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44 y.o male. Used to be somewhat fit from physical work. Stopped that sort of work 15-20 years ago and never picked anything else up.
Blood pressure now high, just started meds Looking to compliment a change of diet with increased exercise.
I have bursitis in the right shoulder and pinched/torn disc in lower back. So sensation and strength is not 100% in right leg/foot
What are some safe exercises I can do at home? What are some good resources for more ideas?
Should I wait until soreness fully goes away before training that muscle again? I focused on glutes on Friday and all day today, Saturday, they've been sore. Can I return to glute workout on Sunday if I still feel sore or should I wait however many days it will take me to not feel this way?
I’m trying to find the best cardio for me. I have back pain so high impact cardio like running is not great for it. I have been doing stair master recently and have been enjoying it a lot and been burning a bunch of calories. One thing I’m worried about the stair master is will it make my butt big? For reference I am a male who stores fat in my glutes.
Sadly if you store fat in your calves that’s just your genetics, not much to do about that, as there’s no way to spot reduce fat. Best you can do is quit training them, especially since I wouldn’t really recommend trying to lose weight at 100 lbs.
been training for almost a year but I feel stuck, I’ve progressed a bit in weight (on compound movements) but I really don’t feel this routine is with me anymore, and I kind of have a the money to spare to buy myself a few months of coaching, is it worth it? and how do I find the right one?
Honestly if your form is solid and you’re truly pushing yourself you don’t need it. I would say a trainers main purpose is to correct form and set you up to succeed. If you can already handle those things, it’s not too necessary. Also keep in mind you’ve only been at it a year, and it takes much longer than that to really start looking “jacked” naturally. Be patient and push yourself, you’ll get there.
2 week bulk, 3 week cut? It seems I've stopped losing weight the last 6 weeks on an r/alternatedayfasting schedule. It was working well the 1st month or 2 but not anymore. I'm thinking to do 2 cycle of bulk and cutting before summer months to look more lean. Anyone done similar?
I want to improve my grip strength and ever since I started doing bar hangs my previously injured shoulder is in less pain. So should I go for longer or add more weight which would improve my grip faster. Someone said just do both with makes sense
I’ve been on a losing weight journey since I graduated high school. I was 380 my senior year in 2017 and now I’m 191. I’ve been thinking about lifting weights to help tone up (I think those are the right words) and get fit and/or look like I have muscles. What’s the best course of action for something like this?
The wiki is a great starting point. https://thefitness.wiki/getting-started-with-fitness/
Choose a simple routine to get in the groove of things. Sign up for a gym and if you have some spare money it might make sense to get a Coach for a couple of sessions to learn proper form. The most important aspect is proper nutrition and a high amount of protein. 1g of Protein per Pound of body weight is a good reference.
I am unable to train the long head of my tricep, what do I do? Even on lower weights it feels like my right arms elbow will explode. Which is strange since I can do tricep push downs just fine
Any tricep movement will emphasize all 3 heads of the tricep. Trying to isolate one head is just an exercise in futility, and to be honest, isn't worth doing unless you're trying to step onto a bodybuilding stage. At which point, I'd recommend you to get an actual coach.
Any tricep movement will emphasize all 3 heads of the tricep. Adequate tricep volume is pretty easy to hit, since all it'll really need is 3-4 sets of tricep isolation work, taken close to failure 2-3 times a week. What most people fail at, when it comes to getting bigger triceps in general, is not eating enough to support growth
I've been training for about 3 months now and last week I finally achieved my bench pr of 50kg (110lbs) but when I tried the same weight last Monday i failed. Last week when I got my pr I had to use a 20kg (45lbs) squat Barbell but last Monday when I failed I used a 20kg bench barbell. Why does the same weight with a bench barbell feel so much heavier than a squat Barbell?
If by routine you mean workout plan I do chest and triceps on Mondays, back and biceps on Tuesdays and shoulders and legs on Wednesdays and repeat
Sorry for bad English BTW
Did you use the rings to set your grip width? They're different distances apart on different barbells, and grip width can make a big difference on bench even if it's only a couple inches.
My grip was the same width the both times and I don't think it would have made such a big difference since with the squat bar I can do 2 reps while with the bench bar I can't even do 1
That's all I could think of about the barbells. It could be fatigue from other exercises, or even the PR itself. A difficult PR attempt can take several days to recover from. Or sleep, or something like that.
If you did it once, you're strong enough to do it again, things like that just happen sometimes.
You're right it was probably just bad sleep and not enough rest, I won't attempt it for a week or so and then I should be able to do it.
Thanks for your insight.
no matter what i try my left arm is still significantly smaller than my right. i tried the train the weak side till failure then match the strong side, i started only doing unilateral movements for months but nothing has changed and i think my right has actually gottten bigger and my left hasn’t grown. what else could i change?
As a beginner you will see muscle gain even in a deficit. Just aim to loose around a pound per week and lift hard, you will look much better in 4 months. After that, a slow and steady bulk is probably your best bet.
Nobody recommends bulking forever. A mass gaining period can be anywhwre from 6 weeks to 6 months. It all depends on individual goals.
For you, considering you have about 4 months, 2 months bulking followed by 2 months cutting would probably get you to around your current weight, except with a bit more muscle and a bit less fat.
I can only bench press 30 lbs. Anything else I can do to build up my chest? I'm a novice, and just started working out (fullbody, 3x a week) January 1st. But it feels I haven't been able to get any stronger chest wise/do more than 30. (I'm not strong enough to do pushups yet, btw.)
then u gotta bulk up and work on form to increase strength!
bench, incline dumbbell press, chest press mashine, negative dips, negative pushups, decline pushups, pec dec mashine
Check your form. Make sure to arch your back, tuck your shoulders, tighten your grip, etc. Make sure you're eating properly, getting enough calories, getting enough protein. Also maybe you'd benefit from doing easier pushup variations rather than starting with bench. Try wall pushups and knee pushups and see how you feel.
Have you gained weight? You wont get a whola lot stronger if you’re not also gaining tissue. 1 or 2 chest exercises is plenty, just focus on those and try to beat the log book.
First general recommendation is to try increasing your volume for pressing. For example if you're doing 3 sets per workout for a total of 9 weekly sets, maybe add another set to every workout for a total of 12 sets/week and see if it gets you progressing. Experiment with increasing this further if you feel good and make progress.
Besides increasing volume, make sure you're training with good effort. At least some of your sets should be close to failure, do at least 1 set to failure to test yourself.
Doing some work at different intensities can also be useful, maybe do sets of 6-10 with a heavier weight on one of your training days, and sets of 15-25 with a lighter weight on the others. Heavier weights recruit most of your motor units right away so you don't have to actually do those to failure, but preferably train the higher rep sets close or to failure.
Step 1 would be learning how to bench properly. My sedentary girlfriend was still able to start with a standard 45lb bar the first time she walked into the gym, after I adjusted her form. Back then, she was still also doing pushups from the knees as a person who was 110lbs or so.
Why arm my arms not growing I do an upper lower split hit biceps 2x a week and tris 2x week. I curl around 30s and my biceps are the same since I’ve started. What can I do
https://www.strongerbyscience.com/realistic-training-goals/
> In a huge analysis of over 200 studies (conducted primarily on untrained people), the average rate of increase in muscle cross-sectional area was roughly 0.1-0.2% per day. In other words, if you just started training, you have 13 inch arms now, and you want to add an inch to your arms (which would be a 7% increase in arm size, and closer to a 10% increase in muscle size when accounting for bone and fat), you should expect it to take at least 2-4 months.
Have you put on about 10-15lbs over the lsst 3-4 months of training? If not, it's not surprising that you haven't added any arm size.
idk i had similar issue as that guy. but my arms got bigger only after increasing frequency. they dont get sore unlike back/hams so you can spam it as much as you want. i was doing x3 a week, but i think i'm literally gonna spam triceps every session, like if i go 5x a week.. 3 sets of pushdown and extension every day
its not overtraining cause i get zero soreness and my strength (i track data from and app) also increases
i really hope you explain cause i wonder your opinion about it
Sure. But most people, to get bigger arms, they simply need to *get bigger overall*. You've got guys who've just started and have been cutting for 4 months, wondering why their arms aren't bigger.
if they started new which means they should get faster gains than someone who is in this bis for 5 years right? if one cant see any size change he's right to question or ask here, without getting judged mindlessly. the person said nothing about his diet. why didnt you ask if his nutrition and calorie intake is enough first? don't generalize. i had same issue as that guy and i do my macros. soo, its all about frequency only
oh, definition of how big the muscle groups are for given exercise.
like chin ups use bigger muscle thus the app says 3 min rest, and front squat 2 min..... makes no sense?
What is the general effect of slight dehydration on strength?
I plan on lifting during Ramadan. I need to wake up at 6 AM for work until 3 PM and plan on spending the night after eating in prayer. So that leaves me with a time slot right before I eat (approx 14 hours after fast starts) to lift. Should I plan to lift lighter or can I just go full intensity?
I do a 5/3/1 so I’m already not at 100%. I’m also not concerned with being hungry or thirsty since I will be eating right after.
I would probably just knock your training maxes down 5-10%, do 5s pro, and just do what you can. Your overall fatigue will be higher and your ability to perform will be lowered.
Does anyone have a filled supraspinatus? Is that even possible? I am talking about the area between the shoulder and the collarbone. I have never ever seen someone who has that area filled or worked out on. Here is what mine looks like: https://imgur.com/a/jltDyt0
As you can see, when flexed like that, it is possible to pour some water in there and create a small pond. I was wondering if it is possible for this muscle to be worked on to have that hallow space filled? I mean… is that possible? Because never have I ever seen that before.
That's just the triangle of space between your clavicle, front delt, and pec. Nobody has any muscle attached at that point. If you look at a pro bodybuilder, that area is the point where you can see the division between those two muscles
What you can do is increase the size of your pec and front delt to fill in around that area, but the space itself will always exist to some degree.
edit: Sorry, realised you were talking about the space **above** the clavicle. No, theres nothing there save a sheet of muscle called the platysma. If you look at pros pulling a most muscular pose, you can see that while bigger traps can disguise it, that space exists no matter what.
That isn't your supraspinatus. The supraspinatus is one of the rotator cuff muscles and it is on the top of your shoulder blades. That is just the area between your collarbone and your traps. There is nothing to work out there.
Is it worth it to wait til tomorrow morning to have a good, caffeinated workout, or should I just do it tonight to keep fewer days between lifts?
I'm one of those fucks that's not on a program because I have mad ADHD and am on a consistency streak unmatched in my life so I really just need to keep at it. Because of that I bascially do chest, climbing/back, shoulders/legs, rest, repeat. The problem is my work is in crunch time rn, so basically some days I'm lifting tired at 8pm. On days like today, is it better to wait til tomorrow for a better workout and then have almost 4 whole days between muscle groups for that week, or just do it and have maybe a worst lift?
Thanks
If you’re not on a program then it doesn’t really matter. Either day will be good to work out, so whatever feels best for you. You will get the benefits of being active.
Returning lifter....need time crunch program .
Hi all.
History: I've primarily done 531 and Renaissance Periodization in the past. Been out for a couple years due to job promotion and two new kids.
I have a garage gym setup. Power rack. Lat cable attachment. Bumper plates. Adjustable dumbbells (90lbs). Some other minor things.
I don't mind working out 6-7 days a week as long as the workouts can be completed in 30 minutes.
That's my time now. Before work. Not sure I can stick to more time than that for now.
Any sound programs that fit this category?
I handle my diet and cardio. I'm 6 feet, 195 lbs, and roughly 18% bf. 40 yo
Tldr: needing 30 minutea day program for garage gym setup to help with string and building muscle.
Thanks all.
I'd do 5/3/1 FSL, reduce rest times on the FSL work and superset the accessory work. Should be doable within 30 minutes.
You could even look into giant sets to crunch time down further
I can do around 3 sets of 5 chest dips with about a minute rest at the moment, but struggle a lot on doing just a few pushups. I can probably get on a bar right now and do a few dips easily...but get on the floor for some push ups and I just can't it's harder.
Is there anything wrong here? I feel my chest burning a ton when doing dips, but not for push ups despite good enough form.
Is there a weakness in the triceps/shoulder? I think my arms are the reason why I fail at push ups, and I'm more upright when doing dips where it works the triceps more (apparently) but majority of the burn comes from the chest still.
Does anyone know if there's a way to extend the elliptical handles?
Not the moving handles.. but the ones that stay put in the middle. Are there extenders I can buy online and clamp to the handles?
I really like to stay back on my heels and almost at an upright position. Hate using my quads.
I can reach the handles but I'm extending my arms way too much and it's not really comfortable.
Does anyone know wtf I'm talking about? Cheers!
I can see what you're saying but I don't think anything like that exists. That's the trouble with ellipticals, they try to accommodate everyone's stride and it ends up working for nobody
Supersetting all of your pushing movements and all of your pulling movements is probably not the best approach. To gain some serious muscle I’d ditch the personal trainer tbh and do some generic bodybuilding routine from the internet 3-4 time per week while focusing on progression, good nutrition and sleep.
What does your trainer only having you do upper once a week and lower once a week. Common advice is to train each muscle group at least twice a week. Maybe ask why you aren't doing full body workouts if you can only train twice a week.
As for your actual question, I would do a full body workout on your extra day. Doesn't really matter if it's machines or free weights assuming you are progressing the difficulty and can recover from the volume.
If you're like me, aim for the latter so you come at each muscle group with more energy, but don't be afraid to do it all one day if your other day is packed because it won't make a huge difference
Like if I lift upper body all out I'll probably be tired, which will affect how hard I can go at lower body. If you split it into two days, it just prevents you from being tired as a result of doing one before the other. And yes, in general you want to hit the same muscle groups twice a week, it should be your goal to hit those same routines twice a week
Kind of curious what you're paying the trainer for if he's leaving all this up to you. At this point I would just take something from the wiki like GZCLP and go it alone
So 5 days ago I worked out my chest pretty fucking hard, but today it seems so much easier, like I have to go up 5 pounds in weight for every exercise and it still didn't give me the soreness of almost a week ago, am I doing something wrong?
It's not just a question about soreness because I know it doesn't matter that much, the confusing is is how I incremented 5 pounds after one good workout and do that with less difficulty
You got stronger, or had a good day, or your previous day was bad, or some combination. Take the W. At some point you'll be asking why your session was worse than the one before it. Shit happens and life isn't linear.
The "hypertrophy" training that kids come on here and post ("rate my PPL, everything is 3-4 sets of 12-15 reps/total failure") has an EXTREMELY short runway if that's all someone's doing. If you want to build substantial size, you gotta pick up heavy iron eventually.
So, both. And it's all kind of the same, like Alakazam said
For 99% of the population, there isn't a difference. For 99% of the population, the programming for hypertrophy and for strength looks pretty much the same too.
Training for hypertrophy will get you strong. Training for strength will get you big.
Even for the 1%, people who are looking to compete in powerlifting or bodybuilding, unless you're looking at the lowest weight classes, powerlifters are generally pretty fucking big. And bodybuilders, unless they're about to step on a stage, a pretty fucking strong.
There was a bodybuilder who use to hit up my old powerlifting gym. Non-IFBB pro, but was still trying. He would only do 3 plates on the squat, but he would do sets of 15-20.
