I want to start getting muscles...
May 1, 2015 6:41 PM Subscribe
... to impress a girl I like. Basically I am the thin type. Long but thin. And since I don't really workout I have thin arms and a flat chest. That was fine for me for a long time, but now I would like to get some muscles.
I don't want to be Mr. Muscles. Overall I like my body type, but I'd like at least some muscles and some strength. But... I don't know where to start. A friend of mine suggested we start going to the gym regularly starting soon and I am motivated to go.
So, I'd like to know what exercises to do to get muscles where my biceps/triceps are and also increase my chest size. Maybe a bit the abdomen but I care less about this part and maybe train the back/lower back cause I often feel it's a weak place of mine.
Can any bro give me the most basic instructions as to what to do. Please, no super complicated routines that are over my head, just begin, go go go.
I don't want to be Mr. Muscles. Overall I like my body type, but I'd like at least some muscles and some strength. But... I don't know where to start. A friend of mine suggested we start going to the gym regularly starting soon and I am motivated to go.
So, I'd like to know what exercises to do to get muscles where my biceps/triceps are and also increase my chest size. Maybe a bit the abdomen but I care less about this part and maybe train the back/lower back cause I often feel it's a weak place of mine.
Can any bro give me the most basic instructions as to what to do. Please, no super complicated routines that are over my head, just begin, go go go.
Response by poster: >rhooke
Thanks, I'll check out You are Your Own Gym.
And like I said, I don't seek to be a muscley dude, I doubt I would increase my muscle mass by huge amounts. But I'd like to increase it some.
posted by iliketothinknu at 6:56 PM on May 1, 2015
Thanks, I'll check out You are Your Own Gym.
And like I said, I don't seek to be a muscley dude, I doubt I would increase my muscle mass by huge amounts. But I'd like to increase it some.
posted by iliketothinknu at 6:56 PM on May 1, 2015
Best answer: Follow Stronglifts 5x5 or Starting Strength to a T. Eat above your TDEE and get in around ~2g/kg protein a day. Wait 3-6 months.
That's pretty much all you need.
posted by un petit cadeau at 7:02 PM on May 1, 2015 [18 favorites]
That's pretty much all you need.
posted by un petit cadeau at 7:02 PM on May 1, 2015 [18 favorites]
Best answer: The standard MeFi recommendation is "Starting Strength" for good reason; it goes through proper, safe form for basic weightlifting. The original target market, as far as I can tell, was skinny guys from Texas who wanted to bulk up and go out for the football team. So it should work well for you.
It's very simple; if you follow the workouts in the book, you should have 3 gym sessions per week, each 45 minutes at the absolute most. Almost no thinking involved. There are lots of competing beginner programs in the same niche, and they all look similar: squat, bench press, deadlift, overhead press, some kind of upper back thing. You start light and add a little bit of weight every week. Don't neglect lower-body exercises, even if you think you don't care about those muscles; in addition to making you generally stronger, they train your core i.e. abs.
Also, do curls for the girls, even though they aren't explicitly included in these programs.
You're not going to suddenly get yoked, but it's astounding how quickly you can get strong, as a beginner. You will feel noticeably stronger like 2 or 3 weeks after starting. Aim for 150g protein per day and a caloric excess.
posted by vogon_poet at 7:08 PM on May 1, 2015 [2 favorites]
It's very simple; if you follow the workouts in the book, you should have 3 gym sessions per week, each 45 minutes at the absolute most. Almost no thinking involved. There are lots of competing beginner programs in the same niche, and they all look similar: squat, bench press, deadlift, overhead press, some kind of upper back thing. You start light and add a little bit of weight every week. Don't neglect lower-body exercises, even if you think you don't care about those muscles; in addition to making you generally stronger, they train your core i.e. abs.
Also, do curls for the girls, even though they aren't explicitly included in these programs.
You're not going to suddenly get yoked, but it's astounding how quickly you can get strong, as a beginner. You will feel noticeably stronger like 2 or 3 weeks after starting. Aim for 150g protein per day and a caloric excess.
posted by vogon_poet at 7:08 PM on May 1, 2015 [2 favorites]
Best answer: If you own a smartphone buy the app "You Are Your Own Gym", which is a few bucks and explains in great detail all sorts of bodyweight exercises you can do to improve muscle tone. Of course, if you're thin, you may have to do a bunch of repetitions, but so be it.
