workout routines?

[rod-211]

summer is over and its starting to get cold in chicago. so my plan is to start hitting the gym and hopefully gain a few pounds of muscle by next summer.
so does anyone have any tips on how to accomplish this?
any workout routines you guys have that have worked for you?
ive heard that doing cardio is bad if youre trying to gain muscle mass? is it true? i like running so i dont know if i should stop and just focus on lifting weights instead :???:

a little about me: im 20 years old, 5'10" and weigh 135. in high school i used to weigh 120lbs and wrestled at the 119 weight class (i was pretty good too)
so in about 2 1/2 years all ive gained is 15 pounds :x

one of my friends recommended taking creatine to help muscle growth so i might start taking that, hopefully it doesnt have any weird side effects.
oh i almost forgot
discuss.....:mrgreen:

 

[RANOVRU]

It really depends on how new you are to lifting as to what type of routine you should be doing. I would assume that since youve wrestled youve probably been in the gym before. When I started I just searched online for different routines. Learned a little, and picked something that suited me that I liked.

As for the cardio yes, if youre going all out dedicated lifting then you want anarobic, which is basically not much more than brisk walking. Get the blood flowing but not burn off too much fat. If you want to just stay in an overall good state, what you would call lean or tone, than the running is good. When I lifted I would still throw some running in once or twice a month anyway.

And as for diet/supliments, lots of water, be aware of what you eat (lots of protien, keep away from greasy/fatty foods), and some type of mens/boys multi-vitamin. With so many people lacking basic nutrients in everyday life, if youre going to start pushing your body you need to at least get the recomended amount (but more is better) that you should be getting anyway. Getting proper vitamin intake is more important than additional suppliments (whey, creatine, etc.). About the only supliment I used (aside from vitamins) was a protien shake or some whey directly after workout. The only thing I would say to watch out for would be pre-workout supliments which are supposed to help "improve" your workout. A lot of that stuff can have side effects.


The most important thing regarding the routine is to find something that fits you. Do yourself a favor and do some looking around online for routines/info.

 

[Del Montess]

Be careful with creatine supplements, they can cause some serious side effects... so do a lot of research and take them cautiously.

 

[Chaotic Crawlers]

Seeing as how your only 135, I'm going to assume your metabolism is pretty high.
Even if you start taking supplements, once you stop taking them you will probably lose most(if not all) of the weight you gain.
I would suggest a good mixture of both cardio and weight training.

High intensity circuit training changed my life!!!
I weighed 168 when I started training, with a good diet and my training I started, I am now a solid 145 with an extremely low body fat %.
I look bigger than I did at 168.

I would suggest a good balanced meal plan and then if you feel that you want to gain mass, just stick with a good whey protein supplement.

But this is just MO!
I know there a million different ways to achieve a fitness goal. "thumbsup"

 

[JohnRobHolmes]

Start with a basic 5x5 routine if you are not familiar with working out http://startingstrength.wikia.com/wiki/Bill_Starr_5x5

Focus on the core foundation of strength. Squat, deadlift, bench, row, overhead press, pullup. Don't waste your time with machines and 100 fancy workout moves. Supplement your lagging areas with one extra isolation exercise per week if needed, like curls for biceps. Once you get the basic foundation on the big lifts then start playing with volume to begin a varied training routine. For example, run 5x5 for about three months to a year until you start to stagnate on most lifts. Then change to a 8x4 with lighter weights to give a rest for 4 weeks. Then begin on a 12x4 routine with the same light weights while increasing weight every week. After 6 weeks go back to a 8x4, 5x5, or 3x5 depending on your goals. Repeat ad nasieum.

 

[rod-211]

Yea my metabolism is fast :/
Thanks for the tips guys. I'm gonna do some more research on the creatine stuff and john thanks for the link "thumbsup"

 

[mrG]

The New Rules of Lifting by Lou Shuler and Alwin Cosgrove is a great book. They break it all down and give you a workout routine for a year, check it out. I picked up a copy at Barnes and Noble for $20 or so.

 

[NJK]

Im 18 5,10 230 lbs and when i started lifted i was 180. but all i take is protien n dark matter,drink 2 red bulls. And i now can bench 3plate 35s and all i did was workout mon thru friday. But cardio is realy good for getting cut up! But if u wanna get big and bulky i would suggest eating more protien stuff like stake and eggs and protien shakes. It will help grow bigger.

 

[run2jeepn]

Be careful with creatine supplements, they can cause some serious side effects... so do a lot of research and take them cautiously.

Pure Creatine has no side effects. Even at 20mg a Day. ( Recommended Dosage is 5-7mg) The side effects it has is Cramping due to dehydration. Increase your Water.. Fixed..

Creatine pulls water into your muscle cells, which increases protein synthesis. This is way it's important to drink more water.

The biggest myth is it's hard on the Kidneys. False. Creatine has been out for 30 plus years. I have taken it just about every day for close to 15yrs. (and I'm 100% fine) Creatine has been out for a very long time, but they haven't collected enough evideince to back that statement up. It's not a new product...

Creatine is one of the most-researched sports supplements out there and there's no published literature to suggest it's unsafe. The FDA loves to Banned Sports Supplements. They Ban stuff every year. Even brand new stuff that they haven't even had time to collect research for. But some how Creatine stays on the Market. B/c it's SAFE....

