So i went to a gym for the 1st time...

SideWinder · 3 Jul 2017 at 21:01

...and although it was a bit scary

o), i enjoyed it and felt good after. I also ache so thats good!

Got a good deal through work with the 'Better' gyms and it seems one around a 10min walk away is a huge sports centre with loads in it.

Anyways, had an hour long induction and tried out all the machines with the view to build strength and go to free weights once i can actually lift/press/whatever more than 20kg.

So diet comes hand in hand with that, so it's all changing. Going for the 2nd time tomorrow (solo) so will see how it goes but the guy i saw offered to write a routine for me.

I'm quite a slim guy (5"8, 10st, 31W waist) so the aim is to remove the beer belly and get a bit of definition on the chest and arms.

Few questions...

- Protein shake after the workout is obvious but how about in the mornings? Currently i skip breakfast so obviously this needs to change. If so, what would you recommend?

- Aiming for 3 times a week...best to do full body or switch things around a bit?

- I also have access to a pool. The guy recommended i swim after a workout for a bit as swimming helps the muscles you can't always work during a stretch/workout so it relaxes them...or something like that! Best to swim on 'rest' days or after?

Any other tips/advice welcome. Hardest bit will be going tomorrow i think...!

mrthingyx · 3 Jul 2017 at 21:39

Don't skip leg day, and eat everything you see.

Ayahuasca · 3 Jul 2017 at 21:51

If you're planning on having 2 shakes a day just be aware of how many calories you may be consuming, depending on the powder, measurement and other stuff you put in you can be seeing up to 1000 calories from some shakes. You really won't need that much protein, a gram per kg of bodyweight daily is enough at this level.

Full body might work initially but 3 times a week once the weights get heavier may be too much and not leave enough recovery time, I'd look to split it into muscle groups and the instructor should be able to help you with that in the routine offered.

Swimming afterwards is fine just don't go hard, nice and relaxed style and try and get full range of motion to loosen up.

SideWinder · 3 Jul 2017 at 21:53

mrthingyx said:
Don't skip leg day, and eat everything you see.

I like working my legs so thats all good!

Ayah - As in, if i consume too much you mean? Makes sense about the full body work out...will certainly ask maybe after a couple of weeks then.

Ayahuasca · 3 Jul 2017 at 21:57

Yes, 2 shakes a day on top of meals may not leave much of a caloric deficit to lose the weight, it entirely depends on how much and what you're eating though so it's best to try and track it, keep it simple at first and just measure calories and not macros.

SideWinder · 3 Jul 2017 at 21:58

Ayahuasca said:
Yes, 2 shakes a day on top of meals may not leave much of a caloric deficit to lose the weight, it entirely depends on how much and what you're eating though so it's best to try and track it, keep it simple at first and just measure calories and not macros.

For after workout shake, i just grabbed one from a corner shop (milk protein chocolate thing with 35g) - are these alright or def invest in the proper stuff also?

Ayahuasca · 3 Jul 2017 at 22:08

Protein is protein but buying individually is going to be more costly than buying a big bag from myprotein or wherever and making your own.

SideWinder · 3 Jul 2017 at 22:14

Ayahuasca said:
Protein is protein but buying individually is going to be more costly than buying a big bag from myprotein or wherever and making your own.

Okay cool.

Should i look for a shake with high or low carbs...?

TallPaul_S · 3 Jul 2017 at 22:35

Look up Stronglifts 5x5. Don't worry about the beer belly at the moment if you're as skinny as I think you are. How old are you?

I was just over 12 stone at 6ft 3, and mid 30's - I put on a stone doing stronglifts and it gave me a decent basic strength to move onto other routinces. It's a good job you like working legs as it'll have you squatting 2 out of every 3 sessions

I went overboard on the bulk after than and put on some flab so I've cut back down to 12st 6lbs, and I'm now bulking again, having kept the muscle I put on.

This is all bearing in mind you'll need a squat rack and some olympic barbells to do the 5x5 programme, your gym may not have them.

If you want a nice high calorie shake look no further than instant oats from myprotein with their impact whey protein. Chocolate smooth is good

2x heaped scoops of oats and 2 level scoops of impact whey is *checks myfitness pal* 588 calories with 46g of protein and 74g of carbs.

On that note, get myfitnesspal and track everything you eat. And work out if you want to gain some muscle or lose fat, you can't do both. Personally I'd get some muscle first, you'll have to cut anyway evetually so there's no point in doing that first.

SideWinder · 4 Jul 2017 at 11:19

TallPaul_S said:
Look up Stronglifts 5x5. Don't worry about the beer belly at the moment if you're as skinny as I think you are. How old are you?

I was just over 12 stone at 6ft 3, and mid 30's - I put on a stone doing stronglifts and it gave me a decent basic strength to move onto other routinces. It's a good job you like working legs as it'll have you squatting 2 out of every 3 sessions

I went overboard on the bulk after than and put on some flab so I've cut back down to 12st 6lbs, and I'm now bulking again, having kept the muscle I put on.

