Thread: What should skinny guy start with?

no one can suggest the amount of weight you should be using as everyone has different abilities and strength. I suggest, before you start a program to take a day and go to the gym and just do a few sets on each of the exercises you are choosing to kind of feel things out. The form etc....As far as amount of weight goes well....the bar is a good place to start. If it feels to light put a little more weight on. It the bar feels to heavy......I don't know what to tell you. Buy a pair of running shoes and become a runner. (j/king)

I've been a competitive swimmer for 10 years, so its not like I've never done anything athletic hah. If I only do like 90 for bench, will people be thinking "wtf is that guy doing here...?" Or will big guys have respect for little guys getting started?

When I first started lifting in March 2004, I was 5'8" 140 lbs... I could probably only do about a 90 lb bench. However, for the next six months I dedicated myself to my gym and diet, and I ended up weighing about 166 lbs in September, with a max bench press of 225 lbs

(However I took a long break and just started going back to the gym now because of school/work taking up my time, I pretty much lost all my strength, but that's besides the point, I'll be back up there soon enough)

The point is, you have to start off somewhere, and work your way up. As far as other people goes, it shouldn't matter what they think, because most likely the serious
lifters won't even pay attention to you. Stay on a regular schedule and EAT EAT EAT! Food should be on your mind 24/7 if you have a fast metabolism like me, at minimum 4-5 meals a day. Keep lifting, eating, and resting, and you'll gain weight in no time.

That's good that you have some athletic background. Going from sedentary to highly active is a totally different story.

I agree with P-funk. Try all the things out before you go into the gym with the intent to do a full on workout. Start with the bar. Gradually go up. You may have to use a little less weight than you can actually lift when you first start. This is because you will have trouble balancing the weight during various exercises if you are new to resistance training.

In fact, I suggest going really light the first two weeks or so. There is nothing wrong with starting out really light and going up. You don't have to be hitting failure the first time you step in the gym. Acclimate yourself to the rigors of weight training.

Originally Posted by sparknote_s

I've been a competitive swimmer for 10 years, so its not like I've never done anything athletic hah. If I only do like 90 for bench, will people be thinking "wtf is that guy doing here...?" Or will big guys have respect for little guys getting started?

Don't worry about getting respect from those guys. Everyone has to start somewhere. If you make improvements every time you go into the gym, then you will be leaps and bounds ahead of everyone else who goes there, no matter the numbers they put up.

Here is a routine that I suggest to beginners to help get them accomidated to balancing weights properly and providing some level of conditioning. It is to be done 3 days per week, or every other day:

Deadlifts 2 x 8-12
Olympic Squats 2 x 8-12

Bent Rows 2 x 8-12
Chinups 2 x 8-12

Bench Press 2 x 8-12
Military Press 2 x 8-12

Decline Situps 2 x 12-15
Hyperextensions 2 x 12-15

Standing Calf Raises 2 x 12-15

Don't be afraid to go heavier once you get conditioned better. However, I don't suggest it right from the start. You need to be confident in what you are doing before you raise the intensity.

Also, here is an excellent site with lots of descriptions and videos dictating proper form on a lot of exercises:

http://www.bsu.edu/webapps/strengthlab/home.htm

Good luck. Let us know how you progress.

Originally Posted by sparknote_s

I've been a competitive swimmer for 10 years, so its not like I've never done anything athletic hah. If I only do like 90 for bench, will people be thinking "wtf is that guy doing here...?" Or will big guys have respect for little guys getting started?

generally people are pretty helpful in the gym. The big guys, although the look intimidating, are usually pretty cool about giving advice (good or bad). We all started somewhere man. Just get in there and get cracking. You have never lifted before so those first like 4-6 weeks should be some of your best strength gains as your CNS is getting stimulated in a way like never before. Enjoy it.

Remember, you aren't at the gym to impress anyone. You're working fo your own benefit. It's none of anyone else's concern what weights you lift, or whatever. If they care so much about it, it's their problem. I'll repeat what's been said over and over. Everyone has to start somewhere.

I agree with the above, go down the gym for a day and feel your way around the gym. And write it down, keep a diary that way you will always know if you have progressed from one session to the next. I went back into the gym in Sept after a lay off 4 years. The first 6 weeks I lifted light with high reps, I was benching 75lbs 25 times for 3 sets just to get back into condition again for heavier weights. Now I'm on a 3 day split and busting my ass every work out and eating like it was going out of fashion and I put on 4lbs last month. But start out on a full body routine and take it from there, you will see gains almost immeadiately. Every week for the first 6 weeks I grew like crazy. probably just pumps but shit does it get you motivated.


