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F/25/5’7/165
Hi! Is it better to do cardio before or after lifting?
Also is doing a steep incline (12-15) at a moderate pace (2.5-3) more effective than running for cardio/overall fitness?
Lastly, I want to be able to do pull ups by the end of the year but can’t even do an assisted pull up at the moment, any tips?
I want to burn fat and build muscle, weight loss isn’t really my goal.
Any help is appreciated, thank you!
> Is it better to do cardio before or after lifting?
Do your priority first. Since you want to build muscle, I would lift first
> Also is doing a steep incline (12-15) at a moderate pace (2.5-3) more effective than running for cardio/overall fitness?
I don't know if it's more effective but it's a great choice. High incline is high effort while being relatively low impact.
> Lastly, I want to be able to do pull ups by the end of the year but can’t even do an assisted pull up at the moment, any tips?
Lookup megsquats' first pull-up program on YT. Going from 0->1 can take a long time, but like any lifting goal if you approach it diligently you'll get there
> I want to burn fat and build muscle, weight loss isn’t really my goal.
This is called recomposition, and it is possible. It's also a slower road to take than classic bulk-cut cycles, but is deffo possible. Good luck!
Recently switched to a new gym (free with my university accommodation) but it doesn't have the same machines my old gym had so I'm struggling for ideas for back exercises.
It has a pullup bar, standing cable machines, barbells, dumbbells and a few adjustable benches. Can someone help suggest some back exercises? So far I have:
* barbell rows
* kneeling single arm pulldowns
* shrugs
* pullups
Thanks.
Motivation will only get you so far as it will come and go. Discipline and consistency is what you need to develop so you keep going, even when you really don't feel like going.
You don't. It's a habit like brushing your teeth. You just do it. Do you need to be motivated to brush your teeth?
Eventually you'll just find momentum and it becomes a habit you do and it feels weird if you skip a day, like if you didn't brush your teeth.
The first step is to make it a habit. Buying a gym membership and just being there for 30 minutes per day for 90 days will do wonders for your productivity. Soon you'll be trying to make the most of those 30 minutes instead of bored.
Yep. Normal. Muscle which has not been worked before.
Pain is bad. Make sure you're using good form now, before you start get up to significant weights.
As a beginner, what should I feel like after recovery?
For example, if I lift MWF, is it normal to still feel soreness from my Monday workout on Wednesday?
Is there anything I should do to help with recovery?
My ultimate goal is fat reduction/weight loss, and on my rest days I’m doing (light) cardio.
My first squat session after recovering from COVID (so no gym for 3 weeks) was horrible for soreness. 3 days later it still felt sore to kneel down to tie my shoes. After a while your body will get used to it and you'll start to recover quicker.
Stupidly long recovery times. I'm (47F) very unfit, and fat. I want to get fit for physical and mental health issues (chronic anxiety). Problem is that no matter how light the exercise is, it takes hours for my body to feel normal again. For example, last week I had to walk slightly further than normal (~5 to 10 minutes). Nothing that changed my heart rate or breathing. It took over 8 hours to stop feeling as though I had run a marathon. Everything ached. Even my lungs were still sore (not sure why, since my breathing pretty much stayed the same).
Anyway, this makes exercise really difficult to do, since I feel bad for so long afterwards and I'm not even getting a workout! So what are my options? Is there a way to make recovery shorter? Is this normal? Are there any exercises that I can actually get a workout from? I can't afford a gym membership or to swim (same thing as my local gym has a pool). Any thoughts or ideas appreciated. Thanks.
You need to consult a doctor, no offense intended but your age, and weight make it more likely to have an underlying health condition. Don't give up though, keep trying. I'm a year into a huge weight loss and I've never felt better or happier.
Maybe just moderate your expectations a little. If 10 minutes of walking is exhausting for you, that means that is the appropriate amount of exercise for your level. You should be looking to progress from 10 minutes of walking to 30 minutes.
That *is* a workout, is my point. Training is relative to your level, so this is productive exercise for you, and you will get much better with time and patience.
There's no rule that says you must run for an hour in order to get a good workout in.
See that's the problem, I don't feel like I'm getting exhausted or even a workout (at the time of, the recovery kicks in say an hour or so later and lingers for literally 8 or more hours). Mind you I'm a complete beginner but I always heard cardio should make you slightly out of breath and slightly raise your heart rate to be effective? Neither of those things happen. Just the pain of recovery.
Sometimes the limiting factor in exercise is not your lungs but your joints, muscles, etc. It's common for new runners to find that their legs give out loooong before they feel any shortness of breath.
This is the case in most types of exercise. A lot of people start doing squats and then discover that they get out of breath long before their muscles get sore. There's always something that is the limiting factor and it's not always what you intend. Just means you need to do it more.
That just means you need the required conditioning, and that only comes with more practise.
I think if you started walking every day you would very quickly improve and be less sore from walking the same distance.
Thanks! I guess it's just a case of stick with it, it will get better. If not it comes down to losing weight is hard, being fat and unfit is hard so choose your hard.
I would suggest reading through the wiki as it has lots of advice and information on losing weight. If you're thinking that the only way to lose weight is to get your heart rate up and breath heavily, that's really not the case. It's not even the best or most sustainable way.
It's not really about the weight. It's more about wanting to get fit and healthy, it's just really difficult to get the motivation to do it when I know how long it's going to hurt afterwards.
That was what I was trying to say. The hurt means that you're not conditioned to the level of exercise you're doing. So what might be a good idea is to do a little less (so that it's not mentally draining), but do it more often. If you have to start at 5 minutes then that's ok.
Hi everyone I wanted to come on here and ask if you think I’m doing too much. On a Monday, Wednesday and Friday I do about a brisk 86 minute walk and then go to the gym for 2 hours doing strength training. Then on a Tuesday, thursday, saturday and sunday i do a 30 min walk followed by a 50 minute run. Is this too much? Please let me know as I’m worried if this will negatively impact my health when I’m older
That certainly sounds like a lot.
If you're getting enough calories and sleep, then the sky is the limit. Keep on keeping on.
If you are feeling fatigued and down, it's best to reduce your activity level.
is body recomp possible? if so, how? i want to lose fat and build muscle, but i’ve always heard that i need to be in a caloric deficient to lose any fat be in a surplus to build muscle
It is possible, but will take an incredibly long time if you are natty. Unless you are genetically gifted, a traditional cut/bulk cycle would be far more efficient.
Yes it's possible, The science isn't exact but basically it's not a strict must be deficit to lose fat (technically by definition a deficit will cause loss of *weight* but not necessarily fat and fat loss doesnt require a deficit it's obviously much more likely) and neither is a surplus required for building muscle, you're just much more likely to build muscle when you have an energy surplus.
That energy surplus can be surprised by calorie intake or far burning. Your body will only want to burn fat if it has a lot of it already or it has no choice since you're in a deficit.
So how do you do it? Just train hard and don't eat in a big surplus, if you're fine with gaining a little weight a small surplus is fine, if you wanna lose a little weight then a small deficit. If body recomposition is on the cards for you it'll happen, if it's not it won't. And youll be able to tell by stalling on your lifts or physique. There isn't some magical key technique. Body recomp isn't exactly rare especially for beginners, even if they bulk or cut they may 'accidentally' be recomping for a while without realizing. But deliberately doing it is discouraged because its not the most efficient way to improve your physique, bulking and cutting is, it's just has the least short term discomfort. Because you don't even temporarily have to deal look worse by 'getting fat' or skinny, which is honestly not that common but people are still scared of it. Also, if it turns out you aren't in a good place to recomp, you're just spinning your wheels for a while before you figure it out.
Deciding to bulk or cut and just dealing with the fact that you might not look perfect or how you want for a few months is better in the long run. If you were in a good place to recomp you would don't gain much fat or you might gain muscle even if you were bulking or cutting. So believing you would be able to recomp and believing that bulking or cutting will make you look much worse is kinda mutually exclusive
Tldr: don't aim for body recomp, just train hard, eat for the direction you want your weight to move and it may happen
I don’t know the science behind your question, but from my experience when I started about 5 months ago I’ve lost about 10-12% body fat and put on muscle mass aswell over that period of time. I’m currently on about a 400 calorie deficit and getting more then enough protein in my diet. Obviously this is anecdotal so take it with a grain of salt as it will be different for you most likely. Also have maintained the same weight throughout the whole period (100kg)
Hey y'all, new moron here. I weigh 140~ and my goal is to get strong enough to carry a 200~ pound person around for (; reasons (; What at-home workout routine that preferably doesn't involve weights that could get me there most effectively?
