Desperated need some advice

[Seppe]

Hello everybody
Thanks for the warm welcome on this forum.

I'm training for almost 2 years now.
And i made some progress (little) but not enough.
That has more then 1 reason.

My diet was not good enough,
I was continu switching from routine to another routine and so one and one.
The more i was searching on the internet,the more i swichted from routines.

Now i have done some good research about food first,and now i understand that part of training.

But now i have some trouble with finding a good,basic routine to get me strong and big.

There are maybe a 1000 different routines on the internet,and now i don't know anymore wich one to pick,and to follow that routine.
Can somebody please help me in the right direction???

My goals are:

Being bigger and strong.
I don't want to be big without being strong

Now i have read al the articles and routines on this main page for probely 10 times or more.
And i don't know where to start now

The gym where i'm training now has all the barbell's and stuff to get the job done.
So that's no problem at all.
I can train 3 days,monday,wednesday and the friday.
Optinal is the sunday for a fourth day.

*Sorry if there are some spelling errors

[bamazav]

Check out the MAB Classic Challenge. If that is not your desire, I would recommend a basic 5 x 5 routine. Work on form and be patient. Learn the exercises, build your strength, the big will come.... in time.

[dmaipa]

MAB Classic Challenge will be a great starting point because there is already a group of guys who are doing it and there a also many who will be help you out if you have any questions about the program.

[Rich Knapp]

1. Welcome to the forum/site.
2. Congrats on researching food first. Its very important for making gains.
3. Don't over think it or get fancy. Keeping it simple you can consentrate on details better. Like form, nutrition, timing. Plus you get to fancy starting out you can't pin piont what works and what doesn't for your body.

Before getting to deep into this, how fast your body recovers is the big thing.
If you recover fast a full body 3 days a week would work.
BUT if your body don't heal/recover quickly, then you may have to do compound large muscle group once a week with a small muscle group isalates with each work out.

How fast do you recover?

[Trevor Lane]

Well, I won't quite say it doesn't matter what routine you use but I would say that consistency with whatever you pick is more important. I'm guilty of switching routines too frequently as well, but I still make gains because I always work out at least 4 days a week, and it always includes squat, deadlift, bench press, and overhead press. The other question I would ask you is whether you prefer full-body or a split? I did the full body York Barbell and Dumbbell Training System - Muscle and Brawn - Bodybuilding and Powerlifting and it was great, I had less success using You Asked for It, and You've Got It- Exercises in Extremity, the 1st Official C&P Workout Template | Chaos and Pain full body, had some great gains with an upper-lower split, and right now I am using and loving a variation on Bill Kazmaier Training Routine | Muscle and Brawn Bodybuilding, Powerlifting and Muscle Building. which I expect to stick to for the foreseeable future. I hope that helps at least a little bit.

[big valsalva]

Seppe,

Welcome aboard! There are many roads to being and looking strong. You will get some different answers even from those of us on this forum. That doesn't mean we disagree, but that we've each found our own way. Fortunately, we're all very happy to share with you what we have learned and maybe let you take that knowledge and forge your own way.

My first suggestion is to find something basic and stick to it for a while. Two weeks is not enough. Two months is better, but still not enough. After three months or more you should be able to make a fair judgement if a particular template or program is working. My standard suggestions would be one of these options:

StrongLifts 5x5: The Ultimate Strength and Muscle Program | StrongLifts.com

or

Bill Starr (MadCow) 5×5 Intermediate Routine

they are both well structured and fairly easy to follow after the first couple of weeks. They both focus on building a strong foundation on the major compound lifts. You will find that focusing on the big lifts will indeed benefit you the most especially from the very beginning, because these compound exercises call upon all of the muscles in your body to work together in concert. Your body will grow as a unit, and you WILL look and feel strong and powerful if you apply yourself to smart and dedicated training, a bountiful and balanced diet, and plenty of sleep.

Again, those are MY suggestions. Others on this board may tell you differently. My very good friend, glwanabe, is an advocate of fullbody routines. I'm sure he will see this thread and chime in with his opinion. You would do well to consider all he has to say. He's quite a bit older than me, and also slightly wiser. Regardless of the differing opinions, we all want to see you succeed.

I wish you well.

[Seppe]

@Trevor lane:

I tried the typical splits,like:

Monday: Chest and triceps
Wednesday : Back and biceps
Friday : Legs and shoulders

And i was continuous switching exercises the more i read on the net.

[Seppe]

Originally Posted by dmaipa

MAB Classic Challenge will be a great starting point because there is already a group of guys who are doing it and there a also many who will be help you out if you have any questions about the program.

I'm sorry to ask you,but where i can find the classic challenge

[big_swede]

Theres two rules you have to stick to 100% to be successfull imo:

1, Do Squat, bench, deadlift and ohpress. This should be the fundament of your training program.

2, Always strive for progression! Lift heavy!

[BendtheBar]

Hi Seppe.

The first thing you need to focus on is exercise selection. Routines aren't as important as using the proper lifts. You want to focus on mostly basic, compound lifts for a long time. Only add lifts for a reason. Evolve your training based on what you learn, and your individual needs. And only when you are confident you know how to add muscle.

Once you are in a groove building muscle, and your eating plan is spot on, then you can worry about tinkering with your exercises and workouts.

Second, understand that routines aren't magic, but progression of weight is. Progression is this...using good form, push yourself on every set. When you can reach the "rep goal" for that set, add weight the next time in the gym. This is how a beginner to intermediate will maximize gains. Start with a simple workout. Complexity is overrated, but hard work yields gains.

Third, diet is a huge part of the equation. Eat about 30 to 35 grams of protein very 2.5 to 3 hours. You also want to eat enough calories so that you are gaining about 1-2 pounds per month your first year of training. If you are young you may need to start eating at 3000 to 3500 calories per day. If you are 35+ you may need to be at 2500 to 3000 to gain muscle.

Pick a number and watch the scale. If you're not gaining weight, add 300 more daily calories. Continue this pattern until you are adding your goal weight each month.

Outside of protein, make sure you eat some healthy complex carb sources such as oatmeal, rice, and potatoes. You also want veggies and fruit of course.

Workouts

Stick with a 3 or 4 day training approach. A 3 day can be a fullbody workout, or a split like:

Day 1 - Chest, shoulders and triceps
Day 2 - OFF
Day 3 - Legs
Day 4 - OFF
Day 5 - Back, biceps and Abs
Day 6 - OFF
Day 7 - Repeat or OFF

A 4 day split:

Day 1 - Chest and biceps
Day 2 - Legs
Day 3 - OFF
Day 4 - Shoulders and triceps
Day 5 - Back, traps and Abs
Day 6 - OFF
Day 7 - Repeat or OFF

Remember Fancy, complex workouts might be needed by advanced lifters, but simplicity and hard work yield results.

Exercises

Stick with exercises like:

Squats, Romanian deadlifts, calf raises, bench press, dumbbell bench press, dips, overhead dumbbell or barbell press, upright rows, barbell and dumbbbell rows, deadlifts, pullups, barbell and dumbbell curls, barbell shrugs, closegrip bench press.