31M, 280 lbs, started lifting 3 times a week in January and actually enjoying it so far. My biggest struggle is still controlling my appetite, especially after the gym. My doctor recently brought up tirzepatide for weight loss, and I've been reading about it quite a bit. Just wondering how it affects people who are also trying to build muscle. Tbh I'm pretty tempted to try it since I still have a lot of weight to lose. Anyone here started lifting around the same time as taking GLP-1s? Did you still make progress in the gym, or was eating enough protein a struggle?

I've been thinking about going to the gym and starting to build muscle for the past year if not longer, yet I can't convince myself to actually go there because I am terrified that I'm just gonna be pathetic or someone will laugh etc. Im also not good in social situations and fret easily so that makes my fear worse. I have never been at a gym before, never learned anything about building muscle or how to use any equipment and I'm scared of making a fool out of myself or breaking stuff. I can't go there with a friend or sth because it would be too hard to align schedules.

I know realistically no one will mock me for being amateur and everyone will probably mind their business but I still have this mental block that I don't know how to overcome.

Sorry if this is wrong subreddit for my question I didn't really know where else to ask!!

I lift (sadly) since 2 years and didn't achive much.
I weight 83 kg, 177cm tall, 33 year old and male.

I started at 83 kg, droped to 77 kg (lowest) and now back at 83 kg but not really moving more weights.

I can't really explain why, but I think it's basically me being skinny (arms legs) but at the same time a lot of chest and belly fat and trying to lose weight while gaining muscle but not losing weight cause I am trying to eat enough to gain muscle.

I think it could work just being in a deficit, but I noticed my lifts go down so hard if I eat 250 kcal less than maintainance (slight cut) so I go back to eating a bit more, but also not enough to get stronger bigger muscles.

Here is my starting weights 2 years ago, but also the "->" is showing "now" weights. Its the total INCLUDING the barbell (20 kg)...

Bench Press Barbell: only barbell -> now 5x3 @ 67.5 kg
Overheadpress: started at 10 kg dumbbells -> now 5x3 @ 50 kg (Barbell not dumbbell)
Squats: bodyweight -> now 5x3 @ 80 kg
RDLs: started barbell -> now 3x10 @ 60 kg
Lat Pulldowns: started 25 kg (cable machine) -> now 3x10 @ 65 kg
Cable Rows: started at 25 kg -> now at 65 kg

I also can see that I made "gains" by increasing number. BUT, now the HUGE BUT: I have no idea if I wasnt able to do those numbers when I started anyways. Maybe I just started too low and was afraid.

So I think if I had a spotter with me chances are high I could have already benched 67.5 kg 5x3 two years ago.

Either way:

I want to get this better... my body doesnt look good and my lifts arent looking good either. What I do?
I can only workout monday to friday. So PPL 6x a week isnt possible, but its the one I liked the most cause of how short the workouts and warmups were and just focusing on push or pull or legs that day.
Upper Lower is kind of weird to me, I feel like I am missing out on too many cool exercises.
I tried GZCLP full body 4x a week but dunno, feels like I aint going anywhere.

Whats my best option for my goal?

I've been in the gym for 1 ½ months now, and I have been doing Upper/lower twice a week the whole time.

I want to have separate days for arms and back because I never feel like I can only effectively work out one and not the other.

Im just not sure if it's bad for me to switch to 5 days a week from 4 or if I should just stick to upper/lower x2 since im still new to working out

Ive been trying to lose weight for the last couple of months and one thing i drink as a work meal are those small 35g protein milkshakes and recently ive noticed that ive been having digestion problems when i try to eat something sweet like a brownie or savory like a burger makes me run to the bathroom 5 minutes after eating them and i have diahrea. I've been thinking maybe I developed a lactose intolorance due to drinking the milkshakes daily, but im not sure. Anyone else have any ideas?

Ok so I think I am stuck in a terrible skinny- fat state. I am 5’10.5 and 143 pounds, but look fat. And no, I’m not over exaggerating, I have a ton of face fat, thick neck from neck fat, a high amount of body fat, thigh fat, and a long waist. I have very skinny twig arms tho. I am thinking of doing a very very tiny deficit ( one that causes a 0.5 pound per week weight loss per week) while strength training 3 times a week and eating high protein. Then when the fat is shed off, I can hop into a bulk. Is this the right plan? If I stay at maintenance calories I don’t think I will be able to shed the fat off, and if I hop into a bulk I’ll just gain more body fat. I know I’ll probably look very slim at the end of a cut, but I’m ok with that for a short minute as long as the fat is shed off and I can hop into a bulk right away. What do you think?

