To start off I'd like to thank anybody who takes the time to read this long winded post!

This summer I've been trying different lifting set ups, trying to find something that works for me. It's been difficult to get a good plan going because of limited equipment, and my inability to do certain compound exercises such as deadlifts, bent over rows, lunges. . .stuff like that. But soon I will have access to my campus weight room, which seems to be top notch.

Due to my slow recovery time, I've been doing a twice a week routine, splitting legs with Chest/shoulders/biceps. I've been leaving out the back because I can just barely do one unassisted pull up , and I haven't figured out good form on any dumbell back exercises.

My current routine is FAR from ideal, but I will list it just to give people an idea of what has worked the best for me so far to make some gains and also not over train myself. Over training has been a problem for me, as in the past I have pushed myself too hard on a few occasions and set myself back for a week or more.

Day 1 Legs
One set warm up unweighted squats (25)
3 sets dumbell squats 15-20 reps
3 sets dumbell calf raises 12-15 reps
3-5 sets unweighted crunches, 20+ for each set
Some days I throw in a couple set of lying leg lifts, 20+

Day 2 (everything else)
3 sets bench press 8-12
3 sets incline bench press 8-12
3 sets dumbell hammer curls or preacher curls 8-12
3 sets dumbell military press 8-12
3-5 sets unweighted crunches

I do each of those routines once per week.

Usually I'll also do another 3-5 sets of crunches at another time during the week.

I know that I'm not really advanced enough to be doing a "split" set up at this point, and would like to transition into a full body routine that I do 2-3 times a week.

What I am most confused about is how to change my routine so that I am working all my muscle groups that often. For instance, I cannot imagine doing squats any more than once a week. At the same time, I thought the traditional wisdom was, you do 3 sets of 8-12 for each exercise. Could somebody explain to me the best way for me to tone down the intensity so that I could do a full body routine 3 times a week? Also, links or ideas about good beginners full body workout would be appreciated.

Edit: I would also like to add that I'd prefer to leave out some of the more advanced compound exercises from my routine.

What I am most confused about is how to change my routine so that I am working all my muscle groups that often. For instance, I cannot imagine doing squats any more than once a week. At the same time, I thought the traditional wisdom was, you do 3 sets of 8-12 for each exercise. Could somebody explain to me the best way for me to tone down the intensity so that I could do a full body routine 3 times a week? Also, links or ideas about good beginners full body workout would be appreciated.

Edit: I would also like to add that I'd prefer to leave out some of the more advanced compound exercises from my routine.

I think working a single muscle group just once a week is IDEAL. I think it offers you the opportunity to really focus hard on just one set of muscles and also offers ample recovery time. That said, I think that while the circuit training method is effective its not effective in the ways that I just described..from my experience I didn't have the kind of focus and I didn't give myself quite enough recovery time because for example, my quads would recover quicker than my shoulders...

However, when I was a newbie at lifting I used to do a circuit similar to what you're describing. My gym had a circuit room, and I basically just went from machine to machine at a weight heavy enough that I couldn't physically lift anything after the 3rd time around the circuit (usually failure on each machine during the 3rd circuit)

My question to you is: why do you think a few full body workouts would be ideal? Are you talking about ideal for the time being or ideal when you're able to use your campus gym (and by the way which school are you going to attend)?

I think working a single muscle group just once a week is IDEAL. I think it offers you the opportunity to really focus hard on just one set of muscles and also offers ample recovery time. That said, I think that while the circuit training method is effective its not effective in the ways that I just described..from my experience I didn't have the kind of focus and I didn't give myself quite enough recovery time because for example, my quads would recover quicker than my shoulders...

However, when I was a newbie at lifting I used to do a circuit similar to what you're describing. My gym had a circuit room, and I basically just went from machine to machine at a weight heavy enough that I couldn't physically lift anything after the 3rd time around the circuit (usually failure on each machine during the 3rd circuit)

My question to you is: why do you think a few full body workouts would be ideal? Are you talking about ideal for the time being or ideal when you're able to use your campus gym (and by the way which school are you going to attend)?

The main reason I want to do a full body work out 2-3 times a week is because I have heard in several places that this is the best way to go for beginners. If this isn't the case, I would be happy to do a traditional 3 day split. Anybody know of a good beginner's three day split, which doesn't include challenging lifts like dead lifts, good mornings and lunges?

If I were to do full body lifting sessions, would it be effective to tone down the intensity on each muscle group, perhaps doing just one set for each exercise, instead of the usual three?

And to answer your question I am going to a broke ass community college you have probably never heard of, in the Western Massachussetts area.

The main reason I want to do a full body work out 2-3 times a week is because I have heard in several places that this is the best way to go for beginners. If this isn't the case, I would be happy to do a traditional 3 day split. Anybody know of a good beginner's three day split, which doesn't include challenging lifts like dead lifts, good mornings and lunges?

If I were to do full body lifting sessions, would it be effective to tone down the intensity on each muscle group, perhaps doing just one set for each exercise, instead of the usual three?

And to answer your question I am going to a broke ass community college you have probably never heard of, in the Western Massachussetts area.

Ok, if you want to do full-body its not going to hurt anything...but honestly I do a "3-day split" type of thing and I don't EVER! do deadlifts, or lunges and I don't even know wtf a good morning is...heres basically what I do, give or take..

