# Started around two months ago



## MickyM (Nov 13, 2017)

Hello

I'm 42, been fat for most of my life and I'm blessed with a concave chest. Around 2 years ago I bought a mountain bike, joined a tennis club and lost 5 stone over the next twelve months. My eating regime is a disgrace but I can't change it as it's the only thing that keeps me falling off the wagon. I've been eating one decent meal a day now for nearly two years while letting my hair down on the weekends. I eat crap though.

About two months ago I grabbed my eldest's bench out his bedroom (never used) and started doing dumbell curls every other day. Within a few weeks I started realizing this wasn't a good idea and started resting longer between and began building a basic routine; biceps, shoulders, chest and triceps.

Just over two months on the results have empowered me mentally, seeing definition after a month or so gave me such a buzz. I know it's crap by standard 'standards' but due to the fact I've never had much shape before, it's really bolstered my incentive.

I'm looking to learn a bit more, find a decent home set-up and create a good routine for what I want to achieve. Due to my age and diet I'm not expecting much but it'd be nice to build-up a bit more.

My basic routine at the moment.

I'm trying to do 3 x 8 of all exercises.

Chest: press, fly.

Tricep: 2-arm extension.

Bicep: curl, hammer.

Shoulder: (I keep changing the exercise here)

Day 1: chest, triceps

Day 4: shoulders, biceps

Day 7: chest, triceps

Etc.

Any suggestions will be appreciated.

Thanks for looking.

Edit: my left arm is holding me back in terms of rep and weight. There appears to be an imbalance between right/left but there's sod all I can do. I'm hoping the left will catch-up.


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## UK2USA (Jan 30, 2016)

Welcome buddy, you taken the first step and most importantly you're enjoying it. Great.

Check out the getting started and diet sections, also read whatever you can in the other sections and soak up as much knowledge as you can, also post up specific questions in the relevant sections and people will help out.

Lastly, forget about the age thing, there are plenty of people on here who are your age, and some a lot older, 42 is young, even if you don't feel it now, you will if you stick to it.


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## MickyM (Nov 13, 2017)

Thanks, mate.


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## jakes (Jun 1, 2017)

hello mate,

in terms of diet, you'll be fu**ing starving and able to eat like a horse without gaining weight if you're pushing yourself. waking up some mornings feeling sick because your body is calling for food is not unusual after a heavy session.

you may want to take a look at a diff program and incorporate some compound movements for that all over growth and general strength. starting strength, greyskulls lp or a good split would look like below, as a beginner you will have linear progression and you'll be anabolic more than ever, now is the time for them beginner gains and recomp.


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## MickyM (Nov 13, 2017)

jakes said:


> hello mate,
> 
> in terms of diet, you'll be fu**ing starving and able to eat like a horse without gaining weight if you're pushing yourself. waking up some mornings feeling sick because your body is calling for food is not unusual after a heavy session.


 Yeah I've noticed another weight loss bout coming on since starting weights, it's still heading south as well as I've just hit the 12 2/2 st. mark. Currently off cardio and weights now as I pulled my back a bit a few days ago. Pain in the arse, literally. Ta.


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## IronJohnDoe (Oct 17, 2013)

Welcome to UK-M!


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## MickyM (Nov 13, 2017)

Ta.


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## Lifesizepenguin (Jul 25, 2016)

Welcome  @MickyM

Well done for getting this far!

You should really incorporate back and leg exercises into your routine to stop muscular imbalances that can potentially injure you (you've injured your back now, for example), so if you wanted to keep the same 3 day split you could change to

Mon: Chest triceps

Thurs: Shoulders, Legs

Sun: Back Biceps

You should incorporate mainly compound movements into your routine and focus on getting stronger with those:

Chest - Bench press/dumbell press

Back - Bent Over Rows/ One arm dumbell rows

Shoulders - standing or seated shoulder press (dumbell or bar) can do this on your knees if you have a low ceiling

Legs - Squat, Stiff leg Deadlift

At the very least these exercises or similar should be your "base" exercises. trying to increase the amount of reps or weight lifted every week or two.

Ensure you have a week using very low weight every 7 or 8 weeks to deload and give your body a rest.

Try to make sure you have enough protein to recover also - this can be supplemented with protein shakes, skimmed milk if you are looking for low calorie options.

Ill note a few months in youll stop building muscle whilst in a calorie defecit and will need to eat at a maintenence level again: its good to use an app like myfitnesspal to count calories to ensure you arent eating too much or too little.

Consistency is key. Good luck!


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## StretchyBell (Nov 25, 2017)

Welcome to the forums mate. You are in good hands there's plently of advise here and knowledgeable people who can help out.

