Arrite so heres the deal. We all kno im a tiny guy. I used to wear big baggy clothing and not care. Then my girl got me into more fitting clothing that doesnt look like im drownin. But its still pretty loose.
Im thinkin get bigger and maybe itll look better? Like broader shoulders...but i only have access to a bowflex type machine (which is good) and kno nothing about work outs etc
Thoughts?
whats ur definition of tiny?(height, weight)
and whats ur definition of baggy?
and yea, it might even it out a bit more
Working out will make you fill out more and not look so small.
Here's a website that has a list of exercises that you can do on a bowflex machine: http://www.bowflex-exercises.com/ (http://www.bowflex-exercises.com/)
And, here's another link to a publication done by the DEA to help people get ready for their physical task test. I think it's pretty helpful because it tells how to do a lot of different exercises: http://www.justice.gov/dea/careers/agent/pdf/PTTBooklet.pdf (http://www.justice.gov/dea/careers/agent/pdf/PTTBooklet.pdf)
There seems to be a lot of guys on here who know a lot about starting a workout routine and building muscle that I am sure will be happy to help you out. :)
105-115 lbs and 5'1
And thanks learnedhand! It isnt a bowflex machine really but it works like one, ill def check those links out
Quote from: Brayden on November 27, 2012, 09:25:58 PM
105-115 lbs and 5'1
And thanks learnedhand! It isnt a bowflex machine really but it works like one, ill def check those links out
You're not much smaller than me. I'm 5'2" and 130lbs. I gained around 7-10lbs working out. It can be done but at best you'll just fill out more or get more muscular ... not like you're going to grow. I went through a baggy phase as well and if I look back on any photos from that era I just cringe. God I looked like a dork! Seriously there was no good point to wearing baggy clothes. It made me look even smaller (like I was too small to even fit my clothes properly), shorter, fatter (I wasn't even ever fat to begin with!), younger, and like I couldn't even dress myself properly. Years later I even found out that even friends of mine were embarrassed for me! It was pretty brutal. Either way, I wear stuff that fits now and if you can gain some mass from working out, fitted clothes will accentuate that. There's plenty of short and smaller dudes out there and I'm hard pressed to think of any of the popular ones rocking totally baggy clothes.
im not really into baggy stuff but i used to wear skinny jeans and slimmer shirts then i do now. although i wear slim jeans and shirts they look normal on me because im skinny.
I say wear what is comfortable to you. I'm 5'8" 210lb kinda muscular (but not where I want to be) and I wear baggy shorts, hoodies, jerseys, polos, etc. My gf has tried to get me to dress nicer but if I'm not comfy I'm not happy.
Good luck with working out. I'm going to start after I heal from surgery. I'll be on T around 3-4 months by then. How long have you been on T? If you've worked out previously has it helped you gain muscle quicker?
Getting some of your clothes tailored might help some too. It's usually not that expensive to get store bought clothes altered, and it can really make a huge difference in how things look and fit on you.
On the topic of workouts, personally I'm really not a fan of machines ; they are built for the "average person" which means that they are perfect for pretty much no one, and they exercise your muscles in an unnatural way by only solliciting a small target group of muscles and a narrow motion range. The perfect recipe for injury.
If you want to make your upper half bigger, push-ups and pull-ups are all you need. Done right they'll work all of the muscles in your arms and shoulders, and you just need a bar (or a solid door) able to support your weight for the pull-ups. Unless you're so crazy strong that any bodyweight exercise is a child game to you, they'll do you more good than the machine (and if you are, weight lifting would do you even more good than that).
You can optionally throw in a couple more bodyweight exercises like the plank (much harder than it looks), invest in a barbell or dumbells or just find/build something heavy to grab and move around and you're set - a complete workout for 0$ right at home.
(Trivia : The movie "300" actors' workouts consisted only of bodyweight exercises and weight lifting. Have you seen those dudes!?)
Can't believe I'm saying this given how much I dislike machines, but telling someone to just do pushups and pullups alone to gain mass instead of using a perfectly functional bowflex they already have access to isn't the best suggestion, imo. If he had a proper programme using his bowflex along with performing bodyweight exercises, he'd have a lot more effective and faster progress in both size and strength than just shunning the bowflex altogether just because of a dislike of machines. Using the bowflex will allow him to progress his strength gains and play more with reps and sets than just starting from bodyweight exercises alone, especially if he has trouble performing proper pullups and pushups. Only performing pushups and pullups he'll be limited to doing only what his body is able to do with its own weight. Being able to perform lat pulldowns or seated rows on the bowflex will definitely help improve his ability to perform pullups more quickly than pullups alone, imo. Being able to play more with sets/reps along with good nutrition will also help quicken mass gains.
Would it be ideal if he had access to a proper weight room? Of course...but just because its not the ideal doesn't mean shun what he's got to work with.
Simon, are you having top surgery? I want to have top surgery so I can get rid of this binder when I workout. It will be so much better without it on.
Quote from: mm on November 29, 2012, 01:28:43 AM
Simon, are you having top surgery? I want to have top surgery so I can get rid of this binder when I workout. It will be so much better without it on.
Not this go around. I'm having my hysto in a few weeks. Top surgery will be in the next few years. I feel you though. I hate binders. I'm a little lucky because a friend is selling me a home gym really cheap so I can work out at home without having to wear one.
Congraduation on getting a hyster. I would like one but will probably be after top surgery for me. How did you find a GYN to do it? How old are you? I am 22 and don't have a reason for even asking for a hyster. Do you know what procedure the GYN? With some of the procedures today you are out of the hospital in a day and have few restriction on what you can do.
Quote from: mm on November 29, 2012, 11:58:05 AM
Congraduation on getting a hyster. I would like one but will probably be after top surgery for me. How did you find a GYN to do it? How old are you? I am 22 and don't have a reason for even asking for a hyster. Do you know what procedure the GYN? With some of the procedures today you are out of the hospital in a day and have few restriction on what you can do.
I'm 31 and getting mine done because of a rare genetic illness I have. I have a couple tumors down there so they're taking it all out. It is what it is, and everybody goes through transition differently. Mine has to be an open procedure do to one of the tumors being on the back of the uterus and they're not exactly sure what it is. I'll be in the hospital 10 days. At least that is what they've told me so far.
Oh yeah, I thought it was cute you said "hyster"..made me think "Congrats on the hyster, mister", lol. :laugh:
Pull ups are the single best exercise you can do to widen your shoulders. However, of course you wanna take advantage of that bow flex to do some weighted exercises. Try military presses and lat raises to make you more broad. You won't build any mass unless you lift heavy and eat enough protein, along with a generally well balanced diet.
Check out the shoulder exercises on the bowflex- http://www.shoulders-exercises.com/exercises/bowflex/index.html (http://www.shoulders-exercises.com/exercises/bowflex/index.html)
My shoulders now pretty much fit all of my shirts, so just keep working out.
It didn't take that long for shirts to start fitting once I started being more physical. If you're doing a proper routine, you could achieve this in a few months or so.