The Bodybuilders Thread!

[RogueTr00per]

Damn I caught a cold, symptoms started last night. Sore throat and slight sniffles now. I think my bad sleep patterns caught up with me!

Is it better than I lay off any training until I get a bit better? I'd like to do 200 pushups tonight if nothing else...

 

[The-_-Joker]

HELP!!! Please

I'll be starting gym tomorrow and I'm really lost. Perhaps someone on here can help me or at least point me to some advice. I've read back a couple of pages but there's just so much of information and I'm not sure what to take in.

Age: 21, going on 22
Weight: 59kg
Height: 1.8m
Structure: Thin, very, very thin (My thumb overlaps my middle finger)
Metabolism: Very fast

I feel that I'm way too thin and small built for my age. Everyone tells me that I'm too thin and need to put on weight, I just don't know how to. I'd like to gain some weight and build a decent amount of muscle. I have been to to the gym before, it was nothing serious though and only lasted a short while. I will have some time everyday, maybe an hour. What should I do? Where do I start? What should I focus on? What exercises should I do?

It would be ideal if someone could point me to a tried and tested beginners program, if not, any advice will be appreciated.

 

[D3x!]

HELP!!! Please

I'll be starting gym tomorrow and I'm really lost. Perhaps someone on here can help me or at least point me to some advice. I've read back a couple of pages but there's just so much of information and I'm not sure what to take in.

Age: 21, going on 22
Weight: 59kg
Height: 1.8m
Structure: Thin, very, very thin (My thumb overlaps my middle finger)
Metabolism: Very fast

I feel that I'm way too thin and small built for my age. Everyone tells me that I'm too thin and need to put on weight, I just don't know how to. I'd like to gain some weight and build a decent amount of muscle. I have been to to the gym before, it was nothing serious though and only lasted a short while. I will have some time everyday, maybe an hour. What should I do? Where do I start? What should I focus on? What exercises should I do?

It would be ideal if someone could point me to a tried and tested beginners program, if not, any advice will be appreciated.

my advice would be something like 5x5 program and getting the diet down

 

[InternetSwag]

Damn I caught a cold, symptoms started last night. Sore throat and slight sniffles now. I think my bad sleep patterns caught up with me!

Is it better than I lay off any training until I get a bit better? I'd like to do 200 pushups tonight if nothing else...

If you have any symptoms below headline, don't chance it. You can put serious strain on your heart working out while ill. Rugby players have died playing with flu.

 

[InternetSwag]

HELP!!! Please

I'll be starting gym tomorrow and I'm really lost. Perhaps someone on here can help me or at least point me to some advice. I've read back a couple of pages but there's just so much of information and I'm not sure what to take in.

Age: 21, going on 22
Weight: 59kg
Height: 1.8m
Structure: Thin, very, very thin (My thumb overlaps my middle finger)
Metabolism: Very fast

I feel that I'm way too thin and small built for my age. Everyone tells me that I'm too thin and need to put on weight, I just don't know how to. I'd like to gain some weight and build a decent amount of muscle. I have been to to the gym before, it was nothing serious though and only lasted a short while. I will have some time everyday, maybe an hour. What should I do? Where do I start? What should I focus on? What exercises should I do?

It would be ideal if someone could point me to a tried and tested beginners program, if not, any advice will be appreciated.

http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=148036063

Follow that workout program. Look up proper form videos of the exercises mentioned and do them. Don't care about other people in the gym, everyones too busy giving a **** about themselves to care about you. Don't get awkward.

Buy a food scale
Weigh your food

Count your calories.
Read up on 'if it fits your macros'
Eat at a 500 calorie surplus

You will grow like weed if you do these appropriately.

 

[JerryMungo]

Damn I caught a cold, symptoms started last night. Sore throat and slight sniffles now. I think my bad sleep patterns caught up with me!

Is it better than I lay off any training until I get a bit better? I'd like to do 200 pushups tonight if nothing else...

YES!

It can be one of the hardest things to do sometimes but DON'T stuff around when you are fighting infections like colds or flu. I have personally seen someone close to our family, as fit as a fiddle, drop dead at work with cardiac arrest after training when he wasn't well. Your body needs all the help it can get to fight infection. Drink plenty water and take it as easy as you can. Lack of sleep does that to me too.

