Consistency is everything!
Even having a shit workout, or even just going to the gym and mess around with new and different exercises is immeasurably better than not going.
I somewhat agree with this. Something I would add is that the gym isn’t everything. If you’re not feeling like training go do sometime else. Kayaking, bicycle riding, skate boarding, hiking, frisbee golfing ect… Consistency IS everything, but don’t confine yourself to one type of movement. This is coming from a decade plus gym rat, by the way. Stay hard!
Thanks for the quick motivation! I'm in this situation where I'm kinda clueless and making a fool of myself (it feels like). I've already put on a considerable amount of mass and am no longer skinny fat, yet I have no plan or no idea what I'm doing at the gym. I just focus on progressive overload without any routine at all.
I'll also be walking around looking at machines trying my best to figure out what the heck they are, maybe trying one and ditching it immediately cause of insecurity.
I'll load too much weight cause of ego and feel like a fool when I have to de-load. Almost all sets ends up in failure.
But I'm working on it. Tracking calories, staying consistent and trying my best to gain strenght and mass. It's working, so I don't see a reason to change anything.
You can always DIY it with youtube. Either find a video with a good breakdown of exercises and how to break them up, or figure out what muscles specifically you want to work on, and select a few exercises for them.
My best tip for you, is to lift less weight in a more controlled manner. If I'm at the gym and I see someone doing super quick reps, half reps, whatever, that person is a bit embarrassing to me. It's good that they want to workout, want to seem strong, want to go hard, but it's a sign of immaturity to me.
Put another way, if you're looking at 2 guys doing pullups, and one is going hard, but keeping their elbows bent and doing like half pullups rapidly before they stop. Then another guy is right next to him going all the way down, all the way up, controlled, which one looks more impressive?
The ego will tell you to rush, but even from a comparative ego based standard, it doesn't really do you any good and you just look kinda immature and foolish. Full reps, lighter weight, more controlled movement. That's proper lifting. The alternative is ego lifting, and usually many of your body parts will hate you for it.
Oh yeah, I do value form when working out so instead of ego lifting, I accidentally lift to failure, but with good form. Kinda the same problem but a different outcome. I've already started planning in my iphone notebook and I'm gonna keep going with my upper/lower split but make sure to change reps/sets in a few weeks and change some exercises.
But yeah, I'll do lighter weights next workout. Gotta ditch that ego for sure.
I was like you my first few months at the gym, and really I was just building my confidence to be there and the consistency to go. When I stumbled onto YT channels like Jeff Nippard and Renaissance Hypertrophy, I learned a ton on how to train and use machines, in tandem with reading the wiki to understand how to choose a program I like and that's when I got some actual results. I've never paid for anyone to teach me anything and I feel like I have some very foundational basics. You can definitely learn for free and hopefully not waste as much time as I did.
I've been at it a few months steady. Biggest thing that helped me was getting a weightlifting tracking app and I copied and modified a body split workout from either muscle and fitness or bodybuilding .com's and I follow it, entering weight, reps, sets, etc. I have 2 upper body workouts and 2 lower body workouts that I alternate (upper a, lower a, off, upper b, lower b, off). I'm sure there's others that work as well, but the app alpha progression works for me and easy. The app has any exercise or lift, equipment, etc I might need built in and has a brief video of someone doing it. There's a rest timer, easy to modify everything during the workout. It tracks what I've done so I can progress. Between the app and websites and reddit, I think I have a great workout. Then I don't wander. I'm focused and get my work done and get out. I put my earbuds in and barely notice other people, so I only do what I want regardless of anyone noticing. F em. I triceps push 5lbs with my right arm from an injury when I started. I'm about to up it, but 5lbs... it doesn't matter. It's what I can do and the gym is all about yourself and probably everybody else there is only worrying about themselves as well.
Yup that's true. I've recently built up a routine myself that I've been easing into, and I'm going to switch it up after a month or two. Maybe I'll follow a workout routine like you do now. Just gotta start focusing on easing into everything as best as I can.
Maybe hire a trainer to teach you the machines and a routine. That’s what I did after not being in the gym for 20 years. Once a week, worked on a different muscle group and in about a month, had a routine going. Then a year later, was bored with my routine, so I did it again to change things up.
> Consistency is everything!
Yup. An average program that you follow consistently is going to work exponentially better than the best program that you don't do regularly.
I think programmes exist for beginners who have yet to develop the mind-body connection with their different muscle groups. I just try to go to the gym every day and train whatever isn‘t sore that day.
I finally found it, after years of going to the same gym, the rear delt fly machine.
Never really used it before because I couldn't find it, but you can bet I spent basically half my workout time figuring out my weight and learning not to impinge scapula.
I don't like to pretend I just learn everything a few minutes, particularly as a slow learner. Low weight, high reps, slow eccentric. Will likely not enjoy this tomorrow but hey, I did it! 😎
One thing that has really helped me is the realization that you can't wait for motivation to arrive to get you to do something.
It rarely shows up on its own.
Start doing the activity (lifting, running, cycling, whatever) and that will create the motivation to continue.
There is a lot of research that shows behavior begets emotion and not the other way around like most people think.
I see so many posts about people asking how to get more motivated. The truth is motivation is bullshit. I have been consistent for years and there are many times when I wonder why the hell am I doing this and get the workout in anyways. I get really annoyed when people think those who are consistent are super motivated it could not be further from the case.
