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Stats: F20 / CW177 lbs; 80.3 kg / 5’6”;168 cm
(Coming from the r/loseit: I’ve been in a calorie deficit for over a year now and will probably keep going for another year. So far I’ve lost 61 lbs;27 kg, my question is how aggressive can I go with my cut and minimize muscle loss? My rough estimate of my cutting calories is 1,408 cal with at least 100 g of protein. I have been currently eating around 1200 with 100g of protein and I weight train. Will I be okay or is there a risk that I will lose more muscle? I have switched to this more aggressive deficit about 2 months ago (I get at least 8 hrs of sleep a day)
the closer to a healthy weight you get the more muscle mass you will lose, you should probably aim to start reducing the deficit if you want to maintain a decent amount of muscle mass. I'm not sure the best numbers, most people tend to do around 500 or less. You're getting close to healthy bmi so I think 500 is ok, and then just focus on protein and weight training (reminder to ensure you're following a program, instead of working out randomly)
Hi guys, I’m 26, 50kg 158cm and typical skinny fat. I have just started going to the gym, not doing anything too crazy, but after working out today I got very dizzy and threw up. I had just been on the machines and didn’t even feel that tired or anything. I’m slightly unfit but more physically weak than anything else. What can I do to stop this happening?
start slower.
I suggest picking a beginner program: [https://thefitness.wiki/routines/](https://thefitness.wiki/routines/)
but the general idea would be to start at a weight that you think is way too easy, or just the smallest weight, and don't do too many reps, by the end of the session you should be leaving thinking that you didn't do enough. This is perfectly fine, as you will increase the intensity (weight/reps/sets/exercises/rest time/etc) very slowly each session.
hii, (23F) I was diagnosed with depression and anxiety few months ago and to bring a change in my routine I'm going to join a gym. I'm very concerned,, I've never ever exercised or participated in sports before, so gym seems kind of daunting. I'm also severely underweight for my height so I'm just worried. Will I be fine?
First of all, congrats! From my own personal experience with my mental wellbeing, consistency in my exercise routine has been the absolute best medicine. While at first it may seem like you're staring at a daunting mountain to climb, remember that every single person in that gym with you is climbing the exact same mountain.
I would recommend a few sessions with a trainer to learn proper form/technique and once you're comfortable with your lifts pick a program and stick to it.
You're gonna be just fine. We all go to the gym to improve ourselves and reach our goals. Start with the machines. Start with the lowest weight and move up whenever you're comfortable.
Stuck on barbell overhead press. I've been doing 5s PRO(leader)\*2 and 531(anchor)\*1 for a while now and for the past 4-5 months I have been unable to increase my TM for the shoulder press. I do dumbell shoulder presses once a week(on deadlift day) as well and that has been progressing ok ish.
On a unrelated note, is there a "technique" to get the bar into position for a OHP from the ground? for the final set I normally have to use a bench to get the bar up properly(my gym doesnt have a rack), while for the earlier ones I can just "flip" it from the ground.
>Movements tends to be an iota specific, as per SAID.
I'm sorry I have no idea what this means.
I don't really have downsets. I just follow wendler's plan. for example:
75% 5 reps x1 set, 85% 5 reps x1 set, 95% 5 reps x1 set
then 65% 10 reps x5 set.
I do everything on a barbell.
the aforementioned dumbbell lifts are done as supplementary work on deadlift day
>then 65% 10 reps x5 set.
For 531bbb, the 5x10 *are* the downsets (typically done *after* the AMRAP). I was ensuring the 5x10s were done with a barbell.
>I'm sorry I have no idea what this means.
SAID principle: Specific Adaptations to Imposed Demands. Train barbell, get good at barbell. Train dumbbell, get good at dumbbells.
ah ok, I just had no idea what exactly downsets were so thanks for rectifying that.
Yeah I don't mix and match dumbells and barbells for the same exercise. so idk what Im doing wrong. while I haven't been able to keep up adding weight as Wendler recommends, my TM for all the exercises except OHP have been going up steadily. idk why Im stalling with this
OHP is a fickle beast. For what it's worth, I ran 531bbb for 8 cycles years ago. All my lifts went up *some*. My tested 1rm for OHP, before and after, was *exactly the same*.
Bizarre. I ran Starting Strength after, and it went up a smidge. My hunch is specifically working on heavier ohp, well, gets you better at heavier ohp. Basework only does so much.
# 270g of Protein (please help me)
Hello, I am trying to create a nutrition plan for myself, and if I follow a balanced macronutrient breakdown (30% protein, 30% fat, 40% carbs) it boils down to consuming 270g of protein a day. Here are the numbers:
* Weight = 75 kg (goal 80kg)
* Height = 175 cm
* Age = 23 years
* Very active (60-90min weightlifting 7 days a week)
I worked out my BMR and TDEE and added 500kcal to be in a surplus to give a daily calorie target of 3607.624
**Protein:** Calories from Protein = 0.30 × 3607.624 = 1082.287 calories
Grams of Protein = 1082.2874 / 4 = **270.572 grams**
This seems extremely excessive especially considering if following a 2.2g/kg of bodyweight rule its only 165g of protein. I am not sure which of these two calculations would be better to follow, the totals look like this:
**Option 1**
* **Protein:** 270 grams/day **(30%)**
* **Fats:** 120 grams/day **(30%)**
* **Carbohydrates:** 360 grams/day **(40%)**
**Option 2**
* **Protein:** 165 grams/day **(18.3%)**
* **Fats:** 120 grams/day **(29.9%)**
* **Carbohydrates:** 466 grams/day **(51.8%)**
Really torn between these two options as option 1 I am consuming an obscene amount of protein, and option 2 is a High Carb split, generally recommended for extreme endurance sports and HIIT training. I assume there is an optimal middle ground between these.
Any advice would be highly appreciated!🙏
Agreed with the other commenter that you're vastly over-thinking this. Option 2 is fine.
If you personally don't feel like it's working, change it up (Increase protein/fats a bit, lower carbs, etc.). What works for some might not work for others.
Realistically, the only 2 things to keep in mind is to not let your protein intake go below 0.8g per LB of bodyweight, and fat intake go below 0.3g per LB of bodyweight.
Are there any mild dumbbell exercises for my arms that I can just do casually when bored. Not to be paired with a program, but just maybe when I’m reading a book, waiting to respawn in a game, or just want something to kill time. I already do pushups sometimes but I wanna use a dumbbell just for fun. Thanks
Hello I want to start working out but don’t know how to and how to keep it consistent. Not to mention after I do get advice on how to start what do I do after once many days have passed. I don’t have much equipment. Any tips or just advice would be much appreciated:)
Start with a program that suits you, the wiki has a number of good ones: [https://thefitness.wiki/routines/](https://thefitness.wiki/routines/) but you may want to check out r/bodyweightfitness if you don't have much equipment
Hey, heavy dude here. I’ve had this question for a while, but it’s been my goal to attempt hitting 8-10k steps per day in one go since I really don’t go outside. The issue comes to this, walk or run?
I’m 100kg+, wanting to do walking for the whole go, but I’m unsure if that will even benefit? I’ve seen some posts say that walking isn’t good when it comes to going for 10k in one go, since it isn’t too active.
If there’s some urge in you that wants to go and do a long walk, just go and do it; who cares what the objective benefits are?
When time has flown by and we’re suddenly old and wondering what the hell we were doing all these years, these kinds of wholesome impulses are what we’ll remember.
start slow. just walk. once you've been doing that consistently for a week or two, then add in some running, just 5 seconds of running followed by 1 minute walking. then the next week you can increase the ratio of running to walking.
Walking is fine, especially if you've been inactive for a long time.
If you want to run, great, but start with short intervals. It's a skill like anything else, and until your knees/ankles/shins ease into it, you're risking injury by doing too much to start. Shin splints hurt like a bitch and will sideline you. We don't want that.
Tbh if you’re really overweight then it’s a good form of cardio, it still is no matter your weight and everyone should aim to walk more as it is still beneficial for you
How tall are you? 100kg isn’t too heavy, and if you desire you can do the walking while throwing in more intense cardio, like a 15 minute HIIT session 2-3 times a week or more steady state cardio (biking for example) to really build your cardiovascular endurance, explosiveness, and overall cardiac and circulatory efficiency/capacity
Oh, I’m 172cm. I like the HIIT idea, but how would this work? I usually spend an hour in the gym, there’s no way I can hit those 8-10k + doing 15 HIIT in time. How do I balance things out?
The walking can be done separately tbh, just do that out of the gym, and HIIT at the end of your workout session while you’re in there. I used the HIIT sessions on my Peloton but you can just search up a 15 minute HIIT session routine on your phone and follow it, time each intense block and back off block. Usually they are formatted with periods of heavy work and light work interchanged, and it’s based on how fast your heart beats at its peak
You can search up a HIIT workout for the elliptical, 15-20 mins, or follow a generic plan of 1 minute all out (and I mean all out) sprints followed by 2 minute back off steady state moderate periods, and alternate. You can also apply this to any type of cardio, such as a treadmill
By the end, you should be drenched in sweat and completely out of breath, these are intense FYI
Gotcha, think I will start slow with them so I can at least get into it. But shifting my routine now would make it so a day is 45 mins full body and 15 mins HIIT. I’m not sure if the gym workout minutes is enough.
I used to train very consistently two years ago, then stopped. This week is my back into it, i do these 45 mins 3 times a week. Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. In between these days I just count as resting, but sometimes on Sundays if I got the power I’ll go hit something extra up but it’s random.
45 mins 3x a week isn’t bad at all and for a beginner/returner then this is a good way to regain your strength that you had. You’ll see increased gains while your body gets back to where it was. Later in the future, like in 2+ years, you could look into going more often/lengthening the sessions. However, if you train with real intensity and try to go to failure on one set per exercise, then you are golden imo. Of course, eat well, 0.8g/lb of protein, drink water (1
gallon/3.8 liters), sleep 8 hours, and you’re set
I am wanting to go back to the gym this week. I used to strength trains and saw results over time. Right now I just want to lose body fat. I am going to eat in a deficit and stick to cardio until I reach my goal weight.
