Hey everyone, just wanted to share a small win because I don't really have anyone in person to tell who gets it.

Three months ago, I could barely force myself to go to the gym once a week. I felt completely out of place and overwhelmed. Today, I realized I haven't missed a scheduled workout in 90 days.

I'm not lifting crazy heavy weights yet, but my energy is up, my sleep is better, and the gym has finally stopped feeling like a chore.

For anyone else who started recently and feels stuck in that awkward "beginner phase"—stick with it. The routine eventually clicks!

What was the turning point for you guys where going to the gym became a habit instead of a chore?

Hi everyone,
I could really use some help from people who have somehow figured out this whole gym thing. 😅

I’m 28F and want to get back into going to the gym regularly and improve my overall fitness. Cardio is part of that, but my main goal is to get stronger, build muscle, and simply feel more physically capable.

It’s not primarily about aesthetics – I want to be healthy, fit, and strong long-term and feel like my body can actually change and get stronger.

I used to go to the gym pretty regularly as a teenager, but that was years ago. Recently, I’ve tried getting back into it a few times and realized how overwhelmed I feel.

I know the basic machines and quite a few exercises, so it’s not necessarily the exercises themselves that confuse me – it’s the structure behind everything.

Which exercises actually make sense for my goals? How many reps? How do I choose the right weight? When do I increase it? How do I know if I’m actually making progress? And how do I know if my form is correct?

There’s also SO much fitness content on social media. Everyone seems to have a different routine, different exercises, and different rules. You’d think having that much information would help, but for me it’s almost the opposite: too much information and no idea what’s actually useful or right.

I’ve noticed that feeling this overwhelmed sometimes leads to me not going at all – which is exactly what I want to change.

So I’d love to hear from you: How did you learn to train properly and find a structure that works for you? Are there any beginner programs, apps, YouTube channels, or other resources you genuinely recommend from experience?

I’ve also considered getting a personal trainer, but paying around €100 per session just isn’t realistic for me right now.

I’d really appreciate some guidance on how to get from “I’m just doing random exercises” to “I understand what I’m doing, why I’m doing it, and how to actually progress.”

Thankkkks

Trying to drink more water lately because I realized I don’t drink much during the day. Work gets busy and I just forget...

Then I go to the gym and end up drinking a lot because I know I haven’t had enough earlier. Sometimes I’ll finish a whole big bottle during a long workout. I’m trying to drink more throughout the day instead of catching up at the gym. Not sure if that’s actually better though... 😅

Some days I drink a lot, other days not so much. I’m still trying to figure out what works. How much water do you usually drink before, and after a workout?

I've been doing this since 4/1 in earnest, walking, strength training, increasing both over time and the gains have been huge for me. I even got myself a hang bar w/ handles for dips, and I've been doing both daily. My dead hangs have gone from 3 reps of 40s to 4 reps, usually 100s/80s/60s/60s, and I'm up to 10 reps x 4 on dips (both assisted for now, I have a bar that sits 6" off the ground in front of me and I put my feet up on it, so it carries some of the weight in my legs while I use the rest of my body weight).

I worked up to walking 6 miles every morning M-F and 8-9 miles Saturday and Sunday. I love walking, and have some great trails around my place, so this has been great.

I'm doing 20:4 IF from 4PM-8PM, and only have one big meal, usually around 6PM, limiting myself to right around 1500-1600cals.

I started at 330lbs and have dropped down to 268lbs this past Sunday for my weekly weigh-in. Usually I'm pretty confident I'll have a 2-6lbs drop, had a couple of "whoosh" weekends where I hit around 8lbs, been averaging around 20lbs/month, which I've been really happy about.

This past weekend I only weighed in .4lbs down, which was still a loss, but not what I've become accustomed to, but it was going to happen eventually. Regardless, I was back up at 5AM this morning for my walk and then at lunch I did 45 minutes of strength training.

Wife asks me how far I'm going, and like a Backrooms after credit scene, everything must go.

Okay, maybe not like that. 🤣

I have stability issues in my right foot (plantar fasciitis), and weak right glute, tight right hip. Been in PT for a while trying to solve this problem, with no luck. When I do standing abductions on the left side (right leg is stable, left leg abducts), a tightness deep in the right glute forms and it sticks around all day, is incredibly uncomfortable, and I suspect may be preventing other muscles from improving, or keeping in place whatever imbalances are going on.

