Little Advice Needed for a Beginner

[Pallantides]

First of all, hello everyone; this is my first post on the Deluxe Martial Arts Forums. I'm a 15-year old high school sophmore who has just begun to weight train for a number of reasons (MA training, Track and Field, self confidence, maybe to gain a little more status in the eyes of the ladies).

I weigh 150 pounds and can bench 130, and have very little experience with weight training to go on. Luckily for me, one of my best friends is a very hardcore weightlifter whose father used to be professional, but even he can only help so much.

Just for reference, at my house I have a Body Solid Biangular machine, and barbells going up to 30 lbs. I'm working on expanding that as well as getting a punching bag and a treadmill. On both sides of the coin, my high school is going through renovations so I can't get access to the school gym and my small town gym is in a state of hiatus right now, so I'm basically stuck with what I have.

For off days when I'm not (trying) to strength lift, I've been doing 6 sets of 40 standard crunches and 4 sets of 20 standard pushups. I shoot for 4-5 days a week as workout days but realistically it's more like 3.

I've been a long time lurker here on the boards and I can tell that you guys know your stuff. If you have any spare time at all, I would appreciate the replies.

Laterz.

[EmptyneSs]

dont train at home. signing up for a cheap gym is much better. u have much more variety, people who can give u tips and ideas, and there will be hot girls for u to check out while u are getting in shape. it will be worth it.

just make sure when u workout, u workout your whole body. dont only focus on bench press, or bicep like some people do. workout your whole body evenly. dont neglect your legs, they are like half your body and u dont wanna look like a stork.

also focus on muscle groups. dont jump around, do like 3-5 different lifts per muscle group with 3-4 sets of 8-10 reps per lift.

lift weights properly, with perfect form. alot of people try to lift so much, it makes it hard or impossible for them to even perform the lift properly. this puts u at risk for injury, and doesnt allow the right muscles to be used. also, dont try to get through em fast. the slower you lift the more benefit u will get from it.

do compound lifts first, then supplement those with isolation lifts.

eat more proteins, carbs, and water.

dont neglect your cardio.

[KotoRyu]

Worry about proper lifting form more than weight right now. It's better to do less weight safely now than have 400 pounds on your back and for you to do the exercise improperly and have your veterbrae snap out of alignment or some other crazy shit.

If you want to get big while getting strong, I can't recommend the BIG FOUR highly enough (squat, deadlift, overhead press, bench press). You can also try the 20-rep squat routine, a good one for beginners that if you eat and sleep well along with it, will throw 20 pounds of meat on your frame on average.

[shirase]

i also suggest doing chinups and bentover rows to work out the rest of your back as well

[onemanlan]

What martial art are you training for? Cause enduraces/stamina is a huge factor, sometimes much larger than strength. The army builds up young men without weights. Running and exercizes(pushups, sit ups, etc.) all achieve a greater level of muscle mass/strength while costing you little to nothing, also while building stamina.