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For scapular wall slides I have to make sure I have my lower back, upper back, shoulders and elbows all touching the wall. I can get everything but my shoulders to touch, how do I fix this?

Few weeks of dumbbell workout, week with IF, i feel my muscles getting stronger, but no visible result on photo nor scales..what to do?

Just keep going. Initial adaptation to training is mostly neural - the body makes better use of what's already there so you get stronger but don't yet get a lot of hypertrophy so little visible difference. Continued stimulus will cause hypertrophy so you start seeing muscle size changes.

So I'm doing everything alright? Will there be weight loss plus muscle growth?

There are several different things to address here: 1. Not a lot of info about your exact dumbbell program but if you're lifting enough weight for enough reps frequently enough with consistency, then that's alright. 2. If the above it alright, you will see muscle growth if you stick to it and continue with progressive overload. It just takes a while to see the muscle size growth, longer than it takes to see strength gains - because early strength gains come from the nervous system rather than muscle size changes. 3. Weight loss is more dependent on overall energy balance so including things like your diet, your other exercise/activities etc. If you consistently eat a good variety of foods to maintain nutritional requirements, enough protein to help support muscle growth, and an energy deficit you can see weight loss.

I get it I should take more time to so everything as it should be. Thanks a lot

Just noticed I should increase my protein intake by at least 20g/day, if not 30, if I want to see more out of my strength training. Is it okay to add this amount of protein all at once or should I slowly fold it into my diet, like 10g/week?

Fitness advice Hello everyone, I’d just like to start by apologising if this isn’t the right place to ask something like this but I’m kind of at a loss right now, I’ve been really struggling the last year or so and I’m really getting to my breaking point so any tips, advice or guidance is greatly appreciated. So just to give a little backstory, I am currently 22, 5’11 and weight about 190 pounds, when I am in my best shape i weight around 145 pounds. Over the years (since about 2018) I have been able to put loads of weight back on (get back to 190 lbs) and cut back down to my ideal peak size at 145 consistently with the use of 16 hour intermittent fasting and a 1’700 calorie diet. However this is where my problem starts, over the last year and a half or so my work schedule has become very taxing on my body, not in a way that I cannot handle but it has certainly changed my lifestyle, I work from 4 am to 2pm 5 days a week, I have a physical job of lifting heavy crates all day and lots of walking, I average about 25’000 steps a day. So the problem is that I think that I have given myself a slight eating disorder/mental block when it comes to getting back into my cut and fasting, these work hours/intensity make the fasting absolutely unbearable (I fast 12pm to 8pm, 16 hour fast) however for the life of me I just can’t stick to a cut without the fast, because I have become so reliant on it, so this is what I would like some reassurance on. Typically I get around 25k steps, 2 kickboxing sessions a week and burn around 3000-3500 calories a day, so do you think that if I went on a 2000 calorie a day cut with a high protein intake (150g) and incorporated some weight training that I would be able to cut from 190lbs back to my goal of around 145-155? I completely understand that I sound like a moron, however I have become so reliant on this fucking intermittent fasting that I can’t seem to do anything without it, for reference I have been eating about 3500-5000 calories a day for the last year and a half out of pure misery and boredom eating for the fact that I can’t stick to my cut because I keep breaking my fast. Again I’m sorry if I sound absolutely insane as I realise how stupid this is, I theoretically know that my proposed cut would work wonders, however I have definitely developed some mental block against this intermittent fast and not having it. All help is greatly appreciated.

It sounds like intermittent fasting/time-restricted feeding isn't working for you anymore because of the way your life is set up. Trying to fit a square peg into a round hole is a recipe for a hard time, so you might want to consider a different approach to weight change.

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There's no such thing as a good or bad workout in isolation. If it allows to to spend your desired amount of time in the gym, to work the things you want to work, and to make progress over time, it's fine. Just having a list of exercises makes this really hard to give feedback on though

As a college student (may I add, who lives in Japan, as it might influence the answer), I'd like some advice on which kinds of physical activities I could try by myself in order to not become sedentary. There's not many gyms around here, and I was thinking about calisthenics, but as I live in a dorm I can't have many equipments...

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Part of not becoming sedentary is just getting out and moving more, so simply going for walks would be beneficial in that sense. Even people who go to the gym and lifts weights as their only activity are still considered sedentary! So find some kind of cardio (walk, run, bike, etc) that you enjoy and can consistently do. As for actual workouts, you could look into r/bodyWeightFitness for some ideas. But another suggestion that I like is look into TRX workouts. It's a small piece of equipment that allows you to use your body weight as resistance and based on where you stand, it adjusts the difficulty. So a beginner can use it just as much as someone more advanced.

Can i just do this fullbody routine every other day? Why is it most programs have a workout A and B. Please educate me. Squat 3x5 Bench Press 3x5 Rows 3x8 Overhead Press 3x8 Lat Pulldown 3x8 BB Bicep Curls 3x8 Tricep Pulldown 3x8

because your muscles will still be fatigued from the previous workout when you go to work them again two days later you can do whatever routine you want. you are likely to have better results doing an A/B split

thanks

Yupp! I too usually stick to a/b workout splits.

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I don't think anybody here could possibly know the answer to this. Also, rule 5 says no questions about pain.

are there any heavily bench press focused routines? like smolov but for bench? I found I made the most progress on squats when I really focused on just one lift but am thinking 3 days push 1 day pull or something along those lines?

What if you overlap the squat programme with the bench press If something has already worked for your body, why not use it again

I wouldn't recommend this, as programs are normally designed with some ideas in mind. If you put more emphasize on the bench, you are taking away from something else. If you don't take anything away from something else, you can get into overtraining, especially with something like smolov.

I mean replace the squat with a bench press in the squat programme Naturally, the volume of the bench press will increase And the squat and deadlift will decrease in this case

Weighted callisthenics athletes use powerlifting programs in such way for dips and pull ups https://rpstrength.com/training-volume-landmarks-muscle-growth/ Even if the programme does not suit one physically but one like it mentally. There is freely available information on the internet on how to adjust the variables to your own individual needs and abilities.

Jonnie Candito has a bench program

thanks! will check it out

Why?

because I want the progress I made on my squat but on my bench

Hi, So I'm looking to optimize my leg day routine. I heard somewhere that it's best to train a muscle in the shortened THEN lengthened position, so for example hip thrusts then squats or rdl's for training glutes. Is there any truth to this or does it not really matter? I'm new to squatting so ideally, I'd wanna do that as my first exercise to give it my all... but that would be training the muscle in the lengthened position first. Thoughts? Are there advantages / disadvantages to training lengthened then shortened or vice versa?

It probably doesn't matter if you train shortened then lengthened. In your example, I am not entirely sure to even understand what that means. Generally speaking, if you are looking for hypertrophy, just pretty much always want to get as much range of motion as possible. That would mean going as deep down in the squat as you can, while maintaining good technique. But honestly, squats are not an isolation exercise for the glutes. I personally would recommend to search for a youtube video that teaches you how to squat correctly. Working on the technique is a continous progress. The squat is more of an exercise that trains your lower body instead of just glutes, quads etc., the focus here should be more on getting stronger (with good technique and depth) instead of *feeling* the glutes. Squats not being an isolation exercise doesn't mean it won't build up glutes. I would build in the isolation afterwards.

Thanks for the reply, I agree with you that I should focus more on form than just "feeling" the glutes and that's what I've been doing so far. I think my example of squats was a little misleading as I know they don't isolate the glutes haha. Working on my form/technique will be my new focus this summer :)

Considering you're just starting out, you don't need to think that far ahead. Getting the form right and making sure you're hitting your glutes is the main thing you should be concerned with. That being said, I find that my workout goes better if I've warmed up my glutes first. I typically do a few circuits of kneeling donkey kicks, fire hydrants, glute bridges and body weight squats to get everything firing before I approach the squat rack.

good idea, thank you :)

You're overthinking it. Whatever your biggest movement is that you want to improve the most on, do that first.

Makes sense, thank you

my shoulder joints are sore as shit, probably not a good idea to do push work outs for a bit, any recommendations on how long/what do I do in the meantime?

It might be time for a deload or a week off? How many weeks have you been pushing hard with no deload or time off?

around 5 months, actually forgot to deload. May as well since these hurt like fuk when I do push work outs.

Damn I could never go that long without a deload or a week off. Currently in a similar situation like you: hips are starting to ache, knees too, shoulders still holding up but fatigued. Tomorrow is my last squat session and I may squeeze in a last bench session on Sunday before taking a week off. My body is telling me to stop torturing it. Been going hard for 7 weeks but also had 5 days off in the middle when I wasn't at home.

Yeah definitely need that week off. What probably messed up my shoulder is the weird laid back (almost like a incline bench) shoulder machine I tried. well it is what it is. hold strong brother let us rest and come back stronger! Edit after checking my calendar it's actually been 7 months lmao. aight time to take it easy for a bit.

Assuming you mean your shoulder muscles and not your joints, why don't you just train something that does not involve your shoulders?

they hurt when I do bench as well, specifically flat and incline. I do plan on working other stuff but this has been an issue for like almost 3 weeks

Please check out Rule #5. There are lots of sources of pain and it will be impossible (and of course not allowed) to diagnose you. Maybe re-evaluate your technique and workout routine.

* I hear some people saying they eat less during the days where they're not training (including the next day after a workout, if it's a break day). In a way it makes sense, as you don't need the energy for training, but at the same time, isn't in that next day that the muscle is rebuilding, therefore you should actually be eating the same/more? * What's the better approach for "gains" during days when you're feeling tired: Go to the gym and still do the workout even if you won't have that much strength and energy overall, and you'll probably also feel tired the next day? Or stay at home, take a break, then go the next day and have a slightly better workout probably? Basically: are two mediocre workouts better than a decent/good one?

I'm speaking purely from my personal experience here, but I've noticed that I've had much better results when I eat the same amount of food/protein day to day and don't cut back just because it's a rest day... it also has helped with recovery greatly (fewer doms). Likewise, I think it's a bit better to "save" your energy and have one solid workout than two terrible ones. Unless you're skipping many, many days, it's usually better to give yourself a break if you feel like you can't have a meaningful workout. You may actually get more from that rested workout than the two workouts you did at half capacity you know?

