Talk about your newbie mistakes, learn from others instead of the hardway

**skelooth** · 10-29-2005, 06:44 PM

EVERYONE was new to the fitness lifestyle at one point or another, and overweight people in particular usually make some huge mistakes dieting when they don't know what they're doing.

So post about the things you did in the beginning that you'd like to smack yourself for now

When I first started... guys don't laugh at me. My fitness program consisted of this:
100% pure vegan diet. No dairy eggs or meat. I tried to get my protein from beans and soy. I was taking soy protein at the time.

My lifting 'program' consisted of 30 minutes on the stationary bike followed by 5 sets of bicep curls with occasional tricep dips off the side of a chair.

I stopped eating 4 hours before bed each night.

............ yeah I sure was losing "weight" fast. *smacks self* This 'program' only lasted a month before I got a clue.

AYung · 10-29-2005, 07:11 PM

Before I started bodybuilding. I would never eat enough, and never eat good food. I would also do workouts for my biceps and chest and sometimes triceps and shoulders. Around 4 sets for each exercise and 15 reps for each set. After that, I followed some workouts from Muscle and Fitness Mag. Then I later on I started Max-OT.

DJohnson · 10-30-2005, 04:46 PM

I started off counting calories at McDonalds and other terrible food sources.

I didn't believe there was a difference between clean calories and dirty calories until I finally started reading up on insulin and blood sugar. Reading up on that made me look more and I found the bodybuilding forums.

**Peaked_18** · 10-30-2005, 05:17 PM

I had a shitty diet plus an okay training routine. I only had access to a machine, so that's what I used a lot of the time. I remember the first time I picked up a 45-pound bar, it was heavy as shit and I had to set it down within 10 seconds. Now I get that feeling from 500-pounds. I don't know if I did a lot of mistakes, but I remember always sneaking into an expensive gym at least 30 times before they caught us. Good times...

htxred · 10-30-2005, 05:53 PM

i ate probably once or twice a day, severely dehydrated myself all the time, and walked/jogged (mostly walked) 4-6 miles a day.

i did that for a VERY long time. id be such more of a studd by now if i would of gotten a clue sooner.

builtbeast · 10-31-2005, 12:31 AM

That's an easy one. :mask:

I was sick of being fat in high school and became obsessed with losing weight, so I thought I just wouldn't eat hardly anything. I ate probably 1000 calories or less per day, and had no real knowledge of p/f/c ratios and proper diet. I started going to the gym then too but really made no gains with that kind of diet.

In the end I went from over 200 lbs to about 130 lbs and was weak

. I felt like passing out, one time I took a shower and passed out in it.

But I think this is a common error that a lot of overweight people make and they just go on a starvation diet.

KingOfChaos · 11-01-2005, 04:24 PM

Not eating enough is definately the newbie mistake. In reality, most people just need to cut down on the actual amount of fat in their diets at first for like the first three weeks. Your body gets to the point where it runs almost completely on fat stores and simple stores whatever you eat. Well, if you're not eating a lot of fat, your body will most likely dip into your adipose tissue to help power itself. After that first plateau, you need to up the good fats again to tell your body "hey, you're not starving".

4amWorkouts · 11-01-2005, 05:21 PM

When I started off, I would never take a break. Plus, instead of substituting an exercise, I would just add it to the mix. Talk about serious over trianing.

Possibly the worst mistake from a personal standpoint - taking this hobby too seriously. Go out and have some fun with your friends, downing a beer and pizza every now and then...

BBAddict · 11-01-2005, 07:16 PM

My biggest mistake for awhile almost put an end to my bodybuilding. I lifted hard, ate clean and didn't see a lot of results for over a year. Sure I looked toned, but wasn't putting on the mass or gaining strength like I should've seen for a newbie. I finally figured out I was not eating ANY fat basically, which caused me to have low test levels and impeded all my progress.

Moral of the story: Eat your healthy fats--your muscles and sex life will thank you!

