Workout Routine for A Tall Lanky Guy

Hi.

I'm a tall and lanky guy (skinny with long arms/legs)..... especially arms.

I just got a gym membership and I was hoping somebody could recommend me a weekly routine that I could stick to.

I'm not trying to lose fat because I am already very skinny, I want to build a decent amount of muscle so I can have a moderately toned physique and improved strength. I'm not trying to be a body builder here.

I just don't want to be regarded as that skinny dude anymore, you know?

Thanks a lot, and I apologize in advance for having the audacity to make my own thread but i searched around and couldn't find what I was looking for.

i don't know about routines, but there were a few tall skinny guys at my gym who got really big really quick recently. they said they did it by doing heavy shrugs, deadlifts and hang cleans two or three times a week.

There are no specific workouts but just know that you will be at a bio-mechanical disadvantage when it comes to exercises like squats and benching if you are long limbed.

I've been doing all bodyweight exercises .. a variety of pushups, sit up, and other core exercises. Put in about a 40 minutes a day, 3 days a week.

I'll never build a lot mass, but I'm building muscle and my strength is up. A month ago I had trouble doing 50 pushups in a half hour, am now doing 100 and am thinking about adding chinups to my routine.

Chest/stomache/arms are looking much healthier. Been doing this for a month or so .. and am content with doing until next spring when I'm done school, and seeing where I end up. If I could go from 145 lbs to 165-170, by doing this routine and eating better .. I'd be happy.

You should work on your lower back with deadlifts for starters. It'll help your posture which tall lanky guys usually seem to be lacking. Don't neglect your back while doing squats and bench.

Originally Posted by jungshoe

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i don't know about routines, but there were a few tall skinny guys at my gym who got really big really quick recently. they said they did it by doing heavy drugs, deadlifts and hang cleans two or three times a week.
FTFY. If they were skinny and they got big quickly (ex. a 6'0 150 guy getting to 180 muscle), I doubt there's any other explanation.

If your starting any program you'll see results if you are consistant. That's the great thing about strength training as we train we adapt. Almost anything half decent will work for a while. That's not to say that that you shouldn't try and optimize your workouts just that you are in a prime position to make progress.

There are a ton of workouts and programs out there but if you're a skinny guy the biggest lifting will probably be with your fork and pillow. Diet and recovery is what lets you take advantage and grow from training. Don't be afraid to get a little bit fat. It's actually hard work to keep eating the calories you need and eat healthy.

When I have gained size it's been with a focus on squats, rows, dips, pull-ups (long arms make for big leavers so these are harder for lanky guys) and Eating. Eating. Eating.

I've always been tall and skinny. When I started lifting at 13 or 14, I was 6'3 and 155. Now I am 30, 6'5 and 225 with around 10% bf. In order to not be skinny anymore, you just have to have the trifecta of eating right, training hard, and getting enough rest. For eating right that means at least a gram of protein per pound of bodyweight per day. That means eating clean, so I'd cut out refined sugars, white breads, sodas, and added salt. If you are looking for a dietary suggstion, paleo is a good start. Also I'd recommend half your bodyweight per day in ounces of water. Space out your protein also. For gaining weight, several scoops of natural peanut butter before bed may also be a good idea. As for training, get as many compound movements as possible. I do a mix of crossfit training with some big old school lifts in the routine like deadlifts, squats, overhead squats, cleans, overhead press, and lots of pullups. Look at: http://danjohn.net/ http://www.70sbig.com/ http://crossfit.com As for rest, aim for 8 hours a night. Drink water before bed too. This is when your body is getting stronger. Good luck, keep us posted.

Originally Posted by LucasCLarson

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#1...lift heavy things

Thanks guys

I didn't know that having long limbs would put me at a disadvantage, oh well.

And fortunately I eat pretty well, no soda etc. My family doesn't cook with a lot of fat (butter etc.) and we mainly use fresh ingredients from our garden during the summer months.

Should I be going to the gym every other day? I know some people go 5 days a week but I think that's a little extreme for me.

get your cardio up first then get a personal trainer for weight training...
make sure you get a trainer that can kick your ass, not just work with you at a slow pace so they can make money off of you.
i used the trainer twice to learn how to do the workouts (weights), then i got fit pretty quickly...
i got from weak and feeble to having a 5 pack in about a year (today i am 149lbs @ 5'7 - 38"-39" chest, 29" waist)...
dont expect miracles in a short amount of time unless you do steroids... just keep at it, work, rest, recover, repeat
also, nutrition is key. if you start lifting, make sure you get a good protein powder then before you sleep, eat slow digesting protein like cottage cheese. eat like 3000-3500 calories a day and drink plenty of fluids

idk what your ultimate goals are, but i want to have a 6 pack and that means no drinking alcohol, no simple carbs (no coke, no candy, no ice cream etc)... so you have to make some sacrifices like not going out with your buddies because you need to rest your tired and overworked muscles (8 hours of good sleep is good for muscle building)

i go to the gym 4-7 days a week, but i also do cardio and body weight exercises on the off-days. if you want results, you have to work at it. if you just want to be reasonably fit, then go like 3-4 days. But membership is pretty expensive @ 79 dollars a month, so if you go everyday it averages to be ~$2.5/day. If you go less often then it averages out to be more expensive, so if you want to pay for something you arent using, go ahead but not me.

Originally Posted by Branches

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Thanks guys

I didn't know that having long limbs would put me at a disadvantage, oh well.

And fortunately I eat pretty well, no soda etc. My family doesn't cook with a lot of fat (butter etc.) and we mainly use fresh ingredients from our garden during the summer months.

Should I be going to the gym every other day? I know some people go 5 days a week but I think that's a little extreme for me.

Seriously read starting strength. </thread>

Originally Posted by GraphicNovelty

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Seriously read starting strength. </thread>

Yes.

Originally Posted by junior varsity

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get your cardio up first then get a personal trainer for weight training...
make sure you get a trainer that can kick your ass, not just work with you at a slow pace so they can make money off of you.
i used the trainer twice to learn how to do the workouts (weights), then i got fit pretty quickly...
i got from weak and feeble to having a 5 pack in about a year (today i am 149lbs @ 5'7 - 38"-39" chest, 29" waist)...
dont expect miracles in a short amount of time unless you do steroids... just keep at it, work, rest, recover, repeat
also, nutrition is key. if you start lifting, make sure you get a good protein powder then before you sleep, eat slow digesting protein like cottage cheese. eat like 3000-3500 calories a day and drink plenty of fluids

idk what your ultimate goals are, but i want to have a 6 pack and that means no drinking alcohol, no simple carbs (no coke, no candy, no ice cream etc)... so you have to make some sacrifices like not going out with your buddies because you need to rest your tired and overworked muscles (8 hours of good sleep is good for muscle building)

i go to the gym 4-7 days a week, but i also do cardio and body weight exercises on the off-days. if you want results, you have to work at it. if you just want to be reasonably fit, then go like 3-4 days. But membership is pretty expensive @ 79 dollars a month, so if you go everyday it averages to be ~$2.5/day. If you go less often then it averages out to be more expensive, so if you want to pay for something you arent using, go ahead but not me.

Don't listen to about 95% of the things in this post.

Hire a trainer for a couple months. Just long enough to show you what to do the right way.