[-[R]-ChurchPunk]

I'm looking for some sources for good full body workouts. (Including actual descriptions of the exercises, because I don't really know many of them) I'd prefer for it to focus on building muscle mass, because I'm just over 6', and 150 lbs. I currently have a weight bench set up in the basement, which has a barbell(with adjustable incline), side parts(butterflies, maybe?) and a part for lifting with your legs. I also have 2 pairs of dumbbells. I looked over a few of the existing workout threads, but I was clueless about most of the listed exercises. I figured some of you guys might be able to help me out..

Thanks in advance,
Dan

[guitarguy90]

Right now, this is my routine:

Tuesday - Chest - Shoulders - Triceps
* Bench Press
* Incline Press
* Shoulder Press/Military Press
* Close-Grip Bench Press
* Tricep Extensions

Thursday - Back - Biceps

* Pull Ups
* Barbell Rows
* Cable Pulldowns
* Seated Rows
* Reverse Grip Bicep Curls
* Barbell Curls
* Incline Dumbbell Curls
* Shrugs


Saturday - Legs - Abs

* Lunges
* Leg Press
* Calf Raises
* If you have access to machines, you can use them to finish off your legs
* Incline weighted crunches
* Incline Twisting Sit Ups
* Hanging Leg Raises

Make sure you eat plenty of protein (just ask Sean). That supposedly is almost as important as lifting.

[Sean]

Originally Posted by -[R]-ChurchPunk

I'm looking for some sources for good full body workouts. (Including actual descriptions of the exercises, because I don't really know many of them) I'd prefer for it to focus on building muscle mass, because I'm just over 6', and 150 lbs. I currently have a weight bench set up in the basement, which has a barbell(with adjustable incline), side parts(butterflies, maybe?) and a part for lifting with your legs. I also have 2 pairs of dumbbells. I looked over a few of the existing workout threads, but I was clueless about most of the listed exercises. I figured some of you guys might be able to help me out..

Thanks in advance,
Dan

How many days a week are you looking to workout?

Like guitarguy mentioned, your diet is probably just as important as your workouts. If you're 150 and 6 feet, that means you have a really fast metabolism and your body doesn't put on muscle or fat easily. Therefore to gain weight (muscle), you have to eat more than you're eating right now. Protein is particularly important for gaining muscle.

[Sean]

Originally Posted by guitarguy90

Right now, this is my routine:

Tuesday - Chest - Shoulders - Triceps
* Bench Press
* Incline Press

These work your chest and triceps.

* Shoulder Press/Military Press

These work the shoulders and triceps.

* Close-Grip Bench Press
* Tricep Extensions

These are both really good tricep exercises.

* Pull Ups
* Barbell Rows
* Cable Pulldowns
* Seated Rows

All of these work the back and biceps.

* Reverse Grip Bicep Curls
* Barbell Curls
* Incline Dumbbell Curls

Bicep curls obviously work the biceps. The reverse curls work your forearm muscles as well. This can make your arms look bigger than they actually are since they will be fuller.

* Shrugs

These work your traps (the muscles on your shoulders by your neck).

[-[R]-ChurchPunk]

Thanks for the list. I'll be able to do most of those, except for the ones that use the different machines.. Where might I be able to purchase a bar for the pull ups?

Originally Posted by Sean

How many days a week are you looking to workout?

Like guitarguy mentioned, your diet is probably just as important as your workouts. If you're 150 and 6 feet, that means you have a really fast metabolism and your body doesn't put on muscle or fat easily. Therefore to gain weight (muscle), you have to eat more than you're eating right now. Protein is particularly important for gaining muscle.

Well, I have time to work out every day, but from what I've read, you're supposed to rest a day in between, right?

