How to get started with strength training?

[Taktik]

Hi,

I realized in the last weeks that I need to take my training more seriously. Soon, I will be 40, and what I did until now will not cut it anymore.

It's not the case that I am unfit. I trained three to four times a week for more than a decade. I mainly used a rowing machine in the last two years, and sometimes I did calisthenics, but I never really took the training seriously in the sense that I tried to get better. I trained at least three times a week, even when I did not want to, but I just trained without tracking my progress. So, I am not unfit, but I don't have a lot of muscle mass, and I am also not strong; never was. I also eat a pretty healthy diet (mostly vegetarian and vegan for over five years; I eat meat less than ten times per year - I don't like it anymore).

I have now decided to start lifting weights to gain muscle mass and strength and to be more serious about it.

The only problem is figuring out how or what to do. I have already looked up a lot of information about strength training on the internet in the last couple of days, and I have to say that I feel pretty overwhelmed.
There are so many different options/solutions/suggestions, sometimes even contradicting one another. It's rather confusing.

I hope that someone with experience can help me and get me started in the right direction so that I am doing the most important things that will have the most impact.

Thanks a lot.

 

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[Robdavis]

Send @JLE a DM.

 

[Nightwolf]

Hi,

I realized in the last weeks that I need to take my training more seriously. Soon, I will be 40, and what I did until now will not cut it anymore.

It's not the case that I am unfit. I trained three to four times a week for more than a decade. I mainly used a rowing machine in the last two years, and sometimes I did calisthenics, but I never really took the training seriously in the sense that I tried to get better. I trained at least three times a week, even when I did not want to, but I just trained without tracking my progress. So, I am not unfit, but I don't have a lot of muscle mass, and I am also not strong; never was. I also eat a pretty healthy diet (mostly vegetarian and vegan for over five years; I eat meat less than ten times per year - I don't like it anymore).

I have now decided to start lifting weights to gain muscle mass and strength and to be more serious about it.

The only problem is figuring out how or what to do. I have already looked up a lot of information about strength training on the internet in the last couple of days, and I have to say that I feel pretty overwhelmed.
There are so many different options/solutions/suggestions, sometimes even contradicting one another. It's rather confusing.

I hope that someone with experience can help me and get me started in the right direction so that I am doing the most important things that will have the most impact.

Thanks a lot.

Calculate your maintenance calories, i.e how many calories you need to function throughout the day without losing or gaining weight.

Eat a few hundred calories more than your maintenance calories, i.e eat in a calorie surplus.

Make sure you are adding protein 2 times your bodyweight (in kg) to your calorie surplus, for eg, you weigh 60kg so you eat 60x2= 120 grams of protein a day.

That will take care of your diet.

If possible work out 6x a week consistently. Work out with proper form and progressively overload the weight. Don't lift too fast. It won't matter which specific excercises you do as long you maintain the diet and the excercise targets the proper muscle

 

[Guest931Xfjyx]

It’s great you’re endeavouring to make a change in your fitness for the better. Great progress can be made in your first year of strength training and I‘m sure you’ll be very happy with the results.

However… strongly heed this: As a vegan, you absolutely need to ensure you’re getting your protein from complete protein sources.

I complete support your veganism/vegetarianism if that’s the diet you feel and operate best on or that morally suits you. But statistically, whilst most vegans are much leaner than the average person and health-conscious, they’re also overwhelmingly undermuscled. I don’t say this as an insult but moreso as a reality check.

Most vegans absolutely do not get a sufficient amount of complete proteins conducive to muscle accrual. Beans alone are not a complete protein. Rice alone is not a complete protein.

If you venture down this road looking to build muscle through strengthtraining, my number 1 piece of advice is to start by ensuring that you’re not only getting sufficient protein, but that all of the protein you’re consuming is actually complete protein, because if it isn’t you’ll be training for years like most vegans totally oblivious as to why you’re not growing as you should.

I mention this as this problem is fairly common amongst vegans/vegetarians, those who eat meat have a far broader selection of foods that fall under complete proteins.

