advice about my work out routine?

[casherrr]

I'm new to lifting and recently joined a gym.
Could anyone give me some pointers on my routine?
I'm 5ft6 120 lbs skinny with slight belly fat covering my abs and got really weak muscles. I basicly never lifted in my life.
Aiming to get bigger while being cut with defined abs before summer.
Right now i can mostly train 1 body part per day because my arms feel like jello after my first few sets of lifts.
This is my routine , any pointers would be appreciated alot.

Monday - Back

Wide grip lat pulldowns behind the neck. 5 sets 10x8x8x6x6
Seated cable rows 4 sets 8x8x6x6
Machine pull down 4 sets 8x8x6x6
Hyperextensions (back extensions)

Can't do any chin ups yet.

Tuesday - Shoulders

Press behind neck. 3 sets 6x6x4
Military press 3 sets 6x6x4
Arnold press 4 sets 8x6x6x4
Lateral raises 5 sets 8x8x6x6x6
Front raises 5 sets 8x8x6x6x6

Thursday - Chest and legs
Bench press 4 sets 8x6x6x6
Incline press 3 sets 6x4x4
Bent arm dumbell flyes 5 sets 8x8x6x6x6
Dumbell pullover 4 sets 8x6x6x6
Bench press with dumbbells since i don't have a spotter. 4 sets 8x6x4x4

Squats - no weights (really weak legs and no spotter) 50-70 reps
Leg extensions 5 sets 12x12x12x10x10
Leg curles 5 sets 10x10x8x8x8
Standing calf raises 5 sets 15x15x15x15x15

Friday - triceps and biceps

Tricep pulldown 5 sets 8x8x6x6x6
One arm dumbbell tricep extensions 5 sets 8x8x6x6
Lying dymbbell triceps press 4 sets 8x6x6x6
Kickbacks 4 sets 8x6x6x6

A few dips whenever possible.

Barbell curl 4 sets 8x6x6x6x4
Dumbbell curl 4 sets 8x6x6x4
Incline dumbbell curl 4 sets 8x6x6x4
Concentration curles 4 sets 6x6x4x4

Stomach

Laying knee raises everyday - 3 sets 35x35x35
Incline situps 3 times a week 3 sets 35x35x35

Are there any excersizes i should add or skip? Any advice is welcome since i'm really new to this but am motivated to gain real progress.
Thanks

[Jimbo48]

You are weak. Do starting strength. It is described in the workout forum.

[IDrinkBloodLOL]

This is like a Men's Health routine; it'll tone you up but not much else. You'll probably never put mass on with it.

It would seem like a good idea to just do everything every day, but it's probably better to just pick a few lifts and absolutely slaughter them, at least at your current stage of development. At your height and weight I'd skip all of the isolations until you get to at least 150.

For you, I'm recommending an A/B split:

A: Deadlift, overhead press, weighted pullup
B: Squat, bench press (or weighted dips), dumbbell or barbell rows

Alternate these each time you work out. Work out 2 to 6 times per week.

As for sets/reps, just grab a weight to lift and lift it for as many reps as you can. If you get more than 10 reps, add weight and try again. If you can't do at least 5, take some weight off and try again. Repeat this until you've done 20-30 reps total for each move. If you can do more you should've gone a little heavier.

Dietarily, eat six small meals per day consisting of at least 20g protein each. I'd keep the carbs down while gaining weight - you don't want to be a fatass, do you?

This will put mass on you, and I guarantee it will be good mass.

Better than the beer gut you'll get if you do Starting Strength, which makes people look like this:

[layarph]

Not going to put much mass on you. This is like a Men's Health routine; it'll tone you up but not much else. You'll probably never put mass on with it.

It would seem like a good idea to just do everything every day, but that would be a test of endurance - if you want to put mass on it's probably better to just pick a few lifts and absolutely slaughter them, at least at your current stage of development. At your height and weight I'd skip all of the isolations until you get to at least 150.

So, let's go ahead and say I'm recommending an A/B split:

A: Deadlift, overhead press, weighted pullup
B: Squat, bench press (or weighted dips), dumbbell or barbell rows

Alternate these each time you work out. Work out 2 to 6 times per week.

As for sets/reps, just grab a weight to lift and lift it for as many reps as you can. If you get more than 10 reps, add weight and try again. If you can't do at least 5, take some weight off and try again. Repeat this until you've done 20-30 reps total for each move. If you can do more you should've gone a little heavier.

