Is anyone into bodybuilding? I need some practical help?

Alnico

This is so not me it's stupid but i have no choice.

I've never needed a Gym, i was a trucker and got all the excercise i needed at work. I *had* a fireman's build but in my last year on the road 204 - '15, i kind of let myself go pulling containers (almost no physical work involved whatsoever) and i went up to 16 stone with a belly for England. 

Then my Stomach / Bowel / Arse went into meltdown and i ended up where i am now, housebound and waiting for NHS operation after operation to fix it. Without dragging all that out again, i'm looking at around another two years of this.

Patience is a virtue that comes easy to me these days so i can deal with this but i've now got a spin off problem.

Obviously around recovery time from surgeries i won't be able to do this but for the long periods in between i really need to do something about this.

I've done Fuck all for almost a year now, since last October when i fell ill.
I've lost all the weight, i'm down to 75kg and at 6ft tall, i'm happy with that.
What i'm not happy with is how my chest, arms and legs have all turned into some kind of old stuffed toy appearance. I've lost all the muscle definition and the joints of the limbs look ridiculous, like they're barely attached to me.
My chest measures 39", My arms around the tricep/bicep are 12" and 13" tensed up - my forearms are bigger !
My waist is 33" and i haven't bothered measured my legs because they don't even look like mine anymore.

This has nothing to do with mega health chasing nor is it vanity. I look ill and i feel fucking horrible every time i catch sight of myself. I need help.

My body will always be a 'Theme Park' rather than a 'Temple' but i can't let it go to the point i look barely alive.

I haven't got the mobility to go to the gym but i can train at home. If my 'Illness' becomes a physical problem at home i can stop and lie down if needed so i'm looking at free weights.

How should I go about this and what is the kind of diet I need to supplement this?

I'm also going to be rattling like a pill box with diet supplements such as (of the top of my head):
L-lysine
L-ornithine
L-arginine
zinc
saw palmetto
lecithin
Vit E
Testosterone booster

Have i missed anything off that list? (For 'Other Reasons', i already know i need the stuff listed above and a few others i can't remember)

Can anyone help me with a free weight routine that will concentrate on pecs, arms and stomach and a physical routine that will build legs, stomach and buttocks?

What weights set should i buy (up to around £80 maybe)

Also any dietary advice would be great.

If i get hold of this now i can get it back but much more of this and i'm going to be rocking the 'Eating Disorder' look without really trying at all.
I'd just like to be able to feel a bit more comfortable in the company of men who look at the very least healthy.
I'm sick enough of being ill without fucking looking like it all the time.

Cheers if you can help.

birdo

What level of core strength do you still have? As if your core is weakened due to your illness free weights could cause you to place a lot of tension on this area. If it's not a problem I would suggest kettle bells, body weight training ( possibly trx suspension style training ) and maybe resistance bands. If you core is delicate then you need to look for isolation exercises , take the load off that area.

fretmeister

I suggest making an appointment with a genuine Dietitian.

NOT a "nutritionist" as anyone can claim to be one. "Dietitian" is a protected term.

Be very careful indeed with exercise while waiting for surgery and after. I wasn't allowed to do more than 15 mins walking per day for months - and all I had was a bilateral hernia.

Alnico

birdo said:

What level of core strength do you still have? As if your core is weakened due to your illness free weights could cause you to place a lot of tension on this area. If it's not a problem I would suggest kettle bells, body weight training ( possibly trx suspension style training ) and maybe resistance bands. If you core is delicate then you need to look for isolation exercises , take the load off that area.

When you say "Core Strength", do you mean my stomach area?

(If this was guitar lessons, imagine i don;t even know what a fret is or how many strings it has, let alone what the mixolydian mode is. I have *Never* been near any of this in my life.

If so, it's ok still.
It's not delicate as such, i'm just told to avoid straining to avoid aggravating the Hemorrhoids prior to surgery,............which keeps getting cancelled and put back by months each time so in the meantime they can fuck off. I will train until the 'Problem' becomes a problem and stop then if i have to. I'm not sitting here for another two years wasting away.  

octatonic

Hi mate,

Weight training, rather than bodybuilding- much like I like riding motorbikes but I don't consider myself a motorbike racer.

If you are going from doing nothing then I'd suggest having a look at Scooby's site here: http://scoobysworkshop.com
This is a great site with a minimum of 'bro-science'.

As far as what you can do- I don't know how mobile you are but a beginner routine might look like this:

20 body weight squats.
10 push ups.
20 walking lunges.
10 dumbbell rows
15 second plank.
30 jumping Jacks.
Repeat for 3-5 times.
Up the intensity by reducing the break in between exercises.
You hardly need any gear to do it- few dumbbells is all you need, everything else is bodyweight.
 
