18 years old, 150 lb, 5'10"

[EGOD]

I am a freshman in college. I do not have tons of experience working out. Most of it was on machines and some free weights. In the past couple months, I have been lazy and depressed. I need to start working out.

What would be a good workout routine to get my abs visible (I am 13-15% bodyfat), bigger arms, wider chest. I also want a routine that would help me with my PE efforts.

I live in a dorm, so I am eating dorm food. What would be a good diet to go on that would help with my PE efforts and help to get me ripped without fucking up my hormones?

Any advice based on personal experience?

 

[wazedi]

first of all i suggest you first loose some weight.till 10% fat because if you start bulking you have to eat a lot.you body at this level will produce more fat than muscle.
so start with a low to now card diet with a lot of proteins.in combination high reps training(12-15).in that face of your workout to loose some fat you better not eat 2 hours before workout and 1 hour after that.also because you dont burn your muscle you better take some bcaa's.thats a combination of amino acids.do that diet for 15 days.after that change it a little.put some more cards.always eat helthy meals with vegetables and fruits.some other natural suppluments you cant take is l-arginine for better pumps or agmatine(better)
and after you reach you 10% fat goal and start bulking add some creatine monohydrate.dint add the creatine before cause creatine add some water in your body and you dont want that now

 

[Jdcsd]

first of all i suggest you first loose some weight.till 10% fat because if you start bulking you have to eat a lot.you body at this level will produce more fat than muscle.
so start with a low to now card diet with a lot of proteins.in combination high reps training(12-15).in that face of your workout to loose some fat you better not eat 2 hours before workout and 1 hour after that.also because you dont burn your muscle you better take some bcaa's.thats a combination of amino acids.do that diet for 15 days.after that change it a little.put some more cards.always eat helthy meals with vegetables and fruits.some other natural suppluments you cant take is l-arginine for better pumps or agmatine(better)
and after you reach you 10% fat goal and start bulking add some creatine monohydrate.dint add the creatine before cause creatine add some water in your body and you dont want that now

Pretty good advise. Arginine is way out dated though. We had citruline replace it and now agmatine is the current king

 

[jordey]

ok so to start off, there are some conflicting things in your goals. you want to get bigger, but also get rippe at the same time? unfortunately, if you are natural then doing both of these at the same time as a beginner is a fairly inefficient use of time. if i was you (and i have done this already) i would first focus on putting on weight and getting bigger. then, you can do a small diet and get rid of fat to reveal the new muscle. trying to get shredded without having much muscle first usually just makes people look skinny/ malnourished.

ok so to start off, gain weight. heres the best way to do it:

food: eat more calories than you burn. for your weight you should start off with around 2700 calories a day, then fine tune. if you dont gain weight on this after a week or two, add another couple hundred calories a day. aim to gain around 2-4 pounds a month. if you gain considerably more or considerable less than this a month, adjust your calories accordingly.

as for your macros, a good start would be this:

160g protein (=600
110g fat
270g carbs

these are macros for 2700 calories. if you need to eat more than is, just add in macros where you see fit as there is no 'perfect' ratio, just general guidelines.

foods to eat: meats, rice, pasta, eggs, milk, cereal, fruit, veg etc. just follow a fairly balanced diet and hit your macros.

training: if you are brand new to working out, start off slow. take the first 3 weeks to build your co-ordination and base strength. just do the basics- bench, squat, and deadlift. take these 3 weeks fairly light, just working to perfect form whilst keeping weight static and not going to failure. once you feel your form is now solid and co-ordination is better, you can get on a proper program and start adding weight every week to the bar. if your main goal is aesthetics, i would suggest the following program:

Monday: back squat: 4x8
bench press: 4x8
bicep curl: 3x8

Wednesday: Deadlift: 3x6
BB Shoulder press: 3x10
Bent over row: 4x8

Friday: Squat: 2x5
Bench press (or close grip): 2x5
chinups: 3 sets to failure
skullcrushers: 3x8


start with a weight the allows you to get all sets and reps. add weight each week. do this for however long it takes you to get to the level of muscularity you desire, then cut your calories and reduce training volume a little bit to lose fat and get some definition.