Dietarily, eat six small meals per day consisting of at least 20g protein each. I'd keep the carbs down while gaining weight - you don't want to be a fatass, do you?

This will put mass on you, and I guarantee it will be good mass.

Better than the beer gut you'll get if you do Starting Strength, which makes people look like this:

... except eating 6 small meals a day won't have any advantage to his body composition or weight gain if he were to have 3-4 larger, more satisfying meals that equated to the same macros.

Don't worry about the above and eating too many carbs, no single macronutrient makes you gain weight, surplus calories make you gain weight

Calculate your macros using the sticky below.

http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showth...hp?t=121703981

Stick to compound lifts ... Using Full Body Workouts and eating at a good surplus will help you take full advantage of newb gains.

[casherrr]

Thanks for the reply. I always thought gaining weight was about eating alot of carbs such as pastas , potatoes , brown rice and bread though.
What food do you suggest for gaining muscle mass but not fat?
At the moment i'm real skinny however is a high protein diet enough for building muscles and getting heavier?
Also i am looking into adding the deadlift and squats more into my program aswel as pullups but right now im still new and very weak so i can't lift any heavy weights or do many pullups or dips even without added weights.
One last question about diet: Do i need to consume the same amount of calories on the days i train aswel as on the days that i don't train or does this create fat since i don't burn them off on the days im resting?

[layarph]

Thanks for the reply. I always thought gaining weight was about eating alot of carbs such as pastas , potatoes , brown rice and bread though.
What food do you suggest for gaining muscle mass but not fat?
At the moment i'm real skinny however is a high protein diet enough for building muscles?
Also i am looking into adding the deadlift and squats more into my program aswel as pullups but right now im still new and very weak so i can't lift any heavy weights or do many pullups or dips even without added weights.

Gaining weight is about eating above your maintenance level (which you can calculate using that sticky)...

Bottom Line - You need to eat above your maintenance to gain muscle, down side is you will inevitable gain a little bit of fat.
The more above maintenance you go, the more fat you gain... the less above maintenance you go, the slower you build muscle (sort of).

That sticky always says when bulking (which I believe you should be to take full advantage of newb gains), you add ~25% cals onto your maintenance.

Use the sticky to tell you how much of each macronutrient you need ... if I tell you, you'll forget, if you read it through yourself, you will keep reading it till you get it (it's not rocket science anyway).

In terms of weight gain, the only thing that will make you fat and not "lean", is surplus calories.

There is plenty on here for what is good... search for what fats, proteins and carbs you should be eating.

But don't fall into the trap of thinking certain carbs will put on more fat if they're fast digesting ... that's bullsh*t.

A snickers bar with 10g protein, 50g sugared carbs, 20g fat

will have no difference to weight gain and body composition than

some dry tuna and sweet potato - 10g protein, 50g complex carbs, 20g fat.

Those macros probably won't be right, but that's the train if thought you need.
But don't overindulge on the "unhealthy" stuff: it is not good for your health long term. just have treats and fit them into your calculated macros.

When I'm cutting I fit in two mcdonalds a week as treats, and it never fails me.

[IDrinkBloodLOL]

Thanks for the reply. I always thought gaining weight was about eating alot of carbs such as pastas , potatoes , brown rice and bread though.
What food do you suggest for gaining muscle mass but not fat?
At the moment i'm real skinny however is a high protein diet enough for building muscles and getting heavier?
Also i am looking into adding the deadlift and squats more into my program aswel as pullups but right now im still new and very weak so i can't lift any heavy weights or do many pullups or dips even without added weights.
One last question about diet: Do i need to consume the same amount of calories on the days i train aswel as on the days that i don't train or does this create fat since i don't burn them off on the days im resting?

If you eat a lot of protein, it will not convert to fat. Carbs however will make a fat sack of crap out of you in a hurry. You need to eat a big amount of protein pretty much all the time - your body has no storage organ for protein other than your muscles. I shoot for about 150-200 grams of protein a day every day no matter what and I came out pretty thick. Just trust me, eat a LOT of protein all the time.

The only caveat there is that you need non protein to fuel your body with or else your protein will just be burned off as fuel, and also protein digests and absorbs much better if eaten along with fats and sugars. Thing is though, most people couldn't force themselves to eat pure protein anyway, so I doubt this will be an issue for you. Screw counting calories, just eat when you're hungry and make sure 75-90% of the food you see on your plate is pure protein. If you get around 1g protein/lb body fat per day, it'll not only help you grow faster but also dramatically reduce the amount of muscle soreness you feel as a result of lifting.

