Looking for a few good strength training routines that don't require access to a state-of-art health club? These back-to-basics kind of routines will help you get on track whether you're a novice or veteran.
Beginner Strength Training Routines
These routines assume that you're not an absolute beginner; you probably have a month or two of regular workouts under your belt and feel like you're starting to get the hang of the basics. You have a clue of how to perform a variety of exercises, and you've recently moved to the point where you want to do a two-day split of your body so as to train each muscle group a little harder.
Day 1: Upper Body
Chest: 3 sets of dumbbell chest presses on flat bench
Chest: 3 sets of regular push ups, to failure
Chest/shoulders: 3 sets of seated barbell military presses
Biceps: 3 sets of standing barbell bicep curls
Biceps/forearms: 3 sets of standing dumbbell hammer curls
Triceps: 3 sets of dips (assisted or in machine, if needed)
Triceps: 2 sets of French presses (aka. skullcrushers or EZ curls)
Back: 3 sets of front lat pulls
Back: 3 sets of seated rows
Shoulders: 3 sets of standing dumbbell lateral raises
Abs: 3 sets abdominal crunches, to failure
Day 2: Lower Body
Quads: 3 sets of leg presses
Quads: 3 sets of classic squats
Quads: 2 sets of seated leg extensions
Hamstrings: 3 sets of seated hamstring curls
Hamstrings: 2 sets of light good mornings
Calves: 3 sets of standing calf presses
Calfs: 3 sets of seated calf presses
Abs: 3 sets abdominal crunches, to failure
Advanced Strength Training Routines
After a year or two, you're ready to move up to the next level. This is a three-day split, but there are other strength training routines with four- or even five-day splits, allowing you to put your entire focus on just one or two muscle groups. That may be slight overkill at this point, however; you'll know when it's time to step things up even further.
Day 1: Chest and Triceps
Chest: 3 sets of dumbbell chest presses on flat bench
Chest: 2 sets of dumbbell chest presses on incline bench
Chest: 3 sets of regular push ups, to failure
Chest: 2 sets of cable crossover pulls
Triceps: 3 sets of dips (assisted or in machine, if needed)
Triceps: 3 sets of standing tricep pressdowns
Triceps: 2 sets of French presses (aka. skullcrushers or EZ curls)
Abs: 3 sets abdominal crunches, to failure
Day 2: Back, Biceps and Shoulders
Back: 3 sets of classic deadlifts
Back: 3 sets of front lat pulls
Back: 3 sets of one-hand dumbbell rows (supported against bench)
Back: 2 sets of dumbbell shrugs
Biceps: 3 sets of standing barbell bicep curls
Biceps: 3 sets of seated dumbbell concentration curls
Biceps/forearms: 3 sets of standing dumbbell hammer curls
Forearms: 2 sets reverse-grip barbell bicep curls
Shoulders: 3 sets of standing dumbbell lateral raises
Shoulders: 3 sets of shoulder machine of choice
Abs: 3 sets abdominal crunches, to failure
Day 3: Legs and Abs
Abs: 3 sets abdominal crunches (on ab-board, if available)
Abs: 3 sets twisting abdominal crunches (on ab-board, if available)
Abs: 3 sets of kneeling cable crunches
Quads: 3 sets of leg presses
Quads: 3 sets of classic squats
Quads: 2 sets of seated leg extensions
Quads/hamstrings: 3 sets lunges (holding dumbbells or barbell)
Hamstrings: 3 sets of seated hamstring curls
Hamstrings: 3 sets of lying-down hamstring curls
Hamstrings: 2 sets of light good mornings
Calfs: 3 sets of donkey presses (machine or training partner)
Calfs: 3 sets of standing calf presses
Calfs: 3 sets of seated calf presses