I have some resistance bands I was gifted and never used and a couple 20lb dumbbells that I'm scared to crack my tile floor with. I've started doing the 7 minute workout since calisthenics seem the most accessible and foolproof routine, and I try to go for a 2-3 mile run at least twice a week.
Thanks in advance if you made it this far and feel free to ask away if I've neglected key info.
Through calisthenics and manipulating leverage you can build the muscle to hold a lot of weight, possibly. But to actually hold and lift that weight you need practice.
Lifting is a skill, it's a technical feat, it requires a certain amount of muscle but practice and learning are most peoples limiting factor.
Your best bet is hopping on a program designed for strength by experts and used by many people with visible results. Here or r/bodyweightfitness has all the resources you need. And get real equipment or go to a gym
Here's a few tips:
strength is specific so do deadlifts and squats,
workouts that are measured in minutes are usually trash for anything other than cardio/conditioning or just getting your heart rate up and sweating. Single digit minutes probably not even cardio or burning much energy. Strength is measured in reps and weight so your workouts should be too
Strength is specific so if people really are your goal then at some point start trading with irregular and non rigid weights, people, sandbags, animals, etc
So you want to be able to carry 200lbs without lifting heavy things? Obviously calisthenics will get you stronger, but 200lbs worth of stronger? Even if it’s not weights per se, you need to practice carrying heavy things. Even a sandbag that you can make heavier would work
You're doing 5 chest exercises on Push A, and 4 types of row on Pull A. Most of the time I don't even have that many execises total in a day! And then 4 or 5 more isolation exercises, that's a lot
You could limit yourself to 1 heavy compound (BB press, BB row) and 1 accessory (DB 30° press, or DB row), and up the intensity.
I usually do 1 main movement (heavy compound), 1 accessory (dumbbell variation), and 1 or 2 complimentary (some pulling on push days, some pushing on pull days), takes me 60 to 90mn usually
Also, I don't see any lower body work in your program
You seem to do every variation twice which I don’t rly get like angled bench and 45 angle bench I would remove or swap each time u do something like that
I just turned 14 and I’m able to do a 4 minute elbow plank. I know that there’s no real benefits for sliding a plank longer than 30 seconds but I wanted to test myself how good is it?
I'm a fairly fit guy in my mid-30's who's ramped up my weight training in the last 6 months. I'm 15-17% body fat and still losing fat (from my waist, etc.) but now I'm less than a pound away from the "overweight" category of BMI.
Do I have anything to be concerned about or is BMI unimportant at these body fat levels? I'm concerned with longevity, quality of life, etc. at my age and don't want to put undue strain on my body. Overall, I feel good right now but this is my highest weight I've ever been and it's worrying me a bit.
I lift basically every day and have for about a year and a half now. I’ve gotten way stronger but I think I’m limiting myself by not ever fully recovering.
I do a PPL split and rarely take rest days. Probably 1 a week on average. Does this sound like a good schedule for better recovery?
Day 1: push
2: pull
3: legs
4: push
5: pull
6: legs
7: rest
8: rest
9: rest
Repeat
I got a really bad headache while doing barbell squats a couple days ago, and I felt kinda sick for the rest of my workout. I though it was just because I hadn't had that much to eat/drink that day but the headache keeps coming back every time I try doing any moderately intense activity. Thoughts on what this could be or anything I can do about it?
When it happened to me, it turned out to be hyponatremia. Too much water, not enough food.
It was a nasty headache. First time I ever had to stop mid-workout and go home.
I also occasionally get head-rushes (head gets light, vison turns red) but it has decreased significantly as my core and bracing have gotten stronger.
Sounds like too much intra abdominal pressure. Are you wearing a belt pretty tight? If you are wearing a belt, loosen the belt and push your abs out and into the belt. If you're not using a belt, lighten the load and take an extra minute of rest.
But it can also come from not being sufficiently hydrated. The color of your urine sould be or close to clear.
I can only hit the gym 3 times a week. So I can do the same muscle group roughly 1 day a week. I can increase the weights but very slowly. Like around a few pounds a month. What kind of a progress am I looking at if any? I also cant afford to hit my protein macro every single day so I reserve protein binges for the days I actually workout. Am I currently only doing maintanence?
With a 3-day pr week routine, I'd do a full body routine like building the monolith. https://www.jimwendler.com/blogs/jimwendler-com/101078918-building-the-monolith-5-3-1-for-size
That way, if you're unlucky enough to miss a workout, you don't have to go two weeks without training that muscle group.
You can definitely make progress training 3 times a week. I would highly suggest doing a full body workout each day because if you're only hitting a muscle once a week you're giving it too much time to recover and it's not as effective. Can you give us an idea of how much protein you're eating on training and non training days?
Enough to feel good. 6-8 depending on lifestyle, needs and/or ability. I supplement with magnesium for better quality sleep, and can highly recommend it.
Positive this has been asked before, but none of the apps suggested from a search of "random workout app" are what I'm looking for. So here goes:
Looking for an android app that'll let me put in some conditioning workouts, and then randomly select one whenever I want, whether that's once a week or four times a day. Ideally with a built-in timer so I can, for example, make a Tabata workout, and when it comes up, I can go straight into running the workout without needing to set up a timer elsewhere. But that's a bonus, what's important is having a Rolodex of workouts I enter that I can have randomly selected as frequently or infrequently as I want
I think I understand what you're asking for. Check out the Hevy App. Logo is a white H on a black background. I've been using it for about a year and I like it
I saw a creatine monohydrate gummy on twitter yesterday ([trycreate.co](https://trycreate.co)) -- has anyone ever taken a creatine monohydrate gummy before? Any advice or suggestions on where to buy?
Eyyyy fucked up this weekend, I have a double ear infection and a sprained wrist, got depressed and had a cheat weekend where I didn't track calories. Apparently I did ok enough that I still lost .7lbs in the past week. I managed to fail but still succeed 😂
Been recently getting knee/just above knee pain while squatting, even at lower weights. Eyeing out potential knee/quad overuse, since I've suddenly had to switch to biking everyday as a form of commute. Any tips on how to combat this? I guess I could walk for the commute, but it just takes so much longer...
the only way is to take it easy for a while. i've been going to a physio for knee pain for about 4 months, and i can finally goblet squat a 20lb dumbbell with no pain. its depressing not being able to deadlift or barbell squat, but its hopeful knowing ive come this far (couldnt even squat with no weight bc of the pain)
So take it as easy as possible. Even easier than you're thinking. Run through the movements with as little weight as you can so that you don't have pain, but still abide by the "motion is lotion" law.
Whether you have an injury or not, treating it like one will ensure it doesnt get worse.
Makes sense. Glad to hear that you're getting better! Hope it continues to improve for you. I guess I did ramp things up quickly after a move. Now lifting during then really did a number on my mental psyche so it's definitely a delicate balance
You know that crazy, often painful, post workout soreness that you get when you go lifting and haven't lifted in months or years.. and then after 1 or 2 weeks of lifting you don't feel so sore anymore after workouts.
Well, how long a break would I have to take from lifting before I would have to go through that bad painful soreness once again?
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8431437/
Explains what DOMS is and how to prevent it. It's long.
Long story short: DOMS is not muscle pain, but caused by swelling of the fascia (the connective tissue "sheath" around each muscle group). So long as the fascia stay supple (so long as you use the muscle often), they won't swell and hurt when you suddenly start using them again. You don't actually have to take a break from lifting to get DOMS--you have to take a break from *movement*.
1: You don't need to get sore. Soreness has nothing to do with progress.
2: I understand missing the soreness. It really feels nice doesn't it?
I start getting sore again if i take a 2 week break, but i get really sore if its a month or longer. Even sorer the longer it is.
*However* I would not recommend sacrificing progress just to feel sore again. Another way to feel sore is to try and hit your muscles in a way you don't normally. Might be tough to do if your program already has everything covered
Thank you, but you misunderstood my post. I do not miss the soreness at all, it's the opposite, I hate that painful, can't bend your arm, can't sit without pain, level soreness that you get when you haven't trained in a very long time. And I wanted to know how long it would take for me to feel that again if I took a break off training.
