[quote]newbody72 wrote:
This is not directed to anyone in particular, but I think someone thinks that at 5’10 and 153 lbs. I have a small back and never set foot in a gym. Truth is, I already have a wide back, not as big as a bodybuilder, but you get my point. I used to work out at a gym many years ago when I joined the swim team, but that was in high school. I made it a point to join a gym to get stronger, look healthier and feel better about myself. I think some people forget how they once too were beginners and wanted answers and quick gains. It saddens me to some degree to see how some of you forget where you started from and were helped by a friend or mentor. At the same token, you have just given me more of a motivation to keep going and work twice as hard.[/quote]
People are busting on you because you sound an awful lot like the 16 year old noobs who post on here all the time. If, as you say, you are not actually 16, then you are probably capable of listening to what other people have to say, so here goes:
At 5’10" 153 lbs, you are VERY skinny. You may also be a little fat, but your muscle mass is VERY small. This is actually good news, in a way, because if you start training and eating right, you will add a bunch of muscle mass in a hurry.
In order to do that, you need to convince your body that it HAS to add muscle. Your body doesn’t want to add muscle, because it takes a lot of energy. Your body would rather be energy-efficient than look good.
When you lift weights, the muscles that you work release signalling molecules into your bloodstream that tell the rest of the body you just beat the crap out of them in the gym, and they need some help. Harder work leads to a stronger signal.
Also, bigger muscles release more of these molecules. The more of a signal you have in your bloodstream, the more work your body does to build up your muscles.
That means that the best way to make your body a favorable environment for muscle growth is to train ALL the muscles in your body – especially your legs, where the biggest, strongest muscles in everyone’s body are.
Some people like to train different muscles on different days, and some people try to hit all the big ones every time they go to the gym, but everyone agrees that you make the best progress when you train all your muscles at least once a week.
Also, balancing your pushes and pulls (training chest and back equally) is really important for shoulder health. Training chest to the exclusion of back, or twice as much as back, is a good way to fuck up your shoulder, over the long term.
The other thing you need to do to overcome your body’s reluctance to add muscle, is to let your body know, “we can afford this.” The way you do that is by eating more calories than you’re currently eating. If you do it right, you will add a lot of muscle, and not too much fat. The added muscle will make it musch easier for you to lose the fat later.
There is a ton of good information on this site, and people here will help you out if you ask nicely. To begin with, I would take a look at Berardi’s Massive Eating Reloaded, parts 1&2, and Waterbury’s Big Boy Basics. Pretty much everything by Berardi, Thibs and Waterbury is worth reading, really.
Good luck.