and space for a home gym, I highly recommend you start building one. This is one of the greatest investments you will ever make in your life.
Weight Lifting Equipment That's Great to Add
And here's some additional weight training equipment I highly recommend:
I love cable machines and recommend them. See if you can add them to your power rack as some racks have this option.
Level 1: Full Body Strength Specific Weight Lifting Routines
This is the base level workout 1.1 from the WLC Workouts Manual. Level 1 weight lifting routines consist of full body workouts only.
Weight Lifting Style = Full Body Strength Specific Routine
Volume = Low
Frequency = Medium
Intensity = Medium
Strength Gains = High
Muscle Gains = Low
Exercise Variance = Low
Level 1.1 Workout A
- Squat 3 sets x 5 reps
- Bench Press 3 sets x 5 reps
- Row 3 sets x 5 reps
- Dip 1 set x failure
Level 1.1 Workout B
- Squat 3 sets x 5 reps
- Overhead Press 3 sets x 5 reps
- Deadlift 1 set x 5 reps
- Chin Up Palms Facing 1 set x failure
Level 1.1 Weight Lifting Schedule
Week 1 Weight Lifting Schedule
Week 1, Day 1 = Workout A
Week 1, Day 2 = Off
Week 1, Day 3 = Workout B
Week 1, Day 4 = Off
Week 1, Day 5 = Workout A
Week 1, Day 6 = Off
Week 1, Day 7 = Off
Week 2 Weight Lifting Schedule
Week 2, Day 1 = Workout B
Week 2, Day 2 = Off
Week 2, Day 3 = Workout A
Week 2, Day 4 = Off
Week 2, Day 5 = Workout B
Week 2, Day 6 = Off
Week 2, Day 7 = Off
Repeat
Level 1.1 Weight Lifting Routine Download
I highly recommend first starting with one of the starter programs:
BIG Time or Slice & Dice for Men or Curvaceous or Fabulous Fat Loss for Women.
Then move to weight lifting routines in the WLC Workouts Manual as the starter programs allow you to learn the WLC System over the course of the 8-week program.
Level 2: Full Body Size Specific Weight Lifting Routines
Now we move onto size specific training to build muscle and take advantage of the strength base you have built with level 1 strength training.
The leve 2 series of weight lifting routines consist of only full body workouts.
Weight Lifting Style = Full Body Size Specific
Volume = Very Low
Frequency = Medium
Intensity = Medium
Strength Gains = Medium
Muscle Gains = High
Exercise Variance = Low
Level 2.1 Workout
- Squat
- Bench Press
- Pull Thru
- Rows
- Overhead Press
- Chin Up
- Dip
Level 2.1 Weight Lifting Schedule
Week 1 Weight Lifting Schedule
Week 1, Day 1 = Workout
Week 1, Day 2 = Off
Week 1, Day 3 = Workout
Week 1, Day 4 = Off
Week 1, Day 5 = Workout
Week 1, Day 6 = Off
Week 1, Day 7 = Off
Repeat
Level 2.1 Weight Lifting Routine Download
You should first work on building a great strength base before you begin using the level 2 program specifically designed to build muscle.
A strength base means you have a larger range of strength throughout rep ranges.
You can increase weight between workouts by larger amounts when your strength base is larger.
If smaller, you might have to increase the weight between workouts by 2 pounds versus 10 pounds with a larger strength range.
Level 3: Strength Specific Split Weight Lifting Routines
Level 3 includes more advanced strength training workouts that are split routines.
Weight Lifting Style = Strength Specific Split Training
Volume = Medium
Frequency = Low
Intensity = Medium
Strength Gains = Medium
Muscle Gains = Medium
Exercise Variance = Low
Level 3.1 Workout A
- Squat 5×5
- Glute/Ham Raise 5×5
- Standing Calf Raise 5×5
Level 3.1 Workout B
- Bench Press 5×5
- Overhead Press 5×5
- Parallel Dips 5×5
Level 3.1 Workout C
- Trap Bar Deadlift 5×5
- Wide Grip Chin Up 5×5
- Barbell Curls 5×5
Level 3.1 Weight Lifting Schedule
Week 1 Weight Lifting Schedule
Week 1, Day 1 = Workout A
Week 1, Day 2 = Off
Week 1, Day 3 = Workout B
Week 1, Day 4 = Off
Week 1, Day 5 = Workout C
Week 1, Day 6 = Off
Week 1, Day 7 = Off
Repeat
Level 3.1 Weight Lifting Routine Download
If you have been able to build a good strength base and then take advantage of that great strength base by building muscle, it's time for level 3 workouts.
These weight lifting routines in level 3 will allow you more rest between workouts that use heavy weights.
As you can see from this base example routine, the number of exercises is low and allows you to focus in on your weight lifting technique.
Level 4: Low Recovery Split Weight Lifting Routines
Now we move to something new because some people will need this as they become more advanced.
Level 4 are workout routines for people who don't have great recovery levels OR are doing more things such as sports.
If you're on active duty or something that causes a decrease in your ability to recover (food intake not as good), these level 4 workouts are a great option for you.
Weight Lifting Style = Low Recovery Split Training
Volume = Low
Frequency = Low
Intensity = Low
Strength Gains = Medium
Muscle Gains = Medium
Exercise Variance = Medium
Level 4.1 Workout A
- Squat 2×6-12
- Lunges 2×6-12
- Stiff Legged Deadlift 2×6-12
- Leg Press Calf Raise 2×6-12
Level 4.1 Workout B
- Flat Bench Press 2×6-12
- Incline Bench Press 2×6-12
- Overhead Press 2×6-12
- Parallel Dips 2×6-12
Level 4.1 Workout C
- Trap Bar Deadlift 2×6-12
- 1-Arm Dumbbell Row 2×6-12
- Close Grip Pull Ups 2×6-12
- Pinwheel Curls 2×6-12
Level 4.1 Weight Lifting Schedule
Week 1 Weight Lifting Schedule
Week 1, Day 1 = Workout A
Week 1, Day 2 = Off
Week 1, Day 3 = Workout B
Week 1, Day 4 = Off
Week 1, Day 5 = Workout C
Week 1, Day 6 = Off
Week 1, Day 7 = Off
Repeat
Level 4.1 Weight Lifting Routine Download
Remember, to use level 4 workouts you should have already been using the WLC System and know your recovery abilities.
