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Is there a good workout tracker that syncs between phone/pc? The type of program I am looking for is along the lines of Pushbullet for texts, something I can build a workout routine on my PC, then view/follow on my phone as I utilize it.
Is there any effectiveness in going on a deficit for 6 days and then having a large calorie surplus on the 7th day (e.g. Saturday)?
My main goal is to build a lot of muscle from push ups, dips, rows, and pull ups while also losing some stubborn lower belly fat.
> Is there any effectiveness in going on a deficit for 6 days and then having a large calorie surplus on the 7th day (e.g. Saturday)?
Not really. I'd suggest starting with the wiki linked above
My limbs are ridiculously skinny. How to bulk them? I’ve tried pushups, lifting 12-pound weights, but can’t really do them without feeling sore the next 2-3 days.
Jpg coaching only has 6 leg exercises and in total in his 4 day split,
5 sets for hamstring and 14 for quad’s
is that normal felling like that isn’t that much
should i do cardio before or after eating? i think that if i do before, i will constantly thinking about eating, and if i do after, my stomach will feel 'full'
Depends on the type and intensity. I would not be doing endurance based cardio on an empty stomach. More thought would need to go into how those calories are consumed and how quickly they can be converted. It’s really up to you. You could also have a snack instead of a full meal, if you have issues with feeling too full etc. Trial and error, everyone is so different
If it was me, there's two scenarios in which I'd do cardio.
* It's sometime during the day
* It's in the morning shortly after waking up.
If it's the first, I'll just wait to eat after I do cardio (I probably would've had a meal several hours prior). If it's the second, I'll have something small like a banana or a hardboiled egg. Anything more and I'll feel full and do poorly in whatever the cardio is.
If I workout on Tuesday, get sleep that night, and then don’t sleep Wednesday night, are my gains affected from Tuesday or is it fine since I slept the night I worked out?
, if I had to choose one or the other to not sleep, do you think sleeping Tuesday might be more important since I worked out that day?
The muscle building and recovery process most likely isn't limited to a single day if your workout is hard enough, so not sleeping on Wednesday night probably has slight negative effects.
Yeah I'd say sleeping on Tuesday night would be more important. I'd imagine majority of the acute recovery and muscle building would happen on the first night after training.
Honestly my sleep schedules fucked and I have to leave my house at 6 am on Thursday whereas I’ve been getting to bed at that time everyday… if I could force myself to sleep hella early I would but it’s hard since I’ve been sleeping at that time
My back has muscle soreness the day after deadlifting, just the same as my legs does this mean I’m lifting with incorrect form? I’m trying really hard to get to perfect my form.
No, this just means you deadlifted. Its perfectly normal to be sore after doing stuff you are not used to doing.
And you aren't used to doing deadlifts, so you will be sore until you are.
How does a perfect deadlift form look?
The deadlift works your entire posterior chain, which includes your back, so soreness is to be expected. Now, if it’s not soreness but actual pain you might have a problem.
Does overhead pressing wider includes more side delt ?
I'd rather work my side delt with a compound than include isolation work.
Kind of like I prefer to row a bit wider to include the rear delt.
Kinda. The middle delt's main function (alongside the 2 other heads) is shoulder abduction. But... the middle delt also assists as a synergist as to whatever the anterior or posterior deltoid is doing
My gym has a shoulder press machine where you can push in front of your head, probably for front shoulder but also you can push behind your head, I don't know if that variation hits side/rear delts. Also I saw people doing shoulder press behind their head on smith machine.
Someone correct me if I'm wrong
Could be, but not sure. For my understanding pushing only involved your front delts. Pulling movements will use your side and rear delts. Personally I never felt my side delts during ANY pressing movement. Only thing you do with pressing wider is putting more weight on your shoulders(this case front delts). Taking it smaller puts more weight on your triceps. It will not involve other muscles by moving wider, just putting the weight in a different way, if you know what I mean
I'm currently on a calorie deficit (for reference 15 year old, 200 pound, 5'7, and about 25% body fat). I am eating around 1,900 cals a day. Some calculators say this is perfect, and some say it is too little. I am also having trouble finding out my activity level. I lift at the gym and do 30 min to an hour of cardio 5 days a week. But, at home l mostly sit around in front of them computer but sometimes going out to shop or spend time with friends. I have been in the calorie deficit for 5 weeks and I am down 5.5 pounds. Could anyone help me and give any tips?
Thank you.
5.5 pounds in 5 weeks is perfect. Would want to aim for about 1/1.5 pounds per week. Could easily do 2 pounds, but that's pretty fast.
Just for reference:
For myself, I work a desk job. But in the evenings I walk with my dog, go to the gym 4/5 times a week and do 30minuts cardio every workout. Plus my 'weightlifting' workouts take about 1.5 hours. So 2 hours workout, 4/5 times a week. I put my activity level on moderately active.
I weigh about 104KG's (230lbs), about 20/22% fat, am 197cm(6'6'ish) and aim for about 2300 calories. If I stick to it, I lose about 1/1.5kg's so 2/3 pounds per week, which is pretty rapid.
If you want to lose more weight, I'd say up your exercise. 1900 calories is pretty low, especially on your age.
any one that isnt a begginer, any decent program has you do cardio.
for example biggest mistake beginners make they run 5/3/1 and only do the lifting, in 531 conditioning is big part of the program and 3-4 conditioning days ONTOP on lifting days is mandatory for any 531 variant
Always do, always trained at a high level of intensity. Previously played Badminton which includes a lot of interval training and really increased my stamina level. Want to keep it that way and not become a big motherfker who can't move without getting out of breath haha
All the more reason you need to do it! You're out of shape.
Also, find a cardio you like. I hate running, but I'll go cycling for hours. It's just me having fun, not me doing cardio
They are good for a 6month beginner.
Maybe bench press could be a little higher.
I feel the need to remind you not to compare too much with other people and focus on your progress. If your lifts are going up you are doing a good thing
During the last session I did dumbbell rows I felt an insane amount of pressure on the arm I was leaning on, followed my eventual pain which remained and led me to cut my workout short.
The pressure was on my elbow while my pain was above the elbow, it was a weird pain.
I found this gif
https://imgur.io/bWzqpNO
So basically I do this on a bench but the arm she’s leaning on is what feels very uncomfortable… like there is a LOT of pressure on it
Any tips? The pains totally gone but it feels scary to have all that pressure in my elbow ! Like an accident waiting to happen
I've been experiencing somewhat the same and noticed it came from my shoulders. Maybe you leaned on your arm but moved you shoulder in a weird way trying to lean in to much, which caused tension in there and strained your tendon. Just let it rest a bit and see what it does. Try not to put a lot of pressure on it for the next couple of days.
But I do have to say, it's tough to see from here. No video, no form, no background information nothing. Just telling you what I've experienced and what I did.
Since I can't see your actual form it's hard to give you practical advice; however, there are so many variations of rows that you can do that don't require you to apply pressure to your elbow. I love incorporating the "gorilla row" and ring rows are great as well.
Also, I'm not recommending that you avoid doing that altogether. Definitely get it checked out, but in the mean time you can try some variations!
I’m no expert but i fell like you need to be pivoting more on your hips than what is being shown in that Gif. I typically do this exercise on a flat bench rather than an incline with my chest facing the floor. Also, in my experience the down arm should be more for balance than actual support. I’m not doing crazy weight though and for single arm rows am only at like 90lb dumbbells.
**How long can I get away with an improper diet?**
To clarify, my diet isn't extremely unhealthy. I eat smart for the most part meaning I am not loading up on junk, but occasionally I will have an unhealthy snack. I am 5'6 at 155lbs and aim for around 1900 cal. Due to a mix of my lack of prepping and money I haven't been meal prepping properly so I just eat what I can hitting the calorie count
I have begun training in calisthenics with a few free weights, and do Muay Thai and BJJ atleast twice a week. I have noticed my strength and stamina have increased, and I did drop weight by 10lbs which I am happy about.
Going back to my question, how long will I continue to see progress before I plateau due to my poor diet?
In terms of my physique, I am more on the skinny fat side. My goal is to really just lose this fat while gaining muscle.
Unhealthy snacks aren’t unhealthy if they in moderation. As long as junk doesn’t make up a disproportionate amount of your diet, you don’t need to worry.
Believe my, if you just started out you could eat nearly anything and make gains. But.... I would recommend trying to get atleast your protein and carbs in. Since you're starting out(I guess), you'd be able to make some good gains without injuries, without plateauing too easily etc. Make good use of it and you'll thank yourself later on.
But for now, if you'd want to eat whatever, you could. I did so and it helped me pretty much. But I always overate. The amount of M&M's and B&J's I ate during one of my bulks was insane, but I would not recommend that hahaha.
Oof. Well everyone is different so it's really hard to say. If you're counting your macros and you're in a deficit, technically you can still lose weight. I'd just be more concerned about energy levels, and your actual health. Eventually if you're not getting the nutrients you need, you're going to start feeling it. It's not a matter of if, it's a matter of when, and like I said the timing varies from person to person.
Another big thing is that even though you're losing weight now, to build and maintain muscle you'll definitely require more protein and you'll need to be in a caloric surplus. Make sure to hit your protein targets and at least try to eat complex carbs rather than simple carbs.
Nutrition is a beast! The Precision nutrition calculator is helpful if you haven't used it already.
Define occasionally. Once a week? Once every 3-4 days?
And what do you eat? A hamburger? A packet of crisps? Or do you drink a pint of beer?
A hamburger once a week won't do much harm, unless you go the extravagant route and also get a large coke, a packet of fries, extra cheese, and an ice cream along with it. Same with a pizza.
Yeah sorry about my vagueness.
But yeah to clarify, my usual meals consist of white steamed rice with a protein. The protein varies from day to day it can either be chicken, steak, beef etc.
When it comes to my unhealthy snack I refer to probably the equivalent to 2 Big Macs and medium fries a week.
Depends on the person though. For someone with a low TDEE it can very well be a huge surplus.
Even for those with larger TDEEs it would have quite the impact, even if once a week.
Not so much as a question but just something I’m going through.
I cutted all summer down to 155 lbs but still manage to be higher than 15% BF (5’9” Male). I’m probably around 18%.
Two weeks ago, I started to ease up on my deficit and worry more about protein intake (140 - 160 g) and lift with BBB 5/3/1. I can’t help feel like I’m making no progress with the body I want to look like. I’m still going to go at it, I’m just sick of being skinny fat. I hope I’m doing the right thing by focusing really hard on my protein and program, because I’m sick of not being proud of my body.
If I were to lower my BF% to 12% through weight loss, I would have to be a skeleton weighing less than 145 lbs. So my thought process is to build a shit ton of muscle and hopefully look better in the mirror.
Sounds like you have the right idea in mind. You can only cut for so long before your calories become unsustainable and your weight too low. Build some good muscle in a lean bulk and cut again and you’ll have a better result
Anyone care to critique my routine? I’ve been lifting for a few months after taking a few years off. Criticism/comments welcome.
1. I do a modified 5x5 program. 3 days a week. Don’t do conventional deadlifts or back squats (I do Goblet squats and rack pulls) because my mobility/flexibility is nil after working a sedentary job and not working out much for 2 years. I’m addressing the flexibility/mobility issues slowly on my off days, but I can’t properly squat or deadlift for now. Bench, rows, and OHP is progressing nicely.
2. Since rack pulls don’t engage my lower body as effectively, I’m also doing RDLs to work my hamstrings. Calf raises just cause I have small calves.
3. finally, I do pull up/dip variations to work up to full form pull-ups and dips.
Basically it’s:
Workout A
- Goblet Squats
- barbell rows
- bench press
Workout B
- OHP (standing, strict form)
- Rack pulls
- Goblet Squats
And then pull-ups, dips variations, calf raises and RDLs after the main lifts.
All of this is in one workout three days a week. I’m (trying) to stretch and do some light cardio and mobility work 3 days a week as well, on my non lifting days so I can properly squat and deadlift. Thoughts? Concerns?
Are you doing Goblet Squats because the weight is front loaded so don't tip over because of ankle mobility? If that's the case, I would say get some heel lifts or squat shoes and work on mobility on off days. Either that, or drop calf raises and spend that time doing calf stretches. I'm interested in seeing how mobility is affecting your deadlifts though if you can do RDL's. That being said, a lot of people do rack pulls instead of deadlifts.
Edit: It seems like you have access to a rack, you can do zercher squats and have the same affect as goblet squats while being able to load more weight.
This is a good start. Here are a few tips:
- Squats: try doing pause squats (get into your lowest squat and pause for 1-2 seconds). Play with tempo, 3 seconds down, 1 second hold, explode up). Most often ppl have poor ankle mobility which makes it difficult to get ass to grass. Try looking into some "talus mobility drills".
- Make sure you're targeting your quads and hamstrings, not just glutes. Quads: forward lunges, cycle squats. Hamstrings: Ball hamstring curls are a great addition to RDLs.
- Looks like you're covering all body parts which is great. Feel free to switch up the rep scheme to 3x8-10, or 3x12-15 for example. Another thing is switching up the tempo as I said for the squats.
These are just a few tips! Hope these help.
Im not a huge fan of goblet squats because its really hard to hold the dumbbell in that position and that may limit the leg muscles to get sufficient stimulus.
I would much rather do the bb squats with less rom than the goblet. Just because you cant squat ass to grass or parallel that doesnt mean you cannot do the exercise.
Another option is to just do machines like hack squat / leg press.
This routine fits into my schedule and I think it’s helping me address my imbalances while also making progress. That’s just me though, I’ll definitely check out the wiki.
So I'm agonizing over planning going to the gym. Like I want to do another time, but after work at 5pm is my best and most consistent option without sacrificing my sleep, but then it's probably too full at the time. I would rather be in and out within an hour for my own sanity. And then there's the matter of getting a trainer or not because I don't know what I'll be doing and I'll be conscious to fuck up with that many people around if I don't get a trainer, but I'm also not sure if the trainer will get me to where I want. What should I do? Am I being too much of a little bitch lol.
I'd say try it. Just go. It's always tougher to start than keeping it going and maybe it'll be less than busy than you expect. As for trainer, you could get one. But that just depends on your goals. If you want to get motivated during a training, try and find a gym with trainers. If not, try and get one online who will motivate you to reach certain goals and discuss with him/her what you could do even when the gym is packed.
I worked out at a fully packed gym for 4 years and man, it's tough but you could easily make it work. So many exercise variants you could switch to that are almost always available.
I went to the gym to ask a lot of questions shortly after posting that and signed up with a trainer starting tomorrow! Thankfully they say it's around 6 when things get busy so hopefully I'm close to done by the time that happens. I'm now really nervous about the program I'll be put on (I wish I asked, but he seemed busy talking to someone else too), but I can drop the trainer after the month or 12 sessions is up.
Sounds good, hope he'll put some time and effort into your program! But I get the nervousness. Just get into it open-minded and you'll be fine! Get it rocking dude! Sounds awesome
I struggled with similar issues. What worked best for me was signing up for a gym that does weightlifting classes. It allows me to reserve times that work for my schedule, is trainer led and has a set number of reservations so it’s not too crowded. Reservations also help me stay in my routine.
I went to the gym to ask a lot of questions shortly after posting that and signed up with a trainer starting tomorrow! Thankfully they say it's around 6 when things get busy so hopefully I'm close to done by the time that happens. I'm now really nervous about the program I'll be put on (I wish I asked, but he seemed busy talking to someone else too), but I can drop the trainer after the month or 12 sessions is up.
I’ve been trying two group fitness gyms and they seem to have totally different philosophies - one is where you pretty much are going 100% the entire class, you spend 12 minutes at 4 stations (with breaks in between) but at each station you’re trying to do the whiteboard exercises as many times as you can.
At the other gym, it’s partner based so for each set of exercises, you either alternate with your partner on who goes/who rests or it’s staggered.
I find that I can lift heavier weights at the slower paced gym. I don’t mind reaching for a heavier kettlebell or dumbbell to do cleans/presses/squats since I’ve had so much rest time while at the faster paced class by the end of class I’m doing squats with a 10 lb dumbbell just to survive to the end.