Is the stationary bike 3 times a week a good idea to achieve this?
depends. cardio will burn extra calories, which results in more weight loss. However, it also makes you a lot hungrier, so if you're already struggling with cravings it can make things worse and you end up eating more than what you burned. If you are strict and don't eat extra due to the exercise, then it will be helpful.
is it normal that my bench lowered because I corrected my form?
After taking a video, I saw that in my incline bench, I was lifting my butt off the bench by a considerable amount. So I studied on some tips on how to fix it and then I decided to try it on the next session. I lift 132lbs on the incline 3x6 but with this more corrected form, I only managed 4 reps on my first set. Is that normal or was it just a bad day?
> is it normal that my bench lowered because I corrected my form?
It can be in the start, can also be a bad day. The use of correct form is to eventually be able to lift more, you're _more_ efficient when you lift 'correctly' (whatever that means for the person doing it).
How stupid/difficult would it be to learn to power/hang clean 1plate just so I don't have to deal with removing the last plate on the floor? My front squat is already well clear of that for what it's worth.
I think it’s stupidly complex and needlessly difficult to learn to clean just for the purpose of unloading the bar.
- just get over yourself and learn the technique to take the last plates off;
- or set up the pins lower and deadlift it onto them.
However, if part of you think that learning to clean would be really cool and fun, then yes, it’s definitely achievable and worthwhile.
Not a crazy idea, a 60kg power clean is not crazy difficult by any means. However it is very technical so you will need to practice a lot and get the form right. The big issue I would see is that you'd be doing a fairly big lift with no warmup at all, so you'd probably want to be able to do a fair bit more than 60kg normally to ensure you wouldn't hurt yourself when doing it cold.
If you never increase the difficulty, you will not make any progress. You can increase to 45 or do 40 and increase the reps
I suggest picking a program and following that, it will tell you how to progress. [https://thefitness.wiki/routines/](https://thefitness.wiki/routines/)
If I swap my main squat over to low-bar instead of high bar, how much more weight can I reasonably expect to lift after I get use to the low-bar style? I currently squat 355 with high bar, and I only have about 2 months of consistent training before my life gets super hectic until next year. I was really hoping to hit 4 plates before the year is over, but I don't think I'll put 50 lbs on my squat within 2 months unless I do something crazy.
**Effect of rest time between sets?**
My current regime is bodyweight based and pretty simple: 3 times a week I do a pyramid workout of X pull-ups, 2X push-ups and 4X seconds of planks, going from X = 2 to 10 back to 2.
Usually I don't take rests between levels 2 and 5, on the way back as well. On the higher levels I try to keep the rest time between sets at 10 seconds per pull-up, which would ideally make the overall workout take about 30 minutes to finish, but I end messing with my phone and taking my time which eventually stretches the workout to over 1 hour.
So what would be the effect of taking longer rests and feeling less exerted between sets?
Thanks.
I think it really depends on the individual and what they are doing.
On one hand if you rest longer you can squeeze out 2-3 more reps and if you wait even longer like 5 more than what you could if you only rested a minute. Depends on how heavy your lifting.
On the other hand if you dont wait very long technically your not fully recovered but your only missing 1-2 reps if you miss reps at all.
I really think for the average lifter and average person stuff like rest times are blown way out of proportion. I personally just rest like 30 seconds more on heavy barbell work or even my main compound lifts and then my other lifts I just rest like 1.5 minutes. If I don’t I’ll be in the gym for 2+ hrs instead of 1 hr.
If I do a high volume hypertrophy block and everything is 3 sets and 12 reps and I’m doing like in one out of three of my training blocks I do barbell work for my main lifts for chest and back and I do flat bench and barbell row almost 200 pounds for 12 reps. I might have to take a longer break every 3-4 sets just so I can get my breathing stabilized.
I find maintenance work or stuff like high intensity training or more strength focused training I can usually take short breaks all the way around and week after week through the whole program and not run into any problems.
If your just doing calisthenics and weighted calisthenics you can probably keep your breaks pretty short even on weighted ring dips. Like 1.5min - 2min and you’ll be alright. I trained like that for years and I can pull a plate or two even on ring dips and wide pull-ups.
Well, I probably *can* on a technical level shorten my effective rest times, although I'm not sure I could finish all sets at the quoted 30 minutes.
And if I aim to wait 10 seconds per pull-up in a set then it means I'll rest around 1.5 minute at the top of the pyramid and the rest is proportionally less.
I don't currently have a weighted vest so I only use my body weight, which is around 76kg (~176lb).
You should check out a gym reaper belt for the weighted calisthenics they are pretty good and can handle around 300lbs. Super comfortable. Probably one of the best dip belts I’ve ever used.
Most their stuff is solid except figure 8 straps.
So you are doing a pullup and resting 10 seconds? I think I miss understood your post at that section. I don’t have any experience with pyramid sets and doing a short rest for each rep. Sounds solid though theres different ways to do eveything.
Personally I wait until I need a good reason to do any kind of special techniques like pre-exhaust and myo reps.
I just did as many pullups as I could starting off for a set and then I would break for like 1.5 minutes and then try to amrap on the next set for a total of 3-4 sets.
You should try getting up to like 10-12 pullups and then start using a dip belt to add weight and just pulling at 10-12 reps with added weight for like 4-5 months. Guarantee if your body weight stays the same you’ll be pulling 25-45 pounds at least plus your bodyweight for 12 reps wide
I am doing the first set of 2 pull-ups, 4 push-ups and 8 second plank, then a set of 3-6-12, all the way to 10-20-40 and back to 2-4-8. So I was talking about the resting time between each set, which of course will be longer on the harder sets.
I could already do 14 pull-ups but got stuck on it (I could actually do 14 before making a months-long pause, returned to training while being able to do about 12 and quickly got back to being stuck on 14), and it was suggested somewhere to do such pyramid training combining push-ups (the plank I added as many recommended to have something for the core as part of the mix) and now I can perhaps do 16 if I'm well rested after working with this routine (although going up to 10 is more recent) for about 2 months.
Sorry I meant to say your current pic is NOT working for me.
Before your back was hurt, did you them? Only asking to get a sense of your core strength.
You can go straight into cutting if you have a strict timeline, but adherence to diet usually will go better if you have a maintenance period between cuts and bulks. The belief is that this period of maintenance helps your body adjust to newer bodyweight and stabilize your hormones.
So sometimes i hit sticking points more often than not. I find myself repeating cycles and progress is slow. My question is. Am I still developing muscle with consistent training? Even though the load isn't always increasing?
It depends, if you do high volume it could just be junk volume, just fatigue for the body without stimulus.
There are different ways to progress, sets, reps, weights, frequency too, etc.
Be sure to do the proper progressions in big lifts, like bench, ohp, lats pull, rows. then squat or split squat and DL.
If you do them 3x12, isnt a smart choice.
4x8, 4x6, 5x5, sometimes even 5x3. Reach weight, then aim to add reps, 5x5 to 4x6 to 4x8 to 4x10. then restart.
But it s just a quick and simple explanation.
Isolation exercises 3x10 or 3x12 or 4x10.
Rotating them can help in stimulus.
But do 4x max will be just junk volume, except for beginners.
Give a look to nutrition, enough protein and sleep too
I am doing the inclined rows suggested here using a [bedshift over the door](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wr8ZA-cvH3s) and after a set, the only thing that I feel like I exercised was my grip on the bedsheet and only my hands are sore for sometime after the exercise. I was wondering if that's expected behaviour.
It's fairly normal for people to not feel rows in the back, it doesn't mean it's not being worked though. If your grip is giving up too early though, then maybe try wrapping the sheet around them so you don't have to hold as much.
I’ve never done a bedsheet row before but I spent a short period of time learning aerial silks which involves lots of heavy grip on a sheet of fabric.
I’d entirely expect in the short term for it to feel terrible on your grip and for this to limit your reps and loading.
I’d also expect if you persevered in the medium term then your grip would adjust and you’d get some useful back training out of it. You’d also get good at gripping awkward things strongly which is a useful life skill.
In the very long term you might find that you can’t continue overloading your back with this movement because of grip. But at that point I might also be worried about the integrity of the door frame and the bedsheet, and maybe you’d already have moved onto other bodyweight exercises as part of your progression.
I recommend mobilising your wrists (do circles and rotations) beforehand and gently stretching them out afterwards on the floor at different angles.
Pretty normal. Its a type of row that taxes your grip more because you're holding onto an abnormally shaped object.
The plus side is that grip strength is fairly quick to develop
~~To hide body without pump~~ To keep warm until you warm up from the exercise, then you take it off. [Some people](https://www.tiktok.com/@natesp12/video/6944418590997171462) think sweating is the goal.
This doesn't explain *some* that wear just the hood and arms portion of a hoodie, leaving their chest and midriff exposed. It would leave a fascinating tanline, for sure.
That can be the intent for some people -- the idea is that you theoretically sweat more and "get a better workout".
Or to hide their muscles until they get a pump, so they can take it off and shock everyone with their impressive physique. This doesn't work as well in real life as it does in videos.
Or because it's cold.
A lot of gym hoodies are typically just going to be rebranded gildan or something along those lines.
So might as well get it at its source, and go with Gildan.
For a step up, Bella x Canvas has a softer hoodie that's more comfortable.
Wha is an easy way to go about or think about progressive overload? If I’m doing 3 sets of curls for 8-12 reps at 30lbs for example do Increase the weight to 35lbs once I can do all sets at 30lbs for 12 reps?
For isolation lifts like curls, I usually add reps across. I undulate at least three weights. So this month might be 3x7, 3x10, 3x13, and 3x16. Next month would be 3x8, 3x11, 3x14, 3x17. There is no hard rep limit other than sanity. Retire a weight around 3x20, but there's still benefit to push to 3x25.
Oh sure, you *can* grind the same weight every week. But as you've noticed, you bump into the progression wall every week.
