What advice can you give for a newbie like me?

[Rockboy]

Re: Re: What advice can you give for a newbie like me?

Here are my thoughts:

Everyone started somewhere. We are here to help.

Thanks! I really appreciate it.

You need to work your whole body, not just arms and shoulders. I suggest you find a good lifting routine and stick with it. Make sure you squat and deadlift.

But I don't want bigger legs, calves, or butt and doesn't squatting and deadlifting do that?

You need some protein in this meal. Some slow-burning complex carbs would probably help, too. Oatmeal, perhaps?

How do you prepare your oatmeal? What brand do you use? Do you add fruit? Like is a banana okay? Doesn't that make you feel puffy? I get full on just a banana because I don't like breakfast.

You need some protein here too.

What kind do you suggest? What would be a good natural protein source? I don't want to blow $200 a month on whey protein.

You should not be spending 2 hours in the gym. Also, you need to have some protein right after training, IMO. You also probably do not need to do 300 crunches a day, and I would drop the stairmaster time to 20 minutes since you are doing it right after your lifting.

But I don't mind spending two hours in the gym. I take my time and stretch a lot. Anyhow, I read in a bunch of places (magazines, online, etc) that you only start burning fat after the first 25 minutes of a cardio workout. I don't really start sweating a lot until about 20 minutes into the workout. Right now, I've started alternating between the stairmaster and the other cardio machine to work different muscles or whatnot.

As for crunches, how many do you suggest? Isn't 300 better than 200 because I don't have a problem doing 300 or so?

I'd switch to some sort of sugar-free low fat icecream.

Any brands you recommend? What do you do when you go to parties and people offer you cake and ice cream? If I'm eating it a party, I think I'll want to eat it at home, too.

Post-workout. I prefer chocolate.

I usually cook right after I workout and it only takes me 30 minutes to prepare a steamed dinner. But I guess since I do the weightlifting in the middle of my workout that may be too late to eat. That's because I read that you should get protein within 45 minutes of working out. I do, but not 45 minutes withing lifting since I do cardio and stretch after I lift.

Chocolate eh? I read online most people like vanilla or strawberry and someone said chocolate was nasty. I was thinking strawberry since the vanilla people seemed to suggest it was only good when mixed with other stuff since it's more flexible. I figured strawberry would be tastier. I'll think about chocolate, too though. Do you think one drink a day would be good for someone like me? I'm not sure if I want to blow time or money on five drinks a day.

Thanks for all your advice!

 

[zackdarnell]

As for splits and routines, I don't know what to do. I don't want bigger legs, so that cuts one day out. Everyone says I have great legs and big calves, so I don't want them to become bigger. Anyhow, the stairmaster seems to give me a good workout there.

Why do you not want big legs? Training legs will make your whole body grow.

I go to the gym about four times a week and do the same thing as I've described above, except I alternate between working out on my arms (standing and lifting a barbell or dumbells and machine lift) or chest (bench press and sitting back and lifting dumbells over my head). I do these for about 30-40 minutes at a time.

Do you ever train your back? How about shoulders?

So, do you think it's terrible if I stick to this exercise? What else can you recommend? Is there a good easy book for expanding my workout or should I hire a personal trainer for one session a month? I can't afford even that really right now.

So do you just do one exercise each day, or one bodypart per day, or do you do both arms and chest all 4 days? post what a week's workouts would look like. I'm a bit confused.

 

[Rockboy]

Also, what does your training routine look like?

Chest day (2x a week):

Bench press
40lbs x 15, 50lbs x15, 60lbs x10, 70lbs x 7, 70lbs x7

Lift dumbells over head on slanted chair
two sets of 20lbs x 20, two sets of 25lbs x 15, two sets of 30lbs x10, two sets of 35lbs x 10

Arms day (2x a week):

Stand up and life weights to shoulder blades
20lbs x10, 25lbs x10, 30lbs x10

Stand up and lift barbell
20lbs x7 (repeated 4 times)

Machine
40lbs x 20 (repeated 3 times)

I know I sound really ignorant because I am, but what do you call all of these things? Basically, I learned how to work out in college by watching others and following the routine of the person I worked out with. I usually workout alone though and I guess I've been too embarassed to ask and too lazy to look them up in a book.

