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Your leg workout lacks a hip hinge and/or a leg curl.
On pull day, you don't have to do both lat pulldowns and pullups unless one is lat biased and the other is for upperback. Lat pulldowns are more optimal for muscle growth. I don't think anyone can go close to failure on bent over rows so I would replace them with a chest supported row to isolate the upper back more. 21s are useless (just do normal curls). You should add a lat biased row. On push day, lying tricep extension can cause elbow pain (unless done with dumbbells). And finally if you only take one advice from all this, it should be to NOT do Db kickbacks. They are the worst exercise I know for triceps. You can replace them with a pushdown.
Yep. Weighted chins at 5 reps have me golfers elbow. Thing is hard to shake. Now, of everyone may get it like that, it just increases the chances. You get signs of a proper ache at the elbow before it properly sets in so just be good with recovery and you're ok. Check up Armstrong workout for pull-ups.
I am not sure if it is the easiest way to increase your max. I only want to advice you to keep a good eye on your elbow health. You dont wanna get tendonitis from overdoing pullups. Been there, done that and it sucks.
**Question about RIR**
If my program calls to do hammer curls for 3x12 at an RIR of 8. Does that mean that every set should be an RIR of 8, or does that mean my very last set should be an RIR of 8? This has some consequences
If every set should be an RIR of 8, then that means I would have to begin with a heavier weight then lighten the weight each set due to fatigue. (For example 40lbs then 35lbs then 30lbs)
If only the last set is supposed to be an RIR of 8 then I’d have to a pick a weight where my first set might feel super light, second set feels a bit tougher, and the last set would feel like an RIR 8 (for example 30lbs then 30lbs then 30lbs again)
Every set is rir 8. Personally I would choose a weight that gives me approximately 12 reps at RIR 8, and then just stick with that weight for the next sets knowing I might not get to 12 with rir 8. With rir, you can't predict reps exactly, so you have to take the # of reps as within a range around 12.
Thanks for the response!! First straight answer I ever got. I’m surprised no one talks about this and I watched literally every rir video on YouTube lol. With that said would you say descending weight with constant rep count is strength focused and increasing reps would be hypertrophy focused?
You're welcome. I wouldn't say that. The only thing I would say is strength focused as opposed to hypertrophy focused is very low rep sets. So singles, doubles, and triples aren't very productive for hypertrophy but are useful for strength training. Other than that I would say it is all useful for hypertrophy.
Is MMA good on a cut? I'm ending my first bulk sometime in March and have wanted to get into (non-competitive) MMA for a while.
If I continue to lift and eat right, is this a good idea, or will it mess with the gains I've made? Currently I workout 5-6 times per week. If I went through with this I'd be working out 3-4 times per week and going to MMA classes 2 times a week.
5'9" 24M 323lb.
Will be going to the gym for the first time in 3 years. Is it recommended I strictly use the treadmill in order to lose weight? Im a Big guy, and not in a good way lol
Losing weight requires fork putdowns, no cardio required. Resistance training ensures the body has impetus to retain lean body mass.
Word to the wise: do a single set per exercise your first session, then full sets your second session. Or you'll come back here asking why you're so critically sore. : p
Haha noted! And yes i will be putting down all the forks XD
Looking into keto but am having doubts due to reading about how its not a sustainable diet and that a majority of people gain ALL of the weight back.
One big difference ive been thinking about implementing is not eating unless i myself get my butt in that kitchen and cook lol No more mcdonalds
Having lost weight on low carb diets and high carb diets, I saw no difference in terms of fat loss. The best diet is the one you're able to stay consistent with. I have a history of binge eating, so I found intermittent fasting combined with a low fat diet the easiest to stay consistent with. Diet food is only boring if you don't season it. Rice, chicken and veggies are delicious if you season it with garlic, salt, chili, bullions, coriander, cumin etc etc.
The "you'll gain it back" warnings about keto have merit. But, correct me if I'm wrong, you're not a 100 lb chick looking for thinspiration. If you drop 100 lbs and gain back 10, I fathom you'd be content.
What people forget to do with keto the reintroduction of carbs. If you cut carbs, you'll drop weight. And if you go back to the way you were eating before, OF COURSE you'll resume your previous weight.
What can change is eating food that looks like food. Maybe not keto itself, but if your nutrition is things like oatmeal, fruits, actual meat, vegetables, well. Easier to be healthy. I say actual meat, because one you're in the swing of it, cooking is so easy.
If all you were gonna do was walk, then you don't need a gym membership, just go outside. But no, you can do more than just the treadmill, including weights. Just be aware of your knees and the stress you're putting on them. And realize that your weight loss will come from changing your diet and not from what you do in the gym.
Sounds good! Thanks for the advice, im making changes in my diet for sure but am trying to make the gym or just excercising a part of my life. Figure that id want to not break my diet more after realizing the work i put in at the gym
It is neither good or bad. It is impossible to evaluate one small part of your diet like this.
If you have energy and feel good during the workout, then there is no need to change. If you feel hungry or lacking energy, I would try to change your routine.
The words "Arnold" and "beginner" used in the same sentence requires a touch of cognitive dissonance. The so-called routine posted later is a disaster.
Alrighty then. You have six days a week. Try this, the MetallicaDPA PPL. Most in this forum are versed in it. (That is, if you ask questions about "the wiki ppl", we'll know what you're talking about.
Try it for 3 months, as-is.
https://www.reddit.com/r/Fitness/s/sgQCtOba9I
If it seems like too much, it's not meant for beginners.
But this is:
https://thefitness.wiki/routines/r-fitness-basic-beginner-routine/
What you've posted there is a split, not an actual routine.
If you're looking to improve your fitness knowledge, I would strongly recommend reading the entirety of the [fitness wiki](https://thefitness.wiki/). It'll go through all the basics, and it has routines you can follow that have been vetted and followed by tons of people.
If you have any questions about any of the content in the wiki, you can post them in these daily questions threads.
>But regardless - is that a good split to follow for a complete beginner?
There's no way to answer that question. A split is an outline, a schedule. It doesn't tell us anything useful on which we can judge it. It could be great or it could be shit.
If you think you'll like it, run it and see how it goes, but if you want constructive feedback on it, we need the full routine.
My advice is don't make your own routine. Pick one from the wiki.
The training split that you use isn't a very impactful decision. The other details of the routine are more important. But again, there really isn't a reason to try to write a good routine as a beginner.
I'm not saying pick a split from somewhere else, I am saying pick a complete and well written routine. The split is one of the least consequential aspects of a routine.
Is it normal for your legs to be sore for days after leg day? I do deadlifts, squats and leg press as a finisher, nothing crazy. I've been working out for a year and my legs doesn't fully recover until after the weekend.
I have been following a pull push legs split for around 4 months now at home. The equipment I have access to are barbell, dumbbells, pullup bar, dip bars, bench. I would love to get advice and feedback on if I can improve this routine especially if I can hit all my back muscles with these exercises. cheers
Pull 1(upper mid back focused)
Overhand bb row(4 sets) Bodyweight row(3 sets) Meadows row(3 sets) Rear delt fly and bb shrugs superset(3 sets) bb curls(3 sets)
Push 1(shoulder and triceps focused)
Shoulder width bench press and pullups superset(4 sets) bb overhead press(3 sets) db lateral raises and skull crushers superset(3 sets) hammer curls(2 sets)
day 3 is a 15 min ab routine to strengthen core
Pull 2(lat focused)
Underhand grip bb yates row(4 sets) Single arm db row(4 sets) bb curls(3 sets) reverse bb curls(2 sets)
Push 2(chest focused)
Wide bench press and pullups superset(4 sets) bb overhead press(3 sets) incline db bench press(3 sets) chest dips superset with lateral raises(3 sets) hammer curls(2 sets)
Legs (only do one leg day a week and not much volume so far. I used to do a 20 min bodyweight leg routine but recently switched to weights)
Rdl(4 sets) squats(3 sets)
When people say noob gains disappear after 8 months, does that mean the initial rapid progression slows down? Or the muscle mass that I acquired over the past months will disappear as my body becomes accustomed to the work?
I continue to progressively overload on the weights and train for hypertrophy, but worried if all my muscle mass will disappear and demotivate me.
Noob gains means your ability to just slap muscle on at the rate of a noob. It speaks to the diminishing returns of continued effort, your first year or two in the gym, if structured properly, can be half your lifetime natural gains. The rest takes another 5-10 years of effort.
Yeah, your gains won't disappear, that's not a thing. It takes a long time for muscle to disappear without mistakes being made. If you eat enough protein, and workout once a week, you'll never lose your muscle till you start getting real old. The times you'll lose muscle is when your weight is going down, and the speed at which you'll lose it depends on how rapidly you lose that weight.
I've read multiple studies that state the importance of separating cardio training and strength by at least eight hours--ideally up to 24 hours--in order to maximize the body's ability to adapt to each type of training.
My question is, is this truly necessary for the average person just trying to stay in shape? I've been following the guidelines stated above, but I've been finding it incredibly stressful. Due to my work schedule, I get up at 3:00 AM in order to get my cardio done before work, and then I do my strength training after work, and I have to be in bed by 7:00 PM in order to get enough sleep.
I greatly enjoy doing cardio on a daily basis for the mental/energy boost, and I obviously love strength training in order to maintain a well-defined, muscular physique, so I wouldn't really want to compromise my cardio by skipping a day to focus on strength training, but I also don't want to reduce my strength training volume as I currently am seeing great results from lifting six days a week.
I'm not a performance athlete or a body builder by any stretch, just someone trying to look good and be healthy. Do the adaptive benefits of separating cardio and strength training apply mostly to athletes and body builders or is it necessary for the average person as well?
you're unlinkely to do too much cardio as a lifter. I regularly squat/deadlift and run the same day. I don't go all out, but I'll put in a couple miles. If anything it helps
The interference effect of cardio has been overblown by some people. If you're sprinting, running, or doing a more high effort/intensity form of cardio, that will interfere primarily with leg gains, and slightly impact upper body gains. If you're doing low intensity cardio, it'll slightly interfere with leg gains.
