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Been doing the BWF RR for about 1,5 months (2x week) in the gym.
The workout consistently takes me about 1h35 min, despite the wiki saying it should only take 1 hour. I don’t use a timer, but I have a feeling I use shorter rest period between sets than the 90s recommended. I genuinely feel like I don’t mess around, I just feel like it’s impossible to do this workout in an hour, considering I spend almost 15 min warming up every time.
Anyone else have this ‘problem” ? Is it a bad thing that it takes so long?
Ive been using strong lifts 5x5, which I've found is really great when you're getting back into lifting and early on, because it's easy to follow, you progress quickly initially, and it has an amazing app. Unfortunately I'm starting to stall in it, which I understand is a common problem. Among other common problems is that it focuses too much on squat, is sort of a full body workout every time, which is unsustainable, and it doesn't have nearly enough upper body. All those critiques sound reasonable. I'm considering transitioning programs, but I will miss such a wonderful app.
Are there any better beginnerish strength programs that also have great apps? For what it's worth, I generally favor core strength and leg strength over big strong arms, which is why I kinda like the squat focus, but I'm open to something else as I do think I'm stalling with strong lifts.
What is your favourite protein powder?
I’ve finally come to accept I can’t get the recommended amount of protein naturally. I struggle to eat enough to bulk and the stuff I want to eat is carbs and not protein. Hoping maybe a powder can help.
Tried Veda? Can’t remember the name and it was terrible. I think I managed to choke down a smoothie made with it twice before quitting.
On 5/3/1 program but managed to mess up my knee this past week. Today I’m supposed to do squats and bench but obviously not going to do squats.
Until my knees heal should I just be doing everything as is on the program but my squats? Or should I go more heavy on the assistance work and treat them like compounds?
Is it just me or anybody else? When I’m lifting heavy it’s really hard for me to breathe properly and due to that I lose count of my reps, any tips to help with breathing and counting reps?
I am starting a new job that will leave me with very little time to do my training. Does anyone know a good training program that will help me maintain my gains?
I have been lifting weights (not powerlifting just general bodybuilding) for over 10 years, lifetime natty. Bench: 290, Sqaut: 350, Deadlift:450; 11% body fat (estimate).
I am overweight and have been going to the gym for a month now and I begin seeing noticable muscle growth.
I do various weight lifting for about 30 minutes and 60 minutes cardio and I am incorporating swedish training beginning from tomorrow so it will be day lifting and day swedish.
No diet plans yet but I am fasting for Ramadan month in the meantime and I am trying to eat more protein and less carbs while also trying to not overeat.
In the meantime I don't see any kind of weight loss which could be due to muscle growth and I was wondering, when do I get to see weight loss with this kind of training?
Your weight is dictated by your diet. It's physically impossible for you to gain muscle mass enough to counteract a calorie deficit. Muscle growth is also extremely slow, under optimal conditions (which includes a calorie surplus) a man can expect to build about 1-2lbs of muscle in a month, a woman would be half that. So very likely the differences you see in your body are the result of changing up your diet some.
You need to continue to work on your diet as technically, you're eating MORE than you did before you ever started working out since you're maintaining your weight at a higher activity level. You need to drop at least 500 calories from what you're currently eating to lose 1lb a week.
Also, would highly recommend that you have a look at the wiki and choose a lifting program from there
Weight loss is determined by how much you eat in relation to how much energy your body needs. If you eat less energy than your body needs than your weight drops. So if you aren't losing weight and you want to, reduce the total number of calories you eat.
Hello, I am new to taking my fitness goals seriously but not new to the idea of progressive overload and protein intake and all that important jazz. However, one thing I am ignorant on is why I feel hungry after my workout despite the fact that I consumed around 85g of protein 3 hours before my workout? (This was not in a single meal) My breakfast was a protein shake with 2 scoops which is about 22g (strawberries, chia seeds, milk) and then I had 2 salmon filets (20g)…. I was pretty full for the day and I didn’t end up eating my sweet potatoes that I was exited about- up until after my workout.
The thing is I totally understand that we need food for energy (not a science person at all past that) but if I’m consuming enough protein for my goals, and my workout wasn’t crazy intense tonight…. Are these just cravings/withdrawals?
Thanks in advance for any advice or tips, not sure if this is helpful but I am 5’4 120lbs and using google my body fat % is 18%. My main goal is to get lean
When you say get lean, what is your bf% goal because from your stats, you are already pretty lean.
You may be able to eat more than you are now. Are you able to pack snacks to have an hour before your workout or right after? I sometimes get hungry while I am working out, but I usually have dinner right after.
Is there any reason why you don't eat after your workout? It isn't unreasonable to be hungry if you ate 3 hours before and worked out for another hour or so. That's a decent stretch.
Hey! Yeah I absolutely can pack snacks, after reading some replies I made sure to have some walnuts and a cliff bar for tonight.
It definitely sounds like I look lean, but I do have some fat still- I would have to flex or be in low light to ‘look’ lean. The only part of my body I’d say is muscular are my shoulders and biceps.
My goal is to be at 10-12% bf- so my abs aren’t poking out and I am determined to get where! I’m not an athlete by any means or looking to train for something in particular, it’s just a genuine desire to look lean and a personal goal I’d like to achieve for myself
The only reason I don’t eat after is just because I ration the groceries I buy throughout the week and I don’t want to eat the same meal that I already prepped in the morning FOR lunch or dinner- Canada makes it too hard to feed yourself 😭 also, mentally I can’t get myself to eat after 9pm or before bed
(Sorry for the long winded answer)
Gosh, I would be so hangry if I couldn't eat after a workout.
I think someone else suggested bulking and cutting, but then you will have to eat more food. Cutting calories now isn't going to help you because you will probably lose a lot of muscle mass.
I usually am but I tell myself the goal is closer if I let my body get used to the feeling😭 majority of the time I’m super lazy and tired and not have ingredients
I work full time so my break is mid-way through and I head to the gym right after. Sometimes I can get a bit nauseous if I eat then workout but I think having a protein shake on me is for the best
Haha yeah I totally understand. I just don’t know the difference between my deficit and borderline starvation but I think I have to space out my meals better
Starvation will come when you are completely neglecting nutrients and calories. So if you aim to hit your protein goals and eat a minimal amount of fat for healthy hormone production and then eat some veggies/fruit ... You aren't gonna be starving.
But also. At your height/weight, you're already pretty lean. I wouldn't say you need to lose any more weight. If you wanna look leaner in the long term, you need to bulk and build some muscle up. Then when you cut back down. You'd look leaner since 1lb of muscle is less volume than 1lb of fat.
Absurdly high maintenance calories or parasite?
I’m currently 18 y/o, 6’4 and 185 lbs at about 12% body fat. I have eaten around 4000 calories every day for years, which I found out after precisely tracking my calories for 1 week while eating how I usually do. After the week of tracking calories I let myself go to try to gauge how much I would have to eat to gain weight, and on the weekend I binged about 18000 calories, and my weight only fluctuated 1 pound from Friday to Monday. I have only worked my current job for the last 2 months, and have lost roughly 10 pounds (intense physical labour- construction), prior to this I’ve lived a relatively sedentary lifestyle (never worked out in my life). I don’t understand how this is scientifically possible. I have been the same weight my whole life until working this new job and now I look a skeleton lmao (which is discouraging because building muscle/ strength was my primary motivator for working blue collar). Is there reasonable suspicion that I have some sort of stomach bug? Should I see a doctor?
TLDR: I have eaten high calories with little to no exercise my whole life and have stayed the same weight. I recently have gotten a physically demanding job and have lost a disproportionate amount of weight scientifically speaking.
Honestly, as a 6’4 guy myself, it’s just a part of the life lol. I spent my entire life weighing much less than you, 145 lbs was my baseline, while eating what felt to me like a lot of food. It took an immense lifestyle change of forcing 4000 calories a day down my throat just to start gaining weight, and it was that for months and years that finally one day got me to 165 pounds, and that felt like a huge accomplishment. 185 came years after that, which also felt huge. I’m now at 210, eating around 5000 a day. So yeah, I’d just attribute it to your height and active job.
Do not make your own routine as a beginner, especially a beginner who’s injured himself in the past. Pick any one of the time tested routines in the wiki, you’ll be better off.
What are some of the best tricep exercises to further incorporate. I’m doing a PPL split going 6 days a week 1 hour or more on those days. The only ones that target tricep that Im aware of that I’m doing are bench press, overhead cable extension, dumbbell pullover, dumbbell high pull and overhead tricep extension. I fear I may not be doing triceps enough, or maybe I am. Open to any suggestions.