Thanks again for your help.

 

[zackdarnell]

Re: Re: Re: What advice can you give for a newbie like me?

But I don't want bigger legs, calves, or butt and doesn't squatting and deadlifting do that?

Yes, but they will also make your whole body grow. Don't be one of those guys with huge biceps and tiny legs!

How do you prepare your oatmeal? What brand do you use? Do you add fruit? Like is a banana okay? Doesn't that make you feel puffy? I get full on just a banana because I don't like breakfast.

I just add water, cinnamon, and Splenda (artificial sweetener) and microwave. I sometimes add raisins. I'm a big breakfast eater. I could eat an ox for breakfast most days.

What kind do you suggest? What would be a good natural protein source? I don't want to blow $200 a month on whey protein.

Tuna, chicken, cottage cheese, lean beef, milk, etc.

Anyhow, I read in a bunch of places (magazines, online, etc) that you only start burning fat after the first 25 minutes of a cardio workout. I don't really start sweating a lot until about 20 minutes into the workout. Right now, I've started alternating between the stairmaster and the other cardio machine to work different muscles or whatnot.

If you want to do a long cardio session, do it in the morning or at another time or another day than your weights. You do not want to do a lot of cardio after weights because you risk burning a lot of muscle.

As for crunches, how many do you suggest? Isn't 300 better than 200 because I don't have a problem doing 300 or so?

I'd recommend more like 3 sets of 25. Do some weighted ab exercises if you need to.

Any brands you recommend? What do you do when you go to parties and people offer you cake and ice cream? If I'm eating it a party, I think I'll want to eat it at home, too.

I like breyers sugar-free icecream. When I go to a party, I sometimes eat some of the icecream and cake. That is a special occasion, though. It all depends on your goals.

I usually cook right after I workout and it only takes me 30 minutes to prepare a steamed dinner. But I guess since I do the weightlifting in the middle of my workout that may be too late to eat. That's because I read that you should get protein within 45 minutes of working out. I do, but not 45 minutes withing lifting since I do cardio and stretch after I lift.

I recommend having some whey and some carbs immediately post-workout, then about 45 mintues later eating a meal with real food.

Chocolate eh? I read online most people like vanilla or strawberry and someone said chocolate was nasty. I was thinking strawberry since the vanilla people seemed to suggest it was only good when mixed with other stuff since it's more flexible. I figured strawberry would be tastier. I'll think about chocolate, too though.

Dont believe everything you read. It all comes down to personal preference. I like chocolate and vanilla, but despise strawberry, at least the brands I have used. It all depends on the brand and your individual tastes.

Do you think one drink a day would be good for someone like me? I'm not sure if I want to blow time or money on five drinks a day.

It depends on how much protein you get from other sources.

 

[Rockboy]

Why do you not want big legs? Training legs will make your whole body grow.

Do you ever train your back? How about shoulders?

My legs are already a good size for my body (I'm only 5'7" you know!) I used to run track and cross country and play tennis often and I did A LOT of stairmaster in college and grad school. So, everybody says I have great legs! I don't want fat huge legs with my skinny arms. Do you think that doing 35 minutes 4x a week of stairmaster is not enough for helping my whole body grow?

I lie on my stomach on the mat and put my hands behind my head and lift my torso to work out the lower back. This is repeated about 40 times. I do this once per gym visit.

Shoulders I guess I only get from bench press. Should I try the machine where you pull down that bar?

 

[zackdarnell]

Do you think that doing 35 minutes 4x a week of stairmaster is not enough for helping my whole body grow?

No. The stairmaster is a cardio workout. If anything, it is catabolic.

I lie on my stomach on the mat and put my hands behind my head and lift my torso to work out the lower back. This is repeated about 40 times. I do this once per gym visit.

