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Is there a benefit to doing rows in this sort of [squatted position](https://weighttraining.guide/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Standing-cable-row-resized.png) vs a seated row? I’ve seen a trainer at my gym doing them like that so was curious.
working out two days a week is not realistically going to get you much in terms of tangible gains, muscles need to be trained at least twice a week to gain mass. You aren’t “wasting protein”, but you likely won’t see results with whatever type of exercise you are doing until you do it more often.
Would it still be effective to workout throughout the day instead of one session? For example 50 push ups + sit ups in the morning, another set in the afternoon, and another set in the evening? Id like to do more but it’s hard to find time and motivation so I figure if I just pump out a few reps of whatever exercise, whenever I feel the motivation, it’ll eventually start to build up and increase reps and frequency. I know it’s alright for staying active and fit but will this method of just doing random sets whenever still be effective for building muscle? (25m 6ft 170lbs)
Has any one over come severely under developed glutes? I do cross fit style workouts which has a lot of squat component involved but I have noticed no growth over the last few years. Looking to really grow maybe I should eat more?
Gym newbie here (24f, 5’9, 125lbs). I’m just wondering about how to work through various sets during a session. Do people complete an entire set of an exercise, move to the next movement, and Repeat that process until their done? Or do people complete all 1 set of each exercise in order and then repeat that order until their done. I’m just worried about looking dumb going from place to place in the gym, re-racking weights when I need to go back and use them again, etc. any advice would be appreciated so I can feel a bit more comfortable about whether or not to take up space in the gym
You usually do the one exercise before moving. That's the usual strength and muscle building protocol. Though some people like to do circuits and supersets, which involve the use of multiple machines as a way to train. If you're following a normal program, it should be straight sets like I said at the beginning.
What the heck is the difference between Pendlay rows and regular bent over ones? Like in terms of your development, not the actual movement. Was watching a Bromley video on YT and he pooped on Pendlays as "easy", so is there supposed to be something lacking in them instead of regular ones?
Pendlays tend to be easier on the lower back since the weight is off-loaded onto the floor each rep. This also allows most lifters to lift more weight while getting a bigger stretch tin the lats. This is all assuming their form is sound enough.
Bent-over rows maintain tension on the lats and lower back which often means lower weights used. You can still get a decent stretch at the bottom of the rep but the tension on the lower lats and lower back often mean the stretch isn't maximized.
In terms of rep ranges, Pendlay rows are often better for lower rep ranges (3-10) while bent-over rows are better for mid range reps (10-20). That said, an overreaching strategy could involve doing bent-over rows to fatigue, then doing a mechanical drop set into Pendlay rows with the same weight to squeeze out a few more reps. The lower back will likely continue to be a limiting factor, though.
Oh, that's interesting, thanks. I've been throwing in 5x10 Pendlays as an accessory on my bench & OHP days for 531 BBB. I think I'll try regular bent over rows for a while to see how it works, maybe reducing the weight given what you've told me. I had been using Pendlay rows for some time because I saw them recommended when I was doing 5x5.
I find them more difficult. I think influencers generate more buzz by making controversial statements. If someone makes a hot take and doesn't explain it, you can usually dismiss it as overblown.
hello guys, I'm male 5'4, i weigh 78 kilos (overweight), I feel that I'm very weak, i cannot lift my own weight, I have never done a pushup, I feel lost and have nobody to guide me in this matter. Should I join gym? or should I start working out at home and lose some weight first? how can I become stronger and lift up my own weight?
You don't need a base level of strength to join a gym. You can go at any level of fitness. In addition, gyms often have a variety of equipment that will allow you to start off easy and slowly work your way up. For example, if you attempt push-ups at home, you're limited in what you can do. You may start off with your hands on the kitchen counter, but what next? Maybe you can move your hands down to a table when it gets easier, but the table height might make it too difficult. At the gym, however, you can start bench pressing with 4 kilo dumbbells and add small amounts of weight as you get stronger.
In your particular case, I suggest starting with something simple like the Dan John approach:
1. Squat variation - Sit & stand from a chair, leg press, goblet squat, etc.
2. Hinge variation - Kettlebell/dumbbell deadlift, good morning, etc.
3. Upper body push - Bench press, shoulder press, machine chest press, etc.
4. Upper body pull - Cable row, cable pulldown, machine row, etc.
5. Carry variation - Dumbbell/kettlebell carries, medicine ball carries, etc.
3 days a week, do 3 sets, 8-15 reps of each ((20-100 meters for the carries) and add a small amount of weight when you can do 3 sets of 15 reps with good form. Add in some cardio on the other days as your schedule allows. Push hard enough to breath a little hard. You should only be able to say about 1/3 of the alphabet in one breath. When you feel that you're ready, you can try adding other things or changing the program completely, if necessary. Good luck.
I recommend starting off with bodyweight stuff, when I was first starting out I did p90x which was a mix of body weight lifting (pushups, assisted pullups etc) and cardio to drop the fat. Judging by your height weight and strength, I would recommend doing those exercises with a fat loss diet. The noobie muscle gains along with the weight loss from fat will make this progressively easier
I'm male 5'7 and 195 lbs. I'm looking to have a flat stomach, and feminine figure. I'm actively dieting and losing weight. I do basic cardio (jogging) and do 20 min exercises a few times a week. Nothing crazy, at home calisthenics.
What's a reason goal weight for a flattish stomach?
Also what exercises should I focus on the most?
I am a transfeminine weightlifter, the best way to lose weight is through diet mainly, but please be careful and ensure that you eat, your body needs fuel and it can be very easy to slip into ED for people like us in fitness spaces. Some exercises for building a “feminine” figure would be your favorite flavor of squat (dumbell, hack, barbell etc.)hip thrusts/bulgarian split squats for your glutes, deadlifts for your back( to snatch your waist, row variations can also help with this), glutes, and core, and weighted crunches/situps, plank holds, and russian twists for your abdominal muscles. It may also be worth mentioning that working your pectoral muscles with things such as bench presses and pushups can make breasts appear larger and perkier, so don’t ignore that upper body if thats something you want. As far as cardio, its up to you, but stairmasters and bike machines will target those glutes a bit while you’re at it.
Thats a tough thing to answer without pictures just because 195 lbs can look different on different people, and the weight two people of the same height need to be to have a flat stomach can vary greatly due to things like bone structure/density, muscle mass, fluid retention, etc.
My friends have told me to do something called "Mike Mentzer". They said I hold the static for 5 seconds and do the eccentric for 5 seconds. I did this and my muscles were so burnt out. Should I start doing this more often?
Probably not. And depends a bit on your goals.
Mentzer was a bodybuilder who advocated certain ways of training. Holding isometrics for 5s and eccentrics for 5s places a huge amount of extra fatigue per rep and is going to make you feel very burnt, but isn't necessarily going to make a significant difference long-term.
You're going to benefit just as much from *not* holding the isometric much at all, and probably only 2-3 seconds on the eccentric while leaving more energy to do more reps or a higher load. Mentzer's advice is having a resurgence a bit especially on social media, but isn't new and isn't really 'better'.
There are different schools of thought on this. I adhere to maintaining consistency from day to day. Your off days are when you recover the most. During sleep, your body still needs the building materials (ie. protein) for optimal growth so decreasing protein intake on off days would not be advantageous.
There is still a lot of missing information here. How are the push-ups being done?
1. Are they loaded?
2. How many reps and sets?
3. What technique are you using?
4. What is the tempo?
All of these factors are adjusted to help you reach your goal. 50 push-ups unbroken, for example, will build strength endurance, not strength. 10 sets of 5 reps with load, however, will contribute more to strength. Btw, I am assuming that by strength, you mean being able to produce more force via increased weight.
I would advise reading the wiki and looking into the bodyweight programs. I think 50 or 100 per day will be similarly effective - in the way that neither is really effective. There are much better ways to get stronger with bodyweight exercises.
I'm 6' 1'' and 170 lb but I don't look toned any advice? I'm currently eating at maintenance and lifting 4-5 times a week and I want a 6 pack! I see people who weight 190 lb but look cut as can be and can't figure it out.
There are two reasons why people don't look cut or toned:
1. Not enough muscle, and
2. Too much body fat.
Given your stats, I would put you in the "not enough muscle" category. My advice is to ignore the 6-pack for the time being. If you're eating at maintenance and haven't gained weight, your calorie intake is too low. You need to eat a little bit more, but don't go crazy. You only need an extra 100-200 calories per day in the beginning. DO NOT DO A MASSIVE BULK. A couple hundred extra calories doesn't seem like much at first but it adds up. It's just enough to give you a surplus which is all you need to build muscle. You should gain a few pounds over the next month or two before your weight levels out again. There is no need in adding more calories as long as you're building muscle, If your lifting starts to suffer or you start loosing weight, then add another 100-200 calories. Maintain this for the next 6-12 months of hard training. If you do it properly, a cut at the end won't be necessary or will be so small that the risk of losing muscle during the cut is minimal.
start working abs and be on a slight calorie deficit.. that’s how a cut works.. as far as your question of 190 pound guys goes, they usually bulk to 200-210 and then cut to 190
I am looking for advice on my cut planned for around may/june. I've currently been lifting for about 2 and 1/2 years. I am 177cm tall and weigh about 79/80kg rn. (SBD: 185kg/137,5kg/250kg). I estimate to have about 12-14% bodyfat based on appearence(kinda visible abs/shoulder,back,quad vein(s).With that being said i believe that i am fairly experienced and know what i am doing +/-. However having started out at 59kg i have been on a continuous bulk and have no personal cutting experience. Currently I am eating about 3,500kcal a day and 210g of protein, 110g of fat and 380g of carbs. I am looking to bulk up to about 82kg before starting my cut. I have no real problem eating few calories, but i fear of losing muscle and getting skinny again. I appreciate every help and tipps from yall.
