Couple of things to start.

Age: 22
Height: 5' 8"
Weight: ~150
Job: Helpdesk Support
Vol. Job: Fireman

Okay, if no one has noticed I am very new to these boards and hopefully I can get some information from you all that can set me in the right direction.

I haven't really worked out since I was in high school, and even then my workout was based off what I was running for the track team. My upper body strength has always been much much weaker then my legs. I hate that.

What I would like to do, and for a couple reasons, is to get my upper body to look a little more proportioned to the rest of my body.

Reason 1: Confidence.
Reason 2: Jaws of Life get freakin' heavy after a while.
Reason 3: I was recently asked to be "auctioned off" for a fundraising event that helps raise money for children with audible disabilities and mainly for kids with sorts of disabilities. Hard to say no to something like that. I also have to be in my turnout gear as well. I'd like to look as good as I can. Unfortunately, I have about 2 months to get some results.

This is where you guys come in.

I would like to start working out and eating right up until this event, and then afterwards things can normalize. Make sense?

Heres the problem, I've never eaten good and I'm a horrible cook so most of my food is fast food. Secondly, I have no workout equipment to work with at all. My local gym, without a membership is 8 bucks every visit, and that adds up on my budget.

Goals
*Gain some weight
*Gain upper body strength
*Gain muscle tone
*Begin seeing "more" of my abs

So, I'm going to sleep after I post this since its already 1am. If anyone has some advice, believe me I could greatly use any and all of it. Thanks in advance to everyone, and I will post to any replies/questions when I get up and while at work.

*moved*



$8 a visit, ok. How much for a month? And welcome.

Welcome to the forum,
Im only new myself

Tony's right - you shouldn't view this as a temporary endeavor, but as the start of a lifestyle change.

Does the firehouse have weights? Even if they don't there are a multitude of bodyweight exercises (e.g., pushups, pullups, lunges, Spiderman crawl) that you can do without a gym or even weights and of course you don't need a gym for cardio. Look over the stickies and do a search for bodyweight exercises if you don't have access to weights.

First sorry for wrong forum. I didn't even SEE a spot for us new people last night when I was lurkin' around. More tired then I thought.

Anyway, its the YMCA so I think for me its like 75 start up and 30 a month after that.

But people dont lie when they say a Y is intimidating. I hated going there with my brother a few months ago.

I dont plan on stopping anything after the event that I'm attending. I would just like to work my ass off for the first couple of months to get some noticeable results and look better. Then afterwards I can work on the long term workouts.

There is no weights at our firehouse. A couple of us have been trying to get everyone to work on a grant to get equipment but being volunteer, and most of our members are pretty old, they dont feel the need to have a set of equipment.

I read the nutrition 101 sticky a little bit last night. I already know I need to start eating at least ~2500-3000 calories. Need to get back in the habit of drinking more water too.

I can generally figure out "what" I need to do, its just a matter of actually doing it. Its hard when it comes to food because the things I see to eat I have never heard of. Or making it would probably end result in a fire. With me having no equipment to work with, its all the harder to get working.

This should just allow you to enhance your fire suppression skills

I do recall the room full of curmudgeons that the monthly meetings consisted of. While I am certain they had good intentions the oldtimers honestly were dinosaurs. They refused to adapt to the changing composition of the department.

As far as the gym goes, see what the off peak times are. The main reason I hate the gym is that I can only go when it is crowded and it is damn near impossible to complete a workout with any real intensity. If I had more experience I might be able to adapt on the fly to utilize whatever machines and weights are available, but for now it is me and my home equipment.

Also would just like to add that I found out a co-worker at my full time job lifts weights. He suggested that I should do a 5x5 type workout. I guess this would help bulk up, which is really what I would like to do, at least until I get auctioned off haha. He said he would help me out as long as I stick with it, which again, even better.

So I will work with him with this since its probably my cheapest option for now. Since this will be working more on my upper body (I think), Id like to know what to do on the off days. I believe he wants to work out Monday/Wednesday/Friday but I'll have to double check.

Id like to see some definition coming back into my abs, and not just the "six-pack" either. Id like to work all of them as best as possible without looking out of proportion.

I've got a lot of expectations for myself, hopefully I can stick to them.

@MrDevine: When I joined there were 3 really old guys. Most they could do was operate the pump panel if that. 2 have retired since then. The rest of the guys are reaching their mid 30s to 40s. I am actually the youngest man on our department. I also get picked on the most since I'm a little guy. Its been a long goal of mine to eventually get on a paid department so I hope all this will help further walk me towards that goal.

5x5 is a good strength program, so people say (never tried it). Maybe you and a couple guys could chip in and buy some used equipment for your fire station. Or you could make things like sandbags and get some tires. That is the type of conditioning I would think you need to perform your job. Unless you guys dont really have any fires which is a good thing really.

Actually our town has been quiet when it comes to fires. Now I have assisted our neighboring towns quite frequently past couple of months with house fires. We mainly respond to more car accidents, medical calls, and recently with the warmer weather, grass fires. Other then that, things are pretty safe here.

Okay, I wasnt able to get ahold of Aaron again, my co-worker, so I have no idea where he lives and I wont be able to work out with him today. Oops.

I think I might try to convince my brother to go with me to the Y :shudder: and see if I can work on some 5x5 there. Only problem is I dont know what I should actually work on.

Any ideas? My focus group would be on my forearm muscles, and my upper arm and whatever the back of that part of my arm is call. Shoulders, and my chest. (Side note: Learn names of muscles) If you could give me a description of how to perform certain exercises or a link to it to do it properly would be very helpful.

I could use some help getting a plan or daily schedule worked out as well. Like what I listed above Monday, abs and back wednesday, something on friday. Cardio on Tuesday/Thursday? I dunno how to divide it up. Again to mainly work on the upper body.

I would go with sandbags and tires.

What about a diet?

Right now my diet is pretty bad, its hard for me to get over 2000 calories, and get enough protein. My brother has some stuff to make protein shakes and I think I will be going that route to help get enough of that.

I have always been a light eater. Fast food is a big part of what I eat. I dont eat a lot of hamburgers and stuff aside from the occasional big mac. I try to eat more of the chicken sandwhiches from McDonalds and Burger King. Spicey Chicken crunch wraps from taco bell on the rare occasion.

Normal day of eating for me is breakfast if I eat a breakfast bowl of raisin bran. Lunch is wherever we decide to eat out at (Subway/McDonalds/Burger King/Hardees), and dinner is generally McDonalds or BK.

I'm trying to pull myself away from fast food the past couple of weeks and getting a lot of food is difficult.

What about turkey/ham lunch meats? I can get plenty of that and love eating it.

Well the lunchmeat might be a bit better than McFatties. But why not get a ham from the store and cook it yourself. Same thing with chicken and turkey. It might be a bit better for you and will get you into the habit of cooking at home.

Gourmet Nutrition

Even for the cook with two left hands.

Thanks, Tony. Unfortunately I wont be able to look into buying that book for maybe a month. I've got some backed up bills that are taking my the main priorities of my checks at the moment.