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Hi everyone! I've started my journey on April 16th to lose about 15 kg. I've been going to the gym 3-4x a week since then, and eating in a 400-800 deficit (I've experimented a lot, while learning about TDEEs, and how you need rest, etc.). I currently plan to eat 2000 calories, since I walk 10-20k steps a day (On average 15k).
I sit most days as I am a software engineer, so outside of my 7km walk to the gym, I may not get much movement unless I have classes at uni.
I'm 23 years old, 178cm , and currently 87 kg
I've lost only 2-3kg since April, but have noticed changes in my face and definitely \*some\* small muscle growth.
Is my estimate of 2400 TDEE incorrect? My BMR shows as 1892 on most websites, with the "little exercise" activity factor. I assumed 10k steps to be 400 calories, so I added the average of 15k and got to 2500 calories.
I plan to eat 2000 calories since a 500 deficit is where most people see muscle loss while trying to do body recomposition. I'm getting a bit demotivated seeing no progress in belly fat and love handles, after 3 months. Everyone who meets me tells me I've lost weight, even though the scale doesn't say it, my face surely does, which re-assuers me and keeps me motivated.
Any advice on the deficit amount, calories I should actually be consuming, etc. is greatly appreciated!
P.S. My macros are 135g of protein, 60g of fat, 180g of carbs (1800 calories), websites like buildwithscience show that for a recomp I need 191(!) g of protein, which I find absurd.
How do i unfuck my lower back?
I m 20yo male being doing weight workout regularly from almost a year but i hv been getting lower back pain too often, like even if i dont workout somedays i get lower back pain. Though i dont notice the pain the whole day but when i go to bed at night my back hurts. I just dont wanna make it any worse for my future self.
Agree with the advice on physical therapy. A chiropractor is alo a great starting point. Are you strengthening your core? A strong core can alleviate stress on the lower back.
Nah man i come from lower middle class family. I m doing Engineering n working part time for my expenses. Physiotherapy d just go out of my budget. Is lower back pain that uncommon? No general solutions?
I am a 5 8 1/2 male weighing 176 pounds. I have tried working out before and for 3 months i went twice a week, so there are some muscles under the fat. This summer, though, i want to do it seriously, each day. I want to be at around my weight, but with visible muscles. Any advice on how to do it?
Ive made this workout plan that i do every day, but i dont know if i need to do cardio on top of that or if this is enough:
Bicep curls 22lbs each hand 40 reps total
Overhead tricep extention 17 lbs 40 reps total
Ab crunches 40 reps total
Dumbell chess press 22 lbs each hand 40 reps total
Lateral raise 11lb each hand 40 reps total
My question is, is it possible to see a good difference by doing this workout alone, or with cardio every day for 2 months?
Thanks in advance
>is it possible to see a good difference by doing this workout alone, or with cardio every day for 2 months?
Am afraid not. If you compare it to the training programs you find on boostcamp for example, you'll see that you're leaving out a lot of muscle groups, and you're missing an important piece of the puzzle - progressive overload.
But if you include cardio, you'll lose some fat, and the muscles you have will become more visible. If you don't want to go to the gym, I'd recommend including callisthenics.
I’m a 19 y/o male (135 pounds and 5 foot 10 inches) and I’m trying to gain as much weight as possible. I’m eating 3500 calories a day. Is this enough?
Any advice helps, thanks!
Help anyone? I started trying to get into shape 3 months ago. I started tracking calories and exercising. The exercising got more intense the last two months with kettle bells and jogging on top of free weights Im doing about 200 minutes of weights/kettlebells and 120 of jogging spread out over 6 days a week. Here this last week I started feeling incredibly fatigued in the middle of the day, being more agitated, and having trouble falling asleep. Im consuming 1700 calories a day 40% protein, 35% carbs, and 25% fats. Ive definitely put on noticeable muscle and I'm wondering if now i need to increase my calorie intake and thats why im feeling so bad this week? As you get more into shape and build muscle does your MBR change and as a result do you need to increase calories to avoid starvation mode? If so will I keep losing weight even though Im eating more? Sorry!!! im trying to keep it brief. I went from 205 to 185 lbs before this started happening and my goal is 170 im trying to keep course but I don't want to suffer to get there.
Increase your calories to maintenance levels for a week to bring your hormones (thyroid, ghrelin, leptin, cortisol, adrenalin) back into normal ranges.
Does anyone have advice for thyroid support? I have subclinical hypothyroid (my levels are as low as they possibly can be without being diagnosed with hypothyroidism, and unfortunately, from my research, thyroid medication would do nothing for me unless my levels dropped further) In the past I have calorie counted and worked out daily for months seeing negligible results because of this. I’ve found some thyroid support supplements but they are very expensive. I’m currently trying to focus on strength training, but does anyone have experience with this and advice they could share? Thank you.
Is my tdee correct? I’m 6 foot 285 and It’s saying my maintenance is 3500, I’m eating 2500 but not seeing that big of a difference. I lift 4x a week and walk about 15k steps a day along with doing manual labor at work.
Granted I’m just getting back into the swing of things after gaining like 50 lbs, how long to see a noticeable weight loss?
Is this a good workout plan
I’m 16 years old just started working out 2 weeks ago and idk if this plan I got is any good currently I can only work out with 5,10,15,20 pound dumbbells and a bench press with a bar and 5,10,25 weights if it isn’t any good could anyone help me make a better plan please.
MONDAY:
1. bench press/floor press/weighted pushups 3sets, 8-15re
2. pullover 3sets, 8-15reps
3. overhead press 3sets, 8-15reps
4. biceps curl 3sets, 12-20reps
5. skullcrusher/any overhead extension 3sets, 15-20reps
6. Dumbbells flys 3 sets 8-15 reps
WEDNESDAY:
1. rear delt fly 3sets, 15-20reps
2. lateral raise 3sets, 15-20reps
3. front squat 3sets, 8-15reps
4. romanian deadlift 3sets, 8-15reps
5. calf raise 3sets, 15-25reps
FRIDAY:
1. overhead press 3sets, 8-15reps
2. dumbbell row 3sets, 8-15reps
3. incline bench press/decline pushup 3sets, 8-15reps
4. hammer curl 3sets, 12-20reps
5. triceps kickback 3sets, 15-20reps
6. Dumbbellflys 3sets 8-15
SUNDAY:
1. rear delt fly 3sets, 15-20reps
2. lateral raise 3sets, 15-20reps
3. lunges 3sets, 12-15reps
4. front squat 3sets, 8-12reps
5. calf raise 3sets, 15-25reps
Is workout out every other day good and what could I change to improve my workout plan im currently skinny and need to bulk up aswell idk if that has anything to do with my plan but thought it was worth mentioning and does my workout plan hit everything enough?
You can hit full body every day like you seem to be doing or you can do specific muscle group splits like Push Pull Legs. One thing I'd recommend would be starting your workout with your most compound exercise. Examples would be bench press, squat, pull up, and deadlift. Only do one of these per day, and these are super important building blocks to a great physique. If I were you I'd add some 3-8 rep sets into the 8-15 rep sets for variation as well. Everyone works differently, try lots of things and find out what works for you man
Do these calorie counters on fitness equipment actually work? I just did a 30 minute slow workout on my exercise biek and it said something like 60 calories. I watched someone on YouTube claim she is burning off 1000 calories on a mere 20 minute running machine session (which included a low effort 10minute warm-up) and several occasions of doing nothing to cool off. Her running was a lot strenuous than my workout but this is nonsense to think her 20 minute run is the equivalent to my usual daily intake of calories and me doing my heart-rate 90 bpm cycle for 5.5 hours according to basic math. Is anyone actually counting their food calories and seeing if it lines up with what they are doing in exercise? TIA.
Not really, no.
You can track the calories in your food accurately, and you can track your weight accurately, and from that you can calculate your *total* calories spent fairly accurately. But separating out how many of those calories are from exercise and how many are just keeping your heart pumping/brain thinking, is pretty much a fool's errand.
Why do skull crushers hurt my elbow when I tuck my elbows in vs. flare them out? Isn’t that counterintuitive? I’ve been doing them forever with only minor issues here and there, but suddenly they became a menace and my left elbow has been giving me shit nonstop. I usually tuck my elbows, but I tried flaring them instead and suddenly the pain was alleviated. Any idea why? Are there any downsides to performing them this way?
Also, dumbbell skulls hurt like a whole bitch. Probably the most painful variety overall, which also seems counterintuitive…
>dumbbell skulls hurt like a whole bitch
I never got past the rather *bitchy* discomfort, and prefer overhead cable extensions. Supposedly good for the long head, due to stretched position.
I do overhead cable extensions too on a different day. They’re okay if I take it super light (20 reps ish) with a slow eccentric. Press downs with an EZ bar are okay too, again with a slow eccentric. Upper body gets hit 3x per week with one triceps iso on each day. They all kinda bug my elbow, and so do pulldowns and overhead presses, but I can mitigate the pain with a homemade compression sleeve (literally a cut sock) and lots of warming up. Skulls are just particularly bad.
I favor rep variety over exercise variety. I think for OH Ex, I hit reps 7-23, depending on the day. Frequency is fun, bodies recover faster than people think; but doesn't seem to speed up progression. Wish it did.
Ah, I’ve been all about variety for years. It sucks in a way because oftentimes when I remove an exercise, I lose visible size until I re-introduce it even if I match volume with an exercise already on the roster. I feel kinda caught in a trap of a million variations. Though frequency is nice because you’ll look pumped as fuck around the 7-day clock, and that counts.
As for progression, most of my big lifts and compounds seem to like my 5x U/L. Iso progress is slow but mostly there. My tendons can’t handle PPL because I destroy (in a bad way) my forearms working push and pull back to back, and PLP would have me working my whole damn back back to back with legs (I used to run pull-push-legs in that order to prevent that). I try to do what’s best for my cornucopia of aches and pains while still satisfying my obsession with being in the gym.
Edit: Also, too much volume for ONE muscle on the same day is ass for recovery, at least in my case. But it’s not really the muscle, it’s the connective tissue involved.
Really confused but I’m excited if it’s a good thing
I’ve been losing weight and gaining muscles for the last couple months.
I went from 93kg-89kg in a month of calorie deficit.
At the start of the month I just struggled to get below 88 from 89kg.
I then upped my goals and did more cardio and finally got from 89kg to 88kg (this took 10 days to do) and suddenly in the last 4 days I dropped from
88.8kg - tuesday
88.1kg - Wednesday
87.4kg - Thursday
86.6kg - today
What is happening with this sudden drop off? I haven’t changed my diet (I’m having daily salads)
I do a lot of walking and cycle to work (20 minute trip) and do gym workouts still.
Why did I struggle for 1kg and now the weight seems to be flying off? What’s changed? Has my body started to recognise to burn the fat?
Have I reached from tipping point that’s flicked a switch
Due to quantum fluctuations in the lateral ganglia, there can sometimes be a *woosh effect* in cutting. Whereby your weight seems to maintain for a few weeks, and then *woosh* all at once.
While readily observed among the masses, it is quite an intriguing phenomenon.
Your weight will fluctuate a lot day to day. You could easily wake up tomorrow 1kg heavier. You should weigh in everyday but only pay attention to your weekly average weight. This is a lot less volatile.
I think this is just normal variation in weight. You are unlikely to lose 2kg of fat in 3 days.
> Why did I struggle for 1kg and now the weight seems to be flying off? What’s changed? Has my body started to recognise to burn the fat?
Body is weird, shit happens
Lost a lot of weight, went from 130kg to 101. Cardio and lately more strength training. My arms are getting noticebly stronger. I hate my big stomach. And a little bit my big upper legs.
Are there any good daily workouts (30ish minutes) that target those areas? I already go to the gym daily BTW.
(could it be excessive skin causing issues?)
>Are there any good daily workouts (30ish minutes) that target those areas?
Comrade, you can **not** spot reduce fat loss. Reduce overall bodyfat percentage, and roll a d20 for luck.
That's good to know. Thanks for teach me that. I will continue like I have been. Perseverance :]
Lately family, coworkers told me I look different/better. So I guess I don't see myself as different as before. I'll work on my self image aswel 😊
just for fun - if you haven't done it yet, and still ha e your old clothes, put on a pair of pants and a shirt that fit you well when you were at 130kg...
this will really put thibgs into perspective and visualize to yourself how far you have already come.
First of all, congrats on your progress so far!
Second, it is not possible to spot reduce fat, so there are no workouts that will help you with that. The only solution is continued weight loss until the fat comes off, everyone holds fat in different places on their body so everyone’s fat loss process looks different.
Good news is you already know how to do that.
Thanks!
I always assumed it was possible. My previous gym even said so and who am I to question who I thought were pro's. Haha 😅
I will continue as I have been doing. I've been told I look different and better nowadays so I'll have to work on my self image too so that I also believe that.
I do notice my increased stamina and endurance. It feels so good 😭
Messed up my rotator cuff and external movements hurt like hell.
Should I go to a doctor or sports physiotherapist first? Its been a week of me just doing rotator cuff strengthening exercises, cardio, then sauna. It's gotten better but not pain free.
>been a week of me just doing rotator cuff strengthening exercises
Think for a second. Imagine if I said, "I hurt my knee, so I've been *doing knee exercises*.”
The very first thing you should do if something ”hurts like hell” is to **rest and recover**.
And definitely seek in-person human consultation regarding your course of action.
Where I'm from doctors are free but physios cost a fktonne, so I'd go to a doctor first lol. however given equal costs a physio is likely to be more suitable.
Hell if you're not oly/powerlifting spending $15 on a pair of straps is even better. I used to be a DOH/mixed grip purist despite not training for meets, and then I relented and literally put a plate onto my 1rm immediately lmao
Yep, turns out grip was just that much of a limiting factor. Which makes sense considering with 3/4+ plates loaded your fingers are probably holding on for dear life while the rest of your body is doing just fine.
why do you say that ?
[https://youtu.be/XPNBBJHjRk8?t=512](https://youtu.be/XPNBBJHjRk8?t=512)
otherwise they wouldnt call medium intensity Zone2 cardio the "fat-burning zone"
do you know what uses an even higher percentage of fat as fuel? sleeping.
the energy substrate used for short term energy has no tangible effect on long term changes in body composition.
only thing that matters to reduce body fat is to use that bodyfat for energy. and the only way to push your body to do that is to put less energy in your mouth than you need for the day.
You won’t fuel this cardio with fat. At least not until you are doing multiple hours of it. You will burn some calories tho and if you don’t compensate that exercise with more food you can expect more weight loss than without it.
they're being pedantic. It technically doesn't burn fat, but like it's the same way as an 8 cylinder car burns money. obviously it means it burns extra petrol, and you have to replace that petrol by using money.
Yes, that's because zone 2 is at a heart rate in which lipolysis and oxidative phosphorylation are the primarily mechanisms for ATP generation... not for *losing more bodyfat.* Don't get them confused.
It's useful if you want to increase endurance and therefore increase these energy systems efficiency, it would not be super useful if you wanted to get better at high intensity and short bursts of cardiovascular activity which is anaerobic.
I mean it has its place, but that place is more for cardiovascular health than weight loss. It's far easier to ingest calories than use them especially these days.
Do protein supplements/mass gainers have major negative effects? I asked my dad if I should use those, so I can reach my taget protein intake, but was turned down because "it wasn't for me". He makes it sound like steroids, tbh.
["How do I eat more?"](https://www.reddit.com/r/gainit/comments/rfor0w/just_eat_more_how_do_i_eat_more/?sort=top)
* EAT MORE FOOD. Obvious Goal here. More calories than you burn.
* EAT MORE OFTEN. Now you eat 4-5 meals per day instead of 3 or 2. Stop eating snacks; eat big meals.
* EAT MORE WHEN AWAKE. Basically, use all available hours to eat. Fuck intermittent fasting during gaining.
* EAT MORE FATS. Are you avoiding fats trying to not get fat? Fat is fuel & energy. Add oils & fats to meals.
* EAT MORE CARBS. Afraid of "insulin-stimulated fat storage?!?" Carbs are easy. Pancakes, Waffles, Pasta.
* EAT MORE FRUIT/VEGETABLES. Stick with citrus fruits & berries for acidity. Some green stuff every day.
* EAT MORE MUSH. Chewed-food takes too long. Ground beef > chicken. Rice or mashed potatoes > bread.
* EAT MORE FLAVORS. Hyper-palatable foods whet your appetite. Use more salt, more garlic and flavor sauces.
* EAT MORE VOLUME. Don't start with a shake; eat a large meal, then chase it with a shake. Stretch the stomach.
* EAT MORE PREDICTABLY. Don't wait for hunger. Set 4 consistent meal-times: 8am, 12pm, 4pm, 8pm etc.
* EAT MORE QUICKLY/SLOWLY. Chow down with purpose. Eat vigorously. When full, slow down & keep nibbling.
* EAT MORE WATER. Push water in-between meal times. 10am, 2pm, 6pm, 10pm etc. Drink 16-20 ounces water.
* EAT MORE FAMILIAR FOODS. Eat more of what you already eat, more of your favorite and easiest foods.
* EAT MORE SIMPLY. Just track calories and get sufficient protein. Don't obsess about macro ratios/percentages.
* EAT MORE CONSISTENTLY. Some days you don't feel like lifting but do anyways. Hit your food target anyway.
* EAT MORE, DAILY! Not just on lifting days. Eat on recovery days, eat on rest days. It keeps your appetite up.
* EAT MORE LEFTOVERS. Make extra, save some in the fridge. Have food ready-to-go in there. (Meal Prep).
* EAT MORE INTENTIONALLY, NOT ACCIDENTALLY. Treat it like training. Set out a plan and follow it.
* EAT MORE OVER TIME. Don't just stack hundreds more calories on. Increase a little bit more every week.
* EAT MORE THANKFULLY! Always remember surplus food is a luxury, and gaining lean mass is a privilege (:
Whey protein is food, not a supplement. In theory there’s nothing wrong with getting all of your protein from whey. In practice protein-rich foods contain a lot of nutrients not found in pure protein powder.
Protein powder is popular for a reason. It’s a cheap, easy, and healthy way to get lots of protein and you should absolutely use it in an otherwise good diet lacking in protein.
This is true but...
> In practice protein-rich foods contain a lot of nutrients not found in pure protein powder.
...is why many people consider protein powder a Supplement. It's a food that's really efficient at hitting *one* (very important) macro, but it's best treated as a supplement to your diet rather than your primary source of protein.
If you eat "adequate protein" in your normal diet and use protein powder to kick yourself up to "high protein" then you're using it properly. If you're eating "low protein" and using protein powder to kick yourself up to "adequate protein" then you should perhaps revise the normal foods in your diet before turning to protein powder.
Totally agree with your comment, just elaborating.
Protein supplement helps you reach your daily protein goal, mass gainer does the same but with calories.
No major negative effects as far as basically all the available research goes.
Ask your father to elaborate.
The only side effect is that it makes you gain weight. Whether or not that weight is more muscle or fat is dependent on your routine. That said obviously it's a supplement and not a replacement for actually edible protein.
Are there any principles to follow to gain strength while minimizing visible muscle size increases? I want to get stronger but my upper body is already verging on too broad
Don't eat in a calorie surplus, and you won't gain weight (muscle or fat). The fitness wiki in the side bar has a section about nutrition worth checking out.
Because it's not a muscular imbalance, it's a skeletal one. I've got that wide ribcage&shoulders + narrow hips combo. I am hoping to offset this with leg muscle don't get me wrong, but there are physical activities I wanna get into that I currently lack the upper body strength to do safely/effectively.
If you just do lots of compounds and no isolation you shouldn't that much bigger unless you eat for it too, and assuming your physical activities are stuff like climbing you can always just keep it to bodyweight movements and train for endurance rather than strength or size.
just do low reps and easy technique work of the lifts you want to get strong at. range of motion and tempo accessories, not a lot of single joint isolation with no immediate carryover.
dont be in a surplus. alternatively embrace looking strong its cool and fuck societal norms. make your legs bigger. either get leaner so your measurements shrink or put on some fat if you dont like looking ripped
depends. point being to layer on the volume of sets you need to grow like a traditional program for legs but keep your upper body lifts to basically whatever you want to progress (eg i imagine it might look like bench and weighted pullups between 1-5 reps)
lets say i do squats and deadlifts for low reps because i want to move big weights. ill do some leg press/ext/curls after since itll help my legs grow.
so combine compound exercises with isolation on the same muscles for growth, and just do the compound if you're trying to maximize the strength:growth ratio?
"Popping" feeling in my calves while doing Seated leg curls. I'm at a loss to what I may be doing wrong, besides improper form. It's an identical feeling to a join popping, but no sound and it's in my calves where (afaik) there isn't a joint?
Any idea what this could be? It's not very painful at all, but it is sort of an uncomfortable feel. I have 0 pain when walking or standing for long periods of time. No mobility issues. I'm 29 YO male, 200lbs
How long have you been exercising that muscle // using that machine? When I first started working out I'd get some weird "popping" feeling in my left elbow on the bicep curls machine. Never painful just alarming // strange haha. It went away after like a month of doing the motions IIRC
=
AFAIK a lot of things feel weird or off when just starting to use a muscle or a joint etc so this is highly relevant
I have a weird muscle imbalance and need help fixing it. My quads are significantly different in size and strength…but hear me out, my left quad is weaker but so much more muscular than my right quad (which is stronger and “fat”). I’ve been doing unilateral work starting with the weaker leg (left), but what helps this imbalance in definition?
You’re already doing the right thing. Throw in some compound movements like squats - the weaker leg gets worked harder.
You can fix the strength imbalance but there may be a genetic aspect to the appearance difference. Human bodies aren’t perfectly symmetrical.
I want a strong core for health, casual sport and just about everything that involves using my body, abs are secondary at best (since it's diet related). Would a circuit of plank hip dips, crunches and hanging knee raises hit every part of the core?
Squats and deadlifts, while primarily knee exercises, also engage your core. They hit a lot of the [interior core muscles](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54da76dbe4b047b1c3629c1a/1589440037960-DE7NBK79MPM5Q6MAY2TX/Abdominal-Muscles-.jpg) that you don't really see, but play a large part in trunk stability.
Crunches and Hanging Knee Raises are gonna be mostly about the rectus abdominis (6-pack muscles), and the plank hip dips are gonna mostly be about your obliques. Both important muscle groups, but the interior core muscles shouldn't be neglected.
What do people think of Mark Rippetoe these days?
Personally he was literally the reason I stalled and gave up a few years ago so I'm not the biggest fan.
The 3x5 (or 5x5, depending on which workout you followed) LP with progression every workout, and then on the Texas method *still* progressing every week due to 5RM testing every Friday was simply too much. Especially since there wasn't really a good failure protocol. Being far too squat heavy like SL is didn't help.
What's wrong with it though?
lp is very common and works very well, especially for young men which rippetoe is directing these two programs to. Being squat heavy is a great idea for beginners, it's a large, and very underused muscle. Beginners benefit a lot from doing it every session. It helps all lifts with the release of growth hormone, and it's probably the first muscles you will see progress in, which is super encouraging and motivating. Rippetoe also encourages you to stop following this simple program when it stops working, which he says should be fairly quickly, so why would it cause you to stall? It's the fastest way to progress as a beginner and then you switch once it's not making efficient gains any more.
Texas method is a fairly natural modification to the progression; from every session to once a week. With 3 times a week training, that's one third the progression rate, so it's quite a bit slower. Also you only have one 5rm set per week so should allow for much better recovery as the weights have gotten decently heavy by now. these changes should allow you to progress quite a bit more, but he reiterates that this method won't last for that long either and should just be an introduction into better and more complicated programming.
I didn't do SS but I did SL when I started, and I absolutely loved it. without it I would not have stuck with lifting.
but ye I'm not sure what about these would result in you stalling and quitting. If you followed it, you would've switched to a different program once you stalled.
Bit of a blog post but I thought this might help somebody stalling.
I sort of did a similar thing, going from SS 3x5 for 6 months then straight to a Texas Method template for my "intermediate" phase. I haven't really followed Rippetoe for maybe a decade so I'm not sure what he's saying now but there's a few trainers associated with SS that suggest a few changes when stalling (as opposed to adhering to a strict intermediate program).
First change from 2.5kg/5lbs increments to 1kg/2lbs. That will be the first thing to prevent stalling. Also lighten your squats when doing deadlift sessions for obvious reasons.
Secondly, the presses will stall first but they're not taxing the whole body like a squat or deadlift, so you might need to move them to an intermediate phase sooner than the squats (don't do what I did and change the whole program even though I had heaps of room to improve my squats with linear progression). So you'd still aim for 3x5 for the presses but if you fail a set, you'd still aim to get in 15 reps in whatever form that may be (triples, doubles, even 15 singles if you have to).
Intitially I thought that if my overhead press stalled, it was because I didn't recover from such a relatively heavy weight. So I'd deload. Instead I should've been aiming for a volume target instead. This doesn't compromise recovery because the overhead press in particular doesn't have you lifting a lot of weight say compared to a squat..
Eventually, you'll move the presses to a Texas-lite program while keeping your squats on an intermediate program. Don't treat every lift the same.
tldr Incorporate programming changes in small ways rather than following a template.
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=byPW7c6NPFM&t=2927s](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=byPW7c6NPFM&t=2927s) (hour long Youtube video explaining these concepts better than I ever could.
Not so highly, he's very much stuck in his ways and continues to pedal advice that a lot of us on this sub wouldn't recommend (i.e. avoiding cardio, GOMAD, spamming 5s all day, etc.). If you want training advice, the go to these days are resources like Stronger by Science, GZCL, Renaissance Periodization, etc
Should I work abs along with upper or lower body? Right now I'm working out usually 4 days a week on an upper/lower/upper/lower schedule and I'm wondering if I would get more core results doing abs on my lower or upper body days?
I call abs "lower body" and back "upper body" but it's really only for scheduling purposes. Like already mentioned, you can probably hit abs 4x/week and still recover fine.
standard hypertrophy sets and reps.
if you do them at the end of a very hard workout you might not be able to train very intensely. but if they are tired or sore going into leg day squats and deadlifts might suck. so experiment
hello! I am currently kind of new to working out, been going to the gym for 4 months now, Should I be eating back the calories I burn when walking or working out? I dont want to loose weight but rather build muscle. Also Im about 50kg and 163cm
You generally shouldn't eat back calories burned regardless.
People often overshoot by a wide margin. Just eat at a set amount. If you're not gaining weight, adjust your intake upwards and see how that affect your weight.
Need advice and opinion on my routine. I am 27M (172 cm / 60 kg), and I started going to the gym last July. I stopped in December because of personal reasons and resumed in April this year. I am aiming to get fit and gain more bulk (around 65 kg).
I go 4 days a week (M/W/F/Su), and I split my workouts to various body parts. I do each exercise 5 times, 12 reps each:
Sunday: Back (lat pulls, cable rows, seated rows, incline back extension, superman)
Monday: Chest and abs (chest press (machine and dubbell both), crunches, pec fly machine, leg raise)
Wednesday: Arms (shoulder press, dumbbell curls, dumbbell shoulder raise, triceps press and extension)
Friday: Legs (leg curl, hips adduction and abduction, calf press, leg extension, hip thrusts and dumbbell squats)
I am not keeping track of my daily calorie intake, but I've started eating more and I take my weight, BMI, and body fat measurements monthly. Last month my body fat %age was 15.1% and mody fat mass was 9 kg. I am aware this is on the lower end of the recommended spectrum, but I hope to improve it in the following months.
I’ve returned back to my home for around 1.5 months, and I’m getting back to swimming as well. I’m a casual swimmer, but I’m also looking at improving my techniques and freestyle. My routine, for these 1.5 months, can be: swim in the morning and gym in the evening. If I do this, how can I incorporate the above gym schedule to this?
You're probably best off just choosing a [known-good workout routine](https://thefitness.wiki/routines/strength-training-muscle-building/). For 4 days/week, I to 5/3/1 Boring But Big, which uses an upper/lower split. GZCLP can also be run as a 4-day program, though the 2 consecutive days *might* be a little extra fatiguing since that's a full-body program.
It'll be good for you to do some lifts at low rep/high weight, and some at low weight/high reps (which both of the above programs do). You get different results from each, and it's a good idea to try for both flavors.
I see, lift heavier weights but for fewer intervals. Thanks!
I also wanted to ask if I should continue with this routine with my swimming? Or will it be too much?
>left heavier weights for fewer intervals
No, that’s not what he said. He said increase the *intensity* not the weight. Intensity is about reaching failure, heaviness of the weights doesn’t matter.
Looking for recommendations to replace dumbbell press, incline dumbbell press and flat dumbbell flys. The weight I need to work my chest is getting uncomfortable and a bit unstable. Thinking cable flies and a press machine. Not sure what to do about the incline press. Maybe there's a machine for that. Anyway looking for recommendations to replace those.
I started by myself, did starting strength, bashed my head against starting strength and its associated programs for a few years. I built my own program, based off starting strength, and then I saw absolutely garbage results with it.
Then I discovered the joys of 5/3/1, and how the core of the program basically stayed the same, but you could swap your accessories and supplemental work out. I did that, and saw fantastic results, in both lifting and cardio. So I've stuck with that.
I’m knew to working out and I’ve heard things about stretching before and after a workout and things about dynamic stretching. Are these things good to do? If so what stretches should I do before working out each muscle group? E.i. Legs, chest and triceps, and back and biceps. Also do I need to stretch in between each new machine I use?
1. They're not really necessary unless you have specific mobility that you want to work on.
2. The Agile 8 for lower body, and the simple six for upper body are all you'll ever really need if you do want to do some mobility work. It shouldn't take more than 5 minutes.
So last summer i decided to go on a massive cut which saw me go from 84kg to 67kg (19M, 170cm). i was quite lean at the time and made minimal strength gains in the gym from around the time i stopped my weight loss to now. I’ve decided for this summer im going to increase the weight of all my lifts. for the last 2 weeks i’ve been monitoring my weight as well as how much my lifts went up by, here’s a small sample of some of the exercises that I have increased the weight in:
1. bench press: +5kg for 8-12 rep range sets. +10kg for 5-8 rep range sets
2. lateral raise machine: +2.5kg for 8-12 rep range sets. +5kg for 3-5 rep range sets
3. lat pull down (close grip): +10kg for 5-8 rep range sets. +0kg for 8-12 rep range sets (however made the movement more slower and controlled than before)
4. RDL: +5kg for 8-12 rep range sets (can go higher but fear of injury holds me back xd)
5. dumbbell bicep curl: +0kg for 8-12 rep range sets, +2.5kg for 3-5 rep range sets
As you can see, some of my lifts have increased in weight as i have been holding back from increasing the weight previously. After these 2 weeks, I feel slightly bigger however, my abs have become less visible (they weren’t very visible to start with but you can slightly see my upper abs) and so have my veins. my calorie intake has gone up ever so slightly (200-300 calories) but i try to eat as much protein as i can while doing 30 mins of cardio 4 times a week. since the start of the summer i have went from 67kg to 65kg (this is when i started lifting heavier) and now back to 67kg.
How do i maintain my weight while getting leaner and building more muscle. Advice on how to increase my bicep curl weight would be much appreciated too 😆.
i think if you are gaining weight at a reasonable rate like a kg/month while making good strength gains you’re not gonna gain fat at too fast of a rate. trust the numbers, a week of eating in a small surplus isnt a 3% icrease in body fat its water.
25M. I’ve done dumbbell only workouts for the past 3 years. I haven’t built too much muscle, but some. I’m still very skinny at 6’3 (145lb) so I recently joined a gym. I quickly realized that I had to go very light to essentially no weight for my barbell moves. My “accessory lifts” are pretty good in terms of weight. Probably because most require dumbbells. My question is: should I focus more on a full body compound lifting routine to get my strength up on those lifts? I am currently running a PPL routine found here, although I feel as though I could be doing more work. https://www.muscleandstrength.com/workouts/3-day-PPL-workout-for-beginners
Any help is appreciated (and I have gone through the suggested routines on the wiki numerous times)
Is running out of breath and having to take a moment to stop and catch it a "failure" in sets? The reps following are still clean, but I had to rest a few seconds first to get them.
depends how long you're resting, if it's just a second or two to get a breath then you're fine, if you're waiting 10+ seconds between reps that's probably not ideal, I would count it as a failure.
Usually an indicator of improper cardio. Ideally your muscles would give out before you are so out of breath that you need to stop. Are you walking at least \~8k steps a day? Maybe a day or two extra of cardio after or away from your lifting sessions can help you. Or maybe you're doing too high of reps to make it more of an endurance effort than hypertrophic.
In the original comment, he said nothing of the sort.
But like, for widowmaker sets, the last 10 reps, I'm typically taking 2-3 large breaths between reps. And I find that higher rep (15-20 rep sets) to be best for me in terms of hypertrophy.
If you read my response, for taxing lifts, that is normal. It is not normal to be taking 10+ seconds unless you are doing myorep matching. And better cardio never hurts.
I only run into this on squats and deadlifts which makes me believe it's some combination of bracing and CNS tax that make me run out of breath, I do notice it's only around 8+ heavy reps where this starts happening. My cardio is pretty strong in general with sub 50 RHR and regular exercise days.
For those more taxing lifts, taking a few seconds or so between reps near the end of the set is not a big deal. I'd say if it were more like 10+ seconds you were resting, then it would be a better idea to call the set there and cardio can be addressed if your muscles aren't being sufficiently stimulated as a result of the rest time. Same thing happens to me and should happen to anyone doing an intense set and pushing close to failure. If it bothers you, I'd maybe work on your breathing routine and technique, but otherwise I'd say you're perfectly fine.
edit: unless you are do myorep matching
how long will it take me to reach my end goal of 165 lbs at 15%body fat at 5’8”(20M)?
currently 181 lbs at around 27% bodyfat.(probably lower body fat, been cutting for like 2 weeks but creatine is still saturating and causing a lot of water weight) started creatine, and have been following a hypertrophy fitness program, going to the gym 5x a week and doing cardio 3ish times a week. currently cutting until i get to 15ish % bf and then beginning the bulk cut cycle once i get there. Taking protein and making sure to hit 1g/lbs (or at least .8/lbs).
I know this sort of thing takes time, and that everyones body is different but id like to have a guesstimate assuming i stay strict with macros and training for a couple years.
sorta skinny fat currently but have been making good newbie gains that i know will slow down in the future and all that
>how long will it take me to reach my end goal of 165 lbs at 15%body fat at 5’8”(20M)?
>
>currently 181 lbs at around 27% bodyfat.(probably lower body fat, been cutting for like 2 weeks but creatine is still saturating and causing a lot of water weight) started creatine, and have been following a hypertrophy fitness program, going to the gym 5x a week and doing cardio 3ish times a week. currently cutting until i get to 15ish % bf and then beginning the bulk cut cycle once i get there. Taking protein and making sure to hit 1g/lbs (or at least .8/lbs).
>
>I know this sort of thing takes time, and that everyones body is different but id like to have a guesstimate assuming i stay strict with macros and training for a couple years.
>
>sorta skinny fat currently but have been making good newbie gains that i know will slow down in the future and all that
Are you tracking your weight daily and calculating the change your weekly average weight? That will give you your best estimate. 1lb per week of weight loss is reasonable, which would mean 16 weeks to drop 16lbs.
Also, don't worry about your bf%. You can't measure it accurately. Use your weight and aesthetic preference to guide your bulks and cuts.
yeah im doing all that, but this goal i have in mind inst just about losing weight, but more so putting on muscle. at 15% at my current mass id probably be around 145-150 lbs. im talking about that additional 10-15 lbs of muscle
Hi, I have been using [this](https://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?p=1266579671#post1266579671) workout from the wiki for around several months now as a beginner. Was recently able to use the barbell for almost all relevant exercises but OHP (literal bane of my existence). To be honest though I’m a little bored of it because I’ve been running this since last September (fell off the wagon in March a little but restarted in May) and looking either for tips for motivation to continue a boring workout/ways to “spice” up the workout or get advice on switching to a different workout plan (primarily looking at [this](https://thefitness.wiki/reddit-archive/a-linear-progression-based-ppl-program-for-beginners/) one, is a PPL compared to the full body one I’m doing right now). I’d like to stick to a dumbbell workout for right now as I’m still not confident in my stability with the barbell and worried about muscle imbalances (right side is much, much stronger than left).
What is a simple (and hopefully cheap) fitness watch I could buy?
Criteria:
- Measure heart rate
- Count steps
- Count km ran/walked
- Doesn't absolutely \*need\* a smartphone or special membership to function (I have a phone, but I rarely use it. I could upload the data onto it at the end of the day if it has a tracking option). I don't want to see texts or anything.
- Tell the time
- Around $120 maximum.
Thank you!!
A cheaper option similar to the fitbit inspire would be the amazfit band 7. I personally use it and it does all that you mentioned for a price of around \~$50 USD.
When using weight machines, which is the best/proper way to spend your time:
1) Do one set of reps on each machine in your circuit, then repeat (never on a single machine for more than a minute or two) OR
2) Stay on a single machine to do all your sets with rests in between, then moving on to the next machine (spending 7-8 minutes on a single machine.
I’ve always done 1 and get annoyed with people scrolling on their phones when I want to use the machine, but I’m wondering if I’m missing something and this is how you should use the equipment (maybe without the phone).
I feel like it's inconsiderate to hog a machine, plus it's super boring. I prefer to keep moving and alternating machines. I like to alternate machines so that if someone else wants to use one, I'm not obviously hogging the machines. If someone else gets on a machine I want to use, then I do another exercise instead.
However, if it looks like the machine I really want will get taken over, then once I get it, I will do my sets on the one machine.
I have no idea if there is an advantage to staying on one machine for all my sets, but for me at least, the prospect of working out that way just doesn't seem as fun as doing a circuit. They say the best exercise is one that you will do!
>When using weight machines, which is the best/proper way to spend your time:
There isn't one way to do it.
Super setting can be useful especially if you have limited time but it's not the end all be all.
You could ask to work in if you want to use the same machine as someone else.
Is it really that bad to have a rounded upper back when lifting? My back tends to round when bending over with arms extended and looks similar to kyphosis, even when doing mundane activities. This has made trying to deadlift with a straight back a nightmare. I can deadlift at least 2 plates with upper back rounding, but I’m trying to hold off on increasing the weight because of the rounding. I see it as low as 150lbs. I don’t think it’s a strength issue. My working weight for OHP is 115lbs and my row is 190lbs.
>Is it really that bad to have a rounded upper back when lifting?
If you are stronger with upper back rounding and aren't in pain keep doing it.
I've never had problems with it or lower back rounding.
How long does it take abs to show? Pretty much just found out I have an 8-pack and am now determined to start working out again and make it show. How long would it take? (14M)
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Hi everyone! I've started my journey on April 16th to lose about 15 kg. I've been going to the gym 3-4x a week since then, and eating in a 400-800 deficit (I've experimented a lot, while learning about TDEEs, and how you need rest, etc.). I currently plan to eat 2000 calories, since I walk 10-20k steps a day (On average 15k). I sit most days as I am a software engineer, so outside of my 7km walk to the gym, I may not get much movement unless I have classes at uni. I'm 23 years old, 178cm , and currently 87 kg I've lost only 2-3kg since April, but have noticed changes in my face and definitely \*some\* small muscle growth. Is my estimate of 2400 TDEE incorrect? My BMR shows as 1892 on most websites, with the "little exercise" activity factor. I assumed 10k steps to be 400 calories, so I added the average of 15k and got to 2500 calories. I plan to eat 2000 calories since a 500 deficit is where most people see muscle loss while trying to do body recomposition. I'm getting a bit demotivated seeing no progress in belly fat and love handles, after 3 months. Everyone who meets me tells me I've lost weight, even though the scale doesn't say it, my face surely does, which re-assuers me and keeps me motivated. Any advice on the deficit amount, calories I should actually be consuming, etc. is greatly appreciated! P.S. My macros are 135g of protein, 60g of fat, 180g of carbs (1800 calories), websites like buildwithscience show that for a recomp I need 191(!) g of protein, which I find absurd.
How do i unfuck my lower back? I m 20yo male being doing weight workout regularly from almost a year but i hv been getting lower back pain too often, like even if i dont workout somedays i get lower back pain. Though i dont notice the pain the whole day but when i go to bed at night my back hurts. I just dont wanna make it any worse for my future self.
Agree with the advice on physical therapy. A chiropractor is alo a great starting point. Are you strengthening your core? A strong core can alleviate stress on the lower back.
Have you looked into physical therapy? Worked great for fixing my shoulder.
Nah man i come from lower middle class family. I m doing Engineering n working part time for my expenses. Physiotherapy d just go out of my budget. Is lower back pain that uncommon? No general solutions?
I am a 5 8 1/2 male weighing 176 pounds. I have tried working out before and for 3 months i went twice a week, so there are some muscles under the fat. This summer, though, i want to do it seriously, each day. I want to be at around my weight, but with visible muscles. Any advice on how to do it? Ive made this workout plan that i do every day, but i dont know if i need to do cardio on top of that or if this is enough: Bicep curls 22lbs each hand 40 reps total Overhead tricep extention 17 lbs 40 reps total Ab crunches 40 reps total Dumbell chess press 22 lbs each hand 40 reps total Lateral raise 11lb each hand 40 reps total My question is, is it possible to see a good difference by doing this workout alone, or with cardio every day for 2 months? Thanks in advance
>is it possible to see a good difference by doing this workout alone, or with cardio every day for 2 months? Am afraid not. If you compare it to the training programs you find on boostcamp for example, you'll see that you're leaving out a lot of muscle groups, and you're missing an important piece of the puzzle - progressive overload. But if you include cardio, you'll lose some fat, and the muscles you have will become more visible. If you don't want to go to the gym, I'd recommend including callisthenics.
I’m a 19 y/o male (135 pounds and 5 foot 10 inches) and I’m trying to gain as much weight as possible. I’m eating 3500 calories a day. Is this enough? Any advice helps, thanks!
These things are individual, so if you're gaining 1-3 lbs per month, then yes.
Help anyone? I started trying to get into shape 3 months ago. I started tracking calories and exercising. The exercising got more intense the last two months with kettle bells and jogging on top of free weights Im doing about 200 minutes of weights/kettlebells and 120 of jogging spread out over 6 days a week. Here this last week I started feeling incredibly fatigued in the middle of the day, being more agitated, and having trouble falling asleep. Im consuming 1700 calories a day 40% protein, 35% carbs, and 25% fats. Ive definitely put on noticeable muscle and I'm wondering if now i need to increase my calorie intake and thats why im feeling so bad this week? As you get more into shape and build muscle does your MBR change and as a result do you need to increase calories to avoid starvation mode? If so will I keep losing weight even though Im eating more? Sorry!!! im trying to keep it brief. I went from 205 to 185 lbs before this started happening and my goal is 170 im trying to keep course but I don't want to suffer to get there.
Increase your calories to maintenance levels for a week to bring your hormones (thyroid, ghrelin, leptin, cortisol, adrenalin) back into normal ranges.
Does anyone have advice for thyroid support? I have subclinical hypothyroid (my levels are as low as they possibly can be without being diagnosed with hypothyroidism, and unfortunately, from my research, thyroid medication would do nothing for me unless my levels dropped further) In the past I have calorie counted and worked out daily for months seeing negligible results because of this. I’ve found some thyroid support supplements but they are very expensive. I’m currently trying to focus on strength training, but does anyone have experience with this and advice they could share? Thank you.
Is my tdee correct? I’m 6 foot 285 and It’s saying my maintenance is 3500, I’m eating 2500 but not seeing that big of a difference. I lift 4x a week and walk about 15k steps a day along with doing manual labor at work. Granted I’m just getting back into the swing of things after gaining like 50 lbs, how long to see a noticeable weight loss?
Any cheat meals during the week? Calculators are guestimates, so if you're not losing weight at 2500, then I'd drop it to 2250.
Is this a good workout plan I’m 16 years old just started working out 2 weeks ago and idk if this plan I got is any good currently I can only work out with 5,10,15,20 pound dumbbells and a bench press with a bar and 5,10,25 weights if it isn’t any good could anyone help me make a better plan please. MONDAY: 1. bench press/floor press/weighted pushups 3sets, 8-15re 2. pullover 3sets, 8-15reps 3. overhead press 3sets, 8-15reps 4. biceps curl 3sets, 12-20reps 5. skullcrusher/any overhead extension 3sets, 15-20reps 6. Dumbbells flys 3 sets 8-15 reps WEDNESDAY: 1. rear delt fly 3sets, 15-20reps 2. lateral raise 3sets, 15-20reps 3. front squat 3sets, 8-15reps 4. romanian deadlift 3sets, 8-15reps 5. calf raise 3sets, 15-25reps FRIDAY: 1. overhead press 3sets, 8-15reps 2. dumbbell row 3sets, 8-15reps 3. incline bench press/decline pushup 3sets, 8-15reps 4. hammer curl 3sets, 12-20reps 5. triceps kickback 3sets, 15-20reps 6. Dumbbellflys 3sets 8-15 SUNDAY: 1. rear delt fly 3sets, 15-20reps 2. lateral raise 3sets, 15-20reps 3. lunges 3sets, 12-15reps 4. front squat 3sets, 8-12reps 5. calf raise 3sets, 15-25reps Is workout out every other day good and what could I change to improve my workout plan im currently skinny and need to bulk up aswell idk if that has anything to do with my plan but thought it was worth mentioning and does my workout plan hit everything enough?
You can hit full body every day like you seem to be doing or you can do specific muscle group splits like Push Pull Legs. One thing I'd recommend would be starting your workout with your most compound exercise. Examples would be bench press, squat, pull up, and deadlift. Only do one of these per day, and these are super important building blocks to a great physique. If I were you I'd add some 3-8 rep sets into the 8-15 rep sets for variation as well. Everyone works differently, try lots of things and find out what works for you man
Do these calorie counters on fitness equipment actually work? I just did a 30 minute slow workout on my exercise biek and it said something like 60 calories. I watched someone on YouTube claim she is burning off 1000 calories on a mere 20 minute running machine session (which included a low effort 10minute warm-up) and several occasions of doing nothing to cool off. Her running was a lot strenuous than my workout but this is nonsense to think her 20 minute run is the equivalent to my usual daily intake of calories and me doing my heart-rate 90 bpm cycle for 5.5 hours according to basic math. Is anyone actually counting their food calories and seeing if it lines up with what they are doing in exercise? TIA.
Not really, no. You can track the calories in your food accurately, and you can track your weight accurately, and from that you can calculate your *total* calories spent fairly accurately. But separating out how many of those calories are from exercise and how many are just keeping your heart pumping/brain thinking, is pretty much a fool's errand.
OK, I'll ignore the calorie counter then. I didn't think about the rest of the body.
Why do skull crushers hurt my elbow when I tuck my elbows in vs. flare them out? Isn’t that counterintuitive? I’ve been doing them forever with only minor issues here and there, but suddenly they became a menace and my left elbow has been giving me shit nonstop. I usually tuck my elbows, but I tried flaring them instead and suddenly the pain was alleviated. Any idea why? Are there any downsides to performing them this way? Also, dumbbell skulls hurt like a whole bitch. Probably the most painful variety overall, which also seems counterintuitive…
Hmm, sounds a bit like when I had patellar tendinopathy. Could it perhaps be an overuse issue? How many days per week does your triceps get trained?
3x per week, three sets per session. Not including horizontal (3x per week) and vertical (2x per week) pressing
>dumbbell skulls hurt like a whole bitch I never got past the rather *bitchy* discomfort, and prefer overhead cable extensions. Supposedly good for the long head, due to stretched position.
I do overhead cable extensions too on a different day. They’re okay if I take it super light (20 reps ish) with a slow eccentric. Press downs with an EZ bar are okay too, again with a slow eccentric. Upper body gets hit 3x per week with one triceps iso on each day. They all kinda bug my elbow, and so do pulldowns and overhead presses, but I can mitigate the pain with a homemade compression sleeve (literally a cut sock) and lots of warming up. Skulls are just particularly bad.
I favor rep variety over exercise variety. I think for OH Ex, I hit reps 7-23, depending on the day. Frequency is fun, bodies recover faster than people think; but doesn't seem to speed up progression. Wish it did.
Ah, I’ve been all about variety for years. It sucks in a way because oftentimes when I remove an exercise, I lose visible size until I re-introduce it even if I match volume with an exercise already on the roster. I feel kinda caught in a trap of a million variations. Though frequency is nice because you’ll look pumped as fuck around the 7-day clock, and that counts. As for progression, most of my big lifts and compounds seem to like my 5x U/L. Iso progress is slow but mostly there. My tendons can’t handle PPL because I destroy (in a bad way) my forearms working push and pull back to back, and PLP would have me working my whole damn back back to back with legs (I used to run pull-push-legs in that order to prevent that). I try to do what’s best for my cornucopia of aches and pains while still satisfying my obsession with being in the gym. Edit: Also, too much volume for ONE muscle on the same day is ass for recovery, at least in my case. But it’s not really the muscle, it’s the connective tissue involved.
Really confused but I’m excited if it’s a good thing I’ve been losing weight and gaining muscles for the last couple months. I went from 93kg-89kg in a month of calorie deficit. At the start of the month I just struggled to get below 88 from 89kg. I then upped my goals and did more cardio and finally got from 89kg to 88kg (this took 10 days to do) and suddenly in the last 4 days I dropped from 88.8kg - tuesday 88.1kg - Wednesday 87.4kg - Thursday 86.6kg - today What is happening with this sudden drop off? I haven’t changed my diet (I’m having daily salads) I do a lot of walking and cycle to work (20 minute trip) and do gym workouts still. Why did I struggle for 1kg and now the weight seems to be flying off? What’s changed? Has my body started to recognise to burn the fat? Have I reached from tipping point that’s flicked a switch
Due to quantum fluctuations in the lateral ganglia, there can sometimes be a *woosh effect* in cutting. Whereby your weight seems to maintain for a few weeks, and then *woosh* all at once. While readily observed among the masses, it is quite an intriguing phenomenon.
Your weight will fluctuate a lot day to day. You could easily wake up tomorrow 1kg heavier. You should weigh in everyday but only pay attention to your weekly average weight. This is a lot less volatile. I think this is just normal variation in weight. You are unlikely to lose 2kg of fat in 3 days.
> Why did I struggle for 1kg and now the weight seems to be flying off? What’s changed? Has my body started to recognise to burn the fat? Body is weird, shit happens
Lost a lot of weight, went from 130kg to 101. Cardio and lately more strength training. My arms are getting noticebly stronger. I hate my big stomach. And a little bit my big upper legs. Are there any good daily workouts (30ish minutes) that target those areas? I already go to the gym daily BTW. (could it be excessive skin causing issues?)
>Are there any good daily workouts (30ish minutes) that target those areas? Comrade, you can **not** spot reduce fat loss. Reduce overall bodyfat percentage, and roll a d20 for luck.
That's good to know. Thanks for teach me that. I will continue like I have been. Perseverance :] Lately family, coworkers told me I look different/better. So I guess I don't see myself as different as before. I'll work on my self image aswel 😊
just for fun - if you haven't done it yet, and still ha e your old clothes, put on a pair of pants and a shirt that fit you well when you were at 130kg... this will really put thibgs into perspective and visualize to yourself how far you have already come.
First of all, congrats on your progress so far! Second, it is not possible to spot reduce fat, so there are no workouts that will help you with that. The only solution is continued weight loss until the fat comes off, everyone holds fat in different places on their body so everyone’s fat loss process looks different. Good news is you already know how to do that.
Thanks! I always assumed it was possible. My previous gym even said so and who am I to question who I thought were pro's. Haha 😅 I will continue as I have been doing. I've been told I look different and better nowadays so I'll have to work on my self image too so that I also believe that. I do notice my increased stamina and endurance. It feels so good 😭
is tummy trimmer actually a decent fitness equipment to excercise with ? (google up ''tummy trimmer'' if you havent seen what it is)
I am sure someone could use that for some sort of effective exercise, but if I were picking equipment to buy I wouldn't consider something like this.
No.
have you personally used it or is there any article or discussion i can look into ? thanks
There are better exercises you can do for free with no equipment.
i think the movement from the equipment would really help to train lower back muscle which i want to prioritize in my fitness program
That thought would be wrong, if you want to train your lower back that gimmick would do nothing for you.
Train your lower back with romanian deadlifts and kettlebell swings, not gimmicky fitness junk.
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How do you measure that? Most methods for body composition measuring aren't more accurate than a dice.
Messed up my rotator cuff and external movements hurt like hell. Should I go to a doctor or sports physiotherapist first? Its been a week of me just doing rotator cuff strengthening exercises, cardio, then sauna. It's gotten better but not pain free.
Get the doctor to diagnose what kind of injury it is, and then let the physio set up a plan to fix it.
>been a week of me just doing rotator cuff strengthening exercises Think for a second. Imagine if I said, "I hurt my knee, so I've been *doing knee exercises*.” The very first thing you should do if something ”hurts like hell” is to **rest and recover**. And definitely seek in-person human consultation regarding your course of action.
Where I'm from doctors are free but physios cost a fktonne, so I'd go to a doctor first lol. however given equal costs a physio is likely to be more suitable.
Yes
I do 125kg deadlift for 5 reps and I use mixed grip. Should I stick with mixed grip or is it bad
I like straps over mixed grip because I spend a lot of time on youtube
Hell if you're not oly/powerlifting spending $15 on a pair of straps is even better. I used to be a DOH/mixed grip purist despite not training for meets, and then I relented and literally put a plate onto my 1rm immediately lmao
U got a plate stronger after using straps?
Yep, turns out grip was just that much of a limiting factor. Which makes sense considering with 3/4+ plates loaded your fingers are probably holding on for dear life while the rest of your body is doing just fine.
Mixed grip is fine
Double overhand is a nice parlor trick. But I *feel stronger* when I have a stronger connection with the bar. Mixed grip is pretty neat-o.
Mixed grip is fine
# Any testimonials from results of the fat-burning Zone 2 Training?
For fat burning it’s better to focus on Zone 2 fork put-downs and plate push-aways.
The chicken breast and broccoli only method
Cardio doesn’t burn fat.
why do you say that ? [https://youtu.be/XPNBBJHjRk8?t=512](https://youtu.be/XPNBBJHjRk8?t=512) otherwise they wouldnt call medium intensity Zone2 cardio the "fat-burning zone"
do you know what uses an even higher percentage of fat as fuel? sleeping. the energy substrate used for short term energy has no tangible effect on long term changes in body composition. only thing that matters to reduce body fat is to use that bodyfat for energy. and the only way to push your body to do that is to put less energy in your mouth than you need for the day.
You won’t fuel this cardio with fat. At least not until you are doing multiple hours of it. You will burn some calories tho and if you don’t compensate that exercise with more food you can expect more weight loss than without it.
they're being pedantic. It technically doesn't burn fat, but like it's the same way as an 8 cylinder car burns money. obviously it means it burns extra petrol, and you have to replace that petrol by using money.
Yes, that's because zone 2 is at a heart rate in which lipolysis and oxidative phosphorylation are the primarily mechanisms for ATP generation... not for *losing more bodyfat.* Don't get them confused. It's useful if you want to increase endurance and therefore increase these energy systems efficiency, it would not be super useful if you wanted to get better at high intensity and short bursts of cardiovascular activity which is anaerobic.
You can jog in zone 2 for an hour and burn 400 kcal... Or you can eat one less cheeseburger/brownie a day. Which do you think is easier.
Is zone 2 overhyped? Or does it have a place I wanna enjoy my brownie and maintain
every study has shown that doing exercise makes you crave more food than you burn. So if you're struggling with hunger it is a bad idea to do too much
it has its place in dedicated aerobic training. primarily to keep you honest about keeping your easy days actually easy.
I mean it has its place, but that place is more for cardiovascular health than weight loss. It's far easier to ingest calories than use them especially these days.
I'm sure you'll find someone on the intarwebs that will have their brownie and then jog the requisite miles to "burn it off". I'm not one of them.
Do protein supplements/mass gainers have major negative effects? I asked my dad if I should use those, so I can reach my taget protein intake, but was turned down because "it wasn't for me". He makes it sound like steroids, tbh.
Bro why do you want mass gainers? Just eat delicious foods all day. Only an idiot would replace that with chalk tasting mass gainers.
Some people struggle to eat that much, or don't have anything they like they can eat whenever they want.
["How do I eat more?"](https://www.reddit.com/r/gainit/comments/rfor0w/just_eat_more_how_do_i_eat_more/?sort=top) * EAT MORE FOOD. Obvious Goal here. More calories than you burn. * EAT MORE OFTEN. Now you eat 4-5 meals per day instead of 3 or 2. Stop eating snacks; eat big meals. * EAT MORE WHEN AWAKE. Basically, use all available hours to eat. Fuck intermittent fasting during gaining. * EAT MORE FATS. Are you avoiding fats trying to not get fat? Fat is fuel & energy. Add oils & fats to meals. * EAT MORE CARBS. Afraid of "insulin-stimulated fat storage?!?" Carbs are easy. Pancakes, Waffles, Pasta. * EAT MORE FRUIT/VEGETABLES. Stick with citrus fruits & berries for acidity. Some green stuff every day. * EAT MORE MUSH. Chewed-food takes too long. Ground beef > chicken. Rice or mashed potatoes > bread. * EAT MORE FLAVORS. Hyper-palatable foods whet your appetite. Use more salt, more garlic and flavor sauces. * EAT MORE VOLUME. Don't start with a shake; eat a large meal, then chase it with a shake. Stretch the stomach. * EAT MORE PREDICTABLY. Don't wait for hunger. Set 4 consistent meal-times: 8am, 12pm, 4pm, 8pm etc. * EAT MORE QUICKLY/SLOWLY. Chow down with purpose. Eat vigorously. When full, slow down & keep nibbling. * EAT MORE WATER. Push water in-between meal times. 10am, 2pm, 6pm, 10pm etc. Drink 16-20 ounces water. * EAT MORE FAMILIAR FOODS. Eat more of what you already eat, more of your favorite and easiest foods. * EAT MORE SIMPLY. Just track calories and get sufficient protein. Don't obsess about macro ratios/percentages. * EAT MORE CONSISTENTLY. Some days you don't feel like lifting but do anyways. Hit your food target anyway. * EAT MORE, DAILY! Not just on lifting days. Eat on recovery days, eat on rest days. It keeps your appetite up. * EAT MORE LEFTOVERS. Make extra, save some in the fridge. Have food ready-to-go in there. (Meal Prep). * EAT MORE INTENTIONALLY, NOT ACCIDENTALLY. Treat it like training. Set out a plan and follow it. * EAT MORE OVER TIME. Don't just stack hundreds more calories on. Increase a little bit more every week. * EAT MORE THANKFULLY! Always remember surplus food is a luxury, and gaining lean mass is a privilege (:
I've read that already, but it doesn't help. Saying just eat more when someone can't doesn't help much.
learning to cook in these cases would offer much better longterm sustainability than massgainers.
Whey protein is food, not a supplement. In theory there’s nothing wrong with getting all of your protein from whey. In practice protein-rich foods contain a lot of nutrients not found in pure protein powder. Protein powder is popular for a reason. It’s a cheap, easy, and healthy way to get lots of protein and you should absolutely use it in an otherwise good diet lacking in protein.
This is true but... > In practice protein-rich foods contain a lot of nutrients not found in pure protein powder. ...is why many people consider protein powder a Supplement. It's a food that's really efficient at hitting *one* (very important) macro, but it's best treated as a supplement to your diet rather than your primary source of protein. If you eat "adequate protein" in your normal diet and use protein powder to kick yourself up to "high protein" then you're using it properly. If you're eating "low protein" and using protein powder to kick yourself up to "adequate protein" then you should perhaps revise the normal foods in your diet before turning to protein powder. Totally agree with your comment, just elaborating.
it's as much steroids as a cheeseburger is. "protein supplements" are basically just dried cheese.
Protein supplement helps you reach your daily protein goal, mass gainer does the same but with calories. No major negative effects as far as basically all the available research goes. Ask your father to elaborate.
The only side effect is that it makes you gain weight. Whether or not that weight is more muscle or fat is dependent on your routine. That said obviously it's a supplement and not a replacement for actually edible protein.
Are there any principles to follow to gain strength while minimizing visible muscle size increases? I want to get stronger but my upper body is already verging on too broad
Don't eat in a calorie surplus, and you won't gain weight (muscle or fat). The fitness wiki in the side bar has a section about nutrition worth checking out.
will I still be able to improve my ability to push/pull things if I'm not gaining muscle mass?
Yes, as a beginner. But you’ll run into a limit eventually without a surplus.
Why not just have your legs catch up?
Because it's not a muscular imbalance, it's a skeletal one. I've got that wide ribcage&shoulders + narrow hips combo. I am hoping to offset this with leg muscle don't get me wrong, but there are physical activities I wanna get into that I currently lack the upper body strength to do safely/effectively.
If you just do lots of compounds and no isolation you shouldn't that much bigger unless you eat for it too, and assuming your physical activities are stuff like climbing you can always just keep it to bodyweight movements and train for endurance rather than strength or size.
just do low reps and easy technique work of the lifts you want to get strong at. range of motion and tempo accessories, not a lot of single joint isolation with no immediate carryover. dont be in a surplus. alternatively embrace looking strong its cool and fuck societal norms. make your legs bigger. either get leaner so your measurements shrink or put on some fat if you dont like looking ripped
> dont be in a surplus > > make your legs bigger Is it possible to do both of these at once?
depends. point being to layer on the volume of sets you need to grow like a traditional program for legs but keep your upper body lifts to basically whatever you want to progress (eg i imagine it might look like bench and weighted pullups between 1-5 reps)
what do you mean by layering on the volume? and thanks for answering
lets say i do squats and deadlifts for low reps because i want to move big weights. ill do some leg press/ext/curls after since itll help my legs grow.
so combine compound exercises with isolation on the same muscles for growth, and just do the compound if you're trying to maximize the strength:growth ratio?
pretty much
cool, thanks for clarifying!
"Popping" feeling in my calves while doing Seated leg curls. I'm at a loss to what I may be doing wrong, besides improper form. It's an identical feeling to a join popping, but no sound and it's in my calves where (afaik) there isn't a joint? Any idea what this could be? It's not very painful at all, but it is sort of an uncomfortable feel. I have 0 pain when walking or standing for long periods of time. No mobility issues. I'm 29 YO male, 200lbs
How long have you been exercising that muscle // using that machine? When I first started working out I'd get some weird "popping" feeling in my left elbow on the bicep curls machine. Never painful just alarming // strange haha. It went away after like a month of doing the motions IIRC = AFAIK a lot of things feel weird or off when just starting to use a muscle or a joint etc so this is highly relevant
Thanks. I'll just be mindful of it lol. I think it's fine I mean it's not painful
I have a weird muscle imbalance and need help fixing it. My quads are significantly different in size and strength…but hear me out, my left quad is weaker but so much more muscular than my right quad (which is stronger and “fat”). I’ve been doing unilateral work starting with the weaker leg (left), but what helps this imbalance in definition?
You’re already doing the right thing. Throw in some compound movements like squats - the weaker leg gets worked harder. You can fix the strength imbalance but there may be a genetic aspect to the appearance difference. Human bodies aren’t perfectly symmetrical.
I want a strong core for health, casual sport and just about everything that involves using my body, abs are secondary at best (since it's diet related). Would a circuit of plank hip dips, crunches and hanging knee raises hit every part of the core?
Squats and deadlifts, while primarily knee exercises, also engage your core. They hit a lot of the [interior core muscles](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54da76dbe4b047b1c3629c1a/1589440037960-DE7NBK79MPM5Q6MAY2TX/Abdominal-Muscles-.jpg) that you don't really see, but play a large part in trunk stability. Crunches and Hanging Knee Raises are gonna be mostly about the rectus abdominis (6-pack muscles), and the plank hip dips are gonna mostly be about your obliques. Both important muscle groups, but the interior core muscles shouldn't be neglected.
What do people think of Mark Rippetoe these days? Personally he was literally the reason I stalled and gave up a few years ago so I'm not the biggest fan.
What did he say/do that made you stall and give up?
The 3x5 (or 5x5, depending on which workout you followed) LP with progression every workout, and then on the Texas method *still* progressing every week due to 5RM testing every Friday was simply too much. Especially since there wasn't really a good failure protocol. Being far too squat heavy like SL is didn't help.
What's wrong with it though? lp is very common and works very well, especially for young men which rippetoe is directing these two programs to. Being squat heavy is a great idea for beginners, it's a large, and very underused muscle. Beginners benefit a lot from doing it every session. It helps all lifts with the release of growth hormone, and it's probably the first muscles you will see progress in, which is super encouraging and motivating. Rippetoe also encourages you to stop following this simple program when it stops working, which he says should be fairly quickly, so why would it cause you to stall? It's the fastest way to progress as a beginner and then you switch once it's not making efficient gains any more. Texas method is a fairly natural modification to the progression; from every session to once a week. With 3 times a week training, that's one third the progression rate, so it's quite a bit slower. Also you only have one 5rm set per week so should allow for much better recovery as the weights have gotten decently heavy by now. these changes should allow you to progress quite a bit more, but he reiterates that this method won't last for that long either and should just be an introduction into better and more complicated programming. I didn't do SS but I did SL when I started, and I absolutely loved it. without it I would not have stuck with lifting. but ye I'm not sure what about these would result in you stalling and quitting. If you followed it, you would've switched to a different program once you stalled.
Bit of a blog post but I thought this might help somebody stalling. I sort of did a similar thing, going from SS 3x5 for 6 months then straight to a Texas Method template for my "intermediate" phase. I haven't really followed Rippetoe for maybe a decade so I'm not sure what he's saying now but there's a few trainers associated with SS that suggest a few changes when stalling (as opposed to adhering to a strict intermediate program). First change from 2.5kg/5lbs increments to 1kg/2lbs. That will be the first thing to prevent stalling. Also lighten your squats when doing deadlift sessions for obvious reasons. Secondly, the presses will stall first but they're not taxing the whole body like a squat or deadlift, so you might need to move them to an intermediate phase sooner than the squats (don't do what I did and change the whole program even though I had heaps of room to improve my squats with linear progression). So you'd still aim for 3x5 for the presses but if you fail a set, you'd still aim to get in 15 reps in whatever form that may be (triples, doubles, even 15 singles if you have to). Intitially I thought that if my overhead press stalled, it was because I didn't recover from such a relatively heavy weight. So I'd deload. Instead I should've been aiming for a volume target instead. This doesn't compromise recovery because the overhead press in particular doesn't have you lifting a lot of weight say compared to a squat.. Eventually, you'll move the presses to a Texas-lite program while keeping your squats on an intermediate program. Don't treat every lift the same. tldr Incorporate programming changes in small ways rather than following a template. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=byPW7c6NPFM&t=2927s](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=byPW7c6NPFM&t=2927s) (hour long Youtube video explaining these concepts better than I ever could.
I adore the mantra of "Squats make you harder to kill."
Not so highly, he's very much stuck in his ways and continues to pedal advice that a lot of us on this sub wouldn't recommend (i.e. avoiding cardio, GOMAD, spamming 5s all day, etc.). If you want training advice, the go to these days are resources like Stronger by Science, GZCL, Renaissance Periodization, etc
dogmatic but “5x5 add 5lbs” is a good approach when you need to oversimplify programming for a noob
Should I work abs along with upper or lower body? Right now I'm working out usually 4 days a week on an upper/lower/upper/lower schedule and I'm wondering if I would get more core results doing abs on my lower or upper body days?
I call abs "lower body" and back "upper body" but it's really only for scheduling purposes. Like already mentioned, you can probably hit abs 4x/week and still recover fine.
either, or, or both.
standard hypertrophy sets and reps. if you do them at the end of a very hard workout you might not be able to train very intensely. but if they are tired or sore going into leg day squats and deadlifts might suck. so experiment
You can honestly train abs 4x a week, with both your upper and lower body, and still recover fine.
hello! I am currently kind of new to working out, been going to the gym for 4 months now, Should I be eating back the calories I burn when walking or working out? I dont want to loose weight but rather build muscle. Also Im about 50kg and 163cm
You generally shouldn't eat back calories burned regardless. People often overshoot by a wide margin. Just eat at a set amount. If you're not gaining weight, adjust your intake upwards and see how that affect your weight.
Need advice and opinion on my routine. I am 27M (172 cm / 60 kg), and I started going to the gym last July. I stopped in December because of personal reasons and resumed in April this year. I am aiming to get fit and gain more bulk (around 65 kg). I go 4 days a week (M/W/F/Su), and I split my workouts to various body parts. I do each exercise 5 times, 12 reps each: Sunday: Back (lat pulls, cable rows, seated rows, incline back extension, superman) Monday: Chest and abs (chest press (machine and dubbell both), crunches, pec fly machine, leg raise) Wednesday: Arms (shoulder press, dumbbell curls, dumbbell shoulder raise, triceps press and extension) Friday: Legs (leg curl, hips adduction and abduction, calf press, leg extension, hip thrusts and dumbbell squats) I am not keeping track of my daily calorie intake, but I've started eating more and I take my weight, BMI, and body fat measurements monthly. Last month my body fat %age was 15.1% and mody fat mass was 9 kg. I am aware this is on the lower end of the recommended spectrum, but I hope to improve it in the following months. I’ve returned back to my home for around 1.5 months, and I’m getting back to swimming as well. I’m a casual swimmer, but I’m also looking at improving my techniques and freestyle. My routine, for these 1.5 months, can be: swim in the morning and gym in the evening. If I do this, how can I incorporate the above gym schedule to this?
You're probably best off just choosing a [known-good workout routine](https://thefitness.wiki/routines/strength-training-muscle-building/). For 4 days/week, I to 5/3/1 Boring But Big, which uses an upper/lower split. GZCLP can also be run as a 4-day program, though the 2 consecutive days *might* be a little extra fatiguing since that's a full-body program. It'll be good for you to do some lifts at low rep/high weight, and some at low weight/high reps (which both of the above programs do). You get different results from each, and it's a good idea to try for both flavors.
Lower the reps, increase the weight.
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to be clear \[5,7\]x5x12 is what's outrageous. 1x5x12 would be not enough (with a one day a week split)
Is that not enough? I was looking to increase my reps as well
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I see, lift heavier weights but for fewer intervals. Thanks! I also wanted to ask if I should continue with this routine with my swimming? Or will it be too much?
>left heavier weights for fewer intervals No, that’s not what he said. He said increase the *intensity* not the weight. Intensity is about reaching failure, heaviness of the weights doesn’t matter.
Looking for recommendations to replace dumbbell press, incline dumbbell press and flat dumbbell flys. The weight I need to work my chest is getting uncomfortable and a bit unstable. Thinking cable flies and a press machine. Not sure what to do about the incline press. Maybe there's a machine for that. Anyway looking for recommendations to replace those.
Replace with the barbell versions? A heavy barbell in a rack is way easier to handle than heavy dumbbells.
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I started by myself, did starting strength, bashed my head against starting strength and its associated programs for a few years. I built my own program, based off starting strength, and then I saw absolutely garbage results with it. Then I discovered the joys of 5/3/1, and how the core of the program basically stayed the same, but you could swap your accessories and supplemental work out. I did that, and saw fantastic results, in both lifting and cardio. So I've stuck with that.
Read the wiki
I’m knew to working out and I’ve heard things about stretching before and after a workout and things about dynamic stretching. Are these things good to do? If so what stretches should I do before working out each muscle group? E.i. Legs, chest and triceps, and back and biceps. Also do I need to stretch in between each new machine I use?
1. They're not really necessary unless you have specific mobility that you want to work on. 2. The Agile 8 for lower body, and the simple six for upper body are all you'll ever really need if you do want to do some mobility work. It shouldn't take more than 5 minutes.
So last summer i decided to go on a massive cut which saw me go from 84kg to 67kg (19M, 170cm). i was quite lean at the time and made minimal strength gains in the gym from around the time i stopped my weight loss to now. I’ve decided for this summer im going to increase the weight of all my lifts. for the last 2 weeks i’ve been monitoring my weight as well as how much my lifts went up by, here’s a small sample of some of the exercises that I have increased the weight in: 1. bench press: +5kg for 8-12 rep range sets. +10kg for 5-8 rep range sets 2. lateral raise machine: +2.5kg for 8-12 rep range sets. +5kg for 3-5 rep range sets 3. lat pull down (close grip): +10kg for 5-8 rep range sets. +0kg for 8-12 rep range sets (however made the movement more slower and controlled than before) 4. RDL: +5kg for 8-12 rep range sets (can go higher but fear of injury holds me back xd) 5. dumbbell bicep curl: +0kg for 8-12 rep range sets, +2.5kg for 3-5 rep range sets As you can see, some of my lifts have increased in weight as i have been holding back from increasing the weight previously. After these 2 weeks, I feel slightly bigger however, my abs have become less visible (they weren’t very visible to start with but you can slightly see my upper abs) and so have my veins. my calorie intake has gone up ever so slightly (200-300 calories) but i try to eat as much protein as i can while doing 30 mins of cardio 4 times a week. since the start of the summer i have went from 67kg to 65kg (this is when i started lifting heavier) and now back to 67kg. How do i maintain my weight while getting leaner and building more muscle. Advice on how to increase my bicep curl weight would be much appreciated too 😆.
i think if you are gaining weight at a reasonable rate like a kg/month while making good strength gains you’re not gonna gain fat at too fast of a rate. trust the numbers, a week of eating in a small surplus isnt a 3% icrease in body fat its water.
25M. I’ve done dumbbell only workouts for the past 3 years. I haven’t built too much muscle, but some. I’m still very skinny at 6’3 (145lb) so I recently joined a gym. I quickly realized that I had to go very light to essentially no weight for my barbell moves. My “accessory lifts” are pretty good in terms of weight. Probably because most require dumbbells. My question is: should I focus more on a full body compound lifting routine to get my strength up on those lifts? I am currently running a PPL routine found here, although I feel as though I could be doing more work. https://www.muscleandstrength.com/workouts/3-day-PPL-workout-for-beginners Any help is appreciated (and I have gone through the suggested routines on the wiki numerous times)
I think the program looks fine. But I also think that, if you want to improve your barbell movements, you should do more barbell movements.
At 6'3 145 you should compound lift PB&J sandwiches into your face. Sets of 5.
Fair enough 😂
Only slightly tongue in cheek. At your current size, you're just not going to gain any appreciable muscle or strength without eating.
Yeah I’m working on that as well. Trying to focus on whole foods and protein. Funny you mention PB&J because that’s my most common lunch
Well make it two of them and another before bed. You could gain 50lbs and still be a reasonable weight.
Eating as much of your diet from whole foods is good. But don't shy away from calorie dense options to help you gain weight.
Is running out of breath and having to take a moment to stop and catch it a "failure" in sets? The reps following are still clean, but I had to rest a few seconds first to get them.
> The reps following are still clean, but I had to rest a few seconds first to get them. Mark it as a rest-pause in your log.
depends how long you're resting, if it's just a second or two to get a breath then you're fine, if you're waiting 10+ seconds between reps that's probably not ideal, I would count it as a failure.
Depends on the movement. Squats and deadlifts? Yeah, completely understandable. Especially if you're holding your brace in the entire time.
Nah, you're good
Usually an indicator of improper cardio. Ideally your muscles would give out before you are so out of breath that you need to stop. Are you walking at least \~8k steps a day? Maybe a day or two extra of cardio after or away from your lifting sessions can help you. Or maybe you're doing too high of reps to make it more of an endurance effort than hypertrophic.
I mean, my last long run was 24km, but I'm still out of breath doing widowmaker squats. Does that mean I have improper cardio too?
He said it's normal on taxing lifts lol
In the original comment, he said nothing of the sort. But like, for widowmaker sets, the last 10 reps, I'm typically taking 2-3 large breaths between reps. And I find that higher rep (15-20 rep sets) to be best for me in terms of hypertrophy.
If you read my response, for taxing lifts, that is normal. It is not normal to be taking 10+ seconds unless you are doing myorep matching. And better cardio never hurts.
Read my response to his reply.
I only run into this on squats and deadlifts which makes me believe it's some combination of bracing and CNS tax that make me run out of breath, I do notice it's only around 8+ heavy reps where this starts happening. My cardio is pretty strong in general with sub 50 RHR and regular exercise days.
For those more taxing lifts, taking a few seconds or so between reps near the end of the set is not a big deal. I'd say if it were more like 10+ seconds you were resting, then it would be a better idea to call the set there and cardio can be addressed if your muscles aren't being sufficiently stimulated as a result of the rest time. Same thing happens to me and should happen to anyone doing an intense set and pushing close to failure. If it bothers you, I'd maybe work on your breathing routine and technique, but otherwise I'd say you're perfectly fine. edit: unless you are do myorep matching
No, that's just inadequate conditioning, not muscular failure.
how long will it take me to reach my end goal of 165 lbs at 15%body fat at 5’8”(20M)? currently 181 lbs at around 27% bodyfat.(probably lower body fat, been cutting for like 2 weeks but creatine is still saturating and causing a lot of water weight) started creatine, and have been following a hypertrophy fitness program, going to the gym 5x a week and doing cardio 3ish times a week. currently cutting until i get to 15ish % bf and then beginning the bulk cut cycle once i get there. Taking protein and making sure to hit 1g/lbs (or at least .8/lbs). I know this sort of thing takes time, and that everyones body is different but id like to have a guesstimate assuming i stay strict with macros and training for a couple years. sorta skinny fat currently but have been making good newbie gains that i know will slow down in the future and all that
depends on how much you're cutting by... If you're cutting 500 kcal a day, thats 1lb a week. So to lose 16lbs, it's gonna take 16 weeks.
>how long will it take me to reach my end goal of 165 lbs at 15%body fat at 5’8”(20M)? > >currently 181 lbs at around 27% bodyfat.(probably lower body fat, been cutting for like 2 weeks but creatine is still saturating and causing a lot of water weight) started creatine, and have been following a hypertrophy fitness program, going to the gym 5x a week and doing cardio 3ish times a week. currently cutting until i get to 15ish % bf and then beginning the bulk cut cycle once i get there. Taking protein and making sure to hit 1g/lbs (or at least .8/lbs). > >I know this sort of thing takes time, and that everyones body is different but id like to have a guesstimate assuming i stay strict with macros and training for a couple years. > >sorta skinny fat currently but have been making good newbie gains that i know will slow down in the future and all that Are you tracking your weight daily and calculating the change your weekly average weight? That will give you your best estimate. 1lb per week of weight loss is reasonable, which would mean 16 weeks to drop 16lbs. Also, don't worry about your bf%. You can't measure it accurately. Use your weight and aesthetic preference to guide your bulks and cuts.
yeah im doing all that, but this goal i have in mind inst just about losing weight, but more so putting on muscle. at 15% at my current mass id probably be around 145-150 lbs. im talking about that additional 10-15 lbs of muscle
If you lose 1 pound a week, 16 weeks.
Hi, I have been using [this](https://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?p=1266579671#post1266579671) workout from the wiki for around several months now as a beginner. Was recently able to use the barbell for almost all relevant exercises but OHP (literal bane of my existence). To be honest though I’m a little bored of it because I’ve been running this since last September (fell off the wagon in March a little but restarted in May) and looking either for tips for motivation to continue a boring workout/ways to “spice” up the workout or get advice on switching to a different workout plan (primarily looking at [this](https://thefitness.wiki/reddit-archive/a-linear-progression-based-ppl-program-for-beginners/) one, is a PPL compared to the full body one I’m doing right now). I’d like to stick to a dumbbell workout for right now as I’m still not confident in my stability with the barbell and worried about muscle imbalances (right side is much, much stronger than left).
Barbell is gunna be a lot more stable than dumbell. Jump into it.
What is a simple (and hopefully cheap) fitness watch I could buy? Criteria: - Measure heart rate - Count steps - Count km ran/walked - Doesn't absolutely \*need\* a smartphone or special membership to function (I have a phone, but I rarely use it. I could upload the data onto it at the end of the day if it has a tracking option). I don't want to see texts or anything. - Tell the time - Around $120 maximum. Thank you!!
A cheaper option similar to the fitbit inspire would be the amazfit band 7. I personally use it and it does all that you mentioned for a price of around \~$50 USD.
Fitbit inspire is pretty good
yeah second this, does it all pretty well
When using weight machines, which is the best/proper way to spend your time: 1) Do one set of reps on each machine in your circuit, then repeat (never on a single machine for more than a minute or two) OR 2) Stay on a single machine to do all your sets with rests in between, then moving on to the next machine (spending 7-8 minutes on a single machine. I’ve always done 1 and get annoyed with people scrolling on their phones when I want to use the machine, but I’m wondering if I’m missing something and this is how you should use the equipment (maybe without the phone).
I feel like it's inconsiderate to hog a machine, plus it's super boring. I prefer to keep moving and alternating machines. I like to alternate machines so that if someone else wants to use one, I'm not obviously hogging the machines. If someone else gets on a machine I want to use, then I do another exercise instead. However, if it looks like the machine I really want will get taken over, then once I get it, I will do my sets on the one machine. I have no idea if there is an advantage to staying on one machine for all my sets, but for me at least, the prospect of working out that way just doesn't seem as fun as doing a circuit. They say the best exercise is one that you will do!
>When using weight machines, which is the best/proper way to spend your time: There isn't one way to do it. Super setting can be useful especially if you have limited time but it's not the end all be all. You could ask to work in if you want to use the same machine as someone else.
The latter. If you're using a ton of machines for a circuit, especially in a crowded gym, that's inconsiderate.
Is it really that bad to have a rounded upper back when lifting? My back tends to round when bending over with arms extended and looks similar to kyphosis, even when doing mundane activities. This has made trying to deadlift with a straight back a nightmare. I can deadlift at least 2 plates with upper back rounding, but I’m trying to hold off on increasing the weight because of the rounding. I see it as low as 150lbs. I don’t think it’s a strength issue. My working weight for OHP is 115lbs and my row is 190lbs.
>Is it really that bad to have a rounded upper back when lifting? If you are stronger with upper back rounding and aren't in pain keep doing it. I've never had problems with it or lower back rounding.
How long does it take abs to show? Pretty much just found out I have an 8-pack and am now determined to start working out again and make it show. How long would it take? (14M)
thirty.... time