I bought this based on a mefi recommendation and have to say I am really disappointed with it. It is not so much as You Are Your Own Gym as it is You, some sturdy chairs, a sturdy door, a sturdy broom-handle and various other things you might not have Are Your Own Gym.
posted by srboisvert at 7:11 PM on May 1, 2015 [5 favorites]
I bought this based on a mefi recommendation and have to say I am really disappointed with it. It is not so much as You Are Your Own Gym as it is You, some sturdy chairs, a sturdy door, a sturdy broom-handle and various other things you might not have Are Your Own Gym.
posted by srboisvert at 7:11 PM on May 1, 2015 [5 favorites]
Best answer: Be careful of any advice that has you consuming vast amounts of protein. Kidney damage from protein overdosing is a real thing and is apparently very unpleasant.
posted by yellowcandy at 7:39 PM on May 1, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by yellowcandy at 7:39 PM on May 1, 2015 [1 favorite]
Best answer: I've been really happy with my upper body routine, and it's dead cheap (buy one* dumbbell) and dead simple, so maybe you'll find it helpful. When it gets too easy, I start adding sets and/or using a heavier dumbbell. The only caveat for the workout that I've got is that I'm a woman, so YMMV. You may need to start out using a higher weight or doing more sets than I do (though I put mine down for reference). The exercises themselves should still be pretty good, though. Anyway, here it is:
Body Weight Exercises:
Pushups. Currently, I'm doing 3 sets of 10. Good for pecs/chest and core.
Planks. Currently, 3 sets of 20 sec/position. In each set, I do a normal one (20 sec/rep), then a lateral (with extended arm) on both sides (20 sec EACH/rep). Good for shoulders and core.
Dumbbell Exercises**
Curls. Good for biceps.
Flies. Good for shoulders and chest.
Overhead extensions. Good for triceps (back of the arm).
Rows. Good for lats (upper back).
*The reason I only use one dumbbell at a time rather than a set of two, is because I read that only doing one side of the body at a time is good for the core and for balance.
**For all the dumbell exercises except the overhead extension, I'm currently doing 3 sets of 3 with a 20lbs weight (I'm working up to 3 sets of 6). The overhead extension, I do 3 sets of 6 and am working up to 3 sets of 12. Previously, I used a 10 lbs weight, but once I got up to doing 3 sets of 10 for most of the exercises and still felt it was too easy, I decided to get a heavier dumbbell.
posted by rue72 at 9:20 PM on May 1, 2015 [11 favorites]
Body Weight Exercises:
Pushups. Currently, I'm doing 3 sets of 10. Good for pecs/chest and core.
Planks. Currently, 3 sets of 20 sec/position. In each set, I do a normal one (20 sec/rep), then a lateral (with extended arm) on both sides (20 sec EACH/rep). Good for shoulders and core.
Dumbbell Exercises**
Curls. Good for biceps.
Flies. Good for shoulders and chest.
Overhead extensions. Good for triceps (back of the arm).
Rows. Good for lats (upper back).
*The reason I only use one dumbbell at a time rather than a set of two, is because I read that only doing one side of the body at a time is good for the core and for balance.
**For all the dumbell exercises except the overhead extension, I'm currently doing 3 sets of 3 with a 20lbs weight (I'm working up to 3 sets of 6). The overhead extension, I do 3 sets of 6 and am working up to 3 sets of 12. Previously, I used a 10 lbs weight, but once I got up to doing 3 sets of 10 for most of the exercises and still felt it was too easy, I decided to get a heavier dumbbell.
posted by rue72 at 9:20 PM on May 1, 2015 [11 favorites]
Best answer: I love Starting Strength, but I acually would suggest against it for this. Starting Strength will make you strong, no question. It will not, however, make you look good. It will make you look like a refrigerator, especially if you're bulking. Bodybuilding and powerlifting are two different things, and if you want to lift for aesthetics instead of strength you want bodybuilding, not powerlifting. Starting Strength is a great book for powerlifting, but not so much for bodybuilding. Unfortunately I have no clue where to start for bodybuilding (personally, I powerlift), but if you're gonna google for info look for bodybuilding sources specifically.
posted by Itaxpica at 9:35 PM on May 1, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by Itaxpica at 9:35 PM on May 1, 2015 [1 favorite]
Best answer: Glancing at bodybuilding forums, a lot of the basic programs seem to be the starting strength suggestions above ( squat, bench press, deadlift, overhead press) plus something like lat pull downs and reverse flies.
The biggest thing is getting into the habit of going to the gym 3 times a week, every week, and lifting some things. Doing anything* at all is better than imagining doing the perfect workout program. It helps to have a friend to go with to keep you honest - it's much harder to wimp out on a day when it involves blowing someone off, so you've got a good start there.
