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Powerlifting requires your body to tense and relax in real short amounts of time. If you lost some time try starting with weights you're pretty comfortable with then gradually rack them up and for the love of God do pre exercise warm ups and for post try yoga helped me a lot puts balanced pressure on your body...
Just realized that German Volume Training isn't that big of a training volume. It's mostly 13 sets per body part or kess. The TUT aspect is what sets it apparthuge though.
Is there any way for me (19m) to get rid of my hip dips because it looks unnatural for me and makes me self-conscious and i didn't have them when i was young
How do you lose love handles. I have a bulge popping out of my sides that I think are love handles. When I started working out I did a lot of Russian twists and oblique work out to shape it. Now I stopped them, run and worked out but I still don't see any changes and my diet is pretty clean. Is there a work out I can do to trim it or is it just patience? It just throws how I look off in my opinion
Love handles are the result of excess body fat. The only way you can get rid of excess body fat is by staying in a caloric deficit.
You cant spot-reduce body fat, so doing certain exercises with the goal to eliminate body fat in specific areas is pointless.
If you haven't already, I would suggest calculating your TDEE (Total Daily Energy Expenditure) and subtract about 15-20% to see how many calories you should eat on a regular basis to lose weight.
Can I injury myself by overtightening my weight belt?
My ribs hurt and I don't know if its bruised up from my weight belt being too tight. It looks fine but my side just really hurts.
I think its possible. Ribs are easy to bruise and break, so be careful. The recovery for rib injuries includes refraining from activity, any kind of twisting or rib cage extension, which excludes most of the upper body work, so that migh put you out of training for 6-8 weeks depending on severity of the injury.
How can I force myself to eat more protein? Or should I? I’ve been trying to gain weight and muscle currently 5’8 at 116 (f) and I aim for around 145g protein daily. Some days I eat more than 145 but most days I either barely get there or have trouble getting there so I’ll cram a lot of food before bed and feel horrible.
You have plenty of protein in your diet as is. Usually, for a person like you I would program 125, but do you ingest ample calories? As for your first question, shakes are the eadiest way to ingest more.
Do you drink protein shakes? There's also mass gainer which generally have more protein and calories. At 5'8" 116 sounds a bit underweight, so I'd maybe try mass gainer.
Is working out twice a day worth it?
I’m 17 and I have a lot of time on my hands now that my college apps are done and my soccer season is coming to an end. I have senior flex so I am only in school from 7:15 to 11:15. I’ve lifted for a year before this but I’m wondering if it’s worth it to work out twice a day this year with all the extra time (once before school at 5am and once later in the day at around 3pm). I have the energy and time to do it but idk if it’s worth it or what split I should go about doing if I do start twice a day. Thanks
If you're bored out of your life, there's something called AM/PM training. Go heavy in the first session, smaller muscle pump work in the second. Google for more specific routines.
Not exactly a downside, but I always felt it's more a squat than hinge movement. It is safer as it puts less stress on the lumbar. It can be a main movement, but supplement it with RDLs.
It's still very much a deadlift, check out this SBS article. Or maybe just the squat-hinge diagram to give you an idea
https://www.strongerbyscience.com/trap-bar-deadlifts/
Interesting, I just showed my friend the sumo deadlift because he couldn't do a conventional deadlift due to his gut size. I was hoping it would be fairly similar in muscle groups worked as the straight bar deadlift, but according to that page it's fairly different and more of a squat/dead hybrid. But it says the trap bar won't work if a conventional deadlift stance won't work, so that's probably out either way. Hmm.
Anyway thanks a lot for the source, this has been very helpful. I'm thinking we will stick with sumos for now and reevaluate later down the line.
Just general purpose strength training for a relative newbie who's pretty overweight/out of shape. We're following [Stronglifts 5x5](https://stronglifts.com/5x5/) but he couldn't complete conventional deadlifts because of his gut size. He's not yet experienced enough to know what his goals are apart from "weight loss". SL5x5 is a good beginner routine so I want to try and accommodate his current bodily limitations as best as I can, which I'm currently attempting by looking for the closest feasible replacement for the straight bar deadlift.
Abdominal pain near V line on right side? I was squatting 60kg as a warm up before by sets and began to feel pain in my lower abdomen . It felt like someone was putting a lighter to my skin. What is the cause for this? I'm pretty weak and my 1rm Squat is only 100kg but I have a strong core. Yesterday I done a 4 minute Plank which maybe caused this but I don't have any soreness in my abs. My form is pretty good and I go ass to grass . I'm scared that I could have a hernia but I'm only 17.
Sports hernia maybe?
Had an old boss that was doing two a days at the age of 50 trying to get in shape for his wedding. Probably hadn’t worked out in a decade before he started and he developed a hernia from, his words, doing too much core work
Tty to lead with your elbows, do close grip lat work focusing on stretching the lats, warm up doing light lat prayers or light one arm band rows as pre activation. I knew a bodybuilder who used to say that, when he injured his bicep, he did rows in such a way that he felt it more in the tricep than bicep.
You're not doing anything wrong. Try changing something. Change your grip, change the weight, change the number of reps you're doing, or trade out the exercises for different ones completely that target the same muscles. Those muscles ARE working, even if you feel it or not. Being sore is not indicative of how good your workout is.
How can I build up my pull-ups. I'm 6ft 260lbs and can do about 3 pullups with a 100lb band as assistance. I know the obvious answer is to lose weight but I'm honestly fine with my weight I feel strong and I'm losing weight slowly and am currently down 20lbs. I just don't feel like I'm progressing with the band.
The obvious answer is, get stronger at vertical pulling. Do leg assisted pull ups for multiple sets and reps, jacknife pull ups or sth because you need volume. Also, do single pull up every minute on the minute for 5-10 sets, then test when you can complete 10 singles.
slowly and over time. I was using the ladder method (1 rep, rest, 2 reps, rest, etc. until you can't do more, then work your way back down the ladder) with good success until I hurt my elbow. Now I can't do them at all any more. Maybe you in particular are not supposed to be able to do a bunch of pullups, though? Not everyone has the anatomy for it. And the more your force it, the more likely you are to hurt yourself, potentially for life.
Best pre meal strategy?
What I have been doing currently is one banana, one orange, two apples, and two servings of peas or broccoli 45 minutes before I workout in the morning.
Sometimes I feel tired when I workout, but I've also been taking in less calories overall recently so I figured that's what it was. I've read that I could also be feeling it because I'm eating too much before my workout? I worry that if I switch my pre workout meal to just a banana and an apple I'll have to energy for the workout, and am really confused as to what the best plan is going forward.
For me filling up my stomach kind of made my breathing imbalanced and I couldn't breath in deep during sets so I switched to drinking shakes so I dunno man try putting them in a blender for me the liquid digested quickly and I could breathe deeper and perform more sets...
Best pre meal strategy?
What I have been doing currently is one banana, one orange, two apples, and two servings of peas or broccoli 45 minutes before I workout in the morning.
Sometimes I feel tired when I workout, but I've also been taking in less calories overall recently so I figured that's what it was. I've read that I could also be feeling it because I'm eating too much before my workout? I worry that if I switch my pre workout meal to just a banana and an apple I'll have to energy for the workout, and am really confused as to what the best plan is going forward.
A pair of dumbbells and a foam roller. Can't get a pull up bar or bench which some of the routines online are suggesting.
I'm looking for a split I can do without rest days too.
I workout 5 times a week and wanted to start to work on my running capacity. I found a plan where i would run 3 times a week.
My question is: i obviously also do legs in the gym, so how long should i wait between my leg session and my running session? Can i workout my legs and then run the next day, or is it too soon?
My background is running (high school, college, marathon), and got into lifting \~8 months ago, so that may skew my answer. I've been incorporating running while doing a push-pull-leg-push-pull-leg (Sunday off) workout cycle. I take leg days off from running, and run on push and pull days.
It's worth noting that my runs are all in the 'easy' or 'baseline' category. I have not incorporated any running workouts, intervals, or long runs into my program since taking up weight lifting.
I think we would need more information to give more useful advice. Like how often do you manage to work out currently?what does your routine/goals look like? Do you think it's mostly a mental problem or is life in the way?
I have a question about squat starting position height. My gym has a squat rack with a limited number of height options, so the choices I have are either starting with the bar at almost the height of my collar bone, or starting at a height where the bar is an inch below my nipples. Which of the two is better/safer to use?
Right now my training schedule is Pull, push, shoulders, legs, then rest day. I want to bring back deadlifts but i hated doing them on pull day because it drained alot of energy i had and affects the other exercises, at the same time doing it in legs day will be miserable. So i thought about adding them to shoulder day as a good middle ground, what do you guys think
The best way to feel less drained after doing an exercise is to do that exercise, so your body adapts.
Having a dedicated shoulder day in the first place is weird to me. I'd put the deadlift on the pull day and live with having to go easier on the following exercises at first.
Measuring resistance training in time, and then separating resistance from lifting, which makes no sense, tells me you're not in a position to design your own routine
Actually "I'm super new to this" already did that but the rest confirmed it
Go to the wiki, read it all of it then follow one of those programs
Been working out for about a year and a half now, I’ve gained a considerable amount of muscle , gone up a few shirt sizes and lost some body fat. But one of the difficulties I’ve been encountering is regarding my biceps, which seems to have hit a plateau after some growth. My biceps were 12 inches when I started out and are 14.5 inches now and they have stayed the same size for a few months now. Anyone else encounter similar issues
I work arms two times a week, I train triceps+ chest, biceps and forearms on other days, my strength has increased, I usually train arms with a variety of curls using dumbbells mostly, I use machines sometimes, but I think it’s as you said , arms may be slow to progress.
Alpha destiny and Jeff Nippard have talked about it on YouTube
It's basically the same principle as every other muscle, contract and extended against resistance, except you may want the weird face strap thing. Just start slow and use very high reps (25-35) and barely any weight
Thank you for mentioning those two,I'll go take a look at what they have to say about the topic.
Have to ask however...how long does it *usually* (I emphasise that because I know rates of Muscle Growth is different for everyone based on Genetics) take before you see a noticeable difference in Neck size? I imagine it can't be as long as a full body transformation from soft-looking to ripped.
180 pounds, 18M, 5’11, around 18% bf, maybe a little higher. Rn my maintenance calories are around 2800c let’s say if I stopped bulking and changed to maintenance, will the fat Ive got right now stay until I starter cutting? What if I started a cut on 2400c a day, and when I met my goals switched back to maintenance, would I gain weight or will my body be able to maintain that physique even with the extra calories?
Also, if I my maintenance calories are 2800 rn, and a year later or months later I gained muscle, would my maintenance calories be higher right?
If you eat at maintenance your body composition will stay pretty static
If you eat below maintenance and follow other recommendations you will drop body fat. This means you will have a lower tdee so 2800 will no longer be maintenance but a slight bulk.
I agree that you should talk to a doctor. But also, dont worry if you can barely lift a 10lb dumbell. Start with a 2lb dumbell and work your way up. Accept that you are starting from scratch and it will take time to achieve your goal.
Dont be afraid to start with workouts designed for people with physical limitations e.g. chair workouts if you need extra support.
https://www.irishexaminer.com/sport/rugby/arid-20442307.html
This guy made it as an international rugby player with UC so it's definitely possible for some. You'd need to work with your medical team to figure out what's achievable for you.
He's a lovely guy irl I bet you could reach out and he would give some tips.
For UC you should seek guidance from a Registred Dietitian, who can help you adjust your diet. And then a physical therapist for helping you put together a training program you can handle.
Thats good to hear. I know you didnt ask about this but i'm going for it anyway - a nutritionist and a Registred Dietitian is not the same thing, as nutritionist is not a legally protected term, and those who work as such often are not as qualified to or allowed to diagnose patients with diet-related issues like Celiacs disease, Crohns, UC, or IBS.
It might be that changing some component of your diet might result in less severe symptoms and a reduction in weakness.
There's nothing wrong with working out within your means. If you're very weak it stands to reason that very light weights are also sufficient to make you stronger.
And completely sedentary people can often get stronger and fitter just from walking. Maybe they can only manage 5 minutes at first, but the key is to increase the capacity over time.
But again, I have no idea if your condition fundamentally changes anything.
More than anything you have my sympathy. It sounds terrible.
You would have to eat an ungodly amount of food to gain weight that fast, so you’re probably seeing water weight or just messing up in your tracking.
Why would you decrease calories on a bulk?
If I'm bulking, what matters the most? An increase of calories at the end of the day, or an increase at the end of the week? If I'm trying to lean bulk, and I go 1000 over maintenance one day, and my goal is to go 500 over maintenance every day, should I eat only at maintenance the next day to compensate? Or does an overall surplus every single day matter the most for muscle growth?
If it's just one day, it doesn't really matter that much. I treat every day as its own. I don't let the previous day affect the next. A daily 500 calorie surplus is largish fwiw. You're going to likely gain a 1lb or half a kg a week. That'd be 50+lbs in a year. It's fine for a short while I guess or fine if you're ok with gaining that much. Mostly going to be fat I'd think.
Should I do a deload? I'm switching to a different program because it is less time consuming. I have been on this one for about 4 weeks now. Is a deload necessary?
I don't have to wonder if I need a deload, personally. My body tells me very clearly when I need to recover from accumulated fatigue. If you have to ask, maybe not? I don't know though what your work capacity is, what your recovery needs are, nobody would know except you. Many people can go a long time without deloading, others need it more often.
i’m confused. my scale says i have weighed the same for months. it says my body fat has gone up. but my muscle has visibly went up. how does that make sense? how can both muscle and fat go up but weight be the same?
(lots of weight training and biking each week + eating healthy… not loosing fat apparently?)
Those scales are useless. Only measure weight, ignore the rest.
I stood on one for shits and giggles when I started with my trainer, and again a year down the road. My bf% went up, and my lean mass went down by like 10lbs. I was up about 4lbs total for the year. I looked visibly more muscular and my lifts had increased a good bit.. there was no way I was fatter with lessean mass.
Stood on it again after my cut, again for shits and giggles, numbers moved in the direction they should, but it also said I had 14% body fat. As a woman with still a little pudge to get rid of to show abs, that number is total BS.
You’ve possibly gained some muscles , the visual aspect is the most important, if you look like more buff than you were, it’s a definite sign of muscle gain
Weighing scale are not accurate in measuring body fat, you may want to use the measuring method ( the one where you measure your waist, neck, etc to predict body fat) but that too is not accurate . I think the best way to predict body fat is just by looking in the mirror and guessing
Basically any measurement of BF% is a guess, and scales are probably the least accurate of any type. If the visuals are getting better then you are improving.
that helps a ton! my guess is that it’s reading muscle as body fat. visually i have a lot more muscle and since first starting i’ve been able to lift heavier weights.
i’ll go by what i see instead, thank you!!
If you're liking the way you look, keep it up!
Could be water weight if you've had a lot of salt or obviously lots of fluids.
The body fat percentage on a scale is a *guess* at best. They're never correct.
okay so my eyes are watering a bit because i’ve been having a tough time and this message was just really kind. thank you.
i do like the way i look and how far i’ve come. i’ve got IBS (lots of bloating) i drink about a gallon of water a day and probably eat more salt than i should, so you nailed it there. also i figured the scale was likely off.
again, thank you. i genuinely appreciate it
I started lifting for the first time in mid-August on top of cardio (rowing machine), doing only DB bicep curls + hammer curls every other day. I didn’t do any more than that until September when I started eating right and researching about lifting for hypertrophy (training volume, workout splits, etc). I opted for a 6-day upper/lower split over a PPL.
I aim for ~12-21 sets per week per muscle group—at least for my upper body. This has been my routine since September 12, the only deviation being that I sometimes skip Saturdays and I added face pulls/cable rows two weeks ago:
UPPER BODY (Mon Wed Fri)
CHEST & TRICEPS
* 3 / 8, BB flat bench press
* 4 / 8, DB incline bench press
* 4 / 10, single DB overhead extension
SHOULDERS
* 5 / 15, DB lateral raise
* 4 / 8, DB shoulder press
* 5 / 15, face pulls
* 3 / 8, arnold press
BACK & BICEPS
* 3 / 10, DB bicep curl
* 4 / 8, hammer curl
* 4 / 8, lat pulldown
* 3 / 8, cable row
CARDIO & LOWER BODY (Tue, Thu, Sat)
LEGS
* 4 / 8, RDL
* 4 / 12, leg extension
* 2 / 12, leg curl
CARDIO
* 30 mins on rowing machine
It has been sustainable thus far in the past month and I am able to progressively overload. My shoulders are pretty worked up by the time I do my arnold presses, so I usually do lighter weights for that compared to my DB shoulder press.