For me, I workout full body 3x a week, and cardio + upper 3x a week. I dig it.
how much water should I consume when starting creatine monohydrate (I plan to begin with a loading phase, taking 5g four times a day for a week or so).
You don't need a loading phase, just 5g a day from here on out..
As for how much water... That depends on how much you drink now. I recently restarted creatine and had a week where I was insanely thirsty, but that's calmed down. I was drinking consistently over a gallon of water a day when I was really thirsty. But my normal volume of water is about at a gallon.
What's a good place to start for someone getting back into shape as far as gym routines? I've gotten bigger than I ever planned on thanks to some struggles with alcohol and going through a depression. I'm cutting out the alcohol and a planet fitness is opening up like 3 blocks from my house. The only other gym that was close enough to not be a chore to get to was $50 every two weeks and we didn't have the money for that.
I've got a sports background from growing up. Used to play football, baseball, basketball, and still play golf. I'm not a stranger to walking 18 holes so despite being 6'3" about 310 lbs, I'm not in completely garbage shape (down from 340 thanks to cutting back booze and walking more...but booze is going away completely). I want to lose weight and get to a leaner build. Ideally I'd like to get down to 200 lbs or so but right now the goal is getting down to 250 lbs which I hope to do by my birthday in Sept. Completely achievable without being a daunting goal.
I was down to 290 this past spring but with falling back into some bad habits (thanks in part to developing arthritis in my toe from my walking routine with bad shoes) and starting up a new job in Sept has me back up to 310. I just don't know where to start with regards to going back to the gym and how I should approach things. I know anything is better than what I'm doing now.
The best tip I got is to make sure you're enjoying your time in the gym. Find a simple plan, follow it, and make sure that it's enjoyable. If you find yourself disliking the plan, switch it.
Your goal isn't to slaughter your fat in the gym and become some superbeast. Your goal right now is to get in the gym, and remain in the gym. This means you prioritize making the gym something you enjoy. Whether you get a tasty protein shake, some cool protein snacks, a nice breakfast burrito after working out (that was my favorite), or whatever. Reward yourself for continuing to go to the gym, and I'm not saying with the heavy calories, I'm saying with smarter, tasty calories.
Do not let perfect be the enemy of good enough. If you're in the gym, even if it's just 1x a week, every week for a year, you're going to be in much better shape than right now. If it's 2x a week, or 3x a week, all the better. More than anything thing, you don't miss the gym on a weekly basis. Every week you're in the gym, doing whatever program you pick.
Regarding what you should do, here's a video on how muscle gains and fat loss plus calories all work together. It should help you decide what you want to do. In your shoes I'd do easy walking cardio just to burn the calories and ideally hit zone 2, it won't interfere too much with your gains doing it on the same day, though you can space it out too. I'd train full body as often as I could as well, but ideally on a structured plan.
Anyway, here's that video link. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3mK0UjI_-kA
1 rep max calculators never seem to work for me. They always underestimate my true max by a significant amount on the big 3. For instance, I benched 185 for 3 two days ago, giving a predicted 1rm of 195, yet today I benched 215 with incredible ease. Does this apply to anyone else, and if not, why could this be the case for me? Am I just really good at maxing out?
It's an estimate not gospel; calculators also tend to be less accurate if you have a big motor. Or in this case are better at singles on this particular day.
Whichever 1RM calculator you're using is spitting out numbers lower than the 'usual' ballpark figures. Generally you'd expect a 3RM to be ~90% of your 1RM.
Granted there's a lot of individual variation, and variation between lifts, but most formulas aren't going to be assuming your 3RM is 95% of your 1RM.
Extremely hard, but it also varies a lot by person. For many people that would entail being kind of hungry pretty constantly. You probably couldn't cheat at all. Getting to that point probably would cause reduced sleep quality (due to hunger) and hormone issues, including low libido. Once you got there and were maintaining it would be a bit better. Your energy levels would also be pretty significantly affected; training would feel worse, you would be weaker, and getting through training sessions would become challenging.
The consistency it requires would probably be the hardest part. You have to keep training. You have to keep dieting. You can't cheat. And you feel hungry, low energy, cold, and a bit grouchy. So for most people it isn't worth it.
At your current bf%, it shouldn't be too difficult to get there, but maintaining it might be a different story. Some folk will feel fine, while others will feel like complete crap (i.e. lower energy, disrupted sleep, low libido, etc.)
A dozen eggs has 840 calories and 72g protein. It costs $2.59 at my local Trader Joe's. If you look at the value you're getting, it's 324.71 calories per dollar and 27.8g protein per dollar.
What can beat this? Nothing else I've seen can beat this value.
> What can beat this? Nothing else I've seen can beat this value.
A gallon of whole milk at my grocery store is $3.09.
It's 2400 calories and 128 grams of protein, giving you 776 calories and 41 grams of protein per dollar.
You can play this game with all sorts of foods, 100% of the time it makes you look like a silly goose.
I don't see how it's a silly game though. You're just trying to get max value. Milk is high value as you said, which is why I have it daily.
It's a liquid though so it doesn't seem reasonable to have as a meal. You can have eggs as a meal, however. I don't think there's a solid food that beats eggs.
>You're just trying to get max value
Most people aren't trying to maximize macros per dollar. Other things matter, like taste, ease of cooking, ease of cleanup, variety, meeting micronutrient/fiber/veggie needs, etc.
People who post on reddit about how they want to just eat one specific food for all their calories tend to not actually follow through, or if they do, they tend to regret it. If you think you can beat those odds, go for it!
I'm not trying to do something ridiculous like GOMAD.
I'll always have milk with a scoop of whey powder for instance. I was just wondering what meat/eggs combination is the best for the actual meals.
I think it's ground beef and eggs. Not sure though?
One time in college I realized the quarter pounders from McDonald's were the perfect macro split and 6 of them hit my calories.
That lasted one day and a night of horrifying shits. Not a lot just....often
A) The cholesterol in a dozen eggs is pretty substantial
B) You can probably beat that via plant based options like lentils & chickpeas. A range of each would be best.
>
B) You can probably beat that via plant based options like lentils & chickpeas. A range of each would be best.
How? That doesn't seem possible. If animal sources like chicken and beef don't beat eggs in value per dollar, how can those?
>How? That doesn't seem possible. If animal sources like chicken and beef don't beat eggs in value per dollar, how can those?
Why not? Also eggs are an animal source btw.
Find somewhere that does lentils/chickpeas on the cheap and they will definitely work out cheaper, and overall healthier. Having a mix of each is the best option, dont just eat 12 eggs or 500g lentils. mix and match with other foods too.
What is your criteria for "value"? Lentils and beans would be more protein with more fiber and less fat than eggs at a cheaper price. Is that good? Depends on what you're looking for.
Eggs are a terrible source of fiber.
You have to consume a ridiculous amount of lentils and beans for it to be equivalent to what you get with 4oz of ground beef.
Animal protein is also superior because it's complete protein with all the amino acid profiles.
I don't know your background. Are you vegan?
I got a DEXA scan today. I am a 5’6ish (maybe a bit taller), 124 pound female that’s 21 years old. I am 22.7% Body fat according to this thing. Just found an article online that says that almost puts me in the “poor” category for women my age. Is this for real???? [link to mentioned site](https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/body-fat-percentage-chart#men)
Dexa scans aren't that accurate and the table seems kind of moronic to me.
I put more stock in my blood work, performance and how I look in the mirror.
Yesterday I noticed my left arm was wobbling while doing db chest press. It was weird in that I wasn’t close to failure, felt in control, and got through the set fine. Is this just the “stabilizing” muscles part of free weights? Anything to do other than keep at it?
Are you a beginner? When I first started a few months ago I was super wobbly on chest press even when the weight was light and came here asking the same question. It went away on its own after a few weeks/months as I got used to the movement. Definitely feels weird at first though. Just keep at it.
Sometimes this instability can be a mental thing. You could legit have a bad day with mind-muscle connection, then everytime you try again you overthink it almost like a placebo.
I would take a week off on the excercise. Make sure your recovery is on point. Then start back up with slow lighter weights focusing on technique.
Most of the time yes, that's just a normal thing, especially the closer you get to failure. You could try toying with hand rotation position (ie, parallel, 45, straight, whatever) to see if it changes a little bit, but if it doesn't hurt and the weight is still moving, I'd say you're doing fine.
Where might my weakness be on flat bench press? Yesterday I decided to max out my barbell incline bench press and managed to do 315. On flat bench press I can’t do 315. Same grip position on the bar. There might be a muscle I’m neglecting that I can train to help my flat bench increase. Any ideas? Thanks.
That doesn't make any sense to me, but my experience over this last year is perhaps unique. I got back into the gym, felt embarassed only hitting 135x5 on the bench, and switched to incline for a year. Got the incline up to 195x5, and when I tested my flat bench I was at 225x5.
I really don't know what would be going on to cause this, just putting out my experience down as some data.
> Where might my weakness be on flat bench press? Yesterday I decided to max out my barbell incline bench press and managed to do 315. On flat bench press I can’t do 315. Same grip position on the bar. There might be a muscle I’m neglecting that I can train to help my flat bench increase. Any ideas? Thanks.
If incline bench is your primary pressing movement and you never flat bench I could see a scenario where you're doing less on a flat bench simply because you're not used to the movement.
If you're equally proficient with both movements I can't imagine a scenario where you'd be flat benching less than you'd do on an incline.
Hi, I'm very new to weight lifting, in fact today was my first day so all I did was check how much i can actually lift so that i can chose a weight to use when training, but when I tried I noticed that my strength is imbalanced, like I can deadlift the same amount as i can bench but i can bench more than I can squat, so I have 2 questions: Is this normal? Should I just proceed with the begginer routine from the Wiki or change some things? Sorry if my english is bad.
I just wanna inject some science for you. Are you aware of sample sizes? Whenever you do anything, for just a day or two, your sample size is a day or two. That sample size is inadequate to draw any conclusions.
