# Looking to start working out



## CoachZ (Jun 6, 2010)

Hey peeps,
So I'm considering to start working out and I'm not the most knowledgeable person around for this stuff. I'm 6'0 and around 150lbs, I'm not looking to tack on immense size. I'm looking for more of the health benefits, getting stronger and building lean muscle rather than bulk. In terms of diet, I do decently but do have complications from being a Celiac (with carbs and all). Can anybody help a brother out and point me in a direction to start?

Thanks


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## M3CHK1LLA (Jun 6, 2010)

well good for you! im 5' 12" and weigh a bit more then you (all muscle im sure) and i just dropped my mountain bike off to have it serviced. havent rode that thing in like 4-5 years. lookin to drop some poundage & get into shape too.

im gonna be watchin this thread for all the pointers you healthy people have. hey, maybe this could be our personal trainer thread where we check in once a week to report or progress? or maybe not!


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## -K4G- (Jun 6, 2010)

Check out Stronglifts 5x5. Great for building overall strength.


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## -K4G- (Jun 6, 2010)

Build Muscle & Lose Fat Through Strength Training | StrongLifts.com


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## Stealthdjentstic (Jun 6, 2010)

I would advise against using a 5x5 to lean out. While you'll put on a very good amount of strength while doing it, its not something I would do when I'm not bulking/eating well over maintenance. Especially seeing as you're looking to tone out...go with a higher rep routine, throw some high intensity cardio in like sprints and/or swimming. The later is really great because you will lean right the fuck out without looking all girly.


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## Tiger (Jun 6, 2010)

^ Im living proof that your advice isnt particularly sound. 

I do low reps (5x5) with weight, and a lot of cardio. I'm very lean/strong.


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## Jason (Jun 8, 2010)

Stealthtastic said:


> I would advise against using a 5x5 to lean out. While you'll put on a very good amount of strength while doing it, its not something I would do when I'm not bulking/eating well over maintenance. Especially seeing as you're looking to tone out...go with a higher rep routine, throw some high intensity cardio in like sprints and/or swimming. The later is really great because you will lean right the fuck out without looking all girly.





Tiger said:


> ^ Im living proof that your advice isnt particularly sound.
> 
> I do low reps (5x5) with weight, and a lot of cardio. I'm very lean/strong.



I dont buy into the whole high weight low reps/high reps low weight stuff. Stress on the muscle is stress on the muscle.

Muscle does 3 things. Grow,shrink or stay the same. You cant cut it or shred it or "bulk" it.

Sure if you do higher reps you may bump your heart rate up and give you more of a cardio effect and burn more calories but thats about it. IMO


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## Harry (Jun 8, 2010)

I started doing weights not that long ago, only less than 2 months ago, and I've since gained about 5-6 kilograms (that also includes a period of time where I was too sick to do any weights or even eat well, so that was a bit of a set back). I tend to go for a target of 9 reps no matter what I do, be it squats, deadlifts, bench press etc etc.
Obviously that's not what you're looking to do, but the point is goals are very much achievable.
There's a lot that's just to do with the mind really.
Being focused is one part of it, and also just training intelligently and doing your research is a massive part of it too.
I've had friends that have done weights for years and made practically shit all gains, whereas as I said before, I gained about 5-6 kilos in about 2 months and I attribute that mostly to just doing the right research on how to do stuff correctly.

You're only a tiny bit shorter than me (an inch shorter) and before I was doing weights I was 152 pounds (about 69 kilograms), so we were pretty similar in size and body frame.
Set to work on researching diet.
You might feel you eat decently already, but unless you've really gotten in and properly researched it, chances are there is room for improvement


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## Stealthdjentstic (Jun 9, 2010)

Tiger said:


> ^ Im living proof that your advice isnt particularly sound.
> 
> I do low reps (5x5) with weight, and *a lot of cardio*. I'm very lean/strong.


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## TruthDose (Jun 9, 2010)

If you're trying to stay fit, go with low weight and more reps. If you want mass, do it vice versa.


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## Harry (Jun 9, 2010)

TruthDose said:


> If you're trying to stay fit, go with low weight and more reps. If you want mass, do it vice versa.



