The ultimate beginners guide (FAQ Format)

itsjms

Warning: LONG Read

Disclaimer: Before reading, please understand I am not an expert nor claim to be one. This is my experience over the last several years of dieting and exercise that have resulted in what I have found to be the single best approach to fitness.

I am a big believer in the Pareto principle. The principle says that 80% of the effects come from only 20% of the causes. What do I mean? I mean that the fitness industry would have you believe that every little thing you do is somehow going to effect your overall health and wellness, but this is just a gimmick to get you to buy a certain product. I am going to cover the 20% of fitness in this thread. Again, this is just advice and you can do whatever you want. I would like to cover the first and foremost things in order of importance.

#1) CONSISTENCY

Why is this first?
Simply put, it's the only thing that really matters. I don't think I need to elaborate any further on this, to be honest. Be consistent in the following few things and you WILL see results, PERIOD.

#2) Diet

The single most important aspect to looking and feeling better is your DIET. Yes I said it, and I know it's not what you wanted to hear. HOWEVER, this does not mean you don't get to eat whatever you want, just that you should be conscious of what you are eating.

What exactly do I mean WHATEVER? I mean WHATEVER YOU WANT. This does NOT mean HOW MUCH you want. Please read that again for clarification. The single most important aspect completely depends on the HOW not the WHAT as long as you are hitting your proper macros. Your brain is the only thing that KNOWS whats going into your body.

What are macros you ask?
Macros are the Carbs, Fats, Proteins (and fiber too, it's important.) that food yields.

Why are these important?
Carbohydrates are usually an energy source regulating your brain and energy levels. A low carb diet might be useful in dropping excess pounds quickly, but over a long period of time will cause muscle catabolism and be counter productive to your OVERALL wellness. Thus, carbohydrates are an important factor in maintaining your lean body mass and keeping you energized. Protein is the only thing that builds muscle directly. It also has an effect to keep you feeling fuller for longer. If you neglect protein, you will not get nearly as lean as you would like and while losing weight might sacrifice lean body mass for extra pounds off the scale. Fats play an important role in maintaining your bodies natural hormones. Your hormones play a big role in your overall wellness and fat loss!

So what's recommended?
The macros always recommended are in a very close proximity, and you should experiment with what YOU like and makes YOU feel good. Common macros include: 50c/30p/20f, 40c/35p/25f and 40c/30p/30f (these are percentages). Always aim for 25g of fiber a day at least.

That's great, how do you lose weight?
Again, there is no set answer to this question. I believe your BMR is a horrible way to calculate how many calories you should be eating. It just isn't viable for anyone who actually gets up even ONCE a day. I believe the best way to calculate how many calories you need to eat is experimentation. Find your TDEE (Total Daily Energy Expenditure) and eat at 80% of this. This SHOULD yield around a one pound loss per week.

Why one pound a week?
Again, the goal here is to lose NOTHING but fat, at higher amounts the muscle to fat loss ratio could be much greater than that. Generally, the human body can lose about one pound per week and it only be fat.

If I stall?
Up the cardio or lower the calories, your choice.

#2) Lifting - This is the longest section, as there is a TON of information

Ah yes, the second most important part of looking great. Lifting weights. Why is it that someone who lifts weights looks better? They are building muscle onto their frame and muscle will shred fat and look sexy, too. (Yes, ladies, muscle does look good on you. Don't worry, you won't get "huge", but more on that later.) As someone new to lifting, you will experience a GREAT deal of muscle building potential as your CNS is not yet adapted and will quickly grow. This period of growth people often refer to as "newb gains". Utilize it to your fullest extent.

So how do I begin?
Simply put, K.I.S.S. (Keep it simple, stupid.) Do something YOU can commit to. Your lifting program will not have the same impact as your diet, but is still VERY important.

How important?
If you want to look great, you have to treat your body as a WHOLE. This means working EVERY. SINGLE. PART.

So then what's a good program?
Again, this depends on your total number of days YOU can commit to. So let's cover what i believe are the IDEAL days and body parts and an explanation as to WHY. I won't be covering form in this chapter, simply because there are a HUGE amount of videos demonstrating proper form on the internet.

*Do the weights you feel comfortable doing. Weights and reps etc are not important, as long as you can constantly get in their and perform. However, if it feels too light, up the weight. THIS is important.

*Note: ALL compound exercises besides the bench press WILL work your abs.

3 days a week: (Legs, Push, Pull) - Expect to put in a good 1.5 hours of work

Day 1: Legs - Quadriceps, Hamstrings, Calves, Abs

Do NOT neglect hamstrings/glutes.

Barbell Squat - Mostly quads, some glutes and hamstrings
LIGHT Barbell Deadlift - Posterior chain, mostly hamstrings and glutes.
DEEP Leg Press - Total leg development
Lying leg curls - More hamstrings and glutes
Standing Calf Raises - Calves are important, too! Every bit of muscle helps!
Planks (Weighted when possible)
Stomach vacuums

*I do NOT recommend crunches. They CAN cause APT (Anterior Pelvic Tilt) ESPECIALLY if you sit all day.

Day 2: Push - Chest, Shoulders, Triceps

Incline Barbell or Dumbbell Bench Press - Upper chest, Anterior deltoid
Flat Barbell or Dumbbell Bench press - Chest, Anterior Deltoid, Minor lat activation
Standing Cable Flies (slight downward angle) - Lower Chest
Standing Shoulder Press - Total shoulder development
Side Laterals - Medial Deltoid
Face Pulls - Rear Deltoid
Tricep pushdowns - Tricep

Day 3: Pull - Traps, Rhomboids, Lats, Biceps, Forearms

*A strong back will help your pushing exercises

Rows - Any type of row you choose
Shrugs - Any type you choose
Pull downs OR pull ups - Again, any type you choose.
Bicep curl - I prefer straight bar for the forearm activation
Behind the back forearm curls - Grip strength

So which days do I do these?
You can do it however you like, realistically if it fits your schedule and you can stick to it.

4 days a week: (Legs/Abs, Chest/Tricep, Back/Bicep, Shoulders/Traps) - Expect to put in at least an hour a day.

Again, this would be exactly like above except you break the workouts up into body parts rather than by the movement.

5 days a week: (Legs/Abs, Chest, Back, Shoulders/Traps, Arms) - Expect to spend 45 minutes a day.

This simply removes arms from your chest and back day and spreads them into their own workout for a better workout.

*Again, this is JUST ADVICE. I believe everyone is different and not a SINGLE ONE exercise effects overall growth. Feel free to experiment and adjust.

#3) Cardio, Mobility, and Flexibility

Everyone knows what cardio is, it's the one thing people hate most! Unless you just naturally love running. I have a lot to note on in this section, and this is again just my opinion on the subject, so feel free to do your own thing.

Do I NEED cardio?
Nope, you don't. If your ONLY goal is to look good you do NOT NEED cardio. Cardio is extremely important in overall FITNESS but NOT important in how you look (see, DIET above). HOWEVER, Cardio will benefit you by increasing your stamina and thus allowing your weight training sessions to be much less fatiguing. I always recommend LIGHT cardio before a workout. A brisk run/walk/jog (whatever you do, don't burn yourself out) will help raise your heart rate SLIGHTLY and warm you up.

What is this flexibility and mobility?
A big part of weight lifting is simply preventing INJURY. No, really. The last thing you want to do is injure yourself. Never, ever, work through pain. Pain is your body telling you to STOP. ASSESS, AND CHANGE.

So how do cardio, flexibility and mobility fit in to my routine above?
Simply put, start with a SHORT cardio session. This will help warm your entire body up, and lubricate your joints. Next begin by stretching the parts of your body you are going to work out. If it is leg day, stretch your legs! It only takes a couple of minutes and will PREVENT injury.



Alright everyone, that's it. I hope this helps someone out there! I took a lot of time to write this up, and I believe all these things are really the only things that matter. Everything else is simply icing on the cake. I believe if you follow the above advice and are consistent you will see results no matter what.