If you can't do weighted pullups or dips, I'd just do what I wrote with unweighted pullups/dips until they become too easy and your muscles no longer get sore from doing them, and then start adding weight as you are able.

The goal of all of this is to put a crapload of weight on you and keep you at least under 15% body fat, so that you can later refine your program to emphasize other things, isolations to build up muscles you really want to grow, etcetera. But don't worry about that until you put on like 30 pounds, first you've got to grow everything.

Any other questions?

[IDrinkBloodLOL]

... except eating 6 small meals a day won't have any advantage to his body composition or weight gain if he were to have 3-4 larger, more satisfying meals that equated to the same macros.

Don't worry about the above and eating too many carbs, no single macronutrient makes you gain weight, surplus calories make you gain weight

Calculate your macros using the sticky below.

http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showth...hp?t=121703981

Stick to compound lifts ... Using Full Body Workouts and eating at a good surplus will help you take full advantage of newb gains.

5'11", 160 pounds, disagreeing with me, 5'10", 210 pounds, on how to put on mass. Believe who you want to believe, OP.

[Retoaded]

I would do a full body routine or 2-day split to start with for a while, that concentrates on the compound movements...that will give you the most bang for your buck. as a 120 pound starter, having a seperate arm day is probably just not going to do much for you. your leg/chest day is silly...40 sets is silly, and you're cramming in legs as an afterthought on chest day. legs deserve their own day, as they are 50% of your body mass.

something like legs/back/bis on one day and chest/shoulders/tris on another with the big movements.

or full body routine with the big movements.

I mean squat, deadlift, bench, row, overhead press.

you already are considering most of these which is good, but there is too much other fluff in there.
there are several programs that can help you on this site. if they are heavy on the lifts mentioned above, then its a good program.

also more importantly go to the nutrition forum and read the information that is stickied at the top. you can't put on mass without eating properly. thats the other half of the equation (or other 80%!)

[layarph]

5'11", 160 pounds, disagreeing with me, 5'10", 210 pounds, on how to put on mass. Believe who you want to believe, OP.

Carbs make you fat.

Wow

[layarph]

OP Read up on Lyle McDonald and check Alan Aragon's stuff. Alan's too busy to pop into threads like this, but if we're lucky, we will have a pretty demeaning moment in here

Search www.leangains.com as well

It debunks a few myths in there. Alan throws out evidence against the ever so terrifying insulin spike as well if you search google. Concentrate on these 3 sources, you'll be fine.

[InspireV]

Definetly do starting strength, those compound lifts are the best way to gain mass, also if you can learn to snatch/clean also two great movements

[casherrr]

I started with mostly isolations because all of my muscles are extremely weak.
Can't squat with a barbell, no pull ups, hardly any dips and didn't want to injure my back with the deadlift or barbell row yet untill i conditioned my muscles enough.
I am planning to add all the compound movements in my routine when i get stronger however i still can't work multiple muscle groups on the same day since i lose strength real fast.

As for diet i am still confused.
What do you guys eat that consists of 70-90% protein during each meal?
Right now i would start off with:
9 am breakfast with 3 slices of brown bread with 4 egg whites with large shake made up of milk , yoghurt , strawberries , handful of oats and a scoop of whey protein.
1 pm lunch is 2 sandwiches with ham or some other kind of meat.
Going to the gym , drinking a shake of orange juice with protein scoop afterwards.
5 pm 2 sandwiches of peanut butter and jelly or some other kind of baloney.
9 pm dinner either pasta or rice with meat and vegetables or cooked potatoes with meat and vegetables.
midnight snack is usually some kind of a sandwich aswel or sometimes peanuts or cereal.

Obviously you can see that i eat a ton of bread and my dinner consists of alot of carbs aswel.
However i can't think of anything that is mostly protein to eat especially during the entire day.
Should i just eat slices of baloney or ham without the bread? It doesn't seem like alot of calories that way.
Or just eat steak without the potatoes or rice during dinner with only some vegetables?
Also will the milk/yoghurt smoothies make me gain fat or are they healthy? Should i switch to low fat?
I know fat will only occur from eating more calories than you burn however on the days that i don't go to the gym i will obviously not burn the excess calories at all.
Should i eat less on the days i don't train or just stick to my 3000 calories everyday day diet for example?
Any more advice is really appreciated because my mind is empty when it comes to what i could eat.
Also i can't think of a good diet that reaches high in calories without many carbs.
I'm motivated to make a change but it's really difficult to find out what to do and how to do it right.
Thanks for all the help.

