Alright im 6’2 165lbs.
I’m fairly weak I’d say which is all I need to hear to start training.
Anyway my question should I go heavy weights low reps? Like say my max is 100 lbs (its not) but anyway should I do like 5x3 of like 75lbs? or something like that on the bench anyway.
Like
Bench 5x3 %75
Deadlift 4x3 %85
Bent Rows 5x5 %65
DB Curls 3x10 %60
Hang Cleans 5x3 %75
for one workout?
5 sets of 3 at 75% this isn’t very good
You need to look up westside for skinny bastards, you are overthinking this.
I got all my newbie gains out of a 10x3 routine 3 days a week, with each day having either squat bench or dead as the main movement, and then 2 or 3 other compound movements done for higher reps and fewer sets.
Added weight to the bar on my 10x3’s every week until I couldn’t. which lasted about 3 months, and probably gained about 30-40 lbs in that time frame. don’t remember exact numbers because I kept growing afterwords, but that worked for starters.
The most important things are
Actually start working out, there are awesome programs out there written by people who knew what they were doing which worked for alot of people, just pick one that fits your goals (e.g. WS4SB or Starting Strength)
Read up on diet & nutrition. To actually gain (muscle-)mass, first and foremost your body needs a caloric surplus, you have to consume more calories than you burn. But there is much more to it, search for “7 habits” and similar stuff
Not making a science out of it because at this level it absolutely doesn’t matter and worrying will achieve nothing productive but prevent you from doing 1) and 2)
come back with any specific questions 
Starting strength, Mark Rippetoe's Starting Strength Routine | Bodybuilding.nl Forum
3x10. Tried, tested and simple for beginners.
[quote]undeadlift wrote:
3x10. Tried, tested and simple for beginners.[/quote]
exactly, 5x5 10x3 etc leave those alone for now.
if you’re just starting out, stick with 3x10 or my favorite 3x12
a couple months later you’ll get a better feel for it
[quote]ZeusNathan wrote:
undeadlift wrote:
3x10. Tried, tested and simple for beginners.
exactly, 5x5 10x3 etc leave those alone for now.
if you’re just starting out, stick with 3x10 or my favorite 3x12
a couple months later you’ll get a better feel for it
[/quote]
This is the second time today I’ve seen you make a comment like this. Have you read “Starting Strength”? Why are you smarter than Mark Ripppetoe? For a new trainee, form will break down after 5 reps. Do 5 quality reps and take a break. Doing 10-12 reps will only reinforce bad form.
Heavy weights, low reps (4-8), and EAT EAT EAT – you need to put on some weight. An extra ten pounds does WONDERS.
Short, intense sessions will work great, no longer than 60 minutes or so.
Low rep programs are for intermediate to advanced trainee’s, definately not beginners. You just won’t get anything out of it.
To be honest, the number of reps used isn’t all that important IMO. Yes, as Stuward mentioned, beginners often tend to have a short attention span and might lose form after 5 reps. But there are no hard and fast rules concerning this.
Really, all that you should worry about at this point is:
It really doesn’t matter if you use high reps (9+), low reps(1-3), or moderate reps(4-8).
That said, programs like “Starting Strength”, which are specifically designed with beginners in mind, are a great place to start. Really any program that is clearly written, focuses on the basics, and involves progression will work well for a beginner.
[quote]tw0scoops2 wrote:
Low rep programs are for intermediate to advanced trainee’s, definately not beginners. You just won’t get anything out of it.[/quote]
haha.
westsideeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee~
[quote]kinein wrote:
westsideeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee~ [/quote]
2nd.
It’s not as advanced as one may think. You warm up and work up to a 1-5RM in a big lift, then do other lifts to bring up your weak points. the more advanced you get the more you can just go by feel and knowing what your body needs.
I’m doing westside right now, and I’m a weak SOB. Still questing after 4/3/2 plate Dead/squat/bench maxes. But what I do know is that all my lifts are moving in the right direction. I cut my teeth on the westside style of training with WS4SB, and now use the template laid out by Dave Tate. 1 day of light higher volume assistance work 1 day of heavy, lower volume assistance work (5x10 vs. 5x5). I dig the upper lower split because there’s more time for a greater volume of work.
