Moving From Beginner To Intermediate Level Bodybuilding

Moving From Beginner to​ Intermediate Level Bodybuilding
By now youve made significant progress in​ your bodybuilding career. For the​ past three to​ six months youve learnt how to​ perform the​ core lifting exercises in​ a​ technically correct manner. Youve also conditioned the​ body and developed sufficient core strength to​ prepare yourself for a​ whole new level of​ intensity. Hopefully youve also built some rock solid muscle! But thats only the​ beginning.
In recent weeks your workouts have probably lost some of​ their effect so,​ even though youre lifting bigger weights,​ your muscles now need even greater stimulation to​ generate maximal growth. Dont expect miracles though from this point onwards,​ every little bit of​ improvement will take even greater and more intensive work than before.
Because youll be working your muscles more intensively,​ theyll also need more recovery time to​ adapt and grow and thats why youll be reducing your workouts to​ three a​ week. Each primary muscle group trained will now need one full week to​ recover. After being used to​ whole body sessions and more workouts per week it​ may seem as​ if​ youre not doing enough but the​ point is,​ youll be working your muscles very,​ very intensively and making better use of​ your time.
As you​ gain more experience youll be able to​ tweak or​ redesign your basic muscle building program to​ suit your own individual needs,​ but the​ program described here should provide a​ useful starting point. What Im proposing is​ basically a​ 3split of​ the​ body on​ Monday,​ Wednesday and Friday.
MONDAY Chest,​ Triceps,​ Shoulders
1. Chest Exercises
Incline dumbbell press this is​ a​ compound exercise that targets the​ chest but also works the​ triceps and shoulders to​ a​ lesser extent.
Pecdeck flye this is​ an isolation exercise that works the​ pectorals.
2. Triceps
Dips this compound exercise targets the​ triceps but also works the​ chest and shoulders.
3. Shoulders
Front military press this compound exercise targets shoulders but also works the​ triceps.
Dumbbell lateral raises this isolation exercise works the​ shoulders only.
Bentover dumbbell laterals this isolation exercise works the​ rear delts.
WEDNESDAY Back,​ Biceps,​ Forearms
1. Back
Front lat pulls compound exercise that targets lats but also works the​ biceps and midback.
Deadlifts compound exercise that targets the​ back and quads but also works hamstrings,​ calves and glutes.
Dumbbell rows compound exercise that targets midback but also works biceps and lats.
Dumbbell shrugs isolation exercise that works traps.
2. Biceps
Dumbbell biceps curl isolation exercise that works the​ biceps.
Dumbbell hammer curls isolation exercise that works the​ biceps.
3. Forearms
Barbell wrist curl isolation exercise that works the​ forearms.
FRIDAY Lower Body
1. Legs
Squats or​ leg press compound exercise that targets the​ quads but also works the​ hamstrings,​ calves and glutes.
Leg extension isolation exercise that works the​ quads.
Leg curls isolation exercise that works the​ hamstrings.
Standing calf raise isolation exercise that works the​ gastrocnemius calf muscle.
Seated calf raise isolation exercise that works the​ soleus calf muscle.
You could start this program by aiming for two sets of​ 810 reps per exercise but as​ your strength and size increase you​ should really introduce techniques that boost the​ intensity even further. This can be achieved in​ a​ number of​ ways including the​ use of​ preexhaustion,​ super sets,​ partial reps,​ isometric contractions and forced reps. These techniques are covered in​ detail elsewhere in​ this series of​ articles.