Help me with muscle building/fitness goal

[Buick355]

First off, I apologize in advance for my ignorance in the subject of fitness and muscle building. I'm a newb and know very little. I'm currently 215lbs and 5'10". My goal is to gain some muscle mass, then lose the extra fat, as I've heard this is the order that's most effective.

Here's what I've been doing for the last 4-5 weeks:

-gym 3 times a week with my routine as follows:
Full body work out with about 12 different machines (I'm scared of free weights right now)
2 sets of 15 reps-medium weight
20-25 min of cardio on the bicycle (about all I can do with my messed up knees)
-mountain biking 1-3 times a week, usually for about a hour

My diet probably isn't what it needs to be, but I do generally eat healthy and I have cut out fast food. I know I'm probably still taking in too many calories because I like to eat large portions and I doubt I'm getting enough protein. Maybe I should probably add a protein powder to my diet?

Today I started doing all my usual weight machines but 2 sets of 8 with heavy weights.

I'm not sure if I'm going about this right, there's a lot of conflicting info out there. Some say do full body, heavy weights for no more than 2 sets of 8 reps. Some say break it into upper body one day, lower body the next and do 2 sets of 10-12 reps, etc. Some say cardio is ok, some say limit it to 15 minutes during muscle building. It's confusing to say the least for a beginner.

Thanks for any help

[Ruffdaddy]

First let me say this...don't let your fears decide your fate. Don't be scared of all free weights.

Next, clean up your diet. You know it's shit...fix it. I you want to build muscle you gotta have protein and a good amount of it.

Lastly, I'd suggest going heavier for less reps, as well as breaking down muscle groups. I would never suggest full body workouts if you're trying to build,

Planning cardio right for you will take way more experience to tell you a good number.

[Dinger]

I agree ^^^

Don't be afraid of the free weights.. If you need to start off smaller and build from there.. Building up on machines (in my experience) is kind of a waste of time if you plan on switching to free weights later.. Machines will not let you build the muscles to help control the weight and keep it stable while you do your repetitions. So when you switch it feels awkward and your going to be starting with the smaller weights any way. (this doesn't include all machines.. pulley style machines usually work pretty good in my opinion)

also maybe consider doing 3 sets of medium-heavy weight 10 reps.. I have always believed.. Less reps more weight = more muscle more reps less weight = more fat burn/cutting

If I'm not correct on this subject let me know.. I'm always willing to learn/ switch my routines to give other methods a try.

[EazyDuzIt]

It's really tricky puting on mass and losing weight at the same time. I go through periods where I do cardio 5 days and weights two days to cut. Then I'll switch to weights 5 days and cardio two days for mass. Not everyone is the same, you just have to try what works for you. Diet is the most important thing b/c if you're trying to loose fat you want to be in a deficit with your calories. It's hard to put on mass that way. I'd cut then bulk.

[01yz2nv]

I would prob focus on losing/cutting some weight first, then look at building muscle. Try some high intensity workouts ie crossfit,P90 type stuff. Also for a good fullbody/cardio workout you might look at the airdyne bike and row machines. Most important is diet, cut out the crap and drink water. I cant tell you the last time I had a soda,etc (except for redbulls, its like my kryptonite). Good luck

[Buick355]

I was once told that you should bulk up first because more muscle will burn more calories, making it easier to burn the excess fat. Is there any truth to that? I don't need to do both at once, I just want to come up with an effective plan.

[Ruffdaddy]

I was once told that you should bulk up first because more muscle will burn more calories, making it easier to burn the excess fat. Is there any truth to that? I don't need to do both at once, I just want to come up with an effective plan.

Yes, this is what any body builder will do. If you cut first...expect to either gain a lot back bulking or build muscle at a snails pace. You will probably take a few years to bulk to a decent level if you're really this much of a noob. But you will probably drop some fat as well.

Now if you're in any prohormones or hormone terapy...throw most of that advice out the window and do both!

[Dinger]

I would not "bulk" up just eat right.. good amount of calories (just make sure you stay in a deficit) that way you have energy to lift and exercise. Make sure you take in more protein.. As you build more muscle and strength you will be cutting your fat as well.. You may not see it on the scale.. you may even gain weight.. but as long as your burning more calories then you take in you will lose "fat" weight.. and if your weight training you will gain more muscle mass.

And like the guy posted a few up... Drink lots of water.. I stopped drinking sodas and energy drinks about 7 months ago and changed to almost all water with some juice every once in a while.. I feel 100 times better.. I was amazed by how much better I felt.

