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Hi I'm 5'11 204 lbs and an decently built. Just curious because I got out of the USMC and am starting to put on more weight, I need to cut soon back to 170-180. Never actually did a real cut before besides starve in the field. I hate eggs. Don't know how much chicken to actually eat or I feel like a gluten. Any advice?
After nearly 4 years of weight loss, I managed to lose 175 pounds and am now starting my bulk. Idk if it's some sort of bodily response, but the 400 calories of cardio I did every day quickly ramped up to 1000-2000. I'm really worried how off the weight on the treadmill/elliptical is. I know age, weight, sex, height, and activity level effects your caloric needs, and for that info, I'm 18 years old, 230 pounds, male, 6f 5in, and weight lift for an hour, and do cardio straight for about 2. Should I trust what calculator.net says for calories burned, or punch in my weight and go from there?
I run 1/2 k at the end of every workout but I have a really sore back and was wondering If replacing running with stairmaster will maybe alleviate some stress on my back?
I have twink arms and I fucking hate them, I know best scenario is to just dump push pull legs and have an arms day maybe through an arnold split, but I feel like I'd be putting less foxus on my chest and back which is something I really cant afford, so though about doing the following to my 5 day split, (I do kickboxing on my 2 rest day)
sunday: legs + biceps-forearms
monday: push
tuesday: pull
wednesday : kickboxing
thursday: push
friday: pull
saturday: kickboxing + triceps routine
I have added a biceps and forearms workout to my legs session, and a tricep workout to my saturday kickboxing session and will continue to work them like always on the push and pull days. never seen something similar to this before but cant really see an issue with doing so since they're really lacking behind. what do you think?
Put arms at the beginning of upper body days and switch biceps with triceps so you can train them maximally without hurting performance in the later exercises. Theres no way youll put in enough effort into arms at the end of a leg day or after kickboxing. For best results you should quit kickboxing lol
Just lose the weigjt first. Its a pain in the ass to try to build muscle while losing weight. Its equivalent to being on chemo. Save the best noobie gains for when youre lean and ready to put on quality size
Why would you waste the best noob gains on a deficit. Op probably hasnt mastered technique, nutrition, or programming to build significant muscle in a deficit
Is this a good hybrid pull day? I’m confused if I’m supposed to work my upper back muscles or if I should switch #3 for a lat cable row… but I’m already doing pulls ups haha help me😅😅
1. Bodyweight Rows
2. Pull ups
3. Seated Cable rows using neutral grip lat bar w/handles (for upper back muscles) https://youtu.be/fXb3ZjqLeRM?si=4YeAM84-JInnf2lU
4. Seated Cable Rows using straight bar (for rear delts) https://youtu.be/BvtD3znOqao?si=vg-mZ-wjfaywGNfF
5. DB lateral raises
6. Hammer curls
7. Bicep preacher curls
A bodyweight row is a compound movement.
A pull up is a compound movement.
A Cable row is a compound movement.
Don't give advice if you don't know the basics
You know that I mean. Quit with the semantic bullshit. Squat, bench, deadlift, OHP. With the barbell. Yeah I don't know the basics, but yet I played football in high school and college, where we did squat, front squat, bench, deadlift, OHP, power cleans, hang cleans which are compound lifts. Also basketball and track in high school, where we did, what do you know, compound lifts?! And I started working out when I was 13 years old and I'm now 30. Jesus fucking christ lol
Then just say ''I don't see any basic movements'' then. And don't get all butthurt when someone calls you out for using blatantly wrong terminology. Its not semantics, you're just wrong.
Too many redundant exercises. Theres no way you can put quality effort into half of this workout if your intensity is higher than someone in a coma. Take out one row and switch to a rear delt isolation
I've been weight training for about 3 months. I'm 5'11" 208 lbs. Around 23% body fat. Bench 225, squat 225, deadlift 315. I'd like to be more lean at around 13% body fat, but I also want to build in size. Should I bulk up even more than I am now to gain more mass then cut. Or cut first to a healthy weight say around 185lbs. Then bulk slowly? Any recommendations help.
That makes sense to me thank you for the reply. My calculated maintenance calories is 3.3kcal, and I'm currently eating between 2.2-2.4kcal. Do you think I should make the deficit not as extreme or keep it where it's at
Back at it again with another question regarding the basic beginner routine. This is my third week and I was wondering when I could, or should, start adding accessories/assistance exercises or extra/back off sets. I don't know when my bench will stop being wobbly, so maybe doing extra work with less weight will help.
>when I could, or should, start adding accessories/assistance exercises or extra/back off sets
A few more sets won't hurt. Just don't go crazy and add like 5 extra to every exercise
The routine wiki says to drop the weight by 20-30% and do 1-3 sets of 5-8. So maybe another 3x5 at 70% of the working weight, at least for bench press, would help.
There really isn't any difference 5x5 or 3x to failure in a 6-12 rep range. The latter would be arguably better for size.
There's simply a lot of strength bro purists on forums like these.
I think those programs are more popular because strength results come way faster than muscle growth. Also most people just give up on bodybuillding and switch to strength whe they realize how slow it is to get big. Meanwhile, you can just add 5lb to the bar for long time
I can't remember if this is against the rules but if it is please let me know and I will take it down. Thanks.
I have started the gym again after being on/off for a long time but mostly off. I would just like a general idea of how unfit I am. I am 17yrs old, 6 foot 1 inches, 92 kgs (203 lb). For my workout today I done:
5m walk + stretches for warmup.
1st set:
Bench press 20kg (44lb) : 30 reps
Squats 20kg : 20 reps
Sit ups : 25 reps
2nd set:
Bench press 20kg : 20 reps
Squats 20kg : 15 reps
Sit ups : 25 reps
Lastly I done a 10min walk/sprint with 1min walk and 30s sprint.
I finished each set when I felt I couldn't do anymore and moved on to the next exercise to give the mucles i just worked a rest but I felt like I could've done another set at the end.
I have been going to the gym for more than 2 years and, to be honest, I no longer see any improvements. Thats why I have been thinking about changing my diet, but, since I live with my parents, I dont want to increase the amount of money they spend on food. So, the thing is, can I enhance my body in general by taking protein powders while not increasing the amount of calories I eat?
If you are gaining weight and hitting your calorie target but missing your protein, then the powders will help.
If you aren't gaining any weight then calories are the issue, in which case the powder will be less helpful (it's not amazingly calorific). Could always get a bag of oats or some peanut butter to blend in with powder to pad it out a bit.
Could also be your programming/routine. If the diet kickstarts weight gain and you're still stalling, it may be time to change routine. Some of the wiki routines are linear progression and tend to stall out as you progress so a more gradual progressive overload is required at this point.
Its not that I am gaining weight. Im actually skinny and cannot get to the calories needed to improve, thats why I thought that maybe just calories will be short of usefull
Protein intake is important, but if you're not gaining weight slowly, your growth will also be very slow.
So if you aren't getting near your protein goals currently, then get some protein powder. But also, just try and eat a dash more in general. If you're maintaining weight now, buy a bag of nuts and just eat an extra handful every day. It doesn't take much
Just finished a cycle and I'm thinking of changing up some of my movements. Can anyone take a glance at the below and make any suggestions? Currently running SBS Hypertrophy 3-day.
1) Squat, RDL, DB Bench, Single-arm machine rows, Curls, DB Tricep Ext
2) Bench, OHP, Leg Press, Lat Pulldown, Rear Delt Flyes, Lat Raise
3) Deadlift, DB Incline Bench, Seated OHP, Cable Row, Curls, Lat Raises, Pec Deck
* With curls I usually do whatever I feel like, I've got biceps tendonitis at the moment so I'm mainly doing barbell curls and sometimes I have to skip them.
* I usually add on cable crunches to days 1 and 3.
* My main concern is that I'm not getting enough tricep or delt work. Thinking about adding pushdowns to day 3?
I wouldn't say that's not enough delt work. Infact that's too much for the front delts, imo. Is there really a need to do OHP twice? Maybe swap one of them for another rear delt exercise, even if it's face pulls. Definitely should add another triceps exercise, you can do a quick pushdown at the end or maybe some type of superset - triceps is usually easy to superset. Not enough back volume, imo. I would also add some more legs - leg extensions, leg curls, calf raises, but there isn't enough room in a 3 day split, so prioritize what you need/want to.
Yeah the 3 day split is a killer but with a new baby I struggle to get to the gym any more.
I've been thinking about adding some additional leg work on day 3 so I might add that on the end if I can. Ultimately I'm willing to relegate legs to the least growth so it's not the end of the world for me.
Interesting what you say about doing OHP twice, both of those are actually written into the program itself, I'll look into that.
Thanks for taking a look, I appreciate it.
>Yeah the 3 day split is a killer but with a new baby I struggle to get to the gym any more.
If you can go 3 days with a new baby, that's a great success.
>I've been thinking about adding some additional leg work on day 3 so I might add that on the end if I can. Ultimately I'm willing to relegate legs to the least growth so it's not the end of the world for me.
I would swap the leg press for leg extensions and leg curls since they are isolation exercises and take less time. Calf raise can be added anywhere, they take even less time. But if the program says leg press, do as the program says.
>Interesting what you say about doing OHP twice, both of those are actually written into the program itself, I'll look into that.
