Work out for a 18 years old student?

[Roach]

Hello everyone, this is very first post to the forums.

So, i'm 18 this year, turning to 19 and yes im a college student. So i have quite a skinny body and unfortunately im not tall too. Now im 176cm in height and weight is 62kg.


So i've been going to the gym for the last 4 months doing these exercises 6 days/week :

Dumbbell Chestpress 12 x 3, rest 45-55s a set, and i only manage to lift 16kg each hand so far. I know it is embarassing

Leg extentions 12x3, rest 45s, now is 36 kg

Decline ab crunch 20x3, rest 45s.

As for Mon, Wed, Fri, i do biceps concentration curls, 12 x 3 consecutively between left and right arm, currently at 8kg

Tue, Thu and Sat would be Straight bar pushdowns 12 x 3, rest 45s, currently at 32kg .

aim is to be more muscular with V line and ripped with 6 packs lol. is having a bit of fat, i want to get rid of it!!!

And yeah as im quite young i guess i can still grow just a lil bit taller, so i also dont want any exercises that may prevent that little hope.

So what i am seeking is advices for all these exercises im doing right now. There is result, but however i want to know what's best for me.

Finally, nutrition related advices are welcome I also want to know what to eat exactly to build the muscle and get rid of the stupid fat at the very same time.

[Roach]

Sorry i forgot this, but on mon wed thu im doing Seated Dumbbell Deltoid Presses too, 12 x 3, 10kg each arm at the moment

[Boss Man]

Well what do you eat now and what times do you eat it?

Your workouts are also off kilter.

Ther'e no point, doing Quads, Chest and abs on the same day, it's too random.

I'd switch to one of two things.

1. 4 workouts a week. 2 Upper body, lower body, day off, upper body, lower body.

2. 3 workouts a week, total body, every other day.

[Roach]

Thank you for replying.

Currently breakfast is organic cereal at around 8 am. Then about 1 pm i eat lunch ( chicken chop ), and about 3-4pm i eat bananas or strawberries. I work out at around 5-6pm. After that i drink the protein shake and finally have dinner at 8pm.

Since i'm still a beginner, would you mind being more specific about what exercise i should do, how long is the rest and when to do it.

I really appreciate the helps

[Boss Man]

Currently breakfast is organic cereal at around 8 am.

(You need to add more Protein in like chicken Eggs, Ham etc etc/)

Then about 1 pm i eat lunch ( chicken chop ),

(You need more Carbohydrates here like Veggies, Cashews, Fruit etc etc. I would have the Banana from 3PM here and give it 10-15 minues ot giest before having the Chicken, to reduce impedence of the Fruit.)

and about 3-4pm i eat bananas or strawberries.

(You don't really need Fruit in the PM, so you could have alternatives, like Low Fat Cheese, Peanuts, a Whole-grain Sandwich, or things like that, or something with Legumes in it as another example. This would give you Protein Carbs abd good nutrition.)

I work out at around 5-6pm. After that i drink the protein shake and finally have dinner at 8pm.

Since i'm still a beginner, would you mind being more specific about what exercise i should do, how long is the rest and when to do it.

(Incorporate exercises like Squats, Deadlifts, Press-ups, Chins, Planks, E-Z Bar or Reverse E-Z Bar Curls, Lunges, Skullcrushers or Pressdowns, Bent Over Barbell Rows, Military Press, Hammer Curls as some examples. Rest periods around 90 seconds big muscle, 60 small ones.)

[Roach]

Thank you for the tips.

However since the gym at house doesnt have barbells, what should be the alternatives for the exercises that you recommend?

Since im a beginner, i dont quite get this plan of yours : 4 workouts a week. 2 Upper body, lower body, day off, upper body, lower body.

Is it smth like : Mon and Tue = Shoulder, chest , biceps, triceps?
Wed = Butt, Quad, Abs
Thu = Day off
Fri = Mon
Sat = Thu
Sun = Day off

Sorry for lack of understanding I hope u can help me out. I wanna know what exercises i shud do on when And i also mention about i wanna burn the fat at , so would cardio help?

[Boss Man]

No, it would look something like this.

Day 1. Lower Body

Day 2. Upper body

Day 3. Cardio

Day 4. Day off

Day 5. Lower Body

Day 6. Upper Body + Cardio

Day 7. Day off.

Cardio will help you remove fat all over as will weights, providing you don't do loads of Cardio or overtrain with weights.

[Roach]

Thanks again for replying Boss Man. So, i was thinking about this plan, may be you can help me to improvise it, since the gym at house does not have any barbells.