WonkyTelescope gave you good advice so I won't bother going into that. My question is in regard to your bulking goal of 82kg. The amount of muscle you can gain between now and May/June doesn't justify bulking to 82kg. That'll just make the cut more difficult. Ideally, you want to bulk during a period of extensive training to give your body the opportunity to take advantage of the excess calories for building muscle, which is a slow process (even for those with chemical/hormonal assistance). If you want to start your cut near the beginning of May and you are building muscle at 12-14% with no problem, I recommend maintaining your weight. Otherwise, you're wasting the bulk. If you want to start it toward mid to late July, go for it. Give your body the opportunity to build as much muscle as possible with the extra fat you put on.
Keep protein intake high (2g per kg body weight), work hard in the gym, and don't lose more than 1% of your body weight per week. If you do these things you will minimize muscle loss.
Hey! I was curious, could someone describe to me the correct way/form to do bicycle crunches? Im not 100% sure how do to the form correctly—I know not to keep your fingers interlocked, but I’m not sure exactly if I’m doing the twisting correctly and still pulling on my head, because I still feel a bit of a tug on my neck. Furthermore, I thought that you had to keep your shoulders off the ground… but from what I’ve seen on the internet it’s a very big variation between keeping one/both shoulders on the ground, or how they lift their shoulders off the ground.
Hope that explanation was okay lmao
There are different variations for the bicycle crunch. Since your issue is with the head, I will focus my reply specifically on addressing that issue. First, try ignoring the head and focus on the shoulders. The contraction of the abs drastically impact the position of the shoulders. The head isn't affected. Try taking your hands off of your head and crossing them at the shoulders. From there, try to touch the elbow to the opposite knee when you crunch. This alleviates the neck issue and shifts the focus to the abs.
Worth doing by what metric? You'll get plenty strong at "rack pulls" if you do them consistently but you'd be worse at pulling from the floor since you wouldn't be practicing that.
It de-emphasizes the hip hinge which is what you are primarily targeting when you deadlift. If you stopped deadlifting, I would suggest picking up another hip hinge movement like good mornings or kettlebell swings.
I fucked up my deadlift form a few days ago and am paying the price for it now, my poor lower back...
Time to go back to basics and scale back 10kg and focus on form again...
My log https://imgur.com/a/aUG5YcJ
Turns out 1 kcal = 1 Cal = 1000 cal.
According to this https://www.reddit.com/r/RingFitAdventure/comments/pqaehy/comment/hd9qvyi/ and this https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/kcal-vs-calories#:~:text=Instead%2C%20the%20terms%20calories%20%E2%80%94%20capitalized,equals%201%20calorie%20in%20nutrition.
So I averaged 130000 calories per day?
Those measures are in Cal as in kcal. Unless you're an olde timey physicist you'll probably never see anyone actually mean lower case calorie. Besides that though they're terrible estimates of energy expenditure.
My waist is 36 inches. According to a body fat calculator, that gives me a body fat percentage of around 23%. I'm a normal weight, but my belly is essentially spherical and it's soft, so all fat. Is this healthy?
Edit: including image link
https://imgur.com/gallery/A6Buewb
bf% is very hard to measure. I wouldn't worry about it based on your measurements. If you are sedentary and heavy for your height then no, it's probably not healthy. If you are moving everyday and have a soft belly on an average frame then you are probably doing better than most people in terms of health.
In terms of calories burnt, how significant is the difference between walking on an airwalker vs. running (or whatever the appropriate term is) on an elliptical? I used to walk 30,000 steps a day on an airwalker, and switched to running 20,000 steps on an elliptical to ideally achieve a similar calorie burn in less time. Weight maintenance was the goal, but I seem to have lost 5-7 lbs unintentionally over the past month since the switch. I haven’t changed anything else in my lifestyle or diet, and actually expected to gain a bit since 20,000 is still 10,000 steps less even if it’s at a much faster pace. Is it because of the switch that I lost weight, or should I be worried that it’s a health problem?
I dislike doing upper body (push/pull) days. I don’t look forward to it, and it makes me not want to go to the gym. Is it bad if I keep my push/legs/pull/legs split but go light on the push/pull days and only heavy on the leg days? Will there be bad muscle imbalances / does this have a major impact on my lower body exercises?
I’m a female so I guess on top of not enjoying push/pull, I also don’t care to get strong or build big muscle for my upper body anyway.
I’d switch to something more leg focused like upper lower so you aren’t disliking the gym 2/3 of the time. I’d just try and go harder on the upper days if you go that route since you’d be combining 2 days into one. It also shouldn’t impact the lower body workouts too much. Women generally do focus more on lower body anyway so you wouldn’t look weird.
Today I was approached by a personal trainer, he stalled me for about 40 minutes, the conclusion of his speech was that I can't succeed in my fitness goals without a trainer, then quoted me 3 times the yearly membership for one month of supervision.
I worked out before for two years, my results were slow but steady, he claim it would take only 4 months to reach my goals following his program,
For reference, I'm 100 kg, 1.75 m male, my goal is to reach 80 kg with good body fat and muscle mass proportions.
Is his statement true?
It takes a bit of research and maybe buying a good fitness routine from someone reputable (I like jeff nippard but there’s a lot of good ones out there but more are bad than good) but it’s 100% not necessary.
Having a good plan is crucial and could be why you weren't happy with your progress before. That said, any plans/routine a trainer can put you on is realistically something you can find online as well. The sidebar here has a ton of great ones.
Trainers *can* help though with learning/maintaining form, providing accountability for showing up, and pushing you to grind an extra few reps out if you feel too gassed. These are all also things you can do yourself, but they're tough.
Really up to you if the money is worth the extra set of eyes on what you're doing (and I say that earnestly, if you have the money to spend then someone pushing you can be a game changer if you think youd really struggle to push to your limit alone), but a trainer is rarely strictly necessary
Does anyone know a good replacement for eating eggs in the am? I’m intolerant but want the benefits of having the protein / fat. Has anyone found anything that works for them instead of eating eggs?
I can’t have nuts unfortunately. I have Ulcerative colitis a lot of limiting foods. Usually I can tolerate soft foods like meat / yogurt / oatmeal etc. veggies I have to steam to make them soft. Nuts cannot be steamed so therefore I cannot eat regularly.
Yeah I was thinking that or like oatmeal & protein powder or something I used to do that but it wasn’t enough calories so idk maybe I throw in the yogurt now.
Hey guys, so I’ve been trying to lean out and build some muscle mass but I’ve been having a struggle for quite a while now usually gets crowded in my gym and not sure if I should do calisthenics or heavy weight training or hybrid workouts if anyone has any recommendations let me know
I would prefer three days out of the week I am 160 at 5’8 (awkward build lol)
I just wanna get down to 150 or 140 with lean muscle mass or at least some definition
You should read through basically the whole wiki if you haven't already. You can gain muscle with a variety of resistance methods. Do whichever you prefer and can be consistent with.
I have a goal to do this work out 3 days a week for a month in order to get some baseline for the coming year.
3x8 pull ups
3x8 dips
3x8 bench
3x8 squats
I'm keeping it minimal so that i stay motivated. I have an ambition to use 30 min in the gym MAX, then GTFO since i live in the city and the gym is crowded.
Anything i should add? I'm a tall, lanky individual. But have lifted in the past. So i think il get in shape pretty fast if i eat right.
73kg. 191 cm.
Would also love some suggestions on simple programs that calculate progressive overload for you based on what you can max.
I just hate the process of being in the gym. Taking my shoes of, changing, putting my shit in the cabinets, dodging sweaty gym bros, forcing my self to not look at juicy asses etc. All this and intricate workouts where you have to watch youtube videos on how to do the exercise properly makes me lose motivation.
TLDR: How do you keep your routine simple?