 

[RogueTr00per]

If you have any symptoms below headline, don't chance it. You can put serious strain on your heart working out while ill. Rugby players have died playing with flu.

YES!

It can be one of the hardest things to do sometimes but DON'T stuff around when you are fighting infections like colds or flu. I have personally seen someone close to our family, as fit as a fiddle, drop dead at work with cardiac arrest after training when he wasn't well. Your body needs all the help it can get to fight infection. Drink plenty water and take it as easy as you can. Lack of sleep does that to me too.

OK, thanks guys. I'll lay off. Anyways, the Corenza C I took today made me so drowsy that I took a nap late afternoon. Have no energy at all.... So if i have to be symptom free before I workout again, then I'm looking at about at least 1 week off from gym?

 

[JerryMungo]

I'd play it by ear - depending on how bad it is. Always expect your first workout after recovery from a cold or flu to be 50%ish. Don't expect too much, but at workout #3 you should be back in business. Don't stress about it, it's just one of those things in the journey, but sleep when you can. I'd push for symptom free for sure - especially fever (achy muscles) and sore throat. Snot doesn't bother me - that carries on after the infection mostly.

 

[RogueTr00per]

http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=148036063

Follow that workout program. Look up proper form videos of the exercises mentioned and do them. Don't care about other people in the gym, everyones too busy giving a **** about themselves to care about you. Don't get awkward.

<snip>

Just my 2 cents, perhaps SL 5x5 in its basic form will suffice for our friend The Joker? I like the simplicity of it and one can always add on later if one gets bored? In 2 or 3 weeks on the program I feel like I have made more progress than months doing other routines that are too complex hence not as easy to follow.

Also going back to my question about abs workouts, what do you guys advise for working abs? Maybe something I can do at home on non gym days... Or if I am at the gym, how the the Captains Chair thingy rate?

 

[JerryMungo]

Just my 2 cents, perhaps SL 5x5 in its basic form will suffice for our friend The Joker? I like the simplicity of it and one can always add on later if one gets bored? In 2 or 3 weeks on the program I feel like I have made more progress than months doing other routines that are too complex hence not as easy to follow.

Also going back to my question about abs workouts, what do you guys advise for working abs? Maybe something I can do at home on non gym days... Or if I am at the gym, how the the Captains Chair thingy rate?

[video=youtube;GJHDRlepMTM]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GJHDRlepMTM&noredirect=1[/video]

These guys have awesome ab workouts... and you can work abs every day - it's one of those muscle groups that recover quickly.

 

[JerryMungo]

[video=youtube;cfY_4m3RVRc]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cfY_4m3RVRc[/video]

 

[The-_-Joker]

my advice would be something like 5x5 program and getting the diet down

http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=148036063

Follow that workout program. Look up proper form videos of the exercises mentioned and do them. Don't care about other people in the gym, everyones too busy giving a **** about themselves to care about you. Don't get awkward.

Buy a food scale
Weigh your food

Count your calories.
Read up on 'if it fits your macros'
Eat at a 500 calorie surplus

You will grow like weed if you do these appropriately.

Thanks!

 

[InternetSwag]

Just my 2 cents, perhaps SL 5x5 in its basic form will suffice for our friend The Joker? I like the simplicity of it and one can always add on later if one gets bored? In 2 or 3 weeks on the program I feel like I have made more progress than months doing other routines that are too complex hence not as easy to follow.

Also going back to my question about abs workouts, what do you guys advise for working abs? Maybe something I can do at home on non gym days... Or if I am at the gym, how the the Captains Chair thingy rate?

Any 5x5 novice program should work wonders really, as long as it has the important exercises in it and he sticks to it, he will get results.

As for the abs, as far as I know, your abs can't get that much bigger than they already are, so having them visible is more attributed to low bodyfat %. That being said they should be worked out, core strength is important during compound exercises.


Also, god damn Mike Chang is huge.

 

[RogueTr00per]

Any 5x5 novice program should work wonders really, as long as it has the important exercises in it and he sticks to it, he will get results.

