Hey I'm new to the site and working out in general, any advice would be appreciated

- Name, Anthony
- Age, 21
- Gender, Male
- Location, Brisbane
- Training experience, None, I've done a bit of Muay Thai and Kickboxing, but never strength training, only speed and technique
- Any Interests, Metal Music

I've only just started doing this, not entirely sure whats best yet, I only have dumbbells and a bench press to work with. I'm looking to bulk a little but I still want to be agile, is that even possible? I'm a student so I'm broke, all the time, so for food I'm sticking to eggs, broccoli, chicken every now and then, tuna, cereal, roo meat, mushrooms etc.

Also, I've read alot of "do whatever weight is comfortable" and just as much "you should be doing this weight" can anyone set me straight? I'm 80 kg (probably should be about 70-75), 180cm, medium build. Thanks guys.

Join a gym, do starting strength.

If you have no money to the join gym, get a centrelink advance on your youth allowance. They will give you one every twelve months.

So there's no way I can do it at home? Cause I have other commitments financially, so I get the advance payment but have to spend it on other stuff

Draykin said:

So there's no way I can do it at home? Cause I have other commitments financially, so I get the advance payment but have to spend it on other stuff

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You can, but you'll quickly out grow your dumbells and bench.

Maybe try just loiter outside 24hr gyms and as people swipe in after hours walk in behind them like you own the place and workout.

Does your uni have a gym, usually they do a sweetheart deal for students.

Could always try getting a job, they can be great for paying for shit like the gym.

Mate just train at home, Gyms suck, would never train in one personally.

As you get stronger check eBay and the like for extra weights and stuff which can be had cheap, bought some squat stands a little while ago for $20 the pair, picked up an incline adjustable bench with dip stands for $60 last week.

Depending where you are just saw a solid adjustable incline bench, with lat pulldown for $120.

Just shop around.

Or make your own squat stands out of some scrap building materials

You don't need to pay for an expensive gym membership and hang around all the douche bags that are in there to build muscle. You have a bench, just follow the beginners program on this site and go from there.

Lift as much weight as you are able to lift 7-10 times, if you can lift it more than 10, it's too light add weight and go again, not complicated really, eat some food and you will be fine.

I see you are about 6' tall, and only weigh about 80kg, so your first aim should be to gain about 15-20kg, not sure why you would want to be 70kg at 6' tall, you would look like a starving African at that weight

It always makes me laugh when people start doing weights are concerned about getting too big, it is not going to happen, you don't wake up one day and are too big, it is a looooong slow process.

Try Here:

http://ausbb.com/power-lifting/9460-beginners-program.html

Or what about Arnold Schwazeneggers 'Golden 6':

Squat 4x10
Bench Press 3x10
Chins/Pulldowns 3x10
Behind-Neck Press 4x10
Barbell Curl 3x10
Sit Ups 4x20

Get a gym off ebay or gumtree. If you're going to use a barbell get something like a squat stand with bench press spotter bars. Google image search "half rack" to see what I mean. Better yet score a power rack.

Disagree on Brick with dumbells, not many people can dumbell bench 50kg for reps which you could get pretty cheaply. They're fun to self load and drop too.

But I'd go the barbell / power rack or half rack route. 2nd hand.

jj80 said:

Disagree on Brick with dumbells, not many people can dumbell bench 50kg for reps which you could get pretty cheaply. They're fun to self load and drop too.

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Bench press is only one exercise.

%0kg db's aren't going to do you much good when you've been squatting and deadlifting for more then a month.

A cheap straight bar is $50, have one and use it daily with no issues.

I think people these days worry too much about having a shiny $500 bar and some fancy $1000 plates, a rusty old bar and some cheap second hand plates off gumtree will do the job just fine, muscles will never know the difference.

PS will take along time to outgrow a pair of 50kg DB, a lot longer than a month or two.

I challenge anyone to do a Bench press, Arnold press, bend over rows, side or front laterals or arm curls with a pair of 50kg DB's after a few months of training, if you complete 3 sets or 8-10 reps of any of these with a set of 50kg DB, you will be a fair best.

