The one I stress the most to all if to figure out what you want to do.
Just get in shape, strentgh, or cut. Without that begining there is no start or end.
Once that’s decided, don’t over do it. The number one thing that ends a new begining is pain. Only when your body begins to get used to the added stress should you push it.
Then stick to the basics. This will give a good start and the state of mind to continue.
The thought of no pain no gain is simply wrong for newbies.
But heh what do I know?
Some great info, guys, especially about sticking to lifting basics and diet. But something equally important that has only been touched upon briefly is a newbie tendency to lift too heavy. One of the first things I learned was to always feel the muscle, not just the weight. If you can only feel the weight then chances are you’re just trying to look good!
Well there’s been some great responses, I most especially like the one by HyaSinth or whatever the name was. My advice would be to follow what I call the 3 by 3 approach;
- Incorporate the “big three” exercises in your training program (bench, squat, deadlift)
- Follow the “big three” principles (train, eat, rest)
- Eliminate the following three words/phrases from your vocabulary (can’t, won’t, don’t have time)
All of this is great advice so far, but most are missing one important aspect of it all:You have to learn to enjoy it. Sure, it’s fun to take a newbie with you to the gym and make them squat until they puke, but are they gonna want to repeat that behavior? Nope! I say ease them into a weight training program and bodybuilding diet. Once they begin to see results, they’ll be self-motivated and will begin to learn all this stuff on their own anyway. Once they’ve adopted a consistant, healthy lifestyle, then you can make them puke.
Strength training/boby building is perhaps no different from anything in life. If you don’t wna to be there and go through the motions, it’s perhaps the worst investmant of time for a person. However, if the person truely has the motivation, desire and a rational goal that is ataaainable that person will be greatly rewarded by giving himself something that no one can take away.
Well a few years ago I read an article (in another nonbodybuilding magazine) where the Worlds Strongest Man Competitors were interviewed. At the end of the interview one of the strongmen (Chief Somebody) pretty much summed up the philosophy of all serious/ professional bodybuilders weightlifters etc. The quote went something like this
“Strongmen have no time for anything else. All strong man do is eat, sleep and bust shit up.”
So take it as you will but this is not only the best piece of advice you will get but also the most simplistic.
ChrisZ
Obviously the number one thing is read T-MAG. This site is so jam packed with the right training and diet info, that nobody should be training wrong anymore. I guess the 10% of the people in the gym that do train right are reading T-MAG. I have been lifting for 15 years, if I had this info back then, my greatest reward would be injury free-especially now with Kings training advice. Sure I would be bigger but injury free is the Key.
Another thing I have learned is if you want to lift for more than a couple of years than you better do control drills and stretch for at least 15-30 minutes before each and every workout. I would say this is by far my number one advice. STRETCH- You will get some immediate gains from stretching but most are long term. When I was 20-23, 10 years ago My best in the bench press was 565 at 270 pounds. Back then I did not stretch that much probally as much as most people do now, 5 minutes prior a few stretches between sets. Sure I was big and strong, but if I had to do it over again I would cut my training in half and stretch 20 minutes before each and every workout. I bet if I did that I would of still bench pressed 565 and 10 years later I would still be training heavy instead of trying to fix all these old injuries that I caused 5-10 years ago.
KEEP YOUR BALANCE. Your body’s muscular development requires balance for optimum growth and protection from injury. Imbalances are a leading cause of joint injury (especially shoulders and back) and poor posture. Balance pushing exercises like bench press, military press and dips with pulling exercises such as seated rows with high elbows, upright rows, and chins. Of particular importance for shoulder health, you should balance the internal rotation strength of your arms from pec-driven pressing movements with exercises that strengthen the rotator cuff for external rotation. Balance abdominal training with lower back training. Balance quadriceps and hamstrings exercises. Take a look at the movements at each of your joints and see if you are performing exercises for all of its degrees of freedom. Try to think of exercises that work opposing motions and perform both in proportion to keep your joints stabilized, and your posture will also benefit.
You may also find that balance, or rather, the lack of it, will limit your growth. If you reach a plateau in a particular exercise, analyze your routine for balance to see if you are neglecting any opposing or supporting body parts. If you are having trouble developing one part, it may be because another is lagging behind.
