So I'll preface all of this by saying I'm not a trainer...so I'm heavily biased toward my body type and what I've trained for. But I know how to get bigger, I know how to get stronger, and I've learned how to eat well for what I want to achieve. I've not been able to take myself down to shredded levels of bodyfat, and if I wanted to go much below say 12% I don't have the knowledge to get there. But even in my fat and beta days, This stuff - lifting programs and strength training was something I spent a lot of time reading and trying out. Wasn't very disciplined until recently, but I'd say I've got 15+ years of trial, error, and failure under my belt.

As I said in my other post, I was running myself in circles basically trying to get strong and leaner and fitter all at once.

So I think the first step is assessing the goal you've got and making a clear hierarchy. I always wanted to have bigger muscles, less fat, and be strong and able to perform athletically. But that's too many things to chase at once. So I set a longer term goal - that I was going to set PRs in all my lifts, and especially press my bodyweight at 230 lbs. I focused all of my fitness energy on that. And while that is technically two of goals (weight and strength), I had a clear hierarchy between them. Scale number goes down, first and foremost. But I also wasn't going to sacrifice more strength than necessary in order to get there. By setting this longer term goal, I was able to subvert the "Your shoulders/arms look small, you should do something else" hamster. By making it a strength goal, I had a tangible number to shoot at rather than a mirror and a feeling. I flat out don't know how to program to aesthetic goals. So I didn't try. I stuck with what I knew I could accomplish, and let the chips fall where they may on the other stuff. I figured that I'd get some carryover in aesthetics and athletic performance, but I was OK putting them out of mind for the time being.

So with that goal in mind, I said to myself "The scale number needs to go down, period". I was 260 and I needed to get in the 230s. So diet came first. With my diet, I think it was pretty basic stuff, except that I focused more on the mental part rather than on the "what's the best way to lose weight" part. Rather than trying to drop a bunch of weight with a low carb diet - over the years I had gotten really good at losing 20-25 lbs in 2 months and then packing it back on. I went with the sidebar "You are what you eat" method. This was a new thing for me, counting calories. Diet was -500 calories. I went with 15% carbs, 230+ grams of protein (based on 'goal' weight), and the rest was fat. Again, pretty basic stuff. And it worked really well to a point.

But I also geared it all around making sure I wasn't wearing out my willpower. My focus was more on consecutive days of compliance than anything else. So while a guy who is on a cut's instinct might be to ramp up the cardio, cardio makes me fucking miserable. Jogging, hiit, etc. Fucking hate it. Jogging is boring. Stationary biking is boring. I always get injured trying to sprint or HIIT. I also realized over the years that when I ramp up the cardio, I'm hungry all the time. Doesn't matter what my diet is, all I want to do is eat peanut butter between meals if I'm going hard on the cardio. So rather than ramming my head into the wall again, doing the boring ass cardio and feeling a magnetic pull to the pantry every time I walk by it, I just cut out the cardio shit. I didn't do any cardio aside from walking, and just maybe 2 miles 3X/week or so. With a cut, I think morale is more important than anything, and cardio saps my morale. In theory, a hardcore motivated beast mode bro can do all this shit on a diet. But I can't. So I focused on 2 things - lifting and diet.

I was also experienced enough to know that losing weight too fast hurt strength and morale. So I was cool with the slow going on the weight loss at times. I think that helped mentally.

All of this also worked really well, to a point.

In terms of lifting, I've been doing some variation of 5/3/1 for years. It allows for lots of variety and is just flat out the best program I've used for what I do. Any time I stray too far from it, my results suffer. Use it or don't, this is just my preference. But if you use it BUY THE BOOK AND READ IT ALL. Don't just pull the sets and reps off of a website or an app. 5/3/1 is much more than 5-5-5+, 3-3-3+, 5-3-1+ with .9 * your %. Read it, pick a variation you fully understand, and do it.

Things I've learned: I used to take an approach of do the strength stuff for the big lifts (5/3/1) and make the assistance lifts all of the bodybuilding shit we all like to do....curls, triceps, shoulder raises, flys, etc. etc. etc. This also seems to be the approach that the typical message board bro takes with 5/3/1. It's a bad plan for me. It worked ok for a while, but once you get to the point where you're decently strong, it's not really lining up with helping you progress. I think that's why many guys struggle so much to push past plateaus.

Your supplemental and assistance movements need to support your strength movements (big 4). So little triceps movements, burn-out curls, pec flys, all that shit....none of it makes you stronger. If your big 4 are compound movements, most guys probably benefit the most from making their secondary movements fairly compound as well, ie - Dips > tricep pushdowns; Pull ups > Lat Pull Downs; Barbell curls > dumbbell curls. Make them half body moves.

I've found that I get the biggest bang for the buck out of the big 4 (Press, bench, squat, dead) dips, pull ups, barbell curls, Kroc rows, goblet squat, and the ab wheel. I just stick to those. Pull ups and dips, I think are non-negotiable. The others, YMMV.

And to save time, I usually do a short set of my assistance lift between sets of my big lifts. So if it's press day, I do set of press, 5 pull ups, change weight, press, 5 x pull ups, change weight....etc. On 5.3.1 Boring but Strong, that ends up being 15 sets of 5 pull ups. Squat/DL days, I usually do dips between sets. Then at the end, I might do a short circuit of abs/goblet squats - 5 ab wheels, 10 GS on Squat/DL day or abs/barbell curls on bench/press day.

So anyway, on a -500 cut, I can do the full 5/3/1 Boring but Strong, plus 50-100 assistance lift between sets. I knock it all out in 50 minutes or so. The key there, on the cut, is for it to feel like a solid workout, but not be too taxing. Leave the gym feeling stronger (not sore, tired, and beat up). Don't hang out for another 30 minutes doing wrist curls and sit ups.

For me, this type of work-out allowed me to cut 25 lbs, and I set some sort of rep PR in the big 4 at least once a week. And while I never got to Lou Ferigno level ripped or symmetry, I was pretty f-ing strong at an all-time low adult bodyweight. It looks pretty damn good relative to all of the other 39 year olds I know.

Again, the keys were:

• Focusing mental energy on the diet compliance
  
  
• Skipping Cardio (could probably be personalized to include cutting out things that sap your mental energy)
  
  
• Focus your lifting efforts on gaining strength - which means for me not distracting yourself with chasing mirror exercises.
  
  
• Perhaps a more meta point, but get to know yourself and note what gives you the biggest bang for the buck.
  
  The sad ending to the story here is that I felt fucking awesome in February and started really pushing the PRs and getting out of balance with my training. One weekend I tested myself....pressed 250 x 1 and 5 repped 485 in the deadlift. Both felt great when I did them, but that same weekend I tweaked my shoulder cutting tree branches, and it went crazy on me on me the following day. Took 6 weeks for the doc to get me straightened out with stretching & ART, and another 2 months of very limited lifting. Basically push ups and goblet squats were the only things that didn't set my shoulder off. So now I'm back to working this same old routine trying to get back to where I was 9 months before (slowly!). Moral of the story here is that old guys need to stretch, and don't get greedy when testing. Stay in the program and eventually you'll hit the number you covet.
  
  One more thing, with regard to bulking. I don't do this much anymore, as I'm pretty satisfied hanging out at my current bodyweight and can still make gains. But it appears to me that your first mistake is that when you bulk, you're working out too much. The key that most guys miss when trying to build muscle is rest. You'd be better off doing 3 pretty intense workouts a week than 6 if you want to put on muscle.
  
  I didn't understand volume, rest, and eating until I did this program:
  
  Flat out, it is a motherfucker. I've done it twice. It's not something you can do more than maybe once a year. The first time I did it, I limped my way through the whole thing. It was ugly, but I got it done. I probably put on 6 lbs of legit lean body mass, a few lbs of fat. And my bench went through the roof when I did this. It's a good program. And it does a great job of putting you through the process of what it really takes to really pack on muscle.
  
