Where to start?

[BarelyLegalBear]

Hey all, just started back working out and was wondering where i should start. Currently i am 148 lbs. 5'8 and 17 years old. Just having an issue on where i should start. Not sure if i should lose weight or start building muscle. I have a slight case of moobs that i'd like to lose also and i know this is not the best place to be asking for advice but it'll have to do. I'm doing good on food but any suggestions on meals to eat would also be nice. Just trying to either slim up a bit or put on some muscle.
Here are a few pics that'll do help:
http://i.imgur.com/Nc1bu5s.jpg
http://imgur.com/Xk5dKae
http://imgur.com/gnP5DjU

Any advice would be greatly appreciated! Thanks!

[Deleted]

Where to start:

Grab a copy of Stronglifts 5x5.
Follow the program.
Eat.
Sleep.
Repeat.
Done.

[Spectral]

What kind of workouts do you like? That's going to be the biggest key, finding out what you enjoy doing. If it's lifting, hit the gym and follow a program. Lift heavy enough to challenge yourself, but don't be a tough guy and grab stuff that's too heavy to lift with good form. From a pure physical appearance standpoint, weightlifting generally gives the best results.

But really, you need to ask what you're looking for - is it just some tone, or are you interested in having some fun? For me, I love running and cycling, so that's what I do (with enough lifting to not turn into a complete twig). The best thing about running is that if you're remotely serious about it, you'll be able to eat quite a bit more without gaining weight, while increasing tone.

On the food front, learn to love green things, Greek yogurt (plain, not the sugary kinds), and chicken.

[BarelyLegalBear]

What kind of workouts do you like? That's going to be the biggest key, finding out what you enjoy doing. If it's lifting, hit the gym and follow a program. Lift heavy enough to challenge yourself, but don't be a tough guy and grab stuff that's too heavy to lift with good form. From a pure physical appearance standpoint, weightlifting generally gives the best results.

But really, you need to ask what you're looking for - is it just some tone, or are you interested in having some fun? For me, I love running and cycling, so that's what I do (with enough lifting to not turn into a complete twig). The best thing about running is that if you're remotely serious about it, you'll be able to eat quite a bit more without gaining weight, while increasing tone.

On the food front, learn to love green things, Greek yogurt (plain, not the sugary kinds), and chicken.

Never ate greek yogurt before, not a big fan of yogurt but i eat a lot of chicken. Baked and Grilled most of the time but i never eat fried food. I drink only water so i'm good on that. Mainly i'm just trying to get myself in shape for the military. I just want to look fit and possibly a little slim unless i can put on some muscle in the next 3 months. Its like i want to lose wait and build muscle, hard to say what exactly i want but i guess you could say its in the middle.

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Where to start:

Grab a copy of Stronglifts 5x5.
Follow the program.
Eat.
Sleep.
Repeat.
Done.

I'll check this out too.

[Spectral]

Never ate greek yogurt before, not a big fan of yogurt but i eat a lot of chicken.

So, one of the things I stumbled into via the girlfriend cooking was a nice way to add some extra protein to a normally unhealthy meal - her version of Buffalo mac and cheese was made with fat free cheddar cheese and Greek yogurt rather than a traditional cream sauce. The result is very, very little fat in the end product, but still with a nice creamy texture. I think there's online recipes available that are similar. I've also used it in stroganoff. There's a bunch of sauces that benefit from it and get a bit of tang and "free" protein in a meal that wouldn't otherwise be there.

Baked and Grilled most of the time but i never eat fried food. I drink only water so i'm good on that. Mainly i'm just trying to get myself in shape for the military. I just want to look fit and possibly a little slim unless i can put on some muscle in the next 3 months. Its like i want to lose wait and build muscle, hard to say what exactly i want but i guess you could say its in the middle.

It's possible to add muscle while shedding fat, but from everything I've gathered, it's hard. There's some other folks on the forum (Bankotar, where you at?) that know a lot more about that then me, since my focus is mostly on endurance sports where bulkier muscles wouldn't do me much good. If you're just looking for general fitness and tone though, a nice mixed program of weightlifting and moderate cardio should do the trick for you. I really feel like the biggest thing is picking things that you actually find fun though, since a couple month shot of fitness that falls off isn't really that great.

If you start lifting, running, biking with some goals in mind, you'll probably find one of them pretty fun in short order. New personal records are always fun, whether it's climbing a certain hill faster on a bike, getting a fast 5K, or benching more than you used to. Good luck!

[BarelyLegalBear]

So, one of the things I stumbled into via the girlfriend cooking was a nice way to add some extra protein to a normally unhealthy meal - her version of Buffalo mac and cheese was made with fat free cheddar cheese and Greek yogurt rather than a traditional cream sauce. The result is very, very little fat in the end product, but still with a nice creamy texture. I think there's online recipes available that are similar. I've also used it in stroganoff. There's a bunch of sauces that benefit from it and get a bit of tang and "free" protein in a meal that wouldn't otherwise be there.



