Workout advice please

Rock77

Any advice would be great,

I'm male, 32, 5'9 and weigh 10 stone. I've always been very skinny and weak.
I retired from football a year ago and have decided to try get stronger and bulk up a bit.
I have been going to the gym 3 days a week for the last 5 weeks.
The following is my workout.

Shoulder press: 10kg
Chest press: 12.5kg
Lat pulldown: 28kg
Leg press: 35kg
Ez bar curl: 10kg

I do 3 sets of 12 reps of each of the above, I also do 3 sets of varied situps.

Am i doing enough? Should i go up in weight and down in reps? (I can't finish 12 reps if i go up in weight)
Thanks

Cake Man

Do you do that same workout every gym session? If so, it looks like you're just doing a bit of everything without focussing much on specific areas. Choose a body split like upper body/lower body, push/pull/legs or by muscles group (e.g. Day 1: chest & triceps, Day 2: back & biceps, Day 3: shoulders & legs).
If you're looking to get stronger, I'd be adding the main compound lifts such as bench press, deadlifts and squats. These should be the core of your workout (do them each on separate days though) and get into the habit of using free weights more than the machines.
Yeah generally for strength training, you increase the weight/resistance but don't do as many reps


What is a typical days eating for you? Post it up. If you're looking to bulk up, your diet will play the biggest part here - plenty of protein, good fats and carbs.

Rock77

Thanks for the reply,

Yeah i do the same workout everyday.
I'll have to get the gym staff to show me how to do the compound excercises. Cheers.

6:00 pancakes, juice+ 1 piece of fruit
6:45 workout
8:00 shake- 1 scoop syntha 6, 1 cup oats, 1 scoop peanut butter, 1 banana + 1 pint milk
10:45 porridge + 2 pieces of fruit
13:30 chicken breast with pasta and sauce + oats bar
17:00 tuna sandwich
19:45 spuds, veg, steak/fish/chicken

Hopefully as i get better at training I'll be able to increase the portions.
What do u think

Alf Veedersane

Rock77 wrote: »

Any advice would be great,

I'm male, 32, 5'9 and weigh 10 stone. I've always been very skinny and weak.
I retired from football a year ago and have decided to try get stronger and bulk up a bit.
I have been going to the gym 3 days a week for the last 5 weeks.
The following is my workout.

Shoulder press: 10kg
Chest press: 12.5kg
Lat pulldown: 28kg
Leg press: 35kg
Ez bar curl: 10kg

I do 3 sets of 12 reps of each of the above, I also do 3 sets of varied situps.

Am i doing enough? Should i go up in weight and down in reps? (I can't finish 12 reps if i go up in weight)
Thanks

It would be worth your while getting a trainer at the gym to show you some compound lists using free weights because you're more likely to see results than with machines.

Also, you have 5 exercises and only one that targets the lower body. You should also add some rowing exercise (i.e. horizontal pulling) to balance the overhead pressing (shoulder press) and horizontal pressing (chest press).

But really need to get some more leg work in there.

Irishcrx

I also think you could use a trainer and a program to get you started. You also need to do a few hours reading on bulking/cutting cycles , calories , importance of protein and that.

The program is all over the place , it's going to get you very little/nowhere and when you see nothing happen you will think your wasting your time and end up quitting. Harsh I know , but look that's the truth. But you are now looking for advice on how to proceed and get actual results.

No that's out the way, you need a goal. This is always important , what do want to achieve over say the next 3 month's? I'd imagine you want to put on weight/strength/muscle. At your size I'd be aiming for 1 - 1.5 pounds a week , that won't be all muscle but at your size your going to need some mass and you can worry about the rest later on. OK , so how do you achieve that.

Diet: Most important - Calories must be in a surplus

You need excess calories in order to build muscle , full stop. You need to download my fitness pal and track EVERYTHING you eat , you need at least 1 gram of protein per pound of bodyweight. Read up on diet and download that app, this is critical you weigh 140 pounds at 10 stone , so around 2100 calories is what you need to eat everyday to stay at the weight you are...Add 500/600 calories to that per day to grow , so aim for 2600/2700 a day...and eat clean chicken , steak , pork...on a bulk I'd even say Pasta , rice , potatoes...find what works for you.

