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Just started working out

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OzzMichael

Junior Member
I've just recently started working out.. And as i've seen several other working out threads none of them answered the questions i have so i would like to see if anyone can help me

so starting off.. I'd like to say i'm roughly 5'10"-5'11" and my bathroom scale says i weigh 145lbs.. which i believe is somewhat accurate.. which i know is underweight..hence the 'working out'

so mostly i'm just doing curls..i work out for an hour a day..


1. when finished working out.. my arms feel extremely tight and i look somewhat buff.. but within 15 mins they go back to looking and feeling the way they did before i started working out...mush

2. at about my rate.. working out an hour a day.. about how long before i could start to see and feel improvement.

3. I appear to have no fat on my arms at all.. I'm not a physician or personal trainer but from what i can tell there is none. I've always been told (fat + workout = muscle) so it makes the equation (no fat + workout = waste of time) seem righteous. Is there any truth behind this? Will i still gain and build muscle from working out as i am. Of course i am trying to gain weight but for me its a slow process.. but its coming.

4. Foods i should eat? I've been told i need to load up on carbs so at the store today i got some potatos pasta eggs bread just some things a few people mentioned would be good.

I'm just starting to workout and trying to make sure that i get my head on the right track at the beginning. Anyone who has any information and would care to share i would appreciate it..

Ozz

 
You're gonna be SORE for a while...but keep it up.

I'd also say only lift every other day...every day is too much.

Split workouts into legs, chest, back, arms, and shoulders

Don't forget some aerobic activity

It's gonna take at least a solid month or more of lifting every other day before some of that muscle stays with you beyond your workout. But don't get discouraged.

I've seen a lot of guys at the gym w/out much "fat" on their arms...you can get very toned and defined, which is cool..but if you're going for that vin diesel look you're gonna need some weight gainer or something...
 
thanks for the advice bro.. yeah i would like to the tone look as well, but yeah i want some meat on my arms..

so everyother day? i mean the weird thing is... i'm working hard.. i mean.. i think pretty damn hard.. for that hour.. then the next day..i'm slightly sore..and right now i'm shaking my arms and they're not sore at all actually... am i not working them hard enough? its about my 3rd day..
 
1. That's what's supposed to happen. Your muscles have just been pushed to their max and are now in recuperation mode right after you workout. As you take time to rest they start to loosen up again.

2. You should start to feel improvement within the first week or 2. Not meaning you'll look any different, although that's a possibility... I mean you'll be feeling stronger.

3. If you're exercising and eating the right foods, you'll still gain muscle with the right workout (I'd recomend adding a bit more than crunches, at least add in some pushups and situps)

4. PROTEIN is your muscle-building friend. Learn to love fish, especially tunafish. Have it for lunch everyday and try to cut down (read: stop eating) fried foods. Also, if you want to stop by a GNC and pick up some of those vitamin supplements that would help. Don't get the weight gain crap unless you want to be wearing a pink shirt and yelling BEEFCAKE! while the floor collapses under you, what I mean is the packets of vitamins that come pre-shrinkwrapped ready to eat about 30-45 minutes before your workout.

Last, don't forget to remember the other parts of your body. Workout your back occationally or you'll start walking hunched over. I've seen it in the gym I used to go to... the guy was so concerned about his chest and arms he neglected his back. He looked like the hunchback of notre dame. Also try to get out and run a bit too. If you're exercising you want to get your whole body into it, not just one part.
 
Originally posted by: OzzMichael
thanks for the advice bro.. yeah i would like to the tone look as well, but yeah i want some meat on my arms..

so everyother day? i mean the weird thing is... i'm working hard.. i mean.. i think pretty damn hard.. for that hour.. then the next day..i'm slightly sore..and right now i'm shaking my arms and they're not sore at all actually... am i not working them hard enough? its about my 3rd day..
Click to expand...