PS: Do a search on the net there are a few DB only routines out there that will get you started straight away while you hunt around for a cheap set of squat stands, a bar and some extra plates, $100-300 should give you a good start depending on how lucky you get and how well you hunt, mate of mine recently bought a power rack, olympic bar and plates with a bench for $350 off gumtree. Well over a grands worth of stuff.

May be family and friends have some weights/bars lying around in their garage, ask around at uni, put it out there, heaps of people have this stuff and never use it and would be happy to get rid of it but are too lazy to do anything about getting rid of it.

I just picked up a $1500 smith machine for $400 on ebay, no one else bided on it, and a $60 bench worth $350 to go with it, picking it up next week

Don't forget Push ups, sit ups, chin ups down the park, dips etc

Big Mick said:

Mate just train at home, Gyms suck, would never train in one personally.

As you get stronger check eBay and the like for extra weights and stuff which can be had cheap, bought some squat stands a little while ago for $20 the pair, picked up an incline adjustable bench with dip stands for $60 last week.

Depending where you are just saw a solid adjustable incline bench, with lat pulldown for $120.

Just shop around.

Or make your own squat stands out of some scrap building materials

You don't need to pay for an expensive gym membership and hang around all the douche bags that are in there to build muscle. You have a bench, just follow the beginners program on this site and go from there.

Lift as much weight as you are able to lift 7-10 times, if you can lift it more than 10, it's too light add weight and go again, not complicated really, eat some food and you will be fine.

I see you are about 6' tall, and only weigh about 80kg, so your first aim should be to gain about 15-20kg, not sure why you would want to be 70kg at 6' tall, you would look like a starving African at that weight

It always makes me laugh when people start doing weights are concerned about getting too big, it is not going to happen, you don't wake up one day and are too big, it is a looooong slow process.

Try Here:

http://ausbb.com/power-lifting/9460-beginners-program.html

Or what about Arnold Schwazeneggers 'Golden 6':

Squat 4x10
Bench Press 3x10
Chins/Pulldowns 3x10
Behind-Neck Press 4x10
Barbell Curl 3x10
Sit Ups 4x20

Click to expand...

Thanks dude, I'll hit Arnee's 6. The bench I got is adjustable to be incline/decline I tried to do the barbell squats but it might just be that I don't have a rack yet but it was so uncomfortable and it dug into my neck something chronic, so I've been holding dumbbells next to my shoulders and squatting, is it roughly the same?

So weight training won't affect my agility? Or do I need to resume speed training to counteract it?

You still training matrial arts??

I trained actively for 15 years in traditional martial arts, and did a few years of Muay Thai, even trained in Thailand back in the day.

If you still training limit weights to three sessions a week, use Arnies 6 and then train martial arts as normal.

I am 186cm and never plan on being under 100kg, however I no longer train in Martial Arts either.

Squats will hurt till you get used to the bar, and find the grove the bar sits in, don't be tempted to use pads and stuff, you will get used to the bar, just like anything else, may be get someone to show you where the bar is supposed to sit. Stands make it easy as well.

Google 'Getto Gym equipment' and you will find some squatting solutions.

This guy is a beast and not a shiny barbell or fancy chrome plated coloured rubber weights in sight:

heavy squatting 505x5,525x5,575x1 - YouTube

Nah I haven't done any martial arts for a good 2 years, just been attempting to keep up my current technique on the boxing bag. The reason I'm not working is cause I'm currently caring for my dad while studying so it kinda makes it hard to fit a job in, which would be amazing cause I agree with the gym thing, but I'd love to get back into any type o martial arts. So since I'm not training anything else should I do more than three days? And do you know either what sort of weight I should be on or at least what ratio? Like say I bench 40, what weights should everything else be?

Thanks for all your help by the way Mick.