[layarph]

I started with mostly isolations because all of my muscles are extremely weak.
Can't squat with a barbell, no pull ups, hardly any dips and didn't want to injure my back with the deadlift or barbell row yet untill i conditioned my muscles enough.
I am planning to add all the compound movements in my routine when i get stronger however i still can't work multiple muscle groups on the same day since i lose strength real fast.

As for diet i am still confused.
What do you guys eat that consists of 70-90% protein during each meal?
Right now i would start off with:
9 am breakfast with 3 slices of brown bread with 4 egg whites with large shake made up of milk , yoghurt , strawberries , handful of oats and a scoop of whey protein.
1 pm lunch is 2 sandwiches with ham or some other kind of meat.
Going to the gym , drinking a shake of orange juice with protein scoop afterwards.
5 pm 2 sandwiches of peanut butter and jelly or some other kind of baloney.
9 pm dinner either pasta or rice with meat and vegetables or cooked potatoes with meat and vegetables.
midnight snack is usually some kind of a sandwich aswel or sometimes peanuts or cereal.

Obviously you can see that i eat a ton of bread and my dinner consists of alot of carbs aswel.
However i can't think of anything that is mostly protein to eat especially during the entire day.
Should i just eat slices of baloney or ham without the bread? It doesn't seem like alot of calories that way.
Or just eat steak without the potatoes or rice during dinner with only some vegetables.
Also will the milk/yoghurt smoothies make me gain fat or are they healthy? Should i switch to low fat?
I know fat will only occur from eating more calories than you burn however on the days that i don't go to the gym i will obviously not burn the excess calories at all.
Should i eat less on those days or just stick to my 3000 calories everyday day diet for example?
Any more advice is really appreciated because my mind is empty when it comes to what i could eat.
I'm motivated to make a change but it's really difficult to find out what to do and how to do it right.
Thanks.

OP Read the sticky and use it.

And if you want to start off, use compound movements... Not isolation movements. Compound movements add mass. Once you're big enough, then you add in isolation movements.

Work out your macros using that sticky, and fit in bread, pasta, cereal, steak, whatever you want that fits those macros you have calculated, at any time you want.

Meal frequency and meal timing is irrelevant.

[casherrr]

Alright i will. Thanks for all the help everyone , very much appreciated.

[Carjack]

I started with mostly isolations because all of my muscles are extremely weak.
Can't squat with a barbell, no pull ups, hardly any dips and didn't want to injure my back with the deadlift or barbell row yet untill i conditioned my muscles enough.

Isolations won't work all of your muscles. They put the focus on only a few of the 600 that you need to condition.

What you need to do is light compound movements.

Push ups with strict form. Body flat, abs tight, lats tight, head neutral or up slightly, all the way up and down. If you can't do one push up, do them from your knees or with your hands on a step up box.
Planks: Hold the top of a push up position to condition your abs.

Dumbbell rows: Do them leaning over and holding a bench with your free hand or do them from the push up plank and lean side to side for balance. Start with 5 pounds every time and work your way up 5 or 10 or 15 pounds with every set and maybe back down.

Goblet squats: Normally this is a way to correct your form for Olympic/front/overhead squats but it can also be an exercise.
Weight on your heels, back arched (breath in and stick out your chest and belly), head erect, feet apart, toes pointing outward slightly.
Stick your butt back and knees forward and sit right between your legs as deep as you can go.
You hold the dumbbell like a goblet to keep you erect and your elbows go inside of your knees.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QrVgpDOLlgM

Dumbbell presses: Stand up with abs tight and do these with two arms, one arm or two handed alternating see-saw style. Whichever you like. Find your one rep max and use 60 to 90% of it, sets and reps.

Dumbbell Romanian deadlift: http://romaniandeadlift.net/
Use two dumbbells and do as the site says. Get a stretch at the bottom but keep your back arched.



Eat a ton of protein:
IDrinkBloodLOL is mostly right except protein can be converted to fat for storage as energy, but only very inefficiently and your body burns 20% of the calories in protein just to digest and use it. You won't be a fat **** on a high protein diet.