Yeah, I have a pretty fast metabolism, though I've been eating a good bit more lately.. I put on about 20 pounds in the past year or so.(while staying at 6 foot.) So what foods would be best to eat more of for protein? What I eat for the day would be some like this:
Breakfast = Cereal with milk
Lunch = Sandwiches(1.5-2) or something like nachos with cheese, etc.
Dinner = Normally something with a kind of meat and bread, chicken finger type stuff, hot dogs, beer battered fish around once a week, etc.
Snacks = I normally have 1-2 snacks a day, which could be a good sized bowl of mashed potatoes, a baked potato, or a sleeve of 12 graham crackers with a big glass of milk. Do you use some sort of protein shake?

[Sean]

Originally Posted by -[R]-ChurchPunk

Thanks for the list. I'll be able to do most of those, except for the ones that use the different machines..

The only ones of those exercises which you won't be able to do are cable/seated rows and the leg press. The barbell/dumbbell rows can replace the cable/seated rows (and actually do a better job for mass building), and squats and deadlifts can do what leg press does (once again they're actually better for mass building than leg press).

Where might I be able to purchase a bar for the pull ups?

They aren't difficult to find. I purchased mine at a sporting goods store. I've seen them at Walmart and Target.

Well, I have time to work out every day, but from what I've read, you're supposed to rest a day in between, right?

Yeah...particularly skinny guys need more rest. When you lift certain hormones which breakdown muscles get elevated. So if you lift everyday those hormone levels never drop. Likewise, your body will constantly be catabolic shock from lifting. You'll never be able to lift at your full potential and you'll quickly start over-training muscle groups. This won't lead to gains, and it will lead to injuries.

You want to lift 3 times per week (maybe 4). You want to only work each muscle group once per week. Each lifting day you focus on just a couple or a few muscle groups and you really blast them. Then you let that muscle group rest for the a week before you blast it again. Your body grows while you're resting, not in the gym. So you really need to make sure you let your body rest.

So what foods would be best to eat more of for protein?

There aren't really bad protein sources, but some sources will get you more protein without giving you bad stuff. Ham and bacon almost always have too much bad fat. Egg yolks have lots of fat, but it isn't bad fat. Chicken breasts and tuna, however, don't have much fat at all. Right now my primary source of protein is protein power. I"m actually overly reliant on protein powder at the moment...but that's because I'm eating 300 grams of protein everyday (the equivalent of 50 eggs).

For carbs, AVOID SUGAR whenever possible. The only time you want sugar is immediately following a workout. Right after my workouts I chugged a carb drink which has basically 100 grams of sugar. This is good because it replenishes your depleted muscle glycogen levels and spikes insulin levels (normally spiked insulin is based but its good after a workout).

For fats, avoid saturated fat and try and get omega-3 and omega-5 fats.

Protein:

• Chicken (light meat)
• Cottage cheese
• Crab/seafood
• Ricotta Cheese
• Egg Whites
• Fish/seafood
• Lean Ground Beef
• Tofu
• Tuna (canned)
• Tuna Steak
• Turkey (light meat)
• Protein Drink (sugar-free)
• Flank Steak
• Pork Tenderloin (zero trim)
• Round Steak
• Shrimp/seafood
• String Cheese

Do you use some sort of protein shake?

Hahaha I normally have 4 or 5 protein shakes in a day. It's far better to get protein from meat though.

[Vespertine]

Let me add that its very unlikely that you would get the required amount of omega-3 out of your diet, even if you were eating more fish, crab or other seafood than normal. Its much easier to go for something like cod-liver oil and you'll be sure to be getting the right amount. On top of that they are usually totally natural so theres nothing gained from getting it from eating seafood or just taking it from a bottle.

[Sean]

Originally Posted by Vespertine

Let me add that its very unlikely that you would get the required amount of omega-3 out of your diet, even if you were eating more fish, crab or other seafood than normal. Its much easier to go for something like cod-liver oil and you'll be sure to be getting the right amount. On top of that they are usually totally natural so theres nothing gained from getting it from eating seafood or just taking it from a bottle.