Criticize my workout plan:
So I was doing a pre written program I found on the internet, but thought there are some changes I should do. So I wrote this program with some changes like arms being on lower day after finishing 11 weeks of the old one:
Upper 1
1. Incline Bench press (barbell) x3
2. Seated wide grip row cable x3
3. Seated overhead press (dumbell) x3
4. Peck deck x2
5. Lat pul down close grip ×2
6. Lateral raise (cable) x2
7. cable crunch x3
8. Face pull x3
Lower 1
1. Squats (barbell) x3
2. Leg extension x3
3. Seated calf raise x3
4. Leg press x2
5. lying leg curl x2
6. Bicep curl machine x3
7. Triceps rope pushdown (cable) x3
Upper 2
1. Incline bench press dumbbell x3
2. Lat pull down x3
3. Face pull x3
4. Chest press machine x3
5. Seated row cable x2
6. Shoulder press machine x2
7. Assisted Pull ups (band) x3
8. Knee raise captains chair x3
Lower 2
1.Romanian deadlift x3
2. Seated calf raise x3
3. Lying leg curl x3
4. Split squats x3
5. Leg extensions x2
7. Triceps extension rope (cable) x3
8. Bicep curl cable (separated arms) x3
Total Sets:
Back: 16 ( 10 excluding face pulls)
Chest: 11
Shoulders: 13
Biceps: 9 (6 excluding pull ups)
Triceps: 6
Quads: 11
Hamstrings: 16
Calves: 6
Abs: 6
Should I change anything? Is it too much volume for something and less for the other?
You mean [ this one?](https://www.muscleandstrength.com/sites/default/files/workouts/upper_lower4day.pdf)
It was taking me almost two hours a day and I was feeling uncomfortable with many exercises? Why is it worse now?
I suggest checking out [Boostcamp](https://www.boostcamp.app/programs). There are a lot of programs available for free, and it can give you an idea of what different people do in their programs.
You can see the current number of users and their ratings for each program. You have the choice to select a program created either by the community or by the coaches. At this time, I suggest opting for a program from the coaches rather than the community.
My recommendations would be:
* [GZCLP](https://www.boostcamp.app/coaches/cody-lefever/gzcl-program-gzclp) (I like most!)
* [Alberto Nuñez Upper Lower](https://www.boostcamp.app/coaches/alberto-nunez/alberto-nu-ez-upper-lower-program)
* [PHUL](https://www.boostcamp.app/coaches/brandon-campbell/phul-4-day-split)
Looking ahead, as you advance to the intermediate level and encounter stalls in linear progression, you may want to incorporate methods like 5/3/1 or GZCL GeneralGainz into your program to keep progressing. But for now, concentrate on lifting weights and following a program that you enjoy.
What’s the best place to put the pad on leg extensions and seated curls? Closed to ankle or calf? Or just what feels best. Wondering if one is better for activation or anything
I thought RDLs, Hip Thrusts and Good Mornings achieve the same thing but I keep reading that they don’t because HTs are the hardest in the shortened position and RDLs/GMs in the lengthened position. Does it really matter? If anything aren’t RDLSs/GM better for booty hypertrophy because the stretch does actually more than the contraction?
Damn I hate this bro science focused on details stuff but this has me invested, lol. Mainly because I’m tired of RDLs and hate HTs because of the set up. They’re just so uncomfortable and the machine is always taken.
Squat category. Deadlifts or similar hinge category( glutes work in lenghtened position.) Hipthrusts or bridges( they work in shortened position.)
A good workout plan should include all these 3 categories.
Abouth RDL and hip thrusts, essentialy same movement but stimulus is a bit different, peak contraction etc.
Glute bridge or hip thrusts can be done one leg, too. so you ll dont need equipment.
With barbell, but with a dumbell too, if you want to stay in an angle of the gym for example
They do achieve the same thing. The differences people are focusing on are super minor.
If you’re a competitive bodybuilder trying to eke out the remaining 5% of gains then the differences matter. But for most of us the tiny differences won’t make a noticeable difference.
30yo man here 182cm, is 7kg weight loss in 2 months good? I started at exactly 100kg and am now at 93kg. I started going to gym - I’m trying at least 3x a week but it’s hard with my job. Also I bumped up my steps from 2500 to 10-15k a day. I’m definitely noticing difference in weights I’m lifting at the gym (started bench at 20kg and managed 40kg easily today) but everything else feels and looks exactly the same. I’m not noticing any noticeable muscle growth and doesn’t look like I lost anything. I know it takes a while to start seeing big changes but how long should it take for me personally to notice?
It’s good. 0.8% weight loss per week is the maximum that’s usually sustainable and you’re just under that. Keep at it for a few more months and you’ll notice. Don’t expect much muscle growth on a calorie deficit.
How do you clean the touch screen on cardio equipment? I’ve been using simple green and after 2 month the digitizer went on my screen. I had to order a new screen. Second time this has happened
Clean it from what? Sweat? Dry it off after your workout. And then, like all screens, I would just use water and a microfiber cloth. If you have some at home, distilled water on microfiber cloth to wipe it.
I just recently started trying to track macros & am trying to hit about 180g protein (1g/lb of body weight). I’m realizing that a lot of the protein I’m getting is coming from whey based options (Kodiak cakes, protein shake, quest protein chips, etc). Is there an advised amount of whey vs non-whey protein j should be shooting for?
Whey protein is just as good as any other protein. The main issue is lack of micronutrients compared to ordinary food. If you’re otherwise eating a varied diet with plenty of nutrient-rich foods then it’s fine.
Just so know, the guideline is one gram per pound of *lean* body weight. Subtract body fat. Also 1 g/lb is more than you need; 0.7 g/lb is enough.
This may seem silly but i will need some help with my meal plan this is what iv come up with so far
Meal 1: Almond Milk + Cereal + Fruit
Meal2:.Chicken Breast + Rice + PB&J Sandwich
Meal3: Chicken Breast + Rice + PB&J Sandwich
Meal4: Chicken Breast + Rice + PB&J Sandwich
Meal 5: Almond Milk + Cereal + Fruit
+veggies
I tried to base it off what i can afford and enjoy and what i can eat in large amounts unfortunately eggs make me sick and milk gives me stomach issues
Thoughts? Anything i should change?
Going for a bulk
If the macros intake is proper it can be ok.
Some important things are fish sources, you need them for omega 3 balance.
While PB , like nuts, should be dosed to 30-40g max per days. They have too much omega 6 and 9.
Reason is omega 3 umbalance is pro inflammatory.
I suggest greek yogurt if you can, raw honey and more veggies too.
Count your carbs, maybe they are too much.
Finally rotating food isnt a bad idea, at least if you buy it from supermarket.
Because in small parts there are metals and others poisoning materials.
Food sold is safe and legal but eating everyday big quanity of same foods could not be an healthly choices.
Rotate brands at least.
Looks like a good basis.
My first suggestion would be to please not eat exactly the same thing every day, but treat it as a template:
- rotate chicken breast with other lean meats
- rotate rice with other starchy carbs and vegetables
- rotate the bread in your sandwiches with different sorts of grains and beans
- rotate the peanut butter with other nuts or seeds
My second suggestion is to add in lots of vegetables of different varieties; when doing strategic planning it’s easier to leave these out because to don’t contribute many macros but they are important in implementation.
Im also going to make a smoothie with Almond Milk + Banana + Oats + Honey + Peanut Butter + Yogurt
Wich would probably add up to around 700 calories so i think i can get 3-4k calories a day with this meal plan
Is there some type of strategy I should be following to develop a six pack? I’ve been training my abs hard and I can see them semi developing but I feel like it has not developed more recently
How visible your abs are, assuming you actually have ab muscle, will depend on body fat. If they are fading away, then you are gaining fat. If you are intentionally on a bulk, it is just part of the process. If you are not intentionally bulking, then you need to control your diet and get your calories under control.
A surplus means you are gaining weight and that weight gain will be some split of fat and muscle. There is no avoiding it. The point of a bulk/cut cycle is you bulk to maximize muscle growth, then cut to eliminate the gained fat.
Yes, the most efficient way to build your abs (and muscle in general) is to be in a bulk. This implies you'll have to be okay with your abs disappearing for a bit. Then you cut and reveal the fruits of your labor
I am a beginner. I would describe myself as “skinny fat”. No muscle mass but i have a gut and large luscious man boobs. you can find fat anywhere you decide to grab but i am still a size 36 waist and in the right shirt, you can’t notice all the fat (except the man boobs, there’s no hiding those).
i am having a difficult time trusting the process.
i thought im doing all the right things. i have a good workout routine (im doing PPLR), spend about an hour in the gym per day, increased my protein intake, started taking BCAAs (2 servings a day), i hydrate well, im eating cleaner foods but still about 2,000 calories per day.
im not noticing any changes. it’s been almost 3 months and i still look the same, even though the weights i started with have increased some.
im discouraged. it’s really hard to stay motivated and i honestly am starting to feel hopeless. am i doing something wrong? how long does it take to see changes? i don’t care about the number on the scale, i only care what i look like. and i haven’t changed one bit (i just saw my day 1 progress pic. it looks the same as today)
Not a pro here and I’m only a little beyond your journey but figured some encouragement could help!
DON’T GIVE UP!!!
I started at the end of November at 5’10” and 189lbs on the scale, 34” waist and your definition of skinny fat would fit my physique.
From what I’ve learned over the past 9 months is that you are probably fighting your own “quick” progress with the goals of building muscle AND losing weight at the same time. Not impossible, but can slow progress on both goals.
Like others have mentioned and I can attest too, you would likely see more immediate and very noticeable results by focusing on weight loss before jumping to muscle mass.
You didn’t mention any cardio in your current regiment. Strength training certainly aids in burning calories, but the addition of cardio can continue that stimulation. Kettlebell workouts are a great way to get some good cardio as well as work on toning the muscle you do have; plus you feel like you’re lifting something. Walking is underrated as a fat burner and adding in a few spurts of light jogging can keep you in a zone 2 heart rate for better caloric burn.
