Fitch's Weightlifting Journal: From Skinny to Superman!

[Fitch]

Current stats (as of August 09, 2005):

Height: 5' 9''/10''
Body Weight: 140 lbs
Body Fat: ~10%?

My Goal

Body Weight: 170
- Increase muscle mass, decrease amount of body fat (~6%)
- Be built!

My Checklist:

- Creatine (Which brand?)
- Protein Shake (Which brand?)
- Gym Membership (To be purchased on August 17, 2005)
- Six meals per day
- Two reuseable bottles for protein shakes and water. -8/17/05
- Music (What do you listen to when working out?)
- Multi-vitamins (Which brand?)

~Am I missing anything?~

Questions:

When do I take creatine? After my workout? Before my workout? Both, after and before?

When do I drink my protein shake? After my workout? Before my workout? Both, after and before?

One meal every three hours until I reach six meals - agreed?

What music do you listen to when working out?

What food should I eat for fast, and healthy, results?

I want to become built. I want to have a sexy body. Am I taking the right step in attaining this desire? What else should I do?

Fitch begins the transition on August 17, 2005.*

Note*: This journal will stay up-to-date. Every post written by Fitch shall be accurate. Please be advised that Fitch will be gone for one week. He shall return on August 16, 2005. The transition shall begin on August 17, 2005 - as aforementioned.

 

[Lifeforce]

Hey dude.. it's awesome you're starting out. The effort you put in will be rewarded tenfold!


"When do I take creatine? After my workout? Before my workout? Both, after and before?"

Take it after the training mixed with the post workout shake. Fast carbs help absorption of creatine.


"When do I drink my protein shake? After my workout? Before my workout? Both, after and before?"

IMHO you only need to drink it after. I usually go with pretty much all carb before workout and then drink a couple of shakes after.

"One meal every three hours until I reach six meals - agreed?"

Yeah!

"What music do you listen to when working out?"

I'm listening to music which make me pissed off. Lena PH, gyllene tider, magnus uggla... and other good dance hits.

"What food should I eat for fast, and healthy, results?"

You know what's healthy, eat it, oats, parboiled rice, skim milk, cottage cheese, pasta, chicken, tuna, etc...

"I want to become built. I want to have a sexy body. Am I taking the right step in attaining this desire? What else should I do?"

Yes definatly - Get a tan, make sure you don't have body hair on unwanted places, get a nice hair cut, if you have acne, then do something to change this.

Good luck

 

[Warboss Alex]

Fitch mate, I wouldn't worry about your bodyfat, if you're that skinny it's not gonna rise much when you bulk up - if you do it intelligently. Just eat well, so many people are afraid to give their body what it wants just because they're paranoid of half an inch extra around the waistline.

Don't waste money on protein or creatine just yet, get your diet in check first, if you're not eating properly you probably won't respond to creatine much if at all.

Also get yourself on a solid routine, a 3day split with each day involving one of the big lifts should get you growing like a weed.

Six meals a day based around a source of protein, for your size I'd say 250-280g of protein a day.

As for sexiness I'll disagree with Lifeforce and give you what I consider to be the absolute best advice as regards your looks: don't look good for other people, look good for yourself.

If you want to lift weights and be big, that's all well and good, I'm not discouraging you. But I also worked out because I wanted to look 'good' for girls, but I ended up quite miserable with myself. Why? Every day I looked in the mirror and found out I wasn't that greek god I wanted to be. This depressed me, and it's only when I concentrated on lifting for the fun of it (the other big incentive which started me working out) and actually not worrying that I realised, a couple of years later that I'd actually become quite attractive by my own standards (not that I like boys, you understand), and this happened because I wasn't worrying about being attractive or not, y'know?

And if you're superficial in this way, you'll attract superficial women and have hollow relationships which don't last; just my opinion - and remember the best girlfriend(s) you'll have won't give a **** about how you look, believe me.

I just felt I had to say that, much like I had to chastise Rogerman for just wanting to train arms and chest, because it's a mistake made time and time and time again and I made that same mistake myself, and I'd rather other people didn't.

As for music, heavy metal does it for me. Black Sabbath, Saxon, Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, something nice and heavy like that.

 

[Fitch]

Thank you Liftforce, and Warboss Alex for the input.

I will take both of your advice. When I return from my trip on August 16, 2005, I will stock up on the food you listed (plus some more), I will get the protein shake and creatine (for future use).

Warboss Alex:

About looking good... I know what you mean when you say if you have a good girlfriend she will not care about looks. My girlfriend is like that. She is amazing. She is my motivation for working out - to get into shape, and to look better.

Liftforce:

I will go to the beach frequently, since it's a block away, to work on my tan - and to have a good swim. I can read a book or a newspaper while at the beach so I use my time wisely; multi-tasking!!

If there is anything else I should know, please post it.

I will check my journal when I return on August 16, 2005 - prior to going on a pre-gym shopping spree - to update my list.

I can't wait until I return to start my program.

I planned a workout routine.

Day 1: Chest/Bi/Abs
Day 2: Back/Tri
Day 3: Legs/Abs
Day 4: ? (repeat 1?)
Day 5: ? (repeat 2?)
Day 6: ? (repeat 3?)

(I was also thinking of swimming a lot of laps in the pool everyday after my workout).

What do you think? Should I change my routine? Do you like the swimming idea?

 

[DrSassyPants]

Working out 3 times a week is plenty. Put a day of rest between each of your workouts. Although common sense would tell you more=better, it's not the case. My roommate is all about lifting heavy 6 days a week. Guess who's making the better gains?

 

[Warboss Alex]

Swimming is fine. That split isn't.

Mon - Chest/Triceps
Tue - Off
Wed - Back/Biceps
Thu - Off
Fri - Shoulders/Legs
Weekend - off

Or do Chest/Shoulders/Triceps and Legs/Abs on Friday.

Alternatively, do a 2day split with one exercise per muscle, on a 3day split I'd advise you to do two.

 

[simon]

If you want a tan that much, best to fake it...or you might just end up looking like this.

Cackle cackle!

 

[Fitch]

Originally posted by Warboss Alex
Swimming is fine. That split isn't.

Mon - Chest/Triceps
Tue - Off
Wed - Back/Biceps
Thu - Off
Fri - Shoulders/Legs
Weekend - off

Or do Chest/Shoulders/Triceps and Legs/Abs on Friday.

Alternatively, do a 2day split with one exercise per muscle, on a 3day split I'd advise you to do two.

What if I do one muscle per day, is that better? Plus, I will swim daily - I am a swimmer, anyway.

 

[Fitch]

Originally posted by DrSassyPants
Working out 3 times a week is plenty. Put a day of rest between each of your workouts. Although common sense would tell you more=better, it's not the case. My roommate is all about lifting heavy 6 days a week. Guess who's making the better gains?

Wow. I didn't know that... Thanks.

But instead of working out three days per week, I was considering to workout one muscle per day. Is that more efficient?

In addition: Swim daily.

Or is three times per day more effective?

 

[simon]

I started lifting only a few weeks ago and a 5 day split would, for me, be far too much, especially since at first your muscles will hurt a lot the day after.

 

[Warboss Alex]

Fitch mate, you're a total beginner so maximise those lovely beginner gains by going on a solid 3day split which you'll be able to recover from, you don't know, you might have the worst recovery genes in the world and might have to train one muscle per month - this is all about finding out about yourself and your body.

Please try a traditional 3day split before all else.

 

[Fitch]

Originally posted by Warboss Alex
Fitch mate, you're a total beginner so maximise those lovely beginner gains by going on a solid 3day split which you'll be able to recover from, you don't know, you might have the worst recovery genes in the world and might have to train one muscle per month - this is all about finding out about yourself and your body.

Please try a traditional 3day split before all else.

Okay. I will keep a record of my progress, we will see how it goes. If I recover quickly, move to one muscle per day?

 

[Warboss Alex]

Use the 3day split for 3-6 months first

As your weights improve you'll need more recovery time anyway.

 

[Lifeforce]

Originally posted by Fitch
Okay. I will keep a record of my progress, we will see how it goes. If I recover quickly, move to one muscle per day?

Dude it's not as simple as "when I train biceps, every other muscle in the body is not trained. so when it's time for the back biceps will not be trained"

The reason why he is suggesting a three day split is because the muscles are used as synergists, stabilizers, etc... when you lift othet things. So if you were to train every body part in this way there would be no real time for recovery.

Maybe I'm npt the best example, but I've been on a three day split almost since I started and have had at least ok gains. Sometimes I feel even three times a week is too much.

 

[Fitch]

I just signed up at the local gym. This program will kick off today! It is time for Fitch to get in shape!

 

[Jay-X]

hey man, you don't want to be around 6% bodyfat, i have your same stats (well i weigh a bit more) and i can assure you that 8% is the optimal value for people our height, or you'll just end up looking skinnier (always good, but non as good as you could with a 8%)... plus, you should work reeeeeeally hard to attain it, it would require months and months of hard work. anyway, it always depends on how you are measuring your bodyfat

 

[Fitch]

lol. I'm back.

I began to workout as I promised, however, I caught mono and had to put off physical activity for a while.

I am going back to the gym on January 3rd -- can't go earlier, but I will do push-ups and such to prepare for the gym.

EDIT: One more day to go! Happy New Years everyone.

 

[brucevangeorge]

Six meals a day? That's completely useless.

Just eat. Dont worry about how many meals. When you're hungry, eat. When you're not hungry, eat some more. When you have nothing to do, eat... and go to the gym of course.

And here's a tip: you make better gains if you eat like a horse just after your workout. And dont be having any chips or pop or any other crap, you need quality food, some home made meals. Get a George Foreman grill, its awesome, when you cook the meat, most of the fat drips out of it.

And drink milk... 2% milk. None of that super filtered crap that you can almost see through. Lots of milk. Milk is your water now.

 

[Warboss Alex]

Originally posted by brucevangeorge
Six meals a day? That's completely useless.

Just eat. Dont worry about how many meals. When you're hungry, eat. When you're not hungry, eat some more. When you have nothing to do, eat... and go to the gym of course.

And here's a tip: you make better gains if you eat like a horse just after your workout. And dont be having any chips or pop or any other crap, you need quality food, some home made meals. Get a George Foreman grill, its awesome, when you cook the meat, most of the fat drips out of it.

And drink milk... 2% milk. None of that super filtered crap that you can almost see through. Lots of milk. Milk is your water now.

My, you ARE on form today.

 

[doctor]

Good stuff mate.

Just started my workout regeme myself. I'm on my third day (today) and trying to figure out whether I should be taking a rest or heading out to pump it again.


What are people's thoughts on creatine? waste of money or good idea?

Also my protein powder shake stuff doesn't arrive until monday, so I went to a health food store and bought amino acid suplement pills (basically the hydrolysed protein). I'm on 3 with every meal and after workouts until monday. I've also bought soya protein drinks as well to last me until monday.

Should I be avoiding carbs? (I'm doing fifteen mins cardio before hitting the weights). Should I be packing the carbs?

My legs are still a bit sore from the warmup yesterday should I just ingore this and go training anyway?

Cheers for the tips folks.

Best of luck Fitch