Complete amateur wanting to build muscle

[Alex384]

I've been going to the gym daily for the last month or so and doing fairly basic workouts. E.g. 45 minutes of cardio either on the treadmill or on a bike and a few sets on the strength machines.

 

Now I've got slightly addicted to the idea of building muscle and getting toned but don't really know what sort of routines I should be doing. I'm not so keen on using the free weights but I'm assuming this is the best option and what about protein shakes?

 

I'm about 10stone, 6foot and would say of average build if that helps.

 

Any advice would be appreciated, thanks.

[iouaname]

The main rule to follow when trying to gain or lose weight is that it's calories in vs. calories out. So for your case, you're going to want to put in more calories than you burn. Your relatively thin, so you're going to want to enter a "bulking" stage. Consume a lot of calories, and reduce the amount you burn with cardio.

 

For me, I have cut out cardio completely and have only lifted. I'm not looking to put on a ton of muscle, I just want to gain weight and I know that muscle weighs more.

 

So what you should do is get yourself used to eating more (six meals a day is the general rule for trying to gain weight) and lifting more/heavier, while reducing cardio for at least the first few weeks that you are trying to gain weight.

[Eternal Sunshine]

Forget the cardio.

[EasyHeart]

My main advice to newbies is Keep It Simple. Everyone on the internet is an expert at everything and will tell you there is only one "right" way to workout. ("Kettle balls are the only way to exercise!" "It's all about The Core", "Dude, you have to do a 3-day split") The reality is that at your level, pretty much anything you do will help.

 

I'd suggest learning the five basic exercises: Bench press (chest), overhead press (shoulders), squat (legs), rows and lat pulldowns (back). Machines are good for learning because they're easier to use, easier to adjust the weights and you won't annoy the other people trying to work out. Find the machines for those exercises and learn how to do them (the machine version of the squat is the leg press). Most machines nowadays have instruction right on the machine or you can look up how to use them on the internet. As you do the exercises, think about which part of your body it's working. Your goal is to work the big muscle groups of your whole body, not just your chest or your arms. (The guys we laugh at in the gym are the skinny little guys who spend 20 minutes doing tricep pushdowns or working on their rear delts).

 

After a couple months when you're comfortable with those exercises, you can look at doing variations (eg, incline and decline benches) or adding some exercises to your workout. Always think about your form. The biggest mistake beginners make is throwing weights around without any idea of how to do the exercises. ("The perfect body is built through perfect form" -- Steve Reeves (look him up!)) That's the kind of info that the internet is great for. You can find videos on how to do most any exercise or use any machine.

 

After you've put on some muscle and built up some confidence, you can start learning to use free weights. You don't have to choose one or the other. You can start, for instance, by substituting dumbbell bench presses for machine benches. And some exercises (like rows) are better/safer on a machine. Free weights are harder to do because your form becomes much more important. Machines lock you into a motion as you lift, which is easier but unnatural. Free weights -- if you use good form -- allow you use a more natural motion when lifting, which spares your joints and allows you to lift more weight. But you can also waste you time (and really hurt yourself) if you don't bother to learn how to do them right.

 

Eventually you're going to want to squat. Squatting (which is basically a deep knee-bend with a barbell on your shoulders) is the only way you're going to put real meat on your bones. But squatting is a really difficult exercise (both with respect to proper form and to physical exertion), so I think it's important to develop some good habits (and some muscle) and to learn how to learn to do exercises before attempting to squat. I'd say a year or more before you should attempt that kind of exercise, depending on how committed you are.

 

If you really want to be healthy and add muscle, the most important thing is consistency. Ignore anyone who tells you that you have to go to the gym 5 times a week or do 60 sets at every workout. It's way better to workout twice a week for a year than to work out 6 times a week for 3 months and then not to go to the gym for the next three. Same goes for volume (the numbers of sets and reps you do). Lifting for 20 minutes 3 times a week on a regular basis is way better than working out for two hours every day and then not going to the gym for a month.

 

Nutrition-wise, focus on general health to start. Get rid of anything in a package and avoid sugar as much as possible. Eat meat, fruits, veggies and good carbs (eg, brown rice and sweet potatoes). You should really do that anyways, even if you don't exercise. Don't worry about counting how many grams of protein you eat or using supplements; those things only matter if you're working at your peak level of performance, which is something very, very few people actually do. You'll get a lot more benefit from getting rid of the frozen dinners and learning how to saute a chicken breast than from chugging down a protein shake every three hours.

