For lots of advice to steer you in the right direction, grab a copy of my book, it'll show you how to ACTUALLY maximize your progress in the gym. It's 200+ pages with no filler, all useful info. Includes: -Detailed Programming Advice on How To Write Your Own Training Plan -HUNDREDS of Exercises (With pictures+descriptions+how to program them) -How to Bitch Slap your Plateaus -Injury Risk Reduction Advice -Cardio to Drop Fat+Increase Work Capacity -Optimal Equipment -Multiple Full Templates and MUCH MORE! Check it out, it's not even hundreds of dollars like SOME in the fitness industry charge... www.verityfit.com/product-page/sweat
exactly, newbie phase has nothing to do with how much time you've been lifting. If you've trained for 15 years but never trained your legs you will get newbie gains when you start training your legs, they will blow the fuck up.
Been happening to my biceps recently. Always ignored them as I thought that the other lifts took care of arms. But I have been hitting them consistently this year and they have blown up.
yup, i only have been doing (front) neck curls with bodyweight only with 60+reps, for 2 months.I add 2 reps everytime. neck is visibly bigger, just from that alone. my calves are still omarisuf mode though
@@billybadass7718 I actually also do think if you chronically undereat and mess up your training for a while (years) you can maybe lose something due to lack of sensitivity. But it would be pretty minor and likely wouldn't impact ultimate potential, gains just might be slower later. There does seem to be something special about that first time you start lifting, especially if younger. So I really do think it's extremely helpful to get that initial time right. But I don't have any solid evidence for that, it's just mechanistic and observation.
@@GVS I think Dr. Mike has mentioned something about this, though not directly. He talks about re sensitization (something along those lines) where he trains a particular exercise/muscle group less for a short period to get better results later.
If I had a dollar for everyone who asked about the minutiae that doesn’t really matter while they’re not nailing the absolute basics of what they should be doing, I’d be a millionaire. Great video brother, & that segment was possibly the most important w/ the volume of questions we both get about stuff like that. 💪
I dont think a single topic is more valuable to cover than over-analysing. You got people trying to eat 5 meals a day, exercising 6 times a week, doing robot level strictness on every rep, etc., meanwhile the intermittent fasting community is jacked as hell, the 4 day a week lifters are massive, and folks who have a healthy amount of cheated reps to get a little closer to failure are looking huge. High effort, lots of food and consistency over a prolonged period are the only requirements to get big. We've been doing it for thousands of years, it's been working for thousands of years.
Been training since 1998, and I still loved this video. It's good to get confirmation from someone who got them gainz that some things really don't matter that much and others - f-ing do! You are my favourite RUclips fitness producer !
Im 42 and a total newb. Never done weight training in my life and have been going to the gym now consistently for almost 3 months. There is so much information(often conflicting) for newcomers and you really hit the mark on this one. My biggest takeaway from these past few months is train hard(but don't ever train), stay consistent, and build a good foundation with the basics. Wish I found this video sooner!
I don't know how much clearer of a sign there can be that I need to follow your content... The video pic said Nail the Process, your name is Geoffrey... Mine is Geoffrey Nail, I definitely should start to pay attention.
Hey Geoff, I just bought your book. You really deserve the support just for the information you share on this channel. I'm approaching my one year mark for my first serious year of training in my life at 33 years old, and the combination of you, Jeff Nippard, and Dr. Mike Israetel have been absolutely instrumental in helping me to maximize my newbie gains. I started body weight exercises last April, and bought my first gym membership on June 14th. At 6'2" and 170-175 lbs I've always been relatively slender, and never had a big appetite (likely an undiagnosed hereditary thyroid issue). Since then, I've been seriously eating with the goal to gain weight, trying to do 3 protein shakes a day with 50-75g of protein per shake, plus as much healthy whole foods as I can supplement, and usually some kind of fast-food/take out for dinner to bump up calories and load up on as much food as I can before I go to bed; ADHD and insomnia have been a plague for all of my adult life, and I find I wake up starving in the middle of the night if I don't load up on enough food before bed after training. More often than not, I end up eating some fruit and drinking a protein shake + milk at about 2-4 am in the morning just so I can go back to sleep. If not for the emphasis on being in a caloric surplus, I'd probably still be wasting my time and going nowhere, since I've never been particularly attracted to food. It's a hassle, and I do it because I have to. I know I'm above the amount of protein I probably need to optimize muscle gains, but I've really found that my gains improve (or are at least as maximized as I can get them) when I'm in a serious protein surplus, and as far as I can tell, I'm still in a similar bodyfat range as I was before I started all this. I really don't think I've gained or lost any fat, even trying to eat above 2,000 calories a day and trying to get as close to 3,000 as consistently as possible. I know because of my ADHD its easy for me to hyperfocus on things I obsess on, and I was definitely going 7 days a week for a period there, but I'm currently going 5 days a week, training full body with an intuitive auto-regulatory approach. I basically just assess if the muscle group I could target is one I want to focus on, if it feels too sore to do anything more, and then go from there. I try not to go too overboard on any one body part in one session, I just try to get close to failure with a weight that I can handle for 10-20 reps. If it's not sore from the last time I hit it, I try to hit it harder. I focus on longer rests between sets, and in a lot of cases I'll pause for 2-10 seconds between reps as I get closer to failure, so I can try to focus on the best form and full range of motion for those last reps. A couple chronic injuries in my shoulders and right hip/lower back prevent me from going as ham as I would really like to, and I'm very cautious any time I do deadlift, but I feel like I've gotten pretty good gains for my first year. I don't know exactly what I weighed when I began, but I was 195 lbs tonight when I left the gym, and I feel pretty confident I can get above 200 lbs before my 1 year gym membership mark on June 14th. I feel like 25-30 lbs of muscle in the first year without PEDs are the kind of results to be really happy about, and it's 100% because of the kind of information you (legit) fitness youtubers are sharing. If not for the wealth of knowledge providing real utility and inspiring a continued interest in hypertrophy, I'm sure I wouldn't have been as committed/obsessed enough to get to where I am now, but I honestly can't imagine giving this up now. I'm incredibly excited to see what I can accomplish in the next 2-3 years, and unless I plateau really hard really soon, I feel like my 1 year gains are indicating a lot more potential than I ever thought I had. It's really exciting, and I wanted to thank you for all the effort you've put into help myself and others achieve these things we never thought were possible.