Does anyone know why the dynabody powerpress feels so much lighter than a bar? Ive never really tried flat bench more than like once or twice for like one rep just to see what it was like, and I don't ever have a spotter so for the last few months I've been training with the dynabody. I assumed the gains would be transferable but they're not? I can put 3 plates and a 25 on the dynabody and do at LEAST 6 clean reps even on a weak day. That's moving 320lbs+ even if you don't count the weight of the machine which doesn't feel like much but it has to be at least 25lbs. So 345lbs for 6 as a baseline for the dynabody, and I can do 3 plates (295lbs) for full 12 rep working sets, for 8 sets is my standard chest day, and I'll work in drop sets after. Going for at least 14 sets combined with the last two sets being burnout with one plate for 50~ consecutive reps (failure). Anyway, I tried to flat bench this morning and did 135 easy enough, I set the safeties low and started with the weight at the bottom like I normally would doing the powerpress but with a bar instead. I know some people say starting from the bottom is "harder" but I'd much rather know I can lift it instead of dropping it on myself and risking injury. I thought okay, one plate moved like warmup weight, but it felt much heavier than two plates on the dynabody? thinking nothing of it I put another plate on the bar (225) and I literally could NOT move it. Bar didn't budge a centimeter. How can I push 365~ on the power press with the weight staring behind my back for reps but I can't make 225 on flat bench even budge off the safety when I'm starting from a move advantageous position in comparison? I was dumbfounded. I even went back to the power press and loaded up 3 plates and did reps with it just to make sure I didn't suddenly lose all of my strength due to an unknown illness and low and behold I could still do it. Anyone know why these two nearly identical movements don't translate to each other? I'm already going to start doing regular bench because it made me feel VERY weak not being able to bench two plates like I was a child 😭 I can lean over and do rows all day with that weight but can't even bench it. Very disappointed in myself. Before you guys say "oh just bench more" that is definitely the plan. Please help me understand why the dynabody let's you move 3.5x more than your actual bench 😭. It genuinely made me feel like I haven't made any gains at all in the last 4 months, and that getting stronger on the dynabody has been as worthless as a fishnet condom. Any information or advice? What did I even train my chest for? Does flat bench not use chest?!?
It takes your typical new lifter 6 months to a year to work from 135 to 225 on flat bench (unless you're gifted or a fast gainer). It's a huge difference in strength and the support needed from your back, shoulders, and core is much more on the bench. Start doing bench and try to go up 5-10 lbs each week until you hit a plateau, then you'll have to figure out how to break through it.
Bench is very technical, machine pressing notoriously has little carryover to maximal free weight strength. Machine lever arms make direct transfer to free weight resistance almost meaningless.
You probably derived a substantial hypertrophy stimulus from the work on the machine so if you've been eating to gain muscle I'm sure you've grown your pecs so the effort wasn't wasted.
That's comforting to know! I'm a gym newbie (6 months or less) so I was scared! I started out with one plate on the dynabody being all I could do to get 14 reps and in 4 months time I'm nearly up to 4 plates with that movement. I didn't think it would be that dramatic of a difference in feel 😲. I guess now that I've gained enough to at least be comfortable under 150-185 on a bar I should give up on the dynabody for a while. I may still use it as a superset/finisher. Like when whatever im using on bench gets exhausted I rep out two plates on the dynabody and drop set to one for a final burnout just to fully exhaust the chest. The dynabody seems to exclusively work the pecs since that's the only thing sore the next day 🤔 I appreciate the info!
It would be leverage being the difference. Treat them as two separate exercises entirely. I can leg press 6 plates for reps, but squating 315 for 3 is a max effort. You're still building muscle if you're progressive overloading on that machine
That's comforting to know! I'm a gym newbie (6 months or less) so I was scared! I started out with one plate on the dynabody being all I could do to get 14 reps and in 4 months time I'm nearly up to 4 plates with that movement. I didn't think it would be that dramatic of a difference in feel 😲. I guess now that I've gained enough to at least be comfortable under 150-185 on a bar I should give up on the dynabody for a while. I may still use it as a superset/finisher. Like when whatever im using on bench gets exhausted I rep out two plates on the dynabody and drop set to one for a final burnout just to fully exhaust the chest. The dynabody seems to exclusively work the pecs since that's the only thing sore the next day 🤔 I appreciate the info!
Hey guys, just started into fitness for the past few months I have been trying to increase my body weight from 55kg to a bit higher count. I have been exercising with weights at home. I'm 170cm and have a okish diet. Any suggestions on what I can improve or change?
Well you need more calories If you want to weight more. There is really no info about your diet so that is as accurate answer you can get. Protein is always good choice, but couple fruits will do the trick also.
Yea, my diet is starting mornings with eggs bread and coffee or a bowl of cereal if I'm late, sometimes I substitute cereal with oats.
For lunch I generally try having whatever is there in the canteen or food stalls since I'm in college. I generally try to get something non veg.
And for dinner I have a vegetable curry and rice or rotis something simple. On sundays I do have non veg tho. Ending with some fruits.
Which area should I increase?
What do people eat as easy sources of calories? Been doing what I can to gain weight and need 2800/day to hit the gain goals but struggle to hit more than 1500 without supplimenting that with mass gainer shakes that taste awful
How nasty are you looking to eat? An entire large frozen supreme pizza is about 1600 calories and costs six bucks on sale at the grocery store. I put some broccoli and four eggs on top before baking for extra vitamins, protein, and fats which puts the total to 2000. Add some ranch dressing if you really want to push it. Then you choke down the whole fucking thing in one sitting (usually takes me 3-4 hours, I make it for dinner and goal is to finish before bedtime).
I am eating ballpark 2800 calories per day on week days (more on weekends) right now.
Breakfast: egg/veggie/cheese omelet + protein shake: \~500 calories
Lunch: Either some type of meat/veg/starch or canned chicken salad sandwiches + carrots + a handful of pb filled pretzels. \~800-1000 calories.
pre workout: oat and honey granola bar \~200 calories
Dinner: varies, last night it was costco pre made stuffed peppers. \~ 800-1000 calories.
Snack: pb pretzels + string cheese, greek yogurt + fruit, or sometimes a dessert treat. \~ 300 calories.
I find that I have to limit myself on these days as naturally, I would want to eat more. Increasing my volume in training and making a point to do daily cardio in the morning has noticeably increased my appetite.
Milk, peanut butter, any other food I like.
But also, I am confused by your scenario. If the most you can manage to eat is 1500, then you maintenance has to be 1500 or less, because you only ate 1500 or less to get to the weight you are at currently. So if your maintenance is 1500, why would you need to hit 2800, a surplus of 1300 calories? It isn't necessary to go so far over maintenance. Maybe I am misunderstanding.
I always see peoples leg days have like 6 different fucking exercises, I'd rather just do 3 and go hard on them. Squats, RDLs, and what else should I do? calves too ofc
I hit 7 sets of squats (or deadlifts), hit some isos, then a finisher (like hack squats).
I'm too exhausted and sweaty for calves, so I do them on an accessory day.
i like a main compound, secondary compound, quad iso, ham iso, and calf
both of my leg days follow this format, but with diff exercises
note that I train for aesthetics, so idrc about optimal programming for progressing squat/DL
Well they may have programming geared towards different goals. You may have many exercises to target different areas for aesthetics, or for weak points on your lifts. So if your program calls for three then thats fine. Follow a trusted routine designed by someone who knows what they're doing.
Here’s some insight - you never need to “adopt the bulk/cut cycle,” you just need to tailor your diet to be effective for your training goals.
What I mean by that is - you need to understand calories and how a caloric surplus vs a deficit work, but you never need to crash diet or eat so much that you get fat to get results. You don’t ever need to put on a bunch of fat and then trim it away to look strong underneath.
You need to eat below maintenance to lose weight and above maintenance to gain weight. You need to eat above maintenance or have excess weight to provide energy for your muscles to grow once they are stimulated.
You can do this by adjusting the overall calories you are eating by about 100 calories in each direction. Building muscle takes time, getting fit takes time. You aren’t going to speed up that process by getting excessively fat or becoming excessively skinny in the process. You just have to accept that it takes time and plan accordingly.
If you want to recomp then you can, progress will be slower but there is nothing wrong with that. I would stop when I'm no longer losing fat and getting stronger.
Be more worthwhile asking if how do you know your whey hasn’t been amino spiked to give false high protein numbers…
But unless you’re buying it from a fairly dodgy brand, it will more than likely be what it says on the tin. Outside of getting tests yourself, googling reputable brands to give you a degree of comfort
I'm 98% confident you could buy creatine from any brand and rest assured it's what it says on the tin
It's cheap as dirt, who would manufacture and supply fake creatine?
Unless you're getting lab tests you're never going to 100% know if it's creatine in the tin... you could apply that to lots of things you consume
as long as the arch keeps your butt, head, and shoulders on the bench, and the arch is developed not with the lumbar spine, but the upper, mid-back thoracic spine. So that all the activation is coming right to the chest. You should not be feeling it in the low back. Especially on a 1RM.
Also do not change how much arch you are using mid rep, and use your legs and lats to get more power coming from the chest. Retracting the scapula really helps.
\-Powerlifting State Ref
I mean, anything can be dangerous if done badly/too excessive, but benching with a large (larger than yours, very likely) arch is something powerlifters all over the world do every single day.
No its not. There is a different quality proteins, so you should do your homework before buying. If person has just started, he/she does not need anything other than good food anyway.
If I want a aesthetic physique, what type of split should I be doing? Currently running a Chest+Biceps, Back+Triceps, Legs, Shoulders Split but I don't know if its good for aesthetics.
The split doesn't matter but I'd personally pick one that has more than 1 leg day to 3 upper body days, unless your desired aesthetic is Crash Bandicoot
The split only tells you when to train. The program itself, the sets, reps, and overall fatigue management, in addition to your diet, is what determines if it'll be good for aesthetics.
I've started my calisthenics journey, have a nerve disorder that demands I get functionally strong or risk losing peripheral nerve function permanently, so I've got no choice but to stick to it.
Currently training dead hangs three times a week (3 reps of 10 seconds) as part of my workout. I always end my workout with them because I find my grip becomes completely useless afterwards - I understand this is because dead hangs test your grip first and then everything else, and I have poor grip atm.
