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EXPERIENCE

Beginners make gains with just about any type of programme, so it's best to keep it simple and safe - fairly high repetitions, basic exercises, total-body workouts. The more experience you have, the more you'll benefit from split routines, heavier weights with lower repetitions and more advanced exercises and techniques.

Another issue is recovery. A beginner can recover in 48 hours and do fine with three total-body workouts a week. A more advanced lifter needs to give his muscles more time to recover, since he's hitting them harder. The more experienced you are, the less time you should spend on a programme before moving on.

A beginner can do the same programme for six to 10 weeks without hitting a plateau. Grizzled iron vets may need to move on every two or three weeks. You probably fall somewhere in between.