Newbee

[Zach23]

Hi! Sorry for the bad English, please don't mind my grammar because English is not my mother tongue. Thank you!

 

I'm 23 and I weigh 150lbs: 67.5kg and my fat rate is 21% while my fat mass is 14.2kg. I'm only 5'5ft. I just started going to the gym its only been 1 week and a half, a friend told me to buy whey protein (gold standard) so I did. I also jog for 5km thrice a week. My problem is I don't really know how heavy I should lift and is it okay for me to drink whey protein or will it just give me extra calories and make me fatter? Kindly help me if you have the time. Thank you very much! I hope you understand my English. 

[Harriet]

3 hours ago, Zach23 said:

Hi! Sorry for the bad English, please don't mind my grammar because English is not my mother tongue. Thank you!

 

I'm 23 and I weigh 150lbs: 67.5kg and my fat rate is 21% while my fat mass is 14.2kg. I'm only 5'5ft. I just started going to the gym its only been 1 week and a half, a friend told me to buy whey protein (gold standard) so I did. I also jog for 5km thrice a week. My problem is I don't really know how heavy I should lift and is it okay for me to drink whey protein or will it just give me extra calories and make me fatter? Kindly help me if you have the time. Thank you very much! I hope you understand my English. 

 

Hi Zach, I have a few questions about the weights. Are you using barbells or dumbbells or something else? Are you a total beginner? What exercises are you doing? Do you have a programme that tells you how many sets and reps to do?  I assume you're male since your name is Zach, please correct me if that's wrong. 

Without knowing those details I can only give a very general recommendation: start with the empty barbell or light dumbbells depending on what exercise you're doing. Focus on getting the form right. If you can do fewer than 5 reps with good form, lower the weight. If you can do 12 reps or more, increase the weight. This is not a hard and fast rule, it's just somewhere to start. I would also tend to go heavier/fewer reps on big compound barbell movements (about 5-8 reps), and lighter/lower reps on assistance exercises and dumbbell exercises (say, 8-12 reps), because the dumbbells are a little harder to control.

Protein shakes are just a way of getting more protein. I think whole food sources of protein (meat, fish, eggs, legumes) should be your first choice because they have micronutrients (minerals, vitamins, etc), while protein shakes are highly processed. But if you are finding it difficult to get in enough protein during the day with your ordinary meals, a shake can be helpful. The shake itself definitely contains calories, but it doesn't have any uniquely fattening properties. Maybe have a look at how much protein you're getting with your usual meals in order to decide whether the shake is necessary.

[Zach23]

Thank you so much for the reply! Yes, I am a male. I lift both barbells and dumbbells, on the bench press I can lift 15lbs each side for 12 reps it does not really hurt that much and for some reason my chest muscles are not hurting the pain is more concentrated on my arms maybe my form is wrong. For the program I have a friend that I lift with but not all the time only when he has free time since he is already ripped and he’s very busy with his job. I just try to follow what he showed me everytime I go to the gym alone. Again, thank you for noticing me. God bless!

[Harriet]

15 hours ago, Zach23 said:

Thank you so much for the reply! Yes, I am a male. I lift both barbells and dumbbells, on the bench press I can lift 15lbs each side for 12 reps it does not really hurt that much and for some reason my chest muscles are not hurting the pain is more concentrated on my arms maybe my form is wrong. For the program I have a friend that I lift with but not all the time only when he has free time since he is already ripped and he’s very busy with his job. I just try to follow what he showed me everytime I go to the gym alone. Again, thank you for noticing me. God bless!

 

You're welcome  
If you can lift 75lb for 12 reps (we typically count the total weight, including the 45lb bar), it's time to try 80lb. And when you can lift 80lb with good form for all your sets and reps, then move up to 85lb. And so on and so forth. Lifting shouldn't hurt much at all, unless you have just started or come back from a break. But if you're worried the bench press is hitting your arms more than your chest, you can try using a slightly wider grip or adding dumbbell bench presses into your routine. Both apparently hit the chest a little more than a medium grip barbell bench press. 

[Zach23]

I will try this! Thank you so much for giving me your time. You are a very nice person. 😊

[Harriet]

5 hours ago, Zach23 said:

I will try this! Thank you so much for giving me your time. You are a very nice person. 😊

 

Aww, thank you