Help for a beginner

[Deagles]

Hello, I'm a first time poster and a long time reader of the bodybuilding forums.

My name is Jimmy, I am 17 years old and I'm 5'10 138lbs at around 11% body fat, I've always had the athletic type build. I have a few questions, I recently signed up at a gym that gives me access to all equipment except barbells, so no free weight bench pressing only smith machine. I've been reading up on bulking and I'm leaning towards a clean bulk method, from my understanding this is packing on 1.5-2 pounds of muscle a month with minimal to almost no fat gain.

Is it plausible to believe that I can gain 2 pounds of muscle a month? and if so how long would that keep up for?

What kind of calorie intake would I need to be following, I've read numerous theories, 20 times your body weight, 25 times your body weight, a few hundred calories over your maintenance level. I'm not sure who to believe and I do understand it also depends on your body type. I've been skinny all my life, rather strong for my weight as well, I've always been happy with my body but now I think it's time to tack on some muscle.

Also I've heard of fat/carb/protein calorie distributions, what percentages should each of those occupy? I heard 30% fat, 30% protein, 40% carbs was good.

Should I work out Mon-Fri or workout every other day?

As you can see I'm very eager to start lifting and getting bigger, and as a beginner I have a lot of questions and came to these forums as I understand you guys are very knowledgeable.

Any responses and criticism is welcome
- Thank you for your time guys!

[iewed]

I stopped reading after "no free weight".

Try to get your money back, and run. Run hard, run long, run fast. Either buy your own stuff or find a real gym with free weights.

[Deagles]

Nono, there are tons of free weights, the only thing they don't have is a freeweight benchpress, and that I have at home.

[Deagles]

bump

[SquatthenBench]

Protein is more important than calories when weight lifting. If you're lifting hard, aim for 1.5 to 2 grams of protein per pound of bodyweight. If you are really trying to gain weight fast, I recommend a weight gainer such as Cytogainer, but only if you plan on lifting hard and consistently. Make sure you take the protein supplement immediately after your workout and don't rely on supplements. Eat properly throughout the day and drink a lot of water. Vitamins are also worth an investment such as FishOil, Calcium, Vitamin C, Glutamine, Glucosamine, Multi-Vitamin, etc.

People usually do full body workouts or split routines. I've found split routines to be the best for making faster gains and less injuries. It's where you hit 2 muscle groups each day, very hard. I train with a 5 day split that looks like this:

Day 1 - Chest and Shoulders
Day 2 - Quads and Hams
Day 3 - Rest
Day 4 - Biceps and Triceps
Day 5 - Back and Calves
Day 6 - Rest
Day 7 -Lagging Bodyparts

I do tend to switch it up but that's my current one. I also do abs for about 10 minutes every day and cardio. In terms of exercises, make sure you incorporate these exercises in there in this order: 1) Squats (most important exercise) 2) Deadlift then 3) Bench Press.
Make sure you train your legs since most people nowadays don't.

Always stretch and get enough sleep. Good Luck

[Deagles]

Thank you for all the info! I was looking for a 5 day split routine anyway and that is what I intend to use, as far as weight gainers and such, I'm against them and plan on just eating a lot of clean food and working really hard in the gym, I only plan on using whey protein, do you think that would be wrong to do?

I intend on consuming 1.5g of protein per lb, so around 180-200g of protein a day, and I am in no rush to gain mass quickly, I want to do it the "right" way, by gaining around 2 pounds of muscle a month and very little fat.

I always run for 10-12 minutes before every workout to get the blood flowing.

How long do you think I should work out on my abs for? And should I work on them every day of the 5-day split?

And as a soccer player I've always worked out my legs and intend on continuing to do, strong legs are the foundation to everything

[ilovehurling]

Get outta that gym. Use the money to join a better gym, or buy your own equipment: Weights, Bench, Rack, Barbell, Dumbells etc.

Try to get a gram of protein for every pound of bodyweight to ensure growth.

This routine works very well for me and I' only 17:
Monday- Chest (Key exercise= Bench Press)
Tuesday- Legs + Abs (Key exercise= Squats)
Wednesday- Biceps and Forearms (Key exercise= Barbell Curls)
Thursday- Triceps and Shoulders (Key exercises = Skull crushers/ Military Press)
Friday- Back (Key exercise= Deadlift)

Get as much protein as possible ASAP after a workout with a protein shake.

The "40-30-30" diet is pretty good asuming you also do sports and/or exercises of some descirption.

BEST OF LUCK!!

[Deagles]

Ahhh well let me correct myself, by run I meant, I speed walk for about 6 minutes jog the next 4 minutes and then sprint for about 30 secs to a minute. I know I went get fat I've always had a fast metabolism and have always been very active, I just don't want to be stuck at a small frame for my entire life lol. With a break from soccer I won't be going overboard on the cardio and I should be able to put on a few pounds.

Also, I've heard about the 500 calorie surplus theory but how can I find out, how much I actually burn off during a day to know how much I would need to consume to be at a 500 calorie surplus?

[ilovehurling]

Get outta that gym. Use the money to join a better gym, or buy your own equipment: Weights, Bench, Rack, Barbell, Dumbells etc.

Try to get a gram of protein for every pound of bodyweight to ensure growth.

This routine works very well for me and I' only 17:
Monday- Chest (Key exercise= Bench Press)
Tuesday- Legs + Abs (Key exercise= Squats)
Wednesday- Biceps and Forearms (Key exercise= Barbell Curls)
Thursday- Triceps and Shoulders (Key exercises = Skull crushers/ Military Press)
Friday- Back (Key exercise= Deadlift)

Get as much protein as possible ASAP after a workout with a protein shake.

The "40-30-30" diet is pretty good asuming you also do sports and/or exercises of some descirption.

BEST OF LUCK!!

[Deagles]

Thanks for that , says I should be taking in around 3100 calories, does that sound about right for someone my weight? I guess with a high activity rate and a fast metabolism that isn't all that much.

[Deagles]

What about ab training? Should I exercise my abs every workout and for how long? I heard 3 days a week for 15 minutes should suffice?

[Deagles]

bump

[Ryang20]

abs repair themselves very fast, You can do abs every workout and be fine

[Deagles]

What kind of fruits should I eat for breakfast?

[SquatthenBench]

What kind of fruits should I eat for breakfast?

For breakfast, eat something healthy with some protein in it like eggs or oatmeal. The only fruits I eat are bananas for potassium (helps prevent cramps) and grapes just because I like them. I tend to stay away from most fruit because they have sugar. You can tell fruits such as oranges have a lot of sugar since they are so damn sweet. I recommend looking more for a tasty vegetable, rather than a fruit. Carrots and salad stuff are always very healthy for snacking. Almonds are another healthy snack food with protein.