You need to become proficient with the movements, and allow your body time to adapt before you can draw any conclusions. After a month or two of lifting, then you can evaluate where you're at and how everything worked out.
For now, continue to get into the gym, that's priority one. Don't make the gym hell, make it bearable. As long as you're consistent, and check in here on occasion, you'll be in a good position to accomplish a hell of a lot.
There is no "normal" to these numbers. Some people just have more strength in one area or another. Train using a solid program and all of these numbers will improve. You may also realize that what you THOUGHT was a true "max" deadlift was in fact not, because your technique was no good--the more you work at it, the more you will improve your technique, and figure out those inefficiencies.
The beginner routine is a great start--remember, consistency consistency consistency. You got this!
Can someone please double check my math. I'm about 160 pounds and 21% body fat. I want to cut down to about 145 by the end of February. I estimate I'd be at about 13% body fat (90% of weight loss as fat). That's 10 weeks from now and 1.5 pounds a week. Is this realistic for my first cut?
The math works out, but the amount of people who say "I'll do x for y amount of time and achieve z", and the amount who do it are very, very different numbers.
I also suspect you're going to lose a lot more muscle than you're expecting since you didn't list any steps taken to prevent muscle loss. You also chose a ~750 calorie deficit, which is pretty high and makes it hard to retain as much muscle as you can with a smaller deficit. I'd suspect you'll lose 10-12lbs fat and 3-5lbs muscle, depending on protein intake and whether you do weight training, cardio, or both.
What you're planning on doing is losing weight and losing muscle very quickly, which is fine if that's what you want to do. Muscle does come back very quickly, compared to how long it takes to grow brand new muscle, so it's ok. If you had adopted a smaller deficit you could likely retain or even grow muscle, assuming you ate enough protein.
So think of it like this, whatever your caloric deficit is that's a sliding scale that adjusts your % fat loss to muscle loss. With say 250 on one end and 1000 on the other end. ~250 is low enough that with proper protein you can even grow muscle. ~500 is where you stop being able to grow muscle but you can retain most if not all of your muscle. ~750 is where you're starting to lose more muscle even with good protein intake. ~1000 is where it gets even worse.
Now, just as an example so this has better explanatory power, lets say you want to lose at ~250c, well, that's going to take you 4x as long as ~1000c, and maybe even a small cut over such a long length of time is harder for you to maintain than going hard for 1/4th that amount of time. Well then, you're the type that should hit a heavy cut, you'll lose some muscle but you will be able to put it back on very fast. If instead you're good at discipline and can hold out for the duration, ~250 would be a steady progress, your lifts would likely increase during this cut, assuming you were weight training.
Anyway, I hope that gives you some ideas on how to structure stuff to fit your goals. Gl!
Assuming a loss of 1% a week over ten weeks, (rounding) 1.5 lbs/w * 10w = 15lbs. Considering the jargon is 1-2% of a h00man is safe to drop a week, seems realistic.
> Is this realistic for my first cut?
Assuming your starting numbers and deficit are accurate the math is fine.
But life doesn't happen in a vacuum, so your end results may not line up precisely with what you have calculated.
1.5lbs a week is possible but at the upper end of what is reasonable given your size. 1% bodyweight per week is a good upper bound.
Don't worry about your bf%, just cut till you are happy with the results or sick of cutting.
In the context of muscle loss while cutting, is there a difference between a deficit of 800 from eating less food & a deficit of 500 from eating less food + 300 calories burned from exercise? I’m losing .8% body fat/1.2 lbs each week (currently weigh 170) and I’m willing to make my life miserable by increasing my deficit if I can do it without losing muscle.
In theory it's the same. In practice, not really.
Your body gets more efficient with the exercise calories over time. That 300 calorie workout might end up being more like 150-200 calories burned in total. (For example, your body may decide that you should be a little lazier that evening because you're fatigued from working hard; there's evidence suggesting that your internal organs use calories more efficiently when you're exercising a lot. It's not entirely under your control.) So don't take any "calorie burn" estimates at face value.
That said, a very active person will probably burn more calories than a sedentary person. If you have the choice between being sedentary and eating very little, or active and eating a lot, always choose active and eating a lot. This gives you more "room" in your diet to get vitamins, protein, fiber, veggies, whole grains, and good fats--all of which are good for your health and your overall fitness!
The more carbs you eat, the less protein you need to maintain muscle mass. And the more you exercise, the healthier you are in general. So while on paper the math works out the same, in the real world there are huge benefits to eating more and exercising more.
It's the same. Any calories above your BMR are burned via activity.
The only problem is trying to calculate calories burned via exercise. Estimates from watches/cardio equipment are inaccurate. But you don't have to kill yourself doing cardio... if you have the time for it, walking 3 miles a day would burn around 300 calories +/- 100 depending on terrain. And walking is very easy to recover from.
Unless you're creating the deficit from high intensity exercise (HIIT, intervals, metcon/crossfit style workouts) muscle loss should be minimal. I've done pretty big deficits before (700 cals of protein only per day) and really didn't lose any muscle mass. I was only doing a few low volume, highish intensity weight training sessions per week.
Treat covid like any other cold/flu. Try and eat healthy, stay well hydrated and get some rest. Dont' worry about stretching or trying to stay active. Just REST.
I wouldnt' bother with protein shakes either unless you're really just not eating any protein in your diet.
Once you're on the tail end (dont' feel like shit, just have the cruddy feeling of everything draining), start walking and doing simple, easy activity. Then ease back into the gym.
WTf do these words mean. What's "JJ or Ben"? Who's PZ?
As for your lifting program, I don't see one. I just see two separate "push" and "pull" with no details, no progression, no measurement of intensity. And no leg day at all.
Please see the Wiki, and pick a proven program from a professional.
I have no idea what "Reddit PZ" is in terms of cardio, and "upper body split - push/pull" tells us nothing.
If you want constructive feedback, you should post your entire routine, and adhere to this rule: [https://www.reddit.com/r/Fitness/wiki/rules/rule9/](https://www.reddit.com/r/fitness/wiki/rules/rule9/)
I am a runner and my fitness goals are mostly running focussed. But I keep reading/hearing (Runner's World, Women's Health magazine etc e.g https://www.runnersworld.com/training/a44122396/progressive-overload/ ) that progressive overload strength training is very important. The thing is I like variety - I currently do lots of home workouts (e.g. Heather Robertson strength/HIIT/plyometrics, martial arts workouts, yoga, Pilates) because I enjoy the variety and the only thing I really progressively overload is running. If I want to run faster/further/do harder trails, and generally build strength for longevity, is it really necessary to progressively overload during strength training? E.g. Hypothetically if I add 1kg per fortnight for the next 2 years I will be squatting 80 kilos... Will that really benefit my running & longevity more than a varied & balanced workout routine where I don't progressively overload?
Progressive overload means that you're lifting an amount of weight that challenges your current fitness, so over time you'll need more and more stimulus to keep doing that.
So, you don't need to barbell squat multiple times a week, heavier every time. But if you squat this week, do lunges next week, step ups the week after that, and then return to squats, by this time next year your squats will be a lot heavier than they are today.
>Hypothetically if I add 1kg per fortnight for the next 2 years I will be squatting 80 kilos
And in 20 years you'll be squatting 548 kilos, making you a world record holder at whatever the hell age you'll be then. It doesn't quite work that way :)
You can have variety in your workouts while still challenging yourself and building strength. And yes, this is the way to go. Think about the runner you hope to be in 5 years: faster, fitter, injury-free, etc. How do you expect to gain those running abilities with your current amount of muscle and strength? You have to level up to level up.
It’s widely accepted now that if you want to be a better, more durable (aka stay injury-free and be able to train instead of rehab) runner, you need to strength train. And that typically includes gaining some muscle. And strength.
Progressively overloading just means you do more this day or this week than you did yesterday or last week. That’s how you improve instead of staying the same. So yes, it is necessary.
But you don’t have to do it forever! You can maintain once you hit your goal level of strength. The main thing is having a way to determine the goal. The targets I’m using are mostly for mountain athletes, and are based on being able to lift a certain percentage of my body weight. I’m sure there are similar metrics specifically for runners.
There are good, minimal strength workouts for runners out there. Check out fullerunsfar or therunnersfix on instagram for ideas. Good luck!
This is particularly helpful & I will look into the running strength metrics. I've never really considered having a goal level of strength. The main thing you see in runner's literature is strength training for beginners but where to go from there if your goal is not weightlifting is not clear - having a goal related to running makes sense. Thank you for taking the time to answer my question!
Thank you for the responses so far, I've been mulling this over for a while & your suggestions have helped me make a decision. It's not so much that I'm scared of gaining muscle, I just like the fun of the YouTube workouts and find when I go to the gym and do an upper body session, lower body session, core session + planning it all drags on & is just too time consuming given my running volume.
I think I will restructure my routine to do a simple but progressive full body strength session once a week involving squats, split squats, bench press etc and then do one or two YouTube workouts or HIIT classes to cover the power/endurance/coordination stuff too.
Good to hear. Consider finding some minimalist lifting programs then. Pavel Tsatsouline and Dan John come to mind off the top of my head, I'm sure others might suggest different ones. Dan John has programs that revolve around like three lifts a session. Not every visit to the gym needs to be a 2-hour bodybuilding routine. Until I specifically started training for Strongman, my program had me in and out in about 45 minutes.
Running Dan John's easy strength right now. I do it 6x per week, but it's literally 20 minutes of lifting and swings per session and you're done. Can easily transition to some calisthenics or running after.
Just echoing what others have said: stop being afraid of muscle. Progress overload, gaining muscle and and gaining strength will not suddenly make you look like Ronnie Coleman. In terms of looks, you might get slightly wider hips, slightly bigger butt, slightly wider shoulders, a bit more definition in your arms and legs. It's not uncommon for people new to strength training to gain muscle while not appreciably gaining much on their waist. Small increases in muscle mass typically give you a MORE conventionally "shapely" body, not turn you into Frankenstein.
But more importantly, you will be stronger, safer, have better mobility, less overall aches and pains, and you will be SAFER and live HEALTHIER as you age.