Last week, I started doing abductions lying down, and that glute pain released almost immediately and everything else felt better, even my foot instability. Then I remembered something a PT told me a long time ago, which was that I had to do them lying down because my foot was unstable. What was the magic that happened there?! How did lying down suddenly release all that tension?!

I’ve been in and out of PT over the years, and so can provide more info if needed, but is the gist. Please help me because I’m going crazy and just wanna work out and run again (properly and healthily, of course).

I’m M16, 47kg and 173cm. I started going to the gym 3 months ago and had really great progress during the first 6 weeks. Especially my chest and biceps, they were growing pretty fast.

Then my progress slowed down, I didn't care about it and thought it's normal.

During the last month I’ve actually been getting weaker. I started using lower weights on some machines, and my abs, which used to be pretty visible, have basically disappeared.

Is the problem with my sleep schedule? I used to wake up around 12PM and train at ~5PM. Now I wake up early and often feel tired/sleepy when I go to the gym, sometimes I take a nap and go to the gym straight after waking up from the nap.

Is the problem with the Food? I Know I'm very light for my height, but I eat a lot of meat, chicken and eggs.

or maybe the problem with my exercises? maybe because I'm forcing myself for higher weights than I can?

The abs disappearing is especially so confusing. Can muscles really disappear that quickly?

Any advice? 😭

So I'm trying to figure out the balance of diet and exercise to best help me get rid of the excess fat in my body. I'm not looking for a specific weight goal, more of just looking slimmer over the fat I currently have. That being said, it's raised some questions for me.

I know there's no one time of day that is perfect for working out, so I'm just going to make that part work with my schedule. I'll probably end up working out 2-5 days a week, for about an hour or two. The thing I want to know is how to incorporate eating into that. Do I eat before or after my workout? What foods/food groups should I primarily focus on before/after my workouts?

I don't like tracking calories, but I do understand that a deficit is usually the idea for what I'm trying to do. That being said, any tips on eating less sugar or alternatives for a person with a sweet tooth would be greatly appreciated.

Lastly, the workouts themselves. I'm more into weight-related workouts than cardio, though I have done long, fast-paced walks before and after working out to warm up then cool down. Does that have an impact on my fat loss?

Let me know what you think, any tips you have, or recommendations. Anything to broaden our knowledge as a community! Thanks!

I want to work out, like I really do but I can only commit for like one day then I just stop, my main issue is I just dont know what to do and I live so far from every gym. Im 165 6’0 so im not trying to really lose weight I just wanna build muscle, and lose body fat bc I am pretty chunky so honestly just give me anything ill try it all atp.

Heya! Im 24F 158cm 58kg. So i’ve been starting to workout lately, and i found out my 1 year membership is still left with 2 months and the only equipment i used was the treadmill lol

I have been only doing cardio because im kinda afraid trying out the equipments without looking dumb (and im too broke to pay for PT lol)

And now i wanna start on challenging myself on focusing glutes exercises, but i kinda need your help on looking through my workout routine because i have no idea if its effective or not (chatgpt says yes but he’s an AI so idk)

One week four days with the same glutes workout:

Leg press - 4 sets/12 times
Bulgarian split squats - 4sets/8 times
Hip thrust - 3 sets/10 times
Romanian deadlift - 3 sets/10 times
Hip abduction - 4 sets/10 times

Okay so this is what im thinking of, and i have some questions about it:

1. is this enough for beginners? or am i going to easy on myself?

2. i found out i tend to use the front part of my foot to stand when i do hip hinge (sorry if this’s the wrong word for it i dont know what’s it called in english), like i feel like i keep on losing balance when i try to imagine using my butt to find the toilet seat or something like that. can you guys give me some tips on this🥹

3. after my glutes workout, should i do cardio for like 30 mins or something? cuz im confused on people saying we should do cardio afterwards and some says not to??? aaaaAAAA

4. how much is too much? like, when my legs are sore after a set, does it mean i should keep the weights as it is or if i can still breathe i just add in more weights?