Lifting: Get a program that targets every major muscle group and start compound lifting

Compound lifts will gain mass quicker than anything else , deadlifts , squats , bench press , chin ups , pull ups , bent over rows....this is what you need. As a newbie to lifting , the body will quickly adapt and you will experience a period of sustained growth if you eat right and do these lifts...meaning you'll start to see results in a few weeks. Get a trainer to show you them and make you a program.

Rep range: Personal choice

Everyone has a differant rep range that works for them and what program/result they are looking for. I've tried various and do mix them up a little but what works best (For me anyway) and tbh for most is the hard way. Meaning heavy weights , 6 reps...if you can lift more than six...higher the weight up. This places the muscle under the greatest tension and forces it to grow, reps should be slow and controlled and in full contraction up and down through the range of motion , don't half a rep , don't cheat , your only cheating yourself , if it's too heavy lower it and find the sweet spot. Example, you will see guys in the gym loading weights on to EZ bars for Bicep curls, they are arching their back all over the place barely being able to stand still, dipping one side from another , halving the range of motion and think that's great because the weight is high , it's not it's idiotic and they are going to put their back out sooner or later. Think of it like driving , you must be in control of the weight and have correct form not let the weight arch or control you, if your using your back or failing form , it's too heavy... slowly increase as you get stronger. IMO 12-15 reps is waste of time , your not going to get the same results.

Best of luck.

Deco99

Is it too early to suggest GVT for the OP? Not as many excercises to learn, bulk up.

MightyMandarin

Deco99 wrote: »

Is it too early to suggest GVT for the OP? Not as many excercises to learn, bulk up.

On what planet would suggesting the OP, who's admittedly skinny and untrained, to do GVT be good advice?

There's absolutely no need for anyone to do GVT imo, let alone a beginner like the OP.

For anyone starting out, the priority is to get into a routine of lifting 3-4x a week and to get stronger in every exercise performed. With a good diet, the physique will follow on from this. There's no magical set/rep range although I personally like 5x5, but doing 10sets of 10 would kill him before he's even started.

Rock77

Thanks a million for that irishcrx

Rock77

Just looked up GVT, i think that would kill me!! The 5*5 looks interesting, do i just do that workout, nothing else??

b_mac2

Go join a weightlifting or powerlifting gym/club before you start doing any compound lifts. Some of the stuff I see people doing in gyms, is at best cringe worthy and at worse- ****ing dangerous.

MightyMandarin

Rock77 wrote: »

Just looked up GVT, i think that would kill me!! The 5*5 looks interesting, do i just do that workout, nothing else??

5X5 is a good program to start with as it'll teach you the basics of lifting.

As b_mac2 said though, joining an olympic weightlifting or powerlifting club might be better for you to learn how to lift properly. There's a few posters around here who run their own gyms so maybe getting a few lessons from them will help.

Irishcrx

MightyMandarin wrote: »

5X5 is a good program to start with as it'll teach you the basics of lifting.

As b_mac2 said though, joining an olympic weightlifting or powerlifting club might be better for you to learn how to lift properly. There's a few posters around here who run their own gyms so maybe getting a few lessons from them will help.

The 5 x 5 is the best starting program IMO. Goes back to the basis of what I was saying about heavy lifts , lower reps. It will keep you growing at a decent pace for the first few month's (And beyond) when you get used to lifting you will then start to make adjustments yourself when you know what works and what areas you want to target ,work on more.

Deco99

Rock77 wrote: »

Just looked up GVT, i think that would kill me!! The 5*5 looks interesting, do i just do that workout, nothing else??

Fair enough too soon for the GVT but just note its not 10*10 of the same weight you would do 5*5. But it does work regards getting bigger.

Just to note, this is obviously just my own experience not gospel.

But started a four month programme for playing football.
cycle of 6 weeks on one programme getting the technique and starting strength up to scratch
then, 6 weeks GVT, followed by 6 weeks of building up the strength and power phase, last phase maintaining strength and power and adding speed. Largely same excercise, jsut different reps and focus with plyometrics being introduced in phases 3 and 4.