Need a workout routine and diet plan.

dboundy

dboundy

dboundy

Associate
Joined
29 Jul 2005
Posts
686
Location
Salford
Have access to a free gym at University and have decided (after xmas when I go back) to start using it 4 times a week.

It has all the standard wieght lifting machines as well as free weights. It also has running, cycling and rowing machines as well as a swimming pool.

My four days are going to be Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday.

My main aims are to get a better looking body and become bigger stronfer and improve my stamina (both being able to lift more and cardio) as well for when I try joining the OTC next year.

I also understand diet is very important as well so my questions are:

Can someone recommend a workout plan for me and a decent diet to start of with please?

I have looked at GordyR's guide but it confuses me a little (mainly the diet part) as I'm not sure how much of each category of food to be eating and so on etc.

My height is 5'11 and I way 12 1/4 stone. :D
 
whats your diet like at the moment?

weights, learn the main compound movements with good form. these are all you need for a good few months.

squats
deadlifts
chest press
shoulder press
chins / lat pull down

dont worry about bicep curls or situps, you wont need them for a while.
 
My diet consists of just one meal a day usually, two at best.

Stuff like

Beans and Waffles,
Jacket Potato (3/4 medium ones) with loads of cheese,
Pasta (both packet and homemade),
Chicken Korma,
Spag Bol,
Soup,
KFC Syle Chicken.


Just need a complete overhaul of it to be honest. Hardly any veg and hardly enough food.

Also drink quite a bit 2/3 times a week and this will need to stop as well.

Student life is having it's affect. :p

Any recommendations on Cardio and what to do each day?
 
A2Z said:
http://www.muscletalk.co.uk/article-mass-gaining.aspx

is a good article to get a general look at how your diet should look

http://www.muscletalk.co.uk/m_1101455/mpage_1/key_/tm.htm#1101455

for more general stuff and ideas on a workout

actually just join the excellent site and have a look at the routine and diet forums, start a journal, and post any questions you got on there :)
Click to expand...

i was tempted to post that as well, but then i generally feel like doing that for all posts like this one :D
 
^ agreed, there's is physically no possibility of putting on muscle eating 1-2meals a day, unless ** metabolism is slower than a snails walking pace! 4-6meals a day would be a good start or if you can't stomach that (or cba to make it) then seek about getting a meal replacement powder (met-rx do a good one), this will mean that you will be looking at 3proper meals (i.e. a decent breakfast-large lunch-large dinner) and shakes in between these probably after 2hours of your meal!

as for the programme really i need to know how gym experienced you are? how many days you are looking to train? is it a fully equiped gym? do you do another form of cardio (i.e. sports?) or will cardio need to be integrated into the programme?
 
Steer clear of the meal replacement products and make your own shakes with your own ingredients. Protein powder, oats, EFA's etc. Cheaper and will not contain any of the rubbish these products will.
 
harris1986 said:
^ agreed, there's is physically no possibility of putting on muscle eating 1-2meals a day, unless your metabolism is slower than a snails walking pace! 4-6meals a day would be a good start or if you can't stomach that (or cba to make it) then seek about getting a meal replacement powder (met-rx do a good one), this will mean that you will be looking at 3proper meals (i.e. a decent breakfast-large lunch-large dinner) and shakes in between these probably after 2hours of your meal!

as for the programme really i need to know how gym experienced you are? how many days you are looking to train? is it a fully equiped gym? do you do another form of cardio (i.e. sports?) or will cardio need to be integrated into the programme?
Click to expand...

Right, I can be bothered to make the meals thank god but being at Uni will make it a little hard to eat 4-6 meals a day. I could easily manage breakfast though, a lunch to take to uni, something when I get back and again later in the evening so thats 4 plus 1-2 shakes and I'm all good on the diet I think.

Looked at GordyR's sticky for food recommendations and muscletalk as well which has been helpful, there is just to much information though!

I'm not experienced at all going to the gym, only been 3 times in the last 3 months since starting uni so a **** poor efort to be honest, it needs to get better to say the least. I'll be looking to do 4 days a week training and was thinking this will be Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. Don't do any sports outside of uni apart from maybe the odd kick about once a month, :o so cardio will indeed have to be integrated into the plan as I need to build lean muscle (Looks good and will make me feel better) and stamina and cardio endurance because of my plans for the OTC next year. :)

The gym I use (University Gym) for cardio has running machines, cycling machines, rowing machines and something that is similar to a cycling machine but your legs are more foward if you know what I mean? So four different machines in total.

For weight lifting it has free weights, bench press machine, and all the other standard ones which I can't quite explain, basically anything you see in the catologue. :p
 
//offtopic

harris1986 do you still have that hiper psu? have tried emailing you but get undelivered

//offtopic
 
A2Z said:
//offtopic

harris1986 do you still have that hiper psu? have tried emailing you but get undelivered

//offtopic
Click to expand...

yes a2z i replied to your email and heard nothing back!

back on topic though, urm what type of body style do you have at the minute? do you find it hard to put on weight as i do? are you broad shouldered?
 
Morba said:
whats your diet like at the moment?

weights, learn the main compound movements with good form. these are all you need for a good few months.

squats
deadlifts
chest press
shoulder press
chins / lat pull down

dont worry about bicep curls or situps, you wont need them for a while.
Click to expand...

Hi, i'm just looking some of these up on this page:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Weight_training_exercises

Is chest press just a bench press?

Also, why do deadlifts and squats? they seem pretty much the same to me?
 
davestar_delux said:
Also, why do deadlifts and squats? they seem pretty much the same to me?
Click to expand...

Deadlifts mainly target your back and arms, squats mainly target your legs.

How are they similair?
 
bolger said:
Deadlifts mainly target your back and arms, squats mainly target your legs.

How are they similair?
Click to expand...

hahaha no, deadlifts (depending on how the are performed SLDL's or BLDL's) mainly target your erector spinae, and your gluteal group and hamstrings, where as squats target your quads (specifically your sartirious) and gluteal group! in no way do deadlifts target your arms!
 
Sorry never paid enough attention. I just read it as squatting down then standing up for both exercises. I can see the differences when I think them through a bit more and now both of you have explained to me the muscle groups each exercise works.

I do have a further question though, are there any exercises I can do to replace the bench press when I am at home? I have dumb-bells but no bench or adequate bench replacement. I know I could do press-ups but I don't think that is enough.
 
harris1986 said:
hahaha no, deadlifts (depending on how the are performed SLDL's or BLDL's) mainly target your erector spinae, and your gluteal group and hamstrings, where as squats target your quads (specifically your sartirious)
Click to expand...

Nowhere in my post did i mention SLDL's, so as far as im concerned my post was accurate.

If you look at any routine, a proper one will contain deadlift on back day and squat on leg day, which leads me to presume what i did.

I didnt mention SLDL's and neither did the post i was replying to so why you took them into account is beyond me, as they are tottally different as far as im concerned.
 
harris1986 said:
yes a2z i replied to your email and heard nothing back!

back on topic though, urm what type of body style do you have at the minute? do you find it hard to put on weight as i do? are you broad shouldered?
Click to expand...

Body style I would say a skinny build with room to become average. I havn't tried to put weight on at the minute but do have a gut from drinking so I guess I can put it on. :p Wouldn't say I am broad shouldered really but not completely.
 
bolger said:
Nowhere in my post did i mention SLDL's, so as far as im concerned my post was accurate.

If you look at any routine, a proper one will contain deadlift on back day and squat on leg day, which leads me to presume what i did.

I didnt mention SLDL's and neither did the post i was replying to so why you took them into account is beyond me, as they are tottally different as far as im concerned.
Click to expand...

you said deadlifts target your arms if you check your post, and i would be interested in you telling me which particular muscles in your arms deadlifts target? i know they target your lower back hence me specifying the muscles they targeted (erector spinae), if you actually look at my post you will see that what i have written is 100% correct! if you were going to perform deadlifts on a back day you would perform whats called partial deadlifts this would specifically target your lower back or erector spinae! and incase you don't know SLDL's are Stiff Legged Deadlifts and BLDLS are Bent Leg Deadlifts, so in effect you did mention one of the two in your above post!
 
harris1986 said:
you said deadlifts target your arms if you check your post, and i would be interested in you telling me which particular muscles in your arms deadlifts target? i know they target your lower back hence me specifying the muscles they targeted (erector spinae), if you actually look at my post you will see that what i have written is 100% correct! if you were going to perform deadlifts on a back day you would perform whats called partial deadlifts this would specifically target your lower back or erector spinae! and incase you don't know SLDL's are Stiff Legged Deadlifts and BLDLS are Bent Leg Deadlifts, so in effect you did mention one of the two in your above post!
Click to expand...

The OP asked this :
davestar_delux said:
Also, why do deadlifts and squats? they seem pretty much the same to me?
Click to expand...

I was pointing out that a normal deadlift (not straight legged) works your back and a normal squat works your legs. Pointing out the fact that deadlifts and squats are not the same.

I wasn't getting into the logistics of SLDL'S or BLDL's, so i suggest you stop nit picking as i wasn't looking for an arguement in which muscles in your arms are worked by a deadlift, im not interested in going into that much detail as i dont feel it is nessecary.

As far as im concerned, the OP asked a general question and i gave an answer, and unless iv picked up something terribly wrong, a standard deadlift will work your back and a standard squat work your legs (obviously other muscle groups are hit, before you presume im saying this is the only muscle group each lift hits)

End of for me as far as im concerned, afraid your going to have to find someone else to argue with over picky things that imo are not relevant to a begginer seeking advice (the OP).
 
bolger said:
The OP asked this :


I was pointing out that a normal deadlift (not straight legged) works your back and a normal squat works your legs. Pointing out the fact that deadlifts and squats are not the same.

I wasn't getting into the logistics of SLDL'S or BLDL's, so i suggest you stop nit picking as i wasn't looking for an arguement in which muscles in your arms are worked by a deadlift, im not interested in going into that much detail as i dont feel it is nessecary.

As far as im concerned, the OP asked a general question and i gave an answer, and unless iv picked up something terribly wrong, a standard deadlift will work your back and a standard squat work your legs (obviously other muscle groups are hit, before you presume im saying this is the only muscle group each lift hits)

End of for me as far as im concerned, afraid your going to have to find someone else to argue with over picky things that imo are not relevant to a begginer seeking advice (the OP).
Click to expand...

i never have said that deadlifts of any variety don't work your lower back i know they, do i simply pointed out your mistake in saying they work your arms :confused: , as this may have confused the op and he may have put deadlifts into his arms day!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom