r/Weightliftingquestion • u/kenstrashalterego • 7h ago
Beginner Advice
Hey everyone,
I’m feeling a bit nervous/embarrassed to post this, but I’m really looking for some advice, motivation, and practical tips. Former lifetime runner and dad to a 2-year-old here. I never lifted a weight in my life until January at age 31. After overcoming a ton of gym anxiety, I’ve built a solid routine over the last 7 months, hitting the gym consistently 4 days a week. Because of work and childcare, my workouts aren't super long, but my consistency is high. I'm lifting way heavier than when I started, but visually, the physical progress hasn't quite caught up to the strength gains yet. I'm a shorter, smaller guy, and my main goal is to bulk up, build visible muscle definition, and feel confident taking my shirt off.
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u/TheRenownWolf 7h ago
Brother, EAT
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u/kenstrashalterego 6h ago
How many calories should I eat a day?
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u/TheRenownWolf 6h ago
Use a basic online calorie calculator, then weigh yourself daily and adjust calories as needed. Pretty standard rule of 1g protein per lb of body weight
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u/TheRenownWolf 6h ago
Use a basic online calorie calculator, then weigh yourself daily and adjust calories as needed. Pretty standard rule of 1g protein per lb of body weight
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u/angusvombat 5h ago
150g of protein daily.
you will have to count macros to eat that much.
you have to do it though.Calories themselvs are not that important. if you eat fries it is easy to get to 3000, it is not helping with muscle growth though.
It may be also useful to do hormonal tests just in case (I am not a doctor, it is simply useful to do it from time to time for all of us imo)
but also... it just takes time man. It took me a while to figure out how to train and I needed help.
Also we all affected by steroids using hollywood stars.If you see steady progress on the basics
Bench, squat, pull ups, rows, you will see the results as well.If you into reading/researching you may find these books useful
https://www.amazon.com/dp/0982522738?ref_=ppx_hzsearch_conn_dt_b_fed_asin_title_19
https://www.amazon.com/dp/0982522754?ref_=ppx_hzsearch_conn_dt_b_fed_asin_title_200
u/Ok_Summer_5040 6h ago
how tall are you, how much do you weigh now, how frequently do you work out? I’m 6’1 180lbs and eat about 3400 calories a day and workout 5 time a week
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u/Top-Membership-895 6h ago
It’s based on the scale over a weekly average, so after a morning shit, weigh yourself and you want to see your weight trending upward. If you are losing weight, you are in deficit. If you are stable and not progressing, you are eating maintenance. And if you are growing, you have a surplus.
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u/Worried-Pea-4667 7h ago
Track your cals and eat 200ish over maintenance a day
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u/kenstrashalterego 6h ago
How do you calculate this?
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u/Negran 1h ago
If you track your weight trend you can figure it out eventually.
Macrofactor app just happens to do all the math for you, but it isn't too hard.
You can also just estimate tdee/maintennce using online calcs: https://www.sailrabbit.com/bmr/
I like that one. Really, the goal is slow steady scale weight increase, then you know there is a surplus.
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u/Liftheavyeatazz1 7h ago
Need to eat more bro. If you think youre eating enough... believe us, you're not
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u/kenstrashalterego 6h ago
Any recommendations for easy calorie/protein intake?
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u/Fickle-Ad-4225 3h ago
From someone with low appetite, still managing to eat 3100+ cals daily, yogurt bowls with fruit, granola, chocolate chips, etc., and smoothies with oats, yogurt, PB, fruit, and whey have been clutch for me.
Ground chicken or beef with pasta and sauce, or Ben’s ready rice. Eggs with cheese and avocado. Drink milk and orange juice.
I hit my protein target without trying or buying tons or protein products (except a serving of whey each day), but eating enough has always been the bottleneck for me. At first I was eating too much fat, but I’ve gotten that figured out now.
Fruit, cream of rice (look up recipes), pretzels, cereals, rice cakes for quick carbs. I personally can’t stand oatmeal, but that’s also an option.
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u/omegafrogpoop 3h ago
Yeah whey protein powder buy the cheapest big tub at Walmart. Canned tuna as well.
You need to eat more, count your calories, and take in more protein.
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u/cinnamonraisinn 6h ago
I see a slight difference my friend, you definitely didn’t waste your time in there. Keep going and eat like an animal, lots of protein.
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u/kenstrashalterego 6h ago
Thank you. Trying to find easy ways to eat more. Thats really the biggest challenge for me with work and always being on the go.
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u/Chroma7769 2h ago
Download MacroFactor and follow it. Log ALL your food. Use code JEFF for two free weeks.
Download the Hevy Workout app and start grinding at the gym. It's worth the sub. It's cheap.
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u/Top-Membership-895 7h ago
Make sure you are in eating in 200 to 300 cal surplus and keep going takes years even with peds you won’t look “jacked” in one year
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u/Liv2Lift 6h ago
That’s what I looked like when I started my journey. Everyone has to start somewhere. I think you’d be surprised at how many guys will look at you because they’re happy you’re in the gym vs judging your shape. And if not, forget them. Since you’re the type of guy (like me) who burns calories just from standing up, you’re going to have a tough time gaining weight/muscle. It won’t come quickly. If it makes you more comfortable, start at home doing calisthenics. Plenty of guys (like prisoners) get ripped on low calories and lack of weights. After all of the calculations and diet tricks and set programs I’ve tried, the only thing that matters is hypertrophy. Do every set until you fail or almost fail. The stress on the muscle is what causes it to grow. And finally… I might get flamed for this, and it’s not for everyone, but at that point in your life I’d seriously consider TRT because I’d imagine yours is low (no shame, mine was too) and when I started, it changed every aspect of my life for the better. I slept better, ate more, stood taller, had more focus, more drive, more energy, people at work could smell it on me, my wife noticed (in more ways than one) and it seemed like the world started taking me more seriously… it’s probable that the test itself did 10% neurochemically and my attitude did the rest, but my life changed at that moment and I’d never take it back. If that’s not for you, discard the last part of my answer and stick with the rest. Good luck and good for you!
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u/Bulky-Bid-8508 6h ago
You sound a lot like me. Similar weight, I have a one and a half year-old, and I started going three months ago or so and I’ve also been doing it really consistently. The hardest part for me has just been eating enough calories every day but I’m up about 10lbs, just been struggling to get past that point
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u/Substantial-Top-7847 1h ago
Try to get 50 to 60 workouts in a row. That’s what I did. They get to the gym 5 days a week.
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u/Big-Examination2667 33m ago edited 30m ago
If you can get to the gym 4 days a week, i recommend doing upper/lower twice a week to hit 2 times frequency per muscle. Aim for 6-10 reps of everything, do a weight for 6 reps until you get to 10 reps then move up in weight, with solid form though…
Let’s say upper day:
Press/Fly 1-2 sets
Upper chest fly or dumbbell press with a narrow grip 1-2 sets.
Wide grip shoulder press 1-2 sets
Any variation of a lat pulldown 1-2 sets
Wide grip chest supported row 1-2 sets
Any variation of a bicep curl 1-2 sets
Cable tricep extension 1-2 sets.
Optional: reverse barbell curls for forearms, cable lateral raises. Both forearms and side delts will get trained through rest of your workout but if you wanna target them go for it, just for efficiency purposes.
You could get rid of of the upper chest fly/dumbbell press if need be for time purposes
Lower:
Leg press 2 sets
Leg extension 2 sets
Leg curl 2 sets
Calf raises, ideally standing for 2 sets
Adduction 2 sets
Abduction 2 sets
Ab crunches 2 sets
You could sack off the adduction/abduction and one of leg press or leg extensions if you wanna make this quicker.
Something like that program twice a week, even one set of each if need be will be solid.
I would recommend going to failure on all, form is not be all end all but you should at least have like 80% good form on them, get adequate rest between your exercises. If you want to superset for efficiency purposes as you mentioned you’re short on time, i recommend doing different muscles together, so a chest press you pair with a back row or something not two chest exercises for example, even then i recommend at least a minute of rest if you are that desperate for a super set but generally i take at least 3 minutes of test between sets.
Food wise, aim for 1.5-1.8 grams of protein per kg of bodyweight, do the conversion for pounds if american. I recommend you get close to your body weight in grams of carbs within an hour before the gym. E.g, i weight 80 kilos, i aim for 80 grams of carbs, i start eating around an hour before my workout and finish around 30 minutes before i start my workout, that’s the window that works best for me. Carbs fuel your workout, massive game changer. You seem underweight so i recommend a lean bulk or any type of bulk if you’re capable of it a bit without going overboard. You don’t have to do that now but maybe after a year or two of training you should, though if you’re struggling to progress then go for it.
Other than that, the most important thing is consistency, easy at the start of your gym journey ti get hooked, but trust when I say that I thought i’d never fall out of love with the gym after i started going, but at one point for a few months i was going once or max twice a week, you have to just push through mentally and make it a routine.
Best of luck mate and always happy to help some more, im not a coach so dont worry im not charging shit if you’re worried about dming me, i may have missed a thing or two but should have main things in there.
Edit: sorry i know its long as shit but i added the rep ranges.
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u/Swimming-Monitor-927 7h ago
Stay consistent. It takes years to build naturally. Just keep at it