New to body building.

[moneer]

Hello people. I recently moved to a new house and found some bench pressing weights. So I found a pole and set up a bench. Now I'm not sure what to do. I want to become a buff guy. I'm 15, weigh about 110 lbs and I'm about 5'3''. Anyone able to give me some diet tips and what I should and shouldn't eat/drink?
Also, are supplements and protein drinks such as "muscle milk" recommended for a guy like me?

 

[Kaido]

My advice is to pick a goal. You said buff - are we talking Ryan Reynolds or are we talking Arnold here? Once you pick where you want to be as far as looks & strength goes, it's pretty easy to setup a food, exercise, and sleep plan based on your goals.

None of it's hard; the tricky part is following through every day. My advice is to make a big chart on the wall to track your progress, and go to be at a reasonable hour (or go to bed early) so that you get enough sleep & have enough energy to do your daily exercises & make (and eat) your meals. Also, eating healthy can taste good, if you're willing to put in a bit of effort to learn how to season your food.

So you said buff - pick a body type & report back!

 

[z1ggy]

Hello people. I recently moved to a new house and found some bench pressing weights. So I found a pole and set up a bench. Now I'm not sure what to do. I want to become a buff guy. I'm 15, weigh about 110 lbs and I'm about 5'3''. Anyone able to give me some diet tips and what I should and shouldn't eat/drink?
Also, are supplements and protein drinks such as "muscle milk" recommended for a guy like me?

Have you ever lifted before? Form is going to be key and it might be hard to get proper form for compound lifts on your own. I guess if you can't get to a trainer for 1 session just to learn basics, watch as many youtube videos from reputable sources as you can. When I was 13, I did a bunch of sessions at a power lifting gym to learn proper form of all the basic movements.

Focus on basic compound movements for now, like bench press, squat, deadlift, overhead press, and rows. Starting Strength is a good program to follow (google it) to build up a solid base.

Nutrition is important, too. You'll want to make sure you're eating enough to recover and build mass. "Muscle milk" is not essential. Eating enough of the right calories is. Whether that contains protein shakes is up to you. Use Myfitnesspal (or similar) websites/apps to track your eating habits.

I know you're young but I have found a lot of helpful guides and methods at this website called Ripped Body.

 

[Zivic]

Steroids.. Lots of them. Starting asking around now and find a good reliable source.

Pin, don't use orals. Test E and look into arimidex.

If you are in us, they are illegal.

 

[gradoman]

Steroids.. Lots of them. Starting asking around now and find a good reliable source.

Pin, don't use orals. Test E and look into arimidex.

If you are in us, they are illegal.

He's only 15 though... (to be honest, I'm not sure if you're serious, lol)

To the OP, there are three things you need/learn how to do:

Proper diet
Rest
Workout program


A lot of information on those things is here: http://forums.anandtech.com/showthread.php?t=162171

Go to Youtube and look at videos for Squat, Deadlift and Benchpress and get on a proper program. You can probably get all of those done with what you have.

Save yourself money by avoiding supplements.

 

[smackababy]

If you're serious about "body building" and not just lifting in general (even if I would recommend this next for for that as well), get a coach / trainer. They can tailor a program for you, set you up on a proper diet, and make sure you have good form and avoid injuries.

And, after the first week, motivate you to continue through the pain, because it will hurt.

 

[Kaido]

Steroids.. Lots of them. Starting asking around now and find a good reliable source.

Pin, don't use orals. Test E and look into arimidex.

If you are in us, they are illegal.

H&F haiku? :biggrin:

 

[iwajabitw]

Get your form and diet in check. Those are so critical to making gains. Diet for mass I have always liked a 40/40/20. That's 40% of your calories come from clean carbs and proteins, the 20% from good fats. Take your time, don't move up in weight until you can complete the exercise your doing with proper form. At your age with those 2 things gains will come quickly...you don't need any of the advertised supplements claiming miracles for using there product, be more concerned about getting all your macros from real foods. Lots of good info over at bodybuilding.com forums. And take pics so you can see the changes each week or so. Have fun!

