Gym muscle training menu for beginners | How to efficiently train your whole body starting from once a week

4 reasons why gym beginners are prone to give up on strength training

Many beginners join a gym but find it difficult to stick with it and end up giving up.
The reasons behind this include not getting the results they want from self-styled training, or losing motivation and skipping the gym for more days.

The key to continuing is to understand the common mistakes beginners make and take measures to prevent them from becoming pointless.

Blind training doesn't produce results

If you simply operate the machine blindly in your own way without any training knowledge, you may not be able to properly stimulate your muscles and may not be able to feel the effects.
If you don't use the correct form to target the area you're working, or set the appropriate load to grow your muscles, you won't see results no matter how much time you spend.

If you work hard but don't see any changes to your body, your motivation will drop and going to the gym will become a hassle.

Incorrect training order reduces efficiency

There is a basic order to strength training that will maximize your results.
In general, it is more efficient to start by training the large muscles (chest, back, legs) which burn a lot of calories and use multiple joints, and then move on to the smaller muscles (arms, shoulders, abdominals).

If you fatigue small muscles like your arms first, you won't be able to exert as much force on your chest or back workouts afterwards, which will reduce the overall quality of your workout.
Without a planned split or rotation, training will be inefficient.

Trying too hard from the beginning makes it difficult to continue

When you first start going to the gym, you're highly motivated and tend to make unrealistic plans, such as going to the gym every day from the start.
However, if you suddenly start training hard every day, you may experience excessive fatigue and severe muscle pain, which may actually prolong the period during which you are unable to train.

Adequate rest is essential because muscles recover and grow during rest.
Overworking also increases the risk of injury, so it's important to find a pace that you can sustain.

Neglecting food and rest prevents muscle growth

Muscles grow when muscle fibers destroyed during training are repaired through rest and nutrition.
It is said that this "super recovery" requires 48 to 72 hours of rest after training.

If you focus only on training and neglect a diet centered on protein, which is the building block of muscle, and a good night's sleep, which is when growth hormone is secreted, your muscles will not grow sufficiently.
Only when training, diet, and rest are in harmony can your body change effectively.

The basic flow of gym training to maximize muscle training effects

To maximize the effectiveness of your gym training, it is important to train in the right way to prevent injury and build muscles safely and efficiently.

Improve the quality of your training by establishing a schedule that starts with a warm-up, followed by main strength training, aerobic exercise as needed, and a cool-down.

1. First, warm up your body (5-10 minutes)

Always warm up before starting your training.
Light aerobic exercise and dynamic stretching will gradually increase your heart rate and promote blood flow, warming up your muscles and joints and increasing your range of motion.

This warm-up not only improves your performance during training, but also plays an important role in significantly reducing the risk of injuries such as muscle tears.
It is important to set aside 5 to 10 minutes before starting serious muscle training to prepare your body for movement.

2. Strengthen your muscles with a main strength training session (30-60 minutes)

Once your body is warmed up, move on to the main strength training.
For beginners, it is recommended to choose a workout that works the large muscle groups of the body (chest, back, legs) in a balanced manner at once.

The advantage of machine training is that the trajectory of movement is stable, making it easy to learn the correct form and safe to use.
Train each body part using appropriate weights and repetitions, with rest periods between sets.
It is effective to focus on the session for about 30 to 60 minutes.

3. If you want to burn fat, incorporate aerobic exercise (20-30 minutes)

If your goal is to lose weight or burn fat, it is effective to incorporate aerobic exercise after strength training.
When you do strength training, growth hormone is secreted, making it easier for your body to break down fat.

At this time, doing aerobic exercise such as walking or running on a treadmill or a fitness bike for about 20 to 30 minutes will help you burn calories efficiently and make it easier to use fat as energy.
Swimming is also a highly recommended aerobic exercise that uses the whole body and burns a lot of calories.

4. Finally, cool down (5-10 minutes)

Always include a cool-down period at the end of your workout.
It gradually returns the heart rate and body temperature that have increased during training to normal levels and calms excited nerves.
After regulating your breathing by doing some light walking, etc., slowly stretching the muscles used in training with static stretching will help recover from fatigue and reduce muscle pain.

Cooling down increases muscle flexibility and contributes to long-term health, so it's a good idea to make it a habit to do so as part of your training.

[By frequency of attendance] How to create a muscle training menu for beginners to train the whole body

How often you go to the gym will depend on your personal lifestyle and goals.
Here we will introduce examples of training menus for beginners based on frequency of attendance: once a week, twice a week, or three times a week, so that they can continue without difficulty.

Find a plan that suits you by looking at specific ways to efficiently train your entire body within a weekly schedule.

Example of a full-body training menu for those who go to the gym once a week

The most effective weekly workout is a full-body workout that targets all major muscles in the body at once.
By stimulating the entire body in one training session, it becomes easier to prevent muscle loss even if there is a gap until the next training session.

The basic menu is to choose one exercise from each body part, focusing on large muscles, such as chest press, lat pulldown, leg press, shoulder press, and abdominal crunch, in a balanced way.
To achieve steady results even with less frequent training, focus on the quality of each training session.

Example of a workout for splitting your upper and lower body if you go to the gym twice a week

If you can go to the gym twice a week, we recommend splitting your training days into "upper body days" and "lower body days."
This method allows you to focus on specific areas and do more exercises and sets in one workout.

For example, on the first day you will focus on upper body exercises such as chest press, shoulder press, and lat pulldowns, and on the second day you will focus on lower body exercises such as leg press, leg curl, and calf raises.
This allows for sufficient rest periods for each part of the body, allowing for efficient muscle recovery and growth.

Example of a three-part training menu for those who go to the gym three times a week

If you can train three times a week, it's effective to divide your body into three sections: push muscles, pull muscles, and legs.
With this "PPL method," you train your chest, shoulders, and triceps (pushing movements) on the first day, your back and biceps (pull movements) on the second day, and your legs and buttocks on the third day.

This is a highly effective program for muscle hypertrophy, as it allows you to focus on each body part once a week and allows for ample recovery time.
By working different parts of your body on each training day, you can expect to maximize muscle growth.

7 Body Part Machine Training Options for Beginners

For gym beginners, machine training has the great advantage of being safer and easier to use than free weights.
Because the trajectory is fixed, it is easy to learn the correct form and it is possible to accurately apply stress to the targeted muscles.

Here we will introduce seven carefully selected basic machine training exercises that beginners should master in order to train the whole body in a balanced manner.
Master how to use each machine and build a foundation for effective training.

[Chest] Chest press to build a thicker chest

The chest press is a basic exercise for training the pectoral muscles, which is effective for building a thicker chest in men and increasing bust size in women.
Sit on the machine, push your grip forward, and keep your shoulder blades together and your chest out.
The basic movement is to exhale as you push the bar out and inhale as you slowly bring it back down.

It's important to adjust the seat height so that the grips are at chest height.
By being careful not to shrug your shoulders and focusing on contracting your pectoral muscles, you can build the foundation for a strong chest.

[Back] Lat pulldowns to achieve an inverted triangle shape

The lat pulldown is a training exercise that mainly targets the latissimus dorsi muscles, which create width in the back, and is an essential exercise for achieving an inverted triangle silhouette.
Grip the bar slightly wider than shoulder width, and lean back slightly with your chest out, bringing the bar up to your collarbone.
The key here is to use your back muscles to bring your shoulder blades together, rather than pulling with the strength of your arms.
By performing the exercise without curving your back, you can effectively stimulate the entire back muscle, including not only the latissimus dorsi but also the trapezius and erector spinae.

When combined with a seated row, it also creates thickness in the back.

[Legs] Leg press to strengthen the entire lower body

The leg press, along with the squat, is a machine that can efficiently train the entire lower body.
It particularly stimulates the quadriceps in the front of the thighs, the hamstrings in the back, and the gluteus maximus in the buttocks.
Sit on the machine, place your feet on the footplates, straighten your knees and push up on the plates.
At this time, not fully extending (locking) your knees will make it difficult to release the strain on your muscles.

A major advantage is that it puts less strain on the lower back than free weight squats, allowing even beginners to safely handle heavy weights.
The area stimulated changes depending on where you place your feet.

[Shoulders] Shoulder press to create a strong shoulder width

The shoulder press is a classic exercise that strengthens the deltoid muscles in the shoulders and makes the shoulders appear wider.
Sit on the machine, lean your back against the backrest, grasp the grips, and press up over your head.
The key is to avoid shrugging your shoulders and keep your neck long.

By moving slowly and controlled without using momentum and lowering your elbows to a position where they are not fully extended, you can provide sustained stimulation to your deltoids.
It also helps improve sloping shoulders and relieves shoulder stiffness by promoting blood circulation around the shoulders.

[Arms] Arm curls to strengthen your biceps

Arm curls are a classic exercise for training the biceps, which are the muscles in your upper body.
It can be done with a variety of equipment, including machines, cables, and dumbbells.
When using a machine, you sit on a seat and fix your elbows to the pads, so it is difficult to use momentum and it is easy to concentrate the load on the biceps.

It is important to keep your elbows still and your wrists straight throughout the movement.
To build strong arms, it is important to balance these exercises with exercises that train the triceps, the muscles on the back of the arms.

[Stomach] Abdominal crunches to get toned abs

Abdominal crunches are a machine exercise that targets the rectus abdominis muscles in the front of the abdomen.
It is easier to adjust the load than doing bodyweight crunches, and even beginners can effectively train their abdominal muscles.

The key is to sit on the machine, exhale, and curl your body up, focusing on contracting your abdominal muscles.
Be careful not to arch your back, and slowly return to the starting position.
To achieve a slimmer waist, it is advisable to also combine exercises that train the oblique abdominal muscles in your sides and the transverse abdominis muscles that support your core.

[Back of thighs] Leg curls to train hamstrings

Leg curls are a machine exercise that focuses on training the hamstrings on the back of the thighs.
There are lying leg curls, which are done face down, and seated leg curls, which are done while sitting.
In both exercises, you bend your knees and pull your heels against the pad, contracting the muscles in the back of your thighs.

This training not only creates a firm line on the back of the thighs, but also lifts the buttocks.
It is important to control the movement using only the power of your hamstrings, without using momentum.
It also provides additional training for the gluteus medius, gluteus medius, and calves.

5 tips to get the most out of your gym workouts

There are a few key tips to help you get the most out of your gym workouts, rather than just getting by.
Factors such as load setting, accuracy of form, and diet and rest outside of training are extremely important in achieving results.

By keeping in mind the five points that I will introduce below, you will be able to approach your ideal body more efficiently.

Do 3 sets with the weight you can barely do 10 times

It is essential to set the right resistance to adequately stimulate your muscles.
Generally, it is considered effective to set a weight that you can perform 10 repetitions of with proper form (10RM) as a guideline, and do three sets of that.

Training at this intensity causes microscopic damage to muscle fibers, which then grows stronger and larger as the muscle recovers.
It is important to aim for a rest period of about one minute between sets, and gradually increase the weight and number of repetitions as your muscles grow.

Prioritize proper form to prevent injury

Proper form should always be your number one priority, rather than lifting heavy weights.
Improper form not only fails to target the muscles, but also puts strain on joints and ligaments, leading to injuries such as back pain.
Perform the movement slowly without using momentum, and be aware of the sensation of your muscles contracting and stretching.

It is also important to breathe by exhaling when exerting force and inhaling when releasing.
Start with light weights to perfect your form and be careful not to strain your neck or lower back.

Get plenty of sleep on training days

Muscles don't grow while you train, they repair themselves while you rest, becoming stronger than before.
In particular, growth hormone secretion is most active during sleep, making it a very important time for muscle recovery and growth.

