17 year old, joined the gym for the first time and wanting to bulk?

No I weigh 170lbs and for optimal growth 1.5g protein per LB of weight is recommended for serious growth which would result in 255g protein.

You wanna try get big eating 160g protein then you better weight 106lbs otherwise you're wasting just as much money lol.

I'm not even going to waste my time on this thread as people thinking you can benefit from 3 85g protein meals a day

No I weigh 170lbs and for optimal growth 1.5g protein per LB of weight is recommended for serious growth which would result in 255g protein.

You wanna try get big eating 160g protein then you better weight 106lbs otherwise you're wasting just as much money lol.

I'm not even going to waste my time on this thread as people thinking you can benefit from 3 85g protein meals a day

fitness industry loves you

Dear God you know nothing.

Ok, it's been a couple of weeks since I joined the gym. I've gone 3/4 times a week and tbh I enjoy it. I sort of want to bulk and be more toned and i'm 5'10 and not that heavy. I've just got a few questions:

1) I do about a 10 minute - 20 minute run on the treadmill before every session, should I continue to do so?
2) I use a variety of machines but do not use much as the weights which I probably should. But i'm not sure what to do and how many reps/sets? Like what are the best and most useful free weight workouts and how many sets should I do on the appropriate one?
3) For my diet like what is reccomended to eat daily and I usually have 3 meals a day. Is a protein shake really worth it and what are the best ones?

Don't tell me to read the stickies, they're really long and I can't read.

On a serious note bro if you wanna bulk you just gotta eat,eat,eat,workout and sleep.

Treadmill whilst wanting to bulk? For real? Cardio on bulking not once srs.

Now onto the subject of machines, why would you use these instead of free weights i.e dumbbells,barbells,olympic bars etc. Machine work doesn't break down muscle fibres the same as using free weights buddy, e.g 10 reps on 60kg Bench Press will fatigue your muscles into hypertrophy much quicker than if you were to use a chest press machine for 10 reps on 60kg resistance. The aim of lifting if you want to get big is to train like a fu**in animal and eat like a king.

Post your stats and ill tell you exactly what you need, but seriously 3 meals a day isn't going to get anyone big mate.

A daily meal plan for me is as so:

6am Breakfast - 4x Weetabix no sugar, splash of milk to get them a little moisturized and 2 boiled eggs.

9am Breakfast 2 - 1x Wholegrain sandwich with 1x tin of tuna & cottage cheese.

Between 10am-11am ill normally eat 2x Bananas and have a protein shake.

12pm Dinner time - 150g Wholegrain Pasta and either a whole pack of fresh chicken breast ready to eat or 300g freshly cooked chicken chunks.

2pm - 1x Small 580ml Bottle of green lid milk.

4pm- Double scoop of oats and protein shake.

6pm- Pasta/Rice/Noodles and Chicken with Veg.

Post workout - 1x Shake, Tuna and Fruit.

Sleep.

My shakes are about 300-400 calories due to the oats with them aswell, i could clean up this diet easily but as for now as im not bothered about slight fat gain this is sufficient for me.

Combining all those into one meal defeats the object of eating small meals per day.

Think logically your body can only put to use so much in one sitting, if I consume 250g of protein. And split it into 3 meals a day you're looking at 83.333333333g of protein per meal, FAR to much in one sitting as our body will utilise upto around 40g I think it is and the rest shall be put waste, unless of course you're on AAS then your protein synthesis rate increase dramatically allowing you to feed yourself more and more but this guy is just starting so were not on about the recreational use of AAS.

If you wish to put all of that into 3 meals a day then be my guest is wasting your time and effort to get gains. Your body is like a small fire inside it requires more fuel and supplies to keep your metabolism and blood levels stable to correctly feed your already fatigued muscles.

Probably don't even eat that much at the moment to be fair, need to eat more in general. Depending which scale I believe (mine or my GF's) I weigh between 230-240lbs, wouldn't even say 250 is all that much, all things considered, maybe slightly 'too much', but far from overkill. I take the approach that I would rather eat slightly too much than not enough, for the sake of saving a few pennies.