This is amazing, starting lifting for the first time at 30 and was concerned with starting lifting so "late". Do you mind sharing what sort of routine you're doing? Was thinking of just starting with bodyweight but 25-30 lbs in a year sounds MEGA. If I do half of that I'd be ecstatic, im fat though, 5'8 190 pounds, probably 25%+ BF.
@@zaynebangbang7127 ill be doing a beginner plan from Geoffreys book and just focus on going hard in the gym for atleast 6 months straight. Im not going to bulk or cut, just eat enough protein and make sure I have enough energy to push myself. Ill monitor my weight/pictures to make sure Im not eating too much otherwise just focus on the gainz.
I definitely tend to over think and plan my workouts. Thanks for this video! now im gonna search for 5 other guys opinions on this before i decide my first exercise. On my way to GAINSville!
“Getting stronger is not easy”….you nailed it! My friend asked me recently if I still things heavy (I’ve put on a decent amount of muscle in the past couple years)….Um yeah…100 pounds is still 100 pounds…but the difference is that it is now easier to lift heavier items with control and not be fatigued afterwards. ❤️💪🏋️♂️
For real. Shit doesn't seem to feel lighter, you're just able to lift heavier. On the compounds atleast. A 35 lb dumbell almost feels like nothing these days, 40s are still 'heavy' feeling tho, can get like 8 reps on them
Honestly man, I used to worry about all the minutia of programming and chasing the perfect routine etc etc, but I was barely in a surplus, usually averaging out to maintenance after my first year. You cannot expect to get big by staying small, as Bald Omni Man would put it
Never to late to get those Newbie Gainz, I started at 37 and 40 now and even though our boy GVK looks like an Adonis compared to me...I got him on strength at a lighter bw. Point is never too late to start!!
@@jugheadsrule it is interesting to me how so many people think because someone works hard, sleeps well, eats in a surplus and uses progressive overload it is unbelievable that they may have a decent body or decent strength. We have the ability, but not everyone has the drive and commitment.
@@jugheadsrule no not at all, I was referring to GVS. He is one of the most honest people on YT and lives in a country where people don't even kid about that stuff. He works hard, you can literally see the effort in every rep. It is a complement to his efforts that people think he is anything but natty. And if people specialize in powerlifting, you can become hella strong from neural drive you develop and good leverages.
3:58 this can not be emphasised enough for skinny guys ,i used to work out when i was younger but never gained alot of muscle/mass even though i trained for nearly 1.5 years when i was around 18-19. when i came back to training at 30 i took a different approach ,and started bulking ,7 months later iam 18 kg heavier and my strength has more then doubled on all lifts ,EAT like ur life depends on it skinny brothers.
@@adambombdon7798 i hate bulking too ,i have a naturally low apetite. however the gains i made would have taken me yearswhile maingaining. if u have problem with foodintake i recommend milk and peanut butter ,those two are the secret to bulking for skinny guys. i struggle to eat more then 2 meals a day ,preferably i only have one.
As a beginner I just keep things simple. 3-6-3. 3 workouts per week, 6 main compound movements per workout, 3 sets of each. Re-evaluate if things plateau (looks like it will be months before I change anything). No curls, leg extensions, or any of that. I train to 0-1 reps in the tank just to be sure. Noticing rapid newbie gains already
As it is very difficult to learn different languages at the same time, it is difficult to progress on multiple programs. Instead, select just one and focus on that. Excellent points Geoff.
Great video! I am a novice but I really enjoy doing PPL. Could I make the same progress with Upper Lower? Yeah probably. It is just fun to train more often :D (especially with home gym equipment, without that I probably would not drive like 6x a week to my local gym)
One thing that helped me was understanding Progressive Overload. When I started, I fed into the lie that it's just weight on the bar. Got injured. Now I understand the "feel" of knowing weight vs. rep, ROM, Pause Reps, etc.
Been hitting the gym six days a week as a 42 year old dude that hasn't lifted weights ever. I'm seeing some huge changes to my body! Everything has got bigger in just three weeks. So much so that people are starting to ask me what I've been doing to grow so quickly. Personally, I think you should listen to your body over trying to count sessions and days. I failed last year after a couple of months due to burning myself out, but I've attributed that to trying to loose too much weight while trying to lift weights. This time around I lost around 10% body fat by dieting and fasting for a few months. Then started hitting the weights hard once I hit 24% body fat. This time I feel great and the changes to my body composition keeps me going
Amazing one GVS. Such videos are 10x more useful than the generic RUclips fitness stuff. Would love to know how to accomodate all the compound movements into 4 days without excessive fatigue.
Incredible transformation, i have been lifting for years but i was not eating enough and that was hindering my progress big time. I believe i still have newbie gains to get
I really wasted my noobie gains "maingaining", every time I see a friend who's starting out I recommend eating above maintenance (if they're skinny just just like i was)! good stuff Geoff!
Sorry but that is not maingaining, I don't like Greg anymore as he's become a shill lately but he's clearly defined maingaining in his videos as: bulk/cut to a BF% that's healthy for you, then maintain that BF%. He NEVER said maintain your bodyweight, nor did he say to eat at maintenance calories. If you train intensely and stay at maintenance at a healthy BF%, then you are going to get leaner up to a certain point, which by definition, isn't maingaining since your BF% wasn't maintained.
geoffrey, the thing is that some of these channels are giving advice that works when you're taking steroids, but they fail to mention that of course. I've seen people lifting tiny dumbbells and get decent results because they're juicing. Thanks for the video, lots of good content
Great video. Very similar to my top 10 muscle building mistakes video! The two I see over and over again these days are the program hoping and living in the gym. I am an advanced lifter and only go to the gym 4 times a week, my program stays pretty much the same (with a few key tweaks) all year. If you're progressing, you're likely growing.
#1 is so true. Here in Tokyo, masks are still required in all the gyms. When they first shut everything down two years ago, I created a home gym with a squat rack and that was the best thing for me. During my first two years when I had my membership, I did play hopscotch. In the two years since I was forced to focus on the big barbell lifts and pull-ups instead of lat pulldowns, I have made so much progress. For me the pandemic has really had a silver lining.
I wasted so much time not eating with ab anxiety. Got down to 10% bodyfat and still couldn't see my abs (was overweight when a teenager so loads of excess skin). Just eat and get stronger, its simple and feels great 💪
I spent a decade playing hopscotch on the machines, then had my most impressive gains to-date when I discovered the barbell movements. Today they make up a smaller (20-50% depending on the day) percentage of my training, but they are still my favorite way to start a workout.
Interested in seeing you do a collab or podcast with Derek of MorePlatesMoreDates. As I'm sure you know, he isn't just about anabolics, he also knows a lot of more obscure science-based bodybuilding tips which I'm sure you could get behind.
Geoff as an intermediate, I don't have to watch this!!! You aren't getting my views 0:12 "You probably do, because most of this stuff is going to apply to you as well" Oh sh!t Yes beginners should be doing free weight compound exercises. They'll be the best sign of progress. My most exciting moment as a beginner was doing a 313 lb hex bar deadlift, the same month I skullcrushed 85 lbs x 12 which is technically more impressive but didn't feel like as much of an accomplishment. Doing something impressive on free weight compound exercises really makes you feel like you're making progress. 2:20 I think Marc Lobliner says he does a 2-day split with 2 days off. Hes been working out since me and Geoff were in elementary school, hes done 603 lbs x 3 hex bar deadlifts, 150 lbs x 8 dumbbell bench press.
I was wondering if noobmaxing was a thing. Cuz it's kinda what I do. Idc if I'm super shredded, just wanna stay in shape, and doing heavy workouts like 2-4 times one week, then next week just work(chef/cook, 6 days a week, so im on my feet all day and my core is pretty solid from all the crazy motions i do when were busy and i hit flow state). It works for me tho, I think it's because I burn so many calories at work tho, and only eat twice a day or so.
Hey Geoff, good video Im doing two sessions a week now(upper/lower), due to work and kids etc. Works pretty well. Gaining strength in movements I am adapted to. Gonna grow from this I think.
Hey Geoffrey, Nice video as usual. On question: If the volume and the choice of exercises are practically identical, is it a problem to switch from a full body 3x program to a week to an upper lower? Some weeks I am able to train 4 times, other weeks only 3. I want to point out that I track my lifts, constantly trying to apply progressive overload
A Personal Coach is expensive (65$ a month) and I've seen how they treat their clients. I learned everything Myself, Have been lifting for 3 months now and I'm about to enter the Intermediate level. I am egoistic about my achievement. I milked the shit out of my Newbie gains.
Awesome video GVS. As a newbie lifter, I'm still learning what works and what I should focus on. I do have different perspectives on one of your points. I don't think 6 days in the gym is too much for newbie lifters as long as they're consistent with their training routine and they're trying to maximize their muscle growth (while doing everything else you highlighted). We know that you have to work each major muscle group at least twice a week for optimal growth. Push, pull, legs split over 6 days is one way to work towards that goal or they could do upper/lower split body 2 times a week. If a newbie lifter isn't aiming to maximize their muscle growth, then for sure 6 days is probably too much and 2 days at a bare minimum is fine.
48 to 72hrs, that is all you get for growth from an exercise. Did biceps Monday? Hit em again on Thursday or you are not maximizing gains. If your joints hold up there is nothing wrong with hitting the gymn daily so that you hit muscles about every third day. Getting weaker? Pull back the frequency but not likely to happen if you eat enough and get 7hrs+ sleep nightly.
Does it really matter that i keep hopping exercise types? I mean I'm still lifting a lot, why would it be a problem? I like trying everything and I'm noticing fast gains, am i really shooting myself on the foot, and why?
Hey Geoffrey, I got your book already. Thanks for it and for your channel. it was the first quality channel I found after wasting my time and money with AthleanX and GShred. Quick question: what is a realistic newbie gain expectation for a 48 year male? Currently 33% muscle, 17% fat. Muscle is kind of low, but I never been heavy muscular, since I practice endurance sports (triatlon and so) for most of my life.
Regarding your recommendations on sticking to lower volumes for beginners. What would you say is a good number to shoot for weekly? Would 6 sets for chest/back be enough assuming they're taken close enough to failure and progressive overload is happening?
Hey Geoff, maybe you can make a video about the sequence of progression in relation to volume, to clarify: if you have 2 sets and go from 8-10 reps and then up the weight, when is the moment that you will need to add an set and go for 3 or 4 sets for 8-10 reps? How do you determine when to add set (while increasing, progressingly overloading in a certain rep range and increasing weight). Thank you
Great video Geoff. Where does creatine supplementation come into the picture here, should a newbie start the loading phase right from day 1 for optimal gains?
My buddy at work. Been trying to start lifting for years….every time he starts, he talks about going to planet fitness and how he “did the whole row” of leg machines like they are set up to use that way…??? He wonders why he gets An ankle injury, DOMS for 3 days, and can never keep lifting past a month.
I dont know about the thought comment.. Arnold Schwarzenegger has said in Pumping Iron that when he was doing the exercise he would close his eyes and visualize how his muscle that he works out is growing and filling out entire room.. But what does he know right.. Only 7 times over Mr. Olympia that made bodybuilding a mainstream trend no big deal
Hey, you probably wont see this but I do have a bad back and knees so im a little concerned about squats in particular. I have gotten the okay from my doctor but have been advised to start at about 60% of what a "normal" person my size would. I am 5'10 amd skinnyfat at about 150lbs. Basically, how should I go about safely finding my 1RM so that I can find that sweet spot to start at? Any recommendations would be immensely helpful as injuring myself again would reset my progress by months.
I actually think a lot of “beginner” programs like starting strength (5x5) are too little volume. Better to do like 5x8-12, which is a range for both strength and hypertrophy.
With a 180lb squat, 275 dl and a mind numbingly incredible 135lb bench. I'd say I'm a early-medium stage beginner but I like PPL because gym is my mind cleanser. My day becomes shitty if I don't exercise and I'm a little too heavy for running which I could safely do for 10k till a year back. So any thoughts ? I don't technically need 6 days a week but mentally do. Anything wrong with that ?
My biggest problem stopping my gains is college I am majoring in math lots of nights I have to stay up late study and too much stress day after because of that, hard to gain while majoring in math
Summary: 'Your question doesn't f*ck#ng matter unless you master the 10 things I'm about to discuss in this video' Now you have a useful link to share on your DMs. It'll save you time. Great video btw. Keep it up and congrats on 60K! 🦵💪🚀
Have you ever made a video on when someone is an intermediate? I'm kinda stalling right now and I don't know if it's that my newbie gains are running out or I'm just fucking something up
Double progression/evolving rep ranges is a good starting point. Can even start to play around with the number of sets. Even just cleaning up your form and using better tempos and pauses will illicit hypertrophy
A big reason why beginners overdo stuff is because of following celebrities who claim to workout 6-8 hours a day while eating nothing but chicken, rice, and broccoli. No pain, no gain.
"your body doesn't know how much thought you put in the workout" Well, actually there is scientific research indicating that visualising a movement can lead to (minor) muscle gain :")
For lots of advice to steer you in the right direction, grab a copy of my book, it'll show you how to ACTUALLY maximize your progress in the gym.
It's 200+ pages with no filler, all useful info.
Includes:
-Detailed Programming Advice on How To Write Your Own Training Plan
-HUNDREDS of Exercises (With pictures+descriptions+how to program them)
-How to Bitch Slap your Plateaus
-Injury Risk Reduction Advice
-Cardio to Drop Fat+Increase Work Capacity
-Optimal Equipment
-Multiple Full Templates and MUCH MORE!
Check it out, it's not even hundreds of dollars like SOME in the fitness industry charge...
www.verityfit.com/product-page/sweat
Newbie phase has no deadline as some think, if you haven’t used it for your forearms, calves or neck, it still could blow up
Hey good point!
exactly, newbie phase has nothing to do with how much time you've been lifting. If you've trained for 15 years but never trained your legs you will get newbie gains when you start training your legs, they will blow the fuck up.
Been happening to my biceps recently. Always ignored them as I thought that the other lifts took care of arms. But I have been hitting them consistently this year and they have blown up.
yup, i only have been doing (front) neck curls with bodyweight only with 60+reps, for 2 months.I add 2 reps everytime. neck is visibly bigger, just from that alone. my calves are still omarisuf mode though
What if I trained a body part a ton, but because of lack of surplus it didn't grow?
You can’t “waste” your newbie gains. If you never got them, they’re still there waiting.
Yes, but you wasted your time. I personally value that quite highly.
@@GVS I see. Wasting time is subjective and a different topic though. I guess I was being too literal as I am prone to do.
@@billybadass7718 I actually also do think if you chronically undereat and mess up your training for a while (years) you can maybe lose something due to lack of sensitivity. But it would be pretty minor and likely wouldn't impact ultimate potential, gains just might be slower later. There does seem to be something special about that first time you start lifting, especially if younger. So I really do think it's extremely helpful to get that initial time right. But I don't have any solid evidence for that, it's just mechanistic and observation.
@@GVS definitely above my knowledge. I’ve never had a problem under-eating!
Thanks for everything you do btw. I love your channel.
@@GVS I think Dr. Mike has mentioned something about this, though not directly. He talks about re sensitization (something along those lines) where he trains a particular exercise/muscle group less for a short period to get better results later.
If I had a dollar for everyone who asked about the minutiae that doesn’t really matter while they’re not nailing the absolute basics of what they should be doing, I’d be a millionaire. Great video brother, & that segment was possibly the most important w/ the volume of questions we both get about stuff like that. 💪
I dont think a single topic is more valuable to cover than over-analysing. You got people trying to eat 5 meals a day, exercising 6 times a week, doing robot level strictness on every rep, etc., meanwhile the intermittent fasting community is jacked as hell, the 4 day a week lifters are massive, and folks who have a healthy amount of cheated reps to get a little closer to failure are looking huge.
