Hello. I recently stumbled across the Testosterone magazine webpage, and I’ve been browsing through various articles. There seems to be a “no bull” attitude when it comes to writing the articles, so I figured the readers would have the same attitude :).
Anyways. I’ve been working out for about a year or so (started in March of 2000), and I have not had any significant gains in either size or strength. I have gotten slightly “toned”, but it seems as if I’ve been wasting my time, for the most part. I’m doing something wrong, but can’t figure out what.
I’ve been on the same “program” for the past year, which tries to utilize all the machines available in my school’s gym.
Since I found Testosterone magazine to be honest, I’d like to ask the readers of this forum:
Can you suggest some sort of workout program, or give tips for low-level (and weak) people? Also, could you suggest some diets?
Note: I’m not looking to become “Strongman Competition” size. I’m simply looking to get healthier, lose fat, add definition, and make a moderate increse in size. I’m 16, and 145 pounds, if that matters.
Thanks for all your input!
Read the Diet Manifesto article at T-mag, all the past Dawg School articles, and then start working your way through the previous issues of T-mag. This is likely a diet problem, perhaps combined with wimpy/nonproductive training. And stop using all those machines!
Diet. Go to the main page search engine (not the forum search engine) and type “diet”. Start READING. 2) As TEK said, no more machines. Consider yourself banished from them. Write on a piece of paper, “I only use free weights.” Read it out loud 20 times every day for a month. You’ve been lifting for a year, so you have all the foundation you need to start using free weights.
Yeah go through some of the old diet articles. Lift big weights on big compound lifts like squats & dips/bench press, etc. Basically the same stuff everyone else does. And don’t ever use the word ‘tone’ again!
If your looking for dawg school/diet manifesto articles, I set up a webpage w/links to them and a few other articles for one of my friends who wanted to start lifting seriously, but your more than welcome to look at it too. Yahoo | Mail, Weather, Search, Politics, News, Finance, Sports & Videos
NEVER NEVER Look at the musclestuds and assume that because of their size they automatically know anything about getting built the safe, sane, and intelligent way. Being built does not mean automatic knowledge.
Video tape the training programs on ESPN2 like coed training and Kiana’s flex appeal, if they are still on–or look for others to tape. Observe their rate of speed and form on those shows. It is better than any gym usually. Continually critique yourself to see if you are doing it right without tearing yourself down. BY THE WAY YOU ARE NOT WEAK OR LOW LEVEL! If you read over these forums, you will discover quite plainly who really is. (it has nothing to do with muscle or outward appearance) CONTINUE IN YOUR QUEST and look forward! Tell the weak ones to keep their needles and pills to themselves.
Commit yourself to lots of very hard work in the gym.
Commit yourself to major discipline with regard to your diet and lifestyle.
If you’re unwilling to do any of these 3 things, then you don’t really want a great body. You’re sooooo lucky to have a resource like T-Mag at your age. I started training at 14 and had the discipline to make serious gains in high school (I went from 125 to 180 between freshman and senior year), but I didn’t get a decent training info source until I was well into college. Consider yourself lucky and don’t blow it! Welcome to the fraternity(slash sorority)!