I guess I'm one of the few people who is looking to put on some weight.

After years of eating disorder which has left me with a BMI of 15.6, 12-13% body fat, saggy boobs at the age of 18, a deflated bum, and chicken arms - I have finally had a wake up call. 2 years ago I was BMI 18, boobs size 28H - do you guys think I will get my boobs back? or is that just an impossible dream...?

Before summer I had a six pack, but traveling during summer and the plunge back into school really hit me and I lost ALOT of muscle mass.

I'm scared of the changes to my body. That's why I want to inform myself as much as possible about how to gain muscle weight with minimal fat, how to best exercises to encourage muscle growth and what exercises to do. I have an idea...but I really need something concreate. I can do 2-3 sets of 20reps of almost all exercises I have come across (tricep dips, bicept curls, launges, reverse sit ups, cruches, wide squats(sometimes I just hold this one for 30secs) So I wouldnt say I'm a beginner....

I'm willing to invest in weights and such and I can go to the gym once a week (free from school). I just need someone to help me figure out what to do.

Also, I'm a bit anxious about nutrition. I dont want to go back to routine and staple foods and such. I have done so much work on intuitive eating, but some guildlines would be appreciated. For example, my BMR is 1500cals, how much over that should I eat to encourage muscle gain and how many servings of protein a day? I'm scared of sudden change, but if suddens change means more muscle then I'm willing to take the challange. Or, how much should the scales go up by in a week?

I used to log everything down (cals protein fats carbs) online...but I really dont want to get back to that.

Dont hesitate to ask any questions that will help you help me get some meat on!

Hi and welcome to the forums.
Well, I'll just throw some typicals at you.
typically people will go to the gym at least 2-3 times per week for most effective transformations (whether fat loss or muscle gain is the goal).
typically you will not do 20 reps of an exercise, if you are, than you are using too little weight. the typical rep range is 8-10. You need to choose a weight for that exercise that you con only do 8-10 times and you don't have the strength to do it 11 times. This amount of weight is the typical amount that people found will stimulate the muscle and allow for growth.
For nutrition, people typically eat a diet high in lean protein and slow digesting carbs. Lean meat and vegetables are a great combo. This means having protein when you wake up (eggs), at lunch (chicken) and at dinner (fish?). Typically you will need to throw a few more meals in there.
1: when you wake up,
2: mid morning snack,
3: at lunch,
4: two-three hours after lunch,
5: dinner,
6: snack before bed.

When you eat clean food, you can actually eat a whole lot of food because it is less calorie dense than bad food. I wrote a sticky that goes into more detail. Many of the basic principles would apply to muscle gain as fat loss. The thing that determines which happens, muscle gain or fat loss, is how much food you eat. Keep this in mind. The type of weight lifting you do, does not determine how big you get. It is only the amount of food you eat. Eat more calories than you need, you will grow. Make them clean calories and stimulate the muscle with weight lifting and you will grow muscle. Make them unclean food and don't workout and you will just store more fat.
these are some basics. perhaps others can provide more muscle building specifics.
good luck! :)

Thank you.

Id need a list of exercises to do per muscle group.

If I do streangh exercises every other day, should I do full body or rather concentrate on one/two muscle group each day? i.e if I devide it in midsection, arms and lower body. So that I dont feel sore and can push myself a bit more? I'd love to work on my back aswell (the more muscles the better really) but I got no clue about any exercises on this subject.

Also, I dont have weights, I could buy, but I'd need advice on this...
Are there any alternatives on how to work with your body weight?

Also, cardio. I can skip the rope for 10min high intensity, but I feel like that makes my legs flimsy even before I start launges/squats. Aside from that, would that be a good warm up/cool down?

As well, I'm used to being sore for a few days after a workout, I just want to know what level is normal and that I'm not actually doing more damage then good...could someone enlighten me?

As for food...If you tell me to eat meat and vegetables I'll loose weight. That to me is diet food, not eating normal or eating more then needed. I looked at some diets fitness models have and I was amazed they dont loose weight!

Sorry for the very long post, I should really try be more concise...

Make sure you take in some good fats daily for health, good hormones, weight gain etc

eg butter, evoo, avocados, fatty fish, whole eggs, full fat milk (unless you are lactsoe intolerant, beef, pork, lamb, coconut oil

:tu:

Thank you.

Id need a list of exercises to do per muscle group.

If I do streangh exercises every other day, should I do full body or rather concentrate on one/two muscle group each day? i.e if I devide it in midsection, arms and lower body. So that I dont feel sore and can push myself a bit more? I'd love to work on my back aswell (the more muscles the better really) but I got no clue about any exercises on this subject.

Also, I dont have weights, I could buy, but I'd need advice on this...
Are there any alternatives on how to work with your body weight

I would recommend you read through the stickies in the beginner's forum (http://forums.johnstonefitness.com/showthread.php?t=45975). The information in there will help you set up a basic program. I think you'll get a lot more responses on your ideas when you have a rough plan. :gl:

Thank you.

Id need a list of exercises to do per muscle group.


In the fat loss sticky that I wrote I give several examples of a workout plan based on 3 days a week. Tells you what exercises I did. Different muscle groups each day. If you want something spelled out exactly, you can start there. But you will find as you go you want to tailor things for yourself based on what you like.

This can really be as involved or as simple as you want it to be. You could just do upper body, than lower body and alternate every time you go to the gym.

You can learn what exercises and how to do them online, but if you really have no experience, you have a couple options. Try to learn on your on, from the web and going and trying it yourself. Find a friend that is into it and see what they do/learn from them. Go to a gym (commercial/school) and take one of the intro weight lifting classes or demonstrations from one of their trainers.

I learned my way around the weight room in highschool from sports, but then got much more educated reading on my own.

For nutrition, you can make lean protein, vegetables and other slow digesting carbs and healthy fats as a goal. This is clean food. But you can be less strict if you want. But you should still make most of your food healthy. You don't want to eat fried, greasy food. Even when adding weight, and since you want it to be muscle and not fat, you should eat healthy food. Just eat a lot of it.

You will gain some fat in the process, unless you are very strict. Fitness models are very strict because they want to have a very low fat percentage.

You guys are all so sweet! THANK YOU SOOOOO MUCH!

I've been dong so much reading! And it was all so interesting!!!

So here is the skelleton of my plan. Please give your opinion on better exercises/exercises I should include/if I'm over doing it.

I decided to do a 3 days a week split routine rather then a fullbody. Should I stick to 2 sets for a few weeks (if so how many?) so I can increase later so the body doesnt adjust? Or would that cause me to not build up enough if I dont challange it enough at first?

I also need advice on weights. I got these plastic balls filled with sand that are meant for pilates exercises. Each on is 1.5kg. I can do bicept curls with BOTH in one hand (3kg, quite hard to hold! I got small hands! haha) FOREVER. So do you think 5kg weights would be good to buy?

Also, how do i do so I can only do 8-10reps on abdominal exercises? Cause even with 3kg on my chest I can easily do 20reps.

Workout one (arms, shoulders, chest):
10min skipping rope
10min pilates, emphasis on upper body.
8-10 reps push ups, 2-3sets
8-10 reps tricept dips, 2-3 sets
??? reps lateral shoulder raises, 2-3 sets

Workout2 (Abdominal)
10min full body pilates
10min abdominal pilates
???reps bicycle exercise 2-3sets
10-12 reps full vertical cruches 2-3sets
60sec plank, 2-3sets
60sec side plank, 2-3sets, right/left.

Workout3 (legs, bum):
10min skipping rope
10min pilates emphasis on legs
60sec wide squats, 2-3sets
10 reps each leg launges with 3kg.

And must remember to stretch after each!!!


Diet:


What happens If i do follow this plan and I dont eat enough? (by mistake or anxiaty?) Also, the more I eat, sure only a certain amount of mucle growth can happen per week, how many cals would that be? should these cals solemly come from extra protein? And is it true that if you eat white flour and sweets that gets converted into fat because its processed quicker? Surely not if you dont over do your daily calorie expenditure or/and not slipping on the amount of protein?

I wouldnt mind a bit of fat on me - I miss my boobs! I'm just scared of the distribution of it....
Also, I'm scared of too big of a change in my body, cause I dont really trust I can do this well enough. So i'm trying to over eat by 300cals 4days a week and to maintain at 1500cals 3 days a week. I do eat a variaty of foods and I'm not scared of fats (anymore), I still freak a bit about crabs(Someone slap me? Like, I throw away half the bread in a sandwich or only eat half the noodles that I PACKED, resualting in -100cals or more).

I try to eat what I want/crave rather then what I should eat. I eat as much of it as to be satisfied(usuasally same amount fo cals as the salad), rather then have the salad, eat it all and desperatly thinking about food, distroying my concentration. I do crave salads sometimes as well!:)

With that said I have no respect for fast food chains and most "unhealthy" "unclean foods" - people say it tastes sooooo good, I just think they have been programmed by the media to think it tastes so good - really not worth the hype.

Thanks again. I know some of my thinking is ilogical, and I dont mind someone to help me think logical. Hope all my questions are a bit more concises....

I still freak a bit about crabs

I'm sure you meant carbs but I had to quote you anyway for the lulz :lol:

I feel like I get the best results doing compound exercises: namely military press for shoulders; deadlifts for my back, butt, and hamstrings; bench press for my chest; and squats for my legs and bum. I don't know enough about Pilates to judge that but my guess is that once a week for core is plenty.

You do not need to devote an entire workout to abs. You can throw in some prone bridges to another workout once or twice a week.

Google the Starting Strength program. Try to get to the gym three days a week. If you can only go one day a week, try to get those big compound exercises in. Also google body weight exercises for strength training. The push ups and dips you've listed are great.

For more on form, I recommend purusing stumptuous.com.

In short, the exercise plan you list looks like the plan of someone trying to get lean and not someone trying to get strong! You can do it!

