I need overall advice

[JoshYoung]

I wasn't sure where to post this because I basically need overall advice. I may be asking for too much because my request is not very specific, but any help offered will be greatly appreciated. I am 28 years old and married with two kids. I am 6' 1" and weight 164 pounds. I tried to measure my body fat using the skin caliper method and I came up with 37%. Does this sound like it could be close? I have a cheap plastic skin caliper that I borrowed from a friend and I used a specific formula to calculate it. I can post more info on this if necessary including exactly what I did to measure and calculate. I am prepared to eat six meals a day and get as much protein as possible to get results. My wife and I would like to work out together and because of my schedule, going to a gym 3-4 times per week is not feasible, however, I recently purchased a pretty complete weight bench and weight set that I setup in a spare bedroom in my home and I DO have a budget to purchase more equipment or supplements. I guess I mostly need advice on putting together a workout that will get results as quickly as possible. My major goal is size. Of course, I would like to be stronger, too, but my first priority is size. I have always been skinny and only in the last few years have started to put on some fat in my gut. I am certainly what you would call a hard-gainer. In the last few years I have eaten a LOT of junk and hardly ever put on weight. I would like to bulk up first and then focus on losing fat. So, in terms of a workout, where should I start? Like I said, I'm prepared to workout 3-4 times per week up to two hours at a time. Naturally I've read a lot of information and would like to hear from real people that have had real results. I'm sorry for the long post, but I figured it would be best to include as much background as possible. Thanks for taking the time to read it and thank you for any advice you can give.

[mecalder]

First of all, I will say from my experience: Don't go into a workout looking for fast results, but look to eventually get results. Set small short term goals, like to raise your arm curl by 5 or 10 pounds, or your bench press by 10 pounds, instead of making a long term goal that looks impossible that might be to put on 40 pounds of muscle.

If you have 4 days to train each week I think I would make a workout that consists of supersetting 2 bodyparts. Supersetting, in case you haven't heard that term means to do one exercise, followed by another, then take a break. For each exercise, make sure to use heavy weight, but make sure to warmup your muscles before going to heavy, and don't use so much weight that you can't do the proper form. Here is a good beginner workout I like to use with people that I help to grow muscle:

Day 1 - Legs/Abs
[Squats x 8-10 reps, then Leg Raises to failure (slow reps, full range of motion)] x 4 sets
[Leg Extensions x 10-12 reps, then Crunches slowly to failure] x 4 sets
[Lying Leg Curls x 10-12 reps, then Situps till failure] x 4 sets

Day 2 - Chest/Biceps
[Flat Dumbbell Presses x 8-10 reps, then Standing Barbell Curls x 8-10 reps] 4 sets
[Incline Dumbbell Presses x 8-10 reps, then Seated Alternating Dumbbell Curls x 8-10 reps] 4 sets
[Flat Dumbbell Flyes x 10-12, then Concentration Curls x 6-8] 4 sets
[Barbell Wrist Curls x 12-15 reps, then Reverse Wrist Curls x 20 reps] 2-3 sets

Day 3 - Back/Triceps
[Deadlifts x 8-10 reps, then Close gripped bench presses x 8-10 reps] 4 sets
[Barbell Rows x 8-10 reps, then Overhead EZ Bar Raises x 8-10 reps] 4 sets
[If you have a pulldown machine, do wide gripped pulldowns. If not, Bentover Dumbbell Rows x 8-10, then if you can close gripped pushdowns, if not, use your weight bench to support yourself, and put your feet on a chair, and have your wife, if she will put a plate on your lap, and do as many dips as you can.] 4 sets

Day 4 - Shoulders/Traps
[In front of your face, Overhead Barbell Press x 8-10 reps, then Close Gripped Upright Rows x 8-10] 4 sets
[Standing Side Lateral Dumbbell Raises x 8-10, then Barbell Shrugs x around 15-20 reps] 4 sets
[Bentover Lateral Dumbbell Raises x 8-10, then Dumbbell Shrugs x 12-15 reps] 4 sets

If you think this is too much when you first try it, cut each set of exercises down to 3 sets instead of 4. This should build some good mass for you. I like the 8-10 rep range, because it makes you use light enough weight to get a good feel in the first 5 or 6 reps; then the next couple should be pretty hard to get. Also, for mass gaining I like to start each bodypart with a compound movement, then move to isolation afterwards. And for chest, the reasons I think Dumbbells work better is first, you get more of a range of motion, and second it requires more balance. Get so you can do pretty heavy dumbbell presses, and you'll have a good bench press.

Good luck, and train safe.

[JoshYoung]

Well, when I said fast results, I meant as fast as possible. I guess everyone is looking for results as fast as possible. I guess what I really meant was just results.

So to make sure I understand, the exercises that you listed inside the square brackets are the superset? I'm not sure I understand the purpose of supersetting two exercises that work completely different muscles. I am familiar with supersetting, but I thought the point was to work the same muscle. Please explain.

Anyway, thank you very much for your help. This will definitely get me started. I'm gonna start a new thread about measuring body fat in hopes that I can get some more info on that. Thanks again.

[longhaul]

Supersetting is doing two exercises back to back ,without a break. Some people superset opposing muscle groups. Personally , i prefer to superset the same groups. For example , i'll perform single arm tricep cable pulldowns with rope pushdowns with suplinations (turning palms outward at the end of the movement). Basically you do your one set of one exercise , then , without a break , you move on to the set with the other exercise. It's great for variet , keeping your muscles guessing , time management and it also provides a great burn and pump. As for bulking..it certainly takes time, depending on your metabolism and genetics. Be sure to monitor your diet , eating heavy yet clean. All of these things i'm sure you've read , if you're reading the right books. I suggest the bible of bodybuilding "Arnold Schwarzeneggers' encyclopedia of modern bodybuilding"
Most of all , take your time and monitor your progress and be patient. I personally don't use any bodyfat measurements. I prefer to simply look in the mirror and be honest with myself.
Oh , and welcome to the boards
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