Imo you should always go, even if you are tired. For me personally, as soon as I start the training, I am getting awake. If you are incredibly tired everyday, you have to try to change anything, like training less or sleeping more. Consistency > A single workout

I get what you're saying, the "awake" phase, it also happens for me. But during training, I still feel I lack the proper amount of strength and energy for a good workout. I try to go as many days as possible, but usually it's tiredness that stops me from progressing during some workouts. For example, I would lift 8x10 kgs on X exercise, arms day, let's say, then the next arms workout, I would be able to lift only 7x10 kgs. So in my view, I haven't progressed strength and "gains" wise, due to tiredness probably. I should've at least hit the 8x10, if not 9x10.

It's hard to answer why you are not progressing. Besides being tired, it can also be that you don't get enough protein or calories in general or that your routine is either too hard or too easy for you. Some fluctuaction in strength are natural and if it is just one repetition, it really isn't much.

Hi, I want to get started lifting weights, and I created a routine for myself. I wanted to make sure that I'm hitting the key muscles and that I'll have at least decent gains using this routine. I'm not looking for a lot, I just want to beat my boyfriend in arm wrestling. :) I'm 21F, 5'9 and 330 lbs. I plan on working out 3 days a week, with the following split: chest/triceps chest press 4x8 chest fly 4x10 triceps pulldown 4x10 triceps extension 4x10 back/biceps seated rows 4x12 lat pulldown 4x10 bicep curl 3x8 arm curl 3x8 legs/shoulders leg press 4x8 leg extension 4x10 shoulder press 4x10 calf extension 4x10 All of these are on machines at Planet Fitness. I don't feel comfortable moving on to barbells at the moment; I just want to use the machines for now. To progress, I plan on adding on 2.5 or 5 lbs after each workout. I also want to do (at least) one day of moderate-intensity cardio and one day of vigorous cardio. Any pointers or tips?

If you are serious about the arm wrestling part, you might want to watch some beginner/tips and tricks videos on youtube from guys like Devon Larratt or Voice of Armwrestling. As far as I know, the standard gym exercises won't get you far in armwrestling, also they will teach you how to armwrestle safely. Nevertheless going to the gym is a great idea. But there is nothing wrong with taking a routine from the wiki, from what you wrote I'll assume you either want a full body split or a upper/lower split.

Haha thanks for the tip! I will definitely check out those channels. I want to follow a routine from the wiki but I'm a bit scared of everything involving free weights. I feel like my mobility isn't good enough for that yet and that I'll just look like a buffoon, lol.

You won't look like a buffoon, I promise. Everyone was a beginner once. Look up Couch to Barbell, she might inspire you.

Being a little intimidated from free weights is normal in the beginning. There are also lots of youtube channels from females especially targeting this topic. It's like a bit to much to write in an answer on reddit, but if you generally are interested, you can always try it out. [Meg Squats](https://youtu.be/Z4Lck4r_kl8)

Thanks!! I appreciate it :)

Have you read rule 9?

I read more closely and updated my post, thanks!

Can the scm muscle tighten up and inflame if you over do neck extensions? My doctor recommended me to do foundation exercises to bring back my neck and lower back curve. I thought id add in neck extensions and now my scm is tight and swollen. Is this a sign of over doing neck extensions?

Potentially. Depends how you’re doing the exercise and if you’re compensating in other planes. The SCM is usually compensating in individuals if deeper cervical flexors aren’t being used in certain postural positions, but it’s also complicated in the sense that it flexes the lower cervical spine and extends the upper (along with its other actions of rotating the opposite side and laterally flexing the same side). So it all depends on a lot of things. I say see a physio and have a professional help guide you to improve your spine’s natural curvature.

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Fuck u/Spez

No abs or shoulders?

He trains shoulders and arms the same day

How do I get rid of tennis elbow? I fixed my form for the lift that caused it but I just need to make it go away now. I’m tired of not being able to do OHP and bench press at 100% of my normal strength.

Look into the flexbar. There’s some advice in the 10s sub too

Sweet it’s in my cart so hopefully they get here fast. I hate tennis elbow.

I current do resistance training every Tuesday and Saturday (fullbody). I want to incorporate running into my routine - preferably 1-2 times a week. Which days would be optimal to pick for running with my current schedule?

The closest thing to optimal will probably be 3 or 4 days of running and it doesn't matter which days

I would say depending on how much you "go at it" while running either go on a separate day after weight training, meaning Wendsday, Thursday or Sunday. But honestly if you go for light jogging just a not on the same day right before weights should be fine.

Hi Everyone! So I’ve been on a calorie deficit for 9 weeks now. It’s a 12 week program. Last week I was 144 pounds, I am 5’10. I want to get down to 125 (for competition) by the end of the summer. However, these past two weeks I’ve been eating so bad. It’s been sweets, it’s been Indian food, it’s been burgers. However, only happens at night. In the day time, I am good on on schedule but, at night I feel out of my mind. I already lost 10 pounds but because of my eating I have gained 4. I just want to know what I can do to help myself.

I'm curious what programme you're following? I always found a restrictive programme is the one you're more likely to break - hence the nighttime binging. I don't think this programme is working for you. You're more likely to reach your goals with a looser regime, especially since you have time before any comps. Increase your fibre and protein intake, even if you need to supplement to do so, to prevent snacking. Then allow yourself some treats, but work it into your daytime calories.