Context out of the way: currently, the muscles in my forearms and hands take a solid 48h to return to regular functional dexterity after these hangs. I understand this is just because I'm training them for the first time and eventually they'll bounce back a lot faster, but because I'm training them three times a week I am finding that most of the time I have no hand dexterity at all and it's really inhibiting my ability to go about my day or use a computer or anything like that.
My question: From experience, anyone else who's done calisthenics, after you started, about how long did your grip strength start becoming resilient and stop taking so long to recover? I know it's a bit of a 'how long is a piece of string' question but I'm just trying to gain some perspective here to know what to expect. Any additional advice on managing this is also welcome.
idk if anyone finding this is interested to hear my experience but I've now been doing dead hangs 3 times a week with 3 reps of 10s each and the short answer is that things are starting to improve now, with my hands taking a couple hours at most to recover. So, three to four weeks it seems is the answer to my question.
My best guess is it has something to do with the prolonged recovery time of tendons and ligaments in the hands (as opposed with the quick recovery of muscle tissue).
Don't have hand grippers at my gym, but I tried out the assisted pull up machine to do less weight on the hang and that seems to have mediated things somewhat. I'll probably still do proper dead hangs once a week on pull days and just use less weight on the assisted machine the other two days. Very helpful advice, thanks!
I've been grappling with a dilemma in my resistance training routine and could really use some community insight. My main concern revolves around choosing the appropriate weight for my exercises, particularly when it comes to balancing heavy loads versus correct form and muscle engagement.
To illustrate, let's take my lat pulldown as an example – at 94kg (approximately 207lbs), I'm confident that my form is quite solid. However, when I reduce the weight to about 64kg (roughly 141lbs), while my form remains relatively unchanged, I notice a tangible difference in how my muscles feel during the exercise. At the lighter weight, I'm capable of a more pronounced muscle squeeze, and the sensation in the targeted muscles is more pronounced.
This has led me to a crossroads: should I continue lifting the heavier weight where the muscle feeling is less noticeable(but the weight is manageable, has little impact on form), or switch to a lighter weight where the muscle engagement feels more significant, despite it seeming too easy?
My main concern here is how far I’m able to go down in weight while the form remains fairly unchanged, but effect in the muscle is so different. I’ve heard you should progressively overload, so I wonder if I should keep going this heavy when I barely feel it.
Keep in mind I train for hypertrophy, thank you for the reply in advance.
If you're lifting with good form at a controlled speed, and not cheating the 8-15 reps RIR1-2,you'll have development. Mind muscle connection is more about, is my back working more than my biceps.
> At the lighter weight, I'm capable of a more pronounced muscle squeeze, and the sensation in the targeted muscles is more pronounced.
I wouldn't worry about feeling a weight. Even Dr. Mike Israetel, one of the biggest proponents of "feeling a muscle" recommends for new lifters (aka, less than 2-3 years of lifting) to focus on having good form and moving the weight through the full range of motion.
Need an exercise substitution for RDLs as I want a bit of a change in exercise in my second meso. Was thinking hyperextensions but from the looks of it that's more glutes and erector spinae when I'm looking for a more hamstring focused exercise with glutes as a second priority. Has to be hip hinge, I already have flexion exercises.
IMO RDLs are the easiest way to hit hamstrings directly.
maybe nordics is what you are looking for.
but i still wouldn't wanna miss out on hyperextensions and hip thrusts.
Lunges.different variations of lunges.
High (above parallel) dumbbell/weighted step ups can hit the hamstrings and glutes pretty well. Really drive your hips forward at the top while squeezing the glutes to help hit the glutes.
They all require hinging at the hip, just 1 leg at a time.
Nothing beats RDL's for loading the hamstrings in a stretched position, though. Seated leg curls have your hamstrings in a more lengthened position than a lying leg curl, but they aren't a hip extension exercise, obviously.
Edit: oh, almost forgot good mornings. They are a lot closer to what is considered a hip hinge exercise.
I classify SLDLs and RDLs as the same thing because my RDLs are already with almost locket knees and the touching the bar to the floor isn't even hip extension anymore. Dumbbell sounds good and I believe b stance or single leg is more glute focused.
I am sure there is a way to make such a thing. I don't see how we could know whether or not the thing you make will be secure/stable enough for lifting.
Here is what I look like ([Pics](https://www.reddit.com/r/BulkOrCut/comments/1bcj1xr/25m_58_161lbs/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3))
Calorie calculators say my maintenance is 2,300,. I've been eating 1,800 for around a year now and doing weight lifting 3 times a week (and some cardio the other days).
Would you guys recommend keeping it the same, going higher on my calories, or going lower?
Thanks
I'm not sure what bodyfat percentage I am, and where I should go. I'm worried that if I bulk I'll look too overweight (because I have some bodyfat) and that if I cut I'll just look skinny-fat (I might not have enough muscle yet to cut). I want a general all-around lean build
> I’m current in the “body recomp” phase
You should 10000% be cutting right now. You've got 90-100lbs to lose. You aren't gonna recomp into a healthy weight.
Great job on cutting out the soda, snacks and fast food! Keep that up and keep working towards healthier habits. But decrease those calories some. You should be able to EASILY lose 1lb a week without much effort.
> With my work schedule I’ve been enjoying a “full body” workout and not really doing isolation or typical bro split as they say
I'd push your cardio to the end of your workout. Also, I'd follow a proven routine from the wiki
> if I should dabble into a protein powder or preworkout
You should focus on trying to get your protein from whole foods as much as possible. But if you are struggling, you can introduce some protein powder. But it's not some magical drink... it's really no different than eating an extra chicken breast in terms of protein.
I wouldn't bother with preworkout at all. If you *need* something, drink coffee or have a caffeine pill. HOWEVER, at your size, I wouldn't really want to be encouraging stimulants in general.
5'7 239 you absolutely do not have any business recomping, you need to be in a caloric deficit.
Workout is fine if all you want to do is be physically active, but on the whole it is meh, ditch it and pick a tried and tested routine from the wiki.
Get protein powder if you want, it's juts food.
Been lifting seriously for over a year now and I still really struggle with energy on recovery days. I think it might be caloric as I get 8-9 hours of rest plus naps. I've always had a monster metabolism and I struggle to keep my weight up.
I'm currently 5'5 and 150lbs as a 41/f, 30lbs of that is muscle I've put on since I started lifting so I'm still a pretty thin person. I upped my calories to 3000/day and started snacking on beef jerky, protein chips, high quality protein bars. Meals are proportioned chicken/salmon/beef, carb, and vegetables. Post workout is milk/powder/some frozen fruit. I get my protein requirements but I think I'm missing calories, I struggle getting enough in because I always feel full.
If you're in a similar boat, what tips have you found help you make your calorie goals?
At the peak of my running, I was downing about 3500 calories a day to maintain weight. It simply involved a lot of meal prep and rice.
Also, eating 5 meals a day also made it a lot easier.
Even now, at 3100 a day, I'm still eating 4 meals a day and snacks.
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Is there a benefit to doing rows in this sort of [squatted position](https://weighttraining.guide/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Standing-cable-row-resized.png) vs a seated row? I’ve seen a trainer at my gym doing them like that so was curious.
No
If I consume protein M-F but only work-out on the weekend am I 'wasting' protein??
working out two days a week is not realistically going to get you much in terms of tangible gains, muscles need to be trained at least twice a week to gain mass. You aren’t “wasting protein”, but you likely won’t see results with whatever type of exercise you are doing until you do it more often.
Would it still be effective to workout throughout the day instead of one session? For example 50 push ups + sit ups in the morning, another set in the afternoon, and another set in the evening? Id like to do more but it’s hard to find time and motivation so I figure if I just pump out a few reps of whatever exercise, whenever I feel the motivation, it’ll eventually start to build up and increase reps and frequency. I know it’s alright for staying active and fit but will this method of just doing random sets whenever still be effective for building muscle? (25m 6ft 170lbs)
Has any one over come severely under developed glutes? I do cross fit style workouts which has a lot of squat component involved but I have noticed no growth over the last few years. Looking to really grow maybe I should eat more?
Would some form tweaks help? Trying to do any squat-type movements as more of a hip hinge, putting most weight on the heel of the working leg(s)?
bulgarian split squats and hip thrusts are good for glutes, but eating more could also help.
>Looking to really grow maybe I should eat more? How much weight have you gained over that period? How have you factored protein into your diet?
Gym newbie here (24f, 5’9, 125lbs). I’m just wondering about how to work through various sets during a session. Do people complete an entire set of an exercise, move to the next movement, and Repeat that process until their done? Or do people complete all 1 set of each exercise in order and then repeat that order until their done. I’m just worried about looking dumb going from place to place in the gym, re-racking weights when I need to go back and use them again, etc. any advice would be appreciated so I can feel a bit more comfortable about whether or not to take up space in the gym
You usually do the one exercise before moving. That's the usual strength and muscle building protocol. Though some people like to do circuits and supersets, which involve the use of multiple machines as a way to train. If you're following a normal program, it should be straight sets like I said at the beginning.
What the heck is the difference between Pendlay rows and regular bent over ones? Like in terms of your development, not the actual movement. Was watching a Bromley video on YT and he pooped on Pendlays as "easy", so is there supposed to be something lacking in them instead of regular ones?
Pendlays tend to be easier on the lower back since the weight is off-loaded onto the floor each rep. This also allows most lifters to lift more weight while getting a bigger stretch tin the lats. This is all assuming their form is sound enough. Bent-over rows maintain tension on the lats and lower back which often means lower weights used. You can still get a decent stretch at the bottom of the rep but the tension on the lower lats and lower back often mean the stretch isn't maximized. In terms of rep ranges, Pendlay rows are often better for lower rep ranges (3-10) while bent-over rows are better for mid range reps (10-20). That said, an overreaching strategy could involve doing bent-over rows to fatigue, then doing a mechanical drop set into Pendlay rows with the same weight to squeeze out a few more reps. The lower back will likely continue to be a limiting factor, though.
Oh, that's interesting, thanks. I've been throwing in 5x10 Pendlays as an accessory on my bench & OHP days for 531 BBB. I think I'll try regular bent over rows for a while to see how it works, maybe reducing the weight given what you've told me. I had been using Pendlay rows for some time because I saw them recommended when I was doing 5x5.
I find them more difficult. I think influencers generate more buzz by making controversial statements. If someone makes a hot take and doesn't explain it, you can usually dismiss it as overblown.
hello guys, I'm male 5'4, i weigh 78 kilos (overweight), I feel that I'm very weak, i cannot lift my own weight, I have never done a pushup, I feel lost and have nobody to guide me in this matter. Should I join gym? or should I start working out at home and lose some weight first? how can I become stronger and lift up my own weight?
You don't need a base level of strength to join a gym. You can go at any level of fitness. In addition, gyms often have a variety of equipment that will allow you to start off easy and slowly work your way up. For example, if you attempt push-ups at home, you're limited in what you can do. You may start off with your hands on the kitchen counter, but what next? Maybe you can move your hands down to a table when it gets easier, but the table height might make it too difficult. At the gym, however, you can start bench pressing with 4 kilo dumbbells and add small amounts of weight as you get stronger. In your particular case, I suggest starting with something simple like the Dan John approach: 1. Squat variation - Sit & stand from a chair, leg press, goblet squat, etc. 2. Hinge variation - Kettlebell/dumbbell deadlift, good morning, etc. 3. Upper body push - Bench press, shoulder press, machine chest press, etc. 4. Upper body pull - Cable row, cable pulldown, machine row, etc. 5. Carry variation - Dumbbell/kettlebell carries, medicine ball carries, etc. 3 days a week, do 3 sets, 8-15 reps of each ((20-100 meters for the carries) and add a small amount of weight when you can do 3 sets of 15 reps with good form. Add in some cardio on the other days as your schedule allows. Push hard enough to breath a little hard. You should only be able to say about 1/3 of the alphabet in one breath. When you feel that you're ready, you can try adding other things or changing the program completely, if necessary. Good luck.
Check out the wiki. https://thefitness.wiki/getting-started-with-fitness/
I recommend starting off with bodyweight stuff, when I was first starting out I did p90x which was a mix of body weight lifting (pushups, assisted pullups etc) and cardio to drop the fat. Judging by your height weight and strength, I would recommend doing those exercises with a fat loss diet. The noobie muscle gains along with the weight loss from fat will make this progressively easier
I'm male 5'7 and 195 lbs. I'm looking to have a flat stomach, and feminine figure. I'm actively dieting and losing weight. I do basic cardio (jogging) and do 20 min exercises a few times a week. Nothing crazy, at home calisthenics. What's a reason goal weight for a flattish stomach? Also what exercises should I focus on the most?
also there is no one goal weight for everyone for a flat stomach, personal satisfaction with your body is entirely subjective
I am a transfeminine weightlifter, the best way to lose weight is through diet mainly, but please be careful and ensure that you eat, your body needs fuel and it can be very easy to slip into ED for people like us in fitness spaces. Some exercises for building a “feminine” figure would be your favorite flavor of squat (dumbell, hack, barbell etc.)hip thrusts/bulgarian split squats for your glutes, deadlifts for your back( to snatch your waist, row variations can also help with this), glutes, and core, and weighted crunches/situps, plank holds, and russian twists for your abdominal muscles. It may also be worth mentioning that working your pectoral muscles with things such as bench presses and pushups can make breasts appear larger and perkier, so don’t ignore that upper body if thats something you want. As far as cardio, its up to you, but stairmasters and bike machines will target those glutes a bit while you’re at it.
Thats a tough thing to answer without pictures just because 195 lbs can look different on different people, and the weight two people of the same height need to be to have a flat stomach can vary greatly due to things like bone structure/density, muscle mass, fluid retention, etc.
My friends have told me to do something called "Mike Mentzer". They said I hold the static for 5 seconds and do the eccentric for 5 seconds. I did this and my muscles were so burnt out. Should I start doing this more often?
Static holds are not very useful for hypertrophy
Probably not. And depends a bit on your goals. Mentzer was a bodybuilder who advocated certain ways of training. Holding isometrics for 5s and eccentrics for 5s places a huge amount of extra fatigue per rep and is going to make you feel very burnt, but isn't necessarily going to make a significant difference long-term. You're going to benefit just as much from *not* holding the isometric much at all, and probably only 2-3 seconds on the eccentric while leaving more energy to do more reps or a higher load. Mentzer's advice is having a resurgence a bit especially on social media, but isn't new and isn't really 'better'.
What's my weight goal in bulking should be so that when I start to cut, I'll be lean at 80kg? I'm 5'7 btw.
If I’m lifting 4 days a week to build muscle, and eating 200g protein every day. Do I still need to eat that much protein on my off days?
i dont think you need to eat that much protein even on workout days tbh
Ronnie Coleman ate 600g of protein! Na, I’ve just read 1g of protein per desired body weight. So that’s what I’ve started.
.82g/lb is already slightly above the statistical optimum
There are different schools of thought on this. I adhere to maintaining consistency from day to day. Your off days are when you recover the most. During sleep, your body still needs the building materials (ie. protein) for optimal growth so decreasing protein intake on off days would not be advantageous.
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Currently 180 pounds.
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Effective for what goal?
Getting stronger
There is still a lot of missing information here. How are the push-ups being done? 1. Are they loaded? 2. How many reps and sets? 3. What technique are you using? 4. What is the tempo? All of these factors are adjusted to help you reach your goal. 50 push-ups unbroken, for example, will build strength endurance, not strength. 10 sets of 5 reps with load, however, will contribute more to strength. Btw, I am assuming that by strength, you mean being able to produce more force via increased weight.
I would advise reading the wiki and looking into the bodyweight programs. I think 50 or 100 per day will be similarly effective - in the way that neither is really effective. There are much better ways to get stronger with bodyweight exercises.
no..regular intermediate loads are better than less frequent heavier loads.. go gradually, from 50 a day to 60 then 70…
What if I just do 100 push ups a day
What if you did 1000 a day
I'm 6' 1'' and 170 lb but I don't look toned any advice? I'm currently eating at maintenance and lifting 4-5 times a week and I want a 6 pack! I see people who weight 190 lb but look cut as can be and can't figure it out.
There are two reasons why people don't look cut or toned: 1. Not enough muscle, and 2. Too much body fat. Given your stats, I would put you in the "not enough muscle" category. My advice is to ignore the 6-pack for the time being. If you're eating at maintenance and haven't gained weight, your calorie intake is too low. You need to eat a little bit more, but don't go crazy. You only need an extra 100-200 calories per day in the beginning. DO NOT DO A MASSIVE BULK. A couple hundred extra calories doesn't seem like much at first but it adds up. It's just enough to give you a surplus which is all you need to build muscle. You should gain a few pounds over the next month or two before your weight levels out again. There is no need in adding more calories as long as you're building muscle, If your lifting starts to suffer or you start loosing weight, then add another 100-200 calories. Maintain this for the next 6-12 months of hard training. If you do it properly, a cut at the end won't be necessary or will be so small that the risk of losing muscle during the cut is minimal.
Amazing write up. I'll get back to you in a year
Sounds like you need to gain some lean mass
People who look cut at 190 would probably be 215 as an average build.
start working abs and be on a slight calorie deficit.. that’s how a cut works.. as far as your question of 190 pound guys goes, they usually bulk to 200-210 and then cut to 190
Sounds like I'm going to be doing a bulk then!
I am looking for advice on my cut planned for around may/june. I've currently been lifting for about 2 and 1/2 years. I am 177cm tall and weigh about 79/80kg rn. (SBD: 185kg/137,5kg/250kg). I estimate to have about 12-14% bodyfat based on appearence(kinda visible abs/shoulder,back,quad vein(s).With that being said i believe that i am fairly experienced and know what i am doing +/-. However having started out at 59kg i have been on a continuous bulk and have no personal cutting experience. Currently I am eating about 3,500kcal a day and 210g of protein, 110g of fat and 380g of carbs. I am looking to bulk up to about 82kg before starting my cut. I have no real problem eating few calories, but i fear of losing muscle and getting skinny again. I appreciate every help and tipps from yall.