Everyone is different and much of your recovery is based on your sleep and diet.
If you aren't able to recover from workouts and make progress in strength gains, try the level 4 programs.
Level 5: High Intensity Split Weight Lifting Routines
Here's an increase in intensity from the level 4 workouts. If you get good results from level 4, it's time to step up the intensity and see if those results get even better.
Remember to always measure results from your weight lifting routines and you'll know which weight lifting style works best for you.
You should notice that the workouts listed below are the same as the level 4 workouts. The difference is in the intensity so make sure to download the routine and read the explanation of each weight lifting program.
Weight Training Style = High Intensity Split Training
Volume = Low
Frequency = Low
Intensity = High
Strength Gains = Medium
Muscle Gains = Medium
Exercise Variance = Medium
Level 5.1 Workout A
- Squat 2×6-12
- Lunges 2×6-12
- Stiff Legged Deadlift 2×6-12
- Leg Press Calf Raise 2×6-12
Level 5.1 Workout B
- Flat Bench Press 2×6-12
- Incline Bench Press 2×6-12
- Overhead Press 2×6-12
- Parallel Dips 2×6-12
Level 5.1 Workout C
- Trap Bar Deadlift 2×6-12
- 1-Arm Dumbbell Row 2×6-12
- Close Grip Pull Ups 2×6-12
- Pinwheel Curls 2×6-12
Level 5.1 Weight Lifting Schedule
Week 1 Weight Lifting Schedule
Week 1, Day 1 = Workout A
Week 1, Day 2 = Off
Week 1, Day 3 = Workout B
Week 1, Day 4 = Off
Week 1, Day 5 = Workout C
Week 1, Day 6 = Off
Week 1, Day 7 = Off
Repeat
Level 5.1 Weight Lifting Routine Download
Increasing intensity means you are going to closer to failure with these weight lifting routines in level 5.
Stopping short of failure is a way to lower the recovery effort from your body from each workout.
Of course, the higher intensity you can handle the better your results will be. But using too much intensity all the time can lead to overtraining eventually.
Your job is to figure out how much intensity your body can recover from, and this level is a good way to see.
Level 6: Increased Volume Split Weight Lifting Routines
Now it's time to increase the volume over level 4 and level 5 weight lifting routines.
Just as with weight lifting intensity, you can get even better results with more overall work. The total number of sets each workout and each week is referred to as workout volume.
Weight Lifting Style = Increased Volume Split Training
Volume = Medium
Frequency = Low
Intensity = High
Strength Gains = Medium
Muscle Gains = High
Exercise Variance = High
Level 6.1 Workout A
- Squat 3×6-12
- Lunges 3×6-12
- Stiff Legged Deadlift 2×6-12
- Glute/Ham Raise 2×6-12
- Leg Press Calf Raise 2×6-12
- Seated Calf Raise 2×6-12
Level 6.1 Workout B
- Flat Bench Press 3×6-12
- Incline Bench Press 3×6-12
- Overhead Press 2×6-12
- Side Laterals 2×6-12
- Parallel Dips 2×6-12
- Triceps Pushdown 2×6-12
Level 6.1 Workout C
- Trap Bar Deadlift 3×6-12
- Single Arm Dumbbell Row 3×6-12
- Wide Grip Chin Ups 3×6-12
- Alternate Dumbbell Curls 2×6-12
- Barbell Curls 2×6-12
- Pinwheel Curls 2×6-12
Level 6.1 Weight Lifting Schedule
Week 1 Weight Lifting Schedule
Week 1, Day 1 = Workout A
Week 1, Day 2 = Off
Week 1, Day 3 = Workout B
Week 1, Day 4 = Off
Week 1, Day 5 = Workout C
Week 1, Day 6 = Off
Week 1, Day 7 = Off
Repeat
Level 6.1 Weight Lifting Routine Download
Now, we've added more exercise variety and more overall volume to this level of strength training workout routines.
If you are able to get good results with this level, you have very good recovery abilities.
It's time to move up to the next level once you have received great gains from this level.
Level 7: Maximum Volume Split Weight Lifting Routines
This is the absolute highest volume workout routines you'll find here at Weight Lifting Complete.
Most people aren't going to be able to do this much volume and receive good results.
Younger weight trainers and people with great genetics may be able to recover from these split routines.
Weight Training Style = Maximum Volume Split Training
Volume = High
Frequency = Low
Intensity = Medium
Strength Gains = Medium
Muscle Gains = High
Exercise Variance = Very High
Level 7.1 Workout A
- Squat 3×6-12
- Lunges 3×6-12
- Bulgarian Squat 3×6-12
- Stiff Legged Deadlift 3×6-12
- Glute/Ham Raise 3×6-12
- Leg Press Calf Raise 3×6-12
- Seated Calf Raise 3×6-12
- Reverse Calf Raise 3×6-12
Level 7.1 Workout B
- Flat Bench Press 3×6-12
- Incline Bench Press 3×6-12
- Straight Arm Pullover 3×6-12
- Overhead Press 3×6-12
- Side Laterals 3×6-12
- Parallel Dips 3×6-12
- Triceps Pushdown 3×6-12
- Dumbbell Kickbacks 3×6-12
Level 7.1 Workout C
- Trap Bar Deadlift 3×6-12
- Single Arm Dumbbell Row 3×6-12
- Wide Grip Chin Ups 3×6-12
- Close Grip Rack Chin Ups 3×6-12
- Alternate Dumbbell Curls 2×6-12
- Barbell Curls 3×6-12
- Pinwheel Curls 3×6-12
- Reverse Barbell Curls 3×6-12
Level 7.1 Weight Lifting Schedule
Week 1 Weight Lifting Schedule
Week 1, Day 1 = Workout A
Week 1, Day 2 = Off
Week 1, Day 3 = Workout B
Week 1, Day 4 = Off
Week 1, Day 5 = Workout C
Week 1, Day 6 = Off
Week 1, Day 7 = Off
Repeat
Level 7.1 Weight Lifting Routine Download
If you have been able to build a good strength base and then take advantage of that great strength base by building muscle, it's time for level 3 workouts.
