GordyR's Beginners Guide to Bodybuilding

PermaBanned said:
Rather than the diet, or the technique, or the schedule what i have trouble with is motivation. Anyone want to write a section of the guide on how not to be a lazy ****? :p
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Why have you posted here? Really think about it because the seeds of your reasoning will be part of your motivation.
From that you need to work out what you really want to achieve and why. Then you need to make some goals to reach your target.

Then, pretty much as icecold said, get the **** on with it.
 
I am wondering if anyone can point me in the direction of a good workout using just bodyweight as I do not have (nor can afford ATM) any weights. I am not looking to get huge but just to increase my strength and size a bit more.

A few searches found this - http://www.elitefts.com/documents/30days.htm

Not sure if its any good or if someone can point me in another direction. I understand I will need to shell out a few quid for a pull up bar which is fine but I cannot spend loads on any weights hence my reason for going the bodyweight direction.

Any help appreciated.
 
PermaBanned said:
Rather than the diet, or the technique, or the schedule what i have trouble with is motivation. Anyone want to write a section of the guide on how not to be a lazy ****? :p
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I have been in your position time and time again.

Now I look back and think about all the time I have wasted. I must have been on and off with the gym on at least 4 occasions.

This time I'm motivated like ****! I will do it, it's going to take time and it's a gradual process but I can't wait.

Gym tomorrow! :cool:

Richie said:
I am wondering if anyone can point me in the direction of a good workout using just bodyweight as I do not have (nor can afford ATM) any weights. I am not looking to get huge but just to increase my strength and size a bit more.

A few searches found this - http://www.elitefts.com/documents/30days.htm

Not sure if its any good or if someone can point me in another direction. I understand I will need to shell out a few quid for a pull up bar which is fine but I cannot spend loads on any weights hence my reason for going the bodyweight direction.

Any help appreciated.
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Chin ups, single-leg body squats, planks, burpees, hindu pushups.
 
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Morba said:
Why have you posted here?
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You wouldn't believe how long it took me to realize that that isn't a dig at me :p

Still, thanks for the advice. I've actually being doing something this past week... not much, but you've got to start somewhere. Just got to convince my brother when he comes over that he doesn't want to take his barbell back ;)

Oh, and i have to thank Gordy for the guide. Without it i probably wouldn't even have considered doing anything like this, i just wouldn't have a clue. It's also made me realize how wrong i was every other time i've tried to do something :D
 
just read the guide...nice guide,

but i need some pointers...like what to eat...since i havent been growing while doing weights for around 3-4months. whereas my friend has been getting huge lately.

im guessing its because of my diet. i don't eat much. but reading the guide, i now know that i have to eat like crazy...in order to grow.

but what kind of food?
well im chinese, its obvious i eat rice...also chicken too lately.
but is that enough?

chicken gets me protein, i also have been drinking protein shake. but i dont seem to grow =/

im stuck lifting around 30kg. whereas my friend can lift 40-50kg now. (and we started the same time).

can anyone help me? because i dont understand why im falling behind =/
 
Here is a question for you guys. I'm about to start a new job, foot on the ladder type deal in IT (my first proper 'with prospects' job!) which consists of 12 hour days, 8 till 8, 3-4 days/nights a week. An example work month would be:

Week 1 = Mon-Thurs days
Week 2 = Thurs-Sun nights
Week 3 = Fri-Sun days
Week 4 = Mon-Weds nights

I also have a commute of around 75-90mins door to door. (Good thing this won't be forever) and there aren't any gyms near where I work so I can't do it on my lunch break

Anyway, I'm stuck with how I'm going to work out around this. I exercise at home with bodyweight and kettlebells, although I'm looking to try and finally take this to a more serious level (great timing eh?). I will be looking to try and add a 6ft (space limitations) Oly bar for the major compound lifts, weights (2nd hand wherever I can pick them up) and something I've wanted for ages: the Ironmaster Super Bench and a few of the add-on pieces. bench without the worry of killing myself, although I'll still have to figure out a way of squatting and benching safely given a rack is entirely out of the question. More, heavier kettblebells too.

So ya. The most plausible thing I can think of therefore, in terms of executing, is to do a 3-4 day split on the consecutive days I have off and then just have my work days as days off. If I split things properly it shouldn't be a problem right? I wouldn't mind training on work days if the commute was shorter, but things being what they are I can't see how I could fit in a morning workout and get enough sleep in, and sleep is obviously a vital component of a successful regime! Cheers.
 