  If you try it, buy the book and read it all. Then, follow it to the letter - the workouts, the timing, the "tweaks". Dan John, the author, is a really sharp guy, a top tier coach, and a good writer. By the end of the program, at the very least, you learn a good deal about what type of things work or don't work for you, and what types of things to add to your 'regular' routines that help you gain.
  
  That's all I've got for now. I could go on about this forever, but hopefully you can pull some nuggets out for yourself.
  /u/MRPsurf, hopefully there's some value for you as well.

/u/Krosis9 I encourage you to buy this book. In my opinion, it's the most comprehensive book on sandbag training. Everything I've written below is from that book.

There's a ton of exercises you can do with sandbags:

Hip Hinge

• Deadlift
  
• Staggered Deadlift
  
• Rear Step Deadlift
  
• Front Loaded Good Morning
  
  Hip Hinge Power
  
  
• Bear Hug Clean
  
• High Pull
  
• Power Clean
  
• Shouldering
  
• Snatch
  
  Squat
  
  
• Bear Hug Squat
  
• Front Loaded Squat (upper arms tucked into ribs)
  
• Shoulder Squat
  
• Staggered Shoulder Squat
  
  
  Lunge/Split Squat
  
  
  
• Lunge/Split Squat - forward, backward (drop), lateral, diagonal
  
• Front Loaded Lunge/Split Squat
  
• Suitcase Rear Leg Lunge/Split Squat
  
• Suitcase Front Leg Lunge/Split squat
  
• Shoulder Rear Leg Lunge/Split Squat
  
• Shoulder Front Leg Lunge/Split Squat
  
• Lunge to Balance Step
  
• Rotational Lunge
  
• • Slow same side
    
• • Slow alternate sides
    
• • Slowly increase speed alternate side
    
    Press
    
    
• Kneeling Around the World (warm-up; no rotation/twisting)
  
• Overhead Press
  
  For all exercises, you can change the stance and grip to increase instability:
  
  Stances
  
  
• Military (feet together)
  
• Staggered (toes in line with other foot's heel and the heel off the ground)
  
• Kneeling
  
• Half Kneeling
  
  Grips
  
  
• Regular
  
• Off-set
  
• Arc Press (always with slow tempo and best with smaller sandbags)
  
  Rotation
  
  
• Rotational Press
  
• Rotational Clean
  
• Rotational High Pull
  
  
  Shoveling
  
  An exercise that is a mix of a hip hinge and rotation is sandbag shoveling. I liken it to a kettlebell swing with a rotation.
  
  Core
  
  
• Lateral Bag Drag (can add push-ups between drags)
  
• Around the World (pivoting with feet are involved)
  
• Cyclone (combo of Shoveling & Around the World)
  
• Bridge to Pullover
  
• Leg Threading
  
• Get-Up
  
  
  Rows
  
  
• Adjust Grip
  
• Adjust Stance
  
  Curls
  
  
• Regular
  
• Grip
  
  Carries
  
  
• Bear Hug
  
• Front Hold
  
• Shoulder
  
• Overhead
  
• Back Hold (like a regular back squat)
  
  Exercises that work well with high reps:
  
  
• Rotational Lunge
  
• Rotational High Pull
  
• Shoveling
  
• Around the World
  
• Lateral Lunge High Pull
  
• Power Clean
  
• Bear Hug Squat
  
• Snatch
  
• Front Loaded Good Mornings
  
  How does this relate to strength training? Can you gain strength with sandbags? Yes, the one thing that you can gain A TON of strength in is your core. That's really the bread and butter of using sandbags. The rotation and twisting you can add to exercises is something you cannot do at all with a barbell and not so easily do with dumbbells.
  
  We can liken sandbags with calisthenics exercises, like a push-up. You can gain strength with push-ups by changing the hand positions and leverage. With sandbags, we do this by changing our stance (from a regular bilateral stance to a military stance to a staggered stance) and our grip (to an off-set grip). You can also add both a different stance and grip to one exercise. For example, you can do a regular overhead press, or you can do a half-kneeling off-set overhead press. Much harder than a regular press. You'll get stronger even with the same sandbag just by adjusting a couple things.
  
  Also, I guarantee you that you probably cannot do a rotational lunge with a 60lb sandbag right now. That's something you have to build up to. I also guarantee you that you probably won't be able to clean and press a 100lb sandbag. Lifting and moving a sandbag is totally different than a barbell. You can definitely get stronger by moving a sandbag around. It'll be harder to gauge improvement because it's not about just adding 5lb to the bag. You'll have to change the speed of the movement, the stance of the movement, and/or the grip of the movement instead.

Wow, you have done a fantastic job so far! Your progress is really inspiring and you have accomplished something that a lot of people never manage to do. Congrats and keep up the great work.

When you first begin strength training, you may be able to build a little muscle while you continue to cut (although it will taper and eventually stall as you continue to lose weight). You should also be able to gain a good amount of strength just by virtue of practicing big lifts, learning to use your body's leverages to your advantage, improved neural efficiency, etc. Getting stronger isn't just about getting big muscles: it's a skill.

My recommendation would be to try something like SS, SL, or Greyskull LP. Regardless of what you do, I also highly recommend going online and actually BUYING SS: http://www.amazon.com/Starting-Strength-3rd-Mark-Rippetoe/dp/0982522738. A lot of people just use the Wiki but, honestly, the Starting Strength book is a really easy to read and information-dense introduction to barbell training and it will explain most of what you need to know for your first several months of training and beyond (it covers technique, basic beginner programming/how strength adaptations work, accessories/how to use them and incorporate them into a routine, and much more). Also, if you do Greyskull, there is also a book for that program as well: http://www.amazon.com/Greyskull-LP-Second-John-Sheaffer/dp/0615635571/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1407938754&sr=1-1&keywords=greyskull

Whatever you do, I cannot stress enough: GET THE BOOKS AND READ THEM. Knowledge is power and it will make you a lot more confident about what you are doing when you have something to reference. Reading Starting Strength was one of the most important early steps I ever took to jump start my strength training. I can't stress enough how helpful it was to getting me stronger and staying relatively injury free.

Good luck!

Here is most of my library, broken down, with links and some thoughts on each.

Karate Specific

• The Bubishi by Patrick McCarty (Amazon) - I think this book needs to be in every library.
  
• Classical Kata of Okinawan Karate by Patrick McCarthy (Amazon) - One of the first books I purchased by McCarthy. Details older version of classic kata found in a lot of traditional styles.
  
• Karatedo by My Way of Life - Gichin Funakoshi (Amazon) - Great read! I really nice view at the life of Funakoshi.
  
• The Twenty Guiding Principles of Karate by Gichin Funakoshi (Amazon) - Another great read. While I'm no longer a practitioner of Shotokan, I believe the teachings of Funakoshi should be tought to every karateka.
  
• Okinawan Karate : Teachers, styles and secret techniques by Mark Bishop (Amazon) - Great amount of historical content, and helped link a few things together for me.
  
• The Study of China Hand Techniques by Morinobu Itoman (Lulu.com) - The only known publication by Itoman, this book detains original Okinawan Te, how it was taught, practiced, and some history. This was one of my best finds.
  
• The Essence of Okinawan Karate-do by Shoshin Nagamine (Amazon) - Great details on Matsubayashi Shorin-ryu kata, and some nice historical content.
  
• The Way of Kata by Lawrence Kane & Kris Wilder (Amazon) - Fantastic book on diving deeper into kata to find the application of the techniques.
  
• Classic Kata of Shorinji Ryu: Okinawan Karate Forms of Richard 'Biggie' Kim by Leroy Rodrigues (Amazon) - Not quite accurate as to the title, this book details the versions of shorinji-ryu kata as if they were taught by a Japanese school. Still able to use, as long as you understand what stances and techniques have changed between Okinawa and Japan.
  
• Black Belt Karate by Jordan Roth (Amazon) - This was a gift from a friend. I have a First Edition hard cover. Shotokan specific, and has some nice details on the kata.
  