Out of interest, have you seen any studies that looked long term at protein intake and muscle growth, strength increase and performance? I haven't looked at many but from cliffs of ones I have seen they all seem to be short experiments, 1-2 weeks, which isn't really going to show any increase in anything.

No I weigh 170lbs and for optimal growth 1.5g protein per LB of weight is recommended for serious growth which would result in 255g protein.

You wanna try get big eating 160g protein then you better weight 106lbs otherwise you're wasting just as much money lol.

I'm not even going to waste my time on this thread as people thinking you can benefit from 3 85g protein meals a day

fitness industry loves you

He said back in July he's using steroids, yet mid November he is 170lbs Unless he's like 5% bodyfat

linky to this?

It's hard, but simple.

Find out your calorie maintenance, then eat about 500 calories more than that, maybe 1,000 if you need to.
That'll take care of your macros for now.

I eat 4,000 when I only need 2,300 to maintain but #EctomorphProbz

Train 4 times a week, 5 if you split the muscle groups right assuming you have the time.

You wanna train each muscle group 2x week,

I would recommended chest, bicep and triceps on one day.. Back, shoulders and legs on the other.

For specific advice on how to do each exercise correctly and how many reps sets etc... Just research and have a look on YouTube. Hodgetwins,

Elliot Hulse

and PhysiquesOfGreatness are the best advice you'll get.

I've learnt all I know from them and I've went from 108lb 7.6%BF to 122lb 10%BF...

So a good 8-9ish pounds of muscle.

Post #7

http://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/showthread.php?p=48743637&highlight=

really 17 is abit too young to start with weights and you should be focusing on running, pushups, situps, pullups, chinups, calisthenics and other hardwork and sports etc.

it is best to only start lifting free weights once you are near fully naturally grown, atleast 20 imo. most men haven't fully developed once about 25.

good to mix it in with abit of free weights and weight resistance machines on occasion, mainly for biceps and legs, but it's not something you should focus on at such young age if you want to develop real strength and power.

Your maintenance is not 2300 if you have to eat 4,000 to gain weight.



What about full body 3x a week



Agreed



Disagreed



They're amusing but their info isn't great



He used to be the best guy out there and then fame got him, his bioenergetics, breath into your balls bs has destroyed his credibility



Bro of peace



You're 55kg

Unless you're like 5ft tall that is incredibly light


If OP was looking for routine ICF5x5 or SL or similar would be ideal. youtuber wise JuggernautfitnessTV, Candito (his older vids on form) and Omar Isuf is where you want to go as a beginner.




Oh my

Why?


Ignoring the rest of that



why biceps and legs in particular?

It must be because I don't lose weight when I eat 2,300.

3x full body or 4x split is just personal preference. I don't say one is right and one is wrong.

Again, this is personal preference, but it makes sense to me. Triceps are worked with chest, may as well do your bicep too. Back and shoulders are unconnected (relatively) unlike chest and shoulders where you will exhaust your upper body, thus not get a great session in. For me anyway...

I would say for beginners they're info is good. They answer a lot of questions that beginners will ask.

And POG is just again, some of his advice works for me. Personal preference again.

Might seem light but I'm 5,6. I don't look terribly skinny, only been training a year. I was focusing more on the progress.
Posted from TSR Mobile

personally i see it as to do with natural progression and attitude toward fitness and i see so many not very fit people try to build muscle when they get so worn out doing intense workouts.

but also as i was taught to lift by a coworker who was an ironman competitor and personal trainer who i worked with at leisure centres and who was one of the most ripped and strong people i've ever known who told me that your muscle strength will be held back by your level of cardiovascular fitness and i've always followed his methodology.

not sure how much truth there is to that as i've never studied fitness but i see with muscle building that many people focus so much on how much they can lift afew times with terrible technique like sort of ego thing rather than getting all they can out of lighter weights.

