Fitness startup help

[Drezzeh]

So, my name is Joe, I am 17 (18 in December) and would like some help from someone who knows a bit more about lifting than I do.

I weigh about 160, am 5'8", and like to call myself "fit." I play sports (cross country and tennis, in season, as well as practice martial arts year round) and spend a lot of time sitting at home, mainly gaming on my computer and not worrying about what I eat. Normally, this has not been a problem for me due to the combination of a healthy metabolism and involvement in sports, but I know it is not healthy and would like to better define my body with a healthier lifestyle.

I have a membership to a great, local fitness complex and my license, so transportation and equipment will not be a problem. To get to the point, basically what I am looking for is tips on how to go from just having a normal flat chest and the tiniest bit of defined muscle here and there, to an impressive, muscular body. I'm not looking to win any Young Bodybuilders of America tournament (Not sure if that exists or not), but I do just want to be able to take my shirt off when swimming, running, etc. and not feel embarrassed that I don't spend much time at the gym, as some of my peers and teammates do.

As you can tell, sometimes I rant a bit, but the point is, someone with experience shaping their body that has any tips on what I can do to get started, including routines, diets, lifestyle, etc. would be GREATLY appreciated.

Thanks-
Joe

[Living For Love]

In most gyms they do fitness plans for beginners, they'll create the most suitable plan for you, and according to your objective. In order to achieve a muscular body, you need two things: you must lose some of the fat you have which is hiding your muscle and you must develop the muscle you already have. For this, you'll need to do cardio exercises (bicycling, running, etc...) and muscle hypertrophy, to develop your muscles. How much repetitions you have to do and what kind of exercises are most suitable for you would be two things that you should ask the fitness/personal trainers at your gym, because they're the ones who are able to make the best plan for you according to your weight, height, body fat percentage, etc... As far as diets go, I'd say eat a lot of carbohydrates (rice and pasta, mostly) before working out (to have energy) and lots of protein afterwards (to give your body the necessary amount of amino acids to build new muscle fibres). Cut down on fizzy drinks and overly sugared food, make sure you sleep enough hours per day and keep taking some photos of your body so you can keep track of your progress and pinpoint the areas of your body you need to work more.

[JustinG]

Google workout routines! There are tons of them out there and they can be found for, or tailored for, each specific bodypart.
Personally, I use "bodybuilding.com" because you can tailor their routines to your own personl needs !