Again, not trying to convert your diet. Stay vegan. That’s awesome. But ensure you’re eating complete proteins. That’s 1.

But 2, for your training… literally lift anything. Start by doing exercises that look interesting to you and that you can see yourself wanting to do more frequently. Train the muscles you want to build. Add more weight over time. This part can be made a lot more complicated but I think a great first step is to actually just get you touching some weights. Start with the exercise that interests you the most. There’s no wrong answer here. Adjustments can be made in your training routine when you can prove that you’re actually moving some weights consistently.

 

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[Guest931Xfjyx]

Send @JLE a DM.

Also, thank you.

 

[Taktik]

It’s great you’re endeavouring to make a change in your fitness for the better. Great progress can be made in your first year of strength training and I‘m sure you’ll be very happy with the results.

However… strongly heed this: As a vegan, you absolutely need to ensure you’re getting your protein from complete protein sources.

I complete support your veganism/vegetarianism if that’s the diet you feel and operate best on or that morally suits you. But statistically, whilst most vegans are much leaner than the average person and health-conscious, they’re also overwhelmingly undermuscled. I don’t say this as an insult but moreso as a reality check.

Most vegans absolutely do not get a sufficient amount of complete proteins conducive to muscle accrual. Beans alone are not a complete protein. Rice alone is not a complete protein.

If you venture down this road looking to build muscle through strengthtraining, my number 1 piece of advice is to start by ensuring that you’re not only getting sufficient protein, but that all of the protein you’re consuming is actually complete protein, because if it isn’t you’ll be training for years like most vegans totally oblivious as to why you’re not growing as you should.

I mention this as this problem is fairly common amongst vegans/vegetarians, those who eat meat have a far broader selection of foods that fall under complete proteins.

Again, not trying to convert your diet. Stay vegan. That’s awesome. But ensure you’re eating complete proteins. That’s 1.

But 2, for your training… literally lift anything. Start by doing exercises that look interesting to you and that you can see yourself wanting to do more frequently. Train the muscles you want to build. Add more weight over time. This part can be made a lot more complicated but I think a great first step is to actually just get you touching some weights. Start with the exercise that interests you the most. There’s no wrong answer here. Adjustments can be made in your training routine when you can prove that you’re actually moving some weights consistently.

Thanks for the tips.

What would be a complete protein (except for meat)? Something like whey protein? Is it even a good idea to use protein powders or something similar?

About exercises: What is better for starting? Machines or free weights?
I guess that one has to be way more careful with free weights, aka know how to do the proper form to avoid injuring yourself. Is that right?
If so, what is the best way to learn the proper form? Is it a good idea to take a personal trainer a few times to learn it? Or are there other ways that also work?

Thanks.

 

[PureA]

@JLE, what are your lifts?

OP, it couldn't be simpler, no need to overcomplicate things. The very popular and well-regarded 5x5 program can take you to advanced numbers. You literally don't need anything more.

Make sure you have technique down by watching videos and/or hiring a *good* trainer (98% suck a$$).

As someone above me mentioned make sure you hit your protein goals with complete amino acid profiles, a lot of vegan protein sources are incomplete and so cannot be fully utilised. Pea protein is complete iirc.

 

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[Taktik]

OP, it couldn't be simpler, no need to overcomplicate things. The very popular and well-regarded 5x5 program can take you to advanced numbers. You literally don't need anything more.

Great, that sounds exactly like what I was looking for.

Make sure you have technique down by watching videos and/or hiring a *good* trainer (98% suck a$$).

Do you happen to know how to identify a good trainer?

 

[Guest931Xfjyx]

Thanks for the tips.

What would be a complete protein (except for meat)? Something like whey protein? Is it even a good idea to use protein powders or something similar?

About exercises: What is better for starting? Machines or free weights?
I guess that one has to be way more careful with free weights, aka know how to do the proper form to avoid injuring yourself. Is that right?
If so, what is the best way to learn the proper form? Is it a good idea to take a personal trainer a few times to learn it? Or are there other ways that also work?

Thanks.

There's an endless amount of complete proteins as a vegan. Realistically you're going to have to combine foods for every meal, or consume more of a vegetarian diet with eggs and dairy, or rely on the supplementation of EAA's (Essential Amino Acids).

Google "vegan complete proteins" and you'll get a list of hundreds of combinations you could make.

Here's one I just pulled from google now. Each of these proteins are not complete when standalone, but when combined they make a complete protein.

I'm hoping you're beginning to see why most vegans have trouble with actually packing on any muscle. They aren't even nourishing themselves properly for basic muscle growth.

-----------------------

Concerning the weight lifting. I suggest you just start with lighter weights and machines. Form does matter, especially at an older age. But realistically I can't help you with that much from a distance or without seeing videos of what you're doing. My suggestion is just start with lighter weights and machines. Maybe ask someone local if you're performing a movement right. Most of these exercises are pretty self-explanatory. Machines also reduce your chances of bad form considering you're typically stabilized and locked into the movement, and they have a little drawn example right next to you on the machine...

 

[Guest931Xfjyx]

@JLE, what are your lifts?

Typically when people ask this, what they're really inquiring, is: how much do you bench, squat, and dead?

And I'll tell you: I don't do any of those exercises.

In fact, most (aspiring) bodybuilders don't.

I know I can incline bench press over 3 plates if that says anything though...

 

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[The-J]

@JLE actually giving good advice. Awesome!

I have two questions:

1. How much protein should a plant-based person eat?
2. Are plant-based protein supplements a good way to get in necessary protein?

 

[Nightwolf]

@JLE actually giving good advice. Awesome!

I have two questions:

1. How much protein should a plant-based person eat?
2. Are plant-based protein supplements a good way to get in necessary protein?

I believe the quantity of the protein should remain the same. Plant based protein is just a source of protein, it doesn't mean that you should increase or decrease the amount of protein you intake.

I am a vegetarian as well and I take a multi-seed supplement and a whey protein supplement. I use sprouts, lentils, milk etc for my protein. For complete protein i use a few combinations such as, lentils with rice

 

[Guest931Xfjyx]

@JLE actually giving good advice. Awesome!

I have two questions:

1. How much protein should a plant-based person eat?
2. Are plant-based protein supplements a good way to get in necessary protein?

1. The normal suggestion actually popularized by Arnold Schwarzenegger himself is to consume 1g of protein per lb of lean body mass, not lb of bodyweight, but lean body mass. However, realistically, I think it's best if you get 0.8g all the way up to 2.2g of protein per lb of lean body mass. There's a lot of contention on this topic and I think it largely comes down to genetics and your personal goals. If you don't have a problem digesting a large quantity of protein, as in, it doesn't cause you gastric distress, I'd err in favor of consuming too much protein rather than undereating it if your goal is to build muscle. Obviously you shouldn't overconsume calories whilst doing that so you'd need to consume less alcohol, fat, and carbs simultaneously.

If I were to give any advice exclusively to the creator of this thread I'd have to know their height, body composition, age, current digestion, and ability to eat a lot of protein without feeling like hell. It's all based on the person.

I think a good starting metric is 1.5g * your current lean body mass though, that is, if your goal is optimal muscle growth. I personally do somewhere closer to 2.2g per lb of lean body mass.

-----------------------------------------------

2. Yeah for sure. Pea protein is great. It's a complete protein. It certainly doesn't taste great. Most people don't even like the taste of whey protein, so trying pea protein is it's own type of hell. At least I've come to find that personally. Maybe you could find one you like.

At the very least, I'd strongly recommend supplementing with EAA's as I can almost guarantee you aren't consuming enough complete proteins in your diet. Try something like 20g of EAA's every single day. Have it during your workout or with your pre-workout if you use any.

Ideally you should be getting complete proteins from your diet. Supplements are exactly that -- a means to SUPPLEMENT an already good diet. It's not meant to be used as a crutch. It's better than missing the mark entirely nonetheless...

 

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[Guest931Xfjyx]

I believe the quantity of the protein should remain the same. Plant based protein is just a source of protein, it doesn't mean that you should increase or decrease the amount of protein you intake.