This is very true. I add a tablespoon or two of flax oil into almost all of my protein shakes. Flax oil is my primary source of fat (specifically omega-3 fats). I literally go through a bottle a week.

[-[R]-ChurchPunk]

Originally Posted by Sean

The only ones of those exercises which you won't be able to do are cable/seated rows and the leg press. The barbell/dumbbell rows can replace the cable/seated rows (and actually do a better job for mass building), and squats and deadlifts can do what leg press does (once again they're actually better for mass building than leg press).

Yeah, I also have an inclined(or declined, more like) sit-up/crunch board thing.

You want to lift 3 times per week (maybe 4). You want to only work each muscle group once per week. Each lifting day you focus on just a couple or a few muscle groups and you really blast them. Then you let that muscle group rest for the a week before you blast it again. Your body grows while you're resting, not in the gym. So you really need to make sure you let your body rest.

So following guitarguy90's schedule would be wise, yes?[/quote]

For carbs, AVOID SUGAR whenever possible. The only time you want sugar is immediately following a workout. Right after my workouts I chugged a carb drink which has basically 100 grams of sugar. This is good because it replenishes your depleted muscle glycogen levels and spikes insulin levels (normally spiked insulin is based but its good after a workout).

So do you mean to stop eating candy and the like, or just not to use it to get carbs?

For fats, avoid saturated fat and try and get omega-3 and omega-5 fats.

Protein:

• Chicken (light meat)
• Cottage cheese
• Crab/seafood
• Ricotta Cheese
• Egg Whites
• Fish/seafood
• Lean Ground Beef
• Tofu
• Tuna (canned)
• Tuna Steak
• Turkey (light meat)
• Protein Drink (sugar-free)
• Flank Steak
• Pork Tenderloin (zero trim)
• Round Steak
• Shrimp/seafood
• String Cheese

Alright.. I'll definitely try to eat more of those, although I don't buy my own food, so I won't have complete control.

Hahaha I normally have 4 or 5 protein shakes in a day. It's far better to get protein from meat though.

So what would you recommend?

Originally Posted by Vespertine

Let me add that its very unlikely that you would get the required amount of omega-3 out of your diet, even if you were eating more fish, crab or other seafood than normal. Its much easier to go for something like cod-liver oil and you'll be sure to be getting the right amount. On top of that they are usually totally natural so theres nothing gained from getting it from eating seafood or just taking it from a bottle.

What type of stores would be likely to sell cod-liver oil? Just a normal grocery store? How much would you take, how often? Would something like this work?

[Sean]

Originally Posted by -[R]-ChurchPunk

So following guitarguy90's schedule would be wise, yes?

Yes. It's very similar to what I do each week. The only thing I would (and do) change is that I'd add squats and deadlifts on leg day. Also, you can work your abs more than one day a week because its a smaller muscle group which heals faster.

So do you mean to stop eating candy and the like, or just not to use it to get carbs?

Basically sugars cause your body to release insulin. Insulin is bad because it stops your body from burning fat and promotes fat storage. If you're a skinny guy eating a normal diet, this isn't really a problem. However, if you start eating a high calorie diet to gain muscle and your insulin levels spike, you can suddenly find yourself gaining fat like never before (and I do say this from experience). Right now I'm eating 4000 calories on workout days, and I'm not really gaining fat. Why? Because I'm eating a balanced diet with few sugars. Last year I was eating less calories than now but I was eating sugar and I put on lots of fat when bulking up.

Of course, everyones body is different. So you kind of have to play around with your diet to figure out what you can and can't get away with.

So what would you recommend?

I would recommend having a whey protein shake at breakfast and a protein shake immediately before bed. If you can get casein protein it's better for your bedtime shake because it digests slower. However, most days I have a whey protein shake before bed. Protein shakes are good because they're just so convenient and cost effective. I literally have 6-10 scoops of protein powder per day.