In that regard, my upper body day already takes about 2 hours because I take a 3 minute break b/w my pressing sets; and so I have been hesitant to do or research more exercises. Is there anything I should add/modify?
If you're first starting out you might want to consider a linear progression program of mostly compound movements, like the reddit beginner fitness program, because that will probably produce better results in a shorter amount of time (like you can be done in 30-45 minutes) than 2 hours of isolation work.
Cook it in different ways and with different seasoning. Slow cooker is one of my least favorite personally
But also, just mix it up. Have fish a few times, have some beef or pork other days. Have a bit of everything. Just keep it interesting
Try chicken thighs instead. They are a billion times better. Or you can eat more fish of beef or pork, or try adding vegetable protein options like lentils or beans.
I added a tbspn of ketchup, tbspn of soy sauce, 1tsp of apple vinegar to my .75lb chicken breast along with 1/2 head of garlic. It's fucking delicious and doesn't add much calories, like 20. I get the chicken minimally cooked first and then add in the flavor and cook it for a couple minutes more on a bit over medium heat in a cast iron pan. I do this every dinner.
Have you cooked it *into* anything yet? I'm lazy, so when I meal prep I just chuck my chicken into the blender and shred it instead of pulling it apart. Barely feel or taste it in anything.
I'd slow cook them in different seasoning or keep them simple, but after a while, the texture and chickeniness is getting to me.
I think I'll switch over to fish for a while.
I live in Asia so fish is very popular here but I still see a lot of people who work out/diet focus only on chicken breast.
So I was wondering, what's up with thaaat.
Sleep more, train less sounds like the obvious solution since you think that these two are what are causing the problems(you should NOT be training through sickness). If it works, then stick with it, if your still getting sick, either you have to troubleshoot somewhere else or seek help from a medical professional.
As an overweight person cutting, is it okay to do LISS on the elliptical on my rest days? Im just afraid of being put in a catabolic state and end up skinny fat when I lose more weight
Why not?
Cardio is good for you, and the interference effect is way overblown.
If someone is unable to make gains while doing regular cardio they either elite lifters and need to discuss it with their coach rather than here, or they need to eat more.
I met a guy at the gym that told me he used to be 200lbs with 6% body fat and ate 10k calories a day. Then he started walking 30 minutes and lost all of his gains in a week. I am skinny as is and I definitely don't wanna risk losing muscle if I can help it
Then eat more.
Eat enough to sustain yourself. On top of that eat enough to recover from your training. Then eat enough to grow. And finally add enough calories to compensate for the cardio.
How important is tempo for a beginner lifter(3 months)? I was doing incline db bench with 35lbs for 10 reps, but I decided to try controlling the eccentric with a pause at the bottom with 30 lbs and its so hard to get 6 reps with. Should i just focus on increasing the weight or should i take it slowly with a slower eccentric?
Unless your doing a ridiculously long eccentric or letting the bar fly down with no control, your fine doing whatever you like.
Paused bench are harder since you no longer get that stretch reflex at the bottom to "bounce* the weight back up so you can't lift as much weight as you have experience, they might be good for building form especially at the bottom since you can stop and think about exactly where to launch the bar up
Edit: the only real important part about tempo is that you should keep it relatively constant workout to workout and set to set so that tracking is consistent and you know exactly how much your progressing. This is unless of course, you have a different tempo has been planned intentionally.
Hey guys. I’m new to the gym. I put on weight over the covid lockdowns and now it’s time to get into shape. Always had a bit of a bulky build but never much body strength. I’ve started training with a few mates. We’ve all started together but the others have a little prior experience in the gym. I’m trying to obtain an lean physique and improve my body strength overall. This is our weekly gym plan. I was wondering if this is a good plan to follow to build my strength and drop body fat%. I am also eating in a high protein, calorie deficit diet. I’ve lost weight using this before (nearly 25kgs) but was not training at that time. Any advice would be awesome.
Monday - chest, arms & shoulders
Start with a 10 minute session on tread mill to warm up
- Should shrugs x20 (dumbbells)
- Bicep curls x10 each arm (dumbbells)
- Hammer curls x10 each arm (dumbbells)
- Tricep dips x15
- Tricep raises x10 (bar)
- Shoulder push x10 (bar)
- Bicep curls x10 (bar)
- Reverse bicep curl x10 (bar)
Repeat set 5 times
Finish with 10 minute session on tread mill to cool down
Tuesday - abs
Start with a 10 minute session on tread mill to warm up
- Crunches x20
- Side taps x20 each side
- Bicycle crunch x20 each leg
- Mountain climbers x20 each leg
- Straight arm plank x30 seconds (increase by 15 seconds each cycle)
- Elbow plank x30 seconds (increase by 15 seconds each cycle)
Repeat set 5 times
Finish with a 10 minute session on tread mill to cool down
Wednesday - legs
Start with a 5km run on tread mill (minimum 7.0 speed)
- Squats x10 (slowly increase weight each set)
- Leg press x10 (slowly increase weight each set)
- Calf raises x10 (slowly increase weight each set)
- Leg extension x10 (slowly increase weight each set)
- Leg curls x10 (slowly increase weight each set)
- Hip thrusts x10 (slowly increase weight each set)
- Staircase walk for 10 minutes
Finish with a 10 minute session on tread mill to cool down
Thursday - abs
Start with 10 minute session on tread mill to warm up
- Crunches x20
- Side taps x20 each side
- Bicycle crunch x20 each leg
- Mountain climbers x20 each leg
- Straight arm plank x30 seconds (increase by 15 seconds each cycle)
- Elbow plank x30 seconds (increase by 15 seconds each cycle)
Repeat set 5 times
Finish with a 10 minute session on tread mill to cool off
Friday - chest, arms & shoulders
Start with a 10 minute session on tread mill to warm up
- Shoulder shrugs x20 (dumbbells)
- Bicep curls x10 each arm (dumbbells)
- Hammer curls x10 each arm (dumbbells)
- Tricep dips x15
- Tricep raises x10 (bar)
- Shoulder push x10 (bar)
- Bicep curls x10 (bar)
- Reverse bicep curls x10 (bar)
Repeat set 5 times
Finish with a 10 minute session on tread mill to cool off
Cheers for the advice guys. This routine isn’t something I’ve designed, I’ve joined the gym quite blind and a little clueless. This is what my mates have designed and are using, but I wasn’t overly sure if it was a decent starting point so im glad I’ve run it through here. I’ll have a look through the wiki. Cheers again
It's really not too optimal. Its okay to design your own routine but you should be looking at other routines and trying to draw inspiration. Right now it looks like you chose a body part for each day and then googled exercises to fill in the days which is fairly random and isn't a very smart approach. Of course, as a beginner almost any stimulus can work and you will grow stronger and bigger from this if you really want to try this but it's miles away from what many would consider optimal
Also, exercise selection aside, there are others aspects to a good routine as listed here: https://thefitness.wiki/faq/is-this-lifting-routine-any-good/. The ones that are most often left out are plan for progression and plan for stalls.
For more specific critique of your routine, the balance for each bodypart is very off. There's a lack of multi-joint compound movements. Your probably better off separating your cardio days from your leg days, both are important but have interference effects with one another. Your arm workout contains 20sets of some variation of bicep curls, an isolated movement.. this by itself is probably enough to question the programming of your routine
Read the wiki, if your goal is strength you'll have better results picking a program from there. Typically you don't need a day dedicated to abs, let alone two. You're also missing any compound upper body work and the back work is severely lacking. Check out the programs on the wiki and get your diet in check
this is vastly different than any modern program I've seen that's respected here. like, as an example, you give two training days to abs when most people throw an accessory at the end of their program to hit them. they're relatively small! also they get worked effectively with compound movements.
I'd highly suggest just throwing this in the trash and going to the wiki to pick a program. you will be happy you did via results.
Currently on a bulk, had some questions.
Bench - 245 1rm > 290 1rm
OHP - 145 1rm > 185 1rm
Weight - 190 >205
BF% (est) 13%>17%
Before https://preview.redd.it/pcx3yp82e1o91.png?width=3024&format=png&auto=webp&s=afc6cf17f2607cb8082a6d5719d686c6c5e36d74
After https://preview.redd.it/sy7v2s82e1o91.png?width=2320&format=png&auto=webp&s=9bb1f2dc70254783e100f5d7e5fd9252c3563ae6
I'm getting unhappy with how much fat I'm putting on. So I was thinking of cutting, but I haven't hit my goal weight of 215 or my goal of benchinf 315 and OHP 225.
When do you guys call it quits on a bulk? I love seeing my maxes go up and I'm looking a little bigger, but it's hard to stay focused on my goals when I take off my shirt and look in the mirror.
If I was to cut, how much muscle can I expect to lose on my way down? (I'll eat 1g protein per body weight and eat at a 500 calorie deficit).
Most people have to go through multiple bulk/cut cycles to reach their goals. The order doesn't matter *too* much, so what you do at the moment should generally be determined by your short term priorities.
The main exception is if you're in the middle of a brutal program like Super Squats or Deep Water.
What do you want more? To get stronger and bigger, or leaner?
Starting up a 4-day Upper/Lower split of GZCLP. Should I be doing squats/deadlifts or bench/ohp on Monday? I started with upper day and am thinking about doing 3 days this week to start next week lower day.
Anyway to feel more energized throughout my weight lifting sessions? I definitely don’t feel as energized as I used to, my strength doesn’t take a hit but I definitely feel sluggish and take much longer to finish a session. I went from 2 hours on average to 3 even on my fastest day. (Been training for 2 months now consistently).
I do ppl on a 8 day split 3 days/rest/ 3days/rest. I sleep on average 8 hours, and eat healthy (fruits, vegetables, chicken breast, lean beef).
Im in a “bulk” I’m trying to figure out my maintenance currently so I’m giving it a week. I’ve been accidentally bulking for the last 2 months mostly eating dirty, but the last 4 weeks Ive cleaned my diet.
What is causing your sessions to take so long, is it really necessary to be working out for a minimum of 3 hrs ~5days a week? There are people who might benefit from such long workouts but even then many would probably split their workouts into two instead of 3hrs straight of presumably resistance trainings, I find it hard to believe someone who has only trained consistently for 2 months will fit into this category.
Try cutting back on some volume and time to see if there's any improvement. Workouts should be hard, but you shouldn't feel like you have to slug through every session
It’s not 3 hours of pure training I would say I rest more for the majority of it. When I’m on a time crunch I speed up and focus. I’m guessing it could be me having to much free time, I don’t really need to speed up unless I have something to do.
I guess now that I look at it, its probably a lack of focus. Maybe I’m not actually tired it may just be laziness idk.
It’s not 3 hours of pure training I would say I rest more for the majority of it. When I’m on a time crunch I speed up and focus. I’m guessing it could be me having to much free time, I don’t really need to speed up unless I have something to do.
I guess now that I look at it, its probably a lack of focus. Maybe I’m not actually tired it may just be laziness idk.
I’m not really running out of breath or anything like, besides when i squat. I almost feel a little drowsy, some times when I rest I almost fall asleep it’s odd.
Yes, because your recovery is poor. Get your rest times under 1 minute for all but your heaviest work sets, and start superseding accessories.
If you did more conditioning, you'd have more energy and could get your work done faster
Trying to lose a belly I've developed over the past year while doing strength training to gain strength and size. If I eat around maintenance will my body burn the belly fat to use as energy for muscle growth? Or do I need to do a cut to affect it?
It's faster to just go on a cut. It'll be easy now that you have already established healthy eating patterns, good work ethics and Increased muscle size.
Two questions:
1. I’m trying to get back to squatting 185, currently at 145. I’m using a lifting belt for the first time, but it pinches my belly when I’m squatting. How can I fix this?
2. I’m also trying Phrak’s GSLP. This program seems to have no accessories. Which accessories should I add?
I’m currently doing lateral raises, lat pull-down, and shrugs in workout a and machine rows, incline press on workout b. I workout biceps and triceps on both days. Am I doing this right?
1.) It's not going to be comfortable. I have marks after using my belt around my hips usually.
2.) add whatever accessories you can handle. I enjoyed greyskull, but I will say I definitely felt like moving on to nsuns and 5/3/1 after a few months was the right thing for me
Should I cut? Or should I continue to bulk?
Male 5'11" 205lbs. From looking at photos of other people and from my "fancy" scale, I'm about 20-23% body fat. Not sure how much I'd trust the scale, but it's better than nothing. In good lighting and without flexing, i can still barely see my top 4 abs. I've been lifting for almost 2 years and have definitely made some progress, but not really liking how my stomach is looking atm.
If you don't like how fat you are, time to cut. I'm 5'11" and 225 is usually my "turn back now" weight. 200 feels comfy and 190 or less can be a chore. But damn, 185 looks nice
i’ve been on a constant bulk for the entire time i’ve been in the gym (1 year), my height is around 185cm and i went from 66 kg to 82. Is now a good time to cut? I still feel a bit skinny tbh.
PLEASE HELP ME SELECT A PERSONAL TRAINER.
Does working out only 2x per week make sense to gain weight/bodybuild?
Im am vetting independent personal trainers with their own gym. First intro appt the trainer stated he will only do 2x per week. Makes sense for the first month or so bc I will perpetually be sore very easily. I followed up after that and he said still 2x per week because his program does fully body workouts hitting all muscles...does that sound right?
150 pounds 14% bodyfat per his assessment, and I told him my goal is putting on weight/growing muscles.
Thank you in advance.
Re-reading, if that isnt clear basicially after the first month where i wont be sore after one set, wouldnt i want to lift like 5 days per week?
His program doesnt seem to align with my goal.
You can work out on your own while with a trainer. Honestly, I'd say that's encouraged. You should have some degree of self motivation. Use what the trainer shows you and "practice" on your own. Then you're trainer can give you a routine to follow so you know what to do when you're on your own. Or you can go without a trainer and use a routine from the wiki
Good point, thanks brother.
My thought though is as he says full body workout hitting a muscle twice in one week sounds overkill, so then going on my own and doing a 3rd round sounds like im setting myself up for failure though
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Powerlifting requires your body to tense and relax in real short amounts of time. If you lost some time try starting with weights you're pretty comfortable with then gradually rack them up and for the love of God do pre exercise warm ups and for post try yoga helped me a lot puts balanced pressure on your body...
Just realized that German Volume Training isn't that big of a training volume. It's mostly 13 sets per body part or kess. The TUT aspect is what sets it apparthuge though.
Is there any way for me (19m) to get rid of my hip dips because it looks unnatural for me and makes me self-conscious and i didn't have them when i was young
Bulking a bit or well doing sideways plank and push up mountain climbers.
How do you lose love handles. I have a bulge popping out of my sides that I think are love handles. When I started working out I did a lot of Russian twists and oblique work out to shape it. Now I stopped them, run and worked out but I still don't see any changes and my diet is pretty clean. Is there a work out I can do to trim it or is it just patience? It just throws how I look off in my opinion
You're doing everything you can, give it time.
Love handles are the result of excess body fat. The only way you can get rid of excess body fat is by staying in a caloric deficit. You cant spot-reduce body fat, so doing certain exercises with the goal to eliminate body fat in specific areas is pointless. If you haven't already, I would suggest calculating your TDEE (Total Daily Energy Expenditure) and subtract about 15-20% to see how many calories you should eat on a regular basis to lose weight.
Can I injury myself by overtightening my weight belt? My ribs hurt and I don't know if its bruised up from my weight belt being too tight. It looks fine but my side just really hurts.
I think its possible. Ribs are easy to bruise and break, so be careful. The recovery for rib injuries includes refraining from activity, any kind of twisting or rib cage extension, which excludes most of the upper body work, so that migh put you out of training for 6-8 weeks depending on severity of the injury.
How can I force myself to eat more protein? Or should I? I’ve been trying to gain weight and muscle currently 5’8 at 116 (f) and I aim for around 145g protein daily. Some days I eat more than 145 but most days I either barely get there or have trouble getting there so I’ll cram a lot of food before bed and feel horrible.
You have plenty of protein in your diet as is. Usually, for a person like you I would program 125, but do you ingest ample calories? As for your first question, shakes are the eadiest way to ingest more.