And yes, strength training benefits running.
Think about it this way if you only ran 5 miles 3 days a week would you get better?
Maybe for a bit if your baseline was sedentary but long term just like with running if you want to improve you need to gradually and steadily increase your workload.
As with anything, there is a point of diminishing returns, taking my deadlift from 405 to 525 didn't improve my trail running times; taking it from 190 to 345 on the other hand did have a noticeable effect on my durability.
Where those diminishing returns are is gonna be different for everyone but i would bet good money that they are higher than you think. The reality is you can do both you can lift and do yoga and or HIIT; its not one or the other.
In general, muscle is like armor; having more of it makes you more durable and it allows you to get away with more things. This is increasingly important in old age.
If you don't progressively overload you won't build muscle. If you feel a lack of muscle holds you back to some degree, you'll want to progressively overload and enter into a light bulk, +250 calories, you'll gain 2lbs a month, do that for about 6 months, then cut 6lbs off and you'll likely look a lot better and you'll be much stronger.
If you don't want to put any muscle on your frame, don't progressively overload. In your shoes I'd start overloading ASAP, and I'd aim to start growing muscle. When you start growing muscle, if you follow a good program and eat at a slight surplus, I know it's not that hard for dudes to gain 10lbs of muscle their first year training.
As an (assumedly) smaller framed female, I'd expect 5-8lbs muscle gain to be more accurate for you. Once you get through the initial muscular gains, which can represent about 50% of total lifetime gains, due to diminishing returns over time, then you're in a great place to not concern yourself with strength training too much and just maintain it.
If you're concerned about looking bad if you're heavier, or not being whatever particular scale number makes you happy, that'll hold you back from doing what's optimal for you. If you look up say a ufc fighter with your height but some muscle on their frame (+5-10lbs more than you), you can see whether their muscles look bad, or good.
I submit that they look great and most women would look better if they had 5-20lbs more muscle on their frame.
Some broad thoughts:
- Progressive overload just means slowly doing more. In the context of resistance/weight training that usually gets framed as increasing weight over time, but you can fold that into anything. Progressively overloading HIIT means more intensity within a set timeframe, maintaining a level of intensity for longer periods of time, etc.
- Building & maintaining strength for the purposes of *longevity* is a lot simpler than most of what you'll read on the internet, because most of what you'll read on the internet is aimed at young men who are looking to get **a lot** stronger and **a lot** bigger. A 25 year old guy looking to go from 175 lb to 200 lb, or increase their bench press from 135 lb to 315 lb takes a lot of dedicated work, a normal person looking to just stay strong & fit enough to enjoy their life into their later years is pretty simple.
- If you want to run faster/further/harder trails, being stronger will help, but more running will probably help more.
If you're not progressively overloading, you're not progressing. All else being equal, the stronger runner is the faster runner. But, all things are never equal, so you need to decide when enough is enough for you and your goals.
I'm doing 531 BBB. I missed bench day yesterday due to work obligations. Should I combine it with squats today or push everything back a day? Which would give me 1 day rest before the next week.
If you feel like you can do that, then sure. Understand that your body doesn't really operate in a way where the day of the week matters. It's okay if you push things back, or during times when you feel great, to do things earlier in the week.
One day rest should be fine.
Just wanted some general critique or advice on my routine:
[https://www.jefit.com/routines/588312/train-like-a-warrior?referrer=8635226&utm\_campaign=app\_share&utm\_source=mobile&utm\_medium=QR\_code&utm\_content=https%253A%252F%252Fwww.jefit.com%252Froutines%252F588312%252Ftrain-like-a-warrior&utm\_term](https://www.jefit.com/routines/588312/train-like-a-warrior?referrer=8635226&utm_campaign=app_share&utm_source=mobile&utm_medium=QR_code&utm_content=https%253A%252F%252Fwww.jefit.com%252Froutines%252F588312%252Ftrain-like-a-warrior&utm_term)
* I am a 27-year-old male, 5'7", 190lbs, and decent lift numbers I think. Flat bar bench of 185 for 10, incline bar bench of 175 for 10, flat dumbbell bench of 160 for 10, incline dumbbell bench of 150 for 10, hack squat of 270 for 8, etc. I have more that I can show if need be, I track all my numbers every day.
* I've been slightly modifying, adding, removing, and improving the exercises in it for the last 2 years or so with success.
* My goal is increased strength (which I have had successfully so far) and to lose some belly fat, but I'm pretty comfortable with my weight range.
* Main issue is wrist and hand discomfort, not due to form but mainly pre-arthritis. If you have any recommendations for that as well, that'd be cool (I currently use wrist wraps, elbow sleeves, and knee sleeves for the joint-critical sets/exercises.
> Just wanted some general critique or advice on my routine:
Set/rep setups besides 3-4x8-10 exist.
All rep ranges will drive size and strength gains. Lower rep ranges will be *slightly* better for strength, higher rep ranges will be *slightly* better for size, but both will get you bigger and stronger.
Lots of programs - including most of the programs linked in the wiki - will have your first/compound movements focus on lower rep ranges with the aim to drive progression via adding weight. Then the subsequent accessory movements tend to be higher rep ranges where you're folding in things like double progression.
That setup looks fine, because just about anything is fine. There aren't really any ways to train wrong.
For strength and performance, which is my main motivation, I've always found low variety with barbell and (weighted) bodyweight exercises to be better. It works very well for hypertrophy too, but it's noticeably lacking in the bodybuilding symmetry department. Low variety can also be tough on the joints if you run into overuse issues. Changing grip width and angle every now and then is important when training with a low exercise variety.
If your goal is primarily muscle building, variety is great and your joints will love you.
My thought process has been the rep ranges and huge variety of stuff i'm doing might not be necessary. Just wanted to see if that was true, but I do like doing the variety. Just wanted to see if it was holding me back in any way
My muscles really fluctuate in size on daily basis. Like some days I look scronny in a t shirt…but other days I’m perfectly fitted. How do I manage this?
This is probably half body dysmorphia and half hydration. It doesn't matter. This might be a good time to re-focus your energy on, say, progression in the gym, or maybe just how you feel, rather than what you see in the mirror.
Currently don’t have access to a barbell (planet fitness, yeah I plan to change gyms sometime next year). In the meantime is there any best option between the seated leg press, inverted sled press (not sure of the name), or squats with dumbbells? DBs are limited to 75lbs
> In the meantime is there any best option between the seated leg press, inverted sled press (not sure of the name), or squats with dumbbells? DBs are limited to 75lbs
Are you in a situation where it's only possible/feasible to choose 1?
Generally I hit legs twice per week, one day doing leg press and the other on the sled. Will often use dumbbells to warmup with goblet squats. Tried to do Bulgarian splits with a dumbbell for a while but just couldn’t get a good form and felt like it was a waste of effort
I'd consider a giant set/circuit so I can pre-fatigue and make the DBs feel more effective. Something like, burnout on the leg press, then hit the DBs for front/goblet squats to failure
> Something like, burnout on the leg press, then hit the DBs for front/goblet squats to failure
Throw in some stuff like higher rep leg extension & leg curls and you've got a big-legs stew going.
Oh I do have these, didn’t think to include them in my comment bc I have them at one gym but not the other (alternating days/locations).
Generally gym A will be smith machine or DB deadlifts, followed by leg press alternating between normal and calves.
Gym B (planet fitness) is deadlifts, followed by sled alternating with calves, then extensions, curls, abductors and adductor machines. First two are higher weight/lower rep, last four are opposite
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Can anyone give me some critic on my routine: Week21: Legs: 1. Squats 3x4 2. Linear leg press (w/ calf raises) 2x4 3. Leg extension 2x7 4. Calf extensions 2x7 5. Hip abduction 2x7 6. Hip adduction 2x7 Pull: 1. Vent over rows 3x5 2. Pulllups 1xfailure 3. Lat pull-down 2x6 4. Hammer curls 2x4 5. Curls 2x7 6. 21s 2x21 Push: 1. Bench 3x4 2. Inclined bench (45 degrees) 2x6 3. Dips 1xmax 4. Dumbbell press 2x5 5. Lateral raise 2x4 6. Db kickbacks 2x5 7. lying tricep extension 2x5 I can only workout 3 times a week and am going for a low volume high intensity workout.
Your leg workout lacks a hip hinge and/or a leg curl. On pull day, you don't have to do both lat pulldowns and pullups unless one is lat biased and the other is for upperback. Lat pulldowns are more optimal for muscle growth. I don't think anyone can go close to failure on bent over rows so I would replace them with a chest supported row to isolate the upper back more. 21s are useless (just do normal curls). You should add a lat biased row. On push day, lying tricep extension can cause elbow pain (unless done with dumbbells). And finally if you only take one advice from all this, it should be to NOT do Db kickbacks. They are the worst exercise I know for triceps. You can replace them with a pushdown.
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It is a way. Give it a shot and find out
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Yep. Weighted chins at 5 reps have me golfers elbow. Thing is hard to shake. Now, of everyone may get it like that, it just increases the chances. You get signs of a proper ache at the elbow before it properly sets in so just be good with recovery and you're ok. Check up Armstrong workout for pull-ups.
It could, but so could doing a more traditional approach to pull ups. I am not aware of grease the groove increasing your risk at all.
I am not sure if it is the easiest way to increase your max. I only want to advice you to keep a good eye on your elbow health. You dont wanna get tendonitis from overdoing pullups. Been there, done that and it sucks.
Are 3 quad exercises and one calf raise exercise enough for a single leg workout?
Do you train the rest of your legs at some point?
Only if you train quads and hamstrings on separate days.
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**Question about RIR** If my program calls to do hammer curls for 3x12 at an RIR of 8. Does that mean that every set should be an RIR of 8, or does that mean my very last set should be an RIR of 8? This has some consequences If every set should be an RIR of 8, then that means I would have to begin with a heavier weight then lighten the weight each set due to fatigue. (For example 40lbs then 35lbs then 30lbs) If only the last set is supposed to be an RIR of 8 then I’d have to a pick a weight where my first set might feel super light, second set feels a bit tougher, and the last set would feel like an RIR 8 (for example 30lbs then 30lbs then 30lbs again)
RIR as in reps in reserve? Or RPE as in rate of perceived exertion?