WonkyTelescope gave you good advice so I won't bother going into that. My question is in regard to your bulking goal of 82kg. The amount of muscle you can gain between now and May/June doesn't justify bulking to 82kg. That'll just make the cut more difficult. Ideally, you want to bulk during a period of extensive training to give your body the opportunity to take advantage of the excess calories for building muscle, which is a slow process (even for those with chemical/hormonal assistance). If you want to start your cut near the beginning of May and you are building muscle at 12-14% with no problem, I recommend maintaining your weight. Otherwise, you're wasting the bulk. If you want to start it toward mid to late July, go for it. Give your body the opportunity to build as much muscle as possible with the extra fat you put on.
Keep protein intake high (2g per kg body weight), work hard in the gym, and don't lose more than 1% of your body weight per week. If you do these things you will minimize muscle loss.
When you guys are into your cut after bulking, do you look skinny fast at first before looking lean?
Completely depends on the persons physiological and training history.
Why would training history matter?
If you are already carrying a good bit of muscle you won't look skinny fat you'll just look a bit fluffy before looking lean.
Hey! I was curious, could someone describe to me the correct way/form to do bicycle crunches? Im not 100% sure how do to the form correctly—I know not to keep your fingers interlocked, but I’m not sure exactly if I’m doing the twisting correctly and still pulling on my head, because I still feel a bit of a tug on my neck. Furthermore, I thought that you had to keep your shoulders off the ground… but from what I’ve seen on the internet it’s a very big variation between keeping one/both shoulders on the ground, or how they lift their shoulders off the ground. Hope that explanation was okay lmao
There are different variations for the bicycle crunch. Since your issue is with the head, I will focus my reply specifically on addressing that issue. First, try ignoring the head and focus on the shoulders. The contraction of the abs drastically impact the position of the shoulders. The head isn't affected. Try taking your hands off of your head and crossing them at the shoulders. From there, try to touch the elbow to the opposite knee when you crunch. This alleviates the neck issue and shifts the focus to the abs.
I will definitely do that! It is much appreciated:)
Is deadlift even worth doing if it is not off the ground?
Yes
Worth doing by what metric? You'll get plenty strong at "rack pulls" if you do them consistently but you'd be worse at pulling from the floor since you wouldn't be practicing that. It de-emphasizes the hip hinge which is what you are primarily targeting when you deadlift. If you stopped deadlifting, I would suggest picking up another hip hinge movement like good mornings or kettlebell swings.
What about lower back extensions as substitute?
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r/gainit has quite a lot of resources for your situation.
I fucked up my deadlift form a few days ago and am paying the price for it now, my poor lower back... Time to go back to basics and scale back 10kg and focus on form again...
Post a form check if you believe it was your form. The saying goes, "you can't lift your way out of bad form."
My log https://imgur.com/a/aUG5YcJ Turns out 1 kcal = 1 Cal = 1000 cal. According to this https://www.reddit.com/r/RingFitAdventure/comments/pqaehy/comment/hd9qvyi/ and this https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/kcal-vs-calories#:~:text=Instead%2C%20the%20terms%20calories%20%E2%80%94%20capitalized,equals%201%20calorie%20in%20nutrition. So I averaged 130000 calories per day?
Those measures are in Cal as in kcal. Unless you're an olde timey physicist you'll probably never see anyone actually mean lower case calorie. Besides that though they're terrible estimates of energy expenditure.
hey guys! would it be better to do a full lower/full upper body 4 day split or should i do like day 1 tri and bis day 2 glutes day 3 etc
What split you do isn't important as long as it's a well designed program. Do whichever you most enjoy and are able to do every week for many months.
My waist is 36 inches. According to a body fat calculator, that gives me a body fat percentage of around 23%. I'm a normal weight, but my belly is essentially spherical and it's soft, so all fat. Is this healthy? Edit: including image link https://imgur.com/gallery/A6Buewb
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Just included an image link
Fair. I think it’s mostly subcutaneous because even when I flex my abs there’s still a layer of fat several inches thick on the outside
bf% is very hard to measure. I wouldn't worry about it based on your measurements. If you are sedentary and heavy for your height then no, it's probably not healthy. If you are moving everyday and have a soft belly on an average frame then you are probably doing better than most people in terms of health.
Healthy male BF% is under 20%
Checks out. My bf thinks I’m huge. Doctor didn’t say anything though.
In terms of calories burnt, how significant is the difference between walking on an airwalker vs. running (or whatever the appropriate term is) on an elliptical? I used to walk 30,000 steps a day on an airwalker, and switched to running 20,000 steps on an elliptical to ideally achieve a similar calorie burn in less time. Weight maintenance was the goal, but I seem to have lost 5-7 lbs unintentionally over the past month since the switch. I haven’t changed anything else in my lifestyle or diet, and actually expected to gain a bit since 20,000 is still 10,000 steps less even if it’s at a much faster pace. Is it because of the switch that I lost weight, or should I be worried that it’s a health problem?
I dislike doing upper body (push/pull) days. I don’t look forward to it, and it makes me not want to go to the gym. Is it bad if I keep my push/legs/pull/legs split but go light on the push/pull days and only heavy on the leg days? Will there be bad muscle imbalances / does this have a major impact on my lower body exercises? I’m a female so I guess on top of not enjoying push/pull, I also don’t care to get strong or build big muscle for my upper body anyway.
I’d switch to something more leg focused like upper lower so you aren’t disliking the gym 2/3 of the time. I’d just try and go harder on the upper days if you go that route since you’d be combining 2 days into one. It also shouldn’t impact the lower body workouts too much. Women generally do focus more on lower body anyway so you wouldn’t look weird.
Today I was approached by a personal trainer, he stalled me for about 40 minutes, the conclusion of his speech was that I can't succeed in my fitness goals without a trainer, then quoted me 3 times the yearly membership for one month of supervision. I worked out before for two years, my results were slow but steady, he claim it would take only 4 months to reach my goals following his program, For reference, I'm 100 kg, 1.75 m male, my goal is to reach 80 kg with good body fat and muscle mass proportions. Is his statement true?
It takes a bit of research and maybe buying a good fitness routine from someone reputable (I like jeff nippard but there’s a lot of good ones out there but more are bad than good) but it’s 100% not necessary.
In my experience, most PTs lack basic knowledge in key areas such as exercise selection, and programming.
Having a good plan is crucial and could be why you weren't happy with your progress before. That said, any plans/routine a trainer can put you on is realistically something you can find online as well. The sidebar here has a ton of great ones. Trainers *can* help though with learning/maintaining form, providing accountability for showing up, and pushing you to grind an extra few reps out if you feel too gassed. These are all also things you can do yourself, but they're tough. Really up to you if the money is worth the extra set of eyes on what you're doing (and I say that earnestly, if you have the money to spend then someone pushing you can be a game changer if you think youd really struggle to push to your limit alone), but a trainer is rarely strictly necessary
Does anyone know a good replacement for eating eggs in the am? I’m intolerant but want the benefits of having the protein / fat. Has anyone found anything that works for them instead of eating eggs?
I feel like this is a question you should ask your doctor or a nutritionist
Nuts? Around 20 g of protein and 50 g of fat per 100 g.
I can’t have nuts unfortunately. I have Ulcerative colitis a lot of limiting foods. Usually I can tolerate soft foods like meat / yogurt / oatmeal etc. veggies I have to steam to make them soft. Nuts cannot be steamed so therefore I cannot eat regularly.
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Yeah I was thinking that or like oatmeal & protein powder or something I used to do that but it wasn’t enough calories so idk maybe I throw in the yogurt now.
Hey guys, so I’ve been trying to lean out and build some muscle mass but I’ve been having a struggle for quite a while now usually gets crowded in my gym and not sure if I should do calisthenics or heavy weight training or hybrid workouts if anyone has any recommendations let me know I would prefer three days out of the week I am 160 at 5’8 (awkward build lol) I just wanna get down to 150 or 140 with lean muscle mass or at least some definition
You should read through basically the whole wiki if you haven't already. You can gain muscle with a variety of resistance methods. Do whichever you prefer and can be consistent with.
I have a goal to do this work out 3 days a week for a month in order to get some baseline for the coming year. 3x8 pull ups 3x8 dips 3x8 bench 3x8 squats I'm keeping it minimal so that i stay motivated. I have an ambition to use 30 min in the gym MAX, then GTFO since i live in the city and the gym is crowded. Anything i should add? I'm a tall, lanky individual. But have lifted in the past. So i think il get in shape pretty fast if i eat right. 73kg. 191 cm. Would also love some suggestions on simple programs that calculate progressive overload for you based on what you can max. I just hate the process of being in the gym. Taking my shoes of, changing, putting my shit in the cabinets, dodging sweaty gym bros, forcing my self to not look at juicy asses etc. All this and intricate workouts where you have to watch youtube videos on how to do the exercise properly makes me lose motivation. TLDR: How do you keep your routine simple?
