Answers To Every Beginner Thread Ever

[fitmaloriek]

Good thread... As to how many actually take this advice?? Good form, good nutrition, proper rest and staying humble is major key!

[NathanClark24]

Right guys so i am
161lb
6ft 1
moderately active
Bodyfat: 11-13% (I guess) look at pics

I want to lose fat and build muscle i know that you cant do both unless Ur a beginner. Im not sure what i should do right now i dont know if i should cut or bulk i wanna have abs by summer hopefully i am currently cutting on 2000kcal and my macros are 161g Protein/ Carbs 231g / fat 48g. everyday i hit my protein and i just let my carbs and fats fill in so it might be one day higher carbs low fat or high fat low carbs. I am currently doing IF 16:8 everyday in my 8 hours i apply IIFYM. Lately EG: yesterday i had a cheat day of like 6200 kcal i ate choc and stuff like that today i have been fasting for 19 1/2 so far and will eat again tomz morning so about an 30hr fast! i did this as i dont wanna gain fat after my binge eating. So do i bulk or cut any advice would be really appreciated as i dont no what i should DO!!!! HELP.

[mwhmason]

Stupid question probably.
But - I've been lifting for a couple months now - started at 145 and now im 160 lbs. (I am 5'8")
Have some body building buddies and they say the same thing, "eat more calories, gain weight".
Here is the kicker - I have gained weight, like 15 pounds and I feel like all of it is going to my stomach and my muscles elsewhere are just swelling and not actually getting bigger/stronger because I am still struggling with the same weights I started on.

Seriously - what am I doing wrong? I've watched my macro's and all, and I'll be honest I do try tl lift heavy and I avoid cardio because if I do cardio I go backwards; super lean, little to NO mass and I am back at 145.
SoS?

[JVBeast555]

14 Years Old, Lifted Semi-Seriously for About 3 Years, Played Football for 2 Years, Freshman Safety on JV
I wanted to see how I stack up.
I'm really short, 5'1" and 115 pounds.
Bench: 110
Squat: ~125
Deadlift: 145
I know its not much compared to a lot of guys but I'm working on it.

[FrostbiteFitnes]

great read.

[WWWGymTraining]

A good quick summary for beginning lifters to focus on. Sleep big, eat big, lift big = get big!

[PrettyGirls]

thanks so much!

[ronrhon]

QUESTION: is it important to have an abs if youre trying to gain muscle? my knowledge is when gaining muscle you want to gain a weight right but in a right way but gaining weight means you're abs are gonna be gone so should i be worried about it or train it as how i train it which is like 4 times a week even if its slowly dissapearing? Or should i not be worried about it and just bother with it when im about to cut??

[Nohope4me]

Can u help me? I see all this loose weight stuff but I need to build mass. I hate being so thin. I eat asome much as I can. Since I'm in school most of the day I can't eat as much as I want. I have protein shakes and only have a set of dumbells. Is there anything u can suggest? I don't even have a gym nearby. Or a car to take me to one.

[aresman1221]

QUESTION: is it important to have an abs if youre trying to gain muscle? my knowledge is when gaining muscle you want to gain a weight right but in a right way but gaining weight means you're abs are gonna be gone so should i be worried about it or train it as how i train it which is like 4 times a week even if its slowly dissapearing? Or should i not be worried about it and just bother with it when im about to cut??

Yes, abs will slowly fade. It shouldnt get to a point where if you flex, you cant see them at all. Most people bulk to 15-16% BF, some other (myself included) up to 18%.
Just focus on doing a SLOW bulk so you wont put much more unnecessary fat.

Can u help me? I see all this loose weight stuff but I need to build mass. I hate being so thin. I eat asome much as I can. Since I'm in school most of the day I can't eat as much as I want. I have protein shakes and only have a set of dumbells. Is there anything u can suggest? I don't even have a gym nearby. Or a car to take me to one.

Read the nutrition stickies to know how to eat. It doesnt matter how many times a day you eat, it's more important how much you eat overall. If you can sit down for 2 big meals, that should be enough. Stop spending money on shakes and invest on real food or more weight (more dumbbells for example). On the meantime look up routines using just body weight.