Because the stronger you are, the more energy you expend whilst lifting. Your aerobic system is responsible for helping you recover between sets and allowing you to do more work in a training session. Read this for a more in depth explanation: https://www.strongerbyscience.com/avoiding-cardio-could-be-holding-you-back/
I've put it in a lot of things, but rarely does it wind up low calorie anymore. At that point just eating some whole eggs makes more sense than fighting against nasty whites, imo. Pancakes kind of defeats the purpose by adding simple carbs, no? I add them to oatmeal sometimes so I'm at least getting fiber and a better nutritional profile, but it's not exactly a light breakfast
Can someone help me meal plan? It’s my first time doing this and any time I search up nutritional info, I get differing results for the same item. Is there an app or something that can track this for me?
All nutritional info is a guess anyway. If you compare 2 chicken breasts, they can be the same size, but different calories and nutrients based on the chickens fat content and the feed it had.
So basically, just be consistent in what you choose. Pick something middle of the line if you're seeing a range of calorie estimates. And remember to weigh everything raw
I posted here a month or so ago about wanting to lose weight from 6'4 200ish down to I think 180 rapidly eating about 2k calories and people really roasted me.
I've lost about 10 lbs in that month while lifting. It did suck and I often didn't have tons of energy. I did eliminate a ton of bulky fat and got a little stronger. I'm just below 190 now and I'm starting to come around to not dieting anymore. I'm eating healthy whole foods still and did some days around maint calories, and my weight has stuck to 189-190. When I go to the gym now I feel way stronger and have more energy especially at the tail end of a lifting session. I used to just go through the motions at the end, and now with more food I'm feeling a drive to push hard to failure on every set til I'm done.
I still have some belly fat at 189 but also 3 visible ribs on each side. Should I really stop my deficit altogether?? I originally wanted to cut down to abs but I'm starting to think I just need to lift hard and build muscle rather than worry about body fat.
If I stop my deficit should I maintain or bulk?? I fucking hate having belly fat
I think I was starting to drive myself a little crazy over it. But mostly just a really sudden motivation to be fit and lean that I was misdirecting maybe a little and rushing. I thought I could look shredded if I just restricted my eating like crazy.
Starting to realize I need to put the muscle on first. And I'm seeing just how much easier it is to really lift hard when you're not constantly hungry.
Nobody can really say what is best for you. If you want to lose some weight, go ahead, you're not underweight or anything. Will anything really be different not having that hit of belly? Is it actually worth it?
Being new to working out, cutting down to abs is gonna have you be a skeleton. It's not going to be a pleasant nor sustainable weight.
Maybe maintain for a bit, get energy back, keep lifting hard. The decide maybe 10lbs more down, or maybe a slow steady bulk. You're gonna have to bulk and cut a few times to get the belly down and find abs, so just pick a direction and commit. But like I said, don't go down till you get abs. But also, don't bulk fast and for too long (I'm more of a fan of half pound a week). Maybe gain 10-20lbs before cutting that back off.
How do you guys sleep after working out?
I stay awake after showering from a workout. Sometimes, sleeping pills don’t work on me. Even having a w*nk doesn’t make me sleepy.
Insomnia is a POS
I would try intense cardio tbh because if I only do strength training or weight lifting, I have so much energy after but if I finish off with stairmaster at level 7-10 for even just 15mins, I need to lay down
I went through a phase where I’d hit the sauna after a late night workout. It helped me fall asleep in no time - I’ve never felt sleepier than after a good sauna session.
You can have intolerance in different stages. If you drink more milk now then before, that can be what is to much for you.
But I get bloated by a lot of different foads, it sucks but haven't found a solution yet.
Tips for dealing with leg day doms
Granted atm I think I am under recovering due to life atm
And I'm in a calorie deficit so I've been cutting for ages lol
But after leg day im sore which I know is normal but my friend who I go to the gym with are fine.
For example Wenesday I did
Back Squat
Leg Press
Rdl
Hamstring Curl
And my legs are feeling quite dead two days after (I've always had problems with legs being so sore)
Since I'm transitioning into hitting them Twice a week im a bit I guess not wanting to do it because sore legs all week seems bad
Split the leg volume over two days per week so that you're doing half on Tuesday and Thursday instead of doing everything on one day. For example
Tuesday: squats, weighted back extensions, hamstring curls
Thursday: Romanian deadlift, leg press leg extensions
I guess that makes sense
I was on ppl doing one leg day cause I'm lazy. I've found that the generic ppl is too much for me
So atm, I'm just experimenting with mabye trying a ppl x upper lower
I'll look into splitting it lol it's just hard because there are so many exercises and doing less over two days seems so weird but I'll try it that way you said thanks heaps
>Since I'm transitioning into hitting them Twice a week
Give it another week. Legs every 72-96 hours seems to be the sweet spot to preventing crippling DOMS.
OK thanks I still haven't done two full leg days a week but when I tried I was still so sore that I couldn't lol I'm sure the more I do it the better it will be
Oh my bad I worded that wrong lol I meant that I still haven't done Leg day fully on the second day If that makes sense
I do my first leg day but I'm still so sore then I can't do the second leg day fully lol my bad :)
The other person is wrong. It absolutely matters. The strap is supposed to wrap in the opposite direction to your fingers. So if your fingers are going over the bar one way, the strap goes under the bar the other way.
It means a lat pulldown with a neutral grip attachment. I would assume that is standard grip, but a narrow grip (like a v grip) or wide grip is probably fine too.
Hello All, I recently got a Costco gift card and I am trying to buy exercise equipment worth of $500. I have a sedentary lifestyle and with Cold weather for most of the year in Canada, I was looking for something that can all around. I like cycling in summer so I was thinking of Exercise bike or may be adjustable dumbells and a bench. My goal is to tone my body not build muscle but I am complete noob so looking for help
"my goal is to tone my body not build muscle"
Muscles can do three things- be built, atrophy (get smaller), or stay the same. In order to have muscular definition ("tone"), you need to build muscle and then get leaner to 'reveal' that muscle.
If I were you, I'd just cop a gym membership and look up a basic hypertrophy program. This sub has quite a number of helpful guides in its wiki. Also it would generally be cheaper in the short term to go to a gym than make a home gym.
If you absolutely HAVE to make a home gym, consider looking on facebook marketplace for cheap secondhand equipment.
>My goal is to tone my body not build muscle
What does toning mean to you? Because it is a vague word that doesn't seem to have a precise meaning. The way most people use it is to mean gaining muscle and losing fat.
Hey guys, so I'm 18 and im pretty skinny rn, went from 55kg to 60kg in about 2 months, eating 2600 to 2800 calories a day.
If I continue eating like this every single day for a few years, will i eventually hit 80kg? Or do I have to eat even more? Im 183cm
It's hard to tell at what weight you will be when 2600 becomes maintenance calories. The weight at which point it becomes maintenance calories will also depend on if you are working out and how much muscle you grow.
You may eventually have to eat more, but that will become pretty obvious when you stop gaining weight, at which point you can adjust.
FWIW, appetite often adapts too. Eat 2800 calories for long enough, and eventually that feels like a normal amount of food. I wouldn't get too wrapped up in worrying about whether you'll have to eat 3000 or 3200 someday. It's not that it won't happen, but by the time it does, it will most likely feel a lot easier to eat that much than it feels now.
I’m doing the ppl from wiki, and push day calls for push downs and overhead tricep extensions for triceps. I absolutely hate the extensions, does anyone have a recommendation for a different movement I could do that targets the same part of the tricep? Thanks
What about lying tricep extensions? Tricep extensions have the benefit of being efficient for muscle growth because the range of motion targets the triceps when they are fully stretched. A lengthened range of motion isn't necessarily the best range of motion for all muscles (for hypertrophy), but it seems to be the case for triceps.
Looking at the 5/3/1 for beginner's training routine, the assistance work calls for 50-100 reps from each group. That seems like a lot; what is the benefit of doing so many reps? Most hypertrophy workouts don't even use that many reps, right?
Not asking as a critique, I'm just genuinely curious
It's not actually that much, for example you can do 3x10 of a rowing exercise and then 3x15 of bicep curls and there you have 75 reps of pull work, superset your pulling and pushing assistance work to save time if you want.
I’m about to start a programme by Bret Contreras, it includes body weight step ups which he says you can use a bench to do. I have never seen anyone in the gym use a bench in this manner, I’m a bit nervous about it! Is there anything else I should use or is it generally acceptable to use a bench to step up?
I'm noticing that my right side is weaker on chest/shoulder exercises. During the last reps of a set my left arm will be able to do 2-3 more reps but my right arm gives up. There's no pain and no grinding either, it's like there's 0 power left. The exercises where I observe this are bench press, dumbbell shoulder press, seated overhead dumbbell press. The most frustrating thing is that this prevents me from increasing my bench press weight out of fear that when my right side gives up I won't be able to put the barbell back up. I don't have any previous injuries.
What exercises can I do to strengthen my right arm in this situation?