I am a vegetarian as well and I take a multi-seed supplement and a whey protein supplement. I use sprouts, lentils, milk etc for my protein. For complete protein i use a few combinations such as, lentils with rice

Agreed. Protein amount remains the same.

Just make sure you're actually consuming complete proteins as most vegan options simply aren't that.

 

[Taktik]

Concerning the weight lifting. I suggest you just start with lighter weights and machines. Form does matter, especially at an older age. But realistically I can't help you with that much from a distance or without seeing videos of what you're doing. My suggestion is just start with lighter weights and machines. Maybe ask someone local if you're performing a movement right. Most of these exercises are pretty self-explanatory. Machines also reduce your chances of bad form considering you're typically stabilized and locked into the movement, and they have a little drawn example right next to you on the machine...

That makes sense. I will start with machines to build up some basic strength, and then make the switch. Any suggestions about reps and sets? Would 3x10 be a good starting point?

Then another question: When should I increase the weight?

 

[Guest931Xfjyx]

That makes sense. I will start with machines to build up some basic strength, and then make the switch. Any suggestions about reps and sets? Would 3x10 be a good starting point?

Then another question: When should I increase the weight?

Absolutely start lifting. But again, I can't stress this enough. You just read all that. You need to change your diet to include complete proteins as I can guarantee you're lacking them.

It's not just a suggestion for building muscle -- it's essential for building muscle.

-----------------------

Then for building up some basic strength it would really depend on the exercise. You really shouldn't overcomplicate this with rep ranges and amount of sets or which exercise you should do.

I'd recommend you just pick some machines in your local gym. Watch a video online on how to use the machine, or look at the little graphic they have on most machines explaining how the exercise is done. And just do some reps...

Start there. Do that for a week, log the sets and reps and exercises you lift, and come back to the forum and I'll personally help you tweak things a little better bit-by-bit.

Just start by doing something.

 

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[Taktik]

Absolutely start lifting. But again, I can't stress this enough. You just read all that. You need to change your diet to include complete proteins as I can guarantee you're lacking them.

It's not just a suggestion for building muscle -- it's essential for building muscle.

Got it. I will make sure to eat enough complete protein.

Then for building up some basic strength it would really depend on the exercise. You really shouldn't overcomplicate this with rep ranges and amount of sets or which exercise you should do.

I'd recommend you just pick some machines in your local gym. Watch a video online on how to use the machine, or look at the little graphic they have on most machines explaining how the exercise is done. And just do some reps...

Start there. Do that for a week, log the sets and reps and exercises you lift, and come back to the forum and I'll personally help you tweak things a little better bit-by-bit.

Just start by doing something.

Wow, thanks for the offer. I will definitely do that.
Since I'm scheduled for the rest of the week, I'll start training on Monday. I'll let you know the week after next how it went.

 

[Guest931Xfjyx]

Got it. I will make sure to eat enough complete protein.



Wow, thanks for the offer. I will definitely do that.
Since I'm scheduled for the rest of the week, I'll start training on Monday. I'll let you know the week after next how it went.

Sounds great.

I'd love to see it, and I'll happily help.

Stick to your word.

 

[Taktik]

Sounds great.

I'd love to see it, and I'll happily help.

Stick to your word.

I will. Thanks again.

 

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[Panos Daras]

Take heavy stuff and put it back down. Do it close to failure.
The whole process is a lot of trial and error.
Questions to ask yourself to design your program:

1. Do you know your current strength levels on basic lifts like squats, deadlifts, or bench press?
2. What are your specific fitness goals?
3. Do you have a preference for working out at home or at a gym?
4. Do you have any past injuries or health conditions to consider?
5. Are you open to dietary adjustments to support muscle growth?
6. Would you consider working with a personal trainer?
7. How do you plan on tracking your progress since this is key for progressive overload?

Don't worry if you cannot answer all of these. Just start and experiment. Youtubers that provide SOLID information to research these are Jeff Nippard, Biolayne, Greg Douchette, and the Liver King (just kidding)., The other 3 are solid.