[Frodoh]

nice

[jdebatty]

Stupid question probably.
But - I've been lifting for a couple months now - started at 145 and now im 160 lbs. (I am 5'8")
Have some body building buddies and they say the same thing, "eat more calories, gain weight".
Here is the kicker - I have gained weight, like 15 pounds and I feel like all of it is going to my stomach and my muscles elsewhere are just swelling and not actually getting bigger/stronger because I am still struggling with the same weights I started on.

Seriously - what am I doing wrong? I've watched my macro's and all, and I'll be honest I do try tl lift heavy and I avoid cardio because if I do cardio I go backwards; super lean, little to NO mass and I am back at 145.
SoS?

You have to get on the right workout routine. You should be trying to hit hypertrophy every time you get in the gym. Your diet seems fine, just work harder. You should be making constant improvement. Look up how to track a workout ournal. many threads on this website, and track your progress. But your #1 priority needs to be finding the right bulking plan for you. And AT ALL COSTS- avoid ego lifting. Nobody cares how much weight your putting up if you aren't making any gains in the gym. PM me for further questions man. Good luck!

[GonzoooFitness]

I am 16 Years old weigh about 122-125lbs and about 5 foot 6 and not very happy with the way i look and when i get to the gym i do not know what exercises to do please help and also dont know how many calories and macros and stuff like that please help.

[Fred000002]

First off, you're starting to lift. You need a good program, a basic beginner program is easily the best choice and will yield the best results (Two highly acclaimed examples would be Mark Rippetoe's Starting Strength or ICF 5x5 by Jason Blaha.) Post videos of your main lifts (squat, bench, deadlift) and a member will help you correct your form. Lifting with bad form is practically the same as not lifting at all, it's useless.

Secondly, nutrition. It's not super important for someone at an early stage in lifting to necessarily track macros or what you're eating per se, but tracking calories could be extremely beneficial.
If you're aiming to gain weight, eat more, it's as simple as that (if tracking calories, eat 3500 calories over your weekly maintenance to gain 1 lb per week, so you put on weight while minimizing fat to an extent.)
If you're aiming to lose weight, eat less, it's as simple as that (if tracking calories, eat 1750-3500 calories less than your weekly to lose 1/2-1 lb per week, so you lose weight while minimizing muscle loss to an extent.)

Thirdly, supplements. No supplements are needed, some find an external protein source (such as whey) highly convenient and beneficial as one might not be getting enough protein through whole foods. But, aim to get most of your protein through your food. Don't focus on supplements for now, though.

Fourthly, sleep and rest. Sleep and rest are extremely important. Follow your program to the t, do not modify or change anything "because you feel like it," it is designed that way for a reason and, as a beginner, you lack the knowledge needed to make a decision like that. You're just hindering your progress, this also means resting on rest days. Get as much sleep as possible. Do not get 3 hours of sleep a night, you're again just hurting yourself in the long run.

Fifthly, pain vs soreness. If you're feeling pain, there is something wrong with either your form, the weight your using, etc. and you should post videos of what you feel pain on, and you may potentially need to consult a doctor. Soreness will likely be present in your first few weeks of lifting and may persist further, however there is a major difference between this and pain. You will know if you're experiencing pain.

Sixth, gyno. Odds are you do not have gynecomastia. Give it time and it is likely to go away. Most everyone experiences what you are at certain times in their lives, it's nothing to worry about and nobody else is paying attention to it, unless you bring it up and make a big deal of it.

Seventh, cardio/conditioning. Cardio/conditioning is extremely helpful, and will help you in more ways than you can think. Most, if-not-all, should be doing some form of cardio no matter what. This can be anything from running, riding a bike, or doing a clean circuit, any form is acceptable. I'd recommend doing this at least a few times a week, but as I said you can make it something enjoyable for you.

Eighth, eating before the gym. Yes, you can eat before going to the gym. Dependent on what you're eating, I'd recommend at least 45-90 minutes before going to the gym. If you're eating a large meal, I'd stray closer to 2 hours, while if you're eating rice cakes or something small you can decrease the time drastically. You don't want 2 pounds of food sitting in your stomach while your trying to squat, think realistically and logically. It's common sense that you won't perform at your best when your still sluggish and lethargic from your lunch.

Ninth, legs. No, you do not have "big legs for your body," they're fat. Do not, under 95% of circumstances, stick leg work. Suck it up, no one cares that you hate leg work, you'll end up looking like an idiot if you don't do it.

Tenth, body types. Get body types out of your heads, for your purposes they do not exist and are fake. Stop worrying about your body type effecting you in any way, shape or form.



If anyone has any questions that I did not touch on, I will be happy to answer them by later today.

excellent work

[Mrconjust]

Hey bros I'm new here, I love lifting weights don't you guys? Soon I'm gonna be jacked like Greek God, but for now I'm flabby like summertime squirrel

[Jackasgard]

Well actually the post is cool tho but don't forget the fact that beginners always listen to juicers. Not never but most likely don't listen to them becuase they don't believe also what they tell you to do. Just lift eat sleep and do your own research. Trial and error is the best method in bodybuilding for me

[Jacob5339]

First off, you're starting to lift. You need a good program, a basic beginner program is easily the best choice and will yield the best results (Two highly acclaimed examples would be Mark Rippetoe's Starting Strength or ICF 5x5 by Jason Blaha.) Post videos of your main lifts (squat, bench, deadlift) and a member will help you correct your form. Lifting with bad form is practically the same as not lifting at all, it's useless.

Secondly, nutrition. It's not super important for someone at an early stage in lifting to necessarily track macros or what you're eating per se, but tracking calories could be extremely beneficial.
If you're aiming to gain weight, eat more, it's as simple as that (if tracking calories, eat 3500 calories over your weekly maintenance to gain 1 lb per week, so you put on weight while minimizing fat to an extent.)
If you're aiming to lose weight, eat less, it's as simple as that (if tracking calories, eat 1750-3500 calories less than your weekly to lose 1/2-1 lb per week, so you lose weight while minimizing muscle loss to an extent.)

Thirdly, supplements. No supplements are needed, some find an external protein source (such as whey) highly convenient and beneficial as one might not be getting enough protein through whole foods. But, aim to get most of your protein through your food. Don't focus on supplements for now, though.

Fourthly, sleep and rest. Sleep and rest are extremely important. Follow your program to the t, do not modify or change anything "because you feel like it," it is designed that way for a reason and, as a beginner, you lack the knowledge needed to make a decision like that. You're just hindering your progress, this also means resting on rest days. Get as much sleep as possible. Do not get 3 hours of sleep a night, you're again just hurting yourself in the long run.

Fifthly, pain vs soreness. If you're feeling pain, there is something wrong with either your form, the weight your using, etc. and you should post videos of what you feel pain on, and you may potentially need to consult a doctor. Soreness will likely be present in your first few weeks of lifting and may persist further, however there is a major difference between this and pain. You will know if you're experiencing pain.

Sixth, gyno. Odds are you do not have gynecomastia. Give it time and it is likely to go away. Most everyone experiences what you are at certain times in their lives, it's nothing to worry about and nobody else is paying attention to it, unless you bring it up and make a big deal of it.

Seventh, cardio/conditioning. Cardio/conditioning is extremely helpful, and will help you in more ways than you can think. Most, if-not-all, should be doing some form of cardio no matter what. This can be anything from running, riding a bike, or doing a clean circuit, any form is acceptable. I'd recommend doing this at least a few times a week, but as I said you can make it something enjoyable for you.

Eighth, eating before the gym. Yes, you can eat before going to the gym. Dependent on what you're eating, I'd recommend at least 45-90 minutes before going to the gym. If you're eating a large meal, I'd stray closer to 2 hours, while if you're eating rice cakes or something small you can decrease the time drastically. You don't want 2 pounds of food sitting in your stomach while your trying to squat, think realistically and logically. It's common sense that you won't perform at your best when your still sluggish and lethargic from your lunch.

Ninth, legs. No, you do not have "big legs for your body," they're fat. Do not, under 95% of circumstances, stick leg work. Suck it up, no one cares that you hate leg work, you'll end up looking like an idiot if you don't do it.

Tenth, body types. Get body types out of your heads, for your purposes they do not exist and are fake. Stop worrying about your body type effecting you in any way, shape or form.



If anyone has any questions that I did not touch on, I will be happy to answer them by later today.

I just made this account and am new to BB.com. I was curious where i could find a workout plan that has the afterburner affect (I am trying to lose weight) while still lifting (I am trying to gain muscle). Thanks for the feedback. Also, my macros are 50% protein, 30% fat, and 20% carbs. I am eating 1,800 a day.

[Criz98]

This is good info thx man

[crackbam]

Useful!

[loverfitness1]

Thanks lol I'm still lost on the macros.

[SWOLEMIKEY]

Awesome post mate; much appreciated.

