A no-Nonsense guide to programming for a beginner-intermediate.

Disclaimer to the mods: None of the links mentioned in the post is mine or promotional in nature. They are the best videos to watch on the topic mentioned according to me.

Looking at the fitness post history of this sub, it's made by people who have reached at least an intermediate stage or near it(including myself) and use a lot of lifting vocabulary that can be hard to understand. I want to target this to the brethren who have very low experience of lifting and nutrition and don't understand the lingo of the church of Iron.

Who am I?

I am just some guy who has been lifting on and off since 2018, seriously starting in August 2020. Breakup and lockdown lead me to read a bunch of books and experiment with a lot of different routines and exercises. Below I am going to talk about the things I knew about 3 years ago when I started lifting. Below are my stats when I was bulking, I am weaker now since I am cutting for summer.

Lifting stats:Bench:225x1;Squat:250x3(have quit squatting);Deadlift:335x1;OHP:125x1;Pullups:18 @ 178cm(5'10),about 181 lbs 18% BF.Let me know if more stats are needed.

The Basic training variables:

Frequency: The number of times you train each muscle in a week. The main thing here is that training each muscle twice per week is better than only training each muscle once. That's why PPL is one of the most popular splits. It allows time for recovery and muscle growth. This does not mean you have to follow a PPL routine for maximal gains.

Volume: Volume, in simple terms, means a number of sets for muscle groups. Volume can be viewed as both volume per session and volume per week. Per-session volume requirements are actually very low about 3-5 sets per muscle per session. The real game starts with weekly volume which should be about 10-15 sets per muscle group.

Intensity(effort and load): Try to learn the concept of what RPE is and how to use it in your workout. I'll link the best video you can watch to learn about RPE.RPE is not the holy grail of judging your intensity but it is damn well helpful. Work within RPE 6-8 as a beginner.

PROGRESSIVE OVERLOAD: The gradual increase of stress placed upon the body during exercise training. In training contexts, this generally involves progressively increasing some lifting parameters over time: weights, reps, sets, ROM, tempo are the main ones.

RPE:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2xEYSsfiWIE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WXQaEq4_2lY

Problem with the most fitness advice for beginners:

1.Following cookie cutter bro splits

2.Defending 5x5 splits as the holy grail of fitness.

Now both have their place and time, but what if you don't enjoy them? How can you modify it according to your needs?

Let's talk about programming your own split:

It should include these lifts as the starting ones: Deadlift, Squats, Bench press, Overhead press, BB rows: aka the compound movements.

Some people say compound movements are not required for hypertrophy. Well, while it's true to a certain extent and definitely debatable: they should still be done to develop those stabilizer muscles that no one will bother training(adductors). They also help strengthen tendons and ligaments which are an often overlooked part of lifting. You can learn a lot about your body through doing and learning compound lifts.

Don't quit compound movements till you have at least reached the intermediate stage for your lifts within your weight class.

https://strengthlevel.com/strength-standards

I am gonna attach the videos below I wished I watched as a beginner to learn the form:

Deadlift: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wYREQkVtvEc

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NYN3UGCYisk

Squat: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ubdIGnX2Hfs

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ubdIGnX2Hfs

Bench press:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BYKScL2sgCs

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BYKScL2sgCs

OHP:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_RlRDWO2jfg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=llHxxeHEzHI

BB rows:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xVFU7XSgdxI

Valsalva Maneuver aka the breathing technique for lifting weights, the link below explains it better than I can:

https://www.artofmanliness.com/articles/how-to-breathe-when-lifting-weights/

You'll thank yourself for learning in the future for learning it at the beginning of your journey.

Programming for both strength and hypertrophy while experimenting:

I followed the philosophy of enjoying at least 80% of my workout when I started.

Divide the muscle groups into different parts:

Pecks
Shoulders
Back
Arms
Quads
Hamstrings
Glutes
Calves

Pick 2-3 different exercises besides the compounds mentioned above and keep doing the ones you like.

Do about 6-8 sets a week within the 8-15 rep range. Add weight to these exercises once you can do about 12 reps then shoot that for 8 reps on the same weight. Rinse and repeat.

When it comes to compound lifts, do them at the start of the workout. Pick a weight you can do for 8 reps on the compound and do it for 5 reps(RPE 7) for 3 sets a week. Try to do compounds like Deadlift and squat once a week as they're tiring on the nervous system(CNS fatigue).