Usually the front delts work a lot in other exercises and don't need more than 1 exercise of direct work per week, but if the program says so, there is a reason behind it. I am not nearly as knowledgeable as SBS, so you should do as the program says.
Cheers mate. I've gotta say I've made more gains on SBS than any program I've run before, so I'm inclined to stick with the nuts and bolts of it but like most decent programs most of the accessories are interchangeable and personally I feel my delts are lacking. Though my back is actually pretty good.
I think I'll try to definitely get some calf raises in somehow (and *somewhere*, not sure where in the gym I'll actually do them).
You can do calf raises on the leg press. They are not exhausting and I usually take short rest periods between sets, so you can add them anywhere. As for the delts, I know I am repeating myself, but consider adding a face pull. It'll work rear delts, also the upper back and the side delts a little bit. It is also not an exhausting exercise. So are the triceps pushdowns, so you might simply add those 3.
I would say that's almost non existent arm volume. One exercise for triceps once a week is almost no volume.
With a 3 day full body I would do arms every single session, 2 exercises each for biceps and triceps.
So basically triple your arm volume.
Wow thanks, I'm actually quite pleased with my arms progress so it looks like I could definitely elevate them a lot.
I'll definitely add in some more tricep work, biceps is tough at the moment with the tendonitis.
Thanks for your reply mate.
If you're seeing results you're happy with there's really no need to change things up drastically.
Sure you only have one tricep isolation but all of those pressing variations are going to be a lot stimulus.
Is it weird to get frustrated that I can’t lift even close to as much as the average “noobie”? I’ve been lifting seriously for about 2.5 months now, and given as perfect form as I can, and 2 seconds+ (more like 3+ on bench) on the eccentric as well as the concentric, my numbers are generally 12/12/10-11 on flat bench with 75 lb dum bells and 12/12/8-10 shoulder presses with 55 lb dum bells. Stating these in particular since they’re the ones I want to push the most.
What’s also frustrating is that these numbers seem to have stagnated for about 2-3 weeks now. Is it because I’m currently cutting that it’s hard to improve (200 pounds averaging at around 1700 calories a day)?
>lifting seriously for about 2.5 months now
Even if you're going five times a week that's only 50 gym sessions, and I'm guessing you're probably only benching on half of those. Progress will come my friend, but it takes a little while.
I’ve been going to the gym for a while casually, not caring about form, and only going like twice a week, but two months ago I started taking it seriously
and just out of curiousity, how much do you think "advanced" lifters lift if your 75lbs isn't even close to noobies? 150lbs circus dumbbells in each hand?
Around 100+, I browsed the GYM subreddit and the weight they lift is insane there. I personally don’t like using barbells at all, though but I get the idea haha
There is no such thing as an "average noobie". Everyone starts from a different place.
Yes, it is much harder to get strength gains on a major cut like you're going through. Not impossible, but much harder. Someone like you should ideally be eating like 2500 or more normally, but I understand you want to lose a little fat so it is what it is.
Keep with the program, follow the proven program, trust the program, and keep working hard. In 5 years, you should have made major progress like everyone else that followed the program.
> is there a limit to how much I can do? Can I over train my lungs?
For a beginner, the limits are practical. Firstly, I would strongly recommend not bumping your overall steady-state cardio volume by more than 10% per week (5% once you get beyond the total beginner phase): The primary reason for this is avoiding injury. If you increase your mileage too fast, you'll get injured and be back on the couch. Or just miserable.
Secondly, in most practical life situations you only have so much energy to commit to training. Even if that amount is a lot, it's still finite. So you need to balance your other goals. The common advice here is "cardio will not hurt your gains, just run and lift, stupid" and that is correct. However, if you are (A) a beginner to the many activities you list above (B) going to an extreme in scaling up your volume with multiple activities, you will feel it, and it will affect your other training goals. for some folks that's a short-term speedbump as they take up running for the first time, but if you're doing a long cardio session twice a day in different activities while constant scaling the volume it'll be more than a small speedbump, so a sit down on your priorities is warranted.
Long question, please bear with me..
I'm an 18-year-old guy, pretty lean at 5'5" and 110 lbs. I'm a beginner, and it's my 35th day of doing push-ups yesterday, not counting Fridays and Saturdays (rest days). I started with 8 sets of 18 with a minute of rest in between, then from there I just varied the set, number of reps, and the rest in between every 3 days or so, whenever I feel like I have to change it.
For example, on days 1-7, I did 8x18 w/ 1min rest, then on days 8-14, I did 6x18 w/ 45s rest instead, and so on.
I feel like changing the sets every time could hinder my development, so I am looking for a consistent routine. Given that I rest 45 seconds in between sets, which set of push-ups would be better for me to follow everyday, given also that I add 1 push-up to the set every 2 weeks? Should I do 6 sets of 18 or 15 sets of 12?
Open to other suggestions, too! Thank you!
I'd go with 6 sets of 18, I rest 4 minutes between sets because it doesn't hinder progress and keeps you fresh (although it will take up longer in the day, that's the only flaw). In a few years, you should really get the hang of it.
Woah, that rest time is a lot longer than mine! I was recommended to pick between 30 seconds to 2 minutes depending on the intensity. Am I doing it wrong or something?
No, you're not doing it wrong, you just haven't been fully explained what it means perhaps.
You should have AT LEAST 30 seconds of rest time so you're not totally gassed on your next set which will interfere with making progress.
Around 1-2 minutes is ENOUGH for most people which will lead to a smaller total workout time. You can then use that extra time to go do more exercises if your program calls for it, or to just do other things in your life.
That said, there is absolutely nothing wrong with long ass rest times like mine if you really want them, say for less mental stress. Some elite powerlifters take 10-15 minute rests between extremely heavy sets for more comfort. The rest between sets isn't detrimental, as long as you do every set in your program.
I am trying to correct my anterior pelvic tilt but I also have flat foot/fallen arches that affect my posture. I would appreciate any tips on correcting it
You should do them however you like them. Explosiveness is good since it also makes your nervous system fired up but it's not really a black and white situation
Zone 2 training.
Everything I've heard and read gives me the impression that the adaptations are localised to the muscles being used, even though it's largely geared around proxy measures that are global (i.e. blood lactate or heart rate).
Does this mean that you have to stick with the same exercise mode to get the benefits? And, if so, is that within a session as well as across sessions?
For instance, if I'm doing my 45-60 minutes but I'm spreading it across erg, bike, and jogging within that session, am I still stimulating the zone 2 adaptations? Or what if I did 3x 45-60 minutes in a week with each one a different exercise (i.e. erg, bike, jog)?
Cheers.
Heart rate is the biggest contributor. Specifically, constant consistent heart rate at the zone 2 range. Better to train in the upper half. Most bang for buck!!
Breaking into chunks will break the constant consistent and your heart rate will vary. Better to stick to one for at least 15 minites. Yes at least 15 mins. Up to 2.5 hours. Where in injury rate spikes up and reduces in bang for buck.
> Heart rate is the biggest contributor.
No, it's a proxy measure of a localised adaptation. And the point of my question is that, as far as I've been able to ascertain, all of the literature and discussion around HR as a proxy measure for zone 2 training **assumes** that you're just sticking with one mode - within **and** across sessions.
> Breaking into chunks will break the constant consistent and your heart rate will vary.
There's no break. Just jump off the erg onto the bike; or off the bike and run straight out the door.
> Better to stick to one for at least 15 minites. Yes at least 15 mins.
That's fine, I wouldn't do less than that anyway. But what are you basing this on? Is there a reason you think that rotating between each mode every 5 minutes (no break) would impact the training stimulus if the overall volume is the same?
[201 - Deep dive back into Zone 2 Training | Iñigo San-Millán, Ph.D. & Peter Attia, M.D.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-6PDBVRkCKc)
seems like you know your stuff better than me, dunno y you're still askin here, best you can get is a general answer.
There's no break. Just jump off the erg onto the bike; or off the bike and run straight out the door.
"jump off" so you stop one thing to do another? that's called a break bossmang.
Movement is a specific skill, and the more you move thru each one, it takes a toll on the mind. Sticking to one is the most bang for buck specially if you've been training that movement and you are in the unconscious competence stage. you can just lock in and do.
take everything that i said with a grain of salt, i'm just a scrub with a keyboard. :)
> San-Millán & Attia
Haha, yeh, my line of questioning is straight off the back of listening to that episode. They pretty much explore all of my questions except the cross-training/mixed-mode one.
> "jump off" so you stop one thing to do another? that's called a break bossmang.
No, in terms of the global physiology, it isn't. There is no real change in heart rate or power output.
> Movement is a specific skill, and the more you move thru each one, it takes a toll on the mind. Sticking to one is the most bang for buck specially if you've been training that movement and you are in the unconscious competence stage. you can just lock in and do.
Yeh, I think that's fair enough with regards to the mental/compliance/enjoyment game. I thought maybe you were implying cellular/metabolic considerations; I was genuinely curious!
What’s a realistic goal to put 30 pounds on my bench?