You won't notice anything if it's only your third day. Give it at least a week before you notice anything at all. Anything you notice before then is you trying to convince yourself that you're getting big fast. There is no way at all to get big or toned quickly. If you're serious about gaining muscle it's going to take a lot of hard work. Oh yeah, if at the end of your workout you can't think about it and say "I pushed myself as far as I could" it wasn't a good workout.
 
thanks for the reply..

yes i'm also doing pushups and situps.. i forgot to mention those.. i havent started on the legs, i do have a treadmill..well the gf does..but its a walker not a jogger, so i dunno what that will do for me..

if anyone else has any other advice also please share
 
Originally posted by: eLiTeGoodGuy1
Originally posted by: OzzMichael
thanks for the advice bro.. yeah i would like to the tone look as well, but yeah i want some meat on my arms..

so everyother day? i mean the weird thing is... i'm working hard.. i mean.. i think pretty damn hard.. for that hour.. then the next day..i'm slightly sore..and right now i'm shaking my arms and they're not sore at all actually... am i not working them hard enough? its about my 3rd day..
Click to expand...

You won't notice anything if it's only your third day. Give it at least a week before you notice anything at all. Anything you notice before then is you trying to convince yourself that you're getting big fast. There is no way at all to get big or toned quickly. If you're serious about gaining muscle it's going to take a lot of hard work. Oh yeah, if at the end of your workout you can't think about it and say "I pushed myself as far as I could" it wasn't a good workout.
Click to expand...

yes oh definitely.. i lift and lift..then take a breather then try to lift agian and my arm just says nope, aint gonna happen.. then i can tell i did it good..then i rest for about a minute then lift agian..but yes i'm just starting out and i'm not looking for the easy way out like the ads you see on Tv "Lose 30lbs in 30 days" nothing in life is easy... but i'm going to be dedicated to it
 
Forget the treadmill, they suck. Get out there with some running shoes. Do you have an exercise buddy? The biggest reason people start then stop a workout program is because they lose motivation. Getting a partner to work with you will be excelent motivation to continue... you'll pull each other along with yourselves.
 
is lifting everyday a bad idea? I dont work or anything... the only exercise i really get is sex with the gf..

is lifting everyday still a bad idea?
 
Originally posted by: eLiTeGoodGuy1
Forget the treadmill, they suck. Get out there with some running shoes. Do you have an exercise buddy? The biggest reason people start then stop a workout program is because they lose motivation. Getting a partner to work with you will be excelent motivation to continue... you'll pull each other along with yourselves.
Click to expand...

actually i quit smoking 3 weeks ago and that is another thing that convinced me to get in shape...and honestly... If I can quit smoking..Then i think i can workout and get in shape...Quitting smoking has been one of the hardest things i've ever done..
 
It's not a bad idea, you're just going to get more strength before you get mass. The muscle you already have is going to get stronger before your body decides it's time to make more. I personally workout every day, and every 4th day I only exercise by pushing down on the gas pedal of my car in order to give my muscles time to recuperate. Works great for me.
 
1. You CAN work out everyday. But you have to build up to it (unless you're already in great shape), and you must exercise different muscles on consecutive days. Do not overwork the same muscles day after day. For example, back when I was actually weight-training several days a week, I would concentrate on chest/back one day, arms another day, legs another day. By "concentrate" I mean that I would do an overall workout of all the muscles every day, but add extra exercises that concentrated on one part of the body.

2. You'll see a lot of people have different opinions on how to weight train, but they all seem to say the same thing.
Lots of repititions at low weight = Toning. Few repetitions at high weights = Bulk up.

3. Y'know Arnold Schwarzenegger? On movie sets, he would would pump weights before shooting scenes, in order to get the blood flowing to his muscles so they'd look bigger.

4. I recommend perusing Arnie's book on bodybuilding. Even if you're not interested in bodybuilding, it has a lot of good information on what to expect, how Arnie motivates himself, and about a zillion different exercises.

5. Don't just concentrate on your arms. You'll end up looking like Popeye.

Oh yeah, and GOOD FOR YOU! Now please motivate ME to go start working out again. 🙂

 
You shouldn't work the same muscle group two days in a row. Resting your muscles after working them out is as important as the workout itself. The resting period is the rebuilding period, where the muscles tissue builds itself back up (bigger and stronger each time) after being broken down. If you don't rest your arms every other day, you won't see the improvement nearly as fast.

