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16 y/o new to fitness training + a question

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  • 16 y/o new to fitness training + a question

    Hey everyone, I am a 16 y/o male, 6ft 150lb slim body type, hoping to gain some muscle and start looking like a real man. One question though, for those who use the app, how is the default routine for a beginner with a body type like mine? And also, when should I start thinking about "upgrading" the intensity of my routine? Thank you guys, this truly seems like a great community.
    -James

  • #2
    First thing, welcome. Starting lifting is the best thing you can do for your health and fitness, in my opinion, after nailing down a solid nutrition plan. Being that you are 16 and pumping full of hormones right now, you're almost on natural steroids. Any routine that has you moving weight and learning the proper form of the exercises. Like robertrogo said, the beginner is sufficient, or you can check out a book called Starting Strength, by Mark Rippetoe. Once you have the main barbell movements down, you'll probably adjust some goals and that will help define your next routine. No matter the routine, I highly encourage you to make strength the cornerstone.

    Other factors to make sure you address: Diet - Make sure you are eating plenty of calories from animal based protein sources, healthy fats like avocados, eggs, coconut oil and olive oil and getting most of your carbs from veggies and low sugar fruits. You're young, so you can get away with more cheats, but at your age I'd advise you to just learn to eat clean now so you won't have to undo any bad habits later; Sleep - We don't grow when we lift, we grow when we sleep. Make sure you're getting at least 8 hours of solid sleep; Mobility - Being that you are young, mobility and flexibility shouldn't be too much of an issue, but, take it from an old guy, it will be down the road so keep working on that. Not just static stretching, but dynamic as well. Look up DeFranco's Agile 8 and Simple 6 as well as the book "Becoming a Supple Leopard"

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    • #3
      Wow. Great advice from both Robert and Travis. The only thing I can add to what has already been said is track your calories broken down by macros (Protein, Carbs and fats) and track your measurements. Hopefully somebay Jefit will include nutrition tracking but until then, I'd recommend looking at myfitnesspal. Take periodic pictures to stay motivated. If you are doing a solid strength training routine and feel you are making no progress, take a look at your calorie intake. You may need to bump up.

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      • #4
        Starting strength is a good program but the availability of olympic equipment and/or your gyms attitude to dropping weights may limit its use to you. Stronglifts is basically a slightly modified version with some marketing. There are also other modified versions such as ICF5x5. What they all have in common is that they favour compound barbell movements such as squat, deadlifts and bench press for main muscle groups which I think is very sound. I strongly suggest that you try to work on using proper form (even if you have to use less weight, doing it wrong with more weight equates to not doing the exercise right with any weight) and lifting safely.

        Nutrition is important but not something to obsess over. Get sufficient protein and fat and calories each day to grow. If you are growing too much in the wrong way you may have overestimated how many calories you need or how much you take in.

        I strongly agree with previous poster who stressed the importance of sleep. I remember when I were your age, my sleeping was all over the place and it does you no favours long term.

        PS. My personal opinion is that Smith machines are not as good as regular barbells as it means you do not develop stabilising muscles and forces some movements into an unnatural range. Others may swear in favour of it though.. I've just never met one.

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