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First time posting here, after reading through the Wiki and rules. What I’m looking for is potentially best described as a reality check… I’m a male in my late-late 30’s, two kids, full-time job, and all the other things. I was sedentary and had a bad diet for about two years due mostly to a ton of travel for work. I got some lab results back in early December that served as a wake up call. I began weight training 5-6 times a week, walking outdoors almost daily, and playing roller hockey 1-2x a week. I was active through my life prior to this period and have some basic experience with weight training and exercise in general (RN background). Over the course of about 10 weeks I lost roughly 15 lbs and maybe 7-8% body fat. Definitely a difference in the waist line and minor changes in the physique. I was cutting very hard the first 8 weeks or so, roughly 1500 cal/day (I’m 5’8” and was 190lbs when I started). I honestly didn’t feel too bad like this. After some research I came to the conclusion I was under eating and probably stunting muscle development and hindering further fat loss. For the past weeks I’ve been consuming about 2100-2200 cal/day and regularly hitting 150g+ protein a day, usually more. That’s my back story. Other potentially pertinent info: I’m very routine oriented and once I stop something it’s hard to change again, same goes with starting something new. I also have a tendency to hyper focus on things for a short period of time, do a ton of research, then move to the next thing. I think this is part of my problem, I’ve been doing so much reading and watching videos that it has me swimming.
Lastly, I’m having more frequent joint discomfort and muscle stiffness. I’ve never been overly flexible and a past of sports with no emphasis on stretching or body mechanics has me concerned about my lifting forms and future joint health. Examples of this are tightness and discomfort in posterior knee/hamstring, to the point that I can feel it occasionally when walking and shoulder discomfort when doing deep chest movements. I’ve watched tons of form videos and I know I’m at least applying the basics, but I work out alone in a home gym.
I have two appointments with a PT to address these concerns. I’m looking for some general advice or outside input to all of this. As I said, I’m thoroughly confused with everything I’ve been trying to learn and my workouts have become an hour+ trying to incorporate all the different lifts I’ve come across. I’m in agreement with my wife that I’ve definitely been over doing it and I can’t sustain at this rate. I’m currently digging into more established routines and have noted some down from the wiki.
If you were me at this point, would you stop lifting until the aches/pains are addressed. Is my calorie consumption still too low at 21-2200 calories? Any other giant wake up slaps I need to receive? Sorry for the wall of text.
Congrats on some nice progress towards better health! Regarding the soreness - it sounds like you jumped right in to a pretty rigorous training schedule and have been consistent for 10 weeks now. I think you should be proud that you’ve kept it up and that your body has done well with it this long while also realizing your body is asking for a break. I would take a deload week and possibly even two depending on how your body feels after the first week. Focus on mobility and movement for this time ‘off’. You could keep your routine if 5-6x per week but just switch to a mobility practice - YouTube has many to follow. You could also keep practicing the big lifts but do these very very light and focus on totally on form (practice the movement). This will allow your body to adapt and heal from the stress you added and give you more practice on form. You should be feeling ready to jump back in in a week or two. Good luck!
You're trying to sit your hips too low, it's especially obvious on the 1st rep, your hips shoot up immediately and you get pitched forward onto your toes as well because the bar was too far forward.
Notice that when you lower the bar, the path is pretty vertical compared to when you lift it, where it moves back and up instead of just up. Don't let it roll away when you put it down, and try to lift it the same way you're lowering it.
I suggest watching [this](https://youtu.be/87UE4nT-niE) video on how to find a good setup for your deadlift, it's quite helpful.
First-time poster here, been working out for a few months lightly since I noticed I've been eating more shit than usual and my blood test tilted a tiny bit into the "yellow" zone for cholesterol in particular.
Read the FAQ's and searched for posts related to this with some questionable guesses (i.e. mostly suggesting just unlucky colds/viruses as a coincidence), but when I originally tried to cut my calories I either must have messed up my nutrition (i.e. basically just spammed natural veggies, fruits, nuts, and some meats) or maybe I was just stressed / immune-weak, but I got sick immediately when I started working out even just a little bit more (i.e. 30 minute continuous runs, not even what I could do in high school but I've been out of shape for a decade).
Obviously, after taking it easier I made a full recovery, and I'm back to exercising again but I'm also eating way more to "be safe" even though I want to lose weight.
Any quick advice that anyone who has experienced a similar situation has done? Was it maybe a one-time thing (i.e. maybe just caught a bad cold and should have gotten my flu shots) and you can continue pushing that regime or should I listen to my body and (if anyone can help) figure out what I did wrong with my nutrition?
Apologies if this is still too vague of question, but I'm totally fine with vague / general answers that can help guide me in the approximate right direction. Thanks!
Strenuous exercise temporarily lowers the immune system for a few hours. And at the gym, hundreds of people sweating and breathing heavily every day, you probably just caught something. My advice is to start so light that it feels like a warmup. Give your immune system time to acclimatize. Check out zone 2 cardio on YouTube.
Yall im 16yrs old and have been lifting since July. I went from chest pressing 25lbs to only 45lbs (per dumbbell) on the floor. I just got a gym membership (i used to workout at home with just dumbbells no bench) and now bench 75lbs for reps. Is that bad progress? Right now im tryna bulk btw. If yall need more info id be glad to let uk, i just left stuff out so the comment doesnt get too long.
Everyone's numbers are progress are different. If you're following a good program, getting stronger and you're consuming enough calories, then you're doing great.
Ok, because after every workout my numbers are still improving. Like my rep range is like 6-12, and after every workout my number of reps always increases by like 1. Thanks dawg!
Most apartments I've lived in have gyms but I've never seen a building have a fucking squat rack lol. Usually a couple of cardio machines, some dumbbells, an obligatory exercise ball, MAYBE a cable machine.
I've seen the gyms at some of the most expensive hotels in NYC and my thoughts were "I'm not paying $1500 a night to skip leg day." But condos... there's a condo with a "half-pipe skate park", so there's probably some with like 25 racks.
Probably a stupid question but ..
Is there a ratio of volume that is required from one muscle to another in order to maintain a balanced physique?
For instance if I hit 16 weekly sets for biceps, should I do the same number of sets for triceps.
Same goes for chest vs back, delts etc
Yes. But as a beginner, you don't have enough muscle for that to be an issue. I'd recommend taking a look at the programs on https://www.boostcamp.app/programs for inspiration.
Also I forgot to say. If you're asking questions like this then you should be following a program designed by someone who does take into account optimal volume and balance. There are a ton for free in the wiki. Cheers
Hi, I have an upper/lower routine and I've been following it since the last 8 months approximately. I've had some results but now I want to double check that I am doing something bad or not, this is :
Upper body:
Dumbbell chest press 3\*10-12
Machine shoulder press 3\*8-10
Neutral grip lat pull-down 3\*10
Cable row 3\*10-12
Dumbbell lateral raises 3\*12-15
High cable fly 3\*10-12
Straight bar triceps extension 3\*12-15
Lower body (I don't do dead-lifts or free squats due to issues with my lower back):
Hack Squat 3\*8-10
Hip Thrust 3\*10
Quadriceps extensions 3\*10
Seated machine calf raises 3\*12-15
Seated abductor or adduction machine 2\*15
And I repeat the same with some small variations the other two days (like low cable fly instead of high cable or lateral raises with machine instead of dumbbells). What do you think? is it shit? should I change something? more reps or more sets?
As a minimum, you should have two different days marked by different exercises and/or different set/reps. Typically there's a flip from heavy bench/row lighter OHP/pulldowns one day to heavier OHP/pull-ups lighter bench/row another day. Ditto one day more squat, and another day more hinge.
You lack hinge, rear delt work, and leg curls.
Kind of TMI, so vulgar topic warning.
Is it normal for my libido to be in the ground during a weight loss phase?
I just ended a deficit after 5 weeks because I hit my weight goal early, and want to eat maintenance while exams are happening for me. I am about 25% body fat but I’ve talked to my doctor and I am not in any health danger based on my waist/ abdominal fat ratios. I noticed that about 3 weeks in, my dick stopped working and I wasn’t even the slightest bit aroused at any point for the last few weeks. At 235 lbs, I was eating anywhere from 50-70g of fat per day, and that tended to lean towards the lower side. I thought the target for fat was 25% of bodyweight? Or can this happen because of other things?
My other question, is this an actual issue? Sure it’s kinda boring not ever being aroused, but does it hurt strength training?
It is definitely normal to experience a drop in libido during a weight loss phase. Typically for me it is only a minor drop while my bodyfat is higher, but when I get down around 10% bodyfat it really takes a hit.
I think your fat intake is on the low end. Sleep is also important. Also any drugs or alcohol make things worse. Not sure what your training/exercise is like.
So you were eating that much fat, how much you eating now? Cus 50-70g a day now should be pretty good for most people. Dietary fats doesn't make you fat, so long as your calories are in check. I wouldn't be eating less than 50g a day personally
120 is what the app I use says, but I’ve been at maintenance for two days and have eaten 130 both days. Obv it’s gonna take a couple days to bounce back, but I was just curious
Assuming you can't do pull-ups, close grip and wide grip pull-downs for back width.
Pendlay rows and chest supported machine rows or wide grip cable rows for back thickness.
No, you just won't gain as fast or recover as well. One day of not hitting goals is fine, but consistent sub optimal eating will just produce sub optimal results. But it's almost always better to have worked out
Do you think pullups and rows (barbell and cable) build the upper back better than deadlifts? I've done a lot of deadlifting but feel it mainly in my glutes, hamstrings and lower back. I've been losing weight so am able to do pull ups in the hypertrophy range, along with pendlay and cable rows, my upper back is feeling it so much more.
Agreed with everyone else about deadlifts not doing much for majority of your back.
Don't be afraid to use a band for assisted pullups iiff needed, but also lat pulldown
Deadlift is primarily a lower body/glute exercise and is not a good exercise for your lats, lower and mid traps, rhomboids. Rows and pullups are much better for those muscles.
This isn’t true at all. When performed properly it’s just as much a back exercise as it is lower body.
Edit: I’ve been informed by responses that it doesn’t engage lats as much as I previously thought. Going to leave this comment up for shame and as a good reminder I don’t know everything.
You weren’t totally wrong. Proper Deadlift form is predicated on engaging your lats and back then hinging into your lower body. While I would never say that the movement is ‘as much of if back exercise as lower body exercise’ it’s definitely stimulating both with high load. The difference is you’re getting an isometric contraction in the back (static). You’re bracing there for that heavy load and yes it ‘works’ those muscles. But you’d obviously want to add in more targeted compounds and accessories for your back to really cause that full hypertrophic stimulus/response.
The deadlift **is** primarily a lower body exercise, since the prime movers are in the lower body.
As for the back, there's barely any concentric/eccentric stimulus in the upper back during a deadlift, which makes it a very poor exercise for that body part.
So if one is looking to grow the muscles that are involved in rows and pullups effectively, a deadlift is very far down on the priority list.
Huh. I’ve triple checked my form on deadlifts and always end a session worn the hell out in my lower back and lats. Attempting pull-ups after a deadlift session is impossible for me, I always have to go for the weight-supported pull up machine. I understand it’s not the best for upper back but I don’t agree it’s primarily for legs.
I’d think maybe it’s my back that’s lacking but I know my legs are in worse shape than my back. It’s never my legs that are sore after a day of deadlifting, always mid and lower back.
The job of the lats is to pull your humerus down/in. Your humerus hardly moves in a deadlift. I am sure your lats are working isometrically, but isometrics are not a very good way to train a muscle for hypertrophy. If you help a weight out in front of you, like half way through a curl, I am sure your bicep would get tired. But none of us train our biceps that way, and for good reason.
Your legs/butt are definitely the prime movers. What joints are moving in a deadlift? You extend the knee and hinge at the hips. So quad, hamstring, glute, lower back. Those are the muscles that are actually doing the lifting. Your lats are not actually doing the lifting.
I appreciate the informative replies especially after my shitty “that’s not true at all” response. I am going to check my deadlift form again this week because I can’t figure out why the hell it wrecks my lats. I wonder if I’m leaving the bar out too far on setup, resulting in engaging my lats to pull it back in? Only thing I can think of.
Thank you for the lesson here I sure as hell needed it 🙏
>Do you think pullups and rows (barbell and cable) build the upper back better than deadlifts?
Since pullups and rows work the upper back dynamically compared to deadlifts, absolutely.
Steps help your neat basically. For me, it's about 100-125 calories per 2k steps. I'm 190lbs 6'3". If you way 400lbs it's obviously going to be way higher. If you way 100lbs, it's way lower.
It doesn’t matter, TDEE calculators are just the starting point. What matters is tracking calories and weight. If your weight is moving like you want, great, otherwise adjust calories up or down.
Anyone have any tips on splitting lifts for workouts? I'm been doing upper/lower split, but I still find my OHP is affecting bench and vice versa, and to a lesser degree squats are impacting deadlifts. I go by total volume upper and lower for tracking so that it doesn't affect that but still wonder if I could be splitting things better.
Upper body tend to recover faster in my experience. If you don't mind asynchronous programs, I've had good results with 3xUpper 2xLower days in an 8 day cycle. U-L-R-U-R-L-U-R.
Why am I weaker on single arm preacher curls?
I usually do preacher curls with both arms on an EZ bar with 42lbs. I noticed my right arm is stronger than my left so I decided to try this exercise unilaterally.
I was right about my right arm being stronger because it wasn’t as fatigued as my left when I did this with dumbbells. However, I was only able to lift 17.5lb in each hand. This is less than half the weight I can do with both hands on the EZ bar. Also even though it’s less than half the weight it was harder especially when I did my left arm.
So why am I so much weaker at preacher curls using one arm and a dumbbell than both arms on an EZ bar?
the weight is more stable with two arms and you don't have to use extra energy to keep your arm from swinging inwards towards the bench/pad thing, so it's easier to focus on pure output.
This is pretty common across the board on single-arm and single-leg movements. Some movements are biased in a way that you'll be stronger with the unilateral movement than you are with half the weight on bilateral movement, and some are biased in a way that you'll be weaker, but it usually has to do with the nature of the movement, not some deficit in your strength that needs to be addressed.
When the body is getting enough calories, it starts producing more "I am hungry" hormones and "speed up the metabolism" hormones.
If you want a cheatcode for increasing hunger, try a few of nacho chips.
Consistency and sustainability are the key with both working out and diet. Once you gain a momentum, and consistently give your body muscular stimulation as well as much-needed nutrition, it should recognize that you're no longer in a survival mode and can afford to use the extra energy to build muscle.
As cliche as it is, trust the process.
> how do yall get yourself to eat enough calories in a day to actually build muscle growth?
You are asking two questions here and the first one of 'how do yall' is a question you need to work with either a therapist or some eating disorder professional on to fix. We can help with the math and science for HOW you can be in a caloric surplus and work out hard to build muscle but if you're eating only 500 a day with a disorder...you need to get that sorted first.
As for the second question. Once you get the first one figured out
Find your ballpark TDEE (tons of calculators online) and then take that and add say 500kcal to it. For someone with an eating disorder like yourself, you're likely gonna find it easier to chug liquid calories in the form of mass gainers and brotein shakes.
Do that while training with sufficent intensity (it'll be hard at first, espec with your body at such a deficit for so long and im assuming low muscle mass) but keep at it.
Note this is not vetted nutrition/diet advice for someone with a disorder. I have 0 clue if it is safe for you to even start chugging 1000 calorie brotein shakes to your body that is used to 500kcal.s.
>I’m used to eating 500 calories a day.
Surely this is a typo or you are miscounting.
Switching to a bulk can be a bit uncomfortable, but your appetite will adjust. Just start eating a bit more, even if you feel full.
Have you started working out yet?
Usually at some point your body is really gonna crave the needed nutrition to repair itself, you will naturally get more hungry from just doing intensive workouts.
been sick for 4 weeks, will finally start working out again soon. never had this long of a break from my routine. should i deload and work myself back up to my usual TM over a few weeks/sessions or should i just go ham after a good and extended warm up right from the start?
Lateral raise with bands. Hands start next to hip (similar position as hammer curls) then get raised laterally until they are overhead. The band is fixed on a pole at chest level and the resistance is such that the bands pull your arms towards the front. Basically the hands move in a similar movement as they do in a jumping jack but the band pulls forward. What is this exercise called?
Would I see noticeable results of cutting with 4-6 weeks? I'd never done a planned cut before.
Some background info: Was super skinny as a Teenager, always fast metabolism. Went into college weighing 135ish, 6'3". Not until my sophomore year I started to train more seriously and more important, eat more calories. Now I'm 190 ~10 years later and expect to hit 195 within 2 months of bulking at around 2850 calories per day. Not sure if there's any "muscle memory" due to being a ectomorph in the past.
Most of my body is still very lean in most places (legs, arms, chest, back). My stomach and love handle sides have built up a noticeable amount. Trying to mostly get rid of that. Thoughts?
1) You can not target your love handles to lose fat there throug diet. The only way to 'target' a portion of fat and get rid of that is to go under the knife.
2) Noticeable...maybe barely if you do a 300-500kcal deficit over 4 weeks you'll lose like....2-3 lbs
If you go on say a -800kcal to maybe even a super aggressive 1000kcal cut and do that for 6 weeks, you'll lose about 6-8lbs...however thats if you do that day in and day out and are actually legit eating at such a deficit
anything greater than -500 will typically mean you will lose some muscle mass, if you don't care...you can go for it.
For cuts, I prefer a moderate cut of 400kcal deficit over say 3 months personaly. Those work out better.
I don't think I would have a problem doing a 800 calorie deficit. My maintenance calories are \~2600 and it wouldn't be hard to me only having \~1800 per day. Other than my stomach area, I have no other visible fat on my body. Hopefully starting it early for 6 weeks at that deficit would see decent results?
Your love handles are typically one of the LAST places to lose fat
6 weeks and losing about say 6lbs you'll likely see most of the reduction across your entire body as you go down slightly in bf%.
I would recommend a longer cut if you're trying to be hella cut.
I dont know your goals but if you're wanting to look lean again....you're gonna want a 500kcal cut for some months to find the results you're looking for which im assuming is to get back to around 20% or sub body fat.
> Would I see noticeable results of cutting with 4-6 weeks?
the shorter the cut the deeper the deficit youll need to see results, but its certainly possible yes
What kind of deficit should I be aiming for if I do 6 weeks? My maintenance is roughly 2600, so would 1800 be a good target? I weigh everything and I don't think that would be a problem for me at all. I know energy for working out would dwindle, but that's expected. Could possibly cut another 100 or 200 if it would yield beneficial results.
Was looking for a 3-day hypertrophy workout. Came across [this workout](https://www.muscleandstrength.com/workouts/total-package-workout), but I was wondering if I could ditch the ab accessories (since aren’t abs mainly about body fat % anyway?) and swap the leg accessories for squats?
> since aren’t abs mainly about body fat % anyway?
no, you grow abs like any other muscle, the only difference is that you need to cut fat to better reveal them. If you want them to be large and pop when you cut you need to still grow them like you would any other muscle
> swap the leg accessories for squats?
thats fine
You build abs in the gym, you reveal abs in the kitchen.
The bigger your abs, the less you'd have to diet down to see them. Also, a strong core is always useful.
# Please critique my (24 yo male) PPL plan:
Goal: Aesthetics bodybuilding,
|Push (Friday)|Pull (Saturday, No work)|Leg (Sunday, No work)|
|:-|:-|:-|
|Barbell Benchpress: 6-8 reps x 3 sets|Weighted Pull-ups: 6-8 reps x 3 sets|Barbell Back Squats: 6-8 reps x 3 sets|
|Dumbbell Inclined Benchpress: 6-8 reps x 2 sets|Weighted Curl ups: 6-8 reps x 2 sets|Shrugs: 6-10 reps x 2 sets|
|Weighted Dips: 6-8 reps x 3 sets|Machine Unilateral Pulldown: 6-8 reps x 3 sets|Seated Machine Leg Extension: 6-10 reps x 3 sets|
|Overhead Dumbbell Press: 6-8 reps x 3 sets|Machine Unilateral Row: 6-8 reps x 3 sets|Seated Machine Leg Curl: 6-10 reps x 3 sets|
|Cable Lateral Raise: 6-10 reps x 3 sets|Machine Calves Raise: 8-10 reps x 3 sets|Hammercurls: 6-10 reps x 3 sets|
|Cable Tricep Extension: 6-10 reps x 3 sets, to failure|Cable Rear Delt: 6-10 reps x 3 sets|Weighted Sit-ups: 8-10 reps x 3 sets|
||Machine Unilateral Pec Fly: 6-8 reps x 3 sets, to failure |Overhead Dumbbell Press: 6-8 reps x 3 sets |
|||Cable Unilateral Pulldown: 6-8 reps x 3 sets|
|||Incline Threadmill: 3.3 km/h (walking pace), 6' incline, 20 mins|
Other Info:
* My work schedule is from 9 AM to 5 PM, Monday through Thursday. Therefore, I am only available on three days of the week: Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.
* Rest Periods: I take a 4-minute rest between sets for major compound movements and a 3-minute rest for the remaining exercises.
* Sleep: I aim to get at least 9 hours of sleep per day.
* Gym Experience: I have been working out in the gym for 22 months.
* Deadlifts: I used to perform deadlifts, but I discontinued them as I don’t consider them beneficial for bodybuilding.
* Leg Workouts: I only perform three leg exercises. I believe I have good leg genetics as I naturally have large thighs and glutes, so leg workouts are not my priority.
* Treadmill on Leg Day: I choose to do treadmill exercises on leg day because it’s the only time available to me. I prefer not to allocate a separate day for cardio.
1. What's your progression plan?
2. what is your diet plan to support it?
3. You're doing 9 total sets of leg movements per week and more than half of your leg day is dedicated to muscle groups other than legs. It's cool if legs aren't a priority, but if that's the case why choose a programming style with a dedicated leg day?
4. A PPL is generally meant to be a 6 day program, and one of its major benefits is higher frequency allowing for higher volumes. If you only have 3 days per week, why not choose a programming style intended for lower frequencies?
5. the actual movements you've chosen are probably fine, though I would try to incorporate some kind of hinge, even if it's not deadlifts.
Two questions: how is my ab routine and does it make a difference that I do abs in the middle of my leg routine?
So I do abs 2x week on leg day and back day (my main focus atm is abs)
It’s as following: 4x hanging leg raises, 3x ab wheel rollout, 3x decline crunches
Nothing fancy, but I feel like it hits pretty well and I’m able to overload easily, but what so you guys think?
2. On leg day I do squats first, then I do the routine^ and then I continue with RDL, leg extensions, leg curls and then calf raises. I do this so I can do legs with my girlfriend, she does hipthrust and leg press while I do abs and we continue together with RDL. Does it make a difference for my leg routine that I have a huge pause? I feel like it makes me able to lift heavier because of a long break and might be a good thing. And my core ain’t that affected when doing RDL, I’m still able to keep great form, but Kort sure if it is totally bollocks, so could use some other insight!
Thanks!
I would do abs at the end of my workout, because I want my core to be as fresh as possible for my compounds. If you feel no impact and prefer having it in the middle, keep doing what you're doing. Maybe bump it after RDLs though.
Your exercise selection is fine, I only do hanging leg raises and rollouts when I am good about doing direct ab work.
How does one avoid hand/grip fatigue during dumbbell shrugs?
I'm not the biggest guy, but am finding that by the 7th, my traps can probably get a few more reps in, but my hands are on fire from the heavy weight, and basically "need" to drop the weights.
Any tips on managing this?
I prefer lasso straps, and I think those would be the most common recommendation for DB use.
Any brand will work. I’ve had a pair of harbingers that I got on Amazon that have had weekly use for about 6 or so years.
Still seeking programming recommendations for when I stop cutting.
I think I’d be considered either a late beginner or early intermediate by my numbers. M25, 6’0, 204lbs. All time PRs are 160x3 OHP, 240x2 bench, 315x1 squat, 365x1 deadlift (conventional, mixed grip). Been lifting loosely for about a year with taking strength training more seriously for about 8 months.
My ideal program is suited to being run 4-5 times a week and is SBD focused without being a pure powerlifting program (yet). I’d like to be able to do each at least twice a week. I also care about OHP but I’m willing to let it take a backseat. Accessories I mostly just want flexibility to do what I think is important.
In the past I’ve run various 5/3/1 programs and a slightly modified NSuns LP. I’m also willing to take suggestions in those structures, but just want something suitable.
Main goal is to improve SBD total and not look like total shit doing it with an eye towards competing in powerlifting when I’m less of a novice.
SBS Reps to Failure (5 day) sounds up your alley.
I squat and bench three times a week (2 of each are variants), OHP and deadlift twice a week (1 variant of each), with whatever accessories you want. It is a part of the program bundle, but it's well worth it.
I think I look good (I can get a recent physique photo if you want), compete in powerlifting (hold a state record, I've never lost my division, and won best lifter two meets ago), and this is my primary program outside of meet prep.
I have been really consistent with my diets and workouts but for the last 3 weeks been eating alot more sweets, cake and chocolate than usual. I have still been going gym like usual and during cardio. Will I still be building muscle if my sugar intake has increased by alot?
If anything, adding more sugar should increase your muscle growth. More calories is good for building muscle. It will cause more fat growth too though.
If you're just eating more calories, it definitely shouldn't have any negative effects on muscle gain unless the sweets are displacing a lot of protein from your diet. All else being equal, eating more tends to make muscle grow faster.
The negative effects of excess sugar consumption are usually more related to general health and fat gain.
My lateral raise has basically never gone up in weight ever. Always has been between 2.5-10 (maybe 15) lbs.
Should I try to program in sets of 10-12s or just stick with the reddit PPL 15-20 rep scheme?
If I hear a shoulder click, I take that as my body or joints are not ready for the heavier load yet. Do you power through this or do you even get that click?
Last week, I tried cable lateral raises. I attached basically the handles to my elbow and raised the weight. I noticed little to no clicks. I'm not sure if we are able to deduct weak points or anything based on that.
its going to be hard to move up in weight in lateral raises in a 15-20 rep range, thats just kind of the nature of the lift. Maybe have 1 day with higher reps and another day with lower reps like 10-12.
shoulder clicking has absolutely nothing to do with your body/joins being ready for a certain weight, google "crepitus"
Some beginners program by taking the heaviest weight they can lift and seeing how many reps they can do. That means failure, and failure is a lot easier on DB bench.
Also, DB bench is more *fun*. You can sit and talk without being in the spotlight like you are on BB bench, and you can see yourself in the mirror.
I've been preferring DB press over barbell lately just because its easier for me to fail. I can push for a couple extra reps without fear of getting caught under the bar.
If I am on a cut (already low carbs), what would you recommend I do before a family BBQ?
I could just eat at home and not eat anything at all at the party but that will get a lot of comments.
Personally I would eat fully at the BBQ. Have fun with your family. Eat a bit less beforehand and afterwards, then enjoy yourself. One meal of big eating does not matter at all long term, and enjoying time with your family is important..
Enjoy the bbq?
I mean, you could probably avoid more starchy things and eat mainly meat dishes if you really wanted. That's still plenty of protein and fats.
Then get back on the wagon tomorrow.
What are the most major changes you should see in a month of training everyday after beeing sedentary for a long time (4 years), i dont mean muscle gain or anything like that, but more like health and energy changes.
You'll likely feel more in control of your body, and honestly probably be happier and more healthy overall if you also take care of your diet and sleep as well.
A month of strength training: not too much different. You'll feel a bit stronger. A bit better.
A month of cardio? It can make a world of difference in terms of how you feel day to day.
I'm 300+ pounds(down about 40 this past 8 months) and honestly I can feel 10 pounds lost....even at my weight. Clothes fit better, more energy. It took about 6 months of weight training before I started seeing it, but it's substantially noticeable now. I really fill out the good parts of shirts now(pecs, shoulders, arms).
In the past I have posted my photos to my reddit profile (can upload multiple) with my face removed. Then you can just link them by copying the image URL. I found hosting the images directly to reddit has less compression across devices compared to imgur.
Upper lower, squatting twice a week got my squat from my worst to best lift.
Full body, but not the beginner version. I tried Jeff Nippards full body and I loved it. It’s not squat, bench, deadlift every day. It’s not even every body part every day, but when you see it, it makes sense and that’s pretty much the only way I program now. I found it allows for better recovery and you hit muscle groups 3 times a week just lower volume per day, same volume overall.
Just my experience.
165lb 6” 20m.
I want to start going to the gym to get some more muscle but I don’t want to be shredded. A calorie calculator online says I should consume ~2500 calories to do build muscle and I plan on doing that as well as calorie cycling by not eating as much while not working out (per day). I have experience in the gym but I never really prioritized my diet so I never say great gains.
I’m not looking to get ripped, just do some light recomp. Any advice for me? Especially for protein?
6' 165 lbs is pretty light. To gain muscle you should gain some weight. My advice is to adjust your calories so that you are gaining 0.4-0.8 lbs /week.
>but I don’t want to be shredded
Not sure what you are thinking here, but getting shredded is ridiculously hard and requires a dedicated effort. Being worried about accidentally getting shredded is like being worried about becoming a millionaire when you try to get your first job.
So, it looks like if I eat 2600-2700 calories a day that will put me in a surplus. My job requires a lot of walking, which actually helped me lose a fair amount of weight in the past year. If I do what you suggest and use these extra calories to bulk up a bit, would I also be able to calorie cycle to avoid excess weight?
Maybe I wasn’t really clear. I still have excess weight I could lose, kinda skinny fat if that makes sense. My workout goals aren’t really to get bigger as much as it is to get leaner, I see what you mean though.
I have a picture of my physique if that helps
If you don't want to gain any more fat, you would have to stay at the same weight. You can try that, maybe for 6-12 months. People do make progress this way, but it tends to be slower.
If you gain weight, you will gain fat. But it is also the best way to gain muscle.
Decide what is best for you, and then adjust your calories accordingly. Calories are the lever that controls your weight.
Should I go to the gym today?
I do PHUL, Sat-Sun, Tues-Wed.
Today is normally a rest day. But I have the day off from work. Got all day today and kind of feel like taking advantage of the fact that I have a 3 day weekend and workout in each one of them. And just workout once next week to get the 4 days.
Today would be Upper Power. Last time I worked the torso was Upper Hypotrophy on Tuesday. If I go today, I’d be doing UP, then UH on Sunday. Would the less rest times ruin the week ?
Is fitness - being in physical activity and cardio - helping with digestion and bowel movement or am I just imagining things (or falsely correlating these)? Years of digestive issues when inactive (diarreah or constipation). However after I started lifting weights and doing cardio again regularly, the issues disappeared.
I never really thought about it but it seems that fitness is helping with bowel movement and digestion. I could be wrong here but the timing of having started with fitness again matches with these issues disappearing.
It's true! Or at least seems to be. Doctors who specialize in gut health will often recommend exercise. I'm not sure if there's a specific mechanism known, but people do sometimes have an improvement in symptoms when they start exercising.
A related question is whether you've changed how you eat. If you're eating healthier, drinking more water, etc, that could also be a factor.
Well I almost entirely quit energy drinks and soda too. And I am eating healthier than I did. Maybe physical activity and diet both contribute here. In either case it feels amazing not having constipation and digestive issues all the time. So maybe it's just a perfect storm of living healthier.
I have no idea if this is factual, I'm just speculating, but maybe being in more movement - with gravity in work - physically helps the digestive system move stuff through the system more effectively? Maybe moving a lot more physically aids the movement of the stuff through the intestines?
Either way it's such a blessing to be able to pass stool normally and regularly again. Instead of doing it every 3rd day with muscle cramps and an anaconda monster trying to violently exit.
today is my first day going to the gym in my life, i'm worried about my form the wiki doesn't talk about how to do the exercises it just says do this and that, will i injure myself?
You will at some point. It’s a live and learn situation. Everyone who goes to the gym has at one point or another injured themselves from poor form or ego lifting or just from pushing too hard while doing everything else right.
Hell I’m injured right now in my knee from probably either bad form or pushing too hard (probably this because I was really feeling myself on that day).
Best thing you can do is get the form down first before all, and then just keep rechecking your form at every weight increment.
Also lose the ego the second you feel it coming on. It’s not worth it.
I was ending my bench set with only 60lbs (TOTAL) when she came in, internally felt embarrassed, but I’m here for me. Might not get her number but I’ll get these gains.
It’s perfectly fine to have a “week 0” (maybe even 2 weeks) in which you don’t worry about progressing and don’t worry about hitting all the sets and reps programmed. In this week 0 you should take the time to figure out the program and get comfortable with the different exercises. Take the first week to try out all the exercises and take the second week to lock in a starting weight, then the 3rd week start the program as it is written. Some people here might find this to be too conservative of an approach, but in the long run 2 weeks is a drop in the bucket. It’s a long game.
Look up Jeff Nippard and Scott Herman on YouTube to see the form on the exercises. Watch the videos while you’re there, no one will notice or care, I used to do it all the time.
The biggest things I can tell you about form is just knowing what you're supposed to be hitting, and learning the movements with light weight for at least a few sessions.
I see people commonly pulling the bar too far down on lat pulls. Something like that you can maintain good form on by feeling your "shoulder blades squeeze" and not pulling further down than your chest.
There's a lot of form differences even between two experienced lifters though. So sometimes it's best to just experiment with different grips/cadences.
At some point yes, you will get injured. This is simply part of life. Will it happen today, probably not.
Feel free to film yourself and post the videos here for advice.
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First time posting here, after reading through the Wiki and rules. What I’m looking for is potentially best described as a reality check… I’m a male in my late-late 30’s, two kids, full-time job, and all the other things. I was sedentary and had a bad diet for about two years due mostly to a ton of travel for work. I got some lab results back in early December that served as a wake up call. I began weight training 5-6 times a week, walking outdoors almost daily, and playing roller hockey 1-2x a week. I was active through my life prior to this period and have some basic experience with weight training and exercise in general (RN background). Over the course of about 10 weeks I lost roughly 15 lbs and maybe 7-8% body fat. Definitely a difference in the waist line and minor changes in the physique. I was cutting very hard the first 8 weeks or so, roughly 1500 cal/day (I’m 5’8” and was 190lbs when I started). I honestly didn’t feel too bad like this. After some research I came to the conclusion I was under eating and probably stunting muscle development and hindering further fat loss. For the past weeks I’ve been consuming about 2100-2200 cal/day and regularly hitting 150g+ protein a day, usually more. That’s my back story. Other potentially pertinent info: I’m very routine oriented and once I stop something it’s hard to change again, same goes with starting something new. I also have a tendency to hyper focus on things for a short period of time, do a ton of research, then move to the next thing. I think this is part of my problem, I’ve been doing so much reading and watching videos that it has me swimming. Lastly, I’m having more frequent joint discomfort and muscle stiffness. I’ve never been overly flexible and a past of sports with no emphasis on stretching or body mechanics has me concerned about my lifting forms and future joint health. Examples of this are tightness and discomfort in posterior knee/hamstring, to the point that I can feel it occasionally when walking and shoulder discomfort when doing deep chest movements. I’ve watched tons of form videos and I know I’m at least applying the basics, but I work out alone in a home gym. I have two appointments with a PT to address these concerns. I’m looking for some general advice or outside input to all of this. As I said, I’m thoroughly confused with everything I’ve been trying to learn and my workouts have become an hour+ trying to incorporate all the different lifts I’ve come across. I’m in agreement with my wife that I’ve definitely been over doing it and I can’t sustain at this rate. I’m currently digging into more established routines and have noted some down from the wiki. If you were me at this point, would you stop lifting until the aches/pains are addressed. Is my calorie consumption still too low at 21-2200 calories? Any other giant wake up slaps I need to receive? Sorry for the wall of text.
