Building Muscle for beginners

HeidiMightyRawr
HeidiMightyRawr Posts: 3,343 Member
I'm trying to help a family member of mine at the moment with their training / dietary needs to help them get to their goals. I'd really appreciate any help or advice anyone has, especially if you know of any good website/articles that might be of use. Just stuff I can email to him to help him out (we can't train together, otherwise I'd go with that)

Their main goals are to lose a little weight, he's not overweight but has a bit of a stomach he wants to lose. I've told him he can't spot reduce. He also wants to build up his upper body (chest and arms) and I've recommended a range of exercises, sets/reps etc. I doubt he'd be willing to focus on one at a time, and myself I've only really done bulk / cut cycles. Maybe a small deficit and then later on once he's more experienced and lost the fat he wants, up to maintenance/small surplus to build more muscle?

They're pretty much a beginner, he's had experience before with lifting but not much, and not that much variety, a lot of stuff with dumbells (overhead press, flyes, chest press, bicep curls etc) but not much compound lifts, and no lower body work. He's 56 and worries that he may be too old to look how he wants to, has knee problems also so is afraid of squatting.
I've recommended this site quite a while ago, but he didn't seem that into the idea of monitoring everything he ate, so I'm thinking of just a regular healthy, balanced diet. That's not so much the issue over the training itself though.

Thanks in advance :smile:

Replies

  • beezerphd
    beezerphd Posts: 136 Member
    Send him over to see Scooby.

    http://scoobysworkshop.com/


    Fantastic home workouts and the guy himself is now in his 50's, so he can probably relate to him.
  • Sidesteal
    Sidesteal Posts: 5,510 Member
    www.bodybuilding.com, the forums and not the supersite.

    Specifically, have him read the stickies in the fat loss, nutrition, and workout programs section.
  • ilovedeadlifts
    ilovedeadlifts Posts: 2,923 Member
    www.bodybuilding.com, the forums and not the supersite.

    Specifically, have him read the stickies in the fat loss, nutrition, and workout programs section.

    this.
    if you can filter through the *kitten* and the BS, there is a lot of great information on the forums.
  • all bodybuilding websites that have steroid users on them seem to have thi problem lol. i like naturalmuscle.co.uk they seem very nice and helpfull, also has some of the world champions and british champions n there and they actually reply!