This is all bearing in mind you'll need a squat rack and some olympic barbells to do the 5x5 programme, your gym may not have them.

If you want a nice high calorie shake look no further than instant oats from myprotein with their impact whey protein. Chocolate smooth is good 2x heaped scoops of oats and 2 level scoops of impact whey is *checks myfitness pal* 588 calories with 46g of protein and 74g of carbs.

On that note, get myfitnesspal and track everything you eat. And work out if you want to gain some muscle or lose fat, you can't do both. Personally I'd get some muscle first, you'll have to cut anyway evetually so there's no point in doing that first.

Cool will do.

Beer belly IS there.

I am 29.

I believe there is a squat rack - a guy from Strongest's Man (former World Champ) uses it so think it's pretty good!

So i buy the instant oats seperately and add to it with the whey? And add with water? Milk?

Definitely would be gain muscle first.

Thanks by the way - diet starting to change...lots of chicken, eggs but need to up the veg really.

dirtychinchilla · 4 Jul 2017 at 13:31

I strongly recommend Stronglifts too - not necessarily because of the results it gives you, but because as a beginner (I'm one too, more or less) it gives you a routine that you can stick to. Tracking your progress through the app as well makes the whole thing work very well. As TallPaul_S said, it'll get you to a point very quickly where you feel you can branch out and do other exercises with confidence.

I don't know what people recommend generally, but I've been using myfitnesspal just to have the recommended number of calories for maintaining weight as I don't think that it really accounts for increasing weight due to weighlifting - just increasing weight due to being too thin.

I'm really not sure that the time of day that you have your protein shake matters, by the way. I believe it matters that you eat relatively often because it prevents your insulin levels from dropping and your metabolism from slowing, but a protein shake isn't necessarily a meal.

Good luck! I'm enjoying it so I hope you will too.

TallPaul_S · 4 Jul 2017 at 13:33

Yeah buy plain instant oats, they're nice and cheap, £6 for 5kg at the moment. chuck that in with the protein powder which gives it the flavour too, then I mix that with water as it's thick enough, you can mix with milk and some people put egg whites in too, or other bits. Shake to mix and go. Nice easy way of consuming 600kcals.

chroniclard · 4 Jul 2017 at 13:34

Protein shakes already, you just started? Totally pointless.

dirtychinchilla · 4 Jul 2017 at 13:41

chroniclard said:
Protein shakes already, you just started? Totally pointless.

Helps you get those immediate gainz though, bro.

Honestly, I see it as an easy way to make up the calories that I didn't get from food on that day.

XeNoN89 · 4 Jul 2017 at 13:45

SideWinder said:
.

- Protein shake after the workout is obvious but how about in the mornings? Currently i skip breakfast so obviously this needs to change. If so, what would you recommend?

I have a shake for breakfast weekdays.

Milk
2 scoops protein
2 scoops oats
1 tabelspoon peanut butter
1 banana

blend it up the night before and wake up and down it in the morning. Sorted!

neviditelny · 4 Jul 2017 at 18:25

Reading up a bit about the stronglifts 5x5 it looks pretty good. How would it go to do them with kettle bells/dumbbells? I live quite a bit away from the nearest gym but got a few kettle bells and dumbbells here at home that I could use for it.

TallPaul_S · 4 Jul 2017 at 21:33

Just do stronglifts, it'll start off easy but it soon gets tough! The great thing is you'll be able to see proper visual progression, on the squats i stalled on around 55kg the first time (when you fail to do 5x5 at a certain weight for 3x days you deload by 10%) but by the time I went onto something different I was squatting 85kg 3x5 (squatting 5x5 3 times a week where very single rep is a massive effort takes it's toll, so i dropper to 3x5).

As to protein shakes, they're just easy calories and extra protein that you need to build muscle. Without this it's hard to get all the protein you need in during the day if you work 8 hours a day and then spend 2 hours of an evening at the gym...

chroniclard · 4 Jul 2017 at 21:52

Someone trying to lose a belly doesn't need extra calories.

SideWinder · 4 Jul 2017 at 22:05

chroniclard said:
Someone trying to lose a belly doesn't need extra calories.

2nd time tonight...feel a bit more confident. Think i love the leg press...managed 60kg! :eek:

Chest press was 25kg though for a start...and pectoral machine 15kg...

So will go again in 2 days and see...

dirtychinchilla · 4 Jul 2017 at 23:20

TallPaul_S said:
you work 8 hours a day and then spend 2 hours of an evening at the gym...

Two hours!! Even stronglifts doesn’t recommend that. For stronglifts you should be in the gym for 45 mins to 1 hr.

chroniclard said:
Someone trying to lose a belly doesn't need extra calories.

That’s not true. If you’re trying to get stronger at the same time then you do. Your body won’t grow without it and you need to manage insulin levels to keep your metabolism going correctly.

SideWinder said:
2nd time tonight...feel a bit more confident. Think i love the leg press...managed 60kg!

Chest press was 25kg though for a start...and pectoral machine 15kg...

So will go again in 2 days and see...

Good luck, man. You’ll be able to at least double that leg press very quickly. Get on a program, though!