My newb weight training workout plan

[fffblackmage]

Alright, so after about 18 months of doing nothing but sitting around, I've decided to get back into weight training. Back then, I was working out at a gym, but now, I'm just using dumbbells I have at home only. Which would explain why I don't know what exercises to do for some muscle groups.

Anyways, here's my workout plan (everything with a (pair of) dumbbells if applicable):
Chest:..............................Pushups
Back:...............................Bent-over Row/Lying Row
Shoulder (Deltoid side):.....Upright Row
Shoulder (Deltoid front):....Shoulder Press
Biceps:.............................Concentration Curls
Triceps:............................Triceps Extension
Quadriceps:......................Squats
Hamstrings:......................Straight-leg Deadlift
Abs:.................................Crunches
Calves:.............................Single Leg Calf Raise

Most of these were chosen from lists of exercises here

Some of my concerns are:

Is the bent-over row/lying row a good exercise for the back? Or is there a better alternative? I ask because it feels more like an arm exercise than back...

Since I don't have a machine for Hamstring Raise, I tried the Straight-leg Deadlift, but it feels like it stresses my lower back more than hamstrings. And I'm also worried I could end up killing my back, although I am trying trying to make sure I have the right form.

And lastly, the crunches I'm doing are more focused on obliques. I have my legs in the air at a 90 degree, and I touch my elbow to the opposite knee as I come up and I alternate between each elbow each time. Don't know if there's a specific name to that. I'm mostly wondering if that's fine, since I'm not doing any "normal" crunches focusing on the main ab muscles. In other words, are the main ab muscles getting enough of a workout if I just do those oblique-focused crunches? I suppose it wouldn't be too difficult just mixing in normal crunches if it's not enough.

That was probably a bit long, and I would really appreciate any feedback I can get. Thank you!

 

[Atty]

Your just going to do push ups for chest? O.O

 

[SociallyChallenged]

You are isolating each muscle group independently. Squats hit abs, back, hammies, quads, calves, etc. Deadlifts hit upper back, traps, forearms, lower back, hammies, etc. It seems that you should just get on a basic compound-lifting program. The easiest to suggest are Starting Strength or Stronglifts 5x5. They'll get the job done nicely.

 

[brikis98]

Typical questions I ask everyone who makes these types of posts:

1. What are your goals? Are you trying to add muscle mass? Lose fat? Train for a sport? Improve your overall fitness?
2. How much weight training experience do you have (if any)?
3. What is your actual routine? Where did you get it from? Did you come up with it yourself? If so, do you think you have enough expertise in weight training to really do that?

 

[fffblackmage]

Originally posted by: brikis98
Typical questions I ask everyone who makes these types of posts:

1. What are your goals? Are you trying to add muscle mass? Lose fat? Train for a sport? Improve your overall fitness?

Mostly just improve overall fitness.

2. How much weight training experience do you have (if any)?

My uncle guided me the first time I tried weight training. I did about 8 to 10 exercises, half on machines, half using dumbbells. Each focused on specific muscle groups.

3. What is your actual routine? Where did you get it from? Did you come up with it yourself? If so, do you think you have enough expertise in weight training to really do that?

So that training routine was based on what I did before. But since I don't have machines to work with, I substituted them with dumbbells, or I found an exercise using that website I linked in the original post.

I'm pretty skinny (weight 127 lbs, height 5'11"). So I was just going to start with pushups, but I guess I'll be moving to dumbbell benchpress. Oh, and I typically do 2 sets of 10 reps.

And I looked into Starting Strength and Stronglifts 5x5, it was quite a bit of reading. I'm still not sure about it, but I suppose it doesn't hurt to at least try it next time I workout.

And thank you for taking the time to reply!

 

[brikis98]

Originally posted by: fffblackmage
Mostly just improve overall fitness.

If your goal is to improve overall fitness, you should definitely take the time to read "What is Fitness?" from the Crossfit Journal.

Originally posted by: fffblackmage
My uncle guided me the first time I tried weight training. I did about 8 to 10 exercises, half on machines, half using dumbbells. Each focused on specific muscle groups.

Ok, so you're a beginner (this is useful in picking an appropriate routine).

Originally posted by: fffblackmage
I'm pretty skinny (weight 127 lbs, height 5'11").

No offense, but that really is skinny. I'm the same height and weigh almost 60lbs more than you and I am very far from being "fat". This most likely puts you even further into the beginner category as far as strength goes.