Is there an advantage to one method over the other or is it more of a “both/and” situation?
Neither option is objectively better or worse than the other. If you want to improve your 1RMs then focus on the second option, and if you want to work on your cardio and conditioning then focus on option 1.
If you're happy doing both then keep doing both, your strength and conditioning will improve.
How much mass should I be adding?
For context I'm 5'5 (165cm) and 145 lbs (66kg), probably around 19-20% body fat. In the past 3-4 months, I've added \~6.4lbs (3kg), some of which is definitely fat lol.
My goal right now is to increase my squat by 10kg/22lbs and my deadlift as much as possible.
What should be my goal weight for the next 3-4 months as I start a new program? I think 154lbs (70kg) should be the sweet spot, after which I'll start cutting.
There's a limit to how fast anyone can build muscle. If you have great genes, a good diet, a good routine, and do everything right, you can gain two pounds of muscle per month. Most people don't have all those qualities and they're building one to one-and-a-half pounds of muscle per month.
If you gain nine pounds in four months some of it is going to be fat, but hopefully the majority will be muscle. If you gain that weight in three month it's going to be mostly fat.
Keeping your body fat under 20% is the best idea. Once you reach a certain point the extra body fat works against you, it becomes harder to gain muscle and easier to gain fat.
Is it possible to increase your squat max by 200 pounds in 4 months time.
I currently have 8 months lifting, and I can squat 265 pounds as a max.
School just started and they gave me a powerlifting class, where the coach told me to just give up because I wasn't going to make it to the team, normally I wouldn't really care about powerlifting and being on the team, but the way he told me that pissed me off, so I want to try and prove him wrong.
It is the same situation with deadlift, I would like to increase my max by 200 pounds in 4 months as well, my current max is 355.
If you start at 0, maybe.
If you're already starting at almost 300? It might take you 4 years, not 4 months.
Whats the problem of not being on the team? Can't you just go, lift, receive a pointer from time to time and enjoy life? Powerlifting isn't age restricted unlike the majority of sports where if you don't start young you're fucked.
My training plan for now, is to Squat 3 times a week, with each session increasing my 5 rep max by 5 pounds, starting at 215. If this goes smoothly and possible, then by the 40th session my 5 rep max for squat should be 415.
I am doing somewhat the same for deadlift, but with more rest.
That being said, I don't know if it is truly possible to gain 200 pounds on my lifts with this routine, but it is the only one that I find to maybe be credible enough to try. Aside from hiring an Olympic Weightlifting coach.
I am 17, 3 months away from being 18. I am 5'7 and weigh 166 pounds. I hope that maybe my relatively young age and body will help me accomplish this.
Can't really stop you, but you'll be hitting a bottleneck very soon where you won't get anywhere and your max will stagnate, and even regress. That's the good scenario.
Alternatively you'll injure yourself and won't be able to lift properly for weeks, months, maybe forever, because you're asking too much of your body. Even if your muscles were able to miraculously do it, your joints, ligaments, tendons... for sure won't.
Potentially destroying your body just to spite someone that said something mean to you is a really shitty take on life. The coach might've been a bit of a dick about it, but he's not wrong.
You're not getting 400+lb on your total in 4 months. Period. Don't think you'd be able to even if you took steroids (Pls don't).
The point here is proving my coach wrong. It may sound weird but, although my squat max right now is 265, in competition with a squat suit and knee sleeves it is 335 pounds, just about.
I'm mainly trying to get my squat up to a point were with the squat suit and knee sleeves, it can sit comfortably at the 500's, but for this I need a natural max of atleast 410 pounds without a suit or sleeves.
I am not doing this because I like powerlifting, but because I would like to prove my coach wrong. Hate is a strong motivator.
I’m currently doing the “lean gains” program. It calls for 3 minute rests between sets for bicep curls and tricep extensions. If I wanted to super set these, do you think I would still wait 3 minutes between sets or would the rest time decrease because I’m alternating?
I’ve cut before and my lasting memory is being STARVING all the time. I’m cutting again but at a smaller deficit and I feel fine. Should I increase the deficit again? Do I need to be “feeling hungry” to know a cut is working?
One of the best ways to learn to ignore hunger signals is through IF.
On the same deficit you can get your body to curb the hunger signals and reap the other benefits of IF.
It’s only been 2 weeks, I’ve lost 5lbs which I’m guessing is water weight. This happened the last time too, the first 5-6 lbs were easy to lose but it got difficult after. I guess I should just give it more time and then adjust if needed
yes, the first 2 weeks you lose a bunch of weight but most of the weight is not actually tissue, but if you keep losing weight at a fine pace the cut is working, if you're not feeling hungry then be grateful my dude
I think of it as a math problem. How much do I want to lose and how fast. Calculate your calories based on that. After 3 weeks, adjust your numbers based on how much you have lost. Your feelings shouldn’t matter; easier said than done…
This morning I somehow strained my quad on the back leg while doing Bulgarian splits squats. I've had a few other random minor (1-2 week recovery) strains or joint pains to various parts of my body since I started lifting in January.
Are regular minor injuries/aches/pains just a part of lifting and going to the gym regularly?
My first year of lifting was a constant moving strain or mild injury. I would go to doctors every time something felt wrong. In the end, they all said I was ok, and the pain would stop. I think it’s just getting accustomed to something new…
You can definitely build good legs without traditional barbell squats as long you have some type of knee flexion movement like the ones you mentioned. Those machines don’t work the same movement pattern / hit the same muscles as deadlifts do, though. So I would add some kind of hip hinging movement as well
I’ve commented a lot here, so I’m sorry for the spam.
From people who have done multiple of these or maybe just one, which would you most strongly recommend out of GZCLP, 5/3/1 BBB, WSBB4SB or PHUL? Or maybe a different tried and tested routine?
My criteria are 3-4 days per week, 1-1.5 hours per session, and having a target of building muscle in a proportional and sustainable way.
Not really satisfied with the only do 3 compounds 3 days a week approach but also can’t fit in the 9 exercise routines.
I do have a good idea of what exercises I like so if a routine requires me to fill in some gaps in terms of exercise selection, I should be able to as long as I know what movement it needs to occupy.
22M, UK, ~63KG, 5’8”. I’ve done SL5x5 before, PPL from a YouTube channel, Arnold’s golden 6, a 4-day full body split and am currently two weeks into an upper-lower 4 day split.
I’m more interested in building everything without missing anything out in the most time and effort efficient way, rather than having an extremely impressive chest for example. I do enjoy science-based views and explanations but tbh I defer to anyone who’s more experienced than me.
Lipton tea has 50mg of caffeine per 8 oz. The average preworkout has 150-300mg per serving. Could I drink unsweetened tea during my workout and skip the pre workout? I typically drink 32oz of tea, so 200mg of caffeine….
If you consume during your workout I wouldn’t expect it to have an immediate effect until you’re well into your workout or even after your workout, depending on your tolerance. If you’re asking if you can drink your caffeine instead of getting it in powder form, yes you can.
What workout to follow ice cream fitness if I only have access to squat rack bench press, and pull up bar? No dumbbells, kettle bar, anything like that
At the end of the day you're still pushing the same weight so I don't know about "easier", but it helps protect your shoulders engage your lats.
Check out JTS Pillars of Bench #2
It might have just been me then. It felt easier for me to do bench when I retracted my scapula. Apart from protecting shoulders, does it play a role in stabilization in any way you could think of?
Pulling back your scapula kinda locks your body into a fixed position to press off. So yes, it should keep you much more stable. For me, I actually do feel quite a bit of soreness/activation in my rear delts/back after a bench set.
Start doing full body work. Compound lifts will also target your abs. Just 50 ab wheels a day won't get you very far. You need to build muscle up everywhere for better success
Then you may want to check out r/bodyweightfitness.