High effort, lots of food and consistency over a prolonged period are the only requirements to get big. We've been doing it for thousands of years, it's been working for thousands of years.
Been training since 1998, and I still loved this video. It's good to get confirmation from someone who got them gainz that some things really don't matter that much and others - f-ing do!
You are my favourite RUclips fitness producer !
Im 42 and a total newb. Never done weight training in my life and have been going to the gym now consistently for almost 3 months. There is so much information(often conflicting) for newcomers and you really hit the mark on this one.
My biggest takeaway from these past few months is train hard(but don't ever train), stay consistent, and build a good foundation with the basics. Wish I found this video sooner!
I don't know how much clearer of a sign there can be that I need to follow your content... The video pic said Nail the Process, your name is Geoffrey... Mine is Geoffrey Nail, I definitely should start to pay attention.
Hey Geoff, I just bought your book. You really deserve the support just for the information you share on this channel. I'm approaching my one year mark for my first serious year of training in my life at 33 years old, and the combination of you, Jeff Nippard, and Dr. Mike Israetel have been absolutely instrumental in helping me to maximize my newbie gains. I started body weight exercises last April, and bought my first gym membership on June 14th. At 6'2" and 170-175 lbs I've always been relatively slender, and never had a big appetite (likely an undiagnosed hereditary thyroid issue). Since then, I've been seriously eating with the goal to gain weight, trying to do 3 protein shakes a day with 50-75g of protein per shake, plus as much healthy whole foods as I can supplement, and usually some kind of fast-food/take out for dinner to bump up calories and load up on as much food as I can before I go to bed; ADHD and insomnia have been a plague for all of my adult life, and I find I wake up starving in the middle of the night if I don't load up on enough food before bed after training. More often than not, I end up eating some fruit and drinking a protein shake + milk at about 2-4 am in the morning just so I can go back to sleep. If not for the emphasis on being in a caloric surplus, I'd probably still be wasting my time and going nowhere, since I've never been particularly attracted to food. It's a hassle, and I do it because I have to. I know I'm above the amount of protein I probably need to optimize muscle gains, but I've really found that my gains improve (or are at least as maximized as I can get them) when I'm in a serious protein surplus, and as far as I can tell, I'm still in a similar bodyfat range as I was before I started all this. I really don't think I've gained or lost any fat, even trying to eat above 2,000 calories a day and trying to get as close to 3,000 as consistently as possible. I know because of my ADHD its easy for me to hyperfocus on things I obsess on, and I was definitely going 7 days a week for a period there, but I'm currently going 5 days a week, training full body with an intuitive auto-regulatory approach. I basically just assess if the muscle group I could target is one I want to focus on, if it feels too sore to do anything more, and then go from there. I try not to go too overboard on any one body part in one session, I just try to get close to failure with a weight that I can handle for 10-20 reps. If it's not sore from the last time I hit it, I try to hit it harder. I focus on longer rests between sets, and in a lot of cases I'll pause for 2-10 seconds between reps as I get closer to failure, so I can try to focus on the best form and full range of motion for those last reps. A couple chronic injuries in my shoulders and right hip/lower back prevent me from going as ham as I would really like to, and I'm very cautious any time I do deadlift, but I feel like I've gotten pretty good gains for my first year. I don't know exactly what I weighed when I began, but I was 195 lbs tonight when I left the gym, and I feel pretty confident I can get above 200 lbs before my 1 year gym membership mark on June 14th. I feel like 25-30 lbs of muscle in the first year without PEDs are the kind of results to be really happy about, and it's 100% because of the kind of information you (legit) fitness youtubers are sharing. If not for the wealth of knowledge providing real utility and inspiring a continued interest in hypertrophy, I'm sure I wouldn't have been as committed/obsessed enough to get to where I am now, but I honestly can't imagine giving this up now. I'm incredibly excited to see what I can accomplish in the next 2-3 years, and unless I plateau really hard really soon, I feel like my 1 year gains are indicating a lot more potential than I ever thought I had. It's really exciting, and I wanted to thank you for all the effort you've put into help myself and others achieve these things we never thought were possible.
This is amazing, starting lifting for the first time at 30 and was concerned with starting lifting so "late". Do you mind sharing what sort of routine you're doing? Was thinking of just starting with bodyweight but 25-30 lbs in a year sounds MEGA. If I do half of that I'd be ecstatic, im fat though, 5'8 190 pounds, probably 25%+ BF.
@@tigim101 are you planning to do a cutting phase and do u think it would hender muscle growth im also 25%+ body fat 5'11 170
@@zaynebangbang7127 ill be doing a beginner plan from Geoffreys book and just focus on going hard in the gym for atleast 6 months straight. Im not going to bulk or cut, just eat enough protein and make sure I have enough energy to push myself. Ill monitor my weight/pictures to make sure Im not eating too much otherwise just focus on the gainz.
All great tips that I wish I had on my come up! It’s crazy how few of these I had down…
0:08 best Perfect Cell impression I’ve ever heard
I definitely tend to over think and plan my workouts. Thanks for this video! now im gonna search for 5 other guys opinions on this before i decide my first exercise. On my way to GAINSville!
“Getting stronger is not easy”….you nailed it! My friend asked me recently if I still things heavy (I’ve put on a decent amount of muscle in the past couple years)….Um yeah…100 pounds is still 100 pounds…but the difference is that it is now easier to lift heavier items with control and not be fatigued afterwards. ❤️💪🏋️♂️
For real. Shit doesn't seem to feel lighter, you're just able to lift heavier. On the compounds atleast. A 35 lb dumbell almost feels like nothing these days, 40s are still 'heavy' feeling tho, can get like 8 reps on them
@@gaminikokawalage7124 yup, exactly!
