Bodybuilding Forums

Well, background.

I'm a 22 year old male that is incredibly thin. Around 115 pounds at 6 feet tall.

I'm really wanting to get my body looking nicer, but I have a few problems...

The main thing is getting motivated, the task just seems so hard to commit to, multiple days a week working out, I defeat myself before even starting.
Secondly, I'm not in a good financial position right now, and can't really afford a gym membership. I have no equipment, and all I really can spend money on would be ingredients for protein shakes.

So my questions are these;

1) How do I get myself to truly commit to it?
2) What can I hope to expect without any gym equipment (and how long can I expect it to take before I see results)?
3) Are protein shakes even worth it if you can't go to the gym and use the equipment?
4) If I can't control my meals easily (living at home with parents) is it even possible to make any difference?

The following is all my own perspective. It's likely that it may get a good deal of disagreement. That's fine, take in all the information you can, see what works for your goals.

Jschro14 wrote:1) How do I get myself to truly commit to it?

Hrm, good question. There's no easy answer. If you really want it, you'll do it. So, do you REALLY want it? Try taking a photo of yourself with just underwear or small shorts that show your thighs. If you're not happy with what you see, find a photo of someone who's body is reasonably something you can achieve. Keep both photos and that if you stop working out, you will return to the photo you took of yourself.

Jschro14 wrote:2) What can I hope to expect without any gym equipment (and how long can I expect it to take before I see results)?

Balance your expectations. If you've never worked out, expect considerable results the first year IF you eat well and work hard and consistently. Just let what your body does be your motivation. See my last few paragraphs for more on bodyweight stuff.

Jschro14 wrote:3) Are protein shakes even worth it if you can't go to the gym and use the equipment?

Shakes are not magic. They are quick absorption proteins and good for after workouts or in the morning. Old people (like 80+ years) who are losing weight and frail will be instructed to drink protein shakes and it puts weight on them. They are useful. Don't drink too many because they digest differently than real food and can give you cramps, stinky gas, and more. Try having like 20 grams with your meal. One a day as a meal replacement will be plenty. At this point, there is no substitute for real food. You DONT need protein shakes.

Jschro14 wrote:4) If I can't control my meals easily (living at home with parents) is it even possible to make any difference?

Mom and Dad need to understand to some degree that you're trying to improve your physical conditioning, so a breakfast of just pancakes and syrup is not going to be enough adequate. You need to eat protein too. 4 ounces of meat (like a deck of cards) is plenty protein for a meal and if you're eating your meal with other proteins (like milk, nuts, beans, etc) you don't even need that much meat in a meal. Just 2-3 ounces will be fine. Eating huge amounts of protein in one meal will just give you soft stool. The body uses what it can/needs, the rest is waist and potentially fat storage.

Also, there are other options besides meat. If you're not on a low carb diet, milk is a great source of natural protein. You can have a glass of milk with an egg and some toast and that's a solid breakfast. If anything you're parents will be proud of your nutrition. I like apples for fruit. I'm not big on veggies for for some reason, frozen brussel sprouts with some buttery flavored stuff with salt/pepper are my favorites but I'll eat those frozen mixes of veggies too. Beans mixed with rice are another favorite for their fiber and protein blend. I like oatmeal, shredded wheat and raisin bran with milk for breakfast. I get decent amounts of fiber which helps with digestion.

My advice overall is this: Don't obsess about diet. A lot of people do. Expect muscle growth/strength results but don't get too obsessed about immediate results. If you're looking in the mirror and flexing every day, expecting growth, you're obsessing. Your friends and family will tell you if they notice any changes. It's rewarding to hear that from them. Let that be your motivation. If you don't have weights, you can still do a lot of stuff at home and see amazing results. A small investment in "resistance bands" (google it) will be good. You don't even have to do all these exercises at once in one 'workout'. You can spread them out. But, every once in a while (like every other day) turn on some music and do a full workout (like 40 minutes). I have had notable gains by just picking a few of these bodyweight exercises and doing them really fast until I couldn't do one more (to failure) and then at other times througout the day I blast out some pushups and situps, dips or pullups. I have a small set of barbell (like 50 pounds) that I can blast out curls and tricep extensions 6-8 times through the day. The body will grow and condition and strength will be enhanced. You'll be sore by the end of the day if you're doing 20+ push-ups 5-6 times throughout the day, squats, situps, etc... Plus, you can do them almost anywhere at any time, morning, day, or night.

