Advice needed please

Discuss how to get ripped abs here.

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will28
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Advice needed please

Post by will28 »

Basically I am a 24 year old , around 5'10 and I weigh just under 12 stone (168 pounds). I've always been fortunate in a way that I've always been slim and able to pretty much eat as I please and not really gain any weight what so ever, mainly healthy but the occasional treat. I'm always active, played football (soccer) since I could walk, I also play golf among other sports along with a generally healthy and balanced diet I've remained slim. No excessive eating, rarely have take aways, just good home cooked food!

Over the past month or so I've decided to make use of gym membership and go more often seen as I'm a uni student I have a lot of time over the summer! I've changed up diet slightly and I've been doing a full body work out 3-4 times a week along with cardio and the usual football or round of golf. I am already beginning to see results, especially on abs, there is definitely some definition coming through and likewise on chest. The most significant improvement has been arms and after only 4 weeks or so is quite pleasing, I'm aware I have plenty more hard work ahead for me to be more cut and defined on abs, arms and chest. I definitely do not want to be too big or bulky just more defined. Before I started hitting the gym seriously I weighed around just under 11 and half stone, now I'm at just under 12 stone, wich I presume is a mixture of extra muscle mass and some water retention. main aim is to add around an extra inch or so on arms and hopefully gain a 6 pack and slightly bigger chest. So if there is any advice, please I would really appreciate it. Below I will lay out general diet and work out over a week.

Breakfast - A glass of water, 2 weetabix, semi- skimmed milk or 2 eggs either hard boiled or scrambled. I mix it up day to day
Snack - Diet Whey Protein shake with a handful of walnuts or a piece of fruit
Lunch - Turkey sandwich (wholemeal bread) or tuna, chicken salad
Snack - Protein Bar and/or a piece of fruit or a Protein shake after the gym
Dinner - Anything from Chicken and Veg, to Salmon and Salad etc. Always something healthy!
Snack - A piece of fruit and maybe a handful of almonds and walnuts, cottage cheese etc. it varies day to day

Basically I mix it up to that degree through the whole week and drink plenty of water through the day keeping it balanced and healthy and on a Saturday, I take it a bit easier and allow self one meal off! I read a 'cheat meal' is okay if I've not got much weight to loose and it helps keep happy and motivated!

work out consist of...
3-5 min warm up on either the cross trainer, treadmill or preferably the rowing machine
15 - 20 min on a mixture abs exercises and two 30 second planks
Then I move on to a whole body workout consisting of Chest, bicep, tricep, back, leg exercises normally 3 - 4 sets of 10 on each
I'll also do occasional exercises at home with kettle bell and press up bars

I've made decent progress already so like I said, if anyone has any tips that would be great!

Cheers, Will
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Boss Man
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Re: Advice needed please

Post by Boss Man »

will28 wrote:
Breakfast - A glass of water, 2 weetabix, semi- skimmed milk or 2 eggs either hard boiled or scrambled. I mix it up day to day

(Keep the Cereal and Eggs, don't switch)

Snack - Diet Whey Protein shake with a handful of walnuts or a piece of fruit

(If you're getting a sizeable Carb intake in the shake, keep the Walnuts and pitch the Fruit, but if you're not, keep the Walnuts and Fruit with the Shake.)

Lunch - Turkey sandwich (wholemeal bread) or tuna, chicken salad

(I think the last option might suit you better on a regular basis, but due to the possible lack of calories, perhaps consider using a slice of the bread, cut up into small pieces and sprinkled into the salad.)

Snack - Protein Bar and/or a piece of fruit or a Protein shake after the gym

(Have the Bar and the Fruit, but make sure the bar is not one with stuff in like Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil and High Fructose Corn Syrup. Subbing one for Fruit will cost you protein.)

Dinner - Anything from Chicken and Veg, to Salmon and Salad etc. Always something healthy!

(Fine)

Snack - A piece of fruit and maybe a handful of almonds and walnuts, cottage cheese etc. it varies day to day

(Switch the Cotttage Cheese for low Fat Cheese as it should have more Protein. If you're having the Fruit I'd go for the Nuts as well, but if you have the Cheese, skip the Fruit and Nuts, as you'll get Carbs and Fat in the Cheese anyway.)


work out consist of...
3-5 min warm up on either the cross trainer, treadmill or preferably the rowing machine
15 - 20 min on a mixture abs exercises and two 30 second planks
Then I move on to a whole body workout consisting of Chest, bicep, tricep, back, leg exercises normally 3 - 4 sets of 10 on each
I'll also do occasional exercises at home with kettle bell and press up bars

(I'd alter this workout so it goes like this. Chest, Back, Legs, Biceps, Triceps, Shoulders, so you're not using small muscles before big ones, as you need the small ones to help with the bigger ones and fatiguing them, may affect the bigger muscles when you work them.