Sure, agreed. The point I was trying to make was just that speaking for myself, I needed something like the standard (basic) 5x5 programme to keep me on the straight and narrow. Extra stuff just gets me bogged down and I lose focus. Sure, now that I am quite comfortable on 5x5 and the routine of it, now is a good time to add the extra stuff for other areas I feel I need to work on. As a beginner, far better to do 5 exercises correctly and consistently than 10 exercises incorrectly or inconsistently.

As for the abs, as far as I know, your abs can't get that much bigger than they already are, so having them visible is more attributed to low bodyfat %. That being said they should be worked out, core strength is important during compound exercises.

Good to know that about ab size. My main concern is function more than aesthetics. Without doing any ab work I can feel my abs under the layer of belly fat. I can even see the top two segments at 17% body fat, ever so slightly. My core is fairly strong, I can basic plank well over a minute. Ab strength and core strength are two different things yeah, so that's why i was asking. It's been so long since I did any ab work, and then I realised the other night I actually should do them even if I can't see my abs now.

Exposing them properly I will have to get to when I get serious about cutting some body fat.

Also, god damn Mike Chang is huge.

Yes he is and I guess his talks are motivational and youtube videos in abundance. I do however prefer Jeff Cavaliere of AthleanX. I just trust him more and he seems to be more qualified than Mike That said, I will give the videos on this page a look see and give that ab workout a bash!

 

[Tinuva]

Any 5x5 novice program should work wonders really, as long as it has the important exercises in it and he sticks to it, he will get results.

For beginners Stronglifts 5x5 or Starting Strength 5x5. Both work, is simple enough to get beginners to stay working out, and is the way to go, even for bodybuilding. Still cant believe what a difference SL 5x5 made for me, not that I am on it anymore, but it changed the way I look at working out forever.

As for the abs, as far as I know, your abs can't get that much bigger than they already are, so having them visible is more attributed to low bodyfat %. That being said they should be worked out, core strength is important during compound exercises.

Not 100% true. ABs can grow. You need both, low bodyfat % as well as working out the muscle. They grow maybe not as much, but they do grow, and if you don't grow them, don't expect spectacular abs.

For those that want a backing to that statement of mine, here is some reading material: http://www.ironmagazine.com/2013/how-to-make-your-abs-pop-more-dieting-or-more-training/

 

[InternetSwag]

What is SL? Stronglifts? If it helped that much I may try it out myself, I still consider myself a novice for at least another 6+ months.

 

[Tinuva]

SL yeah is short for stronglifts. I would say it is great for beginners, not so sure about novice. I consider myself at novice nowadays and that is 1.5 years after I have done stronglifts. You can always give it a go, if your PRs on the big 3 is not that big yet. See where you get to after a few deloads, and then maybe just move faster on to the programs that follow stronglifts, eg. 5/3/1 and/or madcow 5x5. Alternatively, you can always move into powerbuilding (a mix between powerlifting and bodybuilding) like I did.

 

[Hemps]

Had a decent back workout on Saturday, as usual I'm still sore today.

Instead of standard dead-lifts tried partial dead-lifts, took barbell down to above shin level instead of floor so assume I'm cutting out the glute and leg drive and focusing only on back, but I found it exercised my back a lot better keeping the muscles under tension as apposed to letting it meet the floor then refocus on another rep from resting on the floor.

Think I'll keep standard dead-lifts to once a month and go heavy, and keep partial to my standard routine as it seemed to take some strain off my lower back.

My routine on Saturday:

Partial Dead-Lift: 6 sets - 4 reps with 70% of normal Dead-lift weight
T-Bar row: 3 sets - 8 - 6 reps
50 Wide grip pullups
20 v-handle pullups close grip

 

[DrewChan]

Question for those who did 5 x 5 Or 5 x 3

Can you remember your starting lifts for

Bench Press
OHP
Squat
Deadlift

I'm feeling pretty weak :/

 

[D3x!]

Question for those who did 5 x 5 Or 5 x 3

Can you remember your starting lifts for

Bench Press
OHP
Squat
Deadlift

I'm feeling pretty weak :/

what are your stats and what are your lifts, sets and reps?

also for how long you been training?

I didn't do 5 x 5 (although do the standard lifts) and when I started i also thought it was dismal but I can lift easily 3 times plus what I could then, in the beginning your strength should rocket up and then you start hitting walls.