So this is one of the main topics people like to discuss before they enter the gym is what should they be eating and how much should they be eating. So I am going to simplify it as easy as I can for everyone. You are either in a Caloric Surplus or a Caloric Defecit.

Caloric Surplus : Is a method you would use if you wanted to gain weight/ bulk up. Pretty much states that you eat over maintenance calories eg If your maintenance calories are 2,500 to stay at the same weight than you will want to be eating 3000 calories i would suggest. Also just because you are the same weight and height as someone else does not mean you should be eating the same calories as them everybodys body compisition is different.


Caloric Defecit : Is pretty much the complete opposite of caloric surplus as you might have guessed. Pretty much instead of adding 500 calories you would reduce by 500 calories. Example your maintenance is 2500 so you would then reduce down to 2000.

Also when intaking fat I would suggest eating products that are low in saturated fat etc.. examples would be almonds , eggs , olive oil , almond milk/lowfat milk peanut butter etcc...

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Protein

The first supplement I am going to go over is Whey Protein. What is it ? Its pretty much a supplement used by people to hit their daily protein target with most scoops averaging 25 grams of protein. Now what most people think is that if they are on protein is that , thats it they are going to get huge in a couple of weeks which is not it at all. Protein powder is simply a substitute for other food when you are in a rush for work or something it has no special effects whatsoever.


Pre-Workout

The next supplement is pre-workout. Pretty much what pre-workout is , is a endurance enhancer , a caffeine drink. This supplement pretty much is just for energy and will not affect the growth of you muscles in anyway , yes it will make you perform better and you will probably get better results with it.



Creatine

Creatine is probably the main supplement people talk about and yes it is a steroid (jk its not hahaha) , anyways pretty much in a nutshell it is used in the production of muscle mass and strength , I myself take and have seen great results using it. NOW I would strongly advise not taking if you are under 18 or havent not researched what this supplement does as some people might have a bad reaction to it.


Branch Chain Amino Acids

And last but not least BCAA , what i have learned is that these dont really do anything they are just really for recovery and would suggest only using when you are cutting or something along those lines , I take it just to take if im being honest but its not a supplement i need 24/7 and its expensive asf compared to creatine.

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Form / Technique

In this section i will discuss what i think is the best things you need to know when you start lifting , I wish I had known when i first began lifting but sadly didnt.

Activate the muscle before starting

Activating the muscle before starting is a good place to start. A few examples would be on bench do a few warm up sets with no weight on the bar to get the chest nice and pumped for the start of the workout. Another example lets say biceps , use like 5kg dumbells or whatever and get your biceps nice and pumped up and then begin your proper sets. I find this useful as if i activate the muscle before starting my sets you will definitely feel a good contraction when doing your actual sets.


Mind-Muscle-Connection


This is the most important in when trying to gain mass. Its simply making sure you are actually using the muscle and feeling a contraction with whatever exercise you are doing. I know this sounds stupid but you want to use your mind to feel the contraction. What i usually doing for example benching i will go just outside shoulder width and squeeze that bar tight lower slowly over the chest and as i push up squeeze tight. Also on the note of bench make sure you arms are not flaring and at a 45 degree angle i think it is.

Progressive Overload

Also a key main feature in building is progressive overload pretty much is adding weight to the bar, it doesnt matter if its only 1.5 or .2.5 pounds you are adding everything counts in gaining muscle those little plates are where gains are made. Just try it add on a mini plate every week and see where you get.


As i cant explain all the techniques here , this guy is a god when it comes to proper form,

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Training

As I am assuming a lot of the people viewing this topic will be beginners to the fitness lifestyle. I will try to give you the best possible advice for training. First things first How long should i train ? I would say anywhere between 60-90 mins is fine.

Types of Training


Strength : Strength Training is probably the thing most people should start with is find a good strength program that they like and start doing it . Strength is vital in progression in the gym. You want to see you bench go from 135 to double that in a year thats what strength training is for. And although you might not gain as much muscle you still need to do it , it is vital.

Hypertrophy: This type of training is a high rep type of training and required a lot of volume and can be tiring. But with this type of training you will build muscle and get a good definition to your body required that you are doing all the exercises with proper form and what not. I myself would start with strength for a couple of months and then do hypertrophy for a month or 2 or even have it 50/50/


Legs

Yes everyone has to do legs you dont want to look like johnny bravo or the gym at the beach with a good upper body and twigs for legs haha,

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I would usually train legs twice a week as for some are the hardest part to grow on the body.

How many days should i go to the gym?

I would suggest for a person who is bulking or in a caloric surplus I would suggest going for 4 days a week for about 60-90mins at a time/

For people trying to loose weight im not really sure maybe 5-6 days.

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Gaining Confidence

For some people trying to go to the gym is a challenge in itself as they either think they are too fat , too skinny or whatever. I will be honest with you I was the skinny guy when i first entered the gym and I am not that anymore , most people in their might look and you and people still do give me looks but they are probably just mirin. Anyways aside from that the people looking at you in the gym are probably thinking the same mindset as you they dont want people looking at them either that or their just jealous straight up.

For gymwear i still have not purchased any piece of gymwear since i began 2 years bag i still just throw on a tee and and some pants and lift away. You dont need to be wearing the best clothes its gonna get covered in sweat anyways also most of them brands are rip offs.

Do not ego lift aswell just lift what you can and the progress will come in due time.

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