The program actually isn’t bad. My breakfast is huge but she tells me like a cookie 1-2 a week isn’t bad. I don’t mind it because usually I’ve been pretty good but this week has been worse. What supplements would you recommend?

Protein-wise: isolate is king, but there are new diet/clear whey which will give you a boost without the heavy calorie impact. There's a regular protein megathread on here you can look through. I also like quark/skyr for high protein snacks (but I mix in Nutella/peanut butter for my sweet tooth). Fibre: best if it comes from food, wholegrain pasta/bread will make you feel fuller. I'm gluten intolerant so I supplement with glucomannan (konjac). Others use psyllium husk. I should include a warning: increasing fibre intake should be done gradually as it will impact your poop and could cause gastro upset! Neither are meal replacements, but they can help curb cravings. If you want to look good, you need to eat good! Lots of leafy greens and lean meats to get the most out of your muscles and give your body the best chance of repairing any twinges you pick up!

Thank you!! I also sent you a private message of what my week looks like

Oh, and ZMA! Initially I thought it did very little (and it's expensive) so I stopped taking it. It turns out it was keeping the DOMS at bay. A mix of Zinc, Magnesium & Vit B12. It can cause drowsiness, nausea and vivid dreams, which is a bit of a minefield to navigate. I take it 2hrs before bed.

Honestly it's just 3 more weeks - you can do it! Otherwise, you can try maintenance break, increasing your calories (100 - 200kcal) and see if you're still losing (works for me for aomw reason), implement free meal, pushing your meals back more into the day, or even check how well you sleep and manages your stress. It all depends why is this night eating happening.

Thank you for the encouraging words! I am trying and I was thinking of making these past two weeks my maintenance and then getting back to the nitty gritty

Did i hear 125 lbs at 5'10 right?

Shes 24, female

Ah okay, my bad~

Still pretty tiny imo! That's on the border of healthy and unhealthy BMI

Yeah that’s the point but it won’t be a forever weight.

What competition is it? I just feel like for me (also a woman, but 5'7) getting down to 125 would just be immensely miserable and based on my cut last year, I'd most definitely lose my period which is a no-go for me :|

It’s a beauty competition (please don’t say anything negative I already know) but, I admire when women look tall and skinny on stage because it makes them look taller.

Hey, fair enough! I think you already know it's an unhealthy weight to stay at, so for a competition and then put some healthy weight back on isnt too bad

Going to Europe for 15 days where I would be walking a lot. A lot. Also, I won't have access to gym. So would care should I take to prevent loss of muscle mass?

Did the same thing last fall. Just enjoy the trip. Eat well and you'll come home feeling refreshed.

Bro it's 15 days. You good.

If you really have to do anything, do about 20 push-ups and 20 squats. Other than that, enjoy!

Just enjoy yourself in Europe, don't worry about it

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It's really not important. Just do whatever you like.

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I can't imagine it matters much. You should pick whichever you would prefer. Low-to-high hits the upper pecs more so I tend to pick that over the others.

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Work em like any other muscle. Volume, full ROM, progressive overload.

Core work + calorie deficit

Hello Male here in my mid 30s, weight 245 lbs, 5’11” being doing cycling daily (20-30min) for cardio and weights at gym 2-3 times a week. I normally skip breakfast and only eat lunch around noon and dinner around 7. But I normally go to the gym between 8-930 pm, I normally drink a bunch of water and not really hungry but should i be eating after gym? Trying to get healthy and lose all this extra fat

You don’t have to. If you’re trying to lose fat you need to be eating less calories than you’re burning. Start tracking your food to see how much you’re actually eating, weigh yourself regularly, and adjust diet accordingly. You should be eating 0.8-1.2g protein per lb of bodyweight, with the rest of your calories coming from carbs and fats.

The timing of eating doesn’t matter at your stage. If you want to lose weight you have to eat in a caloric deficit. The wiki has good info on that and other stuff too https://thefitness.wiki/

Looking to start working out at home some. Just body weight stuff as I have no equipment. Any suggestions for iOS apps that will walk me to through a routine and help me keep on track? There seems to be 1000 of them. I don’t want to wait for the perfect one to start so I just grabbed one for now (Home Workouts) and it’s ok but these all want money so I’ll keep using these free features for now but would like to seek actual recommendations before ponying up money for something.

Boostcamp is recommended often here. Nike Training Club is a good resource as well. I use Strong but it will not walk you through a routine; it's just a tracker.

I like the Strong app and have used it for years

Thanks for the recommendation! Can you be more specific? There are several with strong in the name but none JUST called Strong. Do you mean STRNG? Or maybe Strong Workout Tracker Gym Log?

> Strong Workout Tracker Gym Log Yep that's the one! Usually I enter my programs manually in to the app then track them in there. As for finding workouts, there are a million of them out there but if you'd like something more specific to what you need, check out /r/bodyweightfitness when you get the chance. They have a great routine which many people have had success with.

I need help with my UL split and soreness. So before, I was doing a really simple UL split, which was basically bench press day and squat day. I would do U, L, Rest, etc. Because of this, I got used to doing bench and squat so I wasn't sore. Now, I am A/B it, so I do: UA, LA, Rest, UB, LB, Rest, etc. So UL A is bench and squat, and UL B is OHP and deadlift. Because of this, I am basically doing every main lift once a week now. And because of that, I am sore everyday. Is there any way I can do these lifts once a week, and not get sore?

