Help with creating a workout?

[noidea97]

Hi i been trying to workout for a month and a half doing the things i was told to do by my moms boyfriend, who looks pretty muscular for a 53 year old. Right now he's having me lift a 45 pound barbell doing overheads,chins, and curling. Im not exactly sure what kind of workouts I should be doing and over the month I feel that my forearms got noticeably harder and my bicep and tripcep slightly harden too. What im asking of the more experienced weightlifters is for help with creating a good enough workout. I read the Starting Strength workout already but had no idea how to do 5x5 barbell and the others, im new to this so please be nice x_x. My bodyframe is somewhere between a Ectomorph and a Mesomorph.. most likely closer to a Ecto.

[Fitty59]

Hi i been trying to workout for a month and a half doing the things i was told to do by my moms boyfriend, who looks pretty muscular for a 53 year old. Right now he's having me lift a 45 pound barbell doing overheads,chins, and curling. Im not exactly sure what kind of workouts I should be doing and over the month I feel that my forearms got noticeably harder and my bicep and tripcep slightly harden too. What im asking of the more experienced weightlifters is for help with creating a good enough workout. I read the Starting Strength workout already but had no idea how to do 5x5 barbell and the others, im new to this so please be nice x_x. My bodyframe is somewhere between a Ectomorph and a Mesomorph.. most likely closer to a Ecto.

Looking at ur stats-im very similar.
I go 4 times a week, hitting chest/bi, delt/tri, back, and legs. I "add" abs on the first two, and calves on the second two.
Before i get to my workout: we should EAT MORE. I've tried a bulk-ish diet for 2 months, and only gained like 5 pounds. Then i really got my **** together and i gained 5 in like 12 days.

General breakdown of my workout:
CHEST & BI
Incline DB press
Flat BB press
Decline DB/Smith press (i use DB if im at home)
Cable crossover/db flyes (again, DB if im at home)
cable curl/ DB curl (same thing about DB)
preacher curl/EZ curl (preacher if im at home-using an incline bench as the thing)

DELTS & TRI
DB press
Arnold press
low cable lateral raise, one arm (im always at the community gym for shoulders so theres no DB alternative-theres IS, but i dont like it)
bent over low cable lateral raise
Tricep pushdown, w bar
Overhead tricep extension, on cable, w rope

BACK (another must-be-at-real-gym thing)
DB shrugs
bent over low cab lateral raise
pullups ( i do 5x5 cuz i scuk at pullups)
DB row
DB pullover
Deadlift/hyperextension

LEGS (must be at gym again)
incline leg press
leg curl
>used to do leg extension...but the machine is gone...
squats
calf machine/calf press on incl leg
reverse calf raise on smith
>might add a leg press if i didn't reach failure on something...its hard for me on legs.

ABS
landmine 180 < kinda hard to do...30% time i dont hit obliques properly..I'd do this one later
Twisting situps < idk what else to call it. Hold a plate weigt. Situp , twist, down, repeat
Leg tucks
CALVES
calf machine
reverse raises

Tip- you might want to have a designated day for abs. I'm "loose" with my ab workout because wehn I do taekwondo we have a lot of abs to do.
I'm not a pro but this is what I do, and I'm making progress. Might not the 100% efficient but its workign for me.
I eat about 3000 cal a day....my goal is 3500 but usually i struggle to reach it.

[noidea97]

im honestly not familiar with most of those workouts so i think im going to hit a gym thats around where I live and maybe someone there could explain the basics to me but im totally going to have this saved somewhere. my abs dont show and i dont really do much work on them at the moment. i only do 100 crunches a day but used to do 200-300. also im afraid if i try to bulk up i might have my stomach BF build up.

[CJ93UK]

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

This http://blackironbeast.com/starting-strength here.

Run 1 of those for 6+ months.

Start eating at least 3k a day, watch your weight, look to gain around 1/2-1 pound a week, adjust your intake as necessary until you see this rate. Plenty of protein, carbs, fat, eat balanced, eat lots.

Those links can't possibly make it any simpler, but if you still don't understand how to run SS, AP, or a 5x5, bring it up after checking those links.

To learn the motions, just Google. Also, awesome video series, from EliteFTS, "So You Think You Can Squat", "So You Think You Can Bench", and "So You Think You Can Deadlift" will help you out on those. Lastly, this http://startingstrength.wikia.com/wiki/FAQ:The_Lifts here, good read for all the lifts in SS, but useful for all purposes.