This is not enough for a back workout. I suggest something like this:
Deadlifts
Wide-grip pullups (or pulldowns if you cant do pullups)
Bent-Over barbell rows

Shoulders I guess I only get from bench press. Should I try the machine where you pull down that bar?

That is called a lat pulldown machine. It is for the back, not the shoulders. For shoulders, try:
Military Press
Lateral Raises.

 

[gonelifting]

Not everyone is in "love" with the sport. I think I know what you want. Nothing wrong with it.
Try this and then take it from there after a couple months. Then if you REALLY want to do it right and you catch "the bug" you`ll have to change it up alot but this will definately get you started.

Day one Bench Press 4sets x 6 -10 repetitions
Incline dumbell press 3 sets x 8-10 repetitions

Side lateral raise 3 x 8-10
Seated shoulder press 3 x 6-10

Lying tricep extensions (skull crushers) 3x 6-10
Single dumbell(held in both hands) overhead
extensions 3x 8-10

Day two Squats 4x6-10
Stiff legged deadlift 3x8-10
calf raises 3x20

Day three Rest

Day Four Bent over barbell row 4 x 6-10
pullups 3 sets to failure

Barbell curls 3x 6-10
Dumbell Hammer curls 3x 8-10

Day Five repeat day one

Two days off then repeat.

This is far from perfect but it`s alot better than what your doing now. It WILL add muscle because ANYTHING you do now will cause you to grow. Try to add weight when you can do the higher amount of repetitions posted.

 

[louden_swain]

Here is some advice. . . .drop the smoking. How can you smoke, when you used to be an athlete? How many times have we heards that this stuff is dangerous? People do not care.

Smoking and training do not mix. . . .plain and simple.

How is your body going to recuperate when carcinogens are floating in the system? You will certainly never reach optimal performance.

As for your training, follow the KISS principle:

This includes eat, rest, and train hard thats it.

 

[Rockboy]

Not everyone is in "love" with the sport. I think I know what you want. Nothing wrong with it.
Try this and then take it from there after a couple months. Then if you REALLY want to do it right and you catch "the bug" you`ll have to change it up alot but this will definately get you started.

Day one Bench Press 4sets x 6 -10 repetitions
Incline dumbell press 3 sets x 8-10 repetitions

Side lateral raise 3 x 8-10
Seated shoulder press 3 x 6-10

Lying tricep extensions (skull crushers) 3x 6-10
Single dumbell(held in both hands) overhead
extensions 3x 8-10

Day two Squats 4x6-10
Stiff legged deadlift 3x8-10
calf raises 3x20

Day three Rest

Day Four Bent over barbell row 4 x 6-10
pullups 3 sets to failure

Barbell curls 3x 6-10
Dumbell Hammer curls 3x 8-10

Day Five repeat day one

Two days off then repeat.

This is far from perfect but it`s alot better than what your doing now. It WILL add muscle because ANYTHING you do now will cause you to grow. Try to add weight when you can do the higher amount of repetitions posted.

Thanks very much for the suggestions and I will try exactly what you listed.

Is there a Web site (or even a book) that shows pictures of these exercises? I can guess a lot of them, but I'd really like to know.

 

[Rockboy]

I bought a 42oz. container of Quaker Oats 100% Whole Grains and some brown sugar so I can start eating that in the morning with bananas. It has listed 4g of protein there.

After my workout today I felt pretty worn for some reason, it may have been because I worked out yesterday, too. So, I had a Myoplex whey protein drink (20g) even though it cost $3.50 (almost as much as the Quaker Oats) and it tasted alright. I felt like it helped and it was good because it took me a long while to cook the chicken tonight.

I'm going to order a 3lb. container of Isopure from DPS next week. Still not sure which flavor though, but I guess I'll try chocolate since I like chocolate. In fact, I had some more chocolate ice cream tonight. I will buy the sugar free kind after I finish this pint, but does Breyer's use aspartame? I avoid anything with aspartame like Diet Coke and prefer to take the sugar. Andrew Weil says it can be worse than eating the sugar, but he's not sure yet.