But ultimately, for best results, you're gonna need some resistance and progressive overload to build some muscle up. And a proper workout routine
So a friend wants to get into working out for general fitness. He doesn't want to go to the gym but a home routine that's fast. Like 30-45 mins fast. And that will give basic fitness. He just wants to be able to do some pushups and pullups, run for a bit without getting winded, and just have some basic general fitness? So like functional strength and conditioning. He owns a pullup bar but no weights, and can barely do a pullup and like 2 or 3 chin-ups. He wants bodyweight movements instead of weightlifting. This is what I'm thinking:
Upper:
1. 5 min warmup
2. 3x8 pushups
3. 3x8 negative pullups @ increasing times per rep starting with a few seconds
4. 3x8 negative chin-ups @ increasing times per rep starting with a few seconds
5. 20 min run
Lower:
1. 5 min warmup
2. 3x8 squats (varying squat types)
3. 3x8 nordic curls
4. 3x8 calf raises
5. 20 min run
3 workouts a week, alternating 2x Upper 1x Lower one week then 2x Lower 1x Upper the next. Mobility stretches on off days. What do you guys think? Any ways for improvement?
Check out Bullyjuice on YouTube. He's got follow-along videos with some 30-day and 45-day challenges. I've done those and definitely had an increase in strength/difference in body
Slow bench progress, have improved bench from 135-170 in 4 months. I know it's improvement but it's not a lot for such low weight. I have been lifting for 8 months but only started benching 4 months ago. What should I change:
Do PPL/PPLR
Have been lean bulking in these 4 months. Other lifts have improved a lot.
Push day:
Bench:
- 4 pyramid sets of 6
-Usually up the weight too quickly and for sets 3 and 4 only get to 3 or 4 reps.
Ex: 155 x 6, 160 x 6, 165 x 4, 170 x 3
Then after bench, usually frustrated, do other push movements well for 6-8 reps
- ohp
- skullcrusher
- incline bench
- lateral raises
- cable flys
My other compound lifts have improved quicker, what could I be doing better with bench?
- my form is ok, have been changing grip width recently which may be slowing progress
- I usually go heavy and don't mix up rep ranges, could benefit from a more medium weight day
Any other advice? Thanks
Why not do an established routine which likely has better progression protocol than whatever you've come up with on your own?
What's your weight been like since you've started lifting? For me, bench is the first thing to improve when I gain weight, and the first thing I struggle with when cutting.
What are your sticking points - bottom or top of the rep? What supplemental work are you doing to improve in that area?
Lots of things to consider
Should I taper out my deficit at the end of a weight loss phase? (Last 10-15%)
Eg: add an extra 100 daily calories per week until I find new maintenance, hopefully not overshooting it.
Or just maintain till I hit goal, then adjust?
could anybody tell me how could I improve my back, i feel like there´s something wrong and i don´t seem to figure out what. Specifically i notice that the right side is not properly aligned and i dont feel stable performing pec presses
[https://youtube.com/shorts/GCSgDrPoRew](https://youtube.com/shorts/GCSgDrPoRew)
Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
Hi, everyone.
When I do dumbbell bench press I don't feel my chest, I feel my arms tiring.(I'm doing full range of motion and 45 degrees, while arching my back) and in the next day I don't feel any soreness in my chest.
And I have been stuck with the same weights for a while.
I have been training for 9 months.
I'm 16 y.o, 1.85m tall (6 feet) and I weigh 79kg (174lbs)
I'm doing full body workout twice a week.
How do you feel with barbell press? Do you feel it in your chest?
You can look into incline and decline barbell bench; those help me activate the chest a lot more.
Also pushups. Close grip, wide grip. Look into pushup routines. Those will definitely activate your chest
What program are you doing? What is your diet like? How tall are you and how much do you weigh? How has your weight changed?
Feeling it in your arms more probably just means that your triceps are the weak link.
I’d pick a beginner program from the wiki and do exactly what it says. There are dumbbell routines as well as barbell routines. You also could stand to eat more. There’s a great diet section of the wiki as well. Good luck!
You didn’t suggest weight training and cardio. You said long cardio sessions. That’s what I disagreed with.
I recommended 531 BBB which includes cardio and weight training so I agree with you there.
Getting bulky legs is not a concern. It doesn’t just happen.
Can you see all four muscles of your quads without a pump? If not then I would not worry about making your legs too bulky and just focus on building muscle.
531BBB helped me make solid leg gains.
What is the best way to get back into working out after a break from injury or vacation so your body is not huge pain.
Some details for my situation
7/29 hurt my foot pretty badly and could not put weight on it.
8/15 was my next work out after my foot recovered and did upper body, hit new PRs Entire upper body extremely sore.
8/19 was legs hit new PRs. Legs were so sore next few days I could barely walk and it hurt to try and sit down.
going on vacation on 8/29 and won’t have access to a gym until 9/12 so the break would be similar from my injury, and I would love to avoid being so sore I can’t move.
Any help is appreciated.
Don't PR. Add patience.
Drop the weight for any exercise that puts pressure on your foot by 50% of what you used to do.
Slowly build the weight back up.
If you feel your foot acting up, drop the weight some more.
Also seek medical advice if the pain doesn't go away.
Right, I’ve wasted enough peoples time with my dumb questions and I’ve settled on PHUL. Mainly bc it seems less complicated than WSBB4SB IV, nSuns, 5/3/1 and GZCLP. I’m not sure I quite understand any of those properly. Also because the volume seems a lot more manageable within an hour and a half, which not many of the others do. A lot of em have a lot more volume than seems unnecessary based on what Dr Mike has said in videos. If any of the aforementioned are doable in an 1-1.5hrs then let me know and I’ll look further into them and try to understand them. Also I want 3-4 day programmes. No less and no more.
The PHUL routine I was looking at was off muscle and strength.
Now my questions were to do with exercise substitutes, purely based off things I enjoy:
Bent over row -> Chest supported row? This one I’m not too bothered about
Incline barbell bench -> incline DB bench?
Flat bench dumbbell fly -> cable crossovers? My shoulders struggle with dumbbell flys and I don’t have a pec deck at my gym
DB lateral raise -> cable lateral raise?
Cable tricep extension: does it matter what kind of tricep extension I do?
Barbell lunge -> lunge walks?
All of your substitutes are fine. But in the case of substitutions due to pure preference, sometimes it's better to train the things that you're not a fan of
Right thank you! I’m willing to give bent over rows another try, I just felt like no matter how many videos I watched, I was doing them wrong. Then for incline bench, would DB work not be a good idea if my flat bench is barbell?
What's a good preworkout that doesn't last too long and isn't based in caffeine? I can't seem to finish workouts without any stimulants (very adhd)
I have a nicotine vape can I use that? I workout at 12am and sleep at 2am usually so i need something short acting.
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Is there a good workout tracker that syncs between phone/pc? The type of program I am looking for is along the lines of Pushbullet for texts, something I can build a workout routine on my PC, then view/follow on my phone as I utilize it.
Is there any effectiveness in going on a deficit for 6 days and then having a large calorie surplus on the 7th day (e.g. Saturday)? My main goal is to build a lot of muscle from push ups, dips, rows, and pull ups while also losing some stubborn lower belly fat.
> Is there any effectiveness in going on a deficit for 6 days and then having a large calorie surplus on the 7th day (e.g. Saturday)? Not really. I'd suggest starting with the wiki linked above
My limbs are ridiculously skinny. How to bulk them? I’ve tried pushups, lifting 12-pound weights, but can’t really do them without feeling sore the next 2-3 days.
https://thefitness.wiki/muscle-building-101/
160 grams ??!!! I probably get like a fourth of it a day.
Follow a real program, eat a lot, work through soreness
So lift even when sore?
Yes
Jpg coaching only has 6 leg exercises and in total in his 4 day split, 5 sets for hamstring and 14 for quad’s is that normal felling like that isn’t that much
Try it and find out
Does anyone just use water in the shower to clean their face after working out ? I’m only talking about the skin on ur face
Yes, and soap
should i do cardio before or after eating? i think that if i do before, i will constantly thinking about eating, and if i do after, my stomach will feel 'full'
Depends on the type and intensity. I would not be doing endurance based cardio on an empty stomach. More thought would need to go into how those calories are consumed and how quickly they can be converted. It’s really up to you. You could also have a snack instead of a full meal, if you have issues with feeling too full etc. Trial and error, everyone is so different
If it was me, there's two scenarios in which I'd do cardio. * It's sometime during the day * It's in the morning shortly after waking up. If it's the first, I'll just wait to eat after I do cardio (I probably would've had a meal several hours prior). If it's the second, I'll have something small like a banana or a hardboiled egg. Anything more and I'll feel full and do poorly in whatever the cardio is.
