BodyBuilding.com: Workout #1

I don't want to do the same workout every time I go to the gym, or every time I workout at home - not only is it a bit boring, but it actually stops you making gains, as you continually focus on the same muscle groups. I'm still looking to gain muscle as well as tone, so I took to bodybuilding.com to search for an upper and lower body workout aimed at achieving the aforementioned goal. That said, I don't think changing your workout every week is a good thing either, as it makes it difficult to see strength gains!

Bodybuilding.com is an excellent website for many reasons; it is a wealth of information on the fitness industry, from workouts to supplements to fitness celebrity workouts to interviews. You can create your own account and buy supplements from the site, as well as talk to other like-minded individuals. The website also has a feature where it directs you to suitable workouts, however I prefer to look myself.

It can be a bit overwhelming at first, as there are thousands of programmes, so practise a bit of SEO (search engine optimisation) and really think about what you want to achieve. Putting in 'upper body workout' is too vague - do you want to split your workout into upper and lower, or by body parts (back, chest, arms, abs, legs etc)? 

I wanted a separate upper and lower body programme because of time constraints; my passion is horse riding, so as much as I love lifting things up and putting them down, I would rather be at the stables with Mr Ernest than at the gym. That said, I still want to achieve results. The programme I found allows me to heft around heavier weights for less reps, and if I have more time, I add a couple of extra exercises on. 

The regimes I've been doing are in Part One: Alternating Upper and Lower Body Workouts:

http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/3-full-body-workouts-for-size.htm

The rep range is lower on these exercises, but I do about 8 - 10 reps of each.

If you are doing these at home, you may need to make some changes if you don't have all the equipment - I don't own any barbells or machines. With the Upper Body Workout, all of these can be done with dumbbells. For the weighted dips, just use your body weight and a chair or low table. With the Lower Body Workout, the only one you can't do is the lat pull down. Replace this with a different back exercise, or just miss it out. For the calf raises, do them on your stairs or on the pavement.

I like to add about 4 or 5 different ab exercises at the end, such as crunches, L-sits, bicycle crunches, oblique rolls and jack knifes. 

One of the things I really love about this site is that under each workout is a link to a printable page and a PDF, where you can add details of any cardio you did during the workout, your weight, additional supplement info, etc.

If you've never been on Bodybuilding.com before, go and check it out. It's given me loads of ideas and keeps me inspired.

xxx