they don't develop their muscles properly from not using slow and proper technique and working the muscle all the way through.
instead they just get flabby, bloated, ineffective muslces which quickly waste away once they stop and they are generally weak and quickly tire when doing intense workouts and really working their muscles.

the amount of people i see in gyms with abit of muscle and using huge weights with terrible technique and i have them trembling by giving them something even 30% lighter and making them do repetitions with proper technique.

it's just my opinion but i think it's much better to slowly work your way up through the weights and do endurance sets with all the different grips until that weight feels near weightless along with some power lifting rather than just doing almost nothing but power lifting.

biceps and legs in particular as there isn't many weight free excercises you can do which gives them a good workout.

also i see alot of men in gyms who have a little bit of muscle on their arms and chest yet have chicken legs and don't even bother doing any leg excercises.

...

Ok, it's been a couple of weeks since I joined the gym. I've gone 3/4 times a week and tbh I enjoy it. I sort of want to bulk and be more toned and i'm 5'10 and not that heavy. I've just got a few questions:

1) I do about a 10 minute - 20 minute run on the treadmill before every session, should I continue to do so?
2) I use a variety of machines but do not use much as the weights which I probably should. But i'm not sure what to do and how many reps/sets? Like what are the best and most useful free weight workouts and how many sets should I do on the appropriate one?
3) For my diet like what is reccomended to eat daily and I usually have 3 meals a day. Is a protein shake really worth it and what are the best ones?

Any other advice will be appreciated

It's hard, but simple.

Find out your calorie maintenance, then eat about 500 calories more than that, maybe 1,000 if you need to.
That'll take care of your macros for now.

I eat 4,000 when I only need 2,300 to maintain but #EctomorphProbz

Train 4 times a week, 5 if you split the muscle groups right assuming you have the time.

You wanna train each muscle group 2x week, I would recommended chest, bicep and triceps on one day.. Back, shoulders and legs on the other.

For specific advice on how to do each exercise correctly and how many reps sets etc... Just research and have a look on YouTube. Hodgetwins, Elliot Hulse and PhysiquesOfGreatness are the best advice you'll get.

I've learnt all I know from them and I've went from 108lb 7.6%BF to 122lb 10%BF...

So a good 8-9ish pounds of muscle.



Posted from TSR Mobile

Thanks for this mate. Advice will be taken. What kind of diet then?

Depends really.

What's your body type, how much do you weigh, how tall are you


Posted from TSR Mobile

Your maintenance is not 2300 if you have to eat 4,000 to gain weight.



What about full body 3x a week



Agreed



Disagreed



They're amusing but their info isn't great



He used to be the best guy out there and then fame got him, his bioenergetics, breath into your balls bs has destroyed his credibility



Bro of peace



You're 55kg

Unless you're like 5ft tall that is incredibly light


If OP was looking for routine ICF5x5 or SL or similar would be ideal. youtuber wise JuggernautfitnessTV, Candito (his older vids on form) and Omar Isuf is where you want to go as a beginner.




Oh my

i didn't mean to say a 17 year old shouldn't lift, i jut meant for a 17 year old to build strength it isn't necessary to start by using weights and i think that it's a better approach to first build strength without using weights.

i don't agree that muscle strength is simply muscle strength. i was younger and had the strength to easily keep up with the workouts of men who focused on powerlifting yet they did not have the strength to follow my workouts with lighter weights.
i can now lift heavier than them and they have barely progressed at all. maybe it is just genes, but i'd bet that they can't pass their plateaus as they need to go back as they didn't use the same slow, precise, focused techniques for long endurance sessions and it resulted in a overall weak body.

again, i've never studied the science of fitness and just giving my opinion but i find most people who do study fitness are usually relatively weak and don't have much to show for what they preach.
i just know what has worked for me. i started lifting weights regularly when i was about 18/19 because i could no longer get a burn without using weights.

i've never given a second thought to diet, never counted calories, never used any silly gimmicky protein shake nonsense, never used steroids, am 6'2, 20 stone and long ago found it difficult to get a burn from any weights in most gyms and i got into weight lifting from the feeling of power i got from doing excercises without weights.


but yes, sorry, if teens want to lift regularly then generally it is great and i shouldn't argue with it or discourage them.