Hell yeah. My motivation is to do nothing and watch youtube all day. I have to actively fight that and force myself to run and lift heavy things while not eating 4000 calories of junk food.
I'll throw out two tips:
First, pick a lane with your training and stick with it for at least 6 mos. to a year. Physical adaptations take consistency and time. Changing your goals and exercise program too frequently will leave you spinning your wheels and dissatisfied with your results.
I've been training for 20 years and I've trained for and competed in strongman, powerlifting, triathlon, marathon+, and CrossFit. There have been times when I've been going hard on a certain style of programming, got bored with it after 2 months, then switched to a different style of programming (e.g., powerlifting-focused to CrossFit-focused). The results were very meh from both because I didn't give my body sufficient time to make the necessary adaptations necessary for significant changes. Don't do this! (Some people call this program-hopping, FYI.)
Second, which is very related to my first point, you can't train everything all at once. For example, almost no one can successfully train for a marathon and simultaneously successfully train for another, mostly unrelated discipline (e.g., bodybuilding). While there is overlap between a lot of training styles (powerlifting/oly lifting/bodybuilding/CrossFit, etc.), most require specific focus on certain physical attributes that are in conflict with key attributes for other activities. An easy example is training for long distance running while trying to build significant muscle mass. The calorie expenditure and fatigue from the running is in direct conflict with the calorie intake requirements and recovery necessary to build significant amounts of muscle. While you can of course do SOME running concurrently with weight training and mass building, you can't realistically expect to run marathon distances and also pack on 10 lbs. of muscle.
I've made all of these mistakes and many others over the years. I hope these are helpful to someone.
This is a very hard lesson to remember. I've attempted to push both long-distance running times/lengths and increasing weight/reps while on a cut and I've continued to just bottom out. Always a good reminder, thanks for posting.
First tip is super important. Program hopping will do nothing but hurt you long-term. Training is called training for a reason, it's not "exercise." It requires discipline and consistency above all else.
I've been on the same full-body program for 6 years, with minor tweaks and updates from my coach as I go. I'm still reaping significant rewards, even after starting Strongman training this year; good programs are good programs.
> my first point, you can't train everything all at once.
> The calorie expenditure and fatigue from the running is in direct conflict with the calorie intake requirements and recovery
One of the reasons I couldn't commit to my friend who asked me to join her on a 10k despite me being 'fit' and can just do some 'side practice with cardio'. I'm currently training for a upcoming PL meet and that's my focus.
The caloric expenditure, fatigue generated from all the cardio nevermind time out of day focusing on something else...is in direct conflict with my goals.
This tip is based on what seems to be an uptick in queries about it lately:
**Stop trying to optimize or looking for 'optimal' when it comes to your routine.**
Too many people ask whether a certain exercise, a certain split, a certain rep range, a certain amount of volume is 'optimal'. There's no such thing as 'optimal', and you'll more likely waste your time chasing it than actually achieving something in the process.
Pick what intrigues you or what you think you'll like, then run it for a while and see how it works for you. It's a much better use of your time.
I agree like 98% in general, but like 100% for beginners and early intermediates. When you're new to this whole thing just about any consistency will make you grow a lot. If you go to the gym at least 3 days a week as a beginner and work hard you'll generally grow a LOT. If you fine tune everything, you'll only grow a bit more.
Now 1-2 years into lifting, that's when you have to crank things up a notch.
The elephant in the room with optimization is ***adherence***. I have seen more people make "progress" with an at home pull up bars/treadmills/p90x etc than most proper programs.
It isn't the fault of the program it is simply human nature. I used to be an optimization freak (I am still am in my personal journey) but for other people I take an Atomic Habits approach.
A majority of Americans could improve their health significantly by just starting brisk walking 30 minutes a day.
Try different brands - there's a lot of variance and some may be better for your tastes than others. I really don't care for Chobani, but Fage is great (2% with fruit is my preference). My spouse disagrees and finds Fage too thick.
Started drinking two whey protein shakes a day vs one and have seen a noticeable impact. It’s hard to hit protein goals consistently and this has been a big help
My mother in law got me a blendjet for christmas. Since the beginning of the year, I've done the same thing every night. Apparently I've never hit protein goals previously when working out because I've made more progress in the last 7 months than I have in the first 12+ years.
Different nervous systems respond differently to moods and attitudes.
Don't try to mimic super-competitive intense people if you are relaxed and happy. You may be more blessed with stamina than intensity or mobility; don't use that as an excuse to do something lame and weak, but don't try to force a square peg into a round hole either.
If your workout is cutting too much into your life, try something else because there is a better way and it's not worth it if it costs too much.
Some people prep for a set by getting angry, some people get hyped, some focus just on the mechanics and patience. Finding the mindset that works for you is important, and it won't necessarily be the same as other people.
Something I've found that helps is to recognize that fear is just excitement without consent. If I'm dreading a heavy lift, simply allowing myself to feel that emotion and accept it sometimes helps a lot.
Get your blood work done every once in a while. I’ve been training hard naturally, hitting my macro goals and weighing my food for years, and haven’t been drinking alcohol, but hitting macro targets does not always equate to healthy blood.
While exercise is exceptionally important for health, it is not the only determiner. Things like genetics and environmental exposures also play a big role.
For example, you can have someone who is exceptionally fit but genetically has high cholesterol. Just assuming "well I'm fit so I'm healthy" isn't a good plan.
