Complete Newbie advice please - Bodybuilding Discussion on Bodybuilding.net Training Forum

timbo101 · 03-22-2008, 07:13 AM

Hello everyone,
My name is Tim and I am new to this so please bare with me as I am sure a lot of these questions have been answered before.
Up until 6 months ago I was dangerously unfit, I am 6 foot 3 inches tall but I weighed 252 pounds, smoked 30 ciggies a day, drank far too much and did no excercise at all.
I am 38 and was not happy being so very unfit. I also found out I had high blood pressure so it was time to do something about it.
It is now six months on and I now weigh 208 pounds,I can now run a mile a day which I do on my treadmill and my blood pressure is back to normal.
I now really want to start to look good so for the first time in years I can take my shirt off in the summer, I have read many different articles on how to build upper body but no two are the same.
So far I have been doing light toning weights twice a week and also a intense bicep workout twice a week. On the bicep workout I do individual dumb bell curls with the heaviest weights I can manage of about 10 - 15 reps each arm. At the moment I can only do this with 10KG dumbells in each hand. After these workouts I am sore for a few days which I thought was good and I give myself time to recover and then start again.
I have noticed some improvement but seems like it will take forever.
I have just bought a tricep and bicep curl barbell but have not yet used them.
I obviously still have a belly on me but I have got that under control as I am still losing about a pound or so a week and try and do 40 crunches every day.
Can someone please give me a explanation of how to work out to enable me to have a strong and detailed upper body please.
Very many thanks in advance.....Tim

Pitysister · 03-22-2008, 07:36 AM

for your body to grow...i would advise doing lower body as well....

forget about bicep and tricep isolations....make sure your diet is in line...and do compound movements like bench, rows, military press, deadlifts, squats, pullups and dips. and don't forget abs...what good is taking your shirt off if you don't have any abs...but...hey...i got big biceps and triceps....

make sure to read all the stickies on all the forums here...and definitely do these: http://www.abs-exercise-advice.com/plank.html

J-Rock · 03-22-2008, 07:41 AM

Start doing legs. This helps increase growth hormone production.

Ross86 · 03-22-2008, 08:16 AM

^^ Agreed.

Read the stickies (especially fat loss, nutrition, and training). You'll find that you should be doing mostly compound lifts. Bis and tris are small muscles. They will grow if you're doing compound lifts, so don't worry about it.

Protein is your body's fuel for muscle growth, so diet is the most important factor for putting on muscle. Just read and it will all unfold.

_Wolf_ · 03-22-2008, 08:35 AM

ignoring legs will lead to complications later

timbo101 · 03-22-2008, 12:42 PM

Thanks to everyone for the advice, I will start on the legs tomorrow then as it really does make sense. I dont really know what excercises are best to start with for my legs so will start with squats for now as I think thats a good excercise.
Thanks again..Tim

03-22-2008, 07:13 AM	#1 (permalink)
timbo101 Rank: New Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Posts: 19	Complete Newbie advice please Hello everyone, My name is Tim and I am new to this so please bare with me as I am sure a lot of these questions have been answered before. Up until 6 months ago I was dangerously unfit, I am 6 foot 3 inches tall but I weighed 252 pounds, smoked 30 ciggies a day, drank far too much and did no excercise at all. I am 38 and was not happy being so very unfit. I also found out I had high blood pressure so it was time to do something about it. It is now six months on and I now weigh 208 pounds,I can now run a mile a day which I do on my treadmill and my blood pressure is back to normal. I now really want to start to look good so for the first time in years I can take my shirt off in the summer, I have read many different articles on how to build upper body but no two are the same. So far I have been doing light toning weights twice a week and also a intense bicep workout twice a week. On the bicep workout I do individual dumb bell curls with the heaviest weights I can manage of about 10 - 15 reps each arm. At the moment I can only do this with 10KG dumbells in each hand. After these workouts I am sore for a few days which I thought was good and I give myself time to recover and then start again. I have noticed some improvement but seems like it will take forever. I have just bought a tricep and bicep curl barbell but have not yet used them. I obviously still have a belly on me but I have got that under control as I am still losing about a pound or so a week and try and do 40 crunches every day. Can someone please give me a explanation of how to work out to enable me to have a strong and detailed upper body please. Very many thanks in advance.....Tim

03-22-2008, 07:36 AM	#2 (permalink)
Pitysister Rank: Lightweight Experience: 1-2 Years Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Midwest Posts: 1,969 Country: Gender:	for your body to grow...i would advise doing lower body as well.... forget about bicep and tricep isolations....make sure your diet is in line...and do compound movements like bench, rows, military press, deadlifts, squats, pullups and dips. and don't forget abs...what good is taking your shirt off if you don't have any abs...but...hey...i got big biceps and triceps.... make sure to read all the stickies on all the forums here...and definitely do these: http://www.abs-exercise-advice.com/plank.html
	Pitysister's Sig:Born the travesty of man Regular pulse midst pandemonium You're plucked to the mass Parched with thirst for the wicked

03-22-2008, 07:41 AM	#3 (permalink)
J-Rock Rank: Member Experience: 3-5 Years Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Illinois Posts: 260 Gender:	Start doing legs. This helps increase growth hormone production.
	J-Rock's Sig:My Journal- http://www.bodybuilding.net/personal...rney-8873.html www.exrx.net "Success in anything seems to be connected with action. Successful people keep moving. They make mistakes but don't quit. They hang on after others have let go". "For me life is continuously being hungry. The meaning of life is not simply to exist, to survive, but to move ahead, to go up, to achieve, to conquer." - Arnold Schwarzenegger AIM:jrockbdybldr

03-22-2008, 08:16 AM	#4 (permalink)
Ross86 Rank: Lightweight Experience: > 1 Year Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: NC Posts: 1,945 Country: Gender:	^^ Agreed. Read the stickies (especially fat loss, nutrition, and training). You'll find that you should be doing mostly compound lifts. Bis and tris are small muscles. They will grow if you're doing compound lifts, so don't worry about it. Protein is your body's fuel for muscle growth, so diet is the most important factor for putting on muscle. Just read and it will all unfold.
	Ross86's Sig:"Excuses are the building blocks to a monument of nothingness" - Anonymous "You hang out with monkey's you may get shit in the face. "Shit happens"...OPINION. "Monkey's throw shit"...FACT." - Eric3237 Stone Black

03-22-2008, 08:35 AM	#5 (permalink)
_Wolf_ Rank: Light Heavyweight Experience: 3-5 Years Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Trinity University, San Antonio, Texas Posts: 3,662 Gender:	ignoring legs will lead to complications later
	_Wolf_'s Sig:Training Log APT Pro Wrist Straps

03-22-2008, 12:42 PM	#6 (permalink)
timbo101 Rank: New Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Posts: 19	Thanks to everyone for the advice, I will start on the legs tomorrow then as it really does make sense. I dont really know what excercises are best to start with for my legs so will start with squats for now as I think thats a good excercise. Thanks again..Tim

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