Bodybuilding for the Beginner!

ORIGINAL: barrington

Cashman I just started your plan two days ago & I plan to stick to it.

Couple of questions if you don't mind:

1. Should I aim for the same protein intake on my rest days?

2. You mention whey in water. Is there disadvantages to taking it in skimmed milk?

3. Forearms are not mentioned in your plan but having done back/bi last night they certainly felt it. Am I to assume forearms are covered by other exercises?

4. Like I said I did back/bi's last night but my bi's feel no pain today. It's almost as if I didn't work them although I did feel it at the time. Should I increase the weights next week. (I'm still trying to find my perfect weights - I managed 8 reps on all three sets for both barbell curls & hammer curls though my form did go at the end for both i.e. just managed rep 8 on the last sets)

5. I train alone at quite a busy gym which means squatting ain't always possible. Is the leg press machine a worthy second choice or should I squat at all costs??

1. Yes IMHO. you grow when you rest so it's important you maintain a strong protein intake to provide nutrients for growth.

2. not unless you are dairy intolerant in the main though I'd have in water when you want to get protein into your system quickly (e.g. Post Work Out, 1st thing in morning)

3. Forearms will get all they need when you train back & traps with no straps

4. Don't train for pain (DOMS) If you can complete 8 perfect reps then my advice is up the weight a little. Biceps are typically very prone to avoiding DOMS (delayed Onset Muscle Soreness). DOMS is NO indicator of growth.

5. If you are fit and able... SQUAT at all costs. This and Deadlifting are simply the best all over growth stimulating excercises you can do IMO. They put massive stress on you nervous system responsible for releasing growth hormone and thus promoting growth ALL OVER.

"That which does not kill us makes us stronger"... Friedrich Nietzche

http://www.muscletalk.co.uk/Bodybuilding_for_the_Beginner%21/m_2245/tm.htm

Thanks Cashman - that answers all my questions.

I will make sure I can squat no matter what.

Also since writing my first post I can clearly see that forearms are covered. They also get a workout with the hammer & barbell curls.

The workouts are kept short (timewise) which makes it very easy to fit in into a busy schedule. All the exercises seem to do the job also which is great. I've only been doing your split for two weeks but I've realised (due to their soreness the next day) that I've got muscles' I didn't even know I had. I never used to deadlift so I certainly felt it after the first day of back/bi.

Thanks for taking the time to write your Original Post. It's a great help and has really given me something to aim for. I've been pissing around for far too long now in the gym. It's time to get down to business.

Good luck mate. Also remember how important diet is in growth or cutting.

"That which does not kill us makes us stronger"... Friedrich Nietzche

http://www.muscletalk.co.uk/Bodybuilding_for_the_Beginner%21/m_2245/tm.htm

that post was great, its helped me loads these first couple of months!!!

Thanks a lot

I'm still a newbie to all this scene, was a fab read! Thanks!

ORIGINAL: Cashman

Also remember how important diet is in growth or cutting.

Fantastic post(/thread)! Just a quick question though please?

I am eating lots, drinking lots of water, doing the whey/dextrose thing after exercise, casein at night etc.

I am doing pretty much the split you recommend for weights - I do this in the afternoons and LOVING IT! However, early in the morning I do cardio, low intensity stuff on the bike for 50 mins. I'm really enjoying the cardio and want to do more, for fitness and fatburning.

Will this adversely affect the good stuff I'm doing with the weights?

(12.10, 23%BF, 5'9.5, 38, train 5 days per week)

It's my first week on this routine and so far so good My only question is , can I move the pullups second to deadlifts on the back/biceps day as I struggle if I do them after the single DB arm rows .
Thanks

ORIGINAL: Stone69

It's my first week on this routine and so far so good My only question is , can I move the pullups second to deadlifts on the back/biceps day as I struggle if I do them after the single DB arm rows .
Thanks

