How should i go about gaining some muscle?

[Hellravager]

I usually dont work out, so its a first for me. I wanted to start working out for my girl friend that i just got recently, any tips or ideas?

[Shadowferal]

Working out for the GF?

No.
That doesn't work.

Work out for you, period.

And since you don't normally work out, you need to pace yourself and take it easy.
You don't get muscle first. You get endurance first. Any other way tends to get a person hurt. (Try to lift too much before your bones are ready and you won't be happy)

brb...

[Hellravager]

Working out for the GF?

No.
That doesn't work.

Work out for you, period.

And since you don't normally work out, you need to pace yourself and take it easy.
You don't get muscle first. You get endurance first. Any other way tends to get a person hurt. (Try to lift too much before your bones are ready and you won't be happy)

brb...

Well atm i only weigh about 110 >.> i take after my father so i will have a hard time gaining any weight.

[Deleted]

dear god, yeah what the previous poster wrote, do it for yourself not for anyone else or it's bound to fail.

Keep in mind that any transformation takes time, so you have to have enough will to keep at it until it happens. I would suggest you start working out at least 3 days a week with one hour per session, that's not too much, but enough to achieve something. What you do really depends on where you are at now. Let's say you are not overweight and just want to get some muscles, workout back on one day, legs, ass on the other and stomach, arms on the last, something like that so it doesn't get boring, maybe throw in some cardio as well to get your endurance up.

if you don't easily put on weight, think about complementing your training with after workout shakes to help with that

[durrtygoodz]

Well atm i only weigh about 110 >.> i take after my father so i will have a hard time gaining any weight.

Nope, you just don't eat enough.

Start eating and start lifting.

[Vetis]

My experience is this, mileage may vary for other people. My workouts were only 2 days a week early on, 45 minutes each in the beginning with a day or two between them. Split body parts so you don't work the same muscles heavily both days and the gains were great.

What worked for me when I was younger was 5x5. As a new lifter 5x5 is decent - compound exercises(deadlift, squat, bench - cornerstones) are easy with minimal equipment and augment this with some targeted areas - basically heavier weight but low volume. the low reps and sets mean you can focus on form teaching good practice for later and it's not as punishing on recovery as time under tension focused 12-15 reps. This for 6 months or so.

By then you will have an idea what works for you and doesn't and you can build your own routine after that. Abs don't need working really - if you have low body fat they'll be fine. I was up to bicep curling 50lbs(for 5 - 35/40lb for 10+ reps) and deadlifting 300+ with this method by the time I was 18.

For long term gains - remember time under tension. For example when bicep curling don't let your arms go all the way straight when lowering and when raising contract your muscles at the top of the movement. Don't go overboard with protein - a good clean diet is more important in the beginning but make sure there are enough calories and some protein to prevent catabolism.

[Hellravager]

Start lifting about 3 or 4 times a week. Don't do 5-6 right away or you'll get burnt out. Limit your cardio to 1-2 times a week (if that, especially if you are the type of person that can't hold weight very well). A good split is Chest/Tris, Back/Bis, Shoulders, Legs. You can change it around but that's what I liked most when lifting 4x a week.

However, lifting isn't enough to get more muscle. You have to make sure you're eating enough too. You don't have to eat extremely strict but don't just eat anything with a lot of calories to gain weight. Some people say you should just eat whatever you want when trying to get bigger but all that does it make you gain fat. The most important time to remember to eat is breakfast, after your workout, and before bed when you're trying to gain a lot of weight. When I first started I was about 145 lbs. Got up to 185 with the same body fat % as I was at 145 after about 2 yrs.

So what would you say would be the best thing to eat?

[Alydael]

Workout and eat a ton of protein. They make protein shakes that you can take right before you go to sleep that are made with slow absorbing protein (casien, I believe) that will feed your muscles all night. Some people also eat peanut butter right before bed to gain.

