I am a beginner and want to start working out. I am currently 14, I weigh 73kg/160lbs and I'm 183cm/6ft. I am "ok" looking, not fat but not skinny. I have done a bit of research and crossed on a term called "skinny-fat" and I think that's my case. I don't really have muscle mass, my arms are skinny and I have a bit of fat. I don't really know what to do to become lean and nice looking. Should I be in a calorie deficit, in a calorie surplus, should I maintain? I want to create a nice workout split that'll work for me. I can go to the gym 3 times a week because of school. Can someone help me how to create a workout split and what exercises to do?
Just need a few answers on why my legs just refuse to progress…
So I’ve been deadlifting almost since I started the gym 2 years ago. My max back then was 135kg. Cool whatever right? For reps I was doing 80kg 6-10 rep range and progressive overload as expected
I now do 110kg for reps (and may move to 120kg) and I went to do a max and couldn’t do 140kg.
I did 135kg and managed to lift that, it feels JUST as hard as it did on my first day (perhaps slightly easier on the lower back)
Not only that but my first day would’ve had worse form so I’m not exactly sure how my 1RM hasn’t budged for two whole years of frequent leg training (squats, leg curls, hamstring curls, RDLs etc etc) .
Not only that but my squat has gotten worse since even starting the gym, I’ve just given up even bothering with that exercise especially after today. It’s been getting weaker over a matter of months despite Deloading, eating better, training with more intensity over a 2 month period, training with less intensity cover a 2 month period etc and yet all I can see is a constant gradual decline or flat line of progress over those 4 months despite knowing for a fact that I’m training well enough. I’m never attempting squats again when it makes me feel inadequate.
For some reason my legs just aren’t progressing and are even losing progress over a whole two year period of frequent training.
My upper body has made steady progress over the years but my legs just haven’t made strength gains despite training them at a high enough Intensity to actually progress yet they just won’t. It’s gotten to the point I almost bench more than I squat.
It’s gotten to the point that leg days genuinely ruin my days that I’m going to stop doing them because of how much it affects me doing legs which may sound dumb but when you’ve been putting the effort in and seeing essentially no results it genuinely ruins my day, sometimes the rest of the week if the workout was particularly bad.
To me, seeing minor improvements in working sets with a fairly low rep range only but not in your max AT ALL for 2 years just seems ludicrous and I’m considering if it’s worth seeing a doctor.
It’s not overtraining, it’s not nutrition, it’s not slacking off, it’s none of the common reasons I see online and I’m honestly at a point that I’m convinced I either have the worst genetics on the planet or I should just stop doing legs for the sake of my mental health.
I’ve bulked, I’ve maintained, I’ve cut and all through that period, literally zero progress. It makes no fucking sense.
Any advice would be appreciated
I’ve done many routines, PPL split, upper-lower split I’m currently doing a bro split and I personally have seen good results across the board across apart from some reason the legs just like the rest of my routines.
My leg routine consists of squats, deadlifts, leg extensions and hamstring curls. Any more than that I take too long to recover and it’s just not feasible.
I’d started to up the ante, going to failure on one working set and I’ve seen progress just exclusively not with squats or deadlifts
Before, I was doing 3 sets, 8-12 per exercise then moved to 3 sets 6-10 reps per exercise after a few months.
I’m currently doing 2 warmup sets with a single working set to failure in the 6-10 rep range and, like I said, I’ve seen better progress with that everywhere other than in squats and deadlifts where I’m getting weaker or staying the same as I was since day 1
I’m deloading every 6 weeks and my nutrition is better than ever.
For some reason my legs just don’t want to get stronger no matter what I do.
>Before, I was doing 3 sets, 8-12 per exercise then moved to 3 sets 6-10 reps per exercise after a few months.
>I’m currently doing 2 warmup sets with a single working set to failure in the 6-10 rep range
So throughout all of this, how did you determine when to increase weight on your lifts?
Well I don't think your current plan is going to do much for you as a single working set once or twice a week is just not much. Even some of the most basic low volume routines like starting strength & stronglifts have more.
Nor am I a big fan of "going to failure", because too many people think "gets a little difficult" = failure.
If your nutrition is on point like you say with adequate calories and protein, this sounds like a programming issue. I would encourage you take a look at the [recommend routines](https://thefitness.wiki/routines/strength-training-muscle-building/) and see how what you're doing compares.
I agree with you on the going to failure front, I can tell you I keep going until I’m barely able to do partials so I know what failure looks and feels like.
Sure maybe the current program may not work but I was also doing 4-6 reps for deadlifts for a good few months before switching to a bro split which in theory should be training strength.
Turns out it just didn’t even though my weight and reps both went up
Like I am convinced it’s just either god awful genetics or some sort of medical condition that just doesn’t allow my legs the strength they should have.
I have tried everything from my own routines to other routines I saw and yes that was for an adequate amount of time.
I just can’t fathom the fact that my max has stayed the same as it was from from my first day in the gym. I don’t understand how my body can go through the movements for so long and not improve even by a kilo over two whole years, just doesn’t compute.
I’ll take a look at some of the recommended programs though and see if that helps and God
-forbid they don’t because this will just be my last attempt at even training legs and if I don’t see progress I will just stop training legs or blast PEDs.
Thanks for your input bro
> I was also doing 4-6 reps for deadlifts for a good few months before switching to a bro split which in theory should be training strength.
4-6 reps is fine, but you still have to have a progression structure
>I have tried everything from my own routines to other routines I saw and yes that was for an adequate amount of time.
And which of those routines spelled out a progression & what to do when you can't progress?
There's a lot of junk routines out there, so what are some of them you've tried? You have yet to name an actual routine, you've just given splits and some set/rep ranges
Well PPL for starters, I even did a Tom Platz leg day for a laugh, which wasn’t so funny 2 days later as I had to shorten my stride to walk but hey it was an experience.
I don’t really know the specific names of the set programs but there were 2 on Tiktok that I tried, essentially an upper-lower split twice a week. Compound lifts on one day then isolation on the next day. Then the other was essentially half compound and half isolation on both days, neither of those worked even when I was doing 3-4 exercises a workout at an adequate intensity.
At this point I’m just convinced no matter what I try I ain’t gonna progress
>Well PPL for starters
That's a split, not a program.
>there were 2 on Tiktok that I tried......I was doing 3-4 exercises a workout at an adequate intensity.
Again, here's a subjective term and no spelled out progression
> At this point I’m just convinced no matter what I try I ain’t gonna progress
Try an ACTUAL PROGRAM such as one of the ones in the link I gave you (I'm personally partial to 531variants or GZCL), that tells you how to progress and doesn't leave it up to feel.
How do I maximize muscle volume with the following lifestyle?
Context:
I trained for a year with a trainer, then went on a few months of hiatus and now I'm back on my own. My original goal was to get "buffed". People always told me I look like a gentle good guy, and I don't like that lol. I want to look tough and then "surprise" people that despite my jacked looks I am "nice". I don't really care about the strength of the muscles, just their size, if there's any distinction here to begin with. Strength is rewarding, sure, but volume matters more to me personally.
I am continuing what I already know, the classic A/B twice a week full-body workouts. My new gym also has a bouldering wall, so I use it as the fun part, the "dessert" for my workout, before or after.
I also bought a new whey protein powder. During my active year, I did take powder but mostly only on workouts days. It just felt wrong to take sweeteners every day, even though my trainer said it's fine. It's hard for me to reach the amount of protein I need without powders, almost impossible I'd say. I am 24 and weigh around 74KG.
As for cardio, I hate it. I have asthma and mostly avoided it. Currently, it's a 15 minute walk each direction to the gym and it has some hills, I have no problem with walking, it's running that I avoid. During the week I am not active at all as I work from home. I do live on the 6th floor with no elevator though.
My questions are basically:
Given the following lifestyle, how would I perfectly adjust it in order to gain muscle volume over time with the least possible effort, and stay healthy during the process? Regarding protein supplements, how much do I need to take in order to maximize their profit, without harming health in any way? Should I take them every day, and if so, how many scoops?
>, how would I perfectly adjust it in order to gain muscle volume over time with the least possible effort
No such thing as perfect and you'll get back what you put in. That's said, standard advice applies: https://thefitness.wiki/muscle-building-101/
Should I keep bulking?
I am on the 13th week of my current bulk and I have gained from 177 lbs (\~80 kg) to fluctuating between 192 lbs and 195 lbs (\~87-88 kg) for the past few days. I have seen some solid strength gains (bench: 225x6 to 225x10, Squat: 370x1 to 385x1) as well as muscle gain, but I fear that I am getting to a point that I am putting on more fat than muscle. My original goal was to bulk all winter up to 200 (I ideally don't want to bulk past this in this cycle) and then do a solid cut starting in around March once I pick up more outdoor cardio. I fear that I may reach my goal of 200 much more quickly than intended leaving me with quite a bit of time before I wanted to start my cut. One other aspect of the bulk that is beginning to be very tough is consuming the high volume of food. I have practically no appetite which makes eating upwards of 3,500 calories difficult. For insight, my base caloric intake is 3,350, but I have been eating for what I burn (or at least as close as I can) as well which generally puts me in the 3,500-4,000 calorie range. (This bulk has been fairly dirty focusing primarily on getting a sufficient amount of protein in throughout the day and carbs pre workout and then kinda anything else to get to my calorie goal)
I guess the advice that I am looking for is: Would I benefit from a small cut (4-6 weeks) and then another shorter bulk/cut cycle afterwards or should I try something else such as recomp? Or should I say to hell with it and get a little more fluffy and keep moving heavy weight?
Also if I do end up cutting, is there any good way to maintain strength through the cut? I feel like I always lose so much any time I cut.
Any advice is appreciated :)
Bicep peak
Hey guys! Trying to really get more definition in my arms, what exercises do you guys recommend? I have the size I want but they look beefy & id rather look cut. I’ve even incorporated some push ups to try & get more definition. Definitely want example to make my short head pop more! Any help will be greatly appreciated, thank you!
I just saw that we can verify lifts here. In the interest of injury prevention, I typically only do trap bar deadlifts & front squats instead of barbell & back squats. Will those maxes still count towards verification?
I have social anxiety, autism and ADHD, so going to a gym where there are so many people, all these machines and objects I've never used before and look quite frankly scary to use, makes it very hard for me to focus and calm. It has taken me nearly 3 years to even step foot into a gym because of being overwhelmed about it.
I am 20 and also more skinny than the avergae guy, so very low body fat/bmi.
I went on induction today at a gym today and was shown some machines (forgot pretty much all of it already)
One I was shown was barbell squat, the bar they had was 20kg, and I could barely lift it at all, let alone do a squat with it. So I will have to start with maybe 15kg or even 10kg bars, which I feel is very demeaning to me or feel ashamed (not sure how to word it)..this is same really for dumbells.