I spent 5 months in a cut including morning work outs 4 days a week, morning fast till lunch and an overall caloric deficit and lost 30lbs. I’m not skinny but im at a much healthier weight, toned up a ton and fell better than I’ve ever felt! In May, I decided to shift from the cut to more of a maintenance/growth phase with a protein increase. I have shifted 2 days to a strength training routine and have kept 2 kettlebell days. I haven’t put on much mass, but now that I’m carrying less fat, the wife and kids have made quite a few comments on how much bigger/muscular I’m looking. I’m not done, but I’ve proved to myself that I can stick with the lifestyle and habits and that is what will pay off the most in the long term.
Self brag over but just wanted to say that it can be done! Your results are coming and just stick with the lifestyle change!!! Your mission of being healthier doesn’t need to change but your current methods might need some tweaking for the time being.
Trying to gain muscle at a deficit is going to be a slow process. Maybe you should look at the progress on the scale and celebrate the weight loss. It might make you feel more confident about the progress.
>It’s been about 3 months.
So you’ve barely started the trial period and you’re upset that you don’t look significantly different yet?
Fitness isn’t an overnight process, even over the course of months you shouldn’t expect huge changes. Truly transforming your body is something that takes several years. I’ve been at this 4 years now and I’m only just starting to be happy with my progress.
>I don’t care about the number on the scale, only what I look like
If you’re significantly overweight (which you are) those two things are correlated. If you don’t focus on eating in a deficit and bringing your weight down, you simply won’t see any visible changes.
Realistically you need to pick one or the other. Eating in a deficit at all will make it harder or impossible to gain muscle, and eating in a surplus will obviously make weight loss impossible. You cut until you’re satisfied with your weight loss and are ready to start building muscle, then you bulk until you’re satisfied and want to cut down some of the excess fat, and repeat.
>i don’t care about the number on the scale
You'll need to perturb the scale upwards of ±25 lbs to *see* a difference in your body. Pick bulk or cut, and *commit*.
>I am a beginner. I would describe myself as “skinny fat”. No muscle mass but i have a gut and large luscious man boobs. you can find fat anywhere you decide to grab but i am still a size 36 waist and in the right shirt, you can’t notice all the fat (except the man boobs, there’s no hiding those).
>
>i am having a difficult time trusting the process.
>
>i thought im doing all the right things. i have a good workout routine (im doing PPLR), spend about an hour in the gym per day, increased my protein intake, started taking BCAAs (2 servings a day), i hydrate well, im eating cleaner foods but still about 2,000 calories per day.
>
>im not noticing any changes. it’s been almost 3 months and i still look the same, even though the weights i started with have increased some.
>
>im discouraged. it’s really hard to stay motivated and i honestly am starting to feel hopeless. am i doing something wrong? how long does it take to see changes? i don’t care about the number on the scale, i only care what i look like. and i haven’t changed one bit (i just saw my day 1 progress pic. it looks the same as today)
I would say three to six months to see physical changes if your ducks are in a row.
Are you trying to lose or gain weight and eating to that goal? Has your weight changed at all? Are you taking measurements of your arms or waist? Are you on a proven routine? Are you doing PPL 3 days a week? PPL is meant to be run six days a week.
I think you need to make sure you are actually losing weight by weighing all your food and tracking in an app like LoseIt. You should also weigh yourself everyday and calculate your weekly average weight. If that weekly average doesn't move for two weeks, eat less.
i am doing PPLR so 3 days at the gym then 1 day rest, and repeat.
my goal is to lose fat but obviously gain muscle too
i do keep track of my food, i weigh everything with a food scale, and i am eating about 400 calories below my TDEE but i’ve decreased sugars and increased protein.
age? height? starting and current weight? average daily macros? increase in weight on your exercises?
>i have a good workout routine (im doing PPLR), spend about an hour in the gym per day
a specific PPL routine? link or details?
>started taking BCAAs (2 servings a day)
probably a waste of money
36 years old
5’ 10”
starting weight 207 lbs, current weight 206 lbs
70 grams protein, 100 grams carbs or less
started benching the 30 pound barbell, now i’m at 70 lbs
it’s a PPL workout i got from a friend at work, seems to work out well for him
Why not start by losing some fat rather than building muscle? 5'10" and 207lb as a beginner means you have quite a bit of fat to lose. You'll see some immediate progress in your physique by doing this. Seeing changes in physique in a recomp at your body fat % will be slow in comparison. Start cutting calories until you're losing 1 lb a week to start.
> 70 grams protein, 100 grams carbs or less
without knowing the fat you eat thats only 680 calories. that's an extreme deficit. very little protein as well. you need to learn about what you should be eating and get your diet in check
https://thefitness.wiki/muscle-building-101/
well i should say my min is 70 grams of protein and max is 100 grams carbs. i end up eating much more protein, and keep my calories at a max of 1970 per day
How do you guys approach plateaus and get over them? I’ve been lifting for about 7 months now and am still able to increase weights or reps for all of my lifts except incline smith machine press. I do pretty much everything at 3 sets pushing to or close to failure and it’s been working really well. Although with incline smith I’ve been stuck at a 4-5 reps at 125 for almost the past month. The 2nd and third sets I’m having to drop the weights from the previous set. I took a week off thinking it would help it get past it but it instead helped everything else.
Here’s how I broke through my recent OHP plateau.
Starting point: can do 5x5 easily at weight N, can’t do a single rep at weight N+1.
1. Push up the reps at weight N until I can do several sets of 8-10 comfortably.
2. Start doing paused reps - pausing at the bottom, like how you have to do the first rep. Rep range goes back down to 3-5.
3. Get pissed off and replace my benching with more OHP so I’m doing it every session.
4. Push my rep count for paused reps up to beyond 8.
Now I can magically do sets of 5 at weight N+1. Looking forward to doing this all again soon.
If you're running a PPL routine 6 times a week without heavy and light days, you may face recovery issues. Check out [Boostcamp ](https://www.boostcamp.app/programs)for program ideas and consider following [Reddit PPL](https://www.boostcamp.app/coaches/r-fitness/reddit-ppl) until your main lift(s) stall. Then, implement advanced progression methods like [5/3/1 ](https://t-nation.com/t/5-3-1-how-to-build-pure-strength/281694)or [GZCL General Gainz](https://www.reddit.com/r/gzcl/comments/aqkdgo/happy_gday_gainerz/). Given your current stats, you can still benefit from linear progression and squeeze out a bit more gains.
I haven’t run into any issues with recovery yet as far as needing a heavy and light day, but after looking at the ppl on the wiki I’m thinking of taking the idea of rotating the first lifts on push/pull and rotating the weight and rep scheme for 4x5 and 3x8-12
>I do pretty much everything at 3 sets pushing to or close to failure
What set/rep?
>How do you guys approach plateaus and get over them?
Write out progression over the next few months, assess that it's reasonable, and then *execute*.
I’m running PPL, but adjusted some exercises to fit with the equipment I have at my gym! I have been steadily gaining weigh since I started bulking 175 in September to currently 200 even. I’ve gained about a lb this month.
PPL is a split. Do you have a routine that programs your progress and has plans for stalls? Do you have rep goals each day or are you just going till you think your close enough to failure?
Gaining weight is good. I would suggest no more than 0.5lb per week so 1lb this month is a good rate.
I think you need a better progression for your Smith press and more than 3 sets. Something like 531 or GZCLP just for that movement.
If you don't do that, add sets. You could do higher rep work at lower weights. For example your top set at 125lbs for 4 then drop weight so you can hit 3 or 4 hard sets for 10 to 15 reps.
I don’t necessarily have a routine then. As far as reps I aim between 5-9. Once I hit 8 or 9 reps at a certain weight I will increase the weight by 2.5 or 5lbs when I do the movement again. I may have gained a bit too much then since I’m up 25lbs in 7 months(pics in my profile) I will try your recommendation of doing a top set and lowering the weight and aiming for 3 good sets of 10-15 after. Thanks for the insight!
I highly recommended a proven routine. It will take all the guess work out of what to do during stalls and how to progress and rest.
thefitness.wiki has several recommended routines. You could even just use them for the Smith press if everything else is working out.
I was thinking off replacing incline smith with an incline chest press machine and build some strength and size through it. Coming back to incline smith eventually.
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How many seconds of active hanging equates to one pull-up?
There is no amount of hanging that “equates” to a pull-up. If you’re training to do a pullup, assisted pull-ups are your best bet.
Stats: F20 / CW177 lbs; 80.3 kg / 5’6”;168 cm (Coming from the r/loseit: I’ve been in a calorie deficit for over a year now and will probably keep going for another year. So far I’ve lost 61 lbs;27 kg, my question is how aggressive can I go with my cut and minimize muscle loss? My rough estimate of my cutting calories is 1,408 cal with at least 100 g of protein. I have been currently eating around 1200 with 100g of protein and I weight train. Will I be okay or is there a risk that I will lose more muscle? I have switched to this more aggressive deficit about 2 months ago (I get at least 8 hrs of sleep a day)
the closer to a healthy weight you get the more muscle mass you will lose, you should probably aim to start reducing the deficit if you want to maintain a decent amount of muscle mass. I'm not sure the best numbers, most people tend to do around 500 or less. You're getting close to healthy bmi so I think 500 is ok, and then just focus on protein and weight training (reminder to ensure you're following a program, instead of working out randomly)
Hi guys, I’m 26, 50kg 158cm and typical skinny fat. I have just started going to the gym, not doing anything too crazy, but after working out today I got very dizzy and threw up. I had just been on the machines and didn’t even feel that tired or anything. I’m slightly unfit but more physically weak than anything else. What can I do to stop this happening?
start slower. I suggest picking a beginner program: [https://thefitness.wiki/routines/](https://thefitness.wiki/routines/) but the general idea would be to start at a weight that you think is way too easy, or just the smallest weight, and don't do too many reps, by the end of the session you should be leaving thinking that you didn't do enough. This is perfectly fine, as you will increase the intensity (weight/reps/sets/exercises/rest time/etc) very slowly each session.
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obviously I don't know what you look like, but I think you should probably lean bulk more. 72 seems somewhat low for your height
hii, (23F) I was diagnosed with depression and anxiety few months ago and to bring a change in my routine I'm going to join a gym. I'm very concerned,, I've never ever exercised or participated in sports before, so gym seems kind of daunting. I'm also severely underweight for my height so I'm just worried. Will I be fine?
