Blah Blah Beginner Thread - Too Much Time, Not Enough Muscle

Originally Posted by APK

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2) Don't complicate your diet. Decide whether you want to wane or gain and then eat according. Figure out your BMR (look it up) and then use the Harris Benedict Equation to figure out what your maintenance is calorically. Once you've done that, either lop off 400-500 calories or add on as many. Stick with that for a bit and tinker when necessary. It's not a one-size-fits-all approach, but it's a good starting point that allows you to make some modifications.

3) Be patient, but don't get complacent. It takes time to see significant results, but if you aren't seeing anything after a month or two of following the above, then change something.

Excellent advice. Remember, consistency is key - you might not see visible results in a week, two weeks or three but stick with it and your body will start to look the way you want it to.

Originally Posted by thekunk07

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i really, really hate to say this, it's so cliche, but starting strength is your friend. wish i would have stuck to basics when i was starting out

I agree with this, saves a load of trouble if you start with something very basic and then move on to more complicated splits once you have built a good base.

Looking at your program, it seems you do a shitload of pressing compared to pulling... that might be something you want to address.

PK and jarude bring up nice points.

keep it simple. 3 day routine focused around squat, deads, and bench.

don't worry about nutrient timing all that much. just worry about hitting your desired caloric intake for the day and a solid macro breakdown. I like 40/25/35. 40/35/25 if you're aiming for caloric excess.

You'll also find you have a lot more free time if you go with the three-day routine. I was hitting the gym pretty much every day except for Sunday for several months. I enjoyed it, but it got time consuming. I've seen better results limiting my lifting to three days a week. Use those other days you would've hit the gym to prepare food for the coming days so you don't need to worry about cooking on the days you do lift.

http://liamrosen.com/fitness.html ^Read that.

Wow, that's actually really good guide. I like the balance between strength and cardio he suggests, instead of the "oh just lift weights, you'll be more fit!" mantra which is partially true, but does ignore the fact that the aerobic system needs work too.

it's stickied on 4chan's /fit/ board which is otherwise awful

That is a totally garbage workout plan. What is your age/height ? current BF% ?

What does your diet looks like ? I would like to see your current diet plan. How many calories are you consuming at the moment ? What is your current activity level ?

Do you drink/smoke ? If so, how much, when etc. ?

Just ********** 5x5 stronglifts like everyone suggests. Even if you start with something different you're going to be so disappointed with your results that you'll go back to 5x5 years later and wish you started with it in the first place, like me.

Magician, wtf is this ****. jews don't do this k?

Originally Posted by mharwitt

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Magician, wtf is this ****. jews don't do this k?

………… **** you buddy, just because most Jews are ***** accountants doesn't mean some can't break the mold. Nice job with your racial stereotyping of us greedy, hook-nosed heebs. How foul!

Originally Posted by Eason

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………… **** you buddy, just because most Jews are ***** accountants doesn't mean some can't break the mold. Nice job with your racial stereotyping of us greedy, hook-nosed heebs. How foul!
magician is not the abe atell type. sorry, DT crossover.

Originally Posted by mharwitt

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magician is not the abe atell type. sorry, DT crossover.

Well I say! I've calmed down since my last post and I called my brother (a lawyer/doctor) and told him to drop the suit.

Coming in late to this thread...

OP, did you say you were going to do 4 days of hill sprints? That's insane - I wouldn't do more than 1 day of something like hill sprints per week. For non-lifting activities, I would do something like 1-2 days of a low to moderate intensity cardio, either running or cycling, and 1 day of interval training - hill sprints, some GPP cycles, etc. I don't think you should do more than 1 day of interval training a week - it will burn you out or injure you.

Originally Posted by Scrumhalf

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I don't think you should do more than 1 day of interval training a week - it will burn you out or injure you.

Yeah, if done correctly HIIT (and I DO mean high) will suck the life out of you - 3 days of lifting and more than 2 HIIT sessions per wk don't leave much room for recovery IMO.

Coupla things (which may be irrelevant if you've already switched up your workout at this point):

- Don't do decline bench. It works the same muscles as bench, but with a shorter range of motion. People just like it because they can lift more than on regular ol' supine bench.

- Most ab exercises are a waste of time. The effect that crunches have on the appearance of your midsection is negligible. You're better off doing stabilization exercises (e.g., planks) instead because they will a) build up your core stabilizers, which you're going to need if you're squatting and deadlifting and b) improve your posture, which will make you look better pretty much regardless. I'm not going to quote my own shirtless WAYWT, but I do basically zero ab exercises and am doing a-ok in my late 20s. And I drink a ton of beer, but none with adjuncts. I vaguely suspect that the corn/rice used to lighten ****** beers make you fat.

- Spend at least a little time on your rear deltoids and external rotators. A lot of upper body exercises engage your anterior deltoids and internal rotators as synergists, which can lead to a) slumped-in shoulders and b) higher risk of injury (shoulders are pretty easy to mess up).

- Everyone's already said this, but you get more mileage out of multi-joint exercises using your big muscles than single-joint exercises using smaller muscles.