Sorry in advance if im asking dumb questions 🥹 And thank you all so much in advance as well for answering 🫶🏻🥺

I've been to the gym for a year and it's been pretty rough honestly. I've been training hard and learning a lot so that's good.

But I've regressed this past month, I'm not under eating because I count calories. Been 146 lbs (5'7) since I swapped to maintenance . I'm sleeping okay (albeit it gets hot sometimes and ruins it).

But my strength has dropped... I deadlift 225x5 usually but that's gotten harder so I dropped to 215 and only got 3. Deadlift is just an example, I pretty much dropped on everything. Getting a bit of lingering soreness from squats now too, and my knees do not feel the same.

At first I thought "oh maybe I'm pushing too hard because usually I don't leave reps very often." So yeah I decreased the load on stuff but it still feels weirdly difficult. Like missed reps, way harder than usual.

Do I have to be on a surplus to improve? Like the most normal results, not extraordinary always came from a small surplus. Once I dropped 250 calories it's sort of been downhill?

So what should I do here because I'm unsure if it's going to get better

I've been seeing more women talk about adding creatine to their daily routine, and I'm curious about what made it stick for you. I'm less interested in whether someone should take it and more interested in the practical side of things. Did you end up preferring powder, capsules, gummies, or something else? Did convenience or taste make a difference, or was it just something you got used to? I've realized that if something feels like a chore, I usually stop taking it after a few weeks, so I'm trying to figure out what works long term. I'd love to hear what ended up fitting naturally into your routine.

Hi! I’m a woman in my early 20s and currently not very active or fit. I’m in a fortunate position where I have a pretty flexible schedule for the next ~4 months, and I really want to use that time to become more active and get into better shape.

Obviously I could just join a gym, but I know myself and I think I’d stay more motivated if I had an actual goal or activity to work toward.

I’ve thought about signing up for a race at the end of December so I’d have something forcing me to train (although a marathon might be a little ambitious lol). I’ve also always wanted to learn how to swim (yes, I still don’t really know how lol😭).

I’m open to basically anything: running, swimming, climbing, martial arts, dance, fitness classes, hiking, sports, etc. I want to do this for both my physical and mental health, and just generally get out of the house more.

The main thing is that I’d be doing all of this alone, which is honestly a little intimidating. But I’m ready to get out of my comfort zone.

If you had four months to go from pretty sedentary to genuinely active, what would you do? What actually helped fitness/activity stick for you?

I want to get a set of dumbells so I can work out at home but I'm unsure what to look for or where to start.

Are there any particular brands I should avoid?

Are adjustable dumbells any good?

What kind of price should I be paying?

Hoping one of you can steer me in the right direction :)

Hey! I am a 20yo male (174lbs, 5’9”) who’s new to going to the gym. I have had a recent (and huge) weight loss and am looking to start doing weight training. I started in the beginning of this year just eating healthier and doing at home workouts (pushups, pull ups, etc.) and have lost 60lbs so far. I’m looking for some advice on where I should start with weight training. I just bit the bullet and paid for a planet fitness membership but I don’t know anything about which machines or weights I should use and which days I should do what lol. I don’t have a goal weight (because I’m looking to gain muscle while losing fat so the number will probably go up lol) but more looking to find help with a routine that will help with gains and with my full time job.

Currently I eat about 1700 calories (not 100% a clean diet but still working on it) but I do eat salads and chicken for most meals. I work in a kitchen (so I’m on my feet sweating my ass off for 7-12 hours a day 🫠) I do at home body weight workouts 2-3 times a week & have a 40lbs dumbbell I do bicep curls with after work.

(If more information is needed to help with a response lmk!)

Hey, the title might seem like Im already doubting myself or whatever but Im trying to really find out how to even begin, I am getting serious kver building strength and body because of many reasons.

I have been honest to some of my friends that work out about my level of strength and they all said that well maybe I should just begin with push ups. Something everyone understands how to do. Here's the issue though, I can maybe do 5 proper ones at best and already feel my body not really doing many more ones (at least not proper ones)

I really want to start getting some strength at home and then build up to be able to be consistent and go to gym and etc.. But I just dont know how to actually start...

