Re: Set me up on a program
 

OP - sounds like Rippetoe would be great for you. Not sure, but it sounds like from your description you have a bit of "skinny fat" going on, your height/weight is actually fine, but you don't have enough muscle. Seems like you've never done serious lifting, so you should probably go ahead and buy the Rippetoe book and start with really light weights. Saying you have "weak knees" probably just means you need to train them, which is what this program should do.

Re: Set me up on a program
 

I think I'm gonna do the ripplehoe too.

I've lifted some in the past but I think I fit the OP and CBlooms description..somewhat skinny muscular wise but a little fatty around the gutt,ass,thighs etc.

In regards to OP's questions

Does it really matter what type of protein powder I buy?
And what is the set regime one should be drinking shakes.
i.e Just protein before and after workout? Just with water or is milk better?


any other supplements and when/how should one use them...I'm thinking like creatine, glutamine(sp?), fish oils, etc.

Re: Set me up on a program
 

Well I think Rippetoe is a good program for you as well. As far as weightlifting goes, you're a beginner. That's not to say you don't know what you're doing, just that you probably have the potential to make consistent gains on a simple program.

You'll spend less time in the gym using this program as well, as opposed to a body part split. You only have to do 9 work sets to hit your whole body hard. I typically take 90 minutes in the gym because I take long breaks and do lots of warm up sets. You could probably be out of there in 45 minutes if you wanted.

If you haven't lifted in a long time, I would take the first week or two to go light, work on form, and not put too much load on yourself. Your tendons and ligaments need more time to adapt than your muscles. You also don't want to hit your muscles too hard after a long break because you'll just get DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness) that lasts for a week.

Always do about 5-10 minutes on some cardio machine to get your knees warmed up for squats. That doesn't really count as cardio though, which I would do afterwards.

I never did deadlifts, overhead press, or pendlay rows before doing this program either. They're not hard to learn at all. I would do rows with a barbell or dumbells. The version I do has you set up with your feet wide, and your back parallel to the ground. Pull the bar up to your belly, and set it back down on the ground between each rep.