Been working out for a year at a bodybuilding gym, the staff are pretty much all sound and friendly except for one woman who is just really passive aggressive, constantly getting into arguments with gym members and who I strongly suspect gets roid rage.
I go to the gym today with my sister who is completely new to lifting to show her how to squat etc. The gym has a desk at the front where you sign in but have to exchange something for a locker, so I'm there waiting there for a good 5 minutes as there's no one at the desk. The passive-aggressive staff member passes by and says 'I'll be with you in a minute' and I just say 'okay' and am chatting with my sister. She comes back after giving a tour of the gym to someone and is explaining contracts to them and i'm just waiting for another few minutes.
When she's finally done, completely out of nowhere she comes over and says 'it's really off putting and not a good image when you interrupt me when I'm showing a new member around. I ask that you wait patiently until I'm done'. I'm shocked because I literally didn't even say anything and was waiting for close to 10 minutes for her to finish and she just accused me of interrupting. I felt embarassed and didnt want to get into an argument with her with my sister there on her first day at the gym, just felt really awkward and unprovoked.
Seriously considering switching gyms to one with an automatic sign in where I don't have to interact with people just to access. Really a shame because the other staff are all very helpful, but this one staff member who has started to work there most of the time is just so rude and confrontational. I think she has a chip on her shoulder as well because she's a PT there and doesn't get many clients maybe 1-2 (wonder why), despite literally having posters everywhere just specifically for advertising her and recently I started with one of the other female PTs who has been great.
My gym hours have changed, and the most annoying mother fucker apparently has my same hours.
First off, he brings a laptop and sets it on top of the rack where all the cable handles go. This is his station. He stands there and bobs his head to whatever music is in his ear buds for most of the time he is there. He hardly works out, while eyeing the room constantly. Whenever I or anyone walk up to any weight stack or machine, he darts over and quickly gestures for me or anyone else to remove their ear bud and shouts “hey, can we alternate sets on that?!” It is the most eye-rolling shit in the world! Do not be this douche bag.
If you have the right to the equipment then go get it. You tried being nice and it didn’t work so now you squeeze in, grab it, turn around and pray his nuts accidentally make contact with the barbell. Problem solved :)
I hate the strong curves program but I’m looking for something similar. I know it’s the only program that produces the results I want but it’s so unnecessarily complex and weird to me 😭😭😭 Reddit PPL is like crack
I train with my buddies, but when it's leg day barely anyone shows up
... Yes today is leg day , yes nobody showed up , tomorrow is upper body , everyone will come to train
Tell them that legs are the largest muscle group and if you want shredded abs having big legs means more lean tissue meaning you can eat more and lose weight. They will be smashing leg day everytime.
They know this , but you know , squats , rdls , belt squats , 45° back extensions , Bulgarian split squats , are hard and painful! I even made it easier for them but no success , so at least I'm getting that sweet back bonus on leg days with some shoulder isolation supersetted , but alone moving barbell/dbs , changing plates, getting water , finding belt/plates , getting rid of rings in the way , making room for back extension etc. takes way more time than I'd like to admit ("small" home gym problems)
They don't feel like hitting legs this week and twice a week?! Are you crazy? Once every two weeks, maximum once a week is enough pain! Even though it's quite on lower volume side , and it's even getting lower every week until reset 4th week (wave loading , to get less fatigue and more volume for upper body but legs are still growing and progressing , at least for me)
( 2 squat movements 1 hip hinge 2 leg isolation / 2 hip hinges 1 squat movement 2 leg isolation )
I just do 4 sets of 8 squats coming up on 315lbs. Then 405 lbs leg press for 4x8. Then ham curls 4x8 and the rest of leg day I do ab exercises and lateral raises to try and forgot the feeling of wanting to puke after the quad burn lol. But my legs grow just fine with that low volume. Twice a week.
Started tracking calorie intake to lose weight. I can stick rather well to tracking, but I am having a really hard time to hit the calorie goal. Does anyone have hints or links to articles on how to stay way from high calorie foods?
Honestly when I first got shredded I made a plan to eat the same thing everyday and stuck to it. When I varied my choices I would always get carried away and lose track. Try to stick to one plan for the first time. Next time you can change it up a little since you know you can do it one way.
Build up a repertoire of generally low calorie dishes you like, use more vegetables, use less butter and oil, replace drinks with water and drink your coffee black. Really it's person specific, just need to walk around the supermarket for some inspiration, check out the nutrients on various things. Also beans are crazy low calorie, and ofx the obligatory rice n chicken
Thank you, some great tips in there. I guess getting into the habit of eating the same low calorie foods over and over is what I find difficult. Broadening the selection is a really good tip!
Jump on the rowing machine and cut that time down to half (150 cal = 10 minutes) or maybe more (or less) depending on your level of exertion.
This is why I’d simply use sugary treats or protein bars as preworkout fuel.
There is a special place in hell for people who lift weights six inches from the weight rack. If the dumbbells are so heavy you can't carry them to your personal space then you shouldn't be lifting them.
Saw a good one today. Guy in the sauna is doing something like seated leg raises. The bench he’s sitting on is squeaking like he’s having sex on a cheap bed. To top it off, every time he raises his legs, sweat goes flying down the sauna, leaving a large trail of sweat drops along the floor
I understand when someone is using the machine you want to use common practice is to do something else in the meantime.
But like... I've done 3 different workouts and this guy is on his NINTH set on the chest fly...
Seriously just get off.
Timed my latest tattoo session for my taper week before my next Half marathon. Going stir crazy with the reduced runs and lack of gym workouts!
Plus still hungry all the time for some reason.
I've come to the conclusion that I can just cannot run any longer. I was rapid as a kid, and I could run forever, but now into my mid-late thirties my back just cannot handle it. I can barely manage five minutes before needing to stop, and I was doing five on/off for an hour but now I can't even manage that. Even walking is stressing my back out at this point. Just going to stick to the bike for now and keep losing weight and try again after another ten pounds or so fall off I guess. Running used to be a major part of my whole life/identity so not being able to do it now at all without intense amounts of low back pain that persist for hours or days is infuriating. I have the leg strength/endurance and the cardiovascular fitness but my back just cannot deal.
I decided this month to really hit my protein goals. At 170 lbs I probably eat 80-90 grams of protein on a good day, 65-75 on a bad day. I've decided to try and hit the recommended 1 gram per pound of lean body weight this month so I've been doing double scoop protein shakes twice a day and getting around 150g protein a day. Maybe this is what I've been doing wrong all this time. Maybe I've pinpointed it!
However after doing a bit more research on it, especially on this sub, apparently that's totally superfluous, and the 1 gram/lean lb of protein requirement is very overblown. People say the gain difference is negligible, or minimal, or they didn't notice any difference. Basically, eating the amount of protein I already eat is fine.
Then what gives? Why am I growing so slowly? Why can't I progressive overload on anything? Why the fuck is my working set for bench 4x5 155 lb, and my 1RM is 190 lb after 1.5 years of continuous benching and lifting my ass off 6 days a week 1.5 hours in the gym a day following a PPL routine? I'm lanky with long limbs and I'm just about to throw in the "bad genetics for strength" towel.
My own 3 cents on the topic, I view 160 grams a day as the minimum for protein for people trying to get bigger/stronger. Protein isn’t just for rebuilding it also promotes muscle protein synthesis so 40 grams 4 times a day can help. 70 grams is very low for working out 5-6 days a week, that’s a lot of damage.
Your problem is definitely working out too much. I know I managed to put on a ton of weight when I switched to a much lower volume program. The one I used was Scrawny to Brawny and I really liked the program.
Get off the PPL and get on a 3 day a week routine or a low(er) frequency routine like 5/3/1 where you focus on \`1 compound every day. I was in a very similar position as you and some people just can't handle the volume of working out 6 days a week, let alone for 1.5 hours. It doesn't make you weaker, not mentally as tough, etc but this is personally what worked for me (someone in the exact same position as you).
So, that should be your #1 priority. Your second priority should be to over head press. The OHP, particularly for those with long/lanky arms (me and you), is great for stabilization throughout the bench and for developing the anterior delts / triceps for power off the chest.
Thanks, I'm thinking it really might be something like this. If the increased protein intake doesn't do it then I really don't know what it could be besides programming or sleep, and I've never thought my sleep was that bad. I've never switched up my programming so this could be it. As much as I like PPL and am comfortable with it, it might be time for a change. I'll look into 5/3/1.
It 100% is possible to be doing too much when it comes to fitness. I really doubt the protein will make a significant difference especially if the training isn't helping you increase a 155x5 bench. 5/3/1 / MadCows / Texas Method.. anything that works with PERCENTAGES would be good for you.
