Finally got gym membership, now where to start?

Hi Sara and Sidesteel,

I have wanted to start lifting for months now but not only could I not afford the gym, I also couldn't afford to buy a decent set of dumbbells to use at home. For christmas my boyfriend is paying for my gym membership so I can finally start lifting properly but I have no idea where to start.
My stats are:
Heights: 5'8"
Weight: 145lbs
BF%: 38.5 (yikes! thats according to a dexa scan so I can no longer pretend to myself that its completely inaccurate)

So as you can see I am the very definition of skinny fat. I was thinking of doing the stronglifts 5X5 programme, mainly because this is a structured programme that is ready to use so i think I could stick to it. Would you recommend any other programme instead?

Also, I am very confused as to how much to eat. I have been netting 1540 calories a day (lately a bit more, it being the season and all!) Thats what MFP gave me to lose .5 lbs per week. Now I am concerned that I have such a low muscle mass that even if I maintain that through lifting and only lose body fat that I will look very sickly and thin. is this a valid fear? what would happen if I are at maintenance while lifting? should I be thinking about doing a bulk? (Im hoping you say no to the bulk option because I wouldn't know where to start with that and I don't want to overwhelm myself by taking on too much)

If you need more information just ask away. I will make my diary public now in case you want to look at it. I struggle to get enough protein but since I found out my BF% I have gotten a little better at that.

Replies

Sarauk2sf

That BF% sounds very very high for your stats. Would you be able to PM me pics so I can assess better your body comp (and see if the scan makes sense - as they are not always accurate). It will really help with advice as to next steps.

DouMc

Thanks Sara, I have sent on those photos. I know I have a lot of body fat but I was still very surprised that the dexa scan put them that high.

I don't know if it is relevant but I am on cortisol medication as my body does not produce enough and I have a slightly underactive thyroid but I am not on medication for that yet, the doctor is just keeping an eye on it.

Sarauk2sf

Thank you for PM'ing the pics.

IMO, you are not at a 38.5% body fat...and not particularly near it either. The machines can be calibrated incorrectly and hydration can impact readings also.

They were very helpful to come up with suggested steps forward. Will get back to you with them shortly.

DouMc

Great. Thanks a million. There is no rush on getting back to me as Im away for a couple of weeks for christmas so the gym membership doesn't kick in till January.

Sarauk2sf

Hi!

Based on your stats I would suggest that you continue to cut. If you are starting lifting, you can take advantage of newbie gains, even at a deficit. As you do have a relatively low muscle mass proportionately, you may want to bulk at a slightly higher BF% than is generally recommended, but imo, you can still lose a decent amount of BF before you get there. We can re-assess after a few months and see what makes sense.

I would recommend something like AllPro for your routine. It is a 3 x a week full body, the details for which can be found here:

http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=4195843

If you are uncomfortable with barbells at first, use dumbbells until you get comfortable and then transition. Alternatives to barbell lifts can be found here: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/902569-barbell-routines-when-you-only-have-dumbbells

Good technique/form explanations can be found here for the main lifts: http://startingstrength.wikia.com/wiki/FAQ:The_Lifts

With regard to your intake, if you want our input, could you complete the questions from the thread that can be found here: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/910257-the-new-and-improved-asking-questions-about-your-intake

DouMc

Thank you so much Sara. This is s great help. I think my intake is probably ok. I have stalled a little lately but I haven't been measuring everything so Im pretty sure that's why. After Christmas I will start doing it right again and if it is not working for me then I'll come back for more help.

Sarauk2sf

Locking so we can track active threads better. Please feel free to PM either myself or SideSteel, including a link to this thread, should you have further questions and we will unlock.