Weight training advice, Please.

[big_g 10]

What are you wanting to achieve with your weight training?

 

Muscle and weight gain

 

Weight loss

 

Strength

 

I went to the gym for ages - trying to gain mass and weight. My issue was that I didn't eat enough and also liked other exercises like cycling. This basically meant that I got definition but no real gain of mass.

 

So, what is your goal?

[DerbyTup 10]

That's a good question that last one..."what is your goal?".

 

I train at the gym, about 3 times a week. I spend about an hour, sometimes more, in there and usually do an all over workout. Occasionally I'll split it and focus on upper half or lower half more. But generally I'm just looking to get an all body workout.

 

My goal is to keep reasonably fit and toned because it simply makes me feel good - and I think it's good for me healthwise to be doing it. It's part of an exercise routine that includes regular jogging and occasional cycling and racquet sports.

 

I have no intention of being a serious "body-builder". I can not think of anything that looks worse than these blokes with huge rounded shoulders, a 30 inch neck, and an inability to even walk with their arms at the side of them. Frankly, it looks absolutely ridiculous. I think it is a sign that something is mentality not right for someone to want to do that to themselves. It's not nice to look at it and if you are considering taking ANY substances, like steroids then you must be barking mad. The long term health effects of these drugs is dangerous.

 

But even forcing yourself to eat 6 meals a day - for what? So you can look like some huge gorilla?

 

I think that anyone who is considering this kind of regime ought to ask themselves another question? What is it that I'm unhappy with in my life that is making me want to behave this way?

 

My advice is simple:

 

Eat a balanced diet, take regular exercise and be yourself.

[Rupert_Baehr 10]

6 Meals a day, balanced, aim for 10g fat, 60-70g carbs and 20g+ protein per meal. The amounts of each change with your body weight, fat always 10g though. Protein has the biggest possible change.

 

Aim for 5 days training a week and split them into different muscle groups to ensure you work hard enough on each area.

 

4 exercises per muscle group for 4 sets each.

aim for 8-10 reps in each set.

 

The schedule I aim for is..

 

Monday - Chest

Tuesday - Back

Wednesday - Legs

Thursday - Rest

Friday - Arms

Saturday - Shoulders

Sunday - Rest

 

And try to incorporate an abs workout in there somewhere, I tend to try abs classes twice a week as they're pretty damn good.

 

Take this as you like. I work as a fitness instructor but some people might disagree with me! *Shrugs*

 

That'll work. I read the first bit of Kurtis' post and thought: "Wow, this guy is serious!"

 

Then I read the last line and realised it's what he does for a living. - He's not only serious, but he's talking from experience (and he knows what he's talking about.)

 

However many people start off with good intentions, but they fade.

 

Simple rule: Light weights, lots of reps - Builds strength.

 

Heavier weights (And perhaps, initially fewer reps) Builds muscle pads.

 

I used to box. - Lots of sit-ups with a 20lb weight behind my neck ... I wanted to build abdominal muscles which could take a belting (I wasn't interested in whether they looked pretty.)

 

For general fitness, more reps and lower weights ... but although it's easy to get started, sticking to a regime is difficult. Why not contact a trainer (and Kurtis might be a good idea, he did ineeed reply to your post) and get some help/support?

[getphysical 10]

There are some training articles on our website http://www.getphysical.co.uk which should be of some help. There are always conflicting notions about what you should or should not do. We've been involved in this industry for years and pretty much seen it, said it, done it prior to becoming personal trainers.

Your diet is paramount in getting the results you want, so check out what Del Galloway has to say in our testimonials section.

Unfortunately there is a decline in what we call "proper" gyms theses days, where help and advice was always available from good instructors and guys who have trained for years. Mick Quirks gym is good but Zak Khan doesn't train there now,he has his own gym. Lloydies gym is a great set up. Lloyd Stewart - the owner - is still a competitive natural bodybuilder. We did his diet last year when he became world champion!

Edited October 15, 2011 by getphysical

[Zepp 10]

But even forcing yourself to eat 6 meals a day - for what? So you can look like some huge gorilla?

 

Are 6 small meals a day really that beneficial though compared to having a few average sized meals a day? There seems to be so much conflicting information online I'm not sure what to believe.

 

http://www.leangains.com/2010/10/top-ten-fasting-myths-debunked.html

 

I also read that eating at night before going to sleep causes fat gain is also a myth.

 

I can not think of anything that looks worse than these blokes with huge rounded shoulders, a 30 inch neck, and an inability to even walk with their arms at the side of them. Frankly, it looks absolutely ridiculous.

 

I agree, to me it doesn't look good. If they are not competing then why do they do it? Since I'm quite new to weight lifting (couple of months, just like the OP), I'm giving my weights a rest and doing calisthenics till my smaller stabilising muscles will be capable of doing a decent job. So push ups, pull ups, body weight squats, dips and ab work outs (any other recommendations?).

 

http://www.alternative100pushups.com/

http://www.50pullups.com/

Edited October 15, 2011 by Zepp

[Mecky 10]

I would resist any steroids/weight gain products. You may consider yourself thin, but even though we've never met, I'd probably say you're not thin. I would also assume that you are quite young and therefore you will just fill out naturally as you get older.

 

This is the game:

 

1) Bulk - eating. Try to eat sensibly

 

2) Hone - Shaping your muscles as desired.

 

3) Burn - There's not much point in training if you hide musle under a layer of fat. So it means, dieting ... oh yeah, and running lots of it.

[mushypeas193 10]

Try this website http://www.muscletalk.co.uk some good info on here