First time ever working out to gain muscle HELP

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lizleene
lizleene Posts: 2 Member
in Goal: Gaining Weight and Body Building
I really dont have nooo idea what I am getting my self into but I am tired of being really skinny I need some muscle any recommendations on how to start this journey?? I don't know how to work out when I go to the gym I feel lost i don't know where to start... any recommended books to read for muscle gain?

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  • AnvilHead
    AnvilHead Posts: 18,344 Member
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    https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10226536/bulking-for-beginners/p1
  • not_a_runner
    not_a_runner Posts: 1,343 Member
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    Find a progressive lifting program and follow it, eat in a calorie surplus.
    Starting Strength is a good read/program. Stronglifts 5x5 is also a popular program.
  • richardgavel
    richardgavel Posts: 1,001 Member
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    +1 on Stronglifts 5x5. One tweak I would make to eating at a surplus is to wait a month or 2 into your lifting. As a complete newbie, your body's first reaction to adapt is neural, better and more complete firing of muscle fibers. You will get stronger, but not build much muscle. So the extra calories will go much more towards fat. I found this in my experience as a new lifter.
  • raeowens6164
    raeowens6164 Posts: 3 Member
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    Bodybuilding.com has free beginner programs and a lot of info. Also has an exercise library with videos to show you how to do the exercise. Helped me a lot
  • richardgavel
    richardgavel Posts: 1,001 Member
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    I'd say more important than what program you pick....Do NOT make up your own program.
  • Gallowmere1984
    Gallowmere1984 Posts: 6,626 Member
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    richardgavel wrote: »
    I'd say more important than what program you pick....Do NOT make up your own program.

    I actually see the best strength increases when I just do my own thing (and it's been that way since I first started). I'm more running 5/3/1 at this point so I can have an honest firsthand opinion of it. Heavy singles (85+%) all day everyday (even my warmups are often slowly increasing singles) is what tends to work best for me, though most people seem to wear down pretty quick that way.
  • staceysmith140
    staceysmith140 Posts: 6 Member
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    First, get your BMI tested.. Find out how much of your body is actually lean muscle and how much is fat.. Then switch to a high protein, low carb diet. Then get your BMI tested every week or every other week to make sure you are gaining muscle not losing it.
  • roelwillems
    roelwillems Posts: 3 Member
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    Hi, congrats embarking on a new journey!
    There is a huge amount of information on this topic, but not all is equally helpful (sites which sell supplements mostly recommend ... supplements ;-) ).

    But the basics of building muscle is quite simple; eat (a little) more calories than you burn and increase weight/training/resistance progressively (lift / move a little more every training / week / month).

    Regarding nutrition, focus on proper amounts of protein / fat / carb. Calculate what you need to maintain weight and add 200 calories, log you intake on MFP for a few weeks and look for results (you should start gaining some weight and getting stronger, stronger = in the long run more muscular). If you don't gain weight increase calories a bit more (but focus on slow but steady progress).

    I personally like compound exercises (movements that require more than 1 joint and more than 1 muscle group). Think; squats, benchpress, overhead press, deadlift, barbell row, dips, pull-ups. Those kind of exercises work equally well for men and women. As a beginner you could look at a linear program (for instance: starting strength / stronglifts)

    If you want to read about training "starting strength" is a great resource on how to perform the basic compound exercises with proper form (with lots of video's on youtube from Mark Rippetoe). The nutrition advice in "starting strength" is a bit overboard (very high calories and suitable for people who really want to add bulk in a short timeframe) other resources are more suitable IMHO.

    Last but not least; take care of your body and take enough rest (limit the number of workouts). training 5-6 days a week is great at first but very difficult to maintain (without injury or just mentally burning out). So take rest, sleep well and focus on long term results.

    Ask for help at your gym but don't skip you own research (not all gym trainers provide good advice)

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