• Karate-do Kyohan: The Master Text by Gichin Funakoshi (Amazon) - Love this book, especially for the historical content.
  
• Kempo Karate-do by Tsuyoshi Chitose (Shindokanbooks.com) - The only known book from Chitose, highlights his history, his thoughts and ideas for practicing karate-do as a way of life, and contains steps for practicing Henshu-Ho. Chitose is the creator of the style I study. I have this book for obvious reasons. Your mileage may vary.
  
  Kobujutsu Specific
  
  
• Okinawan Weaponry: Hidden methods, ancient myths of Kobudo & Te by Mark Bishop (Amazon) - Really great detail into the history of some of the weapons and the people who taught them from Okinawa.
  
• Okinawan Kobudo Vol 1 & 2 (Lulu.com) - Fantastic books detailing the kihon and kata of Okinawan Kobudo. Anyone who takes Ryukyu Kobujutsu, and doesn't want to spend hundreds of dollars on the original texts by Motokatsu Inoue, this is the next best thing.
  
• Bo: Karate Weapon of Self-Defense by Fumio Demura (Amazon) - Purchased it for the historical content. Doesn't actually apply to anything in Ryukyu Kobujutsu, but still a decent read. I also have his Nunchaku and Tonfa books.
  
  Other Martial Arts
  
  
• Applied Tai Chi Chuan by Nigel Sutton (Amazon) - A great introduction to Cheng Style Tai Chi, detailing some of the fundamentals and philosophy behind the teachings.
  
• Tai Chi Handbook by Herman Kauz (Amazon) - More Cheng Style Tai Chi, but this one has more emphasis on teaching the shortened form (37 steps).
  
• Tai Chi Chuan: Classical Yang Style: The Complete Long Form and Qigong by Dr. Yang, Jwing-Ming (Amazon) - Just received this for Chirstmas, and looking forward to diving in. Includes some history of Tai Chi Chuan, Yang style Tai Chi, philosophy, and has instruction on the complete long form (108 steps)
  
• The Text-book of Ju-Jutsu as Practiced in Japan by Sadakazu Uyenishi (Amazon) - I have a very old version of this book (1930ish). Picked it up for the historical content, but still a great read.
  
• Tao of Jeet Kun Do by Bruce Lee (Amazon) - Notes on technique, form, and philosophy from Bruce Lee. Another must read for every martial artist, regardless of discipline.
  
• Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu: The Ultimate Guide to Dominating Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and Mixed Martial Arts Combat by Alexandrew Paiva (Amazon) - Excellent step by step illustrations on performing the basic techniques in Brazilian Jiu-jitsu. Easy to understand and follow. Contains several tips on what to watch out for with each technique as well.
  
  Health and Anatomy
  
  
• The Anatomy of Martial Arts by Dr. Norman Link and Lily Chou (Amazon) - Decent book on the muscle groups used to perform specific techniques in martial arts. On it's own, not totally useful (but not useless), but with the next book, becomes gold!
  
• Bodyweight Strength Training Anatomy by Bret Contraris (Amazon) - Brilliant book that details what muscles are use for what type of action, and gives examples on body weight exercises that pin-point those specific muscle groups. My best purchase of 2014, especially when paired with the previous book.
  
• Martial Mechanics by Phillip Starr (Amazon) - Slightly Chinese Martial Arts specific, but contains great material on how to strengthen stances and fine-tune technique for striking arts.
  
  EDIT: I can't believe I forgot this one...
  
  
• The Little Black Book of Violence by Lawrence Kane & Kris Wilder (Amazon) - Fantastic book about situational awareness, what happens during fights, and the aftermath. LOVED this book.
  

Okay... incoming wall of text (you've triggered "verbose Amy mode"):

I am an utter newb at this, so I'm still learning myself. So far, I'm just working on my own, although I just got the name of a promising-sounding personal trainer from my physical therapist, so when my current round is over, I might try that out. I'd like to. But since I was starting from zero, I figured anything is better than nothing, so as long as I learned enough to keep from hurting myself, it would lead to progress.

Here's my current plan:

I split my routines up by parts: Sundays are legs, shoulders, back; Tuesdays are biceps, core, chest; Thursdays are legs, core, triceps. So legs and core get worked twice a week, everything else once.

Each workout is built around one of the big, compound movements: squats, pushups, pull-ups (which I can't actually do yet), and deadlifts (which I don't have the equipment for right now.) I do one of those every session; then the rest is made of accessory exercises focusing on more specific movements. They're usually 9-12 exercises total, and typically 3 sets of 10 reps, or however many it takes to fatigue the muscle. Then stretch, and done.

The only equipment I'm working with is one 15-lb dumbbell, one 8-lb dumbbell, a physio ball (I love mine), an array of resistance bands (most of which are too easy for me now) and body weight. This selection is a bit limiting, but since I started from fat middle-aged woman status, I've been able to make some initial progress with just this.

The really hard part, I've found, is finding books on strength training that are suitable for people in our situation -- it's like, everything is either pitched for 80-year-olds or people not really interested in actual strength training, or else for already-fit athletes. The books that I've found the most useful are Delavier's Women's Strength Training Anatomy Workouts, because it shows you very specifically what muscle group you're focusing on, and it does a good job of explaining the pros and cons of variations and modifications; and The Women's Health Big Book of Exercises because it's just got a million variants of major exercises included, which can be helpful for modifying and keeping boredom at bay. There are some better-respected books out there, too, but they tend to lean heavily on a pretty fit starting state, and access to really extensive collections of equipment. YouTube is also super helpful to find videos on correct form and further modifications for stuff that's still a little too hard.

Again, this is just my limited understanding from a novice perspective. I feel like I'm getting to the point where I won't be able to make consistent progress for much longer without investing in a lot more equipment (or finally dragging myself into the beautiful, state of the art fitness center to which I have access through my job), and some expert advice would probably do me a lot of good. So over the summer, I'm hoping to transition to a gym-based workout with some help from a personal trainer. So far, though, it's been all me, making it up as I go (with some research to back it up.)

I've read so many books that I honestly cannot say that any particular one is the most important. However, here's a list of really good ones:

• Starting Strength. Mark Rippetoe. I've read all three editions. The books have greatly influenced the way I lift, especially in the obvious sense of proper form for barbell lifts.
  
  
• Practical Programming For Strength Training. Mark Rippetoe and Lon Kilgore. Simple explanations of a lot of things related to training even nutrition.
  
  
• Beyond Bodybuilding. Pavel Tsatsouline. Amazing book filled with numerous lifts with the goal of using strength training to develop mass.
  
• Relax Into Stretch and Super Joints by Pavel as well. If you have issues with mobility or flexibility, these books are awesome.
  
• 5 3 1. Jim Wendler. I'm fairly certain the majority of people know what this is, but if you haven't read it, I encourage reading both editions and the one for powerlifting, especially if you're running 5/3/1 right now. All three books are a huge resource for determining how to program assistance and conditioning.
  
• Easy Strength. Pavel and Dan John This was a great read. It was filled with tons of things from articles written by Dan John as well as just a massive look at how to appropriately program strength training for people at numerous levels.
  
• 4 Hour Body. Tim Ferriss. This was an amazing read. It, like Pavel's Power to the People, was a great read on complete minimalism of training towards a goal.
  
  I've read so many more books than that. Since these are the only ones that I can think of off the top of my head, I'd say that they are the ones that have made the biggest impression from reading them.

Hey man. I'm new to Aikido as well, but have been strength training 3-5 times a week consistantly for over 5 years. What I can tell you is that it will come down to your willingness to just start lifting, or starting a program whether you're doing it 100% correct or not. Over time you will figure out what is correct by how your body responds. By all means be safe and smart by starting with very low weights, but just start.