 

[xapo99]

Steroids whilst still growing result in stunted growth as they cause the ends of your bones to harden. You can google this...don't take my word for it.

 

[Zivic]

Steroids whilst still growing result in stunted growth as they cause the ends of your bones to harden. You can google this...don't take my word for it.

even better if they stunt growth. easier to look bigger when one is shorter.

 

[angminas]

The most important thing for you is proper form...if you're not doing an exercise properly, you're not going to get results, and you're going to get hurt. Be careful about the pushing through pain thing...you have to know the difference between soreness and injury. If you're 15 years old and 110 pounds, you probably don't yet. Don't try to impress anyone with how tough you are. The results will come if you stick to it, but you can't stick to anything with a herniated disc or torn labrum.

At your size, you'll probably have trouble gaining weight. I recommend that you go to stronglifts.com and follow the 5x5 beginner program for three months, focusing on form. Once you have gained some experience and maturity in the weight room, you could try GOMAD (look it up) to gain some weight. Be sure to keep in touch here and with your doctor.

On the other hand, maybe being a big weighthead is not your thing. There are a tremendous variety of bodyweight exercises which can get you very strong. They also have reduced chance of injury, which is important for a beginner and/or someone who doesn't have access to a real gym.

 

[inachu]

I'll let the others reply to you about health on what to eat but back in the day when I was 18 I was eating fairly decent healthy meals with almost no junk food for 6 months. I picked 6 months as that was how long I properly guessed I could stay way from junk food.

So as you I never benched in my life and wanted to do the fast track to big muscles as fast as possible.

You truly need a spotter or what you are going to do will kill yourself.
Go watch on youtube all the benching mistakes people made choking themselves with the bar across their neck. Very bad! So do not bench alone EVER! Unless you are doing light weights.

Ok for starters there will be minimal mistakes and your muscles will shake and the dumb bells and bar will move all over the place.

That is ok because your muscles are learning new moves and weights. You are not just getting muscles but training your muscles for the proper movements.

So get proper form so you do not hurt yourself. Look more at youtube videos where people record crazy people in the worst form as they bench or curl. Learning at the start will keep you from more pain.

Ok lets say you got safety and form down and you are ready to roll.
Use weight locks on the end!!! ALWAYS!
My gym teacher said to start out the best way for beginners is to do 3 sets of 8.

Every body bodies are different and at different levels so you may think 3 sets of 8 may be too much or too little but the idea of 3 sets of 8 is to be someplace in the middle.

I myself never benched before in my life so I could not even bench 50 pounds back in 1988! Yep. sad but true. To start out you want to bench every other day.

So for me benching was mondays and Wednesday. Tuesdays I was working on my lats which look like you are trying to start a lawn mower and pulling up the dumb bell to your groin.
Same thing with all movements and do 3 sets of 8.

After 2 months of this I started to cheat and started benching everyday in which you truly need to do it the ARNOLD way and that is called muscle failure.
Once you do 3 sets of 8 then you remove 20 pounds and do another set. Once you can not do another set then remove another 20 or 5 pounds until you can not even bench an empty bar. At the end of course there is some pain but you get massive muscle growth and your muscles will feel so tight like your skin will pop! LOL!!! Don't worry it will not.

So after 3 months start to build your own routine and maybe 3 sets of 8 is no longer for you and investigate other methods and so forth. One thing though while lifting weights one thing trainers will often advise people is to build your core strength using your own body weight. I met one guy who had massive shoulders and he never lifted weights in his life and he said he got it all from doing calesetics.

So that is another strength training method if you tire from weights all the time.

So anyway after benching for 6 months I went form unable to bench an empty bar to maxing out at benching 325 pounds. Max benching 325 means you can bench one time 325 and your supposed normal 3 sets of 8 routine weight would be around 190 to 220 pounds.

Not saying my way is the best way but everyone must find their own way as not every plan works for everyone so this should be a great thread with awesome advice from those who have lifted weights before.
Just remember you are young and take safety as your #1 priority.

