Need Help Gaining Muscle!

bizzyb · 12-26-2003, 01:08 AM

I do not have a gym available to me locally. The only thing I have is a total gym. I am only 5 6 and I wiegh about 140 so im not a big guy at all. But my goals are to get biggger and stronger. And through research I have learned that the total gym will not help me get there due to lack of resistance. The version i have does not include the bar to add weights on it. (This is going to sound funny but please take me seriorusely lol) Would it benifit me to wear some sort of bag on my chest with weights inside them making it seem like I weigh more? Or should i just ditch the total gym and give up. Thanks

Randy · 12-26-2003, 01:26 AM

Bizzyb,

Welcome to IM.
I'm sure someone here who is familiar with the total gym would be happy to give you some pointers... I don't have the total gym myself, but I workout from home as well. To me, nothing substitutes the old fashioned iron dumbells, barbells, and bench press.

If your going to continue to work from home you should add them to your collection. I also have a universal gym and crossover with pulleys... That offers me a wide range of exercises. Sometimes you have to be creative and you would be surprised what you can do

JerseyDevil · 12-26-2003, 02:06 AM

Not sure what exactly a home gym is, but my advice is to purchase an Olympic barbell set and a bench/power rack set up. With this alone you can do all of the compound movements (flat and incline bench, squats, deadlifts, bent over rows, militarys, barbell curls, etc) which is what you should focus on when starting out. You can go a long way with this and some adjustable dumbells.

PreMier · 12-26-2003, 06:19 PM

The total gym will do nothing for you. Did you buy it? Who sold it Chuck or Kristy?

If you want to get bigger do as others have suggested. Get some weights and lift at home. Do you have a Play It Again Sports in your area? The one near me has Olympic weights for like 8-10 cents a pound. So you can get a really solid setup for pretty cheap.

Randy · 12-26-2003, 06:22 PM

Yeah, what PreMier said

bizzyb · 12-26-2003, 07:00 PM

i went out and bought a bench and a set of weights today. Any ideas on what to o with the total gym. Nobody wants it lol. Also are there any workout routines that work best for small/ skinny guys like me. I have began to eat a lot better and more. Tommorow I am going out and buying some meal replacement packets. Any other suggestions?

Randy · 12-26-2003, 07:00 PM

Advertise to sell it bizzy....place an add

Randy · 12-26-2003, 07:01 PM

bizzy, just start light and focus on proper form and breathing techniques. These are the most important when starting out.
Checkout the diet site and develop a good bodybuilding diet.

Randy · 12-26-2003, 07:03 PM

Have you seen my 3 pigs? I'm hungry

bizzyb · 12-26-2003, 07:49 PM

how does this sound.

chest and biceps on mon
lower body and abs on wed
shoulders back and triceps on friday

plus should i work out my abs more then 1 day a week?

thanx for al lthe help guys i really appreciate it!

Randy · 12-26-2003, 07:59 PM

Mine looks something like this now bizzy...

chest/legs
bi's and lats
tris and delts/shrugs
off
repeat

Be careful not to mix to many major body part groups together.
Now as far as your abs, you can do those daily.

**Mudge** · 12-26-2003, 09:26 PM

When you lack enough weight, do nice controlled slow reps. This is good early on anyway as it will force you to learn how to target only the intended muscle, making for a quality workout.

Then say 4-6 months down the road, get a $60-$100 bench and a $99 set of Olympic weights (300/310 pounds).

Start reading up on diet, you wont get very far without it. I ignored that when I was young and that held me back greatly.

Randy · 12-26-2003, 11:02 PM

Mudge,

He already stated that he bought a bench and set of weights today

As for diet, I already recommended that same thing to him already my friend

Randy · 12-26-2003, 11:03 PM

Well since I can't find my 3 pigs, where is that purple hippo....I'll just have to eat him up

**Mudge** · 12-27-2003, 12:03 AM

Here you go Randy.

Randy · 12-27-2003, 12:28 AM

Oh yeah.....come to papa

titans1854 · 12-27-2003, 02:53 AM

i think if your just starting to workout you shouldn't only workout each muscle once a week. i'm 16 and i workout each muscle atleast twice a week. people say that you should do splits but i know a lot huge guys that bench 2 or 3 times a week and are still huge. you should probably get some ideas from this site but you should also figure out a lot of stuff on your own.

Yanick · 12-27-2003, 08:32 AM

Its perfectly fine to work a muscle group more than once a week, but you have to make sure that you tweak all of the variables to fit the more frequent workouts.

For example....when i work a muscle group once a week, i really thrash it with lots of sets (15+), but when i'm doing a split where i will have to hit that muscle group again in two/three days i will lower the volume a bit and maybe even go easy on the super/tri/giant sets etc.