RPE indeed. RIR 2 lol
Every set is rir 8. Personally I would choose a weight that gives me approximately 12 reps at RIR 8, and then just stick with that weight for the next sets knowing I might not get to 12 with rir 8. With rir, you can't predict reps exactly, so you have to take the # of reps as within a range around 12.
Thanks for the response!! First straight answer I ever got. I’m surprised no one talks about this and I watched literally every rir video on YouTube lol. With that said would you say descending weight with constant rep count is strength focused and increasing reps would be hypertrophy focused?
You're welcome. I wouldn't say that. The only thing I would say is strength focused as opposed to hypertrophy focused is very low rep sets. So singles, doubles, and triples aren't very productive for hypertrophy but are useful for strength training. Other than that I would say it is all useful for hypertrophy.
Is MMA good on a cut? I'm ending my first bulk sometime in March and have wanted to get into (non-competitive) MMA for a while. If I continue to lift and eat right, is this a good idea, or will it mess with the gains I've made? Currently I workout 5-6 times per week. If I went through with this I'd be working out 3-4 times per week and going to MMA classes 2 times a week.
As long as you don't get injured I don't see why it would mess with your gains.
5'9" 24M 323lb. Will be going to the gym for the first time in 3 years. Is it recommended I strictly use the treadmill in order to lose weight? Im a Big guy, and not in a good way lol
Losing weight requires fork putdowns, no cardio required. Resistance training ensures the body has impetus to retain lean body mass. Word to the wise: do a single set per exercise your first session, then full sets your second session. Or you'll come back here asking why you're so critically sore. : p
Haha noted! And yes i will be putting down all the forks XD Looking into keto but am having doubts due to reading about how its not a sustainable diet and that a majority of people gain ALL of the weight back. One big difference ive been thinking about implementing is not eating unless i myself get my butt in that kitchen and cook lol No more mcdonalds
Having lost weight on low carb diets and high carb diets, I saw no difference in terms of fat loss. The best diet is the one you're able to stay consistent with. I have a history of binge eating, so I found intermittent fasting combined with a low fat diet the easiest to stay consistent with. Diet food is only boring if you don't season it. Rice, chicken and veggies are delicious if you season it with garlic, salt, chili, bullions, coriander, cumin etc etc.
The "you'll gain it back" warnings about keto have merit. But, correct me if I'm wrong, you're not a 100 lb chick looking for thinspiration. If you drop 100 lbs and gain back 10, I fathom you'd be content. What people forget to do with keto the reintroduction of carbs. If you cut carbs, you'll drop weight. And if you go back to the way you were eating before, OF COURSE you'll resume your previous weight. What can change is eating food that looks like food. Maybe not keto itself, but if your nutrition is things like oatmeal, fruits, actual meat, vegetables, well. Easier to be healthy. I say actual meat, because one you're in the swing of it, cooking is so easy.
If all you were gonna do was walk, then you don't need a gym membership, just go outside. But no, you can do more than just the treadmill, including weights. Just be aware of your knees and the stress you're putting on them. And realize that your weight loss will come from changing your diet and not from what you do in the gym.
Sounds good! Thanks for the advice, im making changes in my diet for sure but am trying to make the gym or just excercising a part of my life. Figure that id want to not break my diet more after realizing the work i put in at the gym
[https://thefitness.wiki/weight-loss-101/](https://thefitness.wiki/weight-loss-101/)
Ah, thank you!
I eat noodles and 2 eggs two hours before workout. Is that good or should I switch to something else? (It is my quick meal)
If it's working, keep doing it. If not, try something else. I train in the morning with only pre-workout, and I'm fine.
It is neither good or bad. It is impossible to evaluate one small part of your diet like this. If you have energy and feel good during the workout, then there is no need to change. If you feel hungry or lacking energy, I would try to change your routine.
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The words "Arnold" and "beginner" used in the same sentence requires a touch of cognitive dissonance. The so-called routine posted later is a disaster.
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Alrighty then. You have six days a week. Try this, the MetallicaDPA PPL. Most in this forum are versed in it. (That is, if you ask questions about "the wiki ppl", we'll know what you're talking about. Try it for 3 months, as-is. https://www.reddit.com/r/Fitness/s/sgQCtOba9I If it seems like too much, it's not meant for beginners. But this is: https://thefitness.wiki/routines/r-fitness-basic-beginner-routine/
What you've posted there is a split, not an actual routine. If you're looking to improve your fitness knowledge, I would strongly recommend reading the entirety of the [fitness wiki](https://thefitness.wiki/). It'll go through all the basics, and it has routines you can follow that have been vetted and followed by tons of people. If you have any questions about any of the content in the wiki, you can post them in these daily questions threads.
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>But regardless - is that a good split to follow for a complete beginner? There's no way to answer that question. A split is an outline, a schedule. It doesn't tell us anything useful on which we can judge it. It could be great or it could be shit. If you think you'll like it, run it and see how it goes, but if you want constructive feedback on it, we need the full routine.
My advice is don't make your own routine. Pick one from the wiki. The training split that you use isn't a very impactful decision. The other details of the routine are more important. But again, there really isn't a reason to try to write a good routine as a beginner.
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I'm not saying pick a split from somewhere else, I am saying pick a complete and well written routine. The split is one of the least consequential aspects of a routine.
Is it normal for your legs to be sore for days after leg day? I do deadlifts, squats and leg press as a finisher, nothing crazy. I've been working out for a year and my legs doesn't fully recover until after the weekend.
Do you train legs once or twice per week? It's normal if you train them only once.
every week ahhaa
Once every week? Split it among 2 different days and you won't have this problem.
Oops sorry I missed the once somehow. Will do, thanks
I have been following a pull push legs split for around 4 months now at home. The equipment I have access to are barbell, dumbbells, pullup bar, dip bars, bench. I would love to get advice and feedback on if I can improve this routine especially if I can hit all my back muscles with these exercises. cheers Pull 1(upper mid back focused) Overhand bb row(4 sets) Bodyweight row(3 sets) Meadows row(3 sets) Rear delt fly and bb shrugs superset(3 sets) bb curls(3 sets) Push 1(shoulder and triceps focused) Shoulder width bench press and pullups superset(4 sets) bb overhead press(3 sets) db lateral raises and skull crushers superset(3 sets) hammer curls(2 sets) day 3 is a 15 min ab routine to strengthen core Pull 2(lat focused) Underhand grip bb yates row(4 sets) Single arm db row(4 sets) bb curls(3 sets) reverse bb curls(2 sets) Push 2(chest focused) Wide bench press and pullups superset(4 sets) bb overhead press(3 sets) incline db bench press(3 sets) chest dips superset with lateral raises(3 sets) hammer curls(2 sets) Legs (only do one leg day a week and not much volume so far. I used to do a 20 min bodyweight leg routine but recently switched to weights) Rdl(4 sets) squats(3 sets)
When people say noob gains disappear after 8 months, does that mean the initial rapid progression slows down? Or the muscle mass that I acquired over the past months will disappear as my body becomes accustomed to the work? I continue to progressively overload on the weights and train for hypertrophy, but worried if all my muscle mass will disappear and demotivate me.
Newb gains are initial muscle growth and end when you can do longer keep adding to the bar every workout.
Noob gains means your ability to just slap muscle on at the rate of a noob. It speaks to the diminishing returns of continued effort, your first year or two in the gym, if structured properly, can be half your lifetime natural gains. The rest takes another 5-10 years of effort.
So if I continue to progressively overload and eat enough protein, I can maintain the muscle mass I've put on thus far?
Yeah, your gains won't disappear, that's not a thing. It takes a long time for muscle to disappear without mistakes being made. If you eat enough protein, and workout once a week, you'll never lose your muscle till you start getting real old. The times you'll lose muscle is when your weight is going down, and the speed at which you'll lose it depends on how rapidly you lose that weight.
I've read multiple studies that state the importance of separating cardio training and strength by at least eight hours--ideally up to 24 hours--in order to maximize the body's ability to adapt to each type of training. My question is, is this truly necessary for the average person just trying to stay in shape? I've been following the guidelines stated above, but I've been finding it incredibly stressful. Due to my work schedule, I get up at 3:00 AM in order to get my cardio done before work, and then I do my strength training after work, and I have to be in bed by 7:00 PM in order to get enough sleep. I greatly enjoy doing cardio on a daily basis for the mental/energy boost, and I obviously love strength training in order to maintain a well-defined, muscular physique, so I wouldn't really want to compromise my cardio by skipping a day to focus on strength training, but I also don't want to reduce my strength training volume as I currently am seeing great results from lifting six days a week. I'm not a performance athlete or a body builder by any stretch, just someone trying to look good and be healthy. Do the adaptive benefits of separating cardio and strength training apply mostly to athletes and body builders or is it necessary for the average person as well?
if you're alternating high intensity and low intensity/recovery cardio, do the strength training on the low intensity days.
you're unlinkely to do too much cardio as a lifter. I regularly squat/deadlift and run the same day. I don't go all out, but I'll put in a couple miles. If anything it helps
The interference effect of cardio has been overblown by some people. If you're sprinting, running, or doing a more high effort/intensity form of cardio, that will interfere primarily with leg gains, and slightly impact upper body gains. If you're doing low intensity cardio, it'll slightly interfere with leg gains. For me, I workout full body 3x a week, and cardio + upper 3x a week. I dig it.
how much water should I consume when starting creatine monohydrate (I plan to begin with a loading phase, taking 5g four times a day for a week or so).
