new to all of this..need some help - JP Fitness Forums

NiwaShock · 12-09-2004, 01:00 AM

hi, i just started going to the gym(today was my second day) with my friend. im 5'11 and weigh 135-140 lbs. i look underweight some say, some say i look normal. but to myself, i see myself as underweight. thats why i decided to go to the gym. well, i have some questions..
how long should a work out last? for the past two days we went for an hour and a half.. is this about right?
second.. before i started going to the gym i lifted curlers that i had in my basement. they we're 10 lb each. i used these for a little while(2-3 weeks) and they started to get too easy. so i put them together so it would be 20 lbs. now that ive been using them for a while its gotten much easier to lift. i do 12 on one hand then switch to the other. but when i go to the gym i use 25 lb curlers and only do 10 on each hand(i do this 3 or 4 times before going to something else). should i stick with 20lbs or go to 25? .. or is using 20lbs at my house and 25lbs at the gym ok?

ok, now, another question. like i said, i see myself as under weight.. so i want to put on some weight. i dont want to put on fat since itll be hard to get off. i just want to gain some weight and still be able to have muscles. i read that i need to take in more calories. well, prior the the past few days i wouldnt eat much.. not because i was trying to starve myself, but im just never hungry. thats why im skinny.. but ive been looking in my cabinet for things with calories in it and been eating whatever i find. i wanted to buy a weight gainer, but i heard those arent good because its mostly sugars(so i just stick with my protein powder). how many calories should i take in each day to gain weight? i dont want to eat so much where i just become a big blob of fat, just enough to put on some weight where it looks good.

lastly, how should a workout schedule look? ive just been doing whatever i felt like doing.. but it all has to do with the upper body. like biceps, triceps etc.. should i work out my upper body for 2 days, then on the 3rd work out my legs and upper body?

thanks for the help. and sorry if not all of this made sense, i typed it pretty quickly(want to get to bed. its 1am [img]tongue.gif[/img] )

eh, one last thing. i heard working out too much isnt good since your muscles need a rest. how many days in a row is the max you can work out without straining yourself? i worked out two days already and only in some spots i feel it. its not bad where i cant work out again tommorow, its just a little pain since im not use to it. should i work out 2 days and rest on the 3rd, or should i go 3 days and rest on the 4th? thanks

diamondpete · 12-09-2004, 02:00 AM

Hi NiWa Shock

I am new to the game as well. Thanks to the other folks on this list things are going well, so I will pass on their advice:

http://www.mainelyleslies.com/person...shomegrown.asp

Try this out. It is a good routine (at lease the first part that I am on - I am already seeing results).

There are quick time clips to show you how to do things right. Anyway, please read thru others posts, especially about diet- eating right seems to be the key to everything: bulking - cutting, whatever.

As far as not being hungry- work out you WILL be hungry!!! And weight will come from building muscle.

I suggest you look around at old posts and then try the routine, after you get your "sealegs" I would then ask some more specific questions to the list. Do your backgraound reading first, and there are some people who can give some good advice on this list

Good luck.

Peter

OldGuy · 12-09-2004, 11:11 AM

1. Take you time. Rome wasn't built in a day. Your body needs time to recover so it may be best to workout every other day. You'll be stronger and have less chance of injury.

2. Take the time to read about the exercises and which muscles they are working. www.exrx.net is a site the will show you the exercise, the proper way to do them and which muscles you are working. Try to stick to compound exercises. You'll work more muscle and get more benefits out of them.

3. Read all you can about nutrition. A good site is www.johnberardi.com for nutrition information. It's a good idea to log your diet so you can see what you are eating. www.fitday.com is good for that, and it's free.

4. Post when you have a question. There are a lot of knowledgable people on here that will answer all question. We all started somewhere.

Good luck.

chris_f · 12-09-2004, 11:20 AM

If you want to grow, legs are essential! They're one half of your body, and you are also two of the largest muscles in your body. Therefore, lower body work should make up exactly half of your routine. [img]smile.gif[/img]

As for not feeling sore, if all you've been working are you biceps and triceps, and not your chest, back, shoulders, quads, hams or glutes... no wonder you're not sore! You're working the smallest muscles you have! [img]smile.gif[/img]

If you head over to the FAQ forum, there is a post up top with a very large list of premade routines that is constantly being added to. Find one you like and stick to it.

As for getting fat, if it were that easy to get huge, most of us would like arnold in his glory days. As a skinny bastard myself, I can assure you that you won't get fat unless you were really starving yourself before!

Also, anything OldGuy says, ignore (just kidding!). His four points are right on target. Definately check out the Berardi site. Goodluck! [img]smile.gif[/img]

Stinson · 12-09-2004, 12:07 PM

About gaining weight, check out the FAQ forum. There are some great reads there.

I'm also a skinny bastard and I've managed to put on 9 lbs with a some hard work and dedication. Although, I imagine 3 or 4 pounds of that is fat, but that's most likely from my bad eating.... beer, powder donuts, sodas, and many other junk items.

My advice to you: read, read, and read some more.

Good luck,
Stinson

jwjsurf · 12-09-2004, 01:44 PM

Oldguy and Sharbait31 gave you great advice.

As a naturally skinny guy I agree with what they said.

Since you are new to this you have the great opportunity of not making the samme mistakes alot of us have. Here are some major things I have done wrong:

- Did not learn proper form early on
- Did too much cardio
- Did not have good post workout nutrition
- Did not concentrate on feeling the target muscle when lifted. Just tried to get the weight from point A to B
- Changed my routine too many times.

And lastly and most important

I SHOULD OF FOCUSED MORE ON PROGRESSION

Check out the sites oldguy gave you,read the faqs, don't make the common mistakes and you will be impressed with your results.

Good Luck and keep us posted

OldGuy · 12-09-2004, 02:38 PM

One more.

Buy The Book of Muscle by Ian King and Lou Schuler. This is a great book for anyone who lifts. Lou breaks down the body and what you can accomplish with training, and Ian gives you 18 months of workouts.

You can find it on amazon.com.

Kaiser · 12-09-2004, 02:42 PM

One important question: How old are you? Because if you are a teenager just coming off of a growth spurt, being that thin would be expected and it will eventually work itself out.

Keith S. · 12-09-2004, 07:41 PM

Hey NiwaShock,

First and foremost welcome to the forum and the fitness world. Anyway, on to addressing your questions...

How long should a workout last?
The optimal length of a workout is about an hour, because after an hour your testosterone levels begin to decrease (someone tell me if I'm wrong).

Should I do 20 lbs at my house and 25 at the gym?
Since you've just started lifting, I think most of us in here would agree that you should try to stay away from isolation exercises. Stick to compound lifts...

How should I put on good weight?
Like the guys above said, it's not just about eating anything with calories, but it's also about eating clean.

How should a workout schedule look?
I would suggest that you get a routine to follow. Look in the Fitness FAQ Section ( http://forums.jpfitness.com/cgi-bin/.../t/000056.html ) and there are a bunch of great routines there...

NiwaShock · 12-09-2004, 08:42 PM

wow, a good community here [img]smile.gif[/img] thanks for all the help you guys.

oh, and i just turned 19.. so i dont think my weight has anything to do with a growth spurt [img]tongue.gif[/img]
i wasnt starving myself.. but i sort of was. most of the time i would eat 1 meal a day(dinner.. and it wasnt anything big), but other days i would eat like crazy.. and i mean a lot.

well, im off to check out them sites and the faqs

chris_f · 12-09-2004, 08:59 PM

yea 1 meal a day is a REALLY bad idea... you should be eating at least 5 or 6 a day (not kidding).