Since you're skinny, any tiny bit of fat on you is going to be painfully visible. 10% bodyfat at 120 pounds is a lot less fat than 10% at 160 pounds, but it'll make you look a lot worse. Focus on gaining muscle mass and get to 160, then worry about your bodyfat. Don't be one of those skinny ottermode guys around here who obsess over their bodyfat going over 5%.

Sets and reps: Do several sets with about two minutes rest between and not to failure too often. Think of it as the dumbbell version of All Pro's or Starting Strength.

Protein sources:
Eggs - WHOLE eggs. Eat several whole eggs before you use any egg white. The yolks have all the nutrients. 7 grams of protein per egg.
Lean ground beef/Salisbury steak/hamburgers - cheaper than steak.
Chickens - Wings > breasts. Eat the skin too.
Cottage cheese - Good in a pinch when you don't have meat.
Protein weight gainer shakes are fine too.

Doesn't have to be pure protein. You need some dietary fat. Butter and olive oil are especially good and stay away from seed oils.

Read this:
http://ditillo2.blogspot.com/2008/02...-part-one.html


When you can lift a 40lb dumbbell, switch to barbells for a few months and watch your body grow from squats.

[casherrr]

Thanks for the very informative reply carjack.
One question i do have though , i want to be ripped before july.
I can't gain 40 pounds within 4 months ofcourse , how long do you think i should build up mass before i have to start cutting to be in shape for the summer?
By shape i mean six pack abs and as defined muscles as possible.
After september i can start on building mass more for the following year to get up to that weight of 160 lbs.
Do you know the average time someone needs to get cut? Like bodybuilders do before competition?
Thanks again.

[Carjack]

Muscle doesn't build as fast as fat goes away.

You'll probably be able to gain at least 2 pounds of lean muscle a month without any noticeable fatness. Like I said, bodybuilders who gain the weight at a reasonable pace don't notice the little fat they put on because muscle gives that illusion of leanness, and it'll probably be a long time before you get fat enough to need a cut.

Fat loss is a lot faster but if you're doing it for a long time you should stick to losing about 2 pounds a week instead of starving yourself and risking a slowed metabolism.
If you're looking to show off a six pack, you could cut within a few weeks of the beach trip. How much? I don't know. I don't have a precise bodyfat/lean mass calculator, and I'm not an obsessive diet pro like Jamie Lewis or Martin Berkhan.

[BloodType3R]

Isolations won't work all of your muscles. They put the focus on only a few of the 600 that you need to condition.

What you need to do is light compound movements.

Push ups with strict form. Body flat, abs tight, lats tight, head neutral or up slightly, all the way up and down. If you can't do one push up, do them from your knees or with your hands on a step up box.
Planks: Hold the top of a push up position to condition your abs.

Dumbbell rows: Do them leaning over and holding a bench with your free hand or do them from the push up plank and lean side to side for balance. Start with 5 pounds every time and work your way up 5 or 10 or 15 pounds with every set and maybe back down.

Goblet squats: Normally this is a way to correct your form for Olympic/front/overhead squats but it can also be an exercise.
Weight on your heels, back arched (breath in and stick out your chest and belly), head erect, feet apart, toes pointing outward slightly.
Stick your butt back and knees forward and sit right between your legs as deep as you can go.
You hold the dumbbell like a goblet to keep you erect and your elbows go inside of your knees.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QrVgpDOLlgM

Dumbbell presses: Stand up with abs tight and do these with two arms, one arm or two handed alternating see-saw style. Whichever you like. Find your one rep max and use 60 to 90% of it, sets and reps.

Dumbbell Romanian deadlift: http://romaniandeadlift.net/
Use two dumbbells and do as the site says. Get a stretch at the bottom but keep your back arched.



Eat a ton of protein:
IDrinkBloodLOL is mostly right except protein can be converted to fat for storage as energy, but only very inefficiently and your body burns 20% of the calories in protein just to digest and use it. You won't be a fat **** on a high protein diet.

Since you're skinny, any tiny bit of fat on you is going to be painfully visible. 10% bodyfat at 120 pounds is a lot less fat than 10% at 160 pounds, but it'll make you look a lot worse. Focus on gaining muscle mass and get to 160, then worry about your bodyfat. Don't be one of those skinny ottermode guys around here who obsess over their bodyfat going over 5%.