[thejth24]

thanks!!

[marcolozano16]

I have a goal before the year ends and that is being able to bench 135lb. My current max (1 rep) is 125lb ---I seem to be stuck there cause I don't bench that often--- and I just want to be able to make 135 before the end of 2016. I work out every other weekday... Any tips/plans to help me reach my goal?

[brandonb1617]

Hey all. I figured this would be a better place to post my madness than making a separate beginner thread you've seen a thousand times.
About 6 months ago I was 16, 5'11, and 250+ pounds with little muscle (binge eating disorder is fun). Now I'm 5'11 and 180ish pounds (still little muscle). The past few months I've been eating low and doing cardio, but now I want to lose fat and gain muscle simultaneously. So I put together a plan

****ing christ, I hate math. But here is my meal plan: (there may be some typos or missing numbers for some of them; my preeminent concern was my ability to read it and not other people's lol. I'm far too lazy to edit it).
BREAKFEAST
kellogs special k protein cereal 30g P 3gF 57g C 480 cal
Pure Protein Vanilla Cream Shake 23g P 110 cal
milk 8gp 12gC 8gF 150cal



LUNCH
swiss cheese 5gP 5gF 70cal
Turkey 18g P 6g C 2gF 100 cal
bread honey wheat 5gP 23g C 1.5gF 120 cal
pure protein vanilla cream shake 23g
Apple 25g C 100cal





Snacks:
protein shake 23gP 110cal
Greek non fat yogurt 23gP 9gC 120cal
protein bar great value 10gp 14gc 13gF



Dinner
27g P 40gC 13gF
I have no control over what dinner is most of the time, so I'm just estimating an average 400 calorie meal's nutrients.

This gives me:
2060 cal
195g of protein
43.5g of fat
186g of carbs.

If I do 20 minutes of cardio a day that burns roughly 200 calories I'll be at a 20% deficit each day.

Completely new to weightlifting and think I want to do a compound only workout I found but can't post a link to until I'm at 50 posts lol.


All advice and critiques are appreciated.

[Gain6]

Hey all. I figured this would be a better place to post my madness than making a separate beginner thread you've seen a thousand times.
About 6 months ago I was 16, 5'11, and 250+ pounds with little muscle (binge eating disorder is fun). Now I'm 5'11 and 180ish pounds (still little muscle). The past few months I've been eating low and doing cardio, but now I want to lose fat and gain muscle simultaneously. So I put together a plan

****ing christ, I hate math. But here is my meal plan: (there may be some typos or missing numbers for some of them; my preeminent concern was my ability to read it and not other people's lol. I'm far too lazy to edit it).
BREAKFEAST
kellogs special k protein cereal 30g P 3gF 57g C 480 cal
Pure Protein Vanilla Cream Shake 23g P 110 cal
milk 8gp 12gC 8gF 150cal



LUNCH
swiss cheese 5gP 5gF 70cal
Turkey 18g P 6g C 2gF 100 cal
bread honey wheat 5gP 23g C 1.5gF 120 cal
pure protein vanilla cream shake 23g
Apple 25g C 100cal





Snacks:
protein shake 23gP 110cal
Greek non fat yogurt 23gP 9gC 120cal
protein bar great value 10gp 14gc 13gF



Dinner
27g P 40gC 13gF
I have no control over what dinner is most of the time, so I'm just estimating an average 400 calorie meal's nutrients.

This gives me:
2060 cal
195g of protein
43.5g of fat
186g of carbs.

If I do 20 minutes of cardio a day that burns roughly 200 calories I'll be at a 20% deficit each day.

Completely new to weightlifting and think I want to do a compound only workout I found but can't post a link to until I'm at 50 posts lol.


All advice and critiques are appreciated.

It would serve you better to focus on either building muscle or losing fat it's hard to swallow but trying to do both at the same time is ineffective and the science backs it up. Good luck but don't go overboard with the cutting get down to below 15% bf and lean bulk your results will be better in the end rather than cutting to a skinny fat build trust me I've been there. Keep at it.

