It’s crazy but as personal trainer I can’t tell you how many people I’ve talked to who complain about having a weak body part/ muscle and when I ask them if they’ve ever trained that weak muscle at the beginning of their bodybuilding workout I usually get a blank stare in return…

You know the look a deer gives when it’s about to get hit and run over by a mack truck.

That’s exactly what will happen to your weakest muscles if you train them at the beginning of your bodybuilding workout… They’re going to get run over by a mack truck!

You see most of my clients are guys and as guys we have a natural tendency to only want to train our strongest muscles. Sometimes it’s just to impress the ladies at the gym (it’s all good) and sometimes it’s just to boost our own ego and look at our biggest muscles in front of the mirror at the gym.

Any way you look at it, you have to realize that you have a weak muscle and it’s going to need special attention if you want it too keep up with the rest of your muscles.

I should also mention that we all also have strong muscle groups… muscles that basically grow sometimes by just looking at them! I’m not saying you have to stop working those muscles out but you should pay more attention to your weak muscles if you want a well proportioned body.

One of my clients is this guy with a HUGE barn door back. I have a big back but this guy has a wider back then mine but he has puny and skinny arms which makes him look kinda silly if you ask me…

Sure enough when I asked him for the past few years in his bodybuilding workout he’s been working out his back first and then his biceps right after.

Guys if you’re working out your back and then you hit your biceps, your biceps are already “tired” from the back workout because your biceps are an ancillary muscle to most back exercise. Basically your biceps help out your back (more if you’re a beginner) when you’re doing your back exercises and by the time you get around to your biceps workout your biceps are already exhausted and that’s how NOT to get your muscles to grow.

If you have a similar problem, I recommend that you move your biceps to the beginning of your back/biceps bodybuilding workout and train your biceps while they’re fresh and they can move a maximum amount of weight. I guarantee you’ll see better results.

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One of the questions I receive most often from my personal training clients that are looking to add some muscle with a bodybuilding workout is:

How many sets should I perform per exercise and how many reps to set the stage for muscular growth?

The answer I always give is 3 sets per exercise (after your warm up) and there’s also a certain number of reps I plan on using for each set.

The first set of your bodybuilding workout is usually what I call a feeler set and usually ends up in the 10-12 rep range. I don’t try to go too heavy here. #1 I’m trying to feel how this particular exercise is going to target my muscles today. #2 I’m trying to get as big a pump going as possible with the extra reps.

With the second set of a bodybuilding workout I’m still trying to go for a massive pump but now I’m also trying to move more weight. This set is always in the 6-8 rep range and is a little trickier then the other two because you’re trying to both build strength with the lower reps and increased weight and you’re also still trying to focus the strain of all the weight into your targeted muscle for a huge pump.

The last and 3rd set of a bodybuilding workout is to build strength plain and simple. This set is usually 4-6 reps. I usually try to pick a weight that I’ll be able to move for 6 reps. Very rarely do I shoot for four reps but on the rare occasions that my body feels real good and not at all susceptible to injury I go ahead and max out for four reps.

Well that’s it… those are my sets and reps recommendations for a bodybuilding workout designed to make you the biggest guy in your gym. Give it a shot and let me now what you think.

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