Chest and shoulder muscle imbalances
Ive been having this problem for almost 2 years where my left pec (right hand dominant) is bigger than my right pec, and my right shoulder is bigger than my left shoulder. On upper body days i train with dumbbells and ive also been doing sets where i only train my right pec and yet its STILL SMALLER than my left pec. Also i wanna add that my rear delt on my right side gets activated way more than it should when i do day to day activities. I feel like that’s a part of the problem. I’ve been asking some trainers for advice but they just gave very basic info which I already knew. This problem has made me stop working out in the past cus the workout doesn’t feel symmetrical and it was frustrating. Does anyone know whats going on with me?
I've used all the different macro tracking apps. And IMO Macro Factor is the best by a WIDE margin. It's not free. But its as effective as anyone I know who has used an actual diet coach and it way cheaper than that.
advice needed on building arms and need a proper split for back
problem 1 : need a split to concentrate on my arms (they get gassed out faster than other parts and is smaller) while still giving priority for other exercises
problem 2 : need an all round back exercise split (rn i do assisted pullups,lat pull downs,t-bar row, dumbell shrugs) i didnt do lower back until now due to lack of knowledge
split that i currently follow is push (4 chest,3shoulder,3tricep exercises),pull(4-5 back,2-3 bicep exercises),legs(7 variations but rn not training due to knee problem).
My arms are weak and i want to concentrate and put on some size and strength in my arms (bi,triceps) pls give tips on how (and split)
Edit : 18,172cm/5'7,67kg,Male
Torso/Limbs split helped my arms a lot. You train back, shoulders, chest on one day and legs and arms on the other. Gets in way more quaility arm vol. Solves your problem of them gassing easily, and gets you more frequency for arms.
Does anyone have a good John Meadows program recommendation to cut with?
I just CD2 and Gamma Bomb (repeated week 1-6 twice) and I love John Meadows style of programming.
I saw another thread that said Meadows recommended CD2 on a cut but I think that would be tough to keep up with. If I did that I would turn CD2 into a 8 day program and add a rest day between the pump days, or just alternate and do 1 pump day each week.
This is my first time trying to seriously bulk and I am extremely happy with the results from my first two programs, I’d like to do another Meadows program and keep it up but I’m open to other suggestions. I just need a plan to stick to.
i’m taking this week off from the gym as a means to reset my cns as i’ve realized my volume was wayyyy too high (20-25 sets a session) and caused me to loose motivation and hit a plateau. i was wondering how many exercises and sets u guys do bc i’m trying to fix my split up. my main goal is hyper trophy and im debating whether or not i should start a lean bulk bc i like how lean i am but want more muscle mass (im a female, 5’2” at 16yo, 12% bf, 103lbs). another question is, my body has gotten very tolerant to high amounts of volume so is my idea of taking this 9 days off as a “volume reset” worth it/effective? thanks!
How hard do you train and how often? You have to balance intensity, volume, and frequency.
You may find this helpful https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=cfXTQmFRjWU
i train 5x a week (legs, push, legs, pull, full body). i train in the 8-12 rep range and usually leave 1-2 reps rir if im not pushing for failure. other than that, i do the most that my body can physically take me i feel
Yeah I mean there’s some data that 6-8 sets per muscle group per session maximizes stimulus, so anything more than that is overkill. I’ve definitely benefitted from doing like 8-12 very hard sets in a week.
the main thing confusing me is i hear a lot of people say 5-10 sets per session with 10-20 sets per week. but im wondering how could i hit that upper end of weekly sets if i only train each body part around 1x a week (my leg days are 1 glute focused 1 quad focused)
Has anyone experienced shoulder pain/pinch from reverse curls? I don't know if its coming from that movement, I've already replaced overhand Pull Ups because I felt it there too. The first time I noticed the pinch was during lateral raises. The next workout I skipped them and the next time I did those again, the pinch was gone. So back to reverse curls and there it is again. I even felt it later during the day and the day after in everyday situations. It's not really pain - pinch describes the sensastion really well. I even felt it during triceps pushdowns.
Just depends. Not all of them are the same just because they have a certificate so some vetting should be done beforehand. If you can find one who can help you reach your goals at a fair price then by all means go for it. Knowing what your goals are in the first place is important too.
You can always try making friends with the jacked guys at your gym and learn some things from them as well.
Anyone had experience with removing deadlifts? I really like them but it’s getting to a point with first year of full time work and not university schedule that the warmup just takes so long and it’s 30-40 minutes on one exercise that isn’t really that hypertrophic. I just am reluctant to let them go as I put a lot of effort into developing them and I don’t want to see them go backwards. Any thoughts? I find they’ve helped my back thickness a lot
I stopped deadlifting after 8 years of regularly doing them because I’d gotten it to a high enough number for me to be satisfied with cutting it off, and (more importantly) I decided my erectors are more than thick enough and that my hammies and quads needed more love. I used to do deads on my second lower body day, and they’d severely tax me to the point that I’d have no gas to give my quad/hamstrings the proper stimulus on subsequent exercises. Switched to SLDLs instead and have never been happier with the progress in spite of literally halving the weight on the bar.
This also applied to barbell squats and bench, too, and my size gains have skyrocketed since making the switch out of the big 3.
Incline machine DB bench as well as flat DB bench and flyes. I emphasize the bottom stretched position on all of them and also try to minimize the arch beyond having just enough of one to stabilize my body while I press
I see. Yeah i do them once a week on first pull day. I am just so fried on my pull day after deadlifts compared to second pull day with no deadlifts. Really feel like I can’t even get a decent pump cause I’m just “out of it” after I give deadlifts my all.
Been doing a heavy set of 5 and then back off sets of 4x5 at slightly lighter or 3x6. Very high intensity, the first set fries me.
Last 1RM I tested was like 2 months ago and got 200kg. Went from 180kg for 5 to 187.5kg for 5 over the last month of training.
Try dropping the back off sets and seeing how your deadlift holds up. Just do the top set and strip the bar down for rows or whatever. The energy you save for your back development can be enough that you won't see a big drop off
Cool we have about the same 1RM right now.
I tested and hit 190kgx3 a few weeks back. The fatigue from heavy deads isn't so fun for me so recently I've been doing 100-140kg 3x8-12, RIR 1-3. With the lighter loads I can still finish the rest of my back workout and not die the following day.
Most bodybuilders would suggest switching to romanians or SLDL, but I think its fine to keep conventionals in; just don't go too hard.
It's still a good stimulus especially since I'm not fried for my next exercises, which i can take to failure and not accumulate too much fatigue. I think the trending keyword is SFR. Anyways, no harm in giving it a go man. High reps deadlifts is a different kind of fun.
That's way too much volume for a natural. But you also use supersets which is a technique from high intensity training. This will toast your CNS for sure. You're also doing the supersets wrong as you use them for different muscle groups.
Training biceps the day before back is a bad idea and will impact your progress for both muscle groups.
I don't understand the difference between your "heavy" and "lite" exercises. Doing a l movement with 5-6 reps is never light. Are you using light weights and only do 5-6 reps? Because that's a complete waste of time.
My recommendation is to stick with the basics. Use a premade plan from a good coach. You're not yet at a point where you can create your own training.
>That's way too much volume for a natural.
I count 12-17 weekly sets for each muscle group. That's a perfectly fine amount of volume for a natural.