Supplements are mostly a waste of time, especially if you are new to lifting.
You can't supplement your way into fitness- you do it with a balanced diet and regular lifting.

As far as buying weights- £80 isn't much.
Look on gumtree and try to find some dumbbells, maybe a bar and weights in 2.5, 5, 10kg sizes.

The issue with doing it alone is you have no-one to check technique.
Two shoulder reconstructions have taught me that technique is everything.
For instance- it is possible to do a dumbbell row incorrectly with a much higher weight than it is to do it properly.
I've seen guys do it wrong with 25kg dumbbells.
When you show them the correct technique they are lucky to do 10kg.
Just going for it is the easiest way I know to get inured and end up quitting.

It is very hard to teach yourself this stuff without getting it wrong and getting it wrong it will mean either that you don't see the benefits or you get injured.
I strongly advise you hire a personal trainer at least once to show you the correct technique.

lloyd

fretmeister said:

I suggest making an appointment with a genuine Dietitian.

NOT a "nutritionist" as anyone can claim to be one. "Dietitian" is a protected term.

Be very careful indeed with exercise while waiting for surgery and after. I wasn't allowed to do more than 15 mins walking per day for months - and all I had was a bilateral hernia.

I think this is what you should be concentrating on, along with going to see your Dr and discussing what you can and can't do.

I think that having never done anything like this before, and convalescing from surgeries, I'd be looking at joining a gym and working with a personal trainer/the Dr for the initial weeks or months.

Might cost a few quid (it's not that expensive in fairness) but it's not something you want to get wrong.

Alnico

fretmeister said:

I suggest making an appointment with a genuine Dietitian.

NOT a "nutritionist" as anyone can claim to be one. "Dietitian" is a protected term.

Be very careful indeed with exercise while waiting for surgery and after. I wasn't allowed to do more than 15 mins walking per day for months - and all I had was a bilateral hernia.

Whilst i have always listened to your advice and thought it to be great and kind of you, in this instance i'm not going to.
I am however grateful for it and don't wish to come across badly.
I've weighed this up (No pun intended) and i would rather take that chance than live with this any longer.
Anything i do will be a trade off.

I will however try to find a 'Dietitian' as i agree with you that's the best way to get the best info on what i need.

This isn't an easy decision but i'm in a corner. It's not strictly the best way out, just the least worst.

Alnico

@octatonic ;
@lloyd ;

I agree with both of you in lots of ways.

Lots to think about, thanks.

Bygone_Tones

Sounds like you are way over-complicating things to me, doing too much research. The most important thing when starting out is to keep it simple and enjoy it, so you keep up the willpower to carry on. Over complicate it and make it boring and you will just end up giving up.
 
 Most those elements in your list will come with any decent source of natural protein such as fish, chicken, meat, or eggs I would imagine.

Also there is no need to isolate muscle groups like biceps or buttocks because they will get worked anyway when you do your main core exercises. 

This 'scooby' routine was working really well for me until I stopped exercising. The only equipment you need is a pull-up bar, and some dumb-bells:

Mon, Wed, Fri - Squats, Push-ups, Pull-ups, Rotisserie (takes 20 - 30 mins)
Tue, Thu, Sat - Do 20 to 30 mins cardio (walking, cycing, whatever)

http://scoobysworkshop.com/beginning-workout-plan/

Diet-wise, just use common sense. Dont eat the stuff you know is bad for you - cakes, biscuits, pizzas. Do eat lots of veg, and one portion of good protein with each meal. Vary it as much as you can and you should cover all your nutritional requirements

capo4th

Steroids will make you mad 

octatonic

Bygone_Tones said:

Sounds like you are way over-complicating things to me, doing too much research. The most important thing when starting out is to keep it simple and enjoy it, so you keep up the willpower to carry on. Over complicate it and make it boring and you will just end up giving up.
 
 Most those elements in your list will come with any decent source of natural protein such as fish, chicken, meat, or eggs I would imagine.

Also there is no need to isolate muscle groups like biceps or buttocks because they will get worked anyway when you do your main core exercises. 

This 'scooby' routine was working really well for me until I stopped exercising. The only equipment you need is a pull-up bar, and some dumb-bells:

Mon, Wed, Fri - Squats, Push-ups, Pull-ups, Rotisserie (takes 20 - 30 mins)
Tue, Thu, Sat - Do 20 to 30 mins cardio (walking, cycing, whatever)

http://scoobysworkshop.com/beginning-workout-plan/

Diet-wise, just use common sense. Dont eat the stuff you know is bad for you - cakes, biscuits, pizzas. Do eat lots of veg, and one portion of good protein with each meal. Vary it as much as you can and you should cover all your nutritional requirements

Wiz'd.

