The New Guy

[Lightningonoceans]

Hey. I've been working out since last July with very little to show for it. I want to gain muscle mass and than when I get to how big I want to be... I'd like to tighten it up. (especially around my stomach area). I'm 5'10 160lbs and the only fat I really have on my body is a bit on my stomach region.

I hear so much and I've read a little here and there. Everyone has all these different ideas. I was thinking of getting a weight trainer at my gym (Bally's) to help me but it's pretty expensive. ($100/hour!). I've been working out mostly on machines with a little free weight. I was told by someone.. I can't remember which person gave me this bit of advice but he said I should do 3 sets with 10, 6, 4 reps to gain mass. So, everything I do.. I do it like that. I work out 4-5 days a week.. no results really. I mean.. yes my chest is a bit bigger but after 10 months I'm nowhere near what I want to be. Here is my schedule:

Monday - Arms / Stomach
Tuesday - Chest / Legs
Wednesday - Arms / Stomach
Thursday - Back / Stomach
Friday – Chest / Legs


Now, let me go into some detail on what this means for me.

Arms = curl machine 110lbs 10,6,4 (failure is key)

Stomach = I want abs, I want that nice 6-pack so I do about 100-150 crunches on a machine where I hold the bars up by my ears. I then use a machine that I rotate 90 degrees using 70lbs in one direction, than swap the pin and do the other direction. Again, 3 sets, 10,6,4. Sometimes I do the thing where you stand in the chair and lift your legs. I hear that does your lower stomach.

Chest - Bench press machine and than a machine I sit down on and push the bars in front of me straight out. Lateral? dunno what it's called for sure.

Back - I do the machine where I pull the bar down. I have a machine that resembles rowing in a boat. I do a machine that I push the bar straight up at the shoulders.

Legs - honestly I almost always skip this. The only thing I do that is legs is a 10 minute jog to warm up.

Supplements. I have GNC Whey Protein and GNC creatine mono hydrate. Mega Men 1000 daily supplement horse pill.

What am I looking for? Help. Honestly, I don't know what to do. It's all very confusing. With the words you guys use... I don't get that stuff. I'm constantly paranoid that most of the articles/books I read are just trying to sell me ANOTHER supplement. My cousin told me he temporarily used steroids to get big and than he stopped once he got the size he wants. He told me you should only work-out the same muscle 1 day a week. I wouldn't mind a good / solid place to start. Where does the new guy go? I feel like I'm pulled into 1,000 different directions and after 10 months of my 3 sets 10/6/4 with a daily protein (nasty) milk shake.. nothing. Thanks for any help!! I appreciate you taking the time to read this even if I sound a bit whiny and pessimistic.

Dave

 

[bigmitch69]

Here is a simple routine to gain size. I did this when i started training, 7 years ago. I went from 10 stone to over 12 stone in the 1st year. I didn't use gear and you definately shouldn't mate. I used protein/ weight gain shakes and creatine.

If you follow it without skipping out exercises or missing days in the gym AND eat properly (read the diet forum) then you'll easily gain.

Mon- Chest/ Triceps
Wed- Back/ Biceps
Fri- Legs/ Shoulders

You MUST include legs if you REALLY want to gain some size!

CHEST - bench, incline bench, flat dumbbell press, incline dumbbell press, weighted dips

TRICEPS - close grip bench, skullcrushers, tricep extension, cable pushdowns

BACK - deadlift, chin ups, lat pull down, cable row, Tbar row, dumbbell row, barbell shrug, dumbbell shrug

BICEPS - barbell curl, dumbbell curl, seated dumbell curl, concentration curl, hammer curl

LEGS - squat, front squat, stiff leg deadlift, legpress, leg extension, leg curl, calve raises

SHOULDER - standing shoulderpress, seated shoulderpress (barbell or dumbbells) front dumbbell raises, lateral raises (seated or standing) bent over raises

Do 3 exercises for each bodypart. A warm up set then 3 working sets. Aim for 8 reps for larger bodyparts and 10-12 for smaller bodyparts.

Any questions just send me a private message.

One last thing. You MUST include Bench, Deadlift and Squat if you want to get big.

 

[bigmitch69]

Oh i forgot to mention. Use free weights for the compound lifts as they will be better for you than machines.

 

[Lightningonoceans]

"10 stone to over 12 stone" - What does this mean?

"I didn't use gear and you definately shouldn't mate" - Mate? gear? I'm sorry? What's this?

What about my stomach? I want to get a 6-pack nice and tight. How should I do that?

I appreciate all of this and I'm going to print it and bring it to the gym so I can ask others what some of those exercises are. Skull crusher? lol I'm such a noob!

 

[879654]

The only way to get a 6 pack is to obtain a lower body fat %.

 

[supaman61]

Your like me, i lose the fat from my waist last, as your new to working out forget the machines and just do free weights. The basics like deadlifts, squats, military press, bench press, barbell curls, lying tricep press. That will help you build a solid foundation and core strength.

 

[DADAWG]

Here is a simple routine to gain size. I did this when i started training, 7 years ago. I went from 10 stone to over 12 stone in the 1st year. I didn't use gear and you definately shouldn't mate. I used protein/ weight gain shakes and creatine.

If you follow it without skipping out exercises or missing days in the gym AND eat properly (read the diet forum) then you'll easily gain.

Mon- Chest/ Triceps
Wed- Back/ Biceps
Fri- Legs/ Shoulders

You MUST include legs if you REALLY want to gain some size!

CHEST - bench, incline bench, flat dumbbell press, incline dumbbell press, weighted dips

TRICEPS - close grip bench, skullcrushers, tricep extension, cable pushdowns

BACK - deadlift, chin ups, lat pull down, cable row, Tbar row, dumbbell row, barbell shrug, dumbbell shrug

BICEPS - barbell curl, dumbbell curl, seated dumbell curl, concentration curl, hammer curl

LEGS - squat, front squat, stiff leg deadlift, legpress, leg extension, leg curl, calve raises

SHOULDER - standing shoulderpress, seated shoulderpress (barbell or dumbbells) front dumbbell raises, lateral raises (seated or standing) bent over raises

Do 3 exercises for each bodypart. A warm up set then 3 working sets. Aim for 8 reps for larger bodyparts and 10-12 for smaller bodyparts.

Any questions just send me a private message.

One last thing. You MUST include Bench, Deadlift and Squat if you want to get big.

sound advice bro .

 

[Drako]

10 stone to over 12 stone" - What does this mean? = Weight

"I didn't use gear and you definately shouldn't mate" -
Mate? = Friend
Gear? I'm sorry? What's this? = Steroids

What about my stomach? I want to get a 6-pack nice and tight. How should I do that? = you need a lower bodyfat %

Agree with Dadawg good advice Mitch.

 

[zephyrdaz]

It's all good advice Dave

If you want to improve you need to ditch the machines and use the training plan set out by bigmitch69 above.

Also I think you are probably spending to long in the gym and not really pushing yourself enough, your muscles grow when your resting. I go Mon Wed Fri and I try and get everything done in 45 mins and when I’m done I’m nackered. Get in get it done and get out, lift heavy and push yourself till you can't lift anymore.

Is there a friend you could go to the gym with? you’ll motivate each other and get that little bit more out of yourself. If not focus on what you want to achieve and really push yourself.

Diet, you’ll never get a flat gut unless you watch what you eat, there are some good diets on here and some other sites, you are what you eat.

How old are you? Do you smoke? Do you drink a few beers at the weekend?

 

[Lightningonoceans]

It's all good advice Dave

If you want to improve you need to ditch the machines and use the training plan set out by bigmitch69 above.

Also I think you are probably spending to long in the gym and not really pushing yourself enough, your muscles grow when your resting. I go Mon Wed Fri and I try and get everything done in 45 mins and when I’m done I’m nackered. Get in get it done and get out, lift heavy and push yourself till you can't lift anymore.

Is there a friend you could go to the gym with? you’ll motivate each other and get that little bit more out of yourself. If not focus on what you want to achieve and really push yourself.

Diet, you’ll never get a flat gut unless you watch what you eat, there are some good diets on here and some other sites, you are what you eat.

How old are you? Do you smoke? Do you drink a few beers at the weekend?

I quit smoking 5 months ago and haven't touched them since. Amazing after 11 years of smoking a pack a day. I also don't drink. I'm an non-practicing alcoholic whom is in AA . My sponsor suggested I start going to the gym as a new "healthy habit" to replace my old bad habits last July. I'm 28 years old.

I don't have a friend to go with. I suppose I should stop being shy and start asking guys at the gym for help with the free weights. I'm not sure how to *safely* use some of that stuff and I hear you should always have someone spot you to do some of this stuff. But, i notice that my gym has "machines" that seem more like free-weights but are "solo" friendly? Is that right?

I can't say it enough. I really appreciate all the help you guys are giving me. I'm literally copying and pasting this into a neat and clean format and will print it in order to have it with me at the gym.

Grateful,

Dave

 

[bigmitch69]

Thanks for clearing up the questions Drako.

Whoever runs the gym should be able to help you with any questions regarding exercises (what are 'skull crushers'? etc) and they should also 'spot' you (help you lift safetly)

I have trained in a few gyms where the staff didn't know what they should be doing. I usually ask someone else whose working out if they can help. Most people don't mind spotting if you ask nicely ha ha!

 

[Lightningonoceans]

When should I take my creatine? I've been told after a workout and I've been told before a workout. Should I take it on days I don't work out? How many times a day?

Protein. One guy told me I should take 2x my body weight in grams (example: I weight 160 so I take 320 grams of protein a day). Another guy told me I'm just pooping out 1/2 that because my muscles can't use that much in one day. I buy cheap pan steaks, I drink milk as much as I can (gallon a week) and I eat tuna sandwiches from Subway (with cheese). I don't think I get 320 grams and I only eat steak on days I work out.

Thanks so much guys!

 

[bigmitch69]

Now i'm not too sure when the best time for taking creatine is but when i started out i was using creatine monohydrate and i used to have 5grams in the morning and 5grams before bed. Mixed with water and a little orange juice because it tasted shit ha ha! Worked ok for me. I used it for 12 weeks then had 4 weeks off and then repeated.

If anyone has more knowledge about using creatine please jump in.

As for protein I think if you're really pushing yourself at the gym, really lifting the weights and not just 'going through the motions' then you're muscles will be using that protein. But i'm no diet expert. I've got my diet sorted but ony you really know what you need. Or you'll learn with time. You could be a hardgainer which means you struggle to put on weight. Thats what i am. Or you could be like some people who put weight on looking at a steak ha ha!

But you definately want to be eating red meat, fish, chicken and egg whites for your protein. Top it up with some shakes. Make sure you eat complex carbs and good fats aswell. Check out the diet forum for loads of info.