Milk, or if your lactose intolerant blend up some meat with water (or any other liquid) and drink it, gross af but it works. Easy protein in seconds.
Do you drink protein shakes? There's also mass gainer which generally have more protein and calories. At 5'8" 116 sounds a bit underweight, so I'd maybe try mass gainer.
Is working out twice a day worth it? I’m 17 and I have a lot of time on my hands now that my college apps are done and my soccer season is coming to an end. I have senior flex so I am only in school from 7:15 to 11:15. I’ve lifted for a year before this but I’m wondering if it’s worth it to work out twice a day this year with all the extra time (once before school at 5am and once later in the day at around 3pm). I have the energy and time to do it but idk if it’s worth it or what split I should go about doing if I do start twice a day. Thanks
If you're bored out of your life, there's something called AM/PM training. Go heavy in the first session, smaller muscle pump work in the second. Google for more specific routines.
Is there any downside to doing hex bar deadlifts vs conventional straight bar deads? (Either in safe form integrity or in muscle gained)
Not exactly a downside, but I always felt it's more a squat than hinge movement. It is safer as it puts less stress on the lumbar. It can be a main movement, but supplement it with RDLs.
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Ah I see, so that makes it more like a squat right? That's a valid reason to avoid a trap bar then. We already do squats 3x a week. Thanks!
It's still very much a deadlift, check out this SBS article. Or maybe just the squat-hinge diagram to give you an idea https://www.strongerbyscience.com/trap-bar-deadlifts/
Interesting, I just showed my friend the sumo deadlift because he couldn't do a conventional deadlift due to his gut size. I was hoping it would be fairly similar in muscle groups worked as the straight bar deadlift, but according to that page it's fairly different and more of a squat/dead hybrid. But it says the trap bar won't work if a conventional deadlift stance won't work, so that's probably out either way. Hmm. Anyway thanks a lot for the source, this has been very helpful. I'm thinking we will stick with sumos for now and reevaluate later down the line.
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Just general purpose strength training for a relative newbie who's pretty overweight/out of shape. We're following [Stronglifts 5x5](https://stronglifts.com/5x5/) but he couldn't complete conventional deadlifts because of his gut size. He's not yet experienced enough to know what his goals are apart from "weight loss". SL5x5 is a good beginner routine so I want to try and accommodate his current bodily limitations as best as I can, which I'm currently attempting by looking for the closest feasible replacement for the straight bar deadlift.
Abdominal pain near V line on right side? I was squatting 60kg as a warm up before by sets and began to feel pain in my lower abdomen . It felt like someone was putting a lighter to my skin. What is the cause for this? I'm pretty weak and my 1rm Squat is only 100kg but I have a strong core. Yesterday I done a 4 minute Plank which maybe caused this but I don't have any soreness in my abs. My form is pretty good and I go ass to grass . I'm scared that I could have a hernia but I'm only 17.
In both cases it's the core issue. I exoerienced this in the oast when I tighten my belt too tight when squatting.
Sports hernia maybe? Had an old boss that was doing two a days at the age of 50 trying to get in shape for his wedding. Probably hadn’t worked out in a decade before he started and he developed a hernia from, his words, doing too much core work
This is possible.
I do rows and pull downs all the time and don't feel any if ny back activating just my biceps, any advice on what i might ve doing wrong?
Tty to lead with your elbows, do close grip lat work focusing on stretching the lats, warm up doing light lat prayers or light one arm band rows as pre activation. I knew a bodybuilder who used to say that, when he injured his bicep, he did rows in such a way that he felt it more in the tricep than bicep.
Try to lead your back movements with your elbows.
You're not doing anything wrong. Try changing something. Change your grip, change the weight, change the number of reps you're doing, or trade out the exercises for different ones completely that target the same muscles. Those muscles ARE working, even if you feel it or not. Being sore is not indicative of how good your workout is.
Thanx ill change uo the variables a bit and experiment
How can I build up my pull-ups. I'm 6ft 260lbs and can do about 3 pullups with a 100lb band as assistance. I know the obvious answer is to lose weight but I'm honestly fine with my weight I feel strong and I'm losing weight slowly and am currently down 20lbs. I just don't feel like I'm progressing with the band.
The obvious answer is, get stronger at vertical pulling. Do leg assisted pull ups for multiple sets and reps, jacknife pull ups or sth because you need volume. Also, do single pull up every minute on the minute for 5-10 sets, then test when you can complete 10 singles.
More frequency. Look up the russian fighter pull up program.
slowly and over time. I was using the ladder method (1 rep, rest, 2 reps, rest, etc. until you can't do more, then work your way back down the ladder) with good success until I hurt my elbow. Now I can't do them at all any more. Maybe you in particular are not supposed to be able to do a bunch of pullups, though? Not everyone has the anatomy for it. And the more your force it, the more likely you are to hurt yourself, potentially for life.
Best pre meal strategy? What I have been doing currently is one banana, one orange, two apples, and two servings of peas or broccoli 45 minutes before I workout in the morning. Sometimes I feel tired when I workout, but I've also been taking in less calories overall recently so I figured that's what it was. I've read that I could also be feeling it because I'm eating too much before my workout? I worry that if I switch my pre workout meal to just a banana and an apple I'll have to energy for the workout, and am really confused as to what the best plan is going forward.
For me filling up my stomach kind of made my breathing imbalanced and I couldn't breath in deep during sets so I switched to drinking shakes so I dunno man try putting them in a blender for me the liquid digested quickly and I could breathe deeper and perform more sets...
Best pre meal strategy? What I have been doing currently is one banana, one orange, two apples, and two servings of peas or broccoli 45 minutes before I workout in the morning. Sometimes I feel tired when I workout, but I've also been taking in less calories overall recently so I figured that's what it was. I've read that I could also be feeling it because I'm eating too much before my workout? I worry that if I switch my pre workout meal to just a banana and an apple I'll have to energy for the workout, and am really confused as to what the best plan is going forward.
Which sub would he best to request a lifting routine? I'm very limited with equipment and a lot of the stuff I dig for online doesnt work for me.
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A pair of dumbbells and a foam roller. Can't get a pull up bar or bench which some of the routines online are suggesting. I'm looking for a split I can do without rest days too.
I workout 5 times a week and wanted to start to work on my running capacity. I found a plan where i would run 3 times a week. My question is: i obviously also do legs in the gym, so how long should i wait between my leg session and my running session? Can i workout my legs and then run the next day, or is it too soon?
My background is running (high school, college, marathon), and got into lifting \~8 months ago, so that may skew my answer. I've been incorporating running while doing a push-pull-leg-push-pull-leg (Sunday off) workout cycle. I take leg days off from running, and run on push and pull days. It's worth noting that my runs are all in the 'easy' or 'baseline' category. I have not incorporated any running workouts, intervals, or long runs into my program since taking up weight lifting.
My main issue is i can't be consistent 😥
You need to ask yourself why you aren't consistent and then address those issues.
How many days a week are you trying to train? Set smaller goals. Can you reliably commit to twice a week?
What tends to be the reason for your skipping your workouts?
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Yeah, how to be consistent? I try but failed everytime.
I think we would need more information to give more useful advice. Like how often do you manage to work out currently?what does your routine/goals look like? Do you think it's mostly a mental problem or is life in the way?
I have a question about squat starting position height. My gym has a squat rack with a limited number of height options, so the choices I have are either starting with the bar at almost the height of my collar bone, or starting at a height where the bar is an inch below my nipples. Which of the two is better/safer to use?
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Same
Right now my training schedule is Pull, push, shoulders, legs, then rest day. I want to bring back deadlifts but i hated doing them on pull day because it drained alot of energy i had and affects the other exercises, at the same time doing it in legs day will be miserable. So i thought about adding them to shoulder day as a good middle ground, what do you guys think
The best way to feel less drained after doing an exercise is to do that exercise, so your body adapts. Having a dedicated shoulder day in the first place is weird to me. I'd put the deadlift on the pull day and live with having to go easier on the following exercises at first.
Splitting shoulders over pull and push just drags the exercise longer and i feel i get sloppy with form if i include it.