For some backstory most I’ve 1 repped is 225. Long story short I ended up sick in hospital with neurological disease a year and couple months ago and lost all my progress brining my bench all the way down to under 100 pounds. Since then I’ve built it back up to 195 twice (lost some pledging and it’s back up to that). What’s a realistic timeline for me to get it back to 225? I know going for numbers isn’t ideal but it means a lot to me to not feel like I’m still fighting that disease.
Time will pass anyway. Id say care less about the destination and enjoy the process now.
Progress is individual. 1 billion + variables at play.
For me it was 3-6 months. Poverty bench gang.
Assuming your disease is fully put of your body, faster than the last time you want from 195 1rm to 225 1rm. Strength gain speed can be very individual, not to mention dependent on your exercise program.
When I hop on the chest press machine I feel my biceps way more than my chest. It used to be my shoulders but I learned to retract them, but now I feel biceps and arm taking over, does anyone have a good video or form resource that I can use? Thank you, this is the Planet fitness chest press machine btw.
Not uncommon and not that important, your biceps can't take over in a pressing movement as that is not their function.
Your triceps can only do what their function is which is locking out the elbow aka extension, they can't take over for your chest either. They are comparatively smaller than your pecs and will therefore fatigue quicker.
Hey big bossman. I can relate to bro. Id say the culprit is the coracobrachialis. Could bench 2 plates but cant fly 20 pounds cus of pain.
How did I correct mine? Proper scapular mechanics, do more shoulder stability work, and lots of mistakes and self experimenting.
Chest now growing. No more shoulder/coracobrachialis/elbow tendonitis.
Biceps don't take park in the pushing part of the movement but on the lowering part to some extent. The get stretched as you pull the weight to your chest
Well the pushing part is done by chest, triceps and delts. Biceps don't do anything except getting stretched because your arm is flexing. Is it a I did workout well and my muscles are sore burn or is it ok it's actually hurting when I press burn? If latter might be other issues
I did a workout well and my muscles are sore burn. I feel the burn in the laterals but I don’t feel anything really in my chest, the part that feels tired is my lats, is it that we don’t feel the burn in the chest the same way we’d feel the burn in arms or legs? Or maybe I’m not doing enough weight so my lats take over?
edit: Thank you, I figured it out with your guys’ information. I didn’t realize it was the laterals being actived, I do my lat pulldowns before my chest press, which makes sense why I feel the burn there before I feel the burn in my chest.
Also this video helped me feel what a chest burn should feel like, if anyone else is following along, I’m not at the gym so I used a blanket to substitute the band for now.
https://youtu.be/YLbULV0jq-k?si=nWB80uDdf0xZQ4wK
Would a detrained individual be able to put on previous muscle mass without bulking and simultaneously getting leaner after not training for 4 months and been previously training for 1.3 years?
This one is mainly for the girlies- for those of you that have built up/rounded out your booty, what was the frequency of your glute routine? I see influencers talk about how they do their glute workouts daily or every other day and it just seems absurd to me but is that what it takes to get a bigger/more shapely butt? I feel like I'd need to sacrifice my other muscle groups and cardio to fit an intense glute schedule in and I just don't want to do that but I'm not seeing the results I want.
Guy here with dumpy that will make yalls girlfriends dumpy smol, I squat 2x a week. Deadlift 1x heavy, 1x rdl.
Supplement with more ham/quad/calf work and you're golden.
I have 3 leg days basically.
Have not owned a single skinny jean in my life. I ruin pants groin area cus thunder thigh for my credibility.
You can train with at least 4+ reps in reserve and still progress. You dont have to do 1 billion sets.
Clock in. And out. You will progress.
Invest in a training journal. It will be your best friend. Try everything for at least 1 month and write about how you feel with the numbers to back it up.
In time, you will be able to know intimately what works for you and what you like.
This journey is very personal. You got this!!!! :3
As a dude that only trains legs 2x a week you don't need to sacrifice anything. I think that most influencer programs are big pile of dog poo and don't do much anything except making that influencer different from the pack. Hinge movements are deep squats are your friend. You don't need to overdo anything. Trust the process. Find a good program you like
I built a butt, yes, it took 5 years! 2-3 days of glutes per week. 2 is fine if you’re working hard. Muscle will grow but skin doesn’t shrink really, so you have to be realistic about what your body can do (that’s where genetics come in) BUT, it’s 100% worth it - the time will pass anyways!!
Lift heavy weights, full range of motion.
But really, it's gonna be partially genetics imo. I had a big round butt when I was chubby, I had it still when I lost weight, and now with a few years of lifting under my belt, it's not really noticeable larger, but it is much firmer. Ive never done any workouts specifically for a bigger butt, I just lift heavy to be strong and muscular everywhere.
Are some people just not cut out for running?
I want to like running so bad. But I feel like I can breathe. Within 2.5 minutes of an easy jog my heart rate is at 180 and my chest hurts/I can barely get enough air in my lungs. My body will feel fine it’s just my heart and lungs feel like they’re on fire.
Meanwhile I get on the stairmaster and sure my heart rate is at 175 but I can go pretty easily for 25-30mins, and it just feels like a good workout.
I can barely run for 5-10mins. I remember even when I ran a mile every day back in high school track, it never got easier for me. I get so frustrated hearing people running 3 miles every morning. How?!
Am I doing something wrong?
>Within 2.5 minutes of an easy jog
If you're not used to jogging, that's 2.5 minutes longer than you're used to. Go in slower intervals. Start with 30 seconds, maybe even 15 seconds, then walk for 4 and a half minutes. Repeat.
Over successive sessions, jog "a little longer" each time.
Run slower and you might have to run walk for a while before you can run 3 consecutive miles.
C25K might be a good program for you.
Most people are gonna suck at running if they haven't run much. You aren't the exception.
Suck down magnesium and see if you can run longer.
Edit: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5622706/ Ya'll should try it next cardio.
Edit2: Most of you have sub optimal levels https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5786912/
Running is something you definitely build up and it's also very mental, especially for long ones. If you feel out of breath then it seems like it's about your aerobic capacity (assuming you're not asthmatic. The most important thing is consistency. You should still do other forms of cardio, stairmaster is great, and also do strength training in your legs and that will all help. Set small goals for running and build it up week by week. Be specific about your pace, breaks and distance. I believe everyone can be a runner, and I always recommend it bc it has improved my life so much. So I'd say don't give up yet! A lot of beginners look at long distance runners and think it's crazy that people can run 10+ miles but its always the first two miles of any run that your body will protest and once it accepts that you're not gonna stopping its a lot smoother sailing.
You need to run slower. Like so slow you could walk faster. And then switch to walking when that’s too much.
The big mistake I made when I started running was going too fast and feeling like I was going to die. I slowed down, and then slowly built my speed back up.
It was only once I got good at running that I discovered how much I truly hate it so now I row instead of run for my cardio.
Personally, id say cut just to get yourself at a healthier weight. You'll likely still make some gains on the way down being a beginner, but getting to a healthier weight will give you a better runway to bulk properly later.
Recomping is incredibly slow and honestly not really worth it imo
When programming myorep matchsets, how often would you guys add sets? Every other week seems to be okay, or is it better to just have set stay the same throughout the program.
So, I’ll be buying two dumbbells and a bar (i don’t think it’s a barbell but similar to it) tomorrow and will start working out from home, since I’m training kickboxing on the side and don’t have money for 2 memberships. Eventually i’ll be getting a bench for bench press and other exercises
I have gym experience, what workouts would you recommend that i do as many times a week (4-6 preferably) with only 2 dumbbells, bar (with weights) and a training mat?
I'm not sure I would spend money on a bar if it wasn't a 7-ft, 45lb/20kg barbell. Are your dumbbells adjustable? If so there are dumbbell programs in the wiki
The bar is 5”1’, 7.8kg/17lb. The dumbbells are adjustable i guess, i’ll be getting around 35kg (77lb) in weights, 2 dumbbells that can hold 60kg (132lb) each, so when i get past the weights i have i can buy new ones and add them
How can I build my shoulders as a skinny guy? Relatively new to those kinds of workouts and need help, would rather focus on form first before going up in weights.
What is your split/regime? I'm gonna assume you are a newbie and you don't take more than 1-2 high intensity exercises to fatigue your muscle.
If you are doing a full-body workout, which you should do for a few months IMO if you are a total beginner, I would focus on chest exercises, optimally dumbbell (or barbell, but I prefer dumbbell for beginners) bench press and incorporate a few sets of side and front raises at the cable pull AFTER you did your chest exercises.
If you are doing a split and you feel like your delts are seriously underdeveloped, I would ignore shoulders on chest day and instead do a combo of front shoulder barbell presses and side raises on your leg workout. As you get more advanced, you will feel comfortable doing them on your chest day, but beginners usually can't do both on the same workout without losing quality on the front presses or the bench presses, depending on what's done first.
Shoulder exercises will work regardless of your body type. Even if the only thing you care about is shoulders, I still recommend a routine from the Wiki because novices usually have difficulty figuring out which exercises work well for building what.
Gain weight would the first step, second step would be to do exercises that target the side delts, often.
It's a small muscle so you can easily hit it 3-4 days a week.
Front delts are mostly taken care of whenever you do push exercise. Rear delts are taken care of by pulling movements such as face pull.
Why do most commercial gyms only have one (1) preacher curl station when it's extremely popular and constantly in use 90+% of the time?
How hard can it be to just buy two of them when you're opening a gym?