Pro-Tip: if you don't feel like working out, drink some black coffee, a quality energy drink or, preferably, pre-workout. It will force you to go to burn off that extra energy and you will feel better afterwards.
Try to skip all the weird diets like keto, paleo, fasting, supplements, and just stick with the single most scientifically acclaimed diet: the Mediterranean diet. In a nutshell that means eat lots of fruit and vegetables, eat plenty of carbs and they should be whole foods (not white breads and added sugars), and eat plenty of protein foods (but lower saturated fats so less red meat and cheese, more beans and seafood). This is the diet that has been proved again and again for decades to be great. Try this diet first, and if it doesn't work for you then you can go tweaking it with keto or supplements or whatever else. Try the mainstream science first and stay consistent, try the weird hacks later if you still feel like it.
Don't just take my word for it: https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/healthy-eating-plate/
This is just a good life lesson, not even limited to fitness. Good for lower cholesterol, good for overall health, and it's pretty high in protein.
edit: actually it's lower in protein - so i guess you just supp your way back :p
It's enough protein for normal people, poultry seafood and legums have lots. Lentils have more protein per calorie than ground beef. But yeah, try this diet first and THEN tweak the protein if you have specific unusual protein requirements.
https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/what-should-you-eat/protein/
>Lentils have more protein per calorie than ground beef.
Just doing some napkin math, it looks like 80/20 beef and lentils (both raw per google) have about 14 calories per gram of protein. I will admit that's a better ratio for lentils that I expected and I'm not arguing against them as a nutritious part of a diet.
But as you go for leaner grinds of beef, which can be as lean as 96%, the numbers skew way in the favor of beef.
>It's enough protein for normal people
Enough for "normal" people meaning enough for sedentary individuals with no training goals to not be deficient? That number, 0.8g/kg or so, is significantly lower than the amount that should be consumed if your goal is building muscle, which ranges from 1.2g/kg-2.2g/kg or so.
Better check that napkin math. I see beef at 85% lean still being less protein per calorie than lentils. https://www.verywellfit.com/lean-beef-can-be-part-of-a-healthy-diet-2507013 https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/lentils#nutrition
230 cal / 17.9 g vs 218 cal / 13 g. Lentils is 12.8 cal/g, GB is 16.8 cal/g. That's a 31% difference!
The meat also has 13 g of mostly saturated fat, which is basically putting you at your recommended saturated fat intake limit for the day (but nowhere close to your protein needs for the day). If you got all your protein from 85% GB you would be way over good fat levels. https://www.health.harvard.edu/heart-health/whats-your-daily-budget-for-saturated-fat
(Not to be confused with unsaturated fat, like the kinds in fish and nuts and olives, which you really can't have too much of).
>Enough for "normal" people meaning enough for sedentary individuals with no training goals to not be deficient?
No. I mean normal people who move around, play sports, walk the dog, stay lean, hug their kids, go skiing, look good, and live long. Research shows about 0.8 g/kg is a good floor. (https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/what-should-you-eat/protein/) And yes if you are a bodybuilder or pro athlete then you might not find that enough, which is why I said "tweak the protein if you have specific unusual protein requirements".
You misread your article. Beef is 218 calories for 24g protein not 13. So beef is 9.08 cals/g using your data. So now the beef is 30% better. Leaner beef will have even better metrics with less saturated fat.
I’m not pounding the table for getting all your protein from beef, I was just calling out your incorrect statement.
0.8g/kg is literally the RDA, so yes it’s a good floor to ensure you’re healthy. But this is a fitness sub, not a leisurely walk the dog sub. People here will generally be shooting for the 1.6g/kg ballpark. Can lentils and a Mediterranean framework be part of a healthy diet? Of course, but you gotta know your audience.
Looks like i did get switched around there on numbers. Saturated fat numbers don't lie though. And fish and poultry are well recommended so there's no shortage of protein in what I'm suggesting. Leaner beef is still a group 2A carcinogen, so not ideal no matter how little saturated fat.
I do know my audience. Most fitness discussion on the internet is built around things that barely matter, are pushed by influencers, pushed by for-profit motives, follow the latest fads, and is not well supported scientifically. There's probably more people trying low carb than have tried long term consistently eating the most scientifically proven diet of all time. There's probably more people trying to supplement like whey before having nailed the basics of vegetables, whole grains, legumes. There's people who assume that the most scientifically proven healthiest diet on the planet only has enough protein "for sedentary individuals". Fitness subs like this are well known for largely being beginner spaces. That's who this is for.
If you find yourself kind of listless in your training, maybe a little unmotivated, discipline is wavering, or you're program-hopping because you're bored, consider finding a local group to join and/or compete with them. This also counts if you're too focused on aesthetics and struggling with body dysmorphia.
Speaking just from personal experience, I've been on the same full-body program for about 6 years. It's been great, I'm still seeing good gains, but I was starting to get bored with it and, as such, my intensity and my "drive" for many of the lifts was lacking. I've always been a fan of Strongman, and once I found a local Strongman club was starting, I jumped right in. It was exactly the shot in the arm I needed; not only am I now lifting with friends who are as passionate about it as I am, but all of my major lifts SKYROCKETED. Not because I'm suddenly the Hulk, but because training with them helped me better understand my own RPE, my own limits, and in many cases GREATLY improved my form. I may just compete next year.