Something you NEED to know. You won't get "huge" doing bodyweight exercises. You can expect to get stronger (more reps and faster) as well as getting definition (round shoulders, thicker triceps). You can get impressively strong and look really good, ripped, and 'sexy' as they say. Gymnasts are good examples, so are boxers. The PX90 program is a great example of the progress you can make without 'lifting'. It's really impressive if you can blast out 60-100 push-ups. Ultimately, bodyweight exercises are less taxing to your joints, sockets and stuff. Plus, your veins will be bursting even when you're not working out. Talk to older bodybuilders and ask about how sore they are when they get up each morning. The ones I know pop pain pills and smell like Bengay when they work out. Heavy lifting does catch up with you, it's something to think ahead about.

Google bodyweight exercises and have fun! If it makes you happy, what more do you need from it?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nX9KvPVr ... r_embedded
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Get the facts together first then ask yourself if achieving what you want is that difficult after all. So:

- How much does a gym membership cost at the 5 gyms nearest your house. Call them and find out. Can you go at non-peak times and get it cheaper?
- What does your diet need to be in order to achieve your goals? What is it now? What do you have to eat to make up the difference and how much does that cost? (answer is not anywhere near what you might think)
- Do you really need to use protein shakes? What would happen if you didn't?
- What do you need to do in order to get control over your meals, have you spoken to your parents about what you want to achieve and why? Maybe they can support you.

Don't guess the answers to these questions, do the research, make the phone calls and find out then watch your mental doubts disappear. If you can't be bothered to do this then realistically you'll not ever achieve anything you want to in life, especially not the body you desire. Life is not supposed to be easy.

As for motivation, well every journey begins with a single step, as the saying goes. With exercise there are 2 stages: going that first time, then maintaining the habit. Once you see results, which you will if you genuinely make consistent effort, then maintaining the habit will be easy and enjoyable. In fact you'll find you can't think of anything worse than missing a gym session.

Ultimately you have to stop making excuses and blaming circumstances for you not being able to achieve what you want in life. In the words of George Bernard Shaw:

"People are always blaming their circumstances for what they are. I don't believe in circumstances. The people who get on in this world are the people who get up and look for the circumstances they want, and if they can't find them, make them"

Arnold Schwartzeneggar is a great example of someone who has gone out and done this.

Search YouTube for things like "ghetto workout" or "park workout" and you'll come up with videos like this http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kDCxH88-9X8

I know some are made with a sense of humor in mind, but a lot of those videos can give you some good ideas of what you can do in a park you might have nearby in a neighborhood.

You don't need supplements, spend your money on food first. The financial situation is understandable but you can still learn to cook for yourself regardless if you live with your parents or not.

For motivation, find a reason, if you don't have a solid reason for doing this you will not stick to it. When you have a reason, think about that, and don't stop thinking about it. Listen to music during your workout that inspires and drives you to reaching that.

I'll admit, even for myself, I need to re-motivate sometimes. Music is a big factor in keeping me going when my emotions may be getting the better of me at the time. If my mp3 player isn't with me or charged up enough to get me through a gym session, I'm taking a rest day because sometimes I just can't do without it.

I agree with everything that's been said above.
Bodyweight exercises are great for anyone starting out, combined with a good natural diet.
Once you see yourself growing, you'll have all the motivation you need. Try looking at people (without staring) that you DON'T want to look like and picture a gymnast with good arms, shoulders and abs.
When you're good at bodyweight exercises, it's time to think about gyms or getting some basic equipment.
I know saving is hard, but a glass jar will let you see what you've got and spurs you on.
Google a poem called "The man in the Glass" for some easy motivation.

slabbie750 wrote:I agree with everything that's been said above.
Bodyweight exercises are great for anyone starting out, combined with a good natural diet.
Once you see yourself growing, you'll have all the motivation you need. Try looking at people (without staring) that you DON'T want to look like and picture a gymnast with good arms, shoulders and abs. When you're good at bodyweight exercises, it's time to think about gyms or getting some basic equipment.

Great approach!

motivation and self-discipline is very important!
there's a lot of options if you're not in good financial position right now. .
Yesterday, i read a post which included in it is some workout techniques without using equipment and mostly money. . .

Hi, I have read this post. Yoga is the best for our health. I have done my yoga teacher training course. Schedule is very important, when we are doing any type of workout and yoga also.

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yoga is best way to keep fit your body.




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You don't need supplements, spend your money on food first. The financial situation is understandable but you can still learn to cook for yourself regardless if you live with your parents or not. For motivation, find a reason, if you don't have a solid reason for doing this you will not stick to it. When you have a reason, think about that, and don't stop thinking about it. Listen to music during your workout that inspires and drives you to reaching that.


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