Body Building Exercise

John asked:


Hi, I’ve been working out on and off for about a year now. I’m at an intermediate level now, and I was just hoping for some tips on anything from my diet to my workout. I’m only 16 years old, is it wise for me to workout at this age? I can bench 80 kg and dumbell 18 kg. Give me your stats. Thanks!

3 Responses to “Exercise/Body building?”

1. James W Says:
   February 27th, 2009 at 8:40 am

   You need to set goals for yourself first. Being 16 isnt too young, but do not do exercises that put pressure on your spine. The most important thing is your diet, without that you won’t gain anything. Eat healthy, eat a lot. Get enough protein, you might need to purchase a protein supplement such as Whey. Workout i try going 4 times a week.
   1. tri/chest
   2. bi/back
   3. shoulders/traps
   4. legs
   warmup 5-10 minutes before and cardio after (30 minutes)
   abs try to intertwine into my workouts

2. Ryan L Says:
   March 1st, 2009 at 3:46 am

   Well i agree with James W, aside from his cardio suggestion…if you are going to do cardio do not do it after a training session…after training your body has burned up tons of glucose (muscle energy) and your muscles are literally starving. It is ideal for u to immediately have a post workout shake of whey protein isolate and simple carbs such as gatorade. The simple carbs are used to replenish your glycogen stores which have previously been depleted from the workout. This has been proven to time and time again to spark growth. So this is why i believe doing cardio post workout is not a good idea.

   As for some other suggestions get plenty of sleep and if you are a really lean person who has had trouble gaining weight due to your rapid metabolism try using a weight gainer such as CytoGainer by CytoSports. It contains 55g of protein, 79g of low gi carbs and 5g of fat. This will help you overall to get your calories content up for a better anabolic (muscle building) response from your body.

   Another suggestion keep your workout volume (total sets performed moderate). Too many people think, “The more sets and the more time I’m in the gym the better results I will achieve.” This is far from the truth and encourages overtraining (the catabolic process in which muscle is broken down in such as excess that it can not fully recover). This is the most counterproductive approach to building muscle.

   My suggestion to you would be to try 6-9 total sets per muscle group. Keep your rep range at 6-8 reps for maximum strength and muscle hypertrophy.

   Your workouts should be made up of mostly compound exercises (exercise that involve several muscles) such as bench presses, squats, shoulder presses, deadlifts, barbell curls, and skullcrushers. These exercises incorporate heavy overloads, maximum range of motion, and free weights, which require your stabilizer muscles. Notice that none of the exercises are machines. These are by far the most physically demanding exercises there are and they are brutal. But remember if you like doing a certain exercise its probably not a good one. (Haha) Seriously tho these really are the best exercises around and they require a lot of work and mental strength to get them done. However they will seriously pay off for you in the end.

   Last thing to remember is be consistent…dont miss meals or scheduled training days.

   Good luck!

3. Adrian S Says:
   March 2nd, 2009 at 4:07 am

   Hi,

   I’ve tried so many different diets in the last 10 years that I can say now, they don’t work!
   A few months ago, I came across a great product for weight loss (it’s actually a colon cleanse) and like many others I was skeptical about it. But I really wanted to lose weight and I tried it (it’s 100% natural). The results were excellent. I lost about 20 pounds in 2 months with this detox. That’s why I recommend you check this product at where they have a free trial and you only pay $4.95 shipping and handling.
   Good luck!