Not quite sure on that, but if you are consistently not feeling sore after workouts then you need to progressively overload your training. This can come from any or a combination of: more weight, more reps, more sets, better form, amongst others. Follow a program and this should return, perhaps not as sore though as you've mentioned from being de trained for months.
Sorry but this is wrong. Soreness is not linked to a good workout, it is linked to frequency of workouts. Plenty of progress made with no doms in sight.
Thanks. I mean I do feel sore after workouts.. absolutely. But nothing compared to incredibly painful soreness I felt when I haven't trained for years or many months. The kind of pain where you can't extend your arm straight after working your biceps, or where sitting down is extremely painful after workout out your glutes or walking funny after working out your calves.. and this kind of painful soreness can last several days.
I'm on the road for 20 days starting next week and was just wondering if this will be long enough for me to have to go through all that bad soreness again.
You can safely ignore that person as they don’t know what they are talking about. Feeling sore after a workout isn’t necessary or indicative of a good workout.
How do you progress when the current weight is too low and the next way is too heavy? I can currently only do 3 reads on the DB bench press because of this. The DBs increase by 2.5kg. I would need like only 500g more.
Do rep progression instead of weight progression. You can build muscle anywhere from 5-30 reps if you go close to failure, so you can simply use the same weight for two months and go from 6 reps to 14 by adding a rep pr week. That's how I progressed pullups when I could only do two reps, and my back thickened up s lot from doing so.
If doing 3 sets, you could do one with the larger of the 2 weights, either the first or the last one. Then progress to 2 sets with the larger weight, etc.
Yes. It's my least favorite day.
A muscle group plateaus at 20 sets per week (strongerbyscience had an article), so you can safely ignore whatever you need if you're doing more than that. And if you're still fatigued at 20, 20 is just a guideline.
It is A LOT of volume. I’ve been doing the Reddit PPL since April now and have made incredible progress on my strength and fitness. I am to the point now where I have started to do the primary lifts using the 5/3/1 progression.
Don’t expect the dumbbell incline presses to progress anywhere near the rate of any other lift in the Reddit PPL.
I would recommend sticking with the program for at least 3 months and reducing the weight on the pushing accessories if necessary.
I’m 5’9, 134 lbs F. I’ve been skinny fat my whole life and recently I’ve started going to the gym but I have no idea what I’m doing. My goal is to build muscle and body definition. Where should I start and what should I focus on at the gym? Should I gain weight? Is it possible to reach my goal in 10 months? Can YouTube home workouts (for example Caroline Girvan’s) also help me?
I'll be another person saying, check the wiki. Several beginner-friendly programs there. And they are effective.
Do not use youtube to help you pick a workout. beginner programs are not intermediate programs are not advanced programs.
The [wiki](https://thefitness.wiki/?amp) has everything you need! I’d avoid YouTube workouts. Most of them are clickbait and not useful in the long run because what you want is a program that you can repeat and track progress, not a single workout.
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What are reasonable expectations for newbie gains?
I've been fucking around in the gym for a long time, but the past few weeks I've been focusing on actually lifting intentionally with good form, sticking with the same routine consistently and progressively overloading, and the results have been insane lol.
Like for instance the past few weeks I have been mainly focusing on dumbbell chest press with strict form, and a couple other chest movements, and my chest has blown up like never before in only like 3 weeks. I'm not huge by any means, but it's a big difference from where I started.
Anyway, just wondering how long I can expect these fun and easy gains to continue lol
https://www.strongerbyscience.com/realistic-training-goals/
You have to expect diminishing returns. In the beginning phase, lasting something between 3 to 12 months for most people depending on training history, effort, nutrition/recovery and predisposition you will have awesome week to week progress with comparatively little effort or programming need. If you work kinda smart and kinda hard you will see results.
After that you can expect 3 to 5 years of great progress as long as you follow good programs, lift hard and eat well together with good recovery. This period usually starts if you can no longer easily progress with a simple linear progression program. After that it depends on a lot of factors. Progress becomes slower, because lifting 5lbs more or gaining a few lbs of muscle is less of a relative increase than before. You can double or even tripple your lifts in your first year, or at least come close to it- but you can't forever expect to put on 5 lbs more on the bar each week. But tangible progress is still possible and if you arrive at that point you are already in a position of being quite muscular and strong.
I’m 44F and fairly unfit. I have painful Achilles’ tendons and find myself very sore after short enough walks. I want to build up general fitness, but mainly strengthen my crappy legs. Any tips?
I did a couple of long backpacking trips on the Appalachian trail last year and walked (well kinda crawled) away with insertional Achilles tendonitis. Lifts for my shoes and PT are the recommendations from the ortho doc.
Start stretching them and improve your ankle mobility. You can place your front foot on a kerb and gently push down your heal. Gentle but regular stretching is the key.
Do you think it is realistic that I could get my Bench Press max to 115kg in 10 months? my current 1RM is 70kg, I'm a 16M and weigh 70kg currently. The two people I've asked so far have said they very much doubt it.
Yes In the past month I’ve brought my bench from 205 pounds to 235 pounds (Colorado record)and I weigh 147 pounds I’m also 16; my bench was 175 5 months ago and I’m not on roids
That's awesome!
The target I'm going for is actually an Australian state record (probably will do the lift unofficially), although the record changes depending on the weight of the person lifting and my weight is definitely going to increase in the 10 months from now to July.
In that case, I would follow one of [Greg Nuckols' 28 programs](https://www.strongerbyscience.com/newsletter/). IIRC, there's a high-frequency BP template which will help you hit those 115kg.
Nice, i started gymming last November and had a starting bench of 75 and hit 115 a few months back, including multiple weeks off due to illness, so it’s definitely possible
I think it very much depends, but it's certainly not impossible, especially since you're 16. How tall are you? At any rate, you'd probably want to put on some weight if that were your goal.
Hmm- I'm reluctant to tell a teenager to put on weight intentionally, especially just to hit a certain number in a lift, but... you're very light for your height, compared to most people with big benches.
I will definitely be adding more protein to my diet of the course of the 12 months. May I ask why you are reluctant to tell a teenager to put on weight?
How the hell do I tell how much the trap bar weighs? One gym I go to I’m guessing (by feel) it’s 20kg but the other is feeling a lot heavier and I’ve guesstimated at 30kg.
Is it printed somewhere useful?
Ask a member of staff? Or if there's a scale around weigh yourself, then weigh yourself holding it.
They can get pretty huge. The one at my gym is 35kg
/r/fitness or /r/WeightRoom daily threads. Everywhere else you are taking a gamble on whether the advise you get is coming from somebody with experience or a complete beginner. And most times it’s the latter.
That sub is very hit or miss. Sometimes the advice is alright but the vast majority of users offering the advice are barely beyond beginners themselves.
Probably r/Gym but I haven't really explored other fitness subreddits (r/gym is also IMO full of people that do stupidly risky exercises for barely any extra gain, I shouldn't judge though, the people that do those exercises do look pretty experienced.)
Edit: Also the stickied comment on this post is for form checks.
I know that it's a good idea to spread meals between your day. My question is can I have two meals(larger one) at the same time because I'm hungry and than another one later in the evening. How does that affect my muscle recovery/growth? My meals are spread by about 8hours. (I workout in this 8 hours aswell.
>My question is can I have two meals(larger one) at the same time because I'm hungry and than another one later in the evening. How does that affect my muscle recovery/growth?
Yes, you can, and it'll barely make a dent in your recovery or growth compared to spreading the meals out.
It's probably a good idea to get at least three fairly large servings of protein spread out over at least eight hours a day, if you can. But as long as you get sufficient protein and train hard you'll still make plenty of progress if it's two servings, separated by eight hours.
Maybe it will be a little bit worse than three servings, but the main thing is to eat well and train hard. You'll be fine if you do that.
If I have about 12lbs left to lose as a weight loss goal, should I just rush it going 2lbs per week while trying to maintain strength to mitigate muscle loss, or am I better off going slow at 1lb per week? I'm currently 6ft 205lbs at 16% bf.