 

[inachu]

Sample youtube video of calesetics training https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qHvMDlQ8Zyk

 

[alkemyst]

He's only 15 though... (to be honest, I'm not sure if you're serious, lol)

To the OP, there are three things you need/learn how to do:

Proper diet
Rest
Workout program


A lot of information on those things is here: http://forums.anandtech.com/showthread.php?t=162171

Go to Youtube and look at videos for Squat, Deadlift and Benchpress and get on a proper program. You can probably get all of those done with what you have.

Save yourself money by avoiding supplements.

OP look up GOMAD, then just lift and get your rest. The most important part is moving weight, get a basic book for 'form'.

I started around 6th grade when I found a dusty craftsman set in my dad's garage. It had 4, 10's, 4, 5's, 4, 2.5's and a 35lb bar. I later got a couple 25lb plates and eventually moved to join a real gym in 9th grade.

 

[Zivic]

The most important thing for you is proper form...if you're not doing an exercise properly, you're not going to get results, and you're going to get hurt. Be careful about the pushing through pain thing...you have to know the difference between soreness and injury. If you're 15 years old and 110 pounds, you probably don't yet. Don't try to impress anyone with how tough you are. The results will come if you stick to it, but you can't stick to anything with a herniated disc or torn labrum.

At your size, you'll probably have trouble gaining weight. I recommend that you go to stronglifts.com and follow the 5x5 beginner program for three months, focusing on form. Once you have gained some experience and maturity in the weight room, you could try GOMAD (look it up) to gain some weight. Be sure to keep in touch here and with your doctor.

On the other hand, maybe being a big weighthead is not your thing. There are a tremendous variety of bodyweight exercises which can get you very strong. They also have reduced chance of injury, which is important for a beginner and/or someone who doesn't have access to a real gym.

for some real advise, I would argue that the most important thing to do is find a plan and stick to it (even if it isn't the best plan) -> consistency.... yes, it would be nice to have 100% proper form, but if you aren't risking injury, your consistency and work ethic are what is most important. As a beginner you have very little control over your muscles. you don't know where you should be feeling things, how to control how/where you are pulling or pushing from, so it can making nailing down the form kind of hard, but fake it till you make it. the internet is invaluable. watch youtube and mimic the lifts. In time you will develop a mind muscle connection.

I have watched a lot of people train in my time at the gym. Those that make the most progress; er, actually any progress, are those that come day in day out and work hard. That isn't necessarily the same person with the best form. I see a lot of people come for 5-10 wks, then you wont see them for a month or 2. Then they are back again for 4-6, then off a month. if you want results, you need to put your time in, not taking a month or two off a couple times a year because work got busy or some other excuse.

 

[johncieera]

Well I think you should make your own weight gainer. However eat a lot and keep track of your calorie intake

 

[IHateMyJob2004]

Immediately going to say this.

1) Never collar the weights when doing bench press. One person dies each month because they get trapped under the bar. It's cheaper to fix a floor than your life.

Learn form. Mark Rippetoe is your friend in regard to this. TONS of videos online and he has a DVD that came with a popular book he wrote that is "available" online. Learn form. Learn form. Learn form. Learn form.

 

[alkemyst]

Immediately going to say this.

1) Never collar the weights when doing bench press. One person dies each month because they get trapped under the bar. It's cheaper to fix a floor than your life.

Learn form. Mark Rippetoe is your friend in regard to this. TONS of videos online and he has a DVD that came with a popular book he wrote that is "available" online. Learn form. Learn form. Learn form. Learn form.

Use dumbbells.

Trying to bench without a spotter is not smart.

 

[IHateMyJob2004]

Use dumbbells.

Trying to bench without a spotter is not smart.

While your statement makes sense, my statement is still valid and is considered a best practice if you must bench outside of a cage.

 

[alkemyst]

While your statement makes sense, my statement is still valid and is considered a best practice if you must bench outside of a cage.

I don't agree with esp. a new bodybuilder skipping collars nor not having a spotter.

One of the most common things is they tend to lift unbalanced, the weights slide one way, and then the bar flies.

Maybe fine when you are alone, but I have seen people hurt next 'door' doing their own exercises.