Getting started - Help me with a routine [Archive]

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Monocle

01-28-2009, 01:23 PM

A gym is opening up soon, I got a huge discount from a friend who manages a gym. I'm looking for a routine that fit my needs. I think I have diet and other things down, if not I'll save it for another thread sometime.

About me: 6 foot 3, 150 lbs, did some weight training in high school for sports. My body responded well to the workouts, probably from the better nutrition at the time.

My Goals: Gain 20 pounds in 6 months with little or no fat(not really worried about fat gains though. I'd rather gain fat with muscle then lose the fat then no fat and muscle.) Learn the correct form of different lifts. I will need a routine for size first, in order to gain the 20 pounds. After I think I will be looking at a strength routine. My friend is also starting at the gym - he has similar goals to me.

Proposed routine: I can realistically probably only hit the gym twice a week at present. Therefore I'll have to work 2 large muscle groups on the same day(back and legs or legs and chest)...right? Problems with that? How much will it hinder my growths? As I said I'm skinny looking for weight gain, so I know I need to do heavy compound lifts (deadlifts, squats, bench press). Does 4 sets of 10ish reps sound good?

Thanks for helping a newb and please be as detailed as possible as my puny brain cannot comprehend about seemingly abstract thoughts about weight lifting.

Carbonbased

01-28-2009, 03:49 PM

Hummm ok I'll play, but only because you didn't include "curlz to work my bicepz lul."

You are right in choosing squats, deadifts and bench press, mega compound exersizes that should get you where your going.

4x10 should be appropriate for hypertrophy, though I know someone is going to recommend 3x5 witch I believe is what is used in riptoe/starting strength (which you may want to check out any way)

So since you can your going twice a week, i'm assuming you have 2 days (at least) between workouts so you can hit every majour mussle and have plenty time to recover.
so lets say...
4x10 squat
4x10 bench press
2x10 dead lifts
3x10 overhead press
Mabe a lat pulldowns at your discression.
Lather, rinse, repeat.

I know people are going to say "too hight volume" but common sounds like hypertrophy is ya goal so really??

Also post diet plz thanks lulz:D

Monocle

01-28-2009, 11:13 PM

Thanks, I know these threads are frowned upon and touched briefly in the FAQ.

Would I do those exercises on one day, then repeat the next gym day? (About 4 days apart.) I thought muscles usually need a week before being hit again. Right?

Diet:

Somewhere between a fuck load and a shit load.
Breakfast(6 AM): Oatmeal, whole milk or juice, bagel w/ cream cheese.

Brunch(10 AM): Small snack including mixed nuts, banana (or some fruit), protein shake(Or weight gainer? See below)

Lunch(1 PM): Varies greatly. I eat out alot (to restaurants not fast food). If I eat out it'll be good food. If I don't it'll probably be grilled chicken w/ rice or potatoes. This meal is usually tied with dinner for quantity.

Late Aft(4 PM): Mixed nuts, banana, leftovers from lunch and brunch

Dinner(6 PM): Varies but staples are pasta or spaghetti w/ground beef sauce, or chicken w/ potatoes and greek salad.(most food is done greek style, lots of olive oil)

Before bed (10 PM): Leftovers from dinner, homemade shake(oats, milk, fruit, protein powder)

--------------------------------------

I have no idea how many calories I eat as of now. I should probably be at 3000 for maintenance as I play hockey twice a week and work a physical job. So when I start lifting and implementing this new diet I think I am going to aim for a little under 4000/day, 200 grams of protein, and a shit load of fat(I'm greek, my blood is in fact olive oil.)

Also, what do you guys think about substituting whey protein for weight gainers. As long as its low in sugar and not full of cheap, empty calorie boosters it should be okay. Right?

Kim Jong Il

01-28-2009, 11:28 PM

You don't need four days in between lifting to recover; that won't even generate a training effect. Start out at three times a day. Your body will gradually adapt to the frequency of training, so you can cycle up to four days, five days, seven days, two times every day, etc.

Monocle

01-29-2009, 01:54 AM

^^Three times a week

It's only likely I'll be able to get to a gym twice a week as I said. And all the programs I've seen might have been 3 times a week but they would leave a week for the specific muscle groups. For example Mon is chest, weds is legs, fri is back. There are two days in between workouts but a week in between workouts for the muscle groups.

So...How much rest is needed a) between gym visits(doesn't matter right?) and b) working out specific muscle groups.