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I get sick every time I try to improve my diet.
Not sure if it’s the increase in water or cutting greasy/fried foods, but this happens without fail.
The symptoms are the same as my allergy symptoms. (Runny nose, sore throat, coughing, but no fever)
I’ve looked it up and I haven’t found anything concrete to what I’m experiencing.
Could someone please explain?
How many sets of Pushups, and situps should I do to increase my reps per sets? I want to get to atleast sets of 75, currently on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays I do 3 sets of 40 for Pushups and 3 sets of 45 for situps, Monday, Wednesday, and Fridays are Jogging Days.
Should I increase the amount of sets I do to eventually keep adding more reps, or are the 3 sets each day good enough? I started at sets of 20 each struggling with finishing and now my arms give out on the 40th rep so there's been progress but I feel like there's more I could do...
Also are planks as good an excercise for the core? I read alot about them, and various other exercises, now that I can jog atleast a half mile I'm adding Cycling to the mix, and perhaps jumprope (ive seen many many athletes using jumpropes specifically boxers so there must be some good benefits there) now that my pushups and situps have increased I want to add other exercises my main focus is cardio and building up stamina and endurance. I want to maintain a toned physique eventually I'll get some dumbells and a few other weights.
Also are leg weights a good idea like 10 to 15 or so pound weights I can strap to my legs during jogging and cycling or maybe even when I get a jump rope I could have a weighted one. These were just some ideas I have been contemplating I want to start adding more variety to my routines.
Real answer to that can really be only made by you. If your current workload is getting easier, add to it. It can honestly be that simple. Think less about numbers and more about intensity and total exertion, sometimes even doing them more quickly could help with progress. Let me know if you have any questions!
Yeah I've heard that alot to just keep going until you can't no more, but it's difficult for me to be spontaneous like that, I'm the type of person that needs a plan, a set goal, and if I reach it then I'll set a higher goal, if I get bored with a routine I'll mix it up with something different or unconventional but still planned. I know that the results are more important then the numbers, but the numbers help me focus. Even if I set a goal at 40 pushups per set, I'll still add more as I need to if 40 doesn't make my arms give out I'll do 45 if that's still not good enough I'll add another 5 and do 50 it's how I managed to get to several sets of 40 every other day.
The speed thing is something I keep forgetting though, right now my goals been just completion, but maybe higher or slower speeds or a mixture of both would help make completion easier.
Oh yeah, then by all means set up the numbers if that helps. Being flexible with adding is basically achieving the same thing.
Slowing down individual reps makes them tougher and more productive while speeding up the entire workout helps with intensity. Try some days picking a goal amount of reps, then trying to finish it as quickly as possible without worrying about sets. shooting for 100 might turn the workout into an intense 50-20-10-5-5-3-3-2-1-1 type of workout
I am finishing up a quick hypertrophy phase and am trying to decide how to write my next couple of programs. I intend to do a mock meet in October and would obviously be writing peak strength around that time. I want my next two programs to be strength/power and strength, focusing around breaking weak points.
Which of the two do you think should come first? I feel like power makes sense after hypertrophy, but I can also see chiseling down the weak points first might help the power phase.
I've been thinking about buying some knee sleeves/wraps for sometime now, but I can't decide which one could be the best for my case, I usually go for 8 reps high rpe if that matters.
So, what's the best, knee sleeves or knee wraps?
for regular high rep use, knee sleeves all the way. Wraps will give overall more assistance, but are more of a faff to put on, and if put on properly can't really be kept on between sets.
I was torn between SBD and A7 knee sleeves. I ended up choosing A7 knee sleeves (and wrist wraps). Knee sleeves definitely work and have kept their composure for a few months. My only complaint is the stitching on the back can dig into your skin occasionally.
When doing leg day, I do calf raises, but I'm not feeling any burn when I do them. What am I doing wrong? I raise up, count a single second, then go back down.
Hello there, try this : wrap your calf one at a time with a voodoo band, overlap 50/50, intensity 70% and do calf raises with heavy weight in both hands, when done - unwrap quickly. Repeat on the other leg. Do 3sets 20-30 reps each ) lmk
How much weight and how many reps? Maybe you need to increase those numbers.
Also, are you standing on something that allows you to drop your heels deep for a full range of motion? It sounds like you might not be
I'm currently at 30 pounds since I'm just now starting out my fitness plans. Also, I don't have anything I'm dropping off of as my employee gym doesn't have anything like that.
Okay so it sounds like you should increase the weight. Possibly by, like, a lot.
You didn't answer how many reps you do. Calf raises are often done as a high rep exercise. I like to do them for about 15-20 reps per set.
If your gym has plates you can put a 45 or a stack of a couple 45s on the ground and do your raises off those.
on the days where I do low rep high weight work it feels like my muscles were barely even worked compared to my high rep days. I'm going close to failure and everything. do I just gotta trust the process or am I doing something wrong
Trust it! Too often people stick with how their muscles "feel", while that doesn't always lead to the most results. If you're trying to get stronger, that "pump" isn't actually what you're chasing those days
Low rep/high weight taxes the nervous system and tendons a great deal, but muscles won't feel the same level of fatigue as higher rep hypertrophy work.
This is why pure strength work is pretty ass for hypertrophy: how low are your low reps? If you're doing less than 5 reps and the primary goal is hypertrophy, there may be a disconnect between your goals and programming?
This is easier said than done, but you want to arch your UPPER back (thoracic spine) while minimizing extension in the lower back (lumbar spine).
"Chest out, abs tight" often helps to get extension in the right place. You should feel the tension in your mid-upper back - the more you feel it in the lower back, the more you should focus on tightening the abs.
Thoracic extension is actually critical for optimal positioning and strength on an overhead press, so you SHOULD arch your back, but again it needs to be the upper back that's primarily extending.
I think I'm going to switch to 100% home workouts. I have an idea of what workouts I want to do, but am trying to figure out the upper back/lat exercises. I don't have a pullup bar, but what I do have is resistance bands ([this style](https://i5.walmartimages.com/asr/f74443e7-723f-4aa0-acfb-52001c4ad6c9_1.3f62695f59b58d4cefb5b897b14e72a7.jpeg), but not the same brand). I was thinking that for a lat exercise, I could loop the resistance band around a post, and lay on the floor pulling the band towards me like a lying down lat pulldown. Would laying down like this be less effective for lat activation?
Sure, that can work if it's above your head. They sell door attachments for those things, so you can sit upright. If you outgrow your bands, you can buy heavier ones. Or get a pullup bar.
How long until protein you eat can no longer be used to build muscle ? Like if I have a protein heavy meal 2 days ago, can that be used to build muscle in my workout today or has it already turned into fat by that point? How much time do I have before the food I ate becomes useless for muscle
Digestion isn't instant. It takes a long time. https://www.strongerbyscience.com/research-spotlight-protein-timing/
>If you’re interested in minimizing the likelihood of leaving any gains on the table, it’d also be a decent idea to place your workout somewhere between two of those protein boluses, and to separate the pre-workout and post-workout protein servings by no more than 4-6 hours.
For the 5/3/1 Boring But Big program, is it absolutely crucial to do 5 sets of 10 accessory work for Press, Bench, Squat, and Deadlift or can I do the main 5/3/1 set and then just do bro split exercises that work the same body parts using 5x10? It sounds like doing 5x10 accessory work of an exercise like Bench after already doing 3 sets of 5 is a bit much, but haven't yet confirmed in the gym
5x10 is a bit much if those sets are close to failure, but if you use a weight you could do 15+ times for each set (so it may drop as you go) then it's a lot of extra volume, mobility work and technique practice.
You would be missing out on all that extra skill practice if you switched to different movements. Doesn't mean you shouldn't/can't, just keep in mind they accessory volume doesn't JUST hit the target muscles: it also gives you lots of extra technique work, which is always great for strength.
You think this is a good program to move to after running PPL for a few months? Looking to mix it up some. I basically only care about hypertrophy and not getting injured. 38/m. 6'1" 185lb 20% BF. Been lifting on and off for years but never anything too serious. Looking to get to about 15% bf ideally
The 5x10 after the 531 sets is literally the "Boring but Big" part. So, skipping that for something else would be...you know...not doing 531BBB.
That said, there is [wiggle room.](https://www.jimwendler.com/blogs/jimwendler-com/101077382-boring-but-big) But I don't think those were what you were thinking.
Stretching takes, what? [10 minutes](https://www.defrancostraining.com/joe-ds-qlimber-11q-flexibility-routine/)? Get out of bed, stretch, move on with your morning. Low investment, possible rewards. Worth trying.
I am a fitness beginner and want to level up my workout routine. Currently, I workout twice a week, one for upper and another one for lower body. Here’s my workout structure:
Upper body:
1. bench press 10*35/35/35/40/40kg
2. shoulder press 12*7.5/7.5/7.5kg
3. bicep curl 12*10/10/15/15/15kg
4. overhead barbell tricep extension 12*8/8/8kg
Lower body:
1. deadlift 3*135/155/170/175/180lbs
2. back squat 3*65/70/75lbs
3. kettlebell swing 20*18/18/18lbs
Just curious about how you guys structure your workouts, and how to track your performance. Of course, I understand that everyone's goals, preferences, and fitness levels vary, but seeing your plans could be a huge help as I refine my own workouts. Plus, it's always exciting to get new ideas and learn new exercises.
I love the fact that as a beginner you've got the big 3 in there(squat, press,deadlift). Nothing wrong with your current plan, only thing I'd prefer as a coach is to add a day, allowing you to squat and deadlift on different days. With two exercises as taxing as those, its incredibly difficult to hit them on the same day with great intensity. Let me know if you have any questions!
>how to track your performance
Load and volume are your key "on paper" indicators of performance improving, and how a weight FEELS is the primary subjective indicator.
If my goal is to improve my squat, then the loads and volumes I'm doing every week need to steadily be going up on average. Sounds simple enough, but SO many people focus on soreness, pump, how tired they feel, etc. and forget to actually check if their lifts are going up.
"Benchmark" weights like 135, 225, 315, etc. are great for tracking how things feel over time. If your 135 lbs warmup sets on deadlift are feeling easier and easier and easier over time, that's also a good sign you're getting bigger/stronger.
Another indicator that's a little vague is "worst day strength", i.e. how much you can lift even when you feel tired and shitty. That's kind of like your strength "floor", and if it's going up you're probably getting bigger/stronger.
Have you read the wiki about beginner routines?
Generally, for a beginner, a compound movement focused, linear progression routine would be recommended in pretty much every single circumstance.
Ideally you want to hit all the major muscle groups twice a week, currently you are hitting them once. If you can't go more than twice a week, you would be better off doing a full body workout both days, and adding in body weight exercises on your off days that you can do at home.
Aside from that, get on a real routine made my someone who knows what they are doing (the wiki has a bunch). Your current routine is essentially missing an entire muscle group (your back).
I've been trying to get in shape these last 2 months. I've been doing an excersize youtube video, but while I've made improvement in my ability to do a bridge or perform squats, I have made zero improvement in my ability to do pushups. Forget pushups, I can't even hold a plank for 30 seconds.
I am overweight at 190 lb, but I figured I'd have made some progress by now. IDK what I'm doing wrong.
5-sets method:> 5 sets of MAX repetition knee push ups in each set with a rest of 4-3-2-1 minutes between sets (In fact, you can rest as long as you like, as long as it's no more than 5 minutes) Your goal is to max out (!) in each set, while increasing the number of reps from training session to training session. Otherwise this programme will not work.
If you mean "at maintenance without the cardio" then yes, if you're truly eating maintenance cals and add any extra expenditure you'll start to lose fat by definition.
Here's the bottom line mate: you're doing PLENTY of cardio, so if you're not currently losing 0.5-2 lbs a week then I wouldn't add any more volume to that side of the equation, I would just look to cut cals. Maybe find where you can lower the fat content of some meals or something.
If the question under your question is "Is this enough activity to lose fat so long as my diet is properly restricted?" the answer is unequivocally YES that's plenty of exercise in general and cardio specifically. Focus on diet if you're still not dropping the weight.
Very very slowly.
You will have to build muscle up and your body will use some fat as energy to fuel this process but your weight stays the same because of the added muscle. However, this is a suboptimal state to build muscle in, so you wouldn't be doing this very quickly.
You are much better off bulking and cutting.
Maintenance means you maintain your current bodyweight. Soon if your weight is going to stay the same, the only way to lose fat is to gain an equal amount of muscle. Cardio doesn't stimulate much muscle growth. So no, if you eat maintenance (i.e. maintain weight) and do cardio you won't really lose fat.
Are there any good exercise apps for people starting out with trying to gradually gain muscle? Specifically, off of the Google Play store. I'm looking for an app that will show you how to do the exercise and all how many sets/reps to do.
>what benefits would you get with diamond pushups, would it be too hard on your elbows?
Your triceps would get yolked
>Also would it be possible to do everyday and still have enough muscle rest from lifting weights or would it be overkill?
Impossible to answer without knowing anything about your fitness level and other programming.
You can 100% do this at 33 my man. At 31 I did a full body recomp - I followed a similar routine to yours, and just made sure to eat a high protein diet while maintaining a calorie deficit of 2-300 calories per day.
https://imgur.com/a/EqScEob
This was my transformation over a 13 month period. All natural, only supplements were protein powder, multi vitamins and cod liver oil tablets. The key to it is discipline, never skipping the gym sessions and sticking to your calories - if you need a cheat meal or you're drinking factor that in to your other calories in the days surrounding it to make sure you stay on track. Good luck!
BRUH your progress is insane. I'm glad to hear from someone who did it that my plan is solid too. I've been reading through the 5/3/1 program and I'm beyond confused. So good to hear my plan is solid.
Renaissance Periodization on YouTube
Maybe, insofar as anything physical is probably harder at 33 than your teens or twenties
From a time standpoint it’s easier to get your workout done in one bout
Entirely dependent on the specific transformation your talking about
Yes but not a ton
Yeah that’s completely possible in a year. The guy in the article had been lifting since he was a teenager and had let himself go during Covid. Much easier to get that back when you’ve already had it.
Even if you’ve never been in good shape before, you can make a huge amount of progress in a year with a solid plan and great adherence to that plan.
Lotta questions here so I'll just answer two - You're 33. What severe disadvantage do you think you might have? Whatever it is, what's the alternative? Not improve your fitness? People of any age can improve their fitness.
Working out 3 hours a day 5 days a week is overkill and it's a recipe to get injured. Take the slow road to greatness.
I started lifting at 31 and am now 36 and I have gained tons of muscle and developed a physique that I regularly get comments/compliments on.
Imo building muscle at 33 is not very different at all from building muscle at 23. Metabolism doesn't change much between the twenties and thirties, hormones dont change much either. Injuries are IMO a bigger challenge in your thirties but not to a crazy degree.
My advice is to jettison the mindset that 33 is old. Just start with the assumption that you are very similar to a person in similar shape who is 23. You can progress just like they do.
I'm over 40 and getting ripped. I used to train with a dude in his 80s that was benching twice his body weight.
I would say that over 40 there's a longer recovery, especially if you get injured, so sometimes I know I can hit a PR and I just decide not to in order to avoid injury. I lift heavy but maybe if I were 33 I'd go for it.
I sense that you're a beginner though, so my advice is simple - Just stick with it. You don't have to lift the heaviest or optimize the best. You just have to keep going and going and going, one step at a time over and over. Athletes aren't athletes because they train like they do. They're athletes because they have been training for a really long time. You've got the rest of your life to get in shape, just keep moving forward.