After reading through your responses to peoples suggestions, u/rolandthedickslinger pretty much hit the nail on the head (even if a bit abrupt) but he's totally right. You're making excuses. Maybe re-read this thread and count how many times you shoot down helpful suggestions. Speaking of suggestions... I've read loads of books when I started trying to wade through the seas of useless fitness info, and the one book that helped me tremendously was Delaviers 'Strength Training Anatomy'. It teaches you all the muscles, groups, and how to safely train them. For more of a program oriented approach, get 'Strength Training Anatomy Workout II' also by Delavier. The illustrations are excellent, and everything is written so well its really easy to understand.

Good luck.

Another great read, one that was recommended to me by another guy around these parts, is Power by Fred "Dr Squat" Hatfield. Much more easily digestible filled with great concepts that stand today.

Edit: I figured I might as well help build some libraries while I'm in here.

Top 5 for Brain Gains

https://www.amazon.com/Supertraining-Yuri-Verkhoshansky/dp/8890403802/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1484762523&sr=8-1&keywords=supertraining

https://www.amazon.com/Science-Practice-Strength-Training-Second/dp/0736056289/ref=sr_1_8?ie=UTF8&qid=1484762523&sr=8-8&keywords=supertraining

https://www.amazon.com/Periodization-5th-Methodology-Training-Tudor-Bompa/dp/073607483X/ref=sr_1_20?ie=UTF8&qid=1484762523&sr=8-20&keywords=supertraining

Those first three are big bucks. So I opted to go to the library, I suggest many of you do the same. Photocopiers are the shit. (Or just gift yourself a $100 book.)

These last two are relatively cheap and extremely helpful. The first a great stepping point for some of the nuances of strength training. Appropriately written by a doctor who squatted a grand, most appropriately titled "Power."

https://www.amazon.com/Power-Scientific-Approach-Frederick-Hatfield/dp/0809244330/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1484751012&sr=1-1&keywords=power+fred+hatfield

And it pays to not be a dumbass about the very basics:

https://www.amazon.com/Strength-Training-Anatomy-Frederic-Delavier/dp/0736092269/ref=sr_1_15?ie=UTF8&qid=1484762523&sr=8-15&keywords=supertraining

AMAB runner here! I found that running didn't flatten my booty, but it didn't build it either. I'm sure I got some great cardiovascular benefits, but I didn't see much change when I looked in the mirror (I was always a healthy weight.) The main change I saw was that my abs were more defined (probably a combination of working my core muscles and losing body fat.)

Recently I started strength training. Squats do work your booty, but it's secondary. The main effort is done by your quads. Deadlifts are more focused on your backside (hamstrings and glutes.)

Some resources:

1. I highly recommend Strength Training Anatomy by Frederic Delavier. It has detailed color illustrations showing which muscles are worked by just about every exercise you could think of. There's also a version for women's anatomy.
   
   
2. My girl Abby Pollock on the YouTube.
   
   
3. /r/StrongCurves. I haven't used it personally, but you may find it helpful.
   
   Good luck quitting smoking and building your booty!

Replace soda with fruit, my bro. It has sugar, but also nutrients & fiber.

Make smoothies-- with a handful or two salad greens, flax oil (or other omega 3 product), etc. Start learning about nutrition & nutrition as it relates to exercise recovery.

Walk for one hour a day.

Lift weights for 20 mins, 3x week. After a month, increase to 30 mins. After another month, 45. Get up to an hour. Then, after 3-6 months or so, after your weights, do about 20-30 minutes of walking or light cardio.

Check out resources like this for learning proper form for weight lifting exercises. Start at home with the basic movements. Plan your routine (start with large muscle group activating "compound" exercises like bench presses, lat pulldowns or squats, before you move to "isolation" exercises like curls, triceps pulldowns, calf exercises, etc):

https://www.bodybuilding.com/exercises/

​

Within 3 months of starting you'll see differences and feel differences.

Get these books, they're practically all you need:

- the abs diet -- get it for its nutritional advice

Amazon comment about The Abs Diet: "a friend of mine lost 50 pounds using this. I lost 30. I can clearly say this is a great help. It explains not only WHAT decisions to make about food but WHY. "

- home workout bible-- get it for referencing exercises

​

Think about making it your philosophy to:

- Look forward to any physical exertion -- such as by making choices each day to make it physically more arduous on yourself. Example: Stop taking elevators & escalators. Commit to only using stairs. Park further from shops, make yourself walk. Never avoid a walk or physical exertion-- instead, look forward to it.

- Challenge yourself physically. Sweat, exhaustion? Things to be proud of and happy to pursue.

For strength training, I'd recommend a program like Starting Strength for 3-4 months to build up some base strength. Then switch to a more specialized program with a focus on muscle endurance, while still spending some time on building strength. Maybe something like 5/3/1 lifts first, and then some longer sets of 12-20 reps.

Practical Programming for Strength Training talks a lot about how to design strength training programs to support sports-specific goals. I'm in the middle of it now and definitely recommend it.

From the DVRT Sandbag Training System book:

> The simple answer is YES! Of course, you have to remain consistent with other important factors such as nutrition and sleep. Seeing the amazing results people get from applying the DVRT system even surprises me at times. It is the adherence to a program - based upon strong principles and using an amazing tool - that seems to bring about such change.

Naturally, I own the book above, and while there is a chapter in the book about DVRT programming, the "programming" still leaves a lot of unanswered questions. It's not as rigid and structured as traditional free weight programs like Madcow or BBB 531. You're better off figuring out what movements you want to improve in, and create your own workouts with exercises that are specific to those movements, starting with the basic movements and exercises and progressing to more complex ones from there.

Nevertheless, you can build size in various parts of your body, especially your core. Is it the most effective way to build mass? No, but that's an obvious one.

In my opinion, the best use of sandbags isn't for mass. It's for General Physical Preparedness and sports-specific training. Mass gain doesn't care what tools you use, as long as your diet is in check to produce mass gain.

Two things: first, check your bike fit, especially seat height and bar height. I know a lot of people here are all about low, flat, bars, but if you are just getting started, it takes a while to get both the mobility and strength to stay that low for long periods of time, even on the bar flats, let alone in the drops. “Bike fit advisor” on YouTube helped me a lot. Or get fitted if you have the coin.

Second, if you want to build strength, do calisthenics. Push ups, dips, chin-ups, planks, and crunches to start. You need to hold up you body weight, so do body weight exercise. Also, bulking through weight training kind of goes against what you need for cycling endurance. These exercises help build mobility and strength in your entire upper body. I highly recommend “Complete Calisthenics” here

I hope you get some relief!

I'm a bit late to this thread, but a friend of mine recently introduced me to bodyweight exercises (think pushups, pullups, squats, and mountain climbers). In 20 minutes, using no serious equipment (I use a pull up bar, some folks use towels for exercises that require suspension) you can get a fairly serious workout that engages all of your muscles, builds strength, and gets your heart rate WAY up.

I used this book which had some great information on the anatomical ideas behind planning a workout routine, but there are a lot of similar free resources out there, I'm sure.

As far as improving your pull-ups and dips, you should consider doing negatives (starting at the top, and lowering your body as slowly as possible) to help build up your strength.

http://www.50pullups.com/ <-- a great program specifically for pullups.

There are also a lot of great beginner's strength programs that will meet your goals.

Phrak's Greyskull Linear Progression which is based on Johnny Pain's GSLP might be a good program for your goals as it focuses more on upper body strength than ICF, SL, or SS (which are all squat-centric programs) .

This is a semantic point, but it's a point I hope you take to heart. By definition, anything named after Occam's razor does not have all the additions you made. That was already a 2-day program (easily adapted), with 4 big lifts and ab work and KB swings. You've eliminated one of the big lifts and added 4 new things to a (by definition and name) minimalist program, then asked for internet help getting it organized. So, there's a point to be considered that only 4 months into the gym, you don't follow programs. I'd like you to follow one for 3 straight months, minimum. Let it do what it's meant to do, then you can do something else afterward. You have your whole life ahead of you to experiment.