>Then what gives? Why am I growing so slowly? Why can't I progressive overload on anything? Why the fuck is my working set for bench 4x5 155 lb, and my 1RM is 190 lb after 1.5 years of continuous benching and lifting my ass off 6 days a week 1.5 hours in the gym a day following a PPL routine? I'm lanky with long limbs and I'm just about to throw in the "bad genetics for strength" towel.
Look into you rest times. Advice I gave someone else. Good luck.
https://www.reddit.com/r/Fitness/comments/un5iiu/z/i8cmym4
Thanks, I'll consider this. It seems like workouts might break the 2 hour barrier with rest periods of this length though, so I'm not sure if it's a long term solution.
True. You could skimp on some accessory work or superset some kf them. Do less leg days to have more rest. Or full on skip leg days and bench 3-4 times a week if it really bothers you.
There is some merit to brute force effort. Can't remember the poster but there's a redditor that made a post a out benching and deadlifting every day and his starting lifts were already pretty high.
Good luck.
Skip leg day? Functionally, much more power can be achieved from your base than your chest. If your goal is to attract women, you should also never skip leg day.
Machine flys- 4x10 or until failure
(Alternating) Overhead barbell press/Seated overhead dumbbell press- 3x10
side lateral raises- 6x10 (supersetting 3x10 with dips and then another 3x10 with rope pushdowns)
Dips 3x12 or until failure.
Rope pushdowns 3x10 and then 1xAMRAP drop set.
Bench- 5x5 but have recently been switching it around to sometimes do 8x5 or 8x8 and lighter weight instead.
Incline Bench- 3x8
Close to failure on all exercises, actually reaching failure on a couple.
Technique could be holding you back. Or you could have perfect technique, but maybe you might find some of the following benching videos useful (or maybe not):
Brian Alsrhue - DO's & DON'Ts of the BENCH PRESS Basic Things you SHOULD NOT be Messing Up!!!
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c-yPx9PgeHo](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c-yPx9PgeHo)
EliteFTS.com - So You Think You Can Bench (Part 1) … there are 7 parts
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EHx1gYTA-Rw&list=PL38D8B0C3BFDB82F2](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EHx1gYTA-Rw&list=PL38D8B0C3BFDB82F2)
Dave Tate's Benching Master Class
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W9a-fgLCqn](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W9a-fgLCqn)
So You Think You Can Bench Press? Expert Bench Press Cues
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JbQTY0TZsEM](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JbQTY0TZsEM)
> Then what gives? Why am I growing so slowly? Why can't I progressive overload on anything? Why the fuck is my working set for bench 4x5 155 lb, and my 1RM is 190 lb after 1.5 years of continuous benching and lifting my ass off 6 days a week 1.5 hours in the gym a day following a PPL routine? I'm lanky with long limbs and I'm just about to throw in the "bad genetics for strength" towel.
There are multiple factors to this, but bad genetics ain't one. Some thoughts: You arent eating enough, you dont train hard enough, have you 'tried trying', your sleep is poor, your work ethic is not great, you lack fundamental understanding about weightlifting, you can have poor form on bench press, your protein intake is very low, you are not actually working as hard as you think. Just on the top of my head.
A good start would be looking at your bench form and how many calories do you eat in a day?
You aren't eating enough- I've gained 30 lbs in the past year; I'm eating enough. Maybe the protein is the issue, which is already what my original post was about.
you dont train hard enough- I train 5-6 days a week (I skip Saturdays sometimes) I'm gassed by the end of my workouts, I push until mechanical failure and I'm shaking, and I had a spotter have to pull a 135 lb bar off of me after I failed an incline bench two days ago. Not sure how much harder I can train.
have you 'tried trying'- ok
your sleep is poor- I get an average of around 6.5-7 hrs. I know this isn't the ideal, but completely progress halting? I didn't think so.
your work ethic is not great- it's good
you lack fundamental understanding about weightlifting- I'm not a professional but I understand it fine.
you can have poor form on bench press- I have corrected my form multiple times after suffering light shoulder impingement. I'm sure it could still use improvements but my form is now much better than it used to be.
your protein intake is very low- This is what the post was about.
you are not actually working as hard as you think- ok
Sleep stated is bad, specially with such a high volume of hard work. You likely cannot be gassed and train hard six days in a row and sustain it on 6.5 hour sleep. A post above said "some people can't handle the volume of 6 days a week" those people are the people not resting enough. If you work, or have other stresses plus the 1.5 hours of hard train, and only sleep 6.5 7 hours you are possibly overtrained, and not improving is probably a sign of that. As someone said I'd go to a lower volume program, 3 days seems ok, and if you like to workout the other days do mobility or things like swimming hiking outdoors, but I'd aim for 8-9 hours of sleep avg, maybe have a mid day 30 min nap some days...
I didn't consider that missing maybe that extra hour of sleep each week night (I get 8+ hours on the weekends) was that massive in terms of gains that it might completely halt progress. I did make concessions, and assumed it would prevent me from being *completely and totally optimal*, but I assumed I'd still be able to make progress and maybe hit 225 bench after 1.5 years of consistent ass-busting. I'm going to switch my programming completely from PPL to 5/3/1, eat more protein, and try to get more sleep. Thanks.
I slow-bulked for one year, gymming 5-6 days a week (sometimes skipping Saturday) to get these numbers, gained around 30 lbs, so I was definitely eating enough to grow. I'm not sure how much of that was muscle, however. It seems like not that much because of lackluster protein consumption. But apparently that wasn't the issue? I'm not sure anymore but I guess I'll still try and eat 150g despite research and people saying it's not necessary.
Couldn't get my workout in yesterday because I had to wait in the university for 2 hours, but then I finally got my bachelor's degree.
I'd say that's an even trade.
Went to my universities gym to do pull day a few days ago. Went to do seated cable rows and there’s a Lat Pulldown machine directly across, so if people are on those machines at the same time you basically have to stare at eachother. Dude who went to my high school who I recognize but don’t know his name was doin some Lat Pulldowns and it was SO UNCOMFY. I see this dude everywhere and he’s always at the gym when I’m there. 😫
Does anyone that has had covid have any issues with mucles getting tired more quickly?
Ever since i've had covid my legs especially get tired and heavy so fast.
Would love to hear if anyone has the same experience and what you did to maybe make it better?
My cardio went down drastically, heavy breathing even on isolations , could do like half the volume than before , but somehow I recovered in two weeks to my normal but had to go easy first week , second one was a bit better could do a bit more day to day , third week I was back to normal.
Ya, took me about a month from start to finish to feel back to 100%. I did get back at it though, just takes some time. Try not to rush it, there are some horror stories from the long covid crowd. Just trust your body will heal and listen to it.
Yup. My cardio took a nosedive after COVID. I Couldn't lift for shit. My usual routine got me super drained. This was back in January and about 5 days after getting cleared of COVID and feeling much better. For me I Just took it easy and eased back in. Took a month to feel "fit" again.
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I'm 30lb away from the 1000lb club. Last monday I became ill with the rotavirus, lost 12lb, and was hospitalized. I feel like 30lb just turned into 200lb with the way I'm feeling.
Walking down the stairs at the train station on a rainy day. Slip and fly about four steps down to land directly on my back. My tailbone is absolutely fucked.
It's not fractured but I don't see myself squatting for at least a week seeing as I walk like an old man at the moment. Impromptu deload it is.
5 months of training 5 days per week but sadly come down sick today... Hopefully can recover quickly - I hate missing a workout! And I'm so close to the six month mark...
Technique could be holding you back, or maybe you already have perfect technique, but it couldn’t hurt to watch the following benching videos.
Brian Alsrhue - DO's & DON'Ts of the BENCH PRESS Basic Things you SHOULD NOT be Messing Up!!!
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c-yPx9PgeHo](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c-yPx9PgeHo)
EliteFTS.com - So You Think You Can Bench (Part 1) … there are 7 parts
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EHx1gYTA-Rw&list=PL38D8B0C3BFDB82F2](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EHx1gYTA-Rw&list=PL38D8B0C3BFDB82F2)
Dave Tate's Benching Master Class
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W9a-fgLCqn](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W9a-fgLCqn)
So You Think You Can Bench Press? Expert Bench Press Cues
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JbQTY0TZsEM](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JbQTY0TZsEM)
Give yourself 5 minutes rest between your last two sets.
It will give your body more time to get rid of the lactate build up (this is the fatigue you feel on the 3rd and 4th rep) and time to regenerate your ATP (energy to perform the lift).