These weight lifting routines in level 3 will allow you more rest between workouts that use heavy weights.
As you can see from this base example routine, the number of exercises is low and allows you to focus in on your weight lifting technique.
Level 8: Pulsating 3 Factor Weight Lifting Routines
This weight lifting style changes the following 3 factors throughout the different weight lifting routines:
- Intensity
- Volume
- Frequency
This base level workout changes volume and intensity throughout each week. This works very well to give your body a break from both high intensity and high volume.
These breaks can lead to a greater response from your body when you go back to higher intensity and higher volume workouts.
Weightlifting Style = Pulsating 3 Factor Split Training
Volume = Cycled
Frequency = Medium
Intensity = Cycled
Strength Gains = Medium
Muscle Gains = Medium
Exercise Variance = High and Cycled
Below, you will find that the weight lifting workouts are changing each week.
Week 1 Level 8.1 Workouts
This week all workouts are low intensity not to failure.
Workout A Week 1
- Squat 2×6-12
- Lunges 2×6-12
- Stiff Legged Deadlift 2×6-12
- Leg Press Calf Raise 2×6-12
Workout B Week 1
- Flat Bench Press 2×6-12
- Slight Incline Bench Press 2×6-12
- Overhead Press 2×6-12
- Parallel Dips 2×6-12
Workout C Week 1
- Trap Bar Deadlift 2×6-12
- Single Arm Dumbbell Rows 2×6-12
- Close Grip Pull Ups 2×6-12
- Pinwheel Curls 2×6-12
Week 2 Level 8.1 Workouts
Only the second set of each exercise is high intensity to failure.
Workout A Week 2
- Squat 2×6-12
- Lunges 2×6-12
- Stiff Legged Deadlift 2×6-12
- Leg Press Calf Raise 2×6-12
Workout B Week 2
- Flat Bench Press 2×6-12
- Slight Incline Bench Press 2×6-12
- Overhead Press 2×6-12
- Parallel Dips 2×6-12
Workout C Week 2
- Trap Bar Deadlift 2×6-12
- Single Arm Dumbbell Rows 2×6-12
- Close Grip Pull Ups 2×6-12
- Pinwheel Curls 2×6-12
Week 3 Level 8.1 Workouts
All of the last sets of each exercise are done to failure and the total number of weight lifting exercises is increased.
Workout A Week 3
- Squat 2×6-12
- Lunges 2×6-12
- Stiff Legged Deadlift 2×6-12
- Glute Ham Raise 2×6-12
- Leg Press Calf Raise 2×6-12
- Seated Calf Raise 2×6-12
Workout B Week 3
- Flat Bench Press 2×6-12
- Slight Incline Bench Press 2×6-12
- Overhead Press 2×6-12
- Side Laterals 2×6-12
- Parallel Dips 2×6-12
- Triceps Pushdown 2×6-12
Workout C Week 3
- Trap Bar Deadlift 2×6-12
- Single Arm Dumbbell Rows 2×6-12
- Close Grip Pull Ups 2×6-12
- Alternate Dumbbell Curls 2×6-12
- Barbell Curls 2×6-12
- Pinwheel Curls 2×6-12
Week 4 Level 8.1 Workouts
So now there are going to be more exercises with the last set of each exercise to failure in these weight lifting routines.
Workout A Week 4
- Squat 3×6-12
- Lunges 3×6-12
- Leg Press 3×6-12
- Stiff Legged Deadlift 3×6-12
- Glute Ham Raise 3×6-12
- Leg Press Calf Raise 3×6-12
- Seated Calf Raise 3×6-12
- Reverse Calf Raise 3×6-12
Workout B Week 4
- Flat Bench Press 3×6-12
- Slight Incline Bench Press 3×6-12
- Straight Arm Pullover 3×6-12
- Overhead Press 3×6-12
- Side Laterals 3×6-12
- Parallel Dips 3×6-12
- Triceps Pushdown 3×6-12
- Dumbbell Kickbacks 3×6-12
Workout C Week 4
- Trap Bar Deadlift 3×6-12
- Single Arm Dumbbell Rows 3×6-12
- Close Grip Pull Ups 3×6-12
- Wide Grip Rack Chin Ups 3×6-12
- Alternate Dumbbell Curls 3×6-12
- Barbell Curls 3×6-12
- Pinwheel Curls 3×6-12
- Reverse Barbell Curls 3×6-12
Level 8.1 Weight Lifting Schedule
Week 1 Weight Lifting Schedule
Week 1, Day 1 = Workout A
Week 1, Day 2 = Off
Week 1, Day 3 = Workout B
Week 1, Day 4 = Off
Week 1, Day 5 = Workout C
Week 1, Day 6 = Off
Week 1, Day 7 = Off
Repeat
Level 8.1 Weight Lifting Routine Download
These level 8 weight lifting routines are for people who have already tried the other levels of workouts.
If you're able to handle high volume and high intensity for just a single week (and usually not much longer), this style of training might help you get better results than normal routines.
To use this level, you need to use the WLC System for at least a year or two to gain experience you need.
Level 9: Advanced Beyond Failure Weight Lifting Routines
This is the highest and final level of weight lifting workouts available here at Weight Lifting Complete.
You need to have several years of experience before using these workouts. Beyond failure training is not easy, and you need to be a veteran in the gym.
Weight Lifting Style = Advanced Beyond Failure Training
Volume = Low
Frequency = Low to Medium
Intensity = Very High
Strength Gains = High
Muscle Gains = High
Exercise Variance = Low to Medium
Level 9.1 Workout A
- Leg Press Calf Raise 8/15
- Glute/Ham Raise 8/15
- Barbell Lunges 8/15
- Squat 1×20 (20 rep squat)
Level 9.1 Workout B
- Flat Bench Press 8/15
- Overhead Press 8/15
- Parallel Dips 8/15
- Triceps Pushdown 8/15
Level 9.1 Workout C
- Trap Bar Deadlift 8/15
- Wide Grip Chin Up 8/15
- Alternate Dumbbell Curls 8/15
- Pinwheel Curls 8/15
Level 9.1 Weight Lifting Schedule
Week 1 Weight Lifting Schedule
Week 1, Day 1 = Workout A
Week 1, Day 2 = Off
Week 1, Day 3 = Workout B
Week 1, Day 4 = Off
Week 1, Day 5 = Workout C
Week 1, Day 6 = Off
Week 1, Day 7 = Off
Repeat
Level 9.1 Weight Lifting Routine Download
This level of weight lifting routines is very high intensity and requires high levels of recovery.