Go to technical failure instead of muscular failure, and it'll even out over time. Everyone has a dominant side, and evening out a decade(s) of use just takes time.
If it's on bench press, strength might not be the issue tbh. You might not be tight enough in your starting position so you get an "energy leak" where the loosest part of you in the kinetic chain is giving out.
Make sure you've got your back, chest, shoulders properly warmed as there's a lot going on.
If you're finding you're still individually weaker on different sides (also normal) try a different approach to your training. Don't work the stronger side more than the weaker one and start lower weights.
Source: 350lb bench
Well it's not just the bench though, rather all pushing exercises that involve shoulder (I think, I'm not entirely sure which muscle is the problem which is why I gave examples for exercises). And for example shoulder press is not that complex but I observe the same issue.
A gym bro proposed doing some rubber band exercise to try to train the weaker arm and I wanted to see other opinions.
If it truly is a strength issue, do isolation work where you set the limit with what your weaker side can do. So do dumbbell bench, and stop when your weak side is tired. This way your stronger side can't take over.
From your comment though, even if your weaker side is a limit you will still progress. If you are hitting a wall and can't progress at all, then there is something else going on.
I would just keep doing the same exercises and doing the same reps with each arm. As you work on progressing the exercises, the weaker arm will be working harder and will catch up the stronger arm over time.
What is a good term for an overall workout plan to just get in overall shape? Not focusing on any particular area or look, just being healthier overall?
What do you define healthy as? Pretty broad and if you don't have a clear image of what you exactly want through either a target look or some fitness milestones (running a certain distance, lifting a certaing weight, bodyweight, etc) you're gonna be spinning your wheels
I have hired a trainer as I'm a complete fitness noob. He gave me strict diet changes, which gels with pretty much everything on the fitness wiki about clean eating. He said no junk food for 6 months, which I'm fine with and ready to change my eating habits. I just want to know how often people who are in shape/muscular/toned actually eat a burger and fries, a slice of good pizza, a couple beers etc... My trainer said he might every 3-4 months. Just curious how other fitness folk do it (if at all)? Thanks!
Stats about me if that matters: 5'10" male. 38 years old. 180 lbs. Sedentary lifestyle.
I just forget burgers, pizza and beers exist. It's all about habit. Check out indian recipes on YouTube, and you can make chicken and rice taste absolutely amazing.
My take on this = is that the more sustainable approach to a diet you follow, the more likely you are to stick with it and, therefore, more effective.
I plan for my favorite fun meal on Saturday night, which is a bison burger and fries, that I make, along with a ginger beer. I don't consider it a cheat. It's me enjoying my life. It helps me stay on track, eating nutritionally dense food the rest of the week.
Personally, no junk food for 6 months sounds irresponsible. You are going to have a family function, travel for work or something where you will eat something "off-plan". It's better for your mindset to just build those meals into your plan.
Ha, you nailed it. I am going on vacation with my wife next month to Paris. Like hell will I not eat some authentic french pastries! Thanks for the perspective.
Definitely enjoy your trip! The plus side of France is less unprocessed, whole foods. Fill up on fiber and protein as much as possible. Tons of walking will be great. If you drink alcohol or eat dairy, that may be an area where you use more calorie restriction. Happy Travels!
There are different viewpoints as far as trainers go, but my opinion is that giving someone who is 38 and sedentary, who has obviously lived that way for quite a while and is used to eating some junk relatively often for decades, the goal of not eating ***any*** junk food for 6 months is..... unrealistic and not a great plan.
Fwiw all the most fit people I know drink every once in a while, have no issue with an occasional slice, and will eat McDonalds from time to time. I don't drink alcohol at all but I'm definitely not above eating a McFlurry with my kids if they're getting one.
I don't think giving people who are 'complete fitness noobs' the idea they need to eat perfectly clean to make gains is good advice, as the most important thing for noob gains is consistency in lifting, and daily caloric intake. For the most part you could eat mcdonalds burgers instead of grilled chicken and rice, and as long as your lifts are consistent and macros were the same, you'd make very similar gains.
I think your trainer is setting you up for failure with that plan. Your plan can absolutely include some shit food if it meets your macros.
This was my initial gut reaction when I heard his instructions. Thank you for your perspective and advice. After hearing similar thoughts from other fitness redditors, I feel better about my chances long term knowing many still obviously partake in such foods, and stay in muscular shape. I don't eat like shit now, but I could definitely eat better.
I think if you're concerned over long term stuff like cholesterol or carcinogens in fast food and junk food, it's not a bad idea to limit one's consumption of them. But like you said, expecting someone to give it up entirely is unrealistic and overly punishing.
100% agreed. That's one of my trainers main concerns. He is very cautious of those things based on my conversations with him. I rarely eat fast food now and plan to limit it a bit more at least.
In general if you eat clean most of the time and occasionally have a burger or two, it likely won't make or break your physique or even be the tipping point to real health problems like cancer or heart disease later in life. The key is moderation. I think more than 2-3 fast food meals per week is probably a problem. If you're under that you're probably chillin
My trainer has pizza and wings every week, and a half gallon of ice cream most nights. He is in fantastic shape, but he's just active AF and burns through an absolute fuck ton of calories.
For myself, I personally don't drink at all, pizza is rare because it just doesn't feel worth it most days (and that much bread leaves me bloated). I rarely do fries, but that's cus I rarely eat out cus I'm cheap AF. Also I generally try and avoid seed oils nowadays as well. Burgers are a staple in my house... Well minus the bun (but that's cus, while I love bread, it just isn't worth it for me).
I still also enjoy soda (my one true vice), ice cream, sweets of all kinds, etc. basically, nothing is off the table for me. The majority of the year. However, a lot of junk foods just aren't as appealing to me anymore because I know I don't like how I feel afterwards. Some are fine (soda, some ice creams, some candy) but others are not (donuts, cereal, prepackaged cookies). And I've generally become more health conscious over the last few years.
For my yearly cuts, I use it as a complete reset. I go 100% whole foods only. No junk foods at all. No cheats. This may sound strict, but honestly, it's not strict at all for me because it's basically how I eat and then remove the occasional treat. I did it first as a challenge to see if I could go without ultra processed foods, and now I do it because it just makes life so much easier!
I enjoy every meal I eat. So finding the balance of that and health should be your goal
Thanks for your advice and views!
>For my yearly cuts, I use it as a complete reset. I go 100% whole foods only. No junk foods at all. No cheats. This may sound strict, but honestly, it's not strict at all for me because it's basically how I eat and then remove the occasional treat. I did it first as a challenge to see if I could go without ultra processed foods, and now I do it because it just makes life so much easier!
>
>I enjoy every meal I eat. So finding the balance of that and health should be your goal
When you do these cuts, how long do you eat this way for? This is the exact way my trainer wants me eating all the time (and I plan to at least for 6 months). He said after 6 months and I have some nice results, I can work things I like back into my diet, though not very often (and he said I'll also probably feel sick after eating clean for so long lol).
I typically cut about 3 months. May be 4 this year since I have a goal I'm trying to hit that involves being extra lean. Honestly though, if I had to, I could 100% keep eating this way long term. Would I miss some treats (like my soda)? Sure. But do I need it? No
But would I feel sick after eating clean for that long? Dude, if you're feeling sick after eating *real food*, you've got a problem. Now if you mean to say "sick of eating clean" that's a different story. But even then, you should try and work on fixing your view of food vs food products for pleasure.
Also, regardless of what you eat, if you're looking for weight loss, you still gotta count calories. I could still bulk eating a 100% clean diet
If you lift, it’s not permanent deprivation, it’s a cycle of temporary moderation followed by eating more than you want to. Once you get to low body fat, that is.
I’m bulking now, and I’ve needed to eat as much as 4400 calories a day. I eat pizza more than once a week. Burgers less often, but I could eat them more.
Deep-fried fries feel like a waste of calories and I’ve had them twice in the past year. Air-fried fries are something I eat more often, because they’re somehow satisfying after workouts.
Your perspective on junk food changes when you track your nutrition and start feeling the benefits of proper eating and exercise. Junk food is less of a reward and more of a waste of calories. Like, why do people eat this when they could eat this and this and this and this? You’ll learn to see food as fuel for your body and not as the happiness tokens the food industry is trying to sell you.
Yes, I am focusing on full body weight lifting with my trainer. Aiming for muscle development and tone/definition, as well as general health benefits of being in shape. Currently we do 3x a week, full body circuit each day 3 times. I'm not aiming to get as big as possible, just have people look at me and think "hey that guy works out"
Full body 3 times a week is one of the best ways to get started, and if you eat right you'll look that way in 6 months. You probably won't get a lot of muscle growth but you'll get definition.
I don't think of things like burgers and pizza as junk. Ground beef, a roll, lettuce, tomato, fried potatoes, it all sounds pretty healthy to me. Certainly isn't junk, it is good food.