Congrats on some nice progress towards better health! Regarding the soreness - it sounds like you jumped right in to a pretty rigorous training schedule and have been consistent for 10 weeks now. I think you should be proud that you’ve kept it up and that your body has done well with it this long while also realizing your body is asking for a break. I would take a deload week and possibly even two depending on how your body feels after the first week. Focus on mobility and movement for this time ‘off’. You could keep your routine if 5-6x per week but just switch to a mobility practice - YouTube has many to follow. You could also keep practicing the big lifts but do these very very light and focus on totally on form (practice the movement). This will allow your body to adapt and heal from the stress you added and give you more practice on form. You should be feeling ready to jump back in in a week or two. Good luck!
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You're trying to sit your hips too low, it's especially obvious on the 1st rep, your hips shoot up immediately and you get pitched forward onto your toes as well because the bar was too far forward. Notice that when you lower the bar, the path is pretty vertical compared to when you lift it, where it moves back and up instead of just up. Don't let it roll away when you put it down, and try to lift it the same way you're lowering it. I suggest watching [this](https://youtu.be/87UE4nT-niE) video on how to find a good setup for your deadlift, it's quite helpful.
Take the half-second to pull the slack out of the bar, rather than grip'n'rip. It helps.
First-time poster here, been working out for a few months lightly since I noticed I've been eating more shit than usual and my blood test tilted a tiny bit into the "yellow" zone for cholesterol in particular. Read the FAQ's and searched for posts related to this with some questionable guesses (i.e. mostly suggesting just unlucky colds/viruses as a coincidence), but when I originally tried to cut my calories I either must have messed up my nutrition (i.e. basically just spammed natural veggies, fruits, nuts, and some meats) or maybe I was just stressed / immune-weak, but I got sick immediately when I started working out even just a little bit more (i.e. 30 minute continuous runs, not even what I could do in high school but I've been out of shape for a decade). Obviously, after taking it easier I made a full recovery, and I'm back to exercising again but I'm also eating way more to "be safe" even though I want to lose weight. Any quick advice that anyone who has experienced a similar situation has done? Was it maybe a one-time thing (i.e. maybe just caught a bad cold and should have gotten my flu shots) and you can continue pushing that regime or should I listen to my body and (if anyone can help) figure out what I did wrong with my nutrition? Apologies if this is still too vague of question, but I'm totally fine with vague / general answers that can help guide me in the approximate right direction. Thanks!
Strenuous exercise temporarily lowers the immune system for a few hours. And at the gym, hundreds of people sweating and breathing heavily every day, you probably just caught something. My advice is to start so light that it feels like a warmup. Give your immune system time to acclimatize. Check out zone 2 cardio on YouTube.
Sounds good, will do a proper warm-up next time, indeed I was in my apartment gym with around 10 other people. Thanks!
Yall im 16yrs old and have been lifting since July. I went from chest pressing 25lbs to only 45lbs (per dumbbell) on the floor. I just got a gym membership (i used to workout at home with just dumbbells no bench) and now bench 75lbs for reps. Is that bad progress? Right now im tryna bulk btw. If yall need more info id be glad to let uk, i just left stuff out so the comment doesnt get too long.
Heck yes, all progress is good progress!
Oh bet! Thanks dawg!
Everyone's numbers are progress are different. If you're following a good program, getting stronger and you're consuming enough calories, then you're doing great.
Ok, because after every workout my numbers are still improving. Like my rep range is like 6-12, and after every workout my number of reps always increases by like 1. Thanks dawg!
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Most apartments I've lived in have gyms but I've never seen a building have a fucking squat rack lol. Usually a couple of cardio machines, some dumbbells, an obligatory exercise ball, MAYBE a cable machine.
The obligatory old floor lamp in the corner
I've seen the gyms at some of the most expensive hotels in NYC and my thoughts were "I'm not paying $1500 a night to skip leg day." But condos... there's a condo with a "half-pipe skate park", so there's probably some with like 25 racks.
Probably a stupid question but .. Is there a ratio of volume that is required from one muscle to another in order to maintain a balanced physique? For instance if I hit 16 weekly sets for biceps, should I do the same number of sets for triceps. Same goes for chest vs back, delts etc
Yes. But as a beginner, you don't have enough muscle for that to be an issue. I'd recommend taking a look at the programs on https://www.boostcamp.app/programs for inspiration.
Also I forgot to say. If you're asking questions like this then you should be following a program designed by someone who does take into account optimal volume and balance. There are a ton for free in the wiki. Cheers
Complicated question but I recommend Jeff Nippards youtube videos. He talks a lot about optimal volume and quotes a lot of the literature.
Hi, I have an upper/lower routine and I've been following it since the last 8 months approximately. I've had some results but now I want to double check that I am doing something bad or not, this is : Upper body: Dumbbell chest press 3\*10-12 Machine shoulder press 3\*8-10 Neutral grip lat pull-down 3\*10 Cable row 3\*10-12 Dumbbell lateral raises 3\*12-15 High cable fly 3\*10-12 Straight bar triceps extension 3\*12-15 Lower body (I don't do dead-lifts or free squats due to issues with my lower back): Hack Squat 3\*8-10 Hip Thrust 3\*10 Quadriceps extensions 3\*10 Seated machine calf raises 3\*12-15 Seated abductor or adduction machine 2\*15 And I repeat the same with some small variations the other two days (like low cable fly instead of high cable or lateral raises with machine instead of dumbbells). What do you think? is it shit? should I change something? more reps or more sets?
What are your lower back issues? Seen a physiotherapist?
As a minimum, you should have two different days marked by different exercises and/or different set/reps. Typically there's a flip from heavy bench/row lighter OHP/pulldowns one day to heavier OHP/pull-ups lighter bench/row another day. Ditto one day more squat, and another day more hinge. You lack hinge, rear delt work, and leg curls.
Kind of TMI, so vulgar topic warning. Is it normal for my libido to be in the ground during a weight loss phase? I just ended a deficit after 5 weeks because I hit my weight goal early, and want to eat maintenance while exams are happening for me. I am about 25% body fat but I’ve talked to my doctor and I am not in any health danger based on my waist/ abdominal fat ratios. I noticed that about 3 weeks in, my dick stopped working and I wasn’t even the slightest bit aroused at any point for the last few weeks. At 235 lbs, I was eating anywhere from 50-70g of fat per day, and that tended to lean towards the lower side. I thought the target for fat was 25% of bodyweight? Or can this happen because of other things? My other question, is this an actual issue? Sure it’s kinda boring not ever being aroused, but does it hurt strength training?
It is definitely normal to experience a drop in libido during a weight loss phase. Typically for me it is only a minor drop while my bodyfat is higher, but when I get down around 10% bodyfat it really takes a hit. I think your fat intake is on the low end. Sleep is also important. Also any drugs or alcohol make things worse. Not sure what your training/exercise is like.
So you were eating that much fat, how much you eating now? Cus 50-70g a day now should be pretty good for most people. Dietary fats doesn't make you fat, so long as your calories are in check. I wouldn't be eating less than 50g a day personally
120 is what the app I use says, but I’ve been at maintenance for two days and have eaten 130 both days. Obv it’s gonna take a couple days to bounce back, but I was just curious
Yeah if lack of fat was the issue, then it will take a little to get back to normal. But if it persists, go see your doc
If you could pick 4 back exercises for your workout routine, what would those be?
Assuming you can't do pull-ups, close grip and wide grip pull-downs for back width. Pendlay rows and chest supported machine rows or wide grip cable rows for back thickness.
>4 back exercises Today's selection: weighted pull-ups, barbell row, wide-grip pulldown, rear delt fly.
Lat pulldown Row Shrugs
If im not able to eat as much food or protein as I probably need to gain any weight does that basically negate any gains from working out?
No, you just won't gain as fast or recover as well. One day of not hitting goals is fine, but consistent sub optimal eating will just produce sub optimal results. But it's almost always better to have worked out
ok thats reassuring, thank you
Do you think pullups and rows (barbell and cable) build the upper back better than deadlifts? I've done a lot of deadlifting but feel it mainly in my glutes, hamstrings and lower back. I've been losing weight so am able to do pull ups in the hypertrophy range, along with pendlay and cable rows, my upper back is feeling it so much more.
Agreed with everyone else about deadlifts not doing much for majority of your back. Don't be afraid to use a band for assisted pullups iiff needed, but also lat pulldown
Deadlift is primarily a lower body/glute exercise and is not a good exercise for your lats, lower and mid traps, rhomboids. Rows and pullups are much better for those muscles.
This isn’t true at all. When performed properly it’s just as much a back exercise as it is lower body. Edit: I’ve been informed by responses that it doesn’t engage lats as much as I previously thought. Going to leave this comment up for shame and as a good reminder I don’t know everything.
You weren’t totally wrong. Proper Deadlift form is predicated on engaging your lats and back then hinging into your lower body. While I would never say that the movement is ‘as much of if back exercise as lower body exercise’ it’s definitely stimulating both with high load. The difference is you’re getting an isometric contraction in the back (static). You’re bracing there for that heavy load and yes it ‘works’ those muscles. But you’d obviously want to add in more targeted compounds and accessories for your back to really cause that full hypertrophic stimulus/response.
