Training Advice for a Beginner

Bigger Stronger Leaner Competitive Bodybuilding
1

I am fairly new to this site having only come across it a couple of months ago. After reading and trying to underand as much as possible, I am posting for the first time.
I would appreciate input as to my training routine.

I am 35, 5’7" 150lbs. and about 13% b.f. I began lifting 4 months ago and for the last 7 weeks going to the gym 3x/week.

Monday is chest/shoulders/triceps
Wednesday quads/calves
Friday back/biceps/forearms

My goals are to add size, would like to be a solid 165 and decrease b.f.

Two quick questions:

  1. Will my current lifting routine help me to accomplish my goals

  2. I find it difficult to eat 6 meals a day with my current work schedule. Any tips as to packing in the calories. I work as a chiropractor from 9am-6-7pm with no break for lunch Mon-Fri.

Thanks in advance and thanks t-nation for an awesome site.

2

Hi Vagus and welcome to T-Nation.

There are alot of really good articles in the archives for you to read.

Read everything from Berardi and Lowery.

As far as training programs go, private message Tampa Terry for her excel versions of Chad Waterbury’s training programs (she has a post in building body forum about this). I think she has the pdf versions as well for those that don’t have excel.

Also check out his articles on these programs;

Singles Club
http://www.t-nation.com/readTopic.do?id=459290

Triple Total Training
http://www.t-nation.com/readTopic.do?id=476508

Total Body Training
http://www.t-nation.com/readTopic.do?id=508031

Strength Focused Mesocycle
http://www.t-nation.com/readTopic.do?id=485341

Quattro Dynamo
http://www.t-nation.com/readTopic.do?id=459216

Big Boy Basics
http://www.t-nation.com/readTopic.do?id=459533

ABBH II
http://www.t-nation.com/findArticle.do?article=307hyper2

ABBH
http://www.t-nation.com/findArticle.do?article=244anti2

3

thanks iluminatae,

I already got CW’s prorams from Tampa Terry. Asper the programs do you think I should focus on one in particular being so new to weight training.

-vagus

4

I tried ABBH and loved it. It’s not too hard to follow, and I saw great results. Singles Club was cool, very different from anything I’ve ever done, and great results too(I just finished yesterday). But, if I were you, I would wait until you’re bored of other, more traditional workouts to try that one, it’s really refreshing. Big Boy Basics might be a good one to try, too, because it utilizes the big ol’ compound movements.

Stay away from QD for now. Reading through it will tell you why, I don’t think it was meant for beginners.

As for that schedule, is there any possible way you could work in a lunch break? It’s going to be a challenge to get results while not eating for 9-10 hours each day. If not, eat a huge, huge, huge breakfast. This might be hard at first, but you can slowly work up to a big meal in the morning. Don’t just try to cram everything down your throat one day.

If you can snack at work, peanuts are always good for lots of calories. Also, you can try to make some quick protein shakes to drink here and there. If you add some flax oil or something like that, you can add some calories quick while getting some of your good fats in for the day.

As a side note, you didn’t say anything about eating enough calories. Eating six meals a day is optimal, but if you can get to your daily calorie requirements in some other way, you should be ok. So, if you only eat 3 or 4 meals, suck it up and make them big ones. Again, this isn’t optimal, but it’ll be ok.

Definitely check out the Massive Eating series by Berardi. If you follow the instructions, you’ll be all set as far as diet goes.

Good Luck

5

Vagus, I’m also a big supporter of CW.
CW recently suggested a sequence of his programs for hypertrophy. The first one is Big Boy Basics. Then: ABBH, ABBH2, Triple Total Training, Total Body Training, Quattro Dinamo, Single’s club. At this point you may try CT’s OVT and Shoulders Overhaul, IK’s The bulk building routine, CS’s EDT etc. etc.
Have a good time !
Luca