ezydriver

Hello all. This is my first post.

I am a complete beginner and have been going to a gym for two weeks now. I have a good starter frame with no fat on me. Maybe a slight layer on my belly, but only very minimal.

I am a very driven and motivated person and my pride is swallowed completely. I turn up with my gear in a Morrisons carrier bag LOL.

I'm a little concerned that things may not work out, or I may not build any muscle after reading so much of what is on this forum. It gets quite confusing.

I am not under any illusion that this will take some time. I am also aware this is more of a lifestyle than a chore and that attitude is key. I am a positive person.

Can anybody give me some real non confusing good basic tips please? Just to get started properly.

I didn't realise that to do cardio before weights is bad. I was doing half hour cardio before every workout.

Is it bad to go 3 times per week with 48 - 72 hours between sessions?

What is a split?

If you were to lack in one area, for example, eating correctly, getting your technique right etc BUT only sleeping 5 hours per day, 6 at most, will this mean no muscle gain?

It seems you have to have an almost perfect balance of everything to gain even the slightest amount.

Realistically, how long should I expect to wait before seeing some significant change?

Thank you all for reading and taking time to help me.

Steve.

justdiscovering

hey mate welcome to the forum,
all depends what you are looking to get out of your gym sessions,get bigger?how old ru? have you any idea on what routine ie what kind of excersises you are gonna do to train? what do you currently eat diet wise ?try not to be to overwhelmed with what you read i know it can be daunting but there are loads of people who will help you . bear in mind that your gains in the first months and maybe year will be slow but good,.

chrisj22

Welcome, Steve. I hope you enjoy the board.

Firstly; being a beginnner is one of the best positions you can be in, IMO. You will find that you will gain faster than a seasoned athlete because your body doesn't know any different - of course, this has to be coupled with a good diet & training regime, oh, & rest.

A split is referred to as 'split training', which means, i.e. day 1, Shoulders & triceps, day 2, back & biceps & so on....I think you get the picture? Beginners are best doing full body workouts IMO. Some of the competitors will give you a good full body workout to get you used to training.


When I first started bodybuilding I too thought it was a very confusing lifestyle with all the physics etc, but in hindsight, if you keep things nice & simple (which beginners should do) you can't go wrong.

What kind of tips are you after, Steve? First of all, please can you post up your diet & we will all help. I'm not sounding patrionising, but the best of bodybuilders diets needs tweaking so I'm sure we can help you.

Just because you can't get 8 hours sleep everynight for example, don't be under the impression you won't gain muscle - hell, half of us have kids & we are up half the night, but still manage to gain the odd pound here or there! Just try & get a decent nights sleep down you. 3 times per week is a fantastic approach - that's all I do & many, many others & we grow. See, you've got the right thinking already.

If your diet starts off good, & your training is good, you'll see gains starting to show fairly quickly.

Good luck mate.

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ezydriver

Hello mate. Thanks for responding.

I am 28, 6ft with a lean frame. I am looking for a lean look, not bulk, but a more sculpted body. I love the look of a good sixpack too, so there is an emphasis on that, as I know there isn't so much from what I've read.

I am though, a vegetarian which I feel may go against me. I do however eat copious amounts of fish, so I eat tuna every day as well as a piece of salmon most days. I have started to eat a lot of hard boiled eggs and soon I will be stocking up with nuts. My fruit intake is now high with me eating about 8 portions or so of fruit and veg per day. I do still eat a little bit of crap though.

Are protien supplements, such as powder etc any good or necessary?

I tend to go more for machines at the moment. I like the chest press. I use the shoulder press, the pec fly and the rear deltoid machine. I use the seated row and the lateral pulldown.

I also use free weights for my biceps. I do an exercise called 21's on them.

I do 60 crunches and about 20 sit ups on the decline bench.

I usually do 3 sets of 12 reps on a weight which gives me the burn toward the end of the second and third set.



Things get confusing because I know a lad who got massive in a year and he said he went 4 to 5 times a week. But, from what I gather, this is too much is it not? He said to work just one area per session, but I feel the need to work everything or I feel unsatisfied.

As I said, I'm fully prepared to listen to any advice as I want to get my attitude and outlook right. If it is right to go once per week and do a full workout, or 4 times per week working on different areas, I need to know what is best.

I have always been under the assumption that if you work just one or two muscle groups per seesion, but just once in the week, then you will see nothing. I have always assumed you need to work ALL groups several times per week.

Are my assumptions somewhat misguided?

chrisj22

Protein powders are very necessary because many people struggle to eat 6 solid meals per day. Furthermore; it's better digestion for the body.

Fish & eggs are a superb choice if your a vegetarian, nuts also. Fruit is good, but be careful because snacking on too much fruit is like snacking on sugar. Get plenty of veg down you within your daily meals.

Abs are good for core strength, but you will only see your abs if your bodyfat is low, so that means the diet has to be very good. People train 5-6 times per week, others train 3. It all depends on the person. Me personally, I see better results training 3 times per week (or every other day) because I feel fully rested & my enthusiasm is a hell of a lot better.

Full body workouts will be better if your a beginner, maybe training 2-3 times per week.

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ezydriver

Thanks Chrisj and justdiscovering. If anybody else has some good simple effective tips I should know, please let me know.
Thank you.

Steve.