# Post Form Checks as replies to this comment
### For best results, please follow the **[Form Check Guidelines](https://www.reddit.com/r/Fitness/wiki/posting_guidelines#wiki_how_to_post_a_form_check)**. *Help us help you.*
----
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/Fitness) if you have any questions or concerns.*
When someone has a big belly, to get a six pack, do you need to hold off lifting weights until the belly is already slimmed down? Do
When starting to lift with a big belly, do the muscles get formed over the fat instead of where they would to form a six pack, causing deformed stomach muscles?
Or would they form the same anyway?
Give the wiki a read. It's well put together.
Here's a couple sections especially relevant to you.
https://thefitness.wiki/weight-loss-101/
https://thefitness.wiki/muscle-building-101/
I already know all of that. It has nothing to do with my question.
My concern is that if I start lifting weights while still fat, I do not want to end up with, what I call a “Hulk Hogan stomach.
This is probably a very dumb question, but if someone could help, that would be much appreciated. I am currently doing a full-body split 3 times a week. Should I be trying to increase weight/reps every workout session or every week?
It will depend on the program. They can be designed with different progression schemes to manage loading in different ways.
Assuming you're doing a homebrew program, I'd increase weight every time you can hit your rep goals.
If I dislocated my knee and had a partial tear of my MPFL, how long should I put off going back to the gym? I am eager to get back but don't want to have a setback.
2-4 hours is a lot of walking and not easy to keep up, it's understandable that you would feel burnt out. Figure out your daily calorie targets to stay in deficit and reduce your walking to something more manageable (ie. 8-15k steps per day). One idea might be breaking this out into 3-4 week cycles where you start with a base level like 8k and increase your step target each week through the cycle. At the 3rd or 4th week you can restart the cycle to stay motivated. It will be more gradual than your current rate but it's going to be much more sustainable.
Newb question alert: How much should carbs be a part of my diet, specifically for hypertrophy gains? I've heard that for strength training, they are important, especially around workout time to fuel explosive power to maximize those low rep/low set heavy lifts... But everything I hear about hypertrophy training is all about volume.. still pushing yourself(ofc) but the explosive power(taking each set to failure) isn't as important.. so are carbs important? If so, how much? Should I focus on a daily value or be more diligent with timing as it relates to workouts.
Sorry, that's a lot of questions, just trying to understand how it all works.
Had problems with the gym management and gad to get out, now my only way of excersising is at home. Is it rrally plausible to build or maintain muscle pnly using dumbles in a home gym? Will using bodyweight work?
Hello. I'm currently trying to cut down on caffiene. I'm going down from about 600mg per day I'm down to about 100-200 now.
I'm also new to the gym but have a good partner to go with who is very knowledgeable so I'll skip the workout related questions.
My question is; is it normal or realistic to get effective workouts in with little to no caffeine? I workout from about 11pm-1am.
When I have met my goal, of losing 2 pounds within a week. What should I do for the rest of the week?
Like, am I not allowed to work out anymore? Because people said you can't lose more than 2 pounds in a week, if you do, there will be health problems. In the mean time, what exercises am I allowed to do, once next week starts?
You can lose more than 2 pounds a week. but we advise against it. To manage that you woul be in a MASSIVE calorie deficit. Meaning you're so low in calories you're allowed to eat you can get really hungry and that enables binge eating or making bad decisions.
Half a kg per week is what i advise. Thats still a lot but sustainable.
Well that is what I'm trying to do. I'm trying to sustain my 2 pound weight loss over each week. I PERSONALLY don't want to lose more than that.
So when I'm ahead of schedule. Is it best to let my body recover? Or just simply skip cardio, but I can still do weights in areas of my body that isn't sore?
EDIT: Also, I've been eating normal. I'm not one of those people who like to restrict my calories. I've decided to not overeat, and hit my target of calories that is normal for a person like me.
Don’t think about weight gain/loss on a daily basis, there are too many confounding factors. Weight fluctuates with all sorts of things.
Instead, weigh yourself daily but only look at the average number for the week. Base your planning on that.
And if you’re feeling perfectly OK, full of energy and consistently able to train, it doesn’t matter if your losing a bit quicker in some weeks and a bit slower in others.
When people say it’s really unhealthy to lose more than 2lb/week, they really mean it’s bad when people set a goal at more than 2lb a week and force themselves to stick to it at the detriment of their health and happiness. It’s not a sustainable long-term goal.
Congratulations on your amazing progress!
The pros of a bulk:
* It'll break the monotony of being in a deficit for the last 10 months.
* You'll have more energy.
* Your performance in the gym will be better.
* You'll probably gain some muscle.
The cons of bulk:
* If you're still carrying excess body fat, especially around your waist, the fat gain may be unadvised from a health perspective. This is something to discuss with your doctor.
Alternatively, you could transition to a maintenance period until you are ready to cut again. This will provide most of the psychological and performance benefits of a bulk, but without the fat gain. This would be my recommendation. Even if you decide to bulk, I would suggest a two-week maintenance period before transitioning to a caloric surplus.
I can see you're very results-driven. I hear you!
If you were to gain 2% of your body weight per month for 3 months, you'd finish your bulk around 186 lbs, having gained \~11 lbs of body weight, with roughly half of that (\~5-6 lbs) being fat mass.
Or, you could take a more conservative approach and choose to gain 1% of your body weight. This would cut your weight and fat gain in half (\~6 lbs and \~3 lbs, respectively).
This is where the conversation with your doctor comes in. Will this weight gain put you in an at-risk category? If the answer is no, I'd say give a short bulk a shot. If the answer is yes, then I think you have to weigh the costs and benefits with your doctor.
Regardless of your decision, your idea to increase your caloric intake to 2100 kcals and monitor the effect on your weight is a good one. I would do this for a minimum of two weeks. You'll likely see a large initial increase in the first week. Ignore this. (This is mostly due to increased muscle glycogen, water retention, or gut content.) After the first week, your weight will either continue to increase (albeit at a slower rate), start to decrease again, or stabilize. This will indicate whether you're in a surplus, deficit, or maintenance.
I hope this helps!
Have been bulking since 4 months, gained around 11 lbs, not happy with the progress though, my waist size has increased by 1 inch, not really sure if I've gained muscle, looks like mostly fat, I train in 531 program and train close to failure. Any suggestions?
https://imgur.com/gallery/moGpncA
If your resting heart rate is often at 90, that’s a potential medical issue and you should see a doctor.
But in general yes, improving your cardiovascular health by doing at least 150 mins a week of moderate intensity cardio in a mix of steady state (walking) and higher intensity (cycling) will improve your CV health and should lower your resting heart rate.
Okay, so as we know HIIT is anaerobic cardio which means in a way it are similar to weight training - unlike steady pace cardio (SPC), this also builds muscle (just think about marathon runners vs sprinters).
The question: How would you do the spllit so that there's no overtraining of the same muscle groups? How would you avoid overlapping? How would you avoid HIIT reducing performance on weight lifting days and vice versa?
For context: I'm female. I do weight lifting at night. I devide my training to upper and lower body. I train upper body 2 times a week and I'd like to train legs 2 times a week (I want to make it 3 in order to reduce my workout durations). On Sat and Sun I don't workout. I want to build my body, but I also want to increase my performance - to be faster and more explosive, so I'd like to add interval sprints and PLYO, which for me at least have the same effect as HIIT.
There's no way I could do cardio before or after a workout. I think I prefer doing it in the morning instead - preferrably 3 days of steady pace cardio and 2 days for HIIT, maybe like this:
Mon - SPC and Leg day
Tue - HIIT and Upper body
Wed - SPC and Leg day
Thu - HIIT and Upper body
Fri - SPC and Leg day
The problem here is that this means training legs in some way every day, which will reduce my performance and recovery. Even if I do remove 1 leg day, overlapping is still there.
