The gym (gainz) and fitness thread

[Yuuki]

I'm sort of a slim-ish guy...well maybe not, I dunno whether 175lb @ 6 feet is slim. Being in IT and sitting on a chair 10 hours a day probably doesn't do good things. But I just started hitting the gym about ~1 month ago with the goal of toning-up my mid section, increasing upper body bulk (arms/chest/shoulders), while at the same time increasing strength and stamina in my legs as well.

I go around ~4 times a week and aim for 15 mins cardio + 45 mins workout. So far it's been...dunno, just a lot of PAIN. I hear about people targeting 1 specific muscle group per workout but I don't know how the hell a newbie is supposed to manage that. By the time I reach my 3rd set my muscles are pretty much numb, I can't lift anything anymore because it's like my arms pretty much say "nope fuck this" and stop working. Maybe I'm expecting too much out of the first month. Diet-wise I'm pretty good, I stick to healthy stuff (lean meat, fruits, veges, etc) and minimal junk food.

Should I eat protein supplements? Dunno if those are natural, but I keep reading on forums that muscles need protein to recover. I'm taking 1 day breaks between workouts so not sure what's up with this pain :S

 

[Fieldy409_v1legacy]

I'm sort of a slim-ish guy...well maybe not, I dunno whether 175lb @ 6 feet is slim. Being in IT and sitting on a chair 10 hours a day probably doesn't do good things. But I just started hitting the gym about ~1 month ago with the goal of toning-up my mid section, increasing upper body bulk (arms/chest/shoulders), while at the same time increasing strength and stamina in my legs as well.

I go around ~4 times a week and aim for 15 mins cardio + 45 mins workout. So far it's been...dunno, just a lot of PAIN. I hear about people targeting 1 specific muscle group per workout but I don't know how the hell a newbie is supposed to manage that. By the time I reach my 3rd set my muscles are pretty much numb, I can't lift anything anymore because it's like my arms pretty much say "nope fuck this" and stop working. Maybe I'm expecting too much out of the first month. Diet-wise I'm pretty good, I stick to healthy stuff (lean meat, fruits, veges, etc) and minimal junk food.

Should I eat protein supplements? Dunno if those are natural, but I keep reading on forums that muscles need protein to recover. I'm taking 1 day breaks between workouts so not sure what's up with this pain :S

Im rambling here but Im not in any way qualified to say these things so grain of salt...

I reckon Protein supps are overrated(though being unnatural isnt inherently bad), tons of huge guys out there who dont use them. if you are already eating to gain weight or maintain(and you have an idea about healthy eating) you are probably getting enough protein. If you need more you might want to consider just drinking some skim milk after a workout... Skim milks cheap here at a dollar a carton, a litre has more protein than some whey supps serving and its a mix of casein/whey so fast and slow protein, a little fat and some carbs in the form of lactose, sodium to replace the sweat and all of the calcium.

People underestimate the importance of all the three macronutrients, need them all for gains, carbs protein and fat not just protein, so a balanced meal is better than a shake I think. Really high protein diets are actually kinda better for losing weight!

Oh and you are supposed to hurt after workouts its called DOMs, Delayed onset muscle soreness. Nobody knows why exactly it happens but it seems to be linked to muscle growth, but not always. It gets a lot less when your body adapts to working out though it just messes up newbies. As long as its a dull ache and not stabbing pains in your joints or anything its fine... As long as you are eating enough to grow anyways.