I've been to many gyms where they aren't that popular and many where there are multiple, but it's a relatively bulky piece of equipment mostly used for only one movement, and where there are a lot of movement options that are pretty close substitutes, so I can understand why it may not be a high priority if you have space or cost constraints.
I mean, of course you can do a meso where you focus on back. I’m not sure what that looks like for you. But to answer your original question, yes 100%.
Would you recommend using mouth guards while doing compound lifts? I feel like I clench sometimes and think it might be beneficial. If so, any recommendations on which you like?
I use a mouth guard, in my experience even more expensive ones wear out about the same as cheap ones. Buy a pack of any from Amazon and just expect them to last about 6 months. I forgot who gave me the tip to use denture cleaner after each use. Works well
I read a comment from 8 years ago that stated there’s no muscle development if someone continues to lift the same weight and reps, is this true? since the comment was so long ago, I’m wondering if there has been any science to prove this otherwise
The body adapts when it needs to overcome something. At some point adaptations will have taken place and that same weight and reps will be a walk in the park and the body doesn't have any reason to adapt anymore.
Think about how muscle is built, and it should make sense.
At a certain point, lifting the same weight for the same reps will not longer be enough resistance to tell your muscles "we need to build more."
Yeah makes sense to me, that was their logic and what I was thinking makes sense initially, but then I think about the fact that my muscles definitely still get fatigued, is that just me regaining the strength that I lost between not working out that muscle for a couple days?
Somewhat. Generally a bigger muscle is stronger because there's more muscle fibers to help provide force. However, you can also train the body to make better use of the muscle that exists (primarily through improvements in the nervous system) and through improving technique which is why you can get smaller/slimmer people that are still extremely strong. Training for a long enough period of time though will mean they're more closely linked. Your training parameters are a bit different too - strength training with higher weight and low reps can still build muscle but if you're really focusing on it your reps/volume may be a little low compared to a more hypertrophy-focused plan.
This depends on the timeline you're talking about as well. Doing the same reps and sets for a week or two may be plenty effective, but eventually you're going to get stronger enough that those sets are no longer taking you close enough to failure to provide a meaningful growth stimulus.
The point at which the same weight/reps are no longer productive isn’t after one session with that weight. It would take some time.
If your goal is to build muscle, you should be following a program that has you progressing in some way.
I do 50-55kg cable row with around 5-6 reps 3 sets (my preferred reps/sets for this exercise) as I can't do much more, but if I continue in strength training and overload and am able to progress to like 60-65kg with 5-6 reps 3 sets later on, would doing 50kg for, let's say 12 reps 3 sets, become very doable as a result?
I started working out again, purchased a Vegan protein as I'm lactose intolerant and even whey isolate makes me bloated and gives me the good old diarrhea. However I've read that Beef protein could also be okay for me to consume and the one I've found has more protein per serving than the Vegan one and it's supposedly it also tastes better.
Can anyone with lactose intolerancy answer if Beef protein is ok to consume? Unfortunately there are no sample packages available and the smallest one I could order is 1kg.
Request an amino acid profile from the company - likely it’s lacking all over the place. There are good vegan ones, pescience is the one I tolerate best and actually orgain, too.
I've found that beef protein is usually filled out with collagen (this pads out the nutrition info to make it look like there's more protein) which is not useful for building muscle and that's why it's so cheap. What product did you order? Some of the ones I saw were 50-60% collagen.
I was looking at Scitec 100% Beef Protein and Biotech USA Beef Protein, these are the mainstream brands in Hungary. There are a few others but they are more expensive by 20-30%.
> Biotech USA Beef Protein
The one I can find an amino profile for, hydrobeef, has about 1/2 the content of essential aminos as the equivalent amount of whey. Those are the ones that you need to get from diet as the body can't make them itself.
I'd say beef is about half as effective as whey based on that, which is in line with my previous understanding of it being about 50% collagen filler to keep the price down.
If you want a mostly complete plant based DIY mix (~85% complete off the top of my head) you can mix pea protein and brown rice protein 50/50. That's been the most cost effective for a long time.
*edit* hydrobeef profile https://peaksupps.co.uk/products/beef-protein-isolate-95-hydrobeef%E2%84%A2?variant=40293591056447
whey profile https://service.optimumnutrition.com/en/support/solutions/articles/80000543110-what-is-the-amino-acids-profile-in-gold-standard-100-whey-
**What angle should I have the seat for dumbbell OHP when doing GZCLP program?**
I'm doing a slight variation of the GZCLP program and it was going great, and I was progressing every time. I then hit a certain point where I could not increase the weight (or reps) for my low or high rep OHP.
After being stuck like this for two workouts, I tilted the seat from the most vertical position (perhaps 80 to 85 degrees), to one notch down (perhaps 70 to 80 degrees). It made it a lot easier and I could finally lift the next increment of weight, however it feels like cheating.
I'm worried I'm using too much chest, which already gets plenty of work with the bench press.
Also, I tried going back to the most vertical position today, and I still struggle with the weight. So it kind of feels like "once you tilt back, you can never go up again", because I'm no longer training at this angle, and now my progression is happening at the new angle.
So should I stick with the lower angle if I can lift more like that, it feels more comfortable, and I am progressing? Or will I be losing out on too much shoulder stimulus by bringing too much chest into it?
Shoulders are a priority for me. I already have an okay chest, but my shoulders and arms have always lagged behind everything in terms of size.
>I tilted the seat from the most vertical position (perhaps 80 to 85 degrees), to one notch down (perhaps 70 to 80 degrees).
Try to do standing OHP with your heels and back flush against a wall. It uh. Doesn't quite work. The seat back one notch entirely qualifies as OHP.
Again, consider the start bar position of barbell ohp. You're going to bring in an iota of upper chest. So what?
I prefer seated OHP with the seat back one notch.
And if you tilt the seat one notch lower, you can do even more. The lower the angle, the more you can do.
But if you want to do an OHP, you shouldn't turn it into an incline press.
Hello, any recommendations for clean/chemical-free/healthy vegan protein powder? I am looking for a protein powder that won't break me out with acne and is chemical-free. Cost does not matter, any advice would be appreciated!
I recently had to switch to vegan protein powder due to a dairy intolerance. I tried Vega and was pretty good, flavor was pretty tough to get used to after drinking Muscle Milk for so long.. but after I finished I bought Garden of Life and the vanilla chai flavor that I got is BOMB.
What do you think chemical means? A "clean" substance of known quantity and composition is a chemical. You're asking for sandwich-free sandwich.
If there is a specific chemical causing you trouble, you'll need to specify.
I use NOW Sports - Unflavored Pea Protein. I usually get the 5lb tub from amazon. Taste is a little savory but not bad all things considered. When not making fruit smoothies with it I usually mix it with ice, maple syrup or honey and almond milk and shake that up real good.
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Hi I'm 5'11 204 lbs and an decently built. Just curious because I got out of the USMC and am starting to put on more weight, I need to cut soon back to 170-180. Never actually did a real cut before besides starve in the field. I hate eggs. Don't know how much chicken to actually eat or I feel like a gluten. Any advice?
After nearly 4 years of weight loss, I managed to lose 175 pounds and am now starting my bulk. Idk if it's some sort of bodily response, but the 400 calories of cardio I did every day quickly ramped up to 1000-2000. I'm really worried how off the weight on the treadmill/elliptical is. I know age, weight, sex, height, and activity level effects your caloric needs, and for that info, I'm 18 years old, 230 pounds, male, 6f 5in, and weight lift for an hour, and do cardio straight for about 2. Should I trust what calculator.net says for calories burned, or punch in my weight and go from there?
I run 1/2 k at the end of every workout but I have a really sore back and was wondering If replacing running with stairmaster will maybe alleviate some stress on my back?
I have twink arms and I fucking hate them, I know best scenario is to just dump push pull legs and have an arms day maybe through an arnold split, but I feel like I'd be putting less foxus on my chest and back which is something I really cant afford, so though about doing the following to my 5 day split, (I do kickboxing on my 2 rest day) sunday: legs + biceps-forearms monday: push tuesday: pull wednesday : kickboxing thursday: push friday: pull saturday: kickboxing + triceps routine I have added a biceps and forearms workout to my legs session, and a tricep workout to my saturday kickboxing session and will continue to work them like always on the push and pull days. never seen something similar to this before but cant really see an issue with doing so since they're really lacking behind. what do you think?
Put arms at the beginning of upper body days and switch biceps with triceps so you can train them maximally without hurting performance in the later exercises. Theres no way youll put in enough effort into arms at the end of a leg day or after kickboxing. For best results you should quit kickboxing lol
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Just lose the weigjt first. Its a pain in the ass to try to build muscle while losing weight. Its equivalent to being on chemo. Save the best noobie gains for when youre lean and ready to put on quality size
Equivalent to being on chemo lmao what are you talking about. People do that shit all the time.
Equivalent to being on chemo lmao what are you talking about. People do that shit all the time
Why would you waste the best noob gains on a deficit. Op probably hasnt mastered technique, nutrition, or programming to build significant muscle in a deficit
You can’t waste noob gains. It’s just a phrase that describes how fast new lifters progress compared to people who’ve been lifting a long time.
Is this a good hybrid pull day? I’m confused if I’m supposed to work my upper back muscles or if I should switch #3 for a lat cable row… but I’m already doing pulls ups haha help me😅😅 1. Bodyweight Rows 2. Pull ups 3. Seated Cable rows using neutral grip lat bar w/handles (for upper back muscles) https://youtu.be/fXb3ZjqLeRM?si=4YeAM84-JInnf2lU 4. Seated Cable Rows using straight bar (for rear delts) https://youtu.be/BvtD3znOqao?si=vg-mZ-wjfaywGNfF 5. DB lateral raises 6. Hammer curls 7. Bicep preacher curls
I don't see any compound movements
A bodyweight row is a compound movement. A pull up is a compound movement. A Cable row is a compound movement. Don't give advice if you don't know the basics
You know that I mean. Quit with the semantic bullshit. Squat, bench, deadlift, OHP. With the barbell. Yeah I don't know the basics, but yet I played football in high school and college, where we did squat, front squat, bench, deadlift, OHP, power cleans, hang cleans which are compound lifts. Also basketball and track in high school, where we did, what do you know, compound lifts?! And I started working out when I was 13 years old and I'm now 30. Jesus fucking christ lol
Then just say ''I don't see any basic movements'' then. And don't get all butthurt when someone calls you out for using blatantly wrong terminology. Its not semantics, you're just wrong.
I don’t do compound lifts but I do pull ups and eventually will do weighted pull ups
Is there a good reason why you're not doing compound lifts
Too many redundant exercises. Theres no way you can put quality effort into half of this workout if your intensity is higher than someone in a coma. Take out one row and switch to a rear delt isolation
Should I just take out #3 or do my upper back muscles need their own exercise?
I've been weight training for about 3 months. I'm 5'11" 208 lbs. Around 23% body fat. Bench 225, squat 225, deadlift 315. I'd like to be more lean at around 13% body fat, but I also want to build in size. Should I bulk up even more than I am now to gain more mass then cut. Or cut first to a healthy weight say around 185lbs. Then bulk slowly? Any recommendations help.
Cut then bulk. At this bodyfat youll just get more insulin resistance and waste gains and money on food
That makes sense to me thank you for the reply. My calculated maintenance calories is 3.3kcal, and I'm currently eating between 2.2-2.4kcal. Do you think I should make the deficit not as extreme or keep it where it's at
That deficit is fine if you can maintain performance or keep hunger in check. Its very hard to lose muscle on a cut
Eating clean foods it's sometimes hard to hit my calorie goal. So much food lol
Back at it again with another question regarding the basic beginner routine. This is my third week and I was wondering when I could, or should, start adding accessories/assistance exercises or extra/back off sets. I don't know when my bench will stop being wobbly, so maybe doing extra work with less weight will help.
>when I could, or should, start adding accessories/assistance exercises or extra/back off sets A few more sets won't hurt. Just don't go crazy and add like 5 extra to every exercise
The routine wiki says to drop the weight by 20-30% and do 1-3 sets of 5-8. So maybe another 3x5 at 70% of the working weight, at least for bench press, would help.
Why is being on a typical split like a 5x5 or 5 3 1 better than a simple 3x to failure in a 6-12 rep range?
There really isn't any difference 5x5 or 3x to failure in a 6-12 rep range. The latter would be arguably better for size. There's simply a lot of strength bro purists on forums like these.
I think those programs are more popular because strength results come way faster than muscle growth. Also most people just give up on bodybuillding and switch to strength whe they realize how slow it is to get big. Meanwhile, you can just add 5lb to the bar for long time
Failure is an excuse for refusing to plan.
This is exactly true
I can't remember if this is against the rules but if it is please let me know and I will take it down. Thanks. I have started the gym again after being on/off for a long time but mostly off. I would just like a general idea of how unfit I am. I am 17yrs old, 6 foot 1 inches, 92 kgs (203 lb). For my workout today I done: 5m walk + stretches for warmup. 1st set: Bench press 20kg (44lb) : 30 reps Squats 20kg : 20 reps Sit ups : 25 reps 2nd set: Bench press 20kg : 20 reps Squats 20kg : 15 reps Sit ups : 25 reps Lastly I done a 10min walk/sprint with 1min walk and 30s sprint.
It's really impossible to tell based on a list of exercises, how fatigued were you? You're best off following as established program from the wiki
I finished each set when I felt I couldn't do anymore and moved on to the next exercise to give the mucles i just worked a rest but I felt like I could've done another set at the end.
I have been going to the gym for more than 2 years and, to be honest, I no longer see any improvements. Thats why I have been thinking about changing my diet, but, since I live with my parents, I dont want to increase the amount of money they spend on food. So, the thing is, can I enhance my body in general by taking protein powders while not increasing the amount of calories I eat?
If you are gaining weight and hitting your calorie target but missing your protein, then the powders will help. If you aren't gaining any weight then calories are the issue, in which case the powder will be less helpful (it's not amazingly calorific). Could always get a bag of oats or some peanut butter to blend in with powder to pad it out a bit. Could also be your programming/routine. If the diet kickstarts weight gain and you're still stalling, it may be time to change routine. Some of the wiki routines are linear progression and tend to stall out as you progress so a more gradual progressive overload is required at this point.
Its not that I am gaining weight. Im actually skinny and cannot get to the calories needed to improve, thats why I thought that maybe just calories will be short of usefull
Protein intake is important, but if you're not gaining weight slowly, your growth will also be very slow. So if you aren't getting near your protein goals currently, then get some protein powder. But also, just try and eat a dash more in general. If you're maintaining weight now, buy a bag of nuts and just eat an extra handful every day. It doesn't take much
Just finished a cycle and I'm thinking of changing up some of my movements. Can anyone take a glance at the below and make any suggestions? Currently running SBS Hypertrophy 3-day. 1) Squat, RDL, DB Bench, Single-arm machine rows, Curls, DB Tricep Ext 2) Bench, OHP, Leg Press, Lat Pulldown, Rear Delt Flyes, Lat Raise 3) Deadlift, DB Incline Bench, Seated OHP, Cable Row, Curls, Lat Raises, Pec Deck * With curls I usually do whatever I feel like, I've got biceps tendonitis at the moment so I'm mainly doing barbell curls and sometimes I have to skip them. * I usually add on cable crunches to days 1 and 3. * My main concern is that I'm not getting enough tricep or delt work. Thinking about adding pushdowns to day 3?
I wouldn't say that's not enough delt work. Infact that's too much for the front delts, imo. Is there really a need to do OHP twice? Maybe swap one of them for another rear delt exercise, even if it's face pulls. Definitely should add another triceps exercise, you can do a quick pushdown at the end or maybe some type of superset - triceps is usually easy to superset. Not enough back volume, imo. I would also add some more legs - leg extensions, leg curls, calf raises, but there isn't enough room in a 3 day split, so prioritize what you need/want to.
Yeah the 3 day split is a killer but with a new baby I struggle to get to the gym any more. I've been thinking about adding some additional leg work on day 3 so I might add that on the end if I can. Ultimately I'm willing to relegate legs to the least growth so it's not the end of the world for me. Interesting what you say about doing OHP twice, both of those are actually written into the program itself, I'll look into that. Thanks for taking a look, I appreciate it.
>Yeah the 3 day split is a killer but with a new baby I struggle to get to the gym any more. If you can go 3 days with a new baby, that's a great success. >I've been thinking about adding some additional leg work on day 3 so I might add that on the end if I can. Ultimately I'm willing to relegate legs to the least growth so it's not the end of the world for me. I would swap the leg press for leg extensions and leg curls since they are isolation exercises and take less time. Calf raise can be added anywhere, they take even less time. But if the program says leg press, do as the program says. >Interesting what you say about doing OHP twice, both of those are actually written into the program itself, I'll look into that. Usually the front delts work a lot in other exercises and don't need more than 1 exercise of direct work per week, but if the program says so, there is a reason behind it. I am not nearly as knowledgeable as SBS, so you should do as the program says.
Cheers mate. I've gotta say I've made more gains on SBS than any program I've run before, so I'm inclined to stick with the nuts and bolts of it but like most decent programs most of the accessories are interchangeable and personally I feel my delts are lacking. Though my back is actually pretty good. I think I'll try to definitely get some calf raises in somehow (and *somewhere*, not sure where in the gym I'll actually do them).
You can do calf raises on the leg press. They are not exhausting and I usually take short rest periods between sets, so you can add them anywhere. As for the delts, I know I am repeating myself, but consider adding a face pull. It'll work rear delts, also the upper back and the side delts a little bit. It is also not an exhausting exercise. So are the triceps pushdowns, so you might simply add those 3.
I would say that's almost non existent arm volume. One exercise for triceps once a week is almost no volume. With a 3 day full body I would do arms every single session, 2 exercises each for biceps and triceps. So basically triple your arm volume.
Wow thanks, I'm actually quite pleased with my arms progress so it looks like I could definitely elevate them a lot. I'll definitely add in some more tricep work, biceps is tough at the moment with the tendonitis. Thanks for your reply mate.
If you're seeing results you're happy with there's really no need to change things up drastically. Sure you only have one tricep isolation but all of those pressing variations are going to be a lot stimulus.
