If you are thinking about embarking on a fitness or bodybuilding program, here are a few pointers you should know. Below are some great ideas about training and nutrition for various body types. Check it out beginners!

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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.

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.

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.

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