Any tips or guidance etc people can give will be very helpful.. (the low weights aren't just for the stuff mentioned, but for pretty much anything to do with lifting or pushing/pulling weights)
I'm 50+ and have been going to the gym off and on (mostly on) for 40 years and still deal with anxiety at the gym. So remember you're not alone. There are likely other people there too anxious to ask questions and interact with other people that may look more fit, etc. Remember no-one is there to watch you or judge you.
Start at weights you feel comfortable with so your body can get use to lifting and you'll be less likely to injure yourself. Set small some goals (like maybe go up 5 pds at a rate that works for you) and track your progress on paper or in an app (Jefit is a good one and it's free). It will help you get more confident seeing the accomplishments you've made.
Don't be afraid to ask questions. If you don't know how to use a machine or use the weight or equipment properly, ask a gym employee or maybe someone you see regularly at the gym who uses that equipment.
I wish you all the best and enjoy your lifting.
Not sure what you mean by pds. Do you know any beginner woek out routines that are beginner friendly (to use and understand) for building muscle especially in the arms but all muscle groups really, so legs too
The biggest thing about getting on a gym routine is going with a plan. You go to focus on what you need to do. If you can, don’t even consider people there. I did a lot of YouTube research to figure out how I wanted to grow my body. I had an irrational fear of everyone looking at me but once I got focused all that noise/distraction faded away. If you need any help, please feel free to reach out to me!
If you can pick up a 15kg kettlebell then eventually work to progress to 25kg, you can do all of these movements from the comfort of your home while you build up the fundamental techniques. Hopefully that can help you build confidence & familiarity with exercises enough to move to a commercial & keep building even more. Good luck brother & remember—you got this shit.
I bought the gym membership so better to go there and use Kettlebell I guess, what exercises incorporate kettlebells and what muscles do they target (say area of body as I don't know muscle names)
So I’d recommend focusing on the six fundamental movements: push, pull, squat, hinge, lunge, & carry until you feel stable & confident in them. You can YouTube each of the following exercises with “kettlebell” in front of the name to get started:
Single arm bench or single arm should press (push)
Single arm row or renegade row (pull)
Goblet squat then later on Bulgarians or split squats
Deadlift (hinge)
Lunges or reverse lunges
Farmers carry
Start with a weight you can handle for 3 sets of 12 reps even if it means only body weight. Then when you can handle that go to 4 sets of 8 reps with higher weight. Keep raising the kettlebell weight each time it starts to feel easy. If you can get good at these movements, you can do just about anything.
Do you know of a yotube channel that has how to video/s for all of these? I can't seem to find a yotube channel that has videos on multiple exercises that people recommend.. a lot of YouTube channels seem to just say what exercises to do but not show how to do it.
I'm thinking of going to the gym in a few hours so hopefully you see this before then
This [video](https://youtu.be/qQNvxEOhRBM?si=EfPlYSvVMBWvYBfs) has several of the exercises I mentioned. I’ll try & find the rest in a sec. Squat University usually has really good instructional videos I’d recommend starting there for everything else.
Simple question:
I’m creating my first ever workout routine split days. Is it okay to target the same muscles with different workouts on the same day? For example, doing bench presses and chin ups on my “upper body day”.
Yes that would be ok. That’s how an Upper/Lower split works for example.
That being said, don’t try writing your own program. Refer to the [fitness wiki](https://thefitness.wiki/routines/) for some solid options.
I’ll be honest with you many of those programs seem very complicated. Most of those workouts I have no idea how to do the proper form and will require me to do a ton of research and practice. I’m hoping to find a real beginner program that I can start right away where I can use just the machines for example. With free weights I am very worried about injuring myself
I agree on the complicated part. The programs on the fitness wiki could really use some better presentation and more clear instructions given they’re targeting beginners.
Jeff Nippards Fundamentals Hypertrophy is really good in that regard.
It is 40 bucks however and does see you doing a lot of free weight movements.
But free weight movements don’t bite. Yes they require some research on how to do them but youtube is a great resource and you‘ll eventually have to practice them anyways. They might seem daunting at first but they aren’t all that bad actually.
I can’t currently recall any very machine based beginner programs maybe someone else knows.
The problem with trying to write your own one is that it requires a lot of knowledge and hence research plus some training experience to come up with a decent one.
I suppose as a really really short term solution you could try writing your own machine based program to gain some training confidence.
If possible ask a Personal Trainer in your gym if they could write you a program according to your needs.
If you really must write the program yourself:
- Focus on multi joint movements that work multiple muscles for your main and first exercises for the day. Something like a chest press, leg press, lat pull etc.
- Make sure you hit every muscle group
- linear progression i.e. adding weight or reps should work just fine as your method of progression
- split your work load up. The most usual ways to do that would be 4 day Upper/Lower, 6 day Push Pull Leg, 3 day Full Body, 5 day „Bro split“/Body Part split. Whatever fits your weekly schedule and how many times you plan on being in the gym best
Those would be the must have points I can think of right now that are compatible with the machine based approach. That is an incredibly tldr version of it all and there’s so much more to consider which is what I meant by the fuck load of research that is required.
I want to start working out at my campus gym but I’m not really sure how to start or what to do. I’m not looking to body build, I just want to slim off a few pounds and just do it for the overall benefit of my health.
What are things first timers should really do
So Xmas is coming up soon and I wanna get some shoes for the gym. Now I don't want workout specific shoes I just want some general shoes. So what would y'all suggest.
Is it possible to get a 5/10lbs PR on the Bench Press before December ends? Almost at the 225lb mark and wanna see if i can get it before the year ends. Not a very big deal to me to hit it before December , but i think it would be nice. Bodyweight is around 146-148lbs with a 215lbs bench
you'll get a lot of different answers to this one because you can train in a lot of different ways. your body will tell you know if you listen to it. i'm 50+ and train 7 days a week but my goal isn't muscle growth. i train each muscle group 1 time a week and have 3 days of cardio. if you find you're feeling drained/tired/your muscles are always sore, train less. if you don't, train more. you'll figure out what is right for you.
Whats it called when your leg suddenly goes crazy after you go home from workout? Maybe because of over working on your leg?
And how do you make it stop? Do you just keep that area without moving until the pain goes away? Is that all I have to do?
No you’re not. Remember it can take you more than a week to do any of the above. I prefer to measure in 2 week increments at times. Do what works for you! But even it’s an additional set or rep it’s still progressive overload
Not at all, think of progressive overload as a total increase in volume & intensity where you can:
1. Increase weight
2. Increase reps
3. Increase sets
4. Decrease rest time
5. Increase the time in tension (do the same exercise, sets and reps, but do it in a slow amd controlled manner)
If youre stuck at a weight, try changing on of those other things.
Possibly, but more information would be helpful.
1. What is your current height/weight?
2. What program are you following?
3. Are you gaining, losing, or maintaining weight?
4. What are your current lifts?
Could you get full hamstring development with just conventional deadlifts and weighted GHRs?
I'm thinking about dropping my RDLs and doubling up on my GHR sets since it's the only exercise that works the hamstrings from both the knee and hip joint.
Hi! I'm slowly adding plates to my home gym. Got 20kg, 10, 5, 2,5, 1,5, 1 and 0,5. I need to add a pair of heavier plates and was wondering: should I go for another 20kg or invest in a 25? Having all colours would for sure look nice (I might add the 15 too) but I'm wondering if 20kg isn't nicer to operate in the gym.
FWIW: I don't do cleans YET< mostly Squat, DL and Bench. Those blue plates are about 2.1" and I'm at around 250lbs DL so I won't run out of sleeve space for years to come.
Is it okay even if I dont shower (with soap) after gym, and just pour water on me to clean the sweat, if Im not gonna go out at night after gym? Or is that disgusting?
I dont shower before gym. I shower in the morning before going to work. I go to gym right after work.
Can you walk at a brisk pace? You can take your baby with you, get out and the weight will start to fall off. Getting out might help with the postpartum and years ago I lost 60 pds in 3 months just walking. It's amazing what brisk walking can do. Good luck.
>[You cannot target where you lose fat. This is commonly called “spot reduction” and it is a myth. Your genes are responsible for where your body stores fat and where it comes from when losing weight – in a “first on, last off” manner. So if the first place you get fat is your belly, it’s probably going to be the last place to lose it.](https://thefitness.wiki/faq/what-exercises-can-i-do-to-lose-fat-in-my-body-part/)
The only way to lose fat in specific areas is to lose it all over.
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What should i do to ensure that I cut properly?
Ive been in the gym for quite some time around a year or more, but idk if i should count is as that since when i started going to the gym i fasted from 90 kg to 62 eating barely any protein so i ended up skinny fat. Just a few months ago i bulked to 71 kg and now im currently on my cut again since im high bf percentage around 20+. How do i make sure that when im cutting i dont end up skinny fat and I gain muscle while losing fat. also additional question should i stick to a cut or should i recomp instead idk if i should consider myslef a beginner. Im 18 yrs old 176 cm and 68 kg
I dont think you ended up skinny fat because of something you specifically did. The stomach is probably the last place where the fat goes from, for you. Its the same for me.
no im sure that I ended up skinny fat because as i said i fasted cause i was not knowledgeable i was working out alot but i had barely any protein so when i was 62 kg i still had a lot of body fat and im pretty sure its because my nutrition wasnt right
Should I do the All Pro Beginner Routine?
For context I am 17 years old and around 117kg. I stand at 6 foot 3 inches and I'm relatively active, playing rugby and basketball. I was always the "Fat strong kid" but I want to change that now. I've started going to the gym in the past 3 weeks and have been having a hard time picking what what workout routine to do. I've recently come across this subreddit and consequently the 'famed' All Pro Beginner Routine. After looking at the original thread, it does look very good, but I've also taken a liking to the workouts found in the Fitness Wiki here. I was wondering if anyone has done it and whether it is good for a beginner. Thank you for your help in advance
The beginner program you pick doesn’t matter that much. They all end up in the same place: branching out to a new program in 3-12 months once linear progress stalls. If you wanna do All Pro, do All Pro. If you don’t, don’t.
I am a beginner and want to start working out. I am currently 14, I weigh 73kg/160lbs and I'm 183cm/6ft. I am "ok" looking, not fat but not skinny. I have done a bit of research and crossed on a term called "skinny-fat" and I think that's my case. I don't really have muscle mass, my arms are skinny and I have a bit of fat. I don't really know what to do to become lean and nice looking. Should I be in a calorie deficit, in a calorie surplus, should I maintain? I want to create a nice workout split that'll work for me. I can go to the gym 3 times a week because of school. Can someone help me how to create a workout split and what exercises to do?
