Just started hitting the gym, but I don't really know what I am doing. I'd like to find some references. I have googled alot and found not much for free that is specific enough.

Or does anyone know of any books maybe I could pick up at chpaters or whatever?

I bought this book years ago.

http://www.amazon.ca/exec/obidos/AS...ef=sr_8_xs_ap_i1_xgl/702-1809665-4191249

But really, it hasn't been as effective in developing my physique as all the blueberry pies...

higher weight: less reps, builds muscle
lower weight: more reps, and sets, tones the muscle

if your tall and skinny it will be harder to gain muscle than if you were shorter and fat

Visit the forums at www.johnstonefitness.com lots of good info for newbies.

Don't take DHEA

Woo hoo! Big muscle here I come!

This is pretty gay guys. I know a lot of you are computer nerds like me. You don't work out.

Adam, I used to weigh 190lbs and was very in shape. I stopped over a year ago, I'm now around 170lbs and a lot thinner. I worked out for 4 years of my life. The best thing you can do it get a workout partner and watch other people.

Take every piece of advice you get with a grain of salt. Some people will think they know what they are talking about when it comes to form and procedure but they don't.

Your body is something different then the next guy and it's something YOU have to find out. Each person is different and it's all trial and error. There is no real set perameters.

For me, 4 sets of 10-12 reps worked the best. On the last rep of each set, whatever muscle group I was working on was failing. It worked really well.

Whats your goal?

1: Do you want to big and shinny?
2: Heathy, strong, awsome stamina?

By experience #2 is the better choice for a normal life style and extra stamina doesnt hurt with the ladies if you catch my drift.

I can hook you up with the "fireman's work out" but ill have to find it. Anyways its based around a high carb and protein diet and about 1hr of work out 4 days a week. Works on all muscles, FYI it wont give you a beach body but you will be a well balanced power house

If i find it ill email or PM it to you.

There is some decent starter info here... Pumping station
I used the intermediate program for almost 3 months (I have worked out before) with nice solid results then I had to start working 90 hours a week so I literally don't have time anymore A nice paced workout would be about 1.5-2 hours 4 days a week.
Once you know what you are doing don't be afraid to mix it up to keep it fun!!! Don't expect any huge gains right away but it is worth it when you see results and the weights rise...
Have fun and proper form is the most important part.

Matt

Your best bet is to sit down with a personal trainer,tell him what your goal is and he will write out a program with you.

You must remember that nutrition is more important then actualy working out, if you dont have a good diet you will not get fast results.

When i started i was trying to gain mass as i was tall and lanky, so i did lots of compound exercises 3-6reps on all exercises with 2 minutes rest time in between. You must go as heavy as you can.

Good luck.

If you want to gain quickly, take creatine and drink a whey protein shake (with low fat) every day.

I put on around 20 pounds in 2 months doing this, although it made me fairly sick feeling most of the time

And no, it wasn't fat, as I was having my fat percentage measured by a trainer every week.

I can't give you specific details on how to get bigger, as every body type is different. But here a some general guidelines that apply regardless of your size/weight and your goal. (I've been doing this for years, so these tips are all from personal experience.)

1) It's a way of life. If you think you can get into it for a few months, than stop, and expect to keep those results.. don't waste your time starting. You must maintain it.

2) BREATHE. Be sure to breathe consistently while lifting the weights. Must have oxygen flow to the tissue. NEVER hold your breath.

3) FORM. Keep good form. Saying you can curl 100 lbs may sound impressive, but if your back is rocking while doing it, you look like an idiot, your not working the target muscle, and, eventually you'll tear something.

4) Don't worry about the "guy beside you" who's pressing 8 plates. Do your own thing, and within you own limitations.

5) Once you know what your doing, your goal for every work out is complete muscle fatigue/tear down. Remember, your muscle only gets bigger AFTER the workout and it has time to rebuild.

6) Change your routine every couple of months. The body is inherently lazy, and your muscles will find the easiest way to perform the exercise. Changing the routine will "shock" the muscle and make it work harder.. therefore grow bigger.

7) Don't over exercise. Once you get going for 6-8 weeks, be sure to take a week off. Your body needs it to recoup. If you just continue to beat on it, it will break. Trust me.. no matter how good, or how strong you feel, something will eventually give.

Also, be sure to give your body a rest while you are working out. Going 7x a week is asking for torn body parts! 3-4x is plenty.

8) It's not a race... don't lift the weights fast. The muscle is fatigued on the "down swing", so go slow. For instance, if your bench pressing, when you are pushing up, you want to "Explode" up. Use full force to push. But when you're lowering, resist it. Make it come down slowly.

9) Supplements. This one can be discussed/debated to death, but here's some info from my experience:

Creatine - it adds weight, makes you look bigger, but it's all thru water retention in the muscle. Your FRIST time using it is the most successful. And if you work out like a mad man, you will retain 40-70% of what you put on. Subsequent uses will not achieve anywhere close to these results.

Nitric Oxide - be careful with this one. Every body reacts differently. It did work for me, but gave me bad headaches and greatly increase blood pressure. To me, it's not worth it.

Protein - must have it. For hardcore body building, you need 1 gram of protein for every pound you weight. ie 200 lbs = 200 grams of total protein intake. The shakes help you achieve that goal. And yes, they make a difference. Try "on" a week, then "off" a week. You'll see what i mean. (if your just going for general fitness, then 1/2 - 3/4 gram of protein per lb is fine)

Roids - don't be stupid.. avoid juice.


Other things to note:

- If you are sub 160 lbs, and your goal is bulk, then you got a long road ahead of you. Keep in mind, you can't make a boulder from a stone. So, first and foremost, you have to eat. Eat.. eat and eat some more! You need to put mass on, and the only way is with food/calories.

- If you already have the mass, than your goal is lean out. So, that means diet, cardio and weight training. You need all 3 to be successful. (This is why many people fail when they are dieting.. the food intake is important for obvious reasons, the cardio burns the calories, but the one that's forgot is the weight training. Muscle gain burns more calories, therefore, your body loses weight more rapidly, and it keeps it off.)

- If you are willing to work within your existing frame size, and are just going for good muscle definition and tone, then it'll be a bit easier.

Hope that helps a bit.

Great tips and advice guys... Tim as for the computer nerd thing, yah I am one, but I hate feeling like crap all the time so its time to get into shape. I was 150lbs in the summer working a physical job, since I have started back full time at school and haven't been doing anything I have gained 25lbs, so my goal is to turn that 25 lbs into muscle. If I can accomplish that then I will be pushing for higher, but that is a long ways away.

Once I settle into a routine I will see what I can accomplish.

You need to workout with someone that knows what their doing. I would suggest hire a personal trainer for 3-4 sessions. It's really hard to learn the perfect form on different exercise. You will gain a lot faster this way compare to learning stuff on your own. If you dont have money to pay for a trainer, you could start paying attention to those bulky guys at the gym. Watch and learn how they lift the weights and their workout routine. Just dont stare enough to make them feel uncomfortable.

Actually my roommate used to go to the gym like it was his religion... So he has been showing me what to do. I'd be totally lost otherwise.

Being a student I can't afford anything like a personal trainer.

you could always come with me once in awhile over xmas break if your going to be in Cobourg.

You can also check out the forums at http://www.freetrainers.com (I'm running this site with a friend). Sorry for the free advertising, but I think it's well suited for beginners and there are lots of people with similar questions that you might have.