Advice for a real beginner

[Jrills]

Hello everyone. I just joined bb.com and hope to be a contributing member into the future.

A little about myself:
- 6 feet 160lb 20 years old.
-High metabolism already, coupled with a colon/intestinal disease makes it very hard for me to pack on the pounds (my weight varies a few pounds day to day depending on how much I eat and what not)
-pretty non-existant arm muscles and chest. It is strange especially for a skinny person like me, but my gut actually sticks out farther than my chest!

Recently I kicked my ~4 year cig smoking habit. Feeling accomplished with myself, I want to move onto going to the gym.

I have never really gotten into a gym routine in my life, except for the yearly 1-2 months conditioning before lacrosse season in high school. So needless to say, I'm pretty weak and pretty lost as to how to start. My goal is to stop being skinny and add mass! Not tone my muscles or become stronger and lean....I want a bigger body plain and simple, even if that means having a decent amount of fat covering up muscle definition.

To ask you guys to type up a weekly routine for me would be rude. I would simply appreciate it if anyone could point me in the right direction or provide links/suggestions. Like should I use freeweights or machines for certain areas or the boy. If I can only get out to the gym 3-4 days a week should I separate my lifting into 2 different groups or stick to 1-2 body areas for each exercise.

I'm up at school this summer, and I really don't have a friend to lift with, so i'd like to develop a routine that I can accomplish on my own. Chest size is the area of greatest concern to me, but being well rounded is of course the goal.

Thanks

[CrusaderIce]

Just take a look at the sticky at the top, a simple beginner routine, should help you get started, gluck!

[Jrills]

Sorry, will do crusader! I went straight from registering on here to writing this up...forgot to look around lol

[ltbs]

Biggest issue is going to be diet and what you can and can't eat. This will determine what kind of goals to set and what progress can be made. If possible, list what you currently eat, definately list what you can't eat (if anything, due to intolerance/intestinal problems) as that will have a bigger impact and give a better understanding.

[HUG3]

Start a premade routine, eat good foods, eat more.

[Jrills]

Biggest issue is going to be diet and what you can and can't eat. This will determine what kind of goals to set and what progress can be made. If possible, list what you currently eat, definately list what you can't eat (if anything, due to intolerance/intestinal problems) as that will have a bigger impact and give a better understanding.

Vegetables are the only foods i'm not supposed to eat that much of.

other than that:

Breakfast: Often breakfast meats like sausage and bacon, eggs, occasional fruit, english muffins
Lunch: sandwiches with deli meats a lot, Subway, macaroni and cheese, ramen, hot dogs, french fries, breads

Dinner: chicken often, ground beef, steak or pizza occasionally, wheat pastas, bratwurst, breads, french fries

as for snacks: crackers and spread like pub cheese, bananas, apples, chips, other typical junk foods.

I normally eat 4 meals per day instead of 3 large full meals, along with in between snacking.

[ltbs]

Vegetables are the only foods i'm not supposed to eat that much of.

other than that:

Breakfast: Often breakfast meats like sausage and bacon, eggs, occasional fruit, english muffins
Lunch: sandwiches with deli meats a lot, Subway, macaroni and cheese, ramen, hot dogs, french fries, breads

Dinner: chicken often, ground beef, steak or pizza occasionally, wheat pastas, bratwurst, breads, french fries

as for snacks: crackers and spread like pub cheese, bananas, apples, chips, other typical junk foods.

I normally eat 4 meals per day instead of 3 large full meals, along with in between snacking.