4amWorkouts · 11-01-2005, 07:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BBAddict

My biggest mistake for awhile almost put an end to my bodybuilding. I lifted hard, ate clean and didn't see a lot of results for over a year. Sure I looked toned, but wasn't putting on the mass or gaining strength like I should've seen for a newbie. I finally figured out I was not eating ANY fat basically, which caused me to have low test levels and impeded all my progress.

Moral of the story: Eat your healthy fats--your muscles and sex life will thank you!

I agree. As an ecto, I couldn't put on any weight because I wasn't eating any fat (not enough calories). Boy, I wish I had that problem now...

**bubba g** · 11-01-2005, 08:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Peaked_18

I had a shitty diet plus an okay training routine. I only had access to a machine, so that's what I used a lot of the time. I remember the first time I picked up a 45-pound bar, it was heavy as shit and I had to set it down within 10 seconds. Now I get that feeling from 500-pounds. I don't know if I did a lot of mistakes, but I remember always sneaking into an expensive gym at least 30 times before they caught us. Good times...

LOL.. I went to a gym for free for 3 years before anyone ever asked to see my membership card, when they finaly did I said I don't have it with me but I will bring it from now on. never went back.... I just walked in like I owned the place, always complained about stuff, made reccomendations about equipment they should get... etc. It was an awesome gym too.

**Peaked_18** · 11-01-2005, 08:24 PM

lol It was a family gym with basketball court, pool, lots of weights, it was great.

Hybrid · 11-01-2005, 08:37 PM

Starved myself, lost muscle mass. Then after a month I did my 30 repper bicep curls and bench press. After some time I got on track.

I remember I could bench 85lbs for reps before my starvation. Afterwards, 75 was murder.

Lift · 11-03-2005, 09:54 PM

unrealistic goals

DJohnson · 11-04-2005, 04:51 AM

There are no unrealistic goals, only realistic deadlines!

I'm not gonna stop getting bigger and leaner until kids cry whenever they see me! Rawr!

**DJSTARER** · 11-08-2005, 04:26 AM

I think most of us have had the similar newb issues in the beginning.

- Eating disorders
- Too much cardio
- Chest and Bicep Heros

IF YOU ARE GOING TO CUT YOU'RE CALORIES LIKE MAD.... LEAVE THE PROTEIN. AT LEAST YOU'LL SAVE SOME MUSCLE.

**DJSTARER** · 11-08-2005, 08:26 PM

In addition:

No workout (unless you are infact huge, lean, and very experienced) should last more than 1 hour. That was one of my biggest mistakes. I spent too long in the gym and I wasn't giving it my true "All." Now my routines consist of 3, no more than 4, exercises with harcore balancing supersets.

Jackadise · 11-09-2005, 06:18 AM

How long should you do cardio before its worthless 45mins?

10-29-2005, 06:44 PM	#1
skelooth eh heh heh Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Behind you Posts: 7,205 Recipes: 0 Rep Power: 158	Talk about your newbie mistakes, learn from others instead of the hardway EVERYONE was new to the fitness lifestyle at one point or another, and overweight people in particular usually make some huge mistakes dieting when they don't know what they're doing. So post about the things you did in the beginning that you'd like to smack yourself for now When I first started... guys don't laugh at me. My fitness program consisted of this: 100% pure vegan diet. No dairy eggs or meat. I tried to get my protein from beans and soy. I was taking soy protein at the time. My lifting 'program' consisted of 30 minutes on the stationary bike followed by 5 sets of bicep curls with occasional tricep dips off the side of a chair. I stopped eating 4 hours before bed each night. ............ yeah I sure was losing "weight" fast. smacks self This 'program' only lasted a month before I got a clue. __________________ R I P

10-29-2005, 07:11 PM	#2
AYung IMPC Contestant Join Date: May 2005 Location: Edmonton, Alberta Canada Posts: 2,301 Recipes: 0 Rep Power: 42	Before I started bodybuilding. I would never eat enough, and never eat good food. I would also do workouts for my biceps and chest and sometimes triceps and shoulders. Around 4 sets for each exercise and 15 reps for each set. After that, I followed some workouts from Muscle and Fitness Mag. Then I later on I started Max-OT. __________________ Clean Bulking Journal http://www.ironmass.com/showthread.php?t=9546 Max Lifts Bench: 155 x 6 Deadlift: 315 x 6 Squat: 245 x 6 1 Rep Max Lifts Bench: 180 - Tested Deadlift: 365 - Tested Squat: 285 - Estimated TOTAL: 831 @ 156lbs Eddie Guerrero (1967-2005, R.I.P.) You'll always be loved and remembered.