Honestly man, I used to worry about all the minutia of programming and chasing the perfect routine etc etc, but I was barely in a surplus, usually averaging out to maintenance after my first year. You cannot expect to get big by staying small, as Bald Omni Man would put it
Never to late to get those Newbie Gainz, I started at 37 and 40 now and even though our boy GVK looks like an Adonis compared to me...I got him on strength at a lighter bw. Point is never too late to start!!
@@jugheadsrule it is interesting to me how so many people think because someone works hard, sleeps well, eats in a surplus and uses progressive overload it is unbelievable that they may have a decent body or decent strength. We have the ability, but not everyone has the drive and commitment.
@@jugheadsrule no not at all, I was referring to GVS. He is one of the most honest people on YT and lives in a country where people don't even kid about that stuff. He works hard, you can literally see the effort in every rep. It is a complement to his efforts that people think he is anything but natty. And if people specialize in powerlifting, you can become hella strong from neural drive you develop and good leverages.
@@jugheadsrule someone who doesn't even monitize his channel or compete and is happily married will want to jeopardize his health..... riiiiight
@@TheJackOfAllTrades777 spotted the hater who claims everyone with a better physique than them is on something.
@@jugheadsrule dyel, post physique
3:58 this can not be emphasised enough for skinny guys ,i used to work out when i was younger but never gained alot of muscle/mass even though i trained for nearly 1.5 years when i was around 18-19.
when i came back to training at 30 i took a different approach ,and started bulking ,7 months later iam 18 kg heavier and my strength has more then doubled on all lifts ,EAT like ur life depends on it skinny brothers.
"EAT like ur life depends on it" - because it does. :P
:^)
That’s me right now, I only just started eating much more after lifting for 9 months and gaining little size
I’ll take slow gainz for years than ever feel like I do when eating a bulk diet. The gut just feels like a brick.
@@adambombdon7798 i hate bulking too ,i have a naturally low apetite. however the gains i made would have taken me yearswhile maingaining. if u have problem with foodintake i recommend milk and peanut butter ,those two are the secret to bulking for skinny guys. i struggle to eat more then 2 meals a day ,preferably i only have one.
As a beginner I just keep things simple. 3-6-3. 3 workouts per week, 6 main compound movements per workout, 3 sets of each. Re-evaluate if things plateau (looks like it will be months before I change anything). No curls, leg extensions, or any of that. I train to 0-1 reps in the tank just to be sure. Noticing rapid newbie gains already
As it is very difficult to learn different languages at the same time, it is difficult to progress on multiple programs. Instead, select just one and focus on that.
Excellent points Geoff.
Great video! I am a novice but I really enjoy doing PPL. Could I make the same progress with Upper Lower? Yeah probably. It is just fun to train more often :D (especially with home gym equipment, without that I probably would not drive like 6x a week to my local gym)
One thing that helped me was understanding Progressive Overload. When I started, I fed into the lie that it's just weight on the bar. Got injured. Now I understand the "feel" of knowing weight vs. rep, ROM, Pause Reps, etc.
11:40 bro i went back to the 2022 goals video
My bench goal was 200 lbs... im at 240
Feels great man
5:07 almost spit out my coffee from laughing. Well done xD . Your memes from movies are seriously underrated
Eating and sleep have been the two biggest issues since I started lifting. The last year both have been on point and I’ve made the best gains.
Been hitting the gym six days a week as a 42 year old dude that hasn't lifted weights ever. I'm seeing some huge changes to my body! Everything has got bigger in just three weeks. So much so that people are starting to ask me what I've been doing to grow so quickly. Personally, I think you should listen to your body over trying to count sessions and days. I failed last year after a couple of months due to burning myself out, but I've attributed that to trying to loose too much weight while trying to lift weights. This time around I lost around 10% body fat by dieting and fasting for a few months. Then started hitting the weights hard once I hit 24% body fat. This time I feel great and the changes to my body composition keeps me going
Love the humour in this vid lol
Amazing one GVS. Such videos are 10x more useful than the generic RUclips fitness stuff. Would love to know how to accomodate all the compound movements into 4 days without excessive fatigue.
Upper/lower, have done videos on it.
Incredible transformation, i have been lifting for years but i was not eating enough and that was hindering my progress big time. I believe i still have newbie gains to get
I really wasted my noobie gains "maingaining", every time I see a friend who's starting out I recommend eating above maintenance (if they're skinny just just like i was)! good stuff Geoff!
relatable
Sorry but that is not maingaining, I don't like Greg anymore as he's become a shill lately but he's clearly defined maingaining in his videos as: bulk/cut to a BF% that's healthy for you, then maintain that BF%.
He NEVER said maintain your bodyweight, nor did he say to eat at maintenance calories. If you train intensely and stay at maintenance at a healthy BF%, then you are going to get leaner up to a certain point, which by definition, isn't maingaining since your BF% wasn't maintained.
@@thatoneuser8600 he literally said to eat at maintenance and then retracted it by saying eat 20 calories above maintenance
All makes sense, I'm here from massive iron with Steve Shaw, thanks 👍
geoffrey, the thing is that some of these channels are giving advice that works when you're taking steroids, but they fail to mention that of course. I've seen people lifting tiny dumbbells and get decent results because they're juicing.
Thanks for the video, lots of good content
Bro I wish I knew this when I started. Oh, that and buying your book as well. It’s been a godsend to me over the last month or so. Thanks again!
Extremely essential video! A must-see for all beginners and novices. 👍
Enough, already. I bought your book! What I regret is not buying it sooner.
Thanks to you and the other guys here I've had good info since day 1.
