20 yr old - 5'11 (140 pounds) - HELP! (Never been to a gym)

[Axcell]

Hey guys, oldie member here.. but haven't been here in a while. College has kept be busy behind the books, and now summer is finally here.

As you can see from the title, I am pretty underweight: 20 year old guy, 5'11, and I am 140 pounds. I look fine though, I just have NO mass on my arms (biceps.) It doesn't bother me in the winter when I layer up, but in the summer, it does.. so I want to make a chance.

I eat a TON (chicken, eggs, you name it)... but I can't seem to gain weight. I regularly do push-ups/stretches in the morning, but that is about it. I don't take supplements (other than a multivitamin pill each day.) I don't go to a gym. And I have NEVER worked out before at a gym. I'm health conscious though - I don't take those protein powder stuff because of the chemicals/artificial flavoring (aspartame, etc... very bad for your health.)

Today a friend of mine convinced me to get a 6 month gym membership - and I did. Hoping to make it a habit after that though... but I have this ENTIRE summer to devote to working out. Is 4 months enough to notice a difference in the way I look? I went there to register, got a tour... and I'm confused on what to do, how these machines work... I'm lost. Should I ask for a personal trainer and pay for it?

Seeking some advice - anything is appreciated!

 

[Sparky]

To an extent you will be a bit scrawny - you're 20. I didn't start filling out until I was in my early 30's, and I'm still what you might call "slim".
Gym is no doubt a very good thing to do, but what I would say is don't overdo it in a mad rush to "Bulk up". Just go steady, do it for the health. You don't want to damage yourself. And you probably know this already, but steroids isn't the answer, just in case that had crossed your mind.
Personally I would recommend forget about the gym and do boxing training combined with martial arts training, and teach yourself some alpha male style fighting skills in the process, but that's just me.
Try and enjoy your workouts for the health benefits, forget about bulking up, that'll come naturally. Allow your workouts to clear your brain and center you.
Also - I believe that doing push ups on your knuckles is a lot better than doing them with the flats of your hands, for a few reasons, just as a by - the by. Spread them about shoulder width or very slightly wider. And do them slowly. Make each one count. Do them on the first two knuckles of each hand.

 

[Kerpal]

http://www.amazon.com/Starting-Strength-2nd-Mark-Rippetoe/dp/0976805421

Purchase, read and apply. This book is literally worth its weight in gold.

 

[Strelok]

Well done in chosing to join the gym,you will be payed back in the same amount of work you'll put in.

You're 20 it means the changes you will able to do are really huge and will come very fast being you a beginner,you keep eating healthy and go heavy with carbs and proteins without forgetting that a good amount of fats is good for your hormones.

About the proteins you talk about well yeah aspartame and those chemicals are unhealthy that's why you can find natural proteins just check on boybuilding.com and you'll find plenty like Gold Standard Natural 100% Whey from optimum nutrition.

In few months you'll change if you work on it,you wont get as big as arnold but you will move to skinny to toned.

About the martial arts that Sparky suggested you well,build some muscle before doing it mostly for safety reason,I did some wrestling when I was your age and I remember how a strong back helped during impacts on the ground.

Anyway keep in mind that the more useful and brutal it is,the more damages leaves on your body,if you visit a class where no one ever got hurt that means its a sissy class good for women.

 

[StateOfMind]

Look up SS(Starting Strength)
If you have any friends that already lifts, just have them teach you the lifts... If not then hire a PT.

 

[Alle_Gory]

I'm health conscious though - I don't take those protein powder stuff because of the chemicals/artificial flavoring (aspartame, etc... very bad for your health.)

Clearly you're not health conscious enough otherwise you would know that not all "protein powder stuffs" are not all created equal. You can get plain whey protein, or brown rice protein, or egg protein and make your own protein drinks with your own flavorings.

Is 4 months enough to notice a difference in the way I look? I went there to register, got a tour... and I'm confused on what to do, how these machines work... I'm lost. Should I ask for a personal trainer and pay for it?

Machines are recommended to begin working out, they are also useful for rehabilitation from injury because they guide your body movements. You can make serious muscular gains with machines, but they're not recommended because they're not as efficient as free weights and they can help you develop muscular imbalances over time. There's many little muscles (stabilizer muscles) that control and guide the movements of the larger ones. If they are not developed well, you can get injured. For the beginning, it doesn't matter since all your muscles are weak. Something to think about for later.

If you don't have anybody to help you with the machines then a personal trainer is recommended. Get him or her to show you how it works, the proper form and the proper tempo. You don't just lift a weight up and down. You need to lift at a nice pace to place enough tension on the muscles. You also need to take breaks between exercises. The tempo and breaks depends on your muscular goals... etc. More should be explained in Starting Strength, it's a fantastic read and introduces you to weightlifting.

Don't worry about your diet and protein supplementation for now. Begin lifting and get into the habit. Once you have that down then worry about proper nutrition. One thing at a time. If you do too many things all at once it can get very frustrating and you're more likely to quit before you get anywhere. Take your time.

 

[alvindalvin]

I have always been on the bigger side, even in high school. I have seen some great transformations over the years and always ask how they did it.

One thing they always tell me is that eating is just as important as working out. If you want to see the best gains in a 4 month period, you need to eat protein and complex carbs about 30 mins before and right after workouts. This way your body is able to repair itself . (when you workout you are simply ripping muscle and your body repairs it resulting in bigger muscles)

I also suggest that you make sure you do at least 3 exercises per muscle and try not to neglect some muscle groups.