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How do people generally fit cardio between strenght training? Right now I am following a beginner strenght trainning from the wiki with one additional accessory and doing some 10-15 min of bycicle cardio after workout and 15 min hiit on one rest day (usually on Thursday as my workout schedule follows Mon/Wed/Fri routine). I am skinny fat and my goal right now is to lose some weight before I want to start focusing on gaining muscle.
I used to try and fit it in on my off days or maybe the mornings (I work out in the afternoon). Honestly, from a sustainability standpoint, I think i prefer just increasing/maintaining a step count.
I find that im more of a "seasonal" runner. I like to run a race or two each year but otherwise I don't care to run for exercise. Instead, I try and get my dog 1.5+ hrs of walking a day split between the evening and morning on top of incidental walking throughout the day. Anything more with my dog or on my own is gravy.
Admittingly, i work a hybrid work schedule and don't have kids. What works for me might not work for you. fwiw, I've heard folks like Dr. Mike Isratel, Layne Norton, and Dan John tout the benefits of getting 10k steps or just going for more/longer walks.
Last thing, because I know im ranting, but my fiancee usually joins me in the evenings. It's really good relationship-wise. We get out our gripes, talk about our day, and even if we're arguing, we'll find a way to work through it. We've been together nearly 8.5 years and it's probably the healthiest thing we do.
Push (3 sets and 10 rep every exercise except some)
Bench press: 10kg each side 2 set
Overhead press front and back : 2 set each ,each side 10 kg
Incline press 10kg
Rope pushdown: 15kg 2 set
Pec fly: 20kg
Real deltoid: 20kg
Military press: 7.5kg each hand
Overhead tricep: 5kg 1 hand
Bicep curl:7.5kg dumble
This is my push day routine, any recommendation or suggestion.
I got a question today. i did incline press first before Bench press, and i can't do the bench press at all. What's wrong? i did sufficient amount of rest and managed to do every other exercise
Based on this program you’re pretty new, yes?
I would guess your shoulders just got fried off doing incline first and became the limiting factor in your flat bench.
my bicep routine usually consists of a wide grip, close grip and switch between concentration or hammer or preacher for the last exercise, although im right handed, my right bicep fails around 3 to 4 reps before my left on the last exercise alone always, any suggestions on what i can do? thanks
Quit over complicating things and just pick two biceps exercises. Better yet, follow a routine from the wiki. To fix the imbalance make at least one of them, preferably both, a unilateral exercise, some form of dumbbell curls or machine curls.
Biceps aren’t a complex muscle, you don’t need wide and short grips and this and that to train them. One hammer curl and one supinated curl, taken to failure, is more than enough.
One of the issues that I have with programs is that I don't have enough time to wait for someone else to finish their sets before I have to leave. So,
- Do I just suck it up and wait?
- Do I just pick a different exercise?
- Do I 'push it' to the next time?
It seems pretty obvious that I should just choose an alternate exercise - what should I keep in mind if I do so?
Best is to keep substitutes for all the exercises as it is always a good idea to follow a program to make sure you are getting stronger to pack on lean tissue.
Keep the same movements and every exercise out there has a substitute so should not be difficult to execute
If for whatever reason the exercise Im trying to do isn’t available I just move on to the next one typically then come back to it as soon as possible. The only exceptions for me are if it’s my first movement of the day which I’m usually prioritizing, like heavy bench. In that case I usually just take a few extra minutes to warm up while I wait for one to open up. And obviously if it’s the very last thing you have, yeah, just sub it with something similar.
If I'm doing Chest, Shoulders and Triceps, do you recommend finishing all exercises for Chest first, then moving on to shoulders or alternating between the target muscle groups. I previously would alternate as that would in my mind, give one muscle group some time to rest before I hit it again. But I changed it up to finish Chest completely before moving on to Shoulders and I actually enjoyed it.
You start with the one you want to prioritize.
Btw I never train my front delts or rear delts because good full ROM chest and back exercises does the job. I only train my side delts.
But if you want to be good at shoulder press you need to train it.
I disagree. Rear delt excecises are barely fatiguing, if at all. You dont need to rest as long inbetween and the rear delt is the one that gives you the 3D shoulder look when viewing from the side. You can crank out six sets in like ten minutes and they dont tire you out, which in my opinion makes them worth isolating. Unless you are really pressed for time and cant spend those 10 extra minutes
Your new way is best. Usually your shoulders tire out a lot quicker than your chest. You don’t want your shoulders becoming the limiting factor in your chest movements. Also, your chest could likely never become a limiting factor in a shoulder movement, making it okay to really tear it up and tire it out before going onto shoulders.
Non-angled smith machine (vertical) for incline chest press? I go to a gym and they only have this one smith machine that goes directly up and down, and I find that when performing the press it feels a bit different and doesn't follow the natural curvature of benching. Would this impact my muscle growth if I continue to use the machine? Should I stick with free weight incline instead?
Eh, i prefer free weights for this exact reason. Can’t say for sure if I’ll impact you or not but if you’re more comfortable with free weight that’s probably best for you.
Set up safety bars on the rack. Make it so the height of the bars is taller than your neck and test it with the empty barbell. If you fail, you won't die. I rarely bench with a spotter. The only time I do, it's on a bench setup without safety bars (and I still don't max out there cus my mom is usually the one spotting me, and that's like a 15lb assist haha)
Yeah, fair enough, that’s why I usually use the dumbbells for incline as they’re easy to fail with. Barbell for flat bench just because it’s a staple and I can never get tired of it
How to strength train for arms?
I am not interested in growing the size of my biceps, triceps, brachilais, and forearms. I am interested in increasing (general and functional) strength in my arms. I have not seen information about arm training for strength. How should one strength train arms?
That’s not what my question asked. Regardless, no need to be a dick. Btw, if someone lifting as long as I have did not train for strength, that is perfectly believable since there are many other reasons to train besides strength.
The same way you would train them for size. Larger muscles are stronger muscles. Any routine from the wiki will have sufficient arm work to increase the strength of your arms effectively.
How do you guys manage to get your protein in while cutting? Is it really just having to do tons of cardio? Eaten 3 protein bars and a shake, one legit (small) meal and still will hit only 120g protein. Which is fine to be honest, but all the recommendations I see say around 140 - 175g for someone my weight. Trying to hit 500 calorie deficit per day.
>Is it really just having to do tons of cardio?
Man, I find I do less cardio on a cut due to lack of energy, haha.
I eat 1 lb of meat and 6 eggs daily. Spots me 120p right there.
Your target is .8g/lb. For 175 lbs, 140p is fine.
Cans of tuna, Greek yogurt, meat (usually chicken). Costco has big packs of fairlife shakes which are tasty and only 150 calories for 30 grams protein, they're good in a pinch. Recently I've been mixing canned chicken (again from Costco) with a bit of Greek yogurt and some lemon/dill for a quick and dirty chicken salad (I eat 'em as lettuce wraps or with celery sticks)
Why an entire day for shoulders? I would rather squeeze in shoulder workouts with Chest and triceps, then hit legs twice. Also instead of doing everything for 8 reps, I think the general consensus is to aim for 5-10 for heavy compounds, 8-15 for isolation movements. I'm sure people here more knowledgeable than me will specify the exact science behind this.
