By: Tim Wescott

If you are thinking about embarking on a fitness or bodybuilding program, here are a few pointers you should know before you begin.

1. Consult your physician, especially if you are out of shape
2. Set realistic fitness goals and record them in a notebook
3. Start off slowly
4. Stick to the basics
5. Commit to your program
6. Weigh yourself and take measurements
7. Build a foundation (don't be tempted to follow an advanced routine)

Following this advice will be very helpful in the long run.

There are 3 basic different body types and some people have certain characteristics of all 3.

1. Ectomorph - Extremely thin with a very fast metabolism.
2. Mesomorph - Athletically built and usually classified as an easy gainer.
3. Endomorph - Usually overweight, with a very slow metabolism.

Ectomorph

Training:

Upper Body:
Bench Press- 3 sets of 8 reps
Barbell Row- 3 sets of 8 reps
Barbell Press- 3 sets of 8 reps
Barbell Curls- 3 sets of 8 reps
Triceps Pressdowns- 3 sets of 8 reps

Click Here For A Printable Log Of This Upper Body Workout.

Lower Body:

Squats- 3 sets of 8, 10, 12, reps
Leg Extensions- 3 sets of 10 reps
Calf Raises- 5 sets of 10-25 reps
Crunches- 4 sets of 20 reps

Click Here For A Printable Log Of This Lower Body Workout.

The reason I stress not adding any other exercises to this routine is because, being extremely underweight you do not want to overwork, and you must conserve energy to re-build the torn down muscle tissue.

Click Image To Enlarge.
You Do Not Want To Overwork.

Diet:

Now the matter of what to eat to feed those injured muscles. I would recommend eating every 3 hours or so. I know from personal experience this might not seem possible, but you must try to eat at least a little more until your body becomes acclimated to the new food intake.

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How Often Should You Eat? Along with increased attention to your diet, you are likely trying to eat every three hours... Now, do you have to be extremely anal about this? Absolutely not! Consider what I have below and see if you agree. [ Click here to learn more. ]

We no longer label our 3 meals as breakfast, lunch, and dinner, because we will be eating at least 5 but preferably 6 meals a day, and they are now known as meals 1 - 6.
Meal # 1
4 whole eggs
2 slices whole wheat toast
1 banana
8oz. fat free milk

Meal # 2

1 can tuna
whole wheat bread
low fat mayo
1 green salad
low-fat, low-sugar dressing
1 orange
8 oz. fat free milk

Meal # 3

1 tbsp. peanut butter
Protein shake

2 scoops of protein powder
2 whole eggs 1 scoop of ice cream


Meal# 4

Steak, chicken, or fish
1 baked potato
1 cup fibrous vegetables
8 oz. fat free milk.

Meal# 5

1 chicken breast
1 cup veggies
1 Tbsp. olive oil

Meal # 6

Another protein shake
1 Tbsp. natty peanut butter

That should be enough for starters as you will probably have a hard time eating this amount. Drink a minimum of a at least a gallon of water every day.

Workout:

Upper body on Monday and Thursday, lower body on Tuesday and Friday.

Rest on the other three days, keep outside activities to a minimum so as not to burn excess calories needed to build muscle.

If you find this diet too much to consume slowly make an effort to eat just a little more all the time. Also get as much good sound sleep as you can to aid in recovery.

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Endomorph

I would offer the same advice to them also except do 3 days of low intensity cardio just for your endurance and to keep fat gain to minimum. Mind you this is only a temporary routine.

Click Image To Enlarge.
Do 3 Days Of Cardio For Endurance.

Mesomorphic

Same routine, different diet, and 4 to 5 days of cardio of your choice.

FORUM THREAD

Does HIT Work For Mesomorphics? I looked at the HIT program and I like it, but all I have done in the past was volume training. Does HIT build good strength and muscle mass? I have see a HIT program. Is this a good workout with good results. - Stai. [ Click here to learn more. ]

I recommend walking on the treadmill. As you get in better shape increase duration, but start off at 20 minutes slowly building up to 30-45 minutes. If this seems like a lot of work it is but as I tell my clients if you can't stay motivated, stand naked in front of a full length mirror, if you don't like what you see this should be motivation enough. I will go a lot deeper into fat loss but here we are just beginning.

Click Image To Enlarge.
I Recommend Walking On The Treadmill.

Diet:

Meal #1
7 egg whites cooked in non-fat cooking spray
1 whole egg
1/2 cup oatmeal with sugar substitute (no milk)
Water

Meal #2

Protein shake in water - 2 scoops

Meal #3

1 can of tuna
1 plain baked potato
1 small salad with lemon juice or vinegar
Water

Meal #4

5 oz. chicken breast (no skin)
1/2 cup brown rice (I recommend Success Boil In Bag)
1/2 cup steamed broccoli
Water

Meal #5

1 can tuna
Large green salad with vinegar
Water

Meal #6

Protein shake in water
1 Tbsp. olive oil

Now here are some helpful tips to avoid hunger pangs and binging.

1. Eat your food slowly.
2. Always drink at least a gallon of water a day. There are a lot of good reasons for doing this but for you it will create a sensation of fullness.
3. If you must eat something, pick a healthy low calorie snack, such as raw veggie cakes, fat free yogurt, salad, etc.

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Recover From Binge-Eating! A lot of focus has been placed on anorexia, and bulimia, but it seems that compulsive overeating gets ignored in the shuffle. I've put together some strategies that may be a helpful way of curbing your overeating desires. [ Click here to learn more. ]

Do's And Don'ts

Now for some do's and don'ts for all 3 body types... let's get to the Don'ts first:

• Don't eat junk
• Don't forget water
• Don't miss workouts
• Don't deviate from this routine
• Don't slack off.

Now for the Do's:

• Do train hard
• Do be consistent
• Do stick to your diet
• Do add weight to the bar when possible
• Do use good form

Click Image To Enlarge.
Author, Tim Wescott.

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