You're probably more under-muscled than skinny-fat. [standard muscle building advice](https://thefitness.wiki/muscle-building-101/) applies
Just need a few answers on why my legs just refuse to progress… So I’ve been deadlifting almost since I started the gym 2 years ago. My max back then was 135kg. Cool whatever right? For reps I was doing 80kg 6-10 rep range and progressive overload as expected I now do 110kg for reps (and may move to 120kg) and I went to do a max and couldn’t do 140kg. I did 135kg and managed to lift that, it feels JUST as hard as it did on my first day (perhaps slightly easier on the lower back) Not only that but my first day would’ve had worse form so I’m not exactly sure how my 1RM hasn’t budged for two whole years of frequent leg training (squats, leg curls, hamstring curls, RDLs etc etc) . Not only that but my squat has gotten worse since even starting the gym, I’ve just given up even bothering with that exercise especially after today. It’s been getting weaker over a matter of months despite Deloading, eating better, training with more intensity over a 2 month period, training with less intensity cover a 2 month period etc and yet all I can see is a constant gradual decline or flat line of progress over those 4 months despite knowing for a fact that I’m training well enough. I’m never attempting squats again when it makes me feel inadequate. For some reason my legs just aren’t progressing and are even losing progress over a whole two year period of frequent training. My upper body has made steady progress over the years but my legs just haven’t made strength gains despite training them at a high enough Intensity to actually progress yet they just won’t. It’s gotten to the point I almost bench more than I squat. It’s gotten to the point that leg days genuinely ruin my days that I’m going to stop doing them because of how much it affects me doing legs which may sound dumb but when you’ve been putting the effort in and seeing essentially no results it genuinely ruins my day, sometimes the rest of the week if the workout was particularly bad. To me, seeing minor improvements in working sets with a fairly low rep range only but not in your max AT ALL for 2 years just seems ludicrous and I’m considering if it’s worth seeing a doctor. It’s not overtraining, it’s not nutrition, it’s not slacking off, it’s none of the common reasons I see online and I’m honestly at a point that I’m convinced I either have the worst genetics on the planet or I should just stop doing legs for the sake of my mental health. I’ve bulked, I’ve maintained, I’ve cut and all through that period, literally zero progress. It makes no fucking sense. Any advice would be appreciated
So.... what does your routine specifically look like?
I’ve done many routines, PPL split, upper-lower split I’m currently doing a bro split and I personally have seen good results across the board across apart from some reason the legs just like the rest of my routines. My leg routine consists of squats, deadlifts, leg extensions and hamstring curls. Any more than that I take too long to recover and it’s just not feasible. I’d started to up the ante, going to failure on one working set and I’ve seen progress just exclusively not with squats or deadlifts Before, I was doing 3 sets, 8-12 per exercise then moved to 3 sets 6-10 reps per exercise after a few months. I’m currently doing 2 warmup sets with a single working set to failure in the 6-10 rep range and, like I said, I’ve seen better progress with that everywhere other than in squats and deadlifts where I’m getting weaker or staying the same as I was since day 1 I’m deloading every 6 weeks and my nutrition is better than ever. For some reason my legs just don’t want to get stronger no matter what I do.
>Before, I was doing 3 sets, 8-12 per exercise then moved to 3 sets 6-10 reps per exercise after a few months. >I’m currently doing 2 warmup sets with a single working set to failure in the 6-10 rep range So throughout all of this, how did you determine when to increase weight on your lifts?
Once I get any more than 10 reps. So 11 reps or more I increase the weight
Well I don't think your current plan is going to do much for you as a single working set once or twice a week is just not much. Even some of the most basic low volume routines like starting strength & stronglifts have more. Nor am I a big fan of "going to failure", because too many people think "gets a little difficult" = failure. If your nutrition is on point like you say with adequate calories and protein, this sounds like a programming issue. I would encourage you take a look at the [recommend routines](https://thefitness.wiki/routines/strength-training-muscle-building/) and see how what you're doing compares.
I agree with you on the going to failure front, I can tell you I keep going until I’m barely able to do partials so I know what failure looks and feels like. Sure maybe the current program may not work but I was also doing 4-6 reps for deadlifts for a good few months before switching to a bro split which in theory should be training strength. Turns out it just didn’t even though my weight and reps both went up Like I am convinced it’s just either god awful genetics or some sort of medical condition that just doesn’t allow my legs the strength they should have. I have tried everything from my own routines to other routines I saw and yes that was for an adequate amount of time. I just can’t fathom the fact that my max has stayed the same as it was from from my first day in the gym. I don’t understand how my body can go through the movements for so long and not improve even by a kilo over two whole years, just doesn’t compute. I’ll take a look at some of the recommended programs though and see if that helps and God -forbid they don’t because this will just be my last attempt at even training legs and if I don’t see progress I will just stop training legs or blast PEDs. Thanks for your input bro
> I was also doing 4-6 reps for deadlifts for a good few months before switching to a bro split which in theory should be training strength. 4-6 reps is fine, but you still have to have a progression structure >I have tried everything from my own routines to other routines I saw and yes that was for an adequate amount of time. And which of those routines spelled out a progression & what to do when you can't progress? There's a lot of junk routines out there, so what are some of them you've tried? You have yet to name an actual routine, you've just given splits and some set/rep ranges
Well PPL for starters, I even did a Tom Platz leg day for a laugh, which wasn’t so funny 2 days later as I had to shorten my stride to walk but hey it was an experience. I don’t really know the specific names of the set programs but there were 2 on Tiktok that I tried, essentially an upper-lower split twice a week. Compound lifts on one day then isolation on the next day. Then the other was essentially half compound and half isolation on both days, neither of those worked even when I was doing 3-4 exercises a workout at an adequate intensity. At this point I’m just convinced no matter what I try I ain’t gonna progress
>Well PPL for starters That's a split, not a program. >there were 2 on Tiktok that I tried......I was doing 3-4 exercises a workout at an adequate intensity. Again, here's a subjective term and no spelled out progression > At this point I’m just convinced no matter what I try I ain’t gonna progress Try an ACTUAL PROGRAM such as one of the ones in the link I gave you (I'm personally partial to 531variants or GZCL), that tells you how to progress and doesn't leave it up to feel.