This video is gold.
ello yuchub
ello yuchub
Ello yuchube
ello yuchub
Buchuy olle
Ello yukub
Great video. Very similar to my top 10 muscle building mistakes video! The two I see over and over again these days are the program hoping and living in the gym. I am an advanced lifter and only go to the gym 4 times a week, my program stays pretty much the same (with a few key tweaks) all year. If you're progressing, you're likely growing.
#1 is so true. Here in Tokyo, masks are still required in all the gyms. When they first shut everything down two years ago, I created a home gym with a squat rack and that was the best thing for me. During my first two years when I had my membership, I did play hopscotch. In the two years since I was forced to focus on the big barbell lifts and pull-ups instead of lat pulldowns, I have made so much progress. For me the pandemic has really had a silver lining.
I wasted so much time not eating with ab anxiety. Got down to 10% bodyfat and still couldn't see my abs (was overweight when a teenager so loads of excess skin). Just eat and get stronger, its simple and feels great 💪
I spent a decade playing hopscotch on the machines, then had my most impressive gains to-date when I discovered the barbell movements. Today they make up a smaller (20-50% depending on the day) percentage of my training, but they are still my favorite way to start a workout.
I really enjoyed this tips mate, right to the points not many useless talks and time waste
I am a proud subscribber!
Interested in seeing you do a collab or podcast with Derek of MorePlatesMoreDates. As I'm sure you know, he isn't just about anabolics, he also knows a lot of more obscure science-based bodybuilding tips which I'm sure you could get behind.
1:51 I think this man has a sudden hunger for beefcake
Had me laughing 😂
I'm a few years in and still making newbie gains!!!
Words to live by, thanks GVS.
Incredibly informative, but number 9 Overthinking and Overanalyzing is absolutely 😅😅😅
I definitely am guilty of living in the gym.
Alpha Destiny does 2 (main) work outs a week.
Worth keeping in mind
That revival fitness reference
Getting him those subs lol.
" You my friend are a pebble"... ouch, shots fired 🤣
Geoff as an intermediate, I don't have to watch this!!! You aren't getting my views
0:12 "You probably do, because most of this stuff is going to apply to you as well"
Oh sh!t
Yes beginners should be doing free weight compound exercises. They'll be the best sign of progress. My most exciting moment as a beginner was doing a 313 lb hex bar deadlift, the same month I skullcrushed 85 lbs x 12 which is technically more impressive but didn't feel like as much of an accomplishment. Doing something impressive on free weight compound exercises really makes you feel like you're making progress.
2:20 I think Marc Lobliner says he does a 2-day split with 2 days off. Hes been working out since me and Geoff were in elementary school, hes done 603 lbs x 3 hex bar deadlifts, 150 lbs x 8 dumbbell bench press.
Awesome video GVS
Very well simply explained Thank u a lot man❤
Geoff can you help us get Grizzly and Jeff nippard to say ello yuchub and then the noble natty circle will be complete.
I don't know Grizzly and I'm definitely not bothering Jeff with that lol
Hahaha what a mad lad
Great advice, as always!
9:35 lmao this is so true. And the eating. Fantastic video.
Which of the big three lifts would you say is best for measuring overall strength? I would think it would be the deadlift.
Probably yea.
I was wondering if noobmaxing was a thing. Cuz it's kinda what I do. Idc if I'm super shredded, just wanna stay in shape, and doing heavy workouts like 2-4 times one week, then next week just work(chef/cook, 6 days a week, so im on my feet all day and my core is pretty solid from all the crazy motions i do when were busy and i hit flow state). It works for me tho, I think it's because I burn so many calories at work tho, and only eat twice a day or so.
Regressive underload is the key to hypotrophy
Hey Geoff, good video
Im doing two sessions a week now(upper/lower), due to work and kids etc. Works pretty well. Gaining strength in movements I am adapted to. Gonna grow from this I think.
I use an app as a logbook, called "strong". Works well.
Same bro
Love that prestige clip
Hey Geoffrey, Nice video as usual. On question: If the volume and the choice of exercises are practically identical, is it a problem to switch from a full body 3x program to a week to an upper lower? Some weeks I am able to train 4 times, other weeks only 3.
I want to point out that I track my lifts, constantly trying to apply progressive overload
Wow bro, you just woke up when di this video? Good video.
A Personal Coach is expensive (65$ a month) and I've seen how they treat their clients.
I learned everything Myself, Have been lifting for 3 months now and I'm about to enter the Intermediate level.
I am egoistic about my achievement. I milked the shit out of my Newbie gains.
Awesome video GVS. As a newbie lifter, I'm still learning what works and what I should focus on.
I do have different perspectives on one of your points. I don't think 6 days in the gym is too much for newbie lifters as long as they're consistent with their training routine and they're trying to maximize their muscle growth (while doing everything else you highlighted). We know that you have to work each major muscle group at least twice a week for optimal growth. Push, pull, legs split over 6 days is one way to work towards that goal or they could do upper/lower split body 2 times a week. If a newbie lifter isn't aiming to maximize their muscle growth, then for sure 6 days is probably too much and 2 days at a bare minimum is fine.
Solid info regardless of level imo. Thanks Geoffrey :)
I started enjoying going to the gym I don't know how it happened but it did after years and countless times failing, it happened.
48 to 72hrs, that is all you get for growth from an exercise. Did biceps Monday? Hit em again on Thursday or you are not maximizing gains. If your joints hold up there is nothing wrong with hitting the gymn daily so that you hit muscles about every third day. Getting weaker? Pull back the frequency but not likely to happen if you eat enough and get 7hrs+ sleep nightly.
Does it really matter that i keep hopping exercise types? I mean I'm still lifting a lot, why would it be a problem? I like trying everything and I'm noticing fast gains, am i really shooting myself on the foot, and why?