Originally posted by: fffblackmage
And I looked into Starting Strength and Stronglifts 5x5, it was quite a bit of reading. I'm still not sure about it, but I suppose it doesn't hurt to at least try it next time I workout.

If you're going to be spending countless hours over the next few years working out, you can afford to spend a few hours upfront to do some reading and make sure you do it right.

Anyways, putting together the information you've listed, I can recommend two general options.

1. Beginner strength training routine + cardio on the side
Since overall fitness is your goal, a strength training routine will be the most appropriate choice for weight training. Strength training routines typically focus on working the entire body every workout and using compound exercises with free weights (no machines!). This is quite different than bodybuilding style routines which split the body into separate parts to be trained on separate days. Although both type of routines will lead to strength gains, an actual strength training routine will usually do it more efficiently & effectively. Since you are beginner, however, you don't know enough about strength training to come up with the routine yourself. I don't mean this as an insult - there's just no reason for the average person to know the MANY nuances of resistance training. Instead, you should use a routine designed by professionals.

One of the most popular and effective beginner strength training routines is the one described in Starting Strength. The book explains not only the routine, but also discusses why you should do strength training, why you should use free weights, which exercises are the most effective and extremely detailed descriptions & pictures of how to do each lift. It's *well* worth the money no matter what routine you do. You can preview some of the content of the book on The Starting Strength Wiki. There's also a lot of good content on the Stronglifts website, including the stronglifts 5x5 routine. It's quite similar to Starting Strength and also a great choice for beginners.

Yes, you'll have to do some reading, but following either one of these routines will most likely be far more effective than anything you come up with yourself. They will produce tremendous gains in strength, power, & coordination and lay down a great framework for any future training endeavors. After a few weeks of doing these routines, once your body is more adapted to them, consider adding some cardio on off days. Some jogging, sprinting, biking, interval training, etc will all help increase your endurance, stamina, speed, etc to round out your fitness.

2. Crossfit

Crossfit is a strength and conditioning program designed for increasing "General Physical Preparedness" (GPP) or overall fitness. Rather than developing just strength or just cardio, CF develops proficiency "in each of 10 fitness domains: cardiovascular/respiratory endurance, stamina, strength, flexibility, power, speed, agility, balance, coordination, and accuracy." It's used by the military, police, firefighters, mixed martial artists, etc and combines elements of olympic weightlifting, power lifting, gymnastics, running, climbing, plyometrics and a whole lot more. It's a fantastic way to really become fit and in general, I highly recommend it if you have a CF facility near you. However, since you don't have much experience with lifting, it might be tough to learn all the exercises if you had to do it on your own. This is why a strength training routine (as listed in point 1) is my first recommendation: learn all the core exercises in Starting Strength or Stronglifts, build up a foundation and then move on to Crossfit to push your fitness to new levels.

 

[nonameo]

Hi. I'm pretty much in the same situation as the OP with one caveat.

I don't have anyone that can spot for me, so that makes some free weight training a no-go.

can I still get a full resistance workout despite this? what do I need to do?

 

[Onita]

Originally posted by: nonameo
Hi. I'm pretty much in the same situation as the OP with one caveat.

I don't have anyone that can spot for me, so that makes some free weight training a no-go.

can I still get a full resistance workout despite this? what do I need to do?

get a power rack.

 

[brikis98]

Originally posted by: nonameo
Hi. I'm pretty much in the same situation as the OP with one caveat.

I don't have anyone that can spot for me, so that makes some free weight training a no-go.

can I still get a full resistance workout despite this? what do I need to do?

The only exercise that needs a spot is the bench press. If you're at a gym, it's not a big deal to ask someone for a spot. If you can't do that, you still have a few options:

1. Use dumbbells. If you can't finish a rep, it's easy & safe to drop them.

2. Do BP in a power rack with safety bars set just below the highest point of your chest. If you can't finish a rep, just set the bar on the safety bars. This should be possible to do w/o crushing yourself since proper BP form involves arching your back to raise your chest.

3. If you don't have a power rack or you can't adjust the safety bars to a proper height, then if you do BP alone, leave the safety collars off. If you can't finish a rep, lower the bar to your chest and tilt it to the side. The weights will slide off one side, then the other, and make tons of noise. While annoying and possibly damaging to your surroundings, it serves well to keep you safe.