You need to know how to eat properly, and don't use this style of weight training during fat loss programs.
This is a pure muscle and strength building style of training.
Go Back to the Weight Lifting Routines Table of Contents
Difference in Strength Training and Muscle Building Routines
Building strength and building muscle are closely related.
In order to build MORE muscle you need MORE strength and in order to build MORE strength you need MORE muscle.
First, you need to focus on building maximum amounts of strength with the muscle you have.
You can usually increase strength much faster this way versus the other way around.
Most people who have not been lifting weights or doing resistance training regularly have not fully developed their strength capabilities.
So the focus should first be to increase strength to maximum levels. Along the way, you will most likely build muscle too but focus on strength first.
Build A Huge Strength Base First
When you focus on building strength first, you'll maximize the strength levels of your current muscle mass.
Once you do that, you can reset to a new weight lifting program that focuses on size.
This is the strategy you'll find here at Weight Lifting Complete and the overall best strategy for most people.
If you need to lose body fat first, you'll use a size specific program to keep as much lean muscle mass (or even build muscle) while burning body fat.
Once you get rid of the excess body fat or reach a respectable level of body fat, you can start building that strength base.
A large strength base is required to build more and more muscle mass.
Weight Increments Between Workouts
In general, smaller weight increases between workouts usually means you're lifting at a higher strength capacity each workout.
This leads to better strength gains.
Since this is sometimes difficult to understand, I want to give you an example for ONE exercise in the table below (all exercises will follow this general layout).
Example of Strength Specific Weight Increases Table
Example of Size Specific Weight Increases Table
Larger Increments Are Better to Build Muscle
Larger weight increments between workouts in a weight lifting routine will lead to larger muscle gains.
In order to use larger weight increments between workouts, a bigger strength base will allow larger increments.
To picture this, think of doing dumbbell wrist curls versus trap bar deadlifts.
With dumbbell wrist curls, your 1 rep max might be 35 pound dumbbells or 70 pounds total.
For the trap bar deadlift, your 1 rep max might be 305 pounds.
Obviously, you will be able to increase the weight by larger amounts between workouts with trap bar deadlifts.
Notice the Difference in Weight Lifting Routines
If you take a look at the 2 example tables above, you'll notice a big difference in the weight lifted for the strength example versus the muscle building example.
The weight used in both of those examples uses a 1 rep max for squats of 253 pounds.
One example uses high reps to start (15 reps) while the other uses 5 reps throughout with smaller increases of weight between workouts but a larger starting weight.
The muscle building example lowers reps while increasing the weight by larger amounts.
For size goals, start with lighter weights and increase to a huge amount versus the starting weight.
Strength goals will start with heavier weight and decrease by smaller amounts each workout. See the difference now?
Go Back to the Weight Lifting Routines Table of Contents
How to Setup Weight Training Routines
All of these are great examples of very good weight lifting routines.
So let's take a closer look at designing weight lifting routines for yourself as every person is different and needs different things.
Focus on Strength Gains in All Your Weight Lifting Workouts
No matter if you're using a strength specific routine or a size specific routine, you should focus on increasing your one rep max in all cases.
You don't have to set a new personal record (PR) every workout, but throughout the course of the routine you should hit new personal records. If not, you probably aren't going to build muscle.
You have to prove to your body that it needs to add new muscle mass. The best way to do this is to set new personal records.
Put all your effort into lifting heavier weight over time, and you will build muscle and strength from your workout routines.
Components of Weight Lifting Routines
There are many different components of routines that you need to know in order to design a routine for yourself.
Let's take a look at these components here.
Choose the Right Weight Lifting Exercises
You already know the best 7 weight lifting exercises.
These 7 exercises should always be the CORE of your workout design. They must be included. There are many different exercises that fit into each of those 7 movement categories.
For instance, squats are one of the 7 core exercises but there are MANY different exercises that can be done for the squatting movement.
Lunges are one of those movements. They aren't “squats” but they are a great substitute for squats.
If you have certain muscle group weaknesses, exercise selection will 100% fix those weaknesses.
You might have a weakness in a major muscle group like your chest or calves. Change exercises around or add a couple of isolation exercises to ALWAYS focus on bringing those lagging muscle groups up to the rest.
Or, you might have a weakness in your left arm compared to your right or your left leg compared to your right. Use single arm exercises with dumbbells or single leg exercises like lunges.
The Correct Level of Training
Beginners needs to focus on doing more sets of the best exercises and less on a huge number of exercises.
This gives the beginner more time and more sets to practice the best exercises. For example, doing 1 set of squats per week is horrible for learning compared to doing 15 sets of squats per week.
A very advanced weight lifter who is very strong may have trouble with a full body workout 3 times per week.
But, this can work if the exercises, sets, reps, intensity, volume, and frequency is adjusted to fit that person. This is why it's important to have knowledge and experience in weight training.
Lower back fatigue can occur when doing squats and deadlifts multiple times per week with very heavy weights.
You have to learn for yourself and the WLC System does this for you. Learning what works for you is the point of the WLC System.
Plan of Progression for Workout Routines
And most that I see all over the internet don't have a plan of progression. Trashy routines are very easy to recognize.
Every workout routine needs a goal of increasing weight as this is THE number one factor for making gains in muscle and strength.
The program should be intelligently designed to HELP YOU increase the weight.
Anyone can say: “Just increase the weight each workout.” But, it takes more than that.
A program needs to be designed so you aren't hitting above personal records every single workout because that's tough and most people are going to quit very soon.
Starting Weights or Resistances for Weight Lifting Routines
You need to know how heavy the weights will be when starting out.
For strength training routines, this weight will be larger.
Muscle building routines should start out with lighter weights.
All of this “starting” weight talk only works if there is a break between weight lifting routines.
A break should last 1 to 2 full weeks with no weight training or resistance exercise so your body can fully recover and become more sensitive to lighter weights when starting back.
After a break like this, lighter weights will cause a stimulus for your body. Without a break, light weights aren't going to do much of anything except allow your body an active rest.
Active rests can be useful when stalling occurs (more talk on this later).
What To Do When You Can't Increase the Weight
All weight lifting routines should tell you what to do when you aren't able to make progress with increasing the weight from workout to workout.
This is called stalling when you aren't making progress.
I like to define this as not being able to increase the weight or reps for 3 or more consecutive workouts on a given exercise.
A routine must give you a plan on what to do.
Many times this stalling on an exercise should result in a reset. This means you drop the weight back so the exercise is easier and then start progressing in resistance again.
There are many different strategies for resets too.
When to Stop a Weight Lifting Routine
When progress slows, do you stop the program completely or do you rest the exercises that are stalling?
There has to be guidance here and the HUGE majority of weight lifting routines that I see don't tell you anything like this.
Some might stop after a set period of time (say 8 weeks).
There may be a good reason for that in the overall plan, or there might not be.
Most of the time I will recommend to keep going as long as you can until progress stops on most exercises after a couple of different resets.
Many times, the best results will come towards the end of a routine due to the heavier weight being used. It's best to keep going if you're still making strength gains.
Intensity Level for Weight Lifting Routines
How much intensity will you use for each exercise, set, and workout?
Will you go to failure for all sets of every workout?
Maybe you want to go beyond failure with drop sets, supersets, or rest pause sets only on 1 or 2 sets each workout.
All of this must be defined when you design a weight lifting routine.
Frequency of Workouts and Working Muscle Groups
Will you work all major muscle groups each workout with a full body routine, or will you use a split routine?
If full body, can you handle 3 times per week or will you try even higher frequency with less intensity?
You might want to try a split routine working each muscle group only once per week (most popular in the world but not here at WLC).
Or, maybe you want to work each muscle group twice per week with an upper body and lower body split for 4 workouts per week.
There are an unlimited number of options you can use for frequency of workouts.
Some people even do two-a-day workouts. But, can your body recover from two-a-day workouts? The answer is yes if you set all of the other components correctly. The answer is no if you do not.
What to Do After Completing a Routine
Once you complete a weight lifting routine, you need to know what to do next.
Did you get great results from this style of training? You'll only know how great the results were by measuring your results.
Sometimes you can get awesome results by switching to a completely different style of training.
For example, you might go from very high volume training to very low volume training.
Every good weight lifting plan will have a plan of attack following any given weight trainign routine. In other words, a good long term plan is required too!
Go Back to the Weight Lifting Routines Table of Contents
FAQ for Weight Lifting Routines
Since this Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) about weight lifting routines is rather large, I am adding another table of contents here so you can quickly move to the question you want to see.
Weight Lifting Routines FAQ Table of Contents
- How to build muscle with weight lifting routines?
- What are reps and sets?
- How many reps to do?
- What's progressive resistance and why is it important?
- When to increase the amount of weight lifted?
- What's training to failure?
- How to stay away from failure?
- How long to rest between sets and exercises?
- How long to rest between workouts?
- When to stretch?
- How to warm-up for weight lifting routines?
- What's a good weight lifting routine layout?
- How to do chin ups and dips for beginners?
- How to add weight to chin ups, push ups, and dips for stronger weight lifters?
- What are personal records?
- How to save time in your weight lifting routines?
- How to lift with proper form and technique?
- When to stop using weight lifting routines?
- What's the best style of weight training for me?
- What are the best major muscle groups to work together?
- What's the best order to perform weight lifting exercises?
1. How to build muscle with weight lifting routines?
Building muscle is easy with the right weight lifting routines.
Simply work on increasing the weight each workout. This does not mean that you have to increase the weight to new personal records every workout.
You can lift below your maximum capacity and still build muscle.
Because you take a break before every new weight lifting routine, your body will be de-sensitived to lighter weight.
Start with light weights (but slightly heavier than the previous program) and continue increasing the weight over the course of the program.
It's that simple. You will reach new personal records during the program but definitely NOT during every single workout.
Diet is the Control Panel to Building Muscle
Please don't discount diet and nutrition in building muscle either. Your diet is the control panel to your results once you know what to do for your resistance workouts.
The WLC System teaches you how to adjust your diet to get even better results.
A quick summary is to eat ONLY the healthiest foods from whole food sources like grass-fed beef, whole eggs, pasture raised chicken, fruits, whole grains, vegetables (lots of them), and more.
If God made it, eat it in that form. For instance, you don't need foods made in manufacturing plants (protein bars, whey protein, supplements, granola bars, yogurt that's not really yogurt, fruit juices that are just sugar, etc).
Stick with whole foods all the time, and you will do amazing.
Measure results weekly. If you don't gain muscle, up the calories (along with a weight training routine using progressive resistance). See if your results improve.
Go Back to the Weight Lifting Routines FAQ
2. What are reps and sets?
Definition of repetition (or rep for short): “One complete motion of an exercise.”
And here's the definition for sets: “The number of cycles of reps you complete.”
So the definitions might not help much as they are confusing.
Let's look at push ups as an example.
One rep or repetition is lowering yourself all the way down and raising yourself all the way back up. That's a rep.
When you complete a number of reps of push ups, this is considered to be a set.
I might say: “Get down and give me 15 push ups.”
You get down on the floor and do as many push ups as you can and hit 11 push ups. This is one set. If you were able to do 22 consecutive push ups, this is still one set.
If I say: “Give me 3 sets of 15 reps each set.”
You would attempt to get 15 reps the first set. Then you would rest (depending on the rest time between sets in your weight lifting routines). Next, you would do the second set and attempt to get 15 reps. Rest again. Then do the third and final set.
Now you know what reps and sets are for your weight lifting routines.
You'll see me use sets and reps like this: 3×10, 5×5, 2×6-12.
This simply means 3 sets of 10 reps, 5 sets of 5 reps, and 2 sets of 6 to 12 reps.
How to Perform Reps Properly
There are 4 parts to every repetition:
- The positive or concentric is the actual lifting of the weight. Your muscles contract during the positive portion of every rep to lift the weight.
- The very top of each rep is where you get a peak contraction from the muscle.
- The lowering of the weight is the negative or eccentric portion of each rep. Negatives have proven to damage muscle tissue to a greater extent than the positive portion and therefore have greater muscle building potential.
