Newbie in Search of Direction

Ok, here it goes. I’ve been a member of a gym and so far I’ve been doing the same routine for a while and it doesn’t seem to work very well for me. I know I’m making a ton of mistakes but I’m here to learn and this site looks appropriate and serious enough for that. A friend turned me onto the site and how you guys who’ve been at this for a while can help. I’m going to give a general description of what I do and where I am physically and you guys can give me an opinion. You can give me pointers or send me to the right place to find answers to those specific questions that I currently have.

I usually go to the gym around 4 or 5 times a week and follow this routine:

Do some cardio to warm up, about 5 minutes. I then do arms (bis and tris)
Second day, I do legs and abs using a medicine ball
chest on the third with some cardio to warm up
a day of just cardio

Now, I don’t seem to get anywhere with this. I don’t consider myself a newbie since I’ve been going to the gym but I don’t follow a specific routine. I think this is the biggest problem, a lack of direction and specifics.

I’m 5’10" 187lbs and use a size 32". However, I do have a belly and I can’t seem to go get rid of it. I also have love handles and I feel flabby in my chest and overall in the rest of the body.

My overall goals are the following:

Be lean but with defined muscles and hard.
Have hard abs and lose the fat from the mid section and the love handles. Also, achieving a definition in the rest of the body.
achieve overall fitness

These might change as I get more into this. Then, what am I doing wrong and what should I be doing? What should I be eating and supplementing my meals with. What equipment, books, etc should I be buying or reading to keep them at home and exercise and guide me. Please, be very specific and don’t be afraid to call me on mistakes. If you are going to describe several things like nutrition, a path to follow exercising and such, please refer to the sites, books or specific places I can find that information. As long as is thorough I don’t mind information overload?

I’m here to learn and achieve a goal with your input.

I would like to lose some fat first, especially in the mid-section and then work on getting hard and define muscles. I don’t want to bulk up but I wouldn’t mind it if it meant achieving the goals mentioned above.

I will post some pics so you guys can see and comment on it.

I thank everyone who is going to provide information to achieve my goals. All posts would be appreciated.

You should do your own research, then come back with slightly more specific questions.

Your head may be in the right place, but no one wants to do your work for you, and honestly no one can.

Start with the stickies at the top of the beginners page.

Also look at as many of the “Monday’s with Thibbs” articles as you can. All have great tips that help support your goals.

[quote]Gene_Miami073 wrote:
Ok, here it goes. I’ve been a member of a gym and so far I’ve been doing the same routine for a while and it doesn’t seem to work very well for me.

I usually go to the gym around 4 or 5 times a week and follow this routine:

Do some cardio to warm up, about 5 minutes. I then do arms (bis and tris)
Second day, I do legs and abs using a medicine ball
chest on the third with some cardio to warm up
a day of just cardio

Now, I don’t seem to get anywhere with this. I don’t consider myself a newbie since I’ve been going to the gym but I don’t follow a specific routine. [/quote]

Sorry for being brash, but the excerpts from your post pretty much explains your problems. You go to the gym 4 or 5 times a week and this is your workout?

You don’t consider yourself a newbie, yet you do legs and abs with a medicine ball? Where are you working out? You could devise a better routine by watching other people workout around you.

Your workout routine is terrible. I would gather to say that your diet is the same.

Do some research, COMMIT to a program, and come back with a template we can critique.

Good luck.

Find the Starting Strength program on this site.

Stick to it religiously.

Keep a log in the training logs section.

Educate, execute!

Welcome aboard.

Thank you all for answering my post. Any answers will be appreciated. I’m here to learn.

Starting Strength. Seems to be very good. I’m doing it right now, im on my 4th week. So far i’ve added 20 pounds to bench, 20 to squat (had to drop weight to use proper form), 60 to Deadlift, 20 to Press, and chin-ups have become a lot easier.

It’s working pretty good for me, i’ve gained about 10 pounds but thats alright since I know im gaining muscle.

Go to amazon.com or somewhere and order Starting Strength. It gives you a set plan to do and gives good details about how to do all the lifts, which is something you will need.

Also, make sure you are eating right. Read around the site for nutruition ideas. DO NOT UNDERESTIMATE NUTRITUTION.

Please direct me somewhere where I can read more on supplements. I see some here but I’m not sure what to do. Any good nutrition book you guys recommend?

You don’t need sups. You really don’t. You don’t need fancy routines, or special pills. They will not work for you. You do not have the foundation laid yet, you’ve just started lifting.

You need to focus on the big lifts (Squats, Deadlifts, Benchpresses) and on learning about nutrition. Do a search for Berardi’s 7 habits of highly effective nutrition plans, follow it, and do starting strength.

If you’re dead set on spending money on sups, pick up some Flameout and use it as directed. If you really want to know more, head over to the supplements and nutrition forum and read away.