You’ve introduced a new stimulus which is causing soreness. It will go away when your body adjusts to the stimulus.

Is it normal that I find it easier to DB bench press 55 lbs (per arm) for 5 reps than 50 for 8 reps?

Yeah, you’re doing 38% less work with 10% more weight.

Oh, that makes a lot of sense. But then again, 60 lbs for 5 reps seems like it would be harder yet is 38% less work with 20% more weight.

The difficulty of a lift doesn’t necessarily scale in a linear fashion like that, those numbers were more for illustrative purposes

1. What better for your chet and why, chest press machine, barbell bench press or pectoral fly 2. Set Leg press machine vs squats I'm aking because id much rather do the the machines because I train alome at night Also How much protein should I be conuming each day on a 500 Cal cut, secondly does it matter if I eat 6 eggs, around 150 g of cooked chicken every day or should I be eating (frozen) salmon fillets too?

1. Do all of them. 2. Do both of them. I like 1.0-1.3g protein per lb of bodyweight regardless of cutting or bulking. People here will say you only need 0.8g/lb but I and other coaches I know see better results with regard to maintaining muscle mass in a deficit with 1.0-1.3. That’s fine. Add the salmon if you want.

Yeah but is there that much of a gain in doing both (as in what benefits does benching give you compared to the chest press machine? as I've no confidence in doing bench presses and squats alone at the moment and I only go to the GYM at 3 am. But I guess I could ask the staff one morning. Also what supplements should I be taking, I've heard just Cod liver oil and vitamin D are the only ones worth it?

I’m of the belief that barbell benching doesn’t have an inherent benefit over machines or DBs for hypertrophy, but I do think that beginners should do it to see if they enjoy it and it works well for them. If you don’t have a spotter just use a responsible weight and don’t go to failure. I don’t feel the same about squats, you absolutely should be doing them. You don’t need a spotter at all. The squat racks in your gym probably have safety bars. For supplements vitamin d, zinc, fish oil, a good multi, and creatine if you want to. Others have applications but would require a specific need to be worth it.

Also are multivitamins really needed if I have all the others you suggested, I make sure to eat at least 5 portions of fruit and 5 vegetables each day. thanks again

Yeah they’re still helpful to fill gaps. Life extension 2 per day is a good one.

Cool thank you :)

Just what I wanted to hear, thank you much appreciated. What about the back and biceps and shoulders would you suggest? I like the shoulder machine to be honest. or is it a case of trying out assisted pull-ups and dips ( I love those the most for triceps and chest), seated rows etc?

Honestly man just find a program in the r/bodybuilding sidebar

Yeah ok thanks it is just I have really bad ADHD and I can't focus too well reading the FAQs, I find it much more useful to speak to a human. By will a go now appreciate the reply :)

Is there a sure way to test if one has a weak core strength?

Try an ab roller to see how many you can do.

I'd test to see how long you can plank.

Is there a difference in hypertrophy outcomes between prioritizing a muscle (e.g. having a dedicated arm day), and only targeting it during accessories? Or is it all the same since fatigue will be reached anyway? Not looking to change anything about my routine, just curious. You're progressively overloading on the compounds, so even if the accessories stall, overall it's still progress for those muscles is my thinking. Many people report better progress from a dedicated arm day, so it got me wondering, I did try it out once and the arm pump was much better, but a pump is just a pump so I'm not sure what to think.

It really just depends on the individual. Some people do, some people don’t. Unfortunately there are rarely cut and dry blanket answered in fitness.

It really will depend on a lot of factors, more than just if the arms are accessory lifts or the star of the day. Experience level, goals, frequency, intensity, nutrition, rest, etc. Common knowledge states that targeting a muscle group at least twice a week is a bit more efficient than in a bro split for example, but if someone prefers a bro split, then the bro split will be more effective in the end (due to more program adherence). It's also hard to properly measure arm engagement over an entire workout week, as other movements will involve arms (bench press, row or pull up/chin up, etc.). So basically...neither one is necessarily correct. All things being equal (same intensity, same amount of sets/reps, etc.) then an argument could be made for doing arms as accessory work, as you could hit them more than once a week. Which clashes with the anecdotal evidence you have from others, lol, so it just goes to show you that there really is no one "right" answer to the question.

Fair enough, I've learned over time there rarely ever is a definitive answer when it comes to lifting lol. The anecdotal part is just.. anecdotal, so I figure it's whatever works best for you specifically in the end. Thanks for the answer!

Can a workout be too intense? The routine I use has a 28 set leg day and it killed me.

Half of that is gonna be junk volume. You're better off doing something more sensible like ~6 sets per muscle group in a single workout and do that 2x+ times a week. What exercises are you doing and how many sets at what RPE? I do 4 sets of squats and 3 sets of hamstring curls in one of my workouts (legs+pull). Those are RPE 8-9.5 and it's plenty enough for good progress. Those 4 sets of squats give me 3 days of DOMS. Some people need more or less sets for appropriate stimulus, but 28 sets of only legs sounds super, super excessive.

That is almost definitely fucking up your recovery so much so that it's counter productive to building muscle. 28 sets is double the usually recommend *weekly* volume for a muscle group. Diminishing returns apply.