 

[DLD]

ok so to start off, there are some conflicting things in your goals. you want to get bigger, but also get rippe at the same time? unfortunately, if you are natural then doing both of these at the same time as a beginner is a fairly inefficient use of time. if i was you (and i have done this already) i would first focus on putting on weight and getting bigger. then, you can do a small diet and get rid of fat to reveal the new muscle. trying to get shredded without having much muscle first usually just makes people look skinny/ malnourished.

ok so to start off, gain weight. heres the best way to do it:

food: eat more calories than you burn. for your weight you should start off with around 2700 calories a day, then fine tune. if you dont gain weight on this after a week or two, add another couple hundred calories a day. aim to gain around 2-4 pounds a month. if you gain considerably more or considerable less than this a month, adjust your calories accordingly.

as for your macros, a good start would be this:

160g protein (=600
110g fat
270g carbs

these are macros for 2700 calories. if you need to eat more than is, just add in macros where you see fit as there is no 'perfect' ratio, just general guidelines.

foods to eat: meats, rice, pasta, eggs, milk, cereal, fruit, veg etc. just follow a fairly balanced diet and hit your macros.

training: if you are brand new to working out, start off slow. take the first 3 weeks to build your co-ordination and base strength. just do the basics- bench, squat, and deadlift. take these 3 weeks fairly light, just working to perfect form whilst keeping weight static and not going to failure. once you feel your form is now solid and co-ordination is better, you can get on a proper program and start adding weight every week to the bar. if your main goal is aesthetics, i would suggest the following program:

Monday: back squat: 4x8
bench press: 4x8
bicep curl: 3x8

Wednesday: Deadlift: 3x6
BB Shoulder press: 3x10
Bent over row: 4x8

Friday: Squat: 2x5
Bench press (or close grip): 2x5
chinups: 3 sets to failure
skullcrushers: 3x8


start with a weight the allows you to get all sets and reps. add weight each week. do this for however long it takes you to get to the level of muscularity you desire, then cut your calories and reduce training volume a little bit to lose fat and get some definition.

Excellent post and thank you for your kindness in taking the time to give such a great reply. +1 rep for you Brother Jordey!

 

[jordey]

Excellent post and thank you for your kindness in taking the time to give such a great reply. +1 rep for you Brother Jordey!

thanks! i dont feel qualified to give much advice on p.e. considering i havent had very big gains (yet). i know alot more about training and nutrition so can give much better advice. ive been in a fairly similar situation as the op before and done it all wrong, so i know how confusing and conflicting info online can be!

 

[DLD]

thanks! i dont feel qualified to give much advice on p.e. considering i havent had very big gains (yet). i know alot more about training and nutrition so can give much better advice. ive been in a fairly similar situation as the op before and done it all wrong, so i know how confusing and conflicting info online can be!

I see where you are helping out and it is greatly appreciated. The men who contribute like you will be those who get to test or new products so keep it up!

 

[youknowme123321]

ok so to start off, there are some conflicting things in your goals. you want to get bigger, but also get rippe at the same time? unfortunately, if you are natural then doing both of these at the same time as a beginner is a fairly inefficient use of time. if i was you (and i have done this already) i would first focus on putting on weight and getting bigger. then, you can do a small diet and get rid of fat to reveal the new muscle. trying to get shredded without having much muscle first usually just makes people look skinny/ malnourished.

ok so to start off, gain weight. heres the best way to do it:

food: eat more calories than you burn. for your weight you should start off with around 2700 calories a day, then fine tune. if you dont gain weight on this after a week or two, add another couple hundred calories a day. aim to gain around 2-4 pounds a month. if you gain considerably more or considerable less than this a month, adjust your calories accordingly.

as for your macros, a good start would be this:

160g protein (=600
110g fat
270g carbs

these are macros for 2700 calories. if you need to eat more than is, just add in macros where you see fit as there is no 'perfect' ratio, just general guidelines.