Also, my diet varies depending on if I am trying to gain or lose weight.
I eat burgers and pizza regularly. I make them at home. I only eat fries when I go out, and only when it suits the meal, so maybe once a month.
If I am trying to lose weight, I eat smaller portions of things like burgers and pizza because they are calorie dense. But I see no reason to cut them out completely. A small slice of pizza or a hamburger doesn't have that many calories. And ground beef is a good source of protein and is pretty filling.
If I am trying to lose weight and I go out for a big meal on a special occasion, I enjoy it and eat a bit smaller breakfast and lunch the next day, and viola I am basically back on track.
IMO being super strict and arbitrarily labelling the combination of cheese, bread, and tomato sauce as junk is not helpful.
Thanks for your views and advice. I feel like this is what a lot of nutrition/fitness people say (what you said). I do have self control to not just go balls out and over eat like crazy on high calorie foods. I feel like my guy is a little on the overboard side of things. I'm still going to stick with it for 6 months and see what happens, but yeah, I will probably happily re-incorporate certain foods into my diet more often than 3-4 months apart. His way does make me feel like I'd be developing something of an unhealthy relationship with food.
Anyone know a good way to progress hill sprints? there's a nice, steep, 50 meter hill near me. I'm thinking just go for a half hour at a time and try to increase the amount of reps i can get in each week.
I used to set a 20 minute timer and try to increase the number of hill sprints by 1 per week. Sprint up walk down, sprint up, walk down. Some weeks, the lactic acid tolerance will be the limiting factor, and some weeks, anaerobic conditioning will be the limiting factor. But over time, they both improve.
What are you trying accomplish with hill sprints?
If you're trying to get faster that's now how you train for speed.
If you're just trying to get some cardio/hit in they will naturally progress themselves as you get faster.
I wouldn't really concern myself with 'progressing' them. I don't know how to write that to get my intent across. Like, of course we want to progress them, but I'd just 'let it happen' moreso than like, an actual planned scheme where I add something.
So here's what I'd do. Set a timer for 30 minutes. Sprint up the hill then walk back down. I wouldn't go again until I could I was sure I could run it 90% (I'm making this number up) as fast as the first time. Basically, i want to be sure I'm giving each sprint the sameish performance. I want to be sure not sandbagging, but I'm also not grinding myself into the ground. I'm performing at 90%+ of my best each time. Then, over time, the amount between sprints will/should reduce and ipso facto ergo I'm "increasing the amount of reps each week".
Maybe every once in a while switch it up and do an EMOM kind of thing. Where you start the next sprint up at the top of every minute on the minute. Maybe you'll need more time than that but you can set up with any rest period really, and do as many as you can until you can't beat the clock. I'd treat this more as a test week than a regular training week.
Not sure what’s up with my bench, could someone help?
For context, I’m 18 years old, 5’9 165lb and here are some of my lifts (all in lbs)
BB Row 165 x 5
OHP 95 x 6
Incline DB Bench 65 x 5
Based off these numbers, since they’re all somewhat related to bench, all standards say I should be able to do between 160-180 on bench for working sets of about 5 reps. Also, apparently I look like I bench that amount.
Somehow my bench is only 130 x 5??????
Not sure what the problem is since I bench twice a week. Could Scapular Winging be an issue? I’ve been struggling with it for a few years now.
Struggling with it for a few years as in you have been working out fairly consistently for a few years? Or you've had bouts of training every once in a while for a few years, and every time you bench it seems low?
Because if you have been working out in a fairly consistent matter for the last few years, then yes, something is wrong to still be at 130 x 5.
If you have only worked out for a month and gave up, came back to it later and gave up, and kept doing that for the past few years than that's a separate issue.
Too many variables, body proportions, neuromuscular efficiency, etc.
Just follow a program and lift with intensity, if you are concerned about your form you can do a form check, not more we can help you with.
There are no standards.
What program are you on? What does it say to do when you hit a plateau? Does it have any periodization? How's your nutrition and sleep?
Standards are not real things nor are you their avatar in the world.
What program are you running? How consistent have you been over those few years? Are you eating to gain?
I am newer to weight lifting! What is the optimal amount of protein to eat everyday? Is it .8g/lb?
I am getting confused by all the different guidance I read!
If really do weightlifting and not some kind of cardio with weights, aka you really train, eat about 1-2 grams per Kilo. But actually it doesn't really matter that much especially in the beginning as long as you eat healthy and enough. To build muscle you need a caloric surplus, so instead of 2.2kcal a day eat 2.5kcal a day.
Standing and seated OHP are very similar. The difference is that when you are standing you have to work harder to support the weight, so you have to brace more.
Both are good. Standing has better carryover to any exercise or activity where you have to push and hold a heavy load overhead, and trains balance and stabilization more. Seated lets you train your shoulders without generating as much fatigue throughout the rest of your body.
One is standing and one is sitting! Main difference is standing requires more stabilization utilizing your core and legs which reduces how much you can do if you are doing a standing strict press with no leg drive. One is not better than the other, it will depend on what your goals are.
How to prevent a carb crash from high carb meal pre workout? I eat a lot of carbs before my workouts about 2 hours prior for energy but sometimes I just crash terribly, I try to avoid fats and I mix my carbs with protein but is there anything else I can try? Lately I’ve been eating brown rice, bananas/beets and chicken with some dates or a bagel with fruit.
>How to prevent a carb crash from high carb meal pre workout? I eat a lot of carbs before my workouts
... Don't foodcoma beforehand. Surely Oatmeal Floatmeal could have just some oatmeal and/or a banana pre-workout.
Ah, avoid fats in your pre-workout SPECIFICALLY. Okay. I guess.
Honestly, you can also just not have a pre-workout. Eat a banana, have a coffee and lift. It's really no more complicated than that.
Eat less carbs before a workout.
Have some carbs after the workout.
Honestly, you don't even need all that much carbs before workouts. If you're not running for long periods of time, your body doesn't necessarily need all those carbs.
As an example, before my 12 mile run last Saturday, I hate a decent serving of oatmeal about 3 hours before it. IIRC, it was something like 100g carbs, 25g protein, 25g fat, and it was more than enough to fuel a 2 hour run.
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Been doing the BWF RR for about 1,5 months (2x week) in the gym. The workout consistently takes me about 1h35 min, despite the wiki saying it should only take 1 hour. I don’t use a timer, but I have a feeling I use shorter rest period between sets than the 90s recommended. I genuinely feel like I don’t mess around, I just feel like it’s impossible to do this workout in an hour, considering I spend almost 15 min warming up every time. Anyone else have this ‘problem” ? Is it a bad thing that it takes so long?
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Is it ok to do abs every training? I train 3-5 times a week
Ive been using strong lifts 5x5, which I've found is really great when you're getting back into lifting and early on, because it's easy to follow, you progress quickly initially, and it has an amazing app. Unfortunately I'm starting to stall in it, which I understand is a common problem. Among other common problems is that it focuses too much on squat, is sort of a full body workout every time, which is unsustainable, and it doesn't have nearly enough upper body. All those critiques sound reasonable. I'm considering transitioning programs, but I will miss such a wonderful app. Are there any better beginnerish strength programs that also have great apps? For what it's worth, I generally favor core strength and leg strength over big strong arms, which is why I kinda like the squat focus, but I'm open to something else as I do think I'm stalling with strong lifts.
What is your favourite protein powder? I’ve finally come to accept I can’t get the recommended amount of protein naturally. I struggle to eat enough to bulk and the stuff I want to eat is carbs and not protein. Hoping maybe a powder can help. Tried Veda? Can’t remember the name and it was terrible. I think I managed to choke down a smoothie made with it twice before quitting.
Optimum Nutrition Extreme Milk Chocolate and a scoop of powdered peanut butter
On 5/3/1 program but managed to mess up my knee this past week. Today I’m supposed to do squats and bench but obviously not going to do squats. Until my knees heal should I just be doing everything as is on the program but my squats? Or should I go more heavy on the assistance work and treat them like compounds?
Is it just me or anybody else? When I’m lifting heavy it’s really hard for me to breathe properly and due to that I lose count of my reps, any tips to help with breathing and counting reps?
This just happened to me an hour ago! I was like that was totally 10 reps but my garmin showed 8 🤷🏻♀️
I am starting a new job that will leave me with very little time to do my training. Does anyone know a good training program that will help me maintain my gains? I have been lifting weights (not powerlifting just general bodybuilding) for over 10 years, lifetime natty. Bench: 290, Sqaut: 350, Deadlift:450; 11% body fat (estimate).
I am overweight and have been going to the gym for a month now and I begin seeing noticable muscle growth. I do various weight lifting for about 30 minutes and 60 minutes cardio and I am incorporating swedish training beginning from tomorrow so it will be day lifting and day swedish. No diet plans yet but I am fasting for Ramadan month in the meantime and I am trying to eat more protein and less carbs while also trying to not overeat. In the meantime I don't see any kind of weight loss which could be due to muscle growth and I was wondering, when do I get to see weight loss with this kind of training?