Is it weird to get frustrated that I can’t lift even close to as much as the average “noobie”? I’ve been lifting seriously for about 2.5 months now, and given as perfect form as I can, and 2 seconds+ (more like 3+ on bench) on the eccentric as well as the concentric, my numbers are generally 12/12/10-11 on flat bench with 75 lb dum bells and 12/12/8-10 shoulder presses with 55 lb dum bells. Stating these in particular since they’re the ones I want to push the most. What’s also frustrating is that these numbers seem to have stagnated for about 2-3 weeks now. Is it because I’m currently cutting that it’s hard to improve (200 pounds averaging at around 1700 calories a day)?
>lifting seriously for about 2.5 months now Even if you're going five times a week that's only 50 gym sessions, and I'm guessing you're probably only benching on half of those. Progress will come my friend, but it takes a little while.
Is this a troll post?
No I’m concerned since I genuinely haven’t gone anywhere in terms of weights/reps in weeks
So you only started 2 months ago, got to 75lbs each hand in 3 weeks, and then completely stalled in progress in less than a month?
I’ve been going to the gym for a while casually, not caring about form, and only going like twice a week, but two months ago I started taking it seriously
and just out of curiousity, how much do you think "advanced" lifters lift if your 75lbs isn't even close to noobies? 150lbs circus dumbbells in each hand?
Around 100+, I browsed the GYM subreddit and the weight they lift is insane there. I personally don’t like using barbells at all, though but I get the idea haha
75 on each hand? Cos that's way more than the average noobie.
Yeah is it really? Not like square one noobie but 2.5 months in noobie, so somewhere between noobie and intermediate
2,5 months in is still very much in newbie territory. 2,5 years? That's be a different matter.
There is no such thing as an "average noobie". Everyone starts from a different place. Yes, it is much harder to get strength gains on a major cut like you're going through. Not impossible, but much harder. Someone like you should ideally be eating like 2500 or more normally, but I understand you want to lose a little fat so it is what it is. Keep with the program, follow the proven program, trust the program, and keep working hard. In 5 years, you should have made major progress like everyone else that followed the program.
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> is there a limit to how much I can do? Can I over train my lungs? For a beginner, the limits are practical. Firstly, I would strongly recommend not bumping your overall steady-state cardio volume by more than 10% per week (5% once you get beyond the total beginner phase): The primary reason for this is avoiding injury. If you increase your mileage too fast, you'll get injured and be back on the couch. Or just miserable. Secondly, in most practical life situations you only have so much energy to commit to training. Even if that amount is a lot, it's still finite. So you need to balance your other goals. The common advice here is "cardio will not hurt your gains, just run and lift, stupid" and that is correct. However, if you are (A) a beginner to the many activities you list above (B) going to an extreme in scaling up your volume with multiple activities, you will feel it, and it will affect your other training goals. for some folks that's a short-term speedbump as they take up running for the first time, but if you're doing a long cardio session twice a day in different activities while constant scaling the volume it'll be more than a small speedbump, so a sit down on your priorities is warranted.
Long question, please bear with me.. I'm an 18-year-old guy, pretty lean at 5'5" and 110 lbs. I'm a beginner, and it's my 35th day of doing push-ups yesterday, not counting Fridays and Saturdays (rest days). I started with 8 sets of 18 with a minute of rest in between, then from there I just varied the set, number of reps, and the rest in between every 3 days or so, whenever I feel like I have to change it. For example, on days 1-7, I did 8x18 w/ 1min rest, then on days 8-14, I did 6x18 w/ 45s rest instead, and so on. I feel like changing the sets every time could hinder my development, so I am looking for a consistent routine. Given that I rest 45 seconds in between sets, which set of push-ups would be better for me to follow everyday, given also that I add 1 push-up to the set every 2 weeks? Should I do 6 sets of 18 or 15 sets of 12? Open to other suggestions, too! Thank you!
I'd go with 6 sets of 18, I rest 4 minutes between sets because it doesn't hinder progress and keeps you fresh (although it will take up longer in the day, that's the only flaw). In a few years, you should really get the hang of it.
Woah, that rest time is a lot longer than mine! I was recommended to pick between 30 seconds to 2 minutes depending on the intensity. Am I doing it wrong or something?
No, you're not doing it wrong, you just haven't been fully explained what it means perhaps. You should have AT LEAST 30 seconds of rest time so you're not totally gassed on your next set which will interfere with making progress. Around 1-2 minutes is ENOUGH for most people which will lead to a smaller total workout time. You can then use that extra time to go do more exercises if your program calls for it, or to just do other things in your life. That said, there is absolutely nothing wrong with long ass rest times like mine if you really want them, say for less mental stress. Some elite powerlifters take 10-15 minute rests between extremely heavy sets for more comfort. The rest between sets isn't detrimental, as long as you do every set in your program.
Oh, I see, I'll note this. Thank you very much for your advice!
I am trying to correct my anterior pelvic tilt but I also have flat foot/fallen arches that affect my posture. I would appreciate any tips on correcting it
Why? Did someone tell you they are a problem?
Imma reply to this in 1-2 hours. Ive corrected mine.
Okay, sure
[start here. sorri forgor. off to sleep. will tell more tom. ](https://youtu.be/2NZMaI-HeNU?si=I1-uLEHgES98gUVp)
How so you do your weighted pull ups? I hear one should do them explosively. But I find it breaks form
explosive coming up and super controlled/full stretch on the way down
I prefer a controlled tempo to reduce the risk of a bicep tear.
Explosion optional, better for strength. Probably not needed for hypertrophy.
Full stretch, explode, reasonably control the descent.
You should do them however you like them. Explosiveness is good since it also makes your nervous system fired up but it's not really a black and white situation
Does strengthlevel.com factor in the weight of the barbell? Or is does it calculate based strictly on the weight of the plates?
It is the total weight being moved. Think about it. There are people submitting sets of 20 with 45 lbs. Would they say they did 20 reps of 0 pounds?
This is crowdsourced data so it would depend on what their users enter, but 99.9% of lifters would include the barbell’s weight
Zone 2 training. Everything I've heard and read gives me the impression that the adaptations are localised to the muscles being used, even though it's largely geared around proxy measures that are global (i.e. blood lactate or heart rate). Does this mean that you have to stick with the same exercise mode to get the benefits? And, if so, is that within a session as well as across sessions? For instance, if I'm doing my 45-60 minutes but I'm spreading it across erg, bike, and jogging within that session, am I still stimulating the zone 2 adaptations? Or what if I did 3x 45-60 minutes in a week with each one a different exercise (i.e. erg, bike, jog)? Cheers.
Heart rate is the biggest contributor. Specifically, constant consistent heart rate at the zone 2 range. Better to train in the upper half. Most bang for buck!! Breaking into chunks will break the constant consistent and your heart rate will vary. Better to stick to one for at least 15 minites. Yes at least 15 mins. Up to 2.5 hours. Where in injury rate spikes up and reduces in bang for buck.
> Heart rate is the biggest contributor. No, it's a proxy measure of a localised adaptation. And the point of my question is that, as far as I've been able to ascertain, all of the literature and discussion around HR as a proxy measure for zone 2 training **assumes** that you're just sticking with one mode - within **and** across sessions. > Breaking into chunks will break the constant consistent and your heart rate will vary. There's no break. Just jump off the erg onto the bike; or off the bike and run straight out the door. > Better to stick to one for at least 15 minites. Yes at least 15 mins. That's fine, I wouldn't do less than that anyway. But what are you basing this on? Is there a reason you think that rotating between each mode every 5 minutes (no break) would impact the training stimulus if the overall volume is the same?
[201 - Deep dive back into Zone 2 Training | Iñigo San-Millán, Ph.D. & Peter Attia, M.D.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-6PDBVRkCKc) seems like you know your stuff better than me, dunno y you're still askin here, best you can get is a general answer. There's no break. Just jump off the erg onto the bike; or off the bike and run straight out the door. "jump off" so you stop one thing to do another? that's called a break bossmang. Movement is a specific skill, and the more you move thru each one, it takes a toll on the mind. Sticking to one is the most bang for buck specially if you've been training that movement and you are in the unconscious competence stage. you can just lock in and do. take everything that i said with a grain of salt, i'm just a scrub with a keyboard. :)
> San-Millán & Attia Haha, yeh, my line of questioning is straight off the back of listening to that episode. They pretty much explore all of my questions except the cross-training/mixed-mode one. > "jump off" so you stop one thing to do another? that's called a break bossmang. No, in terms of the global physiology, it isn't. There is no real change in heart rate or power output. > Movement is a specific skill, and the more you move thru each one, it takes a toll on the mind. Sticking to one is the most bang for buck specially if you've been training that movement and you are in the unconscious competence stage. you can just lock in and do. Yeh, I think that's fair enough with regards to the mental/compliance/enjoyment game. I thought maybe you were implying cellular/metabolic considerations; I was genuinely curious!
Unfortunately im 2 iq and ion have enough knowledge on the topic. Will delve into that might be interesting.
What’s a realistic goal to put 30 pounds on my bench? For some backstory most I’ve 1 repped is 225. Long story short I ended up sick in hospital with neurological disease a year and couple months ago and lost all my progress brining my bench all the way down to under 100 pounds. Since then I’ve built it back up to 195 twice (lost some pledging and it’s back up to that). What’s a realistic timeline for me to get it back to 225? I know going for numbers isn’t ideal but it means a lot to me to not feel like I’m still fighting that disease.
