Requesting - Training advice for new bro's

[gibs0n]

Heya guys

I am a 23yr old male wanting to get started to build a wicked body. Problem is I have abosultely no idea where to start with a training programme. I was wondering if any of you more experienced bros out there could take a couple minutes to either post some links or help out with a programme for a total beginner. I am completely out of shape at the moment with probably about 20% body fat. I am wanting to train with mostly free weights and get some decent initial gains. Where should I begin? what would be a good weight/set/reps and exercise structure for a beginner looking to gain muscle mass with minimal fat gain? I will initially be using john berardi's cheat diet to get into a decent dieting routine (http://www.johnberardi.com/articles/nutrition/cheaters_diet.htm)

Any help is very much appreciated. Thanks

 

[WalkingBeast]

Welcome to the boards!! Youve come to the right place for training information. Heres some information from a PM I sent someone with similiar questions:

For size I used to like a routine like this:

Monday: Chest
Tuesday: Triceps and Biceps
Wednesday: Shoulders and Hamstrings
Thursday: off
Friday: Back
Saturday:Triceps and Biceps or Chest (Id do a different exercise, like Incline bench instead of flat, depending on what you did monday)
Sunday: :Quads

You can also take saturday off so your only training 5x a week instead of 6. As for the volume I always liked doing 12 sets for small body parts and 15 sets for legs and back. Rep ranges always vary for me. But I like to do most of my sets to complete failure, or very close to it. I incorporate all the rep ranges now since Im constantly switching exercises and weight. Its not too regimented like it used to be. haha More instinctual now. But I think with that amount of sets and pushing your limit with each one, youll definately make progress in gaining size. Your strength will definately increase also. Just not as much as if your focus was pure strength. Progressive resistance is very important also. The only way youll really grow IMO is to constantly increase weight or reps. Especially with the compound moverments like deadlifts and bench presses. With arms it can take alot longer to increase. Always challenge yourself though. Dont be afraid to cheat movements slightly aslong as you dont hurt yourself. I found by using some cheating in my routine that eventually the weights I would swing up with momentum I was able to do strictly over time. It forces the body to adapt. Forced reps are also great, Having a spotter help you get extra reps. And lastly make sure you are eating ALOT. This is the part I hate. haha Force feeding can be tough. I try to eat massive meals in one sitting. I dont eat six meals a day, but rather 2 or 3, sometimes only one very large meal and 1/2 a gallon of milk with a few protein shakes spread through out the day. The main thing for me has always been meeting that number of protein or calories at the end of the day. Mainly protein. Since I dont eat clean at all, my calories get fairly high. haha Try to get atleast your bodyweight in grams of protein daily. If you weigh 200, try to get atleast 200 grams. Then when your ready try increasing to 250 or 300. Keeping a journal helps me majorly. I just use a note book and record everything like this:

Monday 10-6-04

I trained Chest and Triceps. I ate: _____ for my first meal,_____ for my second meal, etc

then any information I want to include about my lifts. I highlight record weights in yellow, and weights and reps Ive done before in blue. Also I include my bodyweight atleast once a week and any supplements Im taking. Makes a huge difference. I also add up the protein at the end of each day. It not only motivates, but it allows you to study it and see whats worked best for you.

I hope that helps! PM me if you have any questions, or just post them up! My training approach has always been high volume/ high intensity, youll see there are many different views on here. Dont get discouraged though, everyone is different. Youll find what works for you eventually.

 

[WalkingBeast]

I should add. Your metabolism is probabally higher then mine, since I started out lifting at 105-115lbs and it took me very long to gain. I wouldnt reccomend my diet. haha You should probabally focus on eating cleaner for now and getting in your bodyweight or higher in grams of protein daily. Try to get in some quality carbs from rice or pasta also. And try to eat 1,000 calories more then what it takes for you to maintain your bodyweight. This will take some experimentation. If you keep a journal it makes it alot easier to tweak your diet. You can just keep adding calories until bodyweight increases. For now youll make real good gains even if you dont follow a good routine and diet. Gains are always good in the beginning when the body is adapting to weights for the first time. But eventually youll need a solid plan of attack. Dont get discouraged, its a life long journey!

 

[leatherface]

http://boards.elitefitness.com/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=281085

good program/split there. If your looking to lose some BF, go ahead and throw some cardio in the mix. Try to get atleast 1-1.5grams of protein per lb of body weight. If you are cutting down, dont cut down on the carbs too fast, work your way down gradually, and even then have a cheat day every now and then to spike the metabolism. Now, lets see where you are in a couple months