- At the bottom of every rep, you get a maximum stretch in the target muscle group. This stretch position is very important for building muscle!
Every part of each rep is very important.
I love exercises that allow a larger range of motion because they work better and build muscle better and faster than exercises that use partial ranges of motion.
For instance, single arm dumbbell rows allow a huge range of motion compared to bent over barbell rows. You can use very heavy weights too on single arm dumbbell rows.
Always work on getting a peak contraction every rep and a full stretch every rep.
Control the negative and explode in a controlled manner on the positive (heavier weight will make it controlled even when trying to explode). It's that simple.
Go Back to the Weight Lifting Routines FAQ
3. How many reps to do?
The number of reps you should do depends on the weight lifting routines you are using.
In general, most experts will tell you that lower reps build strength, moderate reps build muscle, and higher reps build muscular endurance.
Personally, I love all rep ranges. Even very high rep ranges are great for building muscle and increasing physical fitness levels.
Here's a summary of what most people use for different goals and these are good guidelines:
- 1 to 5 reps = build strength
- 6 to 15 reps = build muscle size
- greater than 15 reps = build muscle endurance
Again, these are very general guidelines as you will build strength and muscle in ALL rep ranges!
My views on this is that you NEED to include all rep ranges in your long term weight lifting routines.
For instance, you might do low rep ranges for the first 6 months this year. Then, you might switch to a weight lifting program that cycles reps from 20 reps all the way down to 3 reps.
You need to be getting benefits from all the different rep ranges.
Go Back to the Weight Lifting Routines FAQ
4. What's progressive resistance and why is it important?
Progressive resistance is increasing the weight over time.
For example, you might start a routine with 100 pounds the very first workout of week 1 and finish with 300 pounds in the final workout in week 15.
This is progressive resistance.
And you don't have to increase the weight EVERY single workout. This is a great goal to have, but you sometimes go backwards to move forwards.
Or, you may not have reached the target number of reps you wanted to be able to increase the weight. Your weight lifting routines and guidelines will lay that out for you.
For example, you might increase the weight once you hit 12 reps on the first set of an exercise. If you don't hit 12 reps, you don't increase the weight.
Simply work on lifting heavier weight over the course of a program.
If you aren't getting stronger over the course of your routine, you probably aren't making any progress in terms of building muscle.
This is why progressive resistance is so important.
Go Back to the Weight Lifting Routines FAQ
5. When to increase the amount of weight lifted?
All weight lifting routines should have guidelines for increasing the amount of weight lifted.
Let's take a look at several examples from the WLC Workouts Manual.
WLC Workout 1.4 Volume and Intensity Cycling 5 Rep Full Body Strength Specific Program
Squat will be increased by 2.5% from workout A's weight during workout C of each week.
The following workout A will use the same weight as the previous Workout C.
The overhead press, row, and dip will be increased by 2.5% for workout A of each week.
All exercises in workout B will be increased by 2.5% on a weekly basis.
The bench press, deadlift, and dumbbell overhead press will be increased by 2.5% every workout C.
WLC Workout 2.2 Alternating 15 to 5 Increasing Full Body Size Specific Program
You will assign weights to each exercise of each workout before starting this program and once you know your rep maxes for each rep range.
Your 15 rep max will be assigned to the last two workouts of the 15 rep range for A and B.
Your 10 rep maxes will be assigned to the last two workouts of week 4 for A and B.
Your 5 rep max will be assigned to the last two workouts of week 8.
Go backwards and forwards from there and assign weights to the rest of the workouts. This is how you will find your starting weights.
WLC Workout 9.2 Rest Pause A/B 4 to 5 Day High Rep to Low Rep Split Routine
Your goal with this program is to increase weight lifted each workout and even beat the number of reps you did the previous workout (when in the same rep range).
Be aggressive and increase the weight as often as possible.
When I first did a program like this, I was able to increase the weight AND beat the number of reps for most of the program. The results were amazing.
Differences in When To Increase the Weight
After reading through those 3 examples, do you now see how all weight lifting routines are different?
For the second example, you will even assign the weights you are using for each workout BEFORE the program begins.
All of the weights you choose are based on previous performance of each exercise.
Other weight lifting routines will have you increase the weight and reps every workout. This may be by very small amounts or by large amounts.
Go Back to the Weight Lifting Routines FAQ
6. What's training to failure?
Let's look at the definition of “training to failure” from Wikipedia:
“In weight training, training to failure is repeating an exercise (such as the bench press) to the point of momentary muscular failure, i.e. the point where the neuromuscular system can no longer produce adequate force to overcome a specific workload.”
You'll even find that page says that training to failure is necessary for maximal muscle gains, which is total nonsense by the way.
You don't have to train to failure to build muscle. There are too many other factors to determine whether or not you build muscle from any given workout.
Does training to failure build muscle? Yes, of course it does, under the right conditions. Your weight lifting routines should take into account all of these factors to ensure you build muscle.
Here's an example of training to failure:
I do want to share one more tip with you before we move on from training to failure.
Seasoned veterans that have been training to failure for many years will tell you that your mind does trick you into believing you are at the point of failure. I've done this over and over since I've been lifting weights.
Most people don't truly reach failure at a muscular level during a set. It's usually your mind that reaches failure first.
Many times you will be able to push through another rep or two once your mind tells you that you've reached failure.
Of course, you need the experience to see this and don't injure yourself by pushing something as your form breaks down. This isn't smart and only leads to injury, which keeps you out of the gym.
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7. How to stay away from failure?
Before you know your recovery abilities, you should stay away from failure for most sets.
You can definitely learn to push yourself when going for new personal records a little further down the line but first learn proper form and technique without going to failure.
The results will be very good so don't worry about the requirement that some people give to go to complete failure.
It's simple to stay away from failure.
Once the speed of the rep significantly slows down, stop the set on the completion of that repetition.
This keeps you away from training to failure and requires less recovery effort and resources from your body in between your weight lifting routines each week.
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8. How long to rest between sets and exercises?
Resting between sets may be different for some weight lifting routines.
Here at Weight Lifting Complete, all weight lifting workouts are designed to build muscle and strength.
I do not believe in training through as much fatigue as possible in your weight training workouts. Instead, I want you to be able to put maximum effort and force into each set of each exercise.