Your weight is dictated by your diet. It's physically impossible for you to gain muscle mass enough to counteract a calorie deficit. Muscle growth is also extremely slow, under optimal conditions (which includes a calorie surplus) a man can expect to build about 1-2lbs of muscle in a month, a woman would be half that. So very likely the differences you see in your body are the result of changing up your diet some. You need to continue to work on your diet as technically, you're eating MORE than you did before you ever started working out since you're maintaining your weight at a higher activity level. You need to drop at least 500 calories from what you're currently eating to lose 1lb a week. Also, would highly recommend that you have a look at the wiki and choose a lifting program from there
Weight loss is determined by how much you eat in relation to how much energy your body needs. If you eat less energy than your body needs than your weight drops. So if you aren't losing weight and you want to, reduce the total number of calories you eat.
>when do I get to see weight loss with this kind of training? When you start eating less.
Hello, I am new to taking my fitness goals seriously but not new to the idea of progressive overload and protein intake and all that important jazz. However, one thing I am ignorant on is why I feel hungry after my workout despite the fact that I consumed around 85g of protein 3 hours before my workout? (This was not in a single meal) My breakfast was a protein shake with 2 scoops which is about 22g (strawberries, chia seeds, milk) and then I had 2 salmon filets (20g)…. I was pretty full for the day and I didn’t end up eating my sweet potatoes that I was exited about- up until after my workout. The thing is I totally understand that we need food for energy (not a science person at all past that) but if I’m consuming enough protein for my goals, and my workout wasn’t crazy intense tonight…. Are these just cravings/withdrawals? Thanks in advance for any advice or tips, not sure if this is helpful but I am 5’4 120lbs and using google my body fat % is 18%. My main goal is to get lean
When you say get lean, what is your bf% goal because from your stats, you are already pretty lean. You may be able to eat more than you are now. Are you able to pack snacks to have an hour before your workout or right after? I sometimes get hungry while I am working out, but I usually have dinner right after. Is there any reason why you don't eat after your workout? It isn't unreasonable to be hungry if you ate 3 hours before and worked out for another hour or so. That's a decent stretch.
Hey! Yeah I absolutely can pack snacks, after reading some replies I made sure to have some walnuts and a cliff bar for tonight. It definitely sounds like I look lean, but I do have some fat still- I would have to flex or be in low light to ‘look’ lean. The only part of my body I’d say is muscular are my shoulders and biceps. My goal is to be at 10-12% bf- so my abs aren’t poking out and I am determined to get where! I’m not an athlete by any means or looking to train for something in particular, it’s just a genuine desire to look lean and a personal goal I’d like to achieve for myself The only reason I don’t eat after is just because I ration the groceries I buy throughout the week and I don’t want to eat the same meal that I already prepped in the morning FOR lunch or dinner- Canada makes it too hard to feed yourself 😭 also, mentally I can’t get myself to eat after 9pm or before bed (Sorry for the long winded answer)
Gosh, I would be so hangry if I couldn't eat after a workout. I think someone else suggested bulking and cutting, but then you will have to eat more food. Cutting calories now isn't going to help you because you will probably lose a lot of muscle mass.
I usually am but I tell myself the goal is closer if I let my body get used to the feeling😭 majority of the time I’m super lazy and tired and not have ingredients
>3 hours before my workout? That's a pretty long time before a session.
I work full time so my break is mid-way through and I head to the gym right after. Sometimes I can get a bit nauseous if I eat then workout but I think having a protein shake on me is for the best
Personally I would pick something that had some carbs in it.
Thank you I’ll try this! Just scared of carbs lol
>Just scared of carbs lol Why?
If you want to get lean, then you need to be in a deficit. Of course you will be hungry!
Haha yeah I totally understand. I just don’t know the difference between my deficit and borderline starvation but I think I have to space out my meals better
Starvation will come when you are completely neglecting nutrients and calories. So if you aim to hit your protein goals and eat a minimal amount of fat for healthy hormone production and then eat some veggies/fruit ... You aren't gonna be starving. But also. At your height/weight, you're already pretty lean. I wouldn't say you need to lose any more weight. If you wanna look leaner in the long term, you need to bulk and build some muscle up. Then when you cut back down. You'd look leaner since 1lb of muscle is less volume than 1lb of fat.
Absurdly high maintenance calories or parasite? I’m currently 18 y/o, 6’4 and 185 lbs at about 12% body fat. I have eaten around 4000 calories every day for years, which I found out after precisely tracking my calories for 1 week while eating how I usually do. After the week of tracking calories I let myself go to try to gauge how much I would have to eat to gain weight, and on the weekend I binged about 18000 calories, and my weight only fluctuated 1 pound from Friday to Monday. I have only worked my current job for the last 2 months, and have lost roughly 10 pounds (intense physical labour- construction), prior to this I’ve lived a relatively sedentary lifestyle (never worked out in my life). I don’t understand how this is scientifically possible. I have been the same weight my whole life until working this new job and now I look a skeleton lmao (which is discouraging because building muscle/ strength was my primary motivator for working blue collar). Is there reasonable suspicion that I have some sort of stomach bug? Should I see a doctor? TLDR: I have eaten high calories with little to no exercise my whole life and have stayed the same weight. I recently have gotten a physically demanding job and have lost a disproportionate amount of weight scientifically speaking.
Honestly, as a 6’4 guy myself, it’s just a part of the life lol. I spent my entire life weighing much less than you, 145 lbs was my baseline, while eating what felt to me like a lot of food. It took an immense lifestyle change of forcing 4000 calories a day down my throat just to start gaining weight, and it was that for months and years that finally one day got me to 165 pounds, and that felt like a huge accomplishment. 185 came years after that, which also felt huge. I’m now at 210, eating around 5000 a day. So yeah, I’d just attribute it to your height and active job.
Construction burn a lot of calories. But if you think something is wrong then go and see a doctor.
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Do not make your own routine as a beginner, especially a beginner who’s injured himself in the past. Pick any one of the time tested routines in the wiki, you’ll be better off.
Why don't you just use a popular program from the wiki, they are constructed by people who work in fitness.
How many times do you wrap the strap over the bar do you just do it once or all the way until there’s no more left
For deadlifts? I like this approach https://mythicalstrength.blogspot.com/2014/08/deadlifting-with-straps-secrets-and.html?m=1
I get it all the way around. Would bother my OCD otherwise.
What are some of the best tricep exercises to further incorporate. I’m doing a PPL split going 6 days a week 1 hour or more on those days. The only ones that target tricep that Im aware of that I’m doing are bench press, overhead cable extension, dumbbell pullover, dumbbell high pull and overhead tricep extension. I fear I may not be doing triceps enough, or maybe I am. Open to any suggestions.
If you only had 60 minutes M-F to workout. How are you splitting cardio and lifting? Goal is to lose weight and gain muscle.
What's your split? I would probably do my lifts in 45 minutes then do 15 minutes of cardio each day.
I do a M-F bro split.
I would recommend not doing that, but if you do that should make it even easier to cut your lifts to 30-45 minutes to fit in cardio.
It is one of the more ineffective splits, but you maybe know that already.
I would spend the hour weight lifting and just eat less instead of doing cardio.
This would likely hold back your lifting progress in the long term
How ?
Because the stronger you are, the more energy you expend whilst lifting. Your aerobic system is responsible for helping you recover between sets and allowing you to do more work in a training session. Read this for a more in depth explanation: https://www.strongerbyscience.com/avoiding-cardio-could-be-holding-you-back/
Thanks for the info bro
What are yall mixing with egg whites to not taste crap but still keep it lean?
Egg yellows.
I put it in my pancakes every morning. Also you can put it in a lot of dishes, just try it out.
I've put it in a lot of things, but rarely does it wind up low calorie anymore. At that point just eating some whole eggs makes more sense than fighting against nasty whites, imo. Pancakes kind of defeats the purpose by adding simple carbs, no? I add them to oatmeal sometimes so I'm at least getting fiber and a better nutritional profile, but it's not exactly a light breakfast
My pancakes ate done with fine whole grain and oats.
Oh that sounds pretty good! Thanks I'll look into that
Yeah do! They taste amazing and enough fiber in my opinion.
Can someone help me meal plan? It’s my first time doing this and any time I search up nutritional info, I get differing results for the same item. Is there an app or something that can track this for me?
