When I first started working out like many people my idol was Arnold Schwarzenegger. I used to look at pictures of him and see those massive biceps and huge chest looking back at me, almost calling out to me to get down the gym and start “Pumping Iron.”

I read everything I could about him and I studied his training regimes with great intensity. I decided that if I was going to have the same body as Arnold then I would have to hit the gym as hard as I could for hour’s everyday. This was a big mistake! That kind of workout routine might have been good for Mr. Olympia, but for somebody just starting out it turned out to be disastrous. I spent the first few weeks of my quest for muscle tired, bruised and fed up.

It was then that I realized that I needed to back up a little bit. I needed a basic workout routine to get myself started and to make things easier. Then once I got used to that then I could move on to more complex workouts. I’m not alone in making this common mistake though. All the time I see beginners at the gym lifting more weight than they should, training for too long and far too often.

So let’s make things easier and start off with a basic workout routine. I recommend working out your whole body 3 days a week for the first month. This will give you plenty of time to recuperate between workouts and will also give your muscles more time to grow. Next I would suggest just sticking to the basic exercises. Bench Press, Bicep Curls, Squats, Deadlifts, Chins, Overhead Press, Triceps Extensions and Crunches are all great exercises for a simple workout.

Lastly I would say that it’s important not to try to lift too much weight too soon. It may be tempting to try and bench press lots of weight to impress your friends but in the end you are just kidding yourself. Starting off with a lighter weight means that it easier for you to do the exercise correctly and put the muscle through the full range of motion.

I guarantee that if you follow this basic workout routine then you will be on your way to gaining the physique that you desire. If you start off slowly then it will be far easier to gain muscle quickly and easily than if you try and do too much too soon.

By: Jim Mills

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Jim also writes on a range of other topics including Dualit Kettle and Morphy Richards Kettle