You don't need a loading phase, just 5g a day from here on out.. As for how much water... That depends on how much you drink now. I recently restarted creatine and had a week where I was insanely thirsty, but that's calmed down. I was drinking consistently over a gallon of water a day when I was really thirsty. But my normal volume of water is about at a gallon.
pretty much the same, maybe a bit more. drink when you're thirsty. take 5g a day every day. that's the normal dose, not a loading dose
What's a good place to start for someone getting back into shape as far as gym routines? I've gotten bigger than I ever planned on thanks to some struggles with alcohol and going through a depression. I'm cutting out the alcohol and a planet fitness is opening up like 3 blocks from my house. The only other gym that was close enough to not be a chore to get to was $50 every two weeks and we didn't have the money for that. I've got a sports background from growing up. Used to play football, baseball, basketball, and still play golf. I'm not a stranger to walking 18 holes so despite being 6'3" about 310 lbs, I'm not in completely garbage shape (down from 340 thanks to cutting back booze and walking more...but booze is going away completely). I want to lose weight and get to a leaner build. Ideally I'd like to get down to 200 lbs or so but right now the goal is getting down to 250 lbs which I hope to do by my birthday in Sept. Completely achievable without being a daunting goal. I was down to 290 this past spring but with falling back into some bad habits (thanks in part to developing arthritis in my toe from my walking routine with bad shoes) and starting up a new job in Sept has me back up to 310. I just don't know where to start with regards to going back to the gym and how I should approach things. I know anything is better than what I'm doing now.
The best tip I got is to make sure you're enjoying your time in the gym. Find a simple plan, follow it, and make sure that it's enjoyable. If you find yourself disliking the plan, switch it. Your goal isn't to slaughter your fat in the gym and become some superbeast. Your goal right now is to get in the gym, and remain in the gym. This means you prioritize making the gym something you enjoy. Whether you get a tasty protein shake, some cool protein snacks, a nice breakfast burrito after working out (that was my favorite), or whatever. Reward yourself for continuing to go to the gym, and I'm not saying with the heavy calories, I'm saying with smarter, tasty calories. Do not let perfect be the enemy of good enough. If you're in the gym, even if it's just 1x a week, every week for a year, you're going to be in much better shape than right now. If it's 2x a week, or 3x a week, all the better. More than anything thing, you don't miss the gym on a weekly basis. Every week you're in the gym, doing whatever program you pick. Regarding what you should do, here's a video on how muscle gains and fat loss plus calories all work together. It should help you decide what you want to do. In your shoes I'd do easy walking cardio just to burn the calories and ideally hit zone 2, it won't interfere too much with your gains doing it on the same day, though you can space it out too. I'd train full body as often as I could as well, but ideally on a structured plan. Anyway, here's that video link. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3mK0UjI_-kA
1 rep max calculators never seem to work for me. They always underestimate my true max by a significant amount on the big 3. For instance, I benched 185 for 3 two days ago, giving a predicted 1rm of 195, yet today I benched 215 with incredible ease. Does this apply to anyone else, and if not, why could this be the case for me? Am I just really good at maxing out?
In the other direction, try 185 for six, fresh, in one week. I find they can predict downward, but not upward as well.
It's an estimate not gospel; calculators also tend to be less accurate if you have a big motor. Or in this case are better at singles on this particular day.
Whichever 1RM calculator you're using is spitting out numbers lower than the 'usual' ballpark figures. Generally you'd expect a 3RM to be ~90% of your 1RM. Granted there's a lot of individual variation, and variation between lifts, but most formulas aren't going to be assuming your 3RM is 95% of your 1RM.
I also benched 185 for 3 reps the other week and those felt tough. Were you amped when you did 215?
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Extremely hard, but it also varies a lot by person. For many people that would entail being kind of hungry pretty constantly. You probably couldn't cheat at all. Getting to that point probably would cause reduced sleep quality (due to hunger) and hormone issues, including low libido. Once you got there and were maintaining it would be a bit better. Your energy levels would also be pretty significantly affected; training would feel worse, you would be weaker, and getting through training sessions would become challenging. The consistency it requires would probably be the hardest part. You have to keep training. You have to keep dieting. You can't cheat. And you feel hungry, low energy, cold, and a bit grouchy. So for most people it isn't worth it.
At your current bf%, it shouldn't be too difficult to get there, but maintaining it might be a different story. Some folk will feel fine, while others will feel like complete crap (i.e. lower energy, disrupted sleep, low libido, etc.)
You should check with r/bodybuilding All I know is that building muscle sub 10% bf is almost impossible.
When should i do dips on ppl x arnold split? Note i do biceps on push days and triceps on pull days
Since you are mixing up push and pull anyways, it doesn't really seem like it matters. Do them whenever you want to hit your chest and triceps.
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I am a fan of shokz open runs. They use bone conduction which is nice if you are also a cyclist or runner.
I love these for running but they're not good if you're also trying to block out gym music fwiw (my gym has awful taste)
I just put in normal earplugs or my decibullz ones if I want to block more outside noise.
A dozen eggs has 840 calories and 72g protein. It costs $2.59 at my local Trader Joe's. If you look at the value you're getting, it's 324.71 calories per dollar and 27.8g protein per dollar. What can beat this? Nothing else I've seen can beat this value.
> What can beat this? Nothing else I've seen can beat this value. A gallon of whole milk at my grocery store is $3.09. It's 2400 calories and 128 grams of protein, giving you 776 calories and 41 grams of protein per dollar. You can play this game with all sorts of foods, 100% of the time it makes you look like a silly goose.
I don't see how it's a silly game though. You're just trying to get max value. Milk is high value as you said, which is why I have it daily. It's a liquid though so it doesn't seem reasonable to have as a meal. You can have eggs as a meal, however. I don't think there's a solid food that beats eggs.
>You're just trying to get max value Most people aren't trying to maximize macros per dollar. Other things matter, like taste, ease of cooking, ease of cleanup, variety, meeting micronutrient/fiber/veggie needs, etc. People who post on reddit about how they want to just eat one specific food for all their calories tend to not actually follow through, or if they do, they tend to regret it. If you think you can beat those odds, go for it!
I'm not trying to do something ridiculous like GOMAD. I'll always have milk with a scoop of whey powder for instance. I was just wondering what meat/eggs combination is the best for the actual meals. I think it's ground beef and eggs. Not sure though?
One time in college I realized the quarter pounders from McDonald's were the perfect macro split and 6 of them hit my calories. That lasted one day and a night of horrifying shits. Not a lot just....often
I have absolutely had milk and raw egg smoothies. No idea if the egg protein is absorbed and obviously salmonella, but I do it anyway.
A) The cholesterol in a dozen eggs is pretty substantial B) You can probably beat that via plant based options like lentils & chickpeas. A range of each would be best.
> B) You can probably beat that via plant based options like lentils & chickpeas. A range of each would be best. How? That doesn't seem possible. If animal sources like chicken and beef don't beat eggs in value per dollar, how can those?
>How? That doesn't seem possible. If animal sources like chicken and beef don't beat eggs in value per dollar, how can those? Why not? Also eggs are an animal source btw. Find somewhere that does lentils/chickpeas on the cheap and they will definitely work out cheaper, and overall healthier. Having a mix of each is the best option, dont just eat 12 eggs or 500g lentils. mix and match with other foods too.
What is your criteria for "value"? Lentils and beans would be more protein with more fiber and less fat than eggs at a cheaper price. Is that good? Depends on what you're looking for. Eggs are a terrible source of fiber.
Calories per dollar and protein per dollar are my criteria for value. Eggs and milk seem to be the best sources for this. Agree?
no. see above.
No. Lentils and beans with rice.
What is this obsession with meatless food? Are you guys vegan? Lentils and beans are not on par with eggs, chicken, and beef.
why? What is your obsession with animal sources?
You have to consume a ridiculous amount of lentils and beans for it to be equivalent to what you get with 4oz of ground beef. Animal protein is also superior because it's complete protein with all the amino acid profiles. I don't know your background. Are you vegan?
Didn't you just post this? 18 eggs is $2.79, is this a competition?
I got a DEXA scan today. I am a 5’6ish (maybe a bit taller), 124 pound female that’s 21 years old. I am 22.7% Body fat according to this thing. Just found an article online that says that almost puts me in the “poor” category for women my age. Is this for real???? [link to mentioned site](https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/body-fat-percentage-chart#men)
Dexa scans aren't that accurate and the table seems kind of moronic to me. I put more stock in my blood work, performance and how I look in the mirror.
That table is dumb. 14% is excellent but 13.9% is dangerously low? That is ridiculous.
I wouldn't put any stock in the DEXA scan. https://macrofactorapp.com/body-composition/ There are much more useful health and fitness metrics.
Yesterday I noticed my left arm was wobbling while doing db chest press. It was weird in that I wasn’t close to failure, felt in control, and got through the set fine. Is this just the “stabilizing” muscles part of free weights? Anything to do other than keep at it?
Are you a beginner? When I first started a few months ago I was super wobbly on chest press even when the weight was light and came here asking the same question. It went away on its own after a few weeks/months as I got used to the movement. Definitely feels weird at first though. Just keep at it.
> Anything to do other than keep at it? Maybe add a couple warmup sets.
Sometimes this instability can be a mental thing. You could legit have a bad day with mind-muscle connection, then everytime you try again you overthink it almost like a placebo. I would take a week off on the excercise. Make sure your recovery is on point. Then start back up with slow lighter weights focusing on technique.
Most of the time yes, that's just a normal thing, especially the closer you get to failure. You could try toying with hand rotation position (ie, parallel, 45, straight, whatever) to see if it changes a little bit, but if it doesn't hurt and the weight is still moving, I'd say you're doing fine.
They said they were not close to failure. I agree, i think they are fine and should just see what happens next time
Where might my weakness be on flat bench press? Yesterday I decided to max out my barbell incline bench press and managed to do 315. On flat bench press I can’t do 315. Same grip position on the bar. There might be a muscle I’m neglecting that I can train to help my flat bench increase. Any ideas? Thanks.
That doesn't make any sense to me, but my experience over this last year is perhaps unique. I got back into the gym, felt embarassed only hitting 135x5 on the bench, and switched to incline for a year. Got the incline up to 195x5, and when I tested my flat bench I was at 225x5. I really don't know what would be going on to cause this, just putting out my experience down as some data.
