T Nation

Program for Skinny Fats

Beginners
#1

Hi Guys

I have been trying to start gyming for ages now. There is always something that eventually stops my efforts.I started with the 5x5 program which i stuck with for a few weeks but my squat and barbell row form was too dodgy so I just stuck with OHP, bench and deadlifts. I been watching Alan Thrall, and many other youtubers for agessss trying to get my form etc down. With the 5x5 I made 2.5kg/week with benchs and 1.25kg/week with OHP. I eventually stopped because not being able to do squats and barbell rows got me down.

I have been trying to get back into it and I saw that I was a certain bodytype, skinny fat (skinny limbs and bulgin stomach and lovehandles). After reading up, i found out 5x5 might not be the routine for me. Does it matter this early on? Can someone help me with my routine and how to do barbell rows (I think i fixed most of my mobility issues with the squats, planning to post up a video on it). I really want to start and this time stick with it!!!

68kg, 1.75m, No gyms (I have a home gym with lots of weight, barbell and an a pair of adjustable dumbells, some dodgy as made up racks, and a solid bench)

#2

I am not sure what you mean.

Do you actually think “skinny fat” is a body type or do you think you have failed to achieve proportional muscular development from 5x5 plus a shitty diet?

2 Likes
#3

This is the issue, not the fact that you have little muscle on your frame combined with a spare tyre (which isn’t a body type really).

Not trying to have a go or be a jerk, just being honest so you don’t waste your time.

Turn up, work hard and eat plenty of good food. Do those three things consistently. Pick ANY program and pretty much any article about how to eat on t-nation and you’ll be fine for a good six months to a year before you need to think about changing.

1 Like
#4

I love the idea that “skinny-fat” is a body type. It’s just being out of shape. That’s all it is. It’s not like it’s something you’re born with. I’ve never seen a skinny-fat baby.

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#5

Nonsense. Noobs with that bodytype are outlifting big guys at the gym.

5 Likes
#6

My babies skinny fat as fuck. I wake up every morning and I’m like “bro, DYEL?”

Seriously though, what does skinny fat mean? I can only assume it means that you are not as lean or muscular as you’d like, in which case, join the fucking club.

2 Likes
#7

My man, you have now been given advice from Yogi1 and dagill2. If there are two people here to listen to, it is them, trust me. Now go lift weights for two years and clean up your diet.

I also used to refer to “skinny-fat” as my default body type. I thought I was at a disadvantage to leaner, more muscular people. I thought I would have to work harder than they did. Then I started busting my ass and something amazing happened. I am a leaner, more muscular person. And it turns out most of those people I looked upon with envy had just put in more work than I had. Nobody is naturally lean and muscular from sitting on the couch all day.

The funny thing is, now total beginners look at me and say “well of course you can do that, you’re lean and strong” and they say it like I’ve always been that way (just like I used to do). Then I show them pictures of me before training and tell them how strong I was when I started (and it’s almost always weaker than they are).

If you glean one sentence out of this post, it’s this: do some fucking hard work.

1 Like
#8

Absolutely this

If there’s one “secret” in training (or life), it’s show up and do the work

2 Likes
#9

Do this -will build a good overall base and the volume will lean you out…

#10

Skinny fat…lets not bubble wrap your self esteem here and call it what it is. Fat and weak with no willingness to do real work.

It’s that simple …do work…

If you don’t leave your workout exhausted, if you can get in your car the next day without leaning on it slightly because you know how hard you pushed it the night before, if you don’t leave the gym fantasizing about that next meal that’s going to feed the growth of new muscle, then you didn’t do one thing. This one thing has been your limiting factor for years. What is it? What could it be?

Hard Work

1 Like
#11

Lol take it easy coach carter. i read an article somewhere about skinny fats on T nation by an “expert” who said not all workouts give the best benefits for peeps who are skinny fat. like i said, i don know jack shit about body types which is why i asked here. thankyou for clarfiying that article was bs and there is no such thing as a skinny fat body type.

in this one he talks about various excerises better for skinny fats and i thought there might be a begineers programs for them with these excerises.

#12

That article has some OK points and some confusing ones by a guy who is not well known on this site(personally never heard of him).

The Link I posted is written by maybe THE most respected coach on this site who amongst many accolades has trained with Olympic gold medallists, Super bowl winners and coached his local football team to State Champions with a perfect season. Follow that program and read a bunch of his articles and everything will be clear.

#13

There is no such thing as a skinny fat body type.

There is such a thing as some people just being naturally prone to being leaner/stronger because people’s bodies are different and/or your training history pales in comparison to them.

But the point largely remains the same-

-Eat exactly enough to fuel your goals.
-Train as frequently as you can and as hard as you can.

That’s about it.

#14

i was talking to the guy directly above me. yeah thanks heaps for the links man