Reached 30 and the wheels started falling off. Gained 20 pounds and back pain out of nowhere, it's like a damn sitcom. I feel uncomfortable in clothes I've worn for a decade so its time to put in effort. Better late than never I guess.
I want advice on good beginner resources. I'm talking really beginner, like how many reps to do, how long between reps, what machines to hit, etc. I've been to gyms before but just kinda rode the reclined bike them made shit up when I got to the weight machines. I also am terrible at not doing too much with my back, which is almost certainly where my back pain originates from, so extra instruction on how to properly engage my core is a bonus.
The one advantage I have is that I'm very good at tracking calories. I've just gotten lazy since Covid. So I've downloaded MacroFactor to try out some new technology. I've used Waistline recently but it's just too cumbersome to add food, and I lose motivation.
Appreciate the help in advance!
P.S. the one upside to turning 30 is that I can grow a beard now. So at least I've got that going for me
We are fortunate to live in times where there are myriad evidence based resources online.
If you are looking for Hypertrophy (adding muscle) specifically I would recommend Renaissance Periodization (Dr. Mike Israetel) and Jeff Nippard on YouTube or their websites.
If you are looking for strength or general wellness I can not more highly recommend Barbell Medicine. I've had great success with several of their programs and my friend had tremendous success running their beginner template: https://www.barbellmedicine.com/shop/training-templates/strength/beginner-template/
Even if you don't buy a template they are a wealth of great information that is freely available.
Best of luck and congrats on taking that step!
I can second both of these channels. Jeff is more straight forward and family friendly and Dr. Mike is as straight forward (maybe not straight tho, you'll know if you watch a video lol) but with added comedic effect and maybe a bit more 'bro'y'. Both are excellent channels for information though potentially more for intermediate lifters but you can def get great information for a beginner. They will mostly talk about sleep/diet/training as the biggest things early. Don't try to complicate anything or do anything crazy. Another resource you can look into is Starting Strength by Mark Rippetoe which will focus on the big three lifts of dead lift/bench/squat. Those lifts can be intimidating in the beginning because they are all compound lifts but will yield great results for full body strength and get a base.
Be kind to yourself in the beginning and consistence is very important. Good luck!
Also, if you really want someone to tell you what to do Renaissance Periodization has an app that will make workouts for you. It is expensive though I think $200/6 months but it will adapt to you and do everything for you. I have yet to try it but I've considered it.