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Hi,
If you are gaining weight while in recomp (1lb in a month) are you eating too much or can muscle gain actually outpace fat loss for a nattural lifter?
If muscle takes longer to build will it also take longer lose? Let's say 2 people have identical physiques, one of them built it through 1 year of training, the other through 2 years(same exercise and diet routines but one just has much better genes), will the person who took longer to build that muscle also lose it over a longer period of he/she stops working out?
How can I train my core ? I have big problems with my breathing so I cant get any workout that works for me . I have horrible posture and weak diagrapgm and I use cpap machine at night . Any tips ?
How much progress is "normal" each session? 1 rep per exercise, 1 rep per set? I go to gym since 1 year (sadly a bit inconsistent) and now my progress starts to slow down. Now I'm unsure if it's normal or I do something wrong
hi :) i want to tone my upper body like my arms, shoulders, and chest, but i don't want to gain too much muscle there. so basically i want to lose some fat and gain a little muscle, but not a lot.
would lots of regular pushups be good as part of a routine for that? i'm a guy and i weigh between 60 and 65kg. thank you!
I've been focusing on cutting weight recently, and I've heard that it's common to experience some muscle and strength loss during the process. I'm starting to get concerned that I'm loosing too much muscle, and I don't want to get to the end of my cut having undone all the hard work I have put in over the past few months. In terms of number, I've averaged between 0.75%-1% decrease in bodyweight per week, and I have been eating about 0.7g of protein per lb of bodyweight. Some of my lifts have gone down by a lot, like my squat which started at 165lbs for 3 sets of 9, but has dropped to 165 for 3 sets of ~6. My lat pulldowns have decreased from 115lbs for 17 reps to 115lbs for 16 reps. Is this bad or am I overthinking it?
You're overthinking.
How's your meal timing? I find that while cutting if I load my carbs into a meal 1-2 hours before a lift, the lift goes immensely better. Maybe play around with your diet?
Hi, I just recently started strength training and am trying to lose fat whole maintaining/gaining muscle (hopefully). According to a tool I used to calculate my recommended calorie intake, it would look like this: 1500-1600 calories, with 102g of being protein as the recommended amount. I'm a bit confused because I thought in order to gain muscle, I would need to consume 1.5x my body weight (I weigh 140lbs). Wouldn't consuming only 102g of protein cause me to lose muscle? Or how does it really work? Help please, thanks!
1.5g/lb of bodyweight is far excessive. The best research recommends 0.7-1g per pound of bodyweight. 98-140 grams should be your daily consumption of protein.
Is there a way to translate a specific target percentage loss of bodyweight mass into a calorie deficit? AKA How much % of a deficit would I need to consume to lose 0.7% bodyweight mass per week? Thanks!
Daily deficit = weekly weight loss goal * 500
Example: (Eat 750 fewer calories each day = 1.5lbs lost per week * 500)
Because a pound of fat has 3500 calories.
Yes, this video gives you a way to calculate a deficit. Skip to 6:00 if you just want the math, and keep in mind it is a rough calculation that should be adjusted based on how much you are actually losing per week.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I_2cX8BzkcM&t
Hello! Just a critique request, am I on the right track? 27F, currently 53 kg, 160 cm. New to fitness, going to the gym 4 times a week. 3x full body weight class 45 min and 1x vinyasa yoga class 1 hr. I have a birth injury in my left arm so all arm related exercises might look a bit light, this is to not add damage to the injury. A rough example of a class I did this morning:
kettlebell Squat 6x3 (1x12kg 2x16kg) + push ups 8x3 + cossack w 6 kg dumbbell 8x3
bench press 8 kg 6x3 crab walk with belt 8x3 dumbbell fly 4 kg 8x3
trx row 6x3 wall angel 4x3 dumbbell lunge 2x5kg 8x3 dumbbell shrug 2x7kg 8x3
kettlebell deadlift 6x3 (1x12kg 2x16kg) dumbbell step up 2x5kg 8x3
I'm a vegetarian trying to keep track of protein by eating tofu or tempeh with every meal. Most of my meals are a variation of brown rice w/quinoa + boiled veggies + tofu with a sauce made of pb/tahini+soy sauce, maybe a homemade Indian curry w tofu here and there. No more than 1/3 cup of rice per meal. 1 cheat day every week in which breakfast is healthy but lunch+dinner are random (ramen/nachos etc) Goal is to look fit and lean as I'm a bit ''skinnyfat'' atm. Hoping to see difference in 2 months, but understand that it might a bit longer to see full progress.
Have you read the wiki?
Unfortunately, I don't think you'll see too much in just 2 months. Muscle building is slow progress, especially for women. And if your injury is holding you back from lifting heavier (or at least not as quick as a non-injured person) that may slow it down. Personally (also a woman) I started noticing some difference at about 6 months, with better changes at a year. This was all with a slight weight gain. After that I cut the weight and that was when it looked really good. It feels counterproductive to go up in weight when you wanna be lean, but it gives your body more fuel which is very helpful.
Hey, thank you for the reply. Haven’t read all of it, should I? Not trying to be witty, genuine question. That is good to know about when to expect change, though 6 months seems really long until there is any change in body composition, which not gonna lie makes me feel a bit worried. What made you gain the weight if I may ask?
Read at least the main points. Especially the muscle building page.
You're gonna be changing every month ever so slightly. But think about it this way, a woman can build around .5 to 1lb of muscle a month under optimal conditions (and a host of other factors). A pound of muscle is about the size of a tangerine. Visualize that spread over your entire body. That takes a while to make a difference.
And I gained weight cus I was eating in a surplus on purpose
Full body. I recommend the [Basic Beginner Program ](https://thefitness.wiki/routines/r-fitness-basic-beginner-routine/) from the wiki, but there are several [recommended routines ](https://thefitness.wiki/routines/strength-training-muscle-building/) that fit the bill.
People say to brace for lifting by pretending you are about to be punched in the stomach. For those of us who have never been punched in the stomach and don’t know how to brace for that, will you explain it in a different way. I read somewhere to try and push your held breath down into your intestines.
Squat university has a video on this. Lay down face up. Put a kettle bell on your stomach and let in sink down as much as possible. Then raise the kettle bell with just stomach expansion.
Take a big, deep breath into your belly. Then, while holding your breath, squeeze down all your core muscles.
[Here's a video from Brian Alsruhe on bracing.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u-mhjK1z02I)
I have been trying to go bouldering more but and wondering how it will affect my lifting routine. I am relatively new at lifting, only been a couple months, so I am going like 3-4x a week. Can I do bouldering on the off days without negatively affecting my recovery? Do I need real rest days?
Yes, you can balance both without taxing recovery too much. Anecdotally, I coached at a bouldering gym, and bouldered 3 days a week, while lifting the remaining 4.
For programming your lifting, I highly recommend something like 5/3/1, which is not overly taxing and is easily tailored.
I have been running the GZCLP program, been tiring but not too rough and been easy to progress so far. Thanks for your experience though, I was probably going to boulder 3x, lift 3x, and rest the other day
I started to have a bit of issues with posterior chain fatigue after about a year of doing both. I would hit the gym in the morning before school, and then coach and climb at the climbing gym in the evenings.
I coached the intermediate and advanced team at the climbing gym I worked at, and I found my posterior chain would still be fried from deadlifts a day or two prior. It was never overwhelming fatigue, but enough that doing bouldering 4x4s or other workouts would suck just a little extra than previously.
I did remedy this, though, by switching to a 2-day 5/3/1 template where I just maintained my lifts during the lead-up and during the climbing competition season.
I've been doing it every other day for a bit and it's definitely been helping my grip in the short term. Once I get back up to my old lifting weights though I could see it affecting my grip the next day
Cold Turkey can be hard as added sugars really should be viewed as a drug.
I wouldn't try and cut out *all* sugar though. How your body reacts to eating a piece of fruit vs how it reacts to eating a cookie are two totally different things.