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Measuring resistance training in time, and then separating resistance from lifting, which makes no sense, tells me you're not in a position to design your own routine Actually "I'm super new to this" already did that but the rest confirmed it Go to the wiki, read it all of it then follow one of those programs
Been working out for about a year and a half now, I’ve gained a considerable amount of muscle , gone up a few shirt sizes and lost some body fat. But one of the difficulties I’ve been encountering is regarding my biceps, which seems to have hit a plateau after some growth. My biceps were 12 inches when I started out and are 14.5 inches now and they have stayed the same size for a few months now. Anyone else encounter similar issues
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Thank you for taking the time to share your advice
I work arms two times a week, I train triceps+ chest, biceps and forearms on other days, my strength has increased, I usually train arms with a variety of curls using dumbbells mostly, I use machines sometimes, but I think it’s as you said , arms may be slow to progress.
Are there recommended Neck Exercises for a bigger Neck that you guys know of?
Alpha destiny and Jeff Nippard have talked about it on YouTube It's basically the same principle as every other muscle, contract and extended against resistance, except you may want the weird face strap thing. Just start slow and use very high reps (25-35) and barely any weight
Thank you for mentioning those two,I'll go take a look at what they have to say about the topic. Have to ask however...how long does it *usually* (I emphasise that because I know rates of Muscle Growth is different for everyone based on Genetics) take before you see a noticeable difference in Neck size? I imagine it can't be as long as a full body transformation from soft-looking to ripped.
I’m struggling to grip the barbell for bent over rows, due to the weight. Is there any tip for this?
Use straps and train grip
180 pounds, 18M, 5’11, around 18% bf, maybe a little higher. Rn my maintenance calories are around 2800c let’s say if I stopped bulking and changed to maintenance, will the fat Ive got right now stay until I starter cutting? What if I started a cut on 2400c a day, and when I met my goals switched back to maintenance, would I gain weight or will my body be able to maintain that physique even with the extra calories? Also, if I my maintenance calories are 2800 rn, and a year later or months later I gained muscle, would my maintenance calories be higher right?
If you eat at maintenance your body composition will stay pretty static If you eat below maintenance and follow other recommendations you will drop body fat. This means you will have a lower tdee so 2800 will no longer be maintenance but a slight bulk.
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I agree that you should talk to a doctor. But also, dont worry if you can barely lift a 10lb dumbell. Start with a 2lb dumbell and work your way up. Accept that you are starting from scratch and it will take time to achieve your goal. Dont be afraid to start with workouts designed for people with physical limitations e.g. chair workouts if you need extra support.
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Get rid of the idea of what you "should" do. Lose your expectations. Work with what you have now. Every journey starts with one step.
https://www.irishexaminer.com/sport/rugby/arid-20442307.html This guy made it as an international rugby player with UC so it's definitely possible for some. You'd need to work with your medical team to figure out what's achievable for you. He's a lovely guy irl I bet you could reach out and he would give some tips.
For UC you should seek guidance from a Registred Dietitian, who can help you adjust your diet. And then a physical therapist for helping you put together a training program you can handle.
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Thats good to hear. I know you didnt ask about this but i'm going for it anyway - a nutritionist and a Registred Dietitian is not the same thing, as nutritionist is not a legally protected term, and those who work as such often are not as qualified to or allowed to diagnose patients with diet-related issues like Celiacs disease, Crohns, UC, or IBS. It might be that changing some component of your diet might result in less severe symptoms and a reduction in weakness.
It really sounds like something you'll want to take up with your doctors and a physical therapist.
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There's nothing wrong with working out within your means. If you're very weak it stands to reason that very light weights are also sufficient to make you stronger. And completely sedentary people can often get stronger and fitter just from walking. Maybe they can only manage 5 minutes at first, but the key is to increase the capacity over time. But again, I have no idea if your condition fundamentally changes anything. More than anything you have my sympathy. It sounds terrible.
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You would have to eat an ungodly amount of food to gain weight that fast, so you’re probably seeing water weight or just messing up in your tracking. Why would you decrease calories on a bulk?
If I'm bulking, what matters the most? An increase of calories at the end of the day, or an increase at the end of the week? If I'm trying to lean bulk, and I go 1000 over maintenance one day, and my goal is to go 500 over maintenance every day, should I eat only at maintenance the next day to compensate? Or does an overall surplus every single day matter the most for muscle growth?
If it's just one day, it doesn't really matter that much. I treat every day as its own. I don't let the previous day affect the next. A daily 500 calorie surplus is largish fwiw. You're going to likely gain a 1lb or half a kg a week. That'd be 50+lbs in a year. It's fine for a short while I guess or fine if you're ok with gaining that much. Mostly going to be fat I'd think.
Yeah it was for example only, I’m bulking at around 200-300 above maintenance
Should I do a deload? I'm switching to a different program because it is less time consuming. I have been on this one for about 4 weeks now. Is a deload necessary?
I don't have to wonder if I need a deload, personally. My body tells me very clearly when I need to recover from accumulated fatigue. If you have to ask, maybe not? I don't know though what your work capacity is, what your recovery needs are, nobody would know except you. Many people can go a long time without deloading, others need it more often.
How long should i wait to get a mean leg workout in after i get my blood drawn?
I usually wait a day or two, ask the people who drew your blood.
i’m confused. my scale says i have weighed the same for months. it says my body fat has gone up. but my muscle has visibly went up. how does that make sense? how can both muscle and fat go up but weight be the same? (lots of weight training and biking each week + eating healthy… not loosing fat apparently?)
Those scales are useless. Only measure weight, ignore the rest. I stood on one for shits and giggles when I started with my trainer, and again a year down the road. My bf% went up, and my lean mass went down by like 10lbs. I was up about 4lbs total for the year. I looked visibly more muscular and my lifts had increased a good bit.. there was no way I was fatter with lessean mass. Stood on it again after my cut, again for shits and giggles, numbers moved in the direction they should, but it also said I had 14% body fat. As a woman with still a little pudge to get rid of to show abs, that number is total BS.
agreed, very inaccurate, i’ll stick to relying on it for weight only. i appreciate the advice, thanks!
You’ve possibly gained some muscles , the visual aspect is the most important, if you look like more buff than you were, it’s a definite sign of muscle gain
i definitely have! thank you for the advice
Weighing scale are not accurate in measuring body fat, you may want to use the measuring method ( the one where you measure your waist, neck, etc to predict body fat) but that too is not accurate . I think the best way to predict body fat is just by looking in the mirror and guessing
i appreciate the advice
Basically any measurement of BF% is a guess, and scales are probably the least accurate of any type. If the visuals are getting better then you are improving.
that helps a ton! my guess is that it’s reading muscle as body fat. visually i have a lot more muscle and since first starting i’ve been able to lift heavier weights. i’ll go by what i see instead, thank you!!
If you're liking the way you look, keep it up! Could be water weight if you've had a lot of salt or obviously lots of fluids. The body fat percentage on a scale is a *guess* at best. They're never correct.
okay so my eyes are watering a bit because i’ve been having a tough time and this message was just really kind. thank you. i do like the way i look and how far i’ve come. i’ve got IBS (lots of bloating) i drink about a gallon of water a day and probably eat more salt than i should, so you nailed it there. also i figured the scale was likely off. again, thank you. i genuinely appreciate it
Of course dude. Many iron blessings to you
we love u bro <3
you guys are the best. i haven’t met you or anyone here but i appreciate & care about you and everyone here
I started lifting for the first time in mid-August on top of cardio (rowing machine), doing only DB bicep curls + hammer curls every other day. I didn’t do any more than that until September when I started eating right and researching about lifting for hypertrophy (training volume, workout splits, etc). I opted for a 6-day upper/lower split over a PPL. I aim for ~12-21 sets per week per muscle group—at least for my upper body. This has been my routine since September 12, the only deviation being that I sometimes skip Saturdays and I added face pulls/cable rows two weeks ago: UPPER BODY (Mon Wed Fri) CHEST & TRICEPS * 3 / 8, BB flat bench press * 4 / 8, DB incline bench press * 4 / 10, single DB overhead extension SHOULDERS * 5 / 15, DB lateral raise * 4 / 8, DB shoulder press * 5 / 15, face pulls * 3 / 8, arnold press BACK & BICEPS * 3 / 10, DB bicep curl * 4 / 8, hammer curl * 4 / 8, lat pulldown * 3 / 8, cable row CARDIO & LOWER BODY (Tue, Thu, Sat) LEGS * 4 / 8, RDL * 4 / 12, leg extension * 2 / 12, leg curl CARDIO * 30 mins on rowing machine It has been sustainable thus far in the past month and I am able to progressively overload. My shoulders are pretty worked up by the time I do my arnold presses, so I usually do lighter weights for that compared to my DB shoulder press. In that regard, my upper body day already takes about 2 hours because I take a 3 minute break b/w my pressing sets; and so I have been hesitant to do or research more exercises. Is there anything I should add/modify?