If you're doing the TBT 3x a week every other day, which I'd reccomend, then you don't need 4 sets on anything and could probably get away with just 2 sets instead of 3, certainly on small muscles, perhaps 3 on big ones, because small muscles get targeted with big ones anyway to some degree, I.E. Triceps with press movements, Biceps with row movements.
will28
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Re: Advice needed please

Post by will28 »

Hi thanks for getting back to me, really appreciate it.

main aim is really just to get slightly bigger arms and chest, and attain six pack abs. Nothing too much on the chest and arms. I dont want to over bulk, I dont really think that would suit me ha ha!

I'm naturally slim and active from playing sports and have fairly athletic build. Given that I've begun to see some albeit minor results, giving an estimate how long would it take to achieve goals? As I said i'm 5'10 and 168 pounds. A friend of mine said around 8-12 weeks or so given aims, I've been at it 4 weeks properly.

Any more advice would really help

Thanks again, Will
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Boss Man
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Re: Advice needed please

Post by Boss Man »

Play it by ear. I couldn't say how long it would take as some peoples bodies would react differently to a training and diet regime, so you know exactly what sort of end goal your aiming, in a way that describing it wouldn't completely convey, so I'll forgo ballpark figures and reiterate to play it by ear so to speak, as making estimates may lead to some kind of dissapointment for you, if results take siginifcantly longer than I estimate.

Though I'd say at least 3 months, but more likely longer.
will28
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Re: Advice needed please

Post by will28 »

Thanks again for getting back to me.

Yeah, I agree in a way, and I'm willing to be patient. I'm enjoying working out wich is half the battle I suppose. I'm 4 weeks in and I gave self sort of 10-12 weeks given I'm already slim and fairly athletic, all that needs doing is toning and slight bulking but I don't expect instant results in anyway, I'm enjoying the process.

Given diet and routine and taking into consideration you're advice, should just keep at the full body routine 3 days a week given i've begun to see albeit early results, and does another 8 weeks or so sound realistic? Also I've heard from people to do a split work out and work on a different muscle each day etc. There is so much contradiction from different places and magazines, all the different advice and info becomes overwhelming at times! haha

Thanks again, Will
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Boss Man
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Re: Advice needed please

Post by Boss Man »

Splits work, but so does TBT, so it's not about what is or isn't better out of those, as TBT, 4 day splits and 5 days splits, can be productive, if you're putting in the right effort, eating properly and avoiding poor technique and excessive muscle taxation.

You can continue to do TBT variatons, or switch to a split style thing and then perhaps back to TBT in the future, but whatever, make sure you're 100% comfortable making a decision, be sensible on your approach to figuring out the reps, sets and levels of weight if you change and with any luck you'll keep on motoring towards the end goal :).
will28
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Re: Advice needed please

Post by will28 »

Thanks again for the advice, I really appreciate it.

Yeah I think for the time being I'll stick to the full body work out 3 days a week with cardio thrown in etc for now and if I feel a need for a change to split I will seen as I am starting to see results. Hopefully I'm in the shape I want in time Uni starts again in mid September! haha. One last thing I feel when I am there I really put it in, plenty of sweat etc but don't tend to feel too sore the next day, does this imply I should perhaps go at it even harder, or do muscles recover quicker?

Cheers again!!
Will
will28
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Re: Advice needed please

Post by will28 »

Hi

Given general diet that I stated above, I'm just looking for some nutritional advice.

I generally eat very healthy but being a human I am suspect to the occasional slip and I tend to go a bit easier on myself over the weekend, primarily a Saturday, nothing excessive just maybe a pizza or something. I've always pretty much eaten what I wanted and always remained slim, good metabolism I suppose. I was just wondering how much of an effect does the odd diet slip have on achieving goals?...as I've begun to feel really guilty when I do treat myself ha ha I have no problem really in cutting them out altogether but I do enjoy the odd chocolate bar etc!!..Also I go on holiday for a week on the 18th and I'll probs go easier on myself then, how much of an effect would that have? So if anyone can help that would be great.

Cheers, Will
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Boss Man
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Re: Advice needed please

Post by Boss Man »

No DOMS is not a sign of a poor workout, as some get it some don't, but DOMS could be a sign of overtraining, not necessarily a satisfactory workout, so I wouldn't over do it.

As for the diet, the occasional slip won't do you a mischief. It's about how your body can rectify the intake of substandard nutrition and it's effects on your body, before you initiate the same effect again.

If your body recovers you're fine, but if it's not fully recovered, you'll get a cumulative effect of what you do.

So in regards to losing weight, 1 slice a pizza a week is not an issue, unless it descends into serious lack of disciplne, but if you ate like that 4 or more days a week you would start to create a counterproductive effect.
will28
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Re: Advice needed please

Post by will28 »

Thanks a lot for the advice, it's really appreciated! I'll just keep up with the dieting and exercise and make the progress hope I do!!

Will
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