There is not much support for training only twice a week, but I can heartily recommend Dan John's Minimalist Training and Nick Horton's 2 Lift Workout, which is actually 3/wk but is similar in ideology. And quit trying to strictly program additional stuff. If you want grip work, carry your CoC around with you and squeeze it every day. Also, your diet will be key. John's Mass Made Simple only trains every 4th day, specifically to put on weight. You'd do well to find a third day, even just a run on the weekend.

At 17, I wish I knew what I do know when I was at you're age kid. At 17 you have a retardedly high degree of potential for building muscle that when you're my age @27 you'll look like a carved stone statue. If you are serious about lifting and becoming strong & only if you're serious ask your parents to buy the Three books for you below for Christmas ot buy them youself if you have a job:

Starting Strength by Mark Ripptoe

Strength Training Anatomy Workout II by Frederic Delavier

Practical Programming for Strength Programming by Mark Ripptoe

Max your newbie gains using book 1. Learn to bodybuild with book 2. Learn to get beastly strong with book 3. I pretty much just handed you the keys to a shredded body on a silver platter. It's up to you do put in the work.

Came here to suggest the Greyskull LP book. The fact that GSLP is your program of choice makes it even more of a good idea too. It's a great book, and I particularly really found his form cues incredibly helpful since they give you one or two key things to focus on that make a huge difference in form.

On top of that, you get to understand the routine you're doing a lot better, get ideas for variations/changes to make down the line, and you get additional suggests like frequency work etc.

It's a really good book: https://www.amazon.com/Greyskull-LP-Second-John-Sheaffer/dp/0615635571

Good work! Just keep in mind you don't need to kill yourself on every set. A great book I'd recommend to someone getting started in lifting is the MAX Muscle Plan by Brad Schoenfeld - he is pretty much the go to guy when it comes to research on how to build muscle and the book incorporates a lot of great strategies for building muscle, like scaling volume, intensity and frequency over time.

https://www.amazon.com/Max-Muscle-Plan-Brad-Schoenfeld/dp/1450423876/ref=sr_1_2?keywords=the+max+muscle+plan&qid=1562046532&s=gateway&sr=8-2

First stop should be /r/fitness top place.

It's not really literature but I found BioLayne's youtube series really helpful in helping me to progress my training. https://www.youtube.com/user/biolayne He also has a blog which is really good too.

https://www.t-nation.com/ seems to be quite good as well.

Some on my reading list
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Strength-Training-Anatomy-Workout-II/dp/1450419895/
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Strength-Training-Anatomy-Sports/dp/0736092269
http://www.amazon.co.uk/New-Encyclopedia-Modern-Bodybuilding-Updated/dp/0684857219/

Getting to ripped is literally just about really low body fat with some muscles.

The article posted by Optimus is a good reference to your title question, and Practical Programming offers a lot of good info on the topic as well, if you have further interest in the research behind the reps/strength concept.

Otherwise it looks like you're setting yourself up well; a lot of guys don't even consider strength training in the off season. Best of luck!

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/1450400957/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1521943583&sr=8-3&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_FMwebp_QL65&keywords=frederick+delavier

Great book for learning plyometrics and optimizing home training. His Workout II book is centered on optimizing gym gains and imparts understanding about the functional and anatomical aspects of each lift. It also even goes further to describe various growth techniques and what exercises to do and avoid based on your morphology.

For instance, taller lankier guys mights want to consider using machines or dumbells instead of barbells for chest presses because due to their length it's harder for them to perform a standard bench compared to someone with shorter arms because of increased range of motion which can lead to injury and reduces the tension required for stimulating muscle growth. He describes it way more clearly than I just did. It's worth picking up.

You are in luck sir! All you need is a trusty pair of.. nope. not even shoes needed! The great outdoors and household objects are all you need to set yourself up with a great conditioning plan. Run, Hike, Lift, Climb, Push, Pull. Yes all this can be yours for one simple price.. getting off the couch! Yes believe it or not all you have to do is stand up and walk out your front door!

If this doesn't sound good then drop 20$ on the men's health home workout bible This can be torrented btw

Al Kavadlo has been a huge inspiration for me. He focuses on body-weight training which I have just started doing as well. I would suggest reading up on this forum and going to your library to read about body weight exercise. A cheap ebook ($5) that I found encouraging and informational is C-Mass: Calisthenics Mass. I would suggest beginning working out right now. A great way to get good training is by joining a sport. When I was entering high school I was in your similar shoes of being skinny and picked on. I was recruited on to the cross country team and that changed everything for me. I then went on to join track and pole vaulting. Once I joined pole vaulting no one messed with me anymore because they thought I was some crazy mother fucker for doing a sport like that. Being in sports you basically get a free trainer and access to the school's weight room and all of that. Take advantage of that. Maybe you'll meet some friends too.

If you've exhausted the gains of linear programming, then it's time for some periodized programming at an intermediate level. A good source for that kind of thing is Practical Programming for Strength Training, by Mark Rippetoe. Another popular intermediate program is 5/3/1, by some dude whose name I have forgotten. Madcow is another. My personal favorite is Tactical Barbell, which gives you a number of options as to how much time you want to spend in the gym, and how often you want to go.

If you just want to drink from the firehose and then write the bible from "In the beginning," then read this. It's by the guy who basically invented periodization, and single-handedly invented the legend of Glorious Eastern-Bloc Socialist Training.

I propose the following response to the question: "Can you guys critique my routine?" It's long and can probably stand being edited down.

Designing an effective workout routine requires significant weightlifting knowledge and experience. If you have such experience, you likely won't need additional opinions of your routine. If you don't have such experience, it is highly unlikely you have accidentally created a program which will help you reach your fitness goals better than the standard programs recommended on fittit, or by the program picker, which was written specifically by redditor RHAINUR to ask what your goals are, what your fitness status is, and so provide you with the best program for you.

Furthermore, it is not really practical to offer an opinion on individual routines to novices without teaching you the basics of forming a good routine -- which is an enormous amount of information, about which entire books are written. If you are interested in this topic, we recommend you read one of these books (for example, Practical Programming for Strength Training).

Finally, if your routine is designed around very specific constraints (such as limited but specific equipment; physical limitations such as a disability or being under hormonal treatment; or an extremely constrained diet) then it would be a good idea to post a question about how to form a routine within the constraints (assuming they aren't already addressed in this FAQ), describing them as completely as possible.

I seem to get the best results from running, especially in the moderately strenuous range. Also, I usually need to do at least 20 minutes.

But I get really bored doing steady pace aerobic so I usually do some kind of interval training--for example, 5 minute walk, 5 minute jog, 5 x (1 min. run, 1 min. walk), 5 min. jog, 5 min. walk. I'll vary the interval times from 30 sec. to 3 min. and occasionally do all out 10 sec. sprints. Interval workouts give me the same mood boost as, say, running 20-30 min. but with less boredom and fewer nagging injuries. I try to run about 3 days per week.

I also lift 2 or 3 times a week, hardly ever on the same day I run. Lately, I mostly do a pretty minimal program focused on dead lifts and presses. I've just started the Power to the People program, which I like so far, but it's still early days. I have found when I do high volume lifting (by which I mean 5+ sets of 5 on 2 or 3 big lifts per workout) several times a week, it doesn't do much for my mood. You need a lot of rest to recover from those types of workouts and I always ended up feeling like I was dragging the bar around every waking moment.

So far, the PttP program, with it's emphasis on "practice" over training, hasn't left me feeling so destroyed. But overall, lifting doesn't do nearly as much for my mood as running (and to a lesser extent, biking). I think of it as a support activity, to make the running easier and reduce injuries. I know some people say lifting works well for them, but I tend to overdo it and end up feeling exhausted and terrible, which is the opposite of what I want.

tl;dr: Moderate to high intensity interval training for at least 20 minutes about 3 times a week works best for me.

The first piece of advice I would have to offer you is to hit the gym. It will be hard at first, but then it will become hard to keep yourself away after a while. Being in good physical condition really helps EVERYTHING in your life, top to bottom. It gives you more discipline and self confidence, and the extra oxygen in your bloodstream just makes your brain work a bit better. Check out this book: the program in this book has worked wonders for me. The best part is that this will never have you in the gym for more than 45-60 minutes at a time. You will probably find that you have the strength to fight all sorts of shit in your life that you have never had the strength to fight within the first few weeks.

