How to start?

[AlexGFX88]

Hello,

I'd really love to get started body building and strength training but I'm so unsure where to start, there aren't any decent gyms close to me and I'm not sure if I could afford it anyway, if I wanted to build a home gym what would I need? I want to be able to do a body building work out(I want guns hah).

Is "The Bodybuilding Truth" a good book to buy at first?

Thanks a lot for all of your help!

-Alex

 

[BiggT]

Actually, in my opinion, the best book you could buy is Mark Ripptoe's "Starting Strength".....what are your current stats/goals? What is the extent of your weightlifting experience? If I were you, I'd check out the training info. sticky on here, it is dense and a lot to absorb, but I'd get a decent feel for it, it is very valuable.

 

[silver_shadow]

+1 for what the big guy said. i wouldn't buy the bodybuilding truth first up (actually i don't think it's necessary at all)... having said that i'd absorb whatever's written in the training sticky and it's links. don't stray too much from that, read as much as possible on the weightlifting forum and feel free to ask questions. i don't see why you can't afford a good gym... where are you located? maybe some of the good bro's here would help you locate a gym close to you

 

[Protobuilder]

A decent starting book, besides Starting Strength, is Beyond Brawn. It's 500 pages of easy to read fundamentals.

You can get everything you need off the internet but you have to sift through so much crap to find the gems, and if you don't know what's crap and what's not, you'll get buried under an avalanche of dogshit. Beyond Brawn and similar books give you a nice reference point.

 

[Cynical Simian]

Like I said in the sticky, try to work your way through all of the content on madcow's site over time. But before you do anything else, read the training primer on there. It's about as complete and condensed an overview of major training concepts (and misconceptions) as you'll be able to find.

 

[AlexGFX88]

Actually, in my opinion, the best book you could buy is Mark Ripptoe's "Starting Strength".....what are your current stats/goals? What is the extent of your weightlifting experience? If I were you, I'd check out the training info. sticky on here, it is dense and a lot to absorb, but I'd get a decent feel for it, it is very valuable.

I have 0% weight lifting knowledge.. hehe

My goals(I know it won't happen overnight and I'm willing to put in the effort) I want a body building body, but I want to do it naturally.

Thanks, I'll read the stickies and order those books asap, I appriciate all the help guys!

Thanks,
Alex

 

[Protobuilder]

http://www.higher-faster-sports.com/bodybuilding.html

Read the 3-part Shit or get off the pot articles.

 

[AlexGFX88]

Okay, I have a stupid question(Might be stupid).

I've heard that if you're bigger you can't be flexible... Is that true? I'm a martial artist and I have to be flexible so if it is true, would stetching after workouts keep me flexible?

Thanks!

 

[Protobuilder]

Big does NOT have to mean unflexible (is that a word?). Big people CAN be unflexible, as can non-trained skinny-fat people. If you keep training flexilibility, you will remain flexible. In fact, a lot of poeple find that full range of motion weightlifting increases your flexibility. For example, nobody would claim an olympic weightlifter lacked flexibility. They're way more flexible than your average BB'r or average Joe on the street. For example, deep squatting increases hip, back, ankle & upper back flexibility.

A weight training program won't make you gain 80 pounds overnight. Frankly, growth is usually pretty slow, so it's not difficult to stay flexible, if you keep wroking on it.

 

[silver_shadow]

some bigger guys can be pretty flexible. have a look at some of the guys in the WWE. first guy that comes to mind is RVD - he's not huge for some but he's way larger than joe average... i think he's a pretty good stunt guy.... what do you think? and there are a couple of others who are pretty good too - shelton benjamin is one.

 

[blueta2]

You do not need much to start a home gym. Get a bench, a bar, some plates, some dumbells and find a good routine.
Here is a great site to get you started on learning the correct moves and terms of each movement.
http://exrx.net/Lists/Directory.html

Don't get discouraged. It takes time, will and consistancy to see results. Good luck