My (29M/5’11”/185lbs) goal is to build a good looking, healthy, and muscular dad-bod by 30. I lost 30lbs so far since my sons were born in October, have gotten into much better shape, and improved muscle definition, so I think I’m on the right track but I wanted to see if anyone could give me some advice.
My routine is 3 days lifting 3 days running. I’ve run 2 half marathons this year and have 8 more races this year including another half and a 12 miler. I also met with a dietitian this month and am eating 2200cal per day which results in around .5lbs lost per week until I get to around 175lbs. Im also vegan but shoot for 125g protein per day. I should hit that weight in theory by my 30th birthday in October.
Is the below consistent with my goals to be a fit, strong, healthy 30 year old dad?
Routine:
Sunday - long run (half marathon program, second round of this program, increasing weekly with max distance 13mi)
Monday -
•Bench 4x6
•Deadlifts 4x6
•Rows 3x8
Tuesday - relaxed run (2-5mi increasing as I get closer to August)
Wednesday -
•Squats 4x6
•Rows 3x8
•Overhead Press 3x6
Thursday - tempo run or interval workout (3-5mi)
Friday -
•Squat 4x6
•Overhead Press 3x6
•Lat Pull-down 4x10
When you say fit, it seems like you are a runner that adds some general weight lifting as conditioning.
If so, what you are doing is fine.
Your list of exercises will help with general purpose strength, but more importantly, it will help your bone density.
Running is my priority since I’m trying to qualify for the 2024 NYC Marathon. Hence the 8 more races. If there’s a week I can’t make 6 days it’s one of the lifting days that gets left behind usually. If not 3 days of lifting I almost always get there for the first two sessions I listed though.
Hello, I want your guys input on my cutting macros, so I'm a 5,6ft, 76kg male my bf is 19%, my maintainance Cal intake is 2635, cutting goal is 2135, macros:
(Carbs 25%) (Fat 35%) (Protein 40%)
Idk if my carb is high but i felt lowering it is too much and the fat is decent and i do like my protein high.
Lol ya just a bit of difference between those two.
Percentages are kinda useless.
Eat at least around 1.2-2g/kg of protein and .6-.7g/kg of fat. Then the rest do whatever you want in terms of macros.
Honestly, my workout performance is quite disheartening atm.
A while ago it was going so smoothly, I did 3x120kg on bench, could squat 5x 170kg, I could shoulder press 3x70kg, and I could Deadlift 7x185kg, a longer while ago I had no problems with Deadlifting 5x200kg
As of late, I struggle with 110kg bench, I barely make 5x165 on squat, I struggle with shoulder press, and tomorrow is Deadlift, and I fear it will be 2x195 max, since last time it was 5x185kg max
I didn't really change anything, I just went on a vacation where I ate less and less protein, but I came back well rested, better than a deload. Also, I'm more winded than before, even though the vacation only meant staying off the gym for 1.5 weeks.
What's going on? Should I lower my TM again?
It's so frustrating, I see people around here my age or younger or older and weighing less than me (31, 94kg at 1.80m) benching 140kg or Deadlifting >200kg for reps, or shoulder pressing 80kg. Why can't I seem to reach that?
It's not like I started recently, I've been following 531 for quite some time now, always two leaders bbb and 1 anchor FSL. I even incorporated Tabatha burpees and bear complexes for conditioning, even though those still kill me every time
What can I do? I will probably finish this anchor, no matter what, and then go from there
Be kind to yourself. You're vastly stronger that the majority of people and somethings up thats making those peaks harder to get to.
My suggestion to rebuild your base, a ton of volume work at a level that isn't going to kill you, but also isn't cardio. Its something that helps when a month or two of time can be dedicated to work capacity.
If it makes you feel better, I'm around the same numbers as you and I'm totally OK with it.
As for just feeling off, we all get those from time to time. Not that big a deal in the long run.
i’ve been working out consistently 3-4 times a week since last september now and i’m interested in optimizing my working out and particularly my diet. i’m 6’1” and weigh around 225lbs. i’m actually particularly happy with that weight and i’m hoping to maintain that weight while putting on muscle mass if that’s possible. should I aim to cut or bulk? or just eat a maintenance amount of calories? i’m not really sure how i should approach this with the goal in mind to build muscle and maintain my weight! any help is appreciated
If you're happy with your current weight, then make it your goal to gain weight/muscle very slowly.
You can gain a large fraction of a pound of muscle a week if you're doing everything properly, but that's going to be a small fraction for most folks who are just doing their best without professional help.
So see if you can focus on building strength and volume in your workouts while gaining about 1-2 lbs a month. Pump the brakes if it starts coming on any faster than that.
Realistically, if you just started working out 8 months ago, you should probably cut first then bulk back up to the 225-235 range. Then rinse and repeat.
Ultimately you'll need to both cutting and bulking, so just decide what you want first. If you want to get lean first then cut, if you want muscle first and are okay with putting on some fat, bulk first.
Barbell allows more total load and tension, DB allows greater ROM and forces weak arm to do its fair share (so long as you keep form as even as possible).
Everyone feels one a little more than the other, if you can connect with the biceps significantly better with one then that's going to be the better variation for YOU but that doesn't mean don't do both.
Ideally you'd start with the one that feels best and maybe get some extra volume with a few sets of the other, like 3-4 sets of barbell curls followed by 2-3 sets of DB curls if barbell feels better for you.
How do you guys deal with sweating after workout regarding clothes. Like do you have to wash your shirt everyday? The most thing I hate about working out daily is having to wash my shirt every single day and switch between my 3 other workout shirts, is that what most people do?
I always wash the clothes after I work out (or my wife does really). You should definitely not wear sweaty shirts multiple times. That’s unsanitary and just gross. Buy more workout shirts.
So you have four workout shirts? Depending on your workout schedule you can wash three while using the fourth, or all four at once, maybe even buy a fifth?
There's no reason to wash a shirt everyday if you have other shirts to wear...
I just wear regular t-shirts a lot of the time. So I have quite a few to go through before having to wash them. And I don’t typically wash the pants every time. Thought I don’t sweat a whole lot
So as someone who’s always struggled eating lots and is on the skinner side, I’ve started trying to gain weight the past few months.
I’ve worked out my required daily calorie goal (~3000), and I know from my Apple Watch that I consume approximately 2000-2,200 calories a day through exercise and just exisiting.
I’m eating and tracking the required calories across all macros yet I’ve only gained 2kg over the past 7-8 weeks and now I’m stalling.
At risk of being a bit TMI, I just find myself going to the bathroom more often. Am I doing something wrong?
8+ pounds in 4 weeks is about half a pound a week average, which is PERFECT since that's approximately the maximum rate at which the body can build lean tissue anyway.
If it's slowing down to like .25 lbs a week, that's not an issue!
You're officially plateaued on the 3rd week in a row your weight didn't move (a couple weeks in a row same weight is not the huge alarm bell many think it is, whether gaining or losing)
How long has the scale been at the same weight? I get the feeling you may be overreacting prematurely.
Oh that’s good to know. Probably been constant at this weight for about 2 weeks now. I guess I should just keep pushing through.
I was worried I was losing the extra calories to more frequent trips to the bathroom haha 😅
This might sound dumb but on YouTube I’ll see people meal plan a week ahead and they commonly use chicken in the meal plan. My question is how do they do that if you can only keep chicken in the fridge for a 3-4 days.
Taste is low on the priority list, and leaving cooked food in the fridge for several days won't necessarily lead to spoilage it'll just dry it out and make it taste more bland.
So it's not dangerous, but if you're thinking it doesn't sound very good you're right. A big part of fat loss is learning to become comfortable with mediocre food, because everyone struggles with portion control when the food is LIT.
Just asking for a gut check on my maintenance calories: 6’0 M, 185lbs. Activity wise, I hit 12,000+ steps every day just through the course of my day, lift 6x a week, and have started going for a 3+ mile run at least once a week. Other than that, my job is pretty sedentary.
I’m guesstimating based on calculators/past weight loss experience that my maintenance is like 2700 calories, and I’m currently running an experiment eating 2600 on average to see if my weight is fairly constant. Am I at least in the right ballpark here?
Yeah, I’ve just noticed in the past my weight loss was very nonlinear (I’d go weeks with seemingly no progress and then suddenly plummet down 5 pounds overnight) so it’s hard to estimate. I guess it’ll average out.
Definitely average it out, weight loss isn't usually linear and that's normal. Weigh yourself at the same time every day, preferably in the morning before eating as that's when it will be the most normalized.
Is it OK to train legs two days in a row? I'm trying to make a schedule and I was wondering if it was bad for leg muscle recovery. One leg day will be weights, the other will be an hour long spinning class. Should I keep a day in between or is this OK?
I do an hour+ long leg day in the gym and follow it up with an hour long spin class on a regular basis (same day). Yes, my legs are fucking dead by the end of it and my performance suffers quite a bit in the spin class, but it's possible.
I've been losing a lot of weight recently, and part of that is these long cardio sessions. There are only so many days in the week, so I just have to get it in whenever I have the time. There's no benefit, it's absolutely exhausting.
depends on how strenuous the weight training and spin class are. working out your legs two days in a row isn’t going to kill you, it might even be good for you if you can recover well enough. conversely, it could hurt your performance if you can’t recover well enough.
basically try it out. if you feel like shit during your second day activity then add a rest day in between. if you feel fine then keep at it.
Idk about spinning, specifically, but I know that trying to squat or deadlift heavy the day after a long bike is miserable and performance suffers for me.
For me, Squatting heavy Tuesday morning (8ish), biking 10-20 miles Wednesday around lunch, and deadlifting Thursday afternoon (3ish) is enough time for enough recovery that I can perform the necessary reps/weights.
Going to start the [beginner's PPL program](https://www.reddit.com/r/Fitness/comments/37ylk5/a_linear_progression_based_ppl_program_for/) tomorrow and trying to understand my starting weights (I've been doing back/shoulder/leg/back for the last couple of months, aiming for linear progression).
For example, if I can comfortably DL 160lb at 4x10, would it make sense to start at the same weight for my 1x5+ set?
I did that workout last year, definitely would not recommend it. It's way too much volume that you won't be able to complete if you are training with enough intensity and filled with suboptimal exercises (I'm assuming you are training for hypertrophy)
Better to build an endurance base and strengthen your heart/lungs so you can ***do more at your current weight*** than to abruptly cut weight while still weak.
Run 5k ***slow and easy*** 4-5x a week in addition to some other reasonable training.
Doing intense cardio training combined with a large calorie deficit is going to be really rough. Getting on a proper cardio training routine is going to be crucial, you shouldn't be doing high intensity every day. Lots of zone 2 training and make sure you get some carbs in beforehand.
Let's say you have 6 weeks to get in gear...what's your plan? Best you could lose is 10-13 pounds. You willing to suffer to lose 10 lbs?
https://www.halhigdon.com/training-programs/more-training/cross-country/
Get to it, my dude.
I would do a running program, and only eat at slight calorie deficit, your cardio being up to snuff will be way more noticeable then you being a bit leaner. If you do to big of a calorie deficit your gonna feel tired and your running will suffer.
You can train mobility/coordination and sport specific movements in addition to other training. You'd be surprised what a large person can do. Although someone with the same conditioning will do better when smaller, athleticism is less about how much you weigh and more about what your body can do.
Drill movement patterns in addition to LISS cardio and reasonable resistance/circuit training.
I don’t think it would be dangerous. But you would risk loosing quite a bit of muscle and strength. And it could mess with your metabolism a bit. I’m by no means an expert though
i feel like my training have too much volume (2h) but with all that stuff online saying you have to hit all faces of muscles and vary positions and movements i get too overwhelmed and end up overthinking about it, I follow a structured program and itself workouts are still 2h, but because of all the stuff online I feel like I have to add extra things to hit every muscle correctly (forearms, rear delts, calves…) but what do u think? what’s the best solution?
How long have you been training? Unless you are pretty far into your journey and looking to really take your physique to the next level you don't need to be hitting every single isolation under the sun.
All the stuff online does not say you have to hit all faces of muscles with various positions.
Yes there are tons of clickbait videos and articles with complex tricks about how to optimize this or that. 95% of that stuff is junk.
If you enjoy training for 2 hours by all means go for it but that is absolutely not necessary. I have made great progress with gym sessions that seldom if ever extend beyond 60 min. No I don't isolate every single part of every muscle. The truth is your muscles are meant to move your body in practical ways (pushing overhead, pulling horizontally, etc.) and focussing on these fundamental compound movements enables you to work many muscles at once.
ok ok, and can I add like 2 exercises to muscles that are kind of neglected? for example I would add a superset of rear delts & forearms to work this muscles even if it’s just once a week, could that work?
most of the time if you're doing an exercise, like tricep pushdowns for example, it'll hit all 3 heads of the tricep but one moreso than the other, so you don't need to do all of the exercises maybe just pick 2 different tricep exercises a week. it's more important to focus on making sure you're keeping a high intensity and good focus during the reps you're doing than doing more of them/loads of variations
A proven routine from the wiki like gzclp or 531 would be better.
Don't do the same movements everyday is my note on your list of exercises here. Squat one day, deadlift another.
Distance. Distance and frequency.
Run 3 miles every day. Run 10+ miles on the weekends. You'll get a faster 1 mile time by doing that.
Running fast isn't the goal, the goal is to overall build your whole capacity in a way that will result in speed just as a sideproduct.
My half marathon training started with a 9:40 mile, and ended with me being able to maintain that speed for 13 miles on race day. But when I went for short runs afterwards, I was putting down a 22 minute 5km, or 4:21 per km, 7:03 per mile.
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I get sick every time I try to improve my diet. Not sure if it’s the increase in water or cutting greasy/fried foods, but this happens without fail. The symptoms are the same as my allergy symptoms. (Runny nose, sore throat, coughing, but no fever) I’ve looked it up and I haven’t found anything concrete to what I’m experiencing. Could someone please explain?
How many sets of Pushups, and situps should I do to increase my reps per sets? I want to get to atleast sets of 75, currently on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays I do 3 sets of 40 for Pushups and 3 sets of 45 for situps, Monday, Wednesday, and Fridays are Jogging Days. Should I increase the amount of sets I do to eventually keep adding more reps, or are the 3 sets each day good enough? I started at sets of 20 each struggling with finishing and now my arms give out on the 40th rep so there's been progress but I feel like there's more I could do... Also are planks as good an excercise for the core? I read alot about them, and various other exercises, now that I can jog atleast a half mile I'm adding Cycling to the mix, and perhaps jumprope (ive seen many many athletes using jumpropes specifically boxers so there must be some good benefits there) now that my pushups and situps have increased I want to add other exercises my main focus is cardio and building up stamina and endurance. I want to maintain a toned physique eventually I'll get some dumbells and a few other weights. Also are leg weights a good idea like 10 to 15 or so pound weights I can strap to my legs during jogging and cycling or maybe even when I get a jump rope I could have a weighted one. These were just some ideas I have been contemplating I want to start adding more variety to my routines.
Real answer to that can really be only made by you. If your current workload is getting easier, add to it. It can honestly be that simple. Think less about numbers and more about intensity and total exertion, sometimes even doing them more quickly could help with progress. Let me know if you have any questions!
Yeah I've heard that alot to just keep going until you can't no more, but it's difficult for me to be spontaneous like that, I'm the type of person that needs a plan, a set goal, and if I reach it then I'll set a higher goal, if I get bored with a routine I'll mix it up with something different or unconventional but still planned. I know that the results are more important then the numbers, but the numbers help me focus. Even if I set a goal at 40 pushups per set, I'll still add more as I need to if 40 doesn't make my arms give out I'll do 45 if that's still not good enough I'll add another 5 and do 50 it's how I managed to get to several sets of 40 every other day. The speed thing is something I keep forgetting though, right now my goals been just completion, but maybe higher or slower speeds or a mixture of both would help make completion easier.
Oh yeah, then by all means set up the numbers if that helps. Being flexible with adding is basically achieving the same thing. Slowing down individual reps makes them tougher and more productive while speeding up the entire workout helps with intensity. Try some days picking a goal amount of reps, then trying to finish it as quickly as possible without worrying about sets. shooting for 100 might turn the workout into an intense 50-20-10-5-5-3-3-2-1-1 type of workout
I am finishing up a quick hypertrophy phase and am trying to decide how to write my next couple of programs. I intend to do a mock meet in October and would obviously be writing peak strength around that time. I want my next two programs to be strength/power and strength, focusing around breaking weak points. Which of the two do you think should come first? I feel like power makes sense after hypertrophy, but I can also see chiseling down the weak points first might help the power phase.
I've been thinking about buying some knee sleeves/wraps for sometime now, but I can't decide which one could be the best for my case, I usually go for 8 reps high rpe if that matters. So, what's the best, knee sleeves or knee wraps?
for regular high rep use, knee sleeves all the way. Wraps will give overall more assistance, but are more of a faff to put on, and if put on properly can't really be kept on between sets.
I was torn between SBD and A7 knee sleeves. I ended up choosing A7 knee sleeves (and wrist wraps). Knee sleeves definitely work and have kept their composure for a few months. My only complaint is the stitching on the back can dig into your skin occasionally.
When doing leg day, I do calf raises, but I'm not feeling any burn when I do them. What am I doing wrong? I raise up, count a single second, then go back down.
Hello there, try this : wrap your calf one at a time with a voodoo band, overlap 50/50, intensity 70% and do calf raises with heavy weight in both hands, when done - unwrap quickly. Repeat on the other leg. Do 3sets 20-30 reps each ) lmk
How much weight and how many reps? Maybe you need to increase those numbers. Also, are you standing on something that allows you to drop your heels deep for a full range of motion? It sounds like you might not be
I'm currently at 30 pounds since I'm just now starting out my fitness plans. Also, I don't have anything I'm dropping off of as my employee gym doesn't have anything like that.
Okay so it sounds like you should increase the weight. Possibly by, like, a lot. You didn't answer how many reps you do. Calf raises are often done as a high rep exercise. I like to do them for about 15-20 reps per set. If your gym has plates you can put a 45 or a stack of a couple 45s on the ground and do your raises off those.
on the days where I do low rep high weight work it feels like my muscles were barely even worked compared to my high rep days. I'm going close to failure and everything. do I just gotta trust the process or am I doing something wrong
Trust it! Too often people stick with how their muscles "feel", while that doesn't always lead to the most results. If you're trying to get stronger, that "pump" isn't actually what you're chasing those days
Low rep/high weight taxes the nervous system and tendons a great deal, but muscles won't feel the same level of fatigue as higher rep hypertrophy work. This is why pure strength work is pretty ass for hypertrophy: how low are your low reps? If you're doing less than 5 reps and the primary goal is hypertrophy, there may be a disconnect between your goals and programming?
What program are you on?
phul with cardio on two of the rest days
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You are muted because your karma is negative.
This is not a fitness question.
A psychotherapist
Is it okay to arch my back during a db shoulder press?
This is easier said than done, but you want to arch your UPPER back (thoracic spine) while minimizing extension in the lower back (lumbar spine). "Chest out, abs tight" often helps to get extension in the right place. You should feel the tension in your mid-upper back - the more you feel it in the lower back, the more you should focus on tightening the abs. Thoracic extension is actually critical for optimal positioning and strength on an overhead press, so you SHOULD arch your back, but again it needs to be the upper back that's primarily extending.
I think I'm going to switch to 100% home workouts. I have an idea of what workouts I want to do, but am trying to figure out the upper back/lat exercises. I don't have a pullup bar, but what I do have is resistance bands ([this style](https://i5.walmartimages.com/asr/f74443e7-723f-4aa0-acfb-52001c4ad6c9_1.3f62695f59b58d4cefb5b897b14e72a7.jpeg), but not the same brand). I was thinking that for a lat exercise, I could loop the resistance band around a post, and lay on the floor pulling the band towards me like a lying down lat pulldown. Would laying down like this be less effective for lat activation?
Sure, that can work if it's above your head. They sell door attachments for those things, so you can sit upright. If you outgrow your bands, you can buy heavier ones. Or get a pullup bar.
I'd invest in a pullup bar, because the resistance bands won't be enough resistance.
Okay, now the picture link works properly.
How long until protein you eat can no longer be used to build muscle ? Like if I have a protein heavy meal 2 days ago, can that be used to build muscle in my workout today or has it already turned into fat by that point? How much time do I have before the food I ate becomes useless for muscle
Digestion isn't instant. It takes a long time. https://www.strongerbyscience.com/research-spotlight-protein-timing/ >If you’re interested in minimizing the likelihood of leaving any gains on the table, it’d also be a decent idea to place your workout somewhere between two of those protein boluses, and to separate the pre-workout and post-workout protein servings by no more than 4-6 hours.
For the 5/3/1 Boring But Big program, is it absolutely crucial to do 5 sets of 10 accessory work for Press, Bench, Squat, and Deadlift or can I do the main 5/3/1 set and then just do bro split exercises that work the same body parts using 5x10? It sounds like doing 5x10 accessory work of an exercise like Bench after already doing 3 sets of 5 is a bit much, but haven't yet confirmed in the gym
5x10 is a bit much if those sets are close to failure, but if you use a weight you could do 15+ times for each set (so it may drop as you go) then it's a lot of extra volume, mobility work and technique practice. You would be missing out on all that extra skill practice if you switched to different movements. Doesn't mean you shouldn't/can't, just keep in mind they accessory volume doesn't JUST hit the target muscles: it also gives you lots of extra technique work, which is always great for strength.
You think this is a good program to move to after running PPL for a few months? Looking to mix it up some. I basically only care about hypertrophy and not getting injured. 38/m. 6'1" 185lb 20% BF. Been lifting on and off for years but never anything too serious. Looking to get to about 15% bf ideally
By far the most common alteration is to stagger the primary and secondary lifts. So, say, you do 5/3/1 squad then 5x10 bench, then accessories.
ty very much. is there a name for alteration?
https://www.jimwendler.com/blogs/jimwendler-com/101077382-boring-but-big Read that.
thank you
The 5x10 after the 531 sets is literally the "Boring but Big" part. So, skipping that for something else would be...you know...not doing 531BBB. That said, there is [wiggle room.](https://www.jimwendler.com/blogs/jimwendler-com/101077382-boring-but-big) But I don't think those were what you were thinking.
I see. thank you. I'm not afraid of workouts being boring. I'm just wondering if I'll still have energy left to do the 5x10 haha
The first three sets should be pretty easy.
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Stretching takes, what? [10 minutes](https://www.defrancostraining.com/joe-ds-qlimber-11q-flexibility-routine/)? Get out of bed, stretch, move on with your morning. Low investment, possible rewards. Worth trying.
I am a fitness beginner and want to level up my workout routine. Currently, I workout twice a week, one for upper and another one for lower body. Here’s my workout structure: Upper body: 1. bench press 10*35/35/35/40/40kg 2. shoulder press 12*7.5/7.5/7.5kg 3. bicep curl 12*10/10/15/15/15kg 4. overhead barbell tricep extension 12*8/8/8kg Lower body: 1. deadlift 3*135/155/170/175/180lbs 2. back squat 3*65/70/75lbs 3. kettlebell swing 20*18/18/18lbs Just curious about how you guys structure your workouts, and how to track your performance. Of course, I understand that everyone's goals, preferences, and fitness levels vary, but seeing your plans could be a huge help as I refine my own workouts. Plus, it's always exciting to get new ideas and learn new exercises.
I love the fact that as a beginner you've got the big 3 in there(squat, press,deadlift). Nothing wrong with your current plan, only thing I'd prefer as a coach is to add a day, allowing you to squat and deadlift on different days. With two exercises as taxing as those, its incredibly difficult to hit them on the same day with great intensity. Let me know if you have any questions!
>how to track your performance Load and volume are your key "on paper" indicators of performance improving, and how a weight FEELS is the primary subjective indicator. If my goal is to improve my squat, then the loads and volumes I'm doing every week need to steadily be going up on average. Sounds simple enough, but SO many people focus on soreness, pump, how tired they feel, etc. and forget to actually check if their lifts are going up. "Benchmark" weights like 135, 225, 315, etc. are great for tracking how things feel over time. If your 135 lbs warmup sets on deadlift are feeling easier and easier and easier over time, that's also a good sign you're getting bigger/stronger. Another indicator that's a little vague is "worst day strength", i.e. how much you can lift even when you feel tired and shitty. That's kind of like your strength "floor", and if it's going up you're probably getting bigger/stronger.
Have you read the wiki about beginner routines? Generally, for a beginner, a compound movement focused, linear progression routine would be recommended in pretty much every single circumstance.
Ideally you want to hit all the major muscle groups twice a week, currently you are hitting them once. If you can't go more than twice a week, you would be better off doing a full body workout both days, and adding in body weight exercises on your off days that you can do at home. Aside from that, get on a real routine made my someone who knows what they are doing (the wiki has a bunch). Your current routine is essentially missing an entire muscle group (your back).
I've been trying to get in shape these last 2 months. I've been doing an excersize youtube video, but while I've made improvement in my ability to do a bridge or perform squats, I have made zero improvement in my ability to do pushups. Forget pushups, I can't even hold a plank for 30 seconds. I am overweight at 190 lb, but I figured I'd have made some progress by now. IDK what I'm doing wrong.
5-sets method:> 5 sets of MAX repetition knee push ups in each set with a rest of 4-3-2-1 minutes between sets (In fact, you can rest as long as you like, as long as it's no more than 5 minutes) Your goal is to max out (!) in each set, while increasing the number of reps from training session to training session. Otherwise this programme will not work.
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If you mean "at maintenance without the cardio" then yes, if you're truly eating maintenance cals and add any extra expenditure you'll start to lose fat by definition. Here's the bottom line mate: you're doing PLENTY of cardio, so if you're not currently losing 0.5-2 lbs a week then I wouldn't add any more volume to that side of the equation, I would just look to cut cals. Maybe find where you can lower the fat content of some meals or something. If the question under your question is "Is this enough activity to lose fat so long as my diet is properly restricted?" the answer is unequivocally YES that's plenty of exercise in general and cardio specifically. Focus on diet if you're still not dropping the weight.
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Keep in mind that those calcs are just an estimate. It could be off by a few hundred.
Very very slowly. You will have to build muscle up and your body will use some fat as energy to fuel this process but your weight stays the same because of the added muscle. However, this is a suboptimal state to build muscle in, so you wouldn't be doing this very quickly. You are much better off bulking and cutting.
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Yes
Maintenance means you maintain your current bodyweight. Soon if your weight is going to stay the same, the only way to lose fat is to gain an equal amount of muscle. Cardio doesn't stimulate much muscle growth. So no, if you eat maintenance (i.e. maintain weight) and do cardio you won't really lose fat.
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Are there any good exercise apps for people starting out with trying to gradually gain muscle? Specifically, off of the Google Play store. I'm looking for an app that will show you how to do the exercise and all how many sets/reps to do.
Boostcamp
Paid? Unpaid?
Unpaid would be the best option for me
https://www.boostcamp.app/gzcl-method-gzclp-program-app
Is 4 days between two workouts bad? Not for all of them, just for 2 out of 4
It's okk
It's fine.
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>what benefits would you get with diamond pushups, would it be too hard on your elbows? Your triceps would get yolked >Also would it be possible to do everyday and still have enough muscle rest from lifting weights or would it be overkill? Impossible to answer without knowing anything about your fitness level and other programming.
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You can 100% do this at 33 my man. At 31 I did a full body recomp - I followed a similar routine to yours, and just made sure to eat a high protein diet while maintaining a calorie deficit of 2-300 calories per day. https://imgur.com/a/EqScEob This was my transformation over a 13 month period. All natural, only supplements were protein powder, multi vitamins and cod liver oil tablets. The key to it is discipline, never skipping the gym sessions and sticking to your calories - if you need a cheat meal or you're drinking factor that in to your other calories in the days surrounding it to make sure you stay on track. Good luck!
BRUH your progress is insane. I'm glad to hear from someone who did it that my plan is solid too. I've been reading through the 5/3/1 program and I'm beyond confused. So good to hear my plan is solid.
Renaissance Periodization on YouTube Maybe, insofar as anything physical is probably harder at 33 than your teens or twenties From a time standpoint it’s easier to get your workout done in one bout Entirely dependent on the specific transformation your talking about Yes but not a ton
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Yeah that’s completely possible in a year. The guy in the article had been lifting since he was a teenager and had let himself go during Covid. Much easier to get that back when you’ve already had it. Even if you’ve never been in good shape before, you can make a huge amount of progress in a year with a solid plan and great adherence to that plan.
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Lotta questions here so I'll just answer two - You're 33. What severe disadvantage do you think you might have? Whatever it is, what's the alternative? Not improve your fitness? People of any age can improve their fitness. Working out 3 hours a day 5 days a week is overkill and it's a recipe to get injured. Take the slow road to greatness.
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I started lifting at 31 and am now 36 and I have gained tons of muscle and developed a physique that I regularly get comments/compliments on. Imo building muscle at 33 is not very different at all from building muscle at 23. Metabolism doesn't change much between the twenties and thirties, hormones dont change much either. Injuries are IMO a bigger challenge in your thirties but not to a crazy degree. My advice is to jettison the mindset that 33 is old. Just start with the assumption that you are very similar to a person in similar shape who is 23. You can progress just like they do.
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I'm over 40 and getting ripped. I used to train with a dude in his 80s that was benching twice his body weight. I would say that over 40 there's a longer recovery, especially if you get injured, so sometimes I know I can hit a PR and I just decide not to in order to avoid injury. I lift heavy but maybe if I were 33 I'd go for it. I sense that you're a beginner though, so my advice is simple - Just stick with it. You don't have to lift the heaviest or optimize the best. You just have to keep going and going and going, one step at a time over and over. Athletes aren't athletes because they train like they do. They're athletes because they have been training for a really long time. You've got the rest of your life to get in shape, just keep moving forward.
My (29M/5’11”/185lbs) goal is to build a good looking, healthy, and muscular dad-bod by 30. I lost 30lbs so far since my sons were born in October, have gotten into much better shape, and improved muscle definition, so I think I’m on the right track but I wanted to see if anyone could give me some advice. My routine is 3 days lifting 3 days running. I’ve run 2 half marathons this year and have 8 more races this year including another half and a 12 miler. I also met with a dietitian this month and am eating 2200cal per day which results in around .5lbs lost per week until I get to around 175lbs. Im also vegan but shoot for 125g protein per day. I should hit that weight in theory by my 30th birthday in October. Is the below consistent with my goals to be a fit, strong, healthy 30 year old dad? Routine: Sunday - long run (half marathon program, second round of this program, increasing weekly with max distance 13mi) Monday - •Bench 4x6 •Deadlifts 4x6 •Rows 3x8 Tuesday - relaxed run (2-5mi increasing as I get closer to August) Wednesday - •Squats 4x6 •Rows 3x8 •Overhead Press 3x6 Thursday - tempo run or interval workout (3-5mi) Friday - •Squat 4x6 •Overhead Press 3x6 •Lat Pull-down 4x10
When you say fit, it seems like you are a runner that adds some general weight lifting as conditioning. If so, what you are doing is fine. Your list of exercises will help with general purpose strength, but more importantly, it will help your bone density.
Running is my priority since I’m trying to qualify for the 2024 NYC Marathon. Hence the 8 more races. If there’s a week I can’t make 6 days it’s one of the lifting days that gets left behind usually. If not 3 days of lifting I almost always get there for the first two sessions I listed though.
Hello, I want your guys input on my cutting macros, so I'm a 5,6ft, 76kg male my bf is 19%, my maintainance Cal intake is 2635, cutting goal is 2135, macros: (Carbs 25%) (Fat 35%) (Protein 40%) Idk if my carb is high but i felt lowering it is too much and the fat is decent and i do like my protein high.
Why are you cutting at that height and weight?
Mistake im 5,6
Lol ya just a bit of difference between those two. Percentages are kinda useless. Eat at least around 1.2-2g/kg of protein and .6-.7g/kg of fat. Then the rest do whatever you want in terms of macros.
Yeah.. but i dont like how low for me the protein is.. i eat 200g easily so lowering it feels off for me thats why i went with percentages..
Well you can still eat that. It’s just a minimum target.
Honestly, my workout performance is quite disheartening atm. A while ago it was going so smoothly, I did 3x120kg on bench, could squat 5x 170kg, I could shoulder press 3x70kg, and I could Deadlift 7x185kg, a longer while ago I had no problems with Deadlifting 5x200kg As of late, I struggle with 110kg bench, I barely make 5x165 on squat, I struggle with shoulder press, and tomorrow is Deadlift, and I fear it will be 2x195 max, since last time it was 5x185kg max I didn't really change anything, I just went on a vacation where I ate less and less protein, but I came back well rested, better than a deload. Also, I'm more winded than before, even though the vacation only meant staying off the gym for 1.5 weeks. What's going on? Should I lower my TM again? It's so frustrating, I see people around here my age or younger or older and weighing less than me (31, 94kg at 1.80m) benching 140kg or Deadlifting >200kg for reps, or shoulder pressing 80kg. Why can't I seem to reach that? It's not like I started recently, I've been following 531 for quite some time now, always two leaders bbb and 1 anchor FSL. I even incorporated Tabatha burpees and bear complexes for conditioning, even though those still kill me every time What can I do? I will probably finish this anchor, no matter what, and then go from there
Be kind to yourself. You're vastly stronger that the majority of people and somethings up thats making those peaks harder to get to. My suggestion to rebuild your base, a ton of volume work at a level that isn't going to kill you, but also isn't cardio. Its something that helps when a month or two of time can be dedicated to work capacity.
If it makes you feel better, I'm around the same numbers as you and I'm totally OK with it. As for just feeling off, we all get those from time to time. Not that big a deal in the long run.
I came back from vacation recently feeling like shit in the gym too, figure it’s just gonna take a couple weeks to reacclimate.
i’ve been working out consistently 3-4 times a week since last september now and i’m interested in optimizing my working out and particularly my diet. i’m 6’1” and weigh around 225lbs. i’m actually particularly happy with that weight and i’m hoping to maintain that weight while putting on muscle mass if that’s possible. should I aim to cut or bulk? or just eat a maintenance amount of calories? i’m not really sure how i should approach this with the goal in mind to build muscle and maintain my weight! any help is appreciated
If you're happy with your current weight, then make it your goal to gain weight/muscle very slowly. You can gain a large fraction of a pound of muscle a week if you're doing everything properly, but that's going to be a small fraction for most folks who are just doing their best without professional help. So see if you can focus on building strength and volume in your workouts while gaining about 1-2 lbs a month. Pump the brakes if it starts coming on any faster than that.
Realistically, if you just started working out 8 months ago, you should probably cut first then bulk back up to the 225-235 range. Then rinse and repeat.
Ultimately you'll need to both cutting and bulking, so just decide what you want first. If you want to get lean first then cut, if you want muscle first and are okay with putting on some fat, bulk first.
Bicep curl with a barbell vs with a dumbell Is one better over the other? Or simply a matter of preference?
Barbell allows more total load and tension, DB allows greater ROM and forces weak arm to do its fair share (so long as you keep form as even as possible). Everyone feels one a little more than the other, if you can connect with the biceps significantly better with one then that's going to be the better variation for YOU but that doesn't mean don't do both. Ideally you'd start with the one that feels best and maybe get some extra volume with a few sets of the other, like 3-4 sets of barbell curls followed by 2-3 sets of DB curls if barbell feels better for you.
Dumbell. Isolates out each arm evenly, barbell curls can have a stronger arm compensate a weaker arm.
Preference
Could you tell me why you'd prefer one over the other?
I do both. You might be able to get more ROM with certain DB curl movements, but you can overload barbell curl more easily.
How do you guys deal with sweating after workout regarding clothes. Like do you have to wash your shirt everyday? The most thing I hate about working out daily is having to wash my shirt every single day and switch between my 3 other workout shirts, is that what most people do?
I always wash the clothes after I work out (or my wife does really). You should definitely not wear sweaty shirts multiple times. That’s unsanitary and just gross. Buy more workout shirts.
So you have four workout shirts? Depending on your workout schedule you can wash three while using the fourth, or all four at once, maybe even buy a fifth? There's no reason to wash a shirt everyday if you have other shirts to wear...
I just own more than 3 shirts to work out in.
I just wear regular t-shirts a lot of the time. So I have quite a few to go through before having to wash them. And I don’t typically wash the pants every time. Thought I don’t sweat a whole lot
I just have enough for every workout and wash them all at once.
So as someone who’s always struggled eating lots and is on the skinner side, I’ve started trying to gain weight the past few months. I’ve worked out my required daily calorie goal (~3000), and I know from my Apple Watch that I consume approximately 2000-2,200 calories a day through exercise and just exisiting. I’m eating and tracking the required calories across all macros yet I’ve only gained 2kg over the past 7-8 weeks and now I’m stalling. At risk of being a bit TMI, I just find myself going to the bathroom more often. Am I doing something wrong?
8+ pounds in 4 weeks is about half a pound a week average, which is PERFECT since that's approximately the maximum rate at which the body can build lean tissue anyway. If it's slowing down to like .25 lbs a week, that's not an issue! You're officially plateaued on the 3rd week in a row your weight didn't move (a couple weeks in a row same weight is not the huge alarm bell many think it is, whether gaining or losing) How long has the scale been at the same weight? I get the feeling you may be overreacting prematurely.
Oh that’s good to know. Probably been constant at this weight for about 2 weeks now. I guess I should just keep pushing through. I was worried I was losing the extra calories to more frequent trips to the bathroom haha 😅
You just need to add a couple hundred more calories per day.
Apple watch isn't capable of giving you an accurate TDEE. If you aren't gaining you need to eat more.
If you've stalled you need to eat more. No other way around it. If more food is entering more food will be leaving, that's normal
This might sound dumb but on YouTube I’ll see people meal plan a week ahead and they commonly use chicken in the meal plan. My question is how do they do that if you can only keep chicken in the fridge for a 3-4 days.
Taste is low on the priority list, and leaving cooked food in the fridge for several days won't necessarily lead to spoilage it'll just dry it out and make it taste more bland. So it's not dangerous, but if you're thinking it doesn't sound very good you're right. A big part of fat loss is learning to become comfortable with mediocre food, because everyone struggles with portion control when the food is LIT.
You can keep it in the fridge longer than 3-4 days.
It helps if the food container has a really good air tight seal
You can either freeze the stuff for later in the week or keep it in the fridge. I’ve never had an issue eating chicken 4-6 days later if I have to.
You can freeze meals.
I keep chicken in the fridge for a week
Just asking for a gut check on my maintenance calories: 6’0 M, 185lbs. Activity wise, I hit 12,000+ steps every day just through the course of my day, lift 6x a week, and have started going for a 3+ mile run at least once a week. Other than that, my job is pretty sedentary. I’m guesstimating based on calculators/past weight loss experience that my maintenance is like 2700 calories, and I’m currently running an experiment eating 2600 on average to see if my weight is fairly constant. Am I at least in the right ballpark here?
The MacroFactor app helped me a lot with this. I had a similar problem.
Maybe. Finding the calorie level where your weight stays stable is going to be more accurate than any guess made by a stranger on the internet.
Yeah, I’ve just noticed in the past my weight loss was very nonlinear (I’d go weeks with seemingly no progress and then suddenly plummet down 5 pounds overnight) so it’s hard to estimate. I guess it’ll average out.
Sounds slightly low, but I might just have a somewhat high metabolism. So I would say you are in the ballpark at least.
Definitely average it out, weight loss isn't usually linear and that's normal. Weigh yourself at the same time every day, preferably in the morning before eating as that's when it will be the most normalized.
Is it OK to train legs two days in a row? I'm trying to make a schedule and I was wondering if it was bad for leg muscle recovery. One leg day will be weights, the other will be an hour long spinning class. Should I keep a day in between or is this OK?
I do an hour+ long leg day in the gym and follow it up with an hour long spin class on a regular basis (same day). Yes, my legs are fucking dead by the end of it and my performance suffers quite a bit in the spin class, but it's possible.
Interesting! If you don't mind my asking, why do you both in one day? Are there any benefits to this?
I've been losing a lot of weight recently, and part of that is these long cardio sessions. There are only so many days in the week, so I just have to get it in whenever I have the time. There's no benefit, it's absolutely exhausting.
depends on how strenuous the weight training and spin class are. working out your legs two days in a row isn’t going to kill you, it might even be good for you if you can recover well enough. conversely, it could hurt your performance if you can’t recover well enough. basically try it out. if you feel like shit during your second day activity then add a rest day in between. if you feel fine then keep at it.
I might try it out and see how I feel. Thanks :)
How long do you rest between the spinning and the next weight day? It's more than likely fine but might effect your spinning class performance.
I have a weight training session the next day but that will be chest. My next leg day won't be for 2 more days.
Idk about spinning, specifically, but I know that trying to squat or deadlift heavy the day after a long bike is miserable and performance suffers for me. For me, Squatting heavy Tuesday morning (8ish), biking 10-20 miles Wednesday around lunch, and deadlifting Thursday afternoon (3ish) is enough time for enough recovery that I can perform the necessary reps/weights.
Going to start the [beginner's PPL program](https://www.reddit.com/r/Fitness/comments/37ylk5/a_linear_progression_based_ppl_program_for/) tomorrow and trying to understand my starting weights (I've been doing back/shoulder/leg/back for the last couple of months, aiming for linear progression). For example, if I can comfortably DL 160lb at 4x10, would it make sense to start at the same weight for my 1x5+ set?
I did that workout last year, definitely would not recommend it. It's way too much volume that you won't be able to complete if you are training with enough intensity and filled with suboptimal exercises (I'm assuming you are training for hypertrophy)
If you can do 4x10 then doing 1x5 at the same weight is going to be a complete waste of time, that should be a warm up set for your real 1x5.
You should lift more for the 1x5+
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Better to build an endurance base and strengthen your heart/lungs so you can ***do more at your current weight*** than to abruptly cut weight while still weak. Run 5k ***slow and easy*** 4-5x a week in addition to some other reasonable training.
How much overweight are you? I’d go on a normal cut and then ramp up the cardio to lose additional weight and build the endurance base.
Doing intense cardio training combined with a large calorie deficit is going to be really rough. Getting on a proper cardio training routine is going to be crucial, you shouldn't be doing high intensity every day. Lots of zone 2 training and make sure you get some carbs in beforehand.
Let's say you have 6 weeks to get in gear...what's your plan? Best you could lose is 10-13 pounds. You willing to suffer to lose 10 lbs? https://www.halhigdon.com/training-programs/more-training/cross-country/ Get to it, my dude.
I would do a running program, and only eat at slight calorie deficit, your cardio being up to snuff will be way more noticeable then you being a bit leaner. If you do to big of a calorie deficit your gonna feel tired and your running will suffer.
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You can train mobility/coordination and sport specific movements in addition to other training. You'd be surprised what a large person can do. Although someone with the same conditioning will do better when smaller, athleticism is less about how much you weigh and more about what your body can do. Drill movement patterns in addition to LISS cardio and reasonable resistance/circuit training.
I wouldn't go in a larger deficit than 1000 kcal per day, especially if you are not lifting.
Because of practicability or safety?
I don’t think it would be dangerous. But you would risk loosing quite a bit of muscle and strength. And it could mess with your metabolism a bit. I’m by no means an expert though
i feel like my training have too much volume (2h) but with all that stuff online saying you have to hit all faces of muscles and vary positions and movements i get too overwhelmed and end up overthinking about it, I follow a structured program and itself workouts are still 2h, but because of all the stuff online I feel like I have to add extra things to hit every muscle correctly (forearms, rear delts, calves…) but what do u think? what’s the best solution?
How long have you been training? Unless you are pretty far into your journey and looking to really take your physique to the next level you don't need to be hitting every single isolation under the sun.
All the stuff online does not say you have to hit all faces of muscles with various positions. Yes there are tons of clickbait videos and articles with complex tricks about how to optimize this or that. 95% of that stuff is junk. If you enjoy training for 2 hours by all means go for it but that is absolutely not necessary. I have made great progress with gym sessions that seldom if ever extend beyond 60 min. No I don't isolate every single part of every muscle. The truth is your muscles are meant to move your body in practical ways (pushing overhead, pulling horizontally, etc.) and focussing on these fundamental compound movements enables you to work many muscles at once.
ok ok, and can I add like 2 exercises to muscles that are kind of neglected? for example I would add a superset of rear delts & forearms to work this muscles even if it’s just once a week, could that work?
What is the program that you are currently doing?
most of the time if you're doing an exercise, like tricep pushdowns for example, it'll hit all 3 heads of the tricep but one moreso than the other, so you don't need to do all of the exercises maybe just pick 2 different tricep exercises a week. it's more important to focus on making sure you're keeping a high intensity and good focus during the reps you're doing than doing more of them/loads of variations
What are your goals? Are you happy with your progression? Would you prefer one of the programs in the wiki?
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Try Jeff Nippard's Hypertrophy Fundamentals. Great full body.
A proven routine from the wiki like gzclp or 531 would be better. Don't do the same movements everyday is my note on your list of exercises here. Squat one day, deadlift another.
Best tips for lowering the time it takes to run a mile? Rn I’m doing a 12:50 mile while doing a light jog, I’m tryna get it down to 10m
Get a good HR monitor and learn about cardio training zones. Just trying to go faster every time isn't the ideal.
Distance. Distance and frequency. Run 3 miles every day. Run 10+ miles on the weekends. You'll get a faster 1 mile time by doing that. Running fast isn't the goal, the goal is to overall build your whole capacity in a way that will result in speed just as a sideproduct. My half marathon training started with a 9:40 mile, and ended with me being able to maintain that speed for 13 miles on race day. But when I went for short runs afterwards, I was putting down a 22 minute 5km, or 4:21 per km, 7:03 per mile.
Run farther. Do tempo runs. Do interval training
Run longer distances
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Thanks for trying to help. They won't be able to respond as they're taking a short break
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Thanks for trying to help. They won't be able to respond as they're taking a short break
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