10-30-2005, 04:46 PM	#3
DJohnson IMPC Contestant Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Alberta, Canada Posts: 1,087 Recipes: 0 Rep Power: 50	I started off counting calories at McDonalds and other terrible food sources. I didn't believe there was a difference between clean calories and dirty calories until I finally started reading up on insulin and blood sugar. Reading up on that made me look more and I found the bodybuilding forums. __________________ Age: 21 Height: 5'10.5" Mar, 2001: 135lbs @ ~14% Nov, 2004: 245lbs @ ~40% Feb, 2006: 188lbs @ 20.1% - Hydrostatic Tested Dec, 2006: 168lbs @ 5.5% - 7 Point Caliper Tested BULKING FOR A LONG TIME NOW Long Term Goal: Over 200lbs @ 8%

11-01-2005, 04:24 PM	#7
KingOfChaos Pro Stature Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Temple, TX Posts: 156 Recipes: 0 Rep Power: 7	Not eating enough is definately the newbie mistake. In reality, most people just need to cut down on the actual amount of fat in their diets at first for like the first three weeks. Your body gets to the point where it runs almost completely on fat stores and simple stores whatever you eat. Well, if you're not eating a lot of fat, your body will most likely dip into your adipose tissue to help power itself. After that first plateau, you need to up the good fats again to tell your body "hey, you're not starving". __________________ Shawn Muder Bodybuilding Enthusiast Fire Controlman, United States Navy Starting Weight: 520 lbs. BF - 62% (3/24/04) Current Weight: 315 lbs. BF - 22% (03/09/08) MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/darkspeaker Livejournal: http://www.livejournal.com/~kingoflaw/ Realms of Evil, My D&D website: http://www.realmsofevil.net/

11-01-2005, 05:21 PM	#8
4amWorkouts Pro Stature Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Wylie, Texas Posts: 110 Recipes: 0 Rep Power: 5	When I started off, I would never take a break. Plus, instead of substituting an exercise, I would just add it to the mix. Talk about serious over trianing. Possibly the worst mistake from a personal standpoint - taking this hobby too seriously. Go out and have some fun with your friends, downing a beer and pizza every now and then... __________________ Now that's some high quality H2O...

10-30-2005, 05:17 PM	#4
Peaked_18 a la commode Join Date: May 2005 Posts: 4,247 Recipes: 2 Rep Power: 96	I had a shitty diet plus an okay training routine. I only had access to a machine, so that's what I used a lot of the time. I remember the first time I picked up a 45-pound bar, it was heavy as shit and I had to set it down within 10 seconds. Now I get that feeling from 500-pounds. I don't know if I did a lot of mistakes, but I remember always sneaking into an expensive gym at least 30 times before they caught us. Good times...

10-30-2005, 05:53 PM	#5
htxred Pro Stature Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: houston Posts: 227 Recipes: 0 Rep Power: 6	i ate probably once or twice a day, severely dehydrated myself all the time, and walked/jogged (mostly walked) 4-6 miles a day. i did that for a VERY long time. id be such more of a studd by now if i would of gotten a clue sooner.

10-31-2005, 12:31 AM	#6
builtbeast Großer Moderator Join Date: May 2005 Location: In a very red state Posts: 1,430 Recipes: 0 Rep Power: 94	That's an easy one. :mask: I was sick of being fat in high school and became obsessed with losing weight, so I thought I just wouldn't eat hardly anything. I ate probably 1000 calories or less per day, and had no real knowledge of p/f/c ratios and proper diet. I started going to the gym then too but really made no gains with that kind of diet. In the end I went from over 200 lbs to about 130 lbs and was weak . I felt like passing out, one time I took a shower and passed out in it. But I think this is a common error that a lot of overweight people make and they just go on a starvation diet.

