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trace11 · Joined: 10 Jul 2008 Posts: 6

ok so im 16, 132lbs, i have free weights and i want to build upper body

im totally new at this, but im starting to work out 3 times a week; what do i need to eat in order to gain more muscle? i dont want to change all of my meals...but would adding a protein shake or something a few times a day help with building the muscle?

tips on training/dieting/anything else you can think of would help

cassiegose · Joined: 09 May 2008 Posts: 263 Location: Prineville Oregon

Hi there!

Couple of questions... Why do you only want to build your upper body? Why no lower also? I always think people look a bit awkward when they build they build their upper body but not the lower.

What is your current diet like? Post an example of a typical day. You might see some gains from adding a protein shake a couple of times a day but you won't see the best results doing it this way. A good principle is to eat protein with every meal... and eat every 2-3 hours. For optimal results you'll want to make sure you're eating lots of whole grains, fruits, vegetables, and healthy fats. For proteins you'll want to make sure the majority of your protein is lean. Good examples are chicken breast, turkey breast, lean red meats, tofu, eggs/eggwhites, and fish. These are much better choices than protein powder... although the powder is best for after workouts because it helps with muscle recovery.

For workouts... Since you're totally new at this you might do best just doing body weight exercises to start with. Great examples of these include squats, lunges, pushups (incline and decline), pull ups, inverted rows, and dips. Once you get those down you could move on to using those free weights.

I hope this helps. Post further questions if you have any. :)

swanso5 · Posted: Fri Jul 18, 2008 6:09 am Post subject:

trace11 · Joined: 10 Jul 2008 Posts: 6

swanso5 · Posted: Sun Jul 20, 2008 5:27 am Post subject:

what have you done training wise before? what equipment do you have/gym?

fgor food go to diet section and read "read before posting..." up the top

vamp · Joined: 01 Jan 1970 Posts: 640

well if you wish to get your upper body big ya gotta work the lower body, ever see the roots of a tree? what you see as branches and leaves up top is about the same size for roots in the ground.

Big tops fall over, big bottoms don't!

Its all about balance. Hence, full body workouts. No guessing work to it! want strength and size its an all or nothing deal. So don't skimp on the legs.

trace11 · Joined: 10 Jul 2008 Posts: 6