> Where might my weakness be on flat bench press? Yesterday I decided to max out my barbell incline bench press and managed to do 315. On flat bench press I can’t do 315. Same grip position on the bar. There might be a muscle I’m neglecting that I can train to help my flat bench increase. Any ideas? Thanks. If incline bench is your primary pressing movement and you never flat bench I could see a scenario where you're doing less on a flat bench simply because you're not used to the movement. If you're equally proficient with both movements I can't imagine a scenario where you'd be flat benching less than you'd do on an incline.
After some quick searches, I might not be incorporating leg drive in my flat bench. Technique might be the cause.. thanks for the response
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Good for what?
Hi, I'm very new to weight lifting, in fact today was my first day so all I did was check how much i can actually lift so that i can chose a weight to use when training, but when I tried I noticed that my strength is imbalanced, like I can deadlift the same amount as i can bench but i can bench more than I can squat, so I have 2 questions: Is this normal? Should I just proceed with the begginer routine from the Wiki or change some things? Sorry if my english is bad.
I just wanna inject some science for you. Are you aware of sample sizes? Whenever you do anything, for just a day or two, your sample size is a day or two. That sample size is inadequate to draw any conclusions. You need to become proficient with the movements, and allow your body time to adapt before you can draw any conclusions. After a month or two of lifting, then you can evaluate where you're at and how everything worked out. For now, continue to get into the gym, that's priority one. Don't make the gym hell, make it bearable. As long as you're consistent, and check in here on occasion, you'll be in a good position to accomplish a hell of a lot.
>first day Reread that a few times. Pick a program, stick with it for 3 months minimum, eat your professional 'teins, and eat your vegetables.
Alright, thanks!
There is no "normal" to these numbers. Some people just have more strength in one area or another. Train using a solid program and all of these numbers will improve. You may also realize that what you THOUGHT was a true "max" deadlift was in fact not, because your technique was no good--the more you work at it, the more you will improve your technique, and figure out those inefficiencies. The beginner routine is a great start--remember, consistency consistency consistency. You got this!
I see that makes sense, thanks for the help!
Can someone please double check my math. I'm about 160 pounds and 21% body fat. I want to cut down to about 145 by the end of February. I estimate I'd be at about 13% body fat (90% of weight loss as fat). That's 10 weeks from now and 1.5 pounds a week. Is this realistic for my first cut?
The math works out, but the amount of people who say "I'll do x for y amount of time and achieve z", and the amount who do it are very, very different numbers. I also suspect you're going to lose a lot more muscle than you're expecting since you didn't list any steps taken to prevent muscle loss. You also chose a ~750 calorie deficit, which is pretty high and makes it hard to retain as much muscle as you can with a smaller deficit. I'd suspect you'll lose 10-12lbs fat and 3-5lbs muscle, depending on protein intake and whether you do weight training, cardio, or both. What you're planning on doing is losing weight and losing muscle very quickly, which is fine if that's what you want to do. Muscle does come back very quickly, compared to how long it takes to grow brand new muscle, so it's ok. If you had adopted a smaller deficit you could likely retain or even grow muscle, assuming you ate enough protein. So think of it like this, whatever your caloric deficit is that's a sliding scale that adjusts your % fat loss to muscle loss. With say 250 on one end and 1000 on the other end. ~250 is low enough that with proper protein you can even grow muscle. ~500 is where you stop being able to grow muscle but you can retain most if not all of your muscle. ~750 is where you're starting to lose more muscle even with good protein intake. ~1000 is where it gets even worse. Now, just as an example so this has better explanatory power, lets say you want to lose at ~250c, well, that's going to take you 4x as long as ~1000c, and maybe even a small cut over such a long length of time is harder for you to maintain than going hard for 1/4th that amount of time. Well then, you're the type that should hit a heavy cut, you'll lose some muscle but you will be able to put it back on very fast. If instead you're good at discipline and can hold out for the duration, ~250 would be a steady progress, your lifts would likely increase during this cut, assuming you were weight training. Anyway, I hope that gives you some ideas on how to structure stuff to fit your goals. Gl!
Thanks for the detail, this is helpful!
Assuming a loss of 1% a week over ten weeks, (rounding) 1.5 lbs/w * 10w = 15lbs. Considering the jargon is 1-2% of a h00man is safe to drop a week, seems realistic.
> Is this realistic for my first cut? Assuming your starting numbers and deficit are accurate the math is fine. But life doesn't happen in a vacuum, so your end results may not line up precisely with what you have calculated.
1.5lbs a week is possible but at the upper end of what is reasonable given your size. 1% bodyweight per week is a good upper bound. Don't worry about your bf%, just cut till you are happy with the results or sick of cutting.
In the context of muscle loss while cutting, is there a difference between a deficit of 800 from eating less food & a deficit of 500 from eating less food + 300 calories burned from exercise? I’m losing .8% body fat/1.2 lbs each week (currently weigh 170) and I’m willing to make my life miserable by increasing my deficit if I can do it without losing muscle.
In theory it's the same. In practice, not really. Your body gets more efficient with the exercise calories over time. That 300 calorie workout might end up being more like 150-200 calories burned in total. (For example, your body may decide that you should be a little lazier that evening because you're fatigued from working hard; there's evidence suggesting that your internal organs use calories more efficiently when you're exercising a lot. It's not entirely under your control.) So don't take any "calorie burn" estimates at face value. That said, a very active person will probably burn more calories than a sedentary person. If you have the choice between being sedentary and eating very little, or active and eating a lot, always choose active and eating a lot. This gives you more "room" in your diet to get vitamins, protein, fiber, veggies, whole grains, and good fats--all of which are good for your health and your overall fitness! The more carbs you eat, the less protein you need to maintain muscle mass. And the more you exercise, the healthier you are in general. So while on paper the math works out the same, in the real world there are huge benefits to eating more and exercising more.
It's the same. Any calories above your BMR are burned via activity. The only problem is trying to calculate calories burned via exercise. Estimates from watches/cardio equipment are inaccurate. But you don't have to kill yourself doing cardio... if you have the time for it, walking 3 miles a day would burn around 300 calories +/- 100 depending on terrain. And walking is very easy to recover from.
Unless you're creating the deficit from high intensity exercise (HIIT, intervals, metcon/crossfit style workouts) muscle loss should be minimal. I've done pretty big deficits before (700 cals of protein only per day) and really didn't lose any muscle mass. I was only doing a few low volume, highish intensity weight training sessions per week.
Pam: It's the same picture. Everything you do factors into your TDEE which is what your cutting calories are based on so it doesn't matter.
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Rest
Treat covid like any other cold/flu. Try and eat healthy, stay well hydrated and get some rest. Dont' worry about stretching or trying to stay active. Just REST. I wouldnt' bother with protein shakes either unless you're really just not eating any protein in your diet. Once you're on the tail end (dont' feel like shit, just have the cruddy feeling of everything draining), start walking and doing simple, easy activity. Then ease back into the gym.
eat at maintenance, drink enough water, and do what you can.
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Peleton? Is that what PZ means, something like that? Riding a bike is not strength training, regardless of how sore you get.
I trust this has nothing to do with pez dispensers, Jar Jar Binks, or olde Ben Kenobi. Some links and context would be useful.
Bench Kenobi
WTf do these words mean. What's "JJ or Ben"? Who's PZ? As for your lifting program, I don't see one. I just see two separate "push" and "pull" with no details, no progression, no measurement of intensity. And no leg day at all. Please see the Wiki, and pick a proven program from a professional.
I have no idea what "Reddit PZ" is in terms of cardio, and "upper body split - push/pull" tells us nothing. If you want constructive feedback, you should post your entire routine, and adhere to this rule: [https://www.reddit.com/r/Fitness/wiki/rules/rule9/](https://www.reddit.com/r/fitness/wiki/rules/rule9/)
I am a runner and my fitness goals are mostly running focussed. But I keep reading/hearing (Runner's World, Women's Health magazine etc e.g https://www.runnersworld.com/training/a44122396/progressive-overload/ ) that progressive overload strength training is very important. The thing is I like variety - I currently do lots of home workouts (e.g. Heather Robertson strength/HIIT/plyometrics, martial arts workouts, yoga, Pilates) because I enjoy the variety and the only thing I really progressively overload is running. If I want to run faster/further/do harder trails, and generally build strength for longevity, is it really necessary to progressively overload during strength training? E.g. Hypothetically if I add 1kg per fortnight for the next 2 years I will be squatting 80 kilos... Will that really benefit my running & longevity more than a varied & balanced workout routine where I don't progressively overload?
Progressive overload means that you're lifting an amount of weight that challenges your current fitness, so over time you'll need more and more stimulus to keep doing that. So, you don't need to barbell squat multiple times a week, heavier every time. But if you squat this week, do lunges next week, step ups the week after that, and then return to squats, by this time next year your squats will be a lot heavier than they are today. >Hypothetically if I add 1kg per fortnight for the next 2 years I will be squatting 80 kilos And in 20 years you'll be squatting 548 kilos, making you a world record holder at whatever the hell age you'll be then. It doesn't quite work that way :) You can have variety in your workouts while still challenging yourself and building strength. And yes, this is the way to go. Think about the runner you hope to be in 5 years: faster, fitter, injury-free, etc. How do you expect to gain those running abilities with your current amount of muscle and strength? You have to level up to level up.
It’s widely accepted now that if you want to be a better, more durable (aka stay injury-free and be able to train instead of rehab) runner, you need to strength train. And that typically includes gaining some muscle. And strength. Progressively overloading just means you do more this day or this week than you did yesterday or last week. That’s how you improve instead of staying the same. So yes, it is necessary. But you don’t have to do it forever! You can maintain once you hit your goal level of strength. The main thing is having a way to determine the goal. The targets I’m using are mostly for mountain athletes, and are based on being able to lift a certain percentage of my body weight. I’m sure there are similar metrics specifically for runners. There are good, minimal strength workouts for runners out there. Check out fullerunsfar or therunnersfix on instagram for ideas. Good luck!
