I have seen many new lifters at my gym, generally fucking about; curling here and there, benching, or spending 30 minutes on the treadmill. I enjoy seeing people join the physical strength kvlt, but I want them to do it right, Men's Fitness articles or Bodybuilding dot com forums will not cut it. I want to cut through the bullshit and give you the truth if the matter.
1) You are capable of more than you think. Between volume (total number of reps and sets), frequency (number of times you are in the gym), and intensity (how hard you lift); you should pick two as a beginner and hit it hard. Is size your goal? Volume and Frequency. Strength? Frequency and Intensity. Have very little time? Volume and Intensity.
2) Focus on compounds and don't do novel exercises. Simple and difficult, not complex and easy. One armed overhead BOSU ball deadlifts are dumb and ineffective. Stick to the Big 6: Bench, Squat, Dead, Row, Press, Chin. They are the best bang for your buck. You can toss one or two isolation moves (Raises, Curls, Crunches, etc) at the end and you're gold.
3) Whatever you decide to do, do it for 6 weeks minimum. Tough it out. You won't see a change in one week, you need to stay dedicated. Program hopping or constant adjustments will only hinder your progress. Lifting can be boring sometimes and that's fine. Push through and program something better the next 6 weeks.
That's the country Chad btw, in Africa.
We call this fella 'Pithicus.