It's tricky to eat a high protein balanced diet when you're not in complete control of what food is purchased. Ideally you'd want to spread your protein intake across 5 or 6 meals per day and get 25 to 30 grams of protein per serving. So if you have a protein in the morning, afternoon, and at night, you've already got 3 servings out of the way. If you add onto that some protein at lunch and dinner, that's 5 servings.

When I have a better chicken I plan on cooking chicken dozens of chicken breasts on sunday and eating them throughout the next week.

What type of stores would be likely to sell cod-liver oil? Just a normal grocery store? How much would you take, how often? Would something like this work?

I don't know about cod liver oil, but I take Flaxseed Oil. I buy it at the vitamin shop. I try to get 30% of my calories from fat each day. Right now that works up to about 130 grams of fat. That equals about 90 flaxseed oil capsules. So I don't buy it in capsules. You can buy it in bottles, and I add a tablespoon or two to my protein shakes.

One capsule only has a gram or 2 of fat. A tablespoon of flaxseed oil has about 14 grams of fat.

[-[R]-ChurchPunk]

Originally Posted by Sean

I would recommend having a whey protein shake at breakfast and a protein shake immediately before bed. If you can get casein protein it's better for your bedtime shake because it digests slower. However, most days I have a whey protein shake before bed. Protein shakes are good because they're just so convenient and cost effective. I literally have 6-10 scoops of protein powder per day.

Would you recommend any brands in particular?

It's tricky to eat a high protein balanced diet when you're not in complete control of what food is purchased. Ideally you'd want to spread your protein intake across 5 or 6 meals per day and get 25 to 30 grams of protein per serving. So if you have a protein in the morning, afternoon, and at night, you've already got 3 servings out of the way. If you add onto that some protein at lunch and dinner, that's 5 servings.

Alright.. Would you happen to know where I could get a list of the amounts of protein in different foods so I could use that determine what to eat?

I don't know about cod liver oil, but I take Flaxseed Oil. I buy it at the vitamin shop. I try to get 30% of my calories from fat each day. Right now that works up to about 130 grams of fat. That equals about 90 flaxseed oil capsules. So I don't buy it in capsules. You can buy it in bottles, and I add a tablespoon or two to my protein shakes.
One capsule only has a gram or 2 of fat. A tablespoon of flaxseed oil has about 14 grams of fat.

Alright. What does a bottle normally cost you?(I don't have a steady job, that's why I'm asking. =P)

[Sean]

Originally Posted by -[R]-ChurchPunk

Would you recommend any brands in particular?

No. Protein is protein. Find a cheap one that you like. I'm currently using ON.

Alright.. Would you happen to know where I could get a list of the amounts of protein in different foods so I could use that determine what to eat?

I'll get back to you.

Alright. What does a bottle normally cost you?(I don't have a steady job, that's why I'm asking. =P)

$10 to $15 for a 16oz. bottle. I go through bottles very quickly because I have like 10 tablespoons per day. If you only have one or two, then a bottle should last much longer.

[-[R]-ChurchPunk]

Originally Posted by Sean

No. Protein is protein. Find a cheap one that you like. I'm currently using ON.


I'll get back to you.


$10 to $15 for a 16oz. bottle. I go through bottles very quickly because I have like 10 tablespoons per day. If you only have one or two, then a bottle should last much longer.

Awesome, thanks. I really appreciate all the help. =)

[guitarguy90]

Yeah, you should do well with Sean's advice. He's the man to go to in this area.

[-[R]-ChurchPunk]

Originally Posted by guitarguy90

Yeah, you should do well with Sean's advice. He's the man to go to in this area.

Two more questions, then I'll stop bothering you. =P

What amount of weight would be best to start out with for the different exercises, and how many reps? I have to normal bench-pressing barbell set to 150(I can do at least 5 in a row) but the most I could probably fit on it would be 160 lbs.

Oh, and would drinking coffee effect gaining weight in any way?