No other exercises should be spotted as that will be dangerous for both you and the spotter. Besides, most other exercises, it's easy to set the weight down if you can't finish a rep. The only other one worth considering is the back squat, which you should do in a power rack with safety bars set below your full squat depth. If you get in trouble, simply squat all the way down and leave the bars on the rack.

 

[dealmaster00]

heck, you don't even need a spot for bench press (at least when the weight is relatively light, probably around your bodyweight): http://stronglifts.com/how-to-...fely-when-youre-alone/

I've done the escape method a few times with no problems. But it honestly is no big deal to ask someone to spot you.

 

[nonameo]

Originally posted by: Onita

Originally posted by: nonameo
Hi. I'm pretty much in the same situation as the OP with one caveat.

I don't have anyone that can spot for me, so that makes some free weight training a no-go.

can I still get a full resistance workout despite this? what do I need to do?

get a power rack.

I have noooo idea what a power rack is. Also, I see no point in investing in exercise equipment when I paid a $$$ athletic fee...

Originally posted by: brikis98

The only exercise that needs a spot is the bench press. If you're at a gym, it's not a big deal to ask someone for a spot. If you can't do that, you still have a few options...

that's another thing... I don't really know how to "properly" do a lot of these exercises. any ideas?

 

[Onita]

Originally posted by: nonameo

Originally posted by: Onita

Originally posted by: nonameo
Hi. I'm pretty much in the same situation as the OP with one caveat.

I don't have anyone that can spot for me, so that makes some free weight training a no-go.

can I still get a full resistance workout despite this? what do I need to do?

get a power rack.

I have noooo idea what a power rack is. Also, I see no point in investing in exercise equipment when I paid a $$$ athletic fee...

Originally posted by: brikis98

The only exercise that needs a spot is the bench press. If you're at a gym, it's not a big deal to ask someone for a spot. If you can't do that, you still have a few options...

that's another thing... I don't really know how to "properly" do a lot of these exercises. any ideas?

Do some reading. Starting Strength and Stronglifts both can explain how to do many exercises. I'm confused - are you working out at homes with dumbbells or at the gym?

 

[nonameo]

Originally posted by: Onita

Do some reading. Starting Strength and Stronglifts both can explain how to do many exercises. I'm confused - are you working out at homes with dumbbells or at the gym?

School's gym.

 

[CLite]

Others mentioned it but just use dumbbells if you are not comfortable requesting a spotter for the benchpress. You can do decline/flat/incline presses with dumbbells and you will work a ton of stabilizing muscles. You won't be maxxing like you can with a bench press but you will work a lot more muscles imo.

 

[brikis98]

Originally posted by: nonameo
that's another thing... I don't really know how to "properly" do a lot of these exercises. any ideas?

Yup, as I wrote in an earlier reply, you should get yourself a copy of Starting Strength. The book explains not only an incredibly effective beginners routine, but also discusses why you should do strength training, why you should use free weights, which exercises are the most effective and extremely detailed descriptions & pictures of how to do each lift. It's *well* worth the money no matter what routine you do. And yes, it explains what a power rack is. You can preview some of the content of the book on The Starting Strength Wiki. There's also a lot of good content on the Stronglifts website, including the stronglifts 5x5 routine. It's quite similar to Starting Strength and also a great choice for beginners.

 

[nonameo]

Originally posted by: brikis98

Originally posted by: nonameo
that's another thing... I don't really know how to "properly" do a lot of these exercises. any ideas?

Yup, as I wrote in an earlier reply, you should get yourself a copy of Starting Strength. The book explains not only an incredibly effective beginners routine, but also discusses why you should do strength training, why you should use free weights, which exercises are the most effective and extremely detailed descriptions & pictures of how to do each lift. It's *well* worth the money no matter what routine you do. And yes, it explains what a power rack is. You can preview some of the content of the book on The Starting Strength Wiki. There's also a lot of good content on the Stronglifts website, including the stronglifts 5x5 routine. It's quite similar to Starting Strength and also a great choice for beginners.

oh dang.... that's not cheap for a paperback. I will have to see if I can find it cheaper somewhere.

 

[SociallyChallenged]

Originally posted by: nonameo

Originally posted by: brikis98

Originally posted by: nonameo
that's another thing... I don't really know how to "properly" do a lot of these exercises. any ideas?

