Starting tomorrow

bigbadjedi93

Senior Member
Joined
Apr 18, 2020
Messages
337
Reaction score
219
Points
43
What would you recommend for someone starting tomorrow who’s been out for a long period. Stats are posted in the TRT and newbie intro page. Skinny as shit and hate thinking about people seeing me do 90 lbs on bench but I gotta start somewhere. Maybe Monday: Bench, curls, and maybe what else for upper body. The hard gainer pinned messages for bulking said basic compound exercised combined with some extra stuff. So that’s why I think bench, DB curls and maybe one other exercise. Maybe 3*7 of each one sick the sticky suggested 7 reps as 12 is way to many. Any input suggested. Ready to hit the ground running.
 

So1970

Senior Member
Joined
Dec 3, 2016
Messages
113
Reaction score
32
Points
28
Don't worry about what others see you doing. Don't ego lift. Start where you can have proper form and work up from there. The people you think are going to judge you will respect you more for that.
 

CJ

Mod Squad
Joined
Feb 24, 2014
Messages
20,725
Reaction score
38,446
Points
383
I like the 5x5 with the basic compound lifts to start. Make Squats, Deadlifts, Presses, Benchpress, Rows, and Pullups the staples of your program. You can sprinkle in some Bis and Tris and whatnot, but keep those main lifts (or very similar) the meat and potatoes of your plan.

How many days per week will you train? How much time do you have? Do you do anything else physical, like hiking or swimming, or biking? What's your ultimate goal?
 

Jin

Retired UG Staff
Joined
Jan 20, 2017
Messages
13,853
Reaction score
22,715
Points
441
Don't worry about what others see you doing. Don't ego lift. Start where you can have proper form and work up from there. The people you think are going to judge you will respect you more for that.

Read this again. And again. It’s that important.

Building muscle isnt isn’t about how much weight you can lift. It’s all about fatiguing the muscle and eating enough to recover. Practice great form and focus on the muscles you’re training. Don’t just “move the weight”.

I’d skip isolation work (single joint movements) altogether for now. Compound movements (multiple joints involved) will give you a bigger bang for your buck. Plus they work the muscles you’d isolate anyhow.

Bench works triceps. Pull ups work biceps, etc.

Body transformations are primarily diet dependent. Not what you do in the gym (although that’s important for gaining muscle) but rather what you eat in the kitchen.

Lift hard. Eat well. Sleep well. Repeat. Nothing flashy about this lifestyle. It’s a grind. Get at it.
 

dragon1952

Elite
Joined
Feb 20, 2020
Messages
872
Reaction score
639
Points
63
Skinny as shit and hate thinking about people seeing me do 90 lbs on bench but I gotta start somewhere.

You got to want it bad enough and be tenacious about it. I started back after a 6 yr layoff and decided I was finally going to do chin ups, something I had always sucked at and avoided. Starting back I couldn't even do 1 BW chin up. I had to use the weight assisted machine and use 90 lbs of assistance to start with which was humiliating. Less than 1 1/2 yrs later and at age 67 I can now do 13 BW chin ups and sets of 6 with 20 lbs between my legs. For the first 8 months back I didn't do benches and when I decided to start them I could barely do 135 4 times. Again, it was humiliating having these young skinny guys smirking at the old guy. 9 months later I was doing 225 for sets of 5. Needless to say I don't feel humiliated anymore.
 

Tatlifter

Senior Member
Joined
Feb 26, 2020
Messages
335
Reaction score
210
Points
43
Read this again. And again. It’s that important.

Building muscle isnt isn’t about how much weight you can lift. It’s all about fatiguing the muscle and eating enough to recover. Practice great form and focus on the muscles you’re training. Don’t just “move the weight”.

THIS^^
People are way to caught up on HOW MUCH and not focused enough on HOW. Quality>Quantity
 

DEADlifter

Elite
Joined
Oct 19, 2019
Messages
4,049
Reaction score
7,698
Points
238
Welcome to the club Jedi. Like these guys said. Compound movements, diet, dedication. Do you know anything about macros and how to structure your diet? There is a ton of info on here about it. Good luck. Start a journal and keep us posted. Doing a journal on here will help you to hold yourself accountable.
 

New Threads

Top