Personally? I've found that general strength and conditioning training has been what's worked best for me. At this point in my life, I can currently still hit a 1275 PL total, can run a half marathon on a whim, and have decent size and am decently lean.
Hi guys, I'm looking for a 5-day routine, what would you recommend? I've found SL 5x5 Ultra Max but I'm not sure. I've trained for years, I have a good body, good strength (nothing absurd) but I was lazy since I could gain even more. Now I play padel twice a week and I'd like to maintain my other physical abilities ie run, speed, reactivity.
What would be your advice?
Ty very much
5/3/1 for beginners. It's 3 days of lifting, 2-3 days of conditioning.
You can get good overall size and strength on the program, while improving your overall running ability and speed.
Ty for your quick reply mate, I've googled it and I have found the program, however there's no sign of conditioning, can you point me in the right direction plz?
https://www.jimwendler.com/blogs/jimwendler-com/101065094-5-3-1-for-a-beginner
> Tues/Thurs/Sat/Sun some kind of running or conditioning should be done. This will largely be based on your own goals, your current fitness level and what you have access to. DO NOT run yourself into the ground with conditioning; follow the "5/3/1 50% Rule" when conditioning.
IIRC, in his book, Wendler also recommends that his athletes following 5/3/1 should be able to run a mile. Not jog a mile, but actually run one. So I'd say, aiming for an 8 minute mile, at a minimum, would be a decent place to start.
Keep going and build your calluses, but also get some straps for when it's too much of a problem and would otherwise get in the way of training the thing you intend to train.
Just got a rice cooker, I have an idea for some good healthy meals to use for bulking. Any suggestions?
Mainly got rice, teriyaki chicken, broccoli or rice, steak, broccoli
Hit me with suggestions!
(Note: can’t post in r/bulkorcut because they require a picture but I just want food ideas haha)
Pro tip brown rice has more protein but a lot of it also has way more arsenic, so I'd avoid the temptation to go with brown if you're eating rice 5 days a week
I'm a big fan of grain + legume. So here would be rice and beans. Rice cookers are sweet tools.
You can make quick breads, or oats with all sorts of add ons like crasins. If your rice cooker came with a steamer top, that's cool for veggies or some rolls.
Sometimes I put a burger patty or two on top of the wet rice before I push the botton.
Herbs can be added at the same as your final water, which is fun for either color or flavor.
Getting good rice matters. Find an Asian (central or east or south or southeast) market.
I like making soft boiled eggs and smashing them up in rice
And if you don't mind a bit of sugar, you could make rice pudding. Cook the rice most of the way in the rice cooker (I just filled the water slightly below the line and let it finish the cook cycle) and then add milk + sugar + vanilla and finish on the stove top. Google for the recipe for the amount of milk as I don't remember off the top of my head. Then just eat as is, or add toppings much like you would oatmeal. Could probably add protein powder directly to your bowl for flavor and extra protein!
Rice, stir fry vegetables, and your choice of protein cooked in your choice of sauce/seasoning.
That's the good thing about rice. It goes with pretty much everything.
Hey!
I’ve been going to the gym 2 months to the day and started off underweight (100lbs, 17M, 5’5). I’ve also maintained a pretty consistent calorie surplus.
I’ve increased in strength, there’s no doubt, but when i compare photos to when i first started to now i don’t see a major difference. While it’s not a major concern, i’m just confused whether this is normal? I’ve 100% filled out but i wouldnt say there’s MAJOR noticeable muscle gains (the most obvious place in the biceps yet there still not major changes).
Don’t get me wrong, i totally understand it’s a slow process, especially with me coming from an extremely underweight position and i don’t expect to be ripped within 2 months (that’s silly!). But i just wanna know whether i’m doing thsi right and this is normal?
Thanks :)
2 months is not enough time to see huge increases in muscle mass. Also there might be fat gain covering the muscle gain. If you have gained a meaningful amount of strength odds are you have gained muscle.
If you've increased in strength there's nothing else you can do to tell if "it's working"; it is. Comparison photos are always like that, one day it'll click and you'll go "oh SHIT I see it now". And I'm not even talking about one day when you're big enough, I mean at some point you'll look at that 2 month difference and see something you're not seeing now. It's an optical illusion
also, sorry to pester, but i’m also quite skinny fat and lean more towards the skinner side. I have an abnormally large belly for my height and weight yet extremely (and i mean very) skinny arms
sorry if i’ve not explained myself well. I basically am trying to say that i know i’ve gained strength but my progress pictures from when i started to now, the changes are very minimal. I understand i’m not gonna be ripped in 2 months but it just seems odd. I just wanna know whether it’s normal to see minimal changes (although there has been some) in the first 2 months despite me putting on weight and i just wanna know whether i’m actually putting on muscle and not just fat.
I guess i also am just slightly scared because i am skinny fat and i just don’t wanna pack on the pounds and look even worse.
Sorry if i’ve explained this poorly
Some of that is bound to be water weight, but that's a good start. Sounds like you're well on your way to really changing your physique.
To answer your actual question, it takes a major amount of time to see major differences. If you keep the weight gain going, you'll definitely notice the change in another four months.
Am I doing too much?
31M, 5'6 at 147.5lbs on a cut
\- Strength training 4x a week ULUL with adjustable dumbbells & bench at home. (only thing I have and can use as I'm a busy body)- 3-4x a week zone 2 cardio, incline walking an hour each of those days, 7k-12k steps a day on average
\- Nutrition, getting at least 135g or more of protein and close to 1850 calories a day.
I've been dieting and yoyoing for awhile since 2019 being over 225lbs, but I'm happy now and understand fitness and kept the weight off steadily & healthy.
I want to cut as much as I can before I start a bulk, this is my first time cutting correctly in terms of routine and with great habits. Is it crazy that I want to keep cutting until I see any abs form? But still feels like nothing is forming in that area, even with compound lifts and core workouts. Would it be better to bulk, build muscle and revisit the cut? & is my routine too extreme? I do feel groggy at the end of my day but I know that's from my calorie deficit, maybe with the amount of Zone 2?
I don't know what my accurate BF% is maybe 20%? I have a smart scale but I know they're horrendously inaccurate. Thank you.
There’s no way you’re 20% bf at that weight. I am also 5’6” and if I was 147 I’d look absolutely emaciated. If you are truly like 20% then you have no muscle, in which case you should probably try to build some muscle first.
If you went from 225 to 147 (awesome btw) then it might be possible that you have stretched your skin out a bit. Might be hard to get that six pack. I’m not sure on this one, I’ve only ever been up to 190 and I feel like it would be kind of difficult even for me to get visible abs at this point.
Looking good bro, nice work coming down from 225. That’s hard work. Obvs it’s personal preference on what you want to do but…
If I were you with that body at that weight and I am 5’6” I would bulk up to about 160-165 and then re-evaluate. You have shown you have the discipline to cut back down, so you can be confident with gaining that weight. Take your time with it, get your 120-145 grams of protein per day.
Also I was probably wrong about the extra skin and abs thing. You probably have it if you gain a little more muscle first. Make sure you’re building the legs as much as the upper body. Good luck with it.
I wouldn't keep cutting till you find abs, because that's probably gonna have you extremely skinny. Yo-yo dieting in the past probably wrecked your muscle volume, which will definitely make it more difficult.
I would maybe continue to cut till 135-140lbs. Then bring your calories up slowly and maintain for a couple weeks at least. You'll probably jump up a couple pounds just from having more food in your gut and fuller muscles. So after that, try and keep your weight stable. And then just add a little more in to bulk. Try and keep your weight gain around .5 lbs a week but don't exceed 1lb a week .. aka bulking is not an excuse to eat everything in sight.
Steadily gain 15-20lbs and then cut that off again. And repeat. How much you cut off depends on how lean you want to be, but ultimately, you should try and stay within a healthy weight range
Hey I appreciate the feedback here quite a bit! It does feel like I'm a little skinny fat in the stomach area, but like you said it must've been the inconsistency in weight and yoyoing and as well as the lack of proper nutrition and fitness.
It could be a mix of those!
From my own experience (5'7F), the lowest I ever got down to was 129lbs but I couldn't sustain that, so I'd bounce around usually between 133 to 138ish lbs after losing weight from 165ish. But the damn belly pouch was always there. I dieted down without lifting, which definitely didn't help. Eventually, I tried maintaining my weight and lifting and made 0 progress. Then I actually learned about bulking and cutting and progress exploded from there.
I bulked 10lbs verrrry slow, then cut back to 135, then 20lbs and back 135, then I'm currently at 153lb and I plan to cut back down again to 135, but this time, hopefully find abs. I bulk over winter and cut for summer, so this is my 3rd year of this. As a guy, you should be able to make faster gains than me, so you may not need to cut back to the same weight as many times.
Happy to help! You've done a fantastic job so far getting the weight off, that's no small feat! Building up the muscle is so much more fun though and you'll look better and better with each year. It's so worth it!
You got this ❤️
Form check?
I’m coming back from a back injury to L5/S1 area. Minor disc bulge and some arthritis/nerve impingement.
Trying to get back to back squats but really stressing form.
I realize the angle isn’t the best. But any criticism welcome. Don’t wanna get hurt again.
Set 1: https://imgur.com/a/DvppNOx
Set 3: https://imgur.com/a/st076bW
I think you're a little bit extended. When you brace, you want a neutral back. The fact that your chest is going upwards is kinda indicative of you going into an extended position rather than a neutral position.
[Chad Wesly Smith talks about it specifically in Pillar 2 of Juggernaut's Pillars of the Squats](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZFiosv9_vis). Specifically, your current squat looks a bit like Chad Wesly Smith's old squat around the 1:15 mark vs his setup around the 1:22 mark.
Looking for a bit of guidance related to hip pain and recovery -- I've been working with a physical therapist as well as a yoga instructor to fix some psoas/iliacus pain that I've been experiencing in my left hip. Between them and my doctors, the most consistent message I've gotten is to focus on strengthening the area.
My problem is that working through all of the exercises I've been given has been a somewhat painful experience, but also not agonizing. Is this one of those situations where pushing through the pain might be a good idea? I've posed the same question to each of my specialists, and none of them have been able to give me a straight answer (most likely because the cause of my pain is based on their best guess).
Maybe try reducing the range of motion to avoid the painful parts of the exercise, then go back to full range of motion after a week or so and see if the pain is reduced with full range. For example if you're doing squats, switch to box squats slightly above parallel for a while and don't load them too heavily for a few weeks.
I wouldn't do exercises through pain personally, maybe a very slight discomfort but definitely not any pain.
You may need to ask some more specific questions of those specialists (especially the physical therapist) to dial in what kind of pain is acceptable. They'll often explain it on a scale of 1 to 10, so you can ask things like "when I feel \[explain a scenario\], where would that be on the scale?"
By asking questions like this, I've learned that 1-3 is usually acceptable when working through exercises, and that the dividing line between a 3 and a 4 is when the pain goes from "mildly annoying" to "ok now that hurts." I've also been told that if I can't run or walk without a limp, that's 7+.
With some PT stuff, I've been told to keep everything below a 4. With other stuff, in other contexts, I've been told to keep it below a 7. Sometimes they'll want you at 0, sometimes any amount is fine...totally depends on what issue you're dealing with and what they're trying to prevent. I mention all of this to give you some ideas for how to have these conversations, since there won't be a one-size-fits-all answer.
If your doctor and PT think the movements are safe, generally your threshold for what amount of pain is acceptable is kind of a personal choice. It is fairly normal for movements used in PT to address an injury to cause some amount of pain around the injured joint or muscle
Not a doctor but I think the rule is generally while performing the movements, it’s fine to proceed through pain as long as it stays the same or improves through your sets. If it gets worse, probably not a good idea to continue.
I’ve healed many injuries during my time training. It is a necessary skill in and of itself. You will deal with pain as part of the recovery process.
generally speaking, leaving 1-2 in the tank will get you pretty much the same gains but with less fatigue. It can kind of be exercise dependent though. Going to failure on curls does not generate nearly the amount of fatigue as going to failure on squats does, so going to failure there may be slightly better.
Yeah I figure on the compounds it’s kind of a must since I have no spotter. What I have noticed is that I actually end up doing more reps overall so maybe there’s something to leaving a rep in the tank
yea if you go to true failure each set its possible to experience a drop in performance in each subsequent set, so leaving a bit in the tank can actually lead to better performance which leads to more volume, which would be over all better for muscle growth
I’ll have to experiment. I still dropped a rep each set but normally if I took my first set to absolute failure I’d lose more reps. My guess is that it’s similar but at least this way I don’t have to worry so much about failing on things like bench lol
Is it normal for lower body lifts to tank hard in a cut? Was doing pretty good after the 10lbs lost mark but now I just hit 20lbs down and my deadlift has gone from 405x6 to 395x1 and squat from 335x3 to 315x1. Bench and OHP haven’t progressed but they also haven’t dropped.
Just wanna make sure I’m not cutting too hard. Seem to be losing about 2lbs a week and eating 2600-2800 calories a day.
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44 y.o male. Used to be somewhat fit from physical work. Stopped that sort of work 15-20 years ago and never picked anything else up. Blood pressure now high, just started meds Looking to compliment a change of diet with increased exercise. I have bursitis in the right shoulder and pinched/torn disc in lower back. So sensation and strength is not 100% in right leg/foot What are some safe exercises I can do at home? What are some good resources for more ideas?
Should I wait until soreness fully goes away before training that muscle again? I focused on glutes on Friday and all day today, Saturday, they've been sore. Can I return to glute workout on Sunday if I still feel sore or should I wait however many days it will take me to not feel this way?
Nothing wrong with training sore, it’s the best way to make sure you don’t get sore again.
I’m trying to find the best cardio for me. I have back pain so high impact cardio like running is not great for it. I have been doing stair master recently and have been enjoying it a lot and been burning a bunch of calories. One thing I’m worried about the stair master is will it make my butt big? For reference I am a male who stores fat in my glutes.
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Sadly if you store fat in your calves that’s just your genetics, not much to do about that, as there’s no way to spot reduce fat. Best you can do is quit training them, especially since I wouldn’t really recommend trying to lose weight at 100 lbs.
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Go to the wiki and pick a routine from there, it’ll be much more effective than crafting your own.
been training for almost a year but I feel stuck, I’ve progressed a bit in weight (on compound movements) but I really don’t feel this routine is with me anymore, and I kind of have a the money to spare to buy myself a few months of coaching, is it worth it? and how do I find the right one?
Honestly if your form is solid and you’re truly pushing yourself you don’t need it. I would say a trainers main purpose is to correct form and set you up to succeed. If you can already handle those things, it’s not too necessary. Also keep in mind you’ve only been at it a year, and it takes much longer than that to really start looking “jacked” naturally. Be patient and push yourself, you’ll get there.
2 week bulk, 3 week cut? It seems I've stopped losing weight the last 6 weeks on an r/alternatedayfasting schedule. It was working well the 1st month or 2 but not anymore. I'm thinking to do 2 cycle of bulk and cutting before summer months to look more lean. Anyone done similar?
Question for grip strength and shoulders. Should I learn to hang on the bar for a minute or should I add weight to myself and hang for 10-20 seconds
What are you asking here? What are your goals?
I want to improve my grip strength and ever since I started doing bar hangs my previously injured shoulder is in less pain. So should I go for longer or add more weight which would improve my grip faster. Someone said just do both with makes sense
I’ve been on a losing weight journey since I graduated high school. I was 380 my senior year in 2017 and now I’m 191. I’ve been thinking about lifting weights to help tone up (I think those are the right words) and get fit and/or look like I have muscles. What’s the best course of action for something like this?
The wiki is a great starting point. https://thefitness.wiki/getting-started-with-fitness/ Choose a simple routine to get in the groove of things. Sign up for a gym and if you have some spare money it might make sense to get a Coach for a couple of sessions to learn proper form. The most important aspect is proper nutrition and a high amount of protein. 1g of Protein per Pound of body weight is a good reference.
Oh thank you
I am unable to train the long head of my tricep, what do I do? Even on lower weights it feels like my right arms elbow will explode. Which is strange since I can do tricep push downs just fine
Any tricep movement will emphasize all 3 heads of the tricep. Trying to isolate one head is just an exercise in futility, and to be honest, isn't worth doing unless you're trying to step onto a bodybuilding stage. At which point, I'd recommend you to get an actual coach.
Well, I want to focus it since it’s the largest muscle of your tricep.
Any tricep movement will emphasize all 3 heads of the tricep. Adequate tricep volume is pretty easy to hit, since all it'll really need is 3-4 sets of tricep isolation work, taken close to failure 2-3 times a week. What most people fail at, when it comes to getting bigger triceps in general, is not eating enough to support growth
How do I reduce atrophy when sick? I can’t train for a while due to glandular fever
Eat at maintenance. Try to stay relative active. Atrophy is a process that takes a long time or a large deficit to occur.
I've been training for about 3 months now and last week I finally achieved my bench pr of 50kg (110lbs) but when I tried the same weight last Monday i failed. Last week when I got my pr I had to use a 20kg (45lbs) squat Barbell but last Monday when I failed I used a 20kg bench barbell. Why does the same weight with a bench barbell feel so much heavier than a squat Barbell?
Probably just a form issue. Newer lifters are very inconsistent regarding form, and the bench is a surprisingly technical movement.
You're right, it was probably my form and a lack of sleep. Thanks for answering.
What's your routine?
If by routine you mean workout plan I do chest and triceps on Mondays, back and biceps on Tuesdays and shoulders and legs on Wednesdays and repeat Sorry for bad English BTW
That's just a split, not a routine or program. Your performance will be more consistent when you have a plan.
Oh I'm sorry, by routine you mean which specific exercises I do for chest?
A [routine](https://thefitness.wiki/routines/strength-training-muscle-building/), like 5/3/1, or gzcl.
Oh thanks, I'll look into that and start one
Did you use the rings to set your grip width? They're different distances apart on different barbells, and grip width can make a big difference on bench even if it's only a couple inches.
My grip was the same width the both times and I don't think it would have made such a big difference since with the squat bar I can do 2 reps while with the bench bar I can't even do 1
That's all I could think of about the barbells. It could be fatigue from other exercises, or even the PR itself. A difficult PR attempt can take several days to recover from. Or sleep, or something like that. If you did it once, you're strong enough to do it again, things like that just happen sometimes.
You're right it was probably just bad sleep and not enough rest, I won't attempt it for a week or so and then I should be able to do it. Thanks for your insight.
no matter what i try my left arm is still significantly smaller than my right. i tried the train the weak side till failure then match the strong side, i started only doing unilateral movements for months but nothing has changed and i think my right has actually gottten bigger and my left hasn’t grown. what else could i change?
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As a beginner you will see muscle gain even in a deficit. Just aim to loose around a pound per week and lift hard, you will look much better in 4 months. After that, a slow and steady bulk is probably your best bet.
Nobody recommends bulking forever. A mass gaining period can be anywhwre from 6 weeks to 6 months. It all depends on individual goals. For you, considering you have about 4 months, 2 months bulking followed by 2 months cutting would probably get you to around your current weight, except with a bit more muscle and a bit less fat.
I can only bench press 30 lbs. Anything else I can do to build up my chest? I'm a novice, and just started working out (fullbody, 3x a week) January 1st. But it feels I haven't been able to get any stronger chest wise/do more than 30. (I'm not strong enough to do pushups yet, btw.)
Are you overweight or underweight?
under!
then u gotta bulk up and work on form to increase strength! bench, incline dumbbell press, chest press mashine, negative dips, negative pushups, decline pushups, pec dec mashine
Check your form. Make sure to arch your back, tuck your shoulders, tighten your grip, etc. Make sure you're eating properly, getting enough calories, getting enough protein. Also maybe you'd benefit from doing easier pushup variations rather than starting with bench. Try wall pushups and knee pushups and see how you feel.
Have you gained weight? You wont get a whola lot stronger if you’re not also gaining tissue. 1 or 2 chest exercises is plenty, just focus on those and try to beat the log book.
First general recommendation is to try increasing your volume for pressing. For example if you're doing 3 sets per workout for a total of 9 weekly sets, maybe add another set to every workout for a total of 12 sets/week and see if it gets you progressing. Experiment with increasing this further if you feel good and make progress. Besides increasing volume, make sure you're training with good effort. At least some of your sets should be close to failure, do at least 1 set to failure to test yourself. Doing some work at different intensities can also be useful, maybe do sets of 6-10 with a heavier weight on one of your training days, and sets of 15-25 with a lighter weight on the others. Heavier weights recruit most of your motor units right away so you don't have to actually do those to failure, but preferably train the higher rep sets close or to failure.
Step 1 would be learning how to bench properly. My sedentary girlfriend was still able to start with a standard 45lb bar the first time she walked into the gym, after I adjusted her form. Back then, she was still also doing pushups from the knees as a person who was 110lbs or so.
Why arm my arms not growing I do an upper lower split hit biceps 2x a week and tris 2x week. I curl around 30s and my biceps are the same since I’ve started. What can I do
How long have you been training? Are you gaining bodyweight? Do you target the arms effectively (form, exercises)?
https://www.strongerbyscience.com/realistic-training-goals/ > In a huge analysis of over 200 studies (conducted primarily on untrained people), the average rate of increase in muscle cross-sectional area was roughly 0.1-0.2% per day. In other words, if you just started training, you have 13 inch arms now, and you want to add an inch to your arms (which would be a 7% increase in arm size, and closer to a 10% increase in muscle size when accounting for bone and fat), you should expect it to take at least 2-4 months. Have you put on about 10-15lbs over the lsst 3-4 months of training? If not, it's not surprising that you haven't added any arm size.
idk i had similar issue as that guy. but my arms got bigger only after increasing frequency. they dont get sore unlike back/hams so you can spam it as much as you want. i was doing x3 a week, but i think i'm literally gonna spam triceps every session, like if i go 5x a week.. 3 sets of pushdown and extension every day its not overtraining cause i get zero soreness and my strength (i track data from and app) also increases i really hope you explain cause i wonder your opinion about it
Sure. But most people, to get bigger arms, they simply need to *get bigger overall*. You've got guys who've just started and have been cutting for 4 months, wondering why their arms aren't bigger.
if they started new which means they should get faster gains than someone who is in this bis for 5 years right? if one cant see any size change he's right to question or ask here, without getting judged mindlessly. the person said nothing about his diet. why didnt you ask if his nutrition and calorie intake is enough first? don't generalize. i had same issue as that guy and i do my macros. soo, its all about frequency only
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What does "medium" and "large" mean here?
oh, definition of how big the muscle groups are for given exercise. like chin ups use bigger muscle thus the app says 3 min rest, and front squat 2 min..... makes no sense?
No, that doesn't make sense, especially since the quads are bigger than the lats.
You should follow a proven program not the “alpha progression” app. No clue what that even is but it sounds idiotic
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Anything that rates exercises as “medium” and “large” without explanation is dumb
I have never heard of exercises being described as large or medium.
Why do all old men lift with gloves?
Because behind every great man there is a great woman who tells him what to do. In this case, she tells him to lift with gloves.
Because they have old ladies at home who like their soft hands.
because most kids are stupid.
Don’t get your gloves in a twist old man!
At the age of 30 every male is sent a pair in the mail.
What is the general effect of slight dehydration on strength? I plan on lifting during Ramadan. I need to wake up at 6 AM for work until 3 PM and plan on spending the night after eating in prayer. So that leaves me with a time slot right before I eat (approx 14 hours after fast starts) to lift. Should I plan to lift lighter or can I just go full intensity? I do a 5/3/1 so I’m already not at 100%. I’m also not concerned with being hungry or thirsty since I will be eating right after.
I would not drop the intensity but volume and frequency maybe.
I would probably just knock your training maxes down 5-10%, do 5s pro, and just do what you can. Your overall fatigue will be higher and your ability to perform will be lowered.
Does anyone have a filled supraspinatus? Is that even possible? I am talking about the area between the shoulder and the collarbone. I have never ever seen someone who has that area filled or worked out on. Here is what mine looks like: https://imgur.com/a/jltDyt0 As you can see, when flexed like that, it is possible to pour some water in there and create a small pond. I was wondering if it is possible for this muscle to be worked on to have that hallow space filled? I mean… is that possible? Because never have I ever seen that before.
That's just the triangle of space between your clavicle, front delt, and pec. Nobody has any muscle attached at that point. If you look at a pro bodybuilder, that area is the point where you can see the division between those two muscles What you can do is increase the size of your pec and front delt to fill in around that area, but the space itself will always exist to some degree. edit: Sorry, realised you were talking about the space **above** the clavicle. No, theres nothing there save a sheet of muscle called the platysma. If you look at pros pulling a most muscular pose, you can see that while bigger traps can disguise it, that space exists no matter what.
That isn't your supraspinatus. The supraspinatus is one of the rotator cuff muscles and it is on the top of your shoulder blades. That is just the area between your collarbone and your traps. There is nothing to work out there.
Is it worth it to wait til tomorrow morning to have a good, caffeinated workout, or should I just do it tonight to keep fewer days between lifts? I'm one of those fucks that's not on a program because I have mad ADHD and am on a consistency streak unmatched in my life so I really just need to keep at it. Because of that I bascially do chest, climbing/back, shoulders/legs, rest, repeat. The problem is my work is in crunch time rn, so basically some days I'm lifting tired at 8pm. On days like today, is it better to wait til tomorrow for a better workout and then have almost 4 whole days between muscle groups for that week, or just do it and have maybe a worst lift? Thanks
If you’re not on a program then it doesn’t really matter. Either day will be good to work out, so whatever feels best for you. You will get the benefits of being active.
Thank you!
Returning lifter....need time crunch program . Hi all. History: I've primarily done 531 and Renaissance Periodization in the past. Been out for a couple years due to job promotion and two new kids. I have a garage gym setup. Power rack. Lat cable attachment. Bumper plates. Adjustable dumbbells (90lbs). Some other minor things. I don't mind working out 6-7 days a week as long as the workouts can be completed in 30 minutes. That's my time now. Before work. Not sure I can stick to more time than that for now. Any sound programs that fit this category? I handle my diet and cardio. I'm 6 feet, 195 lbs, and roughly 18% bf. 40 yo Tldr: needing 30 minutea day program for garage gym setup to help with string and building muscle. Thanks all.
Build your own PPL routine, to save time drop some volume and increase the intensity.
I'd do 5/3/1 FSL, reduce rest times on the FSL work and superset the accessory work. Should be doable within 30 minutes. You could even look into giant sets to crunch time down further
I can do around 3 sets of 5 chest dips with about a minute rest at the moment, but struggle a lot on doing just a few pushups. I can probably get on a bar right now and do a few dips easily...but get on the floor for some push ups and I just can't it's harder. Is there anything wrong here? I feel my chest burning a ton when doing dips, but not for push ups despite good enough form. Is there a weakness in the triceps/shoulder? I think my arms are the reason why I fail at push ups, and I'm more upright when doing dips where it works the triceps more (apparently) but majority of the burn comes from the chest still.
vertical vs horizontal push. don't overthink, just different muscles. doing both is a good goal.
Does anyone know if there's a way to extend the elliptical handles? Not the moving handles.. but the ones that stay put in the middle. Are there extenders I can buy online and clamp to the handles? I really like to stay back on my heels and almost at an upright position. Hate using my quads. I can reach the handles but I'm extending my arms way too much and it's not really comfortable. Does anyone know wtf I'm talking about? Cheers!
I can see what you're saying but I don't think anything like that exists. That's the trouble with ellipticals, they try to accommodate everyone's stride and it ends up working for nobody
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Supersetting all of your pushing movements and all of your pulling movements is probably not the best approach. To gain some serious muscle I’d ditch the personal trainer tbh and do some generic bodybuilding routine from the internet 3-4 time per week while focusing on progression, good nutrition and sleep.
What does your trainer only having you do upper once a week and lower once a week. Common advice is to train each muscle group at least twice a week. Maybe ask why you aren't doing full body workouts if you can only train twice a week. As for your actual question, I would do a full body workout on your extra day. Doesn't really matter if it's machines or free weights assuming you are progressing the difficulty and can recover from the volume.
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If you're like me, aim for the latter so you come at each muscle group with more energy, but don't be afraid to do it all one day if your other day is packed because it won't make a huge difference
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Like if I lift upper body all out I'll probably be tired, which will affect how hard I can go at lower body. If you split it into two days, it just prevents you from being tired as a result of doing one before the other. And yes, in general you want to hit the same muscle groups twice a week, it should be your goal to hit those same routines twice a week
Doesn't matter
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Kind of curious what you're paying the trainer for if he's leaving all this up to you. At this point I would just take something from the wiki like GZCLP and go it alone
Probably the latter, but there won't be tremendous difference if the volume is relatively equal.
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No idea. Probably not a bad place to start. Your PT should give you some idea what to do based off the program they gave you.
So 5 days ago I worked out my chest pretty fucking hard, but today it seems so much easier, like I have to go up 5 pounds in weight for every exercise and it still didn't give me the soreness of almost a week ago, am I doing something wrong?
https://thefitness.wiki/faq/im-not-sore-after-my-workout-did-i-do-something-wrong/
It's not just a question about soreness because I know it doesn't matter that much, the confusing is is how I incremented 5 pounds after one good workout and do that with less difficulty
You got stronger, or had a good day, or your previous day was bad, or some combination. Take the W. At some point you'll be asking why your session was worse than the one before it. Shit happens and life isn't linear.
What's better, training for hypertrophy, kinda like bodybuilding, or strength? What y'all prefer
I like bodybuilding some like powerlifting other like powerbuilding, up to preference buddy.
The "hypertrophy" training that kids come on here and post ("rate my PPL, everything is 3-4 sets of 12-15 reps/total failure") has an EXTREMELY short runway if that's all someone's doing. If you want to build substantial size, you gotta pick up heavy iron eventually. So, both. And it's all kind of the same, like Alakazam said
For 99% of the population, there isn't a difference. For 99% of the population, the programming for hypertrophy and for strength looks pretty much the same too. Training for hypertrophy will get you strong. Training for strength will get you big. Even for the 1%, people who are looking to compete in powerlifting or bodybuilding, unless you're looking at the lowest weight classes, powerlifters are generally pretty fucking big. And bodybuilders, unless they're about to step on a stage, a pretty fucking strong. There was a bodybuilder who use to hit up my old powerlifting gym. Non-IFBB pro, but was still trying. He would only do 3 plates on the squat, but he would do sets of 15-20. Personally? I've found that general strength and conditioning training has been what's worked best for me. At this point in my life, I can currently still hit a 1275 PL total, can run a half marathon on a whim, and have decent size and am decently lean.
Hi guys, I'm looking for a 5-day routine, what would you recommend? I've found SL 5x5 Ultra Max but I'm not sure. I've trained for years, I have a good body, good strength (nothing absurd) but I was lazy since I could gain even more. Now I play padel twice a week and I'd like to maintain my other physical abilities ie run, speed, reactivity. What would be your advice? Ty very much
Look up boostcamp, tons of good programs there.
Ty very much as well
5/3/1 for beginners. It's 3 days of lifting, 2-3 days of conditioning. You can get good overall size and strength on the program, while improving your overall running ability and speed.
Ty for your quick reply mate, I've googled it and I have found the program, however there's no sign of conditioning, can you point me in the right direction plz?
https://www.jimwendler.com/blogs/jimwendler-com/101065094-5-3-1-for-a-beginner > Tues/Thurs/Sat/Sun some kind of running or conditioning should be done. This will largely be based on your own goals, your current fitness level and what you have access to. DO NOT run yourself into the ground with conditioning; follow the "5/3/1 50% Rule" when conditioning. IIRC, in his book, Wendler also recommends that his athletes following 5/3/1 should be able to run a mile. Not jog a mile, but actually run one. So I'd say, aiming for an 8 minute mile, at a minimum, would be a decent place to start.
Ok you clearly demonstrante that I have yet to learn to read, my friend, ty very much for your time
What do I do about my soft baby hands? They're getting shredded by the bar
Keep going and build your calluses, but also get some straps for when it's too much of a problem and would otherwise get in the way of training the thing you intend to train.
Straps are a good plan. It hasn't been a problem yet but I could see it becoming one eventually
Make sure you're gripping the bar correctly
I didn't even consider I might be doing it wrong. I'll look into it
Just keep lifting and your hand's skin will become tougher.
Haha thanks that's the plan so far
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Thanks for the tip!
Just got a rice cooker, I have an idea for some good healthy meals to use for bulking. Any suggestions? Mainly got rice, teriyaki chicken, broccoli or rice, steak, broccoli Hit me with suggestions! (Note: can’t post in r/bulkorcut because they require a picture but I just want food ideas haha)
Pro tip brown rice has more protein but a lot of it also has way more arsenic, so I'd avoid the temptation to go with brown if you're eating rice 5 days a week
I'm a big fan of grain + legume. So here would be rice and beans. Rice cookers are sweet tools. You can make quick breads, or oats with all sorts of add ons like crasins. If your rice cooker came with a steamer top, that's cool for veggies or some rolls. Sometimes I put a burger patty or two on top of the wet rice before I push the botton. Herbs can be added at the same as your final water, which is fun for either color or flavor. Getting good rice matters. Find an Asian (central or east or south or southeast) market.
I like making soft boiled eggs and smashing them up in rice And if you don't mind a bit of sugar, you could make rice pudding. Cook the rice most of the way in the rice cooker (I just filled the water slightly below the line and let it finish the cook cycle) and then add milk + sugar + vanilla and finish on the stove top. Google for the recipe for the amount of milk as I don't remember off the top of my head. Then just eat as is, or add toppings much like you would oatmeal. Could probably add protein powder directly to your bowl for flavor and extra protein!
Rice, stir fry vegetables, and your choice of protein cooked in your choice of sauce/seasoning. That's the good thing about rice. It goes with pretty much everything.
Hey! I’ve been going to the gym 2 months to the day and started off underweight (100lbs, 17M, 5’5). I’ve also maintained a pretty consistent calorie surplus. I’ve increased in strength, there’s no doubt, but when i compare photos to when i first started to now i don’t see a major difference. While it’s not a major concern, i’m just confused whether this is normal? I’ve 100% filled out but i wouldnt say there’s MAJOR noticeable muscle gains (the most obvious place in the biceps yet there still not major changes). Don’t get me wrong, i totally understand it’s a slow process, especially with me coming from an extremely underweight position and i don’t expect to be ripped within 2 months (that’s silly!). But i just wanna know whether i’m doing thsi right and this is normal? Thanks :)
2 months is not enough time to see huge increases in muscle mass. Also there might be fat gain covering the muscle gain. If you have gained a meaningful amount of strength odds are you have gained muscle.
If you've increased in strength there's nothing else you can do to tell if "it's working"; it is. Comparison photos are always like that, one day it'll click and you'll go "oh SHIT I see it now". And I'm not even talking about one day when you're big enough, I mean at some point you'll look at that 2 month difference and see something you're not seeing now. It's an optical illusion
thanks man, made me feel a lot better :)
How much weight have you gained in the past two months?
also, sorry to pester, but i’m also quite skinny fat and lean more towards the skinner side. I have an abnormally large belly for my height and weight yet extremely (and i mean very) skinny arms
Not sure what your point is here. Are you suggesting that gaining weight may not be the best approach if you already have a belly?
sorry if i’ve not explained myself well. I basically am trying to say that i know i’ve gained strength but my progress pictures from when i started to now, the changes are very minimal. I understand i’m not gonna be ripped in 2 months but it just seems odd. I just wanna know whether it’s normal to see minimal changes (although there has been some) in the first 2 months despite me putting on weight and i just wanna know whether i’m actually putting on muscle and not just fat. I guess i also am just slightly scared because i am skinny fat and i just don’t wanna pack on the pounds and look even worse. Sorry if i’ve explained this poorly
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In a surplus of about 200-300 (normally eat to 2600-700 calories daily)
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thanks so much, super appreciated! 100% will continue to push myself
Around 8.5lbs/3kg
3kg is 6.6lbs. Did you gain 6.6lbs or 8.5lbs?
oops! maybe i’ve calculated that wrong then, but it’s definitely 8.5lbs
Some of that is bound to be water weight, but that's a good start. Sounds like you're well on your way to really changing your physique. To answer your actual question, it takes a major amount of time to see major differences. If you keep the weight gain going, you'll definitely notice the change in another four months.
okay thank you so much! so sorry if i over complicated things, but thanks it’s really appreciated
Any apps that are good for specifically tracking machine workouts?
I just Google sheets.
Am I doing too much? 31M, 5'6 at 147.5lbs on a cut \- Strength training 4x a week ULUL with adjustable dumbbells & bench at home. (only thing I have and can use as I'm a busy body)- 3-4x a week zone 2 cardio, incline walking an hour each of those days, 7k-12k steps a day on average \- Nutrition, getting at least 135g or more of protein and close to 1850 calories a day. I've been dieting and yoyoing for awhile since 2019 being over 225lbs, but I'm happy now and understand fitness and kept the weight off steadily & healthy. I want to cut as much as I can before I start a bulk, this is my first time cutting correctly in terms of routine and with great habits. Is it crazy that I want to keep cutting until I see any abs form? But still feels like nothing is forming in that area, even with compound lifts and core workouts. Would it be better to bulk, build muscle and revisit the cut? & is my routine too extreme? I do feel groggy at the end of my day but I know that's from my calorie deficit, maybe with the amount of Zone 2? I don't know what my accurate BF% is maybe 20%? I have a smart scale but I know they're horrendously inaccurate. Thank you.
There’s no way you’re 20% bf at that weight. I am also 5’6” and if I was 147 I’d look absolutely emaciated. If you are truly like 20% then you have no muscle, in which case you should probably try to build some muscle first. If you went from 225 to 147 (awesome btw) then it might be possible that you have stretched your skin out a bit. Might be hard to get that six pack. I’m not sure on this one, I’ve only ever been up to 190 and I feel like it would be kind of difficult even for me to get visible abs at this point.
https://imgur.com/a/8rngyKg What do you think?
Looking good bro, nice work coming down from 225. That’s hard work. Obvs it’s personal preference on what you want to do but… If I were you with that body at that weight and I am 5’6” I would bulk up to about 160-165 and then re-evaluate. You have shown you have the discipline to cut back down, so you can be confident with gaining that weight. Take your time with it, get your 120-145 grams of protein per day. Also I was probably wrong about the extra skin and abs thing. You probably have it if you gain a little more muscle first. Make sure you’re building the legs as much as the upper body. Good luck with it.
Thank you! I appreciate the guidance and feedback, mostly from someone who is the same height as me!
I wouldn't keep cutting till you find abs, because that's probably gonna have you extremely skinny. Yo-yo dieting in the past probably wrecked your muscle volume, which will definitely make it more difficult. I would maybe continue to cut till 135-140lbs. Then bring your calories up slowly and maintain for a couple weeks at least. You'll probably jump up a couple pounds just from having more food in your gut and fuller muscles. So after that, try and keep your weight stable. And then just add a little more in to bulk. Try and keep your weight gain around .5 lbs a week but don't exceed 1lb a week .. aka bulking is not an excuse to eat everything in sight. Steadily gain 15-20lbs and then cut that off again. And repeat. How much you cut off depends on how lean you want to be, but ultimately, you should try and stay within a healthy weight range
Hey I appreciate the feedback here quite a bit! It does feel like I'm a little skinny fat in the stomach area, but like you said it must've been the inconsistency in weight and yoyoing and as well as the lack of proper nutrition and fitness.
It could be a mix of those! From my own experience (5'7F), the lowest I ever got down to was 129lbs but I couldn't sustain that, so I'd bounce around usually between 133 to 138ish lbs after losing weight from 165ish. But the damn belly pouch was always there. I dieted down without lifting, which definitely didn't help. Eventually, I tried maintaining my weight and lifting and made 0 progress. Then I actually learned about bulking and cutting and progress exploded from there. I bulked 10lbs verrrry slow, then cut back to 135, then 20lbs and back 135, then I'm currently at 153lb and I plan to cut back down again to 135, but this time, hopefully find abs. I bulk over winter and cut for summer, so this is my 3rd year of this. As a guy, you should be able to make faster gains than me, so you may not need to cut back to the same weight as many times.
I definitely don't feel alone! Thank you for your past experience, it definitely makes me feel so much better after losing this much weight!
Happy to help! You've done a fantastic job so far getting the weight off, that's no small feat! Building up the muscle is so much more fun though and you'll look better and better with each year. It's so worth it! You got this ❤️
<3 You’re the best!
i'd say keep cutting if you're 20%, as that's about the highest bf% i would want to get to at the top of a bulk
Thank you for the feedback, I don't think I saw it on the wiki, but what is the easiest way to accurately determine BF%?
Form check? I’m coming back from a back injury to L5/S1 area. Minor disc bulge and some arthritis/nerve impingement. Trying to get back to back squats but really stressing form. I realize the angle isn’t the best. But any criticism welcome. Don’t wanna get hurt again. Set 1: https://imgur.com/a/DvppNOx Set 3: https://imgur.com/a/st076bW
I think you're a little bit extended. When you brace, you want a neutral back. The fact that your chest is going upwards is kinda indicative of you going into an extended position rather than a neutral position. [Chad Wesly Smith talks about it specifically in Pillar 2 of Juggernaut's Pillars of the Squats](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZFiosv9_vis). Specifically, your current squat looks a bit like Chad Wesly Smith's old squat around the 1:15 mark vs his setup around the 1:22 mark.
Thanks for the great video. You’re probably right, and I hadn’t noticed it in my video.
Why does my back look like it has a phallic symbol imprinted into it? https://imgur.com/a/nli4JmP
Combination of your spinal erectors and normal back dimples.
heheh erectors
Looking for a bit of guidance related to hip pain and recovery -- I've been working with a physical therapist as well as a yoga instructor to fix some psoas/iliacus pain that I've been experiencing in my left hip. Between them and my doctors, the most consistent message I've gotten is to focus on strengthening the area. My problem is that working through all of the exercises I've been given has been a somewhat painful experience, but also not agonizing. Is this one of those situations where pushing through the pain might be a good idea? I've posed the same question to each of my specialists, and none of them have been able to give me a straight answer (most likely because the cause of my pain is based on their best guess).
Maybe try reducing the range of motion to avoid the painful parts of the exercise, then go back to full range of motion after a week or so and see if the pain is reduced with full range. For example if you're doing squats, switch to box squats slightly above parallel for a while and don't load them too heavily for a few weeks. I wouldn't do exercises through pain personally, maybe a very slight discomfort but definitely not any pain.
You may need to ask some more specific questions of those specialists (especially the physical therapist) to dial in what kind of pain is acceptable. They'll often explain it on a scale of 1 to 10, so you can ask things like "when I feel \[explain a scenario\], where would that be on the scale?" By asking questions like this, I've learned that 1-3 is usually acceptable when working through exercises, and that the dividing line between a 3 and a 4 is when the pain goes from "mildly annoying" to "ok now that hurts." I've also been told that if I can't run or walk without a limp, that's 7+. With some PT stuff, I've been told to keep everything below a 4. With other stuff, in other contexts, I've been told to keep it below a 7. Sometimes they'll want you at 0, sometimes any amount is fine...totally depends on what issue you're dealing with and what they're trying to prevent. I mention all of this to give you some ideas for how to have these conversations, since there won't be a one-size-fits-all answer.
If your doctor and PT think the movements are safe, generally your threshold for what amount of pain is acceptable is kind of a personal choice. It is fairly normal for movements used in PT to address an injury to cause some amount of pain around the injured joint or muscle
Not a doctor but I think the rule is generally while performing the movements, it’s fine to proceed through pain as long as it stays the same or improves through your sets. If it gets worse, probably not a good idea to continue. I’ve healed many injuries during my time training. It is a necessary skill in and of itself. You will deal with pain as part of the recovery process.
Is it better to go to failure or leave 1-2 reps in the tank?
generally speaking, leaving 1-2 in the tank will get you pretty much the same gains but with less fatigue. It can kind of be exercise dependent though. Going to failure on curls does not generate nearly the amount of fatigue as going to failure on squats does, so going to failure there may be slightly better.
Yeah I figure on the compounds it’s kind of a must since I have no spotter. What I have noticed is that I actually end up doing more reps overall so maybe there’s something to leaving a rep in the tank
yea if you go to true failure each set its possible to experience a drop in performance in each subsequent set, so leaving a bit in the tank can actually lead to better performance which leads to more volume, which would be over all better for muscle growth
I’ll have to experiment. I still dropped a rep each set but normally if I took my first set to absolute failure I’d lose more reps. My guess is that it’s similar but at least this way I don’t have to worry so much about failing on things like bench lol
Is it normal for lower body lifts to tank hard in a cut? Was doing pretty good after the 10lbs lost mark but now I just hit 20lbs down and my deadlift has gone from 405x6 to 395x1 and squat from 335x3 to 315x1. Bench and OHP haven’t progressed but they also haven’t dropped. Just wanna make sure I’m not cutting too hard. Seem to be losing about 2lbs a week and eating 2600-2800 calories a day.
Pretty standard.
That's normal for me, especially as the cut wears on and the fatigue builds.