JN210;315189 wrote:
dont get into any protein shakes or any "muscle milk" kinda stuff...yea it will help put on muscle now but later on in life when you cant upkeep it, it all turns into fat and will make you look like you have man boobs. cardio and situps will shape up your core, need to keep your back strong though to pull your chest back and support the muscle being added to your pecs for a strong stance, so Lat pull downs are great.
That is a myth, unused muscle does not get replaced by fat or turn into fat. Muscle cells that go unused will eventually shrink in size and/or lose their tone/definition/density and fat cells can increase in size, but muscle does NOT turn into fat.
As for the protein shakes, if a person is going to be working out they need to supplement their bodies with protein and SOME carbs (lots if you are trying to build mass) as protein and amino acids are the building block for muscle tissue and carbs are the transportation/energy source to do that. Buying something like Muscle Milk is a waste of money IMO, my protein shakes consist of 1 scoop of whey protein, 2 cups of skim milk, 1 cup oatmeal, ~3 or 4 Tbsp peanut butter, and 2 Tbsp of ground flax seed, blend and enjoy. It's a meal replacement that you can have right after a workout to get tons of carbs and both whey/casein (quick acting and slow acting) protein as well as getting one of your small daily meals in.
Otherwise, it is more or less going to take him time to find what works best for him. Everyone has a different body structure and genetics so something that makes you grow like an animal might just make him sore and sick of working out. Some people need to lift heavy weights and others need to do high rep on medium weights. As long as you're incorporating the necessary core workouts like dead lifts, squats, bench, you're on the right track. How you go about doing those lifts is what will make the difference I think.
Lastly, like others have said, diet is the largest factor in you gaining, maintaining, or losing weight. If your diet sucks it won't matter what your workouts consist of, you'll never get completely to where you want to be. Stick to good sources of protein/carbs/healthy fats (IE not pre-mixed crap like Muscle Milk and other overpriced stuff GNC sells, just plain Whey and Casein proteins) and realize it'll just take time and busting through plateaus. Also remember, more muscle mass = higher Resting Metabolic Rate, so adding some extra muscle can help keep the fat off longer because your body is burning more Calories while you sit and watch tv or do things other than working out.
