Question from Matt:

I just moved into a new building that has a decent sized gym, dual purpose machines and dumbbells. My plan is to get back into lifting maybe 3 to 4x a week primarily focusing on the upper body. Any suggestions on a good routine to get into?

Answer from Jaret Grossman, Co-Founder of Muscle Prodigy:

Matt, I know that you said you were interested in just doing an upper body routine. My first question would be why? Your primary purpose to lift weights is to build a great physique and to receive the health benefits of doing so. Nothing will provide you with the physique you’re interested in than doing legs on a weekly basis. Muscle is not a localized event; in fact, it is a response to trauma faced to it on an overall level. Your body has a “knack” for maintaining balance, and thus, will prevent your growth in the biceps and chest if your legs have been fully neglected. Furthermore, compound movements like the squat and deadlift (which have been proven to burn the most fat and put on the most muscle) mainly place an emphasis on the legs, but actually incorporate hundreds of muscles during the entire movement, especially your core. The following is a routine you should follow using the dumbbells and machines in your gym broken up into 3 phases.

Phase 1- Activate your major muscle groups by introducing basic resistance training principles through full-body workouts using machines.

Phase 2- Activate your stabilizer muscles by introducing free weights working similar muscle groups together.

Phase 3- Activate all muscle fibers in the body by introducing workout splits to concentrate on individual muscle groups using more advanced techniques.

If any of you have any questions or need advice on anything pertaining to health and fitness, please email me: jaret@muscleprodigy.com and I will try my best to respond.