New to T-Nation?

What is T-Nation?

T-Nation is a place where bodybuilding’s premier think tank lives and works.

It is a place where chemists, scientists, nutritional theorists, and exercise physiologists – free thinkers all – are allowed to experiment, theorize, and ultimately create new supplements, new training programs, and new nutritional protocols.

It is a place where new ideas are born, where dogmas are destroyed, and where truth and intellect rule.

T-Nation is part chemistry, part science, all attitude.

T-Nation just happens to be perhaps the best place on the Internet to learn about all things related to improving yourself physically. Would you like to increase strength, build muscle, improve sport specific performance, or perhaps lean down to reveal the body you’ve always known you had?

Sounds Great, How Much Does it Cost?

It doesn’t cost anything. Anyone can read the content, register, ask questions, post opinions and participate in various surveys and contests whenever they want. All for free.

The web site is free because it is sponsored by Biotest exclusively. This means that T-Nation is the only place where you can buy a devastatingly powerful line of supplements that were created for the hardcore athlete rather than the mass market.

These products are not sold in stores. The general consumer wouldn’t understand these products. The general consumer would be afraid of these products.

And, by making these super elite products available only through T-Nation.com, they’re priced surprisingly low.

Okay, So How Do I Get Started?

The newest articles and most recent forum posts are highlighted on the home page of our site. Simply click on a title and start reading the contents. Other ways to locate information include viewing the article library, using the search feature or accessing the online archive of past articles.

The article library can be found by clicking on the word articles located on the left hand side of the home page. Once you’ve done that, it will expand into a list of categories. Selecting a category will give you a list of articles of that type.

Using the search feature is easy. Just click the search label near the top of the page. Alternately, the search feature can be accessed when either the articles or forums menu has been expanded. In either case, a small window will pop up asking you if you wanted to search for people or site contents. Simply choose one or the other, enter some text and away you go! T-Nation uses Google search technology so you’ll find it quite powerful.

A complete set of archives containing all of the articles ever published on T-Nation is available by clicking the archives label at the top of any page. When accessed this way, the complete archives are grouped by year with each year of articles presented in chronological order.

Both the high impact articles and authors feature deserve special mention. Within the article library, selecting the high impact link will present a list of topics, each of which will provide a list of significant articles within the topic in question. Finally, the authors feature lets you quickly scan all material posted by any of your favorite authors. Click the authors link also located on the left hand menu.

What About Posting Questions or Comments?

To participate in the forums you will first have to register. This is basically just picking a username and making sure that you have a working email address – just in case it is necessary to contact you. You may certainly use anonymous accounts such as those provided by Yahoo, Hotmail or Gmail if you wish.

Please read the guidelines and FAQ concerning forum use (also located in the T-Directory submenu).

Before you go crazy and start posting all kinds of threads, please be sure to check a few things first. Most questions have been asked many times in the past. Have you already done a search and spent a bit of time looking for the answer? Also, look through the recent threads. Is there another thread on the topic you are about to post? It really isn’t too helpful to have multiple threads on the same topic at the same time.

Also, keep in mind that member posts are moderated. Among other things this lets us stop people from blatantly advertising products and services. We also try to ensure that all posts in the Photos forum have a picture attached with the first post.

Generally, if a moderator has to adjust your post you will receive a PM explaining why. Verifying posts will take a bit of time, especially during busy periods, so please don’t resubmit a post just because it didn’t show up right away.

Informally, you can consider there to be three different levels of moderation on this site. Contributor’s articles are moderated the most, as we’d like to keep those limited to reasoned discussion or debate as well as on topic questions concerning the article itself.

User forums are moderated to a lessor degree, but from time to time blatant flaming and trolling will be addressed. Generally, this type of behavior is not approrpiate for the serious topics but is less of an issue in both the Politics and Get A Life forums. Please try to keep this in mind when adding your own comments.

For more information about forum moderation in general, read the following thread:

http://www.T-Nation.com/readTopic.do?id=941445

What Should I Do in the Gym?