[noidea97]

Ok and how should I lift? I heard heavy if im trying to bulk up but i also heard lightweights with high reps does quite good

[JamesHush]

In all honesty give a look at p90x2. I know there's a lot of hate surrounded with in home box DVD workout sets but **** works and it help you put a healthy sheet of muscle on that you can build on. That's what I did and it worked great for me. Good luck bud.

[CJ93UK]

Ok and how should I lift? I heard heavy if im trying to bulk up but i also heard lightweights with high reps does quite good

If you mean for the links I threw out, for AP start off using your 10RM on all lifts, for SS this http://startingstrength.wikia.com/wi..._First_Workout here is what you're after.

In case you're unaware, 10RM means 10 rep max, meaning the most weight you're able to use on each of those exercises specifically and get out 10 reps with good form.

[SovietRussian21]

Hey bro, when I was new to this stuff I learned it all from YouTube and other forums. This way I didn't look like a fool going to the gym not knowing what I'm doing. But I've helped out and trained a couple of my friends who are ectomorphs and its hard, but with LOTS of food you can reach your goals. Just make sure you get like ~3500 of cals each day, eat lots of meats and fish, get a LOT of carbs, and drink lots of water. Also one more thing, everyone has there stupid opinions but STAY AWAY from creatine. Its bad. Ive talked to many real doctors, my brother is also one. The product hasnt been out for long enough to see the bad long term effects. Most teen builders dont understand that there is so much testosterone and hormones going through them that the creatine only does damage. Thats mainly why it say that you have to be 18 or older to buy it in some places. Once youve stopped growning which is around 20~30 then its not as bad taking it to get bigger. Just trust me you can get huge without supplements, I did and im only 15. Just make sure you get lots of food, a lot, lots of sleep, like more than 8 hours, and rest your body, and then hit it hard at the gym. If I was you id first start with strength training, which is low reps and very high weight, to build your strength up, and then do bodybuilding which is high volume high reps low weight to get big and swole. You have to switch back and forth over the years or months or else it wont work.
Just my $.02

[jbball92]

Hey bro, when I was new to this stuff I learned it all from YouTube and other forums. This way I didn't look like a fool going to the gym not knowing what I'm doing. But I've helped out and trained a couple of my friends who are ectomorphs and its hard, but with LOTS of food you can reach your goals. Just make sure you get like ~3500 of cals each day, eat lots of meats and fish, get a LOT of carbs, and drink lots of water. Also one more thing, everyone has there stupid opinions but STAY AWAY from creatine. Its bad. Ive talked to many real doctors, my brother is also one. The product hasnt been out for long enough to see the bad long term effects. Most teen builders dont understand that there is so much testosterone and hormones going through them that the creatine only does damage. Thats mainly why it say that you have to be 18 or older to buy it in some places. Once youve stopped growning which is around 20~30 then its not as bad taking it to get bigger. Just trust me you can get huge without supplements, I did and im only 15. Just make sure you get lots of food, a lot, lots of sleep, like more than 8 hours, and rest your body, and then hit it hard at the gym. If I was you id first start with strength training, which is low reps and very high weight, to build your strength up, and then do bodybuilding which is high volume high reps low weight to get big and swole. You have to switch back and forth over the years or months or else it wont work.
Just my $.02

please go leave...

you are a dumbas$ if you think creatine is bad for you, you moronic idiot, a waste of money, but not bad at all. derp.

creatine has no effect on endogenous production of testosterone. derp.

you arent huge. derp.



show me one person who "got hugr" using low weight, oh thats right, nobody has. derp.

[SovietRussian21]

please go leave...

you are a dumbas$ if you think creatine is bad for you, you moronic idiot, a waste of money, but not bad at all. derp.

creatine has no effect on endogenous production of testosterone. derp.

you arent huge. derp.



show me one person who "got hugr" using low weight, oh thats right, nobody has. derp.

First of all most huge and real bodybuilders get huge with light wieght and high reps. They first do there strength training with very high weight pushing it to the max and getting low reps to shred their muscle and get strong. Why do you think they call it 5 by 5 strongman lifts you dip$hit. When they bring there strenght up they are able to do higher weights for there Intensity workouts to get big. Do some research first before you start being a di@k. Now creatine I was just suggesting that u dont take till you get older because it can really mess with your liver and down the road your body stops producing its own creatine so you become dependant on the supplament. Thats why they call it supplement because its if you need it. If you eat enough food and proper food then you dont need it. I took creatine for less than 2 weeks and I got a test done and my doctor showed that it was messing me up because I had to much hormones and test. I was only taking very small quantities after my workout. So If you want to take it then go ahead you dont know when one day they figure out this new product called creatine is killing people because its bad for you. Same thing happened in the 80s with steroids. People thought it was normal until the truth of it came.

