I want to bulk up and get in shape

[HyruleGuardian]

The past couple weeks I've just felt like complete crap healthwise. Because of my schedule of going to school and working all day, I usually don't workout much. I make up excuses because I'm too tired to do it. Now that I'm not working all the time, I really want to get myself back into shape. I'm a very thin guy so I don't need to lose weight, but I feel fat...if that makes any sense. My legs hurt all the time. I have decent sized muscles, but I want to start bulking up and possibly get some abs. But I have no idea what kind of workout routine I should get into...

So, does anyone here have any routines they could offer to me? I want to start something tomorrow. I just need to get out and work on my body. I want to feel good again like I did in high school.

[watupgangsta]

yeah start out with a total-body routine. don't be one of those dudes that just does curls and bench presses every day... thats not how to get ripped up anyway.

do you have a gym membership?

if so try something like this...

bench press 2 sets 8 reps
pulldowns 2 sets 8 reps
squats 2 sets 8 reps
deadlift 2 sets 8 reps
military press 2 sets 8 reps
curls 2 sets 8 reps

do that 3-4 times per week.

if you don't like that idea, i can give more possible suggestions. for example if you are looking to do more machines (those are free weight exercises) or work upper body one day, lower body another, etc.

also, check out this site if you want to check out different lifts for specific body parts...[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]

[LBP]

Good ten minute ab workout:

V-ups for 30 seconds, rest 30
Bicycle Sit Ups 30 seconds, rest 30
Normal situps 30 seconds, rest 30
Crunches 30 seconds, rest 30
Scissors 30 seconds, rest 30
Eh... I waffle on this one. Normally I do oblique crunches (sorta lay your knees/thighs on the ground, pulling your body either to the left or right, doesn't matter. Keep elbows behind head, reach toward your behind with the elbow what has to come across your chest to get there. 15 seconds one side, fifteen seconds the other.) 30 seconds, rest 30
Russian Twists 30 seconds, rest 30 (lift legs all the way off ground, back all the way off ground, hold hands above your sternum. Basically keep only your butt on the ground and as little of that as possible. Twist one one way and one the other.)
Bicycle Sit Ups 30 seconds, rest 30
V-Ups 30 seconds, rest 30
Bridge for a full minute

That'll get you burning and won't even take up much of your time. It can be easily expanded to meet your fitness level. Add stuff with medicine balls or whatnot as suits your fancy.

Buy a pull up bar and some weights. They really aren't that expensive, especially if you have a steady job. You don't need a whole lot to get yourself in a pretty good spot.

Personally, I have a weight vest and some pushup bars which augment it so that I can do basically any workout I want in my own home. To get truly muscular you need to go into a gym. Eating healthy is a must. Whey powder can work wonders if you use it right.

That's it. Really isn't that difficult. Running also does wonders for your body. I'm a terrible runner - absolutely hate it. But I know it works.

[Russ]

Mm, I may suck with relationships, but bodybuilding is an expertise for me.

First of all, in your busy day, how do you eat? Bulking up requires around 1.5-1.8 grams of protein per lb of your total mass. Meaning that if you don't eat enough protein naturally, you should start taking Whey Protein. Just keep it simple Whey powder, dont start with stacks. Also, if you plan to actively work out, buy up some Creatine Monohydrate. Your body makes its own creatine, which is used for water retention within the muscles, to keep your muscle firm and shaped, but if you're an active bodybuilder, you need more than the average person. And last but not least, start taking Omega 369 Fish oils and Multi-vitamins. You should take those whether bodybuilding or not.

Next, for the actual workout. It's hard to put on lean muscle mass, so ofcourse the regular routine is to Bulk (put on muscle and fat) and then cut (lose the fat). The yearly routine is different depending on the person. For example me, I easily put on muscle and fat, but really blow at the cutting part. I, unfortunately, like food. Hence I bulk 6 months, and cut 6 months. The average person would bulk 8-9 months, and cut 3-4.

You said your excuses include no time or energy, so I guess motivation is your main problem. It helps that you're starting to feel gross. It's atleast some kind of motivation for now. You'll be putting on a hell of a lot more muscle in the first couple of weeks you're working out. These are called "newbie gains", and generally last 2-3 months. Once you see yourself starting to look good, that'll be motivation on it's own for you to continue actively building.

Anyway, I'd recommend German Volume Training for building mass. It's about 2 hours of torture a day, 3 days a week. After a proper leg day, it'll take you about 3-4 days to stop limping. But it's well worth it. You can easily put on about 10 lbs of muscle in 8 weeks, with proper nutrition and carrying out of the exercises. GVT is the only routine I've come back to more than once. I'm actually working with a modified version I made to cut right now, since I love it that much. You can Google it and find it at any of the top links.

[ghost69]

Originally Posted by watupgangsta

yeah start out with a total-body routine. don't be one of those dudes that just does curls and bench presses every day... thats not how to get ripped up anyway.

do you have a gym membership?

if so try something like this...

bench press 2 sets 8 reps
pulldowns 2 sets 8 reps
squats 2 sets 8 reps
deadlift 2 sets 8 reps
military press 2 sets 8 reps
curls 2 sets 8 reps

do that 3-4 times per week.

if you don't like that idea, i can give more possible suggestions. for example if you are looking to do more machines (those are free weight exercises) or work upper body one day, lower body another, etc.

also, check out this site if you want to check out different lifts for specific body parts...[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]

wow man. ur not doing much to gain muscle and you aren't giving yourself much recovery if you do all of that.

[Stinkweed]

Start with the basics:

[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]

Not many people like that routine because it's with barbells and squats and deadlifts, but all the seasoned lifters recommend it for beginners so they can put on mass all over their body faster. Eat well, clean (no fried foods. If you're going to have eggs, use olive oil instead of your regular oil. Egg whites are great for protein) and lots of protein and good carbs (whole grains), and good fats (omega 3) and you'll see.

[ghost69]

i'd stick with a weekly routine versus trying to wrap each muscle group all in every other day as suggested.

seasoned lifters don't recommend barbells, squats, and deadlifts just for beginners. every lifter should be doing these exercises. but i guess a lot of people could hate the routine. i will always recommend these exercises. i'm a firm believer that performing good leg workouts helps growth up top. like the roots of a tree. it's always helped me.

[Stinkweed]

Originally Posted by ghost69

i'd stick with a weekly routine versus trying to wrap each muscle group all in every other day as suggested.

seasoned lifters don't recommend barbells, squats, and deadlifts just for beginners. every lifter should be doing these exercises. but i guess a lot of people could hate the routine. i will always recommend these exercises. i'm a firm believer that performing good leg workouts helps growth up top. like the roots of a tree. it's always helped me.

The thing about weekly routine is that it works better once you have a base to work on. If you have no mass whatsoever, sure you'll see results, but it'll take so much longer. It's better if you start with just basic compound exercises, wait till you put on some mass to work with, then once you have the muscle, you can start to add sculpting with each body part once a week isolation-type exercises (but never get rid of the compound exercises. They're still important. But there's a point after which isolation exercises are necessary to enhance compound). That routine is used by athletes of all types (I believe I read it was originally designed for football players to put on mass and explosiveness during the off season). I'm just sayin it can't be that bad...

[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]

Another great thread explaining the importance of compound exercises, proper nutrition, etc...

I completely agree, lower body workouts are essential, but extremely under-rated and over-looked by people. Plus it just looks bad when you have a massive upper body and stick legs. Like a cartoon character or something. Having strong legs looks better and is also better from the functionality point of view.

[15 Storeys High]

Originally Posted by Russ

....buy up some Creatine Monohydrate. Your body makes its own creatine, which is used for water retention within the muscles, to keep your muscle firm and shaped, but if you're an active bodybuilder, you need more than the average person.

It's nothing to do with water retention. It's to do with the ATP-PCr energy system.

Creatine supplementation increases creatine content within the skeletal muscle, thus increasing PCr levels within the muscles, which enhances the ATP-PCr energy system by better maintaining muscle ATP levels. As a result performance in high intensity, intermittant exercise is enhanced.

[Russ]

Originally Posted by 15 Storeys High

It's nothing to do with water retention. It's to do with the ATP-PCr energy system.

Creatine supplementation increases creatine content within the skeletal muscle, thus increasing PCr levels within the muscles, which enhances the ATP-PCr energy system by better maintaining muscle ATP levels. As a result performance in high intensity, intermittant exercise is enhanced.

Whoop. My bad, I'm thinking of something else.

So, what is creatine? Our bodies naturally make the compound, which is used to supply energy to our muscles. It is produced in the liver, pancreas, and kidneys, and is transported to the body's muscles through the bloodstream. Once it reaches the muscles, it is converted into phosphocreatine (creatine phosphate). This high-powered metabolite is used to regenerate the muscles' ultimate energy source, ATP (adenosine triphosphate).