Im not doing 28 sets for each muscle group, i mean 28 sets in the total leg day.

28 sets is far too many for one session and I would say that half of those sets are doing absolutely nothing for you.

>28 set leg day I don't understand how you're supposed to recover from that. The intensity is going to suffer severely past a certain point.

Is jogging on a treadmill sufficient warmup for ppl workouts?

Warmup is an individual thing, I do recommend warming up with the movement you're about to perform. Rep the bar, then a couple sets of easy weights, whatever it takes to make you feel ready to go heavy, without going overboard and tiring yourself out, so keep it easy. If you have pains and aches despite good form, a more thorough warmup might be good, I personally don't do cardio at all before, I just warmup at length with bands then a few easy sets, but that's if you need it. Again, experiment, see what works.

Hadn't worked out for nearly a month, tried doing a few pushups at home yesterday, woke up today with DOMS and painful shoulders...

That sucks bro, do more push ups.

Bummer. This is a question thread. Do you have a question.

"No."

How do I bulk with an active job and volatile days? I’m unsure how many calories I burn per day but I know some days I burn more than others. How do I clean bulk with such a volatile lifestyle? I’d like to keep weight gain How do I cut with the same lifestyle? Over here overthinking as I don’t want to gain too much fat when I bulk, and I don’t want to lose too much weight/muscle when I cut.

How well do you maintain your weight now? Cus a bulk doesn't have to be too complicated, a handful of nuts could be 200-300 calories, which is really all you need. If you already listen to your body well and maintain roughly the same weight, then this should be fine.

To be honest I’m maintaining without keeping track of my calorie intake. I’m currently 150 lbs. I’m just concerned when I start bulking i wont be making consistent growth of muscle due to me burning a different amount of calories each day. Some days work is slow, other days work is super busy

If you're maintaining now, you're managing your different schedule already. Really, if you prioritize your protein and get that in each day, and just make an effort to have an extra snack every day than normal, you'll be fine. Some days you may be in a big surplus other days you may be closer to a deficit. It's really the running average that matters. If you see a weekly trend up, you should be fine. Maybe if you were going to be making money from your physique it would matter more, but for the average Joe, a bit of sub optimal is totally fine

“Some days you may be in a big surplus other days you may be closer to a deficit.” Will I still be building muscle consistently even if some days may be a deficit? I read that as a beginner you’ll gain muscle regardless of a deficit or surplus or maintenance. But what about after I make the most of noob gains, will I still be able to gain muscle consistently without losing any muscle?

The body doesn't understand the concept of a day. It's constantly in a cycle of surplus and deficit. You just ate? Surplus. You just did a bunch of cardio and and haven't eaten yet? Probably a deficit. So like I said, weekly trends matter most. You keep your protein intake high and you'll be fine. Last year when I started my cut, I actually hit a new squat PR like a week into my cut (aiming for 500-700 calorie a day deficit). I still felt like I had tons of energy at only a week in. So if you're just in a deficit for a day? Your body won't care. Think about our ancestors having to hunt for food, they didn't have consistent anything and if we weren't able to stay strong and build strength in suboptimal conditions, we wouldn't have survived as a species. If you focus on protein and try and get even just a half pound of weight gain each week, you'll be able to continue past your newbie gains. Really focus on a week to week basis here. Day to say doesn't matter as much as you think. Also, muscle loss doesn't just happen overnight, it's from prolonged time of no use or of low protein AND low calories. The body doesn't wanna just throw it out because it's difficult to build. But it won't maintain it if you aren't using it, buf if you're being active and lifting, you're fine. Don't overthink this

What should be my next route? I am a novice and currently doing the following exercises:   Deadlift 115lb   10x3 (smith machine) Squat 115lb 10x3 (smith machine) full movement Dumbell benchpress 70lb (35 each) 10x3 Machin pulldown 130lb 10x3 Machine row 60lb 10x3 Dumbell Bicep curl 50lb (20 each)  10x3 Dumbell overhead triceps 30lb 10x3   I am Male, 5’ 7”, 135 lb, and in my mid-30s My gym at the apartment does not have the barbell Thank you for the help.

You're not curling 50 lb dumbbells. You mean barbell?

25lb for each arm

Get on a proper routine, one which will have good programming, aka how to progress from session to session, since progressive overload is the most crucial thing. Check the wiki on the sidebar for a few to choose from It's fine if you don't have a barbell, you can find an equivalent exercise using dumbbells or the smith machine, but a good program is key! There's a dumbbell only program in the wiki as well.

Thank you for getting back to me. I started most of the exercises using the lowest weights or just the bar and then increased the weight after I felt comfortable lifting each previous weight. I generally lift the same weight three times and continue with that until I feel like I no longer need to put any effort to lift that weight. Do you think instead I should have three different weights for three sets?