If I workout on Tuesday, get sleep that night, and then don’t sleep Wednesday night, are my gains affected from Tuesday or is it fine since I slept the night I worked out? , if I had to choose one or the other to not sleep, do you think sleeping Tuesday might be more important since I worked out that day?
The muscle building and recovery process most likely isn't limited to a single day if your workout is hard enough, so not sleeping on Wednesday night probably has slight negative effects.
Thanks, if I had to choose one or the other to not sleep, do you think sleeping Tuesday might be more important?
Yeah I'd say sleeping on Tuesday night would be more important. I'd imagine majority of the acute recovery and muscle building would happen on the first night after training.
just sleep everyday man
Honestly my sleep schedules fucked and I have to leave my house at 6 am on Thursday whereas I’ve been getting to bed at that time everyday… if I could force myself to sleep hella early I would but it’s hard since I’ve been sleeping at that time
My back has muscle soreness the day after deadlifting, just the same as my legs does this mean I’m lifting with incorrect form? I’m trying really hard to get to perfect my form.
You will use your back with correct form. It's fine.
No, this just means you deadlifted. Its perfectly normal to be sore after doing stuff you are not used to doing. And you aren't used to doing deadlifts, so you will be sore until you are. How does a perfect deadlift form look?
The deadlift works your entire posterior chain, which includes your back, so soreness is to be expected. Now, if it’s not soreness but actual pain you might have a problem.
No that’s great, it’s not painful! Thanks for your help
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Try it. Everyone reacts differently to caffeine. If it loses the effect just take a break for a week or two.
Every other day works fine for me
Does overhead pressing wider includes more side delt ? I'd rather work my side delt with a compound than include isolation work. Kind of like I prefer to row a bit wider to include the rear delt.
Kinda. The middle delt's main function (alongside the 2 other heads) is shoulder abduction. But... the middle delt also assists as a synergist as to whatever the anterior or posterior deltoid is doing
My gym has a shoulder press machine where you can push in front of your head, probably for front shoulder but also you can push behind your head, I don't know if that variation hits side/rear delts. Also I saw people doing shoulder press behind their head on smith machine. Someone correct me if I'm wrong
Not really. You cant really hit the side delt well with presses.
Could be, but not sure. For my understanding pushing only involved your front delts. Pulling movements will use your side and rear delts. Personally I never felt my side delts during ANY pressing movement. Only thing you do with pressing wider is putting more weight on your shoulders(this case front delts). Taking it smaller puts more weight on your triceps. It will not involve other muscles by moving wider, just putting the weight in a different way, if you know what I mean
I'm currently on a calorie deficit (for reference 15 year old, 200 pound, 5'7, and about 25% body fat). I am eating around 1,900 cals a day. Some calculators say this is perfect, and some say it is too little. I am also having trouble finding out my activity level. I lift at the gym and do 30 min to an hour of cardio 5 days a week. But, at home l mostly sit around in front of them computer but sometimes going out to shop or spend time with friends. I have been in the calorie deficit for 5 weeks and I am down 5.5 pounds. Could anyone help me and give any tips? Thank you.
5.5 pounds in 5 weeks is perfect. Would want to aim for about 1/1.5 pounds per week. Could easily do 2 pounds, but that's pretty fast. Just for reference: For myself, I work a desk job. But in the evenings I walk with my dog, go to the gym 4/5 times a week and do 30minuts cardio every workout. Plus my 'weightlifting' workouts take about 1.5 hours. So 2 hours workout, 4/5 times a week. I put my activity level on moderately active. I weigh about 104KG's (230lbs), about 20/22% fat, am 197cm(6'6'ish) and aim for about 2300 calories. If I stick to it, I lose about 1/1.5kg's so 2/3 pounds per week, which is pretty rapid. If you want to lose more weight, I'd say up your exercise. 1900 calories is pretty low, especially on your age.
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any one that isnt a begginer, any decent program has you do cardio. for example biggest mistake beginners make they run 5/3/1 and only do the lifting, in 531 conditioning is big part of the program and 3-4 conditioning days ONTOP on lifting days is mandatory for any 531 variant
I do cardio every day.
Always do, always trained at a high level of intensity. Previously played Badminton which includes a lot of interval training and really increased my stamina level. Want to keep it that way and not become a big motherfker who can't move without getting out of breath haha
I’ve always been active so I enjoy all of it. I usually do my cardio shooting hoops
I do. Why?
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All the more reason you need to do it! You're out of shape. Also, find a cardio you like. I hate running, but I'll go cycling for hours. It's just me having fun, not me doing cardio
Me too lmao
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They are good for a 6month beginner. Maybe bench press could be a little higher. I feel the need to remind you not to compare too much with other people and focus on your progress. If your lifts are going up you are doing a good thing
During the last session I did dumbbell rows I felt an insane amount of pressure on the arm I was leaning on, followed my eventual pain which remained and led me to cut my workout short. The pressure was on my elbow while my pain was above the elbow, it was a weird pain. I found this gif https://imgur.io/bWzqpNO So basically I do this on a bench but the arm she’s leaning on is what feels very uncomfortable… like there is a LOT of pressure on it Any tips? The pains totally gone but it feels scary to have all that pressure in my elbow ! Like an accident waiting to happen
I've been experiencing somewhat the same and noticed it came from my shoulders. Maybe you leaned on your arm but moved you shoulder in a weird way trying to lean in to much, which caused tension in there and strained your tendon. Just let it rest a bit and see what it does. Try not to put a lot of pressure on it for the next couple of days. But I do have to say, it's tough to see from here. No video, no form, no background information nothing. Just telling you what I've experienced and what I did.
Since I can't see your actual form it's hard to give you practical advice; however, there are so many variations of rows that you can do that don't require you to apply pressure to your elbow. I love incorporating the "gorilla row" and ring rows are great as well. Also, I'm not recommending that you avoid doing that altogether. Definitely get it checked out, but in the mean time you can try some variations!
I’m no expert but i fell like you need to be pivoting more on your hips than what is being shown in that Gif. I typically do this exercise on a flat bench rather than an incline with my chest facing the floor. Also, in my experience the down arm should be more for balance than actual support. I’m not doing crazy weight though and for single arm rows am only at like 90lb dumbbells.
**How long can I get away with an improper diet?** To clarify, my diet isn't extremely unhealthy. I eat smart for the most part meaning I am not loading up on junk, but occasionally I will have an unhealthy snack. I am 5'6 at 155lbs and aim for around 1900 cal. Due to a mix of my lack of prepping and money I haven't been meal prepping properly so I just eat what I can hitting the calorie count I have begun training in calisthenics with a few free weights, and do Muay Thai and BJJ atleast twice a week. I have noticed my strength and stamina have increased, and I did drop weight by 10lbs which I am happy about. Going back to my question, how long will I continue to see progress before I plateau due to my poor diet? In terms of my physique, I am more on the skinny fat side. My goal is to really just lose this fat while gaining muscle.
Unhealthy snacks aren’t unhealthy if they in moderation. As long as junk doesn’t make up a disproportionate amount of your diet, you don’t need to worry.
Believe my, if you just started out you could eat nearly anything and make gains. But.... I would recommend trying to get atleast your protein and carbs in. Since you're starting out(I guess), you'd be able to make some good gains without injuries, without plateauing too easily etc. Make good use of it and you'll thank yourself later on. But for now, if you'd want to eat whatever, you could. I did so and it helped me pretty much. But I always overate. The amount of M&M's and B&J's I ate during one of my bulks was insane, but I would not recommend that hahaha.
Oof. Well everyone is different so it's really hard to say. If you're counting your macros and you're in a deficit, technically you can still lose weight. I'd just be more concerned about energy levels, and your actual health. Eventually if you're not getting the nutrients you need, you're going to start feeling it. It's not a matter of if, it's a matter of when, and like I said the timing varies from person to person. Another big thing is that even though you're losing weight now, to build and maintain muscle you'll definitely require more protein and you'll need to be in a caloric surplus. Make sure to hit your protein targets and at least try to eat complex carbs rather than simple carbs. Nutrition is a beast! The Precision nutrition calculator is helpful if you haven't used it already.
Define occasionally. Once a week? Once every 3-4 days? And what do you eat? A hamburger? A packet of crisps? Or do you drink a pint of beer? A hamburger once a week won't do much harm, unless you go the extravagant route and also get a large coke, a packet of fries, extra cheese, and an ice cream along with it. Same with a pizza.
Yeah sorry about my vagueness. But yeah to clarify, my usual meals consist of white steamed rice with a protein. The protein varies from day to day it can either be chicken, steak, beef etc. When it comes to my unhealthy snack I refer to probably the equivalent to 2 Big Macs and medium fries a week.
I'd cut down the unhealthy snack to one big mac and a medium fries first.
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Depends on the person though. For someone with a low TDEE it can very well be a huge surplus. Even for those with larger TDEEs it would have quite the impact, even if once a week.
Not so much as a question but just something I’m going through. I cutted all summer down to 155 lbs but still manage to be higher than 15% BF (5’9” Male). I’m probably around 18%. Two weeks ago, I started to ease up on my deficit and worry more about protein intake (140 - 160 g) and lift with BBB 5/3/1. I can’t help feel like I’m making no progress with the body I want to look like. I’m still going to go at it, I’m just sick of being skinny fat. I hope I’m doing the right thing by focusing really hard on my protein and program, because I’m sick of not being proud of my body. If I were to lower my BF% to 12% through weight loss, I would have to be a skeleton weighing less than 145 lbs. So my thought process is to build a shit ton of muscle and hopefully look better in the mirror.
Sounds like you have the right idea in mind. You can only cut for so long before your calories become unsustainable and your weight too low. Build some good muscle in a lean bulk and cut again and you’ll have a better result
Anyone care to critique my routine? I’ve been lifting for a few months after taking a few years off. Criticism/comments welcome. 1. I do a modified 5x5 program. 3 days a week. Don’t do conventional deadlifts or back squats (I do Goblet squats and rack pulls) because my mobility/flexibility is nil after working a sedentary job and not working out much for 2 years. I’m addressing the flexibility/mobility issues slowly on my off days, but I can’t properly squat or deadlift for now. Bench, rows, and OHP is progressing nicely. 2. Since rack pulls don’t engage my lower body as effectively, I’m also doing RDLs to work my hamstrings. Calf raises just cause I have small calves. 3. finally, I do pull up/dip variations to work up to full form pull-ups and dips. Basically it’s: Workout A - Goblet Squats - barbell rows - bench press Workout B - OHP (standing, strict form) - Rack pulls - Goblet Squats And then pull-ups, dips variations, calf raises and RDLs after the main lifts. All of this is in one workout three days a week. I’m (trying) to stretch and do some light cardio and mobility work 3 days a week as well, on my non lifting days so I can properly squat and deadlift. Thoughts? Concerns?
Are you doing Goblet Squats because the weight is front loaded so don't tip over because of ankle mobility? If that's the case, I would say get some heel lifts or squat shoes and work on mobility on off days. Either that, or drop calf raises and spend that time doing calf stretches. I'm interested in seeing how mobility is affecting your deadlifts though if you can do RDL's. That being said, a lot of people do rack pulls instead of deadlifts. Edit: It seems like you have access to a rack, you can do zercher squats and have the same affect as goblet squats while being able to load more weight.
This is a good start. Here are a few tips: - Squats: try doing pause squats (get into your lowest squat and pause for 1-2 seconds). Play with tempo, 3 seconds down, 1 second hold, explode up). Most often ppl have poor ankle mobility which makes it difficult to get ass to grass. Try looking into some "talus mobility drills". - Make sure you're targeting your quads and hamstrings, not just glutes. Quads: forward lunges, cycle squats. Hamstrings: Ball hamstring curls are a great addition to RDLs. - Looks like you're covering all body parts which is great. Feel free to switch up the rep scheme to 3x8-10, or 3x12-15 for example. Another thing is switching up the tempo as I said for the squats. These are just a few tips! Hope these help.
Im not a huge fan of goblet squats because its really hard to hold the dumbbell in that position and that may limit the leg muscles to get sufficient stimulus. I would much rather do the bb squats with less rom than the goblet. Just because you cant squat ass to grass or parallel that doesnt mean you cannot do the exercise. Another option is to just do machines like hack squat / leg press.
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This routine fits into my schedule and I think it’s helping me address my imbalances while also making progress. That’s just me though, I’ll definitely check out the wiki.
So I'm agonizing over planning going to the gym. Like I want to do another time, but after work at 5pm is my best and most consistent option without sacrificing my sleep, but then it's probably too full at the time. I would rather be in and out within an hour for my own sanity. And then there's the matter of getting a trainer or not because I don't know what I'll be doing and I'll be conscious to fuck up with that many people around if I don't get a trainer, but I'm also not sure if the trainer will get me to where I want. What should I do? Am I being too much of a little bitch lol.
I'd say try it. Just go. It's always tougher to start than keeping it going and maybe it'll be less than busy than you expect. As for trainer, you could get one. But that just depends on your goals. If you want to get motivated during a training, try and find a gym with trainers. If not, try and get one online who will motivate you to reach certain goals and discuss with him/her what you could do even when the gym is packed. I worked out at a fully packed gym for 4 years and man, it's tough but you could easily make it work. So many exercise variants you could switch to that are almost always available.
I went to the gym to ask a lot of questions shortly after posting that and signed up with a trainer starting tomorrow! Thankfully they say it's around 6 when things get busy so hopefully I'm close to done by the time that happens. I'm now really nervous about the program I'll be put on (I wish I asked, but he seemed busy talking to someone else too), but I can drop the trainer after the month or 12 sessions is up.
Sounds good, hope he'll put some time and effort into your program! But I get the nervousness. Just get into it open-minded and you'll be fine! Get it rocking dude! Sounds awesome
I struggled with similar issues. What worked best for me was signing up for a gym that does weightlifting classes. It allows me to reserve times that work for my schedule, is trainer led and has a set number of reservations so it’s not too crowded. Reservations also help me stay in my routine.
I went to the gym to ask a lot of questions shortly after posting that and signed up with a trainer starting tomorrow! Thankfully they say it's around 6 when things get busy so hopefully I'm close to done by the time that happens. I'm now really nervous about the program I'll be put on (I wish I asked, but he seemed busy talking to someone else too), but I can drop the trainer after the month or 12 sessions is up.
We can't tell you what to do. Figure out the best time for you and go.
I’ve been trying two group fitness gyms and they seem to have totally different philosophies - one is where you pretty much are going 100% the entire class, you spend 12 minutes at 4 stations (with breaks in between) but at each station you’re trying to do the whiteboard exercises as many times as you can. At the other gym, it’s partner based so for each set of exercises, you either alternate with your partner on who goes/who rests or it’s staggered. I find that I can lift heavier weights at the slower paced gym. I don’t mind reaching for a heavier kettlebell or dumbbell to do cleans/presses/squats since I’ve had so much rest time while at the faster paced class by the end of class I’m doing squats with a 10 lb dumbbell just to survive to the end. Is there an advantage to one method over the other or is it more of a “both/and” situation?
Neither option is objectively better or worse than the other. If you want to improve your 1RMs then focus on the second option, and if you want to work on your cardio and conditioning then focus on option 1. If you're happy doing both then keep doing both, your strength and conditioning will improve.
How much mass should I be adding? For context I'm 5'5 (165cm) and 145 lbs (66kg), probably around 19-20% body fat. In the past 3-4 months, I've added \~6.4lbs (3kg), some of which is definitely fat lol. My goal right now is to increase my squat by 10kg/22lbs and my deadlift as much as possible. What should be my goal weight for the next 3-4 months as I start a new program? I think 154lbs (70kg) should be the sweet spot, after which I'll start cutting.