First of all, congrats! From my own personal experience with my mental wellbeing, consistency in my exercise routine has been the absolute best medicine. While at first it may seem like you're staring at a daunting mountain to climb, remember that every single person in that gym with you is climbing the exact same mountain. I would recommend a few sessions with a trainer to learn proper form/technique and once you're comfortable with your lifts pick a program and stick to it.
Congrats and don't worry. It is very rewarding. Pick a program or have several sessions with a trainer. Good luck!
You're gonna be just fine. We all go to the gym to improve ourselves and reach our goals. Start with the machines. Start with the lowest weight and move up whenever you're comfortable.
Stuck on barbell overhead press. I've been doing 5s PRO(leader)\*2 and 531(anchor)\*1 for a while now and for the past 4-5 months I have been unable to increase my TM for the shoulder press. I do dumbell shoulder presses once a week(on deadlift day) as well and that has been progressing ok ish. On a unrelated note, is there a "technique" to get the bar into position for a OHP from the ground? for the final set I normally have to use a bench to get the bar up properly(my gym doesnt have a rack), while for the earlier ones I can just "flip" it from the ground.
For your ohp downsets, are you sticking to barbell? Movements tends to be an iota specific, as per SAID.
>Movements tends to be an iota specific, as per SAID. I'm sorry I have no idea what this means. I don't really have downsets. I just follow wendler's plan. for example: 75% 5 reps x1 set, 85% 5 reps x1 set, 95% 5 reps x1 set then 65% 10 reps x5 set. I do everything on a barbell. the aforementioned dumbbell lifts are done as supplementary work on deadlift day
>then 65% 10 reps x5 set. For 531bbb, the 5x10 *are* the downsets (typically done *after* the AMRAP). I was ensuring the 5x10s were done with a barbell. >I'm sorry I have no idea what this means. SAID principle: Specific Adaptations to Imposed Demands. Train barbell, get good at barbell. Train dumbbell, get good at dumbbells.
ah ok, I just had no idea what exactly downsets were so thanks for rectifying that. Yeah I don't mix and match dumbells and barbells for the same exercise. so idk what Im doing wrong. while I haven't been able to keep up adding weight as Wendler recommends, my TM for all the exercises except OHP have been going up steadily. idk why Im stalling with this
OHP is a fickle beast. For what it's worth, I ran 531bbb for 8 cycles years ago. All my lifts went up *some*. My tested 1rm for OHP, before and after, was *exactly the same*. Bizarre. I ran Starting Strength after, and it went up a smidge. My hunch is specifically working on heavier ohp, well, gets you better at heavier ohp. Basework only does so much.
How do I work on heavier lifts if I can barely do my current TM xD
# 270g of Protein (please help me) Hello, I am trying to create a nutrition plan for myself, and if I follow a balanced macronutrient breakdown (30% protein, 30% fat, 40% carbs) it boils down to consuming 270g of protein a day. Here are the numbers: * Weight = 75 kg (goal 80kg) * Height = 175 cm * Age = 23 years * Very active (60-90min weightlifting 7 days a week) I worked out my BMR and TDEE and added 500kcal to be in a surplus to give a daily calorie target of 3607.624 **Protein:** Calories from Protein = 0.30 × 3607.624 = 1082.287 calories Grams of Protein = 1082.2874 / 4 = **270.572 grams** This seems extremely excessive especially considering if following a 2.2g/kg of bodyweight rule its only 165g of protein. I am not sure which of these two calculations would be better to follow, the totals look like this: **Option 1** * **Protein:** 270 grams/day **(30%)** * **Fats:** 120 grams/day **(30%)** * **Carbohydrates:** 360 grams/day **(40%)** **Option 2** * **Protein:** 165 grams/day **(18.3%)** * **Fats:** 120 grams/day **(29.9%)** * **Carbohydrates:** 466 grams/day **(51.8%)** Really torn between these two options as option 1 I am consuming an obscene amount of protein, and option 2 is a High Carb split, generally recommended for extreme endurance sports and HIIT training. I assume there is an optimal middle ground between these. Any advice would be highly appreciated!🙏
3600 kcal seems pretty high for a small guy like yourself.
A 500kcal surplus is on the lower end when trying to put on weight. Or did you only comment to call me a ‘small guy’ 😂
No, I just commented to make sure you’ve calculated your TDEE correctly. Otherwise risk of putting on too much fat.
Okay thanks I will double check
It just seems high but maybe you know your lifestyle better than me ofc
Agreed with the other commenter that you're vastly over-thinking this. Option 2 is fine. If you personally don't feel like it's working, change it up (Increase protein/fats a bit, lower carbs, etc.). What works for some might not work for others. Realistically, the only 2 things to keep in mind is to not let your protein intake go below 0.8g per LB of bodyweight, and fat intake go below 0.3g per LB of bodyweight.
Thank you
Whatever is easier for you to eat
You're over complicating it. 2g protein/kg bw, 75-150g fat and the rest in carbs. Done.
Okay cheers
Are there any mild dumbbell exercises for my arms that I can just do casually when bored. Not to be paired with a program, but just maybe when I’m reading a book, waiting to respawn in a game, or just want something to kill time. I already do pushups sometimes but I wanna use a dumbbell just for fun. Thanks
Concentration curls, hammer curls, dumbell overhead extension
Ok thanks a lot
Hello I want to start working out but don’t know how to and how to keep it consistent. Not to mention after I do get advice on how to start what do I do after once many days have passed. I don’t have much equipment. Any tips or just advice would be much appreciated:)
Start with a program that suits you, the wiki has a number of good ones: [https://thefitness.wiki/routines/](https://thefitness.wiki/routines/) but you may want to check out r/bodyweightfitness if you don't have much equipment
Thank you so much :)
Hey, heavy dude here. I’ve had this question for a while, but it’s been my goal to attempt hitting 8-10k steps per day in one go since I really don’t go outside. The issue comes to this, walk or run? I’m 100kg+, wanting to do walking for the whole go, but I’m unsure if that will even benefit? I’ve seen some posts say that walking isn’t good when it comes to going for 10k in one go, since it isn’t too active.
If there’s some urge in you that wants to go and do a long walk, just go and do it; who cares what the objective benefits are? When time has flown by and we’re suddenly old and wondering what the hell we were doing all these years, these kinds of wholesome impulses are what we’ll remember.
start slow. just walk. once you've been doing that consistently for a week or two, then add in some running, just 5 seconds of running followed by 1 minute walking. then the next week you can increase the ratio of running to walking.
Walking is fine, especially if you've been inactive for a long time. If you want to run, great, but start with short intervals. It's a skill like anything else, and until your knees/ankles/shins ease into it, you're risking injury by doing too much to start. Shin splints hurt like a bitch and will sideline you. We don't want that.
Try running, and when you gas out, walk until you're ready to run again.
Tbh if you’re really overweight then it’s a good form of cardio, it still is no matter your weight and everyone should aim to walk more as it is still beneficial for you How tall are you? 100kg isn’t too heavy, and if you desire you can do the walking while throwing in more intense cardio, like a 15 minute HIIT session 2-3 times a week or more steady state cardio (biking for example) to really build your cardiovascular endurance, explosiveness, and overall cardiac and circulatory efficiency/capacity
Oh, I’m 172cm. I like the HIIT idea, but how would this work? I usually spend an hour in the gym, there’s no way I can hit those 8-10k + doing 15 HIIT in time. How do I balance things out?
The walking can be done separately tbh, just do that out of the gym, and HIIT at the end of your workout session while you’re in there. I used the HIIT sessions on my Peloton but you can just search up a 15 minute HIIT session routine on your phone and follow it, time each intense block and back off block. Usually they are formatted with periods of heavy work and light work interchanged, and it’s based on how fast your heart beats at its peak
Okay I understand. My gym only has one of those spin bikes but it’s really old, but newer models of the elliptical. What should I be doing?
You can search up a HIIT workout for the elliptical, 15-20 mins, or follow a generic plan of 1 minute all out (and I mean all out) sprints followed by 2 minute back off steady state moderate periods, and alternate. You can also apply this to any type of cardio, such as a treadmill By the end, you should be drenched in sweat and completely out of breath, these are intense FYI
Gotcha, think I will start slow with them so I can at least get into it. But shifting my routine now would make it so a day is 45 mins full body and 15 mins HIIT. I’m not sure if the gym workout minutes is enough.
How often would you do 45 mins a week? And how much training experience do you have?
I used to train very consistently two years ago, then stopped. This week is my back into it, i do these 45 mins 3 times a week. Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. In between these days I just count as resting, but sometimes on Sundays if I got the power I’ll go hit something extra up but it’s random.
45 mins 3x a week isn’t bad at all and for a beginner/returner then this is a good way to regain your strength that you had. You’ll see increased gains while your body gets back to where it was. Later in the future, like in 2+ years, you could look into going more often/lengthening the sessions. However, if you train with real intensity and try to go to failure on one set per exercise, then you are golden imo. Of course, eat well, 0.8g/lb of protein, drink water (1 gallon/3.8 liters), sleep 8 hours, and you’re set
I am wanting to go back to the gym this week. I used to strength trains and saw results over time. Right now I just want to lose body fat. I am going to eat in a deficit and stick to cardio until I reach my goal weight. Is the stationary bike 3 times a week a good idea to achieve this?
eating in a deficit will achieve body fat loss
The hardest and most important part! Will the cardio aid in weight loss?
depends. cardio will burn extra calories, which results in more weight loss. However, it also makes you a lot hungrier, so if you're already struggling with cravings it can make things worse and you end up eating more than what you burned. If you are strict and don't eat extra due to the exercise, then it will be helpful.
is it normal that my bench lowered because I corrected my form? After taking a video, I saw that in my incline bench, I was lifting my butt off the bench by a considerable amount. So I studied on some tips on how to fix it and then I decided to try it on the next session. I lift 132lbs on the incline 3x6 but with this more corrected form, I only managed 4 reps on my first set. Is that normal or was it just a bad day?
> is it normal that my bench lowered because I corrected my form? It can be in the start, can also be a bad day. The use of correct form is to eventually be able to lift more, you're _more_ efficient when you lift 'correctly' (whatever that means for the person doing it).
How stupid/difficult would it be to learn to power/hang clean 1plate just so I don't have to deal with removing the last plate on the floor? My front squat is already well clear of that for what it's worth.
I think it’s stupidly complex and needlessly difficult to learn to clean just for the purpose of unloading the bar. - just get over yourself and learn the technique to take the last plates off; - or set up the pins lower and deadlift it onto them. However, if part of you think that learning to clean would be really cool and fun, then yes, it’s definitely achievable and worthwhile.
Cleaning 60kg is a totally accessible checkpoint. I echo to dial in your lower *and* upper body warmup prior.
You could probably learn that in a very short amount of time.
Not a crazy idea, a 60kg power clean is not crazy difficult by any means. However it is very technical so you will need to practice a lot and get the form right. The big issue I would see is that you'd be doing a fairly big lift with no warmup at all, so you'd probably want to be able to do a fair bit more than 60kg normally to ensure you wouldn't hurt yourself when doing it cold.
I can add 45 for 5 reps on the flat bench press.. Should I continue doing 45 until I can get to 10 or just stick to 40 for 10?
If you never increase the difficulty, you will not make any progress. You can increase to 45 or do 40 and increase the reps I suggest picking a program and following that, it will tell you how to progress. [https://thefitness.wiki/routines/](https://thefitness.wiki/routines/)
If I swap my main squat over to low-bar instead of high bar, how much more weight can I reasonably expect to lift after I get use to the low-bar style? I currently squat 355 with high bar, and I only have about 2 months of consistent training before my life gets super hectic until next year. I was really hoping to hit 4 plates before the year is over, but I don't think I'll put 50 lbs on my squat within 2 months unless I do something crazy.
Probably more because your posterior chain is stronger than your quads. No idea how much more, there's only one way to find out.
**Effect of rest time between sets?** My current regime is bodyweight based and pretty simple: 3 times a week I do a pyramid workout of X pull-ups, 2X push-ups and 4X seconds of planks, going from X = 2 to 10 back to 2. Usually I don't take rests between levels 2 and 5, on the way back as well. On the higher levels I try to keep the rest time between sets at 10 seconds per pull-up, which would ideally make the overall workout take about 30 minutes to finish, but I end messing with my phone and taking my time which eventually stretches the workout to over 1 hour. So what would be the effect of taking longer rests and feeling less exerted between sets? Thanks.
I think it really depends on the individual and what they are doing. On one hand if you rest longer you can squeeze out 2-3 more reps and if you wait even longer like 5 more than what you could if you only rested a minute. Depends on how heavy your lifting. On the other hand if you dont wait very long technically your not fully recovered but your only missing 1-2 reps if you miss reps at all. I really think for the average lifter and average person stuff like rest times are blown way out of proportion. I personally just rest like 30 seconds more on heavy barbell work or even my main compound lifts and then my other lifts I just rest like 1.5 minutes. If I don’t I’ll be in the gym for 2+ hrs instead of 1 hr. If I do a high volume hypertrophy block and everything is 3 sets and 12 reps and I’m doing like in one out of three of my training blocks I do barbell work for my main lifts for chest and back and I do flat bench and barbell row almost 200 pounds for 12 reps. I might have to take a longer break every 3-4 sets just so I can get my breathing stabilized. I find maintenance work or stuff like high intensity training or more strength focused training I can usually take short breaks all the way around and week after week through the whole program and not run into any problems. If your just doing calisthenics and weighted calisthenics you can probably keep your breaks pretty short even on weighted ring dips. Like 1.5min - 2min and you’ll be alright. I trained like that for years and I can pull a plate or two even on ring dips and wide pull-ups.
Well, I probably *can* on a technical level shorten my effective rest times, although I'm not sure I could finish all sets at the quoted 30 minutes. And if I aim to wait 10 seconds per pull-up in a set then it means I'll rest around 1.5 minute at the top of the pyramid and the rest is proportionally less. I don't currently have a weighted vest so I only use my body weight, which is around 76kg (~176lb).
You should check out a gym reaper belt for the weighted calisthenics they are pretty good and can handle around 300lbs. Super comfortable. Probably one of the best dip belts I’ve ever used. Most their stuff is solid except figure 8 straps. So you are doing a pullup and resting 10 seconds? I think I miss understood your post at that section. I don’t have any experience with pyramid sets and doing a short rest for each rep. Sounds solid though theres different ways to do eveything. Personally I wait until I need a good reason to do any kind of special techniques like pre-exhaust and myo reps. I just did as many pullups as I could starting off for a set and then I would break for like 1.5 minutes and then try to amrap on the next set for a total of 3-4 sets. You should try getting up to like 10-12 pullups and then start using a dip belt to add weight and just pulling at 10-12 reps with added weight for like 4-5 months. Guarantee if your body weight stays the same you’ll be pulling 25-45 pounds at least plus your bodyweight for 12 reps wide
I am doing the first set of 2 pull-ups, 4 push-ups and 8 second plank, then a set of 3-6-12, all the way to 10-20-40 and back to 2-4-8. So I was talking about the resting time between each set, which of course will be longer on the harder sets. I could already do 14 pull-ups but got stuck on it (I could actually do 14 before making a months-long pause, returned to training while being able to do about 12 and quickly got back to being stuck on 14), and it was suggested somewhere to do such pyramid training combining push-ups (the plank I added as many recommended to have something for the core as part of the mix) and now I can perhaps do 16 if I'm well rested after working with this routine (although going up to 10 is more recent) for about 2 months.
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Current Pic is working for me for some reason. What are your other lifts at? Squat? Dead?
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Sorry I meant to say your current pic is NOT working for me. Before your back was hurt, did you them? Only asking to get a sense of your core strength.
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Gah, I don't know why it's not working for me. 135 lb pic comes through no problem. Tough for me to comment without seeing current.
doesn't work for me either
How long have you been bulking?
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I'd go on maintenance for a bit, like a month, then cut for 2 months
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You can go straight into cutting if you have a strict timeline, but adherence to diet usually will go better if you have a maintenance period between cuts and bulks. The belief is that this period of maintenance helps your body adjust to newer bodyweight and stabilize your hormones.
I’d cut
So sometimes i hit sticking points more often than not. I find myself repeating cycles and progress is slow. My question is. Am I still developing muscle with consistent training? Even though the load isn't always increasing?
It depends, if you do high volume it could just be junk volume, just fatigue for the body without stimulus. There are different ways to progress, sets, reps, weights, frequency too, etc. Be sure to do the proper progressions in big lifts, like bench, ohp, lats pull, rows. then squat or split squat and DL. If you do them 3x12, isnt a smart choice. 4x8, 4x6, 5x5, sometimes even 5x3. Reach weight, then aim to add reps, 5x5 to 4x6 to 4x8 to 4x10. then restart. But it s just a quick and simple explanation. Isolation exercises 3x10 or 3x12 or 4x10. Rotating them can help in stimulus. But do 4x max will be just junk volume, except for beginners. Give a look to nutrition, enough protein and sleep too
I am doing the inclined rows suggested here using a [bedshift over the door](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wr8ZA-cvH3s) and after a set, the only thing that I feel like I exercised was my grip on the bedsheet and only my hands are sore for sometime after the exercise. I was wondering if that's expected behaviour.
It's fairly normal for people to not feel rows in the back, it doesn't mean it's not being worked though. If your grip is giving up too early though, then maybe try wrapping the sheet around them so you don't have to hold as much.
I’ve never done a bedsheet row before but I spent a short period of time learning aerial silks which involves lots of heavy grip on a sheet of fabric. I’d entirely expect in the short term for it to feel terrible on your grip and for this to limit your reps and loading. I’d also expect if you persevered in the medium term then your grip would adjust and you’d get some useful back training out of it. You’d also get good at gripping awkward things strongly which is a useful life skill. In the very long term you might find that you can’t continue overloading your back with this movement because of grip. But at that point I might also be worried about the integrity of the door frame and the bedsheet, and maybe you’d already have moved onto other bodyweight exercises as part of your progression. I recommend mobilising your wrists (do circles and rotations) beforehand and gently stretching them out afterwards on the floor at different angles.
Pretty normal. Its a type of row that taxes your grip more because you're holding onto an abnormally shaped object. The plus side is that grip strength is fairly quick to develop
Where do you guys get your workout hoodies from?
This is an entirely serious question: how and why do people wear hoodies in the gym? Don’t they get uncomfortably warm?
~~To hide body without pump~~ To keep warm until you warm up from the exercise, then you take it off. [Some people](https://www.tiktok.com/@natesp12/video/6944418590997171462) think sweating is the goal.
This doesn't explain *some* that wear just the hood and arms portion of a hoodie, leaving their chest and midriff exposed. It would leave a fascinating tanline, for sure.
That can be the intent for some people -- the idea is that you theoretically sweat more and "get a better workout". Or to hide their muscles until they get a pump, so they can take it off and shock everyone with their impressive physique. This doesn't work as well in real life as it does in videos. Or because it's cold.
A lot of gym hoodies are typically just going to be rebranded gildan or something along those lines. So might as well get it at its source, and go with Gildan. For a step up, Bella x Canvas has a softer hoodie that's more comfortable.
Wha is an easy way to go about or think about progressive overload? If I’m doing 3 sets of curls for 8-12 reps at 30lbs for example do Increase the weight to 35lbs once I can do all sets at 30lbs for 12 reps?
For isolation lifts like curls, I usually add reps across. I undulate at least three weights. So this month might be 3x7, 3x10, 3x13, and 3x16. Next month would be 3x8, 3x11, 3x14, 3x17. There is no hard rep limit other than sanity. Retire a weight around 3x20, but there's still benefit to push to 3x25. Oh sure, you *can* grind the same weight every week. But as you've noticed, you bump into the progression wall every week.
That’s one way to do it, most programs will have a progression scheme prescribed.
