Is my routine good for a hardgainer (skinny guy)

[Phippsy]

[FONT=&quot]Mon[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Core Exercises[/FONT][FONT=&quot][/FONT]

• [FONT=&quot]Curl Squats (3×8)[/FONT][FONT=&quot][/FONT]
• [FONT=&quot]Bench Press (3×8)[/FONT][FONT=&quot][/FONT]
• [FONT=&quot]Barbell Row (3×8)[/FONT][FONT=&quot][/FONT]
• [FONT=&quot]Military Press (3×8)[/FONT][FONT=&quot][/FONT]
• [FONT=&quot]Calf Raises (3×8)[/FONT][FONT=&quot][/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]Concentration Exercises: [/FONT][FONT=&quot]
[/FONT]·[FONT=&quot]Dead lifts(3×8)[/FONT][FONT=&quot]
[/FONT]·[FONT=&quot]Incline Bench Press(3×8)[/FONT][FONT=&quot]

[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]Wed[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Core Exercises[/FONT][FONT=&quot][/FONT]

• [FONT=&quot]Curl Squats (3×8)[/FONT][FONT=&quot][/FONT]
• [FONT=&quot]Bench Press (3×8)[/FONT][FONT=&quot][/FONT]
• [FONT=&quot]Barbell Row (3×8)[/FONT][FONT=&quot][/FONT]
• [FONT=&quot]Military Press (3×8)[/FONT][FONT=&quot][/FONT]
• [FONT=&quot]Calf Raises (3×8)[/FONT][FONT=&quot][/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]Concentration Exercises:[/FONT][FONT=&quot][/FONT]

• [FONT=&quot]Leg Extensions(3×8)[/FONT][FONT=&quot][/FONT]
• [FONT=&quot]Side Lat Raises(3×8)[/FONT][FONT=&quot][/FONT]
• [FONT=&quot]Leg Curls(3×8)[/FONT][FONT=&quot][/FONT]
• [FONT=&quot]Shrugs(3×8)[/FONT][FONT=&quot][/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]Fri[/FONT][FONT=&quot]
[/FONT][FONT=&quot]Core Exercises[/FONT]

• [FONT=&quot]Curl Squats (3×8)[/FONT][FONT=&quot][/FONT]
• [FONT=&quot]Bench Press (3×8)[/FONT][FONT=&quot][/FONT]
• [FONT=&quot]Barbell Row (3×8)[/FONT][FONT=&quot][/FONT]
• [FONT=&quot]Military Press (3×8)[/FONT][FONT=&quot][/FONT]
• [FONT=&quot]Calf Raises (3×8)[/FONT][FONT=&quot][/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]Concentration Exercises:[/FONT][FONT=&quot][/FONT]

• [FONT=&quot]Barbell Curls(3×8)[/FONT][FONT=&quot][/FONT]
• [FONT=&quot]Dips(3xF)[/FONT][FONT=&quot][/FONT]
• [FONT=&quot]Hammer Curls(3×8)[/FONT][FONT=&quot][/FONT]
• [FONT=&quot]Lying Tricep Extensions(3×8)[/FONT][FONT=&quot][/FONT]

 

[Phippsy]

Btw i also skip Wednesday most of the time because im still sore from Mon and i dont want to over train.

 

[Kyle Aaron]

Of course you're sore, you're doing too much

As a beginner, just focus on the big compound lifts.

In each workout just three exercises. Make sure you get a gym instructor or very experienced friend or fellow gym-goer to instruct you in how to do these lifts.

Squat or deadlift
Bench press or overhead press
Barbell row or heaves

In each exercise, do 2 warmup sets with the bar, and 15-20 reps, making sure you do a really full range of motion to stretch your muscles.

After that wack on 10kg of plates and do 3 sets of 8 reps.

In the next workout, do the same but 3 sets of 9 reps. Then 10, and so on until you get to 12 reps. Then add 10kg and drop the reps back to 8, start again.

In this way you'll be increasing the weight by 10kg every 5-6 workouts, which if you alternate the exercises as above, that means every 12 workouts - at 3 workouts a week, once a month. After three months you'll have 10kg + 3x 10kg = 40kg of plates on the bar.

If you feel you can do it faster and add more weight or more reps more quickly, go ahead. But don't increase the weight until you can do 3 sets of 12 at least at the old weight.

If you find that in one workout you can't get your target reps, instead of 3x 10 doing like 9, 7, 5 - that's okay, maybe you had a bad day, try again next time. If twice in a row you can't do it, it's like parallel parking - pull back, come in at another angle. Drop the weights by 5kg and start at 8 reps again.

With heaves - which is just a chinup or pullup, how you put your hands is up to you, whatever gets you up there! - if you cannot even do 1, forget the assistance machine or lat pulldown, instead do "negatives". That means jump into the top position and let yourself slowly down. Do that 10 times in the first workout, 15 times in the second, and so on - until you can do 30 negatives. By that time you should be able to do 1 or 2 full chinups.

If you can do 1 heave, you can do 10 - get a total of 10 in the first workout, 15 in the next week, 20 in the following week, and so on. When you can do 30 total in one workout you'll probably find you can do 4-6 heaves in one go. Now do 35 in the next workout, 40, 45, and finally 50. Probably when you're doing 50 total you'll be able to do 8-12 in one go. Now you can settle down to 3 sets of 10 or so.

Do this for three months, that's your introduction to lifting. It'll give you a good base of strength to build on.

 

[Phippsy]

Of course you're sore, you're doing too much

As a beginner, just focus on the big compound lifts.

In each workout just three exercises. Make sure you get a gym instructor or very experienced friend or fellow gym-goer to instruct you in how to do these lifts.

Squat or deadlift
Bench press or overhead press
Barbell row or heaves

In each exercise, do 2 warmup sets with the bar, and 15-20 reps, making sure you do a really full range of motion to stretch your muscles.

After that wack on 10kg of plates and do 3 sets of 8 reps.

In the next workout, do the same but 3 sets of 9 reps. Then 10, and so on until you get to 12 reps. Then add 10kg and drop the reps back to 8, start again.

In this way you'll be increasing the weight by 10kg every 5-6 workouts, which if you alternate the exercises as above, that means every 12 workouts - at 3 workouts a week, once a month. After three months you'll have 10kg + 3x 10kg = 40kg of plates on the bar.

If you feel you can do it faster and add more weight or more reps more quickly, go ahead. But don't increase the weight until you can do 3 sets of 12 at least at the old weight.

If you find that in one workout you can't get your target reps, instead of 3x 10 doing like 9, 7, 5 - that's okay, maybe you had a bad day, try again next time. If twice in a row you can't do it, it's like parallel parking - pull back, come in at another angle. Drop the weights by 5kg and start at 8 reps again.

With heaves - which is just a chinup or pullup, how you put your hands is up to you, whatever gets you up there! - if you cannot even do 1, forget the assistance machine or lat pulldown, instead do "negatives". That means jump into the top position and let yourself slowly down. Do that 10 times in the first workout, 15 times in the second, and so on - until you can do 30 negatives. By that time you should be able to do 1 or 2 full chinups.

If you can do 1 heave, you can do 10 - get a total of 10 in the first workout, 15 in the next week, 20 in the following week, and so on. When you can do 30 total in one workout you'll probably find you can do 4-6 heaves in one go. Now do 35 in the next workout, 40, 45, and finally 50. Probably when you're doing 50 total you'll be able to do 8-12 in one go. Now you can settle down to 3 sets of 10 or so.

Do this for three months, that's your introduction to lifting. It'll give you a good base of strength to build on.

Ok thanks, but i cant use any machines or get any help because i live in a country town and it doesnt have a gym. I had to buy a bench and some Db's and a barbel off the internet. I have 4x5kg weights 4x2.5kg weights and 4x1.25kg weights. Im going to ask my dad if i can get some 10s and 20s. I also have a stability ball and a chinup bar. But apart from that i got nothing.

So what do you advise i should do?

 

[Kyle Aaron]

You can do everything I suggested with the equipment you have.

The only extra thing you need is a rack at shoulder height, otherwise to do squats you'll have to put the barbell on its side then sort of slide in under it to get it onto your shoulders, which is pretty hardcore.

See if your old man will set aside a spot for you somewhere, preferably in the garage so you don't get rained, for your workout space, put the chinning bar there - and whack up a rack at shoulder height for the bar. You'll need the rack to come about a foot out of the wall so the plates don't collide with the wall, and to be able to support up to 250kg.

Then put some more racks or big bolts out of the wall to hang plates on when not in use.

Your 35kg of plates will probably do you for a month or so, after that you'll get stronger and need the 10s and 20s. If you can't get them then you'll have to start lifting rocks or old tractor axles or something - and I'm not kidding, people have done this stuff.

For learning the movements, is your internet connection broadband? If so, go to youtube.com and search for "rippetoe". That's a well-known and respected coach who describes how to do the basic lifts. If you don't have broadband, buy his Starting Strength book which will describe the basic lifts, or you might be able to find something similar in your local library.

Your stability ball will be excellent to sit down on when you're resting between sets. It's not much good for anything else. People use it to develop their "core strength" - the muscles of their bellies and lower back, their bums, too. So they'll do a situp or pushup on it, the contraction they have in their core muscles while doing this will build them up. However, if you're doing squats, deadlifts, presses - that'll develop your core strength much more effectively and quickly.

 

[Phippsy]

You can do everything I suggested with the equipment you have.

The only extra thing you need is a rack at shoulder height, otherwise to do squats you'll have to put the barbell on its side then sort of slide in under it to get it onto your shoulders, which is pretty hardcore.

See if your old man will set aside a spot for you somewhere, preferably in the garage so you don't get rained, for your workout space, put the chinning bar there - and whack up a rack at shoulder height for the bar. You'll need the rack to come about a foot out of the wall so the plates don't collide with the wall, and to be able to support up to 250kg.

Then put some more racks or big bolts out of the wall to hang plates on when not in use.

Your 35kg of plates will probably do you for a month or so, after that you'll get stronger and need the 10s and 20s. If you can't get them then you'll have to start lifting rocks or old tractor axles or something - and I'm not kidding, people have done this stuff.

For learning the movements, is your internet connection broadband? If so, go to youtube.com and search for "rippetoe". That's a well-known and respected coach who describes how to do the basic lifts. If you don't have broadband, buy his Starting Strength book which will describe the basic lifts, or you might be able to find something similar in your local library.

Your stability ball will be excellent to sit down on when you're resting between sets. It's not much good for anything else. People use it to develop their "core strength" - the muscles of their bellies and lower back, their bums, too. So they'll do a situp or pushup on it, the contraction they have in their core muscles while doing this will build them up. However, if you're doing squats, deadlifts, presses - that'll develop your core strength much more effectively and quickly.

Thanks yet again Kyle you have been a huge help for me, and for making a rack for doing squats umm what is that? sorry i dont know what they are, like i said im new to working out lol

but thanks again man youve been such a great help

 

[Kyle Aaron]

In a squat, you put a weight on your upper back, sit down and stand up. This builds up your legs and lower back.

This describes all the exercises I've mentioned, and links to videos about them - you didn't answer if you had broadband or not, if not then read carefully

 

[Phippsy]

In a squat, you put a weight on your upper back, sit down and stand up. This builds up your legs and lower back.

This describes all the exercises I've mentioned, and links to videos about them - you didn't answer if you had broadband or not, if not then read carefully

I have broadband but its not that fast because i live on a farm and yeah fair way from nearest town and i know what a squat is but u mentioned a squat rack or somthing?

 

[Kyle Aaron]

A squat rack is where you hang your bar and plates between sets.

You stand in there, hoik the thing onto your upper back, step forward, pump up and down a few times, step back, put the weights back. Otherwise it would be a big hassle to heave it off the ground every time.

The black adjustable bars at waist height are there so that if you get to the bottom of the movement and can't get up, you can just dump the weight. Or if you faint or something then the weight goes "clunk!" there instead of on your head.