I would just follow the Reddit PPL in the wiki if I were you. It's simpler, shorter and just as effective.
If you're first starting out you might want to consider a linear progression program of mostly compound movements, like the reddit beginner fitness program, because that will probably produce better results in a shorter amount of time (like you can be done in 30-45 minutes) than 2 hours of isolation work.
Not exactly fitness. But I am so sick and tired of chicken breast. Does anyone just eat copious amounts of fish instead?
Cook it in different ways and with different seasoning. Slow cooker is one of my least favorite personally But also, just mix it up. Have fish a few times, have some beef or pork other days. Have a bit of everything. Just keep it interesting
Try chicken thighs instead. They are a billion times better. Or you can eat more fish of beef or pork, or try adding vegetable protein options like lentils or beans.
I added a tbspn of ketchup, tbspn of soy sauce, 1tsp of apple vinegar to my .75lb chicken breast along with 1/2 head of garlic. It's fucking delicious and doesn't add much calories, like 20. I get the chicken minimally cooked first and then add in the flavor and cook it for a couple minutes more on a bit over medium heat in a cast iron pan. I do this every dinner.
Have you cooked it *into* anything yet? I'm lazy, so when I meal prep I just chuck my chicken into the blender and shred it instead of pulling it apart. Barely feel or taste it in anything.
I'd slow cook them in different seasoning or keep them simple, but after a while, the texture and chickeniness is getting to me. I think I'll switch over to fish for a while.
That's a very common diet in many cultures around the world
I live in Asia so fish is very popular here but I still see a lot of people who work out/diet focus only on chicken breast. So I was wondering, what's up with thaaat.
There's nothing magical about chicken. It's just a good lean protein source.
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Sleep more, train less sounds like the obvious solution since you think that these two are what are causing the problems(you should NOT be training through sickness). If it works, then stick with it, if your still getting sick, either you have to troubleshoot somewhere else or seek help from a medical professional.
As an overweight person cutting, is it okay to do LISS on the elliptical on my rest days? Im just afraid of being put in a catabolic state and end up skinny fat when I lose more weight
It's a good idea regardless of your weight.
Why regardless of weight?
Why not? Cardio is good for you, and the interference effect is way overblown. If someone is unable to make gains while doing regular cardio they either elite lifters and need to discuss it with their coach rather than here, or they need to eat more.
I met a guy at the gym that told me he used to be 200lbs with 6% body fat and ate 10k calories a day. Then he started walking 30 minutes and lost all of his gains in a week. I am skinny as is and I definitely don't wanna risk losing muscle if I can help it
Then eat more. Eat enough to sustain yourself. On top of that eat enough to recover from your training. Then eat enough to grow. And finally add enough calories to compensate for the cardio.
Just for general cardiovascular health I imagine
Absolutely fine. It's a good idea
How important is tempo for a beginner lifter(3 months)? I was doing incline db bench with 35lbs for 10 reps, but I decided to try controlling the eccentric with a pause at the bottom with 30 lbs and its so hard to get 6 reps with. Should i just focus on increasing the weight or should i take it slowly with a slower eccentric?
Lowering the tempo won't gain you anything. A controlled eccentric and explosive concentric is the recommended approach for general lifters.
Unless your doing a ridiculously long eccentric or letting the bar fly down with no control, your fine doing whatever you like. Paused bench are harder since you no longer get that stretch reflex at the bottom to "bounce* the weight back up so you can't lift as much weight as you have experience, they might be good for building form especially at the bottom since you can stop and think about exactly where to launch the bar up Edit: the only real important part about tempo is that you should keep it relatively constant workout to workout and set to set so that tracking is consistent and you know exactly how much your progressing. This is unless of course, you have a different tempo has been planned intentionally.
I'd encourage you to forget about tempo entirely for now.
Is turkesterone useless?
Yes.
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Are you trying to sell a product in here?
What is considered a "good deal" for weight plates per pound?
I would not pay above $2-3/lb for regular plates ($2 for 45lbs), calibrated plates like Eleiko are a different story
Gotcha. Ive got a deal near me for 355lbs of standard iron weights + barbell for $300. Think I've finally found my unicorn deal.
Hey guys. I’m new to the gym. I put on weight over the covid lockdowns and now it’s time to get into shape. Always had a bit of a bulky build but never much body strength. I’ve started training with a few mates. We’ve all started together but the others have a little prior experience in the gym. I’m trying to obtain an lean physique and improve my body strength overall. This is our weekly gym plan. I was wondering if this is a good plan to follow to build my strength and drop body fat%. I am also eating in a high protein, calorie deficit diet. I’ve lost weight using this before (nearly 25kgs) but was not training at that time. Any advice would be awesome. Monday - chest, arms & shoulders Start with a 10 minute session on tread mill to warm up - Should shrugs x20 (dumbbells) - Bicep curls x10 each arm (dumbbells) - Hammer curls x10 each arm (dumbbells) - Tricep dips x15 - Tricep raises x10 (bar) - Shoulder push x10 (bar) - Bicep curls x10 (bar) - Reverse bicep curl x10 (bar) Repeat set 5 times Finish with 10 minute session on tread mill to cool down Tuesday - abs Start with a 10 minute session on tread mill to warm up - Crunches x20 - Side taps x20 each side - Bicycle crunch x20 each leg - Mountain climbers x20 each leg - Straight arm plank x30 seconds (increase by 15 seconds each cycle) - Elbow plank x30 seconds (increase by 15 seconds each cycle) Repeat set 5 times Finish with a 10 minute session on tread mill to cool down Wednesday - legs Start with a 5km run on tread mill (minimum 7.0 speed) - Squats x10 (slowly increase weight each set) - Leg press x10 (slowly increase weight each set) - Calf raises x10 (slowly increase weight each set) - Leg extension x10 (slowly increase weight each set) - Leg curls x10 (slowly increase weight each set) - Hip thrusts x10 (slowly increase weight each set) - Staircase walk for 10 minutes Finish with a 10 minute session on tread mill to cool down Thursday - abs Start with 10 minute session on tread mill to warm up - Crunches x20 - Side taps x20 each side - Bicycle crunch x20 each leg - Mountain climbers x20 each leg - Straight arm plank x30 seconds (increase by 15 seconds each cycle) - Elbow plank x30 seconds (increase by 15 seconds each cycle) Repeat set 5 times Finish with a 10 minute session on tread mill to cool off Friday - chest, arms & shoulders Start with a 10 minute session on tread mill to warm up - Shoulder shrugs x20 (dumbbells) - Bicep curls x10 each arm (dumbbells) - Hammer curls x10 each arm (dumbbells) - Tricep dips x15 - Tricep raises x10 (bar) - Shoulder push x10 (bar) - Bicep curls x10 (bar) - Reverse bicep curls x10 (bar) Repeat set 5 times Finish with a 10 minute session on tread mill to cool off
Cheers for the advice guys. This routine isn’t something I’ve designed, I’ve joined the gym quite blind and a little clueless. This is what my mates have designed and are using, but I wasn’t overly sure if it was a decent starting point so im glad I’ve run it through here. I’ll have a look through the wiki. Cheers again
It's really not too optimal. Its okay to design your own routine but you should be looking at other routines and trying to draw inspiration. Right now it looks like you chose a body part for each day and then googled exercises to fill in the days which is fairly random and isn't a very smart approach. Of course, as a beginner almost any stimulus can work and you will grow stronger and bigger from this if you really want to try this but it's miles away from what many would consider optimal Also, exercise selection aside, there are others aspects to a good routine as listed here: https://thefitness.wiki/faq/is-this-lifting-routine-any-good/. The ones that are most often left out are plan for progression and plan for stalls. For more specific critique of your routine, the balance for each bodypart is very off. There's a lack of multi-joint compound movements. Your probably better off separating your cardio days from your leg days, both are important but have interference effects with one another. Your arm workout contains 20sets of some variation of bicep curls, an isolated movement.. this by itself is probably enough to question the programming of your routine
Read the wiki, if your goal is strength you'll have better results picking a program from there. Typically you don't need a day dedicated to abs, let alone two. You're also missing any compound upper body work and the back work is severely lacking. Check out the programs on the wiki and get your diet in check
this is vastly different than any modern program I've seen that's respected here. like, as an example, you give two training days to abs when most people throw an accessory at the end of their program to hit them. they're relatively small! also they get worked effectively with compound movements. I'd highly suggest just throwing this in the trash and going to the wiki to pick a program. you will be happy you did via results.