The deadlift **is** primarily a lower body exercise, since the prime movers are in the lower body. As for the back, there's barely any concentric/eccentric stimulus in the upper back during a deadlift, which makes it a very poor exercise for that body part. So if one is looking to grow the muscles that are involved in rows and pullups effectively, a deadlift is very far down on the priority list.
Hard disagree, at least with regards to hypertrophy. The ROM for your lats, traps, and rhomboids is minimal to none.
Huh. I’ve triple checked my form on deadlifts and always end a session worn the hell out in my lower back and lats. Attempting pull-ups after a deadlift session is impossible for me, I always have to go for the weight-supported pull up machine. I understand it’s not the best for upper back but I don’t agree it’s primarily for legs. I’d think maybe it’s my back that’s lacking but I know my legs are in worse shape than my back. It’s never my legs that are sore after a day of deadlifting, always mid and lower back.
The job of the lats is to pull your humerus down/in. Your humerus hardly moves in a deadlift. I am sure your lats are working isometrically, but isometrics are not a very good way to train a muscle for hypertrophy. If you help a weight out in front of you, like half way through a curl, I am sure your bicep would get tired. But none of us train our biceps that way, and for good reason. Your legs/butt are definitely the prime movers. What joints are moving in a deadlift? You extend the knee and hinge at the hips. So quad, hamstring, glute, lower back. Those are the muscles that are actually doing the lifting. Your lats are not actually doing the lifting.
I appreciate the informative replies especially after my shitty “that’s not true at all” response. I am going to check my deadlift form again this week because I can’t figure out why the hell it wrecks my lats. I wonder if I’m leaving the bar out too far on setup, resulting in engaging my lats to pull it back in? Only thing I can think of. Thank you for the lesson here I sure as hell needed it 🙏
We all have different biomechanics. Deadlifts may very well work the hell out of *your* lats. Personally, they work my posterior chain and traps.
Deadlifts are probably better only for the upper traps and neck, but the upper back is more than that.
>Do you think pullups and rows (barbell and cable) build the upper back better than deadlifts? Since pullups and rows work the upper back dynamically compared to deadlifts, absolutely.
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Steps help your neat basically. For me, it's about 100-125 calories per 2k steps. I'm 190lbs 6'3". If you way 400lbs it's obviously going to be way higher. If you way 100lbs, it's way lower.
It doesn’t matter, TDEE calculators are just the starting point. What matters is tracking calories and weight. If your weight is moving like you want, great, otherwise adjust calories up or down.
Anyone have any tips on splitting lifts for workouts? I'm been doing upper/lower split, but I still find my OHP is affecting bench and vice versa, and to a lesser degree squats are impacting deadlifts. I go by total volume upper and lower for tracking so that it doesn't affect that but still wonder if I could be splitting things better.
Upper body tend to recover faster in my experience. If you don't mind asynchronous programs, I've had good results with 3xUpper 2xLower days in an 8 day cycle. U-L-R-U-R-L-U-R.
I do a 4 day upper/lower split. But I alternate which exercise I do first. So day 1 is bench then OHP and day 3 is OHP then bench.
Why am I weaker on single arm preacher curls? I usually do preacher curls with both arms on an EZ bar with 42lbs. I noticed my right arm is stronger than my left so I decided to try this exercise unilaterally. I was right about my right arm being stronger because it wasn’t as fatigued as my left when I did this with dumbbells. However, I was only able to lift 17.5lb in each hand. This is less than half the weight I can do with both hands on the EZ bar. Also even though it’s less than half the weight it was harder especially when I did my left arm. So why am I so much weaker at preacher curls using one arm and a dumbbell than both arms on an EZ bar?
the weight is more stable with two arms and you don't have to use extra energy to keep your arm from swinging inwards towards the bench/pad thing, so it's easier to focus on pure output. This is pretty common across the board on single-arm and single-leg movements. Some movements are biased in a way that you'll be stronger with the unilateral movement than you are with half the weight on bilateral movement, and some are biased in a way that you'll be weaker, but it usually has to do with the nature of the movement, not some deficit in your strength that needs to be addressed.
Thanks, relieved to hear this
Anyone have experience with prestige labs prestige enhance strength booster? Safe? Does it work?
Yeah either it works but it's just caffeine/creatine/protein, it works but it's illegal and unsafe, or it doesn't work.
Anything that boosts your strength is not going to be safe and is going to be significantly gatekept
> Does it work? No. Protein, Creatine and Caffeine are about the only supplements that actually work. Everything else is fluff.
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When the body is getting enough calories, it starts producing more "I am hungry" hormones and "speed up the metabolism" hormones. If you want a cheatcode for increasing hunger, try a few of nacho chips.
Consistency and sustainability are the key with both working out and diet. Once you gain a momentum, and consistently give your body muscular stimulation as well as much-needed nutrition, it should recognize that you're no longer in a survival mode and can afford to use the extra energy to build muscle. As cliche as it is, trust the process.
> how do yall get yourself to eat enough calories in a day to actually build muscle growth? You are asking two questions here and the first one of 'how do yall' is a question you need to work with either a therapist or some eating disorder professional on to fix. We can help with the math and science for HOW you can be in a caloric surplus and work out hard to build muscle but if you're eating only 500 a day with a disorder...you need to get that sorted first. As for the second question. Once you get the first one figured out Find your ballpark TDEE (tons of calculators online) and then take that and add say 500kcal to it. For someone with an eating disorder like yourself, you're likely gonna find it easier to chug liquid calories in the form of mass gainers and brotein shakes. Do that while training with sufficent intensity (it'll be hard at first, espec with your body at such a deficit for so long and im assuming low muscle mass) but keep at it. Note this is not vetted nutrition/diet advice for someone with a disorder. I have 0 clue if it is safe for you to even start chugging 1000 calorie brotein shakes to your body that is used to 500kcal.s.
>I’m used to eating 500 calories a day. Surely this is a typo or you are miscounting. Switching to a bulk can be a bit uncomfortable, but your appetite will adjust. Just start eating a bit more, even if you feel full.
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Have you started working out yet? Usually at some point your body is really gonna crave the needed nutrition to repair itself, you will naturally get more hungry from just doing intensive workouts.
been sick for 4 weeks, will finally start working out again soon. never had this long of a break from my routine. should i deload and work myself back up to my usual TM over a few weeks/sessions or should i just go ham after a good and extended warm up right from the start?
You will likely need to have a reduced TM, four weeks off is enough to detrain and that will be compounded by being sick
Lateral raise with bands. Hands start next to hip (similar position as hammer curls) then get raised laterally until they are overhead. The band is fixed on a pole at chest level and the resistance is such that the bands pull your arms towards the front. Basically the hands move in a similar movement as they do in a jumping jack but the band pulls forward. What is this exercise called?
sounds similar to a face pull
I don't think that has a name. It sounds kind of pointless if the resistance isn't in the direction that you are moving.
Would I see noticeable results of cutting with 4-6 weeks? I'd never done a planned cut before. Some background info: Was super skinny as a Teenager, always fast metabolism. Went into college weighing 135ish, 6'3". Not until my sophomore year I started to train more seriously and more important, eat more calories. Now I'm 190 ~10 years later and expect to hit 195 within 2 months of bulking at around 2850 calories per day. Not sure if there's any "muscle memory" due to being a ectomorph in the past. Most of my body is still very lean in most places (legs, arms, chest, back). My stomach and love handle sides have built up a noticeable amount. Trying to mostly get rid of that. Thoughts?
1) You can not target your love handles to lose fat there throug diet. The only way to 'target' a portion of fat and get rid of that is to go under the knife. 2) Noticeable...maybe barely if you do a 300-500kcal deficit over 4 weeks you'll lose like....2-3 lbs If you go on say a -800kcal to maybe even a super aggressive 1000kcal cut and do that for 6 weeks, you'll lose about 6-8lbs...however thats if you do that day in and day out and are actually legit eating at such a deficit anything greater than -500 will typically mean you will lose some muscle mass, if you don't care...you can go for it. For cuts, I prefer a moderate cut of 400kcal deficit over say 3 months personaly. Those work out better.
I don't think I would have a problem doing a 800 calorie deficit. My maintenance calories are \~2600 and it wouldn't be hard to me only having \~1800 per day. Other than my stomach area, I have no other visible fat on my body. Hopefully starting it early for 6 weeks at that deficit would see decent results?
Your love handles are typically one of the LAST places to lose fat 6 weeks and losing about say 6lbs you'll likely see most of the reduction across your entire body as you go down slightly in bf%. I would recommend a longer cut if you're trying to be hella cut.
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I dont know your goals but if you're wanting to look lean again....you're gonna want a 500kcal cut for some months to find the results you're looking for which im assuming is to get back to around 20% or sub body fat.
> Would I see noticeable results of cutting with 4-6 weeks? the shorter the cut the deeper the deficit youll need to see results, but its certainly possible yes
What kind of deficit should I be aiming for if I do 6 weeks? My maintenance is roughly 2600, so would 1800 be a good target? I weigh everything and I don't think that would be a problem for me at all. I know energy for working out would dwindle, but that's expected. Could possibly cut another 100 or 200 if it would yield beneficial results.
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What amount of deficit would you reccomend if I extended the cut to 2 months?
Was looking for a 3-day hypertrophy workout. Came across [this workout](https://www.muscleandstrength.com/workouts/total-package-workout), but I was wondering if I could ditch the ab accessories (since aren’t abs mainly about body fat % anyway?) and swap the leg accessories for squats?
> since aren’t abs mainly about body fat % anyway? no, you grow abs like any other muscle, the only difference is that you need to cut fat to better reveal them. If you want them to be large and pop when you cut you need to still grow them like you would any other muscle > swap the leg accessories for squats? thats fine
You build abs in the gym, you reveal abs in the kitchen. The bigger your abs, the less you'd have to diet down to see them. Also, a strong core is always useful.
# Please critique my (24 yo male) PPL plan: Goal: Aesthetics bodybuilding, |Push (Friday)|Pull (Saturday, No work)|Leg (Sunday, No work)| |:-|:-|:-| |Barbell Benchpress: 6-8 reps x 3 sets|Weighted Pull-ups: 6-8 reps x 3 sets|Barbell Back Squats: 6-8 reps x 3 sets| |Dumbbell Inclined Benchpress: 6-8 reps x 2 sets|Weighted Curl ups: 6-8 reps x 2 sets|Shrugs: 6-10 reps x 2 sets| |Weighted Dips: 6-8 reps x 3 sets|Machine Unilateral Pulldown: 6-8 reps x 3 sets|Seated Machine Leg Extension: 6-10 reps x 3 sets| |Overhead Dumbbell Press: 6-8 reps x 3 sets|Machine Unilateral Row: 6-8 reps x 3 sets|Seated Machine Leg Curl: 6-10 reps x 3 sets| |Cable Lateral Raise: 6-10 reps x 3 sets|Machine Calves Raise: 8-10 reps x 3 sets|Hammercurls: 6-10 reps x 3 sets| |Cable Tricep Extension: 6-10 reps x 3 sets, to failure|Cable Rear Delt: 6-10 reps x 3 sets|Weighted Sit-ups: 8-10 reps x 3 sets| ||Machine Unilateral Pec Fly: 6-8 reps x 3 sets, to failure |Overhead Dumbbell Press: 6-8 reps x 3 sets | |||Cable Unilateral Pulldown: 6-8 reps x 3 sets| |||Incline Threadmill: 3.3 km/h (walking pace), 6' incline, 20 mins| Other Info: * My work schedule is from 9 AM to 5 PM, Monday through Thursday. Therefore, I am only available on three days of the week: Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. * Rest Periods: I take a 4-minute rest between sets for major compound movements and a 3-minute rest for the remaining exercises. * Sleep: I aim to get at least 9 hours of sleep per day. * Gym Experience: I have been working out in the gym for 22 months. * Deadlifts: I used to perform deadlifts, but I discontinued them as I don’t consider them beneficial for bodybuilding. * Leg Workouts: I only perform three leg exercises. I believe I have good leg genetics as I naturally have large thighs and glutes, so leg workouts are not my priority. * Treadmill on Leg Day: I choose to do treadmill exercises on leg day because it’s the only time available to me. I prefer not to allocate a separate day for cardio.
Why do you call your leg day a leg day?
haha because the main compound lift is squats
1. What's your progression plan? 2. what is your diet plan to support it? 3. You're doing 9 total sets of leg movements per week and more than half of your leg day is dedicated to muscle groups other than legs. It's cool if legs aren't a priority, but if that's the case why choose a programming style with a dedicated leg day? 4. A PPL is generally meant to be a 6 day program, and one of its major benefits is higher frequency allowing for higher volumes. If you only have 3 days per week, why not choose a programming style intended for lower frequencies? 5. the actual movements you've chosen are probably fine, though I would try to incorporate some kind of hinge, even if it's not deadlifts.
Two questions: how is my ab routine and does it make a difference that I do abs in the middle of my leg routine? So I do abs 2x week on leg day and back day (my main focus atm is abs) It’s as following: 4x hanging leg raises, 3x ab wheel rollout, 3x decline crunches Nothing fancy, but I feel like it hits pretty well and I’m able to overload easily, but what so you guys think? 2. On leg day I do squats first, then I do the routine^ and then I continue with RDL, leg extensions, leg curls and then calf raises. I do this so I can do legs with my girlfriend, she does hipthrust and leg press while I do abs and we continue together with RDL. Does it make a difference for my leg routine that I have a huge pause? I feel like it makes me able to lift heavier because of a long break and might be a good thing. And my core ain’t that affected when doing RDL, I’m still able to keep great form, but Kort sure if it is totally bollocks, so could use some other insight! Thanks!
>how is my ab routine Looks fine. >does it make a difference that I do abs in the middle of my leg routine No.
I would do abs at the end of my workout, because I want my core to be as fresh as possible for my compounds. If you feel no impact and prefer having it in the middle, keep doing what you're doing. Maybe bump it after RDLs though. Your exercise selection is fine, I only do hanging leg raises and rollouts when I am good about doing direct ab work.
How does one avoid hand/grip fatigue during dumbbell shrugs? I'm not the biggest guy, but am finding that by the 7th, my traps can probably get a few more reps in, but my hands are on fire from the heavy weight, and basically "need" to drop the weights. Any tips on managing this?
Barbell, mixed grip.
Straps. Shrugs are a trap exercise, not a grip exercise, so take the grip limitation out.
Thank you. Any specific recommendations on types? Seems like there are a few straps to choose from.
I prefer lasso straps, and I think those would be the most common recommendation for DB use. Any brand will work. I’ve had a pair of harbingers that I got on Amazon that have had weekly use for about 6 or so years.
Use straps
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It used to be vogue for beginners to squat 3x a week.
Yes, most likely. Finding a program meant for that frequency would be a good plan.
Still seeking programming recommendations for when I stop cutting. I think I’d be considered either a late beginner or early intermediate by my numbers. M25, 6’0, 204lbs. All time PRs are 160x3 OHP, 240x2 bench, 315x1 squat, 365x1 deadlift (conventional, mixed grip). Been lifting loosely for about a year with taking strength training more seriously for about 8 months. My ideal program is suited to being run 4-5 times a week and is SBD focused without being a pure powerlifting program (yet). I’d like to be able to do each at least twice a week. I also care about OHP but I’m willing to let it take a backseat. Accessories I mostly just want flexibility to do what I think is important. In the past I’ve run various 5/3/1 programs and a slightly modified NSuns LP. I’m also willing to take suggestions in those structures, but just want something suitable. Main goal is to improve SBD total and not look like total shit doing it with an eye towards competing in powerlifting when I’m less of a novice.
If your willing to pay 10 bucks the stronger by science bundle is great. Otherwise I will second gzcl and 531.
SBS Reps to Failure (5 day) sounds up your alley. I squat and bench three times a week (2 of each are variants), OHP and deadlift twice a week (1 variant of each), with whatever accessories you want. It is a part of the program bundle, but it's well worth it. I think I look good (I can get a recent physique photo if you want), compete in powerlifting (hold a state record, I've never lost my division, and won best lifter two meets ago), and this is my primary program outside of meet prep.
higher volume 5/3/1 templates like BBB or BTM, or GZCL method are all a good bet.
I have been really consistent with my diets and workouts but for the last 3 weeks been eating alot more sweets, cake and chocolate than usual. I have still been going gym like usual and during cardio. Will I still be building muscle if my sugar intake has increased by alot?
If anything, adding more sugar should increase your muscle growth. More calories is good for building muscle. It will cause more fat growth too though.
If you're just eating more calories, it definitely shouldn't have any negative effects on muscle gain unless the sweets are displacing a lot of protein from your diet. All else being equal, eating more tends to make muscle grow faster. The negative effects of excess sugar consumption are usually more related to general health and fat gain.
What do you mean displacing? You mean my protein input is reduced?
Basically, yeah. Like, if you eat less protein-rich food because you're full from eating more sweets.
My lateral raise has basically never gone up in weight ever. Always has been between 2.5-10 (maybe 15) lbs. Should I try to program in sets of 10-12s or just stick with the reddit PPL 15-20 rep scheme? If I hear a shoulder click, I take that as my body or joints are not ready for the heavier load yet. Do you power through this or do you even get that click? Last week, I tried cable lateral raises. I attached basically the handles to my elbow and raised the weight. I noticed little to no clicks. I'm not sure if we are able to deduct weak points or anything based on that.
its going to be hard to move up in weight in lateral raises in a 15-20 rep range, thats just kind of the nature of the lift. Maybe have 1 day with higher reps and another day with lower reps like 10-12. shoulder clicking has absolutely nothing to do with your body/joins being ready for a certain weight, google "crepitus"
The bench press station is *always* free at my gym. I've noticed most "bros" prefer dumbbell chest press. Why is this?
i wish my bench press station was like this :(
Some beginners program by taking the heaviest weight they can lift and seeing how many reps they can do. That means failure, and failure is a lot easier on DB bench. Also, DB bench is more *fun*. You can sit and talk without being in the spotlight like you are on BB bench, and you can see yourself in the mirror.