They're adjustable for different exercises. Like for an overhead press you'd have them just below shoulder height - too much? It drops 10cm instead of 150cm. Or for a bent over row you might have them at knee height so you can just row the weight and not have to pick it up off the ground each time.

Sometimes they look like this instead,

The adjustable bars there serve the same purpose as before, and the side bars sticking out act as racks for your plates.

Just some heavy hooks at shoulder height should do it for you, though. Save your money for more steak or something.

 

[Phippsy]

A squat rack is where you hang your bar and plates between sets.

You stand in there, hoik the thing onto your upper back, step forward, pump up and down a few times, step back, put the weights back. Otherwise it would be a big hassle to heave it off the ground every time.

The black adjustable bars at waist height are there so that if you get to the bottom of the movement and can't get up, you can just dump the weight. Or if you faint or something then the weight goes "clunk!" there instead of on your head.

They're adjustable for different exercises. Like for an overhead press you'd have them just below shoulder height - too much? It drops 10cm instead of 150cm. Or for a bent over row you might have them at knee height so you can just row the weight and not have to pick it up off the ground each time.

Sometimes they look like this instead,

The adjustable bars there serve the same purpose as before, and the side bars sticking out act as racks for your plates.

Just some heavy hooks at shoulder height should do it for you, though. Save your money for more steak or something.

Thanks for that man, and i have done boiler making at tafe i have my certificate 1 and 2 (boiler making is like welding) so i could maybe weld one up and get some pins etc so i can adjust it. So i might make one like the first one but just before i get the metal and stuff how much are they? because it might be just as cheap to buy. And with hooks instead of a machine i thats a good idea thanks for that.

and yeah yet again thanks for your help your a true legend

 

[Kyle Aaron]

I have no clue how much they cost, a thousand bucks or something, with delivery to the sticks even more - check it out on ebay.

Weld it up yourself, then you know it's sturdy and safe. Like I said, you want it to be able to take drops from 250kg. Because as a young bloke training hard and eating well, you could be lifting quite a lot in a couple of years. 250kg? Well, maybe not that much - but it's good to have extra capacity. Plus, you never know... here is the story of a young bloke who lifted heavy, ate well, kept his routine simple, and got very very strong in a couple of years.

 

[Phippsy]

I have no clue how much they cost, a thousand bucks or something, with delivery to the sticks even more - check it out on ebay.

Weld it up yourself, then you know it's sturdy and safe. Like I said, you want it to be able to take drops from 250kg. Because as a young bloke training hard and eating well, you could be lifting quite a lot in a couple of years. 250kg? Well, maybe not that much - but it's good to have extra capacity. Plus, you never know... here is the story of a young bloke who lifted heavy, ate well, kept his routine simple, and got very very strong in a couple of years.

wow thats amazing i cant believe that article, i havnt read it all but what ive read so far is awesome

and the racks are $500 so yeh it will be cheaper for me to make one and the postage i dont want to think about what that would cost me lol

and thanks again i might aswell just get a program to automatically write thanks to you cause everything youve helped me with so far has been golden material

 

[Kyle Aaron]

Giving advice is easy, following it is hard. Don't thank me, thank yourself about 1,000 heavy sets from now

One thing I thought of was if you have some mate who might be interested in lifting, get them into it, too. It's heaps easier with a good training partner. You compete with each-other a bit, and instead of resting as long as you want between sets you only rest while they're lifting. This helps motivation, as you have to be pretty staunch to do it all on your own for years.

Now go print out the article about Shorty and remember it

And now I go to do my own lifting.

 

[Phippsy]

Giving advice is easy, following it is hard. Don't thank me, thank yourself about 1,000 heavy sets from now

One thing I thought of was if you have some mate who might be interested in lifting, get them into it, too. It's heaps easier with a good training partner. You compete with each-other a bit, and instead of resting as long as you want between sets you only rest while they're lifting. This helps motivation, as you have to be pretty staunch to do it all on your own for years.

Now go print out the article about Shorty and remember it

And now I go to do my own lifting.

thanks ill remember that and yeah i think i have a mate who would be up to it he is already fairly toned but he wants to get bigger so ill ask him at school

and yeah ive already favorited that page lol and good luck with your lifting