Newbie help needed

[12gauge]

I will be posting in here 1st & also in the diet section for diet advice, because everyone says you need to have a good diet 1st or you will be wasting your efforts. So i want to do this right.

I'm looking for advice on how to start a program design for a beginner who is out of shape & with no muscle tone. I am 5'9" & 160lbs. I basically look exactly like Bobo's before pictures posted in the sticky on the FLA training forum. I'm not expecting results overnight, but i would like to start adding lean muscle mass. Is there book or program online that is going to get me started in the right direction so that 8-12 weeks down the road i'm not quitting.

I have an eliptical at home & a Powertec mutigym leverage system & i'm shopping for a good old fashioned set of dumbbells. I do not have a training partner & would be doing this from home @ 1st & possibly at a gym 15 minutes away eventually.

I've read the 5x5 workout post & now i cant find it & others & every one seems to have an opinion about everything, so i'm really starting to confuse myself on what to do. A good basic program that I can start out with & then add to is what i'm looking for.

any help & quidance would be appreciated,

thanks,

(on further edit, i just realized this is the nutrition section, so i guess I would like info on both, training & diet info)

 

[12gauge]

HST training method is what i'm leaning towards at the moment based on all my reading, if this helps any.

 

[jmh80]

Go for slow positives and negitives - 2 to 3 seconds each way.

Start out slow. Be careful early on.

I think one place to start slow on the diet front is to add a pre-WO protein shake with some oatmal (or another whole grain carb source). Then go with at least another protein shake after your WO.

Good luck! It can be done!

 

[Beebs]

I'd try to focus around the big three lifts (squats, deadlfits, and bench) and work them at 3 sets around 8 reps. Give each big lift its own day, and then focus on the isolations lifts after you down the main lift... i.e. Squats on leg day, Deadlifts on back day, and Bench on chest day. Do 1 or 2 excersizes for each muscle group and give each muscle group a week to repair. Check out some people's splits for more advice. People respond differently, so its really up to you to find out what works best.

As for diet, I'd go here http://www.freedieting.com/tools/weight_gain_calculator.htm and find out your caloric needs. Then just try and get in the right amount of protein (1g per lb) and maybe supplement with some whey at night and a good multi-vitamin and you will gain weight. You may need to add extra calories since you're an ecto (I assume?).

 

[Beebs]

Oh yeah, the best advice on diet is to keep track of what you eat. I just open a text document on my computer everyday and input in my calories and macros. For example, here's mine for today:

cal:2775
fat:117
carbs:265
protein:175

Fats a little high because I ate 4 servings of peanuts :burger:

 

[12gauge]

thanks for the link, i'm not sure if i'm ecto or not, i probably look ecto but only because i watch what i eat now because it goes straight to my spare tire around my stomach, but no where else.

I'd try to focus around the big three lifts (squats, deadlfits, and bench) and work them at 3 sets around 8 reps. Give each big lift its own day, and then focus on the isolations lifts after you down the main lift... i.e. Squats on leg day, Deadlifts on back day, and Bench on chest day. Do 1 or 2 excersizes for each muscle group and give each muscle group a week to repair. Check out some people's splits for more advice. People respond differently, so its really up to you to find out what works best.

As for diet, I'd go here http://www.freedieting.com/tools/weight_gain_calculator.htm and find out your caloric needs. Then just try and get in the right amount of protein (1g per lb) and maybe supplement with some whey at night and a good multi-vitamin and you will gain weight. You may need to add extra calories since you're an ecto (I assume?).

 

[12gauge]

question about bread, i dont see anybody ever eating bread in any of there diets posted on here. most people are eating rice for there carbs with tuna/turkey/chicken etc. is there any "good" bread to eat for making sandwhiches? or is that asking for making my gut bigger too.

 

[Beebs]

Whole grain wheat is fine and shouldn't put any more gut on you as long as you find a good target caloric intake. Remember however that you will likely gain some fat while bulking, but you'll also gain muscle. Its hard to lose fat while gaining muscle unless you're just getting started.

 

[Mulletsoldier]

question about bread, i dont see anybody ever eating bread in any of there diets posted on here. most people are eating rice for there carbs with tuna/turkey/chicken etc. is there any "good" bread to eat for making sandwhiches? or is that asking for making my gut bigger too.

Yeah, whole grains are fine though I think some of them have a high glycemic index, so you might wanna check them out.
Here are a few links you may find useful

www.fitday.com This is an online diet journal, alot of people on here use it and I find it pretty useful. You can figure out what your BMR and RMR are on here, as well as input your daily activities to figure out what your macro needs will be. My BMR is 1774 and with daily activities I need around 2500kcals to maintain. So to bulk I get at least 500 calories surplus depending on the day. Back/Legs I exert more energy and need more, rest days need less.
www.glycemicindex.com This is to figure out what the glycemic index of your carbs are..Most of everything you should be eating should be under 50, except for an after workout shake where you will need some fast-digesting carbs.

And in terms of your workout, I would do exactly what Beebs said, focus on your big three, don't get lost in all the bells and whistles. If you focus on them, you will build a great foundation to work from.Good luck and good choice of lifestyle.