You may also want to use protein powder (go for any whey protein product at GNC, they carry mostly quality stuff) or protein bars. This will help in the rebuilding process. You don't have to go crazy like a body builder, and you don't need shakes with 2000 calories unless you want to get up to 170 - 175 pounds. But, you'll be looking better at around 155 and buff (well, super lean buff) at 160 for your body type. If you go for the protein powder, then try the vanilla flavored powder and mix it with about a cup of milk and some frozen chopped up bananas. You can also add frozen strawberries and/or a bit of chocolate syrup to add some variety. These shakes taste really good and are pretty filling too. You can treat them as a snack and this way you get some extra protein in your diet.

If you don't eat a lot of meat or fish then I would also buy some protein bars at Costco or GNC. They have a bunch of different brands and flavors so you're just going to have to do some trial and error on taste. They are all pretty good, though. You will want to get around 100 - 150 grams of protein per day.

Good luck.
 
Just a quick aside -

You're already underweight. Buy someWHEY protein shakes (at the store, EAS or, if you have the money, Nitrotech are good...proteinfactory.com is good too) and take two a day - right after your workout, and right before you go to bed. Taking it before bed will prevent your body from going catabolic and using muscles for energy while you sleep; taking the shake post-workout (within 30 min) gives your muscles much-needed fuel. (I cannot emphasize WHEY enough; NOT SOY, and NOT EAS Myoplex, which tastes better but has carbs, which is bad).

Eating any sort of carbohydrate within 2 hours of bed is BAD! Repeat IS BAD! Growth hormone is secreted while you sleep; insulin release is accompanied with carb intake and blocks hGH (growth hormone) release. So, basically, if you get a craving right before bed, eat a scoop of peanut butter (mostly unsaturated oil fats, low carb, assuming its non-low-fat).

You're not bodybuilding. Don't listen to these people that say you gotta do cardio. Cardio is the bane of muscle mass, and every powerlifter and bodybuilder knows it. There is absolutely no point to lifting weights until all your muscle glycogen is depleted (one hour to 90 min) and then running and having your body go catabolic on you, burning your muscles for fuel. You're best off cycling - spending 3 months bulking up (regardless of body fat %) and turning it into muscle, then going into a cutting cycle where diet and cardio take paramount over muscle mass gains for a month.

I'll let others critique your workout; its 3:30 AM, PM me if you have more questions (since im probably gonna forget about this thread tomorrow)
 
Originally posted by: eLiTeGoodGuy1
Forget the treadmill, they suck. Get out there with some running shoes. Do you have an exercise buddy? The biggest reason people start then stop a workout program is because they lose motivation. Getting a partner to work with you will be excelent motivation to continue... you'll pull each other along with yourselves.
Click to expand...

why do treadmills suck?
 
I'm 5'10, and I weighed ~150lbs 2 years ago. I got to 165lbs last summer, but my dedication dropped off for a bit. Now I'm at a steady ~161lb, and I'm definitely more muscular/toned than I was 2 years ago. I'm trying to pick it back up and gain more muscle mass this summer.

I'm by no means a muscle bound bodybuilder, or the most ripped guy at the gym. But I've made some mistakes that I wish I could undo. After some trial and error, here are some things that have worked for me.

1. Eat anywhere between 4-6 small meals a day. Don't fill up, just eat enough to be satisfied. Don't let yourself go hungry. If you're hungry, eat! Protein at every meal. Cut down on fat. Tuna is a great source of protein, and I was having some everyday. But I recently found out that due to pollution, the mercury content of fish might be too high. So I'm limiting myself to 2 cans a week (I think that's the US recommendation).

2. Eat right after you work out. Either have a protein shake, or just a small meal. You'll most likely be hungry anyways.

3. Find a workout partner. Make sure he will push you to work harder. Plus you'll be more likely to attempt the extra rep, knowing your partner will help you if you can't lift the weight. On those days when you're feeling lazy, he'll let you know that you're being a wuss and tell you to suck it up. Believe it or not, it takes more mental strength than physical strength. Some of the days I lifted the most weight were when I was feeling "off" or "tired". Realize it's all in your head and it'll be easier (kinda).