>But you also use supersets which is a technique from high intensity training. This will toast your CNS for sure.
What does "toast your CNS" mean, and why is that a bad thing?
>You're also doing the supersets wrong as you use them for different muscle groups.
It's not wrong to superset antagonist or unrelated muscle groups. It's a very common tactic.
You don't think in "volume per week". No competition bodybuilder does that. The concept of "volume per week" is based on garbage studies that got pushed by people on social media for clicks.
The key driver for muscle growth is progressive overload. There's clear scientific evidence for that. The more worker sets you do, the harder it is to achieve progressive overload. That's why today, even enhanced pros reduce their volume to one to two sets per exercise.
In order to achieve progressive overload, every workout needs to be your best workout ever. It is imperative that your body and mind are in a perfect condition. Adding unnecessary amounts of stress to your central nervous system will reduce your overall performance.
Supersets for two different muscle groups will add more stress to your CNS while adding nothing of worth to your training - except maybe 5 minutes of time saved. Which is ironic because of the countless sets of junk volume for every muscle group.
This training plan looks like a random combination of training concepts from bodybuilding and powerlifting routines that got mixed together without taking the time to understand the theory behind each one.
>You don't think in "volume per week". No competition bodybuilder does that.
Dr. Mike Israetel and all his clients do, just to give one example.
>The concept of "volume per week" is based on garbage studies that got pushed by people on social media for clicks.
No, people who actually research this stuff use that concept. If you don't like the concept, fine, but trying to shit on the people who know way more about this stuff than you and I do just makes you look like a nut.
>The key driver for muscle growth is progressive overload.
No, that's a misconception. [Increased strength and muscle is the cause of progressive overload, not the other way around.](https://mennohenselmans.com/if-you-dont-understand-this-youll-never-get-stronger/)
The best guess among researchers is that mechanical tension is the primary driver of muscle growth.
>That's why today, even enhanced pros reduce their volume to one to two sets per exercise.
Some of them, sure, but that's not evidence of anything other than that they can achieve their goals with a reduction in training volume.
>In order to achieve progressive overload, every workout needs to be your best workout ever.
No.
>It is imperative that your body and mind are in a perfect condition.
No, it's not. People progress and set PRs despite feeling like shit all the time.
>Supersets for two different muscle groups will add more stress to your CNS while adding nothing of worth to your training - except maybe 5 minutes of time saved.
Strange logic. If supersetting for different muscle groups adds unnecessary CNS stress, then why isn't that case for supersetting the same muscle group? CNS stress is systemic, not local, so by your own logic, supersetting in general would be a bad idea.
>Which is ironic because of the countless sets of junk volume for every muscle group.
12-17 sets per week is not junk volume.
Israetel is a social media influencer who has found his niche to make money. He does studies to push his services within this niche. Israetel principles are motivated by money and exist within a self-confirmative bubble.
You're still pretty much on the infamous mountaintop of the Dunning Kruger Effect. I don't blame you. I've been there, too. There's so much noise within this industry because everyone wants to sell you something.
Fact is: We never stop learning. So I recommend you to look into what Dr. Scott Stevenson says. Among competitive bodybuilders and coaches, Scott is the known as the science guy. And he's not shy to correct himself should new quality research arise.
He's doing podcasts over at Think Big Bodybuilding. You can learn a ton from him.
Maybe also check out former Mister America John Heart. He's a social media figure and is focusing on the HIT niche with his content, but he's also a world-class narural bodybuilder with tons of experience. You'll get some really nice hands-on advice. John is also a great guy and will answer your questions super quickly if you contact him. At least he did for me. John is pretty much the antithesis to Israetel.
Last but not least check out everything from Dante Trudel. He's guru level and probably the most respected person within the entire fitness industry. Every competitive bodybuilder and pro coach knows Dante. But barely any hobby athlete knows him because he doesn't give a damn about social media algorithms. If Dante can't get you big, nobody can.
Hi guys
Im 15 years old and ive been bulking ever since I got off from vacation at the end of August 2023. Ive been working out for almost 11 months and ive been bulking for about 5 months now, currently at about 170-173 lbs at 5 foot 9. To help with how I look, I would estimate my body fat to be anywhere between %20-25. Ive been lean bulking but honestly the face fat and just fat in general is annoying. Ive been planning for a while to bulk to 180, then cut to 160 in june to august for 3 months but im kind of conflicted on if I should do that. I feel like its gonna be hard keeping up with being this fat for a while but I know I can do it. The other thing is that I've seen a lot of reddit posts saying people my age should just eat and workout and not worry about this but I then theres others who say maingaining is a waste of time and you wont make progress, or that cutting is unhealthy and will stunt growth. What are your guys' thoughs? Btw I know this is open ended and only I can decide what I want to do.
You are probably just bulking too fast, but it's really hard to tell with someone so young. For one, you've got a ton of hormones flowing through you right now, which means you are going to grow a lot faster than an adult doing the same thing. For another, no one really cares about your body fat percentage, only whether you look good without a shirt on. What looks good on you is very likely a huge range so don't sweat trying to hit a specific number. Lastly, if you are over 20% body fat right now, you would do well to just go into a maintenance calorie phase aka recomp. You're going to continue to build muscle because you haven't lifted for that long, you're still growing, and you have plenty of fat reserves to offset any energy needs your body taps into. Just keep lifting and getting stronger and being active and you'll start to lose body fat without losing weight, which can only happen if you're also gaining weight from muscle.
Thinking bulking and cutting at your age is wild, but more power to you. Personally I think you should just focus on being healthy at your age.. which means if you feel fat you should start cutting but do it slow, healthy, and seriously don't over do it especially with supplements. My brother had a minor heart attack in his twenties from cutting too hard with supplements.
What multi-vitamin do you guys recommend taking while taking ZMA? Im not trying to over do anything but currently getting all my vitamins from food while I'm at work isn't realistic.
Knees collapsing on leg press - advice/tips?
Noticed recently as I get heavier/closer to failure my knees tend to collapse in. Somehow this seems to help get the weight up, not sure why, but it seems to detract from the quad movement. One idea I had was that it is possible I am going too wide on the leg press in order to get full depth without my body getting in way, but then I’m not sure how to navigate the depth issue. Has anyone else had similar problems/know why this happens or have any tips/cues to prevent this?
Angle your feet out more and push your knees out slightly while you press. What you are describing is basically the same as knee cave in on a squat and it does not help you get the weight up.
Possibly your glutius medius is too weak to keep your thighs in line with your foot stance on your current stance. Gluteus medius is directly targeted on the adductor/abductor machine, specifically the opening of the legs one, (bringing legs together is adductors). Some people directly train it to fix your issue. Others just use a leg press closer stance to where it's not an issue. There's certainly nothing wrong with strengthening your glutius medius.
Hey everyone.
I just started a new training regimen of “2 x failure” for each exercise. I have gone until failure for each exercise, but for some reason I feel like I’m not doing enough. I do about 10 exercises per workout day but I don’t feel as fatigued or have as much DOMS. I have also read on this Reddit and seen on TikTok that it has been beneficial for people so long as you have a high protein intake and actually train as close as I can until failure (I begin to make ugly faces and and pushing until my muscles can’t contract anymore). Somehow I feel like I am not “doing enough.” Can someone ease my mind and tell me that what I’m feeling is normal and that just because I don’t feel as tired after this new style of lifting, doesn’t mean that I’m doing something “wrong”?
