Newbie Looking For Help

[lax]

Hey guys, I'll keep this short..basically had some major drama/issues/life-changing events go down over the past couple months and after some stuff happened that almost left me dead I just have a new perspective on a lot of things. I did some soul-searching recently and decided I really wanted to work on my body.

I played a little football but mostly lacrosse in high school, so I didn't do a ton of lifting for that, mostly cardio but my body style was also way different...was shorter and weighed a lot more to the point where i was an O lineman, now I look like a wimpy wide receiver. I've done a 5x5 before (every other day for about 4 months) but didn't really see too many gains and got discouraged and dropped. I've heard good stuff about them though.

So I guess here's the deal: 19 year old male, ~163 lbs, 6'1". I'm not too out of shape, play basketball somewhat regularly for cardio, definitely not very strong in terms of my lifts, at least I wouldn't think...haven't lifted in about 2 years. I'm getting a lifetime membership for the summer so i can incorporate swimming as well if that's recommended.

Basically, I'm just really looking to get "ripped" with the goal of something like the pic below by the end of summer (but will work however long it takes) and will work/do whatever it takes to get there. Please help in any way you can, it's truly appreciated.
http://www.postimage.org/image.php?v=TsHSR2J

 

[JDid23]

If you spent 4 months on 5x5 and saw no gains, something was probably wrong. Did you/do you monitor your diet?

 

[lax]

I take that back, the amount I could lift kept increasing but I didn't really see anything manifest physically. As for diet, kind of, but really no. I know that's going to be a part of this though. I've got some stomach issues (IBS and some other stuff) that effect my eating habits so some days I'll only consume between 500-900 calories. The biggest thing I'm going to try to start doing in regard to diet is trying to eat regularly, I saw some stuff on here about eating 6 mini-meals throughout the day instead...as for what I should be eating, still need advice on that {also tricky due to food allergies}.

Truly though, can anyone please help me out with a lifting routine? No clue what I'm doing. I can get into the gym and what not, I just don't really know what to do while I'm in there to ensure I'm lifting to get cut and not just to be able to put up bigger numbers.

 

[JDid23]

I take that back, the amount I could lift kept increasing but I didn't really see anything manifest physically. As for diet, kind of, but really no. I know that's going to be a part of this though. I've got some stomach issues (IBS and some other stuff) that effect my eating habits so some days I'll only consume between 500-900 calories. The biggest thing I'm going to try to start doing in regard to diet is trying to eat regularly, I saw some stuff on here about eating 6 mini-meals throughout the day instead...as for what I should be eating, still need advice on that {also tricky due to food allergies}.

Truly though, can anyone please help me out with a lifting routine? No clue what I'm doing. I can get into the gym and what not, I just don't really know what to do while I'm in there to ensure I'm lifting to get cut and not just to be able to put up bigger numbers.

Sorry to hear about the stomach issues and food allergies. I would make an in depth post in the diet section regarding that here: http://www.elitefitness.com/forum/diet-bodybuilding/

As far as working out goes, I think you should try to get your diet in check before lifting because to be brutally honest, a diet that sometimes ranges between 500-900 calories can be very restricting to your lifts.

6 smaller meals a day is good.... once you work out your diet i would check out rippetoes 3x5 and do that until you stop progressing a few times. It might also help for you to keep a log here- it has helped me a lot!

 

[miked8c]

Yeah man, I hate to say it but unless you can fix your diet you will not be able to pursue lifting. Simply put, your body needs calories and 900 calories is not even half of what your body must consume to put on mass. You get that straightened out and your ready to rock.

 

[lax]

Just to update, things are worked out in terms of my diet...it really just comes down to appetite stimulation (basically, what was happening is that i wasn't getting hungry, like literally, i had no appetite regardless of what i did) so now that I'm on something for that and i'm eating, I just need to find a diet conducive to my fitness goals. I also had a fitness assessment done at 6'0"-6'1" and 162 lbs: BMI = 21.4 kg m/2, VO2 = 48.3 ml/kg min. 5.7% body fat composition (5mm chest, 15 mm abdomen, 10mm thigh); my fat mass is 9.2 lbs and my Basal Metabolic Rate is 2170 cal.

With this new information, can anyone help me now? Once again, even if you just point me a link to a workout I'm just looking for a lifting regimen to follow (x sets of x reps of this lift, y sets of y reps of that lift, etc.) that fits my goal of getting cut (six pack, full body definition, etc.) The trainer that gave me the assessment indicated she hadn't seen someone with such a low % of body fat in a long time (the assessment was free; I can't afford to pay a trainer otherwise i wouldn't be here right now)...I'm desperate guys, really need some help here.

 

[z66x]

you say you only did 5x5 every other day for 4 months? if you did it 3 times a week monday wednesday friday i think you'd see size gains, it was working for me before i broke my hand.

 

[JDid23]

To be honest, you could be on a shitty routine that a trainer gives you, and with a good diet can see great results. On the other hand, you could be on the best routine on the planet, and with a shitty diet you won't see as many gains. Definitely good that you're eating- with both it's much more efficient

I would look into rippetoes 3x5 starting strength (see sticky). Definitely going to be more efficient than 5x5 for where you're starting at again. A lot of people here have seen amazing gains from it.

Good luck!

 

[Unit 2005]

get off the 5 x 5 and onto a bodybuidling split. I just threw one into a post a few mins ago, check it out. Follow that, eat a high protien diet and you will shred up.

 

[lax]

get off the 5 x 5 and onto a bodybuidling split. I just threw one into a post a few mins ago, check it out. Follow that, eat a high protien diet and you will shred up.

I checked out your split workout, looked up all the lifts I wasn't familiar with and I think I'm all set to go.

In terms of a high protein diet, what do you recommend, 40% protein/30% carbs/30% fat? 1.5-2g per lb of lean body mass = 230g-305g of protein daily...how should I structure my diet for that? I take it I should buy a ton of whey protein?

 

[Unit 2005]

You are thinking way too much. Forget breaking it down into percentages and counting cals. You need to eat alot of good foods that will help you build muscle mass. Save the tonne of whey protein, yeah its great pre and post workout but you want solid food to make the bulk of your diet up....spend the money you save on protein on food!!

(1) 100g oats, 4 whole eggs, protein shake (blend - ie syntha 6 - is best option)

(2) chicken breast/steak/turkey breast with 50-100g rice & veg

(3) same as above

(4) Oily fish (salmon, mackrel, tuna etc) with baked or sweet potato, protein shake (again, use a blend)

(5) 300g cottage cheese and 2 slices wholemeal bread (make sure this meal is the last meal you eat in the day).

Pre workout you want 25g whey, post workout you want another 25-50g whey and 50g simple carbs.

Thats all you need. No need to crazy on supplements, 90% of them are bullsh*t anyway.


Tips on keeping diet on track:

Make one meal the night before so if you are in a rush it can be taken out or consumed quickly.

If you are ever in a real rush, blend 2 sccops of a protein blend with 100g oats and 1 tablespoon of peanut butter. Thats a great meal on the go!

IF you ever have to go to McDonalds, Burger king etc, order two burgers, throw one bread roll away and double up on the meat. In subway you can have double meat....easier option.

Amino acid tabs (exp BCAAs) can boost the content of a meals protein. Take 2-4 tabs with one or two meals a day...preferably the lower protein content meal(s).

Drink plenty of water, stay away from soda, fruit juices and full fat milk.

IF you eat this diet and dont put weight on within 2-3 weeks. Add half a serving of a weight gainer drink...or the protein/oats/pb shake i outlined above to each meal. That will add 250-500cals to each meal.

Good luck.