It's possible to add muscle while shedding fat, but from everything I've gathered, it's hard. There's some other folks on the forum (Bankotar, where you at?) that know a lot more about that then me, since my focus is mostly on endurance sports where bulkier muscles wouldn't do me much good. If you're just looking for general fitness and tone though, a nice mixed program of weightlifting and moderate cardio should do the trick for you. I really feel like the biggest thing is picking things that you actually find fun though, since a couple month shot of fitness that falls off isn't really that great.

If you start lifting, running, biking with some goals in mind, you'll probably find one of them pretty fun in short order. New personal records are always fun, whether it's climbing a certain hill faster on a bike, getting a fast 5K, or benching more than you used to. Good luck!

I'll have to try those ideas on some meals sometime soon. Sounds like a good idea to start eating much better than i do now. I eat pretty good, have a vegetable or two with most meals and either chicken, pork chops, or ground beef.

I haven't found what i enjoyed in working out yet, but figuring it out would be really nice. Lifting may be something i might just like and biking is ideal but i want a good beginner bike for any kind of terrain without spending too much money. Swimming is also really fun to me, just not in this weather right now. Just trying to get myself in shape a bit. Want some more confidence in my body, i mean i have confidence and motivation i can get where i want to but i also want to feel better about myself with the end results.

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Just eat protein and work out. Don't start out with supplements.

Get a gym membership trial at your local gym (If they have one available) and see if you like their program before you wastefully throw money at it.

Plan on going to a gym pretty soon. Think i might just do the StrongLifts 5x5, it sounds like it'll do the job for me.

[Deleted]

(Bankotar, where you at?) !

Right here my friend




So to the OP

I would not suggest either slimming or bulking, but a lean good diet. Your weight seems fine in proportion to height. Nothing drastic needs to be done. If you do a proper program your body will change plenty.. Eat turkey, chicken, brown rice, veggies (carrots are my candy, cooked, raw, diced, shreded yummi)

Dumbnut is actually spot on in what he says. 5x5 stronglift is a fantastic program. The strength you gain is amazing, to be honest. For the military this would be perfect. I´ll post the latest here.

Work A

Squat ATG or go home https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zoZWgTrZLd8
Bench Press
Standing overhead press
Pushups to failure

Work B

Squat
Bent over barbell row
Deadlift (this is only 1x5 not 5x5) This is also the trick to it all. DL so you think you will die, and you will grow stronger. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u6UgD1H_AXw
Pull ups to failure

Work out Monday, Wednessday, Friday. Alternate a-b-a-b-a-b-a-b-a-b etc.

HERE IS THE TRICK TO 5X5

Start with using only the bar, yeah, only the bar... Now every training session, you add 2.5kg on every excersice.. Yes thats 7.5kg a week on the squat... 5 sets, 5 reps.. Now when you hit a plateau at some point, meaning you have failed at doing 5x5 with the same weight 2 sessions in a row, remove 10% of the weight, and then carry on as usual adding 2.5kg every session.

If you want to add some abs, weighted crunches and standing oblique crunches are plenty



Cardio - When you can do 1 min at 21 kph, 1 min walk and alternate for 15-20 min you will have cardio.


Now for the diet I used while shedding 17kg fat in 3.5 months and got my deadlift 1 RM to 160kg

Lots of shakes made in the blender...

2 carrots
1 apple
1 banana
1 pear
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 scoop protein powder
low fat 0.2% milk

And many variations of this.. Ate lots of chili with cottage cheese on. Lots of raw red bell pepper. Made sure to get a shake for breakfast... Cooked with coconut oil.

Multi vitamin
fishoil
Creatine
Whey Protein powder

If you want to go all in, some Casein protein for that before bed shake, but small bowl of chili with some cottage cheese just as good.


Check out youtube channels of

Omar Isuf
Jonnie Candito (Watch his form vids for squat and deadlift...)
Sebastian Fitness Solutions (THIS GUY HAS INSANE KNOWLEDGE)
Scott Herman Fitness (ok guy for form vids on the excersices, and yes, watch one for every excersice, but squat and DL wich is Candito)



Spectral, this was a fast post and I am half drunk, so shout if I missed anything.




EDIT - Most important.... NO ALCOHOL


If you are a complete beginner, DO NOT GET A BELT, LEARN PROPER FORM FIRST, AND LOCKING YOUR CORE. Wraps for deadlift are ok if you can DL more weight than you can hold with your grip strength. But that shouldn´t be before around 100kg

[BarelyLegalBear]

Right here my friend




So to the OP

I would not suggest either slimming or bulking, but a lean good diet. Your weight seems fine in proportion to height. Nothing drastic needs to be done. If you do a proper program your body will change plenty.. Eat turkey, chicken, brown rice, veggies (carrots are my candy, cooked, raw, diced, shreded yummi)

Dumbnut is actually spot on in what he says. 5x5 stronglift is a fantastic program. The strength you gain is amazing, to be honest. For the military this would be perfect. I´ll post the latest here.

Work A

Squat ATG or go home https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zoZWgTrZLd8
Bench Press
Standing overhead press
Pushups to failure

Work B

Squat
Bent over barbell row
Deadlift (this is only 1x5 not 5x5) This is also the trick to it all. DL so you think you will die, and you will grow stronger. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u6UgD1H_AXw
Pull ups to failure

Work out Monday, Wednessday, Friday. Alternate a-b-a-b-a-b-a-b-a-b etc.

HERE IS THE TRICK TO 5X5

Start with using only the bar, yeah, only the bar... Now every training session, you add 2.5kg on every excersice.. Yes thats 7.5kg a week on the squat... 5 sets, 5 reps.. Now when you hit a plateau at some point, meaning you have failed at doing 5x5 with the same weight 2 sessions in a row, remove 10% of the weight, and then carry on as usual adding 2.5kg every session.

If you want to add some abs, weighted crunches and standing oblique crunches are plenty



Cardio - When you can do 1 min at 21 kph, 1 min walk and alternate for 15-20 min you will have cardio.


Now for the diet I used while shedding 17kg fat in 3.5 months and got my deadlift 1 RM to 160kg

Lots of shakes made in the blender...

2 carrots
1 apple
1 banana
1 pear
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 scoop protein powder
low fat 0.2% milk

And many variations of this.. Ate lots of chili with cottage cheese on. Lots of raw red bell pepper. Made sure to get a shake for breakfast... Cooked with coconut oil.

Multi vitamin
fishoil
Creatine
Whey Protein powder

If you want to go all in, some Casein protein for that before bed shake, but small bowl of chili with some cottage cheese just as good.


Check out youtube channels of

Omar Isuf
Jonnie Candito (Watch his form vids for squat and deadlift...)
Sebastian Fitness Solutions (THIS GUY HAS INSANE KNOWLEDGE)
Scott Herman Fitness (ok guy for form vids on the excersices, and yes, watch one for every excersice, but squat and DL wich is Candito)



Spectral, this was a fast post and I am half drunk, so shout if I missed anything.




EDIT - Most important.... NO ALCOHOL


If you are a complete beginner, DO NOT GET A BELT, LEARN PROPER FORM FIRST, AND LOCKING YOUR CORE. Wraps for deadlift are ok if you can DL more weight than you can hold with your grip strength. But that shouldn´t be before around 100kg

So stick with the workout you listed for me? Or should i do the stronglift 5x5 program on the website? Also, would it be fine for me to do cardio on tuesday and thursday?

One more thing, what do you mean by "Do not get a belt"? Little confused on that. Beginner BTW.

[Spectral]

more thing, what do you mean by "Do not get a belt"? Little confused on that. Beginner BTW.

Weightlifting belts protect your spine when you're deadlifting and squatting heavy. If you're a skinny little dude like me and not concerned with getting big, you won't need one. If you're new and learning proper form, you won't need one. If you get to the point where your muscular strength starts to exceed what a human spine can handle, you'll need one. I wouldn't worry about it for now.

I can't really give informed commentary on lifting programs for gaining mass. I try to hit the weights on the days when I can't run because of crummy weather or tired legs, but it's not a big focus for me. My main things are to focus on lifting free weights, focus on good form, don't obsess over how much you're lifting (but do make sure it's enough to push you to exhaustion!), and make sure to engage your core muscles. I'm sure anyone that's serious about lifting would giggle at my weightroom routine, but I mostly do it because I think it's good for me rather than thinking I'm going to turn into a beast.

[Deleted]

Weightlifting belts protect your spine when you're deadlifting and squatting heavy. If you're a skinny little dude like me and not concerned with getting big, you won't need one. If you're new and learning proper form, you won't need one. If you get to the point where your muscular strength starts to exceed what a human spine can handle, you'll need one. I wouldn't worry about it for now.

I can't really give informed commentary on lifting programs for gaining mass. I try to hit the weights on the days when I can't run because of crummy weather or tired legs, but it's not a big focus for me. My main things are to focus on lifting free weights, focus on good form, don't obsess over how much you're lifting (but do make sure it's enough to push you to exhaustion!), and make sure to engage your core muscles. I'm sure anyone that's serious about lifting would giggle at my weightroom routine, but I mostly do it because I think it's good for me rather than thinking I'm going to turn into a beast.

