New Nerd saying hello.

[ZappBrannigan]

Hi All,

 

I am the man with no name...Zapp Brannigan! (For all you Futurama nerds) I just wanted to say hi and get a feel for this place which was recommended by my wife (a member from a while back) as while I'm pretty athletic I want to gain a bit more muscle and lose a bit of fat (as much as a 138lbs guy has) as my current workout routine is more just a keep fit one.  I'll confess she suggested this place after I had a bad experience on another forum where they appear to feel the best motivational tool is to put you down and tell you what you are doing isn't good enough, So I just wanted to test the waters here before I divulge too much.

 

On first glance, the Nerd Fitness Beginner bodyweight workout or bodyweight strength training looks like it could be a good start for me, but I'll let people ask questions so I can respond in more detail. One thing that appeals to me about those is they aren't pro "You have to go to a gym bro!" workouts, but seem to support people like me who prefer to work out at home and have a basic weight bench and set of dumbells etc.

 

Thanks again, I look forward to Nerding

[Novaurora]

20 hours ago, ZappBrannigan said:

I'll confess she suggested this place after I had a bad experience on another forum where they appear to feel the best motivational tool is to put you down and tell you what you are doing isn't good enough, So I just wanted to test the waters here before I divulge too much.

 

I have never seen this across any of our forums here, and I'm sure members like @Tanktimus the Encourager, who have been around much much longer than I have, can speak to this as well..  We are a supportive community that helps build people up.  Constructive critiques when asked for, sure, but we aren't hateful!!  Welcome!!!

 

For basic body weight training Darebee is AMAZING!  There are tons of different programs built for all kinds of different goals and results.  And it's nerdy too in it;'s own way.  

 

 

[Tanktimus the Encourager]

This is a very supportive place. Trolls are not welcome here and are usually dealt with early on so that we keep the tone friendly and supportive.

[bker1370]

Welcome aboard.  I hope you find us to your liking.

[ZappBrannigan]

Ok great, thank you for the welcome guys! I’ll try and give you a heads up of my current (admittedly lacking) routine, My goals and then some ideas for routines without making this post too long.

My current routine needs changing and/or improving. It’s rather basic but has been better than nothing. Daily or every other day when weather has allowed me to do cardio in between.

 

5 x 10 bicep curls with 10lb (4.5kg) dumbells I’ve recently changed this for an EZ bar curl, which I am using 20lbs total (9kg) plus the weight of the bar.
5 x 10 bench presses with 32lb (14.5kg) bar
5 x 10 dumbell side lateral raise with 5lb (2.2kg) dumbell

About me:
Male
About 63kg (138/139lbs)
Age 35
Height: 5ft 8in

Diet:
Pros: Plenty of exercise (walking at work, and I cycle when I can), eat relatively healthy. Never drink beer, rarely drink pop/soda.
Cons: Have a sweet tooth and eat more chocolate (candy) than I should, so probably need to cut back on the sugar.

Goals:
Increased upper body strength and tone. (I got berated for using that word on a previous forum) But I want to be a bit more muscular, and my hobby requires a lot more upper body strength than lower body so while I know I need to do SOME lower body work for fat burning or similar, I’ve never had any lower body strength or endurance issues.
Get a firm stomach.

I try and do stomach crunches or planking but in reality I haven't done enough of that for it to count and don’t know if it helps stomach wise. I have my own weights bench and weight set, along with a ball, and a bike for cardio. I’d prefer not to go to a gym because as has been said on the bodyweight beginners guide: They’re home to pushy salesman, intimidating jacked dudes grunting into a mirror, and other members that aren’t very welcoming.

A friend of mine who is more beefed does the following:

Bicep curls with 22kg weights
Bench press with 60kg weights
EZ bar curls (50kg).

The other issue is while I certainly don't have a 'beer belly', my stomach area is not toned and feels soft (fatty?) to me, so I'd like to get this toned up which I believe is a matter of diet as well as training, Any tips would be appreciated. I am going to try and cut down on my candy (sugar) intake for this too.

I will leave it there and not bombard with information but I basically want tips on what weights and routines I should be using for my upper body, and what dietary needs and exercises I should use for both, but especially to tone my stomach area up. I want to be toned but not look like Arnie if that makes sense. Feel free to ask more questions and I can answer them specifically. I've had a busy week at work so haven't been able to study the bodyweight guide in detail yet, but it looks like a good routine. However, as I have my own weights I may be needing something slightly modified from that.

Thanks again.

[djryanash]

On 1/5/2018 at 4:47 AM, ZappBrannigan said:

The other issue is while I certainly don't have a 'beer belly', my stomach area is not toned and feels soft (fatty?) to me, so I'd like to get this toned up which I believe is a matter of diet as well as training, Any tips would be appreciated. I am going to try and cut down on my candy (sugar) intake for this too.

 

The belly fat is a hard one to get rid of.  It can also be associated with lower testosterone levels.  An easy way to naturally raise your testosterone is by eating a lot of cruciferous veggies such as broccoli, cauliflower, Brussel sprouts, cabbage, etc.