I'm 16 & Looking to Build Up a little.

[TABonifacio]

Hi All,

I'm very new to this forum so if anyone is going to bash me for not searching, please don't. I'm basically 16 Years Old, I'm 5'9 and 110-120 LBS. Yes I know, I'm thin. I just am looking for a daily routine to help me get stronger than I am, I'm not saying I'm weak, because I'm not. (I can lift an old school box T.V by myself.) I just don't want to be 20 Years old and be a total twig. Like I said, I'm not looking to have veins and muscles popping out of my body, but being a little bit bigger than I am would be nice. The main areas of my body that I am focused on improving is my upper chest area, and my arms. I just want a little definition is all I am trying to say. Can you tell I'm nervous? I've really never worked out in my life and this is all new to me so I'm trying to take this all in. Thanks a bunch for your help guys!

Thomas

 

[Bryan Jenks]

if you want

strength > Size
usefulness > bulkyness

then you want

Myofribular hypertrophy > Sarcoplasmic hypertrophy


Best way to achieve this is with weights at high weight and low reps (under 5) or my personal favorite, body weight exercise (progressive calisthenics) that have the added bonus of granting you HUGE amounts of proprioception. its harder for me to type about it, i made a video explaining the amazing-ness of body weight exercise ~~HERE~~ check it out if you're interested,

and feel free to shoot me a message if you have any questions.

 

[JustinRVA]

if you want

strength > Size
usefulness > bulkyness

then you want

Myofribular hypertrophy > Sarcoplasmic hypertrophy


Best way to achieve this is with weights at high weight and low reps (under 5) or my personal favorite, body weight exercise (progressive calisthenics) that have the added bonus of granting you HUGE amounts of proprioception. its harder for me to type about it, i made a video explaining the amazing-ness of body weight exercise ~~HERE~~ check it out if you're interested,

and feel free to shoot me a message if you have any questions.

I don't understand. Body weight exercises aren't comparable to heavy lifting. There is no progression with body weight exercises. I'm not at all trying to sound sarcastic, I just don't understand your wording.

 

[Bryan Jenks]

I don't understand. Body weight exercises aren't comparable to heavy lifting. There is no progression with body weight exercises. I'm not at all trying to sound sarcastic, I just don't understand your wording.

well its the same as gymnastic training its PROGRESSIVE, thats the thing about body weight that most dont understand, instead of doing pushups which will eventually only work endurance you increase the difficulty so you can work strength in the 3-5-8 range, how to do this?
-decrease leverage (such as pseudo planch pushups)
-decrease stability (such as pushups with raised feet and hands on rings)
-increase weight (such as a heavy back pack of weight vest)
-increase range of motion (such as with the use of paralletes)

weights are good for fast and easy results for size or strength (sarcoplasmic hypertrophy [8-12 reps usually] and myofibrilar hypertrophy [3-5 reps usually])

but body weight is ideal for proprioceptive and kinesthetic awareness, as well as for those being frugal or who cannot afford a gym.

its not always about the tool, but about what you do with it. don't get me wrong, i LOVE weights, especially olympic lifting, but body weight is my staple, and the people i have trained as well as myself have gained amazing results and strength with it.

 

[JustinRVA]

well its the same as gymnastic training its PROGRESSIVE, thats the thing about body weight that most dont understand, instead of doing pushups which will eventually only work endurance you increase the difficulty so you can work strength in the 3-5-8 range, how to do this?
-decrease leverage (such as pseudo planch pushups)
-decrease stability (such as pushups with raised feet and hands on rings)
-increase weight (such as a heavy back pack of weight vest)
-increase range of motion (such as with the use of paralletes)

weights are good for fast and easy results for size or strength (sarcoplasmic hypertrophy [8-12 reps usually] and myofibrilar hypertrophy [3-5 reps usually])

but body weight is ideal for proprioceptive and kinesthetic awareness, as well as for those being frugal or who cannot afford a gym.

its not always about the tool, but about what you do with it. don't get me wrong, i LOVE weights, especially olympic lifting, but body weight is my staple, and the people i have trained as well as myself have gained amazing results and strength with it.

Will all due respect, I would hardly say that there is anything "Fast and easy" about gaining size and strength with weights. It's exactly the opposite.

Now, as far as mentioning progression with body weight exercises, I was speaking of body weight only. When you add a backpack with weights, it's not a body weight exercise anymore. It's weight training.

When you want to talk about "decreased stability", then you're not talking about your "main" muscle groups. You're talking about stabilizer muscles that aren't usually worked during a regular weight routine, but that's not going to do much for the size of your chest if that's what you're shooting for.

Don't take anything I'm saying the wrong way, because I've seen guys do body weight stuff that I couldn't do if you put a gun to my head. All I'm saying is, body weight exercises can get you extremely toned and fit, but if it's size you're shooting for, you're going to hit a ceiling until you start adding resistance.

 

[legend-writer II]

When working out you should always vary your muscle building pro-gramme. It is in your best interest to focus on a full body workout. Working on all your body parts allows you to build up all your major muscle groups, which can be done three times a week, there is no need to over train.
Remember to keep focus and dedicate your time to your condition. Your body building program should have lots of varied activities in it, which may include weight training exercises, cardio and just short resting times in between.