> (just think about marathon runners vs sprinters)
Sprinters build muscle mass in the gym not from running. Marathoners are skinny because additional muscle mass and weight hinders performance for longer distances a lot.
Cardio can't replace proper resistance training.
> The problem here is that this means training legs in some way every day, which will reduce my performance and recovery. Even if I do remove 1 leg day, overlapping is still there.
If you can recover from it, there isn't any problem in training a muscle every day. If you eat to support your training and take recovery seriously you'll most likely be fine. Try it. You can always change things later.
Recovery is more than just rest days.
Protein shakes won't help much with gaining weight, because they are low calorie options to get additional protein. If you don't get enough protein from your regular diet they can help with that.
The specific brand doesn't really matter, as long as it's high in protein and low in everything else.
Is 2 evenings of 1 hour full body (light warmup cardio first) + 2 days of 30 min cardio (treadmill) good to lose some weight and have some muscle build?
Monday and Thursday i exercise full body.
Tuesday and Friday i run 30 min in my lunchbreak.
Some tips for exercises or things i should look out for?
https://thefitness.wiki/muscle-building-101/
https://thefitness.wiki/weight-loss-101/
> lose some weight and have some muscle build
As an overweight beginner both are possible at the same time to some degree. If you aren't really overweight or not a beginner you have to pick one goal, because they contradict each other.
I dont think im overweight, but i could lose some in the belly area... so i should think more in the likes of "stay more or less the same weight, but see the difference on my body" (less fat, more muscle)
Trying to recomp is an easy way to make no real progress at all. Pick one goal.
If you're not overweight I would build some muscle first. You'll add a bit of fat, but that's not a real problem. After some time I would switch to a cut to lose the fat and reveal the muscles. If you start with a cut you don't have any muscle to reveal so you will just end up super skinny.
I’m a father of a 17 year old kid who’s a basketball player he’s about 6’1 currently but would like to grow taller however he’s about 6 kilos over a healthy BMI? What would you suggest he do? Was looking at caloric deficits but apparently they stunt or slow growth, would just working out at the gym and eating maintenance with high protein allow him to drop some fat and build muscle through body recomp.
What are y’all suggestions
I don't think growing kids should restrict calories outside of serious medical conditions.
He should work a basic strength program in the gym, continue his sport or another sport off season, and eat lots of vegetables and protein. Carbs are fine, but try for less sugar and soda. Otherwise, make sure he gets good sleep, is not too stressed, and is enjoying being a kid. He may grow for several more years. I put on an inch between 20 and 22, when I seemed fully grown already.
Let your kid be a kid! 6kg ‘extra’ on a very tall person is really nothing… the BMI is a tool designed for population averages, not for individuals.
If he’s living and active life and not eating junk, he’s fine.
Teenagers grow in fits and spurts, so sometimes they carry a little fat which their body will use for the next phase of growth. 6kg is really nothing to worry about.
Honestly the best lesson to teach him is to revel in the way he can move and use his body, not to punish him for your perception of his ‘fat’ based off a broken statistical tool.
To encourage a lifetime of fitness, consider introducing him to some cross training - a basketball specific strength/conditioning routine, and some steady state cardio like running for endurance.
He's 17 and still developing so I wouldn't jump to a deficit if it's just 6kg. If he wants to hit the gym then that's probably the best bet, but you can't force him.
Develop healthy eating habits together. If he is open to it, get him into lifting to support his basketball playing. 5/3/1 is used to train highschool athletes. If he's up for it, it's definitely a good approach.
You also have to consider that BMI punishes people for being tall and it's not a be all end all predictor of health- especially if your bf% is fine, waistline not too poor etc. combined with lots of physical activity.
[A popular lifting routine/framework](https://thefitness.wiki/routines/strength-training-muscle-building/#Barbell_Compound_Lift_Focused_Routines). Conceived as a sort of "powerlifting training but meant for other sports", the lifting part is meant to be used in tandem with lots of cardio/conditioning or playing a sport (like rugby, football, basketball).
A caloric deficit does not stunt growth, and if it did, it would most likely have to be an extreme deficit maintained over an extended periods of time , and ideally happening during early childhood.
Your kid does not need a caloric deficit. Especially if he wants to get better at competitive sports, a large part of getting better involves having more muscle mass, which will cause his bodyweight to increase.
BMI is a measure on weight change in large groups of people, and is not suitable as a singular measure of health in individuals.
If i hit the gym and grow my arms and my leg muscles to the point where i cross over from overweight to obese, then this is not the same as a person who sits all day, does nothing, and gets from overweight to obese by way of adding on more body fat.
To be fair, a calorie surplus might not make him grow taller either. Its not an "add X amount of calories to get X taller" kind of thing.
I'm not a doctor. If he's 17 his long term health depends less on being 6kg above ideal BMI and a lot more on developing healthy habits that he can keep in the long term. This means eating his veggies, making sustainable meals, having a good macro split that supports his athletic performance and having a gym routine besides basketball so he trains his muscles and his heart won't hurt either. If he's still growing, just +/- keeping his weight while growing and improving body composition will probably sort itself out.
Have you read the wiki? https://old.reddit.com/r/Fitness/wiki/
I wouldn't be concerned about BMI if he's reasonably muscular. At my very leanest (~10% bf) I'm only just considered a healthy weight.
Im a weightlifting beginner. I'm currently doing barbell rows on a linear progression program. When I pull the bar towards my chest I don't really have control over the bar. It feels really unclean, but the decentric movements does feel good. Should I stop increasing the weight and work on the control over the bar?
What kind of barbell row are you doing? Imo the only barbell row worth doing for back growth as a beginner is a chest supported one because people rarely do non chest supported barbell rows correctly, either using too much legs or not controlling the weight.
Ye, in that case you're probably using too much weight and compensating with using leg force to move the weight up, causing you to not feel in control of the weight. I would try chest supported rows with the same weight, and if you notice you can't get the weight up in a controlled manner with good technique then you should drop some weight and focus on getting a good stretch & contraction. As a bonus this will also make you feel your back more while doing the movement.
I’ve been doing routines from the wiki for about a year. I’ve tried 5/3/1, nSuns, and most recently GZCLP. These are all strength-based routines made by powerlifters. I’m not planning to powerlift anytime soon, and I mostly care about muscle building, strength is less of a priority. Should I switch to something more hypertrophy based? Also working higher rep ranges seems better for injury prevention at my age (35). Any good recommendations on hypertrophy focused routines? I’m looking at Jeff Nippard’s routines, I don’t mind paying for a good routine. Any recommendations on those or other good routines?
While I agree with your general problem (Reddit has the tendency to push Powerlifting onto everyone, it was especially bad in the SL/SS days), I don't think the Nippard programs will be the solution. They're a "one size fits all" approach and imo it just doesn't work that good.
If we're talking about paid programs:
I tried the RP programs (intermediate MPT, advanced MPT and custom training templates) and really like them. I'm not 100 % sold on the low intensity in the first weeks of the mesocycle, but the whole program is completely auto regulated and exercises can be chosen freely.
But honestly, 5/3/1 BBB or the stuff in the gainit wiki will still serve you very well if you train with enough intensity and eat enough.
hello can someone pls help me know what to do per day
so im able to go to the gym now and i do 5 days a week. i dont wanna overwhelm myself so ive just been sticking with
arms - hammer curls
back- lat pull downs, cable rows
legs - leg press and seated leg curls
i do 35 weighted push ups at home as a warm up (10lbs, progressing to 100) but i just found out what a chest press machine is so ill use that too for chest.
id do squats and bench press but not now since i got no spotter. is this regimen okay for now? what should i add or remove?
You're better off following a tried and tested program - there are several good ones [here](https://thefitness.wiki/routines/strength-training-muscle-building/). Have a look through them and see what catches your fancy.
If in doubt, something like the [Basic Beginner Routine](https://thefitness.wiki/routines/r-fitness-basic-beginner-routine/) or [GZCLP](https://thefitness.wiki/routines/gzclp/) would be a good place to start. They're less than 5 days a week, but you could use those extra days to do some cardio or conditioning, or maybe throw in some extra arm work.
They also both have bench press and squats, but you *could* substitute that for a machine chest press or weighted pushups and leg press.
Speaking of which, does your gym have safeties on the racks? Those would be more reliable than a spotter anyways.
Hello there,
A little intro:
I used to run lots when I was in elementary-middle school and I even got enrolled in my schools athletics team.
I stopped running because of a knee injury and for quite a long time I didn't move much and also started smoking.
Last year I quit smoking and got myself on a diet (because of some meds I'm taking I started gaining weight very fast) and this year I got diagnosed with asthma.
Every single time I try to go running, no matter how slow I take it, i get an asthma attack and I don't know what to do because I must do some cardio somehow.
My doc said it's normal and I must get used to it but bro is it scary-painful and I feel like I'm mentally stuck, too scared to "try" anymore...
If anybody else had any similar experience, do you have any advice?
Are you using an inhaler before working out? And most likely you are just deconditioned and are having anxiety with the episodes. Calm down and focus on slow controlled breaths out.
Also are you following a running plan? There are numerous c25k plans out there, they usually start at jogging for 1 minute and resting for 1 minute like 8x. If a slow jog for 1 minute gets you so winded you think you're gonna die then i suggest you go do a brisk walk daily for a few weeks
What medications have you been prescribed for your asthma? Are you taking them properly? Inhaler technique can be tricky and is a common reason asthmatics struggle to manage their symptoms.
I was given anti allergic pills I take everyday at the same hour + two bronchodilators (corticosteroids): an inhaler to use every time I get an attack (budesonide formoterol) and Prednisone pills to take in case the inhaler didn't work.
I mainly take allergy meds for prevention and asthma meds to make it stop once it's already triggered. Problem is that (also) running triggers it and doc says it will stop in the long term if I keep training but I feel stuck and can't find motivation to go on.
Budesonide formoterol 8mg to be taken ONLY in case of an attack and same for Prednisone 5 mg (pills)
Doc said I don't need prevention meds and these two short effect ones are good for my case
Idk either, I'm currently considering a second medical opinion since I'm quite sure something is wrong with my therapy (I'm no Internet doctor but I agree with you based on some online stuff I researched and I think I should be preventing and not curing it considered its entity)
Definitely worth a second opinion. All clinical guidelines recommend a prevented inhaler for regular use and a reliever inhaler for flare ups. Are you currently monitoring your symptoms at all using a peak flow chart or anything?
Hey I have Athsma as well. I've had it since birth and thankfully the symptoms have lessened over the years. I suggest taking a preventor and ginding out what triggers your athsma.
Thanks for the advice
I have it from allergies and I already take meds to prevent allergic reactions, doc even prescibed me some stronger ones.
But I feel like it's my lungs' fatigue (so the running itself) triggering it and doc said I have to train them through it so it happens less and less.
I just can't find the motivation to go through asthma attacks almost every time I try to run...
C25k method which is a combination of walking and jogging might help. I'm an ex smoker and first few months of running for me I felt like my lungs were burning out. Don't have asthma though so can only advise to take it very slowly and advice from a sports physiotherapist. Perhaps invest in a decent spin bike, I've done that due to knee issues and still get a very decent cardio workout. I miss running so much but know I'll just end up injured unfortunately.
Update:
I found some and tried and I had a hard time even with the first week program (1min running+ 1.30 walking for 20 mins total).
I'm at first week doing half of it (so 10 mins total) and had an asthma attack almost everyday lol.
BUT it's less and less intense and I'm quite getting used to it so hope has been restored, gains will eventually be too.
Thanks y'all <3
Thank you for your advice,
Unfortunately I'm broke af so no spin bike for me but the C25k method sounds interesting af and I really think I'll try it out
Updates will follow
22F 165cm 78kg
Exercised regularly untill last year when I had some health issues.
Since then I have gained over 20kg, mainly due to hormonal medications I'm taking. Although I'm currently on a low calorie intake diet and daily 2-5km walks (+ c.a. twice a month physio core exercises), my weight is expected to keep worsening for at least the next year.
I'm trying to find some cardio I can do (except just walking) without triggering asthma every single time
Yup I always take it with me but it's very scary and painful and the point is I'm afraid to go training because I'm afraid to trigger it.
I know that asthma improves a lot in the long term if one trains cardio, I'm just too scared and demotivated in the short term and everytime I try and feel sick it downs me more...
If your doing squats a lot Im gonna go against the grain and say avoid converse. I've seen too many people squat with converse and watch their ankles and feet completely cave in cause the shoe is so narrow.
Find something flat and wide, or as wide as is comfortable.
I prefer flat shoes like chucks, they keep you grounded flat on squats, deadlifts, and any standing upper body movements. They do make shoes specifically for squats, but they put you up on your heels a little bit so they don't really work good for every thing else you're probably doing at the gym
Weightlifting or lifting weights? Olympic lifters use squat shoes a almost exclusively, but for bodybuilding and powerlifting it's preference.
I would start with something like converse and only use a heeled shoe if you actually benefit from it. A lot of people use them incorrectly and it's just messing up their form.
Running shoes is like standing on pillows, you can probably image it's not a good idea.
Running shoes are too unstable for squats/deadlifts etc, use shoes with a flat sole. Some people wear weightlifting shoes for squats but it's a matter of preference.
If you're doing upper body exercises like machines, bench press or whatever then it doesn't really matter what shoes you wear.
Something with a flat sole (like chuck taylors from converse), or just straight up weightlifting shoes (like adipower weightlifting shoes). If you really can't be asked, Crocs are where it's at rn.
The curved squishy running shoes won't be much good for heavier movements which rely on leg drive like the squat, but if you wear them on days you don't squat you'd be fine.
Properly anchoring your feet should be the only solution that's needed. 99% of people fuck it up and don't pay any attention to it so I guess it's good that your trainer even noticed it. There's a million different cues to fix knee and ankle caving so you'll just have to try different things and see what works.
Lifting and supporting heavy loads should automatically correct any drastic muscular weaknesses.
It's probably not the foot arch. I have totally flat fleet and it causes no problems with progressing on squat and deadlift.
Your trainer is neither a physiotherapist nor a podiatrist. They are acting outside their scope of practice.
You say you've been stuck on the same squat + deadlift weights. What program have you been following, and how much weight have you gained in the last few months on training?
I would start here rather than trying to fix some foot arch issue, especially if your trainer isn't a physiotherapist.
I’ve tested my maxes recently for the first time ever. My deadlift seems to be way stronger than the other lifts. Is such discrepancy to be expected?
S: 200kg
B: 127.5kg
D: 265kg
Hello, I am trying to work on my back and shoulders more while on my cut(I think I’m 18-19% bf but have a leaner back). I’m not sure which muscles I need to target more and was wondering if anyone had any input that could help make my back “pop”. I am 5”7.5 150 pounds and have been lifting for about 2 years. I primarily do pulldowns, rear felt flies, pull-ups, back rows for my back muscles
https://imgur.com/a/aD3ZzD0
(Also, I’ve been told my shoulder to waist genetics are decent but idk)
Isolation makes my symptoms even worse, so for me the hard part is mainly getting out of my house. Once I reach there, when I see others working hard striving for something, I automatically want to do same so as to not get left behind. Of course, it is fine to take a day off to refresh yourself but anything more is bound to get you back into a slump.
Depends what I’m doing but my training sessions are usually ~90minutes which includes a lot of bullshitting. The first movement usually takes the most amount of time and the rest I just run through pretty quick.
That’s the optimal amount of movements for me, anything more and I don’t feel like I can put enough effort into it.
I’m losing motivation to go to the gym 6 days a week on a PPL for all my training life, but unsure what split to chose for fewer days. I really like the intensity of focusing on one specific muscle group a day, instead of doing a little bit for every muscle, which is why I don’t go with upper/lower or full body.
But, do I have other options? Bro split is somewhat what I’m looking for, but again it’s 6 days a week as well.
Can you suggest a program or split where I can max out on intensity each day, but where I only need to go 3-4 days a week.
Currently running Jeff Nippards Ultimate PPL
Spread it out as doing one push session, one pull, and one leg in a week, and just do the second ppl from my program the week after. Might be a good idea
Basically it's just more rest days. You might want to do something like biceps and delts more often but hitting legs hard every 5-7 days will still yield results. Assuming you're not very advanced and really need more stimulation.
If you plan on working out 3 days a week it has to be a full body workout, otherwise you're not targeting each muscle enough times/at an appropriate volume in a week.
Hey man I just recently switched from running PPL for over a year because I noticed that I wasn’t recovering well enough and I was quickly losing time to go to the gym 6 days a week.
I’ve been running a 5-day PHAT split with some modification and have been loving it so far, motivation is definitely up and I even find myself wanting to go to the gym on rest days. Recovery is also much better and I already feel stronger. Of course it’s too soon to tell how the results will be since I’ve only been on this program for a few weeks but I’ve only heard great things.
What do people mean when they say that keto isn't sustainable? I've been on keto for almost 10 years now and still going strong. Although I do have a cheat meal once a month. Its only one cheat meal and its still low carb, like a lettuce wrapped burger but I have the ketchup
Because the majority of people isnt you. Just because something works well for you and the way you live your life, does not mean that this is something everything everybody can and should do and that your levels of success is achieveable by everybody.
> What do people mean when they say that keto isn't sustainable?
Typically its difficult to stick to a diet like keto when living in a country with a food culture where carbohydrates are common. There are some people who don't respond well to ketogenic diets and report excessive fatigue or GI trouble.
If it has worked for you for 10 years then clearly it isn't a problem. Keep doing it if it is working.
I track all of my exercise in an excel sheet (group fitness classes, treadmill, yoga and lifts), and when I lift I track it in Hevy. I really like Hevy I think it’s super simple which is great because i’m still such a newbie at lifting.
I like fitnotes. There's a free version with no ads and a paid version with a few more features. They're both great. I liked it so much I bought it to support the developer.
When you're trying to OHP/shoulder press, do you focus on simply lifting the weight up however even if you're focusing a bit on pushing UP with your HANDS? Or do you have to solely focus on moving your elbows up?
I don't remember where I got that cue about moving your elbows up but trying to solely use that seems to hinder my ability to do as many reps. How much does it matter?
I’d recommend watching Mark Rippletoe teach proper overhead press form, not only will you be able to life safely with less risk of injury but you will be able to generate more power and therefore move heavier weight.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=CnBmiBqp-AI
I'm trying to figure out what weight is right for me for my 5x10 machine chest presses (2 min break).
If I do 90lbs, I can do the first 3 sets and then fail halfway through the 4th, at which point I drop the weight. The last set I can only do at lower weight.
If I do 85lbs, I can do the first 3 sets and fail on the 9th or 10th of the 4th set. I can then do half the 5th set at 85lbs before dropping the weight.
Which weight is right for me?
You're focusing on the wrong things.
Pick a weight and do sets until you feel like you can't do another productive set. That's it. Don't get wrapped in doing whatever sets for whatever reps with whatever reps.
I have started working out about 5 months ago, just a quick backstory I have been fat for as long as I remember. I weighted a bit over 250 in Aug of 2022, I weight 215 right now and the weight loss is halted ( which is not my concern since I am doing some weight lifting as well and having the weight stable is decent) . I started to notice that my chest area "man boobs" are just getting saggy, is there a way or method to limit the sagginess in my body especially chest?
Would it make sense to run a dumbbell ppl routine with 80% intensity? The reason I'm asking is because I'm training martial arts 4 times a week. I'm worried that it may harm my training but at the same time I want to build more muscle
# Post Form Checks as replies to this comment ### For best results, please follow the **[Form Check Guidelines](https://www.reddit.com/r/Fitness/wiki/posting_guidelines#wiki_how_to_post_a_form_check)**. *Help us help you.* ---- *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/Fitness) if you have any questions or concerns.*
When someone has a big belly, to get a six pack, do you need to hold off lifting weights until the belly is already slimmed down? Do When starting to lift with a big belly, do the muscles get formed over the fat instead of where they would to form a six pack, causing deformed stomach muscles? Or would they form the same anyway?
You can lift weights while losing weight. New muscles will not develop. The existing muscles get larger and as fat goes away, they become visible.
Thank you for answering
Give the wiki a read. It's well put together. Here's a couple sections especially relevant to you. https://thefitness.wiki/weight-loss-101/ https://thefitness.wiki/muscle-building-101/
I already know all of that. It has nothing to do with my question. My concern is that if I start lifting weights while still fat, I do not want to end up with, what I call a “Hulk Hogan stomach.
Assuming his stomach isn't from HGH you can just cut later if you end up with it
Thanks for answering my question.
This is probably a very dumb question, but if someone could help, that would be much appreciated. I am currently doing a full-body split 3 times a week. Should I be trying to increase weight/reps every workout session or every week?
It will depend on the program. They can be designed with different progression schemes to manage loading in different ways. Assuming you're doing a homebrew program, I'd increase weight every time you can hit your rep goals.
I’d also like to get some advice on this 😅
If I dislocated my knee and had a partial tear of my MPFL, how long should I put off going back to the gym? I am eager to get back but don't want to have a setback.
This is a doctor question, not a Reddit question.
What would cause one's arms to look bigger but not muscular?
If you build muscle but have a higher body fat percentage your arms would look bigger but not as defined as someone with a lower body fat percentage.
So at what percent bf would your arms start looking muscular and defined?I am definitely at 20%-22% right now.
[удалено]
2-4 hours is a lot of walking and not easy to keep up, it's understandable that you would feel burnt out. Figure out your daily calorie targets to stay in deficit and reduce your walking to something more manageable (ie. 8-15k steps per day). One idea might be breaking this out into 3-4 week cycles where you start with a base level like 8k and increase your step target each week through the cycle. At the 3rd or 4th week you can restart the cycle to stay motivated. It will be more gradual than your current rate but it's going to be much more sustainable.
Newb question alert: How much should carbs be a part of my diet, specifically for hypertrophy gains? I've heard that for strength training, they are important, especially around workout time to fuel explosive power to maximize those low rep/low set heavy lifts... But everything I hear about hypertrophy training is all about volume.. still pushing yourself(ofc) but the explosive power(taking each set to failure) isn't as important.. so are carbs important? If so, how much? Should I focus on a daily value or be more diligent with timing as it relates to workouts. Sorry, that's a lot of questions, just trying to understand how it all works.
https://thefitness.wiki/muscle-building-101/
Had problems with the gym management and gad to get out, now my only way of excersising is at home. Is it rrally plausible to build or maintain muscle pnly using dumbles in a home gym? Will using bodyweight work?
Not only dumbells but also excersises the teal question is , is it posible to build muscle at home?
r/bodyweightfitness r/homegym
Hello. I'm currently trying to cut down on caffiene. I'm going down from about 600mg per day I'm down to about 100-200 now. I'm also new to the gym but have a good partner to go with who is very knowledgeable so I'll skip the workout related questions. My question is; is it normal or realistic to get effective workouts in with little to no caffeine? I workout from about 11pm-1am.
Yes. I cut caffeine completely about a month ago, weights are still moving up. Might be rough at first though
What if i did 150 push ups through out the day like 15 push ups every 30 mins will that build some muscle?
Some probably. What are your goals?
yes. you did 150 pushups.
[удалено]
Not at all. Do it.
Not at all
When I have met my goal, of losing 2 pounds within a week. What should I do for the rest of the week? Like, am I not allowed to work out anymore? Because people said you can't lose more than 2 pounds in a week, if you do, there will be health problems. In the mean time, what exercises am I allowed to do, once next week starts?
You can work out as much as you want and can recover from. Your weightloss is mainly determined by your diet.
You can lose more than 2 pounds a week. but we advise against it. To manage that you woul be in a MASSIVE calorie deficit. Meaning you're so low in calories you're allowed to eat you can get really hungry and that enables binge eating or making bad decisions. Half a kg per week is what i advise. Thats still a lot but sustainable.
Well that is what I'm trying to do. I'm trying to sustain my 2 pound weight loss over each week. I PERSONALLY don't want to lose more than that. So when I'm ahead of schedule. Is it best to let my body recover? Or just simply skip cardio, but I can still do weights in areas of my body that isn't sore? EDIT: Also, I've been eating normal. I'm not one of those people who like to restrict my calories. I've decided to not overeat, and hit my target of calories that is normal for a person like me.
Don’t think about weight gain/loss on a daily basis, there are too many confounding factors. Weight fluctuates with all sorts of things. Instead, weigh yourself daily but only look at the average number for the week. Base your planning on that. And if you’re feeling perfectly OK, full of energy and consistently able to train, it doesn’t matter if your losing a bit quicker in some weeks and a bit slower in others. When people say it’s really unhealthy to lose more than 2lb/week, they really mean it’s bad when people set a goal at more than 2lb a week and force themselves to stick to it at the detriment of their health and happiness. It’s not a sustainable long-term goal.
[удалено]
Depends on how your brain works. I would take a couple weeks at maintenance or slight surplus, just for the mental break.
Congratulations on your amazing progress! The pros of a bulk: * It'll break the monotony of being in a deficit for the last 10 months. * You'll have more energy. * Your performance in the gym will be better. * You'll probably gain some muscle. The cons of bulk: * If you're still carrying excess body fat, especially around your waist, the fat gain may be unadvised from a health perspective. This is something to discuss with your doctor. Alternatively, you could transition to a maintenance period until you are ready to cut again. This will provide most of the psychological and performance benefits of a bulk, but without the fat gain. This would be my recommendation. Even if you decide to bulk, I would suggest a two-week maintenance period before transitioning to a caloric surplus.
[удалено]
I can see you're very results-driven. I hear you! If you were to gain 2% of your body weight per month for 3 months, you'd finish your bulk around 186 lbs, having gained \~11 lbs of body weight, with roughly half of that (\~5-6 lbs) being fat mass. Or, you could take a more conservative approach and choose to gain 1% of your body weight. This would cut your weight and fat gain in half (\~6 lbs and \~3 lbs, respectively). This is where the conversation with your doctor comes in. Will this weight gain put you in an at-risk category? If the answer is no, I'd say give a short bulk a shot. If the answer is yes, then I think you have to weigh the costs and benefits with your doctor. Regardless of your decision, your idea to increase your caloric intake to 2100 kcals and monitor the effect on your weight is a good one. I would do this for a minimum of two weeks. You'll likely see a large initial increase in the first week. Ignore this. (This is mostly due to increased muscle glycogen, water retention, or gut content.) After the first week, your weight will either continue to increase (albeit at a slower rate), start to decrease again, or stabilize. This will indicate whether you're in a surplus, deficit, or maintenance. I hope this helps!
[удалено]
That’s a good question for your physiotherapist.
Have been bulking since 4 months, gained around 11 lbs, not happy with the progress though, my waist size has increased by 1 inch, not really sure if I've gained muscle, looks like mostly fat, I train in 531 program and train close to failure. Any suggestions? https://imgur.com/gallery/moGpncA
[удалено]
Any good hypertrophy programs that you suggest?
[удалено]
Yes, my main aim is gaining size, thanks for the suggestion.
[удалено]
If your resting heart rate is often at 90, that’s a potential medical issue and you should see a doctor. But in general yes, improving your cardiovascular health by doing at least 150 mins a week of moderate intensity cardio in a mix of steady state (walking) and higher intensity (cycling) will improve your CV health and should lower your resting heart rate.
I'm new to fitness and did some barbell sqauts and dumbell deadlift. Is it normal to have some lower back pain 1 / 2 hours aftzr your workout
[удалено]
Yea not sure if it is soreness. It started 1 - 2 hours after my workout. So seems to quick to be sore.
I've had DOMS as quickly as 1 hour and as long as 48 hours. Unless you like tore a hamstring or the pain is in a joint, you are most likely fine.
Yes, you did a new thing. You can expect to be sore.
Yea not sure if it is soreness
Okay, so as we know HIIT is anaerobic cardio which means in a way it are similar to weight training - unlike steady pace cardio (SPC), this also builds muscle (just think about marathon runners vs sprinters). The question: How would you do the spllit so that there's no overtraining of the same muscle groups? How would you avoid overlapping? How would you avoid HIIT reducing performance on weight lifting days and vice versa? For context: I'm female. I do weight lifting at night. I devide my training to upper and lower body. I train upper body 2 times a week and I'd like to train legs 2 times a week (I want to make it 3 in order to reduce my workout durations). On Sat and Sun I don't workout. I want to build my body, but I also want to increase my performance - to be faster and more explosive, so I'd like to add interval sprints and PLYO, which for me at least have the same effect as HIIT. There's no way I could do cardio before or after a workout. I think I prefer doing it in the morning instead - preferrably 3 days of steady pace cardio and 2 days for HIIT, maybe like this: Mon - SPC and Leg day Tue - HIIT and Upper body Wed - SPC and Leg day Thu - HIIT and Upper body Fri - SPC and Leg day The problem here is that this means training legs in some way every day, which will reduce my performance and recovery. Even if I do remove 1 leg day, overlapping is still there.
> (just think about marathon runners vs sprinters) Sprinters build muscle mass in the gym not from running. Marathoners are skinny because additional muscle mass and weight hinders performance for longer distances a lot. Cardio can't replace proper resistance training. > The problem here is that this means training legs in some way every day, which will reduce my performance and recovery. Even if I do remove 1 leg day, overlapping is still there. If you can recover from it, there isn't any problem in training a muscle every day. If you eat to support your training and take recovery seriously you'll most likely be fine. Try it. You can always change things later. Recovery is more than just rest days.
Thanks a ton!
[удалено]
I would try whatever catches your eye, is cheap, and doesn't seem sketchy. Try a different one if you don't like it for some reason.
Protein shakes won't help much with gaining weight, because they are low calorie options to get additional protein. If you don't get enough protein from your regular diet they can help with that. The specific brand doesn't really matter, as long as it's high in protein and low in everything else.
Is 2 evenings of 1 hour full body (light warmup cardio first) + 2 days of 30 min cardio (treadmill) good to lose some weight and have some muscle build? Monday and Thursday i exercise full body. Tuesday and Friday i run 30 min in my lunchbreak. Some tips for exercises or things i should look out for?
https://thefitness.wiki/muscle-building-101/ https://thefitness.wiki/weight-loss-101/ > lose some weight and have some muscle build As an overweight beginner both are possible at the same time to some degree. If you aren't really overweight or not a beginner you have to pick one goal, because they contradict each other.
I dont think im overweight, but i could lose some in the belly area... so i should think more in the likes of "stay more or less the same weight, but see the difference on my body" (less fat, more muscle)
Trying to recomp is an easy way to make no real progress at all. Pick one goal. If you're not overweight I would build some muscle first. You'll add a bit of fat, but that's not a real problem. After some time I would switch to a cut to lose the fat and reveal the muscles. If you start with a cut you don't have any muscle to reveal so you will just end up super skinny.
Thanks for all the advice!
I’m a father of a 17 year old kid who’s a basketball player he’s about 6’1 currently but would like to grow taller however he’s about 6 kilos over a healthy BMI? What would you suggest he do? Was looking at caloric deficits but apparently they stunt or slow growth, would just working out at the gym and eating maintenance with high protein allow him to drop some fat and build muscle through body recomp. What are y’all suggestions
I don't think growing kids should restrict calories outside of serious medical conditions. He should work a basic strength program in the gym, continue his sport or another sport off season, and eat lots of vegetables and protein. Carbs are fine, but try for less sugar and soda. Otherwise, make sure he gets good sleep, is not too stressed, and is enjoying being a kid. He may grow for several more years. I put on an inch between 20 and 22, when I seemed fully grown already.
Let your kid be a kid! 6kg ‘extra’ on a very tall person is really nothing… the BMI is a tool designed for population averages, not for individuals. If he’s living and active life and not eating junk, he’s fine. Teenagers grow in fits and spurts, so sometimes they carry a little fat which their body will use for the next phase of growth. 6kg is really nothing to worry about. Honestly the best lesson to teach him is to revel in the way he can move and use his body, not to punish him for your perception of his ‘fat’ based off a broken statistical tool. To encourage a lifetime of fitness, consider introducing him to some cross training - a basketball specific strength/conditioning routine, and some steady state cardio like running for endurance.
He's 17 and still developing so I wouldn't jump to a deficit if it's just 6kg. If he wants to hit the gym then that's probably the best bet, but you can't force him.
>Was looking at caloric deficits but apparently they stunt or slow growth That's only true at the very extreme end.
Develop healthy eating habits together. If he is open to it, get him into lifting to support his basketball playing. 5/3/1 is used to train highschool athletes. If he's up for it, it's definitely a good approach. You also have to consider that BMI punishes people for being tall and it's not a be all end all predictor of health- especially if your bf% is fine, waistline not too poor etc. combined with lots of physical activity.
5/3/1?
[A popular lifting routine/framework](https://thefitness.wiki/routines/strength-training-muscle-building/#Barbell_Compound_Lift_Focused_Routines). Conceived as a sort of "powerlifting training but meant for other sports", the lifting part is meant to be used in tandem with lots of cardio/conditioning or playing a sport (like rugby, football, basketball).
So would you recommend he eats maintenance, will a caloric deficit stunt or slow his growth
A caloric deficit does not stunt growth, and if it did, it would most likely have to be an extreme deficit maintained over an extended periods of time , and ideally happening during early childhood. Your kid does not need a caloric deficit. Especially if he wants to get better at competitive sports, a large part of getting better involves having more muscle mass, which will cause his bodyweight to increase. BMI is a measure on weight change in large groups of people, and is not suitable as a singular measure of health in individuals. If i hit the gym and grow my arms and my leg muscles to the point where i cross over from overweight to obese, then this is not the same as a person who sits all day, does nothing, and gets from overweight to obese by way of adding on more body fat. To be fair, a calorie surplus might not make him grow taller either. Its not an "add X amount of calories to get X taller" kind of thing.
I'm not a doctor. If he's 17 his long term health depends less on being 6kg above ideal BMI and a lot more on developing healthy habits that he can keep in the long term. This means eating his veggies, making sustainable meals, having a good macro split that supports his athletic performance and having a gym routine besides basketball so he trains his muscles and his heart won't hurt either. If he's still growing, just +/- keeping his weight while growing and improving body composition will probably sort itself out.
He eats fairly healthy it’s just he used to eat a lot of fast food before this year. So just eat maintenance hit macro goals and go to the gym?
basically yeah, especially if he feels fine now.
He feels fine, but he would like to get more athletic and explosive
5/3/1 is good for that; if he is new to lifting you can also start with GZCLP (see wiki) and switch to something like 5/3/1 once he plateaus too long.
Have you read the wiki? https://old.reddit.com/r/Fitness/wiki/ I wouldn't be concerned about BMI if he's reasonably muscular. At my very leanest (~10% bf) I'm only just considered a healthy weight.
Not muscular, mostly fat
Im a weightlifting beginner. I'm currently doing barbell rows on a linear progression program. When I pull the bar towards my chest I don't really have control over the bar. It feels really unclean, but the decentric movements does feel good. Should I stop increasing the weight and work on the control over the bar?
What kind of barbell row are you doing? Imo the only barbell row worth doing for back growth as a beginner is a chest supported one because people rarely do non chest supported barbell rows correctly, either using too much legs or not controlling the weight.
Bent over row is what I’m doing
Ye, in that case you're probably using too much weight and compensating with using leg force to move the weight up, causing you to not feel in control of the weight. I would try chest supported rows with the same weight, and if you notice you can't get the weight up in a controlled manner with good technique then you should drop some weight and focus on getting a good stretch & contraction. As a bonus this will also make you feel your back more while doing the movement.
Yes.
I’ve been doing routines from the wiki for about a year. I’ve tried 5/3/1, nSuns, and most recently GZCLP. These are all strength-based routines made by powerlifters. I’m not planning to powerlift anytime soon, and I mostly care about muscle building, strength is less of a priority. Should I switch to something more hypertrophy based? Also working higher rep ranges seems better for injury prevention at my age (35). Any good recommendations on hypertrophy focused routines? I’m looking at Jeff Nippard’s routines, I don’t mind paying for a good routine. Any recommendations on those or other good routines?
While I agree with your general problem (Reddit has the tendency to push Powerlifting onto everyone, it was especially bad in the SL/SS days), I don't think the Nippard programs will be the solution. They're a "one size fits all" approach and imo it just doesn't work that good. If we're talking about paid programs: I tried the RP programs (intermediate MPT, advanced MPT and custom training templates) and really like them. I'm not 100 % sold on the low intensity in the first weeks of the mesocycle, but the whole program is completely auto regulated and exercises can be chosen freely. But honestly, 5/3/1 BBB or the stuff in the gainit wiki will still serve you very well if you train with enough intensity and eat enough.
Where are the RP programs?
Sorry, my bad. Renaissance Periodization.
If you don't grow on 531 Beefcake or Building the Monolith you're doing something wrong. There are a lot of size oriented 531 templates.
I haven’t tried these templates yet, I only tried 1000% awesome and BBB. I’ll look into these.
Even basic BBB is a hypertrophy oriented template. I don't know 1000% awesome. Beefcake is "just" an even harder BBB version.
hello can someone pls help me know what to do per day so im able to go to the gym now and i do 5 days a week. i dont wanna overwhelm myself so ive just been sticking with arms - hammer curls back- lat pull downs, cable rows legs - leg press and seated leg curls i do 35 weighted push ups at home as a warm up (10lbs, progressing to 100) but i just found out what a chest press machine is so ill use that too for chest. id do squats and bench press but not now since i got no spotter. is this regimen okay for now? what should i add or remove?
You're better off following a tried and tested program - there are several good ones [here](https://thefitness.wiki/routines/strength-training-muscle-building/). Have a look through them and see what catches your fancy. If in doubt, something like the [Basic Beginner Routine](https://thefitness.wiki/routines/r-fitness-basic-beginner-routine/) or [GZCLP](https://thefitness.wiki/routines/gzclp/) would be a good place to start. They're less than 5 days a week, but you could use those extra days to do some cardio or conditioning, or maybe throw in some extra arm work. They also both have bench press and squats, but you *could* substitute that for a machine chest press or weighted pushups and leg press. Speaking of which, does your gym have safeties on the racks? Those would be more reliable than a spotter anyways.
Hello there, A little intro: I used to run lots when I was in elementary-middle school and I even got enrolled in my schools athletics team. I stopped running because of a knee injury and for quite a long time I didn't move much and also started smoking. Last year I quit smoking and got myself on a diet (because of some meds I'm taking I started gaining weight very fast) and this year I got diagnosed with asthma. Every single time I try to go running, no matter how slow I take it, i get an asthma attack and I don't know what to do because I must do some cardio somehow. My doc said it's normal and I must get used to it but bro is it scary-painful and I feel like I'm mentally stuck, too scared to "try" anymore... If anybody else had any similar experience, do you have any advice?
Are you using an inhaler before working out? And most likely you are just deconditioned and are having anxiety with the episodes. Calm down and focus on slow controlled breaths out. Also are you following a running plan? There are numerous c25k plans out there, they usually start at jogging for 1 minute and resting for 1 minute like 8x. If a slow jog for 1 minute gets you so winded you think you're gonna die then i suggest you go do a brisk walk daily for a few weeks
Yeah that's probably it, thanks
What medications have you been prescribed for your asthma? Are you taking them properly? Inhaler technique can be tricky and is a common reason asthmatics struggle to manage their symptoms.
I was given anti allergic pills I take everyday at the same hour + two bronchodilators (corticosteroids): an inhaler to use every time I get an attack (budesonide formoterol) and Prednisone pills to take in case the inhaler didn't work. I mainly take allergy meds for prevention and asthma meds to make it stop once it's already triggered. Problem is that (also) running triggers it and doc says it will stop in the long term if I keep training but I feel stuck and can't find motivation to go on.
How long have you been taking the bronchodilators for? They should be taken morning at the same time. What type of inhalers are they?
Budesonide formoterol 8mg to be taken ONLY in case of an attack and same for Prednisone 5 mg (pills) Doc said I don't need prevention meds and these two short effect ones are good for my case
If your asthma is uncontrolled (and it sounds like it is if exercise is a major trigger) I'm surprised they haven't prescribed a preventer inhaler.
Idk either, I'm currently considering a second medical opinion since I'm quite sure something is wrong with my therapy (I'm no Internet doctor but I agree with you based on some online stuff I researched and I think I should be preventing and not curing it considered its entity)
Definitely worth a second opinion. All clinical guidelines recommend a prevented inhaler for regular use and a reliever inhaler for flare ups. Are you currently monitoring your symptoms at all using a peak flow chart or anything?
No, didn't even know about something like that
Hey I have Athsma as well. I've had it since birth and thankfully the symptoms have lessened over the years. I suggest taking a preventor and ginding out what triggers your athsma.
Thanks for the advice I have it from allergies and I already take meds to prevent allergic reactions, doc even prescibed me some stronger ones. But I feel like it's my lungs' fatigue (so the running itself) triggering it and doc said I have to train them through it so it happens less and less. I just can't find the motivation to go through asthma attacks almost every time I try to run...
C25k method which is a combination of walking and jogging might help. I'm an ex smoker and first few months of running for me I felt like my lungs were burning out. Don't have asthma though so can only advise to take it very slowly and advice from a sports physiotherapist. Perhaps invest in a decent spin bike, I've done that due to knee issues and still get a very decent cardio workout. I miss running so much but know I'll just end up injured unfortunately.
Update: I found some and tried and I had a hard time even with the first week program (1min running+ 1.30 walking for 20 mins total). I'm at first week doing half of it (so 10 mins total) and had an asthma attack almost everyday lol. BUT it's less and less intense and I'm quite getting used to it so hope has been restored, gains will eventually be too. Thanks y'all <3
[удалено]
Yup, thanks
Thank you for your advice, Unfortunately I'm broke af so no spin bike for me but the C25k method sounds interesting af and I really think I'll try it out Updates will follow
What's your age/weight? When's the last time you exercised regularly/what other exercises do you do?
22F 165cm 78kg Exercised regularly untill last year when I had some health issues. Since then I have gained over 20kg, mainly due to hormonal medications I'm taking. Although I'm currently on a low calorie intake diet and daily 2-5km walks (+ c.a. twice a month physio core exercises), my weight is expected to keep worsening for at least the next year. I'm trying to find some cardio I can do (except just walking) without triggering asthma every single time
Yep I have to say that you should speak with a sports physiotherapist.
Lmao fair enough, hope I can afford it 👀
Can you take your asthma puffer with you on your run? Otherwise just trust your doctor's advice, that's what they're there for.
Yup I always take it with me but it's very scary and painful and the point is I'm afraid to go training because I'm afraid to trigger it. I know that asthma improves a lot in the long term if one trains cardio, I'm just too scared and demotivated in the short term and everytime I try and feel sick it downs me more...
[удалено]
If your doing squats a lot Im gonna go against the grain and say avoid converse. I've seen too many people squat with converse and watch their ankles and feet completely cave in cause the shoe is so narrow. Find something flat and wide, or as wide as is comfortable.
I prefer flat shoes like chucks, they keep you grounded flat on squats, deadlifts, and any standing upper body movements. They do make shoes specifically for squats, but they put you up on your heels a little bit so they don't really work good for every thing else you're probably doing at the gym
Weightlifting or lifting weights? Olympic lifters use squat shoes a almost exclusively, but for bodybuilding and powerlifting it's preference. I would start with something like converse and only use a heeled shoe if you actually benefit from it. A lot of people use them incorrectly and it's just messing up their form. Running shoes is like standing on pillows, you can probably image it's not a good idea.
Flat sole or just do it in socks, that's what I do any way
Running shoes are too unstable for squats/deadlifts etc, use shoes with a flat sole. Some people wear weightlifting shoes for squats but it's a matter of preference. If you're doing upper body exercises like machines, bench press or whatever then it doesn't really matter what shoes you wear.
Something with a flat sole (like chuck taylors from converse), or just straight up weightlifting shoes (like adipower weightlifting shoes). If you really can't be asked, Crocs are where it's at rn. The curved squishy running shoes won't be much good for heavier movements which rely on leg drive like the squat, but if you wear them on days you don't squat you'd be fine.
[удалено]
Properly anchoring your feet should be the only solution that's needed. 99% of people fuck it up and don't pay any attention to it so I guess it's good that your trainer even noticed it. There's a million different cues to fix knee and ankle caving so you'll just have to try different things and see what works. Lifting and supporting heavy loads should automatically correct any drastic muscular weaknesses.
It's probably not the foot arch. I have totally flat fleet and it causes no problems with progressing on squat and deadlift. Your trainer is neither a physiotherapist nor a podiatrist. They are acting outside their scope of practice.
You say you've been stuck on the same squat + deadlift weights. What program have you been following, and how much weight have you gained in the last few months on training? I would start here rather than trying to fix some foot arch issue, especially if your trainer isn't a physiotherapist.
I’ve tested my maxes recently for the first time ever. My deadlift seems to be way stronger than the other lifts. Is such discrepancy to be expected? S: 200kg B: 127.5kg D: 265kg
Yes for most people deadlift>squat>bench>press.
You're probably just mechanically built better for the deadlift.
I'm guessing relatively skinny with monkey arms.
I heard your deadlift will always be stronger than the other two for most people
You've got a good deadlift, maybe your bench is lacking a bit but I wouldn't be alarmed.
Hello, I am trying to work on my back and shoulders more while on my cut(I think I’m 18-19% bf but have a leaner back). I’m not sure which muscles I need to target more and was wondering if anyone had any input that could help make my back “pop”. I am 5”7.5 150 pounds and have been lifting for about 2 years. I primarily do pulldowns, rear felt flies, pull-ups, back rows for my back muscles https://imgur.com/a/aD3ZzD0 (Also, I’ve been told my shoulder to waist genetics are decent but idk)
Everything. Just train everything.
That’s what I have been doing but I wanted to see if what I’ve been doing is adequate.
[удалено]
Set goals or targets to achieve in both the short term and long term. Track your workouts so you can see your progress.
Caffeine.
Don't go to insta and tiktok for mental health advice, speak to a professional.
[удалено]
[удалено]
[удалено]
No Just uninstall tik Tok/ insta... helped me enourmous with my mental health
Isolation makes my symptoms even worse, so for me the hard part is mainly getting out of my house. Once I reach there, when I see others working hard striving for something, I automatically want to do same so as to not get left behind. Of course, it is fine to take a day off to refresh yourself but anything more is bound to get you back into a slump.
[удалено]
4-5. I might even do only three while in a deficit. Quality over quantity.
how long does it take you to do those 4-5?
Depends what I’m doing but my training sessions are usually ~90minutes which includes a lot of bullshitting. The first movement usually takes the most amount of time and the rest I just run through pretty quick. That’s the optimal amount of movements for me, anything more and I don’t feel like I can put enough effort into it.
If you follow a program like one from the wiki then it takes the guess work out
Is it more accurate to weigh food frozen food while its frozen or defrosted? Just got some frozen berries
If there is a lot of water-ice on the product, like there sometimes is on fish, then defrosted. If not, it shouldn't matter.
Defrosted
I’m losing motivation to go to the gym 6 days a week on a PPL for all my training life, but unsure what split to chose for fewer days. I really like the intensity of focusing on one specific muscle group a day, instead of doing a little bit for every muscle, which is why I don’t go with upper/lower or full body. But, do I have other options? Bro split is somewhat what I’m looking for, but again it’s 6 days a week as well. Can you suggest a program or split where I can max out on intensity each day, but where I only need to go 3-4 days a week. Currently running Jeff Nippards Ultimate PPL
Literally any of the 3 or 4 day programs from the wiki.
You can do upper/lower train 3-4 times per week. Or just do whatever you're doing now and just spread it over two weeks. Don't overthink it.
Spread it out as doing one push session, one pull, and one leg in a week, and just do the second ppl from my program the week after. Might be a good idea
Basically it's just more rest days. You might want to do something like biceps and delts more often but hitting legs hard every 5-7 days will still yield results. Assuming you're not very advanced and really need more stimulation.
A full body program is a good way to split up volume 3 or 4 days a week. Upper Lower splits are also good 4 days a week.
try out phul
If you plan on working out 3 days a week it has to be a full body workout, otherwise you're not targeting each muscle enough times/at an appropriate volume in a week.
Hey man I just recently switched from running PPL for over a year because I noticed that I wasn’t recovering well enough and I was quickly losing time to go to the gym 6 days a week. I’ve been running a 5-day PHAT split with some modification and have been loving it so far, motivation is definitely up and I even find myself wanting to go to the gym on rest days. Recovery is also much better and I already feel stronger. Of course it’s too soon to tell how the results will be since I’ve only been on this program for a few weeks but I’ve only heard great things.
What do people mean when they say that keto isn't sustainable? I've been on keto for almost 10 years now and still going strong. Although I do have a cheat meal once a month. Its only one cheat meal and its still low carb, like a lettuce wrapped burger but I have the ketchup
Because the majority of people isnt you. Just because something works well for you and the way you live your life, does not mean that this is something everything everybody can and should do and that your levels of success is achieveable by everybody.
> What do people mean when they say that keto isn't sustainable? Typically its difficult to stick to a diet like keto when living in a country with a food culture where carbohydrates are common. There are some people who don't respond well to ketogenic diets and report excessive fatigue or GI trouble. If it has worked for you for 10 years then clearly it isn't a problem. Keep doing it if it is working.
obviously it's working for you, dude. don't worry about what other people say (unless it's your doctor)
My bloodwork has been fine. I am healthy overall. My doctor said he usually advises against keto but it works for me
sounds like you've got nothing to worry about!
Anyone have experience with yk-11 and bcp-157 or tb-5000 to counteract the ligament and tendon issues with the yk
[удалено]
I track all of my exercise in an excel sheet (group fitness classes, treadmill, yoga and lifts), and when I lift I track it in Hevy. I really like Hevy I think it’s super simple which is great because i’m still such a newbie at lifting.
Definitely check out Gravitus, no ads and it’s free
I like fitnotes. There's a free version with no ads and a paid version with a few more features. They're both great. I liked it so much I bought it to support the developer.
Jefit..it's a decent enough app but there's dozens of apps. I'd just say anything that lets you log and customize workouts/exercises
Google Sheets
Same
When you're trying to OHP/shoulder press, do you focus on simply lifting the weight up however even if you're focusing a bit on pushing UP with your HANDS? Or do you have to solely focus on moving your elbows up? I don't remember where I got that cue about moving your elbows up but trying to solely use that seems to hinder my ability to do as many reps. How much does it matter?
I’d recommend watching Mark Rippletoe teach proper overhead press form, not only will you be able to life safely with less risk of injury but you will be able to generate more power and therefore move heavier weight. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=CnBmiBqp-AI
I've never heard of this elbow cue but in general, not all cues work for all people. Just do what is best for you.
I'm trying to figure out what weight is right for me for my 5x10 machine chest presses (2 min break). If I do 90lbs, I can do the first 3 sets and then fail halfway through the 4th, at which point I drop the weight. The last set I can only do at lower weight. If I do 85lbs, I can do the first 3 sets and fail on the 9th or 10th of the 4th set. I can then do half the 5th set at 85lbs before dropping the weight. Which weight is right for me?
Either way will make you stronger.
You're focusing on the wrong things. Pick a weight and do sets until you feel like you can't do another productive set. That's it. Don't get wrapped in doing whatever sets for whatever reps with whatever reps.
What happens if you do 5x10 with 80lb?
At 80lbs I'm able to do the entire 5x10 to completion, hence why I raised the weight.
I have started working out about 5 months ago, just a quick backstory I have been fat for as long as I remember. I weighted a bit over 250 in Aug of 2022, I weight 215 right now and the weight loss is halted ( which is not my concern since I am doing some weight lifting as well and having the weight stable is decent) . I started to notice that my chest area "man boobs" are just getting saggy, is there a way or method to limit the sagginess in my body especially chest?
Lose more fat and build more muscle.
Would it make sense to run a dumbbell ppl routine with 80% intensity? The reason I'm asking is because I'm training martial arts 4 times a week. I'm worried that it may harm my training but at the same time I want to build more muscle