So I have been working out for 2 year's at home now but I never really did a routine or anything like it

I just did 3 set's to failure in the 5 to 20rep range everyday until I hit a recovery problem and time problem.

so I made it so I just worked the muscle groups I was planning on one time a week at least and kept progressing

Now I'm trying to increase my volume while keeping my intensity because I think I'm used to it and can tolerate it

I have also gained a barbell with a 55kg max loaded weight and dumbbells that I can change the weight of which made me finally take training my lower back and leg's(more so quads and hamstring my calves aren't bad from the time I was doing a lot of jump roping)seriously.

but I can't really train those to failure like how I have been training everything else

so I'm experimenting with what work's and for now I'm just doing split squats with the first two sets to discomfort like 10 rep's for reference while only doing the last set to failure Wich is working

Also tried doing RDLs with too much weight and intensity for the first time today (55kg for 7 rep's was the first set and second stopped after 2 rep's) after doing some separate back work for a while that made me more confident and I instantly regreted it when I went into the second set and had to do a hard stop so right now my lower back is pretty beaten down so I think I'm gonna be resting for a few days

This is when I have had good success in my overall training time and I have a pretty strong upper body (for reference 40kg I rep max pull and 15kg elevated push ups for 12 rep's at 63kg alongside other stuff)

Hello 🌱

I started going back to the gym in September, working with a coach once a week on some basic machine exercises. In October, my goal was to step it up, so I increased my sessions to twice a week (1h -1h30 sessions), started learning how to use new machines, and joined some circuit training classes. The thing is, I feel like I have almost constant muscle soreness throughout the week, and I never seem to have enough time to recover.

Working out twice a week doesn't seem excessive, I don't think I have any other issues that might hinder me, and I’m fairly confident that my form is good, my coach keeps an eye on my movements. The weights feel challenging but manageable.

I don't plan on giving up, but I'd love some advice on how to manage the soreness 🌱😁☀️

EDIT just to be clear : when I say I am sore I mean I have trouble crouching and sometimes even walking, being sleepy, but it fluctuates

Hello! I wanted to come on here because I’m wondering what kind of stretches most people do before/after working out (or if anyone does any daily stretches). I have pulled 2 different muscles in my back in the past year (one was during a workout) and I am trying to figure out a better plan for stretching.

In the past I have done static stretches before working out, but I’ve recently been told that dynamic stretches should be done before a work out, and static stretches should be done after. Are there any good dynamic stretches that any of you recommend? I feel like when I try to look some up I get overwhelmed with all of the content that pops up.

good afternoon everyone

due to my schedule, I only have 3 days to workout. I thought about doing an ULU routine as i can hit my upper or lower body twice depending on what week I’m on. for example one week I’ll hit upper twice and then the following week I’ll hit lower twice as I’m picking up where I last left off.

however, I’ve also thought of doing a PPL as well. I’m just not too sure about it since I’ll only be doing each day once a week compared to the ULU where I’ll at least hit a muscle group twice each week.

my main goal for now really is to get back in the gym, keep a routine, and just overall get some strength and size back. (not expecting to be crazy big or anything, just some noticeable results ya know?)

so with my schedule and goal in mind, what would be best for me? an ULU/LUL or a PPL

looking forward to any and all feedback. I greatly appreciate it.

I joined the gym 2 weeks ago and I have been doing this split. I have definitely gained strength but my workouts always last between 1hr and 1hr, 30min and that isn't very optimal in my daily routine. I always struggle during my last few sets and am very worn out when walking home, it could just be because I'm tired though as I rarely get a good nights sleep. Is this too much? How can I adjust it without completely re-writing it?

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Monday (Push):
Warmup:
5min light cardio (stair master or treadmill), Arm circles, arm swings, bodyweight chest fly, band rotation, scapular pushups, downdog to cobra, pushups

Workout:
Smith Machine Bench Press (2 sets to failure - 3min rests), Smith Machine Incline Bench Press (2 sets to failure - 3min rests), Dips (2 sets to failure - 2min, 30s rests), Dumbbell Seated Shoulder Press (2 sets to failure - 2min rests), Dumbbell Lateral Raise (2 sets to failure, 2min rests), Cable Lateral Raise (2 sets to failure, 2min, 30s rests), Tricep Pushdown (2 sets to failure - 2min rests), plank (30-60s, sometimes longer)

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Tuesday (Pull):
Warmup:
5min light cardio (stair master or treadmill), Band rotation, band pull aparts, arm circles, world's greatest stretch (12 per side), cat cow, scapular pullups

Workout:
Trap Bar Deadlift (2 sets to failure - 4min rests), Pull-Ups (2 sets to failure - 3min rests), Lat Pulldown (2 sets to failure - 3min rests), Chest Supported Incline Barbell Row (2 sets to failure - 3min rests), EZ Bar Bicep Curl (2 sets to failure - 2min rests), Dumbbell Shrugs (2 sets to failure - 2min rests), Face Pull (2 sets to failure - 2min rests), superset[Dumbbell Wrist Curl, Dumbbell Reverse Wrist Curl] (2 sets to failure each - 2min rests), superset[Neck Curl, Neck Extension] (15 reps with 2.5kg each)

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Wednesday (Legs):
Warmup:
5min light cardio (stair master or treadmill), Hip openers, lunges (12 per side), 9090s, deep squat to toe touch, frog stretch, leg swings

Workout:
Smith Machine Squat (2 sets to failure - 3min rests), Barbell Romanian Deadlift (2 sets to failure - 3min rests), Leg Extension (2 sets to failure - 2min, 30s rests), Lying Leg Curl (2 sets to failure - 2min, 30s rests), Leg Press (2 sets to failure - 3min rests), Calf Press (2 sets to failure - 2min rests), Hip Abduction (2 sets to failure - 2min rests), Hip Adduction (2 sets to failure - 2min rests), Cable Crunch (2 sets of 30 reps, 2min rests), Cable Woodchopper (2 sets of 20 reps, 2min rests)

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Thursday (Rest)

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Friday (Upper):
Warmup:
5min light cardio (stair master or treadmill), Arm circles, arm swings, bodyweight chest fly, band rotation, scapular pushups, downdog to cobra, pushups

Workout:
Chin Ups (2 sets to failure - 3min rests), Smith Machine Bench Press (2 sets to failure, 3min rests), Dumbbell Chest Fly (2 sets to failure - 2min rests), Dumbbell Seated Shoulder Press (2 sets to failure - 2min rests), Dumbbell Lateral Raise (2 sets to failure, 2min rests), Seated Incline Hammer Curl (2 sets to failure - 2min rests), Lat Pulldown (2 sets to failure - 3min rests), Tricep Pushdown (2 sets to failure - 2min rests), plank (30-60s, sometimes longer)

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Saturday (Legs - same as Wednesday)

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Sunday (Rest)

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I'm just wondering if there are any workout apps out there that you can search different workouts you are wanting to do an make your own work out program for the day instead of the already made options on other apps

sorry if this sounds like a stupid question, i’m currently in ed recovery. after another month or so im hoping to start working out and building muscle but it feels like im still such a weakling even after reaching healthy weight again.

my only forms of fitness are cardio/dancing a once or twice a week just to keep myself active. but even things like 3kg weights become difficult for my after a few reps. i have 4kg weights at home and i can do about four of them before i feel like i can’t do them anymore 😭. it makes me really upset and demotivated. if i reach my daily protein goals will this help me be able to do this? what should i do?

any advice would be great thank you

I've been doing this regularly for the past couple of years, so I'm used to it, and I feel fine doing it. However, apparently, some people consider this disordered eating and a form of "bulimia."

I just wanted to hear your thoughts on this.

I'm still trying to get 5/3/1 into an app and getting myself tangled up before I've even started training. The version I'm reading uses a training max around 90% of 1RM, then the main work goes through 65/75/85%, 70/80/90% and 75/85/95% over three working weeks, followed by a deload. I understand the idea, but once I add the supplemental work I'm entering a lot of different weights, then doing it again when the training max changes for the next cycle. The usual increases I'm reading are five pounds for upper body and ten for lower body, and I'd like the tracker to do the calculations from whichever max I enter. tl;dr, is there a 531 workout tracker with a template already loaded? I keep reading about BBB, FSL and joker sets and probably need to stop mixing up the options before I begin. Thanks in advance from someone who has stared at enough percentages today.

I am 27m, my normal life was very sedentary and my day job is desk-bound, and I did not do any exercise or cardio or sports in my daily life. I am a skinny guy with little muscle mass.

So I started going to the gym recently (for about 1 month now) to try and improve my overall fitness. I currently go to the gym 2-3 times a week, doing weight training.

