Getting started, need a few opinions

I usually type long posts, so I'll make this one short and sweet:

5'9 145 pounds, look like a twig but feel as though I'm relatively strong for my bodyweight, even though I rarely exercise at all (ie. just started max strength training with weights and can chin with an extra 50 lbs for 5x5).

I realize bodybuilding is a waste of muscle. Gymnastics caught my eye to build quality muscle. I wouldn't say that I'm self-conscious about the way I look, but definitely want to add some mass to my frame to feel good about myself. It's just that I don't want to waste time building muscle that doesn't matter. Enter Gymnastics.

My rings are in the mail and I have just bought a V-max weight vest to train with. My main purpose is to increase strength with the secondary benefit of hypertrophy, but I'm more worried about hypertrophy than anything else (if that makes sense). How should I train (every day, split days, heavy one day and light the next, etc.) to maximize my strength benefit, and put on quality muscle as fast as possible?

Realize that I want quality muscle, meaning that if I can train 6 hours a day vs. 2 hours a day to boost strength and hypertrophy growth, I will do that. This is my main goal in life now.

Thanks!

Obviously, you will be re-registering, I think. Anyways...

What are you currently doing now and what are you capable of?

Make sure your nutrition is solid besides sleep and you will have solid gains and continue to progress.

Once you state what you do and how often, I'll jot my thoughts down.

Yes, he is re-registering. There was a technical problem with his account.

Yours in Fitness,

Coach Sommer

Blairbob,

I sleep 8 hours a night and my nutrition is phenomenal. I'm on the paleo diet (fruits, veggies, lean meats) and NEVER have a cheat day. I am very serious about being healthy.

I do have an injury on my ankle and can not bear weight, run, or do any sort of vigorous activity on that part of my body. I figured gymnastics would be perfect while I am awaiting surgery, so that I can build my upper body and use rings because they seem to give limitless possibilities on strength training routines.

I am around 5'9 145 lbs. I've tried a few beginning progressions (frog stand, and then the one after that) and can hold both for a good length of time (45 - 60 seconds depending on the day). I really have had no prior strength training.

Currently (the past week) I have been doing lots of push-ups and pull-ups. I'm looking for a little hypertrophy (not to contradict strength gains) but moreso looking to get very strong. My rings are coming tomorrow so I can start on them.

Basically as far as goals: I don't know. It's easy when you run because you can push yourself farther distances or shorter times each workout. I've never even considered gymnastics before so I really don't know where to start, how to begin, or what I should really be aiming for.

How often were you training before? How many days a week? Do you have the book at all?

I would recommend the often recommended Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday. Do something on one of the weekend days or do 3 days a week and a day or two of something else. Workout duration of 60-90 minutes, maybe even shorter if you are not doing any lower body leg strength for now.

Weightifting will never slow you down. Only training slow reps all the time will. You're not gonna get that from gymnastics, you'd get that from serious bodybuilding. As in Arnold like bodybuilding. Another common misconception is that it will make you inflexible. As long as you go through the full range of motion, it won't do that either. In fact, it will allow your muscles and tendons to stretch over time, so you would be more flexible. It would also strengthen the tendon too, so you aren't risking damage. That's a long process though.

I've never been good at sticking to a specific work out (as in this exercise rep-x-set), I just keep a mental list of good exercises for my goal of the day. For example, on mondays I do planche work. I would practice things like planche leans, progressions (for strength, i never train for time)*, psuedo planche push ups, and weightlifting exercises that utilize those muscles. I don't lock reps or sets because they could be different. I do my best, and that's the point

When I said i don't train for time, it's because I like to push my hardest an that ends up at ten seconds tops. Once I get my final goal in an area (like manna or planche), then I would train for time.

That is just the way I do things. I just like it because it suits me

I have the book and haven't trained from it yet. I'm having a hard time living at home (no place to put the rings, parents bitch when I try to mount some sort of bar to the wall, etc.) and will be moving to an apartment for college in about 3 weeks. Then I can rig up something for rings. It's a shame because I have all this time while my leg is healing to do upper body exercises and I can't even do that.

I have never really done training before, so all of this is new to me.

Currently I am doing 5x5 for weighted exercises on random objects:

5x5 50 lbs dip between two chairs

5x5 10 lbs handstand pushup (ground because I can't use the rings)

5x5 12.5lb kneeling ab rollouts

and since I have no pull up bar my weighted pull ups aren't working, and I have no where to do inverted curls. So basically I'm botching my training routine because of my stupid parents.

Anyway.

My current routine is every other day, so I train 3-4 times a week. I feel as though this isn't enough already, so I never take an extra day of rest.

I wouldn't see the need to train split days unless you felt you wanted to split skill work such as handstand (presses) and MU work and static work and then later do static work and strength work. Now, come college, who knows if you will have that extra time.

On-off works pretty well. I like MTuThF because by W, I want the day off. As for the weekend, I typically want to do something else as well.

Since your parents won't let you do pullups, put on your vest. Then get two chairs and a sturdy pole. A closet pole should work. Do body rows with the weight vest.