The program I followed myself looked something like this(UL split):

Bench press:3x5 RPE 7

Lat pulldown:3x10-12 RPE 8

OHP:3x12 RPE 7

Cable row:3x12 RPE 8

Bicep curls:3 sets to failure

Tricep extension:3 set to failure

This is just an example of doing heavy bench press at the start and significantly going down towards lighter weight and higher reps. Do this for all your programming the way you want to do it.

Progressive overload:

1.Try to keep the volume of a muscle below 15 sets a week and work on increasing the weight or reps.

2.What worked for me was hitting 15 reps before I lift the next higher weight in line for other exercises than main compounds.

3.For major compounds, try to add 2.5 lbs every week or at least every other week.

Injury prevention:

If I could go back and tell my younger, beginner self one thing about the injury; it'll be the following:

If your shoulder, lower back,knees, hips, or any other joint is having persistent paint for more than 2 minutes, leave the gym.

I cannot stress the advice above for a beginner. Do not lift through pain. LEARN THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN PAIN AND DISCOMFORT.

Video to help with this:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ao4KCabGAKc

Feel free to let me know if I forgot to add something that was important or to change something if I am wrong.

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I only lazily workout like 4 times 30 mins a week and i reached 82kg 5x5 BP / squats 102kg 5x5 / 52kg 5x8 ohp in 4 months so we are not even that far. Im 80kg. i do muay thai too so maybe that helps. I have a good protein intake tho. Overall Im not hugely proud of my stats its kind of a bare minimum to me.

My friends who does twice a week with (way) more volume than me definetely has your stats except he does 5x5 with them, and he got to that in 3 month (after a background of lifting in the past, granted)

I feel ive been a bit mean for no reason, for what i care..

Point is this is nice but not "there" yet if you are looking for really top looks. you should push for your stats at 5x5, not just 1rm, and DEFINETELY less BF. Also you should do weighted pull ups its lit and fits well in a 5x5.

[–][deleted] 0 points1 point2 points 5 years ago (0 children) | Copy Link

I know I am not there,no shit dude.I have been SERIOUSLY lifting since august 2020.

Also,any pretty much any sport you do besides lifting helps with lifting itself one way or the other.

“After a lifting background in the past”-are you on drugs bro?Ever heard of muscle memory?

Also,next time upload the videos.I still don’t believe you.

Even if your bench press is 82 kg max for 5 reps,your max bench is 94.25 KG.That’s about 6 kg less than mine buddy.Provided those numbers are from January for mine and a little over 4 months.

I appreciate your advice.But I am way ahead of you in the gym,with way more knowledge.Unless you have something to add,don’t say anything as your advice is irrelevant.You never heard of the saying:Don’t advice someone bigger than you at the gym.

“it’s kinda bare minimum to me”-Upload your videos and I’ll shut up and delete the post altogether and will never a fitness post ever again.It’s impossible for you to hit those numbers in 4 months at your weight with no background of lifting whatsoever even if Muay Thai helped.Your OHP Max comes out to about 65 Kgx1 in 4 months.

This is not to act hurt,but maybe learn something.I hate 5x5.Did it to get to novice numbers and then stopped.This post was made for people who like me don’t like doing 5x5.But you my friend are blatantly lying about your numbers and you dared to reply that after I called you out.

[–]Sumsar01 0 points1 point2 points 5 years ago (9 children) | Copy Link

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[–]Sumsar01 0 points1 point2 points 5 years ago (7 children) | Copy Link

I did the Starting Strength LP. squats ended at around 5*130kg squat, 5*170kg deadlift, bench 5*80kg, and press 5*55kg. (I do really well with much higher pressing volume 20-25 sets/week) I'm am 182 cm and 81 kg atm. No clue what my body fat is or if it's even measurable, but my waist is 87ish cm.

I don't base it on any chart. Because those charts are useless. They don't actually tell you anything useful, because of their high bias. It's self-reported and you don't know how trained people actually are or how smart they train.

Those squat numbers are from data gathered by Starting Strength coaches training tens of thousands of clients doing their LP.

I don't know what you call copy-paste. But don't you think you should actually have experience before posting about it? I mean you are clearly a novice, I'm stronger than you atm after not being able to train with weights since the start of December.

[–][deleted] 0 points1 point2 points 5 years ago* (6 children) | Copy Link

[–]Sumsar01 0 points1 point2 points 5 years ago (5 children) | Copy Link

Stop using those shitty calculators m8. There is something called specificity. The demands on a 5RM and 1RM are different. There aren't free carryover, you get good at what you practice.

Ye no m8 nothing copy-pasted in that post, but nice try. At your level, you're doing something wrong if you lose strength while cutting. Especially at "18%" bodyfat.

Well, I don't go to a commercial gym that's for sure. I currently train at one of Scandinavia's largest CrossFit boxes. I started my bench around 5*60k and I've had multiple other non trained males start there without problems.

SS isn't 5x5 LP it's 3x5, but besides that, it is pretty much like strong lifts. You just don't start with only the bar as some retard. If you can still LP your DL you can gain 27kg-81kg on your fives in 12 weeks and at 130ish kg for 5 you should be able to LP unless you're really unlucky.

I don't see why you would want to be married to LP, it's objectively the worst type of periodization. Any decent strength program should be able to gain you at least 27kg on your DL in 12 weeks at this point. If you also peak and practice singles you should be close to 195kg.

You keep saying I'm lying. But why would I? So maybe I'm not.

[–][deleted] 0 points1 point2 points 5 years ago (4 children) | Copy Link

I am literally against LP after a certain point mate,I thought you said that you used LP to get to 195 KG 1 RM.

There are free carryovers,maybe not as specific as the scale I used but pretty close.There is a reason accessory lifts exist.I shot up my bench without benching for 4 weeks and substituted it with incline press and dips. Currently,I do 200x8 RPE 8 that makes my bench about 266 lbs 1 RM.I didn't mention it because it wasn't fair to the post as i haven't tested my max in a while. You forgot that the muscles only know tension. Principle of variation still applies and directly complements,if not contradict,the principle of specificity.I can complicate more because I know the shit,but the post is as simplified as it could have been.Let's compare your post and my post by showing it to a beginner.

You can linearly deadlift your way to about 3 and a half plates, then you need to periodize.For the majority of the population,the highest dealift for a natural person will be about 500 lbs on a weight of 180 lbs after years of lifting .I know a guy with one of the best genetics in the world,the first time he deadlifted;he did 315 lbs(140kG).It's been 2 years and he hasn't moved over 450 as his max at a weight of 175lbs. I call bullshit again that you pulled 170kgx5 in a few months on dealift with any kind of leverages at your weight without prior lifting experience whatsoever. And in a universe that's true,you might be one of the most gifted athletes I have seen natural.I know you did not mention you're natural, but I like to assume so.Genetics play a good role in what you can and can't do.I quit squatting because I have 26 inch thigs as my legs respond really well and are naturally big.I only train them once a week. Due to boxing being another r hobby,I focus more on explosive lifts to generate more power.

I am losing strength because I did a crash diet for boxing for about 6 weeks starting mid-January. Atleast ask the full story before commenting.Attack with something logical.What part of hyperthrophy focused program did you not get.I am not following a strength program,never did except once in 2018.I follow a powerbuilding program of whose design i mentioned above. I follow what I preach. Now coming to the point of specificity,boxing had a carryover into increasing my pullups.Please tell me that's a shitty number too.Lifting is not my sport or my passion, I do it as a hobby and the post was targeted to absolute beginners who don't want to succumb to a single program.

I keep saying you're lying,because you are lying .I have the same question,why?In 0.000001% chance you're not lying, don't waste your time with someone like me with only above average genetics fighting on the internet.Go be the best natural powerlifter to exist till date.

[–]Sumsar01 0 points1 point2 points 5 years ago (3 children) | Copy Link

Let me clarify. I have not done an optimal LP. I started it with some experience. However not experience that matters. So I'm talking about what I can do in someone I "coach" if I would make them run an LP. I don't know what my 1RM ended at during my LP ended at, because I didn't test it and why would I? The LP doesn't train 1RM, but 5RM. I have logs on the strength standard page you linked. Aug 31 - 5*150kg DL. Oct 20 - 5*170kg DL.

There is a hierarchy of principles here. On top we have variation. If you want to get good at something you need to do that thing. Be that squat heavyweight if you want to be stronger in the squat, do math if you want to be better at math w/e. The closer something is to another thing the larger the carryover. So let's say you want to increase your squat. Pause squats probably have a large carryover while lunges or leg press have lower carryover. However, every time you impose a stimulus you adapt to that stimuli, also called SAID. That means that at some point you will either have to change or increase the stimulus to adapt, due to adaptive resistance. This is the principle of variation.

addressing the carryover thing. If you are not very trained riding your bike will also increase your squat.

Where you can get to on an LP is completely dependent on the individual. I know 3 people who were dumb enough to complete an LP (including me) and non of their numbers were similar. I did all the same reps and sets as my training partner and his press ended 20kg later than mine.