Randy · 12-27-2003, 02:22 PM

Damn,

(15 SETS)

And I thought I used to be over training

12-26-2003, 01:08 AM	#1
bizzyb Registered User Join Date: Dec 2003 Posts: 35	Need Help Gaining Muscle! BODYBUILDING SUPPLEMENTS High Quality Supplements For Bodybuilders and Athletes. www.ironmaglabs.com I do not have a gym available to me locally. The only thing I have is a total gym. I am only 5 6 and I wiegh about 140 so im not a big guy at all. But my goals are to get biggger and stronger. And through research I have learned that the total gym will not help me get there due to lack of resistance. The version i have does not include the bar to add weights on it. (This is going to sound funny but please take me seriorusely lol) Would it benifit me to wear some sort of bag on my chest with weights inside them making it seem like I weigh more? Or should i just ditch the total gym and give up. Thanks
bizzyb Registered User Join Date: Dec 2003 Posts: 35

12-26-2003, 01:26 AM	#2
Randy Woof! Woof! Woof! Elite Member Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: California Posts: 7,859 Photos: 4	Bizzyb, Welcome to IM. I'm sure someone here who is familiar with the total gym would be happy to give you some pointers... I don't have the total gym myself, but I workout from home as well. To me, nothing substitutes the old fashioned iron dumbells, barbells, and bench press. If your going to continue to work from home you should add them to your collection. I also have a universal gym and crossover with pulleys... That offers me a wide range of exercises. Sometimes you have to be creative and you would be surprised what you can do
	- O F F I C I A L . L I N K . M A S T E R - Maintains a Reference to all Gopros P/RR/S Links Gopros latest routines: CLICK HERE Lift like a Chicken Look Like a Chicken

12-26-2003, 06:19 PM	#4
PreMier happy sumo Elite Member Join Date: Sep 2003 Posts: 21,021 Photos: 1	The total gym will do nothing for you. Did you buy it? Who sold it Chuck or Kristy? If you want to get bigger do as others have suggested. Get some weights and lift at home. Do you have a Play It Again Sports in your area? The one near me has Olympic weights for like 8-10 cents a pound. So you can get a really solid setup for pretty cheap.
	P-side Inc. "the post-workout high is more profound than any drug-induced rush imaginable." -Dante B.

12-26-2003, 06:22 PM	#5
Randy Woof! Woof! Woof! Elite Member Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: California Posts: 7,859 Photos: 4	Yeah, what PreMier said
	- O F F I C I A L . L I N K . M A S T E R - Maintains a Reference to all Gopros P/RR/S Links Gopros latest routines: CLICK HERE Lift like a Chicken Look Like a Chicken

12-26-2003, 07:00 PM	#6
bizzyb Registered User Join Date: Dec 2003 Posts: 35	i went out and bought a bench and a set of weights today. Any ideas on what to o with the total gym. Nobody wants it lol. Also are there any workout routines that work best for small/ skinny guys like me. I have began to eat a lot better and more. Tommorow I am going out and buying some meal replacement packets. Any other suggestions?
bizzyb Registered User Join Date: Dec 2003 Posts: 35

12-26-2003, 02:06 AM	#3
JerseyDevil Done Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: Southern, NJ Posts: 5,176	Not sure what exactly a home gym is, but my advice is to purchase an Olympic barbell set and a bench/power rack set up. With this alone you can do all of the compound movements (flat and incline bench, squats, deadlifts, bent over rows, militarys, barbell curls, etc) which is what you should focus on when starting out. You can go a long way with this and some adjustable dumbells.

12-26-2003, 07:01 PM	#8
Randy Woof! Woof! Woof! Elite Member Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: California Posts: 7,859 Photos: 4	bizzy, just start light and focus on proper form and breathing techniques. These are the most important when starting out. Checkout the diet site and develop a good bodybuilding diet.
	- O F F I C I A L . L I N K . M A S T E R - Maintains a Reference to all Gopros P/RR/S Links Gopros latest routines: CLICK HERE Lift like a Chicken Look Like a Chicken

12-26-2003, 07:03 PM	#9
Randy Woof! Woof! Woof! Elite Member Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: California Posts: 7,859 Photos: 4	Have you seen my 3 pigs? I'm hungry
	- O F F I C I A L . L I N K . M A S T E R - Maintains a Reference to all Gopros P/RR/S Links Gopros latest routines: CLICK HERE Lift like a Chicken Look Like a Chicken

12-26-2003, 07:49 PM	#10
bizzyb Registered User Join Date: Dec 2003 Posts: 35	how does this sound. chest and biceps on mon lower body and abs on wed shoulders back and triceps on friday plus should i work out my abs more then 1 day a week? thanx for al lthe help guys i really appreciate it!
bizzyb Registered User Join Date: Dec 2003 Posts: 35