Then you could do well adding in vitamin supplements if veggies are limited. Lose the typical junk foods/fries/white bread/chips. Make sure in between snacks are healthy, a handful of almonds/other nuts and glass of whole milk if pos. Oats/whole grain bread/pasta for carb source, no sugar, plenty of water. It's down to you really regards diet planning, based on your life style and such. You can read This for some kind of guidance

[Jrills]

Would something like this weekly workout be a good idea for me?

day 1:Chest and triceps
Exercise Sets
Barbell Bench Press 4
Incline Bench Press 3
Decline Bench Press 3
Dumbbell Flys 2
Dumbbell Pullover 2
Tricep Extension 4
Tricep Dip 3
Tricep Bench Dip 3

day 2: back and biceps

Chin Up 2
One Arm Dumbbell Row 3
Seated Row 2
Bent Over Barbell Row 2
Lat Pull Down 3
Standing Barbell Curl 3
Close Grip Preacher Curl 3
Incline Dumbbell Curl 2
Concentration Curl 2

day 3: shoulders and forearms

Machine Shoulder Press 3
Dumbbell Reverse Fly 3
Military Press 4
Dumbbell Lateral Raise 2
Dumbbell Shrugs 2
Upright Row 2
Forearms
Standing Wrist Curl 4
Barbell Wrist Curl 4

day4: legs and maybe abs?
Squat 5
Leg Extension 3
Leg Curl 3
Calves
Standing Calf Raise 4
Seated calf Raise 2

[LiamGTR91]

What ever you do, don't forget to train your back! You mentioned yoru chest and straight away it's gave me the idea you're going to focus on your front, give it a years time and you'll look like the The Hunchback of Notre Dame because your front will be that tight and your back will be so weak.

[Engineer_Guy]

Would something like this weekly workout be a good idea for me?

day 1:Chest and triceps
Exercise Sets
Barbell Bench Press 4
Incline Bench Press 3
Decline Bench Press 3
Dumbbell Flys 2
Dumbbell Pullover 2
Tricep Extension 4
Tricep Dip 3
Tricep Bench Dip 3

day 2: back and biceps

Chin Up 2
One Arm Dumbbell Row 3
Seated Row 2
Bent Over Barbell Row 2
Lat Pull Down 3
Standing Barbell Curl 3
Close Grip Preacher Curl 3
Incline Dumbbell Curl 2
Concentration Curl 2

day 3: shoulders and forearms

Machine Shoulder Press 3
Dumbbell Reverse Fly 3
Military Press 4
Dumbbell Lateral Raise 2
Dumbbell Shrugs 2
Upright Row 2
Forearms
Standing Wrist Curl 4
Barbell Wrist Curl 4

day4: legs and maybe abs?
Squat 5
Leg Extension 3
Leg Curl 3
Calves
Standing Calf Raise 4
Seated calf Raise 2

No. Just no.

Stop trying to make your own routine. Do one that's been made by a professional, like Starting Strength.

[Jrills]

No. Just no.

Stop trying to make your own routine. Do one that's been made by a professional, like Starting Strength.

:/ I didn't make it up....this was one of the highest rated routines on muscleandstrength.com


I'll give Starting Strength a look, but what specifically makes this exercise bad?

[Alpha Moth]

Too much volume in the above program.. you won't see results like you would if you did SS or so.

[CrusaderIce]

:/ I didn't make it up....this was one of the highest rated routines on muscleandstrength.com


I'll give Starting Strength a look, but what specifically makes this exercise bad?

You gotta realize that those workouts are for people who have been bodybuilding and know what they are doing. Rippetoe's is a very simple routine that will help you with the main workouts that should be in almost every routine and you will see huge gains initially because you haven't lifted b4. Then when you've progressed well with that you can move on to more focused workouts.

[Jrills]

Ok, thanks guys. I checked out the Starting Strength routine. I could use dumbbells for the bench press to get around the fact that I won't have a spotter...but what about the squats? and what about power cleans, are they safe to do without a spotter?

[CrusaderIce]

Ok, thanks guys. I checked out the Starting Strength routine. I could use dumbbells for the bench press to get around the fact that I won't have a spotter...but what about the squats? and what about power cleans, are they safe to do without a spotter?

I typically workout alone, for bench press I usually ask someone in the gym to spot me for my last set. With squats you can use a squat rack for safety. And I'm not exactly sure with power cleans but I don't think you really need a partner for that.

[bballjoe12]

If you didn't wanan do Starting Strength, there is always All Pro's:

http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=4195843