Yup, as I wrote in an earlier reply, you should get yourself a copy of Starting Strength. The book explains not only an incredibly effective beginners routine, but also discusses why you should do strength training, why you should use free weights, which exercises are the most effective and extremely detailed descriptions & pictures of how to do each lift. It's *well* worth the money no matter what routine you do. And yes, it explains what a power rack is. You can preview some of the content of the book on The Starting Strength Wiki. There's also a lot of good content on the Stronglifts website, including the stronglifts 5x5 routine. It's quite similar to Starting Strength and also a great choice for beginners.

oh dang.... that's not cheap for a paperback. I will have to see if I can find it cheaper somewhere.

Huh? $30 for information that will prevent you from injuring yourself while weightlifting? It's a comprehensive book. The information inside the book is worth way more than $30.

 

[KoolDrew]

I find it rather ammusing how the OP asked how his routine looked and the response was pretty much "Do Starting Strength." Starting Strength is a good program, but there are plenty of other ways to go about designing a beginner routine, despite what many here seem to make it out to be.

In some (most) cases the routine posted usually sucks, but I don't believe the OP's is at all. Following the basic Starting Strength model, three movements are needed: legs, push, pull. The OP has these movements (Squat, Pushups, Rows). Beyond that a direct hamstring movement, vertical push & pull, as well as arm, calf, and ab work can be added. The OP has all of these, the only thing I would suggest is replacing upright rows with chins/pulldowns and the routine is perfectly fine for a beginner. Volume isn't ridiculous (only 2x10) and as a beginner he will have no problem performing this 3x a week and making progress. I actually use a very similar routine with beginners, but with a little bit different rep ranges. For the first 4-6 weeks it works great since they are performing every movement 3x a week - getting plenty of practice with the lifts and seeing fast improvements. Once they get a little stronger it can be split up a bit more.

This isn't directed at anybody in particular, but you should actually address the routines being posted as opposed to just jumping to your typical recommendations. If the routine sucks, then explain why it sucks not simply say "Do Starting Strength," which happens way too often in this forum. It's even worse when people are pushed away from perfectly fine routines just because it's not Starting Strength.

Also, to answer your earlier questions...

Is the bent-over row/lying row a good exercise for the back? Or is there a better alternative? I ask because it feels more like an arm exercise than back...

This is more of a technique issue than anything else and is very common. During the movement think about pushing the elbows behind you and pushing your shoulder blades together. This should result in your chest being out as well.

Since I don't have a machine for Hamstring Raise, I tried the Straight-leg Deadlift, but it feels like it stresses my lower back more than hamstrings. And I'm also worried I could end up killing my back, although I am trying trying to make sure I have the right form.

I prefer Romanian Deadlifts as opposed to SLDL's and this is one of the reasons as the spinal erectors are not worked dynamically. They still get a workout, but only statically. This isn't always a bad thing, as working the lower back dynamically can be very beneficial. However, I usually use RDL's for hamstrings and back extensions to get a little bit of dynamic work in.

And lastly, the crunches I'm doing are more focused on obliques. I have my legs in the air at a 90 degree, and I touch my elbow to the opposite knee as I come up and I alternate between each elbow each time. Don't know if there's a specific name to that. I'm mostly wondering if that's fine, since I'm not doing any "normal" crunches focusing on the main ab muscles. In other words, are the main ab muscles getting enough of a workout if I just do those oblique-focused crunches? I suppose it wouldn't be too difficult just mixing in normal crunches if it's not enough.

They're fine.

 

[brikis98]

Originally posted by: nonameo
oh dang.... that's not cheap for a paperback. I will have to see if I can find it cheaper somewhere.

Considering how much time you may end up devoting to weight lifting (3-5 hours a week, 50 weeks a year), a $30 investment up front to make sure that you are doing things properly is well worth it. Or, look at it this way: time is money too. If you waste all those hours doing some foolish routine that provides crappy results, or worse yet, you injure yourself because you don't know how to do the lifts, $30 will seem very cheap indeed.

 

[brikis98]

Originally posted by: KoolDrew
I find it rather ammusing how the OP asked how his routine looked and the response was pretty much "Do Starting Strength." Starting Strength is a good program, but there are plenty of other ways to go about designing a beginner routine, despite what many here seem to make it out to be.