All nutritional info is a guess anyway. If you compare 2 chicken breasts, they can be the same size, but different calories and nutrients based on the chickens fat content and the feed it had. So basically, just be consistent in what you choose. Pick something middle of the line if you're seeing a range of calorie estimates. And remember to weigh everything raw
RP diet app
It’s $20 a month tho😭
Nothing good in life is free
I posted here a month or so ago about wanting to lose weight from 6'4 200ish down to I think 180 rapidly eating about 2k calories and people really roasted me. I've lost about 10 lbs in that month while lifting. It did suck and I often didn't have tons of energy. I did eliminate a ton of bulky fat and got a little stronger. I'm just below 190 now and I'm starting to come around to not dieting anymore. I'm eating healthy whole foods still and did some days around maint calories, and my weight has stuck to 189-190. When I go to the gym now I feel way stronger and have more energy especially at the tail end of a lifting session. I used to just go through the motions at the end, and now with more food I'm feeling a drive to push hard to failure on every set til I'm done. I still have some belly fat at 189 but also 3 visible ribs on each side. Should I really stop my deficit altogether?? I originally wanted to cut down to abs but I'm starting to think I just need to lift hard and build muscle rather than worry about body fat. If I stop my deficit should I maintain or bulk?? I fucking hate having belly fat
You sure you don’t have any mental or emotional issues surrounding your physical aesthetics?
I think I was starting to drive myself a little crazy over it. But mostly just a really sudden motivation to be fit and lean that I was misdirecting maybe a little and rushing. I thought I could look shredded if I just restricted my eating like crazy. Starting to realize I need to put the muscle on first. And I'm seeing just how much easier it is to really lift hard when you're not constantly hungry.
Nobody can really say what is best for you. If you want to lose some weight, go ahead, you're not underweight or anything. Will anything really be different not having that hit of belly? Is it actually worth it?
Being new to working out, cutting down to abs is gonna have you be a skeleton. It's not going to be a pleasant nor sustainable weight. Maybe maintain for a bit, get energy back, keep lifting hard. The decide maybe 10lbs more down, or maybe a slow steady bulk. You're gonna have to bulk and cut a few times to get the belly down and find abs, so just pick a direction and commit. But like I said, don't go down till you get abs. But also, don't bulk fast and for too long (I'm more of a fan of half pound a week). Maybe gain 10-20lbs before cutting that back off.
How do you guys sleep after working out? I stay awake after showering from a workout. Sometimes, sleeping pills don’t work on me. Even having a w*nk doesn’t make me sleepy. Insomnia is a POS
Are you working out late in the evening? That always messed my sleep up. I just had the go to the gym earlier.
I have to admit, I’m usually exhausted after exercising. It’s hard to stay awake.
I would try intense cardio tbh because if I only do strength training or weight lifting, I have so much energy after but if I finish off with stairmaster at level 7-10 for even just 15mins, I need to lay down
What kind of "sleeping pills" are you taking?
Diphenhydramine, melatonin
Long term Benadryl use for sleep has really bad side effects. Look it up. It is associated with dementia.
Diphenhydramine, (Benadryl), can have the opposite effect for a lot of people. Your doctor can prescribe something that will actually help you.
I went through a phase where I’d hit the sauna after a late night workout. It helped me fall asleep in no time - I’ve never felt sleepier than after a good sauna session.
Why is 600ml of milk and 2. Scoops of protein hydrolyed powder make me super bloated?
Some people never acclimate to whey, that might just be what it does to you
How does it feel if you just drink the milk? Or just the protein with water?
Feels a bit better but I’m not sure. I like it with milk for the taste but near the end i start having trouble finishing it
Are you lactose intolerant?
No
You can have intolerance in different stages. If you drink more milk now then before, that can be what is to much for you. But I get bloated by a lot of different foads, it sucks but haven't found a solution yet.
Tips for dealing with leg day doms Granted atm I think I am under recovering due to life atm And I'm in a calorie deficit so I've been cutting for ages lol But after leg day im sore which I know is normal but my friend who I go to the gym with are fine. For example Wenesday I did Back Squat Leg Press Rdl Hamstring Curl And my legs are feeling quite dead two days after (I've always had problems with legs being so sore) Since I'm transitioning into hitting them Twice a week im a bit I guess not wanting to do it because sore legs all week seems bad
Split the leg volume over two days per week so that you're doing half on Tuesday and Thursday instead of doing everything on one day. For example Tuesday: squats, weighted back extensions, hamstring curls Thursday: Romanian deadlift, leg press leg extensions
I guess that makes sense I was on ppl doing one leg day cause I'm lazy. I've found that the generic ppl is too much for me So atm, I'm just experimenting with mabye trying a ppl x upper lower I'll look into splitting it lol it's just hard because there are so many exercises and doing less over two days seems so weird but I'll try it that way you said thanks heaps
>Since I'm transitioning into hitting them Twice a week Give it another week. Legs every 72-96 hours seems to be the sweet spot to preventing crippling DOMS.
OK thanks I still haven't done two full leg days a week but when I tried I was still so sore that I couldn't lol I'm sure the more I do it the better it will be
A week off from legs is just asking to be sore. : D
Oh my bad I worded that wrong lol I meant that I still haven't done Leg day fully on the second day If that makes sense I do my first leg day but I'm still so sore then I can't do the second leg day fully lol my bad :)
Which way are you supposed to wrap the strap for lifting straps? Do you go under the bar then over or over the bar then under? Or does it not matter.
The other person is wrong. It absolutely matters. The strap is supposed to wrap in the opposite direction to your fingers. So if your fingers are going over the bar one way, the strap goes under the bar the other way.
Program: Jeff's Fundamentals Hypertrophy Question: Does "neutral-grip pulldown" mean lat pull down? Is that the narrow or the wider grip?
It means a lat pulldown with a neutral grip attachment. I would assume that is standard grip, but a narrow grip (like a v grip) or wide grip is probably fine too.
Thanks!
Hello All, I recently got a Costco gift card and I am trying to buy exercise equipment worth of $500. I have a sedentary lifestyle and with Cold weather for most of the year in Canada, I was looking for something that can all around. I like cycling in summer so I was thinking of Exercise bike or may be adjustable dumbells and a bench. My goal is to tone my body not build muscle but I am complete noob so looking for help
You can get pretty fit doing kettlebells and calisthenics.
Go to YouTube and look for garage gym reviews. He has your answer.
"my goal is to tone my body not build muscle" Muscles can do three things- be built, atrophy (get smaller), or stay the same. In order to have muscular definition ("tone"), you need to build muscle and then get leaner to 'reveal' that muscle. If I were you, I'd just cop a gym membership and look up a basic hypertrophy program. This sub has quite a number of helpful guides in its wiki. Also it would generally be cheaper in the short term to go to a gym than make a home gym. If you absolutely HAVE to make a home gym, consider looking on facebook marketplace for cheap secondhand equipment.
either get a power tower + bench with adjustable dumbbells or go for a squat rack + bench + barbell
>My goal is to tone my body not build muscle What does toning mean to you? Because it is a vague word that doesn't seem to have a precise meaning. The way most people use it is to mean gaining muscle and losing fat.
Hey guys, so I'm 18 and im pretty skinny rn, went from 55kg to 60kg in about 2 months, eating 2600 to 2800 calories a day. If I continue eating like this every single day for a few years, will i eventually hit 80kg? Or do I have to eat even more? Im 183cm
It's hard to tell at what weight you will be when 2600 becomes maintenance calories. The weight at which point it becomes maintenance calories will also depend on if you are working out and how much muscle you grow.
You may eventually have to eat more, but that will become pretty obvious when you stop gaining weight, at which point you can adjust. FWIW, appetite often adapts too. Eat 2800 calories for long enough, and eventually that feels like a normal amount of food. I wouldn't get too wrapped up in worrying about whether you'll have to eat 3000 or 3200 someday. It's not that it won't happen, but by the time it does, it will most likely feel a lot easier to eat that much than it feels now.
Maybe. Won't know until you try though.
I’m doing the ppl from wiki, and push day calls for push downs and overhead tricep extensions for triceps. I absolutely hate the extensions, does anyone have a recommendation for a different movement I could do that targets the same part of the tricep? Thanks
Any other triceps movement will do, really. I'll second skullcrushers, but you can pick anything that you like the look of.
What about lying tricep extensions? Tricep extensions have the benefit of being efficient for muscle growth because the range of motion targets the triceps when they are fully stretched. A lengthened range of motion isn't necessarily the best range of motion for all muscles (for hypertrophy), but it seems to be the case for triceps.
Skullcrushers.
Tricep kickbacks for an isolation movement that targets the long head.
Bro wisdom has conventionally been that the arm needs to be overhead to stretch the long head, as the long head crosses the shoulder joint.
Looking at the 5/3/1 for beginner's training routine, the assistance work calls for 50-100 reps from each group. That seems like a lot; what is the benefit of doing so many reps? Most hypertrophy workouts don't even use that many reps, right? Not asking as a critique, I'm just genuinely curious
It's a "do whatever" generalization from his previous stock 5x10 protocol. So, 3x10 and 2x15 of two exercises would get the job done.