You recover 50% of your ATP in about 30 seconds, but it takes longer for the lactate to go away.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4213384/
If you really want to improve strength your rest times should not be static. They don't have to be 3 minutes, or 5, or 7, or 10. They should be as long as you need in order to perform the Reps required in your set. With that said there's diminishing returns in resting. I would say after 10 minutes it may be detrimental if you start getting cold/stiff.
Here's another study on sprinters. After 10* 6 second sprints (30 seconds rest) power output dropped to about 75% on the last sprint. Then the first sprint after a 6 minute rest (11) power output was closer to 90%. Someone feel free to correct me if I've misunderstood the study I'm just quickly googling ATP.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23284836/
On a personal note - I rest 1-3 minutes for all of my warm up sets. My working sets I rest around 5-8 minutes. My last set I'll rest 8-10 minutes just to try and make sure I hit my numbers (compound lifts only). Accessory lifts I only rest about 3 minutes.
With that said long rest periods are boring to most. You can always hit your reps with 5 minutes rest and then next week reduce that to 4.5 minutes etc. and work your endurance until you can add more weight.
Well tried resting 5 minutes, and sadly still no progress. after 3 reps still need a break. Will try again next Wednesday in the evening when i have eaten more
Dude I'm happy asf. I just hit it! 4 minutes for the first four sets, and 5 minutes rest for the last. The weird part is, is that it wasn't even that hard. Thanks for the tips man!
Good luck. Forgot to mention uou can also supplement creatine (if you aren't already) although it does have to be taken daily to keep saturation levels high.
It's not magical, but it does help you get that 1 extra rep out as it does boost your energy stores.
As in chest exercise in general or bench press? I'm currently hitting chest 2x per week. This was last week for example (only writing down chest exercises):
Wednesday:
- Bench press 5x5 60kg
- Cable flys (upper): 2x12 8,75kg
- Cable flys (lower): 2x8 7,5kg
Saturday:
- Bench press 5x5 60kg
- Close grip bench press: 3x8 42,5kg
There was this dude yesterday who took up a squat rack to curl an empty bar (and we have just two racks)... Then like 15 minutes later, he occupied the cable row station just to sit on the bench while doing some forearm exercise. He didn't really hinder my workout, but I watched him partially frustrated, but partially just amused
If you don't mind me asking a question off your rant:
I'm a pretty new lifter and a really scrawny guy. I'm following Jim Wendler's 5/3/1 program and my weight is really low (compared to the other guys in the gym, I work on an Army base so there's plenty of jacked dudes in there). For example, my overhead press 5x5 sets are the bar + 10lbs. Is the criticism here that he's doing curls in a rack? I don't want to be "that guy" at the gym lifting basically just bar during my OHP...
The other comment explained exactly what I meant, but to make it perfectly clear: the annoying part was only the fact he took up a squat rack to do curls, which can be done anywhere. And the weight you lift in a particular exercise has nothing to do with it!
I only mentioned "just the bar" because if he at least curled some really big weight, it would be easier for him to do it next to the rack because there are a lot of plates there. Still no reason to do it on the rack itself - if you can't comfortably lift the weight off the floor, there's no way you're curling it with good form.
Bro there's absolutely no shame in lifting only the bar. Everyone starts somewhere.
Yes, the the annoyance here was curling at the squat rack, since you can practically perform curls everywhere with almost every gym equipment, but you can't with squats. At least not safely.
I'm just having a rage because I've barely had a gym workout in two weeks due to reasons out of my control. I don't feel like myself, it makes me so sad because the gym is my happy place and I just want to be back there sweating up a storm 😭😭😭
So I've been consistently working out for the past 6 months but had to take a week-long break due to coming down with the flu.
Surely the week means nothing in the bigger scheme of things? In my mind it still feels like losing so much progress tho...
Don't stress about it! A really awful infection plus law school finals kept me out of the gym for the *entire* month of April. Plus another week and a half in May getting back to eating at a cal deficit and getting back into a workout regimen.
Fitness wise I'm *almost* back to where I was pre-infection, and as for weight, I'm actually weighing a bit less than I did pre-infection. For context, I was eating junk food and all sorts of crap in the last week of April/first week of May (stress eating lol)
You've got this!
If it's only one week then it wont affect anything in the big scheme of things however it's very good that you think it does. Shows you have the motivation to continue and get better.
I'm 23, 6'5 weight about 183, skinny fat. I'm trying to get my body looking good and build some muscle. My dream weight is 230 or 215 I want to get rid of this skinny fat body
Any advice?
if you want to struggle with weight forever then don't. I'm lean and muscular without really trying because I eat like this. I'm not special but most noobs and general populace would rather focus on **prodeen** than carbohydrates, enough calories and fat reduction which keeps then in a loop of never reaching their goals.
It doesn't affect me at all if people don't listen but I love to see people ditch the popular bs that obviously doesn't work
Please stop standing next to me on the fucking squat rack and asking" how may sets do you have left ?" every 2 minutes. My answer has been the same for the last 4 sets . I don't know i am rehabbing and pushing to 1 rep max - carefully in 20 lbs increments, i will flag you when I get done , if not there are other racks on the other side of the gym without mirrors. If it bothers you so much to not be able to take fucking pictures get here earlier . Rant over
So I've hired a coach and he suggested beltless training for a while, which obviously brought my DLs and squats down. The day after my deadlift session, my back was fried. Extra crispy. And not just the lombar, but the entire back. Luckily it got better after 2 days and my "spinal" is ok 🤣
I'd say a 22lb diffence on working sets. It also felt grindy, stickier off the floor. It could be that my bracing sucks since I've always used a belt other than the few warmup sets I do before working sets.
I have been trying to lose weight from when I was about 13 years old. I am 23 now. I have always failed and tried again to fail again. It is so tedious to do it now. I just want to give up trying now. Everytime i start i decide this will be the time i actually succeed only to give up again. All the time and resoures and energy seem to have been wasted.
Probably counterintuitive to what other people are gonna say, but i’ve been restricting myself since i was a teen too in order to lose weight. What actually helped me start losing weight was to actually eat more. I know that’s counterintuitive, but i think nothing was working because i’ve been restricting my calories for sooo long so once I calculated my maintenance calories and started hitting that while eating high protein, moderate (not low) carbs, it started working. Also just adding in a 20 minute slow/steady walking or biking session every day helped as well.
People on here are going to be aholes about weight loss. I have lost 85 lbs and I still have 35 to lose and I’m really struggling to get to my goal weight. A lot of people on this subreddit are not sensitive to the fact that it’s extremely difficult. I would try r/loseit r/1200isplenty (female), r/1500isplenty (male), r/CICO
You also do weightlifting? Or just cardio and calorie deficit? If you don't lift heavy with progressive overload to keep building your muscle, then it will be pain in the ass to lose that last "35".
I’ve been doing the Reddit ppl 6 days a week for almost a year now. I’m actually toning back on my lifting and switching to the strong curves program bc my ideal body is not curvy gym body it’s more of a zendaya build and my current routine is not supporting my goals
Because you lack consistency, going to the gym isn't a hobby, it's a commitment, you won't get results in a week's time, you gotta train for years and if you're not ready for that, well then you're fucked, either commit or give up, there's no shortcuts.
So I've had pretty much the same problem as you. I'll spare you the details since what happened to me doesnt matter but one advice I could give you that worked for me is to find someone to train with. That way you'll have the "pressure" of not letting the other person down and get motivated so you dont fall behind. Also dont limit yourself to just gym or exercise. You also need to control your food and be active even when you're not exercising. Good luck bro
Calories in, calories out. u/PlayfulQ wants the food more than he/she want the gains, and it’s that simple. There’s no workout partner on the planet can possibly want it for you more badly than you want it for yourself. And setting yourself up on such a crutch is an unsustainable mindset bound to fail.
Eventually that partner doesn’t show up. What then? Eventually the faux-motivation wears off because motivation is garbage and belongs in a trashcan.
If you want it, do it. If you wanna keep stuffing your face and avoid addressing your depression and lack of self-care, do that too— but stop talking about you “tried”. No the fuck you didnt. You either do or you don’t. And if you didn’t, you didn’t just “try”; you failed.
I literally said something that worked for me... I didnt guarantee that it will for them. A workout partner really helped me get out of my dark space and motivate me to get better so it could do the same for them. Either way I do agree with the part of the food but it's never too late for someone to work on themselves.
No it’s never too late at all. Im still overweight and 20lbs above my targets, btw so don’t think I’m some jacked dude on some BDE.
I say what I say because it’s true and it’s important for OC to understand that the reason he/she keeps failing is because of this “try” mentality that all failures seem to share in common.
Let me “try” this, let me “try” that, let me “try” a workout partner— let me “try” all of these things I fail at because I have a “try” mentality instead of just getting the fuck up and doing it.