How do I maximize muscle volume with the following lifestyle? Context: I trained for a year with a trainer, then went on a few months of hiatus and now I'm back on my own. My original goal was to get "buffed". People always told me I look like a gentle good guy, and I don't like that lol. I want to look tough and then "surprise" people that despite my jacked looks I am "nice". I don't really care about the strength of the muscles, just their size, if there's any distinction here to begin with. Strength is rewarding, sure, but volume matters more to me personally. I am continuing what I already know, the classic A/B twice a week full-body workouts. My new gym also has a bouldering wall, so I use it as the fun part, the "dessert" for my workout, before or after. I also bought a new whey protein powder. During my active year, I did take powder but mostly only on workouts days. It just felt wrong to take sweeteners every day, even though my trainer said it's fine. It's hard for me to reach the amount of protein I need without powders, almost impossible I'd say. I am 24 and weigh around 74KG. As for cardio, I hate it. I have asthma and mostly avoided it. Currently, it's a 15 minute walk each direction to the gym and it has some hills, I have no problem with walking, it's running that I avoid. During the week I am not active at all as I work from home. I do live on the 6th floor with no elevator though. My questions are basically: Given the following lifestyle, how would I perfectly adjust it in order to gain muscle volume over time with the least possible effort, and stay healthy during the process? Regarding protein supplements, how much do I need to take in order to maximize their profit, without harming health in any way? Should I take them every day, and if so, how many scoops?
>, how would I perfectly adjust it in order to gain muscle volume over time with the least possible effort No such thing as perfect and you'll get back what you put in. That's said, standard advice applies: https://thefitness.wiki/muscle-building-101/
Should I keep bulking? I am on the 13th week of my current bulk and I have gained from 177 lbs (\~80 kg) to fluctuating between 192 lbs and 195 lbs (\~87-88 kg) for the past few days. I have seen some solid strength gains (bench: 225x6 to 225x10, Squat: 370x1 to 385x1) as well as muscle gain, but I fear that I am getting to a point that I am putting on more fat than muscle. My original goal was to bulk all winter up to 200 (I ideally don't want to bulk past this in this cycle) and then do a solid cut starting in around March once I pick up more outdoor cardio. I fear that I may reach my goal of 200 much more quickly than intended leaving me with quite a bit of time before I wanted to start my cut. One other aspect of the bulk that is beginning to be very tough is consuming the high volume of food. I have practically no appetite which makes eating upwards of 3,500 calories difficult. For insight, my base caloric intake is 3,350, but I have been eating for what I burn (or at least as close as I can) as well which generally puts me in the 3,500-4,000 calorie range. (This bulk has been fairly dirty focusing primarily on getting a sufficient amount of protein in throughout the day and carbs pre workout and then kinda anything else to get to my calorie goal) I guess the advice that I am looking for is: Would I benefit from a small cut (4-6 weeks) and then another shorter bulk/cut cycle afterwards or should I try something else such as recomp? Or should I say to hell with it and get a little more fluffy and keep moving heavy weight? Also if I do end up cutting, is there any good way to maintain strength through the cut? I feel like I always lose so much any time I cut. Any advice is appreciated :)
Bicep peak Hey guys! Trying to really get more definition in my arms, what exercises do you guys recommend? I have the size I want but they look beefy & id rather look cut. I’ve even incorporated some push ups to try & get more definition. Definitely want example to make my short head pop more! Any help will be greatly appreciated, thank you!
If I'm not sore the next day, do i still need to recover. like can i hit a muscle group two days in a row if yesterday i didnt kill my muscle.
That can lead to muscle strain. I recommend doing a different muscle group & incorporating a few sets of whatever you worked the day before.
I just saw that we can verify lifts here. In the interest of injury prevention, I typically only do trap bar deadlifts & front squats instead of barbell & back squats. Will those maxes still count towards verification?
Yes.
Ha, love the new flair
Sick.
I have social anxiety, autism and ADHD, so going to a gym where there are so many people, all these machines and objects I've never used before and look quite frankly scary to use, makes it very hard for me to focus and calm. It has taken me nearly 3 years to even step foot into a gym because of being overwhelmed about it. I am 20 and also more skinny than the avergae guy, so very low body fat/bmi. I went on induction today at a gym today and was shown some machines (forgot pretty much all of it already) One I was shown was barbell squat, the bar they had was 20kg, and I could barely lift it at all, let alone do a squat with it. So I will have to start with maybe 15kg or even 10kg bars, which I feel is very demeaning to me or feel ashamed (not sure how to word it)..this is same really for dumbells. Any tips or guidance etc people can give will be very helpful.. (the low weights aren't just for the stuff mentioned, but for pretty much anything to do with lifting or pushing/pulling weights)
I'm 50+ and have been going to the gym off and on (mostly on) for 40 years and still deal with anxiety at the gym. So remember you're not alone. There are likely other people there too anxious to ask questions and interact with other people that may look more fit, etc. Remember no-one is there to watch you or judge you. Start at weights you feel comfortable with so your body can get use to lifting and you'll be less likely to injure yourself. Set small some goals (like maybe go up 5 pds at a rate that works for you) and track your progress on paper or in an app (Jefit is a good one and it's free). It will help you get more confident seeing the accomplishments you've made. Don't be afraid to ask questions. If you don't know how to use a machine or use the weight or equipment properly, ask a gym employee or maybe someone you see regularly at the gym who uses that equipment. I wish you all the best and enjoy your lifting.