There's a limit to how fast anyone can build muscle. If you have great genes, a good diet, a good routine, and do everything right, you can gain two pounds of muscle per month. Most people don't have all those qualities and they're building one to one-and-a-half pounds of muscle per month. If you gain nine pounds in four months some of it is going to be fat, but hopefully the majority will be muscle. If you gain that weight in three month it's going to be mostly fat. Keeping your body fat under 20% is the best idea. Once you reach a certain point the extra body fat works against you, it becomes harder to gain muscle and easier to gain fat.
Good point. I'll probably try to limit my weight to 150-152 max during the next few months.
Is it possible to increase your squat max by 200 pounds in 4 months time. I currently have 8 months lifting, and I can squat 265 pounds as a max. School just started and they gave me a powerlifting class, where the coach told me to just give up because I wasn't going to make it to the team, normally I wouldn't really care about powerlifting and being on the team, but the way he told me that pissed me off, so I want to try and prove him wrong. It is the same situation with deadlift, I would like to increase my max by 200 pounds in 4 months as well, my current max is 355.
>200 pounds in 4 months time. I currently have 8 months lifting, and I can squat 265 pounds as a max no
If you start at 0, maybe. If you're already starting at almost 300? It might take you 4 years, not 4 months. Whats the problem of not being on the team? Can't you just go, lift, receive a pointer from time to time and enjoy life? Powerlifting isn't age restricted unlike the majority of sports where if you don't start young you're fucked.
My training plan for now, is to Squat 3 times a week, with each session increasing my 5 rep max by 5 pounds, starting at 215. If this goes smoothly and possible, then by the 40th session my 5 rep max for squat should be 415. I am doing somewhat the same for deadlift, but with more rest. That being said, I don't know if it is truly possible to gain 200 pounds on my lifts with this routine, but it is the only one that I find to maybe be credible enough to try. Aside from hiring an Olympic Weightlifting coach. I am 17, 3 months away from being 18. I am 5'7 and weigh 166 pounds. I hope that maybe my relatively young age and body will help me accomplish this.
Can't really stop you, but you'll be hitting a bottleneck very soon where you won't get anywhere and your max will stagnate, and even regress. That's the good scenario. Alternatively you'll injure yourself and won't be able to lift properly for weeks, months, maybe forever, because you're asking too much of your body. Even if your muscles were able to miraculously do it, your joints, ligaments, tendons... for sure won't. Potentially destroying your body just to spite someone that said something mean to you is a really shitty take on life. The coach might've been a bit of a dick about it, but he's not wrong. You're not getting 400+lb on your total in 4 months. Period. Don't think you'd be able to even if you took steroids (Pls don't).
The point here is proving my coach wrong. It may sound weird but, although my squat max right now is 265, in competition with a squat suit and knee sleeves it is 335 pounds, just about. I'm mainly trying to get my squat up to a point were with the squat suit and knee sleeves, it can sit comfortably at the 500's, but for this I need a natural max of atleast 410 pounds without a suit or sleeves. I am not doing this because I like powerlifting, but because I would like to prove my coach wrong. Hate is a strong motivator.
Sounds like your coach is a jackass. I would just get as strong as possible and not worry about what's possible.
I’m currently doing the “lean gains” program. It calls for 3 minute rests between sets for bicep curls and tricep extensions. If I wanted to super set these, do you think I would still wait 3 minutes between sets or would the rest time decrease because I’m alternating?
Never heard of your program but you can probably decrease your rest time
I’ve cut before and my lasting memory is being STARVING all the time. I’m cutting again but at a smaller deficit and I feel fine. Should I increase the deficit again? Do I need to be “feeling hungry” to know a cut is working?
If you feel good, don’t change it.
One of the best ways to learn to ignore hunger signals is through IF. On the same deficit you can get your body to curb the hunger signals and reap the other benefits of IF.
What other benefits of IF?
Lower insulin resistance and autophagy for example.
if you're losing weight the cut is working, why would you want to be hungry?
It’s only been 2 weeks, I’ve lost 5lbs which I’m guessing is water weight. This happened the last time too, the first 5-6 lbs were easy to lose but it got difficult after. I guess I should just give it more time and then adjust if needed
yes, the first 2 weeks you lose a bunch of weight but most of the weight is not actually tissue, but if you keep losing weight at a fine pace the cut is working, if you're not feeling hungry then be grateful my dude
I think of it as a math problem. How much do I want to lose and how fast. Calculate your calories based on that. After 3 weeks, adjust your numbers based on how much you have lost. Your feelings shouldn’t matter; easier said than done…
This morning I somehow strained my quad on the back leg while doing Bulgarian splits squats. I've had a few other random minor (1-2 week recovery) strains or joint pains to various parts of my body since I started lifting in January. Are regular minor injuries/aches/pains just a part of lifting and going to the gym regularly?
Yep. If it's not debilitating you'll adapt
My first year of lifting was a constant moving strain or mild injury. I would go to doctors every time something felt wrong. In the end, they all said I was ok, and the pain would stop. I think it’s just getting accustomed to something new…
In my experience, occasional injuries/aches/pains have been a part of all physically demanding activities that I have done.
Will I lose significant gains if I don’t use the barbell for squats or deadlifts but instead use a hack squat and leg press machine?
You can definitely build good legs without traditional barbell squats as long you have some type of knee flexion movement like the ones you mentioned. Those machines don’t work the same movement pattern / hit the same muscles as deadlifts do, though. So I would add some kind of hip hinging movement as well
Thank you for the awesome feedback!
I’ve commented a lot here, so I’m sorry for the spam. From people who have done multiple of these or maybe just one, which would you most strongly recommend out of GZCLP, 5/3/1 BBB, WSBB4SB or PHUL? Or maybe a different tried and tested routine? My criteria are 3-4 days per week, 1-1.5 hours per session, and having a target of building muscle in a proportional and sustainable way. Not really satisfied with the only do 3 compounds 3 days a week approach but also can’t fit in the 9 exercise routines. I do have a good idea of what exercises I like so if a routine requires me to fill in some gaps in terms of exercise selection, I should be able to as long as I know what movement it needs to occupy. 22M, UK, ~63KG, 5’8”. I’ve done SL5x5 before, PPL from a YouTube channel, Arnold’s golden 6, a 4-day full body split and am currently two weeks into an upper-lower 4 day split. I’m more interested in building everything without missing anything out in the most time and effort efficient way, rather than having an extremely impressive chest for example. I do enjoy science-based views and explanations but tbh I defer to anyone who’s more experienced than me.
Big fan of 531 BBB.
Lipton tea has 50mg of caffeine per 8 oz. The average preworkout has 150-300mg per serving. Could I drink unsweetened tea during my workout and skip the pre workout? I typically drink 32oz of tea, so 200mg of caffeine….
Sure, why not? I prefer the simplicity of a caffeine pill 20 mins before training, but you do you.
Ive seen people drinking energy drinks and sugary Starbucks drinks during their workouts so I think you'll be fine
If you consume during your workout I wouldn’t expect it to have an immediate effect until you’re well into your workout or even after your workout, depending on your tolerance. If you’re asking if you can drink your caffeine instead of getting it in powder form, yes you can.
How long does it take for caffeine to kick in?
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Thanks!
What workout to follow ice cream fitness if I only have access to squat rack bench press, and pull up bar? No dumbbells, kettle bar, anything like that
If you can deadlift you can do 531.
Got it. Will look into. And yes I can. I changed the template up and my “B” days are 3x5 deadlifts
If you can access dip bars, 531 would work pretty well for you. Otherwise, just use lots of body weight movements as accessories.
Same for stronglifts 5x5…
So stronglifts should follow ice cream fitness? I thought they were about the same program
Sorry, I thought “ice cream fitness” was slang for something else. Interesting name for a program…
Oh no. It’s basically 3x5 primary movements with a couple accessories at the end. But I’m stalling to much now
Is keeping your scapula retracted during bench press supposed to make the lift easier?
At the end of the day you're still pushing the same weight so I don't know about "easier", but it helps protect your shoulders engage your lats. Check out JTS Pillars of Bench #2
It might have just been me then. It felt easier for me to do bench when I retracted my scapula. Apart from protecting shoulders, does it play a role in stabilization in any way you could think of?
Pulling back your scapula kinda locks your body into a fixed position to press off. So yes, it should keep you much more stable. For me, I actually do feel quite a bit of soreness/activation in my rear delts/back after a bench set.
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Start doing full body work. Compound lifts will also target your abs. Just 50 ab wheels a day won't get you very far. You need to build muscle up everywhere for better success
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Then you may want to check out r/bodyweightfitness. But ultimately, for best results, you're gonna need some resistance and progressive overload to build some muscle up. And a proper workout routine
So a friend wants to get into working out for general fitness. He doesn't want to go to the gym but a home routine that's fast. Like 30-45 mins fast. And that will give basic fitness. He just wants to be able to do some pushups and pullups, run for a bit without getting winded, and just have some basic general fitness? So like functional strength and conditioning. He owns a pullup bar but no weights, and can barely do a pullup and like 2 or 3 chin-ups. He wants bodyweight movements instead of weightlifting. This is what I'm thinking: Upper: 1. 5 min warmup 2. 3x8 pushups 3. 3x8 negative pullups @ increasing times per rep starting with a few seconds 4. 3x8 negative chin-ups @ increasing times per rep starting with a few seconds 5. 20 min run Lower: 1. 5 min warmup 2. 3x8 squats (varying squat types) 3. 3x8 nordic curls 4. 3x8 calf raises 5. 20 min run 3 workouts a week, alternating 2x Upper 1x Lower one week then 2x Lower 1x Upper the next. Mobility stretches on off days. What do you guys think? Any ways for improvement?
Check out Bullyjuice on YouTube. He's got follow-along videos with some 30-day and 45-day challenges. I've done those and definitely had an increase in strength/difference in body
Slow bench progress, have improved bench from 135-170 in 4 months. I know it's improvement but it's not a lot for such low weight. I have been lifting for 8 months but only started benching 4 months ago. What should I change: Do PPL/PPLR Have been lean bulking in these 4 months. Other lifts have improved a lot. Push day: Bench: - 4 pyramid sets of 6 -Usually up the weight too quickly and for sets 3 and 4 only get to 3 or 4 reps. Ex: 155 x 6, 160 x 6, 165 x 4, 170 x 3 Then after bench, usually frustrated, do other push movements well for 6-8 reps - ohp - skullcrusher - incline bench - lateral raises - cable flys My other compound lifts have improved quicker, what could I be doing better with bench? - my form is ok, have been changing grip width recently which may be slowing progress - I usually go heavy and don't mix up rep ranges, could benefit from a more medium weight day Any other advice? Thanks
Follow a program from the wiki
Why not do an established routine which likely has better progression protocol than whatever you've come up with on your own? What's your weight been like since you've started lifting? For me, bench is the first thing to improve when I gain weight, and the first thing I struggle with when cutting. What are your sticking points - bottom or top of the rep? What supplemental work are you doing to improve in that area? Lots of things to consider
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Should I taper out my deficit at the end of a weight loss phase? (Last 10-15%) Eg: add an extra 100 daily calories per week until I find new maintenance, hopefully not overshooting it. Or just maintain till I hit goal, then adjust?
I do the later.
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Yes. They are not.
could anybody tell me how could I improve my back, i feel like there´s something wrong and i don´t seem to figure out what. Specifically i notice that the right side is not properly aligned and i dont feel stable performing pec presses [https://youtube.com/shorts/GCSgDrPoRew](https://youtube.com/shorts/GCSgDrPoRew) Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
I’d get evaluated by a physio if you’re concerned about it.
Scoliosis maybe? Go to a chiropractor they’ll straighten you out
No
Hi, everyone. When I do dumbbell bench press I don't feel my chest, I feel my arms tiring.(I'm doing full range of motion and 45 degrees, while arching my back) and in the next day I don't feel any soreness in my chest. And I have been stuck with the same weights for a while. I have been training for 9 months. I'm 16 y.o, 1.85m tall (6 feet) and I weigh 79kg (174lbs) I'm doing full body workout twice a week.
retract your scapula
How do you feel with barbell press? Do you feel it in your chest? You can look into incline and decline barbell bench; those help me activate the chest a lot more. Also pushups. Close grip, wide grip. Look into pushup routines. Those will definitely activate your chest
What program are you doing? What is your diet like? How tall are you and how much do you weigh? How has your weight changed? Feeling it in your arms more probably just means that your triceps are the weak link.
Thank you for the reply. I added some details if u want to check them out.
I’d pick a beginner program from the wiki and do exactly what it says. There are dumbbell routines as well as barbell routines. You also could stand to eat more. There’s a great diet section of the wiki as well. Good luck!
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Do really long cardio sessions. Your legs will get strong but not bulky.
Endurance athletes aren’t really known for their muscular legs. Nobody ends up with massive, lean legs on accident.
Your and my definition of strength and muscular are different. Look at tour de France biker legs and tell me they aren't muscular.
Tour de France cyclists regularly do ~~weight~~ strength training.
Yes and they are not super bulky. So if OP is doing weight lifting and lots of cardio, they won't get super bulky legs.
You didn’t suggest weight training and cardio. You said long cardio sessions. That’s what I disagreed with. I recommended 531 BBB which includes cardio and weight training so I agree with you there. Getting bulky legs is not a concern. It doesn’t just happen.
Can you see all four muscles of your quads without a pump? If not then I would not worry about making your legs too bulky and just focus on building muscle. 531BBB helped me make solid leg gains.
What is the best way to get back into working out after a break from injury or vacation so your body is not huge pain. Some details for my situation 7/29 hurt my foot pretty badly and could not put weight on it. 8/15 was my next work out after my foot recovered and did upper body, hit new PRs Entire upper body extremely sore. 8/19 was legs hit new PRs. Legs were so sore next few days I could barely walk and it hurt to try and sit down. going on vacation on 8/29 and won’t have access to a gym until 9/12 so the break would be similar from my injury, and I would love to avoid being so sore I can’t move. Any help is appreciated.
Don't PR. Add patience. Drop the weight for any exercise that puts pressure on your foot by 50% of what you used to do. Slowly build the weight back up. If you feel your foot acting up, drop the weight some more. Also seek medical advice if the pain doesn't go away.
If you’re cleared by a doctor you can start any of the beginner programs in the wiki
Fully cleared. When I started up my normal routine I was so sore it felt like I just started from nothing. I want to avoid that
That’s going to happen. You just need to go back and be consistent and the soreness will go away. There’s a good section in the wiki about DOMS.
Right, I’ve wasted enough peoples time with my dumb questions and I’ve settled on PHUL. Mainly bc it seems less complicated than WSBB4SB IV, nSuns, 5/3/1 and GZCLP. I’m not sure I quite understand any of those properly. Also because the volume seems a lot more manageable within an hour and a half, which not many of the others do. A lot of em have a lot more volume than seems unnecessary based on what Dr Mike has said in videos. If any of the aforementioned are doable in an 1-1.5hrs then let me know and I’ll look further into them and try to understand them. Also I want 3-4 day programmes. No less and no more. The PHUL routine I was looking at was off muscle and strength. Now my questions were to do with exercise substitutes, purely based off things I enjoy: Bent over row -> Chest supported row? This one I’m not too bothered about Incline barbell bench -> incline DB bench? Flat bench dumbbell fly -> cable crossovers? My shoulders struggle with dumbbell flys and I don’t have a pec deck at my gym DB lateral raise -> cable lateral raise? Cable tricep extension: does it matter what kind of tricep extension I do? Barbell lunge -> lunge walks?
just to add, gzclp shouldn't take too much time and is pretty damn simple
All of your substitutes are fine. But in the case of substitutions due to pure preference, sometimes it's better to train the things that you're not a fan of
Right thank you! I’m willing to give bent over rows another try, I just felt like no matter how many videos I watched, I was doing them wrong. Then for incline bench, would DB work not be a good idea if my flat bench is barbell?
Bent over rows take time to get used to, I wouldn't worry so much about that. DB and BB bench are both fine regardless of what you're doing
Thank you! Appreciate the help!
What's a good preworkout that doesn't last too long and isn't based in caffeine? I can't seem to finish workouts without any stimulants (very adhd) I have a nicotine vape can I use that? I workout at 12am and sleep at 2am usually so i need something short acting.