Basically, ive been working out at home for 2 years on and off but recently i have lost all hope of getting bigger and stronger. I am 5"11 and 140-145lbs. I currently have a bench and free weights. I have done a ton of reading but i still have not found a simple routine that i could use. If anyone could post a good routine for a beginner with a bench and free weights it would be appreciated more than you could imagine. Thanks.
Ok, here are a few pointers, and I’m sure you’ll get a ton of good advice:
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Join or get access to a gym with a full weightroom.
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Look up Cy Wilson’s article on this site on Nutrition for Skinny Bastards.
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Invest in some quality Biotest Supplements, like Metabolic Drive Complete, Surge, Flameout, and Creatine Monohydrate.
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When you train, be sure to put the proper intensity in. This is something learned over time with more experience.
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Set some short term goals for yourself. Figure out what direction you want to go in. If a certain author catches your eye, and you look one of his programs, go with it, and give it time to work.
few questions
A. Describe your weightset
B. Describe your diet
C. Describe your current routine w/ sets , reps, and weight.
C. if you have a barbell, 2 45’s and 80 more pounds in other weights, and a bench, you should still be able to do compound exercises like benching, squatting, and maybe even deadlifting.
D. Add bodyweight exercises. To do this , look up Ian King’s bodyweight article.
E. Matt Furey also has many good bodyweight articles.
The internet is full of routines on how to get big. Bodybuilding.com is a good place to go also go to a book store it is also full of info. You have a bench and free weights that is a great start. You can do a lot with it. Just don’t give up. Will also get a lot of help from this web site. You are also 16 give your self time. The three best coaches ever. Coach gravite, Coach time, Coach pain.
You’ve really got to shape a routine around your own circumstances.
IF you have a bench you can do pressing movements.
If you have a barbell you can do rows, Deadlifts, Front squats, Military press, cleans, floor press.
Base your sessions on a heavy movement like a a barbell press 6-8 sets of 2-5 reps.
Chose a second movement with dumbells or unilateral or grip variation and do 3-5 sets with 6-8 reps keeping constant tension.
Choose a third movement that’s more isolated like flyes(chest or rear), RDLs, etc… and perform higher volumes
2-3 sets of 10+ reps.
CT outlines this approach better than I can in 3 ways to get big.
The only thing you’d be lacking is a major pulling movement like pullups or pulldowns.
This can be remedied if you can adjust your bench high enough to hang in an L position with your legs resting on a bench. Put a plate on top of your legs for additional resistance if you can.
I’d also recommend you train some how(jogging if necessary) every single day. It’ll keep you from justifying missed sessions as off days.
This approach helped me a lot.
Good luck and don’t forget to eat as hard as you train and get some decent sleep.
Stay focused and you’ll be alright.
I am 20 years old and not long ago i was in your exact situation trying to get big for high school football. Lots of teens make many mistakes (including myself) in the process of “getting big.”
My biggest mistake was not eating nearly enough and not eating the right stuff. For example, yea it is a lot of fun to go to applebees for “half apps” after 9:00 and bullshit with your friends, but lets be real, is there anything you can eat thats an appetizer that will fill you up with good food? no not really.
So basically what you need to do is eat steak, chicken, turkey, tuna, peas, spinach, asparagus, potatoes, carrots…all the good tastey foods and lots of them. I suggest that you buy some muscle milk (~640 calories with milk per serving…perfect for putting on muscle with minimal fat).
Pick up any real exercise plan that puts on muscle. I suggest a 3x10 for a good 4-5 weeks then maybe a 5x5? Just pick one that isnt like 3x15 or something for the time being.
You need to have heavy squats, heavy deads, and heavy bench. If you hit a plateau on your bench grab some heavy dumbbells and when you bench those, go into the negatives (meaning go well below what a bar can go due to it hitting your chest at the bottom.) Make sure at this point in time you are eating about 4,000 calories a day split between 6 meals…muscle milk an hour before workout and immediately after.
Try to get most of your other protein from meats and whole foods. Some people make the mistake of taking all their protein from shakes…the best protein is whole food protein.
Just lift your ass off, heavy every day, get hardcore music to pump you up, and eat all day long. Remember you dont just train for the 1.5 hours that you are in the gym, you train all day long, so let yoru eating plan and daily plan follow that.
thanks for your help guys, its just that i dont know where to start when im making a routine… like which exercises to do. Im going to search for some now on the internet, but if anyone has any suggestions, workout plans, or anything at all it will be appreciated. Thanks
[quote]dom91 wrote:
thanks for your help guys, its just that i dont know where to start when im making a routine… like which exercises to do. Im going to search for some now on the internet, but if anyone has any suggestions, workout plans, or anything at all it will be appreciated. Thanks[/quote]
Dude, it’s not all that complicated.
Don’t worry about a program just train with what you have.
Day 1 You’ve got a bench? bench until you’re fatigued. Your chest is fatigued? finish with a triceps movement.
Day 2 your chest and triceps are sore to the touch? do rows followed by rear flyes or biceps
Day 3 your chest, traps, biceps, triceps are all feelin painful to the touch? Squat or Deadlift, followed by unilateral(lunge, step up, Bulgarian squat etc…)
Day 4 everything’s painful? take a day off, jog, or do 1-2 really light(40-50%) sets for 5-6 different target muscle groups/movements.
Day 5 everything still hurts? carefully reexamine nutrition and rest/recovery methods and repeat day 4.
Almost no soreness or mixed soreness? train what’s not very sore to the touch(rinse and repeat)
Good luck and remember intensity is key.
how does this workout plan look to begin with.
Leg Extensions 3 x 15, 15, 15
Leg Curls 3 x 15, 15, 15
Flat Bench Press 3 x 10,10,10
Lat Pull Down (Wide Grip, Front) 3 x 10,10,10
Seated Shoulder Press (Barbell, Front) 3 x 10,10,10
Tricep Pressdown 3 x 10,10,10
Standing Barbell Curls 3 x 10,10,10
Standing Calf Raises 3 x 10,10,10
Standard Crunch 2 x 25, 25
should i use this now, and then when i get more experienced i can workout a body part on each day instead of a full body workout (day 1 - chest, day 2 - back, etc)
[quote]dom91 wrote:
how does this workout plan look to begin with.
Leg Extensions 3 x 15, 15, 15
Leg Curls 3 x 15, 15, 15
Flat Bench Press 3 x 10,10,10
Lat Pull Down (Wide Grip, Front) 3 x 10,10,10
Seated Shoulder Press (Barbell, Front) 3 x 10,10,10
Tricep Pressdown 3 x 10,10,10
Standing Barbell Curls 3 x 10,10,10
Standing Calf Raises 3 x 10,10,10
Standard Crunch 2 x 25, 25
should i use this now, and then when i get more experienced i can workout a body part on each day instead of a full body workout (day 1 - chest, day 2 - back, etc)
[/quote]
There’s nothing wrong with isolation movements, but your foundation for size is going to be built upon using compound movements. This includes: Squats, Deadlifts, Bench Presses, Rows, Chin/Pull Ups, Pulldowns, Overhead Presses.
Do you have access to a gym?
What articles have you read so far on here?