[jbball92]

First of all most huge and real bodybuilders get huge with light wieght and high reps. They first do there strength training with very high weight pushing it to the max and getting low reps to shred their muscle and get strong. Why do you think they call it 5 by 5 strongman lifts you dip$hit. When they bring there strenght up they are able to do higher weights for there Intensity workouts to get big. Do some research first before you start being a di@k. Now creatine I was just suggesting that u dont take till you get older because it can really mess with your liver and down the road your body stops producing its own creatine so you become dependant on the supplament. Thats why they call it supplement because its if you need it. If you eat enough food and proper food then you dont need it. I took creatine for less than 2 weeks and I got a test done and my doctor showed that it was messing me up because I had to much hormones and test. I was only taking very small quantities after my workout. So If you want to take it then go ahead you dont know when one day they figure out this new product called creatine is killing people because its bad for you. Same thing happened in the 80s with steroids. People thought it was normal until the truth of it came.

"low reps to shred their muscle and get strong" ?? wtf did I just read.

sorry i didn't do as much "research" as you, lmfao.

wtf @ creatine messing with your liver, seriously wtf did I just read. creatine has no effect on your hormones so idk what kind of backroom sketchy doctor stuck his thumb up your ass. probably sold your blood on the black market tbh.



SERIOUSLY FUNNIEST YET MOST RETARDED POST OF THE WEEK

[noidea97]

i remember reading something earlier today about the topic lightweight vs heavy ones and it said high reps with a lightweight WILL make you bigger if you push yourself but it would cause not the hard kind of muscle but make it appear big. not sure if its true so im still waiting for some proof on which i should start

also i have no idea how to do 3x5 etc. i thought it was doing 3 of the exercise 5 times but that doesnt seem likely

[SovietRussian21]

"low reps to shred their muscle and get strong" ?? wtf did I just read.

sorry i didn't do as much "research" as you, lmfao.

wtf @ creatine messing with your liver, seriously wtf did I just read. creatine has no effect on your hormones so idk what kind of backroom sketchy doctor stuck his thumb up your ass. probably sold your blood on the black market tbh.


SERIOUSLY FUNNIEST YET MOST RETARDED POST OF THE WEEK

Ok well Im just advising to get big naturally. You know those huge barbarians, spartans, or vikings, how did they get huge without creatine, im just advising its not needed cause its in the food you eat, but whatever since you dont want to listen, drop the creatine subject.

And to get big and swole fast, the guy above my post even agreed that 8 to 10 reps of your max reps till failure on 8 to 10 reps gets you mass. Most people do 6 to 10 because they work strength and mass at the same time but the process is slower for getting bigger. Also again why do you think power lifters, that dont have very big and swole muscle, but instead they have rock hard smaller muscle thats very strong. They mainly do heavy weight with reps that only go up to 5 max till failure.

[SovietRussian21]

i remember reading something earlier today about the topic lightweight vs heavy ones and it said high reps with a lightweight WILL make you bigger if you push yourself but it would cause not the hard kind of muscle but make it appear big. not sure if its true so im still waiting for some proof on which i should start

also i have no idea how to do 3x5 etc. i thought it was doing 3 of the exercise 5 times but that doesnt seem likely

Yea you are totally right in the begining. And the 3 by 5 means 3 sets of 5 reps each usually till failure. But again this is for strength.

[CJ93UK]

i remember reading something earlier today about the topic lightweight vs heavy ones and it said high reps with a lightweight WILL make you bigger if you push yourself but it would cause not the hard kind of muscle but make it appear big. not sure if its true so im still waiting for some proof on which i should start

also i have no idea how to do 3x5 etc. i thought it was doing 3 of the exercise 5 times but that doesnt seem likely

3x5 means 3 sets, 5 reps, of an exercise. 5 repetitions counts as a set, then take a rest period, then another 5 counts as your 2nd set, take a rest, then a final 5 counts as your 3rd set, then you move on to the next exercise.