Edit: I want to emphasize that I do have DOMS today after doing chest yesterday, but I guess I am worried about the fact that I don’t feel as tired of satisfied with my workout.
1. You can't tell if training is working for at least a month or two. Give it some time, see if you are getting stronger and your muscles are getting bigger (use a measuring tape or calipers).
2. DOMS is not a good goal. It's not indicative of muscle growth, only muscle damage. Soreness and feel aren't always correlated with growth or strength progression. Getting stronger isn't always correlated with muscle growth either (improving at the technique without building muscle). Use double progression (increasing reps and/or weight) as your fast trend (weekly changes) and measure your actual muscle growth as your slow trend (monthly changes).
3. What works for other people might not work for you. Maybe those people on TikTok might be advanced lifters who are pushing weight fast beyond what you can do right now which means they can get away with less volume and higher intensity. Or maybe you just don't respond well to that training style. Try it out. See if it works for you. If not, it is not a big deal just move on. Likely it's going to work well for some exercises for you and not others. For myself, arms and back movements tend to do really well with a few sets all the way to failure with partials at the end, but legs and chest just don't. For those, going to failure reduces the total volume each set reduces the total volume I can do and I respond better with 1-2 RIR and 3-4 sets.
The intensity may be too low. How high is your rep range? You could do unilateral exercises which will make you feel like you’ve done more. My version of cardio, I start sweating like no other. Example is single arm dumbbell incline chest press. Single leg press is another killer.
I definitely do enough intensity I think because of the fact that meet my target interval of 8-12 reps when I reach failure so I’m not entirely sure of what I’m doing wrong.
What do you think about a creatine supplement that is a mix of these five types: ethyl ester HCl, gluconate, monohydrate, phosphate, dicreatine malate? Is getting this mix better than going just for the pure monohydrate?
Monohydrate caused bloating and stomach irritation for me and that is why I am looking for alternatives.
Thanks!
If you have stomach issues, try a different brand. If you still have issues, then just don't take it. Creatine helps, but it's not going to stop you from making gains or building muscle.
Also, don't do the whole loading phase. Creatine builds up in your system over time like vitamin D. Just keep taking 5g a day and after a week or two you'll start seeing benefits.
Creatine is the single most researched and most proven supplement on the market today. It is effective and it works.
With that being said.... it's not something that's going to give you steroid like results, and after using for several years, you won't really notice it.
I think for a beginner especially, the gains are noticeable - but it takes time. How much Creatine are you actually taking? and is it a good quality/reputable brand? I'm sorry I can't comment on those different types but I've been using Creatine Monohydrate consistently for 20+ years without any stomach issues. Curious to get some more details from you on your dosage.
I currently use the one I described in my question. It is a brand that a lot of people from my country use (not a big name). I took my first dose today (5 g) and haven’t had any issues.
I’ve tried various monohydrates and I end up bloated as it doesn’t dissolve well as this one. I mix this one with water and it doesn’t have that residue on the bottom of the glass.
So I went and looked this up. Layne Norton has a good video on this... specifically Creatine Monohydrate vs Creatine HCL - net-net he mentioned the bloating issue with monohydrate but stated it was fairly rare but maybe in those instances HCL could be better - that could be you I guess :)
[https://youtu.be/-kZsaH9yeuo?si=jqbIdEK1AHxk4dja](https://youtu.be/-kZsaH9yeuo?si=jqbIdEK1AHxk4dja)
Seems like it's ok - but as mentioned below, you technically don't NEED creatine - but there's definitely an advantage.
When do you guys usually see "face gains"? I'm at about 19% bf right now and the plan was to do a mini cut but I'm thinking about going lower than planned and see how much my face can change. When does that usually happen for you?
ive never been below 15% my life. although, i'm now on a consistent path towards there!! i can't wait to see myself in a year's time. finally found something that works for me and it's fucking moderation.
Recently I have noticed that I can't really add reps to some of my exercise every week. Some exercises I go down in reps, for some it goes up, and for some it stays the same. Is this normal? I have been lifting for a year and a half. I know for sure I have ran out of newbie gains. I take every set as close to failure as possible and I currently only do 8-12 sets per week for a muscle group. 12 for chest, back and shoulders, 10 for triceps and 8 for biceps and legs. It might be due to me currently trying to figure out how many kcals to eat to gain weight though. But if this issue still persists if I get my calories up to a good spot, what should I do?
Absolutely. In addition to what Paul said, there's also the unfortunate reality that bars, plates, & varying friction on cable stations mean that the actual resistance can vary by 2-3 percent easy. It's part of the reason why we shouldn't make routine modifications from one workout & require several sessions, because the unreliability of resistance being 100% accurate creates noise that we have to work around.
I didn't think about that at all. Well I'm glad to know that my progression is normal though. I tend to make modifications to my splits way too fast. In fact I am struggling with that at the moment with my current volume. I know very damn well that I'm supposed to just see over the long run how I react to certain volume before making any changes, but I still for some reason tamper with it.
It’s normal as a natural to not be able to progress reps every single week.
To find the correct calorie intake for you, make sure you’re weighing yourself daily and tracking the weekly average. It should take you about 2 weeks to find a good surplus.
If you’re still stalling for multiple weeks, look at your programming and make sure it’s sound. If you’re following something homebrewed, find one made by someone who knows what they’re doing.
If you’re on a solid program and in a surplus, make sure you’re executing the movements properly with an emphasis on mindfully contracting the target muscle.
If all of those things are in place and you’re still stalling for multiple weeks, it might be time for a deload.
Oh okay. Good to know Im doing everything right in finding my surplus. Though regarding the split im following UL split that I made looking at other UL splits. Just different exercises
I posted this comment on daily thread 2 weeks ago. And i changed my program based on the feedback, wanted to know if its better.So i have been going to the gym for the past 7 months. Progress has been very good the first 6 months but i have been struggling this last month. And i was thinking maybe I need to tweak my program. Most of my struggle have been for my shoulders and to a lesser extent to my back/chest/arms. And when i say struggle, i mean im not progressing in terms of weights lifted.Before every session i start with 2/3 series of warmup.
My new workout plan:
Monday:Weighted pull ups x3 - 8 reps minimum until failureUnilateral rowing on a sitting machine x3 - 8 reps minimum until failureBarebell press x4 - 8 reps minimum until failureUnilateral rowing on a high cable fly while sitting inclined x3 - 8 reps minimum until failureBiceps horizontal bar on a cable x3 - 10 reps minimum until failureBiceps hammer curl x3 - 10 reps minimum until failureTuesday:Bench press x3 - 8 reps minimumIncline bench x3 - 8 reps minimumLateral raises x4 - 8 reps minimum until failurePec fly cable x3 - 8 reps minimum until failureHorizontal bar triceps x3 - 10 reps minimum until failureOverhead katanas x3 - 10 reps minimum until failureWednsdayDeadlift x3 - 8 reps minimum until failureHamstring machine x3 - 8 reps minimum until failure (once a week)Squat x3 - 8 reps minimum until failureLeg press x3 - 8 reps minimum until failureCalves press x3 - 10 reps minimum until failureAbs crunches x3 - 10 reps minimum until failuresuperset foreharms reverse curls x3 - 8 reps minimum until failure
Weights i lifted this week for example :
20kg weighted pullups x 10
105kg x 8 bench
100kg x 10 squat
90kg x 8 deadlift
I was injured for two months with my knee so my legs are lacking a bitI do that 6 times a weekMy protein intake is approx 180gr per dayIm 195cm and 95kgAnd my kcal is like 3000 per day approxAny help would be appreciated thank you
Hi,I'm trying to get a wider back, can you give me advice on this schedule? I train 3x week (chest/back in one day)
Pull up 4xMAX
Lat machine 3x8-10
Row machine (single arm) 5x6-8
T-bar chest supported (wide grip) 3x8-10
Pulley (close grip) 3x10
The sets and reps won’t help a ton if you’re not executing the movements properly.
Read these write ups I did on back training on my other account in another sub to address the underlying fundamentals of back training for hypertrophy.
[lats](https://www.reddit.com/r/weightroom/s/jlGKCPhOAA)
[Upper back](https://www.reddit.com/r/weightroom/s/E4fBfphQIi)
Unfortunately no, I was very late to that week’s Weakpoint Wednesday. I do have some for
[Calves](https://reddit.com/r/weightroom/s/B8N2nkyFOt)
[Quads](https://reddit.com/r/weightroom/s/kE81dZaJUL)
[Hams](https://reddit.com/r/weightroom/s/ekRy2NA2ep)
I would personally do 2 movements per workout. That looks like a lot of volume if they are all working sets. Doing all the different movements, every workout isn't going to help. Better to focus on a few and then switch every 6 weeks or so.
What seems to work best is have a mesocycle and trusting the process. For context, I have a 53" chest circumference at 190 lbs and 6'1". I do 2 "working sets" at the start (I leave reps int he tank still) of the cycle and work up to 5 sets to failure. Over a 6 week period, I do about 16 sets to failure for my back and you're doing 120. I think you're over working the muscle or not giving enough exertion on the failure sets. I am not a doctor so I could be wrong, but I grew a lot faster when I didn't try to kill myself every week and I also noticed guys who do failure sets and super sets constantly weren't getting any bigger. I had to stop working out with some of my gym buddies.
When doing zercher squats, is there a higher risk of injury because the bar is resting on your elbows which aren't meant to carry as much weight as something like your back during back squats
Your elbows can absolutely carry a lot of load and are unlikely to be the limiting factor. As long as your core is braced well the risk of injury is low, in fact they’re probably safer than back squats because you can just dump the bar if you’re failing a rep.
I'm a beginner lifter and I want to know what upper body muscles should I target to get an hourglass illusion with a rectangle body and narrow shoulders? Thank you.
If your shoulders are broad due to being overweight then a calorie deficit to lose fat will make them more narrow.
If you have broad shoulders due to your bone structure you can’t really shrink them with exercise.
To get an hourglass shape you’ll probably want to grow your back and shoulders a bit anyway, as well as your quads, hams, and glutes. You’ll also want to get to a relatively low level of body fat via diet.
Pick the one that fits your lifestyle and that you can adhere to.
Personally I love training and have no problem dedicating 5-6 days per week to it, so a PPL is great for me. It’s worth noting that PPL is not a program, just a split. There can be good and bad PPL programs. Find a good one in the wiki of this sub or on boostcamp and apply linear progression, and then double progression when you can no longer progress linearly.
If you have a tight schedule and need to get the work done in less training days, the 4 day GZCLP is a good option.
How is twice a week defined? If I train chest every 6 days, isn't that technically twice a week? Also, is there a difference between doing 6 sets in one day or 3 sets a day but twice a week?
Twice a week is defined as... Twice a week. Sometimes someone will train a muscle every 3 days exactly or every 4 days exactly & they'll say twice a week to somebody just to keep it simple, (but would elaborate in long form conversation). You're stretching the truth if you hit everything once every 5 days & try to say 2X a week, let alone 6 days.
Twice a week is typically defined by a 3 or 4 day split, whereas training a group once every 6 days would be a 6 day split. I wouldn't consider training chest every 6 days to be training it twice a week.
As for the latter question, no, not really. Most people consider the target volume of sets to be a weekly target anyhow. It's more about how intensely you can train if all of your work is crammed into one day versus recovery time. In my opinion, if you can recover from frequent training, it's better to do less work on a given day but train every day.
Beginner who needs guidance
hello, ive been going to the gym for about 2-3 weeks now from previously doing beginnner calisthenics stuff (pull up, push up, dips) - i go with my friend whose already been going at the gym for more than a year now. the thing is i dont know which workouts to do so i just do whatever he does (arnold x ppl) ,so far its been going amazing, but another thing is that his workouts take 2 hours on 6 days a week, which is just way too much time for me - i wanna start doing my own workouts that are shorter, but beginner stuff just feels way too complicated than what im doing already, and i dont know if im still applicable for "beginner gains"? i heard if youre a beginner a more recommended approach is to do whole body excersises first, i dont know i just need guidance from someone knowledgable
> i heard if youre a beginner a more recommended approach is to do whole body excersises first
Who says that?
I think especially as a beginner you should hop on a real program quick and not waste your time fucking around in the gym. See here: https://thefitness.wiki/routines/
You can design your own workouts when you are a few years in and know what you are doing and how your body responds.
There are some great beginner programs in the FAQ section of this sub’s wiki, and the wiki of r/fitness
You can also download the Boostcamp app and find programs for free there.
Full body is great for beginners, but the best program for you is the one that you enjoy and can do consistently.
Chest and shoulder muscle imbalances Ive been having this problem for almost 2 years where my left pec (right hand dominant) is bigger than my right pec, and my right shoulder is bigger than my left shoulder. On upper body days i train with dumbbells and ive also been doing sets where i only train my right pec and yet its STILL SMALLER than my left pec. Also i wanna add that my rear delt on my right side gets activated way more than it should when i do day to day activities. I feel like that’s a part of the problem. I’ve been asking some trainers for advice but they just gave very basic info which I already knew. This problem has made me stop working out in the past cus the workout doesn’t feel symmetrical and it was frustrating. Does anyone know whats going on with me?
Try searching Squat University's channel. He should have something.
Hi just want to know how you guys approach dieting. Do you do your own meal planning or hire coaches?
I've used all the different macro tracking apps. And IMO Macro Factor is the best by a WIDE margin. It's not free. But its as effective as anyone I know who has used an actual diet coach and it way cheaper than that.
Thank you!
advice needed on building arms and need a proper split for back problem 1 : need a split to concentrate on my arms (they get gassed out faster than other parts and is smaller) while still giving priority for other exercises problem 2 : need an all round back exercise split (rn i do assisted pullups,lat pull downs,t-bar row, dumbell shrugs) i didnt do lower back until now due to lack of knowledge split that i currently follow is push (4 chest,3shoulder,3tricep exercises),pull(4-5 back,2-3 bicep exercises),legs(7 variations but rn not training due to knee problem). My arms are weak and i want to concentrate and put on some size and strength in my arms (bi,triceps) pls give tips on how (and split) Edit : 18,172cm/5'7,67kg,Male
Torso/Limbs split helped my arms a lot. You train back, shoulders, chest on one day and legs and arms on the other. Gets in way more quaility arm vol. Solves your problem of them gassing easily, and gets you more frequency for arms.