If you have ever seen the movie "cliffhanger," note how ripped Stallone is in the opening scene. He ate 25 cans of lean tuna each day for months to get like that. You don't have to go that extreme, but eating lots of lean protein is key. Also, when you lift- lift big (as you can manage). Heavy weights low reps for size, lighter weights more reps for tone/cut (is a good rule of thumb). I would also recommend buying one workout with a trainer at the gym, just to get some tips and to help you iron out your routine.

Good luck!

[Boogums]

To look like something like khal drogo, you're going to need to be eating pretty much all day when not working out. You're also going to get sick of egg whites and chicken fast. Best of luck to you!

- - - Updated - - -

That being said, how much do you want to end up weighing?

[Boogums]

More than 2 cans of tuna a day isn't good for you because of the metal in the fish, so don't do that.

[In Ogres We Trust]

I usually dont work out, so its a first for me. I wanted to start working out for my girl friend that i just got recently, any tips or ideas?

a) Purchase a scale to weigh your food.
b) Trim most of the fat from your diet as well as sugars, etc..
c) Use the scale with every meal.
d) Download the MyFitnessPal App (https://www.myfitnesspal.com/), and use that to track your intake.
e) Consume a protein shake twice a day (at a minimum) with one shake immediately after your workout.
f) On average, attempt to consume 1-2g of protein per pound of body weight (Arnold suggestion).
g) Limit your cardio activities to 120 minutes per week, i.e. walking (outside of your normal routine), running, jogging, swimming, biking, hiking, etc..
h) Since you're just starting out, you should focus on bulking, compound exercises, and powerlifting, i.e. don't be the d-bag that comes in to engage in bodybuilding or abs. You need a foundation to work with before you even go into bodybuilding!
i) Deadlift, squat, and bench press 1-2 times a week. Remember... you're not living unless you're deadlifting!

Here's a personal friend slinging weight (to be fair, he's a former World Champion, and to be frank, a rather large individual in person):



P.S. He can deadlift close to 900, squat at 1000, and bench near 500.

P.P.S. This is a decent forum for general advice: http://forum.bodybuilding.com/

- - - Updated - - -

Here's another badass:

[Alydael]

More than 2 cans of tuna a day isn't good for you because of the metal in the fish, so don't do that.

I did say it was extreme, but that is what stallone says he did to prep for the movie and he was ripped in that movie. He could afford his tuna farm grown to his specifications, so I doubt he was eating what we would buy on the supermarket shelves.

The best part about this thread is that the op is just starting working out and we are giving him all these advanced gainer advice. He would do just fine lifting a little and eating a little more.

[Hellravager]

To look like something like khal drogo, you're going to need to be eating pretty much all day when not working out. You're also going to get sick of egg whites and chicken fast. Best of luck to you!

- - - Updated - - -

That being said, how much do you want to end up weighing?

Hmm around 180-200 i guess, enough so i have muscle but not fat

[aysatsana]

a) Purchase a scale to weigh your food.
b) Trim most of the fat from your diet as well as sugars, etc..
c) Use the scale with every meal.

....

A lot of this is such cookie cutter broscience advice, especially the protein shake part.

- Why would he need to weigh everything he eats? He ways 110 pounds, he should simply focus on eating a shitload of food. Doesn't gain weight? Eat more. At that stage there's no need to count macros with myfitnesspal. People rarely weigh what they eat when bulking anyways, that's more when trying to lose weight.

"Consume a protein shake twice a day (at a minimum) with one shake immediately after your workout."
" On average, attempt to consume 1-2g of protein per pound of body weight (Arnold suggestion)."
- "One shake immediately after your workout" is literally the epitome of broscience, there is no research backing this up. Just keep your protein intake high during the day. And by the way, you don't need as much protein as bodybuilders will make you think. 1.2-1.7g per kg of bodyweight is optimal for men weightlifting. People telling you to eat 2g per lbs are retarded. Also protein shakes are not needed, they are just a supplement. Never tell someone he NEEDS to take protein shakes, if he eats enough protein in his diet then he is fine without them. Just take some if you aren't able to get in your goal protein intake during the day.

- Cardio is a good suggestion but honestly he's trying to gain some weight, he doesn't really need to do it. (unless he wants to for health reasons). People that skinny usually have trouble gaining weight anyhow so why make it harder by doing cardio? Seems counter productive.

I agree on the training part. I would suggest doing a beginner powerlifting program and after a couple of months see what you want to do next. The important thing when starting is to build a solid strength foundation, you might find that you prefer bodybuilding style training and can move on to that later on. However don't do brosplits, as they aren't optimal for natural lifters. As a natural, you want to focus on benching/squatting/deadlifting frequently (2x week is good).

Everyone here is saying protein protein protein. Truth is for someone trying to gain weight the important is to hit your protein goal (1.2-1.7g per kg of bodyweight) and for the rest eat a shitload of carbs.

Workout and eat a ton of protein. They make protein shakes that you can take right before you go to sleep that are made with slow absorbing protein (casien, I believe) that will feed your muscles all night. Some people also eat peanut butter right before bed to gain.

If you have ever seen the movie "cliffhanger," note how ripped Stallone is in the opening scene. He ate 25 cans of lean tuna each day for months to get like that. You don't have to go that extreme, but eating lots of lean protein is key. Also, when you lift- lift big (as you can manage). Heavy weights low reps for size, lighter weights more reps for tone/cut (is a good rule of thumb). I would also recommend buying one workout with a trainer at the gym, just to get some tips and to help you iron out your routine.

Good luck!

Worrying about which protein type and meal timing(ie when to take casein etc) is such a minor detail, it's barely doing any difference. A beginner (and even advanced lifters) shouldn't worry about this. A beginner trying to gain weight should just eat a lot and lift. Worrying about taking casein before sleep is stupid and will only make it seem more complicated than it is.

Stallone was trying to lose bodyfat so he was keeping his protein high (ie tuna) and carbs low. That's not what you want to do when bulking. Telling someone to eat shitload of tuna during a bulk is bad advice. During a bulk you want to eat a shitload of carbs with your necessary protein.

"Heavy weights low reps for size, lighter weights more reps for tone/cut (is a good rule of thumb)" This is laughable. There's no such thing as "toning" or "cutting" when talking about specific rep ranges, yes low and high rep ranges have their differences but it's not as drastic and not anything like you described it. Usually lower ranges are more for strength and 8-12 are more for hypertrophy, but honestly it's not as black and white as you think. It's not like you do 5 reps you are doing strength work, and 6 reps you are automatically doing hypertrophy work. It's a gradual difference.

[Alydael]

A lot of this is such cookie cutter broscience advice, especially the protein shake part.

- Why would he need to weigh everything he eats? He ways 110 pounds, he should simply focus on eating a shitload of food. Doesn't gain weight? Eat more. At that stage there's no need to count macros with myfitnesspal. People rarely weigh what they eat when bulking anyways, that's more when trying to lose weight.

"Consume a protein shake twice a day (at a minimum) with one shake immediately after your workout."
" On average, attempt to consume 1-2g of protein per pound of body weight (Arnold suggestion)."
- "One shake immediately after your workout" is literally the epitome of broscience, there is no research backing this up. Just keep your protein intake high during the day. And by the way, you don't need as much protein as bodybuilders will make you think. 1.2-1.7g per kg of bodyweight is optimal for men weightlifting. People telling you to eat 2g per lbs are retarded. Also protein shakes are not needed, they are just a supplement. Never tell someone he NEEDS to take protein shakes, if he eats enough protein in his diet then he is fine without them. Just take some if you aren't able to get in your goal protein intake during the day.

- Cardio is a good suggestion but honestly he's trying to gain some weight, he doesn't really need to do it. (unless he wants to for health reasons). People that skinny usually have trouble gaining weight anyhow so why make it harder by doing cardio? Seems counter productive.