Draykin said:

The reason I'm not working is cause I'm currently caring for my dad while studying so it kinda makes it hard to fit a job in, which would be amazing cause I agree with the gym thing, So since I'm not training anything else should I do more than three days? And do you know either what sort of weight I should be on or at least what ratio? Like say I bench 40, what weights should everything else be?

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Ahh fuck now I feel like a right twat. Sounds like a shitty situation.

The program mick gave you is good. With the weight start with a weight you can easy do for the reps and add 2.5kg or 5kg (if you only have 2.5 plates) every session, when you stall dial it back 20%

For other stuff if you want to do extra there are some good ghetto exercises -

If you have access to a wheelbarrow load that fucker up with rocks or dirt and push it up hills, pinch an empty keg from the back of a pub and practice picking it up and putting it overhead, do walks with it overhead once that becomes easy, if you know someone with a car take turns pushing the car around in neutral while one steers.

Do heaps and heaps and heaps of chin ups, monkey bars in the park if there is nowhere at home to do them. I'm talking start doing twenty a day in as many sets as it takes and working up to 150 a day. Same for dips and tricep pushups.

If you were to do all that you would start to get jacked quick.

For cheap supps drink bulk milk, can't afford milk buy no name milk powder and take in bulk.

Any strength training will only enhance your martial arts training, heavy weight kickboxers train with weights, same for mma fighters and boxers. Weights making you slow is an old school myth.

Still better off getting in a gym if you can. Hit up relos to all chip in for a gym membership at xmas or for your birthday. Thats what I did when I was a busted arse first year apprentice supporting a Mrs that was an unemployed uni student.

Haha, all good Brick, figured I'd just rule out anyone thinkin I'm a bludger, I miss working but ah well, family first. I was lucky, got given a tub of whey and a heap of optislim sachets, probably not the best but it'll do for now. So do the situps/push-ups/chin ups etc. everyday?

Draykin said:

Haha, all good Brick, figured I'd just rule out anyone thinkin I'm a bludger, I miss working but ah well, family first. I was lucky, got given a tub of whey and a heap of optislim sachets, probably not the best but it'll do for now. So do the situps/push-ups/chin ups etc. everyday?

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Yeah mate, won't do any harm. Everyday could be excessive maybe every other day and see how you go. So say you lift MON, WED, FRI do your supplementry stuff TUES, THUR, SAT and have Sunday off.

When I was younger and had fuck all to do I'd workout 6 days a week. Had good results.

The supps you have are good even the optifast is probably jut whey. The important thing is try to get alot of protein. Count the grams of protein your having and aim for 2g per kg of bodyweight.

Your bodyshape will change as you put on more muscle mass, don't sweat too much on losing weight, if you get broad across the shoulders and have thick arms you won't look fat, plus your body shape can change alot but your weight won't stay the same.

If you can get a dress makers tape measure, they are like $1 from crazy clarkes measuring you chest, arm, upper leg size is a better indicator your training is paying off then the scales.

So you're trying to be a body builder now? If you do so then I guess Muai Thai and kickboxing will be sacrificed because both martial arts needs agility and speed which could be lost while body building. Would really love to train Muai Thai!

aQuilla said:

So you're trying to be a body builder now? If you do so then I guess Muai Thai and kickboxing will be sacrificed because both martial arts needs agility and speed which could be lost while body building. Would really love to train Muai Thai!

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Go watch some K1 heavyweight fights on youtube. Then come back and tell me big guys can't be agile.

Go look at olympic 100m sprinters physiques and tell me big guys are slow.

Brick said:

Go watch some K1 heavyweight fights on youtube. Then come back and tell me big guys can't be agile.

Go look at olympic 100m sprinters physiques and tell me big guys are slow.

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100% agree here's I remember Flex Wheeler coming to Australia and meeting him years ago, he was huge and lightening fast and was able to do the splits and pull off the most amazing Tae Kwon Do style kicks.

Big guys are slow is a myth, I am 112kg and mid 40's and still faster than my kids, they do TaeKwon Do and can't even lay a hand or foot on me.