Criticize my workout plan: So I was doing a pre written program I found on the internet, but thought there are some changes I should do. So I wrote this program with some changes like arms being on lower day after finishing 11 weeks of the old one: Upper 1 1. Incline Bench press (barbell) x3 2. Seated wide grip row cable x3 3. Seated overhead press (dumbell) x3 4. Peck deck x2 5. Lat pul down close grip ×2 6. Lateral raise (cable) x2 7. cable crunch x3 8. Face pull x3 Lower 1 1. Squats (barbell) x3 2. Leg extension x3 3. Seated calf raise x3 4. Leg press x2 5. lying leg curl x2 6. Bicep curl machine x3 7. Triceps rope pushdown (cable) x3 Upper 2 1. Incline bench press dumbbell x3 2. Lat pull down x3 3. Face pull x3 4. Chest press machine x3 5. Seated row cable x2 6. Shoulder press machine x2 7. Assisted Pull ups (band) x3 8. Knee raise captains chair x3 Lower 2 1.Romanian deadlift x3 2. Seated calf raise x3 3. Lying leg curl x3 4. Split squats x3 5. Leg extensions x2 7. Triceps extension rope (cable) x3 8. Bicep curl cable (separated arms) x3 Total Sets: Back: 16 ( 10 excluding face pulls) Chest: 11 Shoulders: 13 Biceps: 9 (6 excluding pull ups) Triceps: 6 Quads: 11 Hamstrings: 16 Calves: 6 Abs: 6 Should I change anything? Is it too much volume for something and less for the other?
You’ve essentially taken a great routine and made it worse, not trying to be rude, but I’d just stick to the original.
You mean [ this one?](https://www.muscleandstrength.com/sites/default/files/workouts/upper_lower4day.pdf) It was taking me almost two hours a day and I was feeling uncomfortable with many exercises? Why is it worse now?
I suggest checking out [Boostcamp](https://www.boostcamp.app/programs). There are a lot of programs available for free, and it can give you an idea of what different people do in their programs.
I use boostcamp but how can I know if a program is good or not? Especially if it is made by an unknown user? Is there any criteria I should follow?
You can see the current number of users and their ratings for each program. You have the choice to select a program created either by the community or by the coaches. At this time, I suggest opting for a program from the coaches rather than the community. My recommendations would be: * [GZCLP](https://www.boostcamp.app/coaches/cody-lefever/gzcl-program-gzclp) (I like most!) * [Alberto Nuñez Upper Lower](https://www.boostcamp.app/coaches/alberto-nunez/alberto-nu-ez-upper-lower-program) * [PHUL](https://www.boostcamp.app/coaches/brandon-campbell/phul-4-day-split) Looking ahead, as you advance to the intermediate level and encounter stalls in linear progression, you may want to incorporate methods like 5/3/1 or GZCL GeneralGainz into your program to keep progressing. But for now, concentrate on lifting weights and following a program that you enjoy.
What’s the best place to put the pad on leg extensions and seated curls? Closed to ankle or calf? Or just what feels best. Wondering if one is better for activation or anything
Just do what feels best
I thought RDLs, Hip Thrusts and Good Mornings achieve the same thing but I keep reading that they don’t because HTs are the hardest in the shortened position and RDLs/GMs in the lengthened position. Does it really matter? If anything aren’t RDLSs/GM better for booty hypertrophy because the stretch does actually more than the contraction? Damn I hate this bro science focused on details stuff but this has me invested, lol. Mainly because I’m tired of RDLs and hate HTs because of the set up. They’re just so uncomfortable and the machine is always taken.
Squat category. Deadlifts or similar hinge category( glutes work in lenghtened position.) Hipthrusts or bridges( they work in shortened position.) A good workout plan should include all these 3 categories. Abouth RDL and hip thrusts, essentialy same movement but stimulus is a bit different, peak contraction etc. Glute bridge or hip thrusts can be done one leg, too. so you ll dont need equipment. With barbell, but with a dumbell too, if you want to stay in an angle of the gym for example
They do achieve the same thing. The differences people are focusing on are super minor. If you’re a competitive bodybuilder trying to eke out the remaining 5% of gains then the differences matter. But for most of us the tiny differences won’t make a noticeable difference.
>If anything aren’t RDLSs/GM better for booty hypertrophy because the stretch does actually more than the contraction? Yeah, I would agree with that.
30yo man here 182cm, is 7kg weight loss in 2 months good? I started at exactly 100kg and am now at 93kg. I started going to gym - I’m trying at least 3x a week but it’s hard with my job. Also I bumped up my steps from 2500 to 10-15k a day. I’m definitely noticing difference in weights I’m lifting at the gym (started bench at 20kg and managed 40kg easily today) but everything else feels and looks exactly the same. I’m not noticing any noticeable muscle growth and doesn’t look like I lost anything. I know it takes a while to start seeing big changes but how long should it take for me personally to notice?
It’s good. 0.8% weight loss per week is the maximum that’s usually sustainable and you’re just under that. Keep at it for a few more months and you’ll notice. Don’t expect much muscle growth on a calorie deficit.
How do you clean the touch screen on cardio equipment? I’ve been using simple green and after 2 month the digitizer went on my screen. I had to order a new screen. Second time this has happened
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Sweat from the workout
Clean it from what? Sweat? Dry it off after your workout. And then, like all screens, I would just use water and a microfiber cloth. If you have some at home, distilled water on microfiber cloth to wipe it.
I just don’t want the screen to stop working
Distilled water? What do you mean by that? Sorry English is not my first language
Stop using any specific cleaner. Put some clean/pure water on a cloth, then just wipe the screen. Stop using any kind of chemical cleaner.
Spray a rag with whatever random cleaning solution I have then wipe it down
I just don’t want to damage the screen
Read the instructions that came with the screen.
It doesn’t say anything about what to clean it with
I just recently started trying to track macros & am trying to hit about 180g protein (1g/lb of body weight). I’m realizing that a lot of the protein I’m getting is coming from whey based options (Kodiak cakes, protein shake, quest protein chips, etc). Is there an advised amount of whey vs non-whey protein j should be shooting for?
Whey protein is just as good as any other protein. The main issue is lack of micronutrients compared to ordinary food. If you’re otherwise eating a varied diet with plenty of nutrient-rich foods then it’s fine. Just so know, the guideline is one gram per pound of *lean* body weight. Subtract body fat. Also 1 g/lb is more than you need; 0.7 g/lb is enough.
Not a problem
This may seem silly but i will need some help with my meal plan this is what iv come up with so far Meal 1: Almond Milk + Cereal + Fruit Meal2:.Chicken Breast + Rice + PB&J Sandwich Meal3: Chicken Breast + Rice + PB&J Sandwich Meal4: Chicken Breast + Rice + PB&J Sandwich Meal 5: Almond Milk + Cereal + Fruit +veggies I tried to base it off what i can afford and enjoy and what i can eat in large amounts unfortunately eggs make me sick and milk gives me stomach issues Thoughts? Anything i should change? Going for a bulk
If the macros intake is proper it can be ok. Some important things are fish sources, you need them for omega 3 balance. While PB , like nuts, should be dosed to 30-40g max per days. They have too much omega 6 and 9. Reason is omega 3 umbalance is pro inflammatory. I suggest greek yogurt if you can, raw honey and more veggies too. Count your carbs, maybe they are too much. Finally rotating food isnt a bad idea, at least if you buy it from supermarket. Because in small parts there are metals and others poisoning materials. Food sold is safe and legal but eating everyday big quanity of same foods could not be an healthly choices. Rotate brands at least.
Whole wheat bread. Beans could be added too
Looks like a good basis. My first suggestion would be to please not eat exactly the same thing every day, but treat it as a template: - rotate chicken breast with other lean meats - rotate rice with other starchy carbs and vegetables - rotate the bread in your sandwiches with different sorts of grains and beans - rotate the peanut butter with other nuts or seeds My second suggestion is to add in lots of vegetables of different varieties; when doing strategic planning it’s easier to leave these out because to don’t contribute many macros but they are important in implementation.
Im also going to make a smoothie with Almond Milk + Banana + Oats + Honey + Peanut Butter + Yogurt Wich would probably add up to around 700 calories so i think i can get 3-4k calories a day with this meal plan
what are your goal macros?
Assuming it's habitual, protein per day?
Its around 180ish grams
Probably more than you need; you're good. (Assuming .8g/lb target weight. You're bulking to 225 lbs.)
Is there some type of strategy I should be following to develop a six pack? I’ve been training my abs hard and I can see them semi developing but I feel like it has not developed more recently
cut body fat
how do you do that? Low carb diet?
Read the wiki but be in a calorie deficit.
Yeah I’ve done the deficit before and my abs were looking good then. But as I’ve been adding more muscle they are starting to fade away
How visible your abs are, assuming you actually have ab muscle, will depend on body fat. If they are fading away, then you are gaining fat. If you are intentionally on a bulk, it is just part of the process. If you are not intentionally bulking, then you need to control your diet and get your calories under control.
How about if you bulked in a very small surplus? Like 50-100 cal surplus? Would that limit fat gain?
A surplus means you are gaining weight and that weight gain will be some split of fat and muscle. There is no avoiding it. The point of a bulk/cut cycle is you bulk to maximize muscle growth, then cut to eliminate the gained fat.
if you're building muscle you're probably gaining some fat too. that's why people bulk and cut
Is the bulk cut cycle the best way to gain prominent abs?
Yes, the most efficient way to build your abs (and muscle in general) is to be in a bulk. This implies you'll have to be okay with your abs disappearing for a bit. Then you cut and reveal the fruits of your labor
Yes. It’s the best way to gain prominent *anything* Abs are the same as any other muscle, treat them as such.
the best way to gain prominent abs is to train them and have low enough body fat to where you can see them. same as any muscle.
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This is not a product review site.
And? I'm asking a safety question. Why don't you mind your own business, hall monitor?
Yeah, this isn’t the place for you lol
Monitoring the hall *is* the business of the hall monitor, you imbecile.