My first day is what I call a push/pull day...I do the muscles that push and those that pull (chest and back).
I do bench press (usually since I don't have a spotter I just hold dumbells in each hand and do a bench press motion). I do incline and I do flat bench, and occasionally pec-fly but usually by the end of a few sets of incline and flat I can't do anything else physically.
For my back I use a pullup machine that does just a portion of my body weight, I do rows, and the lat pull down (although I've found that the pulldown doesn't help my back as much as the pullups so sometimes I just do an extra set of pullups) then I do shrugs.

My 2nd day is a leg day...quad lifts, hamstring lifts, and weighted calf raises (I don't do squats because I'm concerned about my back and about my form).

3rd day I do arms (biceps, triceps, shoulders) and I could probably do abs this day too but I don't put too much faith in doing crunchs. I'm waiting to get in to my schools gym where I can do cable crunchs and I'll probably add them on this day.

Thats my "split" and I dunno if that sounds too complex or whatever, but if you think about it those are probably the exact exercises you'd be doing w/ a fullbody workout.

My thoughts on the fullbody are that if you've never lifted before, its good to learn about the different machines and to get yourself in to the mindset of resistance training...but in my opinion and from my experience it isn't 1/2 as effective. Like I said it took away from my focus because I couldn't concentrate on lifting one muscle group at a time, and also it was MUCH more difficult to lift to fail and also like I mentioned I think about a week's recovery time if you lift to fail is what works best..sometimes even when you feel better your muscles aren't totally healed and a week is definetly sufficient time..doing a fullbody workout 3 times a week by the 3rd one my body would be reeling!

Anyway, hope that helps....if you do want to do a full body, its not going to hurt you, so don't shy away from what you're comfortable with ..this is just my personal opinion on this matter.

My first day is what I call a push/pull day...I do the muscles that push and those that pull (chest and back).
I do bench press (usually since I don't have a spotter I just hold dumbells in each hand and do a bench press motion). I do incline and I do flat bench, and occasionally pec-fly but usually by the end of a few sets of incline and flat I can't do anything else physically.
For my back I use a pullup machine that does just a portion of my body weight, I do rows, and the lat pull down (although I've found that the pulldown doesn't help my back as much as the pullups so sometimes I just do an extra set of pullups) then I do shrugs.

My 2nd day is a leg day...quad lifts, hamstring lifts, and weighted calf raises (I don't do squats because I'm concerned about my back and about my form).

3rd day I do arms (biceps, triceps, shoulders) and I could probably do abs this day too but I don't put too much faith in doing crunchs. I'm waiting to get in to my schools gym where I can do cable crunchs and I'll probably add them on this day.

Thats my "split" and I dunno if that sounds too complex or whatever, but if you think about it those are probably the exact exercises you'd be doing w/ a fullbody workout.

My thoughts on the fullbody are that if you've never lifted before, its good to learn about the different machines and to get yourself in to the mindset of resistance training...but in my opinion and from my experience it isn't 1/2 as effective. Like I said it took away from my focus because I couldn't concentrate on lifting one muscle group at a time, and also it was MUCH more difficult to lift to fail and also like I mentioned I think about a week's recovery time if you lift to fail is what works best..sometimes even when you feel better your muscles aren't totally healed and a week is definetly sufficient time..doing a fullbody workout 3 times a week by the 3rd one my body would be reeling!

Anyway, hope that helps....if you do want to do a full body, its not going to hurt you, so don't shy away from what you're comfortable with ..this is just my personal opinion on this matter.

That routine sounds pretty good, I just have a few questions.

-How common is the routine you described? Is it relatively standard, is it a modified version of something you read, or did you design it mostly on your own?

-What are quad lifts and hamstring lifts? Are they just different words for leg extensions and leg curls?

-On your "arm day" what exercises do you do? Are you incorporating compound exercises on arm day? Also it seems like bis/shoulders/tris would be used quite a bit on day 1, but I may be mistaken.

-Just to make sure I know what your talking about, are rows and pull downs both cable exercises?

-How common is the routine you described? Is it relatively standard, is it a modified version of something you read, or did you design it mostly on your own?

-What are quad lifts and hamstring lifts? Are they just different words for leg extensions and leg curls?

-On your "arm day" what exercises do you do? Are you incorporating compound exercises on arm day? Also it seems like bis/shoulders/tris would be used quite a bit on day 1, but I may be mistaken.

-Just to make sure I know what your talking about, are rows and pull downs both cable exercises?

Its hard to say how "common" it is, but I'd say most people on these boards are doing something similar with exercises changed up and maybe they might do chest and arms on one day and a designated back day instead...its whatever you're comfortable with. I suggest reading some plans people have on the Weight Training section of these forums to see what others do...my main goal is to be sure I hit every major muscle group, and beyond that I just do what I feel comfortable with. Whats most important to me is to lift to fail, and I can't say i do everytime I workout (esp. w/ leg day) but I certainly try.

Quad/Hammy lifts= Leg/Hammy curls, just like you thought.

Arm day I do bicep curls, hammer curls, tricep extensions (with either a machine or cables), and sometimes those overhead lifts (but those are SOOOO hard for me), shoulders I just lift weights straight outwards. Yes they are used on back/chest day, but I've never noticed soreness in those areas after my push/pull day, and a couple days later it really hasn't been a problem (if it is for you, switch it up..this is just my plan).

Lat pulldown is when there is a bar on a cable attached to weights over your head and you pull it down to the front of your chest.

Rows can be done a number of ways. You could bend over with free weights and pull backwards until you feel the burn in your scapula (shoulder blade area), you could use a machine where you pull back in a rowing-motion, and there are several other exercises including those semi-bodyweight pullups that will work that area if you don't like those exercises.