Almost any routine, especially for a beginner, will produce results if you work hard at it. However, there are pretty vast differences in the primary effect of a routine (strength, hypertrophy, endurance, etc), in how quickly the routine produces results, how long you'll be able to use it before you stall out, how functional the resulting strength gains are, and so on. No, the OP's routine is not as bad as the typical one posted here. However, it is still pretty far from optimal for his goals and experience (which I asked about before making any recommendations). Here are a few examples:

* If he's going to be doing all those exercises on one day, and working out 3 days per week, that's probably way too much volume, especially with heavier weights. Just doing deadlifts 3 times per week is going to be excessive for anyone beyond the early beginner stages.

* 2 sets of 10 reps is not ideal if his goal is not hypertrophy. Closer to 5 reps is typically a better choice for strength gains, which will make a huge difference if his goal is "overall fitness".

* Too much focus on isolation work, especially for a beginner. If he's doing a proper shoulder press, it works the entire shoulder, not just "deltoid front". This makes upright rows unnecessary. In fact, they are potentially harmful to the rotator cuff and better avoided altogether. Concentration curls and triceps extensions aren't necessary for a beginner: dips & pull-ups (the latter of which can replace bent over rows) would probably be a better choice.

* Although his goal is "overall fitness", his routine will really only develop strength. There is no mention of power, speed, endurance, stamina and so on. This is why I mentioned doing cardio on the side or even Crossfit as an all encompassing alternative.

Now, sure, I could start tweaking the routine here and there to improve it, but in the end, after a lot of work, I'll most likely end up with something that is still inferior to Starting Strength! There's a reason I recommend it so frequently: the damn routine works very well. All the people here who complain they are sick of hearing it never deny the fact that the routine is very effective. Not only that, but the book contains all the peripheral information needed to be successful at weight lifting: a discussion of why you should do strength training, why you should use free weights and compound motions, detailed instructions on how to do each lift, which exercises tend to be the most effective, how to progress in the routine, how to warm-up, how to spot, and so on. It's a very appropriate and complete answer given the OP's goals and, in all honesty, is going to be much better than what the amateurs (myself included) on this messageboard will come up with on their own. I'm sorry if people are sick of hearing the same answer over and over again, but if it was a good answer the first time the question was asked, it's still a good answer if someone else asks it again.

 

[fffblackmage]

Originally posted by: brikis98
No offense, but that really is skinny.

lol no offense taken, I know I'm a walking skeleton.

Originally posted by: brikis98
If your goal is to improve overall fitness, you should definitely take the time to read "What is Fitness?" from the Crossfit Journal.

I thought that the standard definition of "fitness" was actually the ability to produce offsprings/pass genes. That's just what I remember from taking biology, and it was also mentioned in that article. However, I just assumed you meant overall health, but I see what you mean, I think.

Originally posted by: KoolDrew
I would suggest is replacing upright rows with chins/pulldowns

"chin" as in chin-ups/pull-ups?
I could probably consider trying to do some chin-ups, I'll just have to go to the elementary school to borrow their horizontal bars. XD Though I probably can't get in anymore. There used to be an part of the fence that was always open, but they locked it up a few years ago....
And thank a lot for answering my original questions.


For this week's workout, I'll try the exercises from Starting Strength and see how that goes. I'll also try adding biking or running during weekends to get some cardio (for the endurance, stamina, etc).

Thanks again for the responses.

 

[PingSpike]

You could always get one of those weird door gyms for pull-ups. I made a pull-up bar very similar to this one for my basement. I used cheaper iron pipe, have a wider bar for pullups and didn't understand the point of the the final elbow but the basic design is the same.

As mentioned in the article, the construction of the pull up bar turned out to be a pretty good workout itself!

 

[SociallyChallenged]

Originally posted by: KoolDrew
I find it rather ammusing how the OP asked how his routine looked and the response was pretty much "Do Starting Strength." Starting Strength is a good program, but there are plenty of other ways to go about designing a beginner routine, despite what many here seem to make it out to be.

In some (most) cases the routine posted usually sucks, but I don't believe the OP's is at all. Following the basic Starting Strength model, three movements are needed: legs, push, pull. The OP has these movements (Squat, Pushups, Rows). Beyond that a direct hamstring movement, vertical push & pull, as well as arm, calf, and ab work can be added. The OP has all of these, the only thing I would suggest is replacing upright rows with chins/pulldowns and the routine is perfectly fine for a beginner. Volume isn't ridiculous (only 2x10) and as a beginner he will have no problem performing this 3x a week and making progress. I actually use a very similar routine with beginners, but with a little bit different rep ranges. For the first 4-6 weeks it works great since they are performing every movement 3x a week - getting plenty of practice with the lifts and seeing fast improvements. Once they get a little stronger it can be split up a bit more.