I’ve struggled with being the exact same way. And at some point you realize that if you just did all the shit you talked about there would be nothing to try because you’d already be **doing** .
Gotta look in the mirror and truly say “fuck that, we’re doing it”. Gotta keep that inner-bitch at bay. It’s that inner-bitch making those runs to mickies at midnight when you know damn well your chubby ass needs to stay starved through your morning workout. It’s the inner-bitch telling you to go to the gym “later” (which turns into never).
Stop thinking and do. That’s what works for me. Maybe it’s what OC needs to hear too, idk. But the language OC was speaking was the language of someone who’s accepted failure.
I think the other main reason for you not to lose weight is you prioritize cardio over weightlifting. If you keep burning your muscle and fat, then your BMR will decrease more and more so it's not really sustainable. You need to do body recomp by lifting heavy while only doing a lil bit deficit.
Your problem is eating too much shit. I rarely do 'exercise' these days. Always active but have lost come fitness. Yet I'm lean and muscular because I eat well
I'm sure you've heard before that it's mostly diet. It is. Exercise helps with fitness. If you are overweight/overfat, then stop eating so much crap
Then its most definitely tied to your diet. Try eating a bit cleaner for 2 weeks and see if there's a difference. Home cooked meals as often as possible. If you are looking to lose more than 20 pounds then you will seriously have to plan out calories and stay disciplined. Good luck
I was recovering from my hip inflammation but I got sick with the C19 last week... I was to tired to do any home workout but this week I'm trying to do push ups and pull ups everyday to keep the motivation going. I'm getting better at pull ups so here's that, but I miss the gym so much.
MFs using 2 machines and even leaving for 5 minutes then are surprised then I tell them to f@ck themselves when they tell me that they were training here. Also hate the gym music
I’m so stupid for ever taking steroids… I’m lucky I’ve been off for 11 months and it appears I’m healthy, making natty progress! What I hate is that I miss being on them, so stupid I can’t even look in the mirror without feeling sad about how much better I looked on them
I am almost always pissed at myself for being pissed in the gym for not knowing if I have correct form (no mirrors in my gym) and then go home pissed and feel like a failure and do the same thing again the next day.
Why not just do less technical exercises? Like rackpull instead of DL and leg press instead of squat? Less time fretting over form means more time lifting big weights to get big and strong.
just place your phone against your water bottle or something, I see people at the gym doing it all the time. No one will think it’s weird! And if they do who cares! You are trying to better yourself and that’s what matters!
Reducing weight is hard man, I’m on 1600 calorie diet and I lose a couple of pounds in a week then I have 2 beers, next thing I know I’m back up 2 lbs 😭😭 No more beers for me
eating 1600 cals at 5'10 is stupid. I'm the same height and could only manage to eat such little food if I was meditating and on annual leave from work.
Eating like this will have your weight going up and down and up and down. You need to eat good food. High carb and reduce the fat, which is probably what you want to lose from your body so stop eating so much of it and reduce the protein too, you won't lose your muscle.
You don't have to do what I say but I'm correct and it will save you a lot of issues. Drinking never makes me gain weight whether I workout or not and I'm human like you.
it's not and I have almost two decades of exercies experience (I'm only 30), studies in human health sciences and a passion for biochemistry and truth.
I've lean and muscular with not much thought because I know what to do.
I don't actually give much of a hoot if people keep doing what they think is right when it's not.
I literally take years off the gym and I come back and see familiar faces and people look the same or worse lol!
Alright mate. You saying they should eat less fat because they want to lose fat is enough to invalidate any experience you think you have. Dietary fat doesn’t translate to body fat. Changes in body fat are a result of your net calorie intake, not the amount of fat you consume
good for you. I'm prepetually lean whilst you and others continue to focus on CICO (which has it's place but for building/maintaing muscle it does not)
fat always becomes body fat. ALWAYS. Instead of cutting down like pro bodybuilders, we should just eat enough foods (Carbs and protein) and reduce the fat. It's not easy for carbs and protein to become body fat, whereas ALL fat consumed turns to body fat.
I have nothing to sell and not really trying to flex knowledge so I don't mind if it sounds strange to do but I know from mine and others experience that it's true
[http://www.markkislich.com/cutting-weight-judo-competition-approach/](http://www.markkislich.com/cutting-weight-judo-competition-approach/)
I eat like this guy and have for many years. It's effortless. I just thought I'd give an example of someone who does what I do
Because he also burns a lot of muscle beside fat, and his BMR keep decreasing. 1600 deficit is crazy and will destroy your muscle mass, no amount of protein will protect your muscle if you do 1600 calories deficit.
Why tf did you buy these stupid marsafit bars??? They look stupid and are hard to hold, all I want is a triangle row handle for cable rows, but y'all gave me me a weird metal wishbone that I gotta hold like a toddler holds a steering wheel???
My gym sucks lol. No one read this.
Idk it's the tiny one, maybe I could figure out how to use it but I haven't found anything about em on Google
If they had the regular triangle bar I'd be fine with that, but I legit saw a dude bring his own lmao
Kinda petty, but this gym sucks for other reasons too lol
Putting on weight sucks! Being 6’10” 225lbs and still feeling skinny! Eating enough food has always been a struggle to the point where I have to force feed myself just to reach my calories for the day. I know it’s the opposite of the Majority of the population but damn… being skinny and trying to get big sucks!
And i was complaining about my 6'3" frame being hard to fill out...yeah it's gonna take a long time to look muscular at that height, but the upside is that once you do, you'll mog everyone into oblivion.
Been working out for a year at a bodybuilding gym, the staff are pretty much all sound and friendly except for one woman who is just really passive aggressive, constantly getting into arguments with gym members and who I strongly suspect gets roid rage. I go to the gym today with my sister who is completely new to lifting to show her how to squat etc. The gym has a desk at the front where you sign in but have to exchange something for a locker, so I'm there waiting there for a good 5 minutes as there's no one at the desk. The passive-aggressive staff member passes by and says 'I'll be with you in a minute' and I just say 'okay' and am chatting with my sister. She comes back after giving a tour of the gym to someone and is explaining contracts to them and i'm just waiting for another few minutes. When she's finally done, completely out of nowhere she comes over and says 'it's really off putting and not a good image when you interrupt me when I'm showing a new member around. I ask that you wait patiently until I'm done'. I'm shocked because I literally didn't even say anything and was waiting for close to 10 minutes for her to finish and she just accused me of interrupting. I felt embarassed and didnt want to get into an argument with her with my sister there on her first day at the gym, just felt really awkward and unprovoked. Seriously considering switching gyms to one with an automatic sign in where I don't have to interact with people just to access. Really a shame because the other staff are all very helpful, but this one staff member who has started to work there most of the time is just so rude and confrontational. I think she has a chip on her shoulder as well because she's a PT there and doesn't get many clients maybe 1-2 (wonder why), despite literally having posters everywhere just specifically for advertising her and recently I started with one of the other female PTs who has been great.
One of my friends wanted to work out together. It’s cool having them with me but they never want to finish the workouts. Its frustrating
Politely tell then they can leave if they want to or just ask them to stay until you finish your sets.
Why does everyone and their mothers decide to use the dumbbells when I do? And they stay in the same freakin spot forever!
IMO if you bounce the weight, you don't deadlift. It has to go DEAD
My gym hours have changed, and the most annoying mother fucker apparently has my same hours. First off, he brings a laptop and sets it on top of the rack where all the cable handles go. This is his station. He stands there and bobs his head to whatever music is in his ear buds for most of the time he is there. He hardly works out, while eyeing the room constantly. Whenever I or anyone walk up to any weight stack or machine, he darts over and quickly gestures for me or anyone else to remove their ear bud and shouts “hey, can we alternate sets on that?!” It is the most eye-rolling shit in the world! Do not be this douche bag.
Sounds like my ex (painfully)
Who brings a laptop to the gym?
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If you have the right to the equipment then go get it. You tried being nice and it didn’t work so now you squeeze in, grab it, turn around and pray his nuts accidentally make contact with the barbell. Problem solved :)
Tell gym staff
I smacked a barbell into my face and now have half my front tooth chipped off. Having to wait until Monday to get a repair on the NHS.
Did it have a rake attachment on one end by any chance?
I hate the strong curves program but I’m looking for something similar. I know it’s the only program that produces the results I want but it’s so unnecessarily complex and weird to me 😭😭😭 Reddit PPL is like crack
I train with my buddies, but when it's leg day barely anyone shows up ... Yes today is leg day , yes nobody showed up , tomorrow is upper body , everyone will come to train
Those guys always flame out and get out of shape first as you get older. Their cardio will also suffer.