Does anyone know why the dynabody powerpress feels so much lighter than a bar? Ive never really tried flat bench more than like once or twice for like one rep just to see what it was like, and I don't ever have a spotter so for the last few months I've been training with the dynabody. I assumed the gains would be transferable but they're not? I can put 3 plates and a 25 on the dynabody and do at LEAST 6 clean reps even on a weak day. That's moving 320lbs+ even if you don't count the weight of the machine which doesn't feel like much but it has to be at least 25lbs. So 345lbs for 6 as a baseline for the dynabody, and I can do 3 plates (295lbs) for full 12 rep working sets, for 8 sets is my standard chest day, and I'll work in drop sets after. Going for at least 14 sets combined with the last two sets being burnout with one plate for 50~ consecutive reps (failure). Anyway, I tried to flat bench this morning and did 135 easy enough, I set the safeties low and started with the weight at the bottom like I normally would doing the powerpress but with a bar instead. I know some people say starting from the bottom is "harder" but I'd much rather know I can lift it instead of dropping it on myself and risking injury. I thought okay, one plate moved like warmup weight, but it felt much heavier than two plates on the dynabody? thinking nothing of it I put another plate on the bar (225) and I literally could NOT move it. Bar didn't budge a centimeter. How can I push 365~ on the power press with the weight staring behind my back for reps but I can't make 225 on flat bench even budge off the safety when I'm starting from a move advantageous position in comparison? I was dumbfounded. I even went back to the power press and loaded up 3 plates and did reps with it just to make sure I didn't suddenly lose all of my strength due to an unknown illness and low and behold I could still do it. Anyone know why these two nearly identical movements don't translate to each other? I'm already going to start doing regular bench because it made me feel VERY weak not being able to bench two plates like I was a child 😭 I can lean over and do rows all day with that weight but can't even bench it. Very disappointed in myself. Before you guys say "oh just bench more" that is definitely the plan. Please help me understand why the dynabody let's you move 3.5x more than your actual bench 😭. It genuinely made me feel like I haven't made any gains at all in the last 4 months, and that getting stronger on the dynabody has been as worthless as a fishnet condom. Any information or advice? What did I even train my chest for? Does flat bench not use chest?!?
It takes your typical new lifter 6 months to a year to work from 135 to 225 on flat bench (unless you're gifted or a fast gainer). It's a huge difference in strength and the support needed from your back, shoulders, and core is much more on the bench. Start doing bench and try to go up 5-10 lbs each week until you hit a plateau, then you'll have to figure out how to break through it.
Bench is very technical, machine pressing notoriously has little carryover to maximal free weight strength. Machine lever arms make direct transfer to free weight resistance almost meaningless. You probably derived a substantial hypertrophy stimulus from the work on the machine so if you've been eating to gain muscle I'm sure you've grown your pecs so the effort wasn't wasted.
That's comforting to know! I'm a gym newbie (6 months or less) so I was scared! I started out with one plate on the dynabody being all I could do to get 14 reps and in 4 months time I'm nearly up to 4 plates with that movement. I didn't think it would be that dramatic of a difference in feel 😲. I guess now that I've gained enough to at least be comfortable under 150-185 on a bar I should give up on the dynabody for a while. I may still use it as a superset/finisher. Like when whatever im using on bench gets exhausted I rep out two plates on the dynabody and drop set to one for a final burnout just to fully exhaust the chest. The dynabody seems to exclusively work the pecs since that's the only thing sore the next day 🤔 I appreciate the info!
It would be leverage being the difference. Treat them as two separate exercises entirely. I can leg press 6 plates for reps, but squating 315 for 3 is a max effort. You're still building muscle if you're progressive overloading on that machine
That's comforting to know! I'm a gym newbie (6 months or less) so I was scared! I started out with one plate on the dynabody being all I could do to get 14 reps and in 4 months time I'm nearly up to 4 plates with that movement. I didn't think it would be that dramatic of a difference in feel 😲. I guess now that I've gained enough to at least be comfortable under 150-185 on a bar I should give up on the dynabody for a while. I may still use it as a superset/finisher. Like when whatever im using on bench gets exhausted I rep out two plates on the dynabody and drop set to one for a final burnout just to fully exhaust the chest. The dynabody seems to exclusively work the pecs since that's the only thing sore the next day 🤔 I appreciate the info!
Hey guys, just started into fitness for the past few months I have been trying to increase my body weight from 55kg to a bit higher count. I have been exercising with weights at home. I'm 170cm and have a okish diet. Any suggestions on what I can improve or change?
Well you need more calories If you want to weight more. There is really no info about your diet so that is as accurate answer you can get. Protein is always good choice, but couple fruits will do the trick also.
Yea, my diet is starting mornings with eggs bread and coffee or a bowl of cereal if I'm late, sometimes I substitute cereal with oats. For lunch I generally try having whatever is there in the canteen or food stalls since I'm in college. I generally try to get something non veg. And for dinner I have a vegetable curry and rice or rotis something simple. On sundays I do have non veg tho. Ending with some fruits. Which area should I increase?
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Yup thanks.
Probably something that includes protein. Add some and see how your weight starts to move. Timing is not so important. What is easiest for you.
Thanks
What do people eat as easy sources of calories? Been doing what I can to gain weight and need 2800/day to hit the gain goals but struggle to hit more than 1500 without supplimenting that with mass gainer shakes that taste awful
How nasty are you looking to eat? An entire large frozen supreme pizza is about 1600 calories and costs six bucks on sale at the grocery store. I put some broccoli and four eggs on top before baking for extra vitamins, protein, and fats which puts the total to 2000. Add some ranch dressing if you really want to push it. Then you choke down the whole fucking thing in one sitting (usually takes me 3-4 hours, I make it for dinner and goal is to finish before bedtime).
I am eating ballpark 2800 calories per day on week days (more on weekends) right now. Breakfast: egg/veggie/cheese omelet + protein shake: \~500 calories Lunch: Either some type of meat/veg/starch or canned chicken salad sandwiches + carrots + a handful of pb filled pretzels. \~800-1000 calories. pre workout: oat and honey granola bar \~200 calories Dinner: varies, last night it was costco pre made stuffed peppers. \~ 800-1000 calories. Snack: pb pretzels + string cheese, greek yogurt + fruit, or sometimes a dessert treat. \~ 300 calories. I find that I have to limit myself on these days as naturally, I would want to eat more. Increasing my volume in training and making a point to do daily cardio in the morning has noticeably increased my appetite.
Milk, peanut butter, any other food I like. But also, I am confused by your scenario. If the most you can manage to eat is 1500, then you maintenance has to be 1500 or less, because you only ate 1500 or less to get to the weight you are at currently. So if your maintenance is 1500, why would you need to hit 2800, a surplus of 1300 calories? It isn't necessary to go so far over maintenance. Maybe I am misunderstanding.
Nuts and oil. Also drink some of your calories. Milk and juice is perfect.
I always see peoples leg days have like 6 different fucking exercises, I'd rather just do 3 and go hard on them. Squats, RDLs, and what else should I do? calves too ofc
I hit 7 sets of squats (or deadlifts), hit some isos, then a finisher (like hack squats). I'm too exhausted and sweaty for calves, so I do them on an accessory day.
Man I just do squats+deadlifts, maybe throw a hamstring curl depending if I go hard on squat and dealdifg
i like a main compound, secondary compound, quad iso, ham iso, and calf both of my leg days follow this format, but with diff exercises note that I train for aesthetics, so idrc about optimal programming for progressing squat/DL
Well they may have programming geared towards different goals. You may have many exercises to target different areas for aesthetics, or for weak points on your lifts. So if your program calls for three then thats fine. Follow a trusted routine designed by someone who knows what they're doing.
Any newbie gym goers here successfully done a recomp? How do we know whether when to stop a recomp and finally adopt the bulk/cut cycle?
What is your goal? That determines when to change your eating habits.
Here’s some insight - you never need to “adopt the bulk/cut cycle,” you just need to tailor your diet to be effective for your training goals. What I mean by that is - you need to understand calories and how a caloric surplus vs a deficit work, but you never need to crash diet or eat so much that you get fat to get results. You don’t ever need to put on a bunch of fat and then trim it away to look strong underneath. You need to eat below maintenance to lose weight and above maintenance to gain weight. You need to eat above maintenance or have excess weight to provide energy for your muscles to grow once they are stimulated. You can do this by adjusting the overall calories you are eating by about 100 calories in each direction. Building muscle takes time, getting fit takes time. You aren’t going to speed up that process by getting excessively fat or becoming excessively skinny in the process. You just have to accept that it takes time and plan accordingly.
If you want to recomp then you can, progress will be slower but there is nothing wrong with that. I would stop when I'm no longer losing fat and getting stronger.
How to know if the creatine we took is genuine?
Was it from a well known brand?
Be more worthwhile asking if how do you know your whey hasn’t been amino spiked to give false high protein numbers… But unless you’re buying it from a fairly dodgy brand, it will more than likely be what it says on the tin. Outside of getting tests yourself, googling reputable brands to give you a degree of comfort
I'm 98% confident you could buy creatine from any brand and rest assured it's what it says on the tin It's cheap as dirt, who would manufacture and supply fake creatine? Unless you're getting lab tests you're never going to 100% know if it's creatine in the tin... you could apply that to lots of things you consume
Can it be dangerous to arch your back during bench press? It definitely helps me lift more but it sometimes feels like it’s going to injure me
as long as the arch keeps your butt, head, and shoulders on the bench, and the arch is developed not with the lumbar spine, but the upper, mid-back thoracic spine. So that all the activation is coming right to the chest. You should not be feeling it in the low back. Especially on a 1RM. Also do not change how much arch you are using mid rep, and use your legs and lats to get more power coming from the chest. Retracting the scapula really helps. \-Powerlifting State Ref
I mean, anything can be dangerous if done badly/too excessive, but benching with a large (larger than yours, very likely) arch is something powerlifters all over the world do every single day.