Stay motivated


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## Lewis80 (Sep 6, 2017)

boooomm bro ukm is the best place to find motivation and reach your dream goals

Welcome on board


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## MickyM (Nov 13, 2017)

Thanks, guys. Found out last week I might be losing my job, it's threw everything in the air a bit in terms of weightlifting/cardio. I haven't missed a session but I've not been there mentally or physically through lost appetite so I've been putting less weight on the dumbbells. It's biceps and shoulders tonight, starting to feel less shitty and I'm eating again so it's all systems go.

Those back exercises scare me a bit if I'm honest as my lower back is dicky. When I bend to do anything now it's always a squat and I can't bear to watch people bend with their backs. I'll have to look into it. Just watched a video on Bent Over Rows and they seem like a back-pull in the making to me.

I suppose I should be looking at legs-back-core. I was hoping tennis would be enough for core but not so sure now.

Thanks again.


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## MickyM (Nov 13, 2017)

Right before I received the s**t news I was planning a journal of sorts on here. Not to show anyone really as there's sod all to show (believe me), but I did want somewhere to log my physical changes and give myself a bit of direction. I might start it at some point when the motivation to do a journal returns.


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## Sasnak (Oct 11, 2016)

MickyM said:


> I'm 42


 Pffffft, if it bothers you that much then go here: www.goldencharter.co.uk

If not, welcome  Chucking a bit of steel around may be one of the best things you ever did!


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## StanleyHudson (Jul 11, 2017)

welcome to ukm


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## MickyM (Nov 13, 2017)

Lifesizepenguin said:


> Welcome  @MickyM
> 
> Well done for getting this far!
> 
> ...


 This is now the plan. Thanks.


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## faipdeooiad (Apr 24, 2012)

welcome to the forum Micky love


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## unclezillion (Sep 17, 2017)

at 42 you are young  you will get out of it what you put in!

there are no short cuts or magic pills.

if you are still enjoying it when you get back into work then join a local gym.


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## MickyM (Nov 13, 2017)

I've gone from fanny-arsing in my bedroom on a bench and not being too bothered about my food intake to joining a gym and obsessing over my diet. A big, fat Shwarzenegger vein has appeared in my right shoulder running down my bicep of late and I quite like it.

The core is still diabolical, as is the chest but onwards and up and all.


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## MickyM (Nov 13, 2017)

Still have that bloody left arm imbalance but I've started adding 3 x 10 of 'one arm incline preacher curls' to the pull sesh (as well as 3 x 10 curls). My thinking is as I'm only hitting everything once a week bar chest and shoulders (rear delts on pull day) it might be worth giving each muscle a more thorough going over. Dunno, we'll see.


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## anna1 (Mar 22, 2014)

MickyM said:


> Still have that bloody left arm imbalance but I've started adding 3 x 10 of 'one arm incline preacher curls' to the pull sesh (as well as 3 x 10 curls). My thinking is as I'm only hitting everything once a week bar chest and shoulders (rear delts on pull day) it might be worth giving each muscle a more thorough going over. Dunno, we'll see.


 Do you only have time for 3 workouts a week ?


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## MickyM (Nov 13, 2017)

anna1 said:


> Do you only have time for 3 workouts a week ?


 I've got it like this below at the mo, anna but I'm learning as I go.

Mon: push

Tue: cardio and abs

Wed: pull

Thu: cardio and abs

Fri: legs (not done legs at all yet) and chest presses again.

Sat: off

Sun: off

I might add another day on weekend to hit stuff from Wednesday's pull. Also might add a bit more of Monday's push to leg's day. I can't deadlift, it's too risky.


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## anna1 (Mar 22, 2014)

I like to work everything twice a week .maybe for more experienced people once is enough but for someone who is starting out I think the more you work the more you experiment with exercises and gain confidence on what is working best for you

plus I hate cardio so there's nothing else to do but weights , which I enjoy more :lol:

x


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## 75013 (Feb 22, 2017)

anna1 said:


> I like to work everything twice a week .maybe for more experienced people once is enough but for someone who is starting out I think the more you work the more you experiment with exercises and gain confidence on what is working best for you
> 
> plus I hate cardio so there's nothing else to do but weights , which I enjoy more :lol:
> 
> x


 You should embrace the cardio  I used to hate it too, took me 4 months before I started enjoying it and craving it but the health benefits from cardio every weekday are absolutely enormous!


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## anna1 (Mar 22, 2014)

charlysays said:


> You should embrace the cardio  I used to hate it too, took me 4 months before I started enjoying it and craving it but the health benefits from cardio every weekday are absolutely enormous!


 Of course I'm not trying to stop anyone from doing cardio 

I keep my workouts consistent and short with very small breaks inbetween sets , so it almost feels like I am doing cardio .

also , I am rather active during the day , when I don't go for walks I have an average of 7000 steps daily anyway .

Finally I think that the most effective way to transform your body is through weight training.

x


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