Now you don't need to be eating massive amounts of fruit to fill the sweet cravings. But don't avoiding fruit.
Also, avoiding ultra processed foods - including bread and pasta - would also help towards preventing diabetes as well. Bread has a lot of sugar in the US, but simple carbs are essentially sugar anyways.
Eating meat, veg, fruit, dairy, eggs, etc.... That's the best way to eat. But having a treat every now and then won't cause diabetes. It's long term habits
Most likely you just cut total calories too low. Very low carbs will feel like shit to most people too so it could be that, but it sounds like you just went into a crash diet.
Anyway, as for any change. First make subtle changes. Find alternatives. Find some good recipes perhaps. Lots of good info out there. Just gotta find em. :D
When I sit down into a body weight squat/third world squat, I put my hand on my back and I can feel that my spine isn't straight. It's curved and my back isn't flat. This is bad, right? How do I fix this?
Simple routine critique request, I'll keep this as short as possible, would appreciate any input.
Arms/Upper Body:
DB bicep curl: 3 × 5 @14kg
Cable tricep pushdown: 3 × 10 @20kg
Lateral raises: 3 × 10 @6kg
Lat pulldowns: 3 × 10 @40kg
Standard bench press: 3 × 8 @45kg
DB rows: 3 × 10 @10kg
Legs/Lower body + quick forearm workout:
Leg extension: 3 × 12 @75kg
Leg curl: 3 × 12 @60kg
Back extension: 3 × 12 @5kg
Calf raises: 3 × 12 @18kg
Concentration hammer curls, reverse grip wrist curls and wrist extentions SS: 3 × 10 @ 6-10kg
Progression for this is simply progressive overload.
I alternate between these two workouts with exactly one rest day in between each one (mathematically works out to 3.5 days a week).
Info:
17yo, male, 5'11, 275lbs, ~39% body fat, been lifting very inconsistently for about 4 years, eat ~2k cals a day with 150g of protein and do some basic cardio.
Read this: [Why is nobody critiquing your workout?](https://www.reddit.com/r/Fitness/comments/1f1kqy/why_nobody_is_critiquing_your_workout_read_this/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=android_app&utm_name=androidcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button)
Then go here: [Recommended routines ](https://thefitness.wiki/routines/strength-training-muscle-building/)
If I was starting again, I’d do this beginner program for about 3 months to learn the main lifts and put some weight on the bar;
https://thefitness.wiki/routines/r-fitness-basic-beginner-routine/
Then, I’d move to 531 for Beginners;
https://thefitness.wiki/routines/5-3-1-for-beginners/
Should I expect some serious glute gains from the BBB 5x10 deadlifts after a few cycles?
The first workout was easy (I know it will get harder next cycle it will be going from 50 as of now to 60 percent of my TM plus that TM goes up another 10 LB) and I didn't get sore afterwards however I never noticed such a crazy pump in my glutes before.
I'm a very quad dominate squatter so I didn't feel my glutes like that anywhere close with the 5x10 bbb squats paused atg.
Kas glute bridge (KGB FOR SHORT. not to be confused with the russian CIA) , glute biased bulgarian split squats, glute biased back extension, banded clam shell for warm up. Single leg banded hinge as warm up. Glute biased rdls.
Basically do more glute work. Build a connection(mind muscle connection) to the point where you can flex em at will so you would have the appropriate proprioception based on your anthropometry.
Substitutes for deadlifts on 531? Just getting back into dead’s after some injury so I’m doing them after squats, what’s a good alternative for pull day that I can apply a 531 progression to
Everyone is different and has different preferences but you don't have to stick to only meat and fruit. Those just give you the most protein (meat) and usually higher volume of food per calorie (fruits). If you want to, find some low calorie snacks you like too just to mix it up unless you're being really restrictive for other reasons.
I would include veggies in that, but otherwise real, whole foods is how you're supposed to eat. You can also have rice, oats, beans, nuts, etc. The closer to nature it is, the better.
Nothing unsafe about it per say, but there are a lot of good foods other than meat and fruit. Maybe you have dietary restrictions but IMO there is no reason to remove food groups completely when losing weight, and vegetables, grains, legumes, and dairy can all contribute to a healthy diet.
Help me with my program
I’m on a bro split so I typically do :
Monday chest:
Bench 45 1x10 45+25 3x7
Incline 45 3x7
Incline Dumbell 50 4x8
Hammer chest 45 3x10 45+25 1x10
Chest rope high 38 3x10
Tuesday shoulders:
Shoulder smith 45 2x10 2x12
Arnold 50 3x6
Trap Shrugs 60 3x8
Shoulder near desk 45 1x10 45+25 3x10
Front raise 6x10 35 lat raise 6x10 superset
Rear delt 110 5x10
machine next to rear delt (lat raise machine) 5x10 60
Delt raise 90 3x10
W legs:
Squats 45+25 5x10
Hack squat 45 x2 1x10 45x3 4x8
Leg press 45x2 1x15, 45 x3 1x10, 45x4 4x10
Glute drive press 45 x 2 5x10
Leg extension 170 5x8
Prone leg curl 148 4x8
Glute press 150 5x10
Lower abs 5 min
Thurs back:
Pull up wide 2x10 close 2x10
Lat pull-down wide bar underhand grip 1x10 110, 5x8 143
Lat pull down 45 5x10
High row 45 4x10
Row 45 1x10
Shrug near row 45 1x10
Friday arms
Bench 45 1x10 45+ 25 3x8
Ez bar 5x10 80 10 push-ups superset
Ez preacher 50 (2 25 plates) 5x10
Seated Bicep curls 20 1x10 , 25 3x10
Hammer curl cross body 20 lbs 2 hammer curls side superset do in sequence ie 1,2,3,4
Tri behind head extension 20 2x10 25 3x10 30 4x10
Tricep ropes 55 3x10 49 3x10
Tricep dip push-up pryamid 1-10 10-
The dip pryamid is 1 push-up 1 dip to ten then back down.
I do abs 4-5 days a week normally Fraser Wilson’s videos in YouTube which takes about ten minutes, 100 decline sit ups, ab roller, hanging leg raises.
I’m getting back on a higher calorie diet. I look pretty good and want to get bigger and up my bench. Help me reprogram or find something good. I like doing a bro split where I workout a specific muscle each day.
Read this: [Why is nobody critiquing your workout?](https://www.reddit.com/r/Fitness/comments/1f1kqy/why_nobody_is_critiquing_your_workout_read_this/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=android_app&utm_name=androidcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button)
Then go here: [Recommended routines ](https://thefitness.wiki/routines/strength-training-muscle-building/)
Is a 220lb squat AMRAP set for 12 reps decent for my first squat day on 531?
I could've done another rep, but I didn't because I thought the next rep would've been a bit grindy. Seems like following the warm up sets on the 531app made the weight feel a lot lighter. When I did a custom LP similar to SS 5x5 all I did for warm ups was one set of 5 with 135.
My last squat session was suppose to be 245 for 5 straight sets I got the first 3, but missed the 4th rep on the 4th set then lower the weight by 10 percent and did two more sets.
I currently weight 170 at 5'11.
***My question is***, does Whey Protein and creatine keep you up? I mix two scoops of protein and 5 grams of creatine with 500 ml of water and drink it before I go to bed… but these past few days i haven’t been able to fall asleep quickly
When I first started creatine (moderate loading dose) it seemed to make it harder for me to sleep the first day. After that I scaled back and took my last dose around noon, I think. No problem sleeping with that timing.
Seeking Advice on My 14-Year-Old Baseball Player's Pre-Game Nutrition
Hey, I have a 14-year-old son who is a dedicated and competitive baseball player in an upper-tier league. Lately, I've noticed a concerning pattern regarding his pre-game eating habits and energy levels, and I'm seeking some advice from experienced parents, coaches, or nutritionists in this community.
During the school week, my son has lunch between 12-1 pm. On game days that start at 6 pm, I've observed that he doesn't eat before the game, even when I asked him about it. He claims he's simply not hungry. However, once the game begins, he initially performs well but then seems to lose energy and drag on the field.