Sets and reps: Do several sets with about two minutes rest between and not to failure too often. Think of it as the dumbbell version of All Pro's or Starting Strength.

Protein sources:
Eggs - WHOLE eggs. Eat several whole eggs before you use any egg white. The yolks have all the nutrients. 7 grams of protein per egg.
Lean ground beef/Salisbury steak/hamburgers - cheaper than steak.
Chickens - Wings > breasts. Eat the skin too.
Cottage cheese - Good in a pinch when you don't have meat.
Protein weight gainer shakes are fine too.

Doesn't have to be pure protein. You need some dietary fat. Butter and olive oil are especially good and stay away from seed oils.

Read this:
http://ditillo2.blogspot.com/2008/02...-part-one.html


When you can lift a 40lb dumbbell, switch to barbells for a few months and watch your body grow from squats.

Dude just wrote a full program. lol
Solid, complete, and concise. Rep'ed

[casherrr]

I will definitely add all compound movements into my routine.
Just checked my macros and what i eat on fitday but still new to this , could someone take a look to see if i need a change in diet?
5 foot 6 120 pounds , body fat probably around 11% can see abs but won't be able to check untill next week when my caliper arrives.
This is my average daily diet: prntscr.com/6t6nj
Around 3400 calories , 120 grams fat , 385 grams carbs and around 190 grams protein.

I did the macros check and it said i need around 2200 calories a day. 110 grams of fat and 275 grams of carbs.
Not sure if i did this right though. Either way if somone could give me some last advice on my diet then i'm all set to make some changes and stick to my new routine.

My goal is to clean bulk and look ripped before the summer dropping my body fat to see real visual abs.
Summer is only 4 months away so i think clean bulking for 3 months is the best option right now and then cut 1 month before hitting the beach.
After the winter comes i will be able to really start gaining mass but that's for later.
Will this diet and new routine with the compound movements work or am i eating wrong?
Thanks again for all the support.

[layarph]

I will definitely add all compound movements into my routine.
Just checked my macros and what i eat on fitday but still new to this , could someone take a look to see if i need a change in diet?
5 foot 6 120 pounds , body fat probably around 11% can see abs but won't be able to check untill next week when my caliper arrives.
This is my average daily diet: prntscr.com/6t6nj
Around 3400 calories , 120 grams fat , 385 grams carbs and around 190 grams protein.

I did the macros check and it said i need around 2200 calories a day. 110 grams of fat and 275 grams of carbs.
Not sure if i did this right though. Either way if somone could give me some last advice on my diet then i'm all set to make some changes and stick to my new routine.

My goal is to clean bulk and look ripped before the summer dropping my body fat to see real visual abs.
Summer is only 4 months away so i think clean bulking for 3 months is the best option right now and then cut 1 month before hitting the beach.
After the winter comes i will be able to really start gaining mass but that's for later.
Will this diet and new routine with the compound movements work or am i eating wrong?
Thanks again for all the support.

I get the impression that you think by "clean bulking", that eating surplus cals but making them "healthy" cals, you won't put any fat on and you'll only put muscle on.

You can put muscle on and gain very little fat in the process, and even burn fat, but this will take longer than the time you have to be ripped by summer.

If you eat surplus cals of nothing but lean chicken, broccoli and brown rice (which is what I assume you will be including into the "clean bulk"), it is still a surplus. Therefore, it will have the same weight gain effect in terms of muscle and fat as the excess cals of anything you eat, as long as they have the same macros (including what you consider "unhealthy").

Diet comes first, cardio second.

Therefore, at your current size, you will have to eat a lot to get the muscle you want in the time frame you have. The problem with this is, you will put some fat on in that time, but nothing drastic.

Remember, muscle can be an illusion. If you have a lot of muscle at 12% bodyfat, you will look a million times better than someone with very little muscle at 8% bodyfat.

Don't make the mistake I made when I first started out.
Never underestimate how much you need to eat to put on muscle
As newb, you will see great gains for the first couple of months so really take advantage of that by consuming plenty of cals.

Your macros sound round about right.

IMO, concentrate on eating plenty to gain muscle, and deal with the fact you'll put on a little bit of fat.
You'll look ten times better, as you will actually have muscle that's popping through.

I had the exact same though process as you when I first started, and I've always regretted it.
I wanted to be super super lean and try to build loads of muscle at the same time... in synergy, these 2 can work, but it takes a hell of a lot longer than 3-4 months.