Wannabebig - The Original Routine

http://www.wannabebig.com/training/routines/wannabebig-the-original-routine/
Wannabebig - The Original Routine
Posted by Daniel Clough on September 21st, 2001

First of all let me congratulate you on taking the first step to building a better body.

Right before we get into the details we should go through some basics quickly as well as explain why this program can work for you.

To grow you need to get into the gym, train hard and then rest. Resting is where the actual muscle growth takes place not in the gym. This is the typical beginners mistake. He or she will train too much and rest too little. When you are in the gym you break down your muscles. You then leave and they will recover and given enough rest and food they will recover bigger ! Simple huh ? Well kinda…

Below are the basic principles on which our routine is based on…

Compound Exercises

Compound exercises are the exercises that place the most stress on your body and often require many muscles to perform the movement, thus stimulating more muscle growth.. The deadlift is a good example. Although this movement is often classed as a lower/uper back exercise to pull off this movement you need to use your legs and much of the upper body. This in turn stimulates more growth.
Do I need to tell you that compound exercises are the cornerstone of the Wannabebig routine ? I didn’t think so !

Rest/Recovery

You grow out of the gym not in it ! Therefore to make your muscles bigger you need to work them hard in the gym and then give enough resting time to allow them to recover. Our routine is constructed so you get maximumn recovery time between workouts and muscle groups.

So with a combination of the above you will have no choice BUT to grow!

All that is needed know is the actual routine. Although there may be certain terms you do not understand in the routine, we have links to descriptions and movies of all exercises listed aswell as a full glossary to make things clear ! Good luck!

Introduction

Are you ready to totally transform your physique ? If so then the Wanna Be Big training routine is for you. Whether you’re a newbie to the game or an experienced bodybuilder you can make great gains with this routine.

Just absorb the the knowledge here and then hit the iron HARD. You have no choice but to grow.

First of all I would like to get across the point that this routine is for real. There are no supplements you must take, no books to buy and no money to send in. This is just an effective routine that can help you put on muscle like you wouldn’t believe.

With that out of the way, lets get down to business. The Wanna Be Big routine is sensibly split in to sections to help you understand it in a logical way.

Routine Split and Exercise Selection

Day 1 : Chest and Back

Chest
Flat Barbell Bench Press : 2 x 6-8 reps
Low Incline Dumbbell Press : 2 x 6-8 reps
Dips : 2 x 6-8 reps

Back
Chin ups : 2 x 6-8 reps
Deadlifts : 2 x 6-8 reps
Barbell Rows : 2 x 6-8 reps
Shrugs : 1 x 10 reps

Day 2 : OFF

Day 3 : Legs
Squats : 2 x 6-8 reps
Hack Squats : 2 x 6-8 reps
Leg Curls : 2 x 6-8 reps
Straight Legged Deadlifts : 2 x 6-8 reps
Standing Calve Raises : 4 x 10 reps

Day 4 : OFF

Day 5 : Shoulders, Triceps and Biceps

Shoulders
Military Press in Rack : 2 x 6-8 reps
Seated Dumbbell Press : 2 x 6-8 reps
Standing Lateral Raises : 2 x 10 reps

Triceps
Narrow Grip bench Press : 2 x 6-8 reps
French Press : 2 x 6-8 reps

Biceps
Barbell Curls : 2 x 6-8 reps
Hammer Curls : 1 x 6-8 reps

Day 6 : OFF

Day 7 : OFF

Abs to be done on any training day of personal choice.
Crunches : 4 x 8-10 reps


So you now should know exactly what you should be doing each day of the week.


If you are unsure of how to do any of the above exercises then you can find an extensive collection of exercise descriptions, illustrated examples and movies here

When performing any of the above exercises the most important thing to remember is to always use good form. This will ensure you continue to progress and limits chances of an injuries.

Progression is the key. Always try to progress on each exercise, each week. Whether it is an extra couple of reps on a weight you used last week or perhaps the same amount of reps with an extra 2.5 KG’s. These might seem like small amounts but these small amounts gradually add up to considerable progress.

Just get in the gym and do it. Make every training session, every set and every rep count and you will get there believe me. Take a read through our FAQ section that should answer any outstanding queries you may have.

Frequently Answered Questions

Q - Should I check with my doctor before I carry out this routine ?
A - Yes, without a doubt.

Q - What does 2 x 6-8 reps mean ?
A - The “2″ stands for 2 sets and the “x 6-8″ stands for 6-8 repetitions.

Q - What do sets and reps mean ?
A - A rep or repetition is a single exercise movement. For example when you perform the bench press one rep is where you lower the bar to your chest from the starting position and then return to the starting position. A set consists of a certain number of reps or repetitions.

Q - How long should each session take ?
A - Each session should generally not take longer than an hour.

Q - How long should I rest in between each set ?
A - Its up to you really. You should try and give yourself a few minutes to regain your breath or at least and to recover from the previous set. Do what feels right for you and enables you to finish no longer than an hour 15 mins.

Q - How long should I stick with this routine ?
A - For as long as you progress with it. That’s what its all about, progressing. When you stop being able to add on those extra reps or plates each week is the time to think of something new.

Q - Are you going to be publishing any other routines ?
A - Yes we will. Depending on the demand we will be having other routines.

Q - I am still unsure about something and would like to ask some questions, can I ?
A - Sure, we would be happy to answer any questions you have or clear anything up. I would suggest you post them on the Wannabebig Forums where I or our other members can answer you!

Summary

So by now you should be all set and ready to start training.. You should be familiar with the exercise selection and any queries you had should have been answered by out FAQ section.

However although this is supposed to be a training routine we thought we would throw in some nutrition and supplement tips for you. First of all, you should realise nutrition is THE most important factor in achieving your goals. You body will not develop unless you feed it the nutrients it needs to recover from your workouts.

Now of course we can’t give any precise personalized diet tips as everyone has different goals but we can give you some rough pointers to keep you on track.

Eat Clean. This can’t be stressed enough. You can’t build a good body on pizza, chips and burgers. It just isn’t going to happen. You need to feed your body good quality carbs, protein and fat sources and each meal should have a healthy amount or each one.

Eat smaller more frequent meals. 6 smaller meals a day are far better than 3 large ones a day. Whether your goal is to lost fat or to put on mass, this approach is best. Eating more regularly keeps the metabolism high which helps you to burn more fat as well as keeping your energy levels good throughout the day.

Count calories. Putting on mass, or dieting for fat loss will mean you have to manipulate calorie totals to achieve your goals. If you do not count your calories, then how do you know you are eating the right amount for your goal, or how can you change your plan if you do not know what to change.

OK, we’ll round up with a few pointers on supplements. The key word is supplement !! They are exactly what they are, a supplement to a good diet. Too many people take pay more attention to supplements, than they do their diet ! Remember they are not miracle workers and in fact play a small part in bodybuilding compared to training and diet. You can make excellent gains with them.

However saying that, if your diet and training is intact, supplements can help give you that extra edge. Check out AtLarge Nutrition for high quality, solid supplements

Good luck and train hard!

Written by Daniel Clough