Not necessarily the truth for mass.
Low reps (1-5) on average tend to build strength and power.
6-8 is more strength and some degree of hypertrophy.
9-12 is more centered around hypertrophy (what we see as visible muscle mass) and some degree of strength.
Anything more than that is pretty much endurance based stuff. You'll get some mass of course though, just not heaps of it.

In the normal real world (the 1st world), strength is the most useful anyway because of our (the 1st world's) society's tendency to lift heavy things.
Endurance training is great for competitive sports (and I'd imagine of course it's useful in the armed forces), but I don't imagine you realistically need to run a marathon in real life outside of a competition.
But when time comes to lift up some heavy shit, big boxes, or the usual stuff you come across in everyday life, someone who's trained for strength is gonna win out.
I'm training for mass, cos well...........it just looks good  It's not as useful as either endurance or strength, but when you've been a skinny guy like me your whole life, it never helped my confidence and self esteem being quite skinny and I just want to change that.
I used to get some bad back pain now and then, but ever since improving my posture, as well as doing deadlifts and squats, I never have any issues with my back anymore


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## jymellis (Jun 9, 2010)

talk to tiger, that dude is pretty fuckin ripped


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## Tiger (Jun 9, 2010)

Stealthtastic said:


>



Well Im saying that its not really applicable to say that higher reps is the way to go, and cardio is more than just sprinting. I endure every meathead at the gym saying that more than 15 minutes on a stairmaster is going to make me weaker, and thats just silly.

When I do weight, I do low reps of heavy. Cause its fun. But I also run 40-50 miles a week, swim every other day up to 2 miles, and bike a lot. But Im still strong as fuck...honestly, I think the way you look and your body composition is almost 1000000% your diet.

Theres a guy on the boat crew who is built like a boulder...short, round on every part of his body, has a lot of fat. Fucker runs a 8:50 or less 1.5 mile and swims a sub 8 500yd with combat side stroke. He almost beats me on PT numbers also...Im WAY leaner and cut than that guy but he blazes me on the cardio stuff. He just eats a lot and keeps his body fat high because he doesnt give a shit. He obviously does a shit ton of cardio every week, but he looks like porky pig. Doesnt matter, his results are the same.

My advice to OP is the same I always give, every few hours have a handful of lean protein and a handful of complex carbohydrate. Workout regularly, dont over do it, rest, and do your best to prevent injury. Whatever vision you have for yourself, make it reasonable, and give yourself at least 6 months to attain that goal.


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## Chickenhawk (Jun 9, 2010)

But seriously.

I've got a couple buddies doing Crossfit to help them lean out a bit (both are pretty HUGE fucking dudes). Seems to be working.


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## Triple-J (Jun 9, 2010)

When you start working out you'll get all kinds of conflicting advice on how to do things because everyone trains and eats differently and everyone thinks they are right so it's best to take it all with a pinch of salt and just try to find your own way and take it from there but if I can give you any advice it's this. 

1) Remember that if you can't lift something then don't be ashamed to go lighter and that it doesn't matter if someone else in the gym can lift more than you cause everyone's different plus some people just take to certain lifts easier than others. 

2) Try to maintain good form on your lifts cause gyms all over the world are packed full of people who swing the weights around like idiots then wonder why their workouts are having no effect and why they are injured.

Also when it comes to being a coeliac you may want to look at this diet plan you don't have to be religious about it but it should be able to provide you with a good foundation to work off Meal Plan for a Coeliac Bodybuilder


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## Stealthdjentstic (Jun 9, 2010)

Tiger said:


> Well Im saying that its not really applicable to say that higher reps is the way to go, and cardio is more than just sprinting. I endure every meathead at the gym saying that more than 15 minutes on a stairmaster is going to make me weaker, and thats just silly.
> 
> When I do weight, I do low reps of heavy. Cause its fun. But I also run 40-50 miles a week, swim every other day up to 2 miles, and bike a lot. But Im still strong as fuck...honestly, I think the way you look and your body composition is almost 1000000% your diet.
> 
> ...



Oh no, I totally agree with everything you said, I just also agree with high reps having an effect similar to that of cardio. A guy at my gym does no cardio and is ripped to pieces because he stays on an extremely high rep routine, although he's only 165-170lbs, he's at 8%. Which is pretty amazing despite no cardio


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## Tiger (Jun 9, 2010)

Its his diet, man. 'High reps' cardio workout is going to be next to nothing...I can do PT all day and its not going to put a big dent in calories lost or stress my heart, you'll breath hard for a little bit but your heart goes down to normal.

Ive worn my suunto gear during a couple weight sessions. The highest my heart rate got was 140bpm, that was during squats and it goes back down in between sets. Thats nothing.


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## Stealthdjentstic (Jun 10, 2010)

Oh yeah for sure, he's in keto atm so


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## CoachZ (Jun 17, 2010)

I've been sidetracked and forgot about this thread. Good job on my part, so I've decided to hold off for a bit because I've looked at my school schedule, and I have some fairly large breaks and am going to get a gym membership there since it's cheap and immensely convenient. I'm toying with the idea to get a trainer as well to get the ball rolling.


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## matty2fatty (Jun 17, 2010)

infinitycomplex said:


> But seriously.
> 
> I've got a couple buddies doing Crossfit to help them lean out a bit (both are pretty HUGE fucking dudes). Seems to be working.





wow, holy picnicface ripoff (they're the guys who did powerthirst)


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## Tiger (Jun 17, 2010)

CoachZ said:


> I've decided to hold off for a bit



This is how people stay out of shape.


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## matty2fatty (Jun 17, 2010)

Tiger said:


> This is how people stay out of shape.



Exactly, and this is what kills me. I'll go 4 months exercising a lot (not like Tiger a lot, but normal people a lot, haha) and eating properly to the point where I'm getting my body to where I want it. Then I start drinking all the time, eating whoppers for breakfast to fix the hangover, and smoking my brains out, telling myself that I'll put off going back to the gym till next week....then next week turns into a month or two and I'm back to square one. I end up never really being out of shape, but never in shape either


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## BabUShka (Aug 6, 2010)

Jason said:


> I dont buy into the whole high weight low reps/high reps low weight stuff. Stress on the muscle is stress on the muscle.
> 
> Muscle does 3 things. Grow,shrink or stay the same. You cant cut it or shred it or "bulk" it.
> 
> Sure if you do higher reps you may bump your heart rate up and give you more of a cardio effect and burn more calories but thats about it. IMO



I'm really sorry to say that, but you are completely wrong about like.. everything. 

1. Low reps = getting stronger, activating the 1.st muscle fibers and still building muscles, but yet not that extreme.. But you get progress over time. 

2. High reps = lift lighter weights, build more muscles because you activate 2.nd type of muscular fibers. Gives a "pang" start, but doesn't work that well over time. 

3. Low reps and heavy weights = more stress on your muscles and nerve system. which helps gaining strength and burn calories. 

4. Muscles do grow, shrink and stay the same.. the more wight you can lift 10 times, the more muscles you will build. To lift more you'll need to show progress over time. 

5. Actually.. Low reps burns more fat and calories than high reps, unless your training with extreme high reps intervals. Low reps burns more because you lift heavier = needed more calories for each lift and it stresses your body even more than high reps. 



So IMO.. You are actually 100% wrong mate. 
That's why 5x5 Stronglifts is the perfect program to
1. Get stronger
2. Build muscles
3. Burn fat
It's the perfect combination in between the low and high reps. And it's based on basic muscles which include several muscles in each lift = you can lift heavier and burn more caloreis without doing 10 different exercises for each workout. 

I've tried the 5x5 ST and can 100% recommend that training program.


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## Konfyouzd (Aug 6, 2010)

M3CHK1LLA said:


> well good for you! im 5' 12" and weigh a bit more then you (all muscle im sure) and i just dropped my mountain bike off to have it serviced. havent rode that thing in like 4-5 years. lookin to drop some poundage & get into shape too.
> 
> im gonna be watchin this thread for all the pointers you healthy people have. hey, maybe this could be our personal trainer thread where we check in once a week to report or progress? or maybe not!


 
WHAT THE FUCK is 5' 12"...?

Are you on drugs?

12" = 1 foot. 5 + 1 = 6'


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## MacTown09 (Aug 7, 2010)

Hey man dont let things hold you off! Seriously just getting in there and doing ANYTHING is gonna be better for you than doing nothing at this point. For me i started weight lifting last year. Before that i had done track and cross country for around 7 years. I ran a sub 2 minute 800, my 1.5 mile was sub 7:50 in 8th grade, and my mile was under 4:40 (my worst event). Thats when i was about 6 ft 3 and weighed about 150-155. Now after only a year of lifting i am up to about 185. No fat either. I keep my cardio up still and i am sure im not as fast as i was before or anything but thats only because i dont do running workouts anymore. I am sure i could get a real good mile time again given about 2 or 3 weeks of training. Get out there and run though man! Do some running! Do some machine weights! Anything is gonna help.

Peace.


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## matt397 (Aug 7, 2010)

Konfyouzd said:


> WHAT THE FUCK is 5' 12"...?
> 
> Are you on drugs?
> 
> 12" = 1 foot. 5 + 1 = 6'





When I have time to go to the gym which is usually after a layoff (I climb and lift steel for 10 -16 hours a day when Im on the job, I dont want to hear anyone tell me I could "make time" for it ) my program usually looks like this;
1/2 hour - 45 mins of cardio (treadmill or elliptical)
1 hour of weights. (Monday chest, abs. Tues biceps, back. Wedn triceps, shoulders. Thurs Legs, abs. Friday is kind of a touch up day, maybe do some chest cause its my favourite muscle group to work out.)
20 mins Sauna, crank that fukker up an sweat out all the crap. Might not be for everyone but I look forward to the sauna, its like a treat at the end of a good workout. 
Also I dont know if anybody else does the same but I usually drink a shaker cup of some kind of nitric oxide drink about 10 mins before I start.


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## CoachZ (Sep 11, 2010)

Bump:
For those who were curious - I joined my local university's gym and on Monday, I'm gonna go in and book an appointment with a trainer to get started.


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## matt397 (Sep 11, 2010)

CoachZ said:


> Bump:
> For those who were curious - I joined my local university's gym and on Monday, I'm gonna go in and book an appointment with a trainer to get started.



Good for you dude. If you stick to it a trainer can do wonders for you, I think a lot of people just need someone to push them. I knew a guy that spent a year in the gym an maybe lost 10 lbs over that year (the guy was 5'5 an 200 lbs of fat). Instead of giving up he got a trainer. Last time I saw him he was down to 150 an muscular. 

Keep at it mang ! Best of luck to you !


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## CoachZ (Sep 12, 2010)

matt397 said:


> Good for you dude. If you stick to it a trainer can do wonders for you, I think a lot of people just need someone to push them. I knew a guy that spent a year in the gym an maybe lost 10 lbs over that year (the guy was 5'5 an 200 lbs of fat). Instead of giving up he got a trainer. Last time I saw him he was down to 150 an muscular.
> 
> Keep at it mang ! Best of luck to you !



Thanks, dude. I'm definitely one of those who need the push and I think the added stress relief perks will help with my studies. I'm pretty stressed after one week in.


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## Sang-Drax (Sep 16, 2010)

I'll second the 5x5 Stronglifts program. It's the only thing I've done regarding workout which has ever worked for me. Plus, it's less time-consuming than the usual high rep routine, and funnier as well.


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## leandroab (Sep 16, 2010)

Why not look for a gym? I did. They set up my exercises according to my build, did a full physical evaluation, gave tips about floor exercises, correct postures, etc.

I hated it for the first month. But then I got used to it and just kept doing it everyday. When you start seeing the results, it encourages you to keep going.


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## CoachZ (Sep 21, 2010)

leandroab said:


> Why not look for a gym? I did. They set up my exercises according to my build, did a full physical evaluation, gave tips about floor exercises, correct postures, etc.
> 
> I hated it for the first month. But then I got used to it and just kept doing it everyday. When you start seeing the results, it encourages you to keep going.



Hey there. I've joined my university's local gym. Since the membership is hugely subsidized because of fees. $60 for the semester. Also, I'm getting a trainer there now that I have money to burn on that. The trainer rate goes for $25 an hour and they have packages of 5 segments for $120 which I'm thinking of getting. My question is just how often I should see a trainer because it's really easy to burn all that money away but the push is useful.


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