Myofibrillar versus sarcoplasmic hypertrophy. Is that what you're referring to?

My advice to you is simple. Pick a routine, and get on with it. SS, AP, they're very different programs, however, I know both of them will grant you a **** load of strength, and a **** load of size, compared to what you're used to, provided your diet's in check. They both have their pros and cons, but they both work. If you can't decide, go for SS if strength is a high priority to you, go for AP if a more size-balanced physique is your goal. You're sweating the small stuff, when the truth is, either of these routines will do wonders for you. Don't spend too long stuck on the first step, because whether you follow SS or AP, you're still gonna end up big and strong, that's a guarantee.

[SovietRussian21]

3x5 means 3 sets, 5 reps, of an exercise. 5 repetitions counts as a set, then take a rest period, then another 5 counts as your 2nd set, take a rest, then a final 5 counts as your 3rd set, then you move on to the next exercise.

Myofibrillar versus sarcoplasmic hypertrophy. Is that what you're referring to?

My advice to you is simple. Pick a routine, and get on with it. SS, AP, they're very different programs, however, I know both of them will grant you a **** load of strength, and a **** load of size, compared to what you're used to, provided your diet's in check. They both have their pros and cons, but they both work. If you can't decide, go for SS if strength is a high priority to you, go for AP if a more size-balanced physique is your goal. You're sweating the small stuff, when the truth is, either of these routines will do wonders for you. Don't spend too long stuck on the first step, because whether you follow SS or AP, you're still gonna end up big and strong, that's a guarantee.

This ^

[noidea97]

is there a specific number i need to do for a rep? like if 15 barbell curls were one rep i'd need to do 75 curls without stopping in order to complete 1 set? what i have a problem with is how my bicep is harder than my friends but his is much larger. i want to get large and hard altogether if possible.

and im going to be doing S.S it appears

[SovietRussian21]

Any way im done arguing, everyone has their opinions and you can never avoid them. So take the advice and try it see what works for you. I started what i told you when my buddy andI started working out told me it and its worked amazing even without supplements. Just eat tons of food. But yea ive better things todo for today like play me some gta v lmao. So in the end this is just advice, but you can do whatever the F&CK YOU WANT TO DO!

[CJ93UK]

is there a specific number i need to do for a rep? like if 15 barbell curls were one rep i'd need to do 75 curls without stopping in order to complete 1 set? what i have a problem with is how my bicep is harder than my friends but his is much larger. i want to get large and hard altogether if possible.

and im going to be doing S.S it appears

This is basic exercise knowledge, really can't tell if you're serious or not. I'll give you the BOTD though, and raise my post count.

A rep is 1 repetition of a motion. For a curl, this would be the positive and negative portion of it, lowering the bar down, then curling it back up, and that's 1 rep. For a squat, 1 rep would be going down, and coming back up. For a bench, 1 rep would be bringing the bar down to your chest, and then back up. 75 curls would be 75 reps. Do you understand the definition of reps and sets, and how many you're going to be doing on SS entirely, or do you need more clarification to be absolutely certain? It's vital you know these things before beginning any program.

[noidea97]

/facepalm

i didnt even know the basics. there this one workout for the S.S it says 3x5. if im correct that means do 15 altogether with small rests between every 5 of them?

[SovietRussian21]

/facepalm

i didnt even know the basics. there this one workout for the S.S it says 3x5. if im correct that means do 15 altogether with small rests between every 5 of them?

/Facepalm

It means you do 5 reps per set and there are 3 set

[noidea97]

CJ said one rep was like curling the bar to your neck then back down was one..o.o i hate being a newb

[CJ93UK]

/facepalm

i didnt even know the basics. there this one workout for the S.S it says 3x5. if im correct that means do 15 altogether with small rests between every 5 of them?

Yeah, I think you got it. So you'd do 5 repetitions of an exercise, using curls as an example, even though they're not a part of SS, you'd lower the bar, bring it back up, and that's 1 rep, and you'd do that 5 times in a row, with little to no rest in between, then you rack the bar, and that's the end of your 1st set, then take a rest period, before moving onto your 2nd set of 5. Rest periods for SS vary, but that link I gave you gives you an idea of how long you should take between sets, use it as a guideline, but remember, in SS, you take as long as you need to in between sets, so you can get out your next 5 reps. If you can get all 5 reps on your next set with 2 minutes rest in between, but you can only get 4 reps with 1 minute of rest, then you take 2 minutes. Eventually **** will get difficult, and as the link shows, your rest times are likely to increase, possibly as high as 10 minutes or more, when things start to get real heavy and difficult.