1. yes keep doing sessions on the treadmill, preferably run out doors but if you use a treadmill then make sure you use a steep incline where you can feel the burn on your legs first. never stop running.

2. if you haven't had someone show you how to use proper technique for weight machines and free weights then you need that first.
always mainly focus on your technique.
what matters is not how much you're lifting but keeping good posture and fluid, controlled movement and feeling the burn in the muscle which the excercise is supposed to be targetting.
the goal is not the muscle mass or strength gain or the amount of weight you can lift, those will take care of themselves, the goal is the burn. no pain no gain.

start off by using ALL the weight resistance machines in your gym and any free weight excercises you know the proper technique for.

a good way to start is by doing 2 or 3 sets of 20 on one machine with a weight which becomes difficult at about 10 reps, then work your way around doing the machines that target back, shoulders, arms, legs in groups together.
back at start do 2 or 3 sets of 15 reps with a weight which becomes difficult at about 8 reps and work your way around again.
next time round do 2 or 3 sets of 10 reps with a weight which becomes difficult at about 5 reps.
try go for 4th time with 2 or 3 sets of 8 reps and heavy as you can take.

it's important to keep it going and not slack. try to take at most only 15 second long breaks between sets and next excercise.

do sets with the barbell on the bench for chest press in the same way but do 2/3 sets with a widegrip with your hands at the ends of the barbell and elbows straight out, then 2/3 sets with middle grip with your hands at shoulder distance and elbows out, then 2/3 sets with narrow grip with your hands together and elbows in.
do it the same as with machine and other excercises - first sets of 20 reps, then when you come back heavier and sets of 15, next heavier and sets of 10 reps.

learn other free weight excercises from someone who knows proper technique or a gym instructor and mix them into your workout in a similar fashion alternating possible grips.

that is about all there is to it. after a year or so of that afew times a week you should then be using the maximum weights available in most gyms without difficulty.
as you get much stronger you find it is difficult to really get a burn from full body workouts, especially if you don't have much time, so it is better to focus on seperate muscle groups on different days.

make sure you always stretch every muscle after workout as it is very important. stretching before excercise doesn't matter, after is a must do.
read up in multiple different places on stretches so you make sure you understand the proper way of doing them.

3. eat what you like. aslong as there is some decent food in your diet then it won't really make a difference. dedication to working out hard is all that really matters.
don't waste your money on nutrient and protein shake nonsense. i mostly just ate baked potatoes with baked beans and lots of fruit the year which i gained the most muscle.

This is the most helpful reply on this thread, cheers! I've got a fair few questions if you don't mind answering.
I usually do like a full intense 10-20 minute run on the treadmill prior to the start of every session and I really feel the effects. I guess it's a bad thing to do if I do it 4 times a week and when I want to bulk. Should I stop altogher or just do it like once or twice a week?
I've started doing free weights the past week and I think I'm doing it right but I'll ask the instructor to watch me and check it out. I usually go for 12,10,8 on a particular weight and then a set of 15 on a bigger weight. I think I definatly need to do more free weights as gym time is mostly taken up by machines/run. Would there be any free weight or machines that you would reccomend me doing and would really help? I'm 5'10, 140lb.
I think I need to do more ab and leg workouts. For ab, I usally just do crunches, russian twists and plank and I really want to focus more on that, any ab workouts that would bring results? For leg, at the gym i only really use the leg press and I need to focus more on it but not sure what else to do.
How should I categorise or group what I do in the 4 days that I go to the gym. Also, I do not get much protein in my diet as I am a vegetarian and have been for a long time and hence the protein shake idea which I should have started a fair while ago.