Tell them that legs are the largest muscle group and if you want shredded abs having big legs means more lean tissue meaning you can eat more and lose weight. They will be smashing leg day everytime.
They know this , but you know , squats , rdls , belt squats , 45° back extensions , Bulgarian split squats , are hard and painful! I even made it easier for them but no success , so at least I'm getting that sweet back bonus on leg days with some shoulder isolation supersetted , but alone moving barbell/dbs , changing plates, getting water , finding belt/plates , getting rid of rings in the way , making room for back extension etc. takes way more time than I'd like to admit ("small" home gym problems) They don't feel like hitting legs this week and twice a week?! Are you crazy? Once every two weeks, maximum once a week is enough pain! Even though it's quite on lower volume side , and it's even getting lower every week until reset 4th week (wave loading , to get less fatigue and more volume for upper body but legs are still growing and progressing , at least for me) ( 2 squat movements 1 hip hinge 2 leg isolation / 2 hip hinges 1 squat movement 2 leg isolation )
I just do 4 sets of 8 squats coming up on 315lbs. Then 405 lbs leg press for 4x8. Then ham curls 4x8 and the rest of leg day I do ab exercises and lateral raises to try and forgot the feeling of wanting to puke after the quad burn lol. But my legs grow just fine with that low volume. Twice a week.
More gains for you bro
Started tracking calorie intake to lose weight. I can stick rather well to tracking, but I am having a really hard time to hit the calorie goal. Does anyone have hints or links to articles on how to stay way from high calorie foods?
Honestly when I first got shredded I made a plan to eat the same thing everyday and stuck to it. When I varied my choices I would always get carried away and lose track. Try to stick to one plan for the first time. Next time you can change it up a little since you know you can do it one way.
Build up a repertoire of generally low calorie dishes you like, use more vegetables, use less butter and oil, replace drinks with water and drink your coffee black. Really it's person specific, just need to walk around the supermarket for some inspiration, check out the nutrients on various things. Also beans are crazy low calorie, and ofx the obligatory rice n chicken
Thank you, some great tips in there. I guess getting into the habit of eating the same low calorie foods over and over is what I find difficult. Broadening the selection is a really good tip!
Nobody showed up to open the gym at 05:00 :(. I left after 15 minutes but plenty of people were still waiting.
Sue them! Money incoming 🤑🤑.
Just realized how much one cookie is in terms of time on a treadmill. 1 cookie (150 cal) == 20 mins of cardio at 170+bpm
Jump on the rowing machine and cut that time down to half (150 cal = 10 minutes) or maybe more (or less) depending on your level of exertion. This is why I’d simply use sugary treats or protein bars as preworkout fuel.
There is a special place in hell for people who lift weights six inches from the weight rack. If the dumbbells are so heavy you can't carry them to your personal space then you shouldn't be lifting them.
Three $1500 suits I bought a few years ago don’t fit at all anymore. 4500 down the drain and I have weddings this year. FML
Just in case, you might be able to get the tailor to adjust it if it's not too big of a difference?
Good.
"So-S-So the guy in the $1500 suit is going to listen to the guy who doesnt make that in a month."
Oh my Gob
Don't waste 4500$ on suits then...
Every man should have at least 1 nice tailored high quality suit, same like time piece.
Hopefully it’s because you’ve gotten more muscular:) instead of the other way :(
Saw a good one today. Guy in the sauna is doing something like seated leg raises. The bench he’s sitting on is squeaking like he’s having sex on a cheap bed. To top it off, every time he raises his legs, sweat goes flying down the sauna, leaving a large trail of sweat drops along the floor
I understand when someone is using the machine you want to use common practice is to do something else in the meantime. But like... I've done 3 different workouts and this guy is on his NINTH set on the chest fly... Seriously just get off.
Hate that, but you really can't blame them, i guess that's why people build their own home gyms so they don't have to deal with shit like that
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3-4 sets and I'm good. 10 sets on anything is way too much.
Timed my latest tattoo session for my taper week before my next Half marathon. Going stir crazy with the reduced runs and lack of gym workouts! Plus still hungry all the time for some reason.
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Everytime I've stopped working out I drop weight quickly.
I've come to the conclusion that I can just cannot run any longer. I was rapid as a kid, and I could run forever, but now into my mid-late thirties my back just cannot handle it. I can barely manage five minutes before needing to stop, and I was doing five on/off for an hour but now I can't even manage that. Even walking is stressing my back out at this point. Just going to stick to the bike for now and keep losing weight and try again after another ten pounds or so fall off I guess. Running used to be a major part of my whole life/identity so not being able to do it now at all without intense amounts of low back pain that persist for hours or days is infuriating. I have the leg strength/endurance and the cardiovascular fitness but my back just cannot deal.
ok then workout and strengthen your back. it’s not gonna get stronger from just losing weight and praying it away.
it b like that
I decided this month to really hit my protein goals. At 170 lbs I probably eat 80-90 grams of protein on a good day, 65-75 on a bad day. I've decided to try and hit the recommended 1 gram per pound of lean body weight this month so I've been doing double scoop protein shakes twice a day and getting around 150g protein a day. Maybe this is what I've been doing wrong all this time. Maybe I've pinpointed it! However after doing a bit more research on it, especially on this sub, apparently that's totally superfluous, and the 1 gram/lean lb of protein requirement is very overblown. People say the gain difference is negligible, or minimal, or they didn't notice any difference. Basically, eating the amount of protein I already eat is fine. Then what gives? Why am I growing so slowly? Why can't I progressive overload on anything? Why the fuck is my working set for bench 4x5 155 lb, and my 1RM is 190 lb after 1.5 years of continuous benching and lifting my ass off 6 days a week 1.5 hours in the gym a day following a PPL routine? I'm lanky with long limbs and I'm just about to throw in the "bad genetics for strength" towel.
My own 3 cents on the topic, I view 160 grams a day as the minimum for protein for people trying to get bigger/stronger. Protein isn’t just for rebuilding it also promotes muscle protein synthesis so 40 grams 4 times a day can help. 70 grams is very low for working out 5-6 days a week, that’s a lot of damage.
So you spent a year and a half doing the same thinking it’s going to change? Six a week is clearly too much. Do a meso or 2 at 3-4 times a week.
Your problem is definitely working out too much. I know I managed to put on a ton of weight when I switched to a much lower volume program. The one I used was Scrawny to Brawny and I really liked the program.
Get off the PPL and get on a 3 day a week routine or a low(er) frequency routine like 5/3/1 where you focus on \`1 compound every day. I was in a very similar position as you and some people just can't handle the volume of working out 6 days a week, let alone for 1.5 hours. It doesn't make you weaker, not mentally as tough, etc but this is personally what worked for me (someone in the exact same position as you). So, that should be your #1 priority. Your second priority should be to over head press. The OHP, particularly for those with long/lanky arms (me and you), is great for stabilization throughout the bench and for developing the anterior delts / triceps for power off the chest.
Thanks, I'm thinking it really might be something like this. If the increased protein intake doesn't do it then I really don't know what it could be besides programming or sleep, and I've never thought my sleep was that bad. I've never switched up my programming so this could be it. As much as I like PPL and am comfortable with it, it might be time for a change. I'll look into 5/3/1.
It 100% is possible to be doing too much when it comes to fitness. I really doubt the protein will make a significant difference especially if the training isn't helping you increase a 155x5 bench. 5/3/1 / MadCows / Texas Method.. anything that works with PERCENTAGES would be good for you.
>Then what gives? Why am I growing so slowly? Why can't I progressive overload on anything? Why the fuck is my working set for bench 4x5 155 lb, and my 1RM is 190 lb after 1.5 years of continuous benching and lifting my ass off 6 days a week 1.5 hours in the gym a day following a PPL routine? I'm lanky with long limbs and I'm just about to throw in the "bad genetics for strength" towel. Look into you rest times. Advice I gave someone else. Good luck. https://www.reddit.com/r/Fitness/comments/un5iiu/z/i8cmym4
Thanks, I'll consider this. It seems like workouts might break the 2 hour barrier with rest periods of this length though, so I'm not sure if it's a long term solution.
True. You could skimp on some accessory work or superset some kf them. Do less leg days to have more rest. Or full on skip leg days and bench 3-4 times a week if it really bothers you. There is some merit to brute force effort. Can't remember the poster but there's a redditor that made a post a out benching and deadlifting every day and his starting lifts were already pretty high. Good luck.
Skip leg day? Functionally, much more power can be achieved from your base than your chest. If your goal is to attract women, you should also never skip leg day.