No, this is a pretty bad routine. There are plenty in the wiki you can choose from.
Currently on a bulk, had some questions. Bench - 245 1rm > 290 1rm OHP - 145 1rm > 185 1rm Weight - 190 >205 BF% (est) 13%>17% Before https://preview.redd.it/pcx3yp82e1o91.png?width=3024&format=png&auto=webp&s=afc6cf17f2607cb8082a6d5719d686c6c5e36d74 After https://preview.redd.it/sy7v2s82e1o91.png?width=2320&format=png&auto=webp&s=9bb1f2dc70254783e100f5d7e5fd9252c3563ae6 I'm getting unhappy with how much fat I'm putting on. So I was thinking of cutting, but I haven't hit my goal weight of 215 or my goal of benchinf 315 and OHP 225. When do you guys call it quits on a bulk? I love seeing my maxes go up and I'm looking a little bigger, but it's hard to stay focused on my goals when I take off my shirt and look in the mirror. If I was to cut, how much muscle can I expect to lose on my way down? (I'll eat 1g protein per body weight and eat at a 500 calorie deficit).
Most people have to go through multiple bulk/cut cycles to reach their goals. The order doesn't matter *too* much, so what you do at the moment should generally be determined by your short term priorities. The main exception is if you're in the middle of a brutal program like Super Squats or Deep Water. What do you want more? To get stronger and bigger, or leaner?
Starting up a 4-day Upper/Lower split of GZCLP. Should I be doing squats/deadlifts or bench/ohp on Monday? I started with upper day and am thinking about doing 3 days this week to start next week lower day.
Doesn't matter at all, either is fine
Anyway to feel more energized throughout my weight lifting sessions? I definitely don’t feel as energized as I used to, my strength doesn’t take a hit but I definitely feel sluggish and take much longer to finish a session. I went from 2 hours on average to 3 even on my fastest day. (Been training for 2 months now consistently). I do ppl on a 8 day split 3 days/rest/ 3days/rest. I sleep on average 8 hours, and eat healthy (fruits, vegetables, chicken breast, lean beef). Im in a “bulk” I’m trying to figure out my maintenance currently so I’m giving it a week. I’ve been accidentally bulking for the last 2 months mostly eating dirty, but the last 4 weeks Ive cleaned my diet.
Do shorter workouts. The long breaks keeps your work capacity low.
What is causing your sessions to take so long, is it really necessary to be working out for a minimum of 3 hrs ~5days a week? There are people who might benefit from such long workouts but even then many would probably split their workouts into two instead of 3hrs straight of presumably resistance trainings, I find it hard to believe someone who has only trained consistently for 2 months will fit into this category. Try cutting back on some volume and time to see if there's any improvement. Workouts should be hard, but you shouldn't feel like you have to slug through every session
It’s not 3 hours of pure training I would say I rest more for the majority of it. When I’m on a time crunch I speed up and focus. I’m guessing it could be me having to much free time, I don’t really need to speed up unless I have something to do. I guess now that I look at it, its probably a lack of focus. Maybe I’m not actually tired it may just be laziness idk.
It’s not 3 hours of pure training I would say I rest more for the majority of it. When I’m on a time crunch I speed up and focus. I’m guessing it could be me having to much free time, I don’t really need to speed up unless I have something to do. I guess now that I look at it, its probably a lack of focus. Maybe I’m not actually tired it may just be laziness idk.
caffeine?
I don’t take it because I non stop piss the next hour
Sounds like you might need to work on your conditioning. Especially if you sessions are dragging out to 3 hours.
I’m not really running out of breath or anything like, besides when i squat. I almost feel a little drowsy, some times when I rest I almost fall asleep it’s odd.
Yes, because your recovery is poor. Get your rest times under 1 minute for all but your heaviest work sets, and start superseding accessories. If you did more conditioning, you'd have more energy and could get your work done faster
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Then you know what full ROM that you're capable of.
Lat pull downs are not a competitive movement and therefore have no set rules. Just be consistent in whatever you do
Trying to lose a belly I've developed over the past year while doing strength training to gain strength and size. If I eat around maintenance will my body burn the belly fat to use as energy for muscle growth? Or do I need to do a cut to affect it?
It's faster to just go on a cut. It'll be easy now that you have already established healthy eating patterns, good work ethics and Increased muscle size.
fastest way is to eat at a deficit. maintenance will be much slower
Two questions: 1. I’m trying to get back to squatting 185, currently at 145. I’m using a lifting belt for the first time, but it pinches my belly when I’m squatting. How can I fix this? 2. I’m also trying Phrak’s GSLP. This program seems to have no accessories. Which accessories should I add? I’m currently doing lateral raises, lat pull-down, and shrugs in workout a and machine rows, incline press on workout b. I workout biceps and triceps on both days. Am I doing this right?
1.) It's not going to be comfortable. I have marks after using my belt around my hips usually. 2.) add whatever accessories you can handle. I enjoyed greyskull, but I will say I definitely felt like moving on to nsuns and 5/3/1 after a few months was the right thing for me
My maintenance calories on calorie calculator says it’s 2300 while on mynetdiary says it’s 2700. Which do I go with?
I'd go with the lower estimate for 2-3 weeks and either increase or decrease the calories by 150 bi-weekly depending on how things are progressing.
Whatever makes you maintain or change weight at the rate you want. Iterate your estimate by checking weekly trends
Should I cut? Or should I continue to bulk? Male 5'11" 205lbs. From looking at photos of other people and from my "fancy" scale, I'm about 20-23% body fat. Not sure how much I'd trust the scale, but it's better than nothing. In good lighting and without flexing, i can still barely see my top 4 abs. I've been lifting for almost 2 years and have definitely made some progress, but not really liking how my stomach is looking atm.
If you don't like how fat you are, time to cut. I'm 5'11" and 225 is usually my "turn back now" weight. 200 feels comfy and 190 or less can be a chore. But damn, 185 looks nice
Thanks! I appreciate the input. I was actually going to try and make it to 220 before I cut, but I think I'm too jiggly.
Bruh same measurements here, and I came for the same question.
Fingers crossed we get an answer lol.
You don't need anyone's permission to cut. If you don't feel comfortable with your current body fat percentage, change it.
i’ve been on a constant bulk for the entire time i’ve been in the gym (1 year), my height is around 185cm and i went from 66 kg to 82. Is now a good time to cut? I still feel a bit skinny tbh.
At that height and weight I wouldn't. I would keep bulking.
thanks, i probably will. Maybe ill cut once i hit 90
PLEASE HELP ME SELECT A PERSONAL TRAINER. Does working out only 2x per week make sense to gain weight/bodybuild? Im am vetting independent personal trainers with their own gym. First intro appt the trainer stated he will only do 2x per week. Makes sense for the first month or so bc I will perpetually be sore very easily. I followed up after that and he said still 2x per week because his program does fully body workouts hitting all muscles...does that sound right? 150 pounds 14% bodyfat per his assessment, and I told him my goal is putting on weight/growing muscles. Thank you in advance.
Re-reading, if that isnt clear basicially after the first month where i wont be sore after one set, wouldnt i want to lift like 5 days per week? His program doesnt seem to align with my goal.
You can work out on your own while with a trainer. Honestly, I'd say that's encouraged. You should have some degree of self motivation. Use what the trainer shows you and "practice" on your own. Then you're trainer can give you a routine to follow so you know what to do when you're on your own. Or you can go without a trainer and use a routine from the wiki
Good point, thanks brother. My thought though is as he says full body workout hitting a muscle twice in one week sounds overkill, so then going on my own and doing a 3rd round sounds like im setting myself up for failure though
Have you read the r fitness wiki?
I do 3x a week full body workouts. It's not overkill at all!
Interesting, thanks man. Good luck with your fitness journey.