foods to eat: meats, rice, pasta, eggs, milk, cereal, fruit, veg etc. just follow a fairly balanced diet and hit your macros.

training: if you are brand new to working out, start off slow. take the first 3 weeks to build your co-ordination and base strength. just do the basics- bench, squat, and deadlift. take these 3 weeks fairly light, just working to perfect form whilst keeping weight static and not going to failure. once you feel your form is now solid and co-ordination is better, you can get on a proper program and start adding weight every week to the bar. if your main goal is aesthetics, i would suggest the following program:

Monday: back squat: 4x8
bench press: 4x8
bicep curl: 3x8

Wednesday: Deadlift: 3x6
BB Shoulder press: 3x10
Bent over row: 4x8

Friday: Squat: 2x5
Bench press (or close grip): 2x5
chinups: 3 sets to failure
skullcrushers: 3x8


start with a weight the allows you to get all sets and reps. add weight each week. do this for however long it takes you to get to the level of muscularity you desire, then cut your calories and reduce training volume a little bit to lose fat and get some definition.

that's a good simple workout to start. watch good body mechanics videos when it comes to squats and deadlifts before doing them. so many people do them wrong and with to much weight to begin. idk you flexibility but work on that as well. check out some body building forums. you are young and in good health (i'm assuming) so you could probably take on a more demanding beginner routine then above if you want to of 5 days in the gym

3kelly starrett knows his body mechanics well. check him out

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6JgGPWoYXqk

 

[jordey]

I see where you are helping out and it is greatly appreciated. The men who contribute like you will be those who get to test or new products so keep it up!

brilliant! unfortunately though there isnt much activity in the bodybuilding/ fitness section so there isnt much to reply to

 

[DLD]

brilliant! unfortunately though there isnt much activity in the bodybuilding/ fitness section so there isnt much to reply to

It picks up big time once fall sets in, but that is the case with most of the forum. Summer is a slow time.

 

[EGOD]

Thank you for all of the advice! My big question is about diet. How should I know how many calories and grams of macronutrients I am taking in? I live in a dorm and eat dorm food. So, I am not really sure how to determine this.

 

[jordey]

Thank you for all of the advice! My big question is about diet. How should I know how many calories and grams of macronutrients I am taking in? I live in a dorm and eat dorm food. So, I am not really sure how to determine this.

well that makes counting a little trickier. is there a food schedule? as in, are there the same meals on certain days every week? or is it just random.

if there is a regime that is kept to, list out what you eat in a given week and i can tell you what you could add to it

 

[DLD]

To be honest, when I drop all the weight I do yearly I change nothing in diet, the only change that happens is I become much more active. I always keep a moving factor and the weight just comes off. I go from about 200-220 to 140-160 in a very quick time and as I said it happens every year. This year I will try to keep better record of other changes I may be overlooking. It just has always been a normal thing that happens to me so I never really kept great records. I hope to be able to contribute some knowledge on why and how it happens this year.

 

[acromegaly]

focus on eating good and doing compound exercises
most people in college drink a lot and dont get good sleep either

 

[jordey]

@EGOD, any updates?

 

[DLD]

@EGOD, any updates?

I hope he gets back to you. You put in such a huge effort to help!

 

[jordey]

I hope he gets back to you. You put in such a huge effort to help!

i hope so too! regardless if he does or doesnt though, the information is still there for anyone in a similar situation so all is not lost

 

[EGOD]

The last few days have been kind of crazy. My doctor just put me on a gluten free/Dairy free diet in order to decrease the inflammation from my Crohns Disease. So, this pretty much makes it that I am not able to eat much of the food in the caf. Most of my meals are just meat and vegetables.
I worked out for the first time in a while today. I did not feel comfortable doing that workout yet, but I think that I am going to do it with light weight.

 

[jordey]

The last few days have been kind of crazy. My doctor just put me on a gluten free/Dairy free diet in order to decrease the inflammation from my Crohns Disease. So, this pretty much makes it that I am not able to eat much of the food in the caf. Most of my meals are just meat and vegetables.
I worked out for the first time in a while today. I did not feel comfortable doing that workout yet, but I think that I am going to do it with light weight.

glad to hear back from you!

ah that sucks man. does this mean you will have to start making your own meals?

and yeah most dont feel very comfortable getting into a new routine especially when its a hard one, but the change is what will make you grow. just keep it light for a couple of weeks until you feel confident and settled, then you can throw some weight on

 

[acromegaly]

The last few days have been kind of crazy. My doctor just put me on a gluten free/Dairy free diet in order to decrease the inflammation from my Crohns Disease. So, this pretty much makes it that I am not able to eat much of the food in the caf. Most of my meals are just meat and vegetables.
I worked out for the first time in a while today. I did not feel comfortable doing that workout yet, but I think that I am going to do it with light weight.

Sorry to hear that bro stay positive I hope you feel better

 

[youknowme123321]

The last few days have been kind of crazy. My doctor just put me on a gluten free/Dairy free diet in order to decrease the inflammation from my Crohns Disease. So, this pretty much makes it that I am not able to eat much of the food in the caf. Most of my meals are just meat and vegetables.
I worked out for the first time in a while today. I did not feel comfortable doing that workout yet, but I think that I am going to do it with light weight.

i have done gluten, wheat and dairy(well dairy for the most part) various times in my life. only by choice. the longest being a 6 month period. does the cafeteria have any rices. i love a few over medium eggs on my rice alongside my morning vegetable and fruit smoothie.i looove sweet potateos and various other potatoes. i am not a big fan of counting calories and macro/micro. just know what they are and make sure your plate is balanced. i tend to like my protein source to be the bigger part of my meal. oooh i also love avocados. unlikely your caf has those but if they did go for it. i also eat maybe one processed food item a week. sometimes not. sometimes 2. with your crohns it is even more beneficial for you to avoid processed foods. i also like to call the edible like food products b/c they aren't real food. i did not come up with edible like food products. idk who did lol. if you eat whole foods and exercise you will make healthy progress. now if you want to start bodybuilding you may need to start counting and get out the scale lol

 

[jordey]

@EGOD, any updates on your situation?

 

[EGOD]

At this point, things are pretty busy. My school works piling up, my energy level has been low, and I am hungry all the time. I have not had a lot of trouble sticking to my diet. I just never really get full. I have been making time for PE. I am also getting treated for OCD and depression. So, those two thinks are working against me right now. I really need to make time for working out.

 

[jordey]

At this point, things are pretty busy. My school works piling up, my energy level has been low, and I am hungry all the time. I have not had a lot of trouble sticking to my diet. I just never really get full. I have been making time for PE. I am also getting treated for OCD and depression. So, those two thinks are working against me right now. I really need to make time for working out.

sorry to hear that man. have you thought about making a schedule? making a schedule can make it easier to fit everything in and get everything done in good time.

whats been the issue with sticking to a diet?

 

[EGOD]

I have not really had an issue sticking with the gluten free/dairy free diet. I actually just started making schedules yesterday. I am slowly becoming more time efficient.

 

[jordey]

I have not really had an issue sticking with the gluten free/dairy free diet. I actually just started making schedules yesterday. I am slowly becoming more time efficient.

hey man hows sticking to your diet been going?

 

[DLD]

At this point, things are pretty busy. My school works piling up, my energy level has been low, and I am hungry all the time. I have not had a lot of trouble sticking to my diet. I just never really get full. I have been making time for PE. I am also getting treated for OCD and depression. So, those two thinks are working against me right now. I really need to make time for working out.

For appetite what worked for me was fiber pills, the ones that expand in the stomach after you take them. This kept my hinder down and I dropped weight pretty steadily.

 

[jordey]

For appetite what worked for me was fiber pills, the ones that expand in the stomach after you take them. This kept my hinder down and I dropped weight pretty steadily.

i think the op is trying to put on weight though

 

[ShadedSam]

I've recently been doing a weight gain routine. One quick way to gain some weight is creatine. Buy the cheapest creatine you can find and follow the instructions on the bottle (load by taking two doses a day for 2 weeks than 1 dose a day after that). Once you finish the cheap bottle you can maintain with something of higher quality like creatine HCL.