Yes, that'll be no problem

"That which does not kill us makes us stronger"... Friedrich Nietzche

http://www.muscletalk.co.uk/Bodybuilding_for_the_Beginner%21/m_2245/tm.htm

hi. liked your article seemed to know your stuff was wondering if you or any of the other guys could give me some advice. actually probily a lot of advice.ill try and keep this as short as possible lol. basically im 32 and got sick of the way i looked physically so athough ive had weights from i have been 14 i have never stuck at it until 10 months ago when i decided im not getting any younger and for once decided to persevere with weight training.im glad i did cause although i havent made no real great gains in size i feel better and actually look forward to my work outs and the feeling afterwards.im looking to build mass (hypertrophy) and i think firstly my program has been wrong as i train my whole body 3 times a week tue thur and sat instead of one muscle group per week as i work long hours and look after my kid a lot.also i do 5 sets of ten to 8 reps in each exercise which could be to much.also im embarrased to admit im only getting round aquiring whey protein just this week.my lifting poundage isnt great either athough improving and i would class my self as an ectomorph which i dont think helps but ill never give up on getting bigger and would greatly appreciate any advice from you guys. different prgram? less sets? adding weight during sets? thanks.

Just want to say it is very detailed and informational. I am very sure beginners will benefit tremendously from it. Thanks for contributing.:) I will come back for more!

Truly informative. I will recommend to friends definitely. :)

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I have been doing alternative routine a while now.. An gone from 155lbs to 170lbs which am pleased with..

My workout is 3 days a week as follows

chest/shoulders/tris
dips 5x5
bench 5x5
seated dumbell military press 5x5
Tri pulldowns 5x5

Back/traps/biceps
Deadlifts 5x5
Wide grip chins 5x5
Seated rows 3x5
Barbell bicep curls 5x5
Sometimes do a few seated dumbell curls 2x5 not always

Legs/abs
barbell squats 5x5
SLDLs 5x5
calf raises 5x5 an last set to fail
Weighted swiss ball crunches 4x8
Knee raises 4x8
dumbell side bends 3x8

Am just wondering if a should be mixing these up a little or add anything else? am due to start training again sunday after a week off my training an diet! .. My mate was sayin a should do a couple of weeks supersetting with lightweights? Excuse my inexperience here, any comments are appreciated....

You stated that doing cardio before weights is out of the question. However, due to my lifestyle (i.e. I'm a dad) and the location of my gym (7 miles away, next to my work) I've had to squeeze a 7-day training regime into 5 days. I was wondering if you could have a look at it and give me a few pointers. There is a lack of leg exercises as my goals are: fat loss, lean muslce gain, boxer's upper body and runner's legs.

Monday
Cardio: 30 mins treadmill at 7.30am (5km+)

Weight training: 45 mins - 1hr at 6.00pm.
Shoulders/Triceps
5 sets 8 reps Arnold Dumbell Press
5 sets 8 reps Bradford/Rocky Press
5 sets 8 reps Decline Dumbell tricep extension
5 sets 8 reps Close grip bench press

Tuesday
Cardio: 30 mins swimming at 7.30am (15 lengths forward-stroke, 15 length back-stroke)

Weight training: 45 mins - 1hr at 6.00pm
Biceps/Foreams
5 sets 8 reps Preacher Curl
5 sets 8 reps Alternate Bicep Curl
5 sets 8 reps Dumbell Lying Pronation
5 sets 8 reps Dumbell Wrist Curl Over A Bench

Wednesday
Cardio: 30 mins punching bag/skipping at 7.30am

Weight training: 45 mins - 1hr at 6.00pm
Chest/Back
5 sets 8 reps Bench Press
5 sets 8 reps Dumbbell Bench Press
5 sets 8 reps Close Grip Front Lat Pulldown
5 sets 8 reps Bent Over Two-dumbbell Row with Palms-In

Thursday
Cardio: 30 mins swimming at 7.30am (15 lengths forward-stroke, 15 length back-stroke)

Weight-training: 45 mins - 1hr at 6.00pm
Shoulder/Triceps/Chest/Abs
5 sets 8 reps Arm Circles w/ dumbbells
5 sets 8 reps Incline Barbell Triceps extension
5 sets 8 reps Barbell Incline Shoulder Raise
5 sets 8 reps Around the Worlds
5 sets 20 reps Airbike