That certainly sounds like the best option given your work schedule. Alternatively, instead of a bodypart split you could alternate pull and push days; either way you'll achieve the same goal so it's just down to preference.

So definitely no room for a rack? How about something like this (without bench) or this (with bench)? Then you can bench and squat safely, and the only thing you're really missing from a power rack is somewhere to do pull ups but a door-way pull up bar can solve this.

Good luck with the new job by the way! It sounds incredibly tiring but no doubt it'll be worth it.
 
It's a case of earning your stripes so you can eventually move up into something more traditional, I guess, and I'm just grateful to get a job with decent prospects in these tough times, even if the initial year or two are going to be hard work.

Anyway, I live at home still, so yeah there's no chance of fitting a rack in unfortunately. I have thought about getting a friend to make a small frame though and buying the FreeSpotter device, which will allow safe execution of most barbell exercises bar something like a clean and jerk, and making a couple of small thick mat things for deadlifting. And yeah, I could either do push/pull/legs or a 3-4 day split. It's annoying because I'm pretty much a beginner and want to do something like Stronglifts to build a good base... but I'm sure I can still work something out. I watched this doc, I Want To Look Like That Guy and my friend is obsessed with that dead Zyzz guy, plus you're never too old to start, so... inspired!
 
Ah yeah I remember that documentary, it was a good watch. If there's definitely no room for a rack, some matting (thick horse matting can be bought for about £30), 100kg of weights and a 6ft bar (that'll probably do for the first 6 months, although I don't know what sort of stage you're at but you'll probably find yourself wanting around 150kg soon enough), and some catchers would be the next best thing if you have the room?

Seeing as you won't have a cage to squat in you're best off squatting up to what ever you can power clean and jerk so you know you can get it down again. What's more, when you get stronger you can just powerclean (should be able to do more without the jerk) and then front squat, which shifts more effort onto the quads. I suggest this only because you might find you can't get enough weight onto you back once your legs get stronger to make back squatting worthwhile. Then you can do stiff leg deadlifts to concentrate on your hamstrings so they don't become underdeveloped.

Then, with the possibility of a pullup bar if that's still an option, you should have the major bases covered. You'll be able to squat, deadlift, bench, shoulder press and do pull ups.
 
Okay, so it's about time I actually built some muscle, I have like no upper body strength, but strong-ish legs. I have a York bench, and some crap like 5 or 10kg dumbbells. What sort of weights should I be looking at considering I have little or no strength?

In fact, what do I need in general? I like the OPs split routine, and unless someone has a better one, I'll go with that.

I imagine I need a barbell and some bigger weights. I've read about power cages as I won't be having anyone to spot me while I'm at home, and the thought of being crushed isn't too appealing. Going to the gym is a little difficult with my work schedule, but I can do stuff at home (although it'll be in a living room, carpet as we don't have a basement or anything) and frankly, I'll probably end up going to the Gym and sitting on the cycle machines every day afraid of going near all the roiders.

Also, in the OP, there's no cardio other than when cutting - would it be wrong to add some High Intensity cardio perhaps on a rest day, maybe on the Sunday? I could really do with some cardio, I can feel it when I start walking. ¬_¬

To put it in perspective, I'm about 5'10" and around 12st.

Many thanks. :x
 
What sort of weights? Ones that are challenging for the rep range you're exercising with. E.g. with a good beginner program like Stronglifts 5x5 you start off with an empty barbell (7ft one is about 20kg), then every workout add 2.5kg until you hit a wall after so many weeks, if I recall correctly. The idea with getting bigger/stronger is that you don't rest on your laurels and always push yourself, and if you're completing all your reps easily then you're not lifting enough.

Don't worry about people at the gym, if anything you should ask someone who knows what he's doing to help you check your form, especially for things like deadlifts.

HIIT is draining, depending on the protocol you're using anyway, and rest days should be rest days (grow/recover). Do some short but intense cardio in the morning for 15mins or something, your weights stuff in the afternoon. I'm not a fan of wasting 30-60mins doing moderate cardio. It's boring and while most people do it for the calorie burning, a good weights session burns more overall anyway.
 