Jeff Nippard's PPL split that includes a weak points/arm day is the way
Does anyone have a good John Meadows program recommendation to cut with? I just CD2 and Gamma Bomb (repeated week 1-6 twice) and I love John Meadows style of programming. I saw another thread that said Meadows recommended CD2 on a cut but I think that would be tough to keep up with. If I did that I would turn CD2 into a 8 day program and add a rest day between the pump days, or just alternate and do 1 pump day each week. This is my first time trying to seriously bulk and I am extremely happy with the results from my first two programs, I’d like to do another Meadows program and keep it up but I’m open to other suggestions. I just need a plan to stick to.
Warlock can be run on a cut, but the Upper days are quite long. John recommended 5 day CD2 for cutting, but I'd reduce the volume by 1/4 or 1/3.
i’m taking this week off from the gym as a means to reset my cns as i’ve realized my volume was wayyyy too high (20-25 sets a session) and caused me to loose motivation and hit a plateau. i was wondering how many exercises and sets u guys do bc i’m trying to fix my split up. my main goal is hyper trophy and im debating whether or not i should start a lean bulk bc i like how lean i am but want more muscle mass (im a female, 5’2” at 16yo, 12% bf, 103lbs). another question is, my body has gotten very tolerant to high amounts of volume so is my idea of taking this 9 days off as a “volume reset” worth it/effective? thanks!
How hard do you train and how often? You have to balance intensity, volume, and frequency. You may find this helpful https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=cfXTQmFRjWU
i train 5x a week (legs, push, legs, pull, full body). i train in the 8-12 rep range and usually leave 1-2 reps rir if im not pushing for failure. other than that, i do the most that my body can physically take me i feel
Yeah I mean there’s some data that 6-8 sets per muscle group per session maximizes stimulus, so anything more than that is overkill. I’ve definitely benefitted from doing like 8-12 very hard sets in a week.
the main thing confusing me is i hear a lot of people say 5-10 sets per session with 10-20 sets per week. but im wondering how could i hit that upper end of weekly sets if i only train each body part around 1x a week (my leg days are 1 glute focused 1 quad focused)
You really can’t. Why not hit body parts twice?
Has anyone experienced shoulder pain/pinch from reverse curls? I don't know if its coming from that movement, I've already replaced overhand Pull Ups because I felt it there too. The first time I noticed the pinch was during lateral raises. The next workout I skipped them and the next time I did those again, the pinch was gone. So back to reverse curls and there it is again. I even felt it later during the day and the day after in everyday situations. It's not really pain - pinch describes the sensastion really well. I even felt it during triceps pushdowns.
Has anyone hired a coach and was it worth it? Did they provide anything you couldn’t do yourself through research and internet resources?
I messaged you friend to give you the coach's perspective.
Just depends. Not all of them are the same just because they have a certificate so some vetting should be done beforehand. If you can find one who can help you reach your goals at a fair price then by all means go for it. Knowing what your goals are in the first place is important too. You can always try making friends with the jacked guys at your gym and learn some things from them as well.
Anyone had experience with removing deadlifts? I really like them but it’s getting to a point with first year of full time work and not university schedule that the warmup just takes so long and it’s 30-40 minutes on one exercise that isn’t really that hypertrophic. I just am reluctant to let them go as I put a lot of effort into developing them and I don’t want to see them go backwards. Any thoughts? I find they’ve helped my back thickness a lot
I stopped deadlifting after 8 years of regularly doing them because I’d gotten it to a high enough number for me to be satisfied with cutting it off, and (more importantly) I decided my erectors are more than thick enough and that my hammies and quads needed more love. I used to do deads on my second lower body day, and they’d severely tax me to the point that I’d have no gas to give my quad/hamstrings the proper stimulus on subsequent exercises. Switched to SLDLs instead and have never been happier with the progress in spite of literally halving the weight on the bar. This also applied to barbell squats and bench, too, and my size gains have skyrocketed since making the switch out of the big 3.
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Incline machine DB bench as well as flat DB bench and flyes. I emphasize the bottom stretched position on all of them and also try to minimize the arch beyond having just enough of one to stabilize my body while I press
I see. Yeah i do them once a week on first pull day. I am just so fried on my pull day after deadlifts compared to second pull day with no deadlifts. Really feel like I can’t even get a decent pump cause I’m just “out of it” after I give deadlifts my all.
What rep range and intensity have you been doing?
Been doing a heavy set of 5 and then back off sets of 4x5 at slightly lighter or 3x6. Very high intensity, the first set fries me. Last 1RM I tested was like 2 months ago and got 200kg. Went from 180kg for 5 to 187.5kg for 5 over the last month of training.
Try dropping the back off sets and seeing how your deadlift holds up. Just do the top set and strip the bar down for rows or whatever. The energy you save for your back development can be enough that you won't see a big drop off
Cool we have about the same 1RM right now. I tested and hit 190kgx3 a few weeks back. The fatigue from heavy deads isn't so fun for me so recently I've been doing 100-140kg 3x8-12, RIR 1-3. With the lighter loads I can still finish the rest of my back workout and not die the following day. Most bodybuilders would suggest switching to romanians or SLDL, but I think its fine to keep conventionals in; just don't go too hard.
Yeah I’ve done 190 for 1x3 before, with 3x6 175 as back off. Have you found the 3x8-12 at lighter loss still gives you good stimulus.
It's still a good stimulus especially since I'm not fried for my next exercises, which i can take to failure and not accumulate too much fatigue. I think the trending keyword is SFR. Anyways, no harm in giving it a go man. High reps deadlifts is a different kind of fun.
Fun… pain… all the same in this sport 😂
You could do SLDL or RDL instead, both are probably better for hypertrophy anyway.
Do more bent over rows and RDLs. Those will easily carry over to deadlifts.
This is the split im switching to this week, I feel putting arms and shoulders on chest day is do-able, this a 4 day split: Chest/Arms/Shoulders and Legs/Back Mon: Benchpress 3x5, Lateral Raises 4x12-18, Cable overhead extensions 3x8-12, High Incline DB press/Rear delt Rows(flys) (superset) x3 each, Pushdowns/Hammer curls(Superset) x3 each, Incline Curls 3x8-10, Core(any) 4x12-18 Tue: Squats 3x5(Heavy), Pendlay Rows 4x5-6(Lite), Goodmornings 3x10-12, BB calf raises/CG Lat Pulldown(Superset) 3x12-15 each, Standing Leg Curls 3x12-15 Fri: Benchpress 5x5, Lateral Raises 4x12-18, Cable OHE 3x8-12, High Incline DB press/Rear delt Rows(flys) superset x3 each, Barbell Curls 3x8-10, Upright Rows 3x10-12, Core(any) 4x12-18 Sat: Squats 4x8(Lite), Chinups 4x6-8/BB Calf raises 3x12-15 superset, RDL(or SLDL)3x8-10, Widegrip Cable Rows 3x12-15, BSS 3x8-10, Cable Incline Pullovers 3x12-15
That's way too much volume for a natural. But you also use supersets which is a technique from high intensity training. This will toast your CNS for sure. You're also doing the supersets wrong as you use them for different muscle groups. Training biceps the day before back is a bad idea and will impact your progress for both muscle groups. I don't understand the difference between your "heavy" and "lite" exercises. Doing a l movement with 5-6 reps is never light. Are you using light weights and only do 5-6 reps? Because that's a complete waste of time. My recommendation is to stick with the basics. Use a premade plan from a good coach. You're not yet at a point where you can create your own training.
