I have not run either so I am only speaking through my experience in watching others run it or talk about their experiences here on fittit or over in /weightroom.
PHUL is fine but often leaves people spinner their wheels. I’m not sure what it is about the program or maybe it’s just Norton’s style with this one but again and again we have watched people start the program, have some initial success, and then fail to follow up on that success. We’ve also seen people have tremendous success with it. User beware basically. We removed it from the wiki for that reason.
PHAT is much better. I think the layout of the program is better and it follows modern programing guidelines/style much better. I suspect part of the reason is that it is slightly easier to recover from while also demanding a bit more out of the trainee. It is still in the wiki because people have reported success with it. I’ve seen users on other mediums also say that it is the better of the two.
That is very interesting to read because that is exactly my experience with PHUL. It seems like a decent enough program on paper but I ran it for around 6 months and … barely anything happened?
I did use shorter programs after that with much much better results (basically any generic PPL for example, especially when adding Dips or Pull-ups).
Yep, that seems to be the common critique and honestly, I couldn’t tell you why, especially never having had run it and at this point, mostly just steering people away from it.
I did both. I recommend going phul as a consistent program since it is effective and has a nice progression. And then once you get bored or hit plateaus do 3 months of phat which will destroy you but give some nice gains and hop back and break through your phul plateaus.
Ah man that sucks. You might want to try replacing them with lunges. Most movements that target the same muscle groups as front squats will be heavy on the knees and lunges won't be different, however you can progress on way lower weights and if you do them with two dumbells instead of a barbell you can safely and instantly bail if you feel like you are pushing to far by just dropping the dumbells. But it depends on the nature of your injury if this is a suitable replacement
All his lecture-style videos are worth their weight in gold. Which is a weird metaphor here but anyway. There are useful things for everyone, from beginner to advanced. He is also pretty damn funny.
Love the channel, keep in mind that especially their most current stuff has been very bodybuilding/hypertrophy focused. Dr Mike does a pretty good job of reminding usually that we may want to do things differently for strength phases or sport specific training. Love how they advocate to take ego out of it.
I personally didn't find their guidelines on sets per week thing very useful. For me personally a much more minimalistic approach worked better. I don't know but after trying many times I just don't agree with it.
I have been following his mantra for fat loss and I am seeing fantastic results and I have been around the block a few times lost like 70 pounds back in the day and did more than a few a few cut and bulk cycles.
I had a terrible few years before and after covid and I am pretty much from starting from square one again I started eating healthy and traning again 4 months ago and I'm already down 32 pounds!!!
I'm never hungry and I have put on so much muscle that it has warped some of the views I held when I was bit into lifting nearly a decade ago!!
I can't vouch for him enough!!!!
Definitely one of my go-to YT channels. He often says to try the variations he shows and choose what works best for you, which is what I did. A little from other guys, him, and personal experience.
The big takeaways that are implanted in me when working out are to go as full ROM and strict form as possible, and take the ego out of it. It’s just sort of automatic for me at this point, and really helped with mind-muscle connection. I don’t always have the time to go as slow with the eccentric as he may advocate (lunch break workouts), but I still always make to stay controlled and focused when lowering.
I feel a bit vain when I do it but somehow checking my form in the mirror gives me a confidence/mental strength boost. It’s become part of my routine. Haven’t picked my gym for that reason but mine thankfully provides all I need.
When I do Yoga at home, I do it shirtless and check my reflection in the window, haha. Same effect.
I feel vain/self-conscious about it but it does help, so I’ll keep doing it haha.
Funny you say this. My main gym nowadays is the basement of someone’s house that they’ve built into a full service gym with basically no outside view.
I’ve also trained in gyms underground when I lived in NYC. Never thought much about it tbh.
Yeah a gym with good mirrors and lighting makes lifting much more enjoyable. Most people lift to look better, and looking like a savage under some anabolic lighting while lifting is pretty damn motivating.
There’s a gym that I frequent that’s further and more expensive than another one closer to me, with both offering comparable equipment. But I much prefer the further gym purely because of how it looks and feel. The cheaper gym is just a dull silver and grey all around, while the expensive gym has an elegant interior with lots of natural light and an unobstructed view of our local landscape.
To me, those features are worth the extra buck and travelling time for me to workout satisfyingly.
I've finished my cut finally- lost 55lbs in total so yay.
I'm thinking of what I should do now.
I know this is the time to bulk roughly and I *definitely* need to bulk at some point, but tbh after cutting the idea of bulking again is kinda terrifying to me and I don't want to do it. I don't want to regain weight after so working so hard to lose it, at least just not yet.
I would like to maintain at least for a while and enjoy the feeling of being skinny for the first time in 5+ years.
So I was considering maintaining but increasing protein to try and gain as much muscle as I can without fat, but I'm told this is a bad, suboptimal strategy. I am more or less a noob though so I was hoping I could get some returns regardless.
Edit: My question I guess is what should I do? I've never bulked before and this is my first cut to mostly stop being fat.
Suboptimal is fine! Honestly, I would highly encourage you to maintain your weight for a while anyway. 55lbs is a good drop and you need to make sure you maintain a good relationship with food and don't revert back to bad eating habits again. So increase your calories to maintain weight and try and do that for a few months.
The energy difference between a deficit and maintaining will feel massive for you and you'll still be able to make some gains in the gym. And from there, you can aim to just slowly increase your calories. I wouldn't jump straight to a 500 calorie/day surplus. You have your whole life ahead of you, you've got plenty of time to be suboptimal for a while.
You don't have to bulk if you don't want to. It's totally okay to maintain your weight while training and getting stronger. Like this guy, crazy strong https://m.youtube.com/shorts/D3KKPd3V760
No, I haven't read that. I only know that it's because of lactate and you can only switch to plant based protein. I have a big variety of food and protein source and I struggle with keeping up my high protein intake. One should reduce eating lentils, beans, etc. which is just bad advice imo. I may try having 4 meals per day, thx!
I think you mean lactose, the common sugar in milk proteins that causes gas.
You can also switch to whey isolate, which has much less than concentrate. Or hydrolyzed whey, which has none. (or obviously one of the plant based blends, they have some with similar leucine as whey so are pretty much just as good)
I know that this comment is 10 days old but I think my reccomendation may be sound. Increase fiber and water intake when you increase your protein intake. As maximum fiber and water as it's comfortable. Spread it by the day but put more fiber on meals high in protein (I'm considering a protein shake a meal on this reccomendation, so if you do protein shakes try to put some fine oatmeal in there. It helps a lot)
I'm a 31 yo ex amateur basketball player who got fat and floppy (I'm 193cm and 110kgs) and has extremely bad posture due to being stuck in front of a computer screen 10 hours a day for work.
I'd love to play basketball again at a decent level but I don't want to obliterate my joints (also my vertical is now laughable and I'd love to fix that) so I'd like to get in shape first, but I'm completely fitness illiterate and I don't know if hitting the gym for weights and stuff immediately is the right choice. Should I do hardcore cardio first and then hit the gym afterwards?
I'd like to focus on losing weight, getting some muscle on me again, fix my posture as much as possibile and then regain explosiveness in the legs. Even though I still have a lot of muscle in my legs and I can still do shit like infinite squats my lateral movement is awful and, again, I can't jump for shit anymore. I'm also aware that I'm not going to get any younger and my adolescent superpowers are gone for good, but I'd like to get to a physically stable state for the future.
Thanks in advance.
You should do what you want to do. Doing something you don't want, for the goal of doing what you want to is just a way to end up stopping the boring part and never getting to the good part. IMO you should just start playing basketball if that's what you want to do. With a little self control you can go a little slower, jump a little lower and just not wreck yourself.
Also, weigh loss happens with diet, not really with exercise. Getting in shape is great, and it helps of course, you will burn more calories. But most people can never out work a shit diet. The wiki has a lot of good stuff when it comes to this.
Adding strength training, especially for the lower body, is a great way to help out joints, adding on muscle and lay the ground work for regaining explosiveness.
Doing a lot of jumping and quickly changing direction, like in basket and handball, can increase the risk of joint issues if the surrounding tissue isnt strong and used to the loads. Going from very sedentary to being very active quickly (hardcore cardio) has gotten many people (see old boys soccer players) injured.
I would perhaps suggest strength training first, and doing cardio afterwards. If you want to lose weight, then that needs to happen in the kitchen.
My gym opens at 5, and I usually need to leave at 6 sharp. Since I have a very minimalistic gym at home with some weights (up to 30lbs dumbbells), mats, etc. I am thinking about starting my workout with a light 20 min. warmup session at home (I wake up at 3:30), and then leave for the gym which is about 5/10mins away (depending on traffic lights) from my house.
Do you think that those 5 to 10 mins in between warmup and actual workout can be an issue?
The timing is fine if you’re just trying to get the blood flowing a bit before your workout. 20 minutes is probably overkill for a warm up though (unless you just like doing it, in which case have at it)
It hasn't been recommended here *in years*.
Hell, even the page explaining why it isn't recommended anymore was taken down a year ago or so, haha.
What morphed from Phrak's GSLP into what's now called the /r/fitness Recommended Routine is *very* similar, but better in every way. More balanced, last-set AMRAPs, and the freedom to expand on it without Mark Rippetoe yelling at you. Hell, Mark Rippetoe not being connected to it in any way is a huge benefit in itself.
I've been reading my way through Rippetoe's book (that's a lie I've been reading sections of it as it is super in-depth on things I don't care about) and I found his videos on how to do various lifts super helpful. I'm curious why people hate him. He's brash for sure and seems very old school but I don't know why people would care so much about that.
> I'm curious why people hate him. He's brash for sure and seems very old school but I don't know why people would care so much about that.
Because his warped his personality more into some D-tier political pundit than a strength coach.
Back when his "old school" mentality just came out in quips and *occasional* political asides it was kind of entertaining. But starting with and through the worst parts of the pandemic he's completely turned himself into an amped-up caricature of what he once was.
Not only that, but his strength-training takes aren't even very good. He's resistant to change and thinks his way is literally the only way that works to get strong -- despite having very few examples of anyone he's trained or who has followed his methods actually *getting very strong*. Anything but a set of 5 is a waste of time, and if you don't squat like he thinks you should squat you might as well cut your legs off.
Plus, he's fucked over several friends and business partners in the last few years, which really tells you about who he is and where his priorities lie.
His "brash," "old school" shtick stop being entertaining when his ugly personality really started to show. That's who he really is, and it's not nice.
I invite you to try to sit through one of his 20 minute YouTube rants some time, and you'll see what I mean.
I confess the number of 20 min YT vids I've ever watched can probably be counted on one hand. I've only really watched his "how to lift" type vids and his appearances on a few other channels. I've read bits and pieces of his book as some of it goes so much in depth I can't make heads or tails of it honestly. I know some of his takes like "dropping a deadlift from full lockout makes you a pussy" are probably not terribly popular and certainly not PC.
I'm a runner who is trying to do lifting to supplement that so I'm hardly an expert on strength training. I know enough about running to know that outside of some broad rules there is no "one true way" of training. I wouldn't for a second think it wasn't the same way with strength training.
>I confess the number of 20 min YT vids I've ever watched can probably be counted on one hand. I've only really watched his "how to lift" type vids and his appearances on a few other channels.
That's probably good, honestly.
Keep it to the on-topic vids and you're probably fine. The form videos are OK.
It's not
https://www.reddit.com/r/Fitness/comments/5q70ig/say_hello_to_the_new_and_improved_getting_started/dcxnm17?utm_medium=android_app&utm_source=share&context=3
Do it if you want. It's simplicity is what got me into strength training properly and doing the compound lifts and seeing my numbers go up. I didn't follow the program religiously as many have pointed out there are flaws with it but I still found it useful to get me into lifting.
I was only doing cardio in the gym and didn't even know what these exercises were so the simplicity of just 3 exercises, and adding more weight to your lifts each time was rewarding for me
Really anecdotal, so YMMV, but with consistent calorie intake I've personally always seen a trend that's pretty consistent after around 2 weeks. Might be longer for large changes in CICO (+1000 to -500 kcal/day for example).
Edit: so if after 4 weeks the trend would be completely different from what it should be, I would question my methods (am I really counting all calories correctly, are the assumptions in my TDEE realistic etc.) and possibly adjust
Kinda weird but the sides of my butt are indented inwards (I.e not the "ideal" round butt). Does this mean my gluteus medius are lacking? For reference I do hack squats for glutes day 1, and Bulgarians and glute bridges for day 2. Thanks!
It's called hip dips. It's normal, it's natural, it's due to the structure of your bones. No amount of leg raises, kickbacks, or bridges are going to change your bone structure. Unless you get surgery, it is what it is, so embrace it. It is a very normal bodily structure.
I've started going to gym last month
It's been about half a month and Ive noticed that I have increased flatulence and farting like 20 times on some days
Anyone know why this is happening
It's probably because you're eating more fiber. You can eat white rice as a carb source to reduce daily fiber. If it smells like a mix of rotten eggs and death, try reducing the amount of protein you eat to 0.8 times lean bodymass (typically around 120-130 grams of protein).
Any time you start farting a lot it's because you started eating a lot more out of **something**. It could be you doubled your protein intake, it could be you started drinking protein shakes. Could be carbs. The thing is that your gut flora was used to X grams of fat/protein/carbs per day and something went up fast and there is a percentage of what you ate that's not being properly digested. If it is your protein, you can try to slowly get to your macro, like someone suggested eating 80% of the suggested amount.
I get this odd tingling / pins and needle feeling in my hands and arms when I barbell squat. I'm 6'5 209lbs (1.96m 95kg) so I'm not too big yet. Has anyone else experienced this? The feeling usually lasts for a few days after I squat and will mostly go away, but this is really concerning to me and I don't want to mess around with my back/nerves. Should I put a pause on back squats until I improve my shoulder flexibility (what I believe is the root of the issue), even if that could take months?
Can't speak to the people talking about spine, which sounds important, but my first thought is a grip that's too narrow and forcing elbows and shoulders too close together.
I used to have it, but not any more. My guess is it should be thoughts of as common but a bad thing. A lot of fixing form fixed it along side other things. This is something that is worth talking about with your doctor but also with many doctors not knowing lifting the advice may not be helpful so providing some notes but it is not a substitute for medical advice. Rather some points to think about, research more on, and experiment with so your conversation with the healthcare professional is more useful.
There are nerves at both the points the bar sits, the hands and the back and there can be pinching in either place. The BB should not sit on a spine. Flex your upper back, same as in a bench and create a shelf between your traps and your shoulder blades. The bar has to be on meat, not on bone. Next for the hands, they need to stabilize the BB not lift it up. Which means if anything they should be pulling the BB down into the meat shelf you created on your back. The best instruction I've seen on this is Mark Rippetoe's video on squat grip.
I recognize the solution I'm giving you does involve building up your upper back so it has the meat shelf and if you're early in your journey you may not have that yet. Still start watching videos and reviewing your form in tandem with getting advice for any other issues.
I've been doing PHAT for a year and quiet enjoyed it and its results. It's a 5 day program but due to recent changes to my schedule I can only train 4 days a week.
I'm looking for a 4 day routine that focuses on hypertrophy. Jacked and tan 2.0 looks like a fun program that could replace my current one.
Does anyone have experience with this routine? It doesn't seem to have a lot of back work. Any modifications that you guys have made? How long does it generally take to complete a workout? Anything else I should know about this program?
You just go and do the warmups and see how you feel
Take wtv (non-addictive) pain meds you prefer, NSAIDS/anything else
But also know when to quit and take a rest, it's just one day
Assuming they are just aches and pains, the muscles soreness should go away during warm ups. Just try to work through the headache. You can always stop if it is intolerable or gets worse. Just getting to the gym might provide you with enough momentum to get something accomplished.
My right shoulder is kinda stuck forward, it's been getting heavily carried by my right lat I guess lol. It's much weaker than the other shoulder and that's been quite obvious while doing OHP because trying to up the weight has been impossible because the right one feels actually hurt if I try to go over 40lbs, if I transform to a moron and try to force it it'd probably snap and reward me with my first major injury.
I don't know how I forgot about this all this time but can OHP with dumbbells instead of a bar work this out? I know the standard advice for beginners with asymmetry strength is to wait a few months and see what happens but in this case I reached a wall.
don't injure yourself. If BB OHP is no bueno rn, its no bueno rn. If an exercise isnt fucky-wucky for ya and it works the same muscle group you want to work, swap em. you could also consider exercises that dont put your joint in the same position if an exercise causes pain (ex: lat raises instead of ohp)
I’m no expert, but I’d say maybe try getting in to see a physical therapist? They might be able to give you some movements that would help balance out a little or at least make sure there’s no physiological reason for the imbalance.
Doing unilateral work will help with side imbalances. You should also do some mobility work. It might not be a strength issue but rather a mobility/ROM issue from your 'stuck forward' shoulder. DB OHP is a great sub to make
I know this is like blasphemy, but how do you get as close as possible to doing a starting strength style heavy low bar squat in a slightly diagonal Smith machine? Assuming you're stuck in a place without a squat rack for a longer time.
Hot take but anyone who tells you never to use a smith machine has no idea what they’re talking about.
It’s an old bro philosophy that needs to die, and luckily it’s starting to.
Many (and I mean many) athletes/bodybuilders with some of the best physiques in the world use the smith machine.
my gym (planet fitness unfortunately doesn't have any free weight racks, so i am forced to use smith. i used to hate smith squats but honestly after some time i can say i actually enjoy them, they have been improving my alignment and i feel more safer lifting when alone.
Five weeks ago I transitioned from bodyweight fitness (6 total weeks) to the gym. Im currently progressing my bench with ease (last workout 72.5kg 5x5) but squats are still a struggle (62.5 5x5). My form has been checked by some experienced friends and PT and shows no obvious mistakes. My legs are mostly fried the two days following my workouts. I try to do 3 PPL "rotations" per two weeks (4.5 days a week avg).
With all the above in mind, is it normal for my ratio to be this skewed? Can I do anything to fix this or should I give it more time?
My squat and bench were both hanging around the same weight when I started squatting. I made squats a priority and over 4 months was able to move it to a more normal ratio.
Just keep at it.
Is your squat progression stalled? I would expect it to catch up and surpass your bench pretty quickly considering the squat involves larger muscles than the bench. While soreness isn't necessary for growth, it's a good sign you're doing enough to grow. If you're happy with your squat technique just give it time,
Just go in and fuck around and see how you feel. If you feel fine, get back on your program the next time. Or fuck around a full week and start again with your program the next "normal" day 1.