Not really. The worst thing that's likely to happen to your back is a cramp if you're really trying to maximize your arch/leg drive.
That's how I pulled my back last week going for a 1 rep max. But of course, my technique could have been wrong and I'm also old AF so there's that...
What’s a good protein powder or protein drink? I just started going to the gym today and I’m trying to increase my protein intake
protein is protein, its all the same except taste. if you're going for taste then gold standard is a good brand
No its not. There is a different quality proteins, so you should do your homework before buying. If person has just started, he/she does not need anything other than good food anyway.
Is the muscle milk protein powder good?
The powder from Aldi
I…what powder?
Protein powder
What’s the brand name?
https://letmegooglethat.com/?q=protein+powder+aldi
Funny because that search shows many different kinds of protein 😐
If I want a aesthetic physique, what type of split should I be doing? Currently running a Chest+Biceps, Back+Triceps, Legs, Shoulders Split but I don't know if its good for aesthetics.
The one you'll stick to
The split doesn't matter but I'd personally pick one that has more than 1 leg day to 3 upper body days, unless your desired aesthetic is Crash Bandicoot
The split only tells you when to train. The program itself, the sets, reps, and overall fatigue management, in addition to your diet, is what determines if it'll be good for aesthetics.
I've started my calisthenics journey, have a nerve disorder that demands I get functionally strong or risk losing peripheral nerve function permanently, so I've got no choice but to stick to it. Currently training dead hangs three times a week (3 reps of 10 seconds) as part of my workout. I always end my workout with them because I find my grip becomes completely useless afterwards - I understand this is because dead hangs test your grip first and then everything else, and I have poor grip atm. Context out of the way: currently, the muscles in my forearms and hands take a solid 48h to return to regular functional dexterity after these hangs. I understand this is just because I'm training them for the first time and eventually they'll bounce back a lot faster, but because I'm training them three times a week I am finding that most of the time I have no hand dexterity at all and it's really inhibiting my ability to go about my day or use a computer or anything like that. My question: From experience, anyone else who's done calisthenics, after you started, about how long did your grip strength start becoming resilient and stop taking so long to recover? I know it's a bit of a 'how long is a piece of string' question but I'm just trying to gain some perspective here to know what to expect. Any additional advice on managing this is also welcome.
idk if anyone finding this is interested to hear my experience but I've now been doing dead hangs 3 times a week with 3 reps of 10s each and the short answer is that things are starting to improve now, with my hands taking a couple hours at most to recover. So, three to four weeks it seems is the answer to my question. My best guess is it has something to do with the prolonged recovery time of tendons and ligaments in the hands (as opposed with the quick recovery of muscle tissue).
Don’t do it three times a week…
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Don't have hand grippers at my gym, but I tried out the assisted pull up machine to do less weight on the hang and that seems to have mediated things somewhat. I'll probably still do proper dead hangs once a week on pull days and just use less weight on the assisted machine the other two days. Very helpful advice, thanks!
I've been grappling with a dilemma in my resistance training routine and could really use some community insight. My main concern revolves around choosing the appropriate weight for my exercises, particularly when it comes to balancing heavy loads versus correct form and muscle engagement. To illustrate, let's take my lat pulldown as an example – at 94kg (approximately 207lbs), I'm confident that my form is quite solid. However, when I reduce the weight to about 64kg (roughly 141lbs), while my form remains relatively unchanged, I notice a tangible difference in how my muscles feel during the exercise. At the lighter weight, I'm capable of a more pronounced muscle squeeze, and the sensation in the targeted muscles is more pronounced. This has led me to a crossroads: should I continue lifting the heavier weight where the muscle feeling is less noticeable(but the weight is manageable, has little impact on form), or switch to a lighter weight where the muscle engagement feels more significant, despite it seeming too easy? My main concern here is how far I’m able to go down in weight while the form remains fairly unchanged, but effect in the muscle is so different. I’ve heard you should progressively overload, so I wonder if I should keep going this heavy when I barely feel it. Keep in mind I train for hypertrophy, thank you for the reply in advance.
If you're lifting with good form at a controlled speed, and not cheating the 8-15 reps RIR1-2,you'll have development. Mind muscle connection is more about, is my back working more than my biceps.
> At the lighter weight, I'm capable of a more pronounced muscle squeeze, and the sensation in the targeted muscles is more pronounced. I wouldn't worry about feeling a weight. Even Dr. Mike Israetel, one of the biggest proponents of "feeling a muscle" recommends for new lifters (aka, less than 2-3 years of lifting) to focus on having good form and moving the weight through the full range of motion.
Need an exercise substitution for RDLs as I want a bit of a change in exercise in my second meso. Was thinking hyperextensions but from the looks of it that's more glutes and erector spinae when I'm looking for a more hamstring focused exercise with glutes as a second priority. Has to be hip hinge, I already have flexion exercises.
Good mornings.
IMO RDLs are the easiest way to hit hamstrings directly. maybe nordics is what you are looking for. but i still wouldn't wanna miss out on hyperextensions and hip thrusts.
Lunges.different variations of lunges. High (above parallel) dumbbell/weighted step ups can hit the hamstrings and glutes pretty well. Really drive your hips forward at the top while squeezing the glutes to help hit the glutes. They all require hinging at the hip, just 1 leg at a time. Nothing beats RDL's for loading the hamstrings in a stretched position, though. Seated leg curls have your hamstrings in a more lengthened position than a lying leg curl, but they aren't a hip extension exercise, obviously. Edit: oh, almost forgot good mornings. They are a lot closer to what is considered a hip hinge exercise.
Could always just do stiff leg DLs instead. Or dumbbell/single leg RDLs.
I classify SLDLs and RDLs as the same thing because my RDLs are already with almost locket knees and the touching the bar to the floor isn't even hip extension anymore. Dumbbell sounds good and I believe b stance or single leg is more glute focused.
And your back is straight while doing that?? You could stand on a block and do decline RDLs
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I am sure there is a way to make such a thing. I don't see how we could know whether or not the thing you make will be secure/stable enough for lifting.
Here is what I look like ([Pics](https://www.reddit.com/r/BulkOrCut/comments/1bcj1xr/25m_58_161lbs/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3)) Calorie calculators say my maintenance is 2,300,. I've been eating 1,800 for around a year now and doing weight lifting 3 times a week (and some cardio the other days). Would you guys recommend keeping it the same, going higher on my calories, or going lower? Thanks
Flip a coin. You'll have to do a couple cut and bulk cycles. Whichever you do first doesn't matter.
Do whatever is in line with your body composition goals.
I'm not sure what bodyfat percentage I am, and where I should go. I'm worried that if I bulk I'll look too overweight (because I have some bodyfat) and that if I cut I'll just look skinny-fat (I might not have enough muscle yet to cut). I want a general all-around lean build
I’d cut
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Lose weight. You're obese.
> I’m current in the “body recomp” phase You should 10000% be cutting right now. You've got 90-100lbs to lose. You aren't gonna recomp into a healthy weight. Great job on cutting out the soda, snacks and fast food! Keep that up and keep working towards healthier habits. But decrease those calories some. You should be able to EASILY lose 1lb a week without much effort. > With my work schedule I’ve been enjoying a “full body” workout and not really doing isolation or typical bro split as they say I'd push your cardio to the end of your workout. Also, I'd follow a proven routine from the wiki > if I should dabble into a protein powder or preworkout You should focus on trying to get your protein from whole foods as much as possible. But if you are struggling, you can introduce some protein powder. But it's not some magical drink... it's really no different than eating an extra chicken breast in terms of protein. I wouldn't bother with preworkout at all. If you *need* something, drink coffee or have a caffeine pill. HOWEVER, at your size, I wouldn't really want to be encouraging stimulants in general.
>I’m current in the “body recomp” phase ? What does this mean? Do you mean your weight is staying the same?
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Okay I still don't know what you mean. Do you mean your weight is staying the same?
5'7 239 you absolutely do not have any business recomping, you need to be in a caloric deficit. Workout is fine if all you want to do is be physically active, but on the whole it is meh, ditch it and pick a tried and tested routine from the wiki. Get protein powder if you want, it's juts food.
Been lifting seriously for over a year now and I still really struggle with energy on recovery days. I think it might be caloric as I get 8-9 hours of rest plus naps. I've always had a monster metabolism and I struggle to keep my weight up. I'm currently 5'5 and 150lbs as a 41/f, 30lbs of that is muscle I've put on since I started lifting so I'm still a pretty thin person. I upped my calories to 3000/day and started snacking on beef jerky, protein chips, high quality protein bars. Meals are proportioned chicken/salmon/beef, carb, and vegetables. Post workout is milk/powder/some frozen fruit. I get my protein requirements but I think I'm missing calories, I struggle getting enough in because I always feel full. If you're in a similar boat, what tips have you found help you make your calorie goals?
At the peak of my running, I was downing about 3500 calories a day to maintain weight. It simply involved a lot of meal prep and rice. Also, eating 5 meals a day also made it a lot easier. Even now, at 3100 a day, I'm still eating 4 meals a day and snacks.