Actually a belts main function is the tightening of the core (creating intra abdominal pressure), wich lets you lift more. However as a beginner you should not get a belt because this will lead to you not doing proper form and tightening the core.

So how do you tighten your core.. Well, and excuse the language, you pull your asshole up to your stomach and tighten everything up. This will train your natural weight belt the transverse abdominis and thoraco lumbar fascia.

An easy way to experience this is on the benchpress. Do 3-4 reps holding your breath, tightening the abs and pulling the a-hole to your stomach. The bench is much easier then



To The OP - What I posted was 5x5 but with added pullups etc, you should do this... Cardio is fine but do it on training days. You will need the days of to add 2.5kg every session



EDIT - Let me say to the OP. You shouldn´t really be too concerned about diet. Your body looks perfectly fine. Consitency in training will change your body plenty. The added muscle will also increase your metabolism. Instead of thinking DIET, think about eating quality food



Feel free to bomb me with PM´s when training starts. I got your back jack


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dvy36qP26-0

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S6hqhnSM-MU

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7FOnEexsrjU

[Spectral]

Actually a belts main function is the tightening of the core (creating intra abdominal pressure), wich lets you lift more. However as a beginner you should not get a belt because this will lead to you not doing proper form and tightening the core.

This does protect from lower back injuries though, right? Or am I way off base here?

Let me say to the OP. You shouldn´t really be too concerned about diet. Your body looks perfectly fine. Consitency in training will change your body plenty. The added muscle will also increase your metabolism. Instead of thinking DIET, think about eating quality food

Agreed. Focusing on getting enough protein and generally eating the things that are obviously healthy (chicken breast, spinach, broccoli, other green things, lean meats, all the shit that everyone basically knows) will work out just fine, I think. Of course a super focused approach on nutrition can matter down the line, but for now, OP should see huge benefits from just picking up a solid regimen.

[Jackmoves]

Try and eat some fish and seafood as well, its loaded with good stuff, omega 3, vit d, lodine and selenium to mention some, fatty fish like salmon and mackerel in particular got lots of omega 3.

[Aldred]

The advice here is good already: Stronglifts 5x5, or a similar program, would be great ways to start. Focus on form to begin with rather than big weights. You'll need a while to adjust when you're starting out anyway. Those squat and deadlift videos Bantokar linked are good. If you're still not sure whether you're doing things right - video yourself doing the same exercises, from the same angle, as the guy in the video. Then compare.

I'd definitely include some exercises specifically for your core. You'll gain a lot just from doing the compound exercises like squat and deadlift, but you can never have too much core strength. It is SO important! Planks and side planks are particularly good as they target your transverse abdominus (muscle deep in your abdomen, very important for posture and stability - and so for lifting).

You also mentioned losing fat/gaining muscle. Unless your aim is to look a certain way (i.e. very slim and toned) I'd gain muscle for now. Conventional wisdom, which I agree with, suggests that losing fat and gaining muscle at the same time is actually possible - but it's difficult and not as efficient as doing one of them at a time. The exception to that is complete beginners, who can more easily do both for a while. That's you!

[Velaniz]

Hey all, just started back working out and was wondering where i should start. Currently i am 148 lbs. 5'8 and 17 years old. Just having an issue on where i should start. Not sure if i should lose weight or start building muscle.

Beginners shouldn't get caught up in the 'bulk' or 'cut' fad. Do both of them. Eat at a slight caloric deficit, have the rest of your diet dialed down as well (micro-nutrients, protein intake, etc), and then pick a good workout program. I'd suggest a strength routine of some sort since you seem like a complete beginner. Stronglifts, like some people have already suggested here, would be great for this purpose. You mention you're about to join the military, so you're also after a certain degree of cardiovascular health/conditioning. Throw in 1-2 days of cardio a week.

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This does protect from lower back injuries though, right? Or am I way off base here?

Not entirely true. There's reason to believe that it could both prevent lower back injuries, as well as make you more prone to them when you're not using the belt. I don't think there's been anything in the way of a definitive conclusion regarding it.

That isn't the reason it's used, anyway. Like Bantokar said, mainly just it facilitates the creation of a hydraulic pump by aiding the valsalva maneuver (the bit Bantokar mentioned about sucking your ass up), and just in general takes a lot of your core out of the equation, so that it's not a limiting factor. The only reason you'd ever want to use this is if you were lifting maximal weights (precisely why you see powerlifters using them all the time). Beyond that, they don't serve much of a purpose.

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also, OP, you appear to have somewhat of an excessive anterior pelvic tilt. You ought to look into resolving that. Working out, particularly when done with bad form, has been known to aggravate bad posture a lot.