Want to get fit and build muscle!

[Larsadius Rex]

Howdy! First time posting in this forum haha.

So I'm a 19 year old, 6'1" and 165 pounds. I'm not fat, but not skinny. I have muscle, but it's not very toned. I have very healthy eating habits (only drink tea, water, and the occasional beer) and eat primarily vegetables and pork/chicken, though I do eat more fast food than I should hehe.

My question is this: I'm from a very germanic family. My dad is built, by grandfather is built, and so on. I always admire the fantasy warrior archetype (norse gods, barbarian in D3, Aragorn, the Mountain), and I recently realized that I should use that sort of admiration to get me to be a more physically fit individual. Endurance and agility are no problem for me- I hike regularly without breaking much of a sweat, I've hiked top tier hiking trails such as the Mount Mitchell (tallest mountain east of the Mississippi). The only thing I'm truly lacking in is physical strength.

I go back to college in a month and a half, and it has a full training facility open to everyone, and as a music major I have very little free time. But I'm wondering from the more experienced body builders what exercises I can do 2-4 times a week that can really help me build muscle effectively. I really want to get in shape so I'm not hating my body by the time I hit 40, and I'd really love it if I could get some guidance on to how to really improve my strength.

Thanks!

[Deleted]

Deadlifts, Bench and Squats. Those are the 3 compound exercises that pretty much put every muscle in ur body to work. If u want a 2 day exercise i recommend a full body routine, if u can go 4 times u recommend a 2 way split UB / LB or Back / Front. I personally keep out the squats.

2 way split example:
http://www.workoutbox.com/workouts/m...lding-workout/
(take out the back extensions and put in the deadlift)

As for getting bigger, broader, bigger arms, etc: Eat more. Ur body turns fat into muscle when exercising. No fat is no muscle gain. Otherwise all ull be doing is removing the fat layer obscuring the muscletone. Which is also good if that is ur goal. Use lower repetitions per set, increase weight. So its better to do 100kg x5 than it is to do 60kg x20 if u want to pack on muscle.
Stay within 3-8 reps.

[Larsadius Rex]

Thanks a lot, man!

[Velaniz]

I think people too easily prescribe the deadlift incorrectly. The deadlift is not a back movement. It's a lower body/lower back movement, primarily. If you're going to bench, you need a pulling movement to offset the resultant pec-minor tightness. You definitely need a row of some kind, or failing that, pull-ups.

[Deleted]

I think people too easily prescribe the deadlift incorrectly. The deadlift is not a back movement. It's a lower body/lower back movement, primarily. If you're going to bench, you need a pulling movement to offset the resultant pec-minor tightness. You definitely need a row of some kind, or failing that, pull-ups.

Used when deadlifting. Cable rows are included aswell, as are the pull ups in the 2 way split. Deadlift is just easy gains when ur just starting out.

[Adamas102]

Deadlifts, Bench and Squats. Those are the 3 compound exercises that pretty much put every muscle in ur body to work. If u want a 2 day exercise i recommend a full body routine, if u can go 4 times u recommend a 2 way split UB / LB or Back / Front. I personally keep out the squats.

2 way split example:
http://www.workoutbox.com/workouts/m...lding-workout/
(take out the back extensions and put in the deadlift)

As for getting bigger, broader, bigger arms, etc: Eat more. Ur body turns fat into muscle when exercising. No fat is no muscle gain. Otherwise all ull be doing is removing the fat layer obscuring the muscletone. Which is also good if that is ur goal. Use lower repetitions per set, increase weight. So its better to do 100kg x5 than it is to do 60kg x20 if u want to pack on muscle.
Stay within 3-8 reps.

Push/pull is a good 2 day split. That being said, I find it hard to recommend things like deadlifts, bench, and squats to a random online beginner. It took me a long time and several injuries before I was able to really nail the form on these exercises, and I had the added benefit of starting at the gym with friends who already had a little experience of their own. Access to a real trainer would be ideal, otherwise it's just a matter of doing your own research (a lot of it).

[SL1200]

Go to the Brick layer's union and get a job. You'll build plenty of muscle.

[Velaniz]

Used when deadlifting. Cable rows are included aswell, as are the pull ups in the 2 way split. Deadlift is just easy gains when ur just starting out.

Very few of which are used optimally.

The lats and traps aren't even worked anywhere near as much as the hamstrings, so there's definitely some problems with the illustration.

When you break down the movement, there isn't a lot you gain from the deadlift that you couldn't gain from another movement - a movement that would also be better in other ways. The deadlift just isn't necessary for the goals of most people. It's just the fact of this being one of the central power-lifting moves that causes all the hype, and of course a bunch of people wanna act hardcore because they deadlift when other people don't.

[Deleted]

Very few of which are used optimally.

The lats and traps aren't even worked anywhere near as much as the hamstrings, so there's definitely some problems with the illustration.

When you break down the movement, there isn't a lot you gain from the deadlift that you couldn't gain from another movement - a movement that would also be better in other ways. The deadlift just isn't necessary for the goals of most people. It's just the fact of this being one of the central power-lifting moves that causes all the hype, and of course a bunch of people wanna act hardcore because they deadlift when other people don't.