First question you will have to answer is where will you be working out. I don’t give a damn how grand the gym is, all the heavy iron in the world, bad ass shiny machines and thong sporting honeys are not gonna consistently get most folks into a gym that is inconveniently located. I would sugget that you don’t join a gym located more then 10 minutes from home. 10 mins there and 10 back, plus another 10 to get in and get started and you have already added 30 nonproductive minutes to your “workout”. Consistency is crucial, and if you have other obligations-work-family-etc proximity is critical to maintaining it. If there is not a facility located near enough I would strongly encourage you to set up at home. A garage is perfect. Do not skimp on equipment. You need olympic style weights and bar (typically sold in 300 lb sets). Also a quality bench and power rack. The rack is critical, I have worked out at home for 3 years and find it greatly expands your options. If you don’t know how to bench in it (for solo maxes) or do lockouts etc then post your inquiries here–but get the damn rack. You do not have to pay retail, quitters constantly sell off exercise equipment and almost all of it really is “like new”. Now that you are ready to begin, write down your exercise sessions. This does not make you a nerd at the gym, quite the opposite it is a vital tool for improvement. It is not difficult, is easily made a habit, and its value will soon become self evident.
First, throw out the popular myths (such as low fat/high carb diet,). For women, forget about the wieght training will make you big myth (it will make you lean strong and sexy, just the way I like you). Here’s what I consider the important points:
1. Learn about diet - it's a big hurdle to learn to eat 6 times a day instead of 3. Learn why you want to do this.
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The first few weeks, don’t go crazy in the gym - this is for a few reasons: a) you’ll be sore as hell after the first few times anyway, you don’t want to make it worse. b) unless your a sadist, you’re not going to come back if your in that much pain.
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Learn the basic, compound excersizes. Most importantly, learn about proper form and tempo. For people looking to add size, they may want to use a slower tempo then somebody who wants to lose weight. For the first two weeks, start off concentrating on your form and your tempo and do really light weights for sets of 20.
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Learn about cardio, when and why it’s used. If your 140 lbs and 6 feet tall, forget about it - you need to learn to eat. If your 250 lbs and 5 feet tall, you need some, but go in slow until your heart can support you.
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Speak to your doctor about your excersize routine. Many of them will have thier own ideas about what excersizes to do, etc. Thier mostly full of crap, but listen to the basic theme. What you want is to make sure that your body can hold up - if your old or have history of heart illness, you need to start off slower, possibly without conventional weights.
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Patience and consistency. Realize that the people you see on magazine covers have been training for years, or have followed the “better body through medicine” approach (i.e. steroids). Until your genetically tapped out, don’t even consider steroids. In the mean time, stick to it on a regular basis. And while your at it, start educating yourself. There’s nothing more valuable to your own training then your own eduction (for diet, excersize routines, steroids, etc).
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Don’t be afraid to ask. Actually, I kinda like it when somebody comes up to me in the gym to ask advice. I think most guys do. If you must, seek out a good qualified personal trainer. Or, best yet, ask on the t-mag forum or some of the news-groups. But remember, the answers you get are not gospel, there just things for you to try. The proof is in the results you obtain.
Good luck and have fun!
At this point, the best advice is to read all the responses to this question. A newbie will learn so much from all the previous posts (I know I have, and I’ve been lifting for a few years). Take the bits and pieces and apply it to your training. This will save years of aggravation and lack of progress.
Basically, if a newbie learns from all of our mistakes, he/she will be able to make gains that we only dreamed of when we began. There are so many different ideas posted, and once a newbie finds what works for him/her, then the gains will be awesome!
T-mag is the premier place for some of the best training and nutrition information in the world. And it's not just because of the writers. It's because of ALL of us. We have so much knowledge from so many different areas that we all benefit when we join together on the forum to discuss our ideas and beliefs!
My fellow T-men are awesome! I appreciate your thoughts and hope others will benefit as much as I have!
That’s what it’s all about.
Here are some other ideas I haven’t seen yet in the posts so far. I’m sure I’m leaving a few things out, but this should get he ball rolling:
Show some courtesy. Getting along with others in a gym environment requires a certain amount of ‘gym etiquette.’ Allow others to ‘work in’ and share the equipment you are using during crowded conditions, as long as this doesn’t involve an unreasonable amount of time to reconfigure the weight or settings between sets. Remember that they have also paid to use the equipment. Don’t start using a piece of equipment without asking to ‘work in’ unless you are sure others are finished with it. Don’t assume someone is finished with a piece of gear just because they are taking a quick water break or doing a set of another exercise; they may be ‘super-setting’ (combining two exercises in succession).