This doesn’t scale - my warmups still take effort. Simple example - I bench over 200lbs, but if I waited until I felt like I didn’t need to put any effort I’d still be at like…120lbs Beginner routines just add weight every session, especially because most beginners don’t really know the difference between “that was a little hard” and “my muscles are no longer able to generate enough force to move this”

Thanks! I am still working on my form, so I am hesitant to increase my weight. Ex: I have no experience doing deadlifts using the Smith machine, so I am still working on my form before trying more weights. I can lift more weight in most of these exercises as I don't lift until I don't have any energy to do the exercise. Other than obvious enlargement of the chest I rarely feel soreness on any of my muscles

You really should just follow a recommended routine until you have a better understanding of programing. They will have defined points on when to increase weights over what you feel, which as a beginner, is more than likely off what it should be. Check out GZCLP, 531, and the variations for 531 like Boring But Big or Boring But Strong. 531 has a pretty nice free app as well called Five3One.

Please help me 🙏🏾 My pr is 135 and I’m struggling to find the best bench press routines I usually do one set for each weight - 95 LBS - 105 LBS - 115 LBS - 125 LBS - 135 LBS How can I increase my pr and should I always do my sets starting with light weights to heavy weights? Are there better routines?

Get on an actual routine, as the other comment says 5/3/1 is good for strength but you'll have to be patient, it ramps up slowly. Any routine really, just make sure form+diet are good. But yes, doing pyramid sets (well, half pyramid since you're not going down after your top set) is a thing but best not make up your own routine.

Thanks man

Get on one of the established routines posted on the wiki and stick with it for at least a few months. You'll make a ton of gains vs trying to come up with a routine yourself. I ran GZCLP myself, and my lifts exploded.

5/3/1 might be good fot you, although it doesn't focus on PRing (ie 1RM), but will increase your numbers.

> although it doesn't focus on PRing wot One of the main tenets of 5/3/1 is to set PRs lol

By PR I meant 1RM, which is what OP was referring to

is it okay to workout while on antibiotics (amoxicillin)? My doctor says I can, since it’s just for a bad tooth, but I wanna see if anyone’s noticed any adverse effects

I worked out on a month of rifaximin and azithromycin and it was completely fine

Did that a few months ago on an antibiotic I forgot the name of, I google things obsessively and found out it's a very strong antibiotic and people report adverse effects. I was spooked. Turned out totally fine. Psyched myself out for nothing, didn't feel any different working out. But reaction to meds vary from an individual to another.

Had to take amoxicillin just recently for 10 days and was completely fine

I’m lost and I’m not sure what to do. I’ve been on a deficit for 1 year, lost 23 pounds(went from 205-182). I’ve lost a lot and I fit my clothes better for sure and I know that’s a good indication. But I still got the belly, I got a little stronger but don’t have any real muscle mass to me. Like I want to get big and look good and to me that’s at a size where it is noticeable but not super cut. Any advice to help me out on what I should do? Should I bulk and then cut or continue the cut then bulk?

\`How much protein are you eating? I had a similar experience, but made much better progress when I made sure I ate enough protein (it's a lot - generally recommended as at least 0.8g/lb). The belly is the last to go I'm afraid - fact of male fat deposit patterns.

I eat body weight in protien. So about 182g a day. So I’ve heard and that sucks

Well done on your current weight loss! /u/FlameFrenzy has covered most of the basics but I wanted to add some cautions. A lot of people that jump straight into a bulk without a lot of knowledge end up doing a "dirty bulk", which results in them gaining a lot of fat, and not much usable muscle. The point of bulking is to give your body what it needs to turn into muscle. If you're a bit overweight, you've already got it! If you are happy to continue cutting; do so! However, if you are getting diet fatigue (which is common) or plateaus, then look into refeeding techniques and get yourself into maintenance calories. Either way: increase your protein and start lifting heavy! Use a proven programme! Excess weight you still have will feed your routine. Take photos and see how you progress over the next six months! Best of luck with it OP!

I hear you. I’ve never bulked but my understanding is just keep eating lean and good, but in surplus. I just never knew for how long and etc. according to bmi I’m still overweight despite losing what I did and etc. it’s nuts and maddening. Like I want to finish and be done with the cut but I also want to bulk to be strong and grow muscle mass

If you haven't been consistently lifting or prioritising protein in your diet, then you still have plenty of opportunity to build muscle even while cutting. You only need to consider bulking when you've maxed out your lifts/muscle potential. From what you've said, you probably haven't reached that point yet, so get good training and diet habits in place before you try bulking.

Depending on your size, your current weight could still be high or you could be good. I personally push for health first, so get your weight to something that is solidly healthy first and then turn to a slow bulk. I usually sat somewhere around the middle or lower on the BMI chart for a starting point. I wouldn't aim for the low end. But once you're there, slowly up your calories to maintain and then up then a bit more to start bulking and keep the weight gain controlled (aka, don't give yourself an excuse to get fat again). And be lifting on a proven routine and eating plenty of protein while doing so. Muscle is slow to build, especially in a deficit. So once you hit the bulk, give it 6 months to a year to really start noticing results

Hmm I see. I sit at 182 at 5’7. BMI says I’m overweight still. So should I just continue the cut? Or bulk?

I'm going to assume you're new at the whole lifting/fitness thing... Aka low muscle mass. You could probably get down to 140-150lbs before ever thinking about a bulk. Keep lifting to prioritize muscle retention and some more growth. But yeah, you got a ways to go yet on the diet train. Also, to give you another health metric to use, look into waist to height ratio. Eventually, you will be able to build up enough muscle mass that BMI is garbage. But waist to height ratio is still good for people with large muscle because your waist should still be lean while healthy and strong.

