Some help would be great.

C

cian

0
Hey, tried this on the intro forum but got no help.I'd love some help here.
I'm 17, 6foot and about 135 pounds(not too up on the Imperial system), my problem is that I'm skinny, I;m pretty good at gymnastics and running but I'd like to develop my upper body. I've some 5kg weights I lift but I have no idea how many to do.I know I'm supposed to lift weights every second day but I'd really appreciate someone giving me advice on exactly how many to do. I've been lifting them foir a while now and in fairness my muscles have toned pretty well and look pretty good when tensed but when relaxed my bicep seems the same width as my forearm-very skinny.I've a flat stomach and semi-visible abs(they show on a good day or when stretching etc)
Could someone give me some advice on what could be used to help my training using my weights, pushups etc, I'm very low on money so buying any more equipment would be a bit hard though I did buy some muscle builder powder, I'd like to know what could be used in conjunction with this to help my muscle mass grow.
Thanks
Cian
 
hmm low on cash, so you cant join a gym?
Every other day you can work your entire body. A typical newbie training program is fullbody 3 times a week. Do you have a pullup bar? If you cant join a gym or get a barbell and a bench, you are gonna have to stick to bodyweight exersices, which you can quickly become "too strong" for.

And instead of buying muscle powder or whatever suppliments you want, id save that money and buy a barbell and a bench and you really need a squat rack too. Why get lots of suppliments if you cant really workout? right ;)

Before we can help you set up a bodyweight routine we need to know if doing BW squats for like 8-12 reps is way to easy or if its tough.. if its easy you have to do some kind of one legged squat. Can you do a pullup?
 
Yeah pullups are fine.I can do about 5-8 or thereabouts. The muscle powder was only 8euros so that was cheap enough.
What exactly is a bodyweight squat?I'm not that well up on fitness.
 
You just squat with no bar, just you.
something like this : http://www.crossfitlondon.com/files/images/500_large.thumbnail.jpg only you can go as low as you can manage.

If those are way too easy, look into bulgarian squats:
http://www.mensfitnessmagazine.co.uk/images/library_UK_12/muscle_build_6409_16.jpg the top pic there. Just ditch the barbell and do the same.

So you could do:
Squat (regular or bulgarian)
pullups
pushups
fat mans pullups ( http://www.t-nation.com/forum_images/1016657.1144948517028.back_hang-01.bmp ) If you have any way of doing them, be creative and ull figure something out.
Can you do handstand pushups? those are tough..
 
Sorry mate, I'm a bit slow on the uptake. Handstands I'm unable to do. I've no pullup bar and space is VERY limited(student accomodation) so a barbell would be tough.Pullup bar might be possible, how much do they normally cost and would they be good at building bicep muscle?
 
Get some cheap dumbells you can change the weight on if you can, but those weights you already have will be ok but they will soon get too easy. You can build muscle using your own body weight its just not always as easy or fast as using weights.

try doing push ups regular, when they get easy lift 1 leg into the air and also try using a block or something to lift your legs up higher.

Plank lifts should help you work your core, try some weighted squats and stick some crunches in there also :)
 
I dont really know your fitness level etc so its hard to say how many.

What i would say is that you start of with some easy push ups untill you can do 40 - 50 easy. Then you build it up and do different types and techniques, you will eventually be able to do hand stand puch ups.

basicly you should do as many as you can and an amount you are happy with. I would say you should try do as many as you can and increase it gradualy, also try to have some rest days and dont do them every day.

Dont just doo push ups though, no point just working your arms. Try some plank lifts there pritty easy and help your abs if you have not done much previous abs work. if your not too sure what the plank lift is then type it in on google, i think there is a few images/diagrams.
 
By easy do you mean on the knees pushups?I can do a fair amount of regular pushups, how many would you say would be a good target for starting out? Would you say 20 on Mondays,Wednedays and Fridays is decent for starting out?
 
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We do have a gym but its only usable during a gym lesson.Let's just say my school is pretty academic.We have a sports team and all but theyre the only ones allowed to use the gym. We dont even have a running track and swimming lessons means going to the university up the road.RUnning is the same except for being made to run endlessly around the playground.
 
That is sooooo ghey.

Playground, you say? There's your chinning and dip station. Once you become proficient at standard push-ups, start throwing in pushup variations like plyometric and ROM ones.
 
You should visit . They have better nutritional advice and workout advice. If you are good at gymnastics you should be able to do well over 20 pull-ups. If you have access to a playground you have all of your workout equipment right there. Do as much climbing, dips, and various pushing motions as possible. Try to get in at least 4 days a week if you want big gains. It all depends on what your goals are though. If you need more help you can find me on the forum on the site I mentioned.
 
Our playground is just that: a playground.Big empty space with goalposts .
Heres what I do on monday,wednesdays and fridays:
15-20 pushups,jumping jacks until exahusted, 50reps per arm with 5kg weight, 50 sit ups with ab roller. Followed by drinking a muscle powder in 1.5% fat semi skimmed milk.
Any help?
 
Invest in some adjustable dumbells.

Drop the 50 curls and run your routine in a circut. I don't think you need the muscle powder at this point, so save your money.
 
Ok, I just read that push-ups don't really help strength. Is it true? Or should I focus more on weight lifting?
Thanks
Cian
 
Yes, get more weight for your db's.

About the push-ups...yes and no. You're going to gain in strength until you adapt to it. When you can do 15 push-ups, doing 20 is not going to mean you are stronger, it means you are better at doing more. But you can switch it up by adding clap pushups (the clap is something you can do, but the point of this exercise is to push yourself as high as possible), doing push-ups while suspended, and changing the angle (putting your feet up). Eventually, you're going to get used to all of these. If strength is really what you want, then weight lifting is the answer.
 
Would my dumbbells be sufficient or should I invest in a barbell?How much weight should I go for.
About barbells: I really don't have the space for a bench, can I still make use of a barbell without the bench?
 
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