Where to Start

I see a lot guys here posting that are new (you could be training for years and still be "new" if you haven't been doing things right) they have weak numbers for the top 3 (Squat,Bench,Deadlift), and they're usually in the 125-180lb range.

Then after seeing there routine and diet posted up is obvious why no progress is being made. So lets get this worked out.

Heres your 11 Week Plan

YOUR ROUTINE

Pick 1, and only 1 they both work, don't make a big deal of it just pick one. Don't alter it, do it just as written.

Option A- http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=712752

Option B-

DAY 1(eg. Monday)
Squats 2 x 5
Squats or Leg Press 1 x 15 (lighter weight)
Good Mornings or Stiff Leg Deadlifts or Sumo Leg Press 2 x 10-15
Glute Ham Raise or Pullthroughs or Hyperextension 2 x 8
Calf Raises 2 x 10

DAY 2(eg. Wednesday)
Incline Press 2 x 5
Dumbbell Press (Flat/Decline) or Dips 2 x 8-10
Shoulder Press 2 x 8-12
Tricep Exercise 2 x 10-15

DAY 3(eg. Friday)
Deadlifts 2 x 5
Row or Chinup/Pulldown 2 x 8
Bicep Curl 2 x 8-10
Forearm Exercise 2 x 10-15

Click to expand...

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Ok so you've picked the routine you'll be using for the next 8 weeks. But wait didn't i say an 11week plan? Yes, the other 3 weeks will be Max Testing (basically testing your strength to see the progress and allowing your body some deload time).

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Your schedule will look like this:

Week 1: Max Testing

Weeks 2 - 5: Routine you selected

Week 6: Max Testing

Weeks 7 - 11: Routine you selected

Week 12: Max Testing

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The Max Testing weeks will look like this:

Monday- 3 or 5 rep max Squat (Your working up to a 3rep max or 5rep max, whatever rep range you pick will be the rep range you use for all your max testing weeks) (a max is the most weight you can use for the rep range)

Wednesday - 3 or 5 Rep max Bench Press, then 5rep max Barbell Row

Friday - 3 or 5 rep max Deadlift

Don't know what a particular exercise is? Go here.

Diet

This is very simple. You'll be eating at least 6 meals a day spaced out every 2-3hours. You'll eat 2g of protein x your body weight. You'll get the majority of your protein intake from EGGS and RED MEAT. Protein from carbs(eg pasta, bread, rice) do not count towards your protein total.

Carbs and Fats. This is a tougher one here to cookie cutter everyone to. As a starting point, keep your carb total 40g less than your protein total and your fat total in the 120-155g range. Also cut carbs 3hours before bed.

Make a www.fitday.com account to track this.

MUST READ: Simple Starting Diet

Cardio

For this 11 weeks you'll do low intensity morning cardio (before eating) for 45min walking on the treadmill at around 3mph with a slight 3.0-5.0 incline, 4 days a week

MUST READ: http://www.sosuave.net/forum/showthread.php?t=82328

Make a Journal

Post a journal on this forum. Make a reference to this thread. Post up your diet and what routine you selected from the 2 options. Now your on the right track and helping you out will be very easy.

Nice post. Brief, concise and to the point which is what most beginners need. Anyone looking to get stronger and add muscle mass do what effort has just posted and you will like what happens.

Having been a complete beginner myself only 6 months or so ago what I will say is don't question anything he has written, just learn and APPLY. The routines posted will work for the majority of those in the beginner category and most are a long way off from needing any sort of specific TUT, speed work, or band work or whatever the f*** you think you might need. Unless you have some form of injury to your spine or have broken limbs, do the above. As for those who are still of the 10-sets-of-30-reps-curls-for-a-great-bicep-pump mentality you are not classified as a beginner. A beginner is someone who at least knows what a ****ing deadlift is.

There will always be differences of opinion, and yes things could be done differently again from the above and progress would still be good but for the complete begniner you need look no further.