[Ruffdaddy]

I would not "bulk" up just eat right.. good amount of calories (just make sure you stay in a deficit) that way you have energy to lift and exercise. Make sure you take in more protein.. As you build more muscle and strength you will be cutting your fat as well.. You may not see it on the scale.. you may even gain weight.. but as long as your burning more calories then you take in you will lose "fat" weight.. and if your weight training you will gain more muscle mass.

And like the guy posted a few up... Drink lots of water.. I stopped drinking sodas and energy drinks about 7 months ago and changed to almost all water with some juice every once in a while.. I feel 100 times better.. I was amazed by how much better I felt.

At a decent calorie deficit....building muscle will be very hard...not impossible but very hard.

[jdgregory84]

I haven't read replies but here's my opinion. You seem to be starting from ground zero which is fucking awesome. Not only did you take a step that a lot of people don't, you want advice. You know that you can't just jog on a treadmill and hit your fitness goals.

I don't know what made you join a gym or what motivated you to make this positive change in your life but props to you for doing so. You want to burn fat and build lean muscle...that's the majority of peoples goals so don't feel alone or anything. You're more normal than you think.

From what I read you're just looking for a basic routine. "What should I do?" There's a lot of great advice here. Ruffdaddy seems to be a normal guy who knows what he's talking about. If you can, try and schedule a workout with him if he's okay with it. If it doesn't work out, PM me and I'll do the best I can to set up a basic workout for you with links to show you form etc...

[Buick355]

Thanks JD! I am definitely starting from ground zero, and I have several motivating factors. My wife has been going to the YMCA every day for the last year or more, but she likes to go at 5:30am, so basically I said F that, I will not get up that early. Well I sit around and get fatter and she's staying in shape. My activity is limited thanks to my knees, and I get really busy with school (engineering student), so I use that as an excuse to be lazy and not exercise. I used to be very active before my knee injuries with ice hockey, skateboarding, dirtbiking, whatever. I ruined my knees about 10 years ago on my dirtbike, since then I've gotten fatter and out of shape. I can only do exercises that are low impact and doesn't put a lot of force on the knees, until I get them fixed (soon I hope). Right now my activities are mainly mountain biking, golf, and occasional dirtbiking. I want to get back into shape so I can enjoy doing these things and have the energy and strength to do them. I also recently went to the doctor for cholesterol testing and found that my bad cholesterol levels are a little high. I have a 9yo girl that I'd like to be able to keep up with. So these are my motivating factors. I just want to have a better quality of life, and stop the miserable fat and lazy cycle. I've been getting up 3 times a week at 5:30 and going to the Y with my wife and doing the routine I posted above and trying to get out on the mountain bike as much as my free time allows without having a heat stroke.

I've been going 3 times a week for the last 4-5 weeks and I can already see and feel a difference. I have more strength, and I can already see a little of the fat disappearing. I'm going to stick with it. It seems to give me more energy, which actually makes it easier to study and gives me more time, since I get up earlier and go to bed earlier.

I'm in east Fort Worth, and I work out at the north Arlington Y. I wouldn't mind swinging by whatever gym you work out at so you can take me to school on this.

[Z06killinsbf]

Great for you. If you ever need a change of pace or some guidelines, check out here http://www.bodybuilding.com/guides/ for some free plans. I'm currently doing the Jim Stoppani's 12 week program and love it. It is something I have never done and it has been kicking my ass. 90% of your gains will be what you eat. Get a good meal plan and you will see results QUICKLY!!. I didn't believe that until I tried it and the right foods make the difference. My gym time is more effective and I feel much better. Just my $.02

[Z06killinsbf]

At a decent calorie deficit....building muscle will be very hard...not impossible but very hard.

True, but losing weight will make you look more muscular. I've lost 25lbs since Jan and I'm not as "big/strong" as I was then but I look much stronger.

[D. Lil]

As stated above do at least 3 sets if not 4 of 8-10 reps to build mass. If you can do 3 sets of 10 with a certain weight then it is time to go up in weight.

Go to lockoutforum.com and read all you can. I believe the owner is on this board and if you are looking for supplements then that is the place to buy them. Will not find them cheaper anywhere else.

I highly recommend taking supplements, it will help you meet your goals much much faster than working out without them. That being said do your research before buying anything!!!! I can't stress this enough and a lot of good research can be done on lockoutforum. Good luck.

[Buick355]

I took a look at that forum D. lil, thanks! Supplements are definitely something that requires research. The opinions and info seems endless. Can someone recommend a good protein powder to start with? From the little bit of research I've done so far Myotein looks like it might be a good choice. It looks like a good protein powder is the most important, is there any other supplements I should consider? I'm currently taking L-carnitine, and I'll be adding the protein powder as soon as I can make an educated decision on one.