I know a lot of you guys work out consistently, so I figured you would know something about this subject. The ultimate outcome is that I want to be more lean with a well defined (but not "puffy") physique. I'm 5'-10" and 155 lbs. Honestly, even at this weight, I'm a bit of a doughey biatch. Do you have any ideas?Also, could you give me some decent online resources? Thanks.

 

www.bodybuilding.com

They are HUGE. Incredible resource for weightlifting and physique advice. Also good prices on supplements.

 

Oh, and also, I'd like to go all natural (no supplements). I figure If I can't get what I need through the food I eat, I'm not going to get the right results (for me, at least). I'd feel better about it from a nutritional standpoint, too. Thanks btw Ty. That site looks very helpful!

 

One thing I would recommend is variety. Your body will get used to a routine after a few weeks, so you need to change things up to keep shocking the muscles into growing. Change the order you do your exercises, switch from barbells to dumbbells, go from flat bench to incline, adjust the width of your grip, anything to keep it from getting stale.

Sometimes on a nice day I'll blow off the gym entirely and just do a body weight workout in the playground, and enjoy being out in the fresh air. You can get a great upper body workout with push-ups, chin-ups, dips, and handstand pushups. Plyometric exercises like jumping onto and off of a bench are good for your lower body.

 

www.gymjones.com

 

You will definitely want a good multivitamin. I take Animal Paks and would recommend them as an excellent all-around vitamin.

Protein is natural and shouldn't interfere with your diet. BB.com has an excellent "Protein Guide" section that can point you toward all-natural proteins. If there is one thing that I would recommend (besides a vitamin) it would be protein of some sort.

 

Vary your workouts.

 

Definitely protein before and after. A lot of places recommend having a shake an hour before and immediately after and then a high protein meal an hour or so later. The liquid shake gets to the muscles faster and will help a lot. It may not be what you want, but it will give you better results.

 

Very true, but I think its more like a couple months....


Anyway, I go 4x a week...do a 15 min cardio warm-up on the treadmill or bike, then do my workout. Usually 2-3 muscle groups a day, one day for legs. I drink a creatine shake after and eat a 20g protein bar. I've been doing this for about 6 months now and have put on about 12 lbs in muscle. Works for me.

 

If you want to lean out while keep muscle mass you're going to have to watch your diet. Plenty of protein, quality carbs, and healthy fats. Eat 5-7 small meals a day. I recommend doing some cardio in the morning on an empty stomach, eating a good post workout meal, and then hitting the gym. Working out in the morning is best because your natural testesterone levels are higher since you've rested all night. Also drink a lot of water. Good luck.