For example, let's use Power 90 or P90 or P90x as an example. All they do is lift light weights over and over to wear you down. Instead, I choose heavier weight with more rest between sets and exercises.
I use different forms of cardio to increase fitness instead of using weight lifting to increase fitness.
Usually, this is 1 to 5 minutes of rest between sets.
For lower reps sets, you'll need more rest time. Maybe 3 to 5 minutes depending on the level of effort you just put forth on the previous set.
For higher rep sets, you might only need 1 to 2 minutes between sets.
The design of your weight lifting routines also makes a difference as you can actively rest by doing a set of another exercise that uses totally different muscle groups.
This can help you save workout time as I will explain a little later down this FAQ.
In other words, though, simply rest enough that your muscles are recovered well between sets and exercises (for routines that are designed this way).
Beyond failure training in the WLC Workouts Level 9 will have you doing rest pause sets purposely which is less rest between sets but uses the same heavy weight for fewer reps.
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9. How long to rest between workouts?
For example, some routines will have you doing 2 workouts per week with 2 and 3 days of rest between workouts.
Other routines will have you working out 4 times per week with about 24 hours between some workouts.
I've even done two a day workouts for 6 days a week with only one rest day.
You need adequate rest between workouts, but the key to all of this is the volume, intensity, and frequency of all your workouts combined.
For instance, I can't do 2 full body workouts a day for 6 days with very high volume (relative to what I can handle) and very high intensity (all sets to failure).
There's no way I will recover from that. I know that because I know myself very well from gaining experience over the years. Could I work my way up to that? Maybe. The body is an amazing design.
Here's the key I will share with you today.
If you are able to make strength gains, you are recovering properly from your workouts. Use that to monitor your progress and to see what you are able to recover from with your weight lifting routines.
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10. When to stretch?
With the WLC Workouts Manual, I highly recommend a warm up prior to your workouts that includes some form of stretching and acclimation.
Dynamic stretching like front to back leg swings and side to side leg swings are a great choice. You can even do more dynamic stretching between sets if you need to do them for increased mobility and flexibility (helps with execution of exercises).
Weighted stretching or forceful stretching is also recommended after completion of all sets for a given major muscle group.
For instance, once stiff legged deadlifts are completed in a workout routine, you would then go into a hamstring stretch and work on increasing the stretch for a set period of time.
I like to take deep breaths and count them. Then use the number of deep breaths as an indicator of progress.
You might start with 10 deep breaths for your stretches in week 1 workouts and increase by 2 deep breaths each week (just an example).
Stretching is very important in improving your overall physical fitness levels.
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11. How to warm-up for weight lifting routines?
There isn't a perfect way to warm-up for a workout but there are some general guidelines you should follow.
For example, you want to be “warm,” but you don't want to wear yourself out and take away from your actual working sets.
Pre Workout Warm Ups
Here's what I usually recommend for a pre-workout warm up:
- 5 mintues of light cardio (increase the intensity slightly each minute)
- 20 jumping jacks, 10 body weight squats, 5 easy push ups (decrease/increase as needed to fit your level)
- Any dynamic stretches or static stretches you need to improve upon
That's it. Quick and easy pre workout warm-up.
The next part of your warm-ups takes a little more work to understand, but is easy once you get the hang of it.
Specific Weight Lifting Exercise Warm-Ups
This is where most people really mess up in their weight lifting routines.
For example, someone who is going to target 185 pounds at 5 reps for squats might grab a power rack and barbell and load it to 135 pounds immediately and do 20 reps. This is their specific exercise warm up set.
What a bad idea on how to warm up for your workout. This decreases what you can do later and wears you out.
Follow these warm up guidelines for your weight lifting routines:
- Never do more reps than the target number of reps for a working set.
- Start with only the barbell at the beginning of a workout or very light weights and work up from there.
- Raise the weight each warm up set by 10 to 20 percent of your working weight while decreasing the number of reps.
- Your last warm up set should use a weight around 10% lighter than your working weight.
- Only do as many warm up sets as needed to properly warm up.
- Decrease the number of warm up sets as the workout progresses.
- Add warm up sets as needed for muscle groups or joints that need more warming up.
In other words, don't just pick up the weight you're going to use for a heavy working set and start lifting.
And on the other end of the spectrum: don't do too many warm up sets with high reps and wear yourself down before your sets.
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12. What's a good weight lifting routine layout?
As you have seen on this page, there are an endless number of weight lifting routines and layouts that will work great.
The most common that you'll find here at Weight Lifting Complete are full body workouts consisting of 3 workouts per week and split routines consisting of 3 workouts per week.
For split routines, you'll find I usually split the workouts into the following:
Split Routine Common Layouts
Chest, Shoulders, Triceps
Back, Traps, Biceps, Forearms
Quadriceps, Hamstrings, Calves
Or
Biceps, Forearms, Quadriceps, Hamstrings, Calves
Chest, Back, Traps, Shoulders, Triceps
But, you'll find many different layouts besides those. There really is no bad layout as long as you are able to make progress.
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13. How to do chin ups and dips for beginners?
Most beginners aren't going to be able to do chin ups, pull ups, and dips with their body weight.
If you can, awesome!
For those who cannot, you can use the jump up method without purchasing any extra equipment and then lower yourself under as much control as you can.
The negative portion or lowering portion of the rep will be easier for you because you are much stronger in the negative portion of a repetition.
After just a little while doing this, you will become much stronger and you can use a shorter jump to the top and allow your muscles to work more at the top of the positive portion of the rep.
This is how I did this many years ago and it worked very well. Dips are easier for me so they went even faster for me. You may be the same, or chin ups might be easier for you.
Another method you can use is resistance bands.
Simply loop the band around the pull up bars or dip bars and put your foot in the band for more help or your knee in the band for a little less assistance (band is stretched less with the knee than the foot).
See how easy chin ups are now? You can get different resistance bands and work on using less resistance over time until you are able to do pull ups on your own. You can also combine several bands at once.
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14. How to add weight to chin ups, push ups, and dips for stronger weight lifters?
Once you can do many bodyweight pull ups and dips, it's time to start adding weight.
I highly recommend a hip belt because they are so useful for many different exercises.
For instance, I use mine for all calf raises versus adding weight on my upper back as this stresses your lower back more and more.