Hey Geoffrey, I got your book already. Thanks for it and for your channel. it was the first quality channel I found after wasting my time and money with AthleanX and GShred. Quick question: what is a realistic newbie gain expectation for a 48 year male? Currently 33% muscle, 17% fat. Muscle is kind of low, but I never been heavy muscular, since I practice endurance sports (triatlon and so) for most of my life.
I assume the % are from some kind of scale, those can be ignored. Usually first year can shoot for ~10-20lbs of muscle growth but it does vary widely.
@@GVS Thanks!!!!
4:04 why Thermodynamics? 😅 How about conservation of mass and energy?😊
Ray Williams: "Your best ability is availability."
9:50 is definitely the regular shoulder press lol
Regarding your recommendations on sticking to lower volumes for beginners. What would you say is a good number to shoot for weekly? Would 6 sets for chest/back be enough assuming they're taken close enough to failure and progressive overload is happening?
For an untrained novice this is probably a good starting point.
I got huge from maxing my noobie gains i hit 225 bench in 8months and gained a fuck ton of muscle like pounds and pounds
Geoff the type of guy to maximize the noobie gains !
Hey Geoff, maybe you can make a video about the sequence of progression in relation to volume, to clarify: if you have 2 sets and go from 8-10 reps and then up the weight, when is the moment that you will need to add an set and go for 3 or 4 sets for 8-10 reps? How do you determine when to add set (while increasing, progressingly overloading in a certain rep range and increasing weight). Thank you
he should use this a jumping borad in to the wider topic of optimising your training as much as you can
Great video Geoff. Where does creatine supplementation come into the picture here, should a newbie start the loading phase right from day 1 for optimal gains?
It's not a top priority at all, but if you want to do 5g per day that's not a problem. No need to load.
@@GVS Thanks!
My buddy at work. Been trying to start lifting for years….every time he starts, he talks about going to planet fitness and how he “did the whole row” of leg machines like they are set up to use that way…???
He wonders why he gets An ankle injury, DOMS for 3 days, and can never keep lifting past a month.
Reminds me of the time I got DOMS for a week and a half simply by overdoing bodyweight squats. I blame it on the DOOM OST.
don’t think I didn’t see that “that’s what she said” in small text geoff
I dont know about the thought comment.. Arnold Schwarzenegger has said in Pumping Iron that when he was doing the exercise he would close his eyes and visualize how his muscle that he works out is growing and filling out entire room.. But what does he know right.. Only 7 times over Mr. Olympia that made bodybuilding a mainstream trend no big deal
Would he visualize anything while doing a set of the 500lbs squats he did? Arnie always was known for telling lies
I spent so many years eating like a bird and I think my body got used to that and now when I eat to try to bulk then I get nauseous
I feel triggered by #9 Overthinking and Overanalyzing!
Now that you're recording not mirrored, you gotta raise your left hand to point at your book :)
Hey, you probably wont see this but I do have a bad back and knees so im a little concerned about squats in particular. I have gotten the okay from my doctor but have been advised to start at about 60% of what a "normal" person my size would. I am 5'10 amd skinnyfat at about 150lbs. Basically, how should I go about safely finding my 1RM so that I can find that sweet spot to start at? Any recommendations would be immensely helpful as injuring myself again would reset my progress by months.
just got notifcation now saying this came out 7 mins ago hmmmm
Damn but i love living in the gym.. what should i do
I actually think a lot of “beginner” programs like starting strength (5x5) are too little volume. Better to do like 5x8-12, which is a range for both strength and hypertrophy.
5x5 is the same volume as 5x8-12 - change my mind
With a 180lb squat, 275 dl and a mind numbingly incredible 135lb bench. I'd say I'm a early-medium stage beginner but I like PPL because gym is my mind cleanser. My day becomes shitty if I don't exercise and I'm a little too heavy for running which I could safely do for 10k till a year back. So any thoughts ? I don't technically need 6 days a week but mentally do. Anything wrong with that ?
My biggest problem stopping my gains is college I am majoring in math lots of nights I have to stay up late study and too much stress day after because of that, hard to gain while majoring in math
At 0:20 I misread the 7 as a 1 and I was like DAMN his newbie gains were insane 😵
10:32 this is why I've stuck to the oonga boonga pick heavy thing up method. it keeps working
Pick heavy circles, put them down. Pick heavier circles next time. Repeat. Enjoy big muscles.
@@Croissantrophy.meme.channel the number keeps going up
He crapped on my 10 pound dumbbell workout 😔
What if you want bigger arms? I have upper, lower, upper, lower & arms weekly.
Summary: 'Your question doesn't f*ck#ng matter unless you master the 10 things I'm about to discuss in this video'
Now you have a useful link to share on your DMs. It'll save you time.
Great video btw. Keep it up and congrats on 60K! 🦵💪🚀
Wish I could have watched this when I started
谢谢 ☺️good advices for a beginner like me
Have you ever made a video on when someone is an intermediate? I'm kinda stalling right now and I don't know if it's that my newbie gains are running out or I'm just fucking something up
Double progression/evolving rep ranges is a good starting point. Can even start to play around with the number of sets. Even just cleaning up your form and using better tempos and pauses will illicit hypertrophy
0:20 Kinda look like small Jeff Nippard in the top left
A big reason why beginners overdo stuff is because of following celebrities who claim to workout 6-8 hours a day while eating nothing but chicken, rice, and broccoli.
No pain, no gain.
"your body doesn't know how much thought you put in the workout"
Well, actually there is scientific research indicating that visualising a movement can lead to (minor) muscle gain :")