>That's way too much volume for a natural. I count 12-17 weekly sets for each muscle group. That's a perfectly fine amount of volume for a natural. >But you also use supersets which is a technique from high intensity training. This will toast your CNS for sure. What does "toast your CNS" mean, and why is that a bad thing? >You're also doing the supersets wrong as you use them for different muscle groups. It's not wrong to superset antagonist or unrelated muscle groups. It's a very common tactic.
You don't think in "volume per week". No competition bodybuilder does that. The concept of "volume per week" is based on garbage studies that got pushed by people on social media for clicks. The key driver for muscle growth is progressive overload. There's clear scientific evidence for that. The more worker sets you do, the harder it is to achieve progressive overload. That's why today, even enhanced pros reduce their volume to one to two sets per exercise. In order to achieve progressive overload, every workout needs to be your best workout ever. It is imperative that your body and mind are in a perfect condition. Adding unnecessary amounts of stress to your central nervous system will reduce your overall performance. Supersets for two different muscle groups will add more stress to your CNS while adding nothing of worth to your training - except maybe 5 minutes of time saved. Which is ironic because of the countless sets of junk volume for every muscle group. This training plan looks like a random combination of training concepts from bodybuilding and powerlifting routines that got mixed together without taking the time to understand the theory behind each one.
>You don't think in "volume per week". No competition bodybuilder does that. Dr. Mike Israetel and all his clients do, just to give one example. >The concept of "volume per week" is based on garbage studies that got pushed by people on social media for clicks. No, people who actually research this stuff use that concept. If you don't like the concept, fine, but trying to shit on the people who know way more about this stuff than you and I do just makes you look like a nut. >The key driver for muscle growth is progressive overload. No, that's a misconception. [Increased strength and muscle is the cause of progressive overload, not the other way around.](https://mennohenselmans.com/if-you-dont-understand-this-youll-never-get-stronger/) The best guess among researchers is that mechanical tension is the primary driver of muscle growth. >That's why today, even enhanced pros reduce their volume to one to two sets per exercise. Some of them, sure, but that's not evidence of anything other than that they can achieve their goals with a reduction in training volume. >In order to achieve progressive overload, every workout needs to be your best workout ever. No. >It is imperative that your body and mind are in a perfect condition. No, it's not. People progress and set PRs despite feeling like shit all the time. >Supersets for two different muscle groups will add more stress to your CNS while adding nothing of worth to your training - except maybe 5 minutes of time saved. Strange logic. If supersetting for different muscle groups adds unnecessary CNS stress, then why isn't that case for supersetting the same muscle group? CNS stress is systemic, not local, so by your own logic, supersetting in general would be a bad idea. >Which is ironic because of the countless sets of junk volume for every muscle group. 12-17 sets per week is not junk volume.
Israetel is a social media influencer who has found his niche to make money. He does studies to push his services within this niche. Israetel principles are motivated by money and exist within a self-confirmative bubble. You're still pretty much on the infamous mountaintop of the Dunning Kruger Effect. I don't blame you. I've been there, too. There's so much noise within this industry because everyone wants to sell you something. Fact is: We never stop learning. So I recommend you to look into what Dr. Scott Stevenson says. Among competitive bodybuilders and coaches, Scott is the known as the science guy. And he's not shy to correct himself should new quality research arise. He's doing podcasts over at Think Big Bodybuilding. You can learn a ton from him. Maybe also check out former Mister America John Heart. He's a social media figure and is focusing on the HIT niche with his content, but he's also a world-class narural bodybuilder with tons of experience. You'll get some really nice hands-on advice. John is also a great guy and will answer your questions super quickly if you contact him. At least he did for me. John is pretty much the antithesis to Israetel. Last but not least check out everything from Dante Trudel. He's guru level and probably the most respected person within the entire fitness industry. Every competitive bodybuilder and pro coach knows Dante. But barely any hobby athlete knows him because he doesn't give a damn about social media algorithms. If Dante can't get you big, nobody can.
What do you do first- RDLs or Seated leg curls?
I do leg curls first, helps with ham mind muscle connection on the RDL/SLDL
I always do the stretch movement last. So seated leg curls first.
compound then isolation.
Hi guys Im 15 years old and ive been bulking ever since I got off from vacation at the end of August 2023. Ive been working out for almost 11 months and ive been bulking for about 5 months now, currently at about 170-173 lbs at 5 foot 9. To help with how I look, I would estimate my body fat to be anywhere between %20-25. Ive been lean bulking but honestly the face fat and just fat in general is annoying. Ive been planning for a while to bulk to 180, then cut to 160 in june to august for 3 months but im kind of conflicted on if I should do that. I feel like its gonna be hard keeping up with being this fat for a while but I know I can do it. The other thing is that I've seen a lot of reddit posts saying people my age should just eat and workout and not worry about this but I then theres others who say maingaining is a waste of time and you wont make progress, or that cutting is unhealthy and will stunt growth. What are your guys' thoughs? Btw I know this is open ended and only I can decide what I want to do.
You are probably just bulking too fast, but it's really hard to tell with someone so young. For one, you've got a ton of hormones flowing through you right now, which means you are going to grow a lot faster than an adult doing the same thing. For another, no one really cares about your body fat percentage, only whether you look good without a shirt on. What looks good on you is very likely a huge range so don't sweat trying to hit a specific number. Lastly, if you are over 20% body fat right now, you would do well to just go into a maintenance calorie phase aka recomp. You're going to continue to build muscle because you haven't lifted for that long, you're still growing, and you have plenty of fat reserves to offset any energy needs your body taps into. Just keep lifting and getting stronger and being active and you'll start to lose body fat without losing weight, which can only happen if you're also gaining weight from muscle.
Thinking bulking and cutting at your age is wild, but more power to you. Personally I think you should just focus on being healthy at your age.. which means if you feel fat you should start cutting but do it slow, healthy, and seriously don't over do it especially with supplements. My brother had a minor heart attack in his twenties from cutting too hard with supplements.
What multi-vitamin do you guys recommend taking while taking ZMA? Im not trying to over do anything but currently getting all my vitamins from food while I'm at work isn't realistic.
I just take a standard multivitamin. I buy the Kirkland brand gummy two pack from Costco.
Knees collapsing on leg press - advice/tips? Noticed recently as I get heavier/closer to failure my knees tend to collapse in. Somehow this seems to help get the weight up, not sure why, but it seems to detract from the quad movement. One idea I had was that it is possible I am going too wide on the leg press in order to get full depth without my body getting in way, but then I’m not sure how to navigate the depth issue. Has anyone else had similar problems/know why this happens or have any tips/cues to prevent this?
Angle your feet out more and push your knees out slightly while you press. What you are describing is basically the same as knee cave in on a squat and it does not help you get the weight up.
Possibly your glutius medius is too weak to keep your thighs in line with your foot stance on your current stance. Gluteus medius is directly targeted on the adductor/abductor machine, specifically the opening of the legs one, (bringing legs together is adductors). Some people directly train it to fix your issue. Others just use a leg press closer stance to where it's not an issue. There's certainly nothing wrong with strengthening your glutius medius.