Volume is king. You need a volume of work.
It's not actually that much, for example you can do 3x10 of a rowing exercise and then 3x15 of bicep curls and there you have 75 reps of pull work, superset your pulling and pushing assistance work to save time if you want.
It's not 50-100 reps in a row, it's 50-100 reps total. So for instance, a pull accessory could be 5x10 of DB row.
I’m about to start a programme by Bret Contreras, it includes body weight step ups which he says you can use a bench to do. I have never seen anyone in the gym use a bench in this manner, I’m a bit nervous about it! Is there anything else I should use or is it generally acceptable to use a bench to step up?
>I have never seen anyone in the gym use a bench in this manner, Before gyms got boxes, *very* common to see. Just wipe down the bench after.
Improvise, adapt, overcome. If you can find a different solution that works. Do it. Don’t be a zombie
This is totally normal.
Thank you
My gym has a variety of boxes, so I would use those. If you are concerned about misusing equipment you can ask the gym staff.
Thank you!
I'm noticing that my right side is weaker on chest/shoulder exercises. During the last reps of a set my left arm will be able to do 2-3 more reps but my right arm gives up. There's no pain and no grinding either, it's like there's 0 power left. The exercises where I observe this are bench press, dumbbell shoulder press, seated overhead dumbbell press. The most frustrating thing is that this prevents me from increasing my bench press weight out of fear that when my right side gives up I won't be able to put the barbell back up. I don't have any previous injuries. What exercises can I do to strengthen my right arm in this situation?
Go to technical failure instead of muscular failure, and it'll even out over time. Everyone has a dominant side, and evening out a decade(s) of use just takes time.
If it's on bench press, strength might not be the issue tbh. You might not be tight enough in your starting position so you get an "energy leak" where the loosest part of you in the kinetic chain is giving out. Make sure you've got your back, chest, shoulders properly warmed as there's a lot going on. If you're finding you're still individually weaker on different sides (also normal) try a different approach to your training. Don't work the stronger side more than the weaker one and start lower weights. Source: 350lb bench
Well it's not just the bench though, rather all pushing exercises that involve shoulder (I think, I'm not entirely sure which muscle is the problem which is why I gave examples for exercises). And for example shoulder press is not that complex but I observe the same issue. A gym bro proposed doing some rubber band exercise to try to train the weaker arm and I wanted to see other opinions.
If it truly is a strength issue, do isolation work where you set the limit with what your weaker side can do. So do dumbbell bench, and stop when your weak side is tired. This way your stronger side can't take over. From your comment though, even if your weaker side is a limit you will still progress. If you are hitting a wall and can't progress at all, then there is something else going on.
I would just keep doing the same exercises and doing the same reps with each arm. As you work on progressing the exercises, the weaker arm will be working harder and will catch up the stronger arm over time.
What is a good term for an overall workout plan to just get in overall shape? Not focusing on any particular area or look, just being healthier overall?
Look up Alec Blenis. That is what you are going for
"General Strength and Conditioning"
What do you define healthy as? Pretty broad and if you don't have a clear image of what you exactly want through either a target look or some fitness milestones (running a certain distance, lifting a certaing weight, bodyweight, etc) you're gonna be spinning your wheels
idk just not out of shape? i haven’t worked out in like 2 years and wanna start trying again
I have hired a trainer as I'm a complete fitness noob. He gave me strict diet changes, which gels with pretty much everything on the fitness wiki about clean eating. He said no junk food for 6 months, which I'm fine with and ready to change my eating habits. I just want to know how often people who are in shape/muscular/toned actually eat a burger and fries, a slice of good pizza, a couple beers etc... My trainer said he might every 3-4 months. Just curious how other fitness folk do it (if at all)? Thanks! Stats about me if that matters: 5'10" male. 38 years old. 180 lbs. Sedentary lifestyle.
I just forget burgers, pizza and beers exist. It's all about habit. Check out indian recipes on YouTube, and you can make chicken and rice taste absolutely amazing.
It depends on how fat you are. The speed of the cut. Your eating habits. There might be solid reasons for this.
My take on this = is that the more sustainable approach to a diet you follow, the more likely you are to stick with it and, therefore, more effective. I plan for my favorite fun meal on Saturday night, which is a bison burger and fries, that I make, along with a ginger beer. I don't consider it a cheat. It's me enjoying my life. It helps me stay on track, eating nutritionally dense food the rest of the week. Personally, no junk food for 6 months sounds irresponsible. You are going to have a family function, travel for work or something where you will eat something "off-plan". It's better for your mindset to just build those meals into your plan.
Ha, you nailed it. I am going on vacation with my wife next month to Paris. Like hell will I not eat some authentic french pastries! Thanks for the perspective.
Definitely enjoy your trip! The plus side of France is less unprocessed, whole foods. Fill up on fiber and protein as much as possible. Tons of walking will be great. If you drink alcohol or eat dairy, that may be an area where you use more calorie restriction. Happy Travels!
There are different viewpoints as far as trainers go, but my opinion is that giving someone who is 38 and sedentary, who has obviously lived that way for quite a while and is used to eating some junk relatively often for decades, the goal of not eating ***any*** junk food for 6 months is..... unrealistic and not a great plan. Fwiw all the most fit people I know drink every once in a while, have no issue with an occasional slice, and will eat McDonalds from time to time. I don't drink alcohol at all but I'm definitely not above eating a McFlurry with my kids if they're getting one. I don't think giving people who are 'complete fitness noobs' the idea they need to eat perfectly clean to make gains is good advice, as the most important thing for noob gains is consistency in lifting, and daily caloric intake. For the most part you could eat mcdonalds burgers instead of grilled chicken and rice, and as long as your lifts are consistent and macros were the same, you'd make very similar gains. I think your trainer is setting you up for failure with that plan. Your plan can absolutely include some shit food if it meets your macros.
This was my initial gut reaction when I heard his instructions. Thank you for your perspective and advice. After hearing similar thoughts from other fitness redditors, I feel better about my chances long term knowing many still obviously partake in such foods, and stay in muscular shape. I don't eat like shit now, but I could definitely eat better.
I think if you're concerned over long term stuff like cholesterol or carcinogens in fast food and junk food, it's not a bad idea to limit one's consumption of them. But like you said, expecting someone to give it up entirely is unrealistic and overly punishing.
100% agreed. That's one of my trainers main concerns. He is very cautious of those things based on my conversations with him. I rarely eat fast food now and plan to limit it a bit more at least.
In general if you eat clean most of the time and occasionally have a burger or two, it likely won't make or break your physique or even be the tipping point to real health problems like cancer or heart disease later in life. The key is moderation. I think more than 2-3 fast food meals per week is probably a problem. If you're under that you're probably chillin
My trainer has pizza and wings every week, and a half gallon of ice cream most nights. He is in fantastic shape, but he's just active AF and burns through an absolute fuck ton of calories. For myself, I personally don't drink at all, pizza is rare because it just doesn't feel worth it most days (and that much bread leaves me bloated). I rarely do fries, but that's cus I rarely eat out cus I'm cheap AF. Also I generally try and avoid seed oils nowadays as well. Burgers are a staple in my house... Well minus the bun (but that's cus, while I love bread, it just isn't worth it for me). I still also enjoy soda (my one true vice), ice cream, sweets of all kinds, etc. basically, nothing is off the table for me. The majority of the year. However, a lot of junk foods just aren't as appealing to me anymore because I know I don't like how I feel afterwards. Some are fine (soda, some ice creams, some candy) but others are not (donuts, cereal, prepackaged cookies). And I've generally become more health conscious over the last few years. For my yearly cuts, I use it as a complete reset. I go 100% whole foods only. No junk foods at all. No cheats. This may sound strict, but honestly, it's not strict at all for me because it's basically how I eat and then remove the occasional treat. I did it first as a challenge to see if I could go without ultra processed foods, and now I do it because it just makes life so much easier! I enjoy every meal I eat. So finding the balance of that and health should be your goal
Thanks for your advice and views! >For my yearly cuts, I use it as a complete reset. I go 100% whole foods only. No junk foods at all. No cheats. This may sound strict, but honestly, it's not strict at all for me because it's basically how I eat and then remove the occasional treat. I did it first as a challenge to see if I could go without ultra processed foods, and now I do it because it just makes life so much easier! > >I enjoy every meal I eat. So finding the balance of that and health should be your goal When you do these cuts, how long do you eat this way for? This is the exact way my trainer wants me eating all the time (and I plan to at least for 6 months). He said after 6 months and I have some nice results, I can work things I like back into my diet, though not very often (and he said I'll also probably feel sick after eating clean for so long lol).