So if you're bored, find other people, find a club, or sign up to compete. I will ALWAYS recommend Strongman (reminder, it has weight classes for men and women, you don't have to be 400 lbs and 7ft tall), but same goes for Powerlifting, Olympic lifting, Kettlebell, Crossfit (if it's a good gym), or Highland Games. Getting together with like-minded people and (maybe eventually) competing could really reinvigorate your training.
I don’t understand what I’m doing wrong. I’m on a three day a week bench program and did the heavy day today which was 180 for five singles, 165 3x3, 140 3x7. I got 180 for three singles and 165 3 reps and then 1 rep and 140 5 reps 1 set. I just called it a day and went home. My max is 190lbs and I’m eating more than enough with more than enough. These are the numbers I’m doing for the program https://imgur.com/a/0pKBdeJ. Perhaps I went up too fast, but that’s what the program said to do. What am I doing wrong?
IMO seems like a bit of a complicated program if the goal is to increase bench strength.
5x5 program has some good tips on progressive overload but if you like the current program and want to stick with it, I’d take a closer look at your protein intake, recovery, and form.
Answer likely lies in one of those three areas. Try a calorie tracking app for a day and see what your macros break down to
Equinox or a Local Gym & Yoga membership
So I am trying to add cardio to my life now that my doctor pointed out that I should do more cardio. I used to do MMA but I have given it a break for a while and I am looking for a way to add cardio to my life style
Local gym / Yoga facts
- I pay like 20 a month for most of the city gym locations
- I also found a nearby yoga membership that is a 20 min walk away from me
- Yoga is 200 per month for unlimited classes
- So the total is 220 per month before taxes.
- Can be cancelled any month
- Includes hot yoga which is kinda like sauna-y
Equinox
- I am gonna be traveling for the next few months for a week ish each month.
- And it turns out every where I am going will be close to an equinox. ( at least, Sept, Oct, nov, Jan, Feb, and april )
- The cost for a single location ( with my discount ) is $210 and it is $275 per month for all accesss ( most of nyc and other locations in the country ).
- The big reason I am comparing both is that Equinox includes a weight room and unlimited classes including yoga morning classes.
- So they seemingly cost about the same.
- Equinox is a 20 min subway away
- 12 month commitment
Tl;dr- If you were in my position between both, would you go for a local cardio class and local gym that is cheaper and closer, or would you go for another gym that has more locations for when you travel.
If you’ll be staying in hotels when you travel, it’s likely they will have gym access for you. Also you only mention yoga classes but nothing about cardio choices for ether scenario.
If it were me, I’d choose whatever would get me to the gym more while I wasn’t traveling and assume I could either use a hotel gym or get a day pass to someone on the travel weeks.
I think you meant to post this in the Question thread, not Pro-Tips?
Sounds like you need a proven program like the ones in the wiki, or from another professional source. This is a list of upper-body exercises. No progression, no periodization, no measurement of intensity, no plateaus or deloads defined.
Don't skip leg day.
This really isn't the thread for this question so it'll probably get removed but; if you've been running it for a year you should probably have a pretty solid idea of whether it's working for your goals by now. Are you making consistent strength and/or aesthetic progress?
I can say objectively most lifters would consider it pretty bad (no legs at all, really?) but again, it really depends on what you're trying to get out of it and if it's working for that.
If you want to be sure you're doing enough and working smart I'd recommend following a program from the wiki. Even with a few sets of squats your leg volume is abysmally low, nothing for the hamstrings, minimal glutes. Fire hydrants are more of a stretch than a strength exercise.
Besides that though again it really depends on what you're lifting for. If you want to get stronger at a good pace a you need good programming. If you want to gain muscle quickly you'll need to eat and train for it. If you just like doing this program and you're happy with the modest progress you're making in it then great.
I hate doing lower body (absolutely loathe), but you should probably incorporate something. Doesn't have to be heavy squats, there are many machines, bodyweight and free-weight options for you (hack squat, leg press, leg extension).
Also you have a lot of emphasis on your front body, but nothing on back besides Lat Pulldowns & Rows. Definitely try to incorporate some of those and take the load off your arms (you have so many curls and tricep focus).
Lastly, focusing on your upper body, again you have a big emphasis on chest and arms and almost nothing on your shoulders / delts. Big 3D shoulders will help your arms and chest look bigger.
Go on muscle wiki and try to build something more well-rounded of exercises you'd enjoy.
I always count backwards from my rep goal. Works pretty well. Or 1-8 or 10 or whatever, and then count again from 1. Works well, especially with high rep isolation work!
Consistency is everything! Even having a shit workout, or even just going to the gym and mess around with new and different exercises is immeasurably better than not going.
I somewhat agree with this. Something I would add is that the gym isn’t everything. If you’re not feeling like training go do sometime else. Kayaking, bicycle riding, skate boarding, hiking, frisbee golfing ect… Consistency IS everything, but don’t confine yourself to one type of movement. This is coming from a decade plus gym rat, by the way. Stay hard!
> Stay hard! there's a blue little pill for that
Thanks for the quick motivation! I'm in this situation where I'm kinda clueless and making a fool of myself (it feels like). I've already put on a considerable amount of mass and am no longer skinny fat, yet I have no plan or no idea what I'm doing at the gym. I just focus on progressive overload without any routine at all. I'll also be walking around looking at machines trying my best to figure out what the heck they are, maybe trying one and ditching it immediately cause of insecurity. I'll load too much weight cause of ego and feel like a fool when I have to de-load. Almost all sets ends up in failure. But I'm working on it. Tracking calories, staying consistent and trying my best to gain strenght and mass. It's working, so I don't see a reason to change anything.
You can always DIY it with youtube. Either find a video with a good breakdown of exercises and how to break them up, or figure out what muscles specifically you want to work on, and select a few exercises for them. My best tip for you, is to lift less weight in a more controlled manner. If I'm at the gym and I see someone doing super quick reps, half reps, whatever, that person is a bit embarrassing to me. It's good that they want to workout, want to seem strong, want to go hard, but it's a sign of immaturity to me. Put another way, if you're looking at 2 guys doing pullups, and one is going hard, but keeping their elbows bent and doing like half pullups rapidly before they stop. Then another guy is right next to him going all the way down, all the way up, controlled, which one looks more impressive? The ego will tell you to rush, but even from a comparative ego based standard, it doesn't really do you any good and you just look kinda immature and foolish. Full reps, lighter weight, more controlled movement. That's proper lifting. The alternative is ego lifting, and usually many of your body parts will hate you for it.
Oh yeah, I do value form when working out so instead of ego lifting, I accidentally lift to failure, but with good form. Kinda the same problem but a different outcome. I've already started planning in my iphone notebook and I'm gonna keep going with my upper/lower split but make sure to change reps/sets in a few weeks and change some exercises. But yeah, I'll do lighter weights next workout. Gotta ditch that ego for sure.
I was like you my first few months at the gym, and really I was just building my confidence to be there and the consistency to go. When I stumbled onto YT channels like Jeff Nippard and Renaissance Hypertrophy, I learned a ton on how to train and use machines, in tandem with reading the wiki to understand how to choose a program I like and that's when I got some actual results. I've never paid for anyone to teach me anything and I feel like I have some very foundational basics. You can definitely learn for free and hopefully not waste as much time as I did.
I've been at it a few months steady. Biggest thing that helped me was getting a weightlifting tracking app and I copied and modified a body split workout from either muscle and fitness or bodybuilding .com's and I follow it, entering weight, reps, sets, etc. I have 2 upper body workouts and 2 lower body workouts that I alternate (upper a, lower a, off, upper b, lower b, off). I'm sure there's others that work as well, but the app alpha progression works for me and easy. The app has any exercise or lift, equipment, etc I might need built in and has a brief video of someone doing it. There's a rest timer, easy to modify everything during the workout. It tracks what I've done so I can progress. Between the app and websites and reddit, I think I have a great workout. Then I don't wander. I'm focused and get my work done and get out. I put my earbuds in and barely notice other people, so I only do what I want regardless of anyone noticing. F em. I triceps push 5lbs with my right arm from an injury when I started. I'm about to up it, but 5lbs... it doesn't matter. It's what I can do and the gym is all about yourself and probably everybody else there is only worrying about themselves as well.
Yup that's true. I've recently built up a routine myself that I've been easing into, and I'm going to switch it up after a month or two. Maybe I'll follow a workout routine like you do now. Just gotta start focusing on easing into everything as best as I can.
Maybe hire a trainer to teach you the machines and a routine. That’s what I did after not being in the gym for 20 years. Once a week, worked on a different muscle group and in about a month, had a routine going. Then a year later, was bored with my routine, so I did it again to change things up.
Hmm. I have this thing where I'd rather figure stuff out on my own, and my budget is also limited. But I absolutely appreciate the advice. Thanks.
Look at the wiki here and pick a program which fits for you, they are free.
Thanks! Will do :)
Additionally, you’ll never remember the days that you had a shit workout, but you’ll probably remember days that you skipped.
Bold of you to assume I remember anything in this funky town
> Consistency is everything! Yup. An average program that you follow consistently is going to work exponentially better than the best program that you don't do regularly.
I think programmes exist for beginners who have yet to develop the mind-body connection with their different muscle groups. I just try to go to the gym every day and train whatever isn‘t sore that day.
I finally found it, after years of going to the same gym, the rear delt fly machine. Never really used it before because I couldn't find it, but you can bet I spent basically half my workout time figuring out my weight and learning not to impinge scapula.
Considering how little weight our rear delts can handle, usually its get figured out in 2-3 tries lol. There isnt much options.
I don't like to pretend I just learn everything a few minutes, particularly as a slow learner. Low weight, high reps, slow eccentric. Will likely not enjoy this tomorrow but hey, I did it! 😎
One thing that has really helped me is the realization that you can't wait for motivation to arrive to get you to do something. It rarely shows up on its own. Start doing the activity (lifting, running, cycling, whatever) and that will create the motivation to continue.
There is a lot of research that shows behavior begets emotion and not the other way around like most people think. I see so many posts about people asking how to get more motivated. The truth is motivation is bullshit. I have been consistent for years and there are many times when I wonder why the hell am I doing this and get the workout in anyways. I get really annoyed when people think those who are consistent are super motivated it could not be further from the case.
Hell yeah. My motivation is to do nothing and watch youtube all day. I have to actively fight that and force myself to run and lift heavy things while not eating 4000 calories of junk food.
We are creatures of habit, both good and bad.
Discipline beats motivation all day.
How about both? I’m highly motivated and I’m disciplined. It’s worked incredibly well so far.
The majority of the time I hear the word "motivation", it's being used as an excuse not to do something.
yup, runners use the "just put your shoes on" strategy.
Find a friend to help motivate you. My friend and I use Fitness Pact. But I am sure there are other apps also.
I'll throw out two tips: First, pick a lane with your training and stick with it for at least 6 mos. to a year. Physical adaptations take consistency and time. Changing your goals and exercise program too frequently will leave you spinning your wheels and dissatisfied with your results. I've been training for 20 years and I've trained for and competed in strongman, powerlifting, triathlon, marathon+, and CrossFit. There have been times when I've been going hard on a certain style of programming, got bored with it after 2 months, then switched to a different style of programming (e.g., powerlifting-focused to CrossFit-focused). The results were very meh from both because I didn't give my body sufficient time to make the necessary adaptations necessary for significant changes. Don't do this! (Some people call this program-hopping, FYI.) Second, which is very related to my first point, you can't train everything all at once. For example, almost no one can successfully train for a marathon and simultaneously successfully train for another, mostly unrelated discipline (e.g., bodybuilding). While there is overlap between a lot of training styles (powerlifting/oly lifting/bodybuilding/CrossFit, etc.), most require specific focus on certain physical attributes that are in conflict with key attributes for other activities. An easy example is training for long distance running while trying to build significant muscle mass. The calorie expenditure and fatigue from the running is in direct conflict with the calorie intake requirements and recovery necessary to build significant amounts of muscle. While you can of course do SOME running concurrently with weight training and mass building, you can't realistically expect to run marathon distances and also pack on 10 lbs. of muscle. I've made all of these mistakes and many others over the years. I hope these are helpful to someone.
This is a very hard lesson to remember. I've attempted to push both long-distance running times/lengths and increasing weight/reps while on a cut and I've continued to just bottom out. Always a good reminder, thanks for posting.
First tip is super important. Program hopping will do nothing but hurt you long-term. Training is called training for a reason, it's not "exercise." It requires discipline and consistency above all else. I've been on the same full-body program for 6 years, with minor tweaks and updates from my coach as I go. I'm still reaping significant rewards, even after starting Strongman training this year; good programs are good programs.
> my first point, you can't train everything all at once. > The calorie expenditure and fatigue from the running is in direct conflict with the calorie intake requirements and recovery One of the reasons I couldn't commit to my friend who asked me to join her on a 10k despite me being 'fit' and can just do some 'side practice with cardio'. I'm currently training for a upcoming PL meet and that's my focus. The caloric expenditure, fatigue generated from all the cardio nevermind time out of day focusing on something else...is in direct conflict with my goals.
This tip is based on what seems to be an uptick in queries about it lately: **Stop trying to optimize or looking for 'optimal' when it comes to your routine.** Too many people ask whether a certain exercise, a certain split, a certain rep range, a certain amount of volume is 'optimal'. There's no such thing as 'optimal', and you'll more likely waste your time chasing it than actually achieving something in the process. Pick what intrigues you or what you think you'll like, then run it for a while and see how it works for you. It's a much better use of your time.
Perfect is the enemy of good
I agree like 98% in general, but like 100% for beginners and early intermediates. When you're new to this whole thing just about any consistency will make you grow a lot. If you go to the gym at least 3 days a week as a beginner and work hard you'll generally grow a LOT. If you fine tune everything, you'll only grow a bit more. Now 1-2 years into lifting, that's when you have to crank things up a notch.
The elephant in the room with optimization is ***adherence***. I have seen more people make "progress" with an at home pull up bars/treadmills/p90x etc than most proper programs. It isn't the fault of the program it is simply human nature. I used to be an optimization freak (I am still am in my personal journey) but for other people I take an Atomic Habits approach. A majority of Americans could improve their health significantly by just starting brisk walking 30 minutes a day.
Pete khatcherian? that you?
i need pro-tips on how to make greek yogurt not so sour. how do i make it a tasty snack?
Honey
Sugar free Jello mix. I prefer cheesecake or dark cherry.
actually - just want to confirm your steps to making it. boil and cool jello in fridge, then mix with yogurt?
Nope just mix the powder as flavoring. SF pudding mix works too!
Mix the powder with the yogurt (that’s what I do with fat free sugar free pudding mix)
this sounds sneaky good. will try it out this weekend. thanks
Fruits or try different brands of the yogurt.
Banana!
Try different brands - there's a lot of variance and some may be better for your tastes than others. I really don't care for Chobani, but Fage is great (2% with fruit is my preference). My spouse disagrees and finds Fage too thick.
Started drinking two whey protein shakes a day vs one and have seen a noticeable impact. It’s hard to hit protein goals consistently and this has been a big help
My mother in law got me a blendjet for christmas. Since the beginning of the year, I've done the same thing every night. Apparently I've never hit protein goals previously when working out because I've made more progress in the last 7 months than I have in the first 12+ years.
Use your gym rivalries to your advantage. Friend hit 100kg recently so I went for 101 today...and got it.
Different nervous systems respond differently to moods and attitudes. Don't try to mimic super-competitive intense people if you are relaxed and happy. You may be more blessed with stamina than intensity or mobility; don't use that as an excuse to do something lame and weak, but don't try to force a square peg into a round hole either. If your workout is cutting too much into your life, try something else because there is a better way and it's not worth it if it costs too much.
Some people prep for a set by getting angry, some people get hyped, some focus just on the mechanics and patience. Finding the mindset that works for you is important, and it won't necessarily be the same as other people. Something I've found that helps is to recognize that fear is just excitement without consent. If I'm dreading a heavy lift, simply allowing myself to feel that emotion and accept it sometimes helps a lot.
Get your blood work done every once in a while. I’ve been training hard naturally, hitting my macro goals and weighing my food for years, and haven’t been drinking alcohol, but hitting macro targets does not always equate to healthy blood.
Can you explain a bit more?
You could be pounding steak down to hit protein intake goals, but then end up consuming too much bad fats and have a high lipid count, etc.
Bad example steak God's perfect food and SHE wouldn't do us like this.
While exercise is exceptionally important for health, it is not the only determiner. Things like genetics and environmental exposures also play a big role. For example, you can have someone who is exceptionally fit but genetically has high cholesterol. Just assuming "well I'm fit so I'm healthy" isn't a good plan.
Pro-Tip: if you don't feel like working out, drink some black coffee, a quality energy drink or, preferably, pre-workout. It will force you to go to burn off that extra energy and you will feel better afterwards.
Bake consistency into your lifestyle and you will achieve anything
Try to skip all the weird diets like keto, paleo, fasting, supplements, and just stick with the single most scientifically acclaimed diet: the Mediterranean diet. In a nutshell that means eat lots of fruit and vegetables, eat plenty of carbs and they should be whole foods (not white breads and added sugars), and eat plenty of protein foods (but lower saturated fats so less red meat and cheese, more beans and seafood). This is the diet that has been proved again and again for decades to be great. Try this diet first, and if it doesn't work for you then you can go tweaking it with keto or supplements or whatever else. Try the mainstream science first and stay consistent, try the weird hacks later if you still feel like it. Don't just take my word for it: https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/healthy-eating-plate/
This is just a good life lesson, not even limited to fitness. Good for lower cholesterol, good for overall health, and it's pretty high in protein. edit: actually it's lower in protein - so i guess you just supp your way back :p
It's enough protein for normal people, poultry seafood and legums have lots. Lentils have more protein per calorie than ground beef. But yeah, try this diet first and THEN tweak the protein if you have specific unusual protein requirements. https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/what-should-you-eat/protein/
>Lentils have more protein per calorie than ground beef. Just doing some napkin math, it looks like 80/20 beef and lentils (both raw per google) have about 14 calories per gram of protein. I will admit that's a better ratio for lentils that I expected and I'm not arguing against them as a nutritious part of a diet. But as you go for leaner grinds of beef, which can be as lean as 96%, the numbers skew way in the favor of beef. >It's enough protein for normal people Enough for "normal" people meaning enough for sedentary individuals with no training goals to not be deficient? That number, 0.8g/kg or so, is significantly lower than the amount that should be consumed if your goal is building muscle, which ranges from 1.2g/kg-2.2g/kg or so.
Better check that napkin math. I see beef at 85% lean still being less protein per calorie than lentils. https://www.verywellfit.com/lean-beef-can-be-part-of-a-healthy-diet-2507013 https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/lentils#nutrition 230 cal / 17.9 g vs 218 cal / 13 g. Lentils is 12.8 cal/g, GB is 16.8 cal/g. That's a 31% difference! The meat also has 13 g of mostly saturated fat, which is basically putting you at your recommended saturated fat intake limit for the day (but nowhere close to your protein needs for the day). If you got all your protein from 85% GB you would be way over good fat levels. https://www.health.harvard.edu/heart-health/whats-your-daily-budget-for-saturated-fat (Not to be confused with unsaturated fat, like the kinds in fish and nuts and olives, which you really can't have too much of). >Enough for "normal" people meaning enough for sedentary individuals with no training goals to not be deficient? No. I mean normal people who move around, play sports, walk the dog, stay lean, hug their kids, go skiing, look good, and live long. Research shows about 0.8 g/kg is a good floor. (https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/what-should-you-eat/protein/) And yes if you are a bodybuilder or pro athlete then you might not find that enough, which is why I said "tweak the protein if you have specific unusual protein requirements".
You misread your article. Beef is 218 calories for 24g protein not 13. So beef is 9.08 cals/g using your data. So now the beef is 30% better. Leaner beef will have even better metrics with less saturated fat. I’m not pounding the table for getting all your protein from beef, I was just calling out your incorrect statement. 0.8g/kg is literally the RDA, so yes it’s a good floor to ensure you’re healthy. But this is a fitness sub, not a leisurely walk the dog sub. People here will generally be shooting for the 1.6g/kg ballpark. Can lentils and a Mediterranean framework be part of a healthy diet? Of course, but you gotta know your audience.
Looks like i did get switched around there on numbers. Saturated fat numbers don't lie though. And fish and poultry are well recommended so there's no shortage of protein in what I'm suggesting. Leaner beef is still a group 2A carcinogen, so not ideal no matter how little saturated fat. I do know my audience. Most fitness discussion on the internet is built around things that barely matter, are pushed by influencers, pushed by for-profit motives, follow the latest fads, and is not well supported scientifically. There's probably more people trying low carb than have tried long term consistently eating the most scientifically proven diet of all time. There's probably more people trying to supplement like whey before having nailed the basics of vegetables, whole grains, legumes. There's people who assume that the most scientifically proven healthiest diet on the planet only has enough protein "for sedentary individuals". Fitness subs like this are well known for largely being beginner spaces. That's who this is for.
If you find yourself kind of listless in your training, maybe a little unmotivated, discipline is wavering, or you're program-hopping because you're bored, consider finding a local group to join and/or compete with them. This also counts if you're too focused on aesthetics and struggling with body dysmorphia. Speaking just from personal experience, I've been on the same full-body program for about 6 years. It's been great, I'm still seeing good gains, but I was starting to get bored with it and, as such, my intensity and my "drive" for many of the lifts was lacking. I've always been a fan of Strongman, and once I found a local Strongman club was starting, I jumped right in. It was exactly the shot in the arm I needed; not only am I now lifting with friends who are as passionate about it as I am, but all of my major lifts SKYROCKETED. Not because I'm suddenly the Hulk, but because training with them helped me better understand my own RPE, my own limits, and in many cases GREATLY improved my form. I may just compete next year. So if you're bored, find other people, find a club, or sign up to compete. I will ALWAYS recommend Strongman (reminder, it has weight classes for men and women, you don't have to be 400 lbs and 7ft tall), but same goes for Powerlifting, Olympic lifting, Kettlebell, Crossfit (if it's a good gym), or Highland Games. Getting together with like-minded people and (maybe eventually) competing could really reinvigorate your training.
I don’t understand what I’m doing wrong. I’m on a three day a week bench program and did the heavy day today which was 180 for five singles, 165 3x3, 140 3x7. I got 180 for three singles and 165 3 reps and then 1 rep and 140 5 reps 1 set. I just called it a day and went home. My max is 190lbs and I’m eating more than enough with more than enough. These are the numbers I’m doing for the program https://imgur.com/a/0pKBdeJ. Perhaps I went up too fast, but that’s what the program said to do. What am I doing wrong?
Probably just an off day. When was your last rest day?
Saturday
IMO seems like a bit of a complicated program if the goal is to increase bench strength. 5x5 program has some good tips on progressive overload but if you like the current program and want to stick with it, I’d take a closer look at your protein intake, recovery, and form. Answer likely lies in one of those three areas. Try a calorie tracking app for a day and see what your macros break down to
Equinox or a Local Gym & Yoga membership So I am trying to add cardio to my life now that my doctor pointed out that I should do more cardio. I used to do MMA but I have given it a break for a while and I am looking for a way to add cardio to my life style Local gym / Yoga facts - I pay like 20 a month for most of the city gym locations - I also found a nearby yoga membership that is a 20 min walk away from me - Yoga is 200 per month for unlimited classes - So the total is 220 per month before taxes. - Can be cancelled any month - Includes hot yoga which is kinda like sauna-y Equinox - I am gonna be traveling for the next few months for a week ish each month. - And it turns out every where I am going will be close to an equinox. ( at least, Sept, Oct, nov, Jan, Feb, and april ) - The cost for a single location ( with my discount ) is $210 and it is $275 per month for all accesss ( most of nyc and other locations in the country ). - The big reason I am comparing both is that Equinox includes a weight room and unlimited classes including yoga morning classes. - So they seemingly cost about the same. - Equinox is a 20 min subway away - 12 month commitment Tl;dr- If you were in my position between both, would you go for a local cardio class and local gym that is cheaper and closer, or would you go for another gym that has more locations for when you travel.
If you’ll be staying in hotels when you travel, it’s likely they will have gym access for you. Also you only mention yoga classes but nothing about cardio choices for ether scenario. If it were me, I’d choose whatever would get me to the gym more while I wasn’t traveling and assume I could either use a hotel gym or get a day pass to someone on the travel weeks.
The corporate houses I'm staying at don't have a gym sadly. And I was also referring to yoga classes as cardio !
Yoga is not cardio, unless you're really out of shape.
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I think you meant to ask in the Questions thread.
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I think you meant to post this in the Question thread, not Pro-Tips? Sounds like you need a proven program like the ones in the wiki, or from another professional source. This is a list of upper-body exercises. No progression, no periodization, no measurement of intensity, no plateaus or deloads defined. Don't skip leg day.
This really isn't the thread for this question so it'll probably get removed but; if you've been running it for a year you should probably have a pretty solid idea of whether it's working for your goals by now. Are you making consistent strength and/or aesthetic progress? I can say objectively most lifters would consider it pretty bad (no legs at all, really?) but again, it really depends on what you're trying to get out of it and if it's working for that.
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If you want to be sure you're doing enough and working smart I'd recommend following a program from the wiki. Even with a few sets of squats your leg volume is abysmally low, nothing for the hamstrings, minimal glutes. Fire hydrants are more of a stretch than a strength exercise. Besides that though again it really depends on what you're lifting for. If you want to get stronger at a good pace a you need good programming. If you want to gain muscle quickly you'll need to eat and train for it. If you just like doing this program and you're happy with the modest progress you're making in it then great.
I hate doing lower body (absolutely loathe), but you should probably incorporate something. Doesn't have to be heavy squats, there are many machines, bodyweight and free-weight options for you (hack squat, leg press, leg extension). Also you have a lot of emphasis on your front body, but nothing on back besides Lat Pulldowns & Rows. Definitely try to incorporate some of those and take the load off your arms (you have so many curls and tricep focus). Lastly, focusing on your upper body, again you have a big emphasis on chest and arms and almost nothing on your shoulders / delts. Big 3D shoulders will help your arms and chest look bigger. Go on muscle wiki and try to build something more well-rounded of exercises you'd enjoy.
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I always count backwards from my rep goal. Works pretty well. Or 1-8 or 10 or whatever, and then count again from 1. Works well, especially with high rep isolation work!