This isn't necessarily a long term plan, but with if you're hitting the gym while taking it you can gain 5-10 lbs in 2 weeks. This is because the creatine absorbs water into your muscles making them bigger, but not stronger. It does, however help the muscles remove lactic acid so you can hit more reps and sets. Once you finish the cheap stuff move onto creatine HCL which doesn't cause the bloating muscles and you don't need to cycle it. So you'll lose some of the weight but by then you should have put on real muscle.

For food ideas for people with Crohn's you can check out marksdailyapple.com. Here is a list of foods Primal Blueprint Shopping List | Mark's Daily Apple

 

[jordey]

I've recently been doing a weight gain routine. One quick way to gain some weight is creatine. Buy the cheapest creatine you can find and follow the instructions on the bottle (load by taking two doses a day for 2 weeks than 1 dose a day after that). Once you finish the cheap bottle you can maintain with something of higher quality like creatine HCL.

This isn't necessarily a long term plan, but with if you're hitting the gym while taking it you can gain 5-10 lbs in 2 weeks. This is because the creatine absorbs water into your muscles making them bigger, but not stronger. It does, however help the muscles remove lactic acid so you can hit more reps and sets. Once you finish the cheap stuff move onto creatine HCL which doesn't cause the bloating muscles and you don't need to cycle it. So you'll lose some of the weight but by then you should have put on real muscle.

For food ideas for people with Crohn's you can check out marksdailyapple.com. Here is a list of foods Primal Blueprint Shopping List | Mark's Daily Apple

yeah creatine is good for gym goers, helps with strength output aswell. however, plain creatine mono hydrates muscle cells 100%, and is one of the most studied supplements. all other forms are pointless, as the mono already does the job to maximum efficiency at a much cheaper price. also no need to cycle creatine, there is no added benefit. the whole mechanism for creatine is to bloat the muscle, so if a product states it doesnt have this effect, then it simply doesnt work as well.

only thing with creatine to watch out for is mistaking intramuscular water gain from actual contractile tissue growth, as if someone decided to stop taking creatine for any reason this water weight would go

 

[samuriajack]

i think creatine is lame protien or all natural all the way ahahha i control my immune system and production of hormoes my mind bodyu connection is next gen mauhahahaha

 

[jordey]

i think creatine is lame protien or all natural all the way ahahha i control my immune system and production of hormoes my mind bodyu connection is next gen mauhahahaha

creatine is one of the most studied supplements, with 15+ years of research. it is arguably one of the safest and most effective things you can buy. plus its dirt cheap

 

[ShadedSam]

yeah creatine is good for gym goers, helps with strength output aswell. however, plain creatine mono hydrates muscle cells 100%, and is one of the most studied supplements. all other forms are pointless, as the mono already does the job to maximum efficiency at a much cheaper price. also no need to cycle creatine, there is no added benefit. the whole mechanism for creatine is to bloat the muscle, so if a product states it doesnt have this effect, then it simply doesnt work as well.

only thing with creatine to watch out for is mistaking intramuscular water gain from actual contractile tissue growth, as if someone decided to stop taking creatine for any reason this water weight would go

Have you ever tried con-cret? It gives the exact same benefits, no bloating or bloated feeling. Its an amazing product, just expensive. But starting out there's no point in going for the expensive stuff. Still, micronized and HCL are better than mono. That is an extremely well established fact backed by many scientific studies. Look into the real mechanism behind creatine. It isn't the bloating that helps, that's just a side effect.

 

[youknowme123321]

con-cret (creatine HCL) is a buffered creatine. it is made ineffective by stomach acid and turned into a basic creatine molecule making it no better then creatine monohydrate. there are no where near the amount of studies on any form of creatine that isnt mono that show enough positive/better benefit over mono to consider taking anything besides mono. with that said, if a person suffers from abdominal bloating or stomach cramps from mono, which can happen for some, then they would benefit from a more soluble creatine product like micronized or even HCL.