Basic Workout advice Needed

[hulkoutlvr]

Hey guys,

I'm just starting out (age 32, height 5,5, weight 140, arms 13, chest 33, you get the picture) and I need to formulate a basic workout routine to broaden my shoulders and chest and slap a little beef on my arms. I know I've started late in life, but surely it can't be too late. I gain weight easily so that may or may not be an advantage. I was wondering if anyone can give me a hand with setting myself up on a routine. I am in the gym every day, but have no clue what I'm doing there, except walking around reading the instructions on the machines, and praying the big boys aren't laughing at me. And March 23rd I am taking a trip to meet a man who could possibly be very important in my life. I want to look a little bit better. Is there anything I can do with my physique in one month, if I make a committment to working out every day? I'm not saying I want to be busting out of my clothes by next month, but to have them appear body hugging would be nice, lol. Any help anyone could give would be appreciated. Keep in mind, this is not to impress the guy, he loves me anyway, this is about looking the best I can when I see him. Thanks!

Jeff

[Digibacker]

The first bit of advice I can offer is "patience and persistence." It can take a while to get good, noticable results so don't get discouraged. Above all, don't give up! That's the single biggest reason why people don't attain their goals.

The next bit of advice is rote - "workout hard, eat lots and get plenty of rest." There's a myriad of recommendations for these ones, but I'll offer what has been working for me.

Re: Workout hard: I currently train my whole body twice a week -- a three-day split Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, then a two-day split Saturday and Sunday. I usually only do one set of each exercise, but always to failure. (Sometimes two sets if my primary set failed prematurely or wasn't intense enough.) My rep targets vary depending on excercise, but I only use them as a gauge for performance. e.g. if my base rep for curls is 8, doing 9 means I can raise my weight next time, doing 7 means I might be going too heavy or just having a low energy day.

Re: Eat lots: ...as in constantly. I don't eat a lot per sitting, but eat very frequently. It's not unusual for me to have eight meals per day. Always a good balance of protein, carbs and fibre. (The fibre is important as it helps regulate the metabolism.)

Re: Plenty of rest: I go to bed quite early, usually 9:30pm. Lately I've been waking at 5:00am (on my own, before my alarm), which means I may be under-slept, but at least my body is doing it naturally rather than me forcing myself up. If I'm sleepy on the weekend, I'll take a nap. I have an office job so I don't have much other activity throughout the day. I'll also take a week off working out every 4 to 6 weeks.

[Digibacker]

Oh, I forgot an important one under "Workout hard" -- I CONSTANTLY increase my resistance in small amounts (1 to 5 pounds) every week. Even if my reps drop slightly, I keep at it until they come back up. I will sometimes lower resistance if I want to target a different rep range -- low weight for higher reps give a good muscle-stretching pump on occasion.

[harleyxr]

What he said. All solid excellent advice. It's really that simple. Work your Ass off, Eat Lots and Well and get Plenty of sleep. Only thing is- most people are looking for the 'secret', the quick easy way and aren't willing to do all that. You won't get big in a month, but you can tone nicely and notice some change. You CERTAINLY are NOT starting too late. That's one of the great things about weightlifting, you can continue long after athletes in other sports have burned themselves out. Just keep at it and you will be AMAZED at how you look a year from now. Take some 'before' pics and save them. I sure wish I had!