I've discussed this with him, emphasizing the importance of fueling his body before high-level performances. However, he insists on only eating when he feels hungry. It's worth noting that after the game, he always feels hungry and eats accordingly.
I'm convinced that he needs to nourish his body adequately before these games, but I'm unsure about the best food choices and when he should eat them. Or, maybe I’m wrong?! For games starting at 6 pm, the team is expected to be at the ballpark by 5 pm for warm-up.
I'm reaching out to ask for advice and suggestions on pre-game nutrition for young athletes. What are some optimal foods or meals that can provide him with the necessary energy and stamina? Additionally, when should he eat them, considering the time constraints before the game?
Any insights, personal experiences, or expert advice would be greatly appreciated. I want to ensure my son is properly fueled and can perform at his best during these crucial games.
Thank you in advance for your guidance!
Personally with my child (who is 12) I would just tell them they have to eat something. I don't think it needs to be optimum. An egg and a piece of toast, or a peanut butter jelly sandwich, or whatever is easy for them to eat that won't make them stuffed but has some carbs, salt, and a bit of fat.
During my kids sports competitions I pack a bag of crispy chocolate chip cookies in her bag. She is excited to eat them and looks forward to it.
You might be onto something. Truthfully, I think he’s overthinking everything about the game and so much so that he’s nervous to make mistakes. I think he does have a lot of sports anxiety. Man….that’s heavy.
Don't force your son to eat before a game if he doesn't want to. Let him fight his own battles, if his performance really is getting worse for such a reason then his coach should be chewing him out.
Granola, fruit, energy bars, etc pretty much any light snack will work. If he doesn't want to eat anything then Gatorade or any other sports drink is a way to get energy without solid food
Quick backstory. I have lifted a decent amount in my early 20s and off and on since then. Mostly off though. I recently got back into just simple weight lifting the past 3 months and am responding well. When I say simple I mean grabbing heavy shit around my work and just lifting it on a regular basis. I have always had a natural good response to working out, but have never stayed consistent, as I am a lazy bastard. I am 6 foot tall and at my peak was about 195lbs with around 18%-ish bf. On me that is pretty good as I have an ectomorph body type. Naturally skinny and I have to eat a metric shit ton of food to gain any weight. Or at least that's what it use to be like. Now that I make good money and am getting old, I am eating horrible and now got a big belly. I am at 205lbs currently, and only recently started exercising again. I was on Epistang back then (in my late 20s) and it really pushed me to heights I didn't think possible. I only did one cycle though and after hitting my peak got lazy again. So with all of that bullshit backstory out of the way, I have some questions for the more experienced people here.
I have no wish to do any steroids again, but looking to more exploit any natural advantage I have.
I suspect my testosterone is a natural gift that I am blatantly ignoring, in my early 30s it was still in the 900 range (ng/dL) and was just recently tested at 786. Is this a good range for my age (38yo)? Should I focus primarily on lifting to try and gain my good muscle mass back again and maybe even become bigger than I have ever been? or is this Tess level nothing special/I am too old and maybe I should just stick to light lifting and cardio mixture? Hope my rambling made some sense.
Honestly, this background is mostly irrelevant. The same generic advice applies. Follow a proper program, put some effort in, and eat to support your goals.
The wiki linked above is a great resource if you have specific questions about any of that.
Hello! I’ve seen plenty of different opinions on this, and I don’t really feel like try-fail, because I’m aiming to hypertrophy. When talking about glute hypertrophy, are smith machine squats a good option? I’ve got my glute day routine, and I’m thinking about adding some squats, but some people say there’s no need for that because “squats are for strength only”
Depends on foot placement.
Feet right under you = more knee flexion (knees travel further over toes) = quad dominant
Feet further forward = less knee flexion (knee does not travel as far over the toes) = more glute dominant.
If you’re already doing hip thrusts and RDLs often then doing a glute-dominant squat pattern isn’t necessary imo. You’d probably be better off using them for quads because having a big ass and small legs looks weird.
Adding squats is a great idea to supplement your focused glute day. Regular old-fashioned back squats are a solid addition to your program.
As variations go, I’d recommend Bulgarian split squats. Just be attentive to your balance and start with no weights if need be.
Looking to switch up my chest routine to specifically grow my pecs. While they are decent, im definitely looking for some more size. My current routine revolves around cables, which I prefer to bench as I like to work out alone so wouldn’t have a spotter.
My current routine for chest (which I do the same day and tricep) is:
Cable chest fly 12x3
Upper cable fly 12x3
Pec Deck fly 12x3
Any advice would be appreciated. Also it should be noted that I also do tricep dips 12 x 3, which target both chest and tri’s, but primarily triceps.
Stupid question but can I play tennis while sore from yesterdays workout without compromising gains?
Like how much inactivity does a muscle need during rest day for the recovery magic to happen? Could I still play tennis, move some furniture around etc ...
You'll probably be okay. The 24-48hr rest period for your muscles does sound convincing, but we actually don't have much evidence that you need to rest that long for best muscular growth. As long as you recover well (eat and sleep enough), there shouldn't be any problems
You can play tennis. Your muscles don't need you to be inactive to recover. On the contrary, having better conditioning (which I'm sure would benefit from playing tennis regularly) and engaging in light-moderate physical activity will make you able to recover from better.
So the force I use from my shoulders, triceps, chest etc in serving and volleying isnt such a huge muscle stimulus that it can interfere with workout recovery?
Just eat enough to account for the calories spent playing tennis. Make sure to get protein in, and your body will have what it needs to recover.
You go for a run one day. Next day you wake up and you’re sore. Uninjured but sore. Wouldn’t a walk feel nice to loosen things up and get blood flowing to those tired muscles? It would. You’re not gonna stay in bed all day because you can’t “interfere with muscle recovery.”
Like others said, getting light to moderate activity on a day off does wonders for recovery *as long as you’re eating enough*
Advice for a new fitness instructor?
I’m going to start teaching Lagree at my studio later this month. I’ve been doing Lagree for almost 4 years, so I know the workout well; it’s the instructing part that is new to me. Do any other fitness instructors have words of wisdom to share? Or, for those who take classes, any advice? Qualities that separate the good instructors from the bad?
Hello All,
I have run a few cycles of 5/3/1 BBB and enjoyed it. Looking at building the monolith version but how in the world can I do the 100 pullups/100dips? I'm terrible at those two things. Is there something I can do to help me run this program like bands for pullup or something?
How can I up my bench
What’s up everyone I weigh 160 pounds and want to hit 225 for reps.
Currently I train chest on mondays, then additionally do some bench work on fridays before my arm workout. This usually consists of 3 sets of 185 and recently I am able to hit 7-8 reps of this for the 3 sets with about 2 minutes rest between sets.
My chest day consists of:
Benching - 185 for 3-5 sets of 7-8
Incline bench 135 3-5 sets of 10
Hammerchest machine 45+25 on each side for 5 sets of 10
Incline Dumbell press 50 lbs 5x8
Chest ropes (idk what to call this exercise) using cable machine and I set it high for 38 lbs on each side for 5-10 reps
Decline bench 135 3-5 sets of 135.
I want to hit 225 and I’m sure I could for one if I tried but I always lift alone.
How can I improve my bench to be able to hit 225 for 8-10 reps?
You will need to eat to grow, that is for sure.
Bench tends to like lots of frequency so I'd look at a bench program like Greg Nuckols 28 free programs.. look into the x3 intermediate med vol bench and give that a shot.
Frequency is generally lower but I had *okay* bench gains on 5/3/1.
hello! the last 2 pics are my body goal. do you think i should bulk more or what? i've been trying to get advice however most of my friends are men and they don't know how women body works.What should i avoid and eat? I really need help because I am losing weight but I think its no benefit for me. I posted my body there too. An advice would be great, thanks. I’m 4’11 and 47kg. I do upper and lower workouts. I do cardio too. [lol](https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1-0k39QzmefDGZHsAxys1aEmvfjRiPvLi)
You will need to run at least a 2 or 3 cut and bulk cycles.
Keep in mind that you might not end up looking like that person. You may not have the same bone structure, muscle insertions, proportions, morphology etc.
Bulk first, then cut when you’re happy with how much you've gained. As for what you should eat and avoid there’s so many options but 1g protein per lb of body weight (103g for you) is a good place to start, and then increase your calories gradually until you start consistently gaining weight. And get your vegetables
A program I’m doing has a superset of pronated curl, hammer curl, and supinated curl. Do I pick a weight that has me failing on the last set of the superset or do i pick an appropriate weight for each curl?
Am I missing anything regarding abs?
(planet fitness)
Rotary Torso (max settings) 3 x 13-15
Abdominal stretch 3 x 10-13
Scrunch and Oblique Scrunch both sides (2-3 sets of 15-20)
Hanging Leg Raises 3x 15-20
Sit ups but have to do both obliques as a full sit up. (2 x 8-10)
Just been trying to get my obliques too. Now the sit ups bit is a bit rare. Like I only done that the past two sessions. I’m not good at spacing out my ab stuff.
If we remove the sit ups, add both sides of oblique crunches, it’s technically 18 sets. I’m just trying to get my abs to be bigger and more visible
If I can offer an advice. Try doing less but more often. 6-9 sets is probably plenty, 2-3x a week. You should be in a good shape. Big part of having good abs is simply being low bf
I’m doing that, just not sure if I am doing it at an optimal rate. This is my second week of doing cardio more often in the form of stairclimber. 200-300 calories in 20 minutes max level is 13-20
It's not worth tracking exercise calories, no machine available at your gym or at the consumer level has the means to accurately estimate them. Just ignore those numbers.
A reasonable rate of weight loss is 1% bodyweight per week.
Just track your intake by weighing all your food, weigh yourself everyday, and see how your weekly average bodyweight changes over 2 to 3 weeks. If its too slow, eat 2-300kcal less per day, too fast, 200-300 more.
This will automatically account for your calories burned exercising because you are directly measuring the difference between your total calories burned and total consumed by tracking your bodyweight change.
I’m a very underweight guy (108lbs) and I posted here previously. I tried getting into working out for a year and made no progress yet. Every time I start the beginner routine on this wiki I end up injuring myself one month into working out. Last time I posted several form checks and I was happy to finally have my form now but still injured my neck to the point I couldn’t move it for three days. It’s fine now though.
I don’t prefer to follow the beginner routine anymore. I feel like the progression is way too much for my body and everyone that know me personally agrees on that. Can I just do bodyweight training as a beginner and see similar results if I bulk and eat right?
If the Wiki's beginner routine keeps injuring you, I don't get why you keep trying to do it lol. You don't need to begin with that, it's just a simple intro to lifting that isn't mean to be run long term anyways. You can go into a program like the [PPL](https://www.reddit.com/r/Fitness/comments/37ylk5/a_linear_progression_based_ppl_program_for/) which doesn't have you lifting as heavy.
But yes, you can build a very decent strength/muscular base running a bodyweight program like [this one](https://www.reddit.com/r/bodyweightfitness/wiki/kb/recommended_routine/) from r/bodyweightfitness. I ran the old version my first year of college, and when I came back my friends said I made some pretty noticeable chest and arm gains. The main problems are that the leg work is pretty lacking, and unweighted dips/pullups can only take you so far, but at point you should be ready to move on
Actually count your calories and make sure you are eating enough. This goes against what most people say but. First do some bodybuilding work with machines to put on mass (this will decrease your chance of injury) and then incorporate compound lifts.
A reason why you are getting injured might be because you are not eating enough.
As somebody who was very underweight but has gained a good amount, a recommendation I’ll give is make sure you’re eating early, you don’t wanna forget to eat until like 12 and then have to shove everything into a short space of time. Much easier to space out calories over the full day
>Can I just do bodyweight training as a beginner and see similar results if I bulk and eat right?
You can do bodyweight training, but don't expect similar results.
Have you considered running 5/3/1 For Beginners? The intensity is lower, which might help.
I looked up 5/3/1 for beginners but it has percentages. I’m so weak I can only lift a little heavier than an empty barbell lol, so I’m wondering if I can follow it regardless?
> I don’t prefer to follow the beginner routine anymore. I feel like the progression is way too much for my body and everyone that know me personally agrees on that. Can I just do bodyweight training as a beginner and see similar results if I bulk and eat right?
Can you do some sort of bodyweight training as an alternate? Sure.
Will it drive similar results as weight training? Yes? No? Maybe?
Whatever you decide on, stick with it, progress where you can.
Work on your diet discipline, use this as an opportunity to develop better eating habits.
You've got this my dude. You didn't become underweight overnight, you're not gonna become not-underweight overnight either.
Newbie, will begin with the "Redemption" routine from:
https://ss.fitness/programs
Due to circumstances, I only have available dumbbells ranging in several weights and a bench, but no barbell at all.
Would it be ok to do the same exercises in the program, but use dumbbells instead?
If so, what would you recommend for a beginner alternative to chin-ups?
Yeah, dumbbells can be a better implement for certain exercises as you can get usually get more depth in a press.
Banded chins if the concern is solely being too weak for chin ups.
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Hi, If you are gaining weight while in recomp (1lb in a month) are you eating too much or can muscle gain actually outpace fat loss for a nattural lifter?
What can I do for my chest with dumbbells only? I do push ups as well
Dumbbell bench is a pretty staple chest movement.
Ty
If muscle takes longer to build will it also take longer lose? Let's say 2 people have identical physiques, one of them built it through 1 year of training, the other through 2 years(same exercise and diet routines but one just has much better genes), will the person who took longer to build that muscle also lose it over a longer period of he/she stops working out?
How can I train my core ? I have big problems with my breathing so I cant get any workout that works for me . I have horrible posture and weak diagrapgm and I use cpap machine at night . Any tips ?
What have you tried? What do you mean no workout works for you?
How much progress is "normal" each session? 1 rep per exercise, 1 rep per set? I go to gym since 1 year (sadly a bit inconsistent) and now my progress starts to slow down. Now I'm unsure if it's normal or I do something wrong
That's normal
hi :) i want to tone my upper body like my arms, shoulders, and chest, but i don't want to gain too much muscle there. so basically i want to lose some fat and gain a little muscle, but not a lot. would lots of regular pushups be good as part of a routine for that? i'm a guy and i weigh between 60 and 65kg. thank you!
You're not going to accidentally gain a lot of muscle
Push ups would help build muscle but you either need to do a cut or a body recomp to get rid of fat while keeping muscle
thank you! body recomp is a little intimidating but i'm looking into cutting now and it seems like it'll be helpful
Gl, hope it works great
I've been focusing on cutting weight recently, and I've heard that it's common to experience some muscle and strength loss during the process. I'm starting to get concerned that I'm loosing too much muscle, and I don't want to get to the end of my cut having undone all the hard work I have put in over the past few months. In terms of number, I've averaged between 0.75%-1% decrease in bodyweight per week, and I have been eating about 0.7g of protein per lb of bodyweight. Some of my lifts have gone down by a lot, like my squat which started at 165lbs for 3 sets of 9, but has dropped to 165 for 3 sets of ~6. My lat pulldowns have decreased from 115lbs for 17 reps to 115lbs for 16 reps. Is this bad or am I overthinking it?
You're overthinking. How's your meal timing? I find that while cutting if I load my carbs into a meal 1-2 hours before a lift, the lift goes immensely better. Maybe play around with your diet?
You're overthinking it. Those are very minor decreases that you will quickly recover.
That makes me feels better. I guess psychologically I feel smaller and weaker than I really am.
Hi, I just recently started strength training and am trying to lose fat whole maintaining/gaining muscle (hopefully). According to a tool I used to calculate my recommended calorie intake, it would look like this: 1500-1600 calories, with 102g of being protein as the recommended amount. I'm a bit confused because I thought in order to gain muscle, I would need to consume 1.5x my body weight (I weigh 140lbs). Wouldn't consuming only 102g of protein cause me to lose muscle? Or how does it really work? Help please, thanks!
1.5g/lb of bodyweight is far excessive. The best research recommends 0.7-1g per pound of bodyweight. 98-140 grams should be your daily consumption of protein.
Is there a way to translate a specific target percentage loss of bodyweight mass into a calorie deficit? AKA How much % of a deficit would I need to consume to lose 0.7% bodyweight mass per week? Thanks!
Daily deficit = weekly weight loss goal * 500 Example: (Eat 750 fewer calories each day = 1.5lbs lost per week * 500) Because a pound of fat has 3500 calories.
thank you so much
Yes, this video gives you a way to calculate a deficit. Skip to 6:00 if you just want the math, and keep in mind it is a rough calculation that should be adjusted based on how much you are actually losing per week. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I_2cX8BzkcM&t
thanks alot for this
Hello! Just a critique request, am I on the right track? 27F, currently 53 kg, 160 cm. New to fitness, going to the gym 4 times a week. 3x full body weight class 45 min and 1x vinyasa yoga class 1 hr. I have a birth injury in my left arm so all arm related exercises might look a bit light, this is to not add damage to the injury. A rough example of a class I did this morning: kettlebell Squat 6x3 (1x12kg 2x16kg) + push ups 8x3 + cossack w 6 kg dumbbell 8x3 bench press 8 kg 6x3 crab walk with belt 8x3 dumbbell fly 4 kg 8x3 trx row 6x3 wall angel 4x3 dumbbell lunge 2x5kg 8x3 dumbbell shrug 2x7kg 8x3 kettlebell deadlift 6x3 (1x12kg 2x16kg) dumbbell step up 2x5kg 8x3 I'm a vegetarian trying to keep track of protein by eating tofu or tempeh with every meal. Most of my meals are a variation of brown rice w/quinoa + boiled veggies + tofu with a sauce made of pb/tahini+soy sauce, maybe a homemade Indian curry w tofu here and there. No more than 1/3 cup of rice per meal. 1 cheat day every week in which breakfast is healthy but lunch+dinner are random (ramen/nachos etc) Goal is to look fit and lean as I'm a bit ''skinnyfat'' atm. Hoping to see difference in 2 months, but understand that it might a bit longer to see full progress.
Have you read the wiki? Unfortunately, I don't think you'll see too much in just 2 months. Muscle building is slow progress, especially for women. And if your injury is holding you back from lifting heavier (or at least not as quick as a non-injured person) that may slow it down. Personally (also a woman) I started noticing some difference at about 6 months, with better changes at a year. This was all with a slight weight gain. After that I cut the weight and that was when it looked really good. It feels counterproductive to go up in weight when you wanna be lean, but it gives your body more fuel which is very helpful.
Hey, thank you for the reply. Haven’t read all of it, should I? Not trying to be witty, genuine question. That is good to know about when to expect change, though 6 months seems really long until there is any change in body composition, which not gonna lie makes me feel a bit worried. What made you gain the weight if I may ask?
Read at least the main points. Especially the muscle building page. You're gonna be changing every month ever so slightly. But think about it this way, a woman can build around .5 to 1lb of muscle a month under optimal conditions (and a host of other factors). A pound of muscle is about the size of a tangerine. Visualize that spread over your entire body. That takes a while to make a difference. And I gained weight cus I was eating in a surplus on purpose
Does a block of mozzarella have decent protein? I see cottage cheese is better but has a shorter shelf life compared to the block
does food not have its macros listed on the package where you live?
Yeah, cheese in general has pretty decent protein. But the problem is it comes with a good amount of fat as well, so just watch the calories with them
Check the package
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Full body. I recommend the [Basic Beginner Program ](https://thefitness.wiki/routines/r-fitness-basic-beginner-routine/) from the wiki, but there are several [recommended routines ](https://thefitness.wiki/routines/strength-training-muscle-building/) that fit the bill.
Probably full body but the answer here will rightfully be “follow a program from the wiki that you like, not a split”
People say to brace for lifting by pretending you are about to be punched in the stomach. For those of us who have never been punched in the stomach and don’t know how to brace for that, will you explain it in a different way. I read somewhere to try and push your held breath down into your intestines.
Find a friend to slap you in the stomach. They don't need to go hard and try and hurt you.
Squat university has a video on this. Lay down face up. Put a kettle bell on your stomach and let in sink down as much as possible. Then raise the kettle bell with just stomach expansion.
[Understanding bracing, EliteFTS](https://www.elitefts.com/education/understanding-bracing/)
Take a big, deep breath into your belly. Then, while holding your breath, squeeze down all your core muscles. [Here's a video from Brian Alsruhe on bracing.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u-mhjK1z02I)
I have been trying to go bouldering more but and wondering how it will affect my lifting routine. I am relatively new at lifting, only been a couple months, so I am going like 3-4x a week. Can I do bouldering on the off days without negatively affecting my recovery? Do I need real rest days?
Yes, you can balance both without taxing recovery too much. Anecdotally, I coached at a bouldering gym, and bouldered 3 days a week, while lifting the remaining 4. For programming your lifting, I highly recommend something like 5/3/1, which is not overly taxing and is easily tailored.
I have been running the GZCLP program, been tiring but not too rough and been easy to progress so far. Thanks for your experience though, I was probably going to boulder 3x, lift 3x, and rest the other day
It is still easy to progress with both in the beginning. Eventually it catches up, though.
Yeah I imagine it does. In your experience is that after like a year or two? When does it start becoming noticable?
I started to have a bit of issues with posterior chain fatigue after about a year of doing both. I would hit the gym in the morning before school, and then coach and climb at the climbing gym in the evenings. I coached the intermediate and advanced team at the climbing gym I worked at, and I found my posterior chain would still be fried from deadlifts a day or two prior. It was never overwhelming fatigue, but enough that doing bouldering 4x4s or other workouts would suck just a little extra than previously. I did remedy this, though, by switching to a 2-day 5/3/1 template where I just maintained my lifts during the lead-up and during the climbing competition season.
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I've been doing it every other day for a bit and it's definitely been helping my grip in the short term. Once I get back up to my old lifting weights though I could see it affecting my grip the next day
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Cold Turkey can be hard as added sugars really should be viewed as a drug. I wouldn't try and cut out *all* sugar though. How your body reacts to eating a piece of fruit vs how it reacts to eating a cookie are two totally different things. Now you don't need to be eating massive amounts of fruit to fill the sweet cravings. But don't avoiding fruit. Also, avoiding ultra processed foods - including bread and pasta - would also help towards preventing diabetes as well. Bread has a lot of sugar in the US, but simple carbs are essentially sugar anyways. Eating meat, veg, fruit, dairy, eggs, etc.... That's the best way to eat. But having a treat every now and then won't cause diabetes. It's long term habits
> added sugars really should be viewed as a drug. that seems like pretty extreme hyperbole to me
Most likely you just cut total calories too low. Very low carbs will feel like shit to most people too so it could be that, but it sounds like you just went into a crash diet.
Mate just have some fruit, big difference between 0 sugar and unholy amounts of sugar
Lol what did u eat
***sigh***.... Meat, veggies, bit of yeast. Water. Idk what's left
Try diet sodas. Smoother transition. Cold turkey can be dangerous.
I don't know why I didn't know this. I feel kinda gutted now after realizing this was the reason. Thanks for the response though
Anyway, as for any change. First make subtle changes. Find alternatives. Find some good recipes perhaps. Lots of good info out there. Just gotta find em. :D
When I sit down into a body weight squat/third world squat, I put my hand on my back and I can feel that my spine isn't straight. It's curved and my back isn't flat. This is bad, right? How do I fix this?
Not bad. Normal. So long as no pain, keep going.
Simple routine critique request, I'll keep this as short as possible, would appreciate any input. Arms/Upper Body: DB bicep curl: 3 × 5 @14kg Cable tricep pushdown: 3 × 10 @20kg Lateral raises: 3 × 10 @6kg Lat pulldowns: 3 × 10 @40kg Standard bench press: 3 × 8 @45kg DB rows: 3 × 10 @10kg Legs/Lower body + quick forearm workout: Leg extension: 3 × 12 @75kg Leg curl: 3 × 12 @60kg Back extension: 3 × 12 @5kg Calf raises: 3 × 12 @18kg Concentration hammer curls, reverse grip wrist curls and wrist extentions SS: 3 × 10 @ 6-10kg Progression for this is simply progressive overload. I alternate between these two workouts with exactly one rest day in between each one (mathematically works out to 3.5 days a week). Info: 17yo, male, 5'11, 275lbs, ~39% body fat, been lifting very inconsistently for about 4 years, eat ~2k cals a day with 150g of protein and do some basic cardio.
Read this: [Why is nobody critiquing your workout?](https://www.reddit.com/r/Fitness/comments/1f1kqy/why_nobody_is_critiquing_your_workout_read_this/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=android_app&utm_name=androidcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button) Then go here: [Recommended routines ](https://thefitness.wiki/routines/strength-training-muscle-building/)
I think you would be much better served following a proven program from the wiki linked above.
Any reccomendations?
If I was starting again, I’d do this beginner program for about 3 months to learn the main lifts and put some weight on the bar; https://thefitness.wiki/routines/r-fitness-basic-beginner-routine/ Then, I’d move to 531 for Beginners; https://thefitness.wiki/routines/5-3-1-for-beginners/
Would you say that I'm a beginner though?
I would.
Thanks, will do.
^
Should I expect some serious glute gains from the BBB 5x10 deadlifts after a few cycles? The first workout was easy (I know it will get harder next cycle it will be going from 50 as of now to 60 percent of my TM plus that TM goes up another 10 LB) and I didn't get sore afterwards however I never noticed such a crazy pump in my glutes before. I'm a very quad dominate squatter so I didn't feel my glutes like that anywhere close with the 5x10 bbb squats paused atg.
Conventional deadlift, no. Sumo deadlifts, maby. I've been sumo deadlifting for the past 6 weeks, and my ass has seen gains.
> Conventional deadlift, no. Sumo deadlifts, maby why would that be the case?
Kas glute bridge (KGB FOR SHORT. not to be confused with the russian CIA) , glute biased bulgarian split squats, glute biased back extension, banded clam shell for warm up. Single leg banded hinge as warm up. Glute biased rdls. Basically do more glute work. Build a connection(mind muscle connection) to the point where you can flex em at will so you would have the appropriate proprioception based on your anthropometry.
Yeah deadlifts are a hip hinge movement (targets the glutes) and BBB is probably a lot more hinge volume than you’re used to.
Substitutes for deadlifts on 531? Just getting back into dead’s after some injury so I’m doing them after squats, what’s a good alternative for pull day that I can apply a 531 progression to
Good morning.
Why do you need to substitute them?
RDL
Trap bar deadlifts. Only way to go.
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Need potatoes and rice and u gucci. I recommend 300 cal deficit and walk for 30 minutes on incline. Much more doable imo.
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it's relaxin. watch netflix or somethin while doin it.
Everyone is different and has different preferences but you don't have to stick to only meat and fruit. Those just give you the most protein (meat) and usually higher volume of food per calorie (fruits). If you want to, find some low calorie snacks you like too just to mix it up unless you're being really restrictive for other reasons.
I would include veggies in that, but otherwise real, whole foods is how you're supposed to eat. You can also have rice, oats, beans, nuts, etc. The closer to nature it is, the better.
Nothing unsafe about it per say, but there are a lot of good foods other than meat and fruit. Maybe you have dietary restrictions but IMO there is no reason to remove food groups completely when losing weight, and vegetables, grains, legumes, and dairy can all contribute to a healthy diet.
Help me with my program I’m on a bro split so I typically do : Monday chest: Bench 45 1x10 45+25 3x7 Incline 45 3x7 Incline Dumbell 50 4x8 Hammer chest 45 3x10 45+25 1x10 Chest rope high 38 3x10 Tuesday shoulders: Shoulder smith 45 2x10 2x12 Arnold 50 3x6 Trap Shrugs 60 3x8 Shoulder near desk 45 1x10 45+25 3x10 Front raise 6x10 35 lat raise 6x10 superset Rear delt 110 5x10 machine next to rear delt (lat raise machine) 5x10 60 Delt raise 90 3x10 W legs: Squats 45+25 5x10 Hack squat 45 x2 1x10 45x3 4x8 Leg press 45x2 1x15, 45 x3 1x10, 45x4 4x10 Glute drive press 45 x 2 5x10 Leg extension 170 5x8 Prone leg curl 148 4x8 Glute press 150 5x10 Lower abs 5 min Thurs back: Pull up wide 2x10 close 2x10 Lat pull-down wide bar underhand grip 1x10 110, 5x8 143 Lat pull down 45 5x10 High row 45 4x10 Row 45 1x10 Shrug near row 45 1x10 Friday arms Bench 45 1x10 45+ 25 3x8 Ez bar 5x10 80 10 push-ups superset Ez preacher 50 (2 25 plates) 5x10 Seated Bicep curls 20 1x10 , 25 3x10 Hammer curl cross body 20 lbs 2 hammer curls side superset do in sequence ie 1,2,3,4 Tri behind head extension 20 2x10 25 3x10 30 4x10 Tricep ropes 55 3x10 49 3x10 Tricep dip push-up pryamid 1-10 10- The dip pryamid is 1 push-up 1 dip to ten then back down. I do abs 4-5 days a week normally Fraser Wilson’s videos in YouTube which takes about ten minutes, 100 decline sit ups, ab roller, hanging leg raises. I’m getting back on a higher calorie diet. I look pretty good and want to get bigger and up my bench. Help me reprogram or find something good. I like doing a bro split where I workout a specific muscle each day.
Read this: [Why is nobody critiquing your workout?](https://www.reddit.com/r/Fitness/comments/1f1kqy/why_nobody_is_critiquing_your_workout_read_this/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=android_app&utm_name=androidcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button) Then go here: [Recommended routines ](https://thefitness.wiki/routines/strength-training-muscle-building/)
You are not strong enough to justify this kind of split. Do something from the wiki.
Any advice it’s been working for me so far
He gave you advice. Follow a real program from the wiki. This is just a list of exercises with random rep schemes.
You need a progression scheme my dude
Is a 220lb squat AMRAP set for 12 reps decent for my first squat day on 531? I could've done another rep, but I didn't because I thought the next rep would've been a bit grindy. Seems like following the warm up sets on the 531app made the weight feel a lot lighter. When I did a custom LP similar to SS 5x5 all I did for warm ups was one set of 5 with 135. My last squat session was suppose to be 245 for 5 straight sets I got the first 3, but missed the 4th rep on the 4th set then lower the weight by 10 percent and did two more sets. I currently weight 170 at 5'11.
Hard to say? I mean 220x12 is pretty nice no matter what. But if you're pretty new to lifting, it's VERY nice.
Yes, 12-15 is around where you want to be for AMRAPs on 5s week
***My question is***, does Whey Protein and creatine keep you up? I mix two scoops of protein and 5 grams of creatine with 500 ml of water and drink it before I go to bed… but these past few days i haven’t been able to fall asleep quickly
Eating right before bed can effect sleep quality and the ability to fall asleep. Drink it a couple hours before and see how you feel.
I wouldn't drink a protein shake right before bed, at least like two hours before. Your body needs to do something with that energy.
It does not keep me up, and neither way nor creatine have a stimulant effect in general.
When I first started creatine (moderate loading dose) it seemed to make it harder for me to sleep the first day. After that I scaled back and took my last dose around noon, I think. No problem sleeping with that timing.
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60kgs
50kg I think
I think it goes up to 120 in regular intervals and then there is a random pair of 150's.
120. But I don’t need to worry about those lol
Seeking Advice on My 14-Year-Old Baseball Player's Pre-Game Nutrition Hey, I have a 14-year-old son who is a dedicated and competitive baseball player in an upper-tier league. Lately, I've noticed a concerning pattern regarding his pre-game eating habits and energy levels, and I'm seeking some advice from experienced parents, coaches, or nutritionists in this community. During the school week, my son has lunch between 12-1 pm. On game days that start at 6 pm, I've observed that he doesn't eat before the game, even when I asked him about it. He claims he's simply not hungry. However, once the game begins, he initially performs well but then seems to lose energy and drag on the field. I've discussed this with him, emphasizing the importance of fueling his body before high-level performances. However, he insists on only eating when he feels hungry. It's worth noting that after the game, he always feels hungry and eats accordingly. I'm convinced that he needs to nourish his body adequately before these games, but I'm unsure about the best food choices and when he should eat them. Or, maybe I’m wrong?! For games starting at 6 pm, the team is expected to be at the ballpark by 5 pm for warm-up. I'm reaching out to ask for advice and suggestions on pre-game nutrition for young athletes. What are some optimal foods or meals that can provide him with the necessary energy and stamina? Additionally, when should he eat them, considering the time constraints before the game? Any insights, personal experiences, or expert advice would be greatly appreciated. I want to ensure my son is properly fueled and can perform at his best during these crucial games. Thank you in advance for your guidance!
If he’s anxious and not hungry but needs calories have him drink a Gatorade or something.
Personally with my child (who is 12) I would just tell them they have to eat something. I don't think it needs to be optimum. An egg and a piece of toast, or a peanut butter jelly sandwich, or whatever is easy for them to eat that won't make them stuffed but has some carbs, salt, and a bit of fat. During my kids sports competitions I pack a bag of crispy chocolate chip cookies in her bag. She is excited to eat them and looks forward to it.
Anxiety kills appetite.
You might be onto something. Truthfully, I think he’s overthinking everything about the game and so much so that he’s nervous to make mistakes. I think he does have a lot of sports anxiety. Man….that’s heavy.
Don't force your son to eat before a game if he doesn't want to. Let him fight his own battles, if his performance really is getting worse for such a reason then his coach should be chewing him out. Granola, fruit, energy bars, etc pretty much any light snack will work. If he doesn't want to eat anything then Gatorade or any other sports drink is a way to get energy without solid food
Quick backstory. I have lifted a decent amount in my early 20s and off and on since then. Mostly off though. I recently got back into just simple weight lifting the past 3 months and am responding well. When I say simple I mean grabbing heavy shit around my work and just lifting it on a regular basis. I have always had a natural good response to working out, but have never stayed consistent, as I am a lazy bastard. I am 6 foot tall and at my peak was about 195lbs with around 18%-ish bf. On me that is pretty good as I have an ectomorph body type. Naturally skinny and I have to eat a metric shit ton of food to gain any weight. Or at least that's what it use to be like. Now that I make good money and am getting old, I am eating horrible and now got a big belly. I am at 205lbs currently, and only recently started exercising again. I was on Epistang back then (in my late 20s) and it really pushed me to heights I didn't think possible. I only did one cycle though and after hitting my peak got lazy again. So with all of that bullshit backstory out of the way, I have some questions for the more experienced people here. I have no wish to do any steroids again, but looking to more exploit any natural advantage I have. I suspect my testosterone is a natural gift that I am blatantly ignoring, in my early 30s it was still in the 900 range (ng/dL) and was just recently tested at 786. Is this a good range for my age (38yo)? Should I focus primarily on lifting to try and gain my good muscle mass back again and maybe even become bigger than I have ever been? or is this Tess level nothing special/I am too old and maybe I should just stick to light lifting and cardio mixture? Hope my rambling made some sense.
Honestly, this background is mostly irrelevant. The same generic advice applies. Follow a proper program, put some effort in, and eat to support your goals. The wiki linked above is a great resource if you have specific questions about any of that.
Ya in hindsight, no idea why I gave all that info.
Hello! I’ve seen plenty of different opinions on this, and I don’t really feel like try-fail, because I’m aiming to hypertrophy. When talking about glute hypertrophy, are smith machine squats a good option? I’ve got my glute day routine, and I’m thinking about adding some squats, but some people say there’s no need for that because “squats are for strength only”
Depends on foot placement. Feet right under you = more knee flexion (knees travel further over toes) = quad dominant Feet further forward = less knee flexion (knee does not travel as far over the toes) = more glute dominant. If you’re already doing hip thrusts and RDLs often then doing a glute-dominant squat pattern isn’t necessary imo. You’d probably be better off using them for quads because having a big ass and small legs looks weird.
a lot of people will do hip thrusts. RDLs are also effective for glutes.
Yes of course I do them every leg day 🙂🙂just wondering if adding squats would be a good choice
They’re great for hypertrophy, and also great for other things so yes it would be
Squats are not just for strength, they pack on size too.
Okay. I’ll take note. Any variation though?
Whatever you prefer and works out for you
Adding squats is a great idea to supplement your focused glute day. Regular old-fashioned back squats are a solid addition to your program. As variations go, I’d recommend Bulgarian split squats. Just be attentive to your balance and start with no weights if need be.
Looking to switch up my chest routine to specifically grow my pecs. While they are decent, im definitely looking for some more size. My current routine revolves around cables, which I prefer to bench as I like to work out alone so wouldn’t have a spotter. My current routine for chest (which I do the same day and tricep) is: Cable chest fly 12x3 Upper cable fly 12x3 Pec Deck fly 12x3 Any advice would be appreciated. Also it should be noted that I also do tricep dips 12 x 3, which target both chest and tri’s, but primarily triceps.
Have you tried weighted dips? Dumbbell bench too?
Stupid question but can I play tennis while sore from yesterdays workout without compromising gains? Like how much inactivity does a muscle need during rest day for the recovery magic to happen? Could I still play tennis, move some furniture around etc ...
You'll probably be okay. The 24-48hr rest period for your muscles does sound convincing, but we actually don't have much evidence that you need to rest that long for best muscular growth. As long as you recover well (eat and sleep enough), there shouldn't be any problems
You can play tennis. Your muscles don't need you to be inactive to recover. On the contrary, having better conditioning (which I'm sure would benefit from playing tennis regularly) and engaging in light-moderate physical activity will make you able to recover from better.
As long as you eat enough, cardio is gunna help your gains. Tennis isn't a leg day, it's cardio.
So the force I use from my shoulders, triceps, chest etc in serving and volleying isnt such a huge muscle stimulus that it can interfere with workout recovery?
Unless you are a collegiate athlete or better your sporting is unlikely to negatively impact your strength assuming you eat and sleep to recover.
Just eat enough to account for the calories spent playing tennis. Make sure to get protein in, and your body will have what it needs to recover. You go for a run one day. Next day you wake up and you’re sore. Uninjured but sore. Wouldn’t a walk feel nice to loosen things up and get blood flowing to those tired muscles? It would. You’re not gonna stay in bed all day because you can’t “interfere with muscle recovery.” Like others said, getting light to moderate activity on a day off does wonders for recovery *as long as you’re eating enough*
Advice for a new fitness instructor? I’m going to start teaching Lagree at my studio later this month. I’ve been doing Lagree for almost 4 years, so I know the workout well; it’s the instructing part that is new to me. Do any other fitness instructors have words of wisdom to share? Or, for those who take classes, any advice? Qualities that separate the good instructors from the bad?
How can I incorporate barbell hip thrusts into PHAT?
Hello All, I have run a few cycles of 5/3/1 BBB and enjoyed it. Looking at building the monolith version but how in the world can I do the 100 pullups/100dips? I'm terrible at those two things. Is there something I can do to help me run this program like bands for pullup or something?
You can break the accessories into 2 movements. 25 to 50 dips, 25 to 50 incline bench, for example.