I don't want to stress my lower back with calf raises as I want to save that extra lower back recovery time for squats and deadlifts.
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15. What are personal records?
Personal records or PR or PR's are new records for weight lifted and reps completed.
You should be tracking all your weight lifting exercises progress with the one rep max calculator.
This calculator tells you what your current one rep max estimate would be with the weight and reps that you completed.
When you hit a new one rep max, you've set a new personal record.
Setting personal records often or more frequent will lead to faster gains in muscle and strength.
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16. How to save time in your weight lifting routines?
One of the best pieces of advice I can give you is to choose weight lifting exercises in an order that do not interfere with each other.
For example, while doing your working sets of squats you can begin warming up for your next exercise between the sets of squats (if you choose the right exercise).
If you choose an exercise that uses the same space and same barbell, you won't be able to warm up between working sets of squats.
Let's say you're doing low bar squats and your next exercise is overhead barbell press. You only have one power rack, and you don't want to keep changing the weights to do your overhead press warm up sets.
Instead, you can choose low bar squats and the single arm overhead press with a dumbbell.
Now, you can do barbell squats and the single arm overhead press at the same time (warm up for overhead press between working sets of squats).
Do you see what I mean? This will save HUGE amounts of time in your weight lifting routines so program design should depend on the weight lifting equipment you have available.
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17. How to lift with proper form and technique?
I highly recommend you start by learning the low bar squat and the conventional barbell deadlift.
In order to do this, Starting Strength is the only book I recommend. This is a very important book to read, study, and put into practice for your weight lifting routines.
I just wish I would have had this when I started lifting weights as a beginner.
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18. When to stop using weight lifting routines?
The duration of a weight lifting routine depends on the design of the program.
How many times will you reset exercises once you are stalling?
You can stop the routine after the first stall if you are really run down. Or, you can add a couple of extra rest days here and there and squeak out all of the gains that you can from the heavier weights.
One of the most important parts of a routine is the end of the program when you're lifting the heaviest amount of weight.
If you can keep going for as long as possible, you will achieve greater gains with the heavier weight.
So the choice is up to you since you need to be in tune with your body and understand when it's had enough.
Measuring results with the WLC System will really help you to learn your body very well.
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19. What's the best style of weight training for me?
As you've seen, I've included 9 different styles of weight training in the WLC Workouts Manual.
- Strength Specific Full Body Routines
- Size Specific Full Body Routines
- Strength Specific Split Routines
- Low Recovery Split Routines
- High Intensity Split Routines
- Increased Volume Split Routines
- Maximum Volume Split Routines
- Pulsating 3 Factor Routines
- Advanced Beyond Failure Routines
The best advice I can give you is to start out with levle 1 full body strength specific training and then move to level 2 after you've built a good strength base.
You might stay with level 1 and level 2 for your lifetime as full body workouts are awesome! You can get all the results you'll ever need with full body workouts.
If you have trouble with full body workouts and recovering after you become more advanced, try the split routines in level 4 through 7.
Once you learn even more about your body, try level 8 and eventually level 9 (advanced trainers only).
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20. What are the best major muscle groups to work together?
So people will work legs on one day, chest on one day, back on another day, and so on.
Here's the truth: you can't isolate the chest from the back or the triceps from the shoulders or the biceps from the chest.
You might do bench press one day for your chest, but you better believe that your back and biceps are working hard during this exercise too. Maybe not as hard as your chest, but they are still working!
Again, I highly recommend full body workouts for everyone to start with. Once you see how great they are, you'll probably stick with them for a very long time.
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21. What's the best order to perform weight lifting exercises?
There are many different strategies you can take with this.
You can start each workout with the big compound exercises and move from hardest to easiest.
This might look like this:
- Squats
- Deadlifts
- Bench Press
- Rows
- Overhead Press
- Chin Ups
- Dips
- Barbell Curls
- Side Laterals
- Dumbbell Kickbacks
Or, you might want to start with the easier exercises first so you are more warmed up when you get to the toughest exercises.
This would look like this (in reverse order):
- Dumbbell Kickbacks
- Side Laterals
- Barbell Curls
- Dips
- Chin Ups
- Overhead Press
- Rows
- Bench Press
- Deadlifts
- Squats
The options for exercise order are endless.
I just recommend not putting exercises that interfere with each other (use the same equipment) right next to each other as you'll have trouble warming up for the next exercise and waste time.
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Weight Increase Percentage Tables
For your weight lifting routines, you will always need to know how much you're going to lift in the next workout.
If you're looking to increase by a specific percentage such as 2.5%, 5%, 7.5%, 10%, 12.5%, 15%, 17.5%, or 20% I am including a weight increase percentage chart download here for you.
You can use these weight increase charts to plan your overall weight lifting routine, or you can use them from workout to workout to figure out what you'll be lifting next.
I hope this helps you as I'm trying to give you everything you'll need for your weight lifting routines.
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The Best Weight Lifting Routine
You might say I'm a little biased as there are other great weight lifting routines out there too (plus many bad ones), but I believe the WLC System and the WLC Workouts (combined) form the best weight lifting routine in existence.
As you've seen here today, many different factors go into designing the best routines.
But that's not all.
There are many other factors that affect your results and the WLC System teaches you all of those. If you're just lifting weights and not changing anything else in your life, you'll have trouble getting the best results possible.
You might not get any results at all without changing your lifestyle.
For example, if you go out at night all the time, party, drink alcohol often, eat fried bar foods, never get good sleep (how can you with that lifestyle), would you expect to get good results from ANY weight lifting routines?
You should not expect results at all with that lifestyle. It's not healthy for you at all, and you're wrecking your body.
Just give the WLC System a shot, and I promise you'll be ecstatic with the results you achieve.
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Conclusion to Weight Lifting Routines
I truly hope you've enjoyed this page on weight lifting routines as I spent a lot of time writing this one!
If I haven't answered all of your questions about working out with weights, please let me know in the comments section below.
Here's to you getting jaw-dropping results with the information you've found here on weight lifting routines.
Thanks for visiting and reading!
Josh, President of WLC says
atIf you have any questions about weight lifting routines that I can help with, please let me know right here. Just reply to this comment if you need help or have a question. Thanks.