So I bought the home gym. What workout regime to use?

[EyeBRollin]

The only worth while exercises that machine allows you to do is cable chins and preacher curls and even then you are only working out a small part of your body properly. I could buy a pair of dumbbells and chinup bar for probably around 50$ and be be able to get the exact same workout that your gym system provides..

Only good machine exercises are the lat pulldown (single pulley) and seated row. They are the functional, multi-joint exercises.

You should have bought a bench press squat rack combo and then you would have been able to do proper lifting, ie bench, squat, deadlift, rows and military press, the things that shock your body into an anabolic state and make you grow muscle. That aint gonna really be possible on that thing you bought but fvck it -

just go and start lifting mate. Aim for 10 reps on each exercise, and 3 sets of each exercise you do - and the last 3 should be difficult, the 10th almost impossible.

With that machine you can do pec flyes, cable pullups, tricep push downs, preacher curl, leg extensions and maybe a couple other things. Find out what they are and go to work on them.

After 3 months if you are enjoying it and/or want to keep it up, sell the workout system and either join a gym or buy a bench squat rack combo with olympic barbell weights and dumbells. (like I pointed out to you in your other thread)

No, do not train until failure. Adaptation comes from increasing stress (in the case of weight training, load on the bar) over time. Training to failure is the opposite approach to what works . A 10 repetition plan does not cause sufficient strength adaptions because it is very difficult to add weight each workout. Five reps is better.

 

[Atom Smasher]

What weight would you recommend starting off at on the machine?

Do yourself a favor and start off ridiculously light for the first two times. Almost everyone with no experience works out too hard the first time because they don't feel fatigued, only to discover that they can barely move for the next five days due to muscle soreness.

There's no reason to put yourself at risk of injury. Go ultra-light, just getting your body used to moving in those ways. Within three workouts, you will start to get a feel for how much weight to use. By doing this you will avoid frustration and will avoid potential injury.

I used to lift 3X per week, but I found that I do better with more rest between workouts, so 2X is my ideal. I know some guys do all sorts of alternating schedules, legs one day, upper body the next, etc., but you have time to figure out what works best for you. For right now, keep it light and get your body used to it.

 

[zekko]

Do yourself a favor and start off ridiculously light for the first two times. Almost everyone with no experience works out too hard the first time

It's also important to get your form down, which is easier to do with lighter weight. I always hear that most people train with too much weight, because it throws their form off.

There's so much negativity here. If he gets bigger great, but I thought the main goal of fitness is to get your blood and body moving to maintain your health.

 

[Alvafe]

meh I give him till end of the next month for or he will forget the workout, or will injure himself

 

[zekko]

meh I give him till end of the next month for or he will forget the workout, or will injure himself

Got to get it out of the box first. It's probably a good workout just putting that thing together.

 

[biggoal]

There is no truth whatsoever to what you just said. A nutritionist (which is a very good idea) will tell him exactly the same thing I did. But you can feel free to nitpick a sample diet rich in protein and vegetables with substantive other than "he will be constipated," which is bullshvt.

While nutritionists are highly credible and a sound investment, the majority of personal trainers are an absolute joke. They are there to sell more training sessions.

What about protein shakes or roids?

 

[biggoal]

Got to get it out of the box first. It's probably a good workout just putting that thing together.

Hired someone for that.

 

[biggoal]

Would you start off at 10lbs?

 

[RickTheToad]

There is no truth whatsoever to what you just said. A nutritionist (which is a very good idea) will tell him exactly the same thing I did. But you can feel free to nitpick a sample diet rich in protein and vegetables with substantive other than "he will be constipated," which is bullshvt.

While nutritionists are highly credible and a sound investment, the majority of personal trainers are an absolute joke. They are there to sell more training sessions.

Yea, your right.. What do I know.

 

[EyeBRollin]

What about protein shakes or roids?

Protein shakes are largely unnecessary and processed as hell. Steroids are extremely potent but can lead to early death due to chronic organ failure and a bunch of other side effects. Steroids are so effective that a lifetime natural man can never achieve the comparable athletic feats as a steroid user. That decision is up to you.

 

[Poonani Maker]

Protein shakes are largely unnecessary and processed as hell. Steroids are extremely potent but can lead to early death due to chronic organ failure and a bunch of other side effects. Steroids are so effective that a lifetime natural man can never achieve the comparable athletic feats as a steroid user. That decision is up to you.

Yoel Romero.

 

[Atom Smasher]

Would you start off at 10lbs?

You should do a little reading on very basic workouts. Read about form and breathing. For each exercise, just use extremely light weight the first few times. You will very rapidly be able to determine how much weight to use. The important thing is to avoid overdoing it for the first couple of workouts. Since you're brand new at it, your mind and body will be oblivious to how much you're actually straining your muscles and connective tissues. Therefore, erring greatly on the side of caution is important. By workout 3 or 4 you will have a good sense of how much each exercise requires. Reserve the first few workouts for just letting your body get used to the movements and the range of motion.

You can't go too light at first, but you sure can go too heavy or too many reps. For the first couple of workouts you should finish feeling like you seriously under-did the workout.

 

[zekko]

Training to failure is the opposite approach to what works

There's no question that training to failure works, countless people have used it to good effect. Even in a 5x5 program, you're going to hit your max at some point. However, I am not so bull-headed as to suggest there is only one way to go about things. A lot of guys say "You have to use this method or you are wasting your time". I don't believe that. As far as I'm concerned, as long as you are putting a good demand on your muscles, they will grow. At the very least, he'll get toned.

Would you start off at 10lbs?

They recommend 25 lbs. for females doing kettlebell workouts, so that's something to think about (Even though every time I see a woman with a kettlebell, it's always lighter). But if you feel comfortable starting at 10 lbs, have at it. It's less important what weight you start at as it is that you start. Just be sure to increase from there. Less talk, more do. Do research the exercises and the proper form first though, so you don't injure yourself.

 

[switch7]

No, do not train until failure. Adaptation comes from increasing stress (in the case of weight training, load on the bar) over time. Training to failure is the opposite approach to what works . A 10 repetition plan does not cause sufficient strength adaptions because it is very difficult to add weight each workout. Five reps is better.

Fair enough but for starting out i don't think there is any harm going to failure, trying to keep this simple for him and to make sure he exerts himself. So many new guys start working out and don't push hard enough.

 

[switch7]

There's no question that training to failure works, countless people have used it to good effect. Even in a 5x5 program, you're going to hit your max at some point. However, I am not so bull-headed as to suggest there is only one way to go about things. A lot of guys say "You have to use this method or you are wasting your time". I don't believe that. As far as I'm concerned, as long as you are putting a good demand on your muscles, they will grow. At the very least, he'll get toned.

To be fair the science does actually support that going to failure isn't as effective as stopping a rep or 2 before. But i get what you are saying.

 

[zekko]

To be fair the science does actually support that going to failure isn't as effective as stopping a rep or 2 before. But i get what you are saying.

Depends on what research you're looking at.

 

[EyeBRollin]

Fair enough but for starting out i don't think there is any harm going to failure, trying to keep this simple for him and to make sure he exerts himself. So many new guys start working out and don't push hard enough.

We don't need to "push hard enough." Adaptations are inevitable by getting stronger. Maximal effort training is not necessary for recreational lifters. It's even more counterproductive for untrained novices because the soreness and discomfort can discourage future workouts.

 

[biggoal]

You should do a little reading on very basic workouts. Read about form and breathing. For each exercise, just use extremely light weight the first few times. You will very rapidly be able to determine how much weight to use. The important thing is to avoid overdoing it for the first couple of workouts. Since you're brand new at it, your mind and body will be oblivious to how much you're actually straining your muscles and connective tissues. Therefore, erring greatly on the side of caution is important. By workout 3 or 4 you will have a good sense of how much each exercise requires. Reserve the first few workouts for just letting your body get used to the movements and the range of motion.

You can't go too light at first, but you sure can go too heavy or too many reps. For the first couple of workouts you should finish feeling like you seriously under-did the workout.

I remember in college I took a pilates class for my gym credit. The first 2 weeks of the course literally every muscle was aching in my body and I was pretty sore from all the stretching she put us through. After that it wasn't bad. But the first few classes my body felt like sh** afterwards.

 

[EyeBRollin]

I remember in college I took a pilates class for my gym credit. The first 2 weeks of the course literally every muscle was aching in my body and I was pretty sore from all the stretching she put us through. After that it wasn't bad. But the first few classes my body felt like sh** afterwards.

Go as light as possible to start.

 

[Atom Smasher]

Pilates is one thing, but working with weights can give you an injury that can nag you for the rest of your life. Start nice and easy and you’ll be fine. Your own body will tell you when to start stacking on the weight.