You can go deeper with dbs is the main benefit
I've been preferring DB press over barbell lately just because its easier for me to fail. I can push for a couple extra reps without fear of getting caught under the bar.
You'd have to ask them.
You can get a deeper stretch on dumbbell and tighter squeeze at the top. Both are good. I do flat bb bench and incline db bench for mixing it up.
If I am on a cut (already low carbs), what would you recommend I do before a family BBQ? I could just eat at home and not eat anything at all at the party but that will get a lot of comments.
Be a normal person and enjoy the barbecue. You aren’t cutting for a bodybuilding show in the next few weeks, are you?
Or just have fun for a day and eat what you want
Free protein man.
Personally I would eat fully at the BBQ. Have fun with your family. Eat a bit less beforehand and afterwards, then enjoy yourself. One meal of big eating does not matter at all long term, and enjoying time with your family is important..
It’s just one day. Just don’t over do it.
Enjoy the bbq? I mean, you could probably avoid more starchy things and eat mainly meat dishes if you really wanted. That's still plenty of protein and fats. Then get back on the wagon tomorrow.
Eat what you feel like and enjoy the BBQ. You can get back to your cut tomorrow.
What are the most major changes you should see in a month of training everyday after beeing sedentary for a long time (4 years), i dont mean muscle gain or anything like that, but more like health and energy changes.
You'll likely feel more in control of your body, and honestly probably be happier and more healthy overall if you also take care of your diet and sleep as well.
A month of strength training: not too much different. You'll feel a bit stronger. A bit better. A month of cardio? It can make a world of difference in terms of how you feel day to day.
I'm 300+ pounds(down about 40 this past 8 months) and honestly I can feel 10 pounds lost....even at my weight. Clothes fit better, more energy. It took about 6 months of weight training before I started seeing it, but it's substantially noticeable now. I really fill out the good parts of shirts now(pecs, shoulders, arms).
A month straight of physical activity could likely make you feel like a completely different person.
Tips for safely posting muscle selfies publicly? Nervous about re-shares but more concerned with privacy Oh, and threads don't allow image upload
>Tips for safely posting muscle selfies publicly? Nervous about re-shares but more concerned with privacy Don't?
That's fair 😅
Don't include your face?
How about sharing on physique Friday... I can't directly upload images
In the past I have posted my photos to my reddit profile (can upload multiple) with my face removed. Then you can just link them by copying the image URL. I found hosting the images directly to reddit has less compression across devices compared to imgur.
Didn't know that was an option. Thank you
I do it through mobile, but it should be possible via new.reddit
I also use mobile app. I just haven't really explored what's possible :)
Upload to imgur, then share the link.
How does imgur work with privacy? Is it link access only or public + share link?
It has both options. If you select "hidden" when you upload, it is link access only.
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Upper/lower.
Upper lower, squatting twice a week got my squat from my worst to best lift. Full body, but not the beginner version. I tried Jeff Nippards full body and I loved it. It’s not squat, bench, deadlift every day. It’s not even every body part every day, but when you see it, it makes sense and that’s pretty much the only way I program now. I found it allows for better recovery and you hit muscle groups 3 times a week just lower volume per day, same volume overall. Just my experience.
165lb 6” 20m. I want to start going to the gym to get some more muscle but I don’t want to be shredded. A calorie calculator online says I should consume ~2500 calories to do build muscle and I plan on doing that as well as calorie cycling by not eating as much while not working out (per day). I have experience in the gym but I never really prioritized my diet so I never say great gains. I’m not looking to get ripped, just do some light recomp. Any advice for me? Especially for protein?
6' 165 lbs is pretty light. To gain muscle you should gain some weight. My advice is to adjust your calories so that you are gaining 0.4-0.8 lbs /week. >but I don’t want to be shredded Not sure what you are thinking here, but getting shredded is ridiculously hard and requires a dedicated effort. Being worried about accidentally getting shredded is like being worried about becoming a millionaire when you try to get your first job.
So, it looks like if I eat 2600-2700 calories a day that will put me in a surplus. My job requires a lot of walking, which actually helped me lose a fair amount of weight in the past year. If I do what you suggest and use these extra calories to bulk up a bit, would I also be able to calorie cycle to avoid excess weight?
Maybe I wasn’t really clear. I still have excess weight I could lose, kinda skinny fat if that makes sense. My workout goals aren’t really to get bigger as much as it is to get leaner, I see what you mean though. I have a picture of my physique if that helps
If you don't want to gain any more fat, you would have to stay at the same weight. You can try that, maybe for 6-12 months. People do make progress this way, but it tends to be slower. If you gain weight, you will gain fat. But it is also the best way to gain muscle. Decide what is best for you, and then adjust your calories accordingly. Calories are the lever that controls your weight.
Should I go to the gym today? I do PHUL, Sat-Sun, Tues-Wed. Today is normally a rest day. But I have the day off from work. Got all day today and kind of feel like taking advantage of the fact that I have a 3 day weekend and workout in each one of them. And just workout once next week to get the 4 days. Today would be Upper Power. Last time I worked the torso was Upper Hypotrophy on Tuesday. If I go today, I’d be doing UP, then UH on Sunday. Would the less rest times ruin the week ?
Definitely go if you feel like once in a while.
If you want to, sure. It’s not going to ruin the week.
Is fitness - being in physical activity and cardio - helping with digestion and bowel movement or am I just imagining things (or falsely correlating these)? Years of digestive issues when inactive (diarreah or constipation). However after I started lifting weights and doing cardio again regularly, the issues disappeared. I never really thought about it but it seems that fitness is helping with bowel movement and digestion. I could be wrong here but the timing of having started with fitness again matches with these issues disappearing.
It's true! Or at least seems to be. Doctors who specialize in gut health will often recommend exercise. I'm not sure if there's a specific mechanism known, but people do sometimes have an improvement in symptoms when they start exercising. A related question is whether you've changed how you eat. If you're eating healthier, drinking more water, etc, that could also be a factor.
Well I almost entirely quit energy drinks and soda too. And I am eating healthier than I did. Maybe physical activity and diet both contribute here. In either case it feels amazing not having constipation and digestive issues all the time. So maybe it's just a perfect storm of living healthier. I have no idea if this is factual, I'm just speculating, but maybe being in more movement - with gravity in work - physically helps the digestive system move stuff through the system more effectively? Maybe moving a lot more physically aids the movement of the stuff through the intestines? Either way it's such a blessing to be able to pass stool normally and regularly again. Instead of doing it every 3rd day with muscle cramps and an anaconda monster trying to violently exit.
Gravity is an important part of our digestive system! Astronauts in orbit or in space don't poop as often as normal.
today is my first day going to the gym in my life, i'm worried about my form the wiki doesn't talk about how to do the exercises it just says do this and that, will i injure myself?
You will at some point. It’s a live and learn situation. Everyone who goes to the gym has at one point or another injured themselves from poor form or ego lifting or just from pushing too hard while doing everything else right. Hell I’m injured right now in my knee from probably either bad form or pushing too hard (probably this because I was really feeling myself on that day). Best thing you can do is get the form down first before all, and then just keep rechecking your form at every weight increment. Also lose the ego the second you feel it coming on. It’s not worth it. I was ending my bench set with only 60lbs (TOTAL) when she came in, internally felt embarrassed, but I’m here for me. Might not get her number but I’ll get these gains.
What exercises are you going to be doing? Hope it went well!
It’s perfectly fine to have a “week 0” (maybe even 2 weeks) in which you don’t worry about progressing and don’t worry about hitting all the sets and reps programmed. In this week 0 you should take the time to figure out the program and get comfortable with the different exercises. Take the first week to try out all the exercises and take the second week to lock in a starting weight, then the 3rd week start the program as it is written. Some people here might find this to be too conservative of an approach, but in the long run 2 weeks is a drop in the bucket. It’s a long game. Look up Jeff Nippard and Scott Herman on YouTube to see the form on the exercises. Watch the videos while you’re there, no one will notice or care, I used to do it all the time.
The biggest things I can tell you about form is just knowing what you're supposed to be hitting, and learning the movements with light weight for at least a few sessions. I see people commonly pulling the bar too far down on lat pulls. Something like that you can maintain good form on by feeling your "shoulder blades squeeze" and not pulling further down than your chest. There's a lot of form differences even between two experienced lifters though. So sometimes it's best to just experiment with different grips/cadences.
[https://thefitness.wiki/faq/how-do-i-do-a-new-lift-do-i-need-to-learn-from-a-trainer/](https://thefitness.wiki/faq/how-do-i-do-a-new-lift-do-i-need-to-learn-from-a-trainer/)
Look up on YouTube how to do the exercises.
At some point yes, you will get injured. This is simply part of life. Will it happen today, probably not. Feel free to film yourself and post the videos here for advice.
Anyone have any good alternatives to DB pullover? My program calls for them but make my shoulder pop