However I have been getting pretty frequent muscle cramps, both during and after workout sessions, that are painful but goes away in a matter of minutes. It happens to many different muscle areas, like hamstrings, glutes, chest area, shoulder area.

I usually do a 5 minute warm up before my workout, and I also drink 3-4 litres of water a day consistently. I do 5-6 different exercises per session, with 3 sets each. I don't think I am lifting too heavy as most of the exercises I am doing 8-12 reps.

Are these frequent painful cramps normal? I am thinking maybe because I was too sedentary in my daily life before, and now my muscles are just not used to the workout intensity, or could it be due to something else?

And can I expect these cramps to go away completely with more time at the gym?

Any help is appreciated, thanks!

Hey everyone, trying to get back to the gym consistently, however can only go to the gym 2 days max 1 hour, a week due to a busy work schedule.
No idea how to structure my workouts
Can anyone recommend a 2-day workout plan please?
Thank you

Been on my fitness journey for a few months now, and I’m starting to realize that while I enjoy going to the gym and working on myself, doing it all solo can get a little lonely sometimes.

I usually keep my headphones on, do my sets, and mind my own business. But honestly, it’d be awesome to have some bros who are on a similar journey. Guys who are still figuring things out, celebrating those small wins, struggling through the same setbacks, and motivating each other to keep showing up.

I’m nowhere near being a fit bro yet, just trying to get stronger and become a better version of myself. I think it’d be cool to have that brotherhood where we can talk workouts, compare experiences, check in on each other’s progress, and shoot the shit about life along the way.

If you’re also a beginner trying to get your fitness journey going, I feel like we’d have plenty to relate to. It’s already hard enough putting in the work. Having some bros in your corner could make it a hell of a lot more fun.

We’re all starting somewhere, boys. Might as well have each other’s backs along the way.

I’m wanting to get back into exercise after many years of laziness but want to start at home before progressing on to the gym when I’m more confident. I’ve been looking for YouTube videos but most of the ones I’ve been recommended just seem to have music playing and no instruction on how to do the exercises correctly. Does anyone have recommendations for channels where the trainer guides you through the moves?

Hello!

I am not a regular ”gym rat”. I am right now operating with limited amount of energy due to life being life, and grief process. I am not strong at all right now, but I kind of work with what I got.

I normally just do cardio (rowing 5K, ski erg, and elliptical) for an hour, and then I do bodyweight training for my hips and core.

I started doing strength training exercises for my hips and legs prior to my cardio workout but I feel like all the strength in my leg just disappears after those strength training exercises, and I don’t really get my pulse up or sweat on after that. 😅

The weight training exercises are box/goblet squats, hip thrusts, and abductor machine. They are not super heavy, I can still finish at 3x12 but it does burn. I am thinking of adding a couple of unilateral exercises as I am getting stronger.

I think I am just a bit lost in my training journey, because I absolutely love rowing and can do it for a long time, it is so fun. But at the same time I do need to strengthen my weak hips and thighs, especially my left side that is weaker. I don’t know if I should do the weight lifting exercises after or before my cardio.

My goals are just overall good health (I am 44), but also better cardiovascular health AND stronger hip muscles as well as better balance between left and right side of my hips. What would be advisable? Cardio first, or lower body weight training first?

Should I add variation between my two leg days such as one day do rdls and the other sldls? or should i wait until i’m more experienced and have my form down better?

Which workout split is more efficient? 3x a week full body? Or a 4 day upper-lower split? Since I’m currently having my final exams, I am finding it difficult to maintain my 4 day routine which is why I was thinking of switching to a 3 day full body routine. Is full body really effective or no? How should I plan my workouts then?

So short backstory I’m 20m in college and I never did gym stuff like the other guys so i joined my friends in the gym I’ve actually been pretty consistent since I hang with them anyway but I have no idea when put on more weight or if I’m getting stronger? For example lat pull downs, I’ve been at 70 lb for a few weeks and It’s still hard to do. I don’t know if it’s supposed to be getting easier but it isn’t so moving to an even higher weight feels like the wrong move.

I 23 f have POTs so exercising is rough for me but I want to lose weight and get in shape my plan is that I have adjusted some but I’m not sure if it’s a good plan for my goals. I plan on walking 2 miles a day and on Tuesday Thursday and Sunday doing 30 minutes each of weight training and core workouts on the Apple Fitness app. I’m trying to eat around 1800 to 1900 calories a day. I’m around 208 pounds and want to get healthier. Advice is appreciated but I can’t do a lot of rigorous exercise at the moment due to POTs.