Great advice. The Russians have lots of info on tracking your training like this and give volume recommendations based on your total and weight class. Bob Takano's book would be pretty useful in this context.

Another useful book would be Medvedev's A System of Multi-Year training in Weightlifting. This is the stuff that Bob's book is based on.

Bob's book Link

Medevedev's book Link

+1 for the strength training.

I'd also recommend this one in case you haven't got all gear yet and want to start training with BW:

https://www.amazon.com/Bodyweight-Strength-Training-Anatomy-Contreras/dp/1450429297/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=

As well as Ross's II:

https://www.amazon.com/INFINITE-INTENSITY-REVOLUTION-Ross-Enamait/dp/B000FKDAV6

Tactical Barbell books are the books that can cover multi-domain training:

https://www.amazon.com/Tactical-Barbell-2-Book-Series/dp/B01HQ85DBE/ref=sr_1_4?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1492006078&sr=1-4&keywords=tactical+barbell

Good luck!

Honestly, you'd have to just read Johnny Pain's GSLP 2nd Edition.

Also, I haven't looked much into Phrak's, just the original. It's more aesthetic based than other LP's in the sense that you AMRAP your last set, you don't squat everyday, and you don't squat first. It's a good read, you can find it on Scribd too BTW; just sign in w/ facebook account for free 30 days. There's actually alot of good weightlifting/powerlifting/strength training books/ebooks/PDF's on there.

The best I could say is the Recommended Routine here. Other than that, if you want volume (if that's your thing) then just add in different variations of the exercises.

• Here is an interesting read. Maybe you can find appropriate subs there.
  
  
• In this book, you can find a fair few exercises for each body part. Hopefully, that suits your needs.

You're not going to build significant muscle in one month nor will you be able to lose significant amount of fat. You also can't "spot remove" fat short of liposuction. That said, something is better than nothing, and this could be the start of a new routine.

Physique: pick a good lifting program and do it. Greyskull is a good place to start.

Lose fat: Gotta control that diet. Use a calorie calc to get you BMR, and then eat at a deficit. Lifting and eating a deficit will mean you need to eat a high protein diet. Use a macro calculator to help you decide on that.

Overall appearance: Clean your face with a facial cleaner, use a chemical exfoliant, and a face lotion r/skincareaddiction has recommendations. Drink a lot of water. Get a lot of sleep. Avoid booze and high sodium. Pay extra for a good haircut (or keep it shaved/clipped if you're thin on top like me). Wear clothes that fit, see r/malefashionadvice. Use a dandruff shampoo.

I redid my favorite workouts through a rotation before finding this guy through Bret contreras; the book is super science based and allows you to build your own programming (kinda, his guidelines) for what feels the best.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/149251456X?pc_redir=T1&qid=1466147887&s=books&sr=1-1

I just started my programming today!

Check out the book Strength Training Anatomy Workout. It goes through a bunch of home workouts and explains everything in great detail. Personally I have all of this guys books and they are seriously awesome!

Link: https://www.amazon.com/Strength-Training-Anatomy-Workout-Bodyweight/dp/1450400957/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1549903985&sr=8-5&keywords=strength+training+anatomy

I liked New Rules of Lifting. If you are new to lifting, it has a lot of good info in it. The book includes a bunch of workout programs focused on either fat loss, hypertrophy, or strength. Each workout is centered around compound lifts which I like a lot.

Bret Contreras is a Ph.D fitness scientist who is highly respected in the fitness industry. He's all about the science. He's known as the Glute Guy because his research on the lower body produced the best routines for lower body posterior chain development. But he is in fact very knowledgeable about all aspects of strength and body building.

He has a book on body weight workouts

https://www.amazon.com/Bodyweight-Strength-Training-Anatomy-Contreras/dp/1450429297

His website

https://bretcontreras.com

Understand your concern...having said that:

It is effective.

(I and many others have used it to accumulate volume in a sustainable way....and also in a way that one can easily incorporate into everyday busy lives)

It is tested.

(utilised in many countries basic training programs for military)

It works.

(see above)

Its called the grease the groove method... there is lots of testimony around it... utilised in many countries basic training programs..
For more google it or:
book



EDIT: haha, I made bold headings! how the fuck did I do that!!? ...soz, it now looks like Im shouting at you.

1 and 2: actually read the program. There's a book for it: http://www.amazon.ca/The-Greyskull-LP-Edition-ebook/dp/B007WNC50Q . Like Mogwoggle pointed out, exrx.net (ninja-edited - I keep writing .com, d'oh) is also a good resource for seeing what the lifts look like.

3: I'm not at all an expert; the following is synthesized from stuff I've heard and given a little bit of thought / sanity-checked against other things I heard. Sure, go ahead and do some cardio; it's probably easiest to just do it on the off days, but if you'd rather do it on the lifting days and have complete rest days, then do the cardio after lifting (because otherwise your lifting will suck) and maybe put some rest in between. You really only need around half an hour in a session; more will still help with your health, but gets diminishing returns. Also if you're doing it just for the calorie burn, then don't bother; it's easier to just eat less.

Soccer is a particularly difficult sport to program and train for as it utilizes all 3 energy systems in different ways. CrossFit would benefit soccer players during the off-season for full body conditioning, but it wouldn't help performance during the actual season. If you're looking to just condition, it could benefit. But I would suggest using a more sport-specific, strength and conditioning routine during pre- and in-season.

Check out:
https://www.amazon.com/Periodization-5th-Methodology-Training-Tudor-Bompa/dp/073607483X

I'm the farthest thing from an expert on exercise, but have been reading up recently. In Bigger, Faster, Stronger, Michael Matthews claims that strength exercises + cardio can co-exist on the same day, but try to separate them by many hours (so - bodyweight in the morning, jogging in the afternoon). If that's not possible, do the strength work first.

For bodybuilding, these books will give you the greatest breadth and depth in your training knowledge:

• The Complete Keys to Progress
  
• Keys to the Inner Universe
  
• Brother Iron, Sister Steel: A Bodybuilder's Book
  
• Brawn
  
  
  Hope this helps.
  
  
  Craig
  
  Author of Bodybuilding: From Heavy Duty to SuperSlow
  

I bought this book and a set of dumbbells recently. I’m four weeks into the first program and my wife says she can see a small differences. I really like the book and it breaks stuff down for people that don’t know anything about strength training (like me). It also advocates doing home workouts.

The Strength Training Anatomy Workout https://www.amazon.com/dp/1450400957/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_cSoOBbPWS27BC

N=1, lower intensity, higher reps, short rest. Submaximal training.

My "go to" rep set scheme that I found is the best of strength and hypertrophy in the shortest amount of time and easiest to implement was Pavels "Power to the People" (Strength=1x5 heavy set, 1x5 90% of first set)(Hypertrophy= 80% of first set, multiple sets of 5 until you lose form. short rest.) Sometimes I do the 80% at higher rep ranges. I like this better for volume than 3-4 sets of 10.

Doesn't Bret Contreras have a bodyweight plan in his book (Strong Curves)? He also has this book on bodyweight training it looks like. Maybe one of those would be beneficial. :)

Sticking to books the only other one i could recommend that I’ve read is the sports gene . It talks about the 10,000 hour rule and basically how some people are just born to be better at sports.

The other two books i have that i need to read are periodization and supertraining .

Other books I’ve been thinking of reading are the louie simmons/westside barbell collection. Especially olympic weightlifting strength manual .
Or
weightlifting programming .
I’m a powerlifter but i enjoy the olympic lifts i’m just not strong with them (best lifts are snatching bodyweight and c&j 1.25 bodyweight).

I would highly recommend Dan John's original strength program

https://www.amazon.com/Mass-Made-Simple-Dan-John-ebook/dp/B006HXPR66

The downside to this program from what you're looking for is that the movements are basically the same each workout, but with variation. He has a website that details a similar workout but where you can craft your own daily routine using a a ratio for different kinds of movements. I am not sure what your size is, I am a little more petite at 115 lbs so I found this workout plenty challenging with just the barbell for the squats and the complexes. Even if you don't complete the program, I found it absolutely essential in crafting solid form. Since he highly recommends resting for two days between workouts, you can use the days between to do pilates or a WOD crossfit thing or something else.

> Need to add gallon-of-milk-a-day to increase cals to 4,000+.

You can't rush progress. GOMAD is a ticket to bloated fatass. Fine if your only goals are lifting more weight, BMI be damned....but if you want to just build muscle, there are better ways. Not for the faint of heart.

Sepaen is right about your bmr.

Practical Programming for Strength Training is an amazing book by Mark Rippetoe.

How do you (meaning all of r/fitness) view Pavel Tsatsouline? A friend of mine let me borrow his book, and I wanted to know if he is generally considered a reputable authority on fitness/strength training, or if I would be better off looking elsewhere?

I believe what you are looking for is in this.

You won't find it for free but it is strongly supported by scholarly articles for it's claims.

Ps. I studied under the author.

There are so many online resources, however, I sometimes like having a book in my hands. I just bought Strong & Sculpted by Brad Schoenfeld.
http://www.amazon.com/Strong-Sculpted-Brad-Schoenfeld/dp/149251456X?ie=UTF8&qid=&ref_=tmm_pap_swatch_0&sr=
I really like how he broke down each muscle group and gave different exercises and equipment. Plus it has 4 or 5 different routines. Beginners to advance. I was worried that I wouldn't be able to do the programs at home but most of it is free weights. Plus, he gave detailed information for swapping one exercise for another.

this book is amazing. You might also be interested in this

Brad Schoenfeld's M.A.X. Muscle Plan. The plan incorporates lots of variety. It's a fairly long program (26 weeks, I think) that's composed of several mesocycles that alternate between strength and hypertrophy training. Each week (microcycle) changes up the exercises, # of sets, # of reps, rest interval, as well as adding some supersets. In addition to the healthy number of stiff legged dead lifts and good mornings already in the program, it calls for leg curls, leg extensions and leg presses. I don't have those machines in my home gym, so I just did stiff legged deadlifts, trap bar deadlifts, good mornings, Bulgarian split squats or hip thrusters instead.

​

May the wind be at your back on the Iron Path.

A good book would The New Rules of Lifting. There is also one for ladies. I read the one for women and it has a lot of really good info and exercises.

The injury rate for runners isn't extremely high at all, this is a fallacy perpetuated by people who don't enjoy running.

http://mobile.nytimes.com/blogs/well/2013/09/25/why-runners-dont-get-knee-arthritis/

The rest of your advise, and the advise of others is great though. You can lose weight simply through your diet. A controlled diet and some form or training programme will get you where you want to be in no time.

I'd recommend Bigger Leaner Stronger by Mike Matthews. Great beginner guide for getting into lifting and organising a diet and training program to suit you.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Bigger-Leaner-Stronger-Building-Ultimate/dp/1475143389

Sounds like a quote from Practical Programming by Rip. I agree, in the beginning you can recover quickly, but as you progress your body needs more recovery time.

I highly recommend this book that covers pretty much all your concerns:
The New Rules of Lifting for Men

If you are doing 170 on machine presses, you won't lose any size by switching over to push-up variations. Same with switching from lat pulldown to pull-ups. If you weighed 210 and benched 250 lbs with a barbell and did lat pulldowns with 200+ lbs, and those were clean reps with good form, then you could worry about losing size. Judging by your current weight and the poundage you use, it sounds to me like you'll look about the same but get healthier. Machine presses aren't that versatile and frankly they make me feel like shit compared to a dumbbell press. And don't worry at all about poundage with your curls. The biceps don't need a lot of weight to be worked for hypertrophy. Do some chins and order a few pairs of cheap dumbbells off Amazon.

I like the book C-Mass, which is all about building some size with bwf exercises. The writing is a little dogmatic but on the whole I think the author is correct.

This book is useful, too: https://www.amazon.com/Complete-Calisthenics-Ultimate-Bodyweight-Training/dp/1905367546

Tip: On days where you don't feel like doing variations, you can wear a weighted vest or backpack and give a few sets of basic pushups a little more resistance.

Finally, the old school bodybuilder Dave Draper had a home and travel routine based on bwf and dumbbells alone, and it only involved push-up variations for chest. The dumbbells were used for overhead pressing, curls, squats, and triceps work. If that guy could use his own weight a few sets of dumbbells without worry, then you will be fine.

edited to give a shout out to Dave Draper

Its because you aren't doing it regularly. If I were only allowed to do 2 exercises ever again in my life, I would choose deadlifting and squating. With those 2 exercises and nothing else I can assure you I would look better naked than most people in the gym.

Do yourself a favor and spend $15 on this book: http://www.amazon.com/Brawn-3rd-Edition-Stuart-McRobert/dp/9963916317

I got it when I was in your shoes and didn't think exercises like deadlifts were important. This will change your view.

Is there a gym near you?

If not, you can do bodyweight circuits. Here's a great program to try: https://www.amazon.com/Complete-Calisthenics-Ultimate-Bodyweight-Training/dp/1905367546/ref=pd_lpo_sbs_14_t_0?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=QA5ACMGJ1K8EZ4EDRMGP

The best way to address questions about GSLP is to read the book. It has lots of templates for extra assistance work, including triceps; the version linked in the wiki is just one example of a GSLP template.

Cool. Buy Mass Made Simple and follow the manual to the T. Start with the Six-week squat 101 workout and then do the 6 week bulking plan. You should be ready for football come fall.

Strength Training Anatomy, 3rd Edition


Bodyweight Strength Training Anatomy


Anatomy Companion to You Are Your Own Gym: An Illustrated Guide to the Muscles Used for Bodyweight Training

For those who don't know, this guy is Pavel Tsatsouline. He's a pillar of the kettlebell community in the US. His book 'Enter The Kettlebell' is treated with reverence over at /r/kettlebell

This video, Power To The People, is based on a book of same name which teaches deadlifts and presses; it is also fantastic.

Some programs are designed for building mass, like Jim Wendler's Building the Monolith ( https://jimwendler.com/blogs/jimwendler-com/101078918-building-the-monolith-5-3-1-for-size ) or Dan John's book Mass Made Simple ( https://www.amazon.com/Mass-Made-Simple-Dan-John-ebook/dp/B006HXPR66 , and he has some related articles you can Google for). Note that they both have diet recommendations, as well as things to do in the gym.

Buy a bunch of plates, two dumbbell bars, some bands, and work out at home? I'm currently reading through this book. One point they make is that why train at the gym when you can do it at home for a little investment that would otherwise go into your membership? A powercage, bench, plates, and bar can be had for 400-600$ with some smart buying. I mean I do my dumbbell flies on a coffee table with a yoga mat on top of it.

> This sucks sounding like a whinny little swole baby, but it’s been heavy on my mind.

I think it's just naturally hard to change from what you know that works to something else that also definitely works.

Swole finds a way.

Broden be with you.

edit: Oh also inb4 chest flies are bad, I'm not using heavy weight so it's probably OK for the moment

You might look at Darebee . Lots of great material there. They have an endless variety of ideas that, if nothing else, can be used to mix things up a bit if you are stuck in a rut.

Another resource is Ashley Kalym’s Complete Calisthenics

Finally, you might also look at Al Kavadlo’s Get Strong

> I started Phraktures Greyskull in November.

*cringe* Greyskull is a program written by John Sheaffer. Tis not mine, I just made some variations on it (and variations are built in to the program itself)

PS congrats

The M.A.X. Muscle Plan by Brad Schoenfeld.