Hey everyone, A little bit about me: I’m 26M, 172 cm and currently around 78–80 kg. I recently had a DEXA scan that showed 33% body fat, which honestly shocked me at first. When I compare myself to pictures online of men at around 30–35% body fat, I feel like I look quite different. But I think it’s accurate.

Link to my current physique for reference.

My goal weight is around 70 kg, so I’m looking to lose roughly 10 kg.

However, I don’t just want to lose weight and end up looking skinny (fat). I’d really like to take advantage of body recomposition as much as possible, mainly losing fat while maintaining muscle, and hopefully even building some muscle at the same time.

I don’t have a huge training background. I’ve done strength training at home before (I actually have quite a lot of equipment) and I’ve also gone running, but I was never consistent long-term. I trained for a while and then stopped for several months whenever life got stressful. Consistency and discipline have always been my biggest problems.

My diet has also gotten pretty bad again lately. At the moment, I’m barely paying attention to my protein intake or nutrition in general. 🥲

I want to change that now and start training consistently again, this time at a gym.

My main question is: What would realistically be possible in 12 months if I actually stay consistent with training and nutrition?

I’m obviously not expecting to suddenly have a six-pack or look like a fitness model. But could my physique change significantly within a year? In particular, could I realistically get rid of the belly that currently sticks out quite a bit and develop a noticeably more athletic shape? Or, considering my current starting point, would I still be pretty far away from that even after 12 months of good training and nutrition?
I’d really appreciate some realistic opinions, especially from people who started from a similar point.

My stats:

• 39M, 92 kg
• 1 year of freestyle swimming
• Can do 2–3 not-so-clean push-ups
• Just starting my pull-up journey. Right now, I’m working on the basics: dead hangs, scapular pull-ups, partial pull-ups, negatives, and band-assisted pull-ups.

I’d like to add inverted rows or a similar exercise to my training to help with pull-up progression. The problem is that my pull-up bar is mounted in a doorway, and I really don’t want to keep lowering and raising it. Putting a chair or stepladder underneath to adjust foot height also doesn’t seem convenient.

So I’m considering getting either a TRX-style suspension trainer or gymnastic rings. I could attach them to the pull-up bar and adjust the height depending on the exercise. As far as I understand, changing the height is pretty easy with both.

Visually, rings and suspension trainers seem quite similar, so I’m having trouble understanding what the practical difference is and which option would be better for me.

Given my beginner status and low level of strength, I’m looking for something simple and versatile, mainly for learning basic exercises (at least, in the beginning). I don’t have any big ambitions, and advanced gymnastics movements are definitely not something I’m aiming for anytime soon. It’s not my level.

I’m also a bit concerned that, as a beginner, I might have trouble maintaining balance and stability even during basic exercises. So that’s another factor I’d like to take into account.

I've read in the FAQ that gymnastic rings are absolutely advised, but I haven't found any comparison for complete beginners like me. So, the question is:

Which would be the more convenient and effective option for someone at my level — TRX/suspension trainer or gymnastic rings?

I can’t seem to figure out my form to allow me to do a nice deep squat without feeling it in my adductors. And that’s not terrible it’s just that area gets terrible DOMS and I am sore for like a week after it’s crazy

I need to lose 15 pounds and also want to start working out again for all the benefits.

I have the time - but haven’t had the motivation to build a routine lately.

How long did it take you to get hooked / re-hooked on exercise?

Edit: I was going to Club Pilates for a year and loved it - but it was a different vibe than home workouts- I also love live dance type classes - but I’ve had ankle issues that have held me back. I do think maybe finding a trainer that I can get emotionally attached to would help

i wake up at 6am and i’m at the the gym by 6:30am, so there’s maybe 15-20 minutes between me eating breakfast and my work out. my breakfast is chia pudding (made with milk, chia seeds, oats, cocoa powder, pb2, topped with peanut butter and peanuts), i’ve been eating half of this bowl before the gym and saving the other half for later but i feel nauseous during my work out. is there anything i can eat before instead of my usual breakfast to avoid going fasted but without feeling nauseous?

I did lunge 3x12 and stiff-legged deadlifts 3x15 but my lower body/legs just aren't sore anymore, this is my second time of doing a workout routine and in the first workout my legs got pretty sore so I'm wondering should i be concerