I want to get bigger and stronger

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I want to get bigger and start lifting weights, but I can't focus on doing it yet. Why? I don't have a pushup bar or any suitable improvisation in my house! I can't convince my freakin' mom and dad to buy one because I need to make due with the "resources I have" already. It's like I can't get stronger or achieve better without one. Why can't my parents bend to my will at all times. I have important goals too.

Also, what am I supposed to eat and how am I supposed to keep track. My situation is making life harder for me, and unfortunately, it feels like I need to live on my own before I can enact positive change in my life.

You could always improvise,

Just doing pushups on the floor doesn't cost anything. Nor does doing sit-ups on the floor. I know somebody who does 500 sit-ups every morning.

Do you have any bars in the house where you could do chin-ups?

You could probably start with 20 pushups and sit-ups a day. And 5 chin-ups (if you could do that; if you can't, then start off where you could).

You could also walk an hour a day at about 4 miles per hour. That would be good exercise as well.

I think it's laudable that you want to go out on your own.

Google something like 'strength training without weights' and it will give you some ideas. Pushups and pullups are good. Planks are a good exercise to work your entire core. When I didn't have weights available before I would do things like filling my bookbag full of books and using that for various exercises. You can do squats with or without weights to work your lower body.

Don't go with workout fads (like the stuff you see infomercials for on TV). If you want to find something that REALLY works, I'd advise you to use field manuals from the various military organizations around the world because they're not out to make money. They just want to get people in peak physical condition.

I can't post URLs because I just made this account, but try googling "Army PT manual" and the physical training manual should be one of the first things that comes up.

Go to myfitnesspal.com and make an account, you that to track everything you eat. Save up about $15 and buy a foodscale and measure everything you eat. No need to bother measuring out fruit, or green vegetables. In terms of calories, to gain muscle you need to be in a calorie surplus.

Go spend some money on a set of two dumbbells, that you can adjust the weight. I wouldn't invest too much money in it, if it's just a starter set though. Have something that goes from 15-50 pounds atleast, 15-70 would be better. Do some floor presses, lunges, shoulder presses, curls, hammer curls, tricep extensions,kickbacks and goblet squats. I'd split those exercises into a 3 day workout week. This is jsut a starting program, you'll eventually move past this and need to advance your training, whenever your parents stop getting in the way.
Workout week idea:
Do 4 sets for every exercise one warmup set then 3 working sets 8-12 reps
Monday:
floor press(one arm at a time since you can use the other arm to assist you in getting the weight up to the starting position)
shoulder press
Tricep extensions
Tricep kickbacks

Tuesday:
Curls
Hammer Curls
Pullups if you can find a bar to do them on. Goto a playground if you can and there is one close.
Thursday:
Goblet Squats
Lunges
Dumbbell Shrugs

Last edited by CommanderKeen on 30 May 2014, 7:15 pm, edited 1 time in total.

be VERY CAREFUL when doing any pull-ups or curls, some people are more prone than others to developing epicondylitis [aka "tennis elbow"] from that particular arm exercise/movement, particularly those of us with long skinny arms.

That would be more of an issue with extensions than anything else. He needs to do slow concentrated reps to prevent injury.

IOW are you saying that pullups should never be repeated with full extension and contraction but with small arcs of movement? maybe that is where I goofed.

No, I was stating most people with long arms usually have elbow issues with tricep exercises, not bicep exercises but either way going slow and concentrated on them should prevent those issues. With barbell curls they can put a lot of strain on the wrists, that's why I never curl with a straight bar.

Hey, I would definitely tell you also to focus on pushups, situps and other forms of calisthenics too. If you can, check out Planet Fitness. It's like $10 a month in most places. For rules on how to eat, check out http://www.bodybuilding.com but from what I know, it's around 1g protein for each kg of body weight as a basic guideline. Eat complex carbs like whole wheat, but not too much stick to protein, and stay away from fat.

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Passion overcomes all obstacles.

This is not a judgment on you in anyway, it's normal for the human mind to delay what it thinks it's not ready for.
It's also normal for the conscious mind to think it wants something and to think there's no internal hold up.