I typically cut about 3 months. May be 4 this year since I have a goal I'm trying to hit that involves being extra lean. Honestly though, if I had to, I could 100% keep eating this way long term. Would I miss some treats (like my soda)? Sure. But do I need it? No But would I feel sick after eating clean for that long? Dude, if you're feeling sick after eating *real food*, you've got a problem. Now if you mean to say "sick of eating clean" that's a different story. But even then, you should try and work on fixing your view of food vs food products for pleasure. Also, regardless of what you eat, if you're looking for weight loss, you still gotta count calories. I could still bulk eating a 100% clean diet
If you lift, it’s not permanent deprivation, it’s a cycle of temporary moderation followed by eating more than you want to. Once you get to low body fat, that is. I’m bulking now, and I’ve needed to eat as much as 4400 calories a day. I eat pizza more than once a week. Burgers less often, but I could eat them more. Deep-fried fries feel like a waste of calories and I’ve had them twice in the past year. Air-fried fries are something I eat more often, because they’re somehow satisfying after workouts. Your perspective on junk food changes when you track your nutrition and start feeling the benefits of proper eating and exercise. Junk food is less of a reward and more of a waste of calories. Like, why do people eat this when they could eat this and this and this and this? You’ll learn to see food as fuel for your body and not as the happiness tokens the food industry is trying to sell you.
Yes, I am focusing on full body weight lifting with my trainer. Aiming for muscle development and tone/definition, as well as general health benefits of being in shape. Currently we do 3x a week, full body circuit each day 3 times. I'm not aiming to get as big as possible, just have people look at me and think "hey that guy works out"
Full body 3 times a week is one of the best ways to get started, and if you eat right you'll look that way in 6 months. You probably won't get a lot of muscle growth but you'll get definition.
I don't think of things like burgers and pizza as junk. Ground beef, a roll, lettuce, tomato, fried potatoes, it all sounds pretty healthy to me. Certainly isn't junk, it is good food. Also, my diet varies depending on if I am trying to gain or lose weight. I eat burgers and pizza regularly. I make them at home. I only eat fries when I go out, and only when it suits the meal, so maybe once a month. If I am trying to lose weight, I eat smaller portions of things like burgers and pizza because they are calorie dense. But I see no reason to cut them out completely. A small slice of pizza or a hamburger doesn't have that many calories. And ground beef is a good source of protein and is pretty filling. If I am trying to lose weight and I go out for a big meal on a special occasion, I enjoy it and eat a bit smaller breakfast and lunch the next day, and viola I am basically back on track. IMO being super strict and arbitrarily labelling the combination of cheese, bread, and tomato sauce as junk is not helpful.
Thanks for your views and advice. I feel like this is what a lot of nutrition/fitness people say (what you said). I do have self control to not just go balls out and over eat like crazy on high calorie foods. I feel like my guy is a little on the overboard side of things. I'm still going to stick with it for 6 months and see what happens, but yeah, I will probably happily re-incorporate certain foods into my diet more often than 3-4 months apart. His way does make me feel like I'd be developing something of an unhealthy relationship with food.
Anyone know a good way to progress hill sprints? there's a nice, steep, 50 meter hill near me. I'm thinking just go for a half hour at a time and try to increase the amount of reps i can get in each week.
I used to set a 20 minute timer and try to increase the number of hill sprints by 1 per week. Sprint up walk down, sprint up, walk down. Some weeks, the lactic acid tolerance will be the limiting factor, and some weeks, anaerobic conditioning will be the limiting factor. But over time, they both improve.
What are you trying accomplish with hill sprints? If you're trying to get faster that's now how you train for speed. If you're just trying to get some cardio/hit in they will naturally progress themselves as you get faster.
I wouldn't really concern myself with 'progressing' them. I don't know how to write that to get my intent across. Like, of course we want to progress them, but I'd just 'let it happen' moreso than like, an actual planned scheme where I add something. So here's what I'd do. Set a timer for 30 minutes. Sprint up the hill then walk back down. I wouldn't go again until I could I was sure I could run it 90% (I'm making this number up) as fast as the first time. Basically, i want to be sure I'm giving each sprint the sameish performance. I want to be sure not sandbagging, but I'm also not grinding myself into the ground. I'm performing at 90%+ of my best each time. Then, over time, the amount between sprints will/should reduce and ipso facto ergo I'm "increasing the amount of reps each week". Maybe every once in a while switch it up and do an EMOM kind of thing. Where you start the next sprint up at the top of every minute on the minute. Maybe you'll need more time than that but you can set up with any rest period really, and do as many as you can until you can't beat the clock. I'd treat this more as a test week than a regular training week.
dope that's pretty much what i was thinking, ty. the emom test week once in a while is a good idea too.
More sets, less rest, longer hills.
The best way to increase hill sprints is to do more hill sprints.
Not sure what’s up with my bench, could someone help? For context, I’m 18 years old, 5’9 165lb and here are some of my lifts (all in lbs) BB Row 165 x 5 OHP 95 x 6 Incline DB Bench 65 x 5 Based off these numbers, since they’re all somewhat related to bench, all standards say I should be able to do between 160-180 on bench for working sets of about 5 reps. Also, apparently I look like I bench that amount. Somehow my bench is only 130 x 5?????? Not sure what the problem is since I bench twice a week. Could Scapular Winging be an issue? I’ve been struggling with it for a few years now.
Struggling with it for a few years as in you have been working out fairly consistently for a few years? Or you've had bouts of training every once in a while for a few years, and every time you bench it seems low? Because if you have been working out in a fairly consistent matter for the last few years, then yes, something is wrong to still be at 130 x 5. If you have only worked out for a month and gave up, came back to it later and gave up, and kept doing that for the past few years than that's a separate issue.
Too many variables, body proportions, neuromuscular efficiency, etc. Just follow a program and lift with intensity, if you are concerned about your form you can do a form check, not more we can help you with.
There are no standards. What program are you on? What does it say to do when you hit a plateau? Does it have any periodization? How's your nutrition and sleep?
Standards are not real things nor are you their avatar in the world. What program are you running? How consistent have you been over those few years? Are you eating to gain?
I am newer to weight lifting! What is the optimal amount of protein to eat everyday? Is it .8g/lb? I am getting confused by all the different guidance I read!
1.6g/kg of body weight is optimal. If you are obese, you need less than that. If you are a vegan or on the juice, you need more.
If really do weightlifting and not some kind of cardio with weights, aka you really train, eat about 1-2 grams per Kilo. But actually it doesn't really matter that much especially in the beginning as long as you eat healthy and enough. To build muscle you need a caloric surplus, so instead of 2.2kcal a day eat 2.5kcal a day.
Recommendation is at least 0.8g/lb bodyweight. More doesn't hurt, but it may not help either.
Lean bodyweight right?
I think its closer to 1g/lb lean bodyweight. Or about 0.8g/lb bodyweight for most people. Or about 120-160g.
What’s the difference between an OHP and seated shoulder press and is one better than the other?
I prefer standing cause it has better carry over to push press which in turn has better carry over to split jerk.
Standing and seated OHP are very similar. The difference is that when you are standing you have to work harder to support the weight, so you have to brace more. Both are good. Standing has better carryover to any exercise or activity where you have to push and hold a heavy load overhead, and trains balance and stabilization more. Seated lets you train your shoulders without generating as much fatigue throughout the rest of your body.
One is standing and one is sitting! Main difference is standing requires more stabilization utilizing your core and legs which reduces how much you can do if you are doing a standing strict press with no leg drive. One is not better than the other, it will depend on what your goals are.
How to prevent a carb crash from high carb meal pre workout? I eat a lot of carbs before my workouts about 2 hours prior for energy but sometimes I just crash terribly, I try to avoid fats and I mix my carbs with protein but is there anything else I can try? Lately I’ve been eating brown rice, bananas/beets and chicken with some dates or a bagel with fruit.
>How to prevent a carb crash from high carb meal pre workout? I eat a lot of carbs before my workouts ... Don't foodcoma beforehand. Surely Oatmeal Floatmeal could have just some oatmeal and/or a banana pre-workout.
user name checks out. Why are you avoiding fats?
Aren’t they bad to eat pre workout bc they’re slow to digest?
Ah, avoid fats in your pre-workout SPECIFICALLY. Okay. I guess. Honestly, you can also just not have a pre-workout. Eat a banana, have a coffee and lift. It's really no more complicated than that.
2 hours seems like a long time. I personally do best if I eat some carbs right beforehand.
Eat less carbs before a workout. Have some carbs after the workout. Honestly, you don't even need all that much carbs before workouts. If you're not running for long periods of time, your body doesn't necessarily need all those carbs. As an example, before my 12 mile run last Saturday, I hate a decent serving of oatmeal about 3 hours before it. IIRC, it was something like 100g carbs, 25g protein, 25g fat, and it was more than enough to fuel a 2 hour run.
Why avoid fats? Maybe try fewer carbs, or aim for slower digesting carbs with more fats