After breaking down muscle fibers through training, aim to get at least seven hours of quality sleep.
Lack of sleep not only hinders muscle recovery and makes it difficult to recover from fatigue, but also directly leads to a decrease in training performance.

Consciously consume protein, which is the building block of muscle

Muscles are primarily made up of protein, and you need enough protein to repair muscle fibers damaged by training and make them stronger.
After training, it is especially recommended to replenish protein promptly to reduce muscle breakdown and promote muscle synthesis.

Be sure to include high-protein foods such as chicken breast, fish, eggs, and soy products in your daily diet.
If it's difficult to get the amount you need through diet alone, using protein powder is an efficient way to do so.

Keep track of your training and stay motivated

Recording your daily training details (exercises, weight, repetitions, number of sets, etc.) is very effective in maintaining motivation.
By keeping records using a notebook or smartphone app, you can objectively reflect on your own growth.

When you can visualize concrete progress, such as "I'm lifting a heavier weight than last time" or "I can do more repetitions," you will feel a sense of accomplishment and be more motivated to do your next workout.
Records can also be useful for analyzing the causes of plateaus and for setting future goals.

Frequently asked questions for beginners about gym strength training

We will answer various questions that beginners who are about to start training at the gym are likely to have.
We will explain in a Q&A format the points that many people first worry about, such as the frequency and duration of training, concerns unique to women, and the need for supplements.

If you have any questions, it's best to ask a trainer at your local gym, but knowing some basic knowledge will help you start training more smoothly.

Q. How many times a week is best to go to the gym?

The ideal frequency for strength training will vary depending on your personal goals and recovery ability, but for beginners, 2-3 times per week is generally recommended.
Muscles are damaged by training and then grow during the subsequent rest period (supercompensation), so you should avoid training the same part of the body every day.
Typically, it takes 48 to 72 hours for muscles to recover.

Therefore, if you are training your whole body, it is effective to schedule your workouts so that you have at least one rest day between each workout, such as every other day.
Start with a frequency that you can comfortably maintain.

Q. How long should each training session last?

The recommended training time per session is approximately 60 to 90 minutes, including warm-up and cool-down.
The main strength training itself is most efficient when done in a concentrated period of about 30 to 60 minutes.

Training for longer than 90 minutes or 2 hours can not only reduce concentration, but can also increase the secretion of the hormone cortisol, which promotes muscle breakdown.
Focusing on high-quality training in a short amount of time will lead to results.

Q. If women do weight training, will they become muscular?

Women rarely get as bulky as men through regular strength training.
The male hormone testosterone is important for developing large muscles, but the amount secreted by women is much lower than that of men.

Moderate muscle training actually improves your basal metabolic rate and makes it easier to burn body fat.
Strength training is extremely effective for women in creating a healthy, toned, and beautiful body line, whether it's tightening sagging upper arms or getting into shape after giving birth.

Q. Do I have to drink protein?

While protein intake is not essential, it is a very useful nutritional supplement if you want to efficiently support muscle growth.
Protein, the building block of muscle, is essential for repairing muscle fibers damaged by training.

While this isn't necessary if you're getting enough protein from your diet, protein supplements are an effective way to aid muscle recovery, and recent research suggests that total daily protein intake is more important for muscle growth than the specific time period after training.

Q. When will the effects of training start to appear?

The effects of training vary from person to person, but it generally takes about three months of consistent training before you start to notice changes in your body.
During the first one to two months after starting training, your nervous system will adapt, resulting in improvements in strength, such as being able to lift heavier weights and smoother movements.

The changes in appearance will then begin to appear as the muscles gradually grow larger.
Don't panic if you don't see immediate results; continuing in the right way is the key to seeing visible change.

My Feelings, Then and Now

Even beginners can achieve steady results with muscle training at the gym if they learn the correct routine and basic knowledge.
Try out the training order and tips introduced here and start with a frequency that is not too strenuous.

Once you have mastered the basics, you can move on to intermediate training or adjust the menu to suit your own goals.
Muscle training is an effective means of achieving a wide range of goals, from maintaining the health of the elderly to serious body shaping.