This isn't directed at anybody in particular, but you should actually address the routines being posted as opposed to just jumping to your typical recommendations. If the routine sucks, then explain why it sucks not simply say "Do Starting Strength," which happens way too often in this forum. It's even worse when people are pushed away from perfectly fine routines just because it's not Starting Strength.

I'll address this from just my opinion. Yeah, we could very well come up with a beginner program that was beneficial. However, that takes a great deal of time compared to suggesting a legitimate program. I mentioned he was thinking about everything individually, which is not how a program should work. Since the OP is so skinny and I imagine is interested in gaining some weight, a program like SS is easy to suggest, relies on heavy compound movements, and has a book to show all the correct and necessary forms. I completely agree that some accessory exercises could be added, but for simplicity and since he is a beginner, that's not really required. I respect that everybody has different opinions when it comes to the SS suggestion. If I had the time, I would love to customize a workout program for everybody. However, since most of the people here are absolute beginners (which there's nothing wrong with), it is very easy to get them set on something simple, well-worded, and helpful. If I could write a book and then suggest from that, I would. I haven't quite gotten around to that though 😛

 

[KoolDrew]

Originally posted by: SociallyChallenged

Originally posted by: KoolDrew
I find it rather ammusing how the OP asked how his routine looked and the response was pretty much "Do Starting Strength." Starting Strength is a good program, but there are plenty of other ways to go about designing a beginner routine, despite what many here seem to make it out to be.

In some (most) cases the routine posted usually sucks, but I don't believe the OP's is at all. Following the basic Starting Strength model, three movements are needed: legs, push, pull. The OP has these movements (Squat, Pushups, Rows). Beyond that a direct hamstring movement, vertical push & pull, as well as arm, calf, and ab work can be added. The OP has all of these, the only thing I would suggest is replacing upright rows with chins/pulldowns and the routine is perfectly fine for a beginner. Volume isn't ridiculous (only 2x10) and as a beginner he will have no problem performing this 3x a week and making progress. I actually use a very similar routine with beginners, but with a little bit different rep ranges. For the first 4-6 weeks it works great since they are performing every movement 3x a week - getting plenty of practice with the lifts and seeing fast improvements. Once they get a little stronger it can be split up a bit more.

This isn't directed at anybody in particular, but you should actually address the routines being posted as opposed to just jumping to your typical recommendations. If the routine sucks, then explain why it sucks not simply say "Do Starting Strength," which happens way too often in this forum. It's even worse when people are pushed away from perfectly fine routines just because it's not Starting Strength.

I'll address this from just my opinion. Yeah, we could very well come up with a beginner program that was beneficial. However, that takes a great deal of time compared to suggesting a legitimate program. I mentioned he was thinking about everything individually, which is not how a program should work. Since the OP is so skinny and I imagine is interested in gaining some weight, a program like SS is easy to suggest, relies on heavy compound movements, and has a book to show all the correct and necessary forms. I completely agree that some accessory exercises could be added, but for simplicity and since he is a beginner, that's not really required. I respect that everybody has different opinions when it comes to the SS suggestion. If I had the time, I would love to customize a workout program for everybody. However, since most of the people here are absolute beginners (which there's nothing wrong with), it is very easy to get them set on something simple, well-worded, and helpful. If I could write a book and then suggest from that, I would. I haven't quite gotten around to that though 😛

I agree the book and routine is very solid. The problem I have is the idea that any other routine is inferior to Starting Strength. Starting Strength is one of many methods for a beginner weight training routine and that kind of thinking is just plain foolish.

 

[KingGheedora]

Originally posted by: brikis98

* 2 sets of 10 reps is not ideal if his goal is not hypertrophy. Closer to 5 reps is typically a better choice for strength gains, which will make a huge difference if his goal is "overall fitness".

What exactly is the difference between doing 2x10,or 5x5, etc? Can you explain the differences between higher s. lower reps, and also the effect of the number of sets performed?

I've been wondering about this but dont' recall seeing any explanation of why the 5x5 type routines decrease the typical n00b plan to 5 reps, but increase the sets to 5.