My best DL is currently 506 lbs at 180 lbs after 2 years of training and I am natural. This bth isn't something special. The reason why you don't see it more often is because 1) it takes dedication. 2) after novice level strength you have to use your brain to get significant gains. My numbers aren't freak numbers and I highly doubt that I have any chance of competing at any top-level in powerlifting. I've seen the gains of freaks and I'm not one of them.

I mean why would I assume that you did not give me the full information when talking about your diet. Doesn't seem to be my job to ask.

I don't really care about pull-ups or have any references for them. They are also hard to compare since there really isn't a standard.

I'm not really a outlier. Just go to the starting strength forum if you want to see what result people get from their LPs.

[–][deleted] 0 points1 point2 points 5 years ago (2 children) | Copy Link

People lie on forums. You told me to stop looking using calculators and want me to believe what people say on forums?

"muscles only know tension" might be right if you talk about hypertrophy. But you also talk about 1RM, which is a test of maximal strength, which is a function of both muscular and neural adaption. The principle of variation does not contradict the principle of specificity. "-Yeah so a 5 RM wouldn't help with neural and musclar adaption for a 1RM.I know LP does not train 1 RM and specific programs exists for the same,however,denying that training 5 RM does not carryover to 1 RM in anyway is just contradicting the literature which to be frank contradicts itself all the time.

No shit none of the numbers on LP were similar.But the numbers you're claiming to get through LP are not feasible my dude.Though I have never tried it myself,I have read enough literature on it for me to know you lying. Looking at your comment carefully,the only thing you seem to lie about or me misunderstanding is how experienced you were.I'll pay you to coach a complete beginner at 180 lbs to get his deadlift to 170 Kgx5 in 3 months from 60Kg and all the other numbers you claimed from LP.

" There is a hierarchy of principles here. On top we have variation. If you want to get good at something you need to do that thing. Be that squat heavyweight if you want to be stronger in the squat, do math if you want to be better at math w/e. The closer something is to another thing the larger the carryover. So let's say you want to increase your squat. Pause squats probably have a large carryover while lunges or leg press have lower carryover. However, every time you impose a stimulus you adapt to that stimuli, also called SAID. That means that at some point you will either have to change or increase the stimulus to adapt, due to adaptive resistance. This is the principle of variation. "-Well aware and agree.

I don't train for strength.I do mix a lot of things but know what's possible and what isn't through reading a lot of books and literature on fitness.

506 after two years seems reasonable with proper programming for strength.But I don't believe you on 170 Kgx5 in a few months for a beginner linearly. Impossible dude, no matter what diet you're on at 180 lbs.If you're already doing 5x150Kg,you're not a novice according to the chart itself.

Again, I based my whole answer on arguing from an inexperienced person's perspective;not an experienced one.If you want to test my knowledge or doubting my ability,feel free to DM me with any questions.A four-plate deadlift is impossible to reach in a few months for an inexperienced lifter at 180lbs. Argue more with any concept,it is not going to happen.Even with proper programming,genetics,diet etc,it'll take about a year.

[–] Sumsar01 0 points 1 point 2 points 5 years ago (1 child) | Copy Link

Okay ill clear my mistanke up here. Training 5RM does most likely have some carryover to 1RM. But it's just wierd to test something you did not practice.

I've yet to meet a 180 pound guy that should start with only 60kg on his DL. Starting with DL 3 times a week at the start with jumps larger than 5 pounds. Then lowering freq and jumps as it get harder. Might not get to 5*170kg in 3 months, but will get close. I however would not have normal people train like this since it's hard to adhere to.

The chart is bad because you are and individual. Your LP might end at beginner or it might end at elite. Intermediate of even useful is determined by how fast you can advance, not how strong you are.

I will bet money that I can get any average male that is able to adhere to training and dieting a 200kg DL in one year.

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Title	A no-Nonsense guide to programming for a beginner-intermediate.
Author	je_suis_monke
Upvotes	45
Comments	39
Date	April 14, 2021 6:41 PM UTC (5 years ago)
Subreddit	Posted in /r/TheRedPill
Original Link	https://old.reddit.com/r/TheRedPill/comments/mqx17q/a_nononsense_guide_to_programming_for_a/
Archive Link	https://theredarchive.com/r/TheRedPill/a-no-nonsense-guide-to-programming-for-a-beginner.755258 https://theredarchive.com/post/755258

Valsalva Maneuver aka the breathing technique for lifting weights, the link below explains it better than I can:

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