EDIT: Just to be clear, you don't need to exercise to get lean because you already are lean. You need to exercise to get strong -- and you can be strong and lean if you continue to eat right and lift some serious weights. Through your work to overcome your eating disorder, you've already shown that you can do this. Relatively, really this is so much easier.

I'm glad to see a woman who knows that putting on muscle is a good thing. I get so tired of seeing women who are just skinny, or way overweight with no real concern about actually building some muscle mass. Moderate muscle mass looks GOOD on women and helps shape things very nicely.

Good luck, I'm sure you'll be able to pull off a lot!

THANK YOU MODMAVEN!

Your right, I know exactly how to make a plan to get lean - and I thought I was doing quite well setting that up!haha The pilates does make your muscle burn like hell, and its fun, and its basically all body weight exercises. But are you refering to the skipping rope?

Abs are close to my heart as I actually had a 6pack before summer, I'm so pissed off for literally wasting that away!:bang: So anyone have any suggestions for ab workout?

Would it be impossible for me to do all this streangth training at home? I know, I know, I'm being difficult. I mean, all those compund exercises could easily be done at home with barbells...if I get 2 5kg ones? Or am I being silly? And bench press is basically a push up?

Thanks for the stumptous.com link! It really is good for explaining good form!

THIS IS EASIER?! Doubt it...but maybe I just think so because its so much unknown territory and I tend to be miss know it all....INTIMIDATING! haha

Would it be impossible for me to do all this streangth training at home? I know, I know, I'm being difficult. I mean, all those compund exercises could easily be done at home with barbells...if I get 2 5kg ones? Or am I being silly? And bench press is basically a push up?



ur not gonna put on much muscle doing bodyweight exercises or stuff with 5 kg dumbbells.

u need to eat a lot of quality food and progressively lift heavier and heavier weights.

i'm not sure ur getting what modmaven is telling you. you need to learn the BIG exercises modmaven listed (squats, presses, deadlifts, pullups, dips) and not focus on the "endurance" exercises ur listed plan seems big on.

sure you can do them at home but ur gonna need a lot more weight than 5 kg. :nod:

i'm not sure ur getting what modmaven is telling you. you need to learn the BIG exercises modmaven listed (squats, presses, deadlifts, pullups, dips) and not focus on the "endurance" exercises ur listed plan seems big on.

sure you can do them at home but ur gonna need a lot more weight than 5 kg. :nod:

+1

Dejavued is 100% correct. You're going to have to do some real weight lifting. Not the silly super-light dumbbell stuff they always give to women to do.

Dejavued is 100% correct. You're going to have to do some real weight lifting. Not the silly super-light dumbbell stuff they always give to women to do.

I was tthinking more of 20kg adjustable ones. E.g. This: http://www.amazon.co.uk/York-20kg-Cast-Iron-Case/dp/B000N3T0VE/ref=tag_dpp_lp_edpp_ttl_in (http://www.amazon.co.uk/York-20kg-Cast-Iron-Case/dp/B000N3T0VE/ref=tag_dpp_lp_edpp_ttl_in)
Opinion on those would be appreciated before I buy them.

I'm on 3 forums atm, some helped me and we came together to this work out plan. Better?

Push 3 sets 8-10 reps 60 sec rest between sets
Push ups (I know I really should be bench press, but seriously, you should see my chicken arms! I can't do PROPPER ones (it's sad, cause back in the day I could do 3....) I have to bring my feet like 3-4inches closer to be able to do 8-10.) [/COLOR]
Over head press
Tricep Dips (hands on chair, legs straigth)
Bicycles
Full body pilates
Rope

Pull 3 sets 8-10 reps 60 sec rest between sets
Deadlift
Bent over rows (single arm or double)
Curls
Planks 60 sec hold
Side planks 60 sec hold
Pilates abs
Rope

Legs 3 set 8-10 reps 60 sec rest between sets

Squat w/ weight held at sides... (I always keep it in the middle, is that ok?)
Lunges
Step ups (how high?)
Vertical crunches
Pilates legs
Rope

For clarification, all the exercises I listed are to be done with weight not as body weight exercises, with the exception of the push ups...

Now, I initially put the rope in because I thought that was a good warm up...but she said its better at the end:confused: Surly a bit of cardio cant hurt, if anything help out....

Also, I did my pushups yesterday, last set was all failures at the end, but my arms dont hurt that much. I can say the tricep dips worked! So what level of pain the next day should I feel to know it's all working so to speak?

I'm on 3 forums atm, some helped me and we came together to this work out plan. Better?

:nod: MUCH better.


Also, I did my pushups yesterday, last set was all failures at the end, but my arms dont hurt that much. I can say the tricep dips worked! So what level of pain the next day should I feel to know it's all working so to speak?

doms (delayed onset muscle soreness) often happens after working out a muscle.....but it really isn't a good indicator of whether it's "working" or not.

if you make sure you add weight or reps over time, and eat enough food, it'll definitely "work". :tucool: