P90x

[Snook]

I would enjoy it, if not ever having strength and looking like a skeleton where my jam. I just want to get to a healthy weight, not be a muscle head. Although six pack abs would be nice...

[Snook]

Also, I do nothing to keep the weight off. All I do when I'm not at work or under the hood of the car is sit and play video games. I don't play sports, don't run, don't workout. I've lost weight when I was on protein shakes and milk before.

[IPD]

then i wouldn't worry about bulking up. just work out specifically the muscle groups that you feel are problematic. try getting 60 pushups in a minute and being able to bench 1/2 your weight (multiple reps). if you can do both of those, you should be fine.

definition is a whole different matter. it has to do with calorie intake and nutritional choices MUCH more than any amount of working out (although exercise is required). i can bang out 65 situps or more without stopping (average) and i have zero gut definition. it's VERY hard to get the "bruce lee look" without making a lot of concessions on food.

[Snook]

I probably can't even bench a fourth of my weight. XD

[IPD]

it's best to start with a machine for chest-press. it eliminates the need for a spotter, the motion is limited (no stabilizing muscle movements required), and you can easily select lower or higher weight, depending on what you're comfortable with.

my personal technique (strength building) is to do 3 sets of 20 each. i'll start with the highest weight i can use, and then try to keep it there. if i'm exhausted, i'll take a short break & lower the weight one notch. (eg. 100lbs, 80lbs, 60lbs). if you are motivated, you can try "super-sets" which is exercising the same muscle groups on different, but back-to-back exercises. always remember to explode outwards with the weight, and very, very gradually bring it back. this should effectively train both fast-twitch & stamina.

remember that toning exercise is more reps: lower setting, while strength is fewer reps: high setting. if you wanted to tone your upper body, then instead of doing 60 total reps on a maximum setting, try a lower weight & set a time-limit for yourself (say 5min). for those 5 minutes, you have to do that exercise non-stop, with slow, measured reps.

[boosted3s]

If I were you I would get a gym membership. P90x can work, but it will be easier to gain mass doing heavy compound movements. When it comes to diet it's all cal in vs. cal out. Find your daily maintenance caloric intake, you can use this site Calorie Calculator, add 500 cal per day and you should gain a pound a week. This will keep fat gain to a minimum. Aim to hit 1g-1.5g protein per lb lean body mass. Also depending on how into it you want to get you can start tracking your macros. 40: 40 :20 would be a good place to start for a bulk. Meaning 40%cal from protein, 40% from carbs, 20% from fats.

[Snook]

I've never been to a gym before. This will be interesting

[boosted3s]

I've never been to a gym before. This will be interesting

Gyms can be intimidating for some people, but it shouldn't be. Everyone starts somewhere. Don't worry so much about going crazy heavy. Just use a weight that you can get a full stretch and full contraction with using whatever muscle group you are training.

[familyMAN]

If you want to gain weight on p90x, target 4-5000 calories a day. You will add muscle bulk. You need to feed. The nutrition guide is setup for losing weight and leaning out with 2-2500 calorie diet.

Count your calories, I guarantee you don't eat enough once you start working out hard to feed your recovery, much less add weight. GOMAD made it easy for me because its a lot of additional calories that you drink instead of eating. Trust me, 5k calories of lean chicken turkey, eggs, fish and lean beef is A LOT of food to eat everyday.

If you haven't done p90x before don't get discouraged if you can't keep up or want to hurl after 10-20 mins. You'll get there. Each week you'll be able to go longer and more intense. It's a tough program to follow everyday, but you will get in shape!

[Roybatty]

Gyms are good because of the synergy you get from others. You won't ever get that from a video. You can't discount the social aspects of the gym. The similar minded people you meet there will be positive encouragement. You don't need to be a muscle head. But as the adage goes... It is a way of life. Having strength/fitness will help you with confidence in all other aspects of your life.

Sent from garage