Apr 26, 2012 5:54 AM GMT
Hey everyone! So I'm trying to gain muscle since I'm sick of being skinny. Stats: age 21, height 5'5"
I started lifting during summer last year, and now it has been about 8 months. I started out pretty slow, since I was a beginner and had no experience with this stuff. I probably couldn't bench the bar or do ten consecutive push ups back then =(
For the first couple of months, I did all the wrong exercises and didn't see any progress. Then someone suggested that I should work on calisthenics exercises (pull-ups, push-ups, lunges, etc.) to build basic strength and that was when I actually began to see progress and felt stronger. I stayed with calisthenics for a while, then started lifting weights when I felt strong enough to do so. Now I do compound lifts three times a week and cardio twice a week.
-DB Bench: 45 lbs, 6-7 reps, 4 sets
or
-BB Bench: 100 lbs, 5-6 reps, 3 sets
I feel like dumbbells are getting heavier to carry around and lift up, so I was thinking of switching to barbells. The problem with that is that I've only BB bench in the past when I had a friend spot me. I'm kinda scared of doing it alone since the whole thing might come down on me if I mess up.
-Various abs exercise
-Squats: 145 lbs, 8 reps, 3 sets
-Pull-ups: 12 reps, 3 sets
Pull-ups have been my primary exercise to workout my back, but I wonder if I should switch to rows.
BEFORE
120 lbs
[IMG]http://i1167.photobucket.com/albums/q631/OblivionWalker/005.jpg[/IMG]
[IMG]http://i1167.photobucket.com/albums/q631/OblivionWalker/004.jpg[/IMG]
[IMG]http://i1167.photobucket.com/albums/q631/OblivionWalker/002.jpg[/IMG]
AFTER
138 lbs
[IMG]http://i1167.photobucket.com/albums/q631/OblivionWalker/IMG_0376.jpg[/IMG]
[IMG]http://i1167.photobucket.com/albums/q631/OblivionWalker/IMG_0378.jpg[/IMG]
[IMG]http://i1167.photobucket.com/albums/q631/OblivionWalker/IMG_0379.jpg[/IMG]
[IMG]http://i1167.photobucket.com/albums/q631/OblivionWalker/IMG_0384.jpg[/IMG]
I realize that I can probably do better in 8 months if I had all the time I needed, but I don't, being a student and all. CS is a very stressful major and sometimes it gets really hard trying to balance school, sleep, and workouts. But I do try my best to go work out each week, despite the fact that it can get tough sometimes.
Anyways, comments/suggestions? Anything I should switch up or add for my workout? I'm looking forward to hearing back!
I started lifting during summer last year, and now it has been about 8 months. I started out pretty slow, since I was a beginner and had no experience with this stuff. I probably couldn't bench the bar or do ten consecutive push ups back then =(
For the first couple of months, I did all the wrong exercises and didn't see any progress. Then someone suggested that I should work on calisthenics exercises (pull-ups, push-ups, lunges, etc.) to build basic strength and that was when I actually began to see progress and felt stronger. I stayed with calisthenics for a while, then started lifting weights when I felt strong enough to do so. Now I do compound lifts three times a week and cardio twice a week.
-DB Bench: 45 lbs, 6-7 reps, 4 sets
or
-BB Bench: 100 lbs, 5-6 reps, 3 sets
I feel like dumbbells are getting heavier to carry around and lift up, so I was thinking of switching to barbells. The problem with that is that I've only BB bench in the past when I had a friend spot me. I'm kinda scared of doing it alone since the whole thing might come down on me if I mess up.
-Various abs exercise
-Squats: 145 lbs, 8 reps, 3 sets
-Pull-ups: 12 reps, 3 sets
Pull-ups have been my primary exercise to workout my back, but I wonder if I should switch to rows.
BEFORE
120 lbs
[IMG]http://i1167.photobucket.com/albums/q631/OblivionWalker/005.jpg[/IMG]
[IMG]http://i1167.photobucket.com/albums/q631/OblivionWalker/004.jpg[/IMG]
[IMG]http://i1167.photobucket.com/albums/q631/OblivionWalker/002.jpg[/IMG]
AFTER
138 lbs
[IMG]http://i1167.photobucket.com/albums/q631/OblivionWalker/IMG_0376.jpg[/IMG]
[IMG]http://i1167.photobucket.com/albums/q631/OblivionWalker/IMG_0378.jpg[/IMG]
[IMG]http://i1167.photobucket.com/albums/q631/OblivionWalker/IMG_0379.jpg[/IMG]
[IMG]http://i1167.photobucket.com/albums/q631/OblivionWalker/IMG_0384.jpg[/IMG]
I realize that I can probably do better in 8 months if I had all the time I needed, but I don't, being a student and all. CS is a very stressful major and sometimes it gets really hard trying to balance school, sleep, and workouts. But I do try my best to go work out each week, despite the fact that it can get tough sometimes.
Anyways, comments/suggestions? Anything I should switch up or add for my workout? I'm looking forward to hearing back!