I wonder if u ever deadlifted if you think the second and third status of deadlifting comes from the hamstrings. Trapezius isnt loaded that much, but as you put on more weight the trapezius needs to work harder and harder to maintain a straight shoulder.

Nothing hardcore looking about sitting like ur taking a crap while sticking ur bum out lol. Aestatic wise pull ups look way more hardcore. Regardless, any powerlifting will make op gain (That s his goal, not to get lean) more than pull ups which is more of a cardio and lean muscle exercise.

[Deleted]

As for getting bigger, broader, bigger arms, etc: Eat more. Ur body turns fat into muscle when exercising. No fat is no muscle gain. Otherwise all ull be doing is removing the fat layer obscuring the muscletone. Which is also good if that is ur goal. Use lower repetitions per set, increase weight. So its better to do 100kg x5 than it is to do 60kg x20 if u want to pack on muscle.
Stay within 3-8 reps.

Really? Your body turns fat into muscle when exercising..? I hope that it is a typo, a brainfart or something. Obviously this does NOT happen.

Regarding the discussion on deadlifts. Deadlifts are a hip-dominant movement, and should thus be considered a lower body exercise. With that said, deadlifts are excellent at building depth in the back, but to fully engange and optimally promote hypertrophy a certain threshold of weight should be used, a threshold that might be above what one can expect, or should advice a newbeginner to lift. Lower back is optimally engaged, but the trapezius is best stimulated with heavy weights. Deadlifts can not, and should not replace back dominated movements such as the bent over row and pullups. As mentioned by previous poster, deadlifts do not engage the rear deltoid in any significant way. Bench pressing tightens pecs and engages the front deltoids, without a counterpart movement one could easily develop shoulder injuries and posture problems.

[Deleted]

Really? Your body turns fat into muscle when exercising..? I hope that it is a typo, a brainfart or something. Obviously this does NOT happen.

Then rephrase what happens when bulking?

[Deleted]

Then rephrase what happens when bulking?

It is not possible for me to rephrase such a physiological and factually wrong statement and a quick google search would reveal thousands of sites debunking this old school myth. It is the most basic understanding of physiology, even organic chemistry, to know that fat can never be converted into protein, ie muscle.

It all has to do with the hierarki of macro nutrient metabolism. Where as protein, carbohydrates and fat when we ingest them have to possibility to be metabolised into several stages for different purposes, our fat storage has one sole purpose and that is being a energy dense storage for when our body needs it. The stored fat, is broken down into so simple molecules that it is easy for our body to convert it into usable energy when in a energy deficit. The key note here could also be energy deficit. The most basic physiology that almost anyone that lifted a barbell knows is: To build muscle one must be in a energy surplus, while to burn fat one must be in a energy deficit. Therefor you can not build muscle and burn fat, and you can especially not convert fat into muscle, one could only wish it were that simple.

So what happens during bulking? Well you gain fat, you gain muscle. That simple. Then you cut, you lose fat, you lose muscle. Hopefully during bulk your fat gain doesn't far outweight your muscle gains and while cutting your fat loss should outweight muscle loss.

[Deleted]

It is not possible for me to rephrase such a physiological and factually wrong statement and a quick google search would reveal thousands of sites debunking this old school myth. It is the most basic understanding of physiology, even organic chemistry, to know that fat can never be converted into protein, ie muscle.

It all has to do with the hierarki of macro nutrient metabolism. Where as protein, carbohydrates and fat when we ingest them have to possibility to be metabolised into several stages for different purposes, our fat storage has one sole purpose and that is being a energy dense storage for when our body needs it. The stored fat, is broken down into so simple molecules that it is easy for our body to convert it into usable energy when in a energy deficit. The key note here could also be energy deficit. The most basic physiology that almost anyone that lifted a barbell knows is: To build muscle one must be in a energy surplus, while to burn fat one must be in a energy deficit. Therefor you can not build muscle and burn fat, and you can especially not convert fat into muscle, one could only wish it were that simple.

So what happens during bulking? Well you gain fat, you gain muscle. That simple. Then you cut, you lose fat, you lose muscle. Hopefully during bulk your fat gain doesn't far outweight your muscle gains and while cutting your fat loss should outweight muscle loss.

Yeah, i knew that. What the fuck did i type then?

Edit: Ah there we go. Your body turns fat (uses the fat for energy : surplus energy is used to optimize muscle gain trough exercise) into muscle.

[Sandrah]

It seems that some training and a proper diet will be enough in your case, going to the gym and jogging can be helpful,though if you do that thoughtlessly it will take you long to wait for really impressive results, there's a chance to enhance effectiveness of your workout if you calculate your heart rate zone, I do that using a special calculator on Beets BLU site page,just find the zone effective for burning fat and body strengthening and keep to it, you'll find all guidance here.

[Primernova]

Gym is great, if you have the time, money and dedication. Most don't, so find a good routine you can do at home imo. A three day a week push/pull split, seems to be the best overall for most, but it's never one size fits all. For home, you just really need some dumbbells, but a bench is a huge help if you have the room.

