Bodybuilding for the Beginner!

(1st post)
Wow! such a great guide, I didnt have a clue lol
I'm looking to get serious so this is perfect!

Just ordered whey and need to get an induction for the free weights area, then work on my diet! (I don't eat enough really)

ORIGINAL: c_martini

ORIGINAL: Cashman

TBH you should stick with the deadlifting. It's important that you start light so you can master the form. Just drop your backside keep your head up and try not to round your back. Work on feet width, grip width until it feels comfortable. Have a gym worker or experienced lifter watch your form and adjust accordingly. Run through light lifts at a slow and steady pace and really try and feel what your body is doing. It will soon click and you can then work up the weights. There is no back execrise better for gains IMHO than the humble deadlift.

Thanks, Cash...
I'll keep trying the deadlifts. They do seem to be the best, as my hamstrings, glutes, lower back, middle back and traps are so sore afterwards. Would this indicate that I am following close to correct form? If not which muscle groups should be affected by this excercise? I notice that my middle back on one side seems to be sore and tight by the afternoon everyday now, even though I am only doing the deadlifts once per week, 4 sets 6 to 8 reps at a low weight (40kg).

You may be experiencing an imbalance in your back (especially seeing as you are starting out) which is why one side gets DOMS harder than the other at the moment. This is nothing to be concerned about as the weaker side will soon catch up. You'll find deadlifts will help correct posture as they strengthen the full posterior chain of muscles on both sides. I would definitely advocate strecthing though after you deadlift. It's important that you maintain flexibility (especially in your back) so as to help reduce risk of future back problems. It sounds like you are doing them right iof youare experiencing muscle soreness (DOMS) in the areas you've described so keep it up mate.

ORIGINAL: Rambo

(1st post)
Wow! such a great guide, I didnt have a clue lol
I'm looking to get serious so this is perfect!

Just ordered whey and need to get an induction for the free weights area, then work on my diet! (I don't eat enough really)

Thanks Rambo and stick with the program. You are definitely taking the right approach if you are looking at your diet so soon as this is a big factor in gaining hat many new starters neglect through poor advice from instructors. If you want more detailed diet info then there is some outstanding advice on the diet forum here.

Good luck and let us know how you get on.

Is there anywhere that gives a list of the weight exercises with an explanation of how to do them. I keep getting confused as i dont know what all these lifts you all talk about are.

if you skim read through the thread I can remember numerous threads that list sites with Demos. You can also try the www.tmof.com site that has an exercise section.

I cannot work out at all at the weekends due to work but I have all week free day and evnings could you work a plan for me cashman?
I am very overweight so fat loss is priority, any help or pointers would be great.
Alternatively could I just use the plan on page 1 and shift the rest days to the weekends?
Many thanks in advance for any help.

I have been doing a similar thing Mister_D.

I work Sun, Mon, Tues 12 hour nights, and with travelling time etc, I pretty much go to work, come home, go to bed, go to work etc etc for those 3 days (nights).

I switched Cashman's original workout to Weds, Thurd, Fri & Sat and it worked fine.

I get a little tired and achey come Saturday though, but a nice sauna seems to combat this :)

Also, for my cardio I started walking to work (2.5 miles each way) instead of driving!

Maybe some food for thought.

for fat loss with time restraint you should do a 3 day split, for the 2 other days do cardio, and maybe even add a 3rd cardio day:
a) on the week-end if possible
b) at the opposite moment of the day of a workout (weights morning cardio afternoon, or vice-versa)
not so recommendable:
c) after workout

but not before

OK... Tesla... Change the routine when you hit a strength or mass plateau. Changes need only be minimal. Look at diet though as well as gains do slow down after a couple of months.

Mister D - Furious is right in cutting down the routine to a 3 day split (add shoulders to legs day and traps to back day). Fat loos is about diet and cardio as well as weights. Try 20 mins interval trainingafter each weights sessions. Try cardio sessions of an hour long twice a week. Diet wise cut back on carb, increase protein and keep good fats in your diet. Diet is so important when trying to lose bodyfat. Slow and steady is the best way but with the right calorie intake from the right foods and a strong training regime then it will fall off you. It would help to know exactly what you eat in a typical day (include drinks, sugars in tea, etc, etc).

Will do cashman!
The staff at the gym have all been students without a clue (I'm a student but anyway), telling me to ask next week and give my mob number to get the free weights induction, finally I found the old guy working and he signed me up for it on wednesday :)
Anyway Ive been downing tuna and using machines, and noticing strength gains already but cant wait to improve my diet further and use the free weights!!!

Hi Cashman. Great thread mate, good of you to spare ya time.

I've recently joined back up at the gym after going on and off for the last few years without seeing too much of an improvement mainly because now I've found that I've been overtraining! ( all muscles 3 times a week!)

I'm 24 16ish stone and 6'2". I've got no fat on my arms or legs but have grown a beer gut and love handles from years of beer drinkin and crap food!

I've started doing your routine (last week) and I'm really enjoying it! Looking at it I didnt think there seemed enough training in it but after doing it and using heavier weights you can deffinatly feel it.

