Gahdamn.
I was thinking about just going hard, getting my own weight set, and getting full on bulked up/toned since I have the body type for it, but I don't know how I should go about it (don't know what's safe/too much regarding rep counts/weights, what kind of foods I should be eating and in what quantities, what exact exercises I should be doing for my body type, yada yada.) Also, every site I've been to regarding that kind of information is always trying to sell me a product.
If you are an ectomorph (skinny, high metabolism) you should start with a basic foundation of core exercises before moving onto weight lifting. These types of movements include: pushups (for pecs, triceps and shoulders), pullups [weight assisted if necessary] (back, biceps), squats [unweighted at first] (legs), and crunches (abs). These three groups of muscles should be trained during the same day as working one muscle will often work these various secondary ones. Lifting weights three times a week would be this three day split (you can throw in abs in any day [they mend much faster], preferably at the end of your workout). Or you could split the groups up a bit more, but you must train more days during the week.
I personally have a 4 day split which works really well for me:
1. Ex. Monday --> Back, Biceps, Abs
2. Ex. Wed --> Legs (quads, calves, hamstrings)
3. Ex. Thur --> Triceps, Pecs, Abs
4. Ex. Sat --> Shoulders
Depending on how fit you are, this introductory period may vary. As a complete beginner I would do this for 4 full weeks before moving onto other exercises, as it will help establish a foundation.
You want to be shooting for 12-15 reps for these exercises, while doing 3-4 sets with a 1 minute rest period in-between sets. Choose the weight (where applicable) that you really struggle by rep 12 (and then try to get 3 more).
So a sample routine I would advise you as a complete beginner
Monday (triceps, shoulders, pecs, abs) -
3-4 sets of 12-15 pushups. Do them with good form and don't cheat. If you run out of strength during a set, switch to knee pushups midway and finish the set strong.
Then
3-4 sets of 12-15 crunches
Wednesday (Legs) -
3-4 sets of 12-15 squats. Good form. If too easy, get a barbell and put 5-10 pounds on each end and put that **** on your back while squatting. If still too easy, ramp up the weight to where you're struggling by the 12th.
Friday (Back, Biceps) -
3-4 sets of 12-15 pullups (chinups are easier and what you should start with [where your hands are facing toward eachother]).
Doing this for 3-4 weeks will put you in a good position to start weight lifting.
The same thing should be done if you're a mesomorph or and endomorph, but cardio should be thrown in on the off days which I could get into if you want.
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Once that period is up and you feel you're strong enough to go heavier, invest in some weights or buy yourself a gym membership. At this point, you'll really want the availability of freeweights and machines.
You'll keep the set size the same but reduce the reps to 6-12 but increase the weight proportionally. You'll want to choose a weight that you'll struggle by rep 6-8 and push it to 12 if you can. 1 minute rest time will be the same.
At this stage you can keep doing the base exercises at a more difficult level or you can do other movements that target the same muscle area.
For example (look these up on youtube):
Biceps (Curls [hammer, regular] [dumbell, barbell])
Triceps (Dips, Skullcrushers)
Shoulders (Shoulder press, Shoulder raises)
Back (Lat pulldown, inverted rows)
Pecs (Chest press, Chest flys)
Abs (Reverse crunch, bicycles, Leg raises)
Legs (Quad raises, Leg Press, Hamstring pulls, Calf Raises)
Your muscles will be sore frequently, but this is fine. This just means you broke down the muscle and will build it up stronger (providing you're giving your body the proper nutrition [which is a whole other topic to discuss entirely]).
PM me if you want to continue this conversation or if you have any questions.