Also, as the link also shows, but just to remind you, squat, press and bench are 3x5, but deadlift is only 1x5, so you do 5 reps of deadlifts, bringing the bar up and back down, but you don't need to do any more than 1 set on those, so after you've done 5 in a row, done 1 set, you're done with deadlifts.

[noidea97]

im pretty sure i used to do more than this.. but different exercises. I've been doing i believe 4x15 curls with barbell, 4x15chin, 4x15 overhead but the weight was only like 45lbs

[makeitbrahs]

There's so much phucking retard in this damn thread.

Listen to jbball92.

SovietRussian's a dumbass lmao
brb creatine is so bad for you; I hope you know that creatine is found in basically ALL meats.
brb shredded on low weights
brb let's look at IFBB pros who jack up on hgh and test
brb lyfe

Stfu and gtfo with your Mike Chang huur durr retardedness. We should have forum rules that get you banned for saying such stupid chit.

[CJ93UK]

im pretty sure i used to do more than this.. but different exercises. I've been doing i believe 4x15 curls with barbell, 4x15chin, 4x15 overhead but the weight was only like 45lbs

SS is gonna be a violent wakeup call for you then. You may have used to do more than SS in terms of volume, but going by intensity, and workload, SS will trump anything you've ever done in the past. Once you hit the higher figures on this program, multiple hundreds of pounds, you'll come off your set feeling like you just got hit by a truck, especially on your heaviest squats and deadlifts. Don't get me wrong though, it's an awesome feeling, and you'll possibly soon even develop an addiction for hitting personal records every workout. As well as this, you'll gain weight, your measurements will increase, and your progress pictures, should you choose to take them, will show great things. Run SS until the very end, and you'll be bigger, stronger, and feel better than you ever have, or possibly ever imagined you would.

[mattqchou]

SS is gonna be a violent wakeup call for you then. You may have used to do more than SS in terms of volume, but going by intensity, and workload, SS will trump anything you've ever done in the past. Once you hit the higher figures on this program, multiple hundreds of pounds, you'll come off your set feeling like you just got hit by a truck, especially on your heaviest squats and deadlifts. Don't get me wrong though, it's an awesome feeling, and you'll possibly soon even develop an addiction for hitting personal records every workout. As well as this, you'll gain weight, your measurements will increase, and your progress pictures, should you choose to take them, will show great things. Run SS until the very end, and you'll be bigger, stronger, and feel better than you ever have, or possibly ever imagined you would.

Imo, ICF 5x5/Baby SS/WS4SB > SS.

[noidea97]

so i would need to start out with a lower amount of reps than i was doing before and eventually build it up? also could i add you?

[CJ93UK]

Imo, ICF 5x5/Baby SS/WS4SB > SS.

Some people think ICF has too much volume for gym virgins, as well as in Jason's attempt to create a program focusing on a combined goal of strength and size, some say he failed in both. Babylover's SS was in some ways an attempt to correct what was wrong with SS back then, whereas the most U2D version actually corrects most of those flaws itself, the main differences now being Babylover suggests front squats, accessory work, and running the routine more frequently, all of which can actually do more harm than good in some cases, with SS being a bit of a more reliable option, and harder to screw up on. WS4SB, too many options, good for an experienced lifter, a late beginner or an early intermediate, but for someone with no experience in lifting, not even to the point of basic knowledge regarding reps and sets, as well as no present interest in athletics, or much in strength beyond a base, I don't think giving a routine like WS4SB is the right choice here either. We're all entitled to our own opinions though, there's a lot to take into consideration, hard to say what's best, I'm just suggesting the routine which I think is most suited for him at this stage, seeing as he didn't wanna go for All Pro's SBR.

so i would need to start out with a lower amount of reps than i was doing before and eventually build it up? also could i add you?

Yeah, you'll be doing lower reps, but you'll also soon be doing much higher weight, it won't take long before you start to feel it working. Yeah sure man, go for it.

[tekno17]

Sovietrussian is a retard .

Dude , do Babylovers starting strength till you keep stalling (4-6) months and have a proper diet where your eating enough . Read stickes on macros here in forum .

After that you can then do either Madcows 5x5 if your goal is strength or do an upper lower or push pull legs if you want mass the fastest.