I agree on the training part. I would suggest doing a beginner powerlifting program and after a couple of months see what you want to do next. The important thing when starting is to build a solid strength foundation, you might find that you prefer bodybuilding style training and can move on to that later on. However don't do brosplits, as they aren't optimal for natural lifters. As a natural, you want to focus on benching/squatting/deadlifting frequently (2x week is good).

Everyone here is saying protein protein protein. Truth is for someone trying to gain weight the important is to hit your protein goal (1.2-1.7g per kg of bodyweight) and for the rest eat a shitload of carbs.



Worrying about which protein type and meal timing(ie when to take casein etc) is such a minor detail, it's barely doing any difference. A beginner (and even advanced lifters) shouldn't worry about this. A beginner trying to gain weight should just eat a lot and lift. Worrying about taking casein before sleep is stupid and will only make it seem more complicated than it is.

Stallone was trying to lose bodyfat so he was keeping his protein high (ie tuna) and carbs low. That's not what you want to do when bulking. Telling someone to eat shitload of tuna during a bulk is bad advice. During a bulk you want to eat a shitload of carbs with your necessary protein.

"Heavy weights low reps for size, lighter weights more reps for tone/cut (is a good rule of thumb)" This is laughable. There's no such thing as "toning" or "cutting" when talking about specific rep ranges, yes low and high rep ranges have their differences but it's not as drastic and not anything like you described it. Usually lower ranges are more for strength and 8-12 are more for hypertrophy, but honestly it's not as black and white as you think. It's not like you do 5 reps you are doing strength work, and 6 reps you are automatically doing hypertrophy work. It's a gradual difference.

Not sure that taking a casein shake before bed is overly complicated.... Pour in some mix, some milk, mix it- drink. Actually seems really easy. I never told him to eat a shit load of tuna. I told him Stallone did and I actually called it "extreme."


Also notice how I didn't give any numbers for rep ranges. That is because everyone is different and the numbers will be different for each person, as well as the routine. Which is why I told him that he should buy a workout with a trainer to get help with his routine. Since he never worked out before, the trainer is probably the best advice he got in this thread because he probably doesn't know much about form, designing a routine, etc.

[Deleted]

Theres only one muscle u need to train for your girlfriend..

[aysatsana]

Not sure that taking a casein shake before bed is overly complicated.... Pour in some mix, some milk, mix it- drink. Actually seems really easy. I never told him to eat a shit load of tuna. I told him Stallone did and I actually called it "extreme."


Also notice how I didn't give any numbers for rep ranges. That is because everyone is different and the numbers will be different for each person, as well as the routine. Which is why I told him that he should buy a workout with a trainer to get help with his routine. Since he never worked out before, the trainer is probably the best advice he got in this thread because he probably doesn't know much about form, designing a routine, etc.

Meal timing like taking casein before bed is such a minor difference, like 1% difference or something. The important is to get your protein throughout the day. No need to flood beginners with all this "take this then, and this now, this before bed" etc.

Numbers won't really be different for every person, it depends which type of training you do. Getting a personal trainer is usually a waste of money, since the internet has so much information about fitness.

[Tommy T]

Theres only one muscle u need to train for your girlfriend..

One? I think you need more than one muscle to open your wallet.

[Deleted]

Go to your local gym, and I mean gym, not fitness centre, when you sign up they should offer to give you a fitness plan.

Explain what you want to do and they'll draw you up a plan of what to do and what to eat.

I'd also change your motivation, doing it for the missus won't last long.

[Tommy T]

Go to your local gym, and I mean gym, not fitness centre, when you sign up they should offer to give you a fitness plan.

Explain what you want to do and they'll draw you up a plan of what to do and what to eat.

I'd also change your motivation, doing it for the missus won't last long.

>Implying you should trust fitness instructors at the gym.
>Kek