11-01-2005, 07:16 PM	#9
BBAddict Pro Stature Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: In The Gym Posts: 101 Recipes: 0 Rep Power: 5	My biggest mistake for awhile almost put an end to my bodybuilding. I lifted hard, ate clean and didn't see a lot of results for over a year. Sure I looked toned, but wasn't putting on the mass or gaining strength like I should've seen for a newbie. I finally figured out I was not eating ANY fat basically, which caused me to have low test levels and impeded all my progress. Moral of the story: Eat your healthy fats--your muscles and sex life will thank you! __________________ PAIN IS WEAKNESS LEAVING THE BODY.

11-01-2005, 08:24 PM	#12
Peaked_18 a la commode Join Date: May 2005 Posts: 4,247 Recipes: 2 Rep Power: 96	lol It was a family gym with basketball court, pool, lots of weights, it was great.

11-01-2005, 08:37 PM	#13
Hybrid IMPC Contestant Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Gibsonia PA Posts: 824 Recipes: 0 Rep Power: 14	Starved myself, lost muscle mass. Then after a month I did my 30 repper bicep curls and bench press. After some time I got on track. I remember I could bench 85lbs for reps before my starvation. Afterwards, 75 was murder. __________________ If you even dream about beating me you'd better wake up and apologize - Muhammad Ali

11-03-2005, 09:54 PM	#14
Lift I Love IronMass.Com Join Date: Nov 2005 Posts: 825 Recipes: 0 Rep Power: 12	unrealistic goals

11-04-2005, 04:51 AM	#15
DJohnson IMPC Contestant Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Alberta, Canada Posts: 1,087 Recipes: 0 Rep Power: 50	There are no unrealistic goals, only realistic deadlines! I'm not gonna stop getting bigger and leaner until kids cry whenever they see me! Rawr! __________________ Age: 21 Height: 5'10.5" Mar, 2001: 135lbs @ ~14% Nov, 2004: 245lbs @ ~40% Feb, 2006: 188lbs @ 20.1% - Hydrostatic Tested Dec, 2006: 168lbs @ 5.5% - 7 Point Caliper Tested BULKING FOR A LONG TIME NOW Long Term Goal: Over 200lbs @ 8%

11-08-2005, 04:26 AM	#16
DJSTARER eating more folate... Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: State College, PA Posts: 4,165 Recipes: 0 Rep Power: 116	I think most of us have had the similar newb issues in the beginning. - Eating disorders - Too much cardio - Chest and Bicep Heros IF YOU ARE GOING TO CUT YOU'RE CALORIES LIKE MAD.... LEAVE THE PROTEIN. AT LEAST YOU'LL SAVE SOME MUSCLE. __________________ My philosophies on training: "Extreme training yields extreme results" "Just because you can, does not mean you should" "The best program is the one you are not doing" Penn State Powerlifting-181 lb weightclass PGA Professional of America Current Stats: 474 Squat 601 Deadlift 320 Bench Goals for next training cycle: 500lbs squat and a total over 1400 in competition

11-08-2005, 08:26 PM	#17
DJSTARER eating more folate... Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: State College, PA Posts: 4,165 Recipes: 0 Rep Power: 116	In addition: No workout (unless you are infact huge, lean, and very experienced) should last more than 1 hour. That was one of my biggest mistakes. I spent too long in the gym and I wasn't giving it my true "All." Now my routines consist of 3, no more than 4, exercises with harcore balancing supersets. __________________ My philosophies on training: "Extreme training yields extreme results" "Just because you can, does not mean you should" "The best program is the one you are not doing" Penn State Powerlifting-181 lb weightclass PGA Professional of America Current Stats: 474 Squat 601 Deadlift 320 Bench Goals for next training cycle: 500lbs squat and a total over 1400 in competition

11-09-2005, 03:53 PM	#19
DJohnson IMPC Contestant

11-09-2005, 06:18 AM	#18
Jackadise New Member Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Newark, DE Posts: 22 Recipes: 0 Rep Power: 0	How long should you do cardio before its worthless 45mins?