Honestly, what you should do in the gym is a combination of both where you are now and your goals. It is difficult to recommend a concise course of action, but keep the following in mind. As a beginner you probably have a lot to learn about nutrition and recovery as well as lifting. You should also get the okay from your physician before starting any new exercise program.

As a very basic introduction, forget about the concept of losing weight. We don’t want to lose weight, we want to lose fat! Severe dieting without sufficient bouts of resistance exercise will result in loss of muscle and a slower metabolism. This is a vicious cycle.

Generally, unfit out of shape people need to put on some muscle, restore a decent metabolism and then through improved eating habits slowly uncover this muscle. All of the information you need to do this, and much more, is readily available on this site. Do you have the will to do what it takes to reach your goals?

Other Good Starting Points

Vroom’s Beginner Thread
http://www.T-Nation.com/readTopic.do?id=640350

Jillybop’s T-Vixen Thread
http://www.T-Nation.com/readTopic.do?id=645666

This thread is a very good idea, and very concisely written. I have a couple of friends/ family members in mind, and it has been a little difficult to pitch T-Nation to them. I don’t think I’m the only one in this boat. For some reason people have a hard time believing all of this information is free. Maybe this thread will explain better than I could.

Perhaps the best thing about this site, however, is that supporting the site and keeping it running is done by purchasing high quality/ highly effective but relatively cheap products.

This is a must!

Very well said!

Maybe newcomers can get a better idea of how truly great this site is by reading this and realize it’s not like any other.

hi everyone,

new to this forum…and hope to learn more about building up my body…

first off to intro myself…i am 22, male, and weigh in about 184…and 5’4 & 3/4.i believe…

anyway i have lost a total of 50 lbs, and working out 5 days a week, have laid back on jogging to about 2 times a week and not 4.

anyway, I have been lifting for about 2 1/2 or 3 months now, and just recently cut my cardio about 1 month ago. I first started super light as everyone here did, atleast i think. I have seen pretty big progress, now keep in mind i do this at work so we have no major equipment here, just dumbells. i sold my weight set at home last yr already (DUMB ME)

My progress:

Start:
biceps curls: 15lbs, 25lbs Max (free weight)
rear lat pull down: 50 lbs, 60lbs max (machine)
bench press: 70lbs, 90lbs max (machine)
shoulder push up (per arm): 20lbs, 25lbs max (free weight)
butterfly on bench: 15lbs, 25lbs max (free weight)
triceps (lay flat on bench): 10lbs, 15lbs max (free weight)
crunches ( declined bench about 65 degrees): 100

Current:
biceps curls: 30lbs, 45lbs Max (free weight)
rear lat pull down: 100 lbs, 130lbs max (machine)
bench press: 115lbs, 160 max (machine)
shoulder push up (per arm): 35lbs, 40lbs max (free weight)
butterfly on bench: 40lbs, 45lbs max (free weight)
triceps (lay flat on bench): 40lbs, 50lbs max (free weight)
crunches on ball: 100

sorry for the long post, but anyway i have been on some form of powder fruit drink creatine (dont want to name) about 2 weeks today, and havent seen that much gain yet, just a little bit. I drink it before and after my workout, but direction only says after. I also do 3 sets per rep each, when i warm up i do my first set to burn my muscles to get them going. I usually try to max out on my last set, which i usally about 5-8 reps.

Now my main questions are:

Am I progressing too slow for almost 3 months?
How do i progress faster WITHOUT maxing per set everyday? (my goal to to be medium to big built)
Does creatine “really” work?
which is better “liquid” or “pill” creatine?
side effects after none use of creatine?
Am I using my creatine incorrectly (obviously yes) , meaning do i just take once after my workout?

HELP??

you’ll learn everything you want and need to know by just poking around reading all the stuff on this site.

oh, trial and error works too.

enjoy!

Any chance of a T-Nation Podcast in the future?

Cool. Glad to see something a little more official in the beginner’s forum.

More new guys need to read this…put the title in neon blue or something…

[quote]vroom wrote:
Cool. Glad to see something a little more official in the beginner’s forum.[/quote]

yeah, I think we were all getting tired of seeing your thread (as good as that first post was) pinned to the top of the boards!