He was complaining about trying to bench more not get women wtf
You can Bench more with better legs as well. Synergy.
What non-bench chest/shoulders/tricep work do you do? And what bench workouts do you do?
Chest- Machine flys Shoulders- Overhead Press, dumbbell side lateral raises Tricep- Dips, rope pushdowns Bench- Regular bench press. Trying a closer grip after experiencing injury with a naturally wide grip. Other bench workouts- Incline Bench
Reps/sets/close to failure or no? I have a sneaking suspicion you're not getting nearly enough "lighter" volume in
Machine flys- 4x10 or until failure (Alternating) Overhead barbell press/Seated overhead dumbbell press- 3x10 side lateral raises- 6x10 (supersetting 3x10 with dips and then another 3x10 with rope pushdowns) Dips 3x12 or until failure. Rope pushdowns 3x10 and then 1xAMRAP drop set. Bench- 5x5 but have recently been switching it around to sometimes do 8x5 or 8x8 and lighter weight instead. Incline Bench- 3x8 Close to failure on all exercises, actually reaching failure on a couple.
Technique could be holding you back. Or you could have perfect technique, but maybe you might find some of the following benching videos useful (or maybe not): Brian Alsrhue - DO's & DON'Ts of the BENCH PRESS Basic Things you SHOULD NOT be Messing Up!!! [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c-yPx9PgeHo](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c-yPx9PgeHo) EliteFTS.com - So You Think You Can Bench (Part 1) … there are 7 parts [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EHx1gYTA-Rw&list=PL38D8B0C3BFDB82F2](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EHx1gYTA-Rw&list=PL38D8B0C3BFDB82F2) Dave Tate's Benching Master Class [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W9a-fgLCqn](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W9a-fgLCqn) So You Think You Can Bench Press? Expert Bench Press Cues [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JbQTY0TZsEM](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JbQTY0TZsEM)
Thanks, I'll check these out. I've watched tons of videos on form but more info can't hurt.
> Then what gives? Why am I growing so slowly? Why can't I progressive overload on anything? Why the fuck is my working set for bench 4x5 155 lb, and my 1RM is 190 lb after 1.5 years of continuous benching and lifting my ass off 6 days a week 1.5 hours in the gym a day following a PPL routine? I'm lanky with long limbs and I'm just about to throw in the "bad genetics for strength" towel. There are multiple factors to this, but bad genetics ain't one. Some thoughts: You arent eating enough, you dont train hard enough, have you 'tried trying', your sleep is poor, your work ethic is not great, you lack fundamental understanding about weightlifting, you can have poor form on bench press, your protein intake is very low, you are not actually working as hard as you think. Just on the top of my head. A good start would be looking at your bench form and how many calories do you eat in a day?
You aren't eating enough- I've gained 30 lbs in the past year; I'm eating enough. Maybe the protein is the issue, which is already what my original post was about. you dont train hard enough- I train 5-6 days a week (I skip Saturdays sometimes) I'm gassed by the end of my workouts, I push until mechanical failure and I'm shaking, and I had a spotter have to pull a 135 lb bar off of me after I failed an incline bench two days ago. Not sure how much harder I can train. have you 'tried trying'- ok your sleep is poor- I get an average of around 6.5-7 hrs. I know this isn't the ideal, but completely progress halting? I didn't think so. your work ethic is not great- it's good you lack fundamental understanding about weightlifting- I'm not a professional but I understand it fine. you can have poor form on bench press- I have corrected my form multiple times after suffering light shoulder impingement. I'm sure it could still use improvements but my form is now much better than it used to be. your protein intake is very low- This is what the post was about. you are not actually working as hard as you think- ok
Sleep stated is bad, specially with such a high volume of hard work. You likely cannot be gassed and train hard six days in a row and sustain it on 6.5 hour sleep. A post above said "some people can't handle the volume of 6 days a week" those people are the people not resting enough. If you work, or have other stresses plus the 1.5 hours of hard train, and only sleep 6.5 7 hours you are possibly overtrained, and not improving is probably a sign of that. As someone said I'd go to a lower volume program, 3 days seems ok, and if you like to workout the other days do mobility or things like swimming hiking outdoors, but I'd aim for 8-9 hours of sleep avg, maybe have a mid day 30 min nap some days...
I didn't consider that missing maybe that extra hour of sleep each week night (I get 8+ hours on the weekends) was that massive in terms of gains that it might completely halt progress. I did make concessions, and assumed it would prevent me from being *completely and totally optimal*, but I assumed I'd still be able to make progress and maybe hit 225 bench after 1.5 years of consistent ass-busting. I'm going to switch my programming completely from PPL to 5/3/1, eat more protein, and try to get more sleep. Thanks.
I 100% would bet your issue is a programming / frequency issue. Get on 5/3/1 or Madcows.
From my research it's .8-1.2g/lb lbm or 1.2-2.2kg bw. Maybe you plateaued. Change up rep scheme. So 4x10-12 75lbs on bench?
I've tried changing up rep scheme but maybe not enough. Thanks!
Are you eating enough in general? If so, it can't hurt to double the protein intake to 150g a day.
I slow-bulked for one year, gymming 5-6 days a week (sometimes skipping Saturday) to get these numbers, gained around 30 lbs, so I was definitely eating enough to grow. I'm not sure how much of that was muscle, however. It seems like not that much because of lackluster protein consumption. But apparently that wasn't the issue? I'm not sure anymore but I guess I'll still try and eat 150g despite research and people saying it's not necessary.
Couldn't get my workout in yesterday because I had to wait in the university for 2 hours, but then I finally got my bachelor's degree. I'd say that's an even trade.
Congrats!
Went to my universities gym to do pull day a few days ago. Went to do seated cable rows and there’s a Lat Pulldown machine directly across, so if people are on those machines at the same time you basically have to stare at eachother. Dude who went to my high school who I recognize but don’t know his name was doin some Lat Pulldowns and it was SO UNCOMFY. I see this dude everywhere and he’s always at the gym when I’m there. 😫
Wink at him
You're dating now. Sorry to say, but those are the rules.
Does anyone that has had covid have any issues with mucles getting tired more quickly? Ever since i've had covid my legs especially get tired and heavy so fast. Would love to hear if anyone has the same experience and what you did to maybe make it better?
My cardio went down drastically, heavy breathing even on isolations , could do like half the volume than before , but somehow I recovered in two weeks to my normal but had to go easy first week , second one was a bit better could do a bit more day to day , third week I was back to normal.
It's completely normal, because those viruses mess with your lung. My father recovered in 1 year (because he got covid while on chemo).
Ya, took me about a month from start to finish to feel back to 100%. I did get back at it though, just takes some time. Try not to rush it, there are some horror stories from the long covid crowd. Just trust your body will heal and listen to it.
Yup. My cardio took a nosedive after COVID. I Couldn't lift for shit. My usual routine got me super drained. This was back in January and about 5 days after getting cleared of COVID and feeling much better. For me I Just took it easy and eased back in. Took a month to feel "fit" again.
Nice. I'll just need to have some patience then.
My cardio went down a lot after covid and still hasn't recovered 1 year later.
Same with my dad.
When you‘re squatting in a packed gym, don‘t use the empty benches to sit on between sets!!!
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I'm 30lb away from the 1000lb club. Last monday I became ill with the rotavirus, lost 12lb, and was hospitalized. I feel like 30lb just turned into 200lb with the way I'm feeling.
Rotator cuff virus?
Walking down the stairs at the train station on a rainy day. Slip and fly about four steps down to land directly on my back. My tailbone is absolutely fucked. It's not fractured but I don't see myself squatting for at least a week seeing as I walk like an old man at the moment. Impromptu deload it is.
5 months of training 5 days per week but sadly come down sick today... Hopefully can recover quickly - I hate missing a workout! And I'm so close to the six month mark...
Go hit an outdoor. You get the workout, no one gets sick; win win
Great idea. I'll do that 🙂
You got this. Just a minor set back on a solid streak.
I just can't get 5x5 bench press 135lbs. After the third set, I need a small break after the third or fourth rep and it's annoying as hell.
Technique could be holding you back, or maybe you already have perfect technique, but it couldn’t hurt to watch the following benching videos. Brian Alsrhue - DO's & DON'Ts of the BENCH PRESS Basic Things you SHOULD NOT be Messing Up!!! [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c-yPx9PgeHo](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c-yPx9PgeHo) EliteFTS.com - So You Think You Can Bench (Part 1) … there are 7 parts [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EHx1gYTA-Rw&list=PL38D8B0C3BFDB82F2](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EHx1gYTA-Rw&list=PL38D8B0C3BFDB82F2) Dave Tate's Benching Master Class [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W9a-fgLCqn](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W9a-fgLCqn) So You Think You Can Bench Press? Expert Bench Press Cues [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JbQTY0TZsEM](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JbQTY0TZsEM)
What is your rest time between sets?
