Disclaimer: I still count myself as a beginner. Barely have five-six months of experience under my belt. Decided to join the discussion here a few days ago after I found out the existence of this subforum.

So let's talk about beginners, and being one. We were all there at that point. I suppose I don't exactly have a main argument except a few things that I found online that were interesting. I want to also share my experience so far as I've been lifting. Maybe you guys can address the below points, or maybe share your experience as beginner?

Questions:

For example, why do trainers (Jason Blaha, in particular) stress that beginners should find a programme, stick with it, and don't mess anything (Add isos, change sets, reps etc.). I understand that the number of reps and sets change the workload on your muscle and hence affects whether the fibres strengthen or the muscles "pump" (Correct me if I'm wrong), but why the extreme rigidity? Is overworking a serious problem?

Another thing that I don't particularly understand is why the notion against "brosplits" aka the random choice of exercises to work separate muscle groups according to muscle group days. I mean, is there a real issue behind brosplits? This "programme" seems to be under a lot of fire from Reddit, Bodybuilding, etc.

Experience:

With that, I wanna talk about my experience. I've always wanted to lift (Since I was 16 lol), but I didn't have access to a gym due to me being in a boarding school. It was only when I was 19 I realised there were two pay-per-entry gyms around my area (Subang), then I told myself that unlike the previous years, I really don't have an excuse this time. So I've been an active lifter since. Started with brosplits (Shoot me) with no clear aim, then started StrongLifts a month back, today I'm switching to ICF 5x5 as it's a more wholesome programme with good volume distribution. I've set my goal to strength for now. Don't really know why, but maybe because I believe that strength is the basis for bodybuilding. Could be wrong.

Since I'm situated in a boarding prep college, my friends and I set up a home gym with a barbell and a few dumbbells. Kind of maxing out on the weights we have already, so I'm planning to go to the college gym. When I'm home, I go to either Blitz or War3house. I'll be a more frequent War3house goer, because they have more bars. Also signed up to a Celebrity Fitness gym that's opening in Mid-June.

Also, I've met a bunch of guys along the way. There was this dude who was really helpful when I started, and taught me how to squat and deadlift. Also taught me some variations. I've also seen skinny guys with sibeh so high face staring at people intensely while doing 5 lbs curls (Funniest thing ever). And unfortunately, the arrogant "musclehead" types, but they're really a minority. Most people I've interacted with were nice.

Anyone wanna share their beginner experience/story?

This post has been edited by afif95: May 5 2015, 12:17 PM

SL is pure rubbish while ICF 5x5 is absolute trash. Please don't do either.
Do this instead: http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=159678631

Doing fullbody 3x/ week in 3 years will give you equal results of doing bro-splits 4~5x/week for 5 years. Bro-splits are not optimum, progress is much slower due to frequency issue. Your chest does not take 7 fucking days to recover and doing 5 different exercises for chest will just make you improve slower on key exercises. Fullbody can direct focus on key lifts like flat bench, incline bench, weighted pullups and be godlike in 3 years.

Here is my beginner journey: https://www.facebook.com/SkinnyToBuff90day

I ran my own program that I wrote myself. I am now Intermediate lifter able to bench slightly above my body-weight.

I've seen this before and I'll start today. That programme seems to have a more equal focus.

Ahh I see, so it's about the progress speed. I like compound exercises. I feel like I'm always working more than doing isolations.

I'm sorry.. but what? You started lifting in January...

As I'm aware:
1x bw bench = Intermediate
1.5x bw bench = Advance
2x bw bench = Elite

1.5x bw squat = Intermediate
2x bw squat = Advance

These are very standard across alot forums.

Bro i would suggest go search darklight journal workout. Probably the best workout journal and he gives his diet.
Don't follow this routine that armesh skinny guy gave you. You're wasting ur time

Wow dude trying to get some beginner advice suddenly gives program as if he's the certified personal trainer I disagree on your replies in fact you should eat more and not thinking about getting FAT. LOL not even close to one year calls himself intermediate lifter

How about you eat more dude? Then come back here until u become buff not skinny.

Are you like fucking stupid? I didn't give OP my program...

Where I give OP my program?

This post has been edited by Armesh: May 6 2015, 12:13 AM

Lel i suggest u go bulk up first not trying to be the buff guy here as if like training few years

And did u even read my reply? I told him not to follow ur advice because ur too skinny and scrawny.

This post has been edited by degraw1993: May 6 2015, 12:20 AM

Lol, you are confuse. Those number are for people who competes in powerlifting competition. What we are talking here is gym experience. I have been lifting for 2 1/2 years with 1 1/2 years hiatus in the middle of that lifting period and I still considered myself an intermediate.

p/s: Yes it's true that you bench 1xBW but that's 132lbs according to 1RM calculator (theoretically) and that's not even a plate.
p/s/s: No hating but there are a lot of experienced lifters here yet they don't proudly tell their total and on what level of lifting they are currently in.