Somnambulist said:
What sort of weights? Ones that are challenging for the rep range you're exercising with. E.g. with a good beginner program like Stronglifts 5x5 you start off with an empty barbell (7ft one is about 20kg), then every workout add 2.5kg until you hit a wall after so many weeks, if I recall correctly. The idea with getting bigger/stronger is that you don't rest on your laurels and always push yourself, and if you're completing all your reps easily then you're not lifting enough.

Don't worry about people at the gym, if anything you should ask someone who knows what he's doing to help you check your form, especially for things like deadlifts.

HIIT is draining, depending on the protocol you're using anyway, and rest days should be rest days (grow/recover). Do some short but intense cardio in the morning for 15mins or something, your weights stuff in the afternoon. I'm not a fan of wasting 30-60mins doing moderate cardio. It's boring and while most people do it for the calorie burning, a good weights session burns more overall anyway.
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I'm assuming you mean this:

http://stronglifts.com/stronglifts-5x5-beginner-strength-training-program/

Which seems like it's trying to sell me something like an ebook promising me several penis inches, money, and a six-pack. And is it really just those two small workouts? :/

The only reason I say the HIIT, as I notice I get out of breath quite a lot, specifically when I run, or jog. I can walk for hours on end, and I do at work (which is why I lost about a stone in weight since I started working) but it's not really getting my heart working. That and obviously it means I won't be resting quite as much because I'll be on the go, and doing physical, albeit light/medium, labour.
 
Stronglifts 5x5 is generally recognised as one of the best beginner routines, just look around this forum, a lot of people have used it, ignore the advertising. The workouts are designed around the major compound lifts because as a beginner that's what will get you off to the best start, it doesn't throw loads of different exercises at you so you learn how to do the ones they do give you with good form better, people on it often make quick progress in terms of weight lifted and physical changes (although it's not an overnight thing obviously). After you've completed the program you can think about moving onto a routine that's split up a bit more. The '5x5' doesn't include warm-up sets and things like that either, so it's not like you'll complete the workout in 10mins. As a newbie, why do 25 different isolation exercises when you can do 5 compound ones?

There's nothing wrong with HIIT, I was just stressing the importance of rest days, because rest is important for recovery/growth and HIIT with things like hill sprints will kill your legs, which you don't want to be doing the day after you've done a load of heavy squats. As said, I'd do something like a bodyweight conditioning circuit in the morning (burpees, mountain climbers, and that kind of thing) before breakfast which will get your heart going and build up a good sweat, and shouldn't take more than 15mins. You can then do your main workout later on. I think Stronglifts suggests doing your cardio after your workouts a couple of times a week, but it depends on how you feel.

If you want to just go for a fasted AM jog there's nothing wrong with that either, although I wouldn't spend more than 30mins doing it and I'd learn how to run with good form too. If you get out of breath quickly, just follow something like the Runner's World Beginner's Guide to jogging, where you alternate jogging with rest periods, each week building up more jogging and less rest until you can run for 30mins without pausing.

I'm not a fan of long jogs myself because in real life it's ultra-rare that I need to run for that long (it's more likely I'll need to sprint for the bus), so I tend to do circuits or sprints.
 
Jumping onto the 5x5 stronglifts conversation....
I want lean muscle for sports (downhill mountain biking, lots of it). 5x5 looks like it's just a lifting routine that's just designed to make you lift more, is it going to be enough for everything else or should I be supplementing it with isolation exercises? And if so, what?

I might switch to it as my routine is all over the place at the moment :p
 
Think about what you just said.

"I want lean muscle for sports"

What does that mean? Is mountain biking a sport where it's advantageous to show off big muscles? Nope.

For any sport, you use the gym to get stronger so you'll also be stronger doing your sport. Isolation movements don't build strength, but a good strength program like SL 5x5 will.
 
icecold said:
Think about what you just said.

"I want lean muscle for sports"

What does that mean? Is mountain biking a sport where it's advantageous to show off big muscles? Nope.

For any sport, you use the gym to get stronger so you'll also be stronger doing your sport. Isolation movements don't build strength, but a good strength program like SL 5x5 will.
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Sorry, I wasn't very clear. What I meant was, does SL give good gains over all the muscle groups, or does it just focus on just the muscle groups required to lift big weights? For example, I need strong(er) calves, should I be supplementing stronglifts with the calf press machine? Are there any areas that stronglifts don't hit?

I think you just answered me though :p
 
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