I'm doing a 3 day split tho and cardio on the other days. After the delts/traps I didnt feel tired/worked at all and was deffo lifting as heavy as I can at the mo with spot on form, I was just wonderin if I should add something else to that workout?? or stay as is?? does it matter that I'm not aching the next day from that muscle group??

Also my gym has nothin to do the weighted dips for the chest, what alternative can I do instead??

Cheers mate.

Also, should I still be aiming to eat more even tho I want to lose some weight??? Whats a good balance?? How many calories and protein etc.... I've bought some whey stuff today, how often should i take it?

Should I use as heavier weight as I can for all sets ie. 3 x 8-10 reps@ max weight or stagger it by starting fairly heavy and keep adding untill max weight on my last set.

Cheers again.

Thanks for the reply cashman...my diet is so poor it's embarrasing:(

7:30 get up get kids to school no breakfast
9:00 hit the gym
11:00 straight from gym to beach with dogs for a few miles
12:00 Protein shake
13:00 either two chicken breasts or a steak, flora pro active yoghurt drink,
17:00 bacon medallions on top of two slices of brown bread and half a can of beans
I drink water in gym and diet coke with meals, don't drink tea or coffee
If I get very hungry I snack on apple, grapes or sunflower seeds.
i do cheat occasionally like friday nights I have a special fried rice from chinese:(
The above is a typical day, I do switch meals around and have other meals..but as you can see my diet needs attention badly....missing breakfast is a pain but I don't get any hunger pangs at all even after gym/dog walk...is that normal?
I only seem to get hungry AFTER eating for the first time like between noon and tea time I get hunger pangs i have to quiten down with an apple or nuts/seeds

So the beginning routine doesn't have too much volume? It looks a bit full when compared to many people's routines.

I'm pretty much an ectomorph (hardgainer, skinny/slim), would this beginner routine still work for me?

Cashman can you give me an alternative to dips? i dont have anywhere suitable to do them.

This is how my Chest/Tri day looks

Dumbell Flat Bench - 4 sets 6-8 reps
Weighted Dips For Chest - 4 sets 6-8 reps (last set to failure)
Incline Dumbell Fly- 4 sets 6-8 reps (last set to failure)
Close grip bench press - 3 sets 6-8 reps
Bench Dips 3 sets 6-8 reps (last set to fail)

Thanks

ORIGINAL: Mister_D

Thanks for the reply cashman...my diet is so poor it's embarrasing:(

7:30 get up get kids to school no breakfast
9:00 hit the gym
11:00 straight from gym to beach with dogs for a few miles
12:00 Protein shake
13:00 either two chicken breasts or a steak, flora pro active yoghurt drink,
17:00 bacon medallions on top of two slices of brown bread and half a can of beans
I drink water in gym and diet coke with meals, don't drink tea or coffee
If I get very hungry I snack on apple, grapes or sunflower seeds.
i do cheat occasionally like friday nights I have a special fried rice from chinese:(
The above is a typical day, I do switch meals around and have other meals..but as you can see my diet needs attention badly....missing breakfast is a pain but I don't get any hunger pangs at all even after gym/dog walk...is that normal?
I only seem to get hungry AFTER eating for the first time like between noon and tea time I get hunger pangs i have to quiten down with an apple or nuts/seeds

for the morning an easy solution is to put in a blender:
oats, whey, banana, milk, water, other fruits
blend, put in a thermos of any kind and drink on the way

if from 9 to 11 you are at the gym, this is too long

for after prepare a shaker with whey in it if you intend to have PWO shake

but you should really aim to eat every 3 hours... and also some proteins before bed

Great article, I just joined the forum and I see a recommendation to read this after typing "Cardio after Weights" into Google. This is exactly what every beginner needs, I'm printing it out and reading it more then once.

Thank you for the article!!!

ORIGINAL: Brasso

Also, should I still be aiming to eat more even tho I want to lose some weight??? Whats a good balance?? How many calories and protein etc.... I've bought some whey stuff today, how often should i take it?

Should I use as heavier weight as I can for all sets ie. 3 x 8-10 reps@ max weight or stagger it by starting fairly heavy and keep adding untill max weight on my last set.

Cheers again.

sorry for the delay mate, been away. Yes it's heavy enough. Just because you don't crawl out of the gym battered doersn't mean you haven't worked hard enough. Trust me on this. The days of 20x rep sets of shoulder press for 15x sets are simply just overtraining.

As for diet. Clean the diet, cut out sugar and beer and reduce portions. eat smaller but frequently.

When training do a couple of light sets to warm up the working muscles then work for the listed sets and reps at the heaviest weight you can maintain STRICT FORM on. It's not just what you lift but the way you lift it that counts.

Mister D musclebob has hit the nail on the head here.

ORIGINAL: Warrior Jon

Cashman can you give me an alternative to dips? i dont have anywhere suitable to do them.

This is how my Chest/Tri day looks

Dumbell Flat Bench - 4 sets 6-8 reps
Weighted Dips For Chest - 4 sets 6-8 reps (last set to failure)
Incline Dumbell Fly- 4 sets 6-8 reps (last set to failure)
Close grip bench press - 3 sets 6-8 reps
Bench Dips 3 sets 6-8 reps (last set to fail)

Thanks

Go with dumbell incline press instead of dips if no dip bars are available to you.