If a person wants to write a novel but "can't" because they "need" a desk or a computer and "can't afford" one right now, it's usually a self-deceptive avoidance/delaying tactic. Most often because they don't actually want to (for some valid reason) OR don't feel they're actually ready yet. (thus the instinct to "purchase" preparation*)

There could be many reasons that you're stopping in dismay at "roadblocks." A *common delaying roadblock is to think/believe that one needs to buy something before they can start, and thus they wait.
It's a prime example of, "I want my cake, and I want to eat it too." (once you eat your cake it's gone)
I want to start, but I can't, so I don't have to actually do it after all.

Some reasons could be:
- I hate being sweaty.
- Enough people hate me already and they'll just hate me more when they notice me improving myself. (maybe they think you're smarter, cooler, more attractive, or they may be insecure)
- Relationships can end horribly and painfully, being more attractive may make a relationship more likely.
- Improving myself may remind others nearby me of the things they "should" be doing but aren't and think I'm showing them up.
- Maybe I dislike hurting people's feelings and being more attractive while wishing to remain single means I'm likely to have to "reject" people that show interest in me making them feel bad about themselves.
- Staying physically fit will require a significant future commitment and I worry how well that will mesh with future needs and obligations.

- Maybe I don't really know the "proper" way to workout or how many different things I'll need to do to have a "complete" workout.
- I may be afraid of being mocked whether directly of just from a distance.
- I may feel I need my energy for coping with things later in the day and if I'm pooped out I may cope poorly causing more issues.
- People with ASD are often thought to be arrogant and if my body is all handsome, sexy and "perfect" they'll accuse me even more often of false pride or narcissism.

Pausing in dismay a "roadblock" is a strong but very subtle hint that a part of me does not want to engage in that activity.
If it's truly best that I do engage in the desired activity then the most comfortable and effective method is to explore for inhibitions and resolve them.
Plus it's healthier mentally to get those things "fixed."

In my opinion, people never do something for "no reason," and likewise, if someone thinks they want to do something, they never hesitate without a "good reason."
Though sometimes the reasons are hard to discover.

It is definitely NOT just laziness.


So take it as a hint or a clue, as long as you stop at roadblocks, there is still something unresolved.
Good luck to you. =)

A doorway pullup bar is about $10. It's unfortunate that your parent aren't supporting you. They should be happy you're getting into fitness and not going out partying. Maybe you can convince them fitness will keep you away from drugs.

Buy a gym membership (not Planet Fitness). Gyms typically have top notch equipment from both Eleiko and Hammer Strength, enabling you to do bent over rows, bench presses, deadlifts, squats, pull-ups, and shoulder presses.

People who go to the gym and only eat a typical bread only diet, aren't fooling anyone but themselves. Having said that, there's not much to know about a healthy diet either. Be sure to eat enough calories, get enough protein, and eat food that increases your testosterone levels (unsaturated fats, HDL cholesterol, B vitamins, zink, magnesium, etc.). Do not worry about fibers; most people eat way too much of this.

A good gym to join is Gold's, or World Gym. Basically any gym you hear about pro-bodybuilders go to. You can assess if a gym is good by going in and taking a look at what equipment they have. Do they have a squat rack? Do they have a pullup bar? Do they have any incline benches, or pullup bars? How high do their dumbbells go up to? This is the stuff you have to look for in a gym. Kurgan is right, avoid Planet Fitness like the plague. Like their commercial states, they aren't a gym. As far as saturated fat goes, there has been studies since the late 80s disproving saturated fat being bad at all. As with anything dealing with nutritional science, you really have to read the data on it and decide for yourself. I can state, that I eat butter, eggs and other things with saturated fat everyday and my blood work always comes back fantastic. In fact coconut oil is supposed to be great for you and it's filled with saturated fat. Saturated fat aids in testosterone production. Avoid Transfat and heavily processed food.

https://www.youtube.com/user/kalosthenos

https://www.youtube.com/user/calisthenicskingz

really though, if you have ~150$ US just get a power rack with a few weights off Craigslist.

It's not THAT expensive.