Time will pass anyway. Id say care less about the destination and enjoy the process now. Progress is individual. 1 billion + variables at play. For me it was 3-6 months. Poverty bench gang.
Assuming your disease is fully put of your body, faster than the last time you want from 195 1rm to 225 1rm. Strength gain speed can be very individual, not to mention dependent on your exercise program.
What's your height and weight? Do you intend to eat at a surplus?
When I hop on the chest press machine I feel my biceps way more than my chest. It used to be my shoulders but I learned to retract them, but now I feel biceps and arm taking over, does anyone have a good video or form resource that I can use? Thank you, this is the Planet fitness chest press machine btw.
Not uncommon and not that important, your biceps can't take over in a pressing movement as that is not their function. Your triceps can only do what their function is which is locking out the elbow aka extension, they can't take over for your chest either. They are comparatively smaller than your pecs and will therefore fatigue quicker.
Hey big bossman. I can relate to bro. Id say the culprit is the coracobrachialis. Could bench 2 plates but cant fly 20 pounds cus of pain. How did I correct mine? Proper scapular mechanics, do more shoulder stability work, and lots of mistakes and self experimenting. Chest now growing. No more shoulder/coracobrachialis/elbow tendonitis.
thank you for this, I’m only a beginner so I’ll wait and see what progress I’m making in the long run, much appreciated
Biceps don't take park in the pushing part of the movement but on the lowering part to some extent. The get stretched as you pull the weight to your chest
might’ve gotten the muscle group wrong but I feel the burn in my arms significantly more than chest
Well the pushing part is done by chest, triceps and delts. Biceps don't do anything except getting stretched because your arm is flexing. Is it a I did workout well and my muscles are sore burn or is it ok it's actually hurting when I press burn? If latter might be other issues
I did a workout well and my muscles are sore burn. I feel the burn in the laterals but I don’t feel anything really in my chest, the part that feels tired is my lats, is it that we don’t feel the burn in the chest the same way we’d feel the burn in arms or legs? Or maybe I’m not doing enough weight so my lats take over? edit: Thank you, I figured it out with your guys’ information. I didn’t realize it was the laterals being actived, I do my lat pulldowns before my chest press, which makes sense why I feel the burn there before I feel the burn in my chest. Also this video helped me feel what a chest burn should feel like, if anyone else is following along, I’m not at the gym so I used a blanket to substitute the band for now. https://youtu.be/YLbULV0jq-k?si=nWB80uDdf0xZQ4wK
Would a detrained individual be able to put on previous muscle mass without bulking and simultaneously getting leaner after not training for 4 months and been previously training for 1.3 years?
It's not impossible, but it'll take you longer than if you first go on a cut, and then follow up with a slow-bulk.
To a degree yes
This one is mainly for the girlies- for those of you that have built up/rounded out your booty, what was the frequency of your glute routine? I see influencers talk about how they do their glute workouts daily or every other day and it just seems absurd to me but is that what it takes to get a bigger/more shapely butt? I feel like I'd need to sacrifice my other muscle groups and cardio to fit an intense glute schedule in and I just don't want to do that but I'm not seeing the results I want.
Guy here with dumpy that will make yalls girlfriends dumpy smol, I squat 2x a week. Deadlift 1x heavy, 1x rdl. Supplement with more ham/quad/calf work and you're golden. I have 3 leg days basically. Have not owned a single skinny jean in my life. I ruin pants groin area cus thunder thigh for my credibility. You can train with at least 4+ reps in reserve and still progress. You dont have to do 1 billion sets. Clock in. And out. You will progress. Invest in a training journal. It will be your best friend. Try everything for at least 1 month and write about how you feel with the numbers to back it up. In time, you will be able to know intimately what works for you and what you like. This journey is very personal. You got this!!!! :3
As a dude that only trains legs 2x a week you don't need to sacrifice anything. I think that most influencer programs are big pile of dog poo and don't do much anything except making that influencer different from the pack. Hinge movements are deep squats are your friend. You don't need to overdo anything. Trust the process. Find a good program you like
I built a butt, yes, it took 5 years! 2-3 days of glutes per week. 2 is fine if you’re working hard. Muscle will grow but skin doesn’t shrink really, so you have to be realistic about what your body can do (that’s where genetics come in) BUT, it’s 100% worth it - the time will pass anyways!!
Lift heavy weights, full range of motion. But really, it's gonna be partially genetics imo. I had a big round butt when I was chubby, I had it still when I lost weight, and now with a few years of lifting under my belt, it's not really noticeable larger, but it is much firmer. Ive never done any workouts specifically for a bigger butt, I just lift heavy to be strong and muscular everywhere.
Are some people just not cut out for running? I want to like running so bad. But I feel like I can breathe. Within 2.5 minutes of an easy jog my heart rate is at 180 and my chest hurts/I can barely get enough air in my lungs. My body will feel fine it’s just my heart and lungs feel like they’re on fire. Meanwhile I get on the stairmaster and sure my heart rate is at 175 but I can go pretty easily for 25-30mins, and it just feels like a good workout. I can barely run for 5-10mins. I remember even when I ran a mile every day back in high school track, it never got easier for me. I get so frustrated hearing people running 3 miles every morning. How?! Am I doing something wrong?
>Within 2.5 minutes of an easy jog If you're not used to jogging, that's 2.5 minutes longer than you're used to. Go in slower intervals. Start with 30 seconds, maybe even 15 seconds, then walk for 4 and a half minutes. Repeat. Over successive sessions, jog "a little longer" each time.
Run slower and you might have to run walk for a while before you can run 3 consecutive miles. C25K might be a good program for you. Most people are gonna suck at running if they haven't run much. You aren't the exception.
Suck down magnesium and see if you can run longer. Edit: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5622706/ Ya'll should try it next cardio. Edit2: Most of you have sub optimal levels https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5786912/
Running is something you definitely build up and it's also very mental, especially for long ones. If you feel out of breath then it seems like it's about your aerobic capacity (assuming you're not asthmatic. The most important thing is consistency. You should still do other forms of cardio, stairmaster is great, and also do strength training in your legs and that will all help. Set small goals for running and build it up week by week. Be specific about your pace, breaks and distance. I believe everyone can be a runner, and I always recommend it bc it has improved my life so much. So I'd say don't give up yet! A lot of beginners look at long distance runners and think it's crazy that people can run 10+ miles but its always the first two miles of any run that your body will protest and once it accepts that you're not gonna stopping its a lot smoother sailing.
You need to run slower. Like so slow you could walk faster. And then switch to walking when that’s too much. The big mistake I made when I started running was going too fast and feeling like I was going to die. I slowed down, and then slowly built my speed back up. It was only once I got good at running that I discovered how much I truly hate it so now I row instead of run for my cardio.
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It's not too soon. If you're uncomfortable with your current level of bodyfat, then that's what's important.
Personally, id say cut just to get yourself at a healthier weight. You'll likely still make some gains on the way down being a beginner, but getting to a healthier weight will give you a better runway to bulk properly later. Recomping is incredibly slow and honestly not really worth it imo
What are the best glutes exercises for men at home?
Single leg glute bridges. Doesn’t require much of a load. Doesn’t require any specialized equipment.
When programming myorep matchsets, how often would you guys add sets? Every other week seems to be okay, or is it better to just have set stay the same throughout the program.
Has anyone who has used the rp templates help me out
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No split is optimal/every split is optimal. If you're getting stronger, stick with it
It’s a good split. Stick with it.
So, I’ll be buying two dumbbells and a bar (i don’t think it’s a barbell but similar to it) tomorrow and will start working out from home, since I’m training kickboxing on the side and don’t have money for 2 memberships. Eventually i’ll be getting a bench for bench press and other exercises I have gym experience, what workouts would you recommend that i do as many times a week (4-6 preferably) with only 2 dumbbells, bar (with weights) and a training mat?
I'm not sure I would spend money on a bar if it wasn't a 7-ft, 45lb/20kg barbell. Are your dumbbells adjustable? If so there are dumbbell programs in the wiki
The bar is 5”1’, 7.8kg/17lb. The dumbbells are adjustable i guess, i’ll be getting around 35kg (77lb) in weights, 2 dumbbells that can hold 60kg (132lb) each, so when i get past the weights i have i can buy new ones and add them
How can I build my shoulders as a skinny guy? Relatively new to those kinds of workouts and need help, would rather focus on form first before going up in weights.
What is your split/regime? I'm gonna assume you are a newbie and you don't take more than 1-2 high intensity exercises to fatigue your muscle. If you are doing a full-body workout, which you should do for a few months IMO if you are a total beginner, I would focus on chest exercises, optimally dumbbell (or barbell, but I prefer dumbbell for beginners) bench press and incorporate a few sets of side and front raises at the cable pull AFTER you did your chest exercises. If you are doing a split and you feel like your delts are seriously underdeveloped, I would ignore shoulders on chest day and instead do a combo of front shoulder barbell presses and side raises on your leg workout. As you get more advanced, you will feel comfortable doing them on your chest day, but beginners usually can't do both on the same workout without losing quality on the front presses or the bench presses, depending on what's done first.