 

[StrikingViper69]

@JLE you can take all of your advice here and roll it into a PDF. Maybe flesh Ito it. Now you have the start of a lead magnet or a cheap eBook.

Now you’re building products and helping people.

 

[Johnny boy]

3 Day A Week Upper/Lower Split By BowTiedOx

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This is all you need.

Also, stop eating rabbit food.

 

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[Devilery]

5 years vegan, and gained about 50lbs in 3 years working out.

The first step is to get a gym membership and commit to a routine. You could take any program from liftvault.com (they're free), but I'd advise even simpler options.

If you have time, do the classic P/P/L - push, pull, legs. You can easily find it on Google or ask ChatGPT to create a P/P/L program. Generally, you would do bench press, shoulder press, dumbbell press, triceps pushdowns on the Push day, deadlifts or barbell rows, lat pulldowns, seated rows, biceps curls on Pull day, squats, leg presses, leg extensions, leg curls, calves on the leg day. Ideally, finish push day with dips, pull day with pull-ups, and leg day with core and abs exercises.

You could do 5 sets of 6, 4 sets of 8, or 3 sets of 10. It doesn't really matter, especially, starting out. You can also replace any dumbbell exercise with a machine. Just have 2 chest, 2 shoulders and 2 triceps exercises on push days, 1 compound, 2 vertical pulls, 2 horizontals pulls, 1-2 biceps exercises on pull days, 1 compound, 2 quads exercises, 2 hamstrings and 1 calves exercise on leg day. Again, feel free to do more or less, won't make a difference.

Regarding doing it as a vegan... You still need the same amount of protein, about 1g per kilogram of body weight. Considering you want to build muscle and get stronger, type in Google "calorie calculator", input your stats, get your maintenance intake, and add about 500 calories to it. Measure yourself at the same time before eating weekly and continue until you stop gaining, then add another 200-500 calories until you're happy with the results.

I like to keep my diet simple, high calories and high protein - oatmeal with peanut butter (breakfast), whatever carbs (pasta, rice quinoa) with soy proteins, beans, or fake meats (twice a day), DIY smoothies (oats, bananas, peanut butter, olive oil, optional - protein powder (once or twice a day depending on if I bulk). I eat lots of fruits and salads to ensure I don't lack micronutrients but I don't count calories from those.

A vegan diet is just as effective as an omnivore diet, going from 175lbs to 230lbs+, and having a total (1RM squat, bench, deadlift) slightly over 1100lbs should be good enough proof.

 

[Taktik]

Sounds great.

I'd love to see it, and I'll happily help.

Stick to your word.

Hello,

I am back with a report on how the last week went. In the last days, I trained on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. For each training, I did the following exercises: leg press, back extensions, crunches, pectoral, vertical row, shoulder press, dips, and biceps curls. I tried a couple of different things this week set- and rep-wise.

The training per se will not really be a problem. I will do it consistently as I did it in the last decades. I just have to ensure that I am doing the proper form, but this is why I am using primarily machines for the start (as JLE suggested) - so that I don't do too much wrong. I will shift to free weights later on.

The more challenging part for me will be eating more. I know that from experience because I already tried to gain some weight years ago, but after one month, I gave up because I could not stand it anymore (I gained two kilos nonetheless). The problem was that I changed how I ate and how much from one day to another. So, this time, I am giving myself more time.
This week, I ate one additional snack (sometimes two) to the three meals I usually eat - without any pressure and without counting calories. I am planning on consuming one protein shake as one "snack" and then eating another one every day, and I will eat more food that is rich in complete protein.
I am sure I ate too little protein in the last couple of years and too few calories (at least to build muscle or gain weight). I will make the changes in a slow but consistent manner.

I have a couple of questions if you don't mind. (As I said last week, I can easily find the information I am asking for on the internet, and I have already looked up most of these questions. But there are so many different answers and ways to do it that it is quite confusing sometimes.)