I think it's almost entirely a question of what you mind more- eating less, or taking longer to be done. I don't think you'll lose much muscle either way (though if you're really around 16%, 1.5 pounds a week might be more reasonable than 2 unless you know you tolerate large deficits well.)
I think people have an exaggerated idea of how much muscle gets lost when cutting to moderate bodyfat percentages, because 1) natty bodybuilders, of course, lose muscle because they are close to their genetic potential, and cut to 5% or so, and 2) people overestimate how much lean weight they gained when bulking, and are disappointed by what's left when they cut.
Been looking to find a DMAA supplement/pre. Im in the UK right now and it is banned here. I know I can get it off some sketchy website, but im not sure which as im afraid they will be duds. Any idea as to where I should look?
As someone with severe social anxiety, how do I work up the courage to ask people at the gym to spot me or ask if I can work in, etc? I don't want to bother their gym session, or waste their time, or have them call the cops for me being creepy, etc.
Everyone at my gym has social anxiety. People having a conversation is very uncommon.
People often don't even say "hi" or head nod at fellow regulars. They must think I'm an extravert because I do.
I'd say start there. Once you realize they're as scared of you as you are of them, it gets easier.
The usual way is to walk up to someone who's resting, and say something in the lines of "hey can you spot me please?", so, pretty simple overall, no big deal. If the answer is yes, you're doing great! If not, just move along to the next guy.
Maybe a few clarifications such as "don't touch the bar unless I say so", or "I'm going for a set of 10"
Now the tricky part is, if you need to work up the courage to ask this, I'm afraid you need more help than this thread can provide
I was benching and my last rep was so gritty someone hurried to help me. I got the lift up unassisted. The best person to ask is someone who is also benching, you can offer back. The next best way is to try to make acquaintances in general. If there are trainers you can befriend them to as they are friendly with everyone.
I also take some classes and meet people that way. Good luck. YouTube charisma on command
There isn't an easy answer to this, and you might want to see a therapist, because what you're describing is well past normal social anxiety. But, first and foremost, it would probably help to recognize that some of the fears you're describing aren't rational fears.
Take a moment to distance yourself from imagining yourself in the gym, and then imagine someone else there, perhaps a reasonably confident, but generally average guy. Imagine that person politely asking for a spot. What would happen? In any gym I've been in, anyone would be happy to spot him.
Now let's imagine that person asking to work in at a station or machine. What would happen? A few things might. It's possible someone might say no, and he would accept that and go away. That's not likely, but it could happen.
But call the cops? Can you imagine that this mild-mannered average guy politely asks someone to work in and they call the cops over it? Of course not- that would never happen (and if it did the cops would have more to say to the guy who called them than to the average guy we're imagining, who would be completely blameless in this interaction.) And, just so, it would never happen if \_you\_ asked to work in.
Once you recognize that this is the case, if you can, it might be good for you to try to act as that average, but reasonably confident guy would, knowing that the outcomes of doing so will be much the same as the outcomes you imagine for him would be.
I think you’re just overthinking it. Just be polite and ask just like you would in any other setting. 95% of the time it usually goes well, people at the gym have a “brotherhood” of sorts and will most likely gladly enjoy spotting you/fitting you into their workout. That’s unless you end up talking to some roid-raged meat head. Not your fault anyways. Happy workouts!
How do I keep myself from falling into a depression when I am unable to lift for a week or more? Basically I'm gonna have some surgery and I know for a fact that I won't be able it lift for at least a week. Just the thought of that made me have a depressive episode. Couldn't get out of bed, missed work, missed meals, etc.
If you’re in your mid-20s and plan to train for the rest of your life then you’ve got a few thousand weeks left to go. You can make up for a lost week in a session or two. It will not make a grain of difference.
Not being able to lift for a week doesn’t mean you cant be active or eat healthy either. Going on walks is way better than sitting on your ass, and again if you cant even do that yet you have *plenty* of time.
Go see a therapist dude.
One week of no training will not make any diffenrence, actually they say that you can gain strength if you take one week of! Only after three weeks your progress can decline. Just make sure you have a plan for going back to the gym when you can and you will be fine! Good luck with the surgery!
Okay what if the doctor says I need to rest 1 more week. Then follow up he says one more week, then follow up he says one more week, and so on. I'll definitely lose my gains. As an ugly skinny guy, I can't afford to lose my gains.
To put it bluntly mate it sounds like you have anxiety issues. Youre disasterising every situation, thinking of the worst possible outcome. The gym/fitness is just a way you're expressing that.
I mean Anxiety the medical condition, with a capital A. I mean that this isn't really about the gym, even if you think it is.
I have friends who have GAD and their thoughts processes are exactly the same as yours, regardless of the subject matter. You need to see a medical professional, because if you don't you're going to miss out on more than one or two gym sessions in the long term.
that’s the problem
congrats for being so dedicated and consistent but this isn’t okay
You hate feeling anxious about missing the gym right? So won’t it be worth it to put time into fixing that?
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F/25/5’7/165 Hi! Is it better to do cardio before or after lifting? Also is doing a steep incline (12-15) at a moderate pace (2.5-3) more effective than running for cardio/overall fitness? Lastly, I want to be able to do pull ups by the end of the year but can’t even do an assisted pull up at the moment, any tips? I want to burn fat and build muscle, weight loss isn’t really my goal. Any help is appreciated, thank you!
> Is it better to do cardio before or after lifting? Do your priority first. Since you want to build muscle, I would lift first > Also is doing a steep incline (12-15) at a moderate pace (2.5-3) more effective than running for cardio/overall fitness? I don't know if it's more effective but it's a great choice. High incline is high effort while being relatively low impact. > Lastly, I want to be able to do pull ups by the end of the year but can’t even do an assisted pull up at the moment, any tips? Lookup megsquats' first pull-up program on YT. Going from 0->1 can take a long time, but like any lifting goal if you approach it diligently you'll get there > I want to burn fat and build muscle, weight loss isn’t really my goal. This is called recomposition, and it is possible. It's also a slower road to take than classic bulk-cut cycles, but is deffo possible. Good luck!
Thank you so much for the detailed response! I appreciate it
Recently switched to a new gym (free with my university accommodation) but it doesn't have the same machines my old gym had so I'm struggling for ideas for back exercises. It has a pullup bar, standing cable machines, barbells, dumbbells and a few adjustable benches. Can someone help suggest some back exercises? So far I have: * barbell rows * kneeling single arm pulldowns * shrugs * pullups Thanks.
What can I do instead of chin ups and squats?
When do I began to start feeling good about myself ?
about 5 minutes from now. forevr
How do I strengthen my tendons without growing muscles? (example: avoiding tennis elbow, where the muscles overpower the tendons)
Powerlifters like JM Blakley did high-rep assistance for their tendons among other things. Look up JM press and see what I'm talking about.
That's not a bad idea. I'll try that out with light weight or just the bar.
How do I find motivation and energy to workout consistently?
i just keep a picture of myself from 2019 when i was really fat as my phone wallpaper. It reminds me what lies in my future if i ever start slipping.
Motivation will only get you so far as it will come and go. Discipline and consistency is what you need to develop so you keep going, even when you really don't feel like going.
You don't. It's a habit like brushing your teeth. You just do it. Do you need to be motivated to brush your teeth? Eventually you'll just find momentum and it becomes a habit you do and it feels weird if you skip a day, like if you didn't brush your teeth.
The motivation comes after you've been working out consistently for a while. Just keep it up, and your brain will follow where your body takes it.
The first step is to make it a habit. Buying a gym membership and just being there for 30 minutes per day for 90 days will do wonders for your productivity. Soon you'll be trying to make the most of those 30 minutes instead of bored.
First time deadlifting, normal to feel kinda weird in my lower back days after? Feels sore but also not like the sore in my chest or back
Same
Yep, I often get DOMS in my middle back from deadlifting. Last deadlifting session even gave me sore abs for the first time that I can remember.
Yep. Normal. Muscle which has not been worked before. Pain is bad. Make sure you're using good form now, before you start get up to significant weights.
Normal. Pain is bad - but any first time exercise is going to make you feel weird. Focus on form and you will be fine
As a beginner, what should I feel like after recovery? For example, if I lift MWF, is it normal to still feel soreness from my Monday workout on Wednesday? Is there anything I should do to help with recovery? My ultimate goal is fat reduction/weight loss, and on my rest days I’m doing (light) cardio.
My first squat session after recovering from COVID (so no gym for 3 weeks) was horrible for soreness. 3 days later it still felt sore to kneel down to tie my shoes. After a while your body will get used to it and you'll start to recover quicker.
DOMS (Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness) is typically worst 1-2 days after an exercise. Keep workout out and your body will eventually acclimate to it
Great! That’s kind of what I expected. Thank you for the info!
Stupidly long recovery times. I'm (47F) very unfit, and fat. I want to get fit for physical and mental health issues (chronic anxiety). Problem is that no matter how light the exercise is, it takes hours for my body to feel normal again. For example, last week I had to walk slightly further than normal (~5 to 10 minutes). Nothing that changed my heart rate or breathing. It took over 8 hours to stop feeling as though I had run a marathon. Everything ached. Even my lungs were still sore (not sure why, since my breathing pretty much stayed the same). Anyway, this makes exercise really difficult to do, since I feel bad for so long afterwards and I'm not even getting a workout! So what are my options? Is there a way to make recovery shorter? Is this normal? Are there any exercises that I can actually get a workout from? I can't afford a gym membership or to swim (same thing as my local gym has a pool). Any thoughts or ideas appreciated. Thanks.
You need to consult a doctor, no offense intended but your age, and weight make it more likely to have an underlying health condition. Don't give up though, keep trying. I'm a year into a huge weight loss and I've never felt better or happier.
Maybe just moderate your expectations a little. If 10 minutes of walking is exhausting for you, that means that is the appropriate amount of exercise for your level. You should be looking to progress from 10 minutes of walking to 30 minutes. That *is* a workout, is my point. Training is relative to your level, so this is productive exercise for you, and you will get much better with time and patience. There's no rule that says you must run for an hour in order to get a good workout in.
See that's the problem, I don't feel like I'm getting exhausted or even a workout (at the time of, the recovery kicks in say an hour or so later and lingers for literally 8 or more hours). Mind you I'm a complete beginner but I always heard cardio should make you slightly out of breath and slightly raise your heart rate to be effective? Neither of those things happen. Just the pain of recovery.
It's not at all abnormal to feel worse (exhausted) when you're recovering than during the exercise. Endorphins.
Sometimes the limiting factor in exercise is not your lungs but your joints, muscles, etc. It's common for new runners to find that their legs give out loooong before they feel any shortness of breath. This is the case in most types of exercise. A lot of people start doing squats and then discover that they get out of breath long before their muscles get sore. There's always something that is the limiting factor and it's not always what you intend. Just means you need to do it more. That just means you need the required conditioning, and that only comes with more practise. I think if you started walking every day you would very quickly improve and be less sore from walking the same distance.
Thanks! I guess it's just a case of stick with it, it will get better. If not it comes down to losing weight is hard, being fat and unfit is hard so choose your hard.
I would suggest reading through the wiki as it has lots of advice and information on losing weight. If you're thinking that the only way to lose weight is to get your heart rate up and breath heavily, that's really not the case. It's not even the best or most sustainable way.
It's not really about the weight. It's more about wanting to get fit and healthy, it's just really difficult to get the motivation to do it when I know how long it's going to hurt afterwards.
That was what I was trying to say. The hurt means that you're not conditioned to the level of exercise you're doing. So what might be a good idea is to do a little less (so that it's not mentally draining), but do it more often. If you have to start at 5 minutes then that's ok.
Little and often. Sounds like a plan. Thank you.
Hi everyone I wanted to come on here and ask if you think I’m doing too much. On a Monday, Wednesday and Friday I do about a brisk 86 minute walk and then go to the gym for 2 hours doing strength training. Then on a Tuesday, thursday, saturday and sunday i do a 30 min walk followed by a 50 minute run. Is this too much? Please let me know as I’m worried if this will negatively impact my health when I’m older
I gotta ask, why an 86 minute walk exactly?
That certainly sounds like a lot. If you're getting enough calories and sleep, then the sky is the limit. Keep on keeping on. If you are feeling fatigued and down, it's best to reduce your activity level.
There is virtually no “too much” as long as you are recovering from it.
Ok thank you. Just seeing studies online they say you can do too much
is body recomp possible? if so, how? i want to lose fat and build muscle, but i’ve always heard that i need to be in a caloric deficient to lose any fat be in a surplus to build muscle
It is possible, but will take an incredibly long time if you are natty. Unless you are genetically gifted, a traditional cut/bulk cycle would be far more efficient.
Yes it's possible, The science isn't exact but basically it's not a strict must be deficit to lose fat (technically by definition a deficit will cause loss of *weight* but not necessarily fat and fat loss doesnt require a deficit it's obviously much more likely) and neither is a surplus required for building muscle, you're just much more likely to build muscle when you have an energy surplus. That energy surplus can be surprised by calorie intake or far burning. Your body will only want to burn fat if it has a lot of it already or it has no choice since you're in a deficit. So how do you do it? Just train hard and don't eat in a big surplus, if you're fine with gaining a little weight a small surplus is fine, if you wanna lose a little weight then a small deficit. If body recomposition is on the cards for you it'll happen, if it's not it won't. And youll be able to tell by stalling on your lifts or physique. There isn't some magical key technique. Body recomp isn't exactly rare especially for beginners, even if they bulk or cut they may 'accidentally' be recomping for a while without realizing. But deliberately doing it is discouraged because its not the most efficient way to improve your physique, bulking and cutting is, it's just has the least short term discomfort. Because you don't even temporarily have to deal look worse by 'getting fat' or skinny, which is honestly not that common but people are still scared of it. Also, if it turns out you aren't in a good place to recomp, you're just spinning your wheels for a while before you figure it out. Deciding to bulk or cut and just dealing with the fact that you might not look perfect or how you want for a few months is better in the long run. If you were in a good place to recomp you would don't gain much fat or you might gain muscle even if you were bulking or cutting. So believing you would be able to recomp and believing that bulking or cutting will make you look much worse is kinda mutually exclusive Tldr: don't aim for body recomp, just train hard, eat for the direction you want your weight to move and it may happen
I don’t know the science behind your question, but from my experience when I started about 5 months ago I’ve lost about 10-12% body fat and put on muscle mass aswell over that period of time. I’m currently on about a 400 calorie deficit and getting more then enough protein in my diet. Obviously this is anecdotal so take it with a grain of salt as it will be different for you most likely. Also have maintained the same weight throughout the whole period (100kg)
Hey y'all, new moron here. I weigh 140~ and my goal is to get strong enough to carry a 200~ pound person around for (; reasons (; What at-home workout routine that preferably doesn't involve weights that could get me there most effectively? I have some resistance bands I was gifted and never used and a couple 20lb dumbbells that I'm scared to crack my tile floor with. I've started doing the 7 minute workout since calisthenics seem the most accessible and foolproof routine, and I try to go for a 2-3 mile run at least twice a week. Thanks in advance if you made it this far and feel free to ask away if I've neglected key info.
Sounds a bit like you would want to run a 5mn mile and your only training would be incline walking. You need some heavy squats and deadlifts!
Through calisthenics and manipulating leverage you can build the muscle to hold a lot of weight, possibly. But to actually hold and lift that weight you need practice. Lifting is a skill, it's a technical feat, it requires a certain amount of muscle but practice and learning are most peoples limiting factor. Your best bet is hopping on a program designed for strength by experts and used by many people with visible results. Here or r/bodyweightfitness has all the resources you need. And get real equipment or go to a gym Here's a few tips: strength is specific so do deadlifts and squats, workouts that are measured in minutes are usually trash for anything other than cardio/conditioning or just getting your heart rate up and sweating. Single digit minutes probably not even cardio or burning much energy. Strength is measured in reps and weight so your workouts should be too Strength is specific so if people really are your goal then at some point start trading with irregular and non rigid weights, people, sandbags, animals, etc
So you want to be able to carry 200lbs without lifting heavy things? Obviously calisthenics will get you stronger, but 200lbs worth of stronger? Even if it’s not weights per se, you need to practice carrying heavy things. Even a sandbag that you can make heavier would work
Looking to eliminate some bloat from what I am doing and asking in the moronic thread: PPL but for Push and Pull there might be too much bloat. Push A: Bench 5/3/1 - 5x10 Incline Dumbell Bench: 5x10 45 incline dumbell bench: 5x10 Cable crossover : 5x10 Pec flyes machine : 5x10 Tricep push downs: 5x10 Tricep reverse grip push downs: 5x10 Overhead push downs: 5x10 Pull A: Pendlay Row: 5/3/1 - 5x10 Db row: 5x10 Cable row: 5x10 T-bar row: 5x10 Cable reverse flyes: 5x10 Preacher curls: 5x10 Reverse BB curls: 5x10 Hammer curls: 5x10 Push B OHP: 5/3/1 - 5x10 Lateral Raises: 5x10 Db upright rows: 5x10 Lateral raise machine: 5x10 Rope behind head push down: 5x10 Rope push downs: 5x10 SkullCrushers: 5x10 Pull B: Wide grip lat pulls: 5x10 Medium grip lat pulls: 5x10 Narrow grip lat pulls: 5x10 Straight arm pull downs: 5x10 Face pulls: 5x10 Rope curls: 5x10 Cable curls: 5x10 Db curls: 5x10 Thanks!
You're doing 5 chest exercises on Push A, and 4 types of row on Pull A. Most of the time I don't even have that many execises total in a day! And then 4 or 5 more isolation exercises, that's a lot You could limit yourself to 1 heavy compound (BB press, BB row) and 1 accessory (DB 30° press, or DB row), and up the intensity. I usually do 1 main movement (heavy compound), 1 accessory (dumbbell variation), and 1 or 2 complimentary (some pulling on push days, some pushing on pull days), takes me 60 to 90mn usually Also, I don't see any lower body work in your program
You seem to do every variation twice which I don’t rly get like angled bench and 45 angle bench I would remove or swap each time u do something like that
I just turned 14 and I’m able to do a 4 minute elbow plank. I know that there’s no real benefits for sliding a plank longer than 30 seconds but I wanted to test myself how good is it?
It’s good. If you want something harder, try dead bugs. Make sure to keep your lower back flat on the floor
I surprised someone thinks planks are easier than dead bugs. Would others like to chime in? What is the consensus?
I'm a fairly fit guy in my mid-30's who's ramped up my weight training in the last 6 months. I'm 15-17% body fat and still losing fat (from my waist, etc.) but now I'm less than a pound away from the "overweight" category of BMI. Do I have anything to be concerned about or is BMI unimportant at these body fat levels? I'm concerned with longevity, quality of life, etc. at my age and don't want to put undue strain on my body. Overall, I feel good right now but this is my highest weight I've ever been and it's worrying me a bit.
BMI is meaningless. Don’t worry about it.
I lift basically every day and have for about a year and a half now. I’ve gotten way stronger but I think I’m limiting myself by not ever fully recovering. I do a PPL split and rarely take rest days. Probably 1 a week on average. Does this sound like a good schedule for better recovery? Day 1: push 2: pull 3: legs 4: push 5: pull 6: legs 7: rest 8: rest 9: rest Repeat
Sounds like me. Make sure to eat and sleep enough. I personally have difficulty eating enough to recover.
A six day PPLPPL schedule is pretty common. The idea is that each muscle group needs at least a couple days to rest, and you’re doing that.
I got a really bad headache while doing barbell squats a couple days ago, and I felt kinda sick for the rest of my workout. I though it was just because I hadn't had that much to eat/drink that day but the headache keeps coming back every time I try doing any moderately intense activity. Thoughts on what this could be or anything I can do about it?
When it happened to me, it turned out to be hyponatremia. Too much water, not enough food. It was a nasty headache. First time I ever had to stop mid-workout and go home. I also occasionally get head-rushes (head gets light, vison turns red) but it has decreased significantly as my core and bracing have gotten stronger.
Exertion headache would be my guess
also, are you breathing properly between reps? i used to have this problem and it was because i was holding my breath for too long
I had this and it went away after I took a couple days off
Sounds like too much intra abdominal pressure. Are you wearing a belt pretty tight? If you are wearing a belt, loosen the belt and push your abs out and into the belt. If you're not using a belt, lighten the load and take an extra minute of rest. But it can also come from not being sufficiently hydrated. The color of your urine sould be or close to clear.
I can only hit the gym 3 times a week. So I can do the same muscle group roughly 1 day a week. I can increase the weights but very slowly. Like around a few pounds a month. What kind of a progress am I looking at if any? I also cant afford to hit my protein macro every single day so I reserve protein binges for the days I actually workout. Am I currently only doing maintanence?
With a 3-day pr week routine, I'd do a full body routine like building the monolith. https://www.jimwendler.com/blogs/jimwendler-com/101078918-building-the-monolith-5-3-1-for-size That way, if you're unlucky enough to miss a workout, you don't have to go two weeks without training that muscle group.
You can definitely make progress training 3 times a week. I would highly suggest doing a full body workout each day because if you're only hitting a muscle once a week you're giving it too much time to recover and it's not as effective. Can you give us an idea of how much protein you're eating on training and non training days?
How many hours of sleep is too little to hit the gym?
Enough to feel good. 6-8 depending on lifestyle, needs and/or ability. I supplement with magnesium for better quality sleep, and can highly recommend it.
Thanks for the idea. I'm going to look into that.
If you are so exhausted that you couldn’t safely drive to the gym, I would consider that too little sleep. Otherwise, get after it.
Positive this has been asked before, but none of the apps suggested from a search of "random workout app" are what I'm looking for. So here goes: Looking for an android app that'll let me put in some conditioning workouts, and then randomly select one whenever I want, whether that's once a week or four times a day. Ideally with a built-in timer so I can, for example, make a Tabata workout, and when it comes up, I can go straight into running the workout without needing to set up a timer elsewhere. But that's a bonus, what's important is having a Rolodex of workouts I enter that I can have randomly selected as frequently or infrequently as I want
I think I understand what you're asking for. Check out the Hevy App. Logo is a white H on a black background. I've been using it for about a year and I like it
I saw a creatine monohydrate gummy on twitter yesterday ([trycreate.co](https://trycreate.co)) -- has anyone ever taken a creatine monohydrate gummy before? Any advice or suggestions on where to buy?
I just take capsules
Eyyyy fucked up this weekend, I have a double ear infection and a sprained wrist, got depressed and had a cheat weekend where I didn't track calories. Apparently I did ok enough that I still lost .7lbs in the past week. I managed to fail but still succeed 😂
Been recently getting knee/just above knee pain while squatting, even at lower weights. Eyeing out potential knee/quad overuse, since I've suddenly had to switch to biking everyday as a form of commute. Any tips on how to combat this? I guess I could walk for the commute, but it just takes so much longer...
the only way is to take it easy for a while. i've been going to a physio for knee pain for about 4 months, and i can finally goblet squat a 20lb dumbbell with no pain. its depressing not being able to deadlift or barbell squat, but its hopeful knowing ive come this far (couldnt even squat with no weight bc of the pain) So take it as easy as possible. Even easier than you're thinking. Run through the movements with as little weight as you can so that you don't have pain, but still abide by the "motion is lotion" law. Whether you have an injury or not, treating it like one will ensure it doesnt get worse.
Makes sense. Glad to hear that you're getting better! Hope it continues to improve for you. I guess I did ramp things up quickly after a move. Now lifting during then really did a number on my mental psyche so it's definitely a delicate balance
You know that crazy, often painful, post workout soreness that you get when you go lifting and haven't lifted in months or years.. and then after 1 or 2 weeks of lifting you don't feel so sore anymore after workouts. Well, how long a break would I have to take from lifting before I would have to go through that bad painful soreness once again?
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8431437/ Explains what DOMS is and how to prevent it. It's long. Long story short: DOMS is not muscle pain, but caused by swelling of the fascia (the connective tissue "sheath" around each muscle group). So long as the fascia stay supple (so long as you use the muscle often), they won't swell and hurt when you suddenly start using them again. You don't actually have to take a break from lifting to get DOMS--you have to take a break from *movement*.
Two weeks off should decondition you enough to get pretty sore.
1: You don't need to get sore. Soreness has nothing to do with progress. 2: I understand missing the soreness. It really feels nice doesn't it? I start getting sore again if i take a 2 week break, but i get really sore if its a month or longer. Even sorer the longer it is. *However* I would not recommend sacrificing progress just to feel sore again. Another way to feel sore is to try and hit your muscles in a way you don't normally. Might be tough to do if your program already has everything covered
Thank you, but you misunderstood my post. I do not miss the soreness at all, it's the opposite, I hate that painful, can't bend your arm, can't sit without pain, level soreness that you get when you haven't trained in a very long time. And I wanted to know how long it would take for me to feel that again if I took a break off training.
Not quite sure on that, but if you are consistently not feeling sore after workouts then you need to progressively overload your training. This can come from any or a combination of: more weight, more reps, more sets, better form, amongst others. Follow a program and this should return, perhaps not as sore though as you've mentioned from being de trained for months.
Sorry but this is wrong. Soreness is not linked to a good workout, it is linked to frequency of workouts. Plenty of progress made with no doms in sight.
Thanks. I mean I do feel sore after workouts.. absolutely. But nothing compared to incredibly painful soreness I felt when I haven't trained for years or many months. The kind of pain where you can't extend your arm straight after working your biceps, or where sitting down is extremely painful after workout out your glutes or walking funny after working out your calves.. and this kind of painful soreness can last several days. I'm on the road for 20 days starting next week and was just wondering if this will be long enough for me to have to go through all that bad soreness again.
You can safely ignore that person as they don’t know what they are talking about. Feeling sore after a workout isn’t necessary or indicative of a good workout.
How do you progress when the current weight is too low and the next way is too heavy? I can currently only do 3 reads on the DB bench press because of this. The DBs increase by 2.5kg. I would need like only 500g more.
Do rep progression instead of weight progression. You can build muscle anywhere from 5-30 reps if you go close to failure, so you can simply use the same weight for two months and go from 6 reps to 14 by adding a rep pr week. That's how I progressed pullups when I could only do two reps, and my back thickened up s lot from doing so.
This. It's called double progression
That sounds good, thanks
Do more reps or sets on the lower weight until it becomes easier then move up weight and drop the reps and sets back down.
If doing 3 sets, you could do one with the larger of the 2 weights, either the first or the last one. Then progress to 2 sets with the larger weight, etc.
Has anyone else done the Reddit PPL and felt like the three push exercises (bench, OHP, incline) on one day start to get a bit too much?
Yes. It's my least favorite day. A muscle group plateaus at 20 sets per week (strongerbyscience had an article), so you can safely ignore whatever you need if you're doing more than that. And if you're still fatigued at 20, 20 is just a guideline.
The sbs article doesn’t say muscles plateau at 20 sets, but that there are noticeable diminishing returns at that point.
You can probably disregard incline, and it wouldn't, make that much of a difference.
Can you link to the program?
If you Google Reddit PPL it should be the top result (on my phone atm)
I didn’t even think of that 🤦♂️ Thank you!
It is A LOT of volume. I’ve been doing the Reddit PPL since April now and have made incredible progress on my strength and fitness. I am to the point now where I have started to do the primary lifts using the 5/3/1 progression. Don’t expect the dumbbell incline presses to progress anywhere near the rate of any other lift in the Reddit PPL. I would recommend sticking with the program for at least 3 months and reducing the weight on the pushing accessories if necessary.
I’m 5’9, 134 lbs F. I’ve been skinny fat my whole life and recently I’ve started going to the gym but I have no idea what I’m doing. My goal is to build muscle and body definition. Where should I start and what should I focus on at the gym? Should I gain weight? Is it possible to reach my goal in 10 months? Can YouTube home workouts (for example Caroline Girvan’s) also help me?
I'll be another person saying, check the wiki. Several beginner-friendly programs there. And they are effective. Do not use youtube to help you pick a workout. beginner programs are not intermediate programs are not advanced programs.
The [wiki](https://thefitness.wiki/?amp) has everything you need! I’d avoid YouTube workouts. Most of them are clickbait and not useful in the long run because what you want is a program that you can repeat and track progress, not a single workout.
Thank you! ☺️
>Thank you! ☺️ You're welcome!
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What are reasonable expectations for newbie gains? I've been fucking around in the gym for a long time, but the past few weeks I've been focusing on actually lifting intentionally with good form, sticking with the same routine consistently and progressively overloading, and the results have been insane lol. Like for instance the past few weeks I have been mainly focusing on dumbbell chest press with strict form, and a couple other chest movements, and my chest has blown up like never before in only like 3 weeks. I'm not huge by any means, but it's a big difference from where I started. Anyway, just wondering how long I can expect these fun and easy gains to continue lol
https://www.strongerbyscience.com/realistic-training-goals/ You have to expect diminishing returns. In the beginning phase, lasting something between 3 to 12 months for most people depending on training history, effort, nutrition/recovery and predisposition you will have awesome week to week progress with comparatively little effort or programming need. If you work kinda smart and kinda hard you will see results. After that you can expect 3 to 5 years of great progress as long as you follow good programs, lift hard and eat well together with good recovery. This period usually starts if you can no longer easily progress with a simple linear progression program. After that it depends on a lot of factors. Progress becomes slower, because lifting 5lbs more or gaining a few lbs of muscle is less of a relative increase than before. You can double or even tripple your lifts in your first year, or at least come close to it- but you can't forever expect to put on 5 lbs more on the bar each week. But tangible progress is still possible and if you arrive at that point you are already in a position of being quite muscular and strong.
I’m 44F and fairly unfit. I have painful Achilles’ tendons and find myself very sore after short enough walks. I want to build up general fitness, but mainly strengthen my crappy legs. Any tips?
I did a couple of long backpacking trips on the Appalachian trail last year and walked (well kinda crawled) away with insertional Achilles tendonitis. Lifts for my shoes and PT are the recommendations from the ortho doc.
Start stretching them and improve your ankle mobility. You can place your front foot on a kerb and gently push down your heal. Gentle but regular stretching is the key.
Do you think it is realistic that I could get my Bench Press max to 115kg in 10 months? my current 1RM is 70kg, I'm a 16M and weigh 70kg currently. The two people I've asked so far have said they very much doubt it.
Yes In the past month I’ve brought my bench from 205 pounds to 235 pounds (Colorado record)and I weigh 147 pounds I’m also 16; my bench was 175 5 months ago and I’m not on roids
That's awesome! The target I'm going for is actually an Australian state record (probably will do the lift unofficially), although the record changes depending on the weight of the person lifting and my weight is definitely going to increase in the 10 months from now to July.
Yeah my weight hasn’t changed much since march 142-147 but I’ve been recomping and lost a lot of fat that turned into muscle
I'd say possible, with good programming and a clean bulk, depending on your build. Try it and tell us next summer!
Hell yeah! I'll say it in a 'Victory Sunday' thread in 10 months.
It doesn't matter if it's unrealistic, aim for it anyway. At worst, you won't hit 115kg, but you'll still have improved your BP a lot.
Thanks for the advice!
I noticed you say you follow a routine of Upper/Lower/Upper/Rest, which sounds homemade. Is that accurate?
Yeah, it was actually my brother that came up with it and I have followed it for about a year now.
In that case, I would follow one of [Greg Nuckols' 28 programs](https://www.strongerbyscience.com/newsletter/). IIRC, there's a high-frequency BP template which will help you hit those 115kg.
How much protein do you think I should be consuming per day at my age, height and weight?
Put your numbers into this calculator, and it'll give you a recommended intake: https://examine.com/protein-intake-calculator/
Thanks for all the information, I really appreciate it.
doable depending on genetics if you keep a semi clean bulk going throughout the 10 months and consistently bench twice a week
I follow the routine of Upper body day, Lower body day, Upper body day, rest. Doing bench press every upper body day.
Nice, i started gymming last November and had a starting bench of 75 and hit 115 a few months back, including multiple weeks off due to illness, so it’s definitely possible
That's encouraging, Were you similar to my age and weight?
I think it very much depends, but it's certainly not impossible, especially since you're 16. How tall are you? At any rate, you'd probably want to put on some weight if that were your goal.
I'm 6'
Hmm- I'm reluctant to tell a teenager to put on weight intentionally, especially just to hit a certain number in a lift, but... you're very light for your height, compared to most people with big benches.
I will definitely be adding more protein to my diet of the course of the 12 months. May I ask why you are reluctant to tell a teenager to put on weight?
I think as a teenager you're in a great spot to get bigger and stronger without doing much in the way of intentional bulking and cutting.