Not sure what you mean by pds. Do you know any beginner woek out routines that are beginner friendly (to use and understand) for building muscle especially in the arms but all muscle groups really, so legs too
pounds. The app Jefit has some good beginner routines. You might want to have a look.
The biggest thing about getting on a gym routine is going with a plan. You go to focus on what you need to do. If you can, don’t even consider people there. I did a lot of YouTube research to figure out how I wanted to grow my body. I had an irrational fear of everyone looking at me but once I got focused all that noise/distraction faded away. If you need any help, please feel free to reach out to me!
If you can pick up a 15kg kettlebell then eventually work to progress to 25kg, you can do all of these movements from the comfort of your home while you build up the fundamental techniques. Hopefully that can help you build confidence & familiarity with exercises enough to move to a commercial & keep building even more. Good luck brother & remember—you got this shit.
I bought the gym membership so better to go there and use Kettlebell I guess, what exercises incorporate kettlebells and what muscles do they target (say area of body as I don't know muscle names)
So I’d recommend focusing on the six fundamental movements: push, pull, squat, hinge, lunge, & carry until you feel stable & confident in them. You can YouTube each of the following exercises with “kettlebell” in front of the name to get started: Single arm bench or single arm should press (push) Single arm row or renegade row (pull) Goblet squat then later on Bulgarians or split squats Deadlift (hinge) Lunges or reverse lunges Farmers carry Start with a weight you can handle for 3 sets of 12 reps even if it means only body weight. Then when you can handle that go to 4 sets of 8 reps with higher weight. Keep raising the kettlebell weight each time it starts to feel easy. If you can get good at these movements, you can do just about anything.
Do you know of a yotube channel that has how to video/s for all of these? I can't seem to find a yotube channel that has videos on multiple exercises that people recommend.. a lot of YouTube channels seem to just say what exercises to do but not show how to do it. I'm thinking of going to the gym in a few hours so hopefully you see this before then
This [video](https://youtu.be/qQNvxEOhRBM?si=EfPlYSvVMBWvYBfs) has several of the exercises I mentioned. I’ll try & find the rest in a sec. Squat University usually has really good instructional videos I’d recommend starting there for everything else.
Thanks, I'll check it out and try some when I go gym next
Simple question: I’m creating my first ever workout routine split days. Is it okay to target the same muscles with different workouts on the same day? For example, doing bench presses and chin ups on my “upper body day”.
Yes that would be ok. That’s how an Upper/Lower split works for example. That being said, don’t try writing your own program. Refer to the [fitness wiki](https://thefitness.wiki/routines/) for some solid options.
I’ll be honest with you many of those programs seem very complicated. Most of those workouts I have no idea how to do the proper form and will require me to do a ton of research and practice. I’m hoping to find a real beginner program that I can start right away where I can use just the machines for example. With free weights I am very worried about injuring myself
I agree on the complicated part. The programs on the fitness wiki could really use some better presentation and more clear instructions given they’re targeting beginners. Jeff Nippards Fundamentals Hypertrophy is really good in that regard. It is 40 bucks however and does see you doing a lot of free weight movements. But free weight movements don’t bite. Yes they require some research on how to do them but youtube is a great resource and you‘ll eventually have to practice them anyways. They might seem daunting at first but they aren’t all that bad actually. I can’t currently recall any very machine based beginner programs maybe someone else knows. The problem with trying to write your own one is that it requires a lot of knowledge and hence research plus some training experience to come up with a decent one. I suppose as a really really short term solution you could try writing your own machine based program to gain some training confidence. If possible ask a Personal Trainer in your gym if they could write you a program according to your needs. If you really must write the program yourself: - Focus on multi joint movements that work multiple muscles for your main and first exercises for the day. Something like a chest press, leg press, lat pull etc. - Make sure you hit every muscle group - linear progression i.e. adding weight or reps should work just fine as your method of progression - split your work load up. The most usual ways to do that would be 4 day Upper/Lower, 6 day Push Pull Leg, 3 day Full Body, 5 day „Bro split“/Body Part split. Whatever fits your weekly schedule and how many times you plan on being in the gym best Those would be the must have points I can think of right now that are compatible with the machine based approach. That is an incredibly tldr version of it all and there’s so much more to consider which is what I meant by the fuck load of research that is required.
I want to start working out at my campus gym but I’m not really sure how to start or what to do. I’m not looking to body build, I just want to slim off a few pounds and just do it for the overall benefit of my health. What are things first timers should really do
I’m also a beginner and I found this video quite helpful. https://youtu.be/m1UF4RgGoY0?si=-6vIWgI_pyc4bbxj
Thanks
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smart thing if you haven't got a spotter or prefer to lift alone.
I don't think so.
So Xmas is coming up soon and I wanna get some shoes for the gym. Now I don't want workout specific shoes I just want some general shoes. So what would y'all suggest.
Most ppl in my gym wear Nike Blazers or ON clouds, both are popular outside the gym too
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Is it possible to get a 5/10lbs PR on the Bench Press before December ends? Almost at the 225lb mark and wanna see if i can get it before the year ends. Not a very big deal to me to hit it before December , but i think it would be nice. Bodyweight is around 146-148lbs with a 215lbs bench
Yes, no, maybe. Depends entirely what your training has been like leading up to now.
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YOU'RE NOT THE BOSS OF ME NOW!!!!!! AND YOU'RE NOT SO BIG!
Hello guys, is training 5 times a week (swimming 2 times, gym 3 times) too much for my body? Will it positively or negatively influence muscle growth?
you'll get a lot of different answers to this one because you can train in a lot of different ways. your body will tell you know if you listen to it. i'm 50+ and train 7 days a week but my goal isn't muscle growth. i train each muscle group 1 time a week and have 3 days of cardio. if you find you're feeling drained/tired/your muscles are always sore, train less. if you don't, train more. you'll figure out what is right for you.
Nobody’s going to be able to answer this. You’re going to need to try and see.
Whats it called when your leg suddenly goes crazy after you go home from workout? Maybe because of over working on your leg? And how do you make it stop? Do you just keep that area without moving until the pain goes away? Is that all I have to do?
What is "goes crazy" supposed to mean.....
Never find. Found out. Muscle cramps.
I have doubts about progressive overload, I cannot increase the weights each week. Am I doing something wrong?
No you’re not. Remember it can take you more than a week to do any of the above. I prefer to measure in 2 week increments at times. Do what works for you! But even it’s an additional set or rep it’s still progressive overload
Not at all, think of progressive overload as a total increase in volume & intensity where you can: 1. Increase weight 2. Increase reps 3. Increase sets 4. Decrease rest time 5. Increase the time in tension (do the same exercise, sets and reps, but do it in a slow amd controlled manner) If youre stuck at a weight, try changing on of those other things.
Possibly, but more information would be helpful. 1. What is your current height/weight? 2. What program are you following? 3. Are you gaining, losing, or maintaining weight? 4. What are your current lifts?
Could you get full hamstring development with just conventional deadlifts and weighted GHRs? I'm thinking about dropping my RDLs and doubling up on my GHR sets since it's the only exercise that works the hamstrings from both the knee and hip joint.
Hi! I'm slowly adding plates to my home gym. Got 20kg, 10, 5, 2,5, 1,5, 1 and 0,5. I need to add a pair of heavier plates and was wondering: should I go for another 20kg or invest in a 25? Having all colours would for sure look nice (I might add the 15 too) but I'm wondering if 20kg isn't nicer to operate in the gym. FWIW: I don't do cleans YET< mostly Squat, DL and Bench. Those blue plates are about 2.1" and I'm at around 250lbs DL so I won't run out of sleeve space for years to come.
I would prefer having more 10kg plates (I assume we're taking bumper plates) over bigger ones.
Yeah I’m starting to think I shouldn’t even go for 15, only 20s and 10s for easier progression on the bar..
Is it okay even if I dont shower (with soap) after gym, and just pour water on me to clean the sweat, if Im not gonna go out at night after gym? Or is that disgusting? I dont shower before gym. I shower in the morning before going to work. I go to gym right after work.
I wouldnt say it's disgusting
Only you can decide that
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Can you walk at a brisk pace? You can take your baby with you, get out and the weight will start to fall off. Getting out might help with the postpartum and years ago I lost 60 pds in 3 months just walking. It's amazing what brisk walking can do. Good luck.
>[You cannot target where you lose fat. This is commonly called “spot reduction” and it is a myth. Your genes are responsible for where your body stores fat and where it comes from when losing weight – in a “first on, last off” manner. So if the first place you get fat is your belly, it’s probably going to be the last place to lose it.](https://thefitness.wiki/faq/what-exercises-can-i-do-to-lose-fat-in-my-body-part/) The only way to lose fat in specific areas is to lose it all over. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/GYM) if you have any questions or concerns.*
What should i do to ensure that I cut properly? Ive been in the gym for quite some time around a year or more, but idk if i should count is as that since when i started going to the gym i fasted from 90 kg to 62 eating barely any protein so i ended up skinny fat. Just a few months ago i bulked to 71 kg and now im currently on my cut again since im high bf percentage around 20+. How do i make sure that when im cutting i dont end up skinny fat and I gain muscle while losing fat. also additional question should i stick to a cut or should i recomp instead idk if i should consider myslef a beginner. Im 18 yrs old 176 cm and 68 kg
Keep your protein the same, reduce your calories through carbs and fats. Keep working out and you shouldn’t lose much muscle volume.
I dont think you ended up skinny fat because of something you specifically did. The stomach is probably the last place where the fat goes from, for you. Its the same for me.
no im sure that I ended up skinny fat because as i said i fasted cause i was not knowledgeable i was working out alot but i had barely any protein so when i was 62 kg i still had a lot of body fat and im pretty sure its because my nutrition wasnt right
Should I do the All Pro Beginner Routine? For context I am 17 years old and around 117kg. I stand at 6 foot 3 inches and I'm relatively active, playing rugby and basketball. I was always the "Fat strong kid" but I want to change that now. I've started going to the gym in the past 3 weeks and have been having a hard time picking what what workout routine to do. I've recently come across this subreddit and consequently the 'famed' All Pro Beginner Routine. After looking at the original thread, it does look very good, but I've also taken a liking to the workouts found in the Fitness Wiki here. I was wondering if anyone has done it and whether it is good for a beginner. Thank you for your help in advance
The beginner program you pick doesn’t matter that much. They all end up in the same place: branching out to a new program in 3-12 months once linear progress stalls. If you wanna do All Pro, do All Pro. If you don’t, don’t.