Carry a towel and wipe your sweat off of the equipment when you are finished or between sets if you are ‘working in’ with others. Put free weights or accessories (grips, bars, etc) away after using them unless you know for sure that someone else will use them right away.
Perform your free weight exercises in a clear or designated areas away from others and try not to disturb or distract other people while they are lifting. Try not to block walkways or areas around equipment, dumbbell, and plate racks. Don’t interrupt someone’s work out with lots of chit-chat unless you are sure they don’t mind. Don’t be offended if someone cuts your dialogue short when their rest period expires and they are ready to perform another set.
Keep your balance. Your body’s muscular development requires balance for optimum growth and protection from injury. Muscular development imbalances are a leading cause of joint injury (especially shoulders and back) and poor posture. Balance pushing exercises like bench press, military press and dips with pulling exercises such as seated rows with high elbows, upright rows, and chins. Of particular importance for shoulder health, you should balance the internal rotation strength of your arms from pec-driven pressing movements with exercises that strengthen the rotator cuff for external rotation (See the T-mag archives).
Balance abdominal training with lower back training. Strong abdominals and obliques are essential for creating the hoop tension that helps support your spine.
Balance quadriceps and hamstring development. Take a look at the movements at each of your joints and see if you are performing exercises for all of its degrees of freedom. Try to think of exercises that work opposing motions and perform both in proportion to keep your joints stabilized, and your posture will also benefit.
You may also find that balance, or rather, the lack of it, will limit your growth. If you reach a plateau in a particular exercise, analyze your routine for balance to see if you are neglecting any opposing or supporting body parts. If you are having trouble developing one part, it may be because another is lagging behind.
I know alot of people who want to make a change in their life, have a better health and a better body. Their mistake is that they try to change everything at once and they VERY soon lose motivation and interest. They usually give up after 2-3 weeks. And you probably all know what I’m talking about, when you see peaks in the gym in September and January.
So here is my suggestions to newbies. First, concentrate on your nutrition. Make changes gradually so you don't feel lost. Get used to an increased protein diet and a decrease in carbohydrates. Do it at your own rythm. When you feel confortable with your new balanced and healthy nutrition (eating 6 times a day, MRPs, everything we all do), get a gym membership, don't bother with cardio and don't go more than 2-3 times a week, 30 minutes at a time. Use only compound exercices to build fast strength and confidence. If they train too much, they will not feel good, won't make progress and give up. Once they are on a roll and they like the results and lifestyle, they can refine their workouts and nutrition.
If they adjust their lifestyle gradually, they are going to be hooked and they will never want to return to their old self destructing habits again.
Only lift what you can lift with proper form.
When form breaks down one is not not working the intended muscle or group of muscles (i.e. a 135 pound curl done using the entire body). Poor form additionally leads to injury.
One of the biggest mistakes made by newbies is lifting to impress others.
You have just begun a lifelong process to improve both your mind and physique. A comprehensive bodybuilding and resistance training program has untold rewards. The best advice I can give you is to never allow your workout routines to stagnate. Rather, incorporate change and evaluate the effectiveness of every technique you try. This will allow you to obtain optimum results. Be sure to set both long and short-term goals, so you have something to focus on right now and for the next year.
That is my best single piece of advice.
Here is what I tell the newbies I have met: If you are determined and disciplined, you need only to embrace the information found on this website with an open mind and apply the knowledge gained to your training, supplementation, and diet to achieve the goals you are looking for.
Patience, consistency and search engine.
There is no magic to bodybuilding!!! You get out of it what you put into it, half assed efforts yield half assed results!!! The power to change your body comes from within. Drugs and supplements are not the easy way out, they are just tools to help you reach your goals, but you won’t get to the top with out the will power to do so. Once you learn that, everything else will fall into place.
NATE DOGG: I believe that beginners should use there first years of training to learn the technical lifts, With the supervision of a coach. RE ARM training, Look at most College Level Football players who only have a few years of training under their belt. They Train Arms very little most are huge , athletic and fast! Learning to build up your poundages in cleans , and squats will have more effect on your body in the begining and will hit those Isolation muscles. After a year of training then a more hypertrophy type traiing should be encorporated.