4. Add resistence to your ab workout. I started doing weighted crunches and cable crunches. After a few workouts with resistence, both my workout partner and I noticed more definition in the abs. Of course, there's still a layer of fat there... but that's a different story. 😛

5. Rest. Realize that your muscles grow when you're recovering and eating right. Take turns working out your major muscle groups.

I try to do 2-3 exercises per muscle group, 3 sets per exercise. I choose a weight that only allows me to do 6-8 reps. Meaning, by the time I get to the 8th rep, I can either barely do it, or my partner is helping me lift it up. 😀 But I've heard people swear by 10 reps, or 12 reps, or 15 reps. I'm sure any of those will work fine, since I think resting and eating right are probably the most important factors.

When I first started, I was benching every other day. Then I realized that it was too much. For a while I've been working all my muscle groups twice a week. Just recently, I've started wondering if even that's too much, since my gains have plateaued. I'm going to trust the recommendation of others, and try resting even more. Makes sense that the harder I work, the more rest I need. I'm going to limit myself to working each muscle group once a week, with a rest day on thursday and a rest day on sunday. I also need to start eating more again. Letting myself go to sleep hungry (most cuz I'm too lazy to make a meal) can't be good for muscle gains. 😛 And I'm going to be much more nazi about taking my vitamins everyday.

Hope this helps.

dfi
 
hmm, this thread is sorta motivating me to get rid of my gut (roughly 5'11" and weighing in at 178 at the moment, and yes I can jiggle the belly)
 
I appreciate all the responses... So i'm convinved that everyday is too much.. so i figure i'll alternate between upper and lower body.. I have sinned and tried the calorie shakes..and i must admit.. i did gain 5lbs in a week on them... of course with lots of other eatings..but i'm sure its not a healthy 5lbs i'd like to gain.. everyone keeps saying how good protein is for building..Can someone show me some good examples of protein so when i go to the store i can stockup.. Guess i should have paid more attention in health class..

Once agian i appreciate all the responses
 
Can anyone recommend excercises for building muscle? I am about 5'9 and 120 pds so I know I need to bulk up and want to put on some muscle. I am doing push-up, sit-ups and crunches, but I think I need to do more to excersise other areas of my body. Recommendations with a description of how to do it would be great.

 
Develop a routine built around compound exercises (the ones that involve a lot of muscles at once). Stuff like bench press, shoulder press, pullups, squats, and deadlifts -- that should be the core of your program. The curls are isolation exercises, you can do them after the compound exercises if you think your arms still need work. As a beginner, you could do a full-body routine of 2-3 sets per exercise, 3 times a week and make good progress. Muscles are generally recovered within 48 hrs and can be worked again, unless you're experiencing a lot of lingering soreness and find it uncomfortable.

Don't fall into the trap of thinking more is better. It's not, and your workouts should be short and to the point. 2 or 3 hour weight-lifting sessions are stupid, and doing it 5-6 days a week is a good way to overtrain and limit your growth (unless you're chemically assisted). Arnold's Bodybuilding Encyclopedia was mentioned in this thread, and it's an excellent reference that any serious lifter should check out. But you should be aware that the routines in that book are what he did as a competitive bodybuilder on steroids, and will overwork a natural lifter.

It's probably best to stay in the 8-12 rep range for the first 3 or 4 months at least, you need time to strengthen ligaments and tendons before you start going for low rep (<5 rep) sets. Take it slow as you learn to do the lifts, focus on form initially so you can avoid injury as the weights get heavier and heavier.

Since you're a beginner, you can build muscle and lose fat simultaneously. Even if you don't think you have much fat to lose, you may find yourself getting leaner as your muscles grow -- enjoy it while it lasts. Your muscles will feel a lot firmer within a month. Get in the gym, work out hard and sensibly, don't hurt yourself in the beginning by doing stupid things (like trying one-rep maxes or competing against your friends), and eat plenty of protein (1 gram/lb of bodyweight).

 
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