 

And like ES said, skip the cardio. Cardio is for strengthening your heart. At your age, that's probably not an issue, unless you have some genetic or heart health issues. Once you get on the dark side of 30, cardio becomes much more important, but at this point it will probably just eat up whatever muscle you gain from lifting.

 

Hope that helps. If I had to sum up the three most important things about learning to lift weights, it's consistency, consistency and consistency. If you want to transform your body, exercise has to become part of your life, no different from brushing your teeth and doing your homework. There is no such thing as "getting in shape" or "I just want to get a bigger chest". Healthy people know that exercise is a lifestyle, not a hobby.

[xXCountryXx]

Just talk to people at the gym. The more people you get to know, the more you learn and possibly find partners to work out with. They can help you with technique, diet, exercises and motivation. Their help is pretty valuable. Remember, everyone has to start from the bottom to build their self up.

Good luck! And once those results start showing and you start getting compliments... It's an insane feeling of accomplishment that snowballs an causes you to want more and more!

[BeholdtheMan]

A very basic but effective workout (it's simple, but it's not easy...you will get sore):

 

1) burpees

2) pull ups

3) chin ups

4) dips

 

These exercises will keep you fit. You can do fewer burpees if you don't want that much cardio. Just type the names of these exercises into Youtube and there'll be plenty of instructional videos for you to watch.

 

For a beginner, I'd recommend 6 descending sets of burpees (6, 5, 4...1), 5 pull ups, 5 chin ups, 5 dips.

 

The goal is to be able to do 20 descending sets of burpees within 30 min (20,19,18...1), 20 chin ups, 20 pull ups, and 6 sets of 12 to 18 dips. This is the workout I use when I don't have the time to hit a gym or when a gym isn't readily available where I live.

[John316C]

your new?

 

weights - dont use machines until you've been doing weights for quite some time - thats close to a year or more after starting. only applies to arms.

 

your new? go do the workout 3 times a week, you can do the same exercises 3 times a week with equal rest times. all you need right now is to become accustomed. trains your body for increased stress and your nervous system.

 

it takes a muscle3 months with the SAME weight and exercise to become accustomed to ONE constant stimulus.

 

i hope your smart enough to realize those implications.

 

 

weightlifting 14 years almost 10 in a gym.

[creighton0123]

Your best bet, in my opinion, would be to scrape together $60 or so for a single session with a personal trainer. They can discuss what you've done, what you're doing, and what your goals are, and tailor a plan to fit your needs after observing you during a normal working out.

 

Also, drop the cardio a bit. 45 minutes every time you work out will burn fat and muscle.

[USMCHokie]

weights - dont use machines until you've been doing weights for quite some time - thats close to a year or more after starting. only applies to arms.

 

A year without machines...? I feel that people greatly underestimate the value of machines. So you're saying that people should wait a year before using machines for their arms...?

 

it takes a muscle3 months with the SAME weight and exercise to become accustomed to ONE constant stimulus.

 

The same weight for three months? Strong disagree here.

[John316C]

A year without machines...? I feel that people greatly underestimate the value of machines. So you're saying that people should wait a year before using machines for their arms...?

 

 

 

The same weight for three months? Strong disagree here.

 

well, you dont have to. however, its a lot more efficient to exercise neurological training from balancing weights. because of the resaerch the conclusion is it is best to train for awhile with freeweights.

 

that means i think its something like 2-3 months for complete neuroligcal adaption to bring it to 100% (for 1 type of exercise+a certain weight) thats just the mucles nervous system

then theres the muscle fibres itself... which logically are stimulated by the nervous system

Edited July 30, 2013 by John316C

[John316C]

A year without machines...? I feel that people greatly underestimate the value of machines. So you're saying that people should wait a year before using machines for their arms...?

 

 

 

The same weight for three months? Strong disagree here.

 

Could you tell me where you get the evidence for disagreeing on 2-3 months for neurological adaption?

[steveT95]

I'm also a newbie, about same weight and height and started a couple of weeks ago.

I have learnt a lot from this site.

 

Eat big.

Lift heavy.

 

Eat clean foods that are high in calories but low in saturated fat.

Lift a weight that you can do ten reps with good form. When this gets comfortable, increase the weight.

 

Maybe try a split routine and only exercise every other day.

[phreckles]

I agree w/ OP about sticking to the 5 basic free weight moves.

 

For a beginner strength program that's free, I suggest Googling "Stronglifts 5x5" or "Starting Strength". To determine the right caloric intake, Google "Scooby's workshop" for his caloric intake calculator based on your height/weight.

 

Good luck!