Trying to begin working out

[James Bond]

I'm sure that I'm in the same boat as about 40% of AT, but oh well

I'm skinny, always have been. I weigh about 160 right now, and I'm 5'11. That may not sound *too* skinny, but trust me.

I don't care about being huge and punching through bricks, but I would like to have a more athletic body and not generate the initial "wow, he's pretty skinny" reactions.

I smoke a lot of weed. I can hold off on the smoking until after working out on a daily basis. I wonder if eating junk food would be a problem? I guess I could work out a diet also.

I guess I just have no idea where to start. My roommates don't work out, but I could probably get them into going with me.

Any ideas/advice?

 

[S Freud]

1. Get some weights or a gym membership, obvious reasons here.

2. I would work out a routine that is conveint for you, I diet will be a big plus. Work these two things out before you start anything. You can tweak them as you go along.

3. Stop smoking weed, not sure why you do this in the first place but this will do nothing more then hurt your results. Its your decision though so do what you want.

4. I recommend keeping a workout journal to track progress so you can see where you started and where you are, great motivation when you feel like you haven't done much.

5. Get some ON 100% Whey protein. When lifting you want to be getting plenty of protein, this will help if you diet is lacking.

6. Check out Wannabebig for diet and loads of other advice, I really like their recipe section for help in deciding what to eat.

 

[James Bond]

Originally posted by: S Freud
1. Get some weights or a gym membership, obvious reasons here.

2. I would work out a routine that is conveint for you, I diet will be a big plus. Work these two things out before you start anything. You can tweak them as you go along.

3. Stop smoking weed, not sure why you do this in the first place but this will do nothing more then hurt your results. Its your decision though so do what you want.

4. I recommend keeping a workout journal to track progress so you can see where you started and where you are, great motivation when you feel like you haven't done much.

5. Get some ON 100% Whey protein. When lifting you want to be getting plenty of protein, this will help if you diet is lacking.

6. Check out Wannabebig for diet and loads of other advice, I really like their recipe section for help in deciding what to eat.

Thanks for the reply.

The only thing I'm skeptical about is having the hour or so a day or actually go out and do it. I guess that as long as I have a routine, it will just be another part of my day.

I'll definitely start looking for a good diet, I've been eating nothing but garbage lately, and I'm sure my metabolism can't keep up the pace forever..

 

[Cerpin Taxt]

The weed smoking doesn't necessarily have to affect your program negatively, but beyond stimulating an appetite, it isn't going to help.

I would plan ahead for your munchies by stocking up with a good supply of healthy, protein-rich snack foods or foods that require as little preparation from your stoney ass as possible. Unsalted peanuts or some kind of trail mix wouldn't be bad. Tuna fish sandwiches are easy to prepare and really good for a bulking diet. Get some gainer shake mix like Optimum Nutrition Pro Complex Gainer or CytoSport Cytogainer (I alternate between those two) and insert them into your diet as supplements (i.e. do not replace already existing meals, add these shakes as extra meals).

As far as lifting goes, learn the basic compound movements: Chest presses (incline, flat), Dips, Rows (upright, pull-down, bent-over), Squats, Deadlifts, etc... and focus on those. If you need more explanation of what a compound lift is (in contrast to an isolation excercise), just ask.

I would recommend a program that split your body up into 3 workouts per week: Legs, Chest/Shoulders, and Back/Abs. I would recommend around 12 total sets per muscle group, distributed across 4 different lifts. At first your sets might consist of 10 to 12 reps in order for you to become accustomed to your weight ranges. After 2-3 weeks of that, adjust the weights you lift such that they only allow you to complete 7 reps AT THE MOST, but AT LEAST 4 reps before muscle failure.

Then EAT and REST.

 

[bignateyk]

Advice/tips:

Don't be discouraged or self conscious when you start.

Make working out a habit. Stay committed.

Realize that you need to make permanant diet changes, and STICK WITH THEM.


If you can do those 3 things, I guarantee it will change your life. If you aren't committed to it, then it just won't work. If you aren't willing to change your diet, or you aren't willing to go to the gym at least 3 times a week, every week (no exceptions), then don't bother.

Take my roomate for example... He weighs ~140lbs, and always bitches about how skinny he is and how he cant gain weight. So I take him to the gym and show him everything he needs to know and give him all the dietary advice he needs.

What does he do? He eats about 1000 calories a day, and only goes to the gym about once a week (if anything else comes up, he skips the gym). Then he still bitches about how he's working out and not gaining any weight.

 

[kyussinchains]

you can always start with a home workout, sets of 10 pushups followed by 10 "ass to grass" bodyweight squats with no rest will work your arms and shoulders, as well as your legs and butt.

Bench dips are good too, really good for isolating your triceps, stick a wedge under an open door for support, stick a towel over the top and do pullups on it.... work out a routine which leaves you feeling exhausted but doesnt make you ache for more than a day or so.

if you can stick to it for a few months, shell out on a gym membership