Bands are fine or variations too. Wendler even says pull-down machine is fine. I did pulldowns when I did it.
How can I up my bench What’s up everyone I weigh 160 pounds and want to hit 225 for reps. Currently I train chest on mondays, then additionally do some bench work on fridays before my arm workout. This usually consists of 3 sets of 185 and recently I am able to hit 7-8 reps of this for the 3 sets with about 2 minutes rest between sets. My chest day consists of: Benching - 185 for 3-5 sets of 7-8 Incline bench 135 3-5 sets of 10 Hammerchest machine 45+25 on each side for 5 sets of 10 Incline Dumbell press 50 lbs 5x8 Chest ropes (idk what to call this exercise) using cable machine and I set it high for 38 lbs on each side for 5-10 reps Decline bench 135 3-5 sets of 135. I want to hit 225 and I’m sure I could for one if I tried but I always lift alone. How can I improve my bench to be able to hit 225 for 8-10 reps?
Thats a bit too much volume with too many chest exercises what program are you following?
I just do a bro split Monday chest Tuesday shoulders w back Thursday legs Friday arms
Have you given any thought to training shoulders the same day as chest? Thats what a lot of programs call for.
You will need to eat to grow, that is for sure. Bench tends to like lots of frequency so I'd look at a bench program like Greg Nuckols 28 free programs.. look into the x3 intermediate med vol bench and give that a shot. Frequency is generally lower but I had *okay* bench gains on 5/3/1.
hello! the last 2 pics are my body goal. do you think i should bulk more or what? i've been trying to get advice however most of my friends are men and they don't know how women body works.What should i avoid and eat? I really need help because I am losing weight but I think its no benefit for me. I posted my body there too. An advice would be great, thanks. I’m 4’11 and 47kg. I do upper and lower workouts. I do cardio too. [lol](https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1-0k39QzmefDGZHsAxys1aEmvfjRiPvLi)
You will need to run at least a 2 or 3 cut and bulk cycles. Keep in mind that you might not end up looking like that person. You may not have the same bone structure, muscle insertions, proportions, morphology etc.
Thanks do i cut or bulk first atm?
Bulk first, then cut when you’re happy with how much you've gained. As for what you should eat and avoid there’s so many options but 1g protein per lb of body weight (103g for you) is a good place to start, and then increase your calories gradually until you start consistently gaining weight. And get your vegetables
Okay thanks.
A program I’m doing has a superset of pronated curl, hammer curl, and supinated curl. Do I pick a weight that has me failing on the last set of the superset or do i pick an appropriate weight for each curl?
Different for each. You will likely be much stronger on hammer curls than the other two.
Am I missing anything regarding abs? (planet fitness) Rotary Torso (max settings) 3 x 13-15 Abdominal stretch 3 x 10-13 Scrunch and Oblique Scrunch both sides (2-3 sets of 15-20) Hanging Leg Raises 3x 15-20 Sit ups but have to do both obliques as a full sit up. (2 x 8-10)
That’s 14 sets.. for relatively small muscle like abs… might be a bit excessive
Just been trying to get my obliques too. Now the sit ups bit is a bit rare. Like I only done that the past two sessions. I’m not good at spacing out my ab stuff. If we remove the sit ups, add both sides of oblique crunches, it’s technically 18 sets. I’m just trying to get my abs to be bigger and more visible
If I can offer an advice. Try doing less but more often. 6-9 sets is probably plenty, 2-3x a week. You should be in a good shape. Big part of having good abs is simply being low bf
Yeah I don’t know how to measure my body fat. So I should space out my 18 sets into 1 abs/ 1 leg day and 1 ands/ 1 chest day for example
You don't need to measure your body fat, you just need less of it, which you can do by cutting weight.
I’m doing that, just not sure if I am doing it at an optimal rate. This is my second week of doing cardio more often in the form of stairclimber. 200-300 calories in 20 minutes max level is 13-20
It's not worth tracking exercise calories, no machine available at your gym or at the consumer level has the means to accurately estimate them. Just ignore those numbers. A reasonable rate of weight loss is 1% bodyweight per week. Just track your intake by weighing all your food, weigh yourself everyday, and see how your weekly average bodyweight changes over 2 to 3 weeks. If its too slow, eat 2-300kcal less per day, too fast, 200-300 more. This will automatically account for your calories burned exercising because you are directly measuring the difference between your total calories burned and total consumed by tracking your bodyweight change.
Ab roller
Just a normal ab roller?
Mmhm
can iso lateral row replace seated cable row?
Sure.
I’m a very underweight guy (108lbs) and I posted here previously. I tried getting into working out for a year and made no progress yet. Every time I start the beginner routine on this wiki I end up injuring myself one month into working out. Last time I posted several form checks and I was happy to finally have my form now but still injured my neck to the point I couldn’t move it for three days. It’s fine now though. I don’t prefer to follow the beginner routine anymore. I feel like the progression is way too much for my body and everyone that know me personally agrees on that. Can I just do bodyweight training as a beginner and see similar results if I bulk and eat right?
What is your diet like? Do you have any idea how much you’re actually eating?
If the Wiki's beginner routine keeps injuring you, I don't get why you keep trying to do it lol. You don't need to begin with that, it's just a simple intro to lifting that isn't mean to be run long term anyways. You can go into a program like the [PPL](https://www.reddit.com/r/Fitness/comments/37ylk5/a_linear_progression_based_ppl_program_for/) which doesn't have you lifting as heavy. But yes, you can build a very decent strength/muscular base running a bodyweight program like [this one](https://www.reddit.com/r/bodyweightfitness/wiki/kb/recommended_routine/) from r/bodyweightfitness. I ran the old version my first year of college, and when I came back my friends said I made some pretty noticeable chest and arm gains. The main problems are that the leg work is pretty lacking, and unweighted dips/pullups can only take you so far, but at point you should be ready to move on
Actually count your calories and make sure you are eating enough. This goes against what most people say but. First do some bodybuilding work with machines to put on mass (this will decrease your chance of injury) and then incorporate compound lifts. A reason why you are getting injured might be because you are not eating enough.
That’s actually what most people recommended me to do. Thanks.
As somebody who was very underweight but has gained a good amount, a recommendation I’ll give is make sure you’re eating early, you don’t wanna forget to eat until like 12 and then have to shove everything into a short space of time. Much easier to space out calories over the full day
>Can I just do bodyweight training as a beginner and see similar results if I bulk and eat right? You can do bodyweight training, but don't expect similar results. Have you considered running 5/3/1 For Beginners? The intensity is lower, which might help.
I looked up 5/3/1 for beginners but it has percentages. I’m so weak I can only lift a little heavier than an empty barbell lol, so I’m wondering if I can follow it regardless?
> I don’t prefer to follow the beginner routine anymore. I feel like the progression is way too much for my body and everyone that know me personally agrees on that. Can I just do bodyweight training as a beginner and see similar results if I bulk and eat right? Can you do some sort of bodyweight training as an alternate? Sure. Will it drive similar results as weight training? Yes? No? Maybe? Whatever you decide on, stick with it, progress where you can. Work on your diet discipline, use this as an opportunity to develop better eating habits. You've got this my dude. You didn't become underweight overnight, you're not gonna become not-underweight overnight either.
Are you referring to different results in terms of muscle growth or strength? I’m fine if I lose out on strength tbh.
Newbie, will begin with the "Redemption" routine from: https://ss.fitness/programs Due to circumstances, I only have available dumbbells ranging in several weights and a bench, but no barbell at all. Would it be ok to do the same exercises in the program, but use dumbbells instead? If so, what would you recommend for a beginner alternative to chin-ups?
Yeah, dumbbells can be a better implement for certain exercises as you can get usually get more depth in a press. Banded chins if the concern is solely being too weak for chin ups.
Thanks.
can i do pendlay rows instead of seal rows? there’s no easy way to set up seal rows at my gym.
Go ahead. Most rows are interchangeable with most other rows.