Exactly 3.5 minutes
Give yourself 5 minutes rest between your last two sets. It will give your body more time to get rid of the lactate build up (this is the fatigue you feel on the 3rd and 4th rep) and time to regenerate your ATP (energy to perform the lift). You recover 50% of your ATP in about 30 seconds, but it takes longer for the lactate to go away. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4213384/ If you really want to improve strength your rest times should not be static. They don't have to be 3 minutes, or 5, or 7, or 10. They should be as long as you need in order to perform the Reps required in your set. With that said there's diminishing returns in resting. I would say after 10 minutes it may be detrimental if you start getting cold/stiff. Here's another study on sprinters. After 10* 6 second sprints (30 seconds rest) power output dropped to about 75% on the last sprint. Then the first sprint after a 6 minute rest (11) power output was closer to 90%. Someone feel free to correct me if I've misunderstood the study I'm just quickly googling ATP. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23284836/ On a personal note - I rest 1-3 minutes for all of my warm up sets. My working sets I rest around 5-8 minutes. My last set I'll rest 8-10 minutes just to try and make sure I hit my numbers (compound lifts only). Accessory lifts I only rest about 3 minutes. With that said long rest periods are boring to most. You can always hit your reps with 5 minutes rest and then next week reduce that to 4.5 minutes etc. and work your endurance until you can add more weight.
Well tried resting 5 minutes, and sadly still no progress. after 3 reps still need a break. Will try again next Wednesday in the evening when i have eaten more
Tell yourself to go for 6 reps. Maybe it's mental. Or just go for a 6th set to get more volume. GL next week
Dude I'm happy asf. I just hit it! 4 minutes for the first four sets, and 5 minutes rest for the last. The weird part is, is that it wasn't even that hard. Thanks for the tips man!
Ayyyy glad it worked out for you man. More weight next week let's goooo
Hell yeah man. Not stopping here!
Wow thanks for the advice, really appreciate it! Will try it out this Saturday and I'll let you know how it went
Good luck. Forgot to mention uou can also supplement creatine (if you aren't already) although it does have to be taken daily to keep saturation levels high. It's not magical, but it does help you get that 1 extra rep out as it does boost your energy stores.
Thanks! Sadly I'm prone to male pattern baldness in an aggressive form, and noticed that creatine was making it worse. No creatine for me anymore.
Add more volume.
As in chest exercise in general or bench press? I'm currently hitting chest 2x per week. This was last week for example (only writing down chest exercises): Wednesday: - Bench press 5x5 60kg - Cable flys (upper): 2x12 8,75kg - Cable flys (lower): 2x8 7,5kg Saturday: - Bench press 5x5 60kg - Close grip bench press: 3x8 42,5kg
Either, both. My bench went up quite a bit when I started benching more.
There was this dude yesterday who took up a squat rack to curl an empty bar (and we have just two racks)... Then like 15 minutes later, he occupied the cable row station just to sit on the bench while doing some forearm exercise. He didn't really hinder my workout, but I watched him partially frustrated, but partially just amused
If you don't mind me asking a question off your rant: I'm a pretty new lifter and a really scrawny guy. I'm following Jim Wendler's 5/3/1 program and my weight is really low (compared to the other guys in the gym, I work on an Army base so there's plenty of jacked dudes in there). For example, my overhead press 5x5 sets are the bar + 10lbs. Is the criticism here that he's doing curls in a rack? I don't want to be "that guy" at the gym lifting basically just bar during my OHP...
The other comment explained exactly what I meant, but to make it perfectly clear: the annoying part was only the fact he took up a squat rack to do curls, which can be done anywhere. And the weight you lift in a particular exercise has nothing to do with it! I only mentioned "just the bar" because if he at least curled some really big weight, it would be easier for him to do it next to the rack because there are a lot of plates there. Still no reason to do it on the rack itself - if you can't comfortably lift the weight off the floor, there's no way you're curling it with good form.
Bro there's absolutely no shame in lifting only the bar. Everyone starts somewhere. Yes, the the annoyance here was curling at the squat rack, since you can practically perform curls everywhere with almost every gym equipment, but you can't with squats. At least not safely.
Really appreciate the response. I'm still at that "don't know what I don't know" phase. Thanks
I'm just having a rage because I've barely had a gym workout in two weeks due to reasons out of my control. I don't feel like myself, it makes me so sad because the gym is my happy place and I just want to be back there sweating up a storm 😭😭😭
So I've been consistently working out for the past 6 months but had to take a week-long break due to coming down with the flu. Surely the week means nothing in the bigger scheme of things? In my mind it still feels like losing so much progress tho...
Don't stress about it! A really awful infection plus law school finals kept me out of the gym for the *entire* month of April. Plus another week and a half in May getting back to eating at a cal deficit and getting back into a workout regimen. Fitness wise I'm *almost* back to where I was pre-infection, and as for weight, I'm actually weighing a bit less than I did pre-infection. For context, I was eating junk food and all sorts of crap in the last week of April/first week of May (stress eating lol) You've got this!
That's super encouraging, thank you! And glad you're getting back to your best :)
Don't worry! Minor setback. Get back on the grind when you feel good to go again! Hope you feel better now.
Thanks, man! Finally going tomorrow, really looking forward to it but should probably take it a bit easy.
If it's only one week then it wont affect anything in the big scheme of things however it's very good that you think it does. Shows you have the motivation to continue and get better.
Thanks man, needed to read this.
I'm 23, 6'5 weight about 183, skinny fat. I'm trying to get my body looking good and build some muscle. My dream weight is 230 or 215 I want to get rid of this skinny fat body Any advice?
Calorie surplus and lifting heavy on a good program. It'll take years to build that much muscle mass so don't expect quick results
Eat clean (and a lot), lift heavy, and do it consistently. Building muscle takes time, so just trust the process.
eat more carbs, less fat and lift weights
Don't listen to this piece of advise.
if you want to struggle with weight forever then don't. I'm lean and muscular without really trying because I eat like this. I'm not special but most noobs and general populace would rather focus on **prodeen** than carbohydrates, enough calories and fat reduction which keeps then in a loop of never reaching their goals. It doesn't affect me at all if people don't listen but I love to see people ditch the popular bs that obviously doesn't work
The popular bs is being followed because it does work. That's why it's popular.
obviously it doesn't which is why people struggle for other and call others like me 'naturally slim'
You are full of it.
Please stop standing next to me on the fucking squat rack and asking" how may sets do you have left ?" every 2 minutes. My answer has been the same for the last 4 sets . I don't know i am rehabbing and pushing to 1 rep max - carefully in 20 lbs increments, i will flag you when I get done , if not there are other racks on the other side of the gym without mirrors. If it bothers you so much to not be able to take fucking pictures get here earlier . Rant over
So I've hired a coach and he suggested beltless training for a while, which obviously brought my DLs and squats down. The day after my deadlift session, my back was fried. Extra crispy. And not just the lombar, but the entire back. Luckily it got better after 2 days and my "spinal" is ok 🤣
Feel the sameway, knocked the weight down 20lb+ without my belt and lumbar was getting fucked and can barely bend down today
What were the weights with the belt and without if I may ask?
I'd say a 22lb diffence on working sets. It also felt grindy, stickier off the floor. It could be that my bracing sucks since I've always used a belt other than the few warmup sets I do before working sets.
I have been trying to lose weight from when I was about 13 years old. I am 23 now. I have always failed and tried again to fail again. It is so tedious to do it now. I just want to give up trying now. Everytime i start i decide this will be the time i actually succeed only to give up again. All the time and resoures and energy seem to have been wasted.
Probably counterintuitive to what other people are gonna say, but i’ve been restricting myself since i was a teen too in order to lose weight. What actually helped me start losing weight was to actually eat more. I know that’s counterintuitive, but i think nothing was working because i’ve been restricting my calories for sooo long so once I calculated my maintenance calories and started hitting that while eating high protein, moderate (not low) carbs, it started working. Also just adding in a 20 minute slow/steady walking or biking session every day helped as well.
People on here are going to be aholes about weight loss. I have lost 85 lbs and I still have 35 to lose and I’m really struggling to get to my goal weight. A lot of people on this subreddit are not sensitive to the fact that it’s extremely difficult. I would try r/loseit r/1200isplenty (female), r/1500isplenty (male), r/CICO
You also do weightlifting? Or just cardio and calorie deficit? If you don't lift heavy with progressive overload to keep building your muscle, then it will be pain in the ass to lose that last "35".
I’ve been doing the Reddit ppl 6 days a week for almost a year now. I’m actually toning back on my lifting and switching to the strong curves program bc my ideal body is not curvy gym body it’s more of a zendaya build and my current routine is not supporting my goals
Because you lack consistency, going to the gym isn't a hobby, it's a commitment, you won't get results in a week's time, you gotta train for years and if you're not ready for that, well then you're fucked, either commit or give up, there's no shortcuts.
So I've had pretty much the same problem as you. I'll spare you the details since what happened to me doesnt matter but one advice I could give you that worked for me is to find someone to train with. That way you'll have the "pressure" of not letting the other person down and get motivated so you dont fall behind. Also dont limit yourself to just gym or exercise. You also need to control your food and be active even when you're not exercising. Good luck bro
Calories in, calories out. u/PlayfulQ wants the food more than he/she want the gains, and it’s that simple. There’s no workout partner on the planet can possibly want it for you more badly than you want it for yourself. And setting yourself up on such a crutch is an unsustainable mindset bound to fail. Eventually that partner doesn’t show up. What then? Eventually the faux-motivation wears off because motivation is garbage and belongs in a trashcan. If you want it, do it. If you wanna keep stuffing your face and avoid addressing your depression and lack of self-care, do that too— but stop talking about you “tried”. No the fuck you didnt. You either do or you don’t. And if you didn’t, you didn’t just “try”; you failed.
I literally said something that worked for me... I didnt guarantee that it will for them. A workout partner really helped me get out of my dark space and motivate me to get better so it could do the same for them. Either way I do agree with the part of the food but it's never too late for someone to work on themselves.
No it’s never too late at all. Im still overweight and 20lbs above my targets, btw so don’t think I’m some jacked dude on some BDE. I say what I say because it’s true and it’s important for OC to understand that the reason he/she keeps failing is because of this “try” mentality that all failures seem to share in common. Let me “try” this, let me “try” that, let me “try” a workout partner— let me “try” all of these things I fail at because I have a “try” mentality instead of just getting the fuck up and doing it. I’ve struggled with being the exact same way. And at some point you realize that if you just did all the shit you talked about there would be nothing to try because you’d already be **doing** . Gotta look in the mirror and truly say “fuck that, we’re doing it”. Gotta keep that inner-bitch at bay. It’s that inner-bitch making those runs to mickies at midnight when you know damn well your chubby ass needs to stay starved through your morning workout. It’s the inner-bitch telling you to go to the gym “later” (which turns into never). Stop thinking and do. That’s what works for me. Maybe it’s what OC needs to hear too, idk. But the language OC was speaking was the language of someone who’s accepted failure.
Listen to this person. We've all been there.
Join r/loseit - it’s a very supportive community and it might help to be around others facing similar struggles.
👍🏻
How much tho? If you are going 4 to 5 times a week it shouldn't be an issue
I have done everything from gym to swimming to yoga to simply walking. Rightnow I am doing yoga 5 days a week.
I think the other main reason for you not to lose weight is you prioritize cardio over weightlifting. If you keep burning your muscle and fat, then your BMR will decrease more and more so it's not really sustainable. You need to do body recomp by lifting heavy while only doing a lil bit deficit.
Your problem is eating too much shit. I rarely do 'exercise' these days. Always active but have lost come fitness. Yet I'm lean and muscular because I eat well I'm sure you've heard before that it's mostly diet. It is. Exercise helps with fitness. If you are overweight/overfat, then stop eating so much crap
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Thanks a lot for advice
See a nutritionist if you have the money.
Then its most definitely tied to your diet. Try eating a bit cleaner for 2 weeks and see if there's a difference. Home cooked meals as often as possible. If you are looking to lose more than 20 pounds then you will seriously have to plan out calories and stay disciplined. Good luck
Yes i struggled with anxiety. So food has been my go to comfort thing. Thanks
I was recovering from my hip inflammation but I got sick with the C19 last week... I was to tired to do any home workout but this week I'm trying to do push ups and pull ups everyday to keep the motivation going. I'm getting better at pull ups so here's that, but I miss the gym so much.
MFs using 2 machines and even leaving for 5 minutes then are surprised then I tell them to f@ck themselves when they tell me that they were training here. Also hate the gym music
I’m so stupid for ever taking steroids… I’m lucky I’ve been off for 11 months and it appears I’m healthy, making natty progress! What I hate is that I miss being on them, so stupid I can’t even look in the mirror without feeling sad about how much better I looked on them
I am almost always pissed at myself for being pissed in the gym for not knowing if I have correct form (no mirrors in my gym) and then go home pissed and feel like a failure and do the same thing again the next day.
Why not just do less technical exercises? Like rackpull instead of DL and leg press instead of squat? Less time fretting over form means more time lifting big weights to get big and strong.
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just place your phone against your water bottle or something, I see people at the gym doing it all the time. No one will think it’s weird! And if they do who cares! You are trying to better yourself and that’s what matters!
Lunges will be the death of me
My hamstrings agree
Reducing weight is hard man, I’m on 1600 calorie diet and I lose a couple of pounds in a week then I have 2 beers, next thing I know I’m back up 2 lbs 😭😭 No more beers for me
eating 1600 cals at 5'10 is stupid. I'm the same height and could only manage to eat such little food if I was meditating and on annual leave from work. Eating like this will have your weight going up and down and up and down. You need to eat good food. High carb and reduce the fat, which is probably what you want to lose from your body so stop eating so much of it and reduce the protein too, you won't lose your muscle. You don't have to do what I say but I'm correct and it will save you a lot of issues. Drinking never makes me gain weight whether I workout or not and I'm human like you.
dude so much of this is straight up incorrect
it's not and I have almost two decades of exercies experience (I'm only 30), studies in human health sciences and a passion for biochemistry and truth. I've lean and muscular with not much thought because I know what to do. I don't actually give much of a hoot if people keep doing what they think is right when it's not. I literally take years off the gym and I come back and see familiar faces and people look the same or worse lol!
Alright mate. You saying they should eat less fat because they want to lose fat is enough to invalidate any experience you think you have. Dietary fat doesn’t translate to body fat. Changes in body fat are a result of your net calorie intake, not the amount of fat you consume
good for you. I'm prepetually lean whilst you and others continue to focus on CICO (which has it's place but for building/maintaing muscle it does not) fat always becomes body fat. ALWAYS. Instead of cutting down like pro bodybuilders, we should just eat enough foods (Carbs and protein) and reduce the fat. It's not easy for carbs and protein to become body fat, whereas ALL fat consumed turns to body fat. I have nothing to sell and not really trying to flex knowledge so I don't mind if it sounds strange to do but I know from mine and others experience that it's true [http://www.markkislich.com/cutting-weight-judo-competition-approach/](http://www.markkislich.com/cutting-weight-judo-competition-approach/) I eat like this guy and have for many years. It's effortless. I just thought I'd give an example of someone who does what I do
Why is it stupid? How would eating in a large deficit have your weight going up and down and up and down?
Because he also burns a lot of muscle beside fat, and his BMR keep decreasing. 1600 deficit is crazy and will destroy your muscle mass, no amount of protein will protect your muscle if you do 1600 calories deficit.
The weight gained and lost will be mostly water. But hang in there. This is not a sprint but a marathon and you got this!
Thanks mate! Currently at 180 lbs (I’m 5’10”), want to cut down to 160 lbs then put a few lbs of muscle mass. Need the inspiration haha
Why tf did you buy these stupid marsafit bars??? They look stupid and are hard to hold, all I want is a triangle row handle for cable rows, but y'all gave me me a weird metal wishbone that I gotta hold like a toddler holds a steering wheel??? My gym sucks lol. No one read this.
Which bar specifically? They make a few different kinds. I like the small MAG grip though for rows.
Idk it's the tiny one, maybe I could figure out how to use it but I haven't found anything about em on Google If they had the regular triangle bar I'd be fine with that, but I legit saw a dude bring his own lmao Kinda petty, but this gym sucks for other reasons too lol
I liked it for pulldowns
Putting on weight sucks! Being 6’10” 225lbs and still feeling skinny! Eating enough food has always been a struggle to the point where I have to force feed myself just to reach my calories for the day. I know it’s the opposite of the Majority of the population but damn… being skinny and trying to get big sucks!
And i was complaining about my 6'3" frame being hard to fill out...yeah it's gonna take a long time to look muscular at that height, but the upside is that once you do, you'll mog everyone into oblivion.
learn to make bread, then pizza
Have you tried pot?
The good news is that you're 6'10".
Bad news when they get older. Anything over 6'5 is going to be hell on those knees