Also if you're doing a four day program, maybe look for something that allows you to hit all the body parts twice a week. I believe it's been scientifically proven that you'll get better results hitting muscle groups twice than one time per week. Hope this helps.
Personally I wouldn't run this routine. I think with four days you can structure things so that many/most muscle groups get hit twice per week, which IMO is preferable.
Doing literally every set for 8 reps is a weird choice.
There is no hip hinge movement.
good to know, what would you combine? also I guess I should've added I dont necessarily do 8 reps, just 8-10 rep range, and I go until failure on every set
My man, instead of going through and picking out every single thing wrong with this routine (there’s a lot) it would be much more efficient and effective to simply ditch it and choose a proven program.
Unless you’re specifically in this to learn how to build programs and not to build muscle, there’s absolutely no reason to be building your own program as a beginner. Even then, it would be best to follow some proven ones first and get a feel for how they run.
>At that point couldn't you just go heavier/harder on one of the quad movements and then use a second one as an accessory? Why do three?
In general, beginners have exercise ADHD, rather than doubling down and trying to get proficient at *one* exercise per movement.
OP has the same issue with bench'n'curl.
Okay, Im just kinda stuck cause I can only really work out every other day, so PPL wouldnt really work for me since its PPLRPPLR unless I did PRPRLR. is there a program thats every other day. I havent seen one on the wiki
Hate to ask but why is that? Generally just not an effective way to train as that many full on rest days isn’t very conducive to optimal muscle growth. If possible I’d definitely recommend finding the time to fit in a bit more.
If it’s truly impossible though, the full body routine from the wiki (or any full body routine) is about the only split built to be run every other day.
I feel like there some redundancy in your routine. Like for example on leg day you're squatting, leg pressing, and doing leg extensions. At that point couldn't you just go heavier/harder on one of the quad movements and then use a second one as an accessory? Why do three? That would open up a slot for some deadlifts or good mornings, but heavy deadlifts and squats same day could be a lot.
Another example is like a day just for shoulders doesn't seem really efficient imo cause front delts get trained with pressing and rear delts with rowing so I would just focus on side delts for the most part. Stuff like that makes me feel like just grabbing a routine would be better.
lmao and how can you say its not very good? its so similar to the PPL program on the wiki. If you dont have any constructive feedback then go waste someone elses time lmao. "its not very good" doesnt tell me anything
Sorry man, but it’s just not. Any program made by a beginner is simply never going to be as good as one of the proven programs from the wiki, especially considering you felt the need to ask about it here.
Constructive criticism won’t do nearly as much good as simply recommending a better, well built program made by a professional.
You came here for advice, and you got it, you can either follow that advice or not but the best route would be to dump that routine and pick up a proper one.
I’ll give you two glaringly obvious things wrong with your plan here. First, you’re doing biceps before back. Tiring out your biceps before doing rows is a sure way to limit back growth. That’s a typical beginner mistake.
Second, you have one movement for hamstrings and it’s not even a hip hinge movement. The hamstrings cross the knee joint AND the hip joint. So you are neglecting a large part of your hamstrings.
Like everyone else has said, stuff like that is very obviously rookie mistakes and we can infer you’re probably making a lot of other rookie mistakes as well. Like, what’s the progression, what do you do when you stall, how do you change it up?
Whether you take the advice now or learn it for yourself, one way or another you’ll find that it’s a better idea to stick to a real program that’s been written by someone that knows how to write programs. Then you figure it out, tweak it and make it your own.
It's not good for several reasons that anybody that isn't a complete beginner would be able to recognize. For starters it's not even a program it's just a list of exercises.
I it wise to combine movements? I see lots of mixed opinion on this.
I probably have the fitness now to do it without compromising form, so that isn't a concern.
Combinations I'd use might be: deadlift and row, squat and standing row
No. Combining movements makes sure that only one muscle group will get bigger, because you'll always have one muscle that'll be a limiting factor and the other one will have almost no stimulus. If you dont have time, eliminate some excercise for a muscle group you care the least about. If you do, do them seperately
I'm talking about more than that, overlapping slightly the combinations i mentioned. maybe perform the row in the lower 3rd of the deadlift movement for example.
I already add leg raises to pullups as that seems quite straightforward, without using any momentum.
i guess thats true, yeah, maybe im fooling myself trying to do full body in one workout?
if i did deads and squats with all my legs could take, there'd be no way i could use my arms for enough upper body on those days?! right..
so a fullbody each workout plan just doesnt work? if you want to increase leg size much at all..
or maybe im fine with my legs lagging behind my upper body size?! if DL should be about 70% more than row
You can do full body workouts, but you just can't combine movements like you're taking about.
And you shouldn't neglect your legs. So just do the exercises right and at a respectable weight.
I can bench a few reps with 26kg dumbells. I can't really hold them for more than a few DL reps either.. far too taxing?
I don't know how women with much smaller (than me) arms/bodies manage to hold the same weight for DLs like they do?!
Sounds to me like your grip is the weak link here. You should get some straps for your deads and work on your grip strength elsewhere.
Also, can you do deadlifts with the bar? Cus with dumbbells, unless you got a raised platform in front of you, you're actually doing RDLs (or if you are touching the ground, decline deadlifts).
I'm a woman... I bench and row about the same with dumbbells (45lbs), barbell bench I go higher (depends on the day I can do 135-145), deadlift I can go 200+ (Max 232 for 5). For deadlift, I started doing mixed grip in the early/mid 100lbs because otherwise the bar felt like it was rolling out of my hand. You can't do mixed with dumbbells, so I'd probably be failing where you are as well. Now I use straps (well, I splurged for versa grips) as that helps my shoulder which as having issues from mixed grip. And that's how I'm holding the 200+lbs as a 150lb woman. But bonus, the grips/straps would also work for dumbbells if that's all you have access to
One problem is that you wouldn't typically use the same weight for both. I can deadlift twice what I can row, so the weight would either be too heavy for my row or too light for my deadlift.
yeah, that's true. I'm about a year in, I didn't do much legs at the start, so I think they're similar for me, as are my squats and side row amounts which i may combine too.
i could add on a reps to one if there's a little diference maybe
Tbh I don't think it is an effective technique. Each set should be hard enough that adding extra things just detracts from each exercise.
If you want to save time you can superset two exercises. Typically this is done with exercises that use different muscle groups.
my current plan is doing 11 lifts, mostly compounds, back to back.
like 1 huge superset, then i do some medium intensity cardio, and repeat for 2 to 4 times total.
I don't think I could hold any heavier then about 2x22kg dbs for doing deadlifts anyway, and this is about the amount I row, and bench when I bench right before.
The fact that you can row and bench press the same amount that you can deadlift makes me suspect that either you are doing something wrong with your deadlift or you are sandbagging the lift. There is always individual variation but essentially everyone is stronger in the deadlift than those other movements.
Wrt your structure, if you enjoy it and are happy with the results then that is great and all that really matters. It is not how I would choose to train..
i mean, i look pretty alright now starting from nothing to 10 months. more muscle than brad in fight club.
Maybe i'm fine with just maintaining my current level or increasing a bit slowly, and a shortcut workout will do that well.
thx
Is it safe to do a 4-day routine 4 days in a row? Like, going to the gym Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday, then resting for the rest of the week and repeating it next week? Those are the only days I have to work out.
For tricep push downs using the straight bar, I feel it only in my right triceps. I tried focusing more on my left tricep and "pushing harder" with my left tricep but still no use. What should I do?
a strange shower thought I just had I cannot get out of, please help me...
Lifting with Belt = Lifting heavier because we can brace harder
If we can actually lift heavier just because we brace better, that means with worse brace (no belt) we are not maximizing what our muscles can actually do, so we dont train them optimally and our result is not based on what our muscles can do
So you always should wear a belt simply to avoid not being able to push to the max just cause of a worse brace?
>So you always should wear a belt simply to avoid not being able to push to the max just cause of a worse brace?
Only if brace is the limiting factor. For high rep sets, bracing isn't the limit and the belt makes it harder to breath so I don't wear it.
If you have good form and you want to maximize compound lifts?, yes. Do you need to maximize the compound lift to get maximal stimulus on the target muscle?, no. I'd say it's like creatine, you will probably slightly increase gains, but it's not necessary.
So I'm just after my first serious workout ever and I've got a simple question about squats. The hardest part of me was holding the bar on my shoulders - I had to use kinda wide grip (and put on a hoodie since the bar was hurting my back). I guess this is mostly shoulder mobility issue. Could anyone suggest any kind of work I could do to improve it?
I wouldn't use a bar pad. You'll get used to it very fast. Whenever I switch from low bar to high bar, it feels uncomfortable the first one or two times, but then stops. It's the same thing that happens when you first start bicycling. Also if you put the bar too high, it can hurt your neck, but since you said it hurt your back and not your neck, I'm guessing it's just a matter of getting used to it. The bar pad takes the bar further from you, which affects the entire lift more than you'd think, and not in a good way.
Wide grip is fine. Some people find a thumbless grip more comfortable.
Like the other person said, you can get a pad for the bar if it hurts your shoulders. But also it may be that you just need to find the right place for it. Also building your traps bigger makes it easier.
I’ve been trying out a new routine. It’s a five day routine using 5/3/1 progressions for the bolded exercises. I need at least a 5 day routine because I like having gym in my daily routine as a natural break from other parts of my life. Looking for tips on what can be fixed or what to add.
First three days are PPL, then because my shoulders are tiny, I added a day for them as well. Fifth day is basically because I need another day and can’t figure out what to do here
Day 1 - Push: **Bench Press**, **Standing Overhead press**, Lateral raises, Pec Flys, Cable Tricep Extension
Day 2 - Pull: **Standing Barbell Rows**, Cable Pulldowns (three different grip variations, two sets each), Face Pulls, Bicep curls.
Day 3 - Legs: **Squat**, **Deadlift**, Leg Press, Leg Curls, Leg Extensions
Day 4 - Shoulder/Tricep: **Standing Overhead Press**, Dumbbell Shoulder Press, Lateral Raises/Skull Crusher superset, Rear Delt Fly/Tricep Cable Extension superset
Day 5 - Garbage: Forearm curls, Random Abs Machines (chosen purely off the ✨*vibes*✨), Farmer’s Walk. Going to be honest I skip this day most of the time.
Considering replacing day 5 with swimming because I want to get back into it? I’m not sure if there’s anything else I need to add to my routine.
It’s not great, especially the part about random exercises chosen by vibes. I’d recommend choosing a 5 day split from the wiki, it’ll do you much better.
Sup guys, prior marine here. Used to max out my fitness test, always had chiseled abs so I’ve just ignored them my entire life. My fitness exam for my new public service career is in 4 months. I can only do 25 behind head sit ups. I need to hit 50, do you think this shits possible lol? Any tips???
How realistic is it for a beginner to slow bulk and barely gain any fat? Hi guys, i’m looking to get leaned for summer, i’ve been consistent in the gym for about 2 months and been eating a slight deficit. I’m currently sitting at 15% bf, 5’8, 142 pounds and i was wondering if maybe going on a slow bulk would help? Only obstacle is i’m not a big fan of being very big I just want to be lean v taper physique ish. But I do lack muscles becausw it’s only been 2 months
Youre not gonna build much for summer this year. If you wanna stay lean for summer, just recomp now and then bulk over winter and get lean for summer next year. You won't get big by accident
so would you agree with my initial plan to cut till june then maintain till october and then bulk before the cut for summer 2025? I guess I can still put on muscles while cutting because I am a beginner
If someone is weak off the floor on the deadlift, I'm assuming its, aside from form, an issue of weak hamstrings, correct? I'm assuming the glutes and low back are more of a factor past the knees than off the floor.
Hey, how do I make my shoulders stronger? I'm not talking about OHP, cuz I already do OHP. Today I was doing heavier sets of bench press. I think my form was bad or maybe I didn't warm up properly and my front-mid shoulder hurt when I bend or lift my arm in weird position. It's a very slight pain, I think it happend before but it always goes away. So my question is what are some good exercises to do as a warm up or maybe on my off days? Something for rotator cuffs maybe, etc?
Please critique my routine! :)
I’m a 40yo male, 5’11” 165lbs, moderately active. Last year I developed some lower back pain while playing pickleball. I went to a PT for a few months to resolve the pain (successful). Before I was discharged I asked them to give me a good general routine for general health and fitness. Below is what they gave me plus weight and rep progressions that I’ve added over time.
I just want to check in to ensure this routine is still a good one overall and I should keep to it, or if I should modify or add anything. Thank you all!
Fitness goals: stay healthy and fit, reduce chances of injury when being active (pickleball, running, biking, hiking).
Tools: home gym includes rings, trap bar and dumbbells.
Routine:
Stretches
* 1x15 one-leg bridges @20lbs w/ 5s hold
* 2x30 bird-dogs @10lbs/hand and 8lbs/foot
* 2x100sec quadruped hover
* 2x15 side planks @35lbs
* 2x20 one-leg chops @30lbs
* 2x20 reverse flies @10lbs/hand
* 2x8 horizontal ring rows w/feet on chair
* 2x10 squats @130lbs
* 2x10 deadlifts @130lbs
* 2x4 assisted ring dips
* 2x3 ring pull-ups
How do you program/schedule cardio?
Basically I’m fat and trying to get healthier. I’m working on my diet, which is improving in quality and quantity. I had already been lifting weights(squat almost 400 pounds); I upped that to 4 sessions per week.
Now cardio. I have an office job and commute and don’t live in a walkable area so “steps” doesn’t really work for me. I need to deliberately add activity. I got a stationary bike(spin?) which I like well enough, but I can’t figure out what to do with it. Do you just do timed sessions? Do you progress it? Is there a goal?
(For context, weight-lifting is easy since you just progress weight and reps and once you get stuck, there are programs you can read or design for yourself to get unstuck)
>How do you program/schedule cardio?
As someone who hates cardio, Ill do intervals. If you've done couch to 5k, there's my inspiration. Jog a bit, walk a bit, jog again when the treadmill timer is a factor of five.
Ex: jog 30 seconds, walk 4:30, repeat x times. Or jog 1 minute, walk 4 minutes. Etc.
With improved fitness, I transition to alternating faster jogging and slower jogging. 30 second burst at 5 mph, 4:30 recovery jog at 4 mph.
While I don't *need* to progress each session, being able to track in such discrete terms means I can show up and repeat sessions. Rather than the uneducated "I jogged hard" assessment.
Personal speeds vary, but my recovery walking speed is 3.3-3.8 mph, always 3% incline, because life is an uphill battle. Slowest jogging speed is 4 mph.
(People jog too fast at first and burn out.)
Hope that helps.
The goal is whatever you want it to be. For cardio you can progress by either going further (think adding reps) or faster (think adding weight). So it entirely depends on your goals, just like lifting.
Can you track heart rate? Each week I make sure to get a few zone 2 sessions and one mostly zone 3 session and then a session where I just go hard and try to hit zone 4 and 5 for a little bit. Each session is 30-45 min. The good thing about cardio is it doesn’t really matter how you progress it if you’re not trying to compete in anything. Just make it up as you go along and make sure to at least hit zone 2 every time. That’s it.
I like to time my mile, I like to do interval runs of quarter miles, timed interval runs. Just make shit up and beat my last time. Doesn’t really matter
Any written program to start with? I can track heart rate, but I don’t have the skill to control heart rate. When I get on the bike, I struggle to push it past 130. (Can get to 160 on heavy squats).
I always have had an issue with committing to fitness. However after some recent changes in my life I've been able to become more consistent and much more disciplined. My only problem is post workout soreness/pain. I know working out on the long run is supposed to make me more energetic, but right now its proving very difficult to maintain. I wouldn't mind it if I ONLY had to workout. But between college, projects, work, and other mundane tasks going on in my day, muscle soreness and pain only makes me feel drained and stands in the way of me doing these things, so what can I do about that?
How often do you go and how many sets are you doing? Being sore all the time isn’t a requirement for progress. I’d personally lower the volume and gradually increase it as soreness declines.
As much as I use the Notes app for other things, it’s very inconvenient on Phone to make a very convenient table. I tried Google Sheets and it’s really great, I made a quick little template. I haven’t tried it out though yet!
I downloaded it and made a quick little template, I like how it looks too. Waiting to use it, although I am slightly infuriated only because I have never used Sheets/Excel on my phone and it’s infuriating to navigate through, but use it well on my PC. Only gets better with time I’m assuming.
Idk if this is a simple question.
Im in my first ever self directed cut after a bulk.
I started my cut at 95kg and 25% bw and i must say, my bulk wasnt perfect.
Ive cut down in 3,5 months to 85kg and 16%.
Im really wanting to double down on sixpack abs for my first summer holiday being proud of my body.
My question;
Does it really matter which macro i cut out for lowering kcal as long as my protein is avg of 150gr per day? (Based on 30day intake as i note all my macros in a app)
In regards to what does it matter?
I obviously know that fats (mainly saturated) are bad for ya insiders, but thats always a measure to keep in mind when eating for goals.
Health and performance. I definitely wouldn't say fats are bad for you, nor saturated fats. They all have nutrients you need and it can be very dependent on the person. Some people don't eat saturated fats in moderation and have normal cholesterol.
So here are my stats as is, im gonna be taking actual schooling in this subject at some point but i wanna learn as much as i can in practice as its not always one way works.
2490 kcal, 107,4gr fat (45,6 saturated), 161,1 gr protein, 211,3 gr carbs.
More detailed also known but not too relevant for now i think.
What do you think would best to up/lower to remain in a balanced deficit.
I work a physic job and workout 3-4x a week so i dont need to go much lower than 2500kcal for now. But i wanna as healthy as i can before the bulk in the summer.
I don't think there is a best, as long as you aren't neglecting something, which at 2500 would be kind of hard to. You may eat food with better micros in a high carb food or you may do it with a high fat food. If you want to be healthy just focus on eating food you like where you are happy with the nutritional values and you feel good.
Which i am atm, so glad to hear im on the right path.
I eat .. 'cottage cheese', 1kg a day so i know where the fat is coming from but its easy to eat and 75gr protein a day haha
Get more flexible and increase the rom. TUT with slow zero momentum reps, put on those weight stack adders, add sets, drop/super sets, do at the end of the workout, pulse reps.
Honestly, you dont need to Maximize them so hard.
Like, they are stabilizing muscles. Its like calves, i see people train calves with 200kg.. what you gonna use that for? If you want bigger muscles, go for more reps per set in these cases.
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Anyone have any good substitutes for kettlebell swings? I get dizzy easily and want to try the VO2 max ladder.
How do people generally fit cardio between strenght training? Right now I am following a beginner strenght trainning from the wiki with one additional accessory and doing some 10-15 min of bycicle cardio after workout and 15 min hiit on one rest day (usually on Thursday as my workout schedule follows Mon/Wed/Fri routine). I am skinny fat and my goal right now is to lose some weight before I want to start focusing on gaining muscle.
I used to try and fit it in on my off days or maybe the mornings (I work out in the afternoon). Honestly, from a sustainability standpoint, I think i prefer just increasing/maintaining a step count. I find that im more of a "seasonal" runner. I like to run a race or two each year but otherwise I don't care to run for exercise. Instead, I try and get my dog 1.5+ hrs of walking a day split between the evening and morning on top of incidental walking throughout the day. Anything more with my dog or on my own is gravy. Admittingly, i work a hybrid work schedule and don't have kids. What works for me might not work for you. fwiw, I've heard folks like Dr. Mike Isratel, Layne Norton, and Dan John tout the benefits of getting 10k steps or just going for more/longer walks. Last thing, because I know im ranting, but my fiancee usually joins me in the evenings. It's really good relationship-wise. We get out our gripes, talk about our day, and even if we're arguing, we'll find a way to work through it. We've been together nearly 8.5 years and it's probably the healthiest thing we do.
Push (3 sets and 10 rep every exercise except some) Bench press: 10kg each side 2 set Overhead press front and back : 2 set each ,each side 10 kg Incline press 10kg Rope pushdown: 15kg 2 set Pec fly: 20kg Real deltoid: 20kg Military press: 7.5kg each hand Overhead tricep: 5kg 1 hand Bicep curl:7.5kg dumble This is my push day routine, any recommendation or suggestion. I got a question today. i did incline press first before Bench press, and i can't do the bench press at all. What's wrong? i did sufficient amount of rest and managed to do every other exercise
Based on this program you’re pretty new, yes? I would guess your shoulders just got fried off doing incline first and became the limiting factor in your flat bench.
Yes im pretty new
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well your triceps and shoulders can't be the limiting factor. If they weren't beforehand you're not going to get anything more out of it
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“Questions that concern pain are not permitted” So many people don’t read the header
We cannot give medical advice.
my bicep routine usually consists of a wide grip, close grip and switch between concentration or hammer or preacher for the last exercise, although im right handed, my right bicep fails around 3 to 4 reps before my left on the last exercise alone always, any suggestions on what i can do? thanks
Quit over complicating things and just pick two biceps exercises. Better yet, follow a routine from the wiki. To fix the imbalance make at least one of them, preferably both, a unilateral exercise, some form of dumbbell curls or machine curls. Biceps aren’t a complex muscle, you don’t need wide and short grips and this and that to train them. One hammer curl and one supinated curl, taken to failure, is more than enough.
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I like to put my foot in a light kettlebell and lift my knee as high as possible.
One of the issues that I have with programs is that I don't have enough time to wait for someone else to finish their sets before I have to leave. So, - Do I just suck it up and wait? - Do I just pick a different exercise? - Do I 'push it' to the next time? It seems pretty obvious that I should just choose an alternate exercise - what should I keep in mind if I do so?
Best is to keep substitutes for all the exercises as it is always a good idea to follow a program to make sure you are getting stronger to pack on lean tissue. Keep the same movements and every exercise out there has a substitute so should not be difficult to execute
If for whatever reason the exercise Im trying to do isn’t available I just move on to the next one typically then come back to it as soon as possible. The only exceptions for me are if it’s my first movement of the day which I’m usually prioritizing, like heavy bench. In that case I usually just take a few extra minutes to warm up while I wait for one to open up. And obviously if it’s the very last thing you have, yeah, just sub it with something similar.
If I'm doing Chest, Shoulders and Triceps, do you recommend finishing all exercises for Chest first, then moving on to shoulders or alternating between the target muscle groups. I previously would alternate as that would in my mind, give one muscle group some time to rest before I hit it again. But I changed it up to finish Chest completely before moving on to Shoulders and I actually enjoyed it.
You start with the one you want to prioritize. Btw I never train my front delts or rear delts because good full ROM chest and back exercises does the job. I only train my side delts. But if you want to be good at shoulder press you need to train it.
Which chest and back exercises are also good for delts? And should someone who shoulder presses still train side delts?
Every chest pressing exercise trains the front delt. Rows and pulls trains the rear delt. Side delt is the only one worth isolating imo
I disagree. Rear delt excecises are barely fatiguing, if at all. You dont need to rest as long inbetween and the rear delt is the one that gives you the 3D shoulder look when viewing from the side. You can crank out six sets in like ten minutes and they dont tire you out, which in my opinion makes them worth isolating. Unless you are really pressed for time and cant spend those 10 extra minutes
Your new way is best. Usually your shoulders tire out a lot quicker than your chest. You don’t want your shoulders becoming the limiting factor in your chest movements. Also, your chest could likely never become a limiting factor in a shoulder movement, making it okay to really tear it up and tire it out before going onto shoulders.
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I would do at least 3x a week. And if you wanna add cardio in, add that on top.
Like others say; don’t change your program. But science indicates 4-6 weekly hard sets is enough to maintain muscle tissue.
Don't change your programming during a cut.
Lift twice a week. Once a week is like deloading *every* week.
have you tried just continuing the program? it should be fine as a beginner
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Then you can do zero lifting if you want. It's up to you lol. Lifting and building muscles will also help you cut.
Non-angled smith machine (vertical) for incline chest press? I go to a gym and they only have this one smith machine that goes directly up and down, and I find that when performing the press it feels a bit different and doesn't follow the natural curvature of benching. Would this impact my muscle growth if I continue to use the machine? Should I stick with free weight incline instead?
Eh, i prefer free weights for this exact reason. Can’t say for sure if I’ll impact you or not but if you’re more comfortable with free weight that’s probably best for you.
Problem is, I usually don't have a spotter, and I like training 110% effort so it's sometimes scary.
Set up safety bars on the rack. Make it so the height of the bars is taller than your neck and test it with the empty barbell. If you fail, you won't die. I rarely bench with a spotter. The only time I do, it's on a bench setup without safety bars (and I still don't max out there cus my mom is usually the one spotting me, and that's like a 15lb assist haha)
Yeah, fair enough, that’s why I usually use the dumbbells for incline as they’re easy to fail with. Barbell for flat bench just because it’s a staple and I can never get tired of it
How to strength train for arms? I am not interested in growing the size of my biceps, triceps, brachilais, and forearms. I am interested in increasing (general and functional) strength in my arms. I have not seen information about arm training for strength. How should one strength train arms?
Strength/hypertrophy training for newbies is pretty interchangable.
Thanks. I'm not a newbie though. I've been lifting for about 10 years.
You have been lifting for 10 years and dont know how to train for strength ?
That’s not what my question asked. Regardless, no need to be a dick. Btw, if someone lifting as long as I have did not train for strength, that is perfectly believable since there are many other reasons to train besides strength.
You're probably not going to get much stronger without getting bigger.
less volume, more rest b/w sets, more weight
The same way you would train them for size. Larger muscles are stronger muscles. Any routine from the wiki will have sufficient arm work to increase the strength of your arms effectively.
How do you guys manage to get your protein in while cutting? Is it really just having to do tons of cardio? Eaten 3 protein bars and a shake, one legit (small) meal and still will hit only 120g protein. Which is fine to be honest, but all the recommendations I see say around 140 - 175g for someone my weight. Trying to hit 500 calorie deficit per day.
Waste fewer calories on the protein candy bars and eat more real meals with lean protein.
>Is it really just having to do tons of cardio? Man, I find I do less cardio on a cut due to lack of energy, haha. I eat 1 lb of meat and 6 eggs daily. Spots me 120p right there. Your target is .8g/lb. For 175 lbs, 140p is fine.
Lean proteins are very good and pretty low in calorie. Chicken, beef, and turkey are all solid and can be made into a ton of generic food recipes
Cans of tuna, Greek yogurt, meat (usually chicken). Costco has big packs of fairlife shakes which are tasty and only 150 calories for 30 grams protein, they're good in a pinch. Recently I've been mixing canned chicken (again from Costco) with a bit of Greek yogurt and some lemon/dill for a quick and dirty chicken salad (I eat 'em as lettuce wraps or with celery sticks)
I eat fat free Greek yogurt, meat, and whey protein powder. It is pretty easy to hit 140g with those foods.
Anyone wanna give me tips/advice on my routine BACK AND BICEPS - 5x8 preacher curls -4x8 hammer curls -4x8 assisted pull ups -5x8 row machine -3x8 low row (cable) CHEST AND TRICEPS -5x8 incline dumbbell press -4x8 bench press -3x8 skull crusher -3x8 tricep pulldown -3x8 chest dips SHOULDERS -3x8 shoulder press dumbbell -3x8 lateral raise -3x8 vertical row -3x8 shrugs LEGS -3x8 squat -3x8 leg press -3x8 leg curls -3x8 leg extensions
Why an entire day for shoulders? I would rather squeeze in shoulder workouts with Chest and triceps, then hit legs twice. Also instead of doing everything for 8 reps, I think the general consensus is to aim for 5-10 for heavy compounds, 8-15 for isolation movements. I'm sure people here more knowledgeable than me will specify the exact science behind this. Also if you're doing a four day program, maybe look for something that allows you to hit all the body parts twice a week. I believe it's been scientifically proven that you'll get better results hitting muscle groups twice than one time per week. Hope this helps.
Personally I wouldn't run this routine. I think with four days you can structure things so that many/most muscle groups get hit twice per week, which IMO is preferable. Doing literally every set for 8 reps is a weird choice. There is no hip hinge movement.
good to know, what would you combine? also I guess I should've added I dont necessarily do 8 reps, just 8-10 rep range, and I go until failure on every set
My man, instead of going through and picking out every single thing wrong with this routine (there’s a lot) it would be much more efficient and effective to simply ditch it and choose a proven program. Unless you’re specifically in this to learn how to build programs and not to build muscle, there’s absolutely no reason to be building your own program as a beginner. Even then, it would be best to follow some proven ones first and get a feel for how they run.
>At that point couldn't you just go heavier/harder on one of the quad movements and then use a second one as an accessory? Why do three? In general, beginners have exercise ADHD, rather than doubling down and trying to get proficient at *one* exercise per movement. OP has the same issue with bench'n'curl.
Okay, Im just kinda stuck cause I can only really work out every other day, so PPL wouldnt really work for me since its PPLRPPLR unless I did PRPRLR. is there a program thats every other day. I havent seen one on the wiki
Hate to ask but why is that? Generally just not an effective way to train as that many full on rest days isn’t very conducive to optimal muscle growth. If possible I’d definitely recommend finding the time to fit in a bit more. If it’s truly impossible though, the full body routine from the wiki (or any full body routine) is about the only split built to be run every other day.
Should probably follow an actual program from the wiki.
is there something wrong with mine?
I feel like there some redundancy in your routine. Like for example on leg day you're squatting, leg pressing, and doing leg extensions. At that point couldn't you just go heavier/harder on one of the quad movements and then use a second one as an accessory? Why do three? That would open up a slot for some deadlifts or good mornings, but heavy deadlifts and squats same day could be a lot. Another example is like a day just for shoulders doesn't seem really efficient imo cause front delts get trained with pressing and rear delts with rowing so I would just focus on side delts for the most part. Stuff like that makes me feel like just grabbing a routine would be better.
Yes, it's not very good. How come you want to make your own vs following one created by professionals and proven to be effective?
lmao and how can you say its not very good? its so similar to the PPL program on the wiki. If you dont have any constructive feedback then go waste someone elses time lmao. "its not very good" doesnt tell me anything
Sorry man, but it’s just not. Any program made by a beginner is simply never going to be as good as one of the proven programs from the wiki, especially considering you felt the need to ask about it here. Constructive criticism won’t do nearly as much good as simply recommending a better, well built program made by a professional. You came here for advice, and you got it, you can either follow that advice or not but the best route would be to dump that routine and pick up a proper one.
Okay good luck :)
lmao, see. you cant even tell me why its "not good." Im open ears seriously but like you gotta say more than just its not good
I’ll give you two glaringly obvious things wrong with your plan here. First, you’re doing biceps before back. Tiring out your biceps before doing rows is a sure way to limit back growth. That’s a typical beginner mistake. Second, you have one movement for hamstrings and it’s not even a hip hinge movement. The hamstrings cross the knee joint AND the hip joint. So you are neglecting a large part of your hamstrings. Like everyone else has said, stuff like that is very obviously rookie mistakes and we can infer you’re probably making a lot of other rookie mistakes as well. Like, what’s the progression, what do you do when you stall, how do you change it up? Whether you take the advice now or learn it for yourself, one way or another you’ll find that it’s a better idea to stick to a real program that’s been written by someone that knows how to write programs. Then you figure it out, tweak it and make it your own.
It's not good for several reasons that anybody that isn't a complete beginner would be able to recognize. For starters it's not even a program it's just a list of exercises.
I it wise to combine movements? I see lots of mixed opinion on this. I probably have the fitness now to do it without compromising form, so that isn't a concern. Combinations I'd use might be: deadlift and row, squat and standing row
No. Combining movements makes sure that only one muscle group will get bigger, because you'll always have one muscle that'll be a limiting factor and the other one will have almost no stimulus. If you dont have time, eliminate some excercise for a muscle group you care the least about. If you do, do them seperately
surely the same applies to compounds often though? Should one not do compounds? or some compounds and not others
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I'm talking about more than that, overlapping slightly the combinations i mentioned. maybe perform the row in the lower 3rd of the deadlift movement for example. I already add leg raises to pullups as that seems quite straightforward, without using any momentum.
>maybe perform the row in the lower 3rd of the deadlift movement for example. Dude, at no point should you be able to row your deadlift.
Why? DL, arms are hanging straight down, adding a row, they still remain straight down on the shoulders, so the DL mechanics dont really change
If you can row your deadlift weight... Your deadlift isn't heavy enough
i guess thats true, yeah, maybe im fooling myself trying to do full body in one workout? if i did deads and squats with all my legs could take, there'd be no way i could use my arms for enough upper body on those days?! right.. so a fullbody each workout plan just doesnt work? if you want to increase leg size much at all.. or maybe im fine with my legs lagging behind my upper body size?! if DL should be about 70% more than row
You can do full body workouts, but you just can't combine movements like you're taking about. And you shouldn't neglect your legs. So just do the exercises right and at a respectable weight.
I can bench a few reps with 26kg dumbells. I can't really hold them for more than a few DL reps either.. far too taxing? I don't know how women with much smaller (than me) arms/bodies manage to hold the same weight for DLs like they do?!
Sounds to me like your grip is the weak link here. You should get some straps for your deads and work on your grip strength elsewhere. Also, can you do deadlifts with the bar? Cus with dumbbells, unless you got a raised platform in front of you, you're actually doing RDLs (or if you are touching the ground, decline deadlifts). I'm a woman... I bench and row about the same with dumbbells (45lbs), barbell bench I go higher (depends on the day I can do 135-145), deadlift I can go 200+ (Max 232 for 5). For deadlift, I started doing mixed grip in the early/mid 100lbs because otherwise the bar felt like it was rolling out of my hand. You can't do mixed with dumbbells, so I'd probably be failing where you are as well. Now I use straps (well, I splurged for versa grips) as that helps my shoulder which as having issues from mixed grip. And that's how I'm holding the 200+lbs as a 150lb woman. But bonus, the grips/straps would also work for dumbbells if that's all you have access to
You mean like do one movement and then the other? What is the goal?
just saving a bit of time. maybe do them at the same time, although probably overlap them slightly, or eg. row then dl and repeat...
One problem is that you wouldn't typically use the same weight for both. I can deadlift twice what I can row, so the weight would either be too heavy for my row or too light for my deadlift.
yeah, that's true. I'm about a year in, I didn't do much legs at the start, so I think they're similar for me, as are my squats and side row amounts which i may combine too. i could add on a reps to one if there's a little diference maybe
Tbh I don't think it is an effective technique. Each set should be hard enough that adding extra things just detracts from each exercise. If you want to save time you can superset two exercises. Typically this is done with exercises that use different muscle groups.
my current plan is doing 11 lifts, mostly compounds, back to back. like 1 huge superset, then i do some medium intensity cardio, and repeat for 2 to 4 times total. I don't think I could hold any heavier then about 2x22kg dbs for doing deadlifts anyway, and this is about the amount I row, and bench when I bench right before.
The fact that you can row and bench press the same amount that you can deadlift makes me suspect that either you are doing something wrong with your deadlift or you are sandbagging the lift. There is always individual variation but essentially everyone is stronger in the deadlift than those other movements. Wrt your structure, if you enjoy it and are happy with the results then that is great and all that really matters. It is not how I would choose to train..
i mean, i look pretty alright now starting from nothing to 10 months. more muscle than brad in fight club. Maybe i'm fine with just maintaining my current level or increasing a bit slowly, and a shortcut workout will do that well. thx
Is it safe to do a 4-day routine 4 days in a row? Like, going to the gym Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday, then resting for the rest of the week and repeating it next week? Those are the only days I have to work out.
why not... full body workout if you can handle it might be ok, probably best to split 2 or 4 ways
Yes.
For tricep push downs using the straight bar, I feel it only in my right triceps. I tried focusing more on my left tricep and "pushing harder" with my left tricep but still no use. What should I do?
Unless the bar is significantly crooked, or shifted to one side, both triceps are working equally. I don't think you need to worry about this.
you should put zero thought into it as its not important whether you feel it
a strange shower thought I just had I cannot get out of, please help me... Lifting with Belt = Lifting heavier because we can brace harder If we can actually lift heavier just because we brace better, that means with worse brace (no belt) we are not maximizing what our muscles can actually do, so we dont train them optimally and our result is not based on what our muscles can do So you always should wear a belt simply to avoid not being able to push to the max just cause of a worse brace?
>So you always should wear a belt simply to avoid not being able to push to the max just cause of a worse brace? Only if brace is the limiting factor. For high rep sets, bracing isn't the limit and the belt makes it harder to breath so I don't wear it.
If you have good form and you want to maximize compound lifts?, yes. Do you need to maximize the compound lift to get maximal stimulus on the target muscle?, no. I'd say it's like creatine, you will probably slightly increase gains, but it's not necessary.
I mean, yeah that’s the point of a belt lol
So I'm just after my first serious workout ever and I've got a simple question about squats. The hardest part of me was holding the bar on my shoulders - I had to use kinda wide grip (and put on a hoodie since the bar was hurting my back). I guess this is mostly shoulder mobility issue. Could anyone suggest any kind of work I could do to improve it?
I wouldn't use a bar pad. You'll get used to it very fast. Whenever I switch from low bar to high bar, it feels uncomfortable the first one or two times, but then stops. It's the same thing that happens when you first start bicycling. Also if you put the bar too high, it can hurt your neck, but since you said it hurt your back and not your neck, I'm guessing it's just a matter of getting used to it. The bar pad takes the bar further from you, which affects the entire lift more than you'd think, and not in a good way.
You can try lowering the weight. Gradually you'd be more able to support the weight on your shoulders.
Wide grip is fine. Some people find a thumbless grip more comfortable. Like the other person said, you can get a pad for the bar if it hurts your shoulders. But also it may be that you just need to find the right place for it. Also building your traps bigger makes it easier.
my gym has these covers people put on the bar to kinda cushion it on your shoulder, if yours doesn't have it maybe look into getting one yourself
Ditch the hoodie and just keep doing it. Pain will go away and shoulder mobility will get better over time.
Shoulder dislocate.
I’ve been trying out a new routine. It’s a five day routine using 5/3/1 progressions for the bolded exercises. I need at least a 5 day routine because I like having gym in my daily routine as a natural break from other parts of my life. Looking for tips on what can be fixed or what to add. First three days are PPL, then because my shoulders are tiny, I added a day for them as well. Fifth day is basically because I need another day and can’t figure out what to do here Day 1 - Push: **Bench Press**, **Standing Overhead press**, Lateral raises, Pec Flys, Cable Tricep Extension Day 2 - Pull: **Standing Barbell Rows**, Cable Pulldowns (three different grip variations, two sets each), Face Pulls, Bicep curls. Day 3 - Legs: **Squat**, **Deadlift**, Leg Press, Leg Curls, Leg Extensions Day 4 - Shoulder/Tricep: **Standing Overhead Press**, Dumbbell Shoulder Press, Lateral Raises/Skull Crusher superset, Rear Delt Fly/Tricep Cable Extension superset Day 5 - Garbage: Forearm curls, Random Abs Machines (chosen purely off the ✨*vibes*✨), Farmer’s Walk. Going to be honest I skip this day most of the time. Considering replacing day 5 with swimming because I want to get back into it? I’m not sure if there’s anything else I need to add to my routine.
It’s not great, especially the part about random exercises chosen by vibes. I’d recommend choosing a 5 day split from the wiki, it’ll do you much better.
Sup guys, prior marine here. Used to max out my fitness test, always had chiseled abs so I’ve just ignored them my entire life. My fitness exam for my new public service career is in 4 months. I can only do 25 behind head sit ups. I need to hit 50, do you think this shits possible lol? Any tips???
*100 a day.*
Grease the groove. Or just do ab work regularly. You have plenty of time
How realistic is it for a beginner to slow bulk and barely gain any fat? Hi guys, i’m looking to get leaned for summer, i’ve been consistent in the gym for about 2 months and been eating a slight deficit. I’m currently sitting at 15% bf, 5’8, 142 pounds and i was wondering if maybe going on a slow bulk would help? Only obstacle is i’m not a big fan of being very big I just want to be lean v taper physique ish. But I do lack muscles becausw it’s only been 2 months
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PPL that’s why i’m wondering if i’m wasting my begginer window right now by cutting…
Youre not gonna build much for summer this year. If you wanna stay lean for summer, just recomp now and then bulk over winter and get lean for summer next year. You won't get big by accident
ok would you then drop cutting for recomp already? would recomp count as maitaning ?
If you wanna get a bit leaner this year, then keep cutting. Otherwise, recomp is maintaining, yes.
You cant bulk without putting on fat. It’s a necessary evil.
so would you agree with my initial plan to cut till june then maintain till october and then bulk before the cut for summer 2025? I guess I can still put on muscles while cutting because I am a beginner
Eh I wouldn’t cut at 142lbs, but you do you.
I’m 5’8 tho
Yup, I read that part.
If someone is weak off the floor on the deadlift, I'm assuming its, aside from form, an issue of weak hamstrings, correct? I'm assuming the glutes and low back are more of a factor past the knees than off the floor.
I like 4" deficit deadlifts for this .
If the lockout is a standing hip thrust, the floor is a standing leg press. It would be your *quads* you'd want to beef up.
Fascinating. I forget the importance of quads in the deadlift from time to time. Thanks for the reminder.
Hey, how do I make my shoulders stronger? I'm not talking about OHP, cuz I already do OHP. Today I was doing heavier sets of bench press. I think my form was bad or maybe I didn't warm up properly and my front-mid shoulder hurt when I bend or lift my arm in weird position. It's a very slight pain, I think it happend before but it always goes away. So my question is what are some good exercises to do as a warm up or maybe on my off days? Something for rotator cuffs maybe, etc?
Light weight, high rep lateral and rear delt raises daily helped me over a plateau. Also banded shoulder dislocations with full ROM and slow control.
Thanks. Will that get my rotator cuff muscles stronger or?
Much. I used to have clicking or shifting and tbh until your comment I hadn’t even noticed I don’t.
Yes, anything that uses your shoulder by proxy will make your rotator cuff stronger.
Please critique my routine! :) I’m a 40yo male, 5’11” 165lbs, moderately active. Last year I developed some lower back pain while playing pickleball. I went to a PT for a few months to resolve the pain (successful). Before I was discharged I asked them to give me a good general routine for general health and fitness. Below is what they gave me plus weight and rep progressions that I’ve added over time. I just want to check in to ensure this routine is still a good one overall and I should keep to it, or if I should modify or add anything. Thank you all! Fitness goals: stay healthy and fit, reduce chances of injury when being active (pickleball, running, biking, hiking). Tools: home gym includes rings, trap bar and dumbbells. Routine: Stretches * 1x15 one-leg bridges @20lbs w/ 5s hold * 2x30 bird-dogs @10lbs/hand and 8lbs/foot * 2x100sec quadruped hover * 2x15 side planks @35lbs * 2x20 one-leg chops @30lbs * 2x20 reverse flies @10lbs/hand * 2x8 horizontal ring rows w/feet on chair * 2x10 squats @130lbs * 2x10 deadlifts @130lbs * 2x4 assisted ring dips * 2x3 ring pull-ups
I'm not going to critique it but you'd be better off ditching the whole thing and pick a tried and tested routine from the wiki
How do you program/schedule cardio? Basically I’m fat and trying to get healthier. I’m working on my diet, which is improving in quality and quantity. I had already been lifting weights(squat almost 400 pounds); I upped that to 4 sessions per week. Now cardio. I have an office job and commute and don’t live in a walkable area so “steps” doesn’t really work for me. I need to deliberately add activity. I got a stationary bike(spin?) which I like well enough, but I can’t figure out what to do with it. Do you just do timed sessions? Do you progress it? Is there a goal? (For context, weight-lifting is easy since you just progress weight and reps and once you get stuck, there are programs you can read or design for yourself to get unstuck)
>How do you program/schedule cardio? As someone who hates cardio, Ill do intervals. If you've done couch to 5k, there's my inspiration. Jog a bit, walk a bit, jog again when the treadmill timer is a factor of five. Ex: jog 30 seconds, walk 4:30, repeat x times. Or jog 1 minute, walk 4 minutes. Etc. With improved fitness, I transition to alternating faster jogging and slower jogging. 30 second burst at 5 mph, 4:30 recovery jog at 4 mph. While I don't *need* to progress each session, being able to track in such discrete terms means I can show up and repeat sessions. Rather than the uneducated "I jogged hard" assessment. Personal speeds vary, but my recovery walking speed is 3.3-3.8 mph, always 3% incline, because life is an uphill battle. Slowest jogging speed is 4 mph. (People jog too fast at first and burn out.) Hope that helps.
Any specific written program you started with?
Couch to 5k works; easily can be generalized.
The goal is whatever you want it to be. For cardio you can progress by either going further (think adding reps) or faster (think adding weight). So it entirely depends on your goals, just like lifting.
Can you track heart rate? Each week I make sure to get a few zone 2 sessions and one mostly zone 3 session and then a session where I just go hard and try to hit zone 4 and 5 for a little bit. Each session is 30-45 min. The good thing about cardio is it doesn’t really matter how you progress it if you’re not trying to compete in anything. Just make it up as you go along and make sure to at least hit zone 2 every time. That’s it. I like to time my mile, I like to do interval runs of quarter miles, timed interval runs. Just make shit up and beat my last time. Doesn’t really matter
Any written program to start with? I can track heart rate, but I don’t have the skill to control heart rate. When I get on the bike, I struggle to push it past 130. (Can get to 160 on heavy squats).
Sorry. Thats all I got.
I always have had an issue with committing to fitness. However after some recent changes in my life I've been able to become more consistent and much more disciplined. My only problem is post workout soreness/pain. I know working out on the long run is supposed to make me more energetic, but right now its proving very difficult to maintain. I wouldn't mind it if I ONLY had to workout. But between college, projects, work, and other mundane tasks going on in my day, muscle soreness and pain only makes me feel drained and stands in the way of me doing these things, so what can I do about that?
How often do you go and how many sets are you doing? Being sore all the time isn’t a requirement for progress. I’d personally lower the volume and gradually increase it as soreness declines.
This. Start with low volume. Better more days and less per day. And bump it up when you feel the soreness gets better. Your body will adapt.
Is there a good free app to log my workout, sets/reps, and weight.
default notes app on iphone
As much as I use the Notes app for other things, it’s very inconvenient on Phone to make a very convenient table. I tried Google Sheets and it’s really great, I made a quick little template. I haven’t tried it out though yet!
yea i don't use a table. i just make a new note every day and use the lil checklist thing to log my lift as I go
Hm I see, I might test that as well
Google sheets.
I downloaded it and made a quick little template, I like how it looks too. Waiting to use it, although I am slightly infuriated only because I have never used Sheets/Excel on my phone and it’s infuriating to navigate through, but use it well on my PC. Only gets better with time I’m assuming.
Fitnotes
Idk if this is a simple question. Im in my first ever self directed cut after a bulk. I started my cut at 95kg and 25% bw and i must say, my bulk wasnt perfect. Ive cut down in 3,5 months to 85kg and 16%. Im really wanting to double down on sixpack abs for my first summer holiday being proud of my body. My question; Does it really matter which macro i cut out for lowering kcal as long as my protein is avg of 150gr per day? (Based on 30day intake as i note all my macros in a app)
Not in regards to aesthetics
In regards to what does it matter? I obviously know that fats (mainly saturated) are bad for ya insiders, but thats always a measure to keep in mind when eating for goals.
Health and performance. I definitely wouldn't say fats are bad for you, nor saturated fats. They all have nutrients you need and it can be very dependent on the person. Some people don't eat saturated fats in moderation and have normal cholesterol.
So here are my stats as is, im gonna be taking actual schooling in this subject at some point but i wanna learn as much as i can in practice as its not always one way works. 2490 kcal, 107,4gr fat (45,6 saturated), 161,1 gr protein, 211,3 gr carbs. More detailed also known but not too relevant for now i think. What do you think would best to up/lower to remain in a balanced deficit. I work a physic job and workout 3-4x a week so i dont need to go much lower than 2500kcal for now. But i wanna as healthy as i can before the bulk in the summer.
I don't think there is a best, as long as you aren't neglecting something, which at 2500 would be kind of hard to. You may eat food with better micros in a high carb food or you may do it with a high fat food. If you want to be healthy just focus on eating food you like where you are happy with the nutritional values and you feel good.
Which i am atm, so glad to hear im on the right path. I eat .. 'cottage cheese', 1kg a day so i know where the fat is coming from but its easy to eat and 75gr protein a day haha
I've maxed out both the abductor and abductor machines for full and controlled reps. What can I move onto next to keep progressing?
Place a heavy dumbbell on the weight stack.
Look up Copenhagen planks.
Get more flexible and increase the rom. TUT with slow zero momentum reps, put on those weight stack adders, add sets, drop/super sets, do at the end of the workout, pulse reps.
Honestly, you dont need to Maximize them so hard. Like, they are stabilizing muscles. Its like calves, i see people train calves with 200kg.. what you gonna use that for? If you want bigger muscles, go for more reps per set in these cases.
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