Alright so I'm pretty new to all of this. I need to know if what I'm doing is alright.
I do cardio for about an hour 5 days out of the week, along with another hour or so at the gym (following Jim Stoppani shortcut to size program).
I've only been at it for about 3 weeks now, and I have some noticeable gains when it comes to lifting.
Breakfast - Single scoop of whey protein Lunch - Chicken and broccoli with olive oil Dinner - Chicken broccoli with olive oil and another protein shake (This is always after working out) Snacks - Fruit, nuts, seaweed Water intake - little over 3 liters a day
Just turned 18, I'm 5'7 140 pounds
What I'm going for is some decent muscle all around along with some defined abs.
Just do Hiit 3 times a week for 10-20min and the result will be the same + its more fun
Isaac Mitchell
No cardio More protein >One scoop No, two always
Also you're tiny, you need to be eating way way more than that.
Nathaniel Torres
I'm in high school, the cardio is everyday during practice.
Robert Diaz
Wait wtf where are the carbs?
Dude eating like an advanced 35 year old lifter. You're young as shit and tiny. You can be eating pizza and entire chickens every day and get jacked.
Not literally but kinda. Eat more, fool
Connor Jones
i you want decent help post your strenght stats first or insert them into symmetricstrenght and post it here. >Just turned 18, I'm 5'7 140 pounds bf? use fitness.bizcalcs.com/Calculator.asp?Calc=Body-Fat-Navy and pictures from charts to get a good estimate
Camden Adams
>no rice >no oats >ONE FUCKING SCOOP
you're never going to make it.
Logan Green
Also I should add that my body fat % is probably around 20%
Would eating more of the things I listed be fine? Or should I being adding more carbs?
Jeremiah Green
also seems like >Jim Stoppani shortcut to size program is a fucking split. if yes don't fucking do this as a beginner
Blake Robinson
So I should be eating more, specifically carbs. Should I just add rice to the meal plan?
Jayden Nelson
What you actually eat is much less informative for advice than how much you eat in terms of macros and shit. You could be eating exactly what youre stating and it could amount to like 1800 calories.
What are your macros my dude? You need to be eating at a surplus and your protein needs to be adequate.
Adrian White
if you are really around 20% bf then cut down to ~13% first. 3 weeks psmf 1 week at maintenance 4 weeks flexible dieting with increasing deficit (-400cals, first week/ -500cals, 2nd week etc.) after that you should be at 13%.
then start bulking at a 400-500cal surplus while doing 5x5. eat atleast 0.8g protein per lbs of lean body mass. bulk until you are at intermediate strength levels.
Austin Diaz
seealso it is basically about calories and macros. what kind of food is not relevant in the first place. but you obviously want to eat mostly clean for overall health.
Benjamin King
why not? seems like a pretty complete all around work out plan
Aiden Morales
>why not? can't you read? >if it is a split, don't fucking do it as a begginer
because as a beginner a split won't give you as much mass and strength as a programm like SL 5x5 will do. and as a beginner you want to make the best out of your noobie gains.
David Baker
Seems like OP should read the sticky and learn the basics
Xavier Evans
If ur looking to put on mass, the quickest way is to consume a surplus of calories, if your looking to put on lean muscle mass stick to what ur doing- don't get to sucked in to protein powder and all that bullshit, no matter what you or anyone else thinks it isn't going to give you insane results. (protein is important, you just don't need supplements to get enough protein)
Jonathan Perez
what qualifies as a beginner? first time ever in gym or never done any exercise before?
also, i checked out sl 5x5. (btw, not OP here) i can't do deadlifts and squats, because i have back and knee problems. I spent about 2 months of doing squat mobility exercises (practicing the movement through the entire range but without any weight or bar) and i think i maybe succeed in having proper form on 1 lift out of 3. the rest of the time my body will tilt sideways or my legs will move because my back is crooked. should i be trying to do SL if i most probably can't do proper form on one of the main compound lifts?
Dominic Campbell
You work your way up the weights making sure you always have proper form. Doing that generally helps your body to build and compensate the problems in your back unless you have some mad scoliosis at which point you'd need a doctor to fix it with surgery.
Lucas Morris
Not that user, but it's different if you have actual legitimate issues. Myself, I have fucked up leg lengths. Squatting is a bitch. If there's a movement you can't do correctly due to physiological issues, or a movement that will 100% guaranteed cause issues down the line, then just sub out that movement for something else that'll hit roughly those muscle groups and supplement it with isolation work.
Isaiah Brooks
>what qualifies as a beginner? your strength see strength standards for males for example at symmetricstrength.com
Grayson Sanders
i do have scoliosis, but the chiro/osteopath said it's average, not excessive. my knees have had several injuries due to biking. and one of my legs is somewhat longer than the other, but not excessively so. last time i tried doing squats with an empty bar, it was extremely difficult, taking all my concentration for the form. i'd need someone to watch me, again and again, for weeks and maybe months to ensure im not going to hurt my back muscles by lifting crooked or that i dont overload one of the knees. I'm also worried squatting will make my knees worse (though im not scared, just don't want to make things worse) so i've been doing circuit training and splits in the past. though i never worked out for more than 3 months, i always end up being a pussy and bailing on my program.
Parker Johnson
Well as the other guy said you can use a lot of the isolation equipment if your really worried, but yeah working out with a spotter is pretty awesome helps you push that little bit extra without have to put the bar down.
Charles Russell
>working out with a spotter i worked out with a friend of mine for a couple of weeks at his gym, and indeed it does make for more intense workouts, also because of the "c'mon bro one more rep" factor but now im going to my uni gym im too autistic to ask for a spotter. use the smith machine for chest, the rest is all dumbell or machine
Lucas Morris
follow this user's advice op. It's solid.
Christopher Campbell
i kill ur mother
Isaac Stewart
>using machines You're better than this.
Cameron Rodriguez
>1 vegetable >no carbs >whey protein on an extremely restricted diet
Just fix your diet you fuckin nonce
Adrian Bennett
Can't speak for your university, but at mine there's no intimidation factor about spotting. Everyone's just trying to make gains senpai. Bigger worry is spotters spotting too much if you catch my drift. Fuckers try lifting the weight for you... Also try to avoid smith machines. The whole point of free weights is stabilizer muscles and motion that actually makes sense biomechanically. The motion of your arms doesn't work on a perfect linear path. Good machines are ones for which the motion makes sense, like leg extensions or hamstring curls. If you have to use machines for things like flies or tricep work, at least use cables. They have more degrees of freedom.
Julian Miller
well i only use the smith for bench/incline bench i refuse to do squats in it... if i can't do proper squats might as well not do em at all. i'm just really incapable of asking for help some random user. i know it's lame but like.. the gym is the one thing im trying to do to improve my self-esteem and all i have to do is go there, lift weights, and go home. that's super reassuring. it's like my safe space lol. if i have to consider talking to people in order to get my work out done, it becomes an exercise in battling social anxiety and i don't need an extra dose of that.
but i've been lurking Veeky Forums for awhile and i'm thinking about maybe trying to do squats again. start with an empty bar, maybe pay the trainer for a session every now and then to make sure my form is correct. at least the trainers that work the gym at the uni are actual teachers in the sports programs and they know their shit.
Levi Phillips
>chiro/osteopath Visit a real doctor and ask what you can and cannot do. from your words you have a realy fucked up body. Don't fuck it up even more.
Jacob Bell
Eat more if you want bigger muscles, don't use whey unless you simply cannot get to 1.5x protein intake naturally.