Hi. Im new here and is quite new to bodybuilding. My current sport is tennis and I have recently gotten into bodybuilding as I am really thin (6.1 feet and only 105 lbs). Dont laugh at me, my face is full of acne and can only eat vegetables and a little carbo like potatoes. I know people say that acne is not affected by food, but then whenever I eat a lot it gets problematic =(
Ok. So my acne has subsided slightly and I am listening to some of the advice on this site and eating my heart out (trying for a week). However, Im also looking to build strength together with muscle.
Just a little background on my weightlifting, I started about a month ago. Initially, I just read whatever is in the gym and just do everything it had there (biceps curls, chest press, leg press etc) without rest. Some time later, I realized I had gained quite a bit of strength (e.g. from 1 block of chest press to 3-4 blocks for 10 reps/4-5 sets.
Then I read about recovering. Ok, I thought to myself, and start to read a bit more about split training (e.g. leg day, chest day etc). Then I went to BB.com, the first googled up, and I just clicked some random articles and just randomly formulated.
E.g. On leg day, I could do the following for 4-5 sets for 10 reps (for quads)[Boy it was tiring for me and my muscles were so sore I couldnt walk straight for a while]
Leg extension
Behind the leg squat—Not sure of name
Leg press
Squat
There are also some people on this site who dislike this kind of exercises, saying that there should be a day of rest btw every gyming so that the kidneys and pancreas dont work too hard.
Therefore Im also looking into Rippetoes workout.
From BB:
Week 1:
Monday - Workout A
Wednesday -Workout B
Friday - Workout A
Week 2:
Monday - Workout B
Wednesday - Workout A
Friday - Workout B
Etc. For the actual workouts read below:
Workout A:
3x5 Squat
3x5 Bench Press
1x5 Deadlifts
**2x8 Dips (if you cant do these or no assist machine then do Decline Dumbbell Bench Press with your hands Facing each other)
Click Here For A Printable Log Of Workout A.
Workout B:
3x5 Squat
3x5 Standing military press
3x5 Bent Rows (or power cleans)
**2x8 Chin-ups (recommended mainly if doing the cleans)
Note: This doesn’t include warm-up sets (**)Means this is OPTIONAL
Ok. I just tried the workout A. A quick question: Can we replace bench press with chest press. I look at it and think that the mechanics are pretty similar. I dont have a spotter and due to my old habits, I will always do like 10 reps instead of the recommended 5 reps. I did 16kg bench press and I pushed myself to failure at the 7th rep (sad eh, comparing to all you guys here). I had to remove to about 12 kg so that I could do with form for the rest. Did I forget to mention that the bench press nearly killed me? When I couldnt lift to save my life, the weight was pressing on my chest. I had to climb out of the weight, but initially the weight of 16kg was deceptively easy.
Also, how do you get the weight on the back for squats? It kills my arm and I had to get a lighter weight so that my wrists and arm are not so awkward when placing such heavy weights onto my shoulders. And no I dont have any shelves nearby. I can only imagine the pain when I move on to heavier weights and try to brutally force it over my head and awkardly onto my shoulders.
Im looking for a good program that could possibly take me for the next year and for me to follow consistently. My legs are pretty bad (my calves and my quads are about the same size, I usually try to hide them using pants previously, but as I play more tennis, I realized that this is not the way. My bis and tris are also quite thin too).
So all in all, I do know that it is food that builds mass, and weights that form muscles and not fats. However, I do not know if rippetoe program or the specific splits are better in the long run (I prefer to stick to something). Also I need some leg exercises (calves, quads, hamstrings) that work the most effectively.
Thank you!!! Im glad I found this site.