ExRx.net

Seeing as I complain all the time about people with aesthetic goals being shown the typical beginner routines that ignore that desire of theirs, I came up with a 4 way that I feel addresses the issues at hand.

Couple things:
1) No routine will allow you to out-train your diet
2) This isn't some magic set-up, your effort will be required
3) If you swap out lifts the following 3 are acceptable replacements: squat, squat & squat



Okay I'm just kidding about #3, sort of...

quickly this:

Day 1
*Front squats - ramp up to a 5 rep max 1 or 2 work sets
*DB or BB Flat bench - ramp up to a 5 rep max, 2 or 3 work sets
*DB or BB Incline - ramp up to a 5 rep max, 1 or 2 work sets
Lateral raises - 3 or 4 sets of 8-12 reps
Pushdowns - 3 or 4 sets of 8-12 reps
cable or DB flies if your feeling peppy.

Day 2
*Deads or Rack pulls - ramp up to a 5RM - 1 work set (MAYBE 2 worksets)
*Tbar or BB rows - sets of 8-12 reps, 3 or 4 work sets
Pulldowns or chins - sets of 8-12 reps, 3 or 4 work sets
DB rows - sets of 12-20, 1 or 2 work sets
Curl variation - sets of 8+ reps, 2 or 3 sets total
Different curl variation - same

Day 3 (Take an off day between day 2 and 3)
*Back squat - ramp up to 5RM - 3+ work sets
*Leg Press - sets of 8-25 - 2 or 3 work sets
any other leg assistance, high rep work
---*** See Pete's comments in post 4***---

Day 4
*OH press - ramp up to a 5RM, 1-3 worksets
Lateral Raises - same as before
Rear delt work - same as lateral raises
*BB row - Same as before
Close grip bench
curl variation
*Shrugs - sets of 15-25, as heavy as humanly possible, 1 or 2 work sets


* = look to add weight to each lift as fast as possible. 5lbs a workout, 10 if you can. But shoot for no less than 10lbs a month if you can. Push yourself, but keep form.

EDIT: I forgot skull crushers because they murder my elbows, but throw them in on day 1 or 4.

EDIT 2: For the iso/assistance/non-stared work, start with a weight that is challenging for 8 reps, try and add reps each workout, once you can can 12 reps, instantly move up the weight. So, if week one you hit 9 reps with some DB curls with 30lbs, and week 2 you hit 12 reps, week 3 you are going to want to be using the 35lbs dumbells.

Also, ramp all the time. I'm not a huge fan of straight sets. Although I do them now for a very specific purpose, I don't like them for beginners. I'd rather see someone progressively work up to a heavier and heavier weight.

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So... With that said, don't be a wuss and leg press like you have some guts.

And doing single leg stuff as your assistance, is a pretty good idea. SO don't be afraid to do it in addition to squats and leg press, or instead of leg press.

But if you swap out the squat, without a doctor's note and verified medical evidence you can't do it, don't bother running this routine. Once you're advanced you can swap out a squat, but not as a newb.

NOTE: you can swap out the Front Squat for more back squatting. But I recommending trying to learn the front squat.

No isolation for calves and forearms?

For the audience this is really aimed for, no. While they can use it, this isn't a set-up for intermediate or advanced guys as is. The further along from novice a trainer is the more you customize the set-up for the individual.

Calves: Sure, hit em. Throw them in on leg day. They seem to be the most stubborn muscle group for most people. Add them in at the end of day 1. Most people, and by that I mean anyone I've ever seen with my own eyes, train calves like prepubescent school girls. Like Pete said with leg press I guess. So go ahead and calf raise to your hearts content. 9 out of 10 times you'll be wasting your time...

Forearms: anyone doing direct forearm hypertrophy work that can't hold at the VERY least 315, double overhand, for a reasonable amount of time, has made a grave mistake in their training, in my opinion. I'm not talking about supplemental grip work here, but I don't think a noob will need to worry about that right away either.

Awesome.

_________________
--
Peter V. Dell'Orto
http://strength-basics.blogspot.com