# Tips for a beginner



## ghost_of_karelia (Jun 30, 2014)

The fact that I'm taking to a guitar forum to ask about weightlifting says a lot about how much I love you guys and how ....in awesome this site is. 

Basic stuff, really want to get into going to the gym etc. but I want to do it right. I want to bulk up (I'm a slim-ass mofo) and generally get stronger and improve my state of being. So, SS.org, WAT DO.

I've read some cool threads on this subforum, like the one about calculating basal metabolic rate and all that jazz and the supplement thread, but I'm in a bit of a pickle. I have a tub of protein powder that tastes like strawberry wall plaster that I occasionally wolf down, but I can't actually seem to eat enough in a day to reach the calorie count I need. It's really tough for me, and I don't have a large enough variety of foods I can dip into to make a meal that gives me what I need.

I have a bench thingie in my room, a couple of bars and a shit ton of weights but I'm not sure what exercises are good to do/start off with/whatever for the different muscle groups, and I'm having trouble getting a routine together through the week.

I'm great with self discipline and motivation once I get going, but I need to start this bitch off. So, you bunch of Gregor Cleganes, what advice can you give for someone starting out


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## MikeH (Jul 1, 2014)

Welp, let me let you in on a little tip that helped me put on 25 lbs. in the past 6 months.

EAT A GOD DAMN METRIC SHITLOAD OF FOOD EVERY DAY.

Force feeding is difficult, and you'll feel really inclined to not eat as much as you should be. But treat eating like a chore. Instead of 3 meals a day, start off with 4. Eventually you can work your way up to 5. Some guys eat up to 8 smaller meals in a day, but that takes too much time for me. I like to sit down and have 4 big meals, sometimes 5 if I'm in the mood to cook enough. It's something that most people take for granted when starting off. Count calories, carbs, fats, and protein every single day. Being a really small guy (which I was), you don't have to worry much about eating super clean, provided you hit your macros (carbs, protein, fats). If you want to focus on doing a lean bulk, go for it. It's healthier, but progress will be much slower in terms of size. I was clean eating for a while, and while I don't eat like a dickhead now, I allow myself to eat whatever I want, within reason. If you have the ability, download a calorie tracker on your phone. Eat like you normally would on an average day and track what your caloric intake is. After figuring that out, add 500 calories to your diet and try to hit that every day. And once you see some results, add another 500 calories. As far as protein goes, the typical rule of thumb is to take in 1-1.5g per lb. of bodyweight. So, if you're currently 130 lbs., you should be eating between 130 and 195g of protein per day. Another general formula for macros is 1 part fats, 2 parts protein, 3 parts carbs. So, if you're eating 150g of protein a day, you should be eating 75g of fats and 225g carbs. The staple bodybuilder meal is chicken and brown rice. Good source of lean protein, carbs, and unsaturated fats. Another good carb source is sweet potatoes. A good source of unsaturated fats is avocado. There are plenty of alterations to meals. For instance, if you're trying to stay somewhat clean, a normal day might look like this.

Breakfast:
4 eggs
1/2 cup oatmeal
Orange juice

Lunch:
Brown rice
Chicken
Steamed broccoli

Snack:
Can of tuna
1/2 baked sweet potato
Protein shake (w/ whole milk)

Dinner:
Grilled steak
1 sweet potato
Steamed veggies

This is very loose and I'm not even sure of what the macros would look like, but that's a decent estimate of what a generally clean day could look like. I tend to avoid red meat most of the time, but it's one of the only sources outside of a Vitamin B complex that a person can actually receive Vitamin B12. So, to sum it up, track your macros meticulously and make sure you're hitting them every single day

Now comes the training. Considering you said "bench thingy", I assume you aren't too well-versed with the weight room.  But not to worry. Starting off, everything should be simple movements, with a good portion being devoted to bodyweight exercises. A good base split to start off with would be the typical bro split. Monday is chest/triceps, Wednesday is legs/core, Friday is back/biceps. Most bodybuilders will do 4-6 days in the gym, but starting off, 3 is adequate and will get you comfortable with exercising without putting too much surprise stress and exhaustion on your body. A good database for exercise explanations is BodyBuilding.com. So, if you see something on here that you aren't familiar with, be sure to read up there. This is how I would start off in your situation.

Monday:
Push-ups: 3 sets until failure (as many reps as you can pump out per set until you fall)
Bench dips: 3 sets of 10 reps
Dumbbell chest press: 3 sets of 10
Barbell bench press: 3 sets of 10
Skullcrushers: 3 sets of 10

Wednesday:
Bodyweight squats: 3 sets of 10
Burpees: 3 sets of 10
Crunches: 3 sets of 15
Box jumps: 3 sets of 15
Mountain Climbers: 3 sets of 15

Friday:
Pull-ups: 3 sets to failure
Dumbbell curls: 3 sets of 10
Dumbbell rows: 3 sets of 10
Hyperextensions: 3 sets of 10
Upright barbell row: 3 sets of 10

There's definitely more to it than I've offered, but I'm tired as hell and should already be in bed.  I'm sure some of the other guys can offer up some advice as well, and I'll probably be able to add to my response tomorrow. You just have to be sure to dedicate yourself, learn proper form, lose your ego, learn proper form, immerse yourself in the lifestyle, and learn proper form.


Oh, and learn proper form.

P.S. - Just for reference, here's a picture of myself in January at 139.3 lbs.






This picture was taken yesterday at 162.4 lbs.





Stick to it and you will see results.


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## ghost_of_karelia (Jul 1, 2014)

Ah dude that post was awesome, thank you! Got a shit ton of ideas about what I need to be doing now. As far as some of the exercises go I don't actually have the ability to do them (lack of a pull up bar for example) so I'll have to seek out some alternatives.

Any other suggestions? Can't wait to get going with this now.


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## Winspear (Jul 1, 2014)

Weight gainer shakes are my best friend. That's not actually true, I don't buy weight gainers but they amount to the same thing as blending up a bunch of things.
You can easily get 1000 calories in 5 minutes this way  Full fat milk will be a huge help to start with. My shakes generally look something like:
Banana
Pint of whole milk
2 scoops whey
1 scoop oats
Some greek yoghurt
Eggs are good
Various other yummies - experiment!

I'm pretty much on a liquid diet but plenty of whole foods go into these shakes so it's not weird or unhealthy or anything people may think regarding the fact that I only have one 'meal' a day (dinner). 

Making shakes into really nice smoothies also makes the protein powder much more enjoyable than having it on it's own with water or milk. I have some very tasty recipes - this stuff could be sold in milkshake bars for leisurely drinking! 

If your weight is pretty consistent currently, I would just figure out an ~500 calorie shake with 50g protein (count all your sources not just the whey) and just add one of those a day to your current diet. No calculator can tell you your exact exercise levels or how much your body needs - they come close but can be way off for many people. Just track calories for a week or two of consistent calories per day and consistent exercise and then you'll know where you're at. Weight stays the same? Add 300 cals. Lost weight? Add 600 and try again. Gaining more than 2lb a week? Cut it back 200 and see what happens. It's easy to get addicted to seeing the scale go up at the beginning, but if you're gaining more than a couple of lb per week you'll get fat before you know it (muscle really can't grow faster than that, if even that). A beginner can make some really solid gains with good exercise and just a couple of hundred surplus calories each day. 

The workout above is good for a beginner without much equipment. I'd maybe add Lunges on wednesday.


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## ghost_of_karelia (Jul 1, 2014)

Another great post, cheers man. Great idea with just adding shakes to current diet, will defo be trying that shit.


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## MikeH (Jul 2, 2014)

One way you could do pull-ups, provided that your bench is strong and can support your weight (which I assume it can), is sit on the bench with your legs held straight out in front of you and basically do box pull-ups on your barbell. Keep your hands wide to prevent any excess stress on the middle of the bar. Always an option. Or you could do neutral-grip bent-over dumbbell rows.


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## Cynic (Jul 2, 2014)

will be monitoring this thread because good thread i need this


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## nickswhlos (Jul 7, 2014)

think so, cheers man. Great idea with just adding shakes to current diet, will defo be trying that shit.


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## SoItGoesRVA (Jul 15, 2014)

I'm late to the party, but here goes: your goals are to generally get stronger and improve your state of being. Are you concerned more with athletic ability, or aesthetics? Do you have a target weight you'd like to be at? Hook a brotha up with some specifics.

Also, from my own personal experience, athletic supplements (not talking about vitamins, fish oil, etc. those are useful) are a crapshoot. Spend that money on more food and you'll get the same results. There's no magic potion for improving athleticism and no substitute for busting ass.


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## MikeH (Jul 15, 2014)

While I do agree with you for the most part, supplements do exactly what the name implies. They supplement your current habits. I eat a lot, but having my mass gainer shake adds an extra 1000 calories per day, and it's easier for me to drink my calories.


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## Winspear (Jul 15, 2014)

Indeed - depends what RVA was referring to. I don't really call mass gainer a supplement, much like whey, I just think of it as food. 
I am inclined to agree that the whole host of various supplements available beyond the basic vitamins, oil/joint health, and creatine, are not worth bothering with.


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## Captain Shoggoth (Jul 16, 2014)

Agreed totally with EE here. Realistically, whey, multivitamin, fish oil and creatine is all you'll ever need (arguably more than you'll need)


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## MikeH (Jul 16, 2014)

Definitely. There's a lot of snake oil being sold, but you can't go wrong with protein, creatine, BCAAs, and a good multi.


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## anthonyferguson (Jul 19, 2014)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fIkoqmXW__w

Spend a bit of time watching Elliott's videos. If I'm losing direction or motivation, an hour or so of watching him talk tends to get me excited to go and lift again. DEADLIFTS!


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## Defi (Oct 5, 2014)

oops... wrong thread, almost, but not quite.


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