1. Should I warm up before the training or not? (I did, but I would like to know if it is necessary.)
2. I did three sets, each with 6 to 10 repetitions. Should I train for muscle failure in each set?
4. Should I keep the same weight for each set, or is it better to lower it a little bit for each consecutive set? Do I have to change the reps in this case?
5. Should I do each exercise every training, or is it better to only do them every second training, aka splitting the exercises into two workouts?
6. What about cardio? I'd like to do that twice a week for around 30 minutes, but I have no idea if that would be counterproductive for muscle growth. What is your opinion on that?
7. Is there a specific muscle group/exercise that needs to be added? If so, what would that be?
8. How many times per week should I do strength training? Two or three times or more?

Thanks a lot.

 

[Panos Daras]

The more challenging part for me will be eating more.

What is your BMI?

 

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[Spenny]

I'm no PT, but I've been submerged in the gym for three years doing natural bodybuilding. I've seen great success so far & my lift strength classes me as an intermediate lifter. here are my two cents.

1. Should I warm up before the training or not? (I did, but I would like to know if it is necessary.)

Yes.

• Do a bit of light cardio (5-10 minutes) to prepare your central nervous system and provide blood to muscles.
• I always do a lighter weight and then move up to working sets. Example: I squat 100kg for a barbell back squat on push pull legs, so I start with bodyweight squats --> 60kg with 15 reps --> 80kg with 12 reps --> 3*10 reps 100kg working set. I may also do some dynamic stretches.
• In your case, do a single warmup set for your leg press, pectoral & vertical row, just to get these muscles ready.
• When doing shoulder stuff, warm up your rotator cuffs. Believe me, you don't want to have cracking & clicking shoulders when you lift, it's bad for them.

2. I did three sets, each with 6 to 10 repetitions. Should I train for muscle failure in each set?

Perhaps for the final set, you can push it to complete failure; if you do it for your first set, you may fatigue yourself too much. Be sure you're giving yourself a ~2-minute rest time for your central nervous system to recover.

The way to think about it is that the real gains are from those final few reps where the body can't push any longer. The muscles tell the brain, "Hey, we can't lift this external force," and the body allocates resources to strengthen that region. The first 8 reps are just to fatigue. Those last 4 that you do are where the real stimulus happens. You want to be going near to or actually fail to stimulate that growth.

4. Should I keep the same weight for each set, or is it better to lower it a little bit for each consecutive set? Do I have to change the reps in this case?

I think you'd do this depending on your goals. I'm primarily focused on hypertrophy, so I keep it in the 8-12 rep range. It's about a 1-5 rep range if you're more strength-based. If you're more endurance-based, it's 15-20 reps.

My rule is this: if you can't do 8 reps, the weight is too heavy - drop the weight. If you can do 12 reps, the weight is too light - up the weight. This essentially is just progressive overload each time I hit 12 reps.

What you could do is drop sets which are fun to do. Go have a look at some articles. It pushes the muscles to complete failure, and I do it occasionally.

5. Should I do each exercise every training, or is it better to only do them every second training, aka splitting the exercises into two workouts?

So this is where you start training different groups on different days. Bro splits, Arnold splits, push/pull/legs - I have legs 1 & legs 2, so I can get both deadlifts and squats into my workouts. For now, keep to what you're doing.

6. What about cardio? I'd like to do that twice a week for around 30 minutes, but I have no idea if that would be counterproductive for muscle growth. What is your opinion on that?

Peter Attia's book on longevity, "Outlive", recommends three hours of cardio for optimal health. It's great you're thinking about this because many gym people skip it.

Search up Hit Interval Training & the talk test for great exercise for VO2 max and heart health, respectively.

And I disagree it's against muscle growth. You'll burn many calories, but you must ensure you eat more. I'll often do a full push/leg/pull day, then finish off with 20-30 minutes of cardio (stairlift/running) & I've only seen benefits to my lifts.

• I can lift heavy and don't feel like I'm about to pass out (my heart can push more blood around my body)
• I learn better
• I think I sleep better
• I feel more at peace
• If I need to run for something, I won't be out of breath or have a stitch.

I akin people saying that they don't do cardio to being as ridiculous as people saying they don't need to train legs because they walk around. Cardio helps not only the gym but also life and longevity. It directly strengthens the heart and makes the brain sharper.

7. Is there a specific muscle group/exercise that needs to be added? If so, what would that be?

The first thing that comes to mind is compound lifts. I'm a complete compound convert, seeing my strength increase significantly once I moved over.

• They train muscles to work together.
• They train many muscles at one time.
• They are more likely to emulate day-to-day tasks (eg: deadlift --> picking up a box)

One of my most significant growth spurts was moving to compound lifts. I now only use machines near the end of a workout when I'm fatigued and haven't worked a specific area enough.

8. How many times per week should I do strength training? Two or three times or more?

For now, do three times because you're just starting.

• Get the habit in place
• Don't overwhelm yourself with all the things you're learning
• Try to begin moving to compound lifts once you're comfortable with the machines
• Focus on your technique regarding compound lifts - ask gym staff to spot you. FORM IS EVERYTHING. Don't turn leg day into spine day. Keep your back safe with proper technique.
• Once you begin to see a plateau, consider something like push-pull legs or a bro split that can be upped to 6x/5x a week if you want to.

You can generally stimulate muscle growth by performing 8-20 weekly sets of group exercises. It's a linear scale; the more you produce, the more output.

While I've been writing this, here are some key learning points I've found:

• Eat a calorie surplus, but avoid dirty bulking. MyFitnessPal can help with logging calories. What you eat outside the gym directly impacts building muscle. I didn't eat enough protein for months and saw no progress. I saw improvement when I was in line with 2g/kg protein and upwards PLUS ate excess calories.
• Compounds should be the focus. Machines are an assisting tool.
• Talk to gym staff. They'll talk to you for hours about how to structure routines, diet, new exercises and cool facts about body mechanics.

Final later note: It entirely depends on what your goals are. I noticed this thread is called strength training. If you're referring to powerlifting, that is COMPLETELY different compared to bodybuilding. Yes, we may do the same exercise, but the nature of training is different. What I've written is from the prospective of a natural bodybuilder.

 

[Taktik]

What is your BMI?

Around 21.5

 

[SnowLava]

Typically when people ask this, what they're really inquiring, is: how much do you bench, squat, and dead?

And I'll tell you: I don't do any of those exercises.

In fact, most (aspiring) bodybuilders don't.

I know I can incline bench press over 3 plates if that says anything though...

Is there any thread that you wrote about regarding what exactly you do? I'm 15 about to go to a gym for the first time - damn its overwhelming.

 

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[Spenny]

Is there any thread that you wrote about regarding what exactly you do? I'm 15 about to go to a gym for the first time - damn its overwhelming.

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0QXaAQMwfBI

I watched it, approve of everything he is saying, can't go wrong.

The alternative is to do full body workout with machines.

Just start, don't be a perfectionist & just lift heavy circles. That's it.

 

[Panos Daras]

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0QXaAQMwfBI

I watched it, approve of everything he is saying, can't go wrong.

The alternative is to do full body workout with machines.

Just start, don't be a perfectionist & just lift heavy circles. That's it.

Thank you so much! I don't only approve! I did that exact plan (with variations). FULL body 3 x a week. Lost 30 kilos, almost double the weights I lifted in 1.5 years. As a natural. No TRT, steroids, and other shit.

For cardio? I did state steady cardio! Meaning walking everywhere/ biking everywhere for 30 minutes a day minimum. The perks of not having a car and viable public transport everywhere #Netherlands.

Also, DO NOT bulk. @Taktik If you are in a healthy weight range as you are, maintain the same amount of intake.

Supplements? Creatine 5 g per day. Protein Powder 2 up until as many scoops as you want per day. Mix it with almond milk WITHOUT sugar. Calories of it shall be max 140 per scoop which gives you around 20-25 grams of protein. DO NOT buy protein powder mixed with creatine as it is amino spiked and fakes better protein concentration.

Thats it. Start with that. As @Spenny said do not overcomplicate. Just start.