Bodybuilding FAQ and Advice Thread: Ask your questions here!

This has now become a sticky!

F.A.Q section will soon be made once I get rid of school work. Feel free to ask anyone question and EVERYONE is encouraged to help and give tips!



P.S I highly doubt any of us have degrees in physical therapy or rehabilitation so make sure you visit your doctor or physical therapist to diagnose any type of injury!

 

Hey

Basically, I have a typical footballers (Soccer) body. My hamstrings, calves, quads, pretty much everything in my legs are fine. My torso's built well enough too, but my arms don't match my body. They're very thin and have little muscle on them. Basically, I want to be able to work out a bit (Not go to the gym everyday or anything) just to fit in with the rest of my body as well.

Any tips? I'd prefer to stay at home. What equipment do I need? How many reps, etc?

 

Good question Brendan. If I'm correct, football season just finished for you and this is a perfect time to build a foundation. I recommend staying away from just isolating your arms even though you think they're too skinny. Only because the size of different body parts can make other body parts look bigger/wider. For example, having a strong back will not only help you with chest, leg exercises, but also make your chest look wider/bigger. I also think this is visible with triceps and deltoids and quads and hamstrings.

In my opinion it's difficult to set up an effective home gym without spending thousands of dollars on equipment and plates, so I'd really recommend hitting up the local gym because you will be able to work out effectively. You don't have to be going to the gym everyday to get bigger so I'd recommend a 3 day split (Monday, Wednesday, Friday). Make sure the days aren't back to back so you have time to recover.

I'll edit some more information in when I get to my PC so I can copy and paste some links for you.

Also how much do you weigh and how tall are you?

 

can i has gains?

 

If you have a question - ask it!

 

I'm around 183 centimeters, so six foot one. Just over 70 kilograms. Do you have any specific exercises in mind?

 

I'd recommend you bulk up and follow a routine that includes compound exercises.

I recommend you consume around 2800-3000 calories per day and trying to get around 450 grams of carbohydrates, 160 grams of protein and 90 grams of fat. I've seen a few pictures of you from the "Faces of Sythe" thread and am pretty certain your an ectomorph

An ectomorph is a typical skinny guy. Ecto’s have a light build with small joints and lean muscle. Usually ectomorph’s have long thin limbs with stringy muscles. Shoulders tend to be thin with little width.

Typical traits of an ectomorph:

- Small “delicate” frame and bone structure
- Classic “hardgainer”
- Flat chest
- Small shoulders
- Thin
- Lean muscle mass
- Finds it hard to gain weight
- Fast metabolism

Ectomorphs find it very hard to gain weight. They have a fast metabolism which burns up calories very quickly. Ecto’s need a huge amount of calories in order to gain weight. Workouts should be short and intense focusing on big muscle groups. Supplements are definitely recommended. Ectomorphs should eat before bed to prevent muscle catabolism during the night. Generally, ectomorphs can lose fat very easily which makes cutting back to lean muscle easier for them. (Information from http://www.muscleandstrength.com/articles/body-types-ectomorph-mesomorph-endomorph.html)


Before soccer season starts again you could go on a little cut if you feel like you've gained too much fat and wish to drop it off.

I recommend following one of the following workouts. Read over them and have a look at which one fits your schedule and which one you feel comfortable doing.

http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=135564721
http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=4195843&page=1

You could create your own split but I'd recommend one of these

 

@brendan a common misconception is if you do curls your arms will look bigger, 2/3rd of your arm is triceps, not biceps, work some tricep extensions, but don't just work one muscle group, work the forearms aswell, doing wrist curls, or the old bucket of sand death grip.

 

Fair enough. I don't study at university although I do extreme reaserch outside of school because it's my passion. I've learnt it from online articles, online personal trainers, real life personal trainers, people in the gym, school and TV shows (sports science). I don't claim to know everything but the information i'm giving out can be found by looking on the internet and finding it out yourself. If you don't want to ask a question about bodybuilding and nutrition you can leave my thread.

 

Pruned out irrelevant content. The purpose of this thread is not to assess the OP's credentials in this field of official study, but to ask of a teenager similar to yourself what you'd like a second opinion on, a definition for, or a routine to accomplish a certain goal. When Sythe becomes a niche for people with PhD's in nutrition and kinesiology, THEN you can demand a person's education.

 

Alright second opinion time:

I personally have been working out for the past two months, but the last week or so I've been relatively unmotivated to do so. Talked to friends about pre-workouts, tried some, but really don't really feel too much or get enough positive side effects to make them worth it in my mind.

What would your personal recommendation be for pre-workout motivation babe?

(Also post pics so I know I should be considering your advice <3)

 

Alright, so i've been trying to slim down while bulking up at the same time by eating a diet mainly consists of Greek Yogurt for breakfast, a sandwich for lunch(turkey and cheese if it makes a difference) with a side salad, and some sort of lean protein for dinner like chicken or fish. What would be a better/fixed eating schedule for me if i wanted to do that?

Also, Basketball season is coming up for me now and i really want to make the team, but to better myself i'd like to improve my vertical. As of now i'm 6'0", 132 pounds and can grab rim nearly at my palm, but i'd like to be able to dunk. What zones in my leg should i be working to get results? What would be some good exercises to practice to raise my vertical that extra 6-8 inches?

 

Pre-workouts aren't extremely important especially if your still a teenager. I've taken a few and have had positive effects although there is heaps of caffeine and other shit in the good ones. Superpump 250 has to be my favourite because there is a noticeable pump and there is no caffeine and no crash.

However, everyone's body reacts different to pre-workouts - some people will take 1 serving and feel crazy and some can take 2 servings and not feel anything. I know it sounds cliche but for my motivation I listen to house/hardstyle music on my way to the gym and look at pictures of my favourite body builders. Once you're in a good routine of training and eating and you're really happy with the results that'll be all the motivation you need. Take care and train hard!'

(Sorry i'm not posting pics but i'll edit the OP with my lifts and stats)


I'll answer your question ignitiion when I get back home.

 

Yo, just adding some more info. From your info given I put it in my calculator (well Blupig made it ) and here's what you require to maintain a healthy body. I put you done as moderately active (3-5 times a weeks) and as 71kg.

Just to note, the sugars and sodium are default for an average male as I couldn't find the formula's for them.

General rule of thumb is you should eat 500kj more per day to bulk.

 

I don't get what your trying to say cosrob? Anyway, that table is (like you said) macro-nutrient requirements to maintain a HEALTHY body, not to build muscle. General rule is 1-1.2grams of protein per lbs of body weight.

 

Does that really work?

 

Just giving you more accurate figures for you tell Brendan how much more he should be eating

 

What's the more accurate figure? Also the "general rule of thumb" is not to eat 500kj more, it's to eat 10-15% more.

 

Actually if its any consolation i have also heard that to gain weight you need to eat 500 calories more then you exert per day or your 'reccomended' caloric intake, and to lose weight you should consume 500 calories less then your reccomended caloric intake.

 

Everyone has a different recommended calorie intake based on their gender, age, weight, height, physical activity levels, etc. If someone is smaller and does hardly any physical activity, 500 calories extra can be too much. On the other hand, someone who has a very physical job, works out with high intensity and is tall and heavy, 500 calories extra won't be doing much. That's why the 10%-15% (or even 10%-20%) is more effective.