Good luck and keep us posted of progress

Originally Posted by ph8bringer

Remember, you aren't at the gym to impress anyone. You're working fo your own benefit. It's none of anyone else's concern what weights you lift, or whatever. If they care so much about it, it's their problem. I'll repeat what's been said over and over. Everyone has to start somewhere.

You're there for yourself...period. If someone has a problem with what you're lifting, they can/should kiss your ass. Put on some headphones and block out everyone else. If you have questions, ask a trainer or someone who looks experienced and seems approachable. Good luck and enjoy!

I'd start with the basics, heavy compound lifts such as Bench, Squat and Deadlifts. Then after prioritising those, give isolation lifts etc a bash (arms etc).
Eat enough of the right stuff and rest enough too (although you will shock you're body into experiencing new growth, it still will need time to adjst to the new strains on it etc) and you'll be well away. Stick with freeweight dumbells and barbells first just to boost up your muscle mass. When I first started lifting the PT decided to give me cable exercises as priority. I got cut to ribbons and shaped, but lacked any real mass. Don't waste time like I did and get gains more quickly, then when you're more experienced you'll know what you want to do from there. Good luck, have fun, get strong and get birds.

Start with your WARMUP and work from there. This is heavy object lifting,
not rocket science. You aren't going to launch people into the moon if you
get it wrong by 5 pounds.

If you go "too light" and do 15 reps instead of 10, then adjust and go from
there if that was your target. You may find a max calc to help, I have a
printed out table in my logbook to help me adjust my weights based on my
target rep count.

Originally Posted by sparknote_s

I've been a competitive swimmer for 10 years, so its not like I've never done anything athletic hah. If I only do like 90 for bench, will people be thinking "wtf is that guy doing here...?" Or will big guys have respect for little guys getting started?

Your battle is with the steel; forget what others think

Yep, you are there for you, who gives a shyt what others think. I see plenty of guys who bench 95-115 for reps, and sometimes I see guys that do up to 275 for some reps (at my old gym we had a guy doing 5 plates for working sets). The biggest talkers are usually the weakest from what I see.

I dont have the sligthest understand of that table, other than I believe those numbers represent weight.

Left to right, is rep 1-10. 135x1 is 135, and so on.

When I first started, I struggled to lift the bar on the bench press (I could only do 8 reps).

Since then I have increased the weight easily.

No one will pay any attention to you as long as your not posing in the mirror. You will even make friends who in turn will give you advise and some tips.

Go for it.... I did and now I love it

James

Originally Posted by Mudge

Left to right, is rep 1-10. 135x1 is 135, and so on.

Mudge could please, for the dummies like me, explain more. I'd like to use such a table.

If you can do 135 1 time then 135 is your max
If you can do 135 twice then 143 is your max
If you can do 135 3 times then 147 is your max.

I have a piece of advice for finding someone approachable.....Do lots of dips when the gym is packed. The helpful ones are quick to help when someone is doing something as simple as Dips wrong...

Just like SJ said, its left to right, the left hand side being the starting weight (1 rep).

I believe I printed out the table at 75% or something like that with www.irfanview.com to resize it, fits very nicely in my particular log book which is something like 4"x6" or thereabouts.

The chart seems to be very accurate for me, and most people - yet some people it is not accurate for. There are various reasons for this. Anywho, if I want to do 5 reps and I know my approximate max (either based on me being tired and having lost 10 pounds off my max or based on my opening set predicted strength) then I look around the 5 rep column and go down until I find something about right, I can do an easy set of 5 or a hard set and see if I can do it. Or if I dont find something I like within 5 pounds maybe I end up doing 6 reps or whatever with some other weight, so for this the chart is really handy for me, although I primarily use it for benching, CG benching and some back lifts.

thanks guys

My 2c. Don't over train. Don't try to impress anyone but your self and stay with the ranges that are right for your ability ... go past what your body is able to do and you will injure your self in a split second. Your body will tell you what it can and CANNOT do ... listen. Don't gauge your progress by how you look ... gauge your progress by how much you can add to your lifts as time passes.

Read all you can about diet.

Good luck and enjoy the gains man.

Don't gage your progress by how you look

Isn't this the ultimate gauge assuming ones goal is to build a better physique?

Not as a beginner ...

In this world of bigger-better-now people wind up over training. Gauge by progress. Set goals that are realistic. Put together a solid diet as part of a plan to achieve those goals, and then measure your progress in terms of increased ability. As the weeks pass the weight you work out with increases. Of course your gonna be looking at the physique under construction but let the numbers be the measure at first.

All I'm saying is to avoid over training. You keep looking for results in that mirror that aren't there yet you might get too eager and exceed you limits. Rely on the math as your mark of progress.

Cool, I dig it.

Skinny guys should start with eating