This post has been edited by alien9: May 6 2015, 11:35 AM

I feel "gym experience" is useless. I had a friend/workout partner who gym'ed for 8 months +. After 8 months he could not even bench press his bodyweight and didn't look like he lift. He was a tall, big boned gifted mesomorph. Once after 8+ months into "training" he asked me... "Armesh, what is calorie? Apple got calorie ah?", I will remember that question until I die.

Then there's the "abangs" in my gym including the gym owner who's been lifting like 6~8 years I not sure. Steroid user. He talks/beliefs/advocates crap like "mass untuk sizing, protein untuk cutting" and tells me to bulk on mass gainers cause then 80% of the weight gained will be muscle compared to food only 20% muscle. Then there's also this fat guys who's been training maybe like 3 years, look like shit and heir 1RM bench is ~ their bodyweight. It's a horrible broscience environment. Nobody knows what is a small surplus.

So this is why I normally use the Powerlifting standards to categorize people. The bench is pretty accurate, 2x body-weight bench is truly an elite feat, and I use relative strength cause you can't cheat relative strength, it locks you.

I exclusively very strictly take all my advice from elite natural lifters who are almost at their genetic max, cause they are truly experienced in lifting. A natural who attains a 1.5x bodyweight bench in 1 year of training is light years ahead of knowledge compared to some fat guy who run bro splits, trains for pump and get 225lbs bench after 2 years.

Dan Green, world record powerlifter, been lifting for 10 years plus, Raw Total with and without Wraps for weight class 220: 2110 lbs, humble as hell.

Eric Lillibridge, Raw Total with and without Wraps for weight class 275: 2380 lbs, holder of Junior WR Deadlift: 865lbs, humble as hell.

Mark Bell, creator of Slingshot, benched 771lbs for weight class 275lbs, lifting for 20 years plus, humble as hell.

Armesh, gained optimum amount of muscle mass in his 90 days skinny to buff challenge, bench 1xBW @ 132lbs, just been lifting for 5 months, ego, brags quite a lot and gives advice like elite experience lifter.

Probably you should learn how to be humble from them as well.

p/s: No hating on you, just my observation and everyone as well. You can pick sides, be a Pacquiao OR a Mayweather, right now you are the latter.

This post has been edited by alien9: May 6 2015, 03:18 PM

There let me highlight that important reply for him. Yes i do agree if u noticed the amount of replies when ppl asking fr advice doesn't matter when it comes to food or lifting really full of ARROGANCE and BOAST as if he's the most expericenced lifter.

Dude just workout for 3 months not only close even for year talks like crap and still skinny and scrawny. I only see bones in his physique and no muscle

those number doesnt mean anything, we all have difference structure of physique

like me for example

i got long arm, long femur so deadlift is my thing but my bench is shitty

Err but Pacman lost while big mouth Mayweather won....

I also curious how to measure progress ie how do you know whether someone is beginner or intermediate or sifu? Aesthetic (since we are not powerlifters) vs poundage or how many months been going to the gym?

This post has been edited by rakyat: May 6 2015, 04:41 PM

Yeah, pacman lost but obviously you don't grasp what I'm saying there.

I also same. Tall, skinny, 5.8 inch wrist, long arms, insane deadlift leverage but shitty bench leverage. But I'm 100% confident we can get a 2x bw bench if we train hard and consistently for 3~4 years . Think positive.


Relative strength = Aesthetics.


Arrogant, big ego, show off. I'm just called this cause I'm not big, like a double standard whereby a skinny guy cant give advice even if its right. I don't give dumb crap advice. If I do you can point it out.

This post has been edited by Armesh: May 6 2015, 04:57 PM

Nope. I don't do that. I don't really give a hoot about how a person looks. Infact, I respected, applaud and I like your skinnytobuff challenge as it's a good experiment on what actually a beginner can achieve in that short period but that all gone with your follow up attitude.

Give me 3 posts from forumers who have respectable avatar of themselves that show the exact tone that you tried to convey below:

p/s: You have 4 reds (bad manners) in a single post. Can't imagine if you are unable to notice it by now.

This post has been edited by alien9: May 6 2015, 05:06 PM

Afif

U mentioned a celebrity fitness going to open in mid June. Where about will it be? You talking bout Damen?
Is it confirmed?

I used to work out in fitness first Summit but now that it has closed been looking for a new gym. Was thinking of warehouse but if a new gym is on the way maybe I just wait and take a hiatus

Just don't bother la bro Even if u said that he still gonna be arrogant skinny prick

Don't get me wrong. You probably have an issue with his physique, I'm not.

There are something in weightlifting that requires you to have experience about it and there are something that requires you to be knowledgeable about it without needing to have that sought after physique.

I don't mind if someone is skinny and he educates me about mobility, rehabilitation, proper pre and post stretching. Those things require extensive amount of knowledge and not big and muscular body.