I've been doing a slightly modified version of the starting strength program for about a year now. I've substituted other leg excercises for squats because they are murder on my knees, and, since I've wanted to be able to do pull ups, gone on a progression from lat pull downs to assisted pull ups to the real deal. While I have totally the opposite physique to start with, my arms and shoulders definitely look and feel a lot more muscular. I think the pull up type stuff has really helped with that.
Good luck and best wishes in keeping your program up!
*As long as you make sure to do the right form and don't hurt yourself. This is important!
posted by Zalzidrax at 10:45 PM on May 1, 2015
The biggest thing is getting into the habit of going to the gym 3 times a week, every week, and lifting some things. Doing anything* at all is better than imagining doing the perfect workout program. It helps to have a friend to go with to keep you honest - it's much harder to wimp out on a day when it involves blowing someone off, so you've got a good start there.
I've been doing a slightly modified version of the starting strength program for about a year now. I've substituted other leg excercises for squats because they are murder on my knees, and, since I've wanted to be able to do pull ups, gone on a progression from lat pull downs to assisted pull ups to the real deal. While I have totally the opposite physique to start with, my arms and shoulders definitely look and feel a lot more muscular. I think the pull up type stuff has really helped with that.
Good luck and best wishes in keeping your program up!
*As long as you make sure to do the right form and don't hurt yourself. This is important!
posted by Zalzidrax at 10:45 PM on May 1, 2015
Best answer: Start rock climbing. Or, better yet, bouldering. Saw huge changes in my physique compared to years of lifting.
posted by backwards guitar at 4:19 AM on May 2, 2015
posted by backwards guitar at 4:19 AM on May 2, 2015
Best answer: Hooray for lifting! I just started and have been using Strong Lifts 5x5. It's great - big muscle compound lifts, and you can add on any targeted muscle lifts you want beyond that, if you need or want to do so. Part of the appeal (for me) is its simplicity. This is a whole new world to me, so the fact that there are only a few lifts I need to focus on is helpful. What's been helpful for me is there's also an app to help me keep track of what I was lifting the prior workout, and what I weight I need to move up to next.
Have fun!
posted by Fiorentina97 at 5:46 AM on May 2, 2015
Have fun!
posted by Fiorentina97 at 5:46 AM on May 2, 2015
Best answer: So you intend to impress a girl you like by building up muscle? I'd say if you were intending to make yourself more attractive to all girls or just feeling better about yourself in general, then lifting weights and building muscle would be a good idea. But one person?
Have you asked this girl out? Do you think 10-15 pounds of muscle would change a "no" to a "yes"?
Imagine there's a girl you're not particularly interested in but she wanted to get your attention, so she lost 20 pounds over six months. Would you change your mind because she's marginally more attractive, albeit because of strict diet and exercise that she did just for you? At what point over the six months would your "no" have turned to "maybe" to "yes"? Would you dump her when she gained back a few of those pounds?
I think you should lift. It's fun. Unlike cardiovascular exercise you see the results immediately (i.e. if you do bench press your chest puffs out within like ten minutes, it's very satisfying). But it's unlikely anybody else will really notice too much as any gains will be gradual and not many people see you with your shirt off.
Maybe I'm reading too much into this, but I would search for limerance on askme as mefites are pretty good at giving advice to people who go through the common struggle of getting stuck on one person.
Anyway, you should ask your crush out. If she says no, it will probably not be because of your bicep circumference, and that's ok. There are many many women out there.
I've had big gains (gainz?) from just doing pullups, pushups, and a six to ten minute ab routine. For pullups I have one of those over the door frame bars, which I strongly recommend as it allows you to do pullups with your palms facing each other, away from you, and facing towards you which gives you huge variety allowing you to exercise every muscle from your middle back to your sides to your biceps.I had no idea how much of a difference pullups could make to my body; they're really worth it. Make sure to buy the over the door frame pullup bar in a store so you can easily return it if it doesn't fit any doors you have.
For pushups I recommend a pair of those pushup bars. With typical pushups you have to stop going down when your face touches the ground. The pushup bars allow you to go even further which gives your pects and triceps more of a workout with fewer reps (I can do 40 normal pushups in a row, but just 12-15 pushups with the bars--saves time). Also you can experiment where you place your hands, if they're directly under your chest you'll get more of a tricep workout, if they're wide you'll get more of a pect workout.
For abs I do a six to ten minute routine where I switch the floor ab exercise every minute. Planks, situps, what have you. You can go on youtube for about 15 minutes and get every variation of situp known to man and pick what you like and do a similar routine to what I do.
I don't do legs because I run a lot, though you (and I) should probably do legs. My whole routine takes about 30 minutes with 3-5 sets of pushups and pullups. It's made a huge difference for me even though I do it just 2-3 times a week. Don't do an exercise if that area is already sore.