12-26-2003, 07:59 PM	#11
Randy Woof! Woof! Woof! Elite Member Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: California Posts: 7,859 Photos: 4	Mine looks something like this now bizzy... chest/legs bi's and lats tris and delts/shrugs off repeat Be careful not to mix to many major body part groups together. Now as far as your abs, you can do those daily.
	- O F F I C I A L . L I N K . M A S T E R - Maintains a Reference to all Gopros P/RR/S Links Gopros latest routines: CLICK HERE Lift like a Chicken Look Like a Chicken

12-26-2003, 09:26 PM	#12
Mudge Pizza the Hut Super Moderator Join Date: Jun 2002 Posts: 22,966 Photos: 1	When you lack enough weight, do nice controlled slow reps. This is good early on anyway as it will force you to learn how to target only the intended muscle, making for a quality workout. Then say 4-6 months down the road, get a $60-$100 bench and a $99 set of Olympic weights (300/310 pounds). Start reading up on diet, you wont get very far without it. I ignored that when I was young and that held me back greatly.
	Kinesiology Vote @ Top 25 Deads Comp Bench Motivation Bench form MaxCalc Charles Poliquin When I let go of what I am, I become what I might be. Lao-Tzu I don't know any sources so don't ask - thanks

12-26-2003, 11:02 PM	#13
Randy Woof! Woof! Woof! Elite Member Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: California Posts: 7,859 Photos: 4	Mudge, He already stated that he bought a bench and set of weights today As for diet, I already recommended that same thing to him already my friend
	- O F F I C I A L . L I N K . M A S T E R - Maintains a Reference to all Gopros P/RR/S Links Gopros latest routines: CLICK HERE Lift like a Chicken Look Like a Chicken

12-26-2003, 11:03 PM	#14
Randy Woof! Woof! Woof! Elite Member Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: California Posts: 7,859 Photos: 4	Well since I can't find my 3 pigs, where is that purple hippo....I'll just have to eat him up
	- O F F I C I A L . L I N K . M A S T E R - Maintains a Reference to all Gopros P/RR/S Links Gopros latest routines: CLICK HERE Lift like a Chicken Look Like a Chicken

12-27-2003, 12:03 AM	#15
Mudge Pizza the Hut Super Moderator Join Date: Jun 2002 Posts: 22,966 Photos: 1	Here you go Randy.
	Kinesiology Vote @ Top 25 Deads Comp Bench Motivation Bench form MaxCalc Charles Poliquin When I let go of what I am, I become what I might be. Lao-Tzu I don't know any sources so don't ask - thanks

12-27-2003, 12:28 AM	#16
Randy Woof! Woof! Woof! Elite Member Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: California Posts: 7,859 Photos: 4	Oh yeah.....come to papa
	- O F F I C I A L . L I N K . M A S T E R - Maintains a Reference to all Gopros P/RR/S Links Gopros latest routines: CLICK HERE Lift like a Chicken Look Like a Chicken

12-27-2003, 02:53 AM	#17
titans1854 I'm a Berserker Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Huntington Beach, CA Posts: 602	i think if your just starting to workout you shouldn't only workout each muscle once a week. i'm 16 and i workout each muscle atleast twice a week. people say that you should do splits but i know a lot huge guys that bench 2 or 3 times a week and are still huge. you should probably get some ideas from this site but you should also figure out a lot of stuff on your own.
	Berserker: Band of ancient Norse warriors, who fought frenzied by intoxicating liquors, and naked, regardless of wounds.

12-27-2003, 08:32 AM	#18
Yanick Amor Fati Join Date: Jul 2002 Posts: 3,798	Its perfectly fine to work a muscle group more than once a week, but you have to make sure that you tweak all of the variables to fit the more frequent workouts. For example....when i work a muscle group once a week, i really thrash it with lots of sets (15+), but when i'm doing a split where i will have to hit that muscle group again in two/three days i will lower the volume a bit and maybe even go easy on the super/tri/giant sets etc.
Yanick Amor Fati Join Date: Jul 2002 Posts: 3,798	"...we have to remember that training is a complicated dance of stimuli and response. Our goal is to understand how to manipulate the stimuli in order to evoke the responses we desire." -Nathan J. Polenchek

12-27-2003, 02:22 PM	#19
Randy Woof! Woof! Woof! Elite Member Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: California Posts: 7,859 Photos: 4	Damn, (15 SETS) And I thought I used to be over training
	- O F F I C I A L . L I N K . M A S T E R - Maintains a Reference to all Gopros P/RR/S Links Gopros latest routines: CLICK HERE Lift like a Chicken Look Like a Chicken

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