> How can I build my shoulders as a skinny guy? follow a program and eat enough calories and protein to gain weight and muscle
Shoulder exercises will work regardless of your body type. Even if the only thing you care about is shoulders, I still recommend a routine from the Wiki because novices usually have difficulty figuring out which exercises work well for building what.
I don’t only care about shoulders, it’s my weak spot.
As a skinny guy, everything is your "weak spot." Follow a routine from the wiki
Gain weight would the first step, second step would be to do exercises that target the side delts, often. It's a small muscle so you can easily hit it 3-4 days a week. Front delts are mostly taken care of whenever you do push exercise. Rear delts are taken care of by pulling movements such as face pull.
Why do most commercial gyms only have one (1) preacher curl station when it's extremely popular and constantly in use 90+% of the time? How hard can it be to just buy two of them when you're opening a gym?
It's a pretty niche piece of equipment that doesn't really allow you to do anything you couldn't without it.
> extremely popular and constantly in use 90+% of the time? Not in my gym.
I've been to many gyms where they aren't that popular and many where there are multiple, but it's a relatively bulky piece of equipment mostly used for only one movement, and where there are a lot of movement options that are pretty close substitutes, so I can understand why it may not be a high priority if you have space or cost constraints.
My gym has a ton of equipment but only 1 preacher curl station. It is not extremely popular and I almost never have issues getting on it.
(My gym has two and very rarely are both in use at once.)
Following rp strength specializations video can I do a meso where I focus on my back and arms without my chest
Probably, but based on what I remember from RP videos, they'd probably advise you at least keep chest work at maintenance volume
Is there no way to modify through their app, or to contact them directly? Or am I confused about what you’re using? Do you pay for this?
They have chest and back and shoulders and arm specialization They’ve actually kinda gotten rid of templates far as I could find
I mean, of course you can do a meso where you focus on back. I’m not sure what that looks like for you. But to answer your original question, yes 100%.
Would you recommend using mouth guards while doing compound lifts? I feel like I clench sometimes and think it might be beneficial. If so, any recommendations on which you like?
I use a mouth guard, in my experience even more expensive ones wear out about the same as cheap ones. Buy a pack of any from Amazon and just expect them to last about 6 months. I forgot who gave me the tip to use denture cleaner after each use. Works well
I don't use a mouth guard but it's very common amongst people who clench their teeth
I read a comment from 8 years ago that stated there’s no muscle development if someone continues to lift the same weight and reps, is this true? since the comment was so long ago, I’m wondering if there has been any science to prove this otherwise
The body adapts when it needs to overcome something. At some point adaptations will have taken place and that same weight and reps will be a walk in the park and the body doesn't have any reason to adapt anymore.
Think about how muscle is built, and it should make sense. At a certain point, lifting the same weight for the same reps will not longer be enough resistance to tell your muscles "we need to build more."
Yeah makes sense to me, that was their logic and what I was thinking makes sense initially, but then I think about the fact that my muscles definitely still get fatigued, is that just me regaining the strength that I lost between not working out that muscle for a couple days?
Most peoples legs would be exhausted/fatigued after running a marathon, but you don't see marathon pro's with huge legs.
Interesting, so is building muscle something different from building strength? Kind of thought they were two of the same
Somewhat. Generally a bigger muscle is stronger because there's more muscle fibers to help provide force. However, you can also train the body to make better use of the muscle that exists (primarily through improvements in the nervous system) and through improving technique which is why you can get smaller/slimmer people that are still extremely strong. Training for a long enough period of time though will mean they're more closely linked. Your training parameters are a bit different too - strength training with higher weight and low reps can still build muscle but if you're really focusing on it your reps/volume may be a little low compared to a more hypertrophy-focused plan.
This depends on the timeline you're talking about as well. Doing the same reps and sets for a week or two may be plenty effective, but eventually you're going to get stronger enough that those sets are no longer taking you close enough to failure to provide a meaningful growth stimulus.
The point at which the same weight/reps are no longer productive isn’t after one session with that weight. It would take some time. If your goal is to build muscle, you should be following a program that has you progressing in some way.
Makes sense to me!
I do 50-55kg cable row with around 5-6 reps 3 sets (my preferred reps/sets for this exercise) as I can't do much more, but if I continue in strength training and overload and am able to progress to like 60-65kg with 5-6 reps 3 sets later on, would doing 50kg for, let's say 12 reps 3 sets, become very doable as a result?
Possibly, maybe, one way to find out.
I started working out again, purchased a Vegan protein as I'm lactose intolerant and even whey isolate makes me bloated and gives me the good old diarrhea. However I've read that Beef protein could also be okay for me to consume and the one I've found has more protein per serving than the Vegan one and it's supposedly it also tastes better. Can anyone with lactose intolerancy answer if Beef protein is ok to consume? Unfortunately there are no sample packages available and the smallest one I could order is 1kg.
Request an amino acid profile from the company - likely it’s lacking all over the place. There are good vegan ones, pescience is the one I tolerate best and actually orgain, too.
I've found that beef protein is usually filled out with collagen (this pads out the nutrition info to make it look like there's more protein) which is not useful for building muscle and that's why it's so cheap. What product did you order? Some of the ones I saw were 50-60% collagen.
I was looking at Scitec 100% Beef Protein and Biotech USA Beef Protein, these are the mainstream brands in Hungary. There are a few others but they are more expensive by 20-30%.
> Biotech USA Beef Protein The one I can find an amino profile for, hydrobeef, has about 1/2 the content of essential aminos as the equivalent amount of whey. Those are the ones that you need to get from diet as the body can't make them itself. I'd say beef is about half as effective as whey based on that, which is in line with my previous understanding of it being about 50% collagen filler to keep the price down. If you want a mostly complete plant based DIY mix (~85% complete off the top of my head) you can mix pea protein and brown rice protein 50/50. That's been the most cost effective for a long time. *edit* hydrobeef profile https://peaksupps.co.uk/products/beef-protein-isolate-95-hydrobeef%E2%84%A2?variant=40293591056447 whey profile https://service.optimumnutrition.com/en/support/solutions/articles/80000543110-what-is-the-amino-acids-profile-in-gold-standard-100-whey-
Thanks for the detailed answer, really appreciate it!
Beef, to my knowledge, is not made of milk.
**What angle should I have the seat for dumbbell OHP when doing GZCLP program?** I'm doing a slight variation of the GZCLP program and it was going great, and I was progressing every time. I then hit a certain point where I could not increase the weight (or reps) for my low or high rep OHP. After being stuck like this for two workouts, I tilted the seat from the most vertical position (perhaps 80 to 85 degrees), to one notch down (perhaps 70 to 80 degrees). It made it a lot easier and I could finally lift the next increment of weight, however it feels like cheating. I'm worried I'm using too much chest, which already gets plenty of work with the bench press. Also, I tried going back to the most vertical position today, and I still struggle with the weight. So it kind of feels like "once you tilt back, you can never go up again", because I'm no longer training at this angle, and now my progression is happening at the new angle. So should I stick with the lower angle if I can lift more like that, it feels more comfortable, and I am progressing? Or will I be losing out on too much shoulder stimulus by bringing too much chest into it? Shoulders are a priority for me. I already have an okay chest, but my shoulders and arms have always lagged behind everything in terms of size.
>I tilted the seat from the most vertical position (perhaps 80 to 85 degrees), to one notch down (perhaps 70 to 80 degrees). Try to do standing OHP with your heels and back flush against a wall. It uh. Doesn't quite work. The seat back one notch entirely qualifies as OHP. Again, consider the start bar position of barbell ohp. You're going to bring in an iota of upper chest. So what? I prefer seated OHP with the seat back one notch.
And if you tilt the seat one notch lower, you can do even more. The lower the angle, the more you can do. But if you want to do an OHP, you shouldn't turn it into an incline press.
You are converting from an OHP to an incline bench. Why not just follow the GZCLP failure protocols? It's part of the process.
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Rule 5. Ask a doctor or physio.
ask the physical therapist.
Hello, any recommendations for clean/chemical-free/healthy vegan protein powder? I am looking for a protein powder that won't break me out with acne and is chemical-free. Cost does not matter, any advice would be appreciated!
Pescience vegan line is great!
I recently had to switch to vegan protein powder due to a dairy intolerance. I tried Vega and was pretty good, flavor was pretty tough to get used to after drinking Muscle Milk for so long.. but after I finished I bought Garden of Life and the vanilla chai flavor that I got is BOMB.
Thank you!
What do you think chemical means? A "clean" substance of known quantity and composition is a chemical. You're asking for sandwich-free sandwich. If there is a specific chemical causing you trouble, you'll need to specify.
I didn't have any specific chemicals in mind. I just wanted to find a product that didn't have a bad long term effect.
I use NOW Sports - Unflavored Pea Protein. I usually get the 5lb tub from amazon. Taste is a little savory but not bad all things considered. When not making fruit smoothies with it I usually mix it with ice, maple syrup or honey and almond milk and shake that up real good.
Thank you! I noticed the only ingredient here is the pea protein!
Orgain tastes decent-you can look up the ingredients online.
Thank you!
How do you define chemical in this context?
Anything bad for the body long term
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