However, the most important step here is to ask your crush out. The second is to start lifting. Just remember there are many other women regardless of how things turn out. Good luck!
posted by Luminiferous Ether at 12:13 PM on May 2, 2015 [5 favorites]
Have you asked this girl out? Do you think 10-15 pounds of muscle would change a "no" to a "yes"?
Imagine there's a girl you're not particularly interested in but she wanted to get your attention, so she lost 20 pounds over six months. Would you change your mind because she's marginally more attractive, albeit because of strict diet and exercise that she did just for you? At what point over the six months would your "no" have turned to "maybe" to "yes"? Would you dump her when she gained back a few of those pounds?
I think you should lift. It's fun. Unlike cardiovascular exercise you see the results immediately (i.e. if you do bench press your chest puffs out within like ten minutes, it's very satisfying). But it's unlikely anybody else will really notice too much as any gains will be gradual and not many people see you with your shirt off.
Maybe I'm reading too much into this, but I would search for limerance on askme as mefites are pretty good at giving advice to people who go through the common struggle of getting stuck on one person.
Anyway, you should ask your crush out. If she says no, it will probably not be because of your bicep circumference, and that's ok. There are many many women out there.
I've had big gains (gainz?) from just doing pullups, pushups, and a six to ten minute ab routine. For pullups I have one of those over the door frame bars, which I strongly recommend as it allows you to do pullups with your palms facing each other, away from you, and facing towards you which gives you huge variety allowing you to exercise every muscle from your middle back to your sides to your biceps.I had no idea how much of a difference pullups could make to my body; they're really worth it. Make sure to buy the over the door frame pullup bar in a store so you can easily return it if it doesn't fit any doors you have.
For pushups I recommend a pair of those pushup bars. With typical pushups you have to stop going down when your face touches the ground. The pushup bars allow you to go even further which gives your pects and triceps more of a workout with fewer reps (I can do 40 normal pushups in a row, but just 12-15 pushups with the bars--saves time). Also you can experiment where you place your hands, if they're directly under your chest you'll get more of a tricep workout, if they're wide you'll get more of a pect workout.
For abs I do a six to ten minute routine where I switch the floor ab exercise every minute. Planks, situps, what have you. You can go on youtube for about 15 minutes and get every variation of situp known to man and pick what you like and do a similar routine to what I do.
I don't do legs because I run a lot, though you (and I) should probably do legs. My whole routine takes about 30 minutes with 3-5 sets of pushups and pullups. It's made a huge difference for me even though I do it just 2-3 times a week. Don't do an exercise if that area is already sore.
However, the most important step here is to ask your crush out. The second is to start lifting. Just remember there are many other women regardless of how things turn out. Good luck!
posted by Luminiferous Ether at 12:13 PM on May 2, 2015 [5 favorites]
Best answer: Be careful of any advice that has you consuming vast amounts of protein. Kidney damage from protein overdosing is a real thing and is apparently very unpleasant.
At the same time, make sure you're getting enough protein for your weight, total calories, and (increased) exercise level. I (a thin lady) starting tracking nutrients, bumped my protein into the higher range recommended for me, and have put on muscle and muscular definition I never had before without even increasing activity levels.
posted by blue suede stockings at 12:43 PM on May 2, 2015 [1 favorite]
At the same time, make sure you're getting enough protein for your weight, total calories, and (increased) exercise level. I (a thin lady) starting tracking nutrients, bumped my protein into the higher range recommended for me, and have put on muscle and muscular definition I never had before without even increasing activity levels.
posted by blue suede stockings at 12:43 PM on May 2, 2015 [1 favorite]
make the gym your new hobby. Learn the discipline of tracking your workouts. Hopefully you will begin to simply enjoy being at the gym.
You might find this essay about a guy who starts lifting in high school inspiring
http://www.oldtimestrongman.com/strength-articles/iron-henry-rollins
you will be more impressive from the confidence you gain in yourself than from the muscle you build.
Finally, there is more than one girl in the world. spend time with other people.
posted by jander03 at 7:40 AM on May 4, 2015
You might find this essay about a guy who starts lifting in high school inspiring
http://www.oldtimestrongman.com/strength-articles/iron-henry-rollins
you will be more impressive from the confidence you gain in yourself than from the muscle you build.
Finally, there is more than one girl in the world. spend time with other people.
posted by jander03 at 7:40 AM on May 4, 2015
This thread is closed to new comments.
On the other hand, does she like muscley dudes? Do you actually want to be one? These are very important questions that, I realize, you did not ask here, but should probably be considered.
posted by rhooke at 6:47 PM on May 1, 2015