How the hell do I tell how much the trap bar weighs? One gym I go to I’m guessing (by feel) it’s 20kg but the other is feeling a lot heavier and I’ve guesstimated at 30kg. Is it printed somewhere useful?
Sometimes it's etched in
Ask a member of staff? Or if there's a scale around weigh yourself, then weigh yourself holding it. They can get pretty huge. The one at my gym is 35kg
If you know the make and model, you can just google it. Most trap bars I have had/used have been 25kg, and one 32kg.
Other than a sticker on the weight loading portion of the bar I would ask the employees whether they know or not
What's the best subreddit for formchecks? Specifically for deadlift/squat
/r/fitness or /r/WeightRoom daily threads. Everywhere else you are taking a gamble on whether the advise you get is coming from somebody with experience or a complete beginner. And most times it’s the latter.
I would go to r/powerlifting cause you can see if they are strong from their flair
The sticky at the top of this(and every daily) thread.
r/formcheck
That sub is very hit or miss. Sometimes the advice is alright but the vast majority of users offering the advice are barely beyond beginners themselves.
Probably r/Gym but I haven't really explored other fitness subreddits (r/gym is also IMO full of people that do stupidly risky exercises for barely any extra gain, I shouldn't judge though, the people that do those exercises do look pretty experienced.) Edit: Also the stickied comment on this post is for form checks.
I know that it's a good idea to spread meals between your day. My question is can I have two meals(larger one) at the same time because I'm hungry and than another one later in the evening. How does that affect my muscle recovery/growth? My meals are spread by about 8hours. (I workout in this 8 hours aswell.
>My question is can I have two meals(larger one) at the same time because I'm hungry and than another one later in the evening. How does that affect my muscle recovery/growth? Yes, you can, and it'll barely make a dent in your recovery or growth compared to spreading the meals out.
It's probably a good idea to get at least three fairly large servings of protein spread out over at least eight hours a day, if you can. But as long as you get sufficient protein and train hard you'll still make plenty of progress if it's two servings, separated by eight hours. Maybe it will be a little bit worse than three servings, but the main thing is to eat well and train hard. You'll be fine if you do that.
If I have about 12lbs left to lose as a weight loss goal, should I just rush it going 2lbs per week while trying to maintain strength to mitigate muscle loss, or am I better off going slow at 1lb per week? I'm currently 6ft 205lbs at 16% bf.
I think it's almost entirely a question of what you mind more- eating less, or taking longer to be done. I don't think you'll lose much muscle either way (though if you're really around 16%, 1.5 pounds a week might be more reasonable than 2 unless you know you tolerate large deficits well.) I think people have an exaggerated idea of how much muscle gets lost when cutting to moderate bodyfat percentages, because 1) natty bodybuilders, of course, lose muscle because they are close to their genetic potential, and cut to 5% or so, and 2) people overestimate how much lean weight they gained when bulking, and are disappointed by what's left when they cut.
Slow and steady is almost always better unless you have a good reason to rush
Thanks. I don't have a good reason. I just want the cut to be over already. Thankfully my macrocycle is 12 weeks so it ties in perfectly with my cut.
Been looking to find a DMAA supplement/pre. Im in the UK right now and it is banned here. I know I can get it off some sketchy website, but im not sure which as im afraid they will be duds. Any idea as to where I should look?
A supplement being banned sounds like a good reason not to go looking for it.
It's banned for a reason which also means it's always gonna be sketchy
As someone with severe social anxiety, how do I work up the courage to ask people at the gym to spot me or ask if I can work in, etc? I don't want to bother their gym session, or waste their time, or have them call the cops for me being creepy, etc.
Everyone at my gym has social anxiety. People having a conversation is very uncommon. People often don't even say "hi" or head nod at fellow regulars. They must think I'm an extravert because I do. I'd say start there. Once you realize they're as scared of you as you are of them, it gets easier.
What if I say hi to a girl and my ugly ass gets pepper sprayed?
The usual way is to walk up to someone who's resting, and say something in the lines of "hey can you spot me please?", so, pretty simple overall, no big deal. If the answer is yes, you're doing great! If not, just move along to the next guy. Maybe a few clarifications such as "don't touch the bar unless I say so", or "I'm going for a set of 10" Now the tricky part is, if you need to work up the courage to ask this, I'm afraid you need more help than this thread can provide
I was benching and my last rep was so gritty someone hurried to help me. I got the lift up unassisted. The best person to ask is someone who is also benching, you can offer back. The next best way is to try to make acquaintances in general. If there are trainers you can befriend them to as they are friendly with everyone. I also take some classes and meet people that way. Good luck. YouTube charisma on command
I just did. He's not a bodybuilder at all. He's just another scammer who sells BS courses
I watch the free videos
There isn't an easy answer to this, and you might want to see a therapist, because what you're describing is well past normal social anxiety. But, first and foremost, it would probably help to recognize that some of the fears you're describing aren't rational fears. Take a moment to distance yourself from imagining yourself in the gym, and then imagine someone else there, perhaps a reasonably confident, but generally average guy. Imagine that person politely asking for a spot. What would happen? In any gym I've been in, anyone would be happy to spot him. Now let's imagine that person asking to work in at a station or machine. What would happen? A few things might. It's possible someone might say no, and he would accept that and go away. That's not likely, but it could happen. But call the cops? Can you imagine that this mild-mannered average guy politely asks someone to work in and they call the cops over it? Of course not- that would never happen (and if it did the cops would have more to say to the guy who called them than to the average guy we're imagining, who would be completely blameless in this interaction.) And, just so, it would never happen if \_you\_ asked to work in. Once you recognize that this is the case, if you can, it might be good for you to try to act as that average, but reasonably confident guy would, knowing that the outcomes of doing so will be much the same as the outcomes you imagine for him would be.
I think you’re just overthinking it. Just be polite and ask just like you would in any other setting. 95% of the time it usually goes well, people at the gym have a “brotherhood” of sorts and will most likely gladly enjoy spotting you/fitting you into their workout. That’s unless you end up talking to some roid-raged meat head. Not your fault anyways. Happy workouts!
How do I keep myself from falling into a depression when I am unable to lift for a week or more? Basically I'm gonna have some surgery and I know for a fact that I won't be able it lift for at least a week. Just the thought of that made me have a depressive episode. Couldn't get out of bed, missed work, missed meals, etc.
What surgery is it?
Elbow tendonitis
You should speak to a mental health professional.
Okay... but I don't wanna lose my gains and get fat. That will lead me to develop things like heart disease and diabetes. Then I'll die early
Extremely irrational. Going to the gym doesn't prevent getting fat. And you won't lose muscle for at least 3 weeks
If that's your thought process then professional mental help is better than any other advice you will get here.
If you’re in your mid-20s and plan to train for the rest of your life then you’ve got a few thousand weeks left to go. You can make up for a lost week in a session or two. It will not make a grain of difference. Not being able to lift for a week doesn’t mean you cant be active or eat healthy either. Going on walks is way better than sitting on your ass, and again if you cant even do that yet you have *plenty* of time. Go see a therapist dude.
One week of no training will not make any diffenrence, actually they say that you can gain strength if you take one week of! Only after three weeks your progress can decline. Just make sure you have a plan for going back to the gym when you can and you will be fine! Good luck with the surgery!
Okay what if the doctor says I need to rest 1 more week. Then follow up he says one more week, then follow up he says one more week, and so on. I'll definitely lose my gains. As an ugly skinny guy, I can't afford to lose my gains.
To put it bluntly mate it sounds like you have anxiety issues. Youre disasterising every situation, thinking of the worst possible outcome. The gym/fitness is just a way you're expressing that.
What do you mean?
I mean Anxiety the medical condition, with a capital A. I mean that this isn't really about the gym, even if you think it is. I have friends who have GAD and their thoughts processes are exactly the same as yours, regardless of the subject matter. You need to see a medical professional, because if you don't you're going to miss out on more than one or two gym sessions in the long term.
go see a therapist
Okay that will take more time away from the gym. Why would I do that? My life is work and gym. Thats it.
that’s the problem congrats for being so dedicated and consistent but this isn’t okay You hate feeling anxious about missing the gym right? So won’t it be worth it to put time into fixing that?
Even if you miss training for an entire year it’ll be so easy to gain it back, muscle memory is a thing.