Working out

[BBSven]

Hi All,

I'm a beginner (also) at working out as a recreational activity besides studying, working and playing poker :)

I have my membership at my local gym but I don't exactly know how to do it smartly. I want to put on some weight (i.e. muscles of course :)) but I'm reluctant to use any sports nutrition. I tried to search for exercise plans to help me achieve this, but most rely heavily on such stuff.

Any suggestions? Any ideas would be much appreciated :)

Thx,

BB

[tob1n]

Hi there,

well, it depends on what you want to do. if you want to grow muscle, you'll have to eat shitloads of protein. if you don't want to take supplements, that's fine, but you'll have to change your diet. if you're lean and not prone to getting fat like me, this is a must. then, you'll need a decent workout regime. (gotta go now, will be back with more if you're interested)

[BBSven]

Sure as hell I'm interested :) Thanks in advance, I appreciate it! :)

[tob1n]

ok so here we go:)

First you must eat tons of protein as i said, try to go with low-fat meats like turkey and chicken. fish is also great, and add vegetable to the mix. If you like eggs, you can start your day with boiled eggs/omelette. THEN, you should work out. At first I'd suggest you work out 3 times a week, but if you feel like it, you can go on weekends as well.

if you have a gym membership, that's great, you have lots of opportunities. first of all, you will need resistance training to get your muscles growing. the best way to achieve this, is to do few reps with big weights SLOWLY to do the most damage to your muscles (muscle grows when it repairs damage such as micro-tears in the fiber). Remember, you NEED the resting days, this is when your muscle actually grows. You have to supply this growth with protein.

So, weight training. but as i read recently in Men's Health, new research found that for lean guys a whole body exercise (such as a pressup, squat) will grow muscles more than just a simple one-hand weight lifting that is concentrated on one muscle at a time (bicep for ex.).

For a specific workout routine i'd suggest you try a professional one, i myself read Men's Health magazine that offers tons of good workouts. i guess you can download some from their website, http://www.menshealth.com/ for free, i followed the Spartacus Workout (http://www.menshealth.com/spartacus/workouts/) which worked for me really well, and it's not that device-intensive. but you could also try to follow Arnel Ricafranca's workout regime (http://www.iwantsixpackabs.com/abs.html), i also started that and worked well.

if you have further questions, shoot:)

[BBSven]

Wow, thanks, those are exactly the kinds of advice I needed!

I try them and report back! Anyhow, I do go 3 times a week now and eat lots of chicken and vegetables and eggs, so at least a couple of things I got right on my own :D

If something comes to my mind, I'll bug you with it! :D

Thanks again!

[tob1n]

no problem man:) and when you go down to the gym don't try to act tough:D they'll notice you're not.:D

[Aces4Paul]

Also a little known secret is that broccoli packs more protein per ounce than any meat so if you want some healthy alternative this is definitely the way to go and dont forget the fruit berries and nuts. I know it sounds cliche but you need a balanced diet this is what will give you energy and alertness which helps tremendously with workouts. Good Luck

[BBSven]

Why, thank you both :)

I hate broccoli by default but I guess I'll just have to do whatever it takes, so broccoli it is then.. :)
And I'm not planning on acting tougher than I am, although I keep being afraid of being laughed at as to what am I doing there in the first place :P I'll get over it with time I guess, it's prly just paranoia :D

BB

[tob1n]

oh yeah, broccoli +1, not only does it provide you with lots of protein, but i read in some research that it's the healthiest vegetable ever, due to its vitamins, minerals and all that. for more, consult google (http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=9) :D So yeah, gotta get used to it. i ate it for the first time at my girlfriend's, and found it to be much more enjoyable than many say...

[babyonboard]

broccoli packs more protein per ounce than any meat

broccoli is good but there is a huge difference between vegetable protein and animal protein. animal protein is way more effective to gain weight and muscles.

OP: why are u afraid of "sports nutrition"? these are just concentrated food +vitamins. if u want to take in the same amount of protein from normal food then u will be suffer. not to say that its very important to use concentrated protein after training beacuse it works off better.

GL

[tob1n]

OP: why are u afraid of "sports nutrition"? these are just concentrated food +vitamins. if u want to take in the same amount of protein from normal food then u will be suffer. not to say that its very important to use concentrated protein after training beacuse it works off better.

I have a friend who was very lean, could eat like anything without gaining any weight. he started taking creatine, and protein shakes after workouts, and after that, he changed. he became prone to getting fat. of course, might be bad stuff, but i think these examples are the reason why many of us don't want to drink protein/vitamin shakes.

[babyonboard]

there are good and bad examples too and ofc if somebody does it without knowing anything about how it works(ie eating too much nutrition), it can be wrong at reaching the goal. but as i said its just concentrated food so this is why it can make somebody fat. also many people continue driving the same eating habits after stopping workout and that way they become fat.

[tob1n]

i just got back from a blood test, where I asked the doctor whether it is OK to take concentrated protein or not. she said it in the long run it'll make my blood more dense, which can cause serious problems later on. she said i shoud eat meat+meat+meat :D

[lihuny]

I also go to the gym once or twice a week. I wish I would have more time for my work out but unfortunately I have to work too much :( I also try to be careful concerning my food. meat is definitely important! I also like a chocolate milk from time to time because it helps increasing the energy level!

[tob1n]

supersets are the coolest invention for guys with no time btw. search for supersets at Menshealth, there are some quite good workout plans there. you don't even have to go to the gym, half an hour of interval supersets done at home can be just as good, just be focused