A Beginner's Guide to Working Out
Introduction
Hello everyone! The purpose of this thread is to educate people about health and fitness, specifically working out and lifting weights.
Now, being a girl, I'm aware I'm not exactly in this site's main demographic (which I assume to be teenage boys). However, I am a volunteer personal trainer and working very hard to eventually get a career in the medical field. I exercise vigorously as well, and have a pretty decent knowledge of muscle-building/weight loss. Therefore, I'm confident my info can help at least SOMEONE.
This thread is designed for younger males (15+) who want to build muscle. Questions are encouraged!
So, you've decided that you want to start exercising and going to the gym. Good for you! You're on the right track towards a healthy lifestyle. However, weight-lifting can seem like a daunting task, especially when you have no idea where to start. Fear not, for this is why I made this thread.
(PS to any mods. I wasn't sure whether to post this thread here or in A FORVM, where I feel more people might not know a lot about working out and can benefit more from this thread. If you think it's more suited for there, I have no problems with it being moved!)
The Basics
What is weight lifting?
Weight lifting is a method of exercise where, by lifting heavy objects, you use the force of gravity to oppose the force of your muscles. This can vary from using dumbbells and barbells to doing simple push-ups. People of all ages lift weights, from teenagers to the elderly. (You'd be very surprised as to how many elderly people are at the gym)
How does the body build muscle?
Cells mainly grow via Hypertrophy, when the cells and fibers get bigger.
When you exercise a muscle, you create microscopic tears and other damage to the muscle fibers. When you finish exercising, your body scrambles to repair the damage via Hypertrohpy. In the process, it creates a stronger, more efficient muscle. Basically, you build muscle not during the exercise, but during the rest following the exercise.
Why should I lift weights?
- Increased bone density
- improved physique
- increased joint strength
- increased metabolism
- improved posture
- improves functionality despite aging
- cardiovascular benefits (like preventing heart disease and diabetes)
- counters depression/improves mood via increased pleasure chemicals in the brain
- improved self discipline and work ethic
- for some people, exercising can be a confidence boost.
- I could go on forever
Anatomy
Before you head off to the gym, you need to do a little research and hit the books. Unless you want to suffer from severe back pain, you will need to learn a little bit of human Anatomy and learn about the muscles of your body so that you can balance your workout.
Your body is made up of about 640 muscles. That's a lot! Your muscles are generally divided into your Legs, Stomach, Chest, Arms, Shoulders, Upper Back, and Lower Back. Any safe workout routine must balance ALL of these areas.
Stomach: Abdominals ("Abs") and
Obliques
Chest: Pectorals ("Pecs")
Shoulders: Deltoids and
Trapezius ("Traps")
Upper Back: Traps,
Latissimus Dorsi ("Lats"), and
Rhomboids
Most muscles come in pairs; when one muscle contracts, the other relaxes. They are usually located on opposite sides of the body. These groups are called Opposing Muscle Groups. It is important to exercise both muscles of the group; If you don't do both, one muscle might get too strong which can cause pain in the weaker one.
Here are the major opposing muscle groups:
Quadriceps vs. Hamstrings
Stomach vs. Lower Back
Chest vs. Upper Back
Deltoids vs Lats (Upper Back)
Biceps vs Triceps
Why is this important? To avoid injury, you must exercise both muscles in the group to prevent an imbalance. Do you want a strong chest? Prepare to work out your back too. You must balance all parts of your body in your workout routine to avoid injury.
Types of Lifting
There are two kinds of lifts: Compound Lifts and Isolation Lifts.
-Compound Lifts utilize more than one muscle; for example,
Squats work out almost every muscle in your legs and other muscles throughout your whole body.
- Isolation lifts, such as
Bicep Curls, isolate one single muscle and only exercise that muscle.
Compound Lifts are generally better, but that doesn't mean Isolation lifts are terrible. However, for new lifters, compound lifts are the better way to go.
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Exercises can generally be split into 3 categories by equipment: Body Weight, Free Weights, and Machines.
- Body Weight exercises require no equipment except your own body.
- Free Weights require the use of
Dumbbells,
Barbells,
Kettleballs, and other similar equipment.
- Finally, there are Machines. They utilize several sets of simple machines and cables to convey the resistance in different ways.
Now that you are more familiar with the different kinds of lifting, we can get to the exciting part: the actual exercise!
The Actual Exercise + Building Your Routine
Before you head off to the gym, you'll need to formulate some kind of weekly workout routine. Remember what I said about balancing the muscle groups?
For most beginners, you'll want to keep it simple. 3-4 Full Body workouts a week for about one month is a good start. Don't overstress yourself. Keep the weight light/moderate and focus mostly on your form.
Pick one exercise from each following group, and you'll exercise almost every muscle in your body. I've tried to list different exercises that use different kinds of equipment. Do 2-3 sets of 8 repetitions for each exercise. If you have an experienced parent, friend, or coach, ask them to show you the "advanced" exercises. And remember, form is key!
Chest:
Push-Ups
Dumbbell Bench Press
Machine Chest Press
Flyes
Barbell Bench Press (Advanced) (Don't do heavy weight without a friend to spot you)
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After about 6 weeks of this, you'll be ready to get more advanced with your routine. Google is your friend; search for new exercises that you can do! You can start splitting different muscle groups each day. For example, my routine:
Sun: Shoulders, Abs
Tues: Chest, Triceps
Wed: Back, Biceps
Fri: Legs
However, everyone's body is different. You will need to cater your routine to your own needs.
Diet
So now you're back from your first workout. You're probably tired and want to take a nap. But don't! You need to EAT. NOM NOM NOM
I kid you not, diet is 70% of your strength gains. What you eat determines whether or not you just wasted your time at the gym. It's quite simple, really; you just need to ingest a lot of protein. If you want to maximize the gains, you will want to consume 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight; so if you weigh 150 pounds, you should consume 150g of protein for maximum effect.
Dairy products such as milk and eggs are full of protein; so are beans, chicken, red meat, and almonds. Even better, you can make a delicious fruit smoothie and then add some protein powder to make a protein shake. Google is your friend.
And that's it! I hope this thread was informative and helpful.
