Bodybuilding

[Jean DeCuir]

I was born with a condition named pectus carinatus lateral. It also goes by the name of pigeon chest and it's a cartilage prob on the chest. I woul give 10-0 to those kids in Africa in terms of chest bad stetics lol I was always a lil self-centered but i think i dealt minimily good with it, even tho my pre-teenaging years were a bit painful...

when i was 16 i got cirurgy. It fixed my chest. But a litlle but of he cartilage still presists on my left chest, even tho it looks normal now, but making my left chest look a little bigger then my right chest...

wich leaves me the question, if i want my right chest to match my left chest i'll have to train my right chest more?

Also, what material/books about bodybuilding and nutrition do you recommed me? I was thinking about using the same diet and workout of brad pitt on Fight Club ( bradpittworkout.com)

I'm an ectomorph, like brad...
Thanks......

[Creatine Dreams]

If you have not worked out, I highly recommend a program called "Starting Strength" by Mark Rippetoe.

That is all you need if you are a beginner.

[Jean DeCuir]

Yes, i'm a begginer indeed, i only atended a gym for one year and that was for phisiotherapy, never bodybuilt

[Traindom]

Starting Strength's foundation is fantastic and the information on mechanics is invaluable, but you could do better with another program. Sorry, Creatine Dreams, I'm not trying to undermine your advice. I think Starting Strength is suited mainly for power lifters, rather than bodybuilders. I do agree that gaining strength in select lifts is vital for hypertrophy, but there are more efficient ways of attaining aesthetics than through Starting Strength.

Before prescribing a program, I would suggest you familiarize yourself with some base lifts. Get a feel for which lift you prefer. Try to find at least one good lift for the back, chest, and legs.You don't have to back squat. You really don't NEED it. You could do the front squat, hack squat, and more. For example, I do weighted chin ups for my back, incline press for my chest, and weighted pistols for my legs. Find at least one lift for each of the three parts that you absolutely could see yourself doing for a long time. Don't be afraid to stray from the back squat or deadlift if you find another lift that you can load over time.

So taking into account that strength in base exercises is vital and that isolation should not be neglected in his case, I think you should have two heavy days and two light days per week. The heavy days consist of those base lifts and the light days are the days you include isolation work (biceps curls, triceps extensions, lateral raises) and whatever else you want to experiment with. Don't go too crazy on the load on the light days.

And again, I like Starting Strength, but the program is strength-oriented. You should follow a program suited to your goals.

And here is a link to an ebook that will help you with programming: http://anthonymychal.com/242method/

[Mark]

I'm really glad I did Starting Strength as I was a pretty weak ectomorph years ago. It was great for getting me up to a respectable strength level within six months or so. But I agree, for aesthetics, its kind of lacking. I did it again last year (or a variation of it at least) and although I added strength, I didn't look any better.

I've reached the point where if I never bench much more than I do now, I don't really mind. These days, I just want to look amazing naked. I'm finding I'm getting much better results in that department with other exercises.

With that said, I would say if you are a beginner to start with Starting Strength. If you are pretty weak (i.e., you bench press like 1/2 your body weight), then I definitely think it's the way to go. You need to get a solid foundation of muscle for you decide what other goals you want to pursue (powerlifting, aestethics, etc.)

[Traindom]

Yeah, some exercises are better suited to your needs than others. For example, I loved dips. I loved Weighted Dips even more. But the lower fibers of the chest were in the best mechanical advantage. My upper chest was severely lacking as a result. I eventually gave it up in favor of incline pressing, which is more favorable in regards to building the upper chest.

[Creatine Dreams]

Good points of view in this thread.

I think at a basic level, it is a good idea for every beginner to learn how to properly squat, bench press, deadlift and do the military press.

Those are pretty much the exercises that give you the most bang for your buck as far as strength goes.

After maybe 6 months, it can be a good idea to branch out in a different direction, depending on your specific needs.

[Zelazny]

And for the love of god. Get someone to explain and coach you on the exercises. You can thoroughly ruin your back, use too much weight or simply have what they call bad form.

Don't be afraid to learn and you'll get much more mileage from your trips to the gym. It took me ages to get some exercises straight, but now I find it easier to push forward. And don't become that guy that does it all on his own. It's boring and you'll ruin your back.