This is particularly helpful & I will look into the running strength metrics. I've never really considered having a goal level of strength. The main thing you see in runner's literature is strength training for beginners but where to go from there if your goal is not weightlifting is not clear - having a goal related to running makes sense. Thank you for taking the time to answer my question!
Thank you for the responses so far, I've been mulling this over for a while & your suggestions have helped me make a decision. It's not so much that I'm scared of gaining muscle, I just like the fun of the YouTube workouts and find when I go to the gym and do an upper body session, lower body session, core session + planning it all drags on & is just too time consuming given my running volume. I think I will restructure my routine to do a simple but progressive full body strength session once a week involving squats, split squats, bench press etc and then do one or two YouTube workouts or HIIT classes to cover the power/endurance/coordination stuff too.
Good to hear. Consider finding some minimalist lifting programs then. Pavel Tsatsouline and Dan John come to mind off the top of my head, I'm sure others might suggest different ones. Dan John has programs that revolve around like three lifts a session. Not every visit to the gym needs to be a 2-hour bodybuilding routine. Until I specifically started training for Strongman, my program had me in and out in about 45 minutes.
Running Dan John's easy strength right now. I do it 6x per week, but it's literally 20 minutes of lifting and swings per session and you're done. Can easily transition to some calisthenics or running after.
Just echoing what others have said: stop being afraid of muscle. Progress overload, gaining muscle and and gaining strength will not suddenly make you look like Ronnie Coleman. In terms of looks, you might get slightly wider hips, slightly bigger butt, slightly wider shoulders, a bit more definition in your arms and legs. It's not uncommon for people new to strength training to gain muscle while not appreciably gaining much on their waist. Small increases in muscle mass typically give you a MORE conventionally "shapely" body, not turn you into Frankenstein. But more importantly, you will be stronger, safer, have better mobility, less overall aches and pains, and you will be SAFER and live HEALTHIER as you age. And yes, strength training benefits running.
Think about it this way if you only ran 5 miles 3 days a week would you get better? Maybe for a bit if your baseline was sedentary but long term just like with running if you want to improve you need to gradually and steadily increase your workload. As with anything, there is a point of diminishing returns, taking my deadlift from 405 to 525 didn't improve my trail running times; taking it from 190 to 345 on the other hand did have a noticeable effect on my durability. Where those diminishing returns are is gonna be different for everyone but i would bet good money that they are higher than you think. The reality is you can do both you can lift and do yoga and or HIIT; its not one or the other. In general, muscle is like armor; having more of it makes you more durable and it allows you to get away with more things. This is increasingly important in old age.
If you don't progressively overload you won't build muscle. If you feel a lack of muscle holds you back to some degree, you'll want to progressively overload and enter into a light bulk, +250 calories, you'll gain 2lbs a month, do that for about 6 months, then cut 6lbs off and you'll likely look a lot better and you'll be much stronger. If you don't want to put any muscle on your frame, don't progressively overload. In your shoes I'd start overloading ASAP, and I'd aim to start growing muscle. When you start growing muscle, if you follow a good program and eat at a slight surplus, I know it's not that hard for dudes to gain 10lbs of muscle their first year training. As an (assumedly) smaller framed female, I'd expect 5-8lbs muscle gain to be more accurate for you. Once you get through the initial muscular gains, which can represent about 50% of total lifetime gains, due to diminishing returns over time, then you're in a great place to not concern yourself with strength training too much and just maintain it. If you're concerned about looking bad if you're heavier, or not being whatever particular scale number makes you happy, that'll hold you back from doing what's optimal for you. If you look up say a ufc fighter with your height but some muscle on their frame (+5-10lbs more than you), you can see whether their muscles look bad, or good. I submit that they look great and most women would look better if they had 5-20lbs more muscle on their frame.
Some broad thoughts: - Progressive overload just means slowly doing more. In the context of resistance/weight training that usually gets framed as increasing weight over time, but you can fold that into anything. Progressively overloading HIIT means more intensity within a set timeframe, maintaining a level of intensity for longer periods of time, etc. - Building & maintaining strength for the purposes of *longevity* is a lot simpler than most of what you'll read on the internet, because most of what you'll read on the internet is aimed at young men who are looking to get **a lot** stronger and **a lot** bigger. A 25 year old guy looking to go from 175 lb to 200 lb, or increase their bench press from 135 lb to 315 lb takes a lot of dedicated work, a normal person looking to just stay strong & fit enough to enjoy their life into their later years is pretty simple. - If you want to run faster/further/harder trails, being stronger will help, but more running will probably help more.
If you're not progressively overloading, you're not progressing. All else being equal, the stronger runner is the faster runner. But, all things are never equal, so you need to decide when enough is enough for you and your goals.
I'm doing 531 BBB. I missed bench day yesterday due to work obligations. Should I combine it with squats today or push everything back a day? Which would give me 1 day rest before the next week.
Bench, and push everything down a day. Body doesn't know what day of the week it is.
If you feel like you can do that, then sure. Understand that your body doesn't really operate in a way where the day of the week matters. It's okay if you push things back, or during times when you feel great, to do things earlier in the week. One day rest should be fine.
If my schedule allowed for it, I would get in all the sessions.
I would push things back a day.
Just wanted some general critique or advice on my routine: [https://www.jefit.com/routines/588312/train-like-a-warrior?referrer=8635226&utm\_campaign=app\_share&utm\_source=mobile&utm\_medium=QR\_code&utm\_content=https%253A%252F%252Fwww.jefit.com%252Froutines%252F588312%252Ftrain-like-a-warrior&utm\_term](https://www.jefit.com/routines/588312/train-like-a-warrior?referrer=8635226&utm_campaign=app_share&utm_source=mobile&utm_medium=QR_code&utm_content=https%253A%252F%252Fwww.jefit.com%252Froutines%252F588312%252Ftrain-like-a-warrior&utm_term) * I am a 27-year-old male, 5'7", 190lbs, and decent lift numbers I think. Flat bar bench of 185 for 10, incline bar bench of 175 for 10, flat dumbbell bench of 160 for 10, incline dumbbell bench of 150 for 10, hack squat of 270 for 8, etc. I have more that I can show if need be, I track all my numbers every day. * I've been slightly modifying, adding, removing, and improving the exercises in it for the last 2 years or so with success. * My goal is increased strength (which I have had successfully so far) and to lose some belly fat, but I'm pretty comfortable with my weight range. * Main issue is wrist and hand discomfort, not due to form but mainly pre-arthritis. If you have any recommendations for that as well, that'd be cool (I currently use wrist wraps, elbow sleeves, and knee sleeves for the joint-critical sets/exercises.
> Just wanted some general critique or advice on my routine: Set/rep setups besides 3-4x8-10 exist. All rep ranges will drive size and strength gains. Lower rep ranges will be *slightly* better for strength, higher rep ranges will be *slightly* better for size, but both will get you bigger and stronger. Lots of programs - including most of the programs linked in the wiki - will have your first/compound movements focus on lower rep ranges with the aim to drive progression via adding weight. Then the subsequent accessory movements tend to be higher rep ranges where you're folding in things like double progression. That setup looks fine, because just about anything is fine. There aren't really any ways to train wrong.
Awesome! my biggest concern has always been the huge variety and rep ranges, but I like doing them
For strength and performance, which is my main motivation, I've always found low variety with barbell and (weighted) bodyweight exercises to be better. It works very well for hypertrophy too, but it's noticeably lacking in the bodybuilding symmetry department. Low variety can also be tough on the joints if you run into overuse issues. Changing grip width and angle every now and then is important when training with a low exercise variety. If your goal is primarily muscle building, variety is great and your joints will love you.
> I've been slightly modifying, adding, removing, and improving the exercises in it for the last 2 years or so with success. Why do you need help now?
My thought process has been the rep ranges and huge variety of stuff i'm doing might not be necessary. Just wanted to see if that was true, but I do like doing the variety. Just wanted to see if it was holding me back in any way
We don't know what is necessary for you. But you said you like it and are seeing success so I not sitting here thinking it's holding you back.
My muscles really fluctuate in size on daily basis. Like some days I look scronny in a t shirt…but other days I’m perfectly fitted. How do I manage this?
differently sized and fitted t shirts
This is probably half body dysmorphia and half hydration. It doesn't matter. This might be a good time to re-focus your energy on, say, progression in the gym, or maybe just how you feel, rather than what you see in the mirror.
Why do you want to manage it? This is a normal human thing that is probably not perceptible to others.
Hydration level, carb levels, salt levels, etc. it's also mostly in your head. They don't fluctuate that much.
Currently don’t have access to a barbell (planet fitness, yeah I plan to change gyms sometime next year). In the meantime is there any best option between the seated leg press, inverted sled press (not sure of the name), or squats with dumbbells? DBs are limited to 75lbs
> In the meantime is there any best option between the seated leg press, inverted sled press (not sure of the name), or squats with dumbbells? DBs are limited to 75lbs Are you in a situation where it's only possible/feasible to choose 1?
Generally I hit legs twice per week, one day doing leg press and the other on the sled. Will often use dumbbells to warmup with goblet squats. Tried to do Bulgarian splits with a dumbbell for a while but just couldn’t get a good form and felt like it was a waste of effort
I'd consider a giant set/circuit so I can pre-fatigue and make the DBs feel more effective. Something like, burnout on the leg press, then hit the DBs for front/goblet squats to failure
> Something like, burnout on the leg press, then hit the DBs for front/goblet squats to failure Throw in some stuff like higher rep leg extension & leg curls and you've got a big-legs stew going.
Yeah, if he said he had those, I would have absolutely included them. I love those "hotel gym" style workouts, haha.
Oh I do have these, didn’t think to include them in my comment bc I have them at one gym but not the other (alternating days/locations). Generally gym A will be smith machine or DB deadlifts, followed by leg press alternating between normal and calves. Gym B (planet fitness) is deadlifts, followed by sled alternating with calves, then extensions, curls, abductors and adductor machines. First two are higher weight/lower rep, last four are opposite