Hi guys I want to get into strength training for the first time and am looking for some advice on how to go about doing it from those who are experienced. I have a small bone structure, am just about underweight for my age, and am in my early 20s, although I am a reasonably active person. I can't currently afford a gym membership so I would be looking to do my training at home. I am willing to invest money into getting some new equipment. I would be grateful if anybody could recommend an exercise programme and specify the equipment that I will need.
workout twice a week bench press..dumbbell rows lat pulldowns, dumbbell presses crunches...tehn do your legs leg press, hip thrusts, leg extension, leg curl calf raises, seated calf raises..if you want, you can break this up into two workouts...eat more protein and drink a lot of water...start off with one set the frist week then do two sets and then three...keep logs of your sets and reps and how much weight you can lift...monitor what you eat and drink and how much sleep you are getting...as you do this you will learn what your body needs to grow..also keep tabs on your weight and your basic measurements (waist, chest, shoulders, arms, legs, forearms) etc
I'm doing stronglift 5X5,hard but simple.Remember the proper form of exercises is fundamental.Is better to do the exercise with light weights but excellent form than viceversa.
Everyone overlooks push-ups, but they are the greatest. Just make sure you keep your back straight. I also got a couple of 15 kg hand weights from Wally World. Tiny, really, compared to what most guys are using around here, but I wanted to start off small. Here I want to echo the excellent advice in the previous post: "light weights but excellent form" beats back pain every time. Have someone watch that you aren't moving your back when you are lifting. My own fitness schedule is push-ups for shoulders and chest, hand-weights for arms, and running for legs/overall fitness.
I want to emphasize that along with strength training, be sure to account for proper amounts of food! Last thing you want is to workout but burn muscle because you aren't taking in enough calories/protein. I am by NO MEANS a body builder, but I've been circuit training 2 times a week and strength training once a week for around 4 months now, and this has been my favorite "eating regime" http://stronglifts.com/stronglifts-diet-muscle-gains-strength-building-fat-loss/ With this I literally eat 6 meals a day. Each meal I incorporate a protein, vegetable, fruit, and 2 meals a day grain, and I'm set from just that. Sorry to go off-topic, I just felt compelled to mention that because I "wasted" my first few weeks of working out by not eating properly! This is good advice. Short term pain --> long term gain, especially if you don't have the money to go and pay for PT sessions (pending you were injured). Oh, and how has strong lift been working for you? I want to eventually do that 5x5 routine (a friend showed it to me), but I'm trying to strengthen my core to insure I don't hurt myself when I go to something more intense (like 5x5).