Friday
Cardio: 30 mins treadmill at 7.30am (5km+)

Weight-training: 45 mins - 1hr at 6.00pm
Biceps/Forearms/Back/Abs
5 sets 8 reps Seated Dumbell Inner-Bicep Curl
5 sets 8 reps Palms Up Dumbell Wrist Curl Over A Bench
5 sets 8 reps Smith Machine Uptight Row
2 sets 20 reps Russian Twist
3 sets 20 reps Crunches

Saturday and Sunday;
REST

Accompanied by a diet as follows:
6.00am
30g Whey Protein in Pint of Water
3 scrambled egg whites
2 Slices of brown bread
1 Banana

10.30am
400g Protein Milk Shake
100g Brown Rice
100g Brocolli

12.00pm
1 Apple

2.00pm
1 Grilled Chicken Breast/Turkey Breast/Home-made lean mince beefburger/8oz rump steak
1 250g portion of mixed salad (lettuce, cucumber, tomato, onion, sweetcorn, carrot, spinach)
1 small can of tuna

4.00pm
2 clementines

5.45pm
1 pear

Post-workout
30g whey protein in pint of water

9.30pm
1 turkey breast/salmon fillet
250g salad
30g whey protein in pint of water

3 pints of water at random intervals throughout the day.

Any pointers?

Nice and helpful thread contributed by Cashman. Am sure it has shorten the learning curve of many beginners and save them of unnecessary frustrations.

When I first started "pumping iron", my biggest problem is trying to gain muscle mass.Therefore, over the past few months - I have been xploring effective ways to gain muscle mass naturally without having to resort to performance enhancing drugs.

I shall share some insight about my trainings routine, dieting plans and recovery phase here on how I successfully build a muscular and lean physique - hope that it would further help beginners too.


Concentrate On Compound Exercises (*Important)

When designing your workout program for building up muscle mass, it is recommended to always concentrate on what we called “compound exercises”.

These are the major muscle groups that are going to stimulate the greatest number of muscle fibers involvement and give you the greatest gain in the shortest time. Examples of common compound exercises I use are:

* Chin-ups
* Chest press
* Shoulder press
* Squats ( half or full)
* Deadlifts
* Lunges
* Bent over rows

These compound exercises will target more than one muscle and the more fibers you stress during an exercise the more testosterone and growth hormone will be released into the bloodstream. Both are essential to help you build up muscle mass fast.

I personally think the squat is the king for a specific reason. The legs are the biggest muscles in your body and by doing squats; you are stressing your body more - leading to your testosterone levels rising drastically.

This increased in testosterone and growth hormones released will in turn help with the building and repairing of new muscle fibers in your body. And upon recovering would give you a much stronger and bigger muscle mass.

Moreover, not only do compound exercises give you rapid gain in muscle mass fast , it also burn off more calories too thus it is essentially helping you to burn off those extra calories and giving you a high metabolism throughout.


Lift Heavy With Strict Form

One of the most important factors you need to remember with your muscle building program is that you MUST use an overloading program.

For example if I plan to target my chest, I will have :-

- Warm – up set (20 reps lightweight)

- 1st set – 10 reps to failure

- 2nd set – 8 reps to failure

- 3rd set – 6 reps to failure

Use the heaviest weight you can handle WITHOUT sacrificing the “form”. If you tend to “jerk” or “swing” the weight, it means you are not using strict form anymore. In that case, try decreasing the weight by 20%.


Eat More Carbohydrates Through Out The Day

Eating quality complex carbohydrates are going to supply your body with the energy it needs for muscle building. Building muscle mass is a very energy consuming process so you need to be sure to meet your needs.

If you are hoping to minimize fat gain it is best to consume the greatest portion of your carbohydrate intake around your workouts, as this is when your body requires them the most and they are least likely to be stored as fat. You still should take in some carbohydrates spread over 6 small meals through-out the day.


Go Light On Cardio Sessions

While you are on a trying to build up muscle mass, you should never skip your cardio sessions too .Though you are going to want all of your energy to go towards adding muscle but you also want to avoid getting those extra calories from storing as fat.

