Alright, I've been reading your forums and a bunch of random questions have a arisen. Sorry if they're in no inparticular order, or if the answers can be easily found somewhere, I honestly did read a lot of posts in search of them.First of all, I am a tall, skinny guy (6' and 60kg) looking to put on some weight. I've been going to the gym for a few months now and have gained about 6 kilos, which I'm quite pleased with. I'm also afraid I may be one of those "nypolyte skinny guys pounding away on the lat curl with 15 pound 'bells", which I don't want to be. The will is there, just not the knowledge.So here are my questions.1.I have put on 6 kilos, and am lifting much heavier weights, but I can't see any change in my body shape or size. I thought maybe it was just me, 'cause I see myself everyday and wouldn't notice, but I've asked others, and they told me honestly that they can't see it either. Am I doing something wrong? Does the mass come later?2. This may sound unbelievable, but I put on the first 5kilos in the first two weeks of training, and only gained one kilo since. Any clue as to why I gained so much so fast, and my weight gain slowed down so substantially?3.I had a program made for me, which I didn't use, because I couldn't stick to it and didn't like it. However, one of the exercises they had me doing was after every major workout (squats, bench etc) I had to jump on a fitball and do as many situps as I could. It was incredibally tough, and I'm sure did something, but exactly what, I'm not sure. Could someone please fill me in on this?4.I have this horrible habit of getting dizzy, and sometime nauseous after doing squats. Trainer said all the blood was rushing to my legs. Even when I warm up and stretch before hand. Is there any way to stop, or reduce this?5.I keep getting different advice, some countering others, which makes it annoying on trying to work out what to do. With regards to set and rep numbers, I've chosen to aim for around 10, but if I can do more I just keep going till I can't. Is this wise? Like, if I grab a weight and lift 10 reps easily, I keep pushing till 15 or whenever I have to stop. Problem with this is, on the 2nd and 3rd rep I have trouble even reaching 10, and sometimes stop around 5, unless of course I drop weights. Am I doing this right, or should I stop at 10 each time?6.Creatine. This stuff scares me. Remember how I said squats kill me? Well when I was on creatine I nearly blacked out. I was consuming massive amounts of water throughout the day, and whilst I was feeling faint, but that only made me bloated and even more nauseous. I don't use it anymore, but I still have a tub. Is this stuff only ment for larger men, or am I just using it incorrectly?Uh, know I've got more, I just can't think of them at the moment. Thanks heaps for any help, I really do want to gain weight, I just hate knowing that some of the stuff I'm doing might be a waste of time.Thanks again!
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A whole heap of random workout questions.
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I was consuming massive amounts of water throughout the dayVery bad idea. If you dilute the electrolytes in your body too much, bad things can happen, like brain swelling.
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Few additions.
About the water drinking thing, I think I over exaggerated. I did drink a lot of water, as I was told to on Creatine, but not coma inducing amounts.
Also, where I can I find this Hardgainers FAQ I keep hearing about? I did a search and couldn't find it.
And another two questions, when working on Biceps, is it normal to feel the burn on the inside of your elbow?
Is one big hard (we'll call it extreme) workout on a muscle better than 2 or 3 hard, but not extreme workouts on the muscle? E.g. Three hard sets of bench press, peck deck, and say... (dunno the name) you lie back with two dumbells, arms at 90º angle and push them up and together above you, or three extreme sets of just the bench press.
Thanks heaps.
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Thanks heaps for the information. I'll fill in a few more details about myself and what I do.
I'm 20 years old, and am currently doing my mates' program. Basically, I met a few friends at Uni this year who were all going to the gym, and hence got me going with them. This was about 5-6months ago, and I've basically been doing their program ever since.
The gym gave me their own program, but I found my friends' easier mainly due to the fact that if I stuck with them we could more easily spot one another. So here it is:Monday:
Chest and Tries.
Bench Press, each week varies in angle incline, mostly flat though.
Peck deck.
I guess it's called dumbell bench press, the one I was trying to explain before.Tricep push downs: bar.
Tricep push downs: rope.
Again, I'm terrible with the names. You lie down on a bench with a barbell behind your head and raise it. Works triceps.Tuesday - Legs and Back
Squats - ugh.
That lying down hamstring cable curls.
Standing machine calf lifts.Seated Row
Bent over dumbell rows.
Lat pulldowns.Wednesday - Shoulders
Military Press
Dunno the name again. Similar to the chest one I can't name, only you're sitting upright this time.
Side dumbell raises.
Front dumbell raises.
Eagle raises, I think that's what they're called.Thursday - The Guns. I'm starting to think this day is a waste of time, though all my mates want big biceps.
Barbell curls.
Dumbell curls. Two different types, the dumbell held at different angles.
Wide grip or close grip barbell curls.
Reverse curls.And that's that. We can't work weekends because our gym closes early, and we're lazy Uni students. Plus we're normally recovering from a big night out.
I also have another question. What's the difference between standing, sitting and fitballs? Like, you suggest standing for everything, but most of the stuff you recommend standing for you can easily do sitting down. I also see a ton of people in the gym doing workouts on fitballs too, lying down on it instead of a bench etc.
Also, is it better to do free weight squats, or is okay to use a smith machine? Uni's over so, and I'm working fulltime, so the only time I have to goto the gym is after work, alone. I tend to use the smith machine a lot simply due to the fact it's hard to find a spot. I use it for bench press too.
I realise now that a lot of what they're doing is wrong. For example, the reason I asked the gym for a program was because I was afraid what they were doing they were doing to injure themselves. The trainer called them "Cowboys", in that they rocked up to the gym in jeans and whatever shirt they were wearing, casual shoes, and just jumped straight into the workout. No streching or warmups/downs. I was also concerned with ruining my posture.
If you have any suggestions, or warnings, please inform me. Thanks again for all the help!