[Traindom]

Yes, definitely learn how to properly do some of these exercises. Go easy on the load and focus on your technique. You can always add weight later. Slow cook it.

And I wanted to clarify in the instance that you undertake the heavy/light day programming, you can still develop a solid foundation of muscle on your heavy days. And if you're somewhat confused about your goals and interests, you can use the light days to experiment. You could try isolation movements, gymnastic holds, powerlifting, etc. So it's still a viable option to both develop the foundation AND be on the way to your goals.

Let's say after six months of using this scheme, you decide you want to practice gymnastics regularly. You'd still have that foundation from the heavy days and you can just move things around. But the important thing is you're progressing as you discover your goals. Don't be afraid to take those light days to discover your goals. I see this as a win-win. You would get that foundation you need AND you would be one step closer to your goals. That's the whole point of the 242 Method. You progress as you satisfy your curiosity.

[Thor]

Not trying to undermine anyones responses here.

Jean have you spoke to a qualified fitness instructor at the gym ?. Assuming you have joined a gym ?. Here in the UK when you first join (I am a member of Virgin). The staff give you a free induction plus a program to follow that is tailored to your needs.
The instructor will sit down with you for 30 mins and chat about what you want to achieve and whether any diet requirements might help. If he cant answer any of your questions they will consult with other staff and come back to you with an answer.

These guys are in a far better position to answer your questions and give you a suitable programme to follow.

[Matt II]

Getting bigger is about getting stronger FOR REPS. If the weights you use for 10-15 reps (maybe 10-20 reps for lower body lifts) go up, you will gain muscle. He who makes the biggest strength gains in that rep range will make the biggest size gains IF he eats enough protein and calories to support muscle growth.

[TheBoss]

(06-23-2012 11:40 PM)Mark Wrote:  I'm really glad I did Starting Strength as I was a pretty weak ectomorph years ago. It was great for getting me up to a respectable strength level within six months or so. But I agree, for aesthetics, its kind of lacking. I did it again last year (or a variation of it at least) and although I added strength, I didn't look any better.

I've reached the point where if I never bench much more than I do now, I don't really mind. These days, I just want to look amazing naked. I'm finding I'm getting much better results in that department with other exercises.

With that said, I would say if you are a beginner to start with Starting Strength. If you are pretty weak (i.e., you bench press like 1/2 your body weight), then I definitely think it's the way to go. You need to get a solid foundation of muscle for you decide what other goals you want to pursue (powerlifting, aestethics, etc.)

I'm doing starting strength as well. Any particular programs that you would recommend after that?

[Jean DeCuir]

Thor, i didn't join the gym. I know they offer you a training plan but i can't join a gym till February 2013 because i won't have the time for it.

Zelazny said to avoid being a loner... well, for now i'll have to be. I'll just give an eye to the material you guys gave me then buy some weigths and pump it. If it requires the use of gym machinery i'll find an alternative way to pump it with the weights.

[Thor]

Matt from what I remember you work or use to work in a gym ? if so your are probably more qualified to answer this question. From what I have read on the internet. The central nervous system adapts first to coordinate the lifting of heavy weights before muscle gain ? is this accurate ?

Thanks

(06-24-2012 09:47 AM)Matt II Wrote:  Getting bigger is about getting stronger FOR REPS. If the weights you use for 10-15 reps (maybe 10-20 reps for lower body lifts) go up, you will gain muscle. He who makes the biggest strength gains in that rep range will make the biggest size gains IF he eats enough protein and calories to support muscle growth.

[Zelazny]

(06-24-2012 01:11 PM)Jean DeCuir Wrote:  Thor, i didn't join the gym. I know they offer you a training plan but i can't join a gym till February 2013 because i won't have the time for it.

Zelazny said to avoid being a loner... well, for now i'll have to be. I'll just give an eye to the material you guys gave me then buy some weigths and pump it. If it requires the use of gym machinery i'll find an alternative way to pump it with the weights.

Well, at least take the time to properly do your exercises. exrx.net is a great help here. It has a great amount of information about different types of exercise and specific details of how to do them right.

( for instance deadlifts: http://www.exrx.net/WeightExercises/Erec...dlift.html )