Edit: A good exercise plan is not much without a good diet. So, for the diet, follow The Lean Muscle Diet by Alan Aragon. (It has an exercise plan, too. But, ignore that in favor of The M.A.X. Muscle Plan.)

I was rather impressed at the level of detail in this book:

https://www.amazon.com/Delaviers-Strength-Training-Anatomy-Workouts/dp/1450466036

Here's the book.

Here's the strenghtcalc progression table.

Here's a good overview.

I can't recall if the book gives a clear recommendation, but I'd say 3 workouts in a row with no progression in an exercise is considered a plateau. However, I do believe Rippetoe dedicates some elaborating commentary on this, but I might be thinking of Practical Programming (another good read btw).

Sounds a lot like "Greasing the Groove" Some dude named Pavel came up with it in a book called Power to the People

Some people swear by it for increasing reps on bodyweight exercises. There are plenty of threads in Bodyweight Fitness discussing the same technique and similar variations.

If you want to be able to do more pushups, do more pushups. That makes sense.

These figures were given to me by my coach, an NCCP Level 2 certified weightlifting coach (one of two in the whole province) who has brought athletes to nationals.
Before training Oly, I aimed for about 130g, which is indeed about 1g/lbs (at the time i was about 135-140). Since starting weightlifting he's had me slowly add up to 200g, which is about 1.3 or so of my current weight.
These figures are also reflected in Bob Takano's weightlifting books.

Of course everyone has to experiment with their own body, and the numbers are ranges and guidelines. But if stalls are happening with lifts, the number one thing I've learned to add is more protein, especially for lifters, and I'd give this advice, to carefully track their protein and add if they are stalling, to most non-oly lifters too if their goal is to get strong.

edit: Read the thread, and nothing I am suggesting really is counter-indicated in that article. I eat about 50g in 3 meals (8am, 1pm, 10pm), and then another 50ish as snacks (4pm, 7pm) protein bar, protein shake after training.

Here is Bigger, Leaner, Stronger: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Bigger-Leaner-Stronger-Building-Ultimate/dp/1475143389/ref=pd_cp_b_3

Should you be eating protein on non-gym days too?

This is what I was talking about. Looks like it's not an official CC volume.

https://www.amazon.com/Strong-Sculpted-Brad-Schoenfeld/dp/149251456X?ie=UTF8&*Version*=1&*entries*=0

this works, get her reading some bret contreras as well.

Time under tension, and muscle recruitment are both different. Read an exercise physiology book; it's not as boring to read as it sounds! I recommend http://www.amazon.com/Strength-Training-Anatomy-Workout-II/dp/1450419895/ref=la_B001H6NZGW_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1407343413&sr=1-3

Strength Training Anatomy Workout. Geeking out big time over here.

On my own program now.
https://www.amazon.com/Strength-Training-Anatomy-Workout-II/dp/1450419895/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1522662049&sr=8-5&keywords=strength+training+anatomy

Maybe I'll send one after this cycle in a few weeks. I'm sizing up quick.

BlackCraneStoic (Really original, I know) is my new account for TRP though I hardly use it as much as I used to. Too busy building my body and my bank account to be bothered much anymore.

Looking for https://www.amazon.com/Greyskull-LP-Second-John-Sheaffer-ebook/dp/B007WNC50Q 1st or 2nd edition

http://www.amazon.com/Weightlifting-Programming-Winning-Coachs-Guide/dp/0980011159

http://www.amazon.com/Periodization-5th-Edition-Theory-Methodology-Training/dp/073607483X

Hands down, this is a top 3 book.

Periodization book

Yass

Steven Low : http://www.eatmoveimprove.com/
 
Pavel Tsatsouline for strenght
 
Bret Contreras : http://www.amazon.com/Bodyweight-Strength-Training-Anatomy-Contreras/dp/1450429297/
 
Mark Lauren : http://www.amazon.com/You-Are-Your-Own-Gym/dp/0345528581/
 
Etc... Google to find known authors and coachs and avoid pseudo-expert... You don't need to follow a lot of guys, choose just 3-4 very good ressources and it's sufficient.

I'd suggest doing Stronglifts at maintenance calories (or deficit if you're a bit chubby) for about 12 weeks then switch to a beginners BB program like AllPro or GSLP.

Michael Mathews in Bigger, Leaner, Stronger:

> First, every professional bodybuilder is on steroids. Yes, every single one, regardless of what they say. And when you’re on steroids, you train just as I described above—you spend hours in the gym doing a million sets because you just grow, grow, grow and simply can’t overtrain, and you stick to the 10 – 12 rep range because you don’t want to go too heavy and risk injury to a joint, tendon, or ligament.

you can make some for the cost of a 2x4 and a 4' piece of 1-1/2" dowel, and some screws. should cost less than $20. based mine off the cover of thsi book:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Complete-Calisthenics-Ultimate-Bodyweight-Exercises/dp/1905367546/ref=cts_sp_2_vtp?pf_rd_m=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE&pf_rd_p=1212178027&pf_rd_r=49a25f44-d131-11e7-8697-4d052f93ba79&pd_rd_wg=wa0r6&pf_rd_s=desktop-detail-softlines&pf_rd_t=40701&pd_rd_i=1905367546&pd_rd_w=aBfcT&pf_rd_i=desktop-detail-softlines&pd_rd_r=49a25f44-d131-11e7-8697-4d052f93ba79&_encoding=UTF8

I'd go with the deeper ones, unless you have somewhere else to do dips.

One of the problems is that low-quality shoes generally take a while to reveal their crumminess. You might have to walk a couple days in them to really see how bad they are. In the case of my Skechers (see other response in this thread), it took a while before I noticed that half of my middle toe was numb 24/7 (not front or back half, the whole right half!). Then I noticed that I was losing feeling in other toes, too - not to mention the nice scabs I had from where the toe cup cut back onto the top of my foot. I was in a job where I had to walk all over a very large restaurant for long hours several days a week.

The $30 I paid for the Chinese ones I bought in Japan was a bad choice, but I was broke. The Skechers were like $60 or something - though I did get refund for them. I concede that price may not be an indicator of "quality." The Chinese shoes caused my ankles to tighten up significantly, because, as I discovered, the flex point in the sole was too far forward, causing my lower leg muscles to contract with each stop (to hold the ankle in place). That combined with the heel being a tad too thick caused my ankles to get all sorts of tight. (EDIT: I think that Converse All-Stars are "good shoes" because they let your feet be your feet and don't try and control where they flex - so price is not necessarily an indicator of whether a shoe will screw up your feet.)

Regarding quality, I believe that most people don't know how to evaluate shoes because they don't know how their feet are connected to their knee stabilizing muscles. Essentially, people blame pains they have on their knees or ankles when they should really blame their shoes. The problem is that the shoes have too much cushioning in the sole. When the sole provides too much cushioning then the nerves in the feet are incapable of sending quantity-of-force and direction-of-force nervous signals to supporting muscles around the knee. This is because the sole's softness dissipates the forces coming into the foot, providing a confusing signal for the nerves in the feet. So, the leg muscles do not properly stabilize the knees because they don't know how to do so (the muscles don't get the correct information about the directions of force they would protect against). Ironically, people are convinced that shoes with "more support" are somehow better for them. This can't be true.

If you want to fix your knees walk barefoot on hard surfaces at least part of the time everyday. You will learn, by use, how to place your foot on the ground, because mistaken use is painful. This will help to retrain your leg muscles at stabilizing your knees - though there are exercises which are even better, which I don't know that I could describe in textual form. The foot should be placed heel, ball, toe and in a direct straight line where the ankle lies under the knee lies under the hip. If you need exercises to correct that (it's safe to assume that yes, you do) see Pete Egoscue's book Health Through Motion. Regarding the nerves firing to your stabilizing muscles, Pavel Tsatsouline's book Power to the People discusses this in the context of why you should not lift weights with gloves on - for safety. This last is because, like the feet, the hands have nerves in them which perform the same function (stabilizing elbow and shoulder by providing direction-of-force and quantity-of-force data to supporting muscles).