Diet is completely up to you, eating healthy small meals throughout the day is the easiest to do. Other diets are much more extreme and are about the only way to get great abs but they are hard to stick to.

[Deleted]

Yeah, i knew that. What the fuck did i type then?

Edit: Ah there we go. Your body turns fat (uses the fat for energy : surplus energy is used to optimize muscle gain trough exercise) into muscle.

No you are still completely wrong. What you are talking about requires two opposite energy states within the body. Reread this: "To build muscle one must be in a energy surplus, while to burn fat one must be in a energy deficit". If one were able to loss fat while bulking, there would be no need to cut, sadly it is not the case.

[Deleted]

Used when deadlifting. Cable rows are included aswell, as are the pull ups in the 2 way split. Deadlift is just easy gains when ur just starting out.

no its not,deadlifting it self is mostly lower body exercise if done properly lats/back shouldnt be used too much when deadlifting unless you do rack-pulls which eliminates hardest part of the lift and allows you to use more weight and focus more on working out your back
Also most people shouldnt do dl's as you can fck up your lower back quite easily if proper form is not used.

Yeah, i knew that. What the fuck did i type then?

Edit: Ah there we go. Your body turns fat (uses the fat for energy : surplus energy is used to optimize muscle gain trough exercise) into muscle.

you cant possibly turn fat into muscle it goes against laws of physics and human biology.
Muscles are made from glycogen/water and only than muscle tissue none of them are powered by fats.Stay on keto diet for few weeks and look how flat and weak you will look.Yes you can get energy from fats but none of it will be used for powering muscles hence why no endurance/power athletes do low carb diets.

What you most likely meant was that while bulking you will build MUSCLE and eventually also some fat cells will be made(unless you were fat to start with and than cut down,or you are on steroids).And after you cut you will empty those fat cells so your muscles can finally be revealed.

as for OP:Eat according to your goals,workout 3-4 times a week,make sure you gain like 0.8-1lbs a week.Aim for 150-200 grams of protein a day.Sups are not necessary as most of them are garbage.

[Adamas102]

No you are still completely wrong. What you are talking about requires two opposite energy states within the body. Reread this: "To build muscle one must be in a energy surplus, while to burn fat one must be in a energy deficit". If one were able to loss fat while bulking, there would be no need to cut, sadly it is not the case.

That last part is not entirely true. It just tends to be easier and more efficient to either bulk or cut.

You can most certainly be on a diet and exercise regimen that balances between surplus and deficit such that your muscles find what they need for repair and hypertrophy when needed while also forcing your body at times to have to dip into those fat stores for the energy it needs during the day.

While you're not wrong about the basics, the reality is that a particular diet/routine doesn't necessarily have to put you on either a surplus or a deficit 100% of the time. In the long run, which is what matters when you're talking about progress, you can definitely lose fat and gain muscle without having to go through separate bulking and cutting cycles.

[Deleted]

That last part is not entirely true. It just tends to be easier and more efficient to either bulk or cut.

You can most certainly be on a diet and exercise regimen that balances between surplus and deficit such that your muscles find what they need for repair and hypertrophy when needed while also forcing your body at times to have to dip into those fat stores for the energy it needs during the day.

While you're not wrong about the basics, the reality is that a particular diet/routine doesn't necessarily have to put you on either a surplus or a deficit 100% of the time. In the long run, which is what matters when you're talking about progress, you can definitely lose fat and gain muscle without having to go through separate bulking and cutting cycles.

That is going to unnecessary nitpicking and way off track in this matter. As we agree on, losing fat requires a deficit state and building muscle requires a surplus state. However you chose to structure it is going to be personal preference and in most cases what counts in the sum of calories over a given period. How you define your bulk can vary, and different approaches can certainly be used. You could in theory eat a calorie surplus of 200 calories a day for 6 days, then fast for a day and still be cutting fat mass even though 6 of your days are what many do as a bulk, but you would lose fat and not build muscle.

Don't get me wrong, it is possible over a longer period of time to raise your muscle mass while dropping in fat percentage without a yo-yo effect on fat mass. A strict lean bulk for example would raise your muscle mass while keeping your fat mass at the same weight which would result in a overall lower fat percentage, you could also do some weekly changes to be either in a caloric deficit or surplus but again we somehow with this end with 'cycles', just in very short duration. However the reason why many chose to either cut or bulk is simple: it's easiest and it is fastest. Lean bulk require very strict tracking of nutrients while accurately have your BMR for each day varying on activity level. Weekly cycles and switch ups requires a very careful approach as it can easily end up being counter-productive.

When dealing with normal bulk and cut cycles, the only thing on your mind is reaching a desired calorie goal for the day, it is missed you just make up for it the next day. If it is a goal for the day, or a week doesn't matter much in practice. **Note though there are certain things to affect the outcome, fasting a day for example is a poor way to do it as previous example and is just to show an extreme example**

[idunnowatdo]

try out SL5x5 and icf5x5 they work wonders and is very simple. sl even has a iphone app to track your routines