OP, I really do recommend WS4SB. See how you like it, but I bet you will enjoy it a lot.
[quote]boyscout wrote:
It’s not as advanced as one may think. You warm up and work up to a 1-5RM in a big lift, then do other lifts to bring up your weak points.
[/quote]
It should be noted that for a beginner, everything is a weak point, so you basically would follow your main movement with a few more compound movements done at lower intensities. If you chose to do westside.
In other words, you don’t need to isolate you triceps, because they are equally weak as your chest and shoulders.
[quote]tw0scoops2 wrote:
Low rep programs are for intermediate to advanced trainee’s, definately not beginners. You just won’t get anything out of it.[/quote]
Take someone who’s never lifted and have them do 12 squats. The last half will look nothing like the first.
[quote]stuward wrote:
ZeusNathan wrote:
undeadlift wrote:
3x10. Tried, tested and simple for beginners.
exactly, 5x5 10x3 etc leave those alone for now.
if you’re just starting out, stick with 3x10 or my favorite 3x12
a couple months later you’ll get a better feel for it
This is the second time today I’ve seen you make a comment like this. Have you read “Starting Strength”? Why are you smarter than Mark Ripppetoe? For a new trainee, form will break down after 5 reps. Do 5 quality reps and take a break. Doing 10-12 reps will only reinforce bad form.[/quote]
You assume too much that Mark Ripptoe is always right. There are many successful bodybuilders and weightlifters who never heard of Mark Ripptoe and did the standard 3x10 with great success when they were beginners.
[quote]Sentoguy wrote:
To be honest, the number of reps used isn’t all that important IMO. Yes, as Stuward mentioned, beginners often tend to have a short attention span and might lose form after 5 reps. But there are no hard and fast rules concerning this.
Really, all that you should worry about at this point is:
It really doesn’t matter if you use high reps (9+), low reps(1-3), or moderate reps(4-8).
That said, programs like “Starting Strength”, which are specifically designed with beginners in mind, are a great place to start. Really any program that is clearly written, focuses on the basics, and involves progression will work well for a beginner. [/quote]
My thoughts exactly.
[quote]stuward wrote:
ZeusNathan wrote:
undeadlift wrote:
3x10. Tried, tested and simple for beginners.
exactly, 5x5 10x3 etc leave those alone for now.
if you’re just starting out, stick with 3x10 or my favorite 3x12
a couple months later you’ll get a better feel for it
This is the second time today I’ve seen you make a comment like this. Have you read “Starting Strength”? Why are you smarter than Mark Ripppetoe? For a new trainee, form will break down after 5 reps. Do 5 quality reps and take a break. Doing 10-12 reps will only reinforce bad form.[/quote]
nah i havent gone around to reading ripptoe and i wont until i come around to it. on the same token, it seems you prescribe ripptoe for every kid in here. must be a good program. but personally i try to stick to my philosophy. perhaps when im older like ripptoe, ill be wiser from my “mistakes” instead of learning it through the grapevine.
and no a trainee’s form doesnt break after 5 reps.
if you show them how to do it once and walk away, then yea, the form might get sloppy. and really, do you think a beginner can move a heavy weight in perfect form 5 times? i doubt he’ll do any one of them in good form, especially without supervision. what if he tried a lighter weight with higher reps in perfect form. id assume that that’ll instill good form and technique. it’ll also give him some room to comfortably move up in weights without feeling inferior to others… or even the weights themselves.
[quote]zephead4747 wrote:
tw0scoops2 wrote:
Low rep programs are for intermediate to advanced trainee’s, definately not beginners. You just won’t get anything out of it.
Take someone who’s never lifted and have them do 12 squats. The last half will look nothing like the first.[/quote]
i do it all the time at my gym. actually last week i trained a 50 year old whos never worked out in his life and pumped out 15 squats with relatively good form.