Monday : Decline ab crunch 20x3
Alternate Oblique Crunches 15 x 3
Lunges 12 x 3
Dumbbell Calf Raises 12 x 3
Legs extention 20 x 3


Tuesday : Dumbbell Chest press 12 x 3
Biceps concentration curls 12 x 3
Triceps pushdown 12 x 3
Seated Dumbbell Deltoid Presses 12 x 3
Hammer Grip Incline Dumbbell Press 3 sets each set do till failure.

Weds : Exercise with Elliptical equipment till 450 calories are burnt?

Thursday off, Friday repeats monday and Sat is tuesday and weds combined!

Hey i was wondering whether any of these exercises are gonna preventing me from getting taller, since im very unconfident with height.

[Boss Man]

Monday :
Legs extention 20 x 3 (Dumbbell Squats 12 x 3)
Lunges 12 x 3
Dumbbell Calf Raises 12 x 3
Decline ab crunch 20x3 (Planks 15 x 3)
Alternate Oblique Crunches 15 x 3



Tuesday : Dumbbell Chest press 12 x 3
Hammer Grip Incline Dumbbell Press 3 sets each set do till failure. (Dumbbell
Rows, same reps and intensity as Chest Press.)
Biceps concentration curls 12 x 3 (Hammer Curls)
Triceps pushdown 12 x 3
Seated Dumbbell Deltoid Presses 12 x 3


Weds : Exercise with Elliptical equipment till 450 calories are burnt? (30 minutes interval. Forget burned calorie amounts.)

Thursday off, Friday repeats monday and Sat is tuesday and weds combined!

[Roach]

I really appreciate your help with the plan Boss Man. I will try best to follow it.

One silly question? Since im only 18 (i'm asian, so i think genetically build is smaller than westerners), i believe bones still contain cartilages. So im wondering whether these exercise would prevent it from growing ? I think the training is kind of intense

[Boss Man]

Cartilage usually occurs round Joints like the Knees for example. Bones typically finish developing at about 17, so at 18, you're pretty much done. Unless you seriously lifted way too much, you wouldn't affect Bone growth.

Bone density can be enhanced with lifting, as you create what could be called Microshears, same as the Microtears in muscle, which can grow back stronger and thicker.

However poor quality lifting, I.E. too much weight and / or technique can risk damage to Bones, as can Bones that are below adequate, (Osteopenia), thinning Bones basically. So training with poor Bones can lead ot potentially serious problems, but as long as the diet contains things like Copper, Magnesium, Vit D, Vit K2, Vit C, Calcium Phsophorus and Boron, you're fine, so things like Mushrooms, Beans, Rice, Fish, Dairy, Peanuts, Nuts, or any other sources of Fats, Whole-grains, Liver, Tomatos, Potatos, Broccoli, Oranges etc etc you'll be fine, so eat healthy, but DON'T eat pissy little portions that result in 1,200 or less calories per day.

In your case, allowing for exercise, im for about 2,200-2,500 a day.

[Roach]

Thank you, that's very informative

According to your post i think im doing fine right now with proper eating Sorry but everytime i read your post, questions just pop into head haha, i couldnt organize them all with just one post. Here are a few more questions :

1. What EXACTLY is cardio 30 mins interval ? What im doing right now is set the Mode Burn calories in the Elliptical equipment for 30 mins. I manage to burn 420. Would you mind elaborating more about this?

2. Do i drink protein shake only on exercising day, or i hav to drink it at any days off?

3. On the long term, i was thinking im gonna do bulk muscle building for a year or two. After im big enough, then i'll do exercises to go for definition. Because what i really want is getting bigger and having toned muscle at decent size at the same time. All the V-line and six pack stuffs haha. Is it the proper way ?

[Roach]

Hey guys, i've been following this new plan and i think im doing great. Just one question : provided that i got elliptical equipment, treadmill and stationary bike, which one should i take to burn body fat? I use the elliptical equipment for a few times and i almost feel no discomfort on joints. Besides the calories burned that the equipment show is almost unbelievable , way too high that it's too good to be true.

I need professional opinion on this

And... lower chest is sticking out abit? so erm, what exercise should i take in or out to help improving upper chest muscle ? So that the two of them will look balance not too much of this and that.

Sorry to bother u guys on this

[Roach]

Actually for the elliptical one, i choose the Calories burning program. So its like going from low to high resistance. Then the high resistance part is always the longest. Then it goes to lower res again. So i was wondering if i do exactly like what u told me : im gonna hav a warm up for 3 mins, then set to the highest res i can do for a minute, and res for a min with very low res. Continue doing that for 5 cycles and go steady at an average level for 20 mins.

So which one is more effective? Or is it about the same. Idk wth is wrong with the elliptical equipment at gym (its a StarTrac ), but if i choose the calories burning mode, in half an hour the monitor shows i burn like 450 lol, too good to be true