LOL. I know for a fact Joe Weider and a few other less outspoken folks didn’t like it… :wink:

Damned haters!

[quote]solid0351 wrote:
Any chance of a T-Nation Podcast in the future?[/quote]

I’d love a T-Nation Podcast!!!

[quote]vroom wrote:
LOL. I know for a fact Joe Weider and a few other less outspoken folks didn’t like it… :wink:

Damned haters![/quote]

I miss Weider.
Good times.

[quote]FightinIrish26 wrote:
More new guys need to read this…put the title in neon blue or something…[/quote]

I read it! I came across this site after reading about the “Super Shake” in the October issue of Mens Health. I’ve recently become concerned about my health/body and i think I found a great place to start making changes for the better. I’m 6’-3", around 195lbs, and have no idea what my body fat ratio is, but I hope to start eating healthier, working out better and feeling better than ever.

[quote]PaleOne wrote:
FightinIrish26 wrote:
More new guys need to read this…put the title in neon blue or something…

I read it! I came across this site after reading about the “Super Shake” in the October issue of Mens Health. I’ve recently become concerned about my health/body and i think I found a great place to start making changes for the better. I’m 6’-3", around 195lbs, and have no idea what my body fat ratio is, but I hope to start eating healthier, working out better and feeling better than ever.
[/quote]

Good! You are in good company. Stay the course and you will be fine.

[quote]PaleOne wrote:
FightinIrish26 wrote:
More new guys need to read this…put the title in neon blue or something…

I read it! I came across this site after reading about the “Super Shake” in the October issue of Mens Health. I’ve recently become concerned about my health/body and i think I found a great place to start making changes for the better. I’m 6’-3", around 195lbs, and have no idea what my body fat ratio is, but I hope to start eating healthier, working out better and feeling better than ever.
[/quote]

Welcome to the site. Don’t let anyone get to you, read as many articles as you can, and you’ll be far ahead of the average gym-goer in terms of nutrition and training.

Any minute spent reading just about any article on this site is worth the time.

Take your time with the training and doing something is usually better than doing nothing. As you read and learn more you can change up what you are doing, but too many people want to start off doing the “perfect” workout before even starting.

Hey everyone,

I’ve been reading articles on this site for about 2 mths and finally decided to actually post. I’m trying to lose about 30lbs and think that this site would be very beneficial. I use to weight train in high school and use to play soccer all thru out high school.

But I became pregnant and slacked off a lot!!! Now I need to lose this weight and go back to what I was, I absolutely love muscular legs, and I miss my defination in my legs. 

I weight lifted 2 days ago and man I didn’t realize how sucky I am, I still can do a lot of weights on my legs but my arms? HA! There like spaghetti noodles. I really need to work on them but love working out my legs. Well anyways I LOVE THIS SITE and hope to read more interesting and useful articles.

New here as of today as well. Great resource from what I have seen so far. Have been able to find a lot using the search, if nothing else. Good idea on this “newbie” thread, too!

I am new to T-Nation. I have been registered for some time now but have not posted. I am currently recoevering from some burn injuries on my right forearm and have not lifted for about 2 weeks now. Starting this coming Monday I am getting back on track and cleaning up my diet. Lifting will also resume. I am currently doing a PLing routine and will be sticking with it until I get tired of it.

Hi all. I’m new too, although I have been reading the threads and articles for a while now. I have been lifting for three years now.

Lots of trial and error and a major biceps injury have been pushing my progress up and down constanty.

I am 5’8 and weigh about 165. While this comes across to me as fairly average, I have found that simply changing your habits, being more watchful of what you eat and focusing on quality instead of quantity in the gym can make a world of difference.

As a result, the last few months of my three years of training have been the most fruitful. I have lost a lot of fat, and am getting noticeably stronger.

So, in the attempt to learn as much as I can from guys that are older and more experienced than me, I find myself a member today. I may be wrong, but this place seems to be the best there is when it comes to fitness.