Over 35 starting the gym from scratch

[frenchplonka]

Alright guys so middle aged guy 5'7" around 13st never lived a healthy lifestyle but up until now I have been able to eat whatever I chose and the weight doesnt seem to pile on anyway at around 35/36 I noticed the belly getting bigger ( granted mc Donald don't help ) so decided to join a gym....

I guess I should tell you what I want to gain from the gym well ideally wanna look good in a t shirt and even better topless so arms pecs etc

I went today for the first time downloaded the body space app along with Jim's 12 week to strength or something as it fit into my 4 day plan and said was for beginners thing is i feel like im a weakling today I struggled to finish the last set of bench press at 10 kg each side plus the bar which i think was 45 or 65 kg and this was on the guided rack so not totally free weights.

I then moved to the incline bench press and couldn't even do one set of the same weights!!!

Any tips on a plan you could suggest or tips in general.

I currently use BCAA Creatine monohydrate and a pre workout supp

[DuracellBunny]

There's a sticky for this very purpose.

https://forum.bodybuilding.com/showt...hp?t=168581133

[weiss1967]

OP, I think you will do well, your post kind of has a good sound to it, right attitude or whatever. My tip would be to keep it light for the whole first month, or maybe even two months. I mean light like ridiculously light weights. This is adaptation period. Learn proper form, keep reading on some basic nutrition, and I am sure you do that already. At this point you pretty much need time in the saddle and nothing else. It may sound like waste of time but it is not, simply completing routine, each and all exercises and being able to walk next day and be in the gym again - it is more productive than chasing useless numbers. The main thing is a long-term adherence to lifestyle, not about achieving any specific goals. Learning to fit fitness into your daily routine, making it part if your recreation, something you won't feel right without. I guess this is goal on its own. You will pick up the volume and intensity later. I started around 36-ish, I am 50 now. My early lifting was sporadic, laced with injuries, ego-lifting etc, the usual.

[Sweetums6000]

I went today for the first time downloaded the body space app along with Jim's 12 week to strength or something as it fit into my 4 day plan and said was for beginners

Most likely not a beginner program (I've never actually looked at it, but everyone in the forum says those programs are crap). The stickies in the workout program section of the forum are real beginner programs. Read them and you will see what real beginner programs look like. Probably quite different.

im a weakling today I struggled to finish the last set of bench press at 10 kg each side plus the bar which i think was 45 or 65 kg and this was on the guided rack so not totally free weights.

I then moved to the incline bench press and couldn't even do one set of the same weights!!!

The bars in those machines usually weigh much less than a real barbell, and incline is a harder lift than flat bench. So even though you thought you were doing the same weight on a similar lift, you were actually lifting more weight, and on a harder lift, so it makes sense you couldn't do it.

Edit: For some reason I thought you were doing incline with free weights. But even if you're doing them on the same machine, you should be able to bench press more than incline press. Why aren't you using free weights, by the way?

[BecomingSmaller]

Pick a beginners program, then book 2 or 3 one hour sessions with a PT at your gym to show you how to do the lifts properly in your program and start you off on an appropriate weight. After a month or so book another hour to go over your lifts and make sure no bad form has crept in.

Pick a PT that lifts competitively if you can, not one that has all their clients doing crazy amounts of cardio.

[sawastea]

This boils down to a few key principles...

* Diet
* Form (in the gym)

The diet is the biggest factor in your transformation, without a sound diet, hitting the gym is fruitless. Pinpoint how your body reacts to foods, what's your best [macro-nutrient] breakdown, and how your body feels. You'll need to feed your body and muscles to excel in whatever you do. And as stated by BecomingSmaller, form is key. PT (or no PT), that's up to you, BUT if your form is crap, your results will follow and, more importantly, you can get hurt

Welcome to BB.com and enjoy!

[BillPhoto]

Pick a beginners program, then book 2 or 3 one hour sessions with a PT at your gym to show you how to do the lifts properly in your program and start you off on an appropriate weight. After a month or so book another hour to go over your lifts and make sure no bad form has crept in.

Pick a PT that lifts competitively if you can, not one that has all their clients doing crazy amounts of cardio.

This!

Hiring the services of a PT would teach you proper form which will decrease the risk of injury along with increasing the list of benefits of exercises done with correct form. Secondly, a good PT should also be able to write you up a good beginners routine which incorporates some sort of progression. One other thing they should be able to do is sit down with you, discuss your goals and come up with an appropriate meal plan based on the calories you need to eat.

But again, do your research and find a good PT capable of showing you how to lift in the correct manner.

Good luck OP, don't rush!!

[shaneinga]

There's a sticky for this very purpose.

https://forum.bodybuilding.com/showt...hp?t=168581133

This.

If only there was some kind of "sticky" for people to read who were just starting off. Hmmmm.

LuLz.

If you don't read the sticky at the top of the page title For over 35 beginners, you are not doing yourself any favors.

Start there OP.

[dragman72]

Personal trainer or a coach would be a good fit. No reason to experiment for weeks, months, years when you can have someone trained to get you the most out of what you have.

Diet is important for the look even more so than the gym.