The key here is to go light on your cardio session preferably after you are done with your weights. I personally prefer a light jog on a treadmill (targeting the optimum fat burning zone of 60%-65% Maximum heart rate zone) for 20 minutes while trying to gain muscle mass – lean mass to be exact.

Therefore, a cardio session not only help me burns off the extra fat but also give me the extra blood flow to my now exhausted muscle. This would in turn minimize the post muscle soreness - best of both world!


Protein, Protein and MORE PROTEIN!

When you put your body in very intense workouts, muscle fibers are torn apart and in order to help repair and build new ones, you need to supply your body with adequate protein.

Protein is the main building block for muscle and without protein, muscle growth will not occur. It is especially important to supply your body with protein within an hour after you completed your workout. This is when your body needs it the most.

Drinking protein in the form of a shake is good because it can readily be absorbed by your body and enter your blood stream fast to facilitate the demand by your body.

If you are serious about building muscle mass fast, you have to take in 1.5grams per kg of your bodyweight in order to supply the adequate amount for growth. This can be spread throughout the 6 small meals.

I personally like to follow this diet plan to get sufficient protein for my body:

· Breakfast

· Snack + protein shake

· Lunch

· Snack + protein shake

· Dinner

· Supper + protein shake

If you are trying to build up muscle mass, your main meals should consist of balance diet with 50% carbohydrates, 30% protein and 20% essential fats.

And for the snack, I would either be having tuna sandwiches or a nice chicken salad with my favorite protein shakes. I choose protein shake because it is very convenient to prepare and it can be absorbed readily into our body because it’s in liquid form.


Getting Enough Sleep For Recovery

When your body is not getting enough sleep , a stress hormones name cortiso will build up, which acts as a catabolic hormone on the body. This will make building muscle mass much more difficult as for that you are looking for anabolic processes to occur (the opposite of catabolic).

Therefore, make sure you are getting at least 8 hours of quality sleep daily to help your body recuperate from the intensive trainings and to allow new muscle fibers to generate in order to grow stronger and bigger.

Thanks for reading this far. Hope it would help you achieve a muscular and lean physique too.

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hi i am 16 and want to start bodybuilding i was wundering if any one has any advice and knows of any good gyms around the sunderland area ? if so could you please contact me my email address is rudd89@hotmail.com thank you

If you have the space then go for a power rack, olympic bar and weights, BUT, why do you think the're are so many benches and other equipment out there for sale by Joe public?? Most people lose interest training alone at home or just lose the interest in weight training full stop. Joining a gym, even if it's a 20minute drive will help you get motivated but more importantly it will give you the chance to see if you really want this!? So many people give up for so many reasons - having spent good money on equipment....join a gym and if you really want this THEN buy the equipment - you can always stop the gym membership!!

Sorry guys, just added this^^^^^when it should have been posted elsewhere!

Great guide cashman can start to feel some results already. One question though to everyone here:

My gym doesnt have a smith machine or power rack and the barbells it has only go up to about 30kg. So with deadlifts and squats im thinking of using dumbells instead which the gym has plenty of. Is that alright? There is a leg press but i dont think its as effective as squats so dumbells might be better. What do you reckon?

Ta

Great beginners guide cashman, cheers! i need to print it off lol. can you advise me on how i find out what the optimul weight to use for training. cz i dont want to use weights to light, but then again i dont wanna use too heavy ones..... its probably as straight forward as - if you can lift it, use it. do i use a weight that takes alot out of the muscles and can only do 8 or so reps. or do i use a weight that i can comfortably do 8 - 10 reps with, but can do more than that afterwards?

I'm new to this, i wanna get my body into shape but not done anything like this before. so the guide is extremely helpful. im glad there is someone that took the time to help out us newbies =D

Thanks again!!

Thegeezer3 - Dumbbells will be fine.

jaygale - Pick weights that you can do 6-8 reps with for about 4sets as per Cashmans routine. If you can do more than 8 the weight is too light. If you can do less than 6 its too heavy.

However above all else MAKE SURE YOU USE PROPER TECHNIQUE. This is far more important than what weights your lifting!