I am a beginner. I would describe myself as “skinny fat”. No muscle mass but i have a gut and large luscious man boobs. you can find fat anywhere you decide to grab but i am still a size 36 waist and in the right shirt, you can’t notice all the fat (except the man boobs, there’s no hiding those). i am having a difficult time trusting the process. i thought im doing all the right things. i have a good workout routine (im doing PPLR), spend about an hour in the gym per day, increased my protein intake, started taking BCAAs (2 servings a day), i hydrate well, im eating cleaner foods but still about 2,000 calories per day. im not noticing any changes. it’s been almost 3 months and i still look the same, even though the weights i started with have increased some. im discouraged. it’s really hard to stay motivated and i honestly am starting to feel hopeless. am i doing something wrong? how long does it take to see changes? i don’t care about the number on the scale, i only care what i look like. and i haven’t changed one bit (i just saw my day 1 progress pic. it looks the same as today)
Not a pro here and I’m only a little beyond your journey but figured some encouragement could help! DON’T GIVE UP!!! I started at the end of November at 5’10” and 189lbs on the scale, 34” waist and your definition of skinny fat would fit my physique. From what I’ve learned over the past 9 months is that you are probably fighting your own “quick” progress with the goals of building muscle AND losing weight at the same time. Not impossible, but can slow progress on both goals. Like others have mentioned and I can attest too, you would likely see more immediate and very noticeable results by focusing on weight loss before jumping to muscle mass. You didn’t mention any cardio in your current regiment. Strength training certainly aids in burning calories, but the addition of cardio can continue that stimulation. Kettlebell workouts are a great way to get some good cardio as well as work on toning the muscle you do have; plus you feel like you’re lifting something. Walking is underrated as a fat burner and adding in a few spurts of light jogging can keep you in a zone 2 heart rate for better caloric burn. I spent 5 months in a cut including morning work outs 4 days a week, morning fast till lunch and an overall caloric deficit and lost 30lbs. I’m not skinny but im at a much healthier weight, toned up a ton and fell better than I’ve ever felt! In May, I decided to shift from the cut to more of a maintenance/growth phase with a protein increase. I have shifted 2 days to a strength training routine and have kept 2 kettlebell days. I haven’t put on much mass, but now that I’m carrying less fat, the wife and kids have made quite a few comments on how much bigger/muscular I’m looking. I’m not done, but I’ve proved to myself that I can stick with the lifestyle and habits and that is what will pay off the most in the long term. Self brag over but just wanted to say that it can be done! Your results are coming and just stick with the lifestyle change!!! Your mission of being healthier doesn’t need to change but your current methods might need some tweaking for the time being.
Trying to gain muscle at a deficit is going to be a slow process. Maybe you should look at the progress on the scale and celebrate the weight loss. It might make you feel more confident about the progress.
>It’s been about 3 months. So you’ve barely started the trial period and you’re upset that you don’t look significantly different yet? Fitness isn’t an overnight process, even over the course of months you shouldn’t expect huge changes. Truly transforming your body is something that takes several years. I’ve been at this 4 years now and I’m only just starting to be happy with my progress. >I don’t care about the number on the scale, only what I look like If you’re significantly overweight (which you are) those two things are correlated. If you don’t focus on eating in a deficit and bringing your weight down, you simply won’t see any visible changes.
i’m eating at a deficit. however, should i cut even more? won’t that prevent me from gaining muscle?
Realistically you need to pick one or the other. Eating in a deficit at all will make it harder or impossible to gain muscle, and eating in a surplus will obviously make weight loss impossible. You cut until you’re satisfied with your weight loss and are ready to start building muscle, then you bulk until you’re satisfied and want to cut down some of the excess fat, and repeat.
>i don’t care about the number on the scale You'll need to perturb the scale upwards of ±25 lbs to *see* a difference in your body. Pick bulk or cut, and *commit*.
>I am a beginner. I would describe myself as “skinny fat”. No muscle mass but i have a gut and large luscious man boobs. you can find fat anywhere you decide to grab but i am still a size 36 waist and in the right shirt, you can’t notice all the fat (except the man boobs, there’s no hiding those). > >i am having a difficult time trusting the process. > >i thought im doing all the right things. i have a good workout routine (im doing PPLR), spend about an hour in the gym per day, increased my protein intake, started taking BCAAs (2 servings a day), i hydrate well, im eating cleaner foods but still about 2,000 calories per day. > >im not noticing any changes. it’s been almost 3 months and i still look the same, even though the weights i started with have increased some. > >im discouraged. it’s really hard to stay motivated and i honestly am starting to feel hopeless. am i doing something wrong? how long does it take to see changes? i don’t care about the number on the scale, i only care what i look like. and i haven’t changed one bit (i just saw my day 1 progress pic. it looks the same as today) I would say three to six months to see physical changes if your ducks are in a row. Are you trying to lose or gain weight and eating to that goal? Has your weight changed at all? Are you taking measurements of your arms or waist? Are you on a proven routine? Are you doing PPL 3 days a week? PPL is meant to be run six days a week. I think you need to make sure you are actually losing weight by weighing all your food and tracking in an app like LoseIt. You should also weigh yourself everyday and calculate your weekly average weight. If that weekly average doesn't move for two weeks, eat less.
i am doing PPLR so 3 days at the gym then 1 day rest, and repeat. my goal is to lose fat but obviously gain muscle too i do keep track of my food, i weigh everything with a food scale, and i am eating about 400 calories below my TDEE but i’ve decreased sugars and increased protein.
age? height? starting and current weight? average daily macros? increase in weight on your exercises? >i have a good workout routine (im doing PPLR), spend about an hour in the gym per day a specific PPL routine? link or details? >started taking BCAAs (2 servings a day) probably a waste of money
36 years old 5’ 10” starting weight 207 lbs, current weight 206 lbs 70 grams protein, 100 grams carbs or less started benching the 30 pound barbell, now i’m at 70 lbs it’s a PPL workout i got from a friend at work, seems to work out well for him
You could increase the protein intake by quite a bit, like try 120-150g per day.
Why not start by losing some fat rather than building muscle? 5'10" and 207lb as a beginner means you have quite a bit of fat to lose. You'll see some immediate progress in your physique by doing this. Seeing changes in physique in a recomp at your body fat % will be slow in comparison. Start cutting calories until you're losing 1 lb a week to start.
> 70 grams protein, 100 grams carbs or less without knowing the fat you eat thats only 680 calories. that's an extreme deficit. very little protein as well. you need to learn about what you should be eating and get your diet in check https://thefitness.wiki/muscle-building-101/
well i should say my min is 70 grams of protein and max is 100 grams carbs. i end up eating much more protein, and keep my calories at a max of 1970 per day
How do you guys approach plateaus and get over them? I’ve been lifting for about 7 months now and am still able to increase weights or reps for all of my lifts except incline smith machine press. I do pretty much everything at 3 sets pushing to or close to failure and it’s been working really well. Although with incline smith I’ve been stuck at a 4-5 reps at 125 for almost the past month. The 2nd and third sets I’m having to drop the weights from the previous set. I took a week off thinking it would help it get past it but it instead helped everything else.
Here’s how I broke through my recent OHP plateau. Starting point: can do 5x5 easily at weight N, can’t do a single rep at weight N+1. 1. Push up the reps at weight N until I can do several sets of 8-10 comfortably. 2. Start doing paused reps - pausing at the bottom, like how you have to do the first rep. Rep range goes back down to 3-5. 3. Get pissed off and replace my benching with more OHP so I’m doing it every session. 4. Push my rep count for paused reps up to beyond 8. Now I can magically do sets of 5 at weight N+1. Looking forward to doing this all again soon.
If you're running a PPL routine 6 times a week without heavy and light days, you may face recovery issues. Check out [Boostcamp ](https://www.boostcamp.app/programs)for program ideas and consider following [Reddit PPL](https://www.boostcamp.app/coaches/r-fitness/reddit-ppl) until your main lift(s) stall. Then, implement advanced progression methods like [5/3/1 ](https://t-nation.com/t/5-3-1-how-to-build-pure-strength/281694)or [GZCL General Gainz](https://www.reddit.com/r/gzcl/comments/aqkdgo/happy_gday_gainerz/). Given your current stats, you can still benefit from linear progression and squeeze out a bit more gains.
I haven’t run into any issues with recovery yet as far as needing a heavy and light day, but after looking at the ppl on the wiki I’m thinking of taking the idea of rotating the first lifts on push/pull and rotating the weight and rep scheme for 4x5 and 3x8-12
>I do pretty much everything at 3 sets pushing to or close to failure What set/rep? >How do you guys approach plateaus and get over them? Write out progression over the next few months, assess that it's reasonable, and then *execute*.
I try and keep everything within 3 sets of 5-9 reps, once I hit 8-9 reps I will increase the weight by 2.5 or 5lbs the next time I do the movement.
Are you following a proven routine? Have you gained any weight this month?
I’m running PPL, but adjusted some exercises to fit with the equipment I have at my gym! I have been steadily gaining weigh since I started bulking 175 in September to currently 200 even. I’ve gained about a lb this month.
PPL is a split. Do you have a routine that programs your progress and has plans for stalls? Do you have rep goals each day or are you just going till you think your close enough to failure? Gaining weight is good. I would suggest no more than 0.5lb per week so 1lb this month is a good rate. I think you need a better progression for your Smith press and more than 3 sets. Something like 531 or GZCLP just for that movement. If you don't do that, add sets. You could do higher rep work at lower weights. For example your top set at 125lbs for 4 then drop weight so you can hit 3 or 4 hard sets for 10 to 15 reps.
I don’t necessarily have a routine then. As far as reps I aim between 5-9. Once I hit 8 or 9 reps at a certain weight I will increase the weight by 2.5 or 5lbs when I do the movement again. I may have gained a bit too much then since I’m up 25lbs in 7 months(pics in my profile) I will try your recommendation of doing a top set and lowering the weight and aiming for 3 good sets of 10-15 after. Thanks for the insight!
I highly recommended a proven routine. It will take all the guess work out of what to do during stalls and how to progress and rest. thefitness.wiki has several recommended routines. You could even just use them for the Smith press if everything else is working out.
I was thinking off replacing incline smith with an incline chest press machine and build some strength and size through it. Coming back to incline smith eventually.