Gym & Misc Getting Started at a Gym

[Speck]

I know a number of threads have been started on this, but I'm a bit different to the other guys who started them.

For a while now I've been telling myself to exercise more, and so I just got a cheap one month trial (everything included - gym, pool, classes) at the gym (obviously with the intentions of signing up after). I'm not that skinny kid looking to gain muscle, I'm naturally a bit bigger than others (18 years old, ~180cm, ~80kg) so I'm looking to drop a bit of weight and also gain muscle. Main objective really is to just feel better about myself and hopefully fix up my lower back a bit. I only play cricket these days.

I've been once, and enjoyed it immensely. I just used one of their beginner programs combining both cardio and weights (a trainer suggested I use it). Also thinking about doing a few classes to make myself push harder than I would just on my own. I'm very new to this kind of thing so I'm not that sure on exactly what I should do.

Any tips or suggestions for me?

 

[lysp]

Weight training should remain the same regardless of cutting weight or gaining muscle - you change your weight mostly with diet.

Doing a program similar to starting strength for 6-9 months is a good way of starting up. Add on top of that 1-2 cardio sessions. Set calories to around maintenance or slightly below.

While you cant normally drop weight and gain muscle, as a beginner you can often cheat the system, so i'd keep calories slightly higher than a normal "cut".

 

[rocker_oz33]

Gaining core strength though your abs with planks/squats etc will help with your lower back pain.Maybe best to see a gym instructor or a PT for what best to do some people on bigfooty seem to know abit about weights etc.Might be best to smash out weights then go heavy then lose the weight/ponds I am not sure,good luck with your goals.

 

[Bucketss]

As rocker mentioned, core exercises will help with strengthening the lower back. Also make sure you mix up the exercises you do every 6-8 weeks. Using a lot of variety will help keep you motivated and enjoying it.

You will learn a lot while studying. I've just completed my cert 4 in fitness and am tackling my diploma now.

Search "creatine cycling" it's an effective method of using creatine in your workout.

 

[La Dispute]

Similar stats to me when I started. Was a bit overweight and didn't have a lot of muscle.

Doing cardio will help you too; especially if you find an exercise you like.

 

[blue gunslinger]

keep your intensity up. Instead of resting between sets go do something else. If you train smarter and keep you HR up working more big muscle groups you will reap the rewards. Core work helps with stability from top to tail. Look at how strong a bloke like Bruce Lee was. It was not because he had big guns and was on the gear.

 

[fairdinkum]

While you cant normally drop weight and gain muscle, as a beginner you can often cheat the system, so i'd keep calories slightly higher than a normal "cut".

I hear this bandied around a lot on this forum and elsewhere.

Does anybody have any links to any reputable sources (esp scientific journals) which can verify this?

 

[lysp]

To gain muscle you need to be at a calorie surplus (eat more than you need). To drop fat you need to be at a calorie deficit (eat less than you need).

You can gain strength without muscle by adapting your muscles or essentially gaining efficiency in your muscle usage.

As a beginner your body will react quickly so you will get strength and muscle gains purely because it's not used to it.

You can eat around maintenance and slowly drop fat + gain muscle (which is called a recomp), but it's much better to do it in phases - at least at the beginning.

 

[fairdinkum]

Your post has no internal consistency whatsoever.

It also fails to cite any reputable sources.

 

[thekelvin]

Whats wrong with your lower back?
Sure you can do weights, but you should probably figure out what causing the back pain.
It may pay to see a physio or podiatrist if you have genuine concerns about it.

 

[evo]

.

You can eat around maintenance and slowly drop fat + gain muscle (which is called a recomp), but it's much better to do it in phases - at least at the beginning.

from the reading I have done recently, I think this is where intermittent fasting comes into it's own. During the week for 6 days you can eat in slight calorie surplus, the regular way of building muscle, then the 7th fast. All the research appears to show that as long as you fast for less than 48 hours, no muscle is burnt during the calorie deficit. It is the increase in HGH that makes sure it is the fat being burnt rather than muscle.

For studies that support this: Carlson 1994, Klein 1993, Mansell 1990, Webber 1994, Zauner 2000 and Gjested 2007

 

[ThePezDispenser]

Everyone loves going to the extremes, hey?

 

[evo]

yeh, I guess it depends on your goals. Personally I'm not interested in getting to 5% body fat, but if you are, IF seems the way to go I reckon. going week after week in calorie deficit is not going to get you there. Apart from that, mentally it is almost impossible to do. There's no fun being hungry 24/7

 

[rocker_oz33]

I dont see the point in being feeling hungry alot thou the day cant be good for muscle gains or fueling the body.