Alnico

Thanks for all the advice. I will be using it all to come up with something i'm capable of without doing any / too much damage.

So to use dumbells along with core excercises and also assuming i go look up the correct technique,.....

Surely i would start with a certain weight on dumbells and then gradually work up to heavier weights?

I've seen some 'Fixed Weight' dumbells (Mens health) which are quite reasonable priced as pairs and i thought i might be able to get the heavier ones as i go, meaning not immediately - or have i got this wrong?

They are (all 2x....)
5kg,
8kg,
10kg,
15kg

They've got rubberised ends and look pretty good but will the 5kg be enough to start with (total 10kg)?

Drew_TNBD

Last year I got into that Scooby workout - something very similar anyway - and had a lot of fun with it. I don't think I had much success, but I did notice more muscular definition. I let it slip though, and haven't really gotten back into a 3 nights a week routine. Need to really up my game on that.

lloyd

Drew_TNBD said:

Last year I got into that Scooby workout - something very similar anyway - and had a lot of fun with it. I don't think I had much success, but I did notice more muscular definition. I let it slip though, and haven't really gotten back into a 3 nights a week routine. Need to really up my game on that.

Perfect time to get back into that lad.

birdo

Personally I would skip buying weights for now and start with a bodyweight plan . The issue with only having a few weights is they are too heavy for some exercises and too light for others. I like a 100 rep circuit . I pick a few exercises ( push ups, sit ups, dips on 2 chairs , pull ups , squats , lunges , star jumps, etc ) then do a hundred reps in total made up of various exercises. ( 10 squats ,15 press ups etc till I reach a 100 then rest ) . It doesn't take long and you can go through it as many times as you like. Whatever you go for is a bit like learning the guitar you need to get the basics down first . Build a solid base and then work towards perhaps a weight bench and bar . Trying to lift too heavy too early can lead to injury . 

Iamnobody

Alnico said:

Thanks for all the advice. I will be using it all to come up with something i'm capable of without doing any / too much damage.

So to use dumbells along with core excercises and also assuming i go look up the correct technique,.....

Surely i would start with a certain weight on dumbells and then gradually work up to heavier weights?

I've seen some 'Fixed Weight' dumbells (Mens health) which are quite reasonable priced as pairs and i thought i might be able to get the heavier ones as i go, meaning not immediately - or have i got this wrong?

They are (all 2x....)
5kg,
8kg,
10kg,
15kg

They've got rubberised ends and look pretty good but will the 5kg be enough to start with (total 10kg)?

Just a thought but by the time you've bought those pairs you are probably more than half way towards a Bowflex or similar adjustable set.

http://www.fitness-superstore.co.uk/bowflex-2-24-kg-selecttech-dumbbells-pair.html

It might be worth considering starting with the body weight stuff and saving up.

Storing 8 Dumbbells might be fine if you have a large place, but if you are short on space the Bowflex would be perfect... and are much lighter (and heavier) than you proposed fixed weight pairs, and are also adjustable in small increments.

You will need more than 15kg for some exercises in the end if you stick at it...plus starting at only 2kg the Bowflex could be used by the Mrs.

octatonic

Alnico said:

Thanks for all the advice. I will be using it all to come up with something i'm capable of without doing any / too much damage.

So to use dumbells along with core excercises and also assuming i go look up the correct technique,.....

Surely i would start with a certain weight on dumbells and then gradually work up to heavier weights?

I've seen some 'Fixed Weight' dumbells (Mens health) which are quite reasonable priced as pairs and i thought i might be able to get the heavier ones as i go, meaning not immediately - or have i got this wrong?

They are (all 2x....)
5kg,
8kg,
10kg,
15kg

They've got rubberised ends and look pretty good but will the 5kg be enough to start with (total 10kg)?

With the right technique, yes.
5kg is a good weight for a dumbbell tricep extension
You can probably lift 3 times that with your shoulder out of position or throwing the weight around.
If you are doing the right movement then 5kg is all you need to begin with.

Have a look at this for the correct technique:

Gassage

Mark- google matt Lovell - call him and tell him we're friends. He will help - England Rugby Dietician.

Gassage

Re weights- get therabands and use your body weight.

speshul91

Therabands are great. I'm using one for my shoulder injury.

ourmaninthenorth

I've had success with one of these...piece of piss to use. Only really useful for upper body though...

https://www.bodyblade.com/