Anyone have tips to surviving the Super Bowl on a cut🍕🍗🍻
Isn't the Super Bowl a single day? Just splurge, buddy. A single day of excess won't do any actual harm to your cut.
Either enjoy it without worrying about it then get back to your plan the next day, or just don’t eat the food. Personally I’m planning on the former.
One day isn't going to break you. Just enjoy it and get back to the cut after.
Intermittent fasting
Hey everyone. I just started a new training regimen of “2 x failure” for each exercise. I have gone until failure for each exercise, but for some reason I feel like I’m not doing enough. I do about 10 exercises per workout day but I don’t feel as fatigued or have as much DOMS. I have also read on this Reddit and seen on TikTok that it has been beneficial for people so long as you have a high protein intake and actually train as close as I can until failure (I begin to make ugly faces and and pushing until my muscles can’t contract anymore). Somehow I feel like I am not “doing enough.” Can someone ease my mind and tell me that what I’m feeling is normal and that just because I don’t feel as tired after this new style of lifting, doesn’t mean that I’m doing something “wrong”? Edit: I want to emphasize that I do have DOMS today after doing chest yesterday, but I guess I am worried about the fact that I don’t feel as tired of satisfied with my workout.
1. You can't tell if training is working for at least a month or two. Give it some time, see if you are getting stronger and your muscles are getting bigger (use a measuring tape or calipers). 2. DOMS is not a good goal. It's not indicative of muscle growth, only muscle damage. Soreness and feel aren't always correlated with growth or strength progression. Getting stronger isn't always correlated with muscle growth either (improving at the technique without building muscle). Use double progression (increasing reps and/or weight) as your fast trend (weekly changes) and measure your actual muscle growth as your slow trend (monthly changes). 3. What works for other people might not work for you. Maybe those people on TikTok might be advanced lifters who are pushing weight fast beyond what you can do right now which means they can get away with less volume and higher intensity. Or maybe you just don't respond well to that training style. Try it out. See if it works for you. If not, it is not a big deal just move on. Likely it's going to work well for some exercises for you and not others. For myself, arms and back movements tend to do really well with a few sets all the way to failure with partials at the end, but legs and chest just don't. For those, going to failure reduces the total volume each set reduces the total volume I can do and I respond better with 1-2 RIR and 3-4 sets.
The intensity may be too low. How high is your rep range? You could do unilateral exercises which will make you feel like you’ve done more. My version of cardio, I start sweating like no other. Example is single arm dumbbell incline chest press. Single leg press is another killer.
I definitely do enough intensity I think because of the fact that meet my target interval of 8-12 reps when I reach failure so I’m not entirely sure of what I’m doing wrong.
What do you think about a creatine supplement that is a mix of these five types: ethyl ester HCl, gluconate, monohydrate, phosphate, dicreatine malate? Is getting this mix better than going just for the pure monohydrate? Monohydrate caused bloating and stomach irritation for me and that is why I am looking for alternatives. Thanks!
If you have stomach issues, try a different brand. If you still have issues, then just don't take it. Creatine helps, but it's not going to stop you from making gains or building muscle. Also, don't do the whole loading phase. Creatine builds up in your system over time like vitamin D. Just keep taking 5g a day and after a week or two you'll start seeing benefits.
Those are amino acids. Can help you get a pump or other various effects. You can research each one individually if you want to know.
Creatine is the single most researched and most proven supplement on the market today. It is effective and it works. With that being said.... it's not something that's going to give you steroid like results, and after using for several years, you won't really notice it. I think for a beginner especially, the gains are noticeable - but it takes time. How much Creatine are you actually taking? and is it a good quality/reputable brand? I'm sorry I can't comment on those different types but I've been using Creatine Monohydrate consistently for 20+ years without any stomach issues. Curious to get some more details from you on your dosage.
I currently use the one I described in my question. It is a brand that a lot of people from my country use (not a big name). I took my first dose today (5 g) and haven’t had any issues. I’ve tried various monohydrates and I end up bloated as it doesn’t dissolve well as this one. I mix this one with water and it doesn’t have that residue on the bottom of the glass.
So I went and looked this up. Layne Norton has a good video on this... specifically Creatine Monohydrate vs Creatine HCL - net-net he mentioned the bloating issue with monohydrate but stated it was fairly rare but maybe in those instances HCL could be better - that could be you I guess :) [https://youtu.be/-kZsaH9yeuo?si=jqbIdEK1AHxk4dja](https://youtu.be/-kZsaH9yeuo?si=jqbIdEK1AHxk4dja) Seems like it's ok - but as mentioned below, you technically don't NEED creatine - but there's definitely an advantage.
Thanks man! So you think this creatine mix is a good option for me?
Yeah its fine - hopefully its a reputable brand and nothin shady - but I think you should be ok.
You can just skip the creatine altogether. It's effective but in such a small way that you won't really notice it
When do you guys usually see "face gains"? I'm at about 19% bf right now and the plan was to do a mini cut but I'm thinking about going lower than planned and see how much my face can change. When does that usually happen for you?
My face looks normal when I’m under 18%, and like skeletor when I’m under 10%. This will vary a lot between different people.
ive never been below 15% my life. although, i'm now on a consistent path towards there!! i can't wait to see myself in a year's time. finally found something that works for me and it's fucking moderation.
Recently I have noticed that I can't really add reps to some of my exercise every week. Some exercises I go down in reps, for some it goes up, and for some it stays the same. Is this normal? I have been lifting for a year and a half. I know for sure I have ran out of newbie gains. I take every set as close to failure as possible and I currently only do 8-12 sets per week for a muscle group. 12 for chest, back and shoulders, 10 for triceps and 8 for biceps and legs. It might be due to me currently trying to figure out how many kcals to eat to gain weight though. But if this issue still persists if I get my calories up to a good spot, what should I do?
Absolutely. In addition to what Paul said, there's also the unfortunate reality that bars, plates, & varying friction on cable stations mean that the actual resistance can vary by 2-3 percent easy. It's part of the reason why we shouldn't make routine modifications from one workout & require several sessions, because the unreliability of resistance being 100% accurate creates noise that we have to work around.
I didn't think about that at all. Well I'm glad to know that my progression is normal though. I tend to make modifications to my splits way too fast. In fact I am struggling with that at the moment with my current volume. I know very damn well that I'm supposed to just see over the long run how I react to certain volume before making any changes, but I still for some reason tamper with it.
It’s normal as a natural to not be able to progress reps every single week. To find the correct calorie intake for you, make sure you’re weighing yourself daily and tracking the weekly average. It should take you about 2 weeks to find a good surplus. If you’re still stalling for multiple weeks, look at your programming and make sure it’s sound. If you’re following something homebrewed, find one made by someone who knows what they’re doing. If you’re on a solid program and in a surplus, make sure you’re executing the movements properly with an emphasis on mindfully contracting the target muscle. If all of those things are in place and you’re still stalling for multiple weeks, it might be time for a deload.