Go ahead and take the Creatine. You will be fine. Just take 5-6mg a day. No need to Load like some say. I like to go ED at 7mg for 2-3 months. Then take a Month off. But I do that with every supplement I take. Kind of Resets your body and keeps it guessing.

 

[run2jeepn]

I want to mention your Height and Weight in High School was just like me. I started my Senior year weighing 110lbs. I remember changing it on my physical to 120lbs for Football. So when they annouced it over the intercom at Games. I weighed 120lbs. At the time it seems like difference. lol... I started on Creatine during that season. By the time I Grad. from High school. I weighed 130lbs. I was good enough in Track to get a Full Ride to Div. 1 College. Even after gaining 20lbs. If you work hard and lift smart you can pack it on over time. At 18yrs old. My Natural Test Levels were at a All time high and I took advantage of that. Your 20yr, So you can still do the same. At 25 it starts to slow down and by 30 it's flat lines and starts dropping.

Creatine, NO, BCAA's, Multi Vitamin Should be the only Supplements you need to take at your age.

As for Protien and Work outs...

1 to 1.5g of Protien per body weight you want to weigh. Say you way 180lbs, but your goal is 200lbs. Taken in like you are already 200lbs.

You can push that to 2g if you can handle it. But thats very hard to keep up with.

JHH listed some good points and training. I have taken bits and pieces from a few different routines over the years. DC Training and FST-7 are the two newest ones. Which both are old styles with a new twist is all. But there are 100's of ways to build a good work out. But this is what I have found works for me well.

Here is a quick breakdown of mine..

1. Chest
2. Back
3. Shoulders
4. Arms
5. Legs

These are in a certain order for a reason. Chest and Back work your Bi's and Tri's. So I hit Chest and Back to start off the week. Then Shoulders to give the Bi's and Tri's a little rest. Then I hit Arms. Legs I save for the end due to what they take from you. You need those two days off to recover. Before starting over..

I use Rest/Pause Sets, Supersets, High Volume and Low Volume.

I have some PDF's of a work out that is pretty good.

 

[run2jeepn]

so in about 2 1/2 years all ive gained is 15 pounds :xdiscuss.....:mrgreen:

15lbs of Muscle in 2-1/2yrs is good and not bad. As for Cardio. Just don't over do it. 90min a day broke into 2-3 times will help cut. But no more then 20min a day will hurt in gaining weight. It will help you pack on muscle. Also keep your Tempo in the Gym at a high pace. Keep your rep range in the 10-12. Don't drop below 8. If you drop below 8 reps. Drop the weight. If you go over 12 reps. Up the weight.

 

[JohnRobHolmes]

Listen to run2, he has the guns to back up his words, lol! I would say that starting with a full body routine would be more effective than a split routine at first, hitting the same exercises two to three times a week works wonders to build up the muscle memory and connective tissues. If you try to go too advanced and use a split routine before a solid base is built it will make for really slow progress.


My all time favorite is the clean and jerk. I was devastated when I pinched a nerve in my neck and couldn't clean any longer. My goal for this next year is getting back to the point where I can clean my weight. I think if I take it slow enough I can do it again, just gotta leave plenty of time for rest so I don't get inflammation around that dang nerve. I'm getting old and soft, and that isn't gonna fly in my house!

 

[STANG KILLA SS]

( I'm 100% fine)

crazy people in insane asylum's say the same thing :lmao:

 

[spookyseven]

you could check out bodybuilding.com . There is a forum as well as other info there.

 

[binaryterror]

Another option for you might be the p90x program. Tends to build muscle and shape you up, along with a deit/supplement program.

 

[run2jeepn]

Listen to run2, he has the guns to back up his words, lol! I would say that starting with a full body routine would be more effective than a split routine at first, hitting the same exercises two to three times a week works wonders to build up the muscle memory and connective tissues. If you try to go too advanced and use a split routine before a solid base is built it will make for really slow progress.


My all time favorite is the clean and jerk. I was devastated when I pinched a nerve in my neck and couldn't clean any longer. My goal for this next year is getting back to the point where I can clean my weight. I think if I take it slow enough I can do it again, just gotta leave plenty of time for rest so I don't get inflammation around that dang nerve. I'm getting old and soft, and that isn't gonna fly in my house!

Thanks John. There isn't just one correct way to get Big. But there is the Correct Basic's you should always do. Keep good Form, Leave your ego at the Gym Door, etc...Squats, Bench and Deads should be a Must. I've steered away from Free Weight Flat Bench. I like DB's much more. When I go real heavy on Flat Bench. I used a Smythe rack and go to failure. The Smythe rack is your best friend. I use it everyday just about. Military Press, Incline, Decline, Flat Bench, Rack Deads, BB Rows etc....

crazy people in insane asylum's say the same thing :lmao:

I'm not Crazy...

Another option for you might be the p90x program. Tends to build muscle and shape you up, along with a deit/supplement program.

It's not bad but it will not pack on the Size. It would be good to do a couple of times a week. When added to a Weight training program to help cut up and get in overall better shape. But for Pure Mass. No...

you could check out bodybuilding.com . There is a forum as well as other info there.

Not a bad site at all. There are many. I used to be on musclemayhem and MD but I just search them for new info now.

 

[k goodrich]

Run2 is doing about the same routine i did. If you go to Barns and noble or some other book store you can get the routine of the Navy Seals. It will kick your a$$. Now because of time i do alot of core work with my daughter between commercials.