[BryanSBB]

I've been doing Starting Strength for 3 months now. I've had great results in 1-2 months. I've been lifting for 4 months now. And since the 3rd months of SS if haven't been progressing in strength. There is a video by Alan Thrall on youtube that talked about you need to build muscle in order to get stronger. Because 3x5 and 5x5 will stop working overtime. What should I do now? Start doing hyperthrophy training? I train about 3-4 times a week. Should i do a Upper/Lower Split? A Back/Bicep Chest/Tri......etc split? Or still do full body training? Im also Skinny Fat, around 23% BF, at 170 lbs. 6´1

My Bench: 95lbs x 5
Squat: 135 x 5
Deadlift: 165 x 5
Overhead Press: 55lbs x 5

I know...... I really weak. Any help, please?

[Skinnyboy2000]

I know this isn't exactly a thread for this but I'm 16 6" And quite skinny 11 stone 5ibs (about 155 - 160 pounds) I've been lifting for a month or 2 and can only bench about 55kg (120 pounds) for a full set. Just wondering if I need to concentrate on improving functional strength more?

[hs030300]

I have a question that may seem dumb.. I have been going to the gym for about a year. I have gained about 15 lbs and have gotten a little stronger, but my arm so aren't getting any bigger. Any advice on achieving the results I want? Thanks

[Lindarn]

First off, you're starting to lift. You need a good program, a basic beginner program is easily the best choice and will yield the best results (Two highly acclaimed examples would be Mark Rippetoe's Starting Strength or ICF 5x5 by Jason Blaha.) Post videos of your main lifts (squat, bench, deadlift) and a member will help you correct your form. Lifting with bad form is practically the same as not lifting at all, it's useless.

Secondly, nutrition. It's not super important for someone at an early stage in lifting to necessarily track macros or what you're eating per se, but tracking calories could be extremely beneficial.
If you're aiming to gain weight, eat more, it's as simple as that (if tracking calories, eat 3500 calories over your weekly maintenance to gain 1 lb per week, so you put on weight while minimizing fat to an extent.)
If you're aiming to lose weight, eat less, it's as simple as that (if tracking calories, eat 1750-3500 calories less than your weekly to lose 1/2-1 lb per week, so you lose weight while minimizing muscle loss to an extent.)

Thirdly, supplements. No supplements are needed, some find an external protein source (such as whey) highly convenient and beneficial as one might not be getting enough protein through whole foods. But, aim to get most of your protein through your food. Don't focus on supplements for now, though.

Fourthly, sleep and rest. Sleep and rest are extremely important. Follow your program to the t, do not modify or change anything "because you feel like it," it is designed that way for a reason and, as a beginner, you lack the knowledge needed to make a decision like that. You're just hindering your progress, this also means resting on rest days. Get as much sleep as possible. Do not get 3 hours of sleep a night, you're again just hurting yourself in the long run.

Fifthly, pain vs soreness. If you're feeling pain, there is something wrong with either your form, the weight your using, etc. and you should post videos of what you feel pain on, and you may potentially need to consult a doctor. Soreness will likely be present in your first few weeks of lifting and may persist further, however there is a major difference between this and pain. You will know if you're experiencing pain.

Sixth, gyno. Odds are you do not have gynecomastia. Give it time and it is likely to go away. Most everyone experiences what you are at certain times in their lives, it's nothing to worry about and nobody else is paying attention to it, unless you bring it up and make a big deal of it.

Seventh, cardio/conditioning. Cardio/conditioning is extremely helpful, and will help you in more ways than you can think. Most, if-not-all, should be doing some form of cardio no matter what. This can be anything from running, riding a bike, or doing a clean circuit, any form is acceptable. I'd recommend doing this at least a few times a week, but as I said you can make it something enjoyable for you.

Eighth, eating before the gym. Yes, you can eat before going to the gym. Dependent on what you're eating, I'd recommend at least 45-90 minutes before going to the gym. If you're eating a large meal, I'd stray closer to 2 hours, while if you're eating rice cakes or something small you can decrease the time drastically. You don't want 2 pounds of food sitting in your stomach while your trying to squat, think realistically and logically. It's common sense that you won't perform at your best when your still sluggish and lethargic from your lunch.

Ninth, legs. No, you do not have "big legs for your body," they're fat. Do not, under 95% of circumstances, stick leg work. Suck it up, no one cares that you hate leg work, you'll end up looking like an idiot if you don't do it.

Tenth, body types. Get body types out of your heads, for your purposes they do not exist and are fake. Stop worrying about your body type effecting you in any way, shape or form.



If anyone has any questions that I did not touch on, I will be happy to answer them by later today.

...

[Srtm111]

Great post