Again, nice post

Quagmire

Yes, all I ever see are posts describing how someone 5'8 and 150 lbs is to gain muscle. However, how do guys that are a little heavier than wanted lose fat and still manage to gain muscle? What modifications are needed, diet-wise?

Youngling said:

Yes, all I ever see are posts describing how someone 5'8 and 150 lbs is to gain muscle. However, how do guys that are a little heavier than wanted lose fat and still manage to gain muscle? What modifications are needed, diet-wise?

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Let's say your 5'8 200lbs. Start with training hard. Exercising will induce a metabolic shift: the fat will magically turn into muscle. After a few months of solid training, you can think of dropping weight if you still want it at that point.

The biggest mistake for beginners is wanting too much at once. They want to gain weight, but they want to lose fight. they also want more strength. The fat guy wants to gain strength & to lose fat, but he wants muscles.

Can't have anything immediately. I always advise to those who I coach:


A. You're skinny
-train hard
-Eat at breakfast
-Eat post workout
-Eat several times a day
-Get some source of protein (eggs/tuna).


B. You're Fat
-Train hard
-Eat breakfast
-Eat post workout
-Replace the junk food for some healthier food
-Don't starve yourself to death, eat


Sounds simple, but both the fat guy & the skinny guy make the same mistakes: they don't eat at breakfast, they don't enough, they eat low quality food.

Thanks for the clarification.

A fat guy would simply follow a high protein, mod-high fat, low carb diet with period carbups (e.g. post-workout, carb days). As long as the training stimulus is correct and protein intake adequate, muscle will be gained. At other times of day fat can be burned through no carbs, calorie deficit or cardio.

Some sort of carb/calorie cycling along with cardio is essential.

nice and simple plan on the bodybuilding site there EFFORT

just a few simple basic compound lifts, anybody following that properly will get some good gains

And how do you know this works? Why doesnt anyone make the main topic about getting more in shape instead of stronger?

How do you know that it doesn't work?

Give me six months and I'll prove it to you.

Im not waiting 6 months for you to try and prove something to me. I want hear from someone with results and then ill try it.

HandyAndy -

Do not attempt this program. Despite at least four testimonials from guys on this board and my own experience you are still not convinced this program will work and that will be why it will not: you must do something you believe in and are happy doing. This program doesn't fit the bill for you so do whatever other routine you feel happy doing. Good luck to you

I got my squat up to 320lbs on this routine essentially. I had the most compliments about my physique that I've ever had, while doing it. I was stronger, faster, and physically more powerful(except at arm-wrestling ) than anyone I knew while on this routine, and the big guys at my old gym couldn't believe how much I was lifting raw, at my bodyweight.

Is that enough for you?

p.s. If you need to hear from people who have done it before, for you to do it, then you'll always be second place my friend.

ps - 6 months is about the minimum I'd give a routine to see if it TRULY works.

ps - 6 months is about the minimum I'd give a routine to see if it TRULY works.

Click to expand...

Just throwing out a number.

Youngling said:

Just throwing out a number.

Click to expand...

yeah but that's how long you should expect to make substantial gains. a change can be seen in 3 months but for a serious one you're looking at 6-12 months.

I don't completely understand what I'm supposed to do for the max week of testing. Do I just do the maximum amount of weight i can do in each exercise for three to five repetitions? That's how I understood it.

Yes but make sure to work up to the max so it would be something like this

barx15
95x8
115x5
135x3
155x2
175x1
195x1
215x1

225x5 max

Best post Ive seen in this forum yet.

hey effort, is the barbell row aka barbell read delt row?
http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/exercises.php?Name=Barbell+Rear+Delt+Row

thanks

Thanks effort. I have a few minor questions:
1) Is the Back Extension an acceptable substitute for Glute Ham Raises or Hyperextensions?

2) When testing max bench, does it matter if one uses dumbells or a barbells?

3) Being not familiar (I.E. learning) the Barbell Row I looked it up and found two exercises:
bent over barbell rows
or
Upright barbell rows
Does it matter which one we use?