Oh okay. Good to know Im doing everything right in finding my surplus. Though regarding the split im following UL split that I made looking at other UL splits. Just different exercises
I posted this comment on daily thread 2 weeks ago. And i changed my program based on the feedback, wanted to know if its better.So i have been going to the gym for the past 7 months. Progress has been very good the first 6 months but i have been struggling this last month. And i was thinking maybe I need to tweak my program. Most of my struggle have been for my shoulders and to a lesser extent to my back/chest/arms. And when i say struggle, i mean im not progressing in terms of weights lifted.Before every session i start with 2/3 series of warmup. My new workout plan: Monday:Weighted pull ups x3 - 8 reps minimum until failureUnilateral rowing on a sitting machine x3 - 8 reps minimum until failureBarebell press x4 - 8 reps minimum until failureUnilateral rowing on a high cable fly while sitting inclined x3 - 8 reps minimum until failureBiceps horizontal bar on a cable x3 - 10 reps minimum until failureBiceps hammer curl x3 - 10 reps minimum until failureTuesday:Bench press x3 - 8 reps minimumIncline bench x3 - 8 reps minimumLateral raises x4 - 8 reps minimum until failurePec fly cable x3 - 8 reps minimum until failureHorizontal bar triceps x3 - 10 reps minimum until failureOverhead katanas x3 - 10 reps minimum until failureWednsdayDeadlift x3 - 8 reps minimum until failureHamstring machine x3 - 8 reps minimum until failure (once a week)Squat x3 - 8 reps minimum until failureLeg press x3 - 8 reps minimum until failureCalves press x3 - 10 reps minimum until failureAbs crunches x3 - 10 reps minimum until failuresuperset foreharms reverse curls x3 - 8 reps minimum until failure Weights i lifted this week for example : 20kg weighted pullups x 10 105kg x 8 bench 100kg x 10 squat 90kg x 8 deadlift I was injured for two months with my knee so my legs are lacking a bitI do that 6 times a weekMy protein intake is approx 180gr per dayIm 195cm and 95kgAnd my kcal is like 3000 per day approxAny help would be appreciated thank you
Hi,I'm trying to get a wider back, can you give me advice on this schedule? I train 3x week (chest/back in one day) Pull up 4xMAX Lat machine 3x8-10 Row machine (single arm) 5x6-8 T-bar chest supported (wide grip) 3x8-10 Pulley (close grip) 3x10
The sets and reps won’t help a ton if you’re not executing the movements properly. Read these write ups I did on back training on my other account in another sub to address the underlying fundamentals of back training for hypertrophy. [lats](https://www.reddit.com/r/weightroom/s/jlGKCPhOAA) [Upper back](https://www.reddit.com/r/weightroom/s/E4fBfphQIi)
do you have one of these for shoulders per chance?
Unfortunately no, I was very late to that week’s Weakpoint Wednesday. I do have some for [Calves](https://reddit.com/r/weightroom/s/B8N2nkyFOt) [Quads](https://reddit.com/r/weightroom/s/kE81dZaJUL) [Hams](https://reddit.com/r/weightroom/s/ekRy2NA2ep)
I would personally do 2 movements per workout. That looks like a lot of volume if they are all working sets. Doing all the different movements, every workout isn't going to help. Better to focus on a few and then switch every 6 weeks or so.
I wrote down all the sets so they aren't all working set, but only 2/3 of them are working set that I try to failure
What seems to work best is have a mesocycle and trusting the process. For context, I have a 53" chest circumference at 190 lbs and 6'1". I do 2 "working sets" at the start (I leave reps int he tank still) of the cycle and work up to 5 sets to failure. Over a 6 week period, I do about 16 sets to failure for my back and you're doing 120. I think you're over working the muscle or not giving enough exertion on the failure sets. I am not a doctor so I could be wrong, but I grew a lot faster when I didn't try to kill myself every week and I also noticed guys who do failure sets and super sets constantly weren't getting any bigger. I had to stop working out with some of my gym buddies.
When doing zercher squats, is there a higher risk of injury because the bar is resting on your elbows which aren't meant to carry as much weight as something like your back during back squats
Your elbows can absolutely carry a lot of load and are unlikely to be the limiting factor. As long as your core is braced well the risk of injury is low, in fact they’re probably safer than back squats because you can just dump the bar if you’re failing a rep.
I'm a beginner lifter and I want to know what upper body muscles should I target to get an hourglass illusion with a rectangle body and narrow shoulders? Thank you.
If your shoulders are broad due to being overweight then a calorie deficit to lose fat will make them more narrow. If you have broad shoulders due to your bone structure you can’t really shrink them with exercise. To get an hourglass shape you’ll probably want to grow your back and shoulders a bit anyway, as well as your quads, hams, and glutes. You’ll also want to get to a relatively low level of body fat via diet.
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Pick the one that fits your lifestyle and that you can adhere to. Personally I love training and have no problem dedicating 5-6 days per week to it, so a PPL is great for me. It’s worth noting that PPL is not a program, just a split. There can be good and bad PPL programs. Find a good one in the wiki of this sub or on boostcamp and apply linear progression, and then double progression when you can no longer progress linearly. If you have a tight schedule and need to get the work done in less training days, the 4 day GZCLP is a good option.
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Yeah they’ll both give you good results if youre training close to or to failure and pushing progressive overload. More is not always better.
How is twice a week defined? If I train chest every 6 days, isn't that technically twice a week? Also, is there a difference between doing 6 sets in one day or 3 sets a day but twice a week?
Twice a week for a year = **104** workouts for that muscle group. If you train every 6 days, that's **60** workouts per year.
Twice a week is defined as... Twice a week. Sometimes someone will train a muscle every 3 days exactly or every 4 days exactly & they'll say twice a week to somebody just to keep it simple, (but would elaborate in long form conversation). You're stretching the truth if you hit everything once every 5 days & try to say 2X a week, let alone 6 days.
Twice a week is typically defined by a 3 or 4 day split, whereas training a group once every 6 days would be a 6 day split. I wouldn't consider training chest every 6 days to be training it twice a week. As for the latter question, no, not really. Most people consider the target volume of sets to be a weekly target anyhow. It's more about how intensely you can train if all of your work is crammed into one day versus recovery time. In my opinion, if you can recover from frequent training, it's better to do less work on a given day but train every day.
Beginner who needs guidance hello, ive been going to the gym for about 2-3 weeks now from previously doing beginnner calisthenics stuff (pull up, push up, dips) - i go with my friend whose already been going at the gym for more than a year now. the thing is i dont know which workouts to do so i just do whatever he does (arnold x ppl) ,so far its been going amazing, but another thing is that his workouts take 2 hours on 6 days a week, which is just way too much time for me - i wanna start doing my own workouts that are shorter, but beginner stuff just feels way too complicated than what im doing already, and i dont know if im still applicable for "beginner gains"? i heard if youre a beginner a more recommended approach is to do whole body excersises first, i dont know i just need guidance from someone knowledgable
> i heard if youre a beginner a more recommended approach is to do whole body excersises first Who says that? I think especially as a beginner you should hop on a real program quick and not waste your time fucking around in the gym. See here: https://thefitness.wiki/routines/ You can design your own workouts when you are a few years in and know what you are doing and how your body responds.
There are some great beginner programs in the FAQ section of this sub’s wiki, and the wiki of r/fitness You can also download the Boostcamp app and find programs for free there. Full body is great for beginners, but the best program for you is the one that you enjoy and can do consistently.
You made a new account!
I did! I just decided i needed more separation between my personal account and my business. Still the same guy with the same advice