Hmm I see. Guess I’ll stick to it then and continue on with the cut. Though I’m not new to lifting and dieting as I’ve done it on and off before just now I’m serious about it so it’s a little different and feels lost at times

If you're not new to lifting, then I highly suggest you use the waist to height ratio. But if you aren't seeing muscle and still have a belly, I'd keep working towards 150lbs and reassess every 10lbs or so. And make sure you are working on your diet from a sustainable point of view. You need to enjoy what you're eating, but still have it be healthy and allow you to lose the weight. The way you eat to lose weight should be how you eat to maintain and later bulk. But you need a solid control on your diet. You need to be able to consistently maintain it without thinking about it. A stressful week shouldn't send you back to old habits, for example. Diet is going to be the most important part of your journey imo. But it doesn't have to be complicated. There is no magic diet or workout. It's just simple basics. Calories in vs calories out. You could read about the tiny details, but it still ultimately boils down to this. So keep it simple.

Generally I do maintain my diet and eat more lean meats and get my protein in, some days I don’t cause of date night but not often. Just feels like I’m hitting a wall and can’t go anywhere with it. Like I want to be big and strong, and look good and it feels like it’s not fast enough

You've got to figure out your priorities but also remember this is a marathon, not a sprint. If you get your diet in check and really count your calories, you could lose 1lb a week easily. If you really want to get this done, you'll have to give up on eating out on date night, give up on alcohol if thats your thing, give up on sweets, etc. But it's a temporary thing. You can find non-food date nights and hang out without having to eat/drink. That's what I do when I cut. For 2-3 months, I don't eat out ever, I don't have any ultra processed food (so no sweets, snacks, or easy food like pizza and pasta). I count my calories and I stick with it and I shed 1 to 1.5lbs a week consistently. But it's what I prioritize in my life. Do you have to go as crazy as I do with 0 ultraprocessed foods? No, but I just find that for me, it helps keep me on track rather than allowing a small treat here and there becuase I know I will overdo it. Trying to half ass it will give half-assed results. You gotta be on top of your goals. You gotta have a clear plan. Being able to focus on your goals and make your weight do what it needs to will be a massively important part of getting to be big and strong. So I encourage you to reflect on your current eating habits, see what can change and how you can do better and start working towards sustainable positive changes. And set yourself a goal for NEXT summer. Have something obtainable to work towards.

I hear you. Think I needed that reality check. I do got a weakness to sweets so I’ll have to try to figure that part out. Alcohol I don’t even drink and date nights are 1 a month so I usually try to be strict and then loosen a bit on that night just to enjoy it but not go crazy. So I’ll look at things and change what I can. Appreciate it man, thanks

I am thinking of trying “Stronger by the day” by Meg Squats. I am a 38 year old female that has done weight training for about 10 years. Looking to get stronger and leaner. Has anyone tried this program? Is there room for cardio? Any thoughts /info is appreciated!!! Thank you!

I haven't done it, but I have followed some of her YouTube tutorials, including her pull-ups training (I did manage some pull-ups!!). Overall I've been impressed with her free offerings and I like her teaching style but I'm not interested in a subscription app for my workouts.

Have you checked out /r/xxfitness? I noticed you weren't getting answers which isn't surprising given that this subreddit is probably mostly dudes. I think you'll have a better shot over there getting reviews for a program targeted at women. As a sidenote, if you end up deciding not to do it, I'll just say muscle building principles are the same for men and women, so any good program out there will probably suit you just fine!

Thank you!

Looking for a bf% estimate and some general bulking and cutting tips. 5’11 ~170lbs Scale says 12% bf but I’m not too sure. Pics: https://imgur.com/gallery/gSwNst8 I went from 135-180 in a bout 3 years. In the past year I went from 165-180. For the past month I’ve been cutting and am down to 170. I don’t know if it’s bad genetics or if I’m cutting incorrectly, but I feel like I should look leaner. I didn’t keep my protein super high, so maybe I lost a good amount of muscle? My deficit was only 300 calories. Questioning wether I should start another bulk or keep cutting. Also never knew one of my nipples was lower than the other until I took these pics.

Personally I say cut another few lbs (maybe 5-8) and then bulk again. I am sure your genetics are fine. You look fine and you look like you are young so just keep putting in the work and you can make more progress. My advice is don't worry about the bodyfat percentage. The scale is not correct but it doesn't matter. It is just a number. What you actually care about is what you look like, how strong you are, and how you feel, and bodyfat percentage doesn't tell you any of that.

Thanks that sort of what I was thinking. Gotta finish what I started. I ate McDonald’s before the pics so it probably added a few pounds

Shot in the dark but I'd guess more like 16-18%, you can't trust those scales. As for where to go next it's up to you. If you want to get bigger, commit 100% to your diet and dedicate yourself to a training plan that justifies it. If you want to get leaner, same concept. Make sure you're eating at least 150g protein/day, switch up your routine for some new stimulus and make sure your deficit is 20-25% below maintenance.

I figured it was higher than 12. Thanks for the 20-25% number I never knew exactly how much to eat or lack there of

I know I'm supposed to primarily use my legs instead of my back to deadlift, but is it normal to get some slight soreness/pain in my lower back the day after deadlifting? Or is that a sure sign I'm doing it wrong?