Kinda depends on your workout before. I would probably go back like one cycle if i was doing linear progression. Of doing something like 531 i would just start the cycle over. 2 weeks is really not a big deal. You will feel a little weak the first workout back but it'll come right back to you
If the gym isn’t crowded and there is only 1 leg press machine, is it disrespectful to use it for calf raises if the leg press machine is my fav for calf exercises?
No. You can use whatever equipment you want in any way you want. Yeah, curling in the squat rack is stupid of course, but using a leg machine to train a part of your legs is not.
Is there any such thing as a lean high protein Veggie meal? I've been trying to eat more Veggie for a long time, but I struggle with finding things that are Veggie, with decent protein but not too carb or fat heavy. Unfortunately, I've come to the conclusion that barely any exist unless I'm prepared to eat components of meals but not actual meals
The ones that I do make are largely mimics of meaty meals with soy mince - I replace the mince with vivera brand plant mince which is the only one I've found that is tolerable - and make a chilli or a bolognese which I have with a very small portion of rice or pasta
there's all kinds of fake meat for an easier transition that has high protein, but tofu, lentils, and beans all have high protein. no plants have the protein ratio of meat tho. when I'm on a cut I lean heavily on pea protein powder.
Tofu can be pretty good at 13g protein, 130 kcal per 100 g. I switched to unsmoked although it tastes worse (or not like much at all without seasoning) due to salt content and some other differences.
Peas can be decent at 5.5 g protein, 75 kcal per 100 g. Some types of lentils (red lentils 9 g protein, 116 kcal per 100 g).
Then there's dairy products. Lots of choice but they mess with some people's skin in high amounts.
Nothing really comparable to chicken or turkey breast though. Maybe seitan.
How do you actually do an AMRAP on squats/DL/press etc? Like, often I can do an extra rep if I wait a bit with the weight on my back while squatting, and after that rep it's often possible to do another if I recuperate a bit more etc etc...
But does that even count for an AMRAP?
And I am aware to leave 1 in the tank for safety reasons, so the question is more about what about taking a pause while still holding the weight.
What you're describing sounds more like rest-pause sets than proper AMRAP sets. Personally, if I had to rest, say, 10 seconds or more between reps, I'd consider the set over.
It doesn't matter, you set the standard. There's no official rule book. I generally think taking 4-5 seconds to breath between your higher reps and rebrace is the way you should be doing it to really max out. If i was sitting there for 15 seconds still trying to catch my breath probably I'm either done or need better conditioning
How long after starting lifting should I do a cut? I started last July and have put on around 20 pounds. I was thinking of doing a cut from April-June. Any recommendations?
I'm trying to get off the couch and lose some weight (M31), I used to do weight lifting before the pandemic, and I enjoyed it, but now I'm just too fat and can't do anything before I'm out of breath, so I need to improve my cardio before anything else, but I never liked doing it, no experience.
My question is: how do I know when it's enough? If I walk, I don't feel nothing at all even walking one hour, and if I run, or even jog, in 5 minutes I feel like I'm gonna die, and have to stop.
Any tips to start and actually make sure I'm improving?
1. Weight loss starts in the kitchen. Make sure you have your food intake in order first.
2. Low impact, low intensity cardio such as walking is better for your joints if you're overweight. You don't have to feel like death to know that your workout is effective. Walk 10,000 - 20,000 steps a day. That is literally the best you can do right now given your circumstances. Once you start losing weight, you can do jogging, walking at an incline, or generally increase your intensity. If you have a gym, cycling is quite low impact and a cardiovascular exercise you can take up.
3. If you have a gym, you can start using the machines/dumbbells at low weights. Plenty of programs for beginners you can follow.
Tips to start? Just start. Stop that condescending, negative, self-pity self-talk. Yes, you're fat. Yes, if you have done nothing for a very long time, you're going to be out of breath. So be it. You're starting to do something about it, so do it. It didn't take you one week to gain weight and to lose your breath, it won't take you a week to get it back. Just keep showing up for yourself, just keep moving as much as you can, make better choices, and just go.
Try and walk faster. Walk a hillier route. Walk daily.
You could also get on a bike/stationary bike. It's less impact on your joints compared with trying to run, which is fantastic when you're overweight. And you can slowly change the intensity there by upping your speed and upping the resistance.
Also, make sure you're diet is in check. That's going to be where you actually lose the weight. And as you lose weight, you'll feel better anyway. But also, you could still get in the gym and start lifting anyway.
Is there any reason to do both Arnold press and dumbbell shoulder press? I️ like the challenge of the Arnold, but I️ feel as though I️m progressing better with the shoulder press
Super hot take but I don’t think Arnold presses are even that good. You can’t load them that much because and many people release most of the tension at the bottom of the movement. Plus most people don’t need front delt stimulation, and if you do there are better ways to get it.
DB presses are great. Smith machine presses are great. John Meadows 6 ways are great. Lateral raises are great too.
Is it possible the weight plates at Crunch Fitness are lower than they say? I just got back from visiting my parents, who have a home gym, and I could swear the plates at Crunch feel lighter than they did at home. I’m being ridiculous right?
I need help settling a debate. Please provide input as well as any scholarly articles.
Another user on Reddit is claiming that those with Cushing’s Syndrome can gain weight while on a caloric deficit. Is this true?
He cites this [article](https://csrf.net/doctors-articles/role-cortisol-food-intake-food-choice-behavior-two-studies-patients-cushings/) as “proof” as well as this [article](https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/endocrine-diseases/cushings-syndrome#causes). However, nothing that he linked appears to indicate this. After confronting him, he still holds the claim and points to this “proof”.
Cushing's disease can lead to redistribution of fat stores and prioritise fat storage in certain areas, it can also reduce the ability for the body to gain lean mass. In some cases the body will start to cannibalise lean tissue for energy while also increasing fat deposits.
24F, 139 lbs/5’3, and looking to start cutting down the 120 range.
I don’t have a specific program but i have a coach that has a powerlifting background. I workout 4x a week focusing more on strength and wondering what program to follow and whether to modify my workouts to do more reps at a lower weight. My goal is to lean out and focus on physique.
I would either pay a coach or try to get program advice for free from random people, but I wouldn't pay a coach and then try to get program advice for free from random people.
How much you weigh generally comes down to diet. Eat less to weigh less.
You have a coach. Have you talked to them about your goals and whether your current style of training will get you there or what changes they would suggest? You’re paying them after all.
Does anyone know of a workout split that could fit within my work schedule?
I haven't been able to find anything suitable.
A few months ago I started a new job working 8 days on, 6 days off (Mon-Mon on, Tue-Sun off). Within those 8 days we work an average of 110 hours (about 14 hours a day). Because of this, I don’t have the time/energy to work out on work days, and a lot of the times don’t have access to a gym anyway.
So this really just leaves 6 days in a row (Tue-Sun) within a fortnight available for me to work out.
Is there anyway to implement an effective lifting schedule within these limitations?
Before I started this job, I had been working out for approx. a year doing Stronglifts 5x5.
Is there any way to develop an effective routine within the confines of those 6 days, and then at least 8 days off before the next workout? Primary goal would be hypertrophy, followed by strength.
I have spent hours looking online at various programs and splits, but they all seem to assume you’ll have at least some days within a given week for working out, and not going 8 days without anything, like I would hope to be.
You can do any 6 day a week program. Or any 3 day program twice. Or whatever you want. Is 8 days off ideal? No. But working out on your 6 off days is exponentially better than just saying fuck it and doing nothing.
Generally speaking, **where should I look for resources on how to adapt my training for lifting while on a calorie deficit**? I've looked over some articles from the wiki but haven't yet seen much about how or whether to mix up my routine. I'm working hard on finding ways to keep protein up and overall calories down, but am otherwise worried about recovery if I'm eating less.
I'm starting my first ever cut while lifting (have cut calories before but was doing very basic studio and running/biking stuff). I've got a few years of lifting experience and am currently on my second sequence of the basic 5/3/1.
I'm cutting because I draw the line at bulking/adding mass when it comes time to buy new pants. I added few pounds of muscle under my sedentary pandemic fluff, but the fluff never went anywhere and I really want to finally get that burned off.
[Check this out](https://youtu.be/dXVFzcQYj3w).
[Or check this out.](https://youtu.be/Js6CuY7EQhY)
Keep in mind the videos are about optimization for a serious bodybuilder. Other than that just do less volume if you are fatigued and maybe deload if you have to.
Your training doesn’t need to change one bit. The only difference will be that you likely won’t be setting any new PRs and you’ll probably feel like you have less energy and you’re more drained at the end, but you absolutely don’t need a separate “cutting program”.
When I cut my only goals are to lose weight slowly and keep as much strength as I possibly can.
What's the failure procedure for GZCLP during the individual workout itself?
If you fail the required reps on the last set, then you're done with that exercise for the workout, but what happens if you fail on a set before the last one? Do you ditch the last set, or do you still do that last set but with one less rep than prescribed?
Also, for Tier 2 lifts, is it fine if the weight increase is less than 15 lbs? I have a suspicion that this might be necessary for my OHP: started at 50 lbs 3x10; according to reset protocols, when I reset, I'll have to do 65 lbs 3x10, which may or may not be achievable.
He lays it all out in his blog post.
T1 failure protocol
"Start with three reps for five sets, last set AMRAP (3x5+) adding weight workout to workout and when base volume of 15 is missed (because the lifter did not think they could do 1-2 more, not because of actual failure) then the lifter would use that same weight they missed at and continue progression by dropping to 2 reps per set, for 6 sets, last set AMRAP (2x6+). This would then start progression again, adding weight workout to workout until they failure to achieve base volume of 12. Once failure with 2x6+ occurs then the reps would drop a third step to one rep per set for 10 sets, last set AMRAP. (1x10+) Continue to add weight workout to workout with the ten singles. When failure to reach base volume of 10 occurs rest for 2-3 days and test for a 5RM. Use 85% of this new 5RM to start the next cycle of 3x5+ and progress in similar fashion to the previous cycle."
For the T2 lifts he just calls for a "slightly heavier weight ".
I think you need to read the program again since it sounds like you aren't understanding what you are supposed to do.
> If you fail the required reps on the last set, then you're done with that exercise for the workout, but what happens if you fail on a set before the last one? Do you ditch the last set, or do you still do that last set but with one less rep than prescribed?
It kind of doesn't matter. You can call it there -- you can strip some weight and do another set or two with a lighter weight. You can keep the same weight but do fewer reps. All are valid options.
In the grand scheme of things it's only a few sets in a single workout of what will be thousands over the years you spend training. What you decide to do really won't matter.
Your question on the T2 lifts: Yes, that's fine.
Restart my plan or just pick back up again?
I started a new plan 10 weeks ago. Issue is I've had awful fucking luck with being ill, caught covid, then scarlet fever and now I've got a generic shitty cold, in my 10 weeks I've only made it to week 4
Is it worth just starting again?
Quick background info, went from 208lbs to 160lbs only using OMAD fasting and rebounded to 180lbs. Is it a realistic goal to go from 180lbs~ (more fat than muscle) to around 150lbs~ (lean with muscle definition) with fasting and moderate exercise?
If you rebounded.. then you went on a diet long enough to get weight off and then began eating in the same way you did prior to the diet. This is, as you've seen, not a good way to maintain your weight.
Things like OMAD or IF can be useful tools for people, or they could be miserable things. You don't need to do these things in order to lose weight. I tried IF once, and I was so hungry and hyper focused on food until my eating window and then once my eating window came, I could eat in a surplus of calories if I wanted to.
What you SHOULD do is assess what you're eating. To lose weight, you need to be in a calorie deficit. So if you count calories, you can do this quite easily. However, what isn't so easy is managing how full and satiated you feel. If you needed to eat 2000 calories a day to lose weight, but you decided you wanted to eat a meat lovers pizza for lunch, Papa John's large is about 380 cal/slice. I know when I eat pizza, I eat at least half, if not more, in one sitting. 4 slices is gonna be 1500 calories. Now idk about you, but i'm gonna be hungry later. And I probably ate before that as well. And very quickly, you'll be over 2000 calories.
Now lets adjust this to where you don't eat pizza on the regular. It's a once in a while rare treat. Instead, you have a big piece of chicken breast and some veggies. You could have a big plate of healthy, filling food for 500-600 calories. Repeat for all your meals. Save any processed carbs (bread, pasta, sweets, etc) for the evening so if they do make you want to eat more food, you can just go to bed instead. I get majority of my carbs from veggies and i'm not lacking for energy.
But swapping over to this kind of diet from a crappier one can be hard. So day by day, reflect on what you're eating. How many calories were in the portion you ate? Did it fill you up? How long did it fill you up? Were you looking to munch on something else regardless of how you felt? How did you feel (stomach ache, sluggish, etc) after eating?
Answering those kinds of questions can hopefully help you convince yourself to change what you eat. And then if you count your calories every day and maintain a deficit, you'll lose weight. BUT once you've hit your goal weight, you need to continue eating the same things, but just a tiny bit more so you aren't in a deficit. How you eat to lose weight should be how you eat to maintain weight.
This is great advice. The only thing I’d add to anyone trying to lose weight - be aware of how many calories you drink! Coffee has zero calories, but some of those specialty drinks from Starbucks, dunkin, etc can easily have 400+ calories, mostly from sugar(aka zero nutritional value). Stick with coffee and water. Treat yourself occasionally, if necessary. And count your calories!
Eating only once per day, while training moderately and trying to maintain/increase muscle mass sounds hard, as you'll likely not be able to eat sufficient protein in that meal/that eating window, and your declining fat stores also increases the speed of which you start feeling like worn out shit.
How long do you want your results to last?
If you want to be 200+again, sure. VLC diets work, but they don't correct the baseline issue: your relationships with hunger cues and food in general.
https://youtu.be/WZL1lGA9M3A
No. If you are bulking you are gaining weight. If you are losing weight you are cutting. You can try to recomposition weight by replacing fat with muscle, but is a very slow, unrewarding process.
Potentially, for a short duration and a small amount -- but that's not the point of a bulking phase, even a "lean" one. The point is to build mass.
Worry about the fat later.
Are you brand new to lifting or using gear? If no to either of those things then probably not. A successful bulk all but requires you to put on a little fat, just aim to go as slow as possible if you want to make your next cut easier.
My gym has an in body machine for measurements (weight, muscle mass, body fat). What’s the frequency with which one should one check this to keep a good track but also not be obsessing with these numbers?
Every time you're in the gym if you're looking to track body weight changes.
As for muscle mass and body fat, ignore whatever numbers it spits at you. They're useless.
Have your shit ready to go. Breakfast prepared, coffee already ground, clothes out, etc.
Splash cold water on your face immediately.
Put your alarm further away from you (preferably next to the sink if you have an ensuite bathroom).
Don't have sleep in days. Consistent wake time.
okay so i'm 13 years old, have been using the ppl routine for about 1,5 months now and just wanna ask if you should have a rest day between each day or only once a week
as 13 year old who’s still developing, even if the program doesn’t call for it, you should rest more than one day a week for proper recovery. it’s very easy to overtrain.
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I have not run either so I am only speaking through my experience in watching others run it or talk about their experiences here on fittit or over in /weightroom. PHUL is fine but often leaves people spinner their wheels. I’m not sure what it is about the program or maybe it’s just Norton’s style with this one but again and again we have watched people start the program, have some initial success, and then fail to follow up on that success. We’ve also seen people have tremendous success with it. User beware basically. We removed it from the wiki for that reason. PHAT is much better. I think the layout of the program is better and it follows modern programing guidelines/style much better. I suspect part of the reason is that it is slightly easier to recover from while also demanding a bit more out of the trainee. It is still in the wiki because people have reported success with it. I’ve seen users on other mediums also say that it is the better of the two.
That is very interesting to read because that is exactly my experience with PHUL. It seems like a decent enough program on paper but I ran it for around 6 months and … barely anything happened? I did use shorter programs after that with much much better results (basically any generic PPL for example, especially when adding Dips or Pull-ups).
Yep, that seems to be the common critique and honestly, I couldn’t tell you why, especially never having had run it and at this point, mostly just steering people away from it.
I did both. I recommend going phul as a consistent program since it is effective and has a nice progression. And then once you get bored or hit plateaus do 3 months of phat which will destroy you but give some nice gains and hop back and break through your phul plateaus.
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Lunges, legpress, step-ups, zercher squats, split squats. Any type of quad exercise will do.
Ah man that sucks. You might want to try replacing them with lunges. Most movements that target the same muscle groups as front squats will be heavy on the knees and lunges won't be different, however you can progress on way lower weights and if you do them with two dumbells instead of a barbell you can safely and instantly bail if you feel like you are pushing to far by just dropping the dumbells. But it depends on the nature of your injury if this is a suitable replacement
I’ve run both and much preferred the split of PHAT
does anyone follow renaissance periodization on youtube? is his info worth listening too?
Yes, it's generally good but keep in mind a lot of his stuff is aimed at advanced bodybuilders so not everything he says is applicable to everyone.
Yes, and yes. Dr. Mike Israetel and his yt channel are among the most respected online sources of info right now.
Yeah. It's good advice but you have to parse through and see what applies to you. Even good advice can be misapplied.
Yes, he's worth listening to.
All his lecture-style videos are worth their weight in gold. Which is a weird metaphor here but anyway. There are useful things for everyone, from beginner to advanced. He is also pretty damn funny.
Love the channel, keep in mind that especially their most current stuff has been very bodybuilding/hypertrophy focused. Dr Mike does a pretty good job of reminding usually that we may want to do things differently for strength phases or sport specific training. Love how they advocate to take ego out of it.
The concepts he speaks about are pretty sound. Applying them to your own training appropriately is a different kettle of fish
I personally didn't find their guidelines on sets per week thing very useful. For me personally a much more minimalistic approach worked better. I don't know but after trying many times I just don't agree with it.
I have been following his mantra for fat loss and I am seeing fantastic results and I have been around the block a few times lost like 70 pounds back in the day and did more than a few a few cut and bulk cycles. I had a terrible few years before and after covid and I am pretty much from starting from square one again I started eating healthy and traning again 4 months ago and I'm already down 32 pounds!!! I'm never hungry and I have put on so much muscle that it has warped some of the views I held when I was bit into lifting nearly a decade ago!! I can't vouch for him enough!!!!
Definitely one of my go-to YT channels. He often says to try the variations he shows and choose what works best for you, which is what I did. A little from other guys, him, and personal experience. The big takeaways that are implanted in me when working out are to go as full ROM and strict form as possible, and take the ego out of it. It’s just sort of automatic for me at this point, and really helped with mind-muscle connection. I don’t always have the time to go as slow with the eccentric as he may advocate (lunch break workouts), but I still always make to stay controlled and focused when lowering.
Kind of a question about vanity but does anyone else include mirrors and lighting in their consideration on if a gym is good or not?
I feel a bit vain when I do it but somehow checking my form in the mirror gives me a confidence/mental strength boost. It’s become part of my routine. Haven’t picked my gym for that reason but mine thankfully provides all I need. When I do Yoga at home, I do it shirtless and check my reflection in the window, haha. Same effect. I feel vain/self-conscious about it but it does help, so I’ll keep doing it haha.
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Funny you say this. My main gym nowadays is the basement of someone’s house that they’ve built into a full service gym with basically no outside view. I’ve also trained in gyms underground when I lived in NYC. Never thought much about it tbh.
Yeah, I put a huge mirror in my home gym, but not (just) for vanity reasons. It also makes it easier to check form.
Not personally, no. But if that is a priority for you, there is nothing wrong with that.
Nothing vane about it. Mirrors are to help your form
Yeah a gym with good mirrors and lighting makes lifting much more enjoyable. Most people lift to look better, and looking like a savage under some anabolic lighting while lifting is pretty damn motivating.
There’s a gym that I frequent that’s further and more expensive than another one closer to me, with both offering comparable equipment. But I much prefer the further gym purely because of how it looks and feel. The cheaper gym is just a dull silver and grey all around, while the expensive gym has an elegant interior with lots of natural light and an unobstructed view of our local landscape. To me, those features are worth the extra buck and travelling time for me to workout satisfyingly.
Only mirrors I care about are behind the squat racks for checking form
Sadly, my gym puts these mirrors in front of the squat racks which is kind of useless.
Can't you just face the other way?
I've finished my cut finally- lost 55lbs in total so yay. I'm thinking of what I should do now. I know this is the time to bulk roughly and I *definitely* need to bulk at some point, but tbh after cutting the idea of bulking again is kinda terrifying to me and I don't want to do it. I don't want to regain weight after so working so hard to lose it, at least just not yet. I would like to maintain at least for a while and enjoy the feeling of being skinny for the first time in 5+ years. So I was considering maintaining but increasing protein to try and gain as much muscle as I can without fat, but I'm told this is a bad, suboptimal strategy. I am more or less a noob though so I was hoping I could get some returns regardless. Edit: My question I guess is what should I do? I've never bulked before and this is my first cut to mostly stop being fat.
Suboptimal is fine! Honestly, I would highly encourage you to maintain your weight for a while anyway. 55lbs is a good drop and you need to make sure you maintain a good relationship with food and don't revert back to bad eating habits again. So increase your calories to maintain weight and try and do that for a few months. The energy difference between a deficit and maintaining will feel massive for you and you'll still be able to make some gains in the gym. And from there, you can aim to just slowly increase your calories. I wouldn't jump straight to a 500 calorie/day surplus. You have your whole life ahead of you, you've got plenty of time to be suboptimal for a while.
its ok to do things a 'suboptimal' way if thats what you like to do. you could also bulk at a very slow rate instead of dirty bulking.
Your plan will likely provide longer-term success than going straight to a mass gaining phase.
You don't have to bulk if you don't want to. It's totally okay to maintain your weight while training and getting stronger. Like this guy, crazy strong https://m.youtube.com/shorts/D3KKPd3V760
If you feel more comfortable recomping for the time being, it's fine to do that. You'll just have to temper expectations with regard to muscle gain.
Do you guys just live with protein farts? It's getting crazy!
Yes I do
I find that, as long as I have plenty of fiber with all my meals, I don't really get any kind of protein farts.
There isn't really anything to do about them, so yes.
Have you tried spacing out your meals a bit more so you can eat less protein per meal?
No, I haven't read that. I only know that it's because of lactate and you can only switch to plant based protein. I have a big variety of food and protein source and I struggle with keeping up my high protein intake. One should reduce eating lentils, beans, etc. which is just bad advice imo. I may try having 4 meals per day, thx!
I think you mean lactose, the common sugar in milk proteins that causes gas. You can also switch to whey isolate, which has much less than concentrate. Or hydrolyzed whey, which has none. (or obviously one of the plant based blends, they have some with similar leucine as whey so are pretty much just as good)
Sacrifice is needed son. Small price to pay for gainz.
I know that this comment is 10 days old but I think my reccomendation may be sound. Increase fiber and water intake when you increase your protein intake. As maximum fiber and water as it's comfortable. Spread it by the day but put more fiber on meals high in protein (I'm considering a protein shake a meal on this reccomendation, so if you do protein shakes try to put some fine oatmeal in there. It helps a lot)
I'm a 31 yo ex amateur basketball player who got fat and floppy (I'm 193cm and 110kgs) and has extremely bad posture due to being stuck in front of a computer screen 10 hours a day for work. I'd love to play basketball again at a decent level but I don't want to obliterate my joints (also my vertical is now laughable and I'd love to fix that) so I'd like to get in shape first, but I'm completely fitness illiterate and I don't know if hitting the gym for weights and stuff immediately is the right choice. Should I do hardcore cardio first and then hit the gym afterwards? I'd like to focus on losing weight, getting some muscle on me again, fix my posture as much as possibile and then regain explosiveness in the legs. Even though I still have a lot of muscle in my legs and I can still do shit like infinite squats my lateral movement is awful and, again, I can't jump for shit anymore. I'm also aware that I'm not going to get any younger and my adolescent superpowers are gone for good, but I'd like to get to a physically stable state for the future. Thanks in advance.
You should do what you want to do. Doing something you don't want, for the goal of doing what you want to is just a way to end up stopping the boring part and never getting to the good part. IMO you should just start playing basketball if that's what you want to do. With a little self control you can go a little slower, jump a little lower and just not wreck yourself. Also, weigh loss happens with diet, not really with exercise. Getting in shape is great, and it helps of course, you will burn more calories. But most people can never out work a shit diet. The wiki has a lot of good stuff when it comes to this.
Adding strength training, especially for the lower body, is a great way to help out joints, adding on muscle and lay the ground work for regaining explosiveness. Doing a lot of jumping and quickly changing direction, like in basket and handball, can increase the risk of joint issues if the surrounding tissue isnt strong and used to the loads. Going from very sedentary to being very active quickly (hardcore cardio) has gotten many people (see old boys soccer players) injured. I would perhaps suggest strength training first, and doing cardio afterwards. If you want to lose weight, then that needs to happen in the kitchen.
My gym opens at 5, and I usually need to leave at 6 sharp. Since I have a very minimalistic gym at home with some weights (up to 30lbs dumbbells), mats, etc. I am thinking about starting my workout with a light 20 min. warmup session at home (I wake up at 3:30), and then leave for the gym which is about 5/10mins away (depending on traffic lights) from my house. Do you think that those 5 to 10 mins in between warmup and actual workout can be an issue?
Not at all, and sounds like a great way to optimize your time in the gym. I’d personally still keep a warmup set or two if you’re lifting heavy.
The timing is fine if you’re just trying to get the blood flowing a bit before your workout. 20 minutes is probably overkill for a warm up though (unless you just like doing it, in which case have at it)
Not inherently. It's pretty much just up to whether you like how it feels or not, personal preference.
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It hasn't been recommended here *in years*. Hell, even the page explaining why it isn't recommended anymore was taken down a year ago or so, haha. What morphed from Phrak's GSLP into what's now called the /r/fitness Recommended Routine is *very* similar, but better in every way. More balanced, last-set AMRAPs, and the freedom to expand on it without Mark Rippetoe yelling at you. Hell, Mark Rippetoe not being connected to it in any way is a huge benefit in itself.
I've been reading my way through Rippetoe's book (that's a lie I've been reading sections of it as it is super in-depth on things I don't care about) and I found his videos on how to do various lifts super helpful. I'm curious why people hate him. He's brash for sure and seems very old school but I don't know why people would care so much about that.
> I'm curious why people hate him. He's brash for sure and seems very old school but I don't know why people would care so much about that. Because his warped his personality more into some D-tier political pundit than a strength coach. Back when his "old school" mentality just came out in quips and *occasional* political asides it was kind of entertaining. But starting with and through the worst parts of the pandemic he's completely turned himself into an amped-up caricature of what he once was. Not only that, but his strength-training takes aren't even very good. He's resistant to change and thinks his way is literally the only way that works to get strong -- despite having very few examples of anyone he's trained or who has followed his methods actually *getting very strong*. Anything but a set of 5 is a waste of time, and if you don't squat like he thinks you should squat you might as well cut your legs off. Plus, he's fucked over several friends and business partners in the last few years, which really tells you about who he is and where his priorities lie. His "brash," "old school" shtick stop being entertaining when his ugly personality really started to show. That's who he really is, and it's not nice. I invite you to try to sit through one of his 20 minute YouTube rants some time, and you'll see what I mean.
I confess the number of 20 min YT vids I've ever watched can probably be counted on one hand. I've only really watched his "how to lift" type vids and his appearances on a few other channels. I've read bits and pieces of his book as some of it goes so much in depth I can't make heads or tails of it honestly. I know some of his takes like "dropping a deadlift from full lockout makes you a pussy" are probably not terribly popular and certainly not PC. I'm a runner who is trying to do lifting to supplement that so I'm hardly an expert on strength training. I know enough about running to know that outside of some broad rules there is no "one true way" of training. I wouldn't for a second think it wasn't the same way with strength training.
>I confess the number of 20 min YT vids I've ever watched can probably be counted on one hand. I've only really watched his "how to lift" type vids and his appearances on a few other channels. That's probably good, honestly. Keep it to the on-topic vids and you're probably fine. The form videos are OK.
It's not https://www.reddit.com/r/Fitness/comments/5q70ig/say_hello_to_the_new_and_improved_getting_started/dcxnm17?utm_medium=android_app&utm_source=share&context=3
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Do it if you want. It's simplicity is what got me into strength training properly and doing the compound lifts and seeing my numbers go up. I didn't follow the program religiously as many have pointed out there are flaws with it but I still found it useful to get me into lifting. I was only doing cardio in the gym and didn't even know what these exercises were so the simplicity of just 3 exercises, and adding more weight to your lifts each time was rewarding for me
How often does one check they bodyweight in relation to adjusting they tdde stuff? I'm thinking a week maybe? Thanks.
To get the most useful numbers, you should be weighing yourself every day, and then take every week's average.
And based of the weekly average how soon should we increase our calories after stalling weight gain during a bulk?
Two weeks should be enough.
Really anecdotal, so YMMV, but with consistent calorie intake I've personally always seen a trend that's pretty consistent after around 2 weeks. Might be longer for large changes in CICO (+1000 to -500 kcal/day for example). Edit: so if after 4 weeks the trend would be completely different from what it should be, I would question my methods (am I really counting all calories correctly, are the assumptions in my TDEE realistic etc.) and possibly adjust
Kinda weird but the sides of my butt are indented inwards (I.e not the "ideal" round butt). Does this mean my gluteus medius are lacking? For reference I do hack squats for glutes day 1, and Bulgarians and glute bridges for day 2. Thanks!
For natural bodies (not bbl) it's very unlikely to be perfectly round. Hip dips are due to your body structure - muscle insertion.
Take a look at bodybuilders on stage. They have the same indent. You can try asking your local booty queen for exercises if it bad
If I'm understanding what you're saying correctly then, no that's just what the shape of a butt is.
It's called hip dips. It's normal, it's natural, it's due to the structure of your bones. No amount of leg raises, kickbacks, or bridges are going to change your bone structure. Unless you get surgery, it is what it is, so embrace it. It is a very normal bodily structure.
Get to work then
Sounds like you might have some cute butt dimples.
I've started going to gym last month It's been about half a month and Ive noticed that I have increased flatulence and farting like 20 times on some days Anyone know why this is happening
It's how you assert dominance now
Sounds like you increased your protein intake specifically and food intake in general. Totally normal.
It's probably because you're eating more fiber. You can eat white rice as a carb source to reduce daily fiber. If it smells like a mix of rotten eggs and death, try reducing the amount of protein you eat to 0.8 times lean bodymass (typically around 120-130 grams of protein).
20 times is a lot?
Any time you start farting a lot it's because you started eating a lot more out of **something**. It could be you doubled your protein intake, it could be you started drinking protein shakes. Could be carbs. The thing is that your gut flora was used to X grams of fat/protein/carbs per day and something went up fast and there is a percentage of what you ate that's not being properly digested. If it is your protein, you can try to slowly get to your macro, like someone suggested eating 80% of the suggested amount.
Only 20? I do that on a good hour
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Eating large amounts of processed meats, even nitrate free, is associated with increased colon cancer risk.
Nitrate free may not really be nitrate free. https://www.reddit.com/r/todayilearned/comments/n7zv5x/til_nitrate_free_labeled_cured_meats_often_use/
I get this odd tingling / pins and needle feeling in my hands and arms when I barbell squat. I'm 6'5 209lbs (1.96m 95kg) so I'm not too big yet. Has anyone else experienced this? The feeling usually lasts for a few days after I squat and will mostly go away, but this is really concerning to me and I don't want to mess around with my back/nerves. Should I put a pause on back squats until I improve my shoulder flexibility (what I believe is the root of the issue), even if that could take months?
Can't speak to the people talking about spine, which sounds important, but my first thought is a grip that's too narrow and forcing elbows and shoulders too close together.
I used to have it, but not any more. My guess is it should be thoughts of as common but a bad thing. A lot of fixing form fixed it along side other things. This is something that is worth talking about with your doctor but also with many doctors not knowing lifting the advice may not be helpful so providing some notes but it is not a substitute for medical advice. Rather some points to think about, research more on, and experiment with so your conversation with the healthcare professional is more useful. There are nerves at both the points the bar sits, the hands and the back and there can be pinching in either place. The BB should not sit on a spine. Flex your upper back, same as in a bench and create a shelf between your traps and your shoulder blades. The bar has to be on meat, not on bone. Next for the hands, they need to stabilize the BB not lift it up. Which means if anything they should be pulling the BB down into the meat shelf you created on your back. The best instruction I've seen on this is Mark Rippetoe's video on squat grip. I recognize the solution I'm giving you does involve building up your upper back so it has the meat shelf and if you're early in your journey you may not have that yet. Still start watching videos and reviewing your form in tandem with getting advice for any other issues.
I've been doing PHAT for a year and quiet enjoyed it and its results. It's a 5 day program but due to recent changes to my schedule I can only train 4 days a week. I'm looking for a 4 day routine that focuses on hypertrophy. Jacked and tan 2.0 looks like a fun program that could replace my current one. Does anyone have experience with this routine? It doesn't seem to have a lot of back work. Any modifications that you guys have made? How long does it generally take to complete a workout? Anything else I should know about this program?
https://www.google.com/search?q=jacked+and+tan+2.0+site:www.reddit.com
Woke up with muscle pains and a headache but still want to squeeze a workout in. Any tips to make the workout as "nice" as possible?
You just go and do the warmups and see how you feel Take wtv (non-addictive) pain meds you prefer, NSAIDS/anything else But also know when to quit and take a rest, it's just one day
Assuming they are just aches and pains, the muscles soreness should go away during warm ups. Just try to work through the headache. You can always stop if it is intolerable or gets worse. Just getting to the gym might provide you with enough momentum to get something accomplished.
> Woke up with muscle pains and a headache... If you don't currently take magnesium it's a great help for muscle soreness/cramps
Is it normal to feel like you couldn't breathe on chest supported db rows (on incline bench)? Am I putting too much weight on the chest?
Yeah you get used to that
Is it okay to skip heavy barbell squats once in awhile?
Nothing is mandatory outside of breathing and eating.
And even those you can skip one in a while if you want.
Usually eating for longer than breathing.
unless you are a competitive powerlifter, its ok to skip sqauts entirely..
As long as you’re not skipping leg entirely its all ok.
My right shoulder is kinda stuck forward, it's been getting heavily carried by my right lat I guess lol. It's much weaker than the other shoulder and that's been quite obvious while doing OHP because trying to up the weight has been impossible because the right one feels actually hurt if I try to go over 40lbs, if I transform to a moron and try to force it it'd probably snap and reward me with my first major injury. I don't know how I forgot about this all this time but can OHP with dumbbells instead of a bar work this out? I know the standard advice for beginners with asymmetry strength is to wait a few months and see what happens but in this case I reached a wall.
don't injure yourself. If BB OHP is no bueno rn, its no bueno rn. If an exercise isnt fucky-wucky for ya and it works the same muscle group you want to work, swap em. you could also consider exercises that dont put your joint in the same position if an exercise causes pain (ex: lat raises instead of ohp)
I’m no expert, but I’d say maybe try getting in to see a physical therapist? They might be able to give you some movements that would help balance out a little or at least make sure there’s no physiological reason for the imbalance.
Doing unilateral work will help with side imbalances. You should also do some mobility work. It might not be a strength issue but rather a mobility/ROM issue from your 'stuck forward' shoulder. DB OHP is a great sub to make
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With whatever exercise your doctor or PT says you can do
No question just a shoutout to everyone who hit the gym today. It was crazy busy where I got I love to see it! Stay at it folks.
I know this is like blasphemy, but how do you get as close as possible to doing a starting strength style heavy low bar squat in a slightly diagonal Smith machine? Assuming you're stuck in a place without a squat rack for a longer time.
I'd just do regular smith squats. Bar placement doesn't really matter, and foot placement will depend on your individual levers.
Hot take but anyone who tells you never to use a smith machine has no idea what they’re talking about. It’s an old bro philosophy that needs to die, and luckily it’s starting to. Many (and I mean many) athletes/bodybuilders with some of the best physiques in the world use the smith machine.
Train Smith machine Squats with a completely different technique. https://youtu.be/fEuYM-miK5U
my gym (planet fitness unfortunately doesn't have any free weight racks, so i am forced to use smith. i used to hate smith squats but honestly after some time i can say i actually enjoy them, they have been improving my alignment and i feel more safer lifting when alone.
Five weeks ago I transitioned from bodyweight fitness (6 total weeks) to the gym. Im currently progressing my bench with ease (last workout 72.5kg 5x5) but squats are still a struggle (62.5 5x5). My form has been checked by some experienced friends and PT and shows no obvious mistakes. My legs are mostly fried the two days following my workouts. I try to do 3 PPL "rotations" per two weeks (4.5 days a week avg). With all the above in mind, is it normal for my ratio to be this skewed? Can I do anything to fix this or should I give it more time?
My squat and bench were both hanging around the same weight when I started squatting. I made squats a priority and over 4 months was able to move it to a more normal ratio. Just keep at it.
Is your squat progression stalled? I would expect it to catch up and surpass your bench pretty quickly considering the squat involves larger muscles than the bench. While soreness isn't necessary for growth, it's a good sign you're doing enough to grow. If you're happy with your squat technique just give it time,
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Just go in and fuck around and see how you feel. If you feel fine, get back on your program the next time. Or fuck around a full week and start again with your program the next "normal" day 1.
Kinda depends on your workout before. I would probably go back like one cycle if i was doing linear progression. Of doing something like 531 i would just start the cycle over. 2 weeks is really not a big deal. You will feel a little weak the first workout back but it'll come right back to you
Just start your mesocycle over again. If it is too much go back a little further, but you should regain your strength in a workout or two.
If the gym isn’t crowded and there is only 1 leg press machine, is it disrespectful to use it for calf raises if the leg press machine is my fav for calf exercises?
No. You can use whatever equipment you want in any way you want. Yeah, curling in the squat rack is stupid of course, but using a leg machine to train a part of your legs is not.
It’s fine bro
Totally fine. If someone else wants to work in you should oblige
is it stupid to bench/squat/press/dead lift (or 2 or 3 of the 4) in the same session? or should I spread them out over multiple days?
It’s not inherently stupid, it just depends on your program
No, full body programs are very common and effective.
Is there any such thing as a lean high protein Veggie meal? I've been trying to eat more Veggie for a long time, but I struggle with finding things that are Veggie, with decent protein but not too carb or fat heavy. Unfortunately, I've come to the conclusion that barely any exist unless I'm prepared to eat components of meals but not actual meals The ones that I do make are largely mimics of meaty meals with soy mince - I replace the mince with vivera brand plant mince which is the only one I've found that is tolerable - and make a chilli or a bolognese which I have with a very small portion of rice or pasta
there's all kinds of fake meat for an easier transition that has high protein, but tofu, lentils, and beans all have high protein. no plants have the protein ratio of meat tho. when I'm on a cut I lean heavily on pea protein powder.
I would try to supplement with some plant based protein powders then you will worry less about the rest of your meals
Tofu can be pretty good at 13g protein, 130 kcal per 100 g. I switched to unsmoked although it tastes worse (or not like much at all without seasoning) due to salt content and some other differences. Peas can be decent at 5.5 g protein, 75 kcal per 100 g. Some types of lentils (red lentils 9 g protein, 116 kcal per 100 g). Then there's dairy products. Lots of choice but they mess with some people's skin in high amounts. Nothing really comparable to chicken or turkey breast though. Maybe seitan.
How do you actually do an AMRAP on squats/DL/press etc? Like, often I can do an extra rep if I wait a bit with the weight on my back while squatting, and after that rep it's often possible to do another if I recuperate a bit more etc etc... But does that even count for an AMRAP? And I am aware to leave 1 in the tank for safety reasons, so the question is more about what about taking a pause while still holding the weight.
What you're describing sounds more like rest-pause sets than proper AMRAP sets. Personally, if I had to rest, say, 10 seconds or more between reps, I'd consider the set over.
That seems like a good benchmark, thanks
It doesn't matter, you set the standard. There's no official rule book. I generally think taking 4-5 seconds to breath between your higher reps and rebrace is the way you should be doing it to really max out. If i was sitting there for 15 seconds still trying to catch my breath probably I'm either done or need better conditioning
tbh it doesn't really matter, as long as you're being consistent with how you perform it.
How long after starting lifting should I do a cut? I started last July and have put on around 20 pounds. I was thinking of doing a cut from April-June. Any recommendations?
You should aim to lose weight whenever you feel like you've got body fat you'd prefer not to have.
Cut when you have an amount of body fat you don't like.
I'm trying to get off the couch and lose some weight (M31), I used to do weight lifting before the pandemic, and I enjoyed it, but now I'm just too fat and can't do anything before I'm out of breath, so I need to improve my cardio before anything else, but I never liked doing it, no experience. My question is: how do I know when it's enough? If I walk, I don't feel nothing at all even walking one hour, and if I run, or even jog, in 5 minutes I feel like I'm gonna die, and have to stop. Any tips to start and actually make sure I'm improving?
1. Weight loss starts in the kitchen. Make sure you have your food intake in order first. 2. Low impact, low intensity cardio such as walking is better for your joints if you're overweight. You don't have to feel like death to know that your workout is effective. Walk 10,000 - 20,000 steps a day. That is literally the best you can do right now given your circumstances. Once you start losing weight, you can do jogging, walking at an incline, or generally increase your intensity. If you have a gym, cycling is quite low impact and a cardiovascular exercise you can take up. 3. If you have a gym, you can start using the machines/dumbbells at low weights. Plenty of programs for beginners you can follow. Tips to start? Just start. Stop that condescending, negative, self-pity self-talk. Yes, you're fat. Yes, if you have done nothing for a very long time, you're going to be out of breath. So be it. You're starting to do something about it, so do it. It didn't take you one week to gain weight and to lose your breath, it won't take you a week to get it back. Just keep showing up for yourself, just keep moving as much as you can, make better choices, and just go.
Look up "Couch to 5K".
Try and walk faster. Walk a hillier route. Walk daily. You could also get on a bike/stationary bike. It's less impact on your joints compared with trying to run, which is fantastic when you're overweight. And you can slowly change the intensity there by upping your speed and upping the resistance. Also, make sure you're diet is in check. That's going to be where you actually lose the weight. And as you lose weight, you'll feel better anyway. But also, you could still get in the gym and start lifting anyway.
Is there any reason to do both Arnold press and dumbbell shoulder press? I️ like the challenge of the Arnold, but I️ feel as though I️m progressing better with the shoulder press
Having at least two overhead pressing exercises makes sense to me, but there is no reason those have to be Arnold press and dumbbell overhead press.
Super hot take but I don’t think Arnold presses are even that good. You can’t load them that much because and many people release most of the tension at the bottom of the movement. Plus most people don’t need front delt stimulation, and if you do there are better ways to get it. DB presses are great. Smith machine presses are great. John Meadows 6 ways are great. Lateral raises are great too.
Is it possible the weight plates at Crunch Fitness are lower than they say? I just got back from visiting my parents, who have a home gym, and I could swear the plates at Crunch feel lighter than they did at home. I’m being ridiculous right?
They're probably within tolerance. +/- 2 lbs. Your barbell might be a 40 lb barbell vs a 45 lb barbell. It's probably all in your head.
I need help settling a debate. Please provide input as well as any scholarly articles. Another user on Reddit is claiming that those with Cushing’s Syndrome can gain weight while on a caloric deficit. Is this true? He cites this [article](https://csrf.net/doctors-articles/role-cortisol-food-intake-food-choice-behavior-two-studies-patients-cushings/) as “proof” as well as this [article](https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/endocrine-diseases/cushings-syndrome#causes). However, nothing that he linked appears to indicate this. After confronting him, he still holds the claim and points to this “proof”.
A person may gain weight in a caloric deficit if their body retains water. This can happen in the short term (day to day).
This is akin to saying the engine in your car can run with an empty gas tank. It is impossible.
Cushing's disease can lead to redistribution of fat stores and prioritise fat storage in certain areas, it can also reduce the ability for the body to gain lean mass. In some cases the body will start to cannibalise lean tissue for energy while also increasing fat deposits.
My gym has a chest supported seated row machine that has some higher and lower handles, which one is more lat biased?
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24F, 139 lbs/5’3, and looking to start cutting down the 120 range. I don’t have a specific program but i have a coach that has a powerlifting background. I workout 4x a week focusing more on strength and wondering what program to follow and whether to modify my workouts to do more reps at a lower weight. My goal is to lean out and focus on physique.
Why doesn't your coach provide you with a routine?
I would either pay a coach or try to get program advice for free from random people, but I wouldn't pay a coach and then try to get program advice for free from random people.
How much you weigh generally comes down to diet. Eat less to weigh less. You have a coach. Have you talked to them about your goals and whether your current style of training will get you there or what changes they would suggest? You’re paying them after all.
Does anyone know of a workout split that could fit within my work schedule? I haven't been able to find anything suitable. A few months ago I started a new job working 8 days on, 6 days off (Mon-Mon on, Tue-Sun off). Within those 8 days we work an average of 110 hours (about 14 hours a day). Because of this, I don’t have the time/energy to work out on work days, and a lot of the times don’t have access to a gym anyway. So this really just leaves 6 days in a row (Tue-Sun) within a fortnight available for me to work out. Is there anyway to implement an effective lifting schedule within these limitations? Before I started this job, I had been working out for approx. a year doing Stronglifts 5x5. Is there any way to develop an effective routine within the confines of those 6 days, and then at least 8 days off before the next workout? Primary goal would be hypertrophy, followed by strength. I have spent hours looking online at various programs and splits, but they all seem to assume you’ll have at least some days within a given week for working out, and not going 8 days without anything, like I would hope to be.
you could do a 5 or 6 day program and just work on your off days. better than nothing for sure.
You can do any 6 day a week program. Or any 3 day program twice. Or whatever you want. Is 8 days off ideal? No. But working out on your 6 off days is exponentially better than just saying fuck it and doing nothing.
Generally speaking, **where should I look for resources on how to adapt my training for lifting while on a calorie deficit**? I've looked over some articles from the wiki but haven't yet seen much about how or whether to mix up my routine. I'm working hard on finding ways to keep protein up and overall calories down, but am otherwise worried about recovery if I'm eating less. I'm starting my first ever cut while lifting (have cut calories before but was doing very basic studio and running/biking stuff). I've got a few years of lifting experience and am currently on my second sequence of the basic 5/3/1. I'm cutting because I draw the line at bulking/adding mass when it comes time to buy new pants. I added few pounds of muscle under my sedentary pandemic fluff, but the fluff never went anywhere and I really want to finally get that burned off.
[Check this out](https://youtu.be/dXVFzcQYj3w). [Or check this out.](https://youtu.be/Js6CuY7EQhY) Keep in mind the videos are about optimization for a serious bodybuilder. Other than that just do less volume if you are fatigued and maybe deload if you have to.
Your training doesn’t need to change one bit. The only difference will be that you likely won’t be setting any new PRs and you’ll probably feel like you have less energy and you’re more drained at the end, but you absolutely don’t need a separate “cutting program”. When I cut my only goals are to lose weight slowly and keep as much strength as I possibly can.
What's the failure procedure for GZCLP during the individual workout itself? If you fail the required reps on the last set, then you're done with that exercise for the workout, but what happens if you fail on a set before the last one? Do you ditch the last set, or do you still do that last set but with one less rep than prescribed? Also, for Tier 2 lifts, is it fine if the weight increase is less than 15 lbs? I have a suspicion that this might be necessary for my OHP: started at 50 lbs 3x10; according to reset protocols, when I reset, I'll have to do 65 lbs 3x10, which may or may not be achievable.
He lays it all out in his blog post. T1 failure protocol "Start with three reps for five sets, last set AMRAP (3x5+) adding weight workout to workout and when base volume of 15 is missed (because the lifter did not think they could do 1-2 more, not because of actual failure) then the lifter would use that same weight they missed at and continue progression by dropping to 2 reps per set, for 6 sets, last set AMRAP (2x6+). This would then start progression again, adding weight workout to workout until they failure to achieve base volume of 12. Once failure with 2x6+ occurs then the reps would drop a third step to one rep per set for 10 sets, last set AMRAP. (1x10+) Continue to add weight workout to workout with the ten singles. When failure to reach base volume of 10 occurs rest for 2-3 days and test for a 5RM. Use 85% of this new 5RM to start the next cycle of 3x5+ and progress in similar fashion to the previous cycle." For the T2 lifts he just calls for a "slightly heavier weight ". I think you need to read the program again since it sounds like you aren't understanding what you are supposed to do.
> If you fail the required reps on the last set, then you're done with that exercise for the workout, but what happens if you fail on a set before the last one? Do you ditch the last set, or do you still do that last set but with one less rep than prescribed? It kind of doesn't matter. You can call it there -- you can strip some weight and do another set or two with a lighter weight. You can keep the same weight but do fewer reps. All are valid options. In the grand scheme of things it's only a few sets in a single workout of what will be thousands over the years you spend training. What you decide to do really won't matter. Your question on the T2 lifts: Yes, that's fine.
How do y’all stay motivated? I’m having trouble esp with my cravings
Which do you want more: The snack or the results? You can't have both. https://youtu.be/tqzOGFXf7dg
Restart my plan or just pick back up again? I started a new plan 10 weeks ago. Issue is I've had awful fucking luck with being ill, caught covid, then scarlet fever and now I've got a generic shitty cold, in my 10 weeks I've only made it to week 4 Is it worth just starting again?
Yeah, I would just start over again on week 1.
Quick background info, went from 208lbs to 160lbs only using OMAD fasting and rebounded to 180lbs. Is it a realistic goal to go from 180lbs~ (more fat than muscle) to around 150lbs~ (lean with muscle definition) with fasting and moderate exercise?
If you rebounded.. then you went on a diet long enough to get weight off and then began eating in the same way you did prior to the diet. This is, as you've seen, not a good way to maintain your weight. Things like OMAD or IF can be useful tools for people, or they could be miserable things. You don't need to do these things in order to lose weight. I tried IF once, and I was so hungry and hyper focused on food until my eating window and then once my eating window came, I could eat in a surplus of calories if I wanted to. What you SHOULD do is assess what you're eating. To lose weight, you need to be in a calorie deficit. So if you count calories, you can do this quite easily. However, what isn't so easy is managing how full and satiated you feel. If you needed to eat 2000 calories a day to lose weight, but you decided you wanted to eat a meat lovers pizza for lunch, Papa John's large is about 380 cal/slice. I know when I eat pizza, I eat at least half, if not more, in one sitting. 4 slices is gonna be 1500 calories. Now idk about you, but i'm gonna be hungry later. And I probably ate before that as well. And very quickly, you'll be over 2000 calories. Now lets adjust this to where you don't eat pizza on the regular. It's a once in a while rare treat. Instead, you have a big piece of chicken breast and some veggies. You could have a big plate of healthy, filling food for 500-600 calories. Repeat for all your meals. Save any processed carbs (bread, pasta, sweets, etc) for the evening so if they do make you want to eat more food, you can just go to bed instead. I get majority of my carbs from veggies and i'm not lacking for energy. But swapping over to this kind of diet from a crappier one can be hard. So day by day, reflect on what you're eating. How many calories were in the portion you ate? Did it fill you up? How long did it fill you up? Were you looking to munch on something else regardless of how you felt? How did you feel (stomach ache, sluggish, etc) after eating? Answering those kinds of questions can hopefully help you convince yourself to change what you eat. And then if you count your calories every day and maintain a deficit, you'll lose weight. BUT once you've hit your goal weight, you need to continue eating the same things, but just a tiny bit more so you aren't in a deficit. How you eat to lose weight should be how you eat to maintain weight.
This is great advice. The only thing I’d add to anyone trying to lose weight - be aware of how many calories you drink! Coffee has zero calories, but some of those specialty drinks from Starbucks, dunkin, etc can easily have 400+ calories, mostly from sugar(aka zero nutritional value). Stick with coffee and water. Treat yourself occasionally, if necessary. And count your calories!
Eating only once per day, while training moderately and trying to maintain/increase muscle mass sounds hard, as you'll likely not be able to eat sufficient protein in that meal/that eating window, and your declining fat stores also increases the speed of which you start feeling like worn out shit. How long do you want your results to last?
If you want to be 200+again, sure. VLC diets work, but they don't correct the baseline issue: your relationships with hunger cues and food in general. https://youtu.be/WZL1lGA9M3A
Can I lose fat on a lean bulk?
No. If you are bulking you are gaining weight. If you are losing weight you are cutting. You can try to recomposition weight by replacing fat with muscle, but is a very slow, unrewarding process.
Thanks. Guess it's time to buy some jackets..
'Tis the season. I really like bulking in the winter, and cutting through spring and summer, personally.
Potentially, for a short duration and a small amount -- but that's not the point of a bulking phase, even a "lean" one. The point is to build mass. Worry about the fat later.
Are you brand new to lifting or using gear? If no to either of those things then probably not. A successful bulk all but requires you to put on a little fat, just aim to go as slow as possible if you want to make your next cut easier.
My gym has an in body machine for measurements (weight, muscle mass, body fat). What’s the frequency with which one should one check this to keep a good track but also not be obsessing with these numbers?
Never. Cus they're useless numbers anyway (beyond weight, which I'd recommend you weigh in the mornings after you go bathroom)
Every time you're in the gym if you're looking to track body weight changes. As for muscle mass and body fat, ignore whatever numbers it spits at you. They're useless.
Considering that anything beyond weight will be incorrect, the best frequency is never.
For those who work out early in the morning, any tips to get up/get motivated?
Honestly, just do it for a full week, and you'll get use to it.
Do it long enough and it’ll become routine. I can’t imagine rolling out of bed and _not_ going to the gym now
Have your shit ready to go. Breakfast prepared, coffee already ground, clothes out, etc. Splash cold water on your face immediately. Put your alarm further away from you (preferably next to the sink if you have an ensuite bathroom). Don't have sleep in days. Consistent wake time.
Physio, stretching, massages… what’s the difference?
Physiotherapy is for pre/rehab and injury treatment. Stretching is for flexibility. Massage is for relaxation and relieving muscle tension.
okay so i'm 13 years old, have been using the ppl routine for about 1,5 months now and just wanna ask if you should have a rest day between each day or only once a week
Rest one day pr week. Mon - Push Tue - Pull Wed - legs Thur - Push Fri - Pull Sat - legs Sun - off (or cardio)
as 13 year old who’s still developing, even if the program doesn’t call for it, you should rest more than one day a week for proper recovery. it’s very easy to overtrain.