 

[Kendra Welsh]

Getting started with a fitness center isn't as painless as just merely arriving and paying out some money and get started so you can start improving your overall fitness.

 

[De Iulio2Wiggins]

You're going to try a few different things and settle on what works for you. Don't go too hard too early. Going to the gym should be something you look forward to. Don't get hung up on numbers or trying to show off - do reps slowly and with good form. Don't do too much or overtrain. Warm up properly i.e. 10 minutes and stretch properly, because nothing is worse than being injured. Eat properly, sleep well and take plenty of rest days. Compound free weight exercises will get better results than machine isolation exercises. Google is your friend.

You'll see tonnes of programs but many beginners either go for Starting Strength or split their bodyparts over a number of days. I do three sessions a week: A is back, shoulders and rear core (deadlifts), B is chest, tris and front core (lots of medicine ball ab work), C is legs, biceps and rear core. My week might look like this: AxBxCxx, so I have a two and a three day break between the deadlifts. A and C are more intense workouts than B, which is more like midweek fun. I throw some light cardio in maybe once or twice a week on off-days and always warm up with a 2km, 80% max, rowing ergo time trial. Deadlifts are the go-to exercise for controlling lower back pain, but get someone to show you how to do them properly or you'll snap your shit.

 

[Doctor Feel]

Starting Strength!

3x a week:

Workout A
3x5 Squat
3x5 Bench Press
1x5 Deadlift

Workout B
3x5 Squat
3x5 Press
5x3 Power cleans

Workouts A and B alternate on 3 non-consecutive days per week.

Also:

http://startingstrength.wikia.com/wiki/The_Starting_Strength_Novice/Beginner_Programs

 

[chargers 09]

Can't go past starting strength IMO, worked wonders for me early last year when someone o here put me onto it. Any reasons though they only suggest to do 1x5 deadlift, I've just got back into the gym and I'm doing a slight variation of the SS program and I've been doing 3 x 5 of them.

BTW could anyone post a good video of a power clean tutorial?

 

[lysp]

I think the dead lift is limited to allow better recovery. With all the additional volume it's probably a bit much (especially for beginners)

 

[omit]

Can't go past starting strength IMO, worked wonders for me early last year when someone o here put me onto it. Any reasons though they only suggest to do 1x5 deadlift, I've just got back into the gym and I'm doing a slight variation of the SS program and I've been doing 3 x 5 of them.

BTW could anyone post a good video of a power clean tutorial?

 

[WeetBixKid]

Try to create something that's enjoyable and you really want to take part in, not a chore. Go with a friend & work out gym times with your buddy beforehand to keep each other accountable for the odd times where it does feel tough to get off your ass & go.

Worry less about the specifics and just go consistently. Don't eat like a slob, push each other to a point that exerts you but is safe & you'll see results, but even better you'll just feel healthy & strong with is great.

 

[Spotter Loader]

IMO Starting Strength is one of the most overrated programs in existence

Lacks any proper upper back/scapula retraction work, 45 working reps a week for squats, less for the other lifts is nothing
N00bs need more practise to ingrain the movements

And I don't care what people say, if you start with an empty bar you could do 2000 reps a week and still wouldn't "overtrain"
If you did you'd have bigger issues than the volume/frequency of your training program

If you're going down the strength training road and aren't going to a specialist strength training gym a program similar to this would probably serve you better
Squat 3 x 15
Flat bench/incline bench/ dips (pick one) 3 x 15
Stiff leg/Romanian deadlifts or good mornings 3 x 15
Some form of rowing/pulling movement 3 x 15

Then any additional junk work (arms/laterals/abs) if you're desperate

Add 2.5kg-5kg each session, when you miss 3 x 15, drop to 3 x 12, then to 3 x 8, 3 x 5, when you miss 3 x 5 go back to 3 x 15 and try to beat your old PB

Pros: covers all bases, a lot of room for progressions, 45 working reps a session (3 times as many as SS), including a few sub-maximal at the beginning of the first couple of sets which is good for reinforcing motor patterns, includes more direct hamstring work and scapula retraction exercises than SS

Cons: a true 3 x 15 on squats sucks balls. Expect each set to take 3-4 minutes to complete, and to need 5 minutes between sets. Also expect Good Mornings or deadlifts to suck balls after squatting. Actually, expect EVERYTHING to suck balls after squatting