Mini-Article: The Beginner's "Bust Ass" Guidelines
by Dave Tate

Whether you're a newbie or just someone who screwed up and skipped the basics, here's some guidelines to get you on the right path.

1) Start with a light weight and master the technique. Use a light weight and work the movement for reps in the range of 15 to 20. This can be performed with a broomstick or just the bar.

Place your focus on what muscles should be working and where your body position should be. Even the most advanced lifters can be found working technique with very light weights. This is most important with the following list of movements. These are used to build the basics for all the training articles and programs I've written for T-Nation.

Squats
Box Squats
Good Mornings
Deadlifts
Bench Presses
Triceps Extensions
All abdominal work

2) Use basic supplemental movements intended to build muscle mass. These include, but aren't limited to, the following:

Legs:

Squats
Hack Squats
Romanian Deadlifts
Glute Ham Raises
Step-Ups
Stiff Leg Deadlifts

Front Squats

Back:

Barbell and Dumbbell Rows
Chins
Upright Rows
Shrugs
Pulldowns

Chest:

Incline and Decline Barbell Presses
Incline and Decline Dumbbell Presses
Flat Barbell and Dumbbell Bench Presses

Triceps:

Dips
Barbell Extensions
Reverse Barbell Bench Presses
Dumbbell Extensions
Close Grip Bench Presses

Biceps and Forearms:

Reverse Curls
Hammer Curls

Barbell Curls

Low Back and Abs:

Hyperextensions
Reverse Hyperextensions
Good Mornings

Stiff Leg Deadlifts
Incline Sit-Ups
Pulldown Abs
Dumbbell Side Bends

Shoulders:

Seated Dumbbell Presses
Standing Overhead Presses
Side, Front and Rear Dumbbell Raises

When doing these movements, keep in mind that technique is still the most important aspect. These movements have been a part of every lifter's arsenal from day one.

3) Train your ass off. Rome wasn't built in a day, but they didn't waste time by sitting around doing nothing either!

4) Choose rep ranges geared toward your current needs. If you need more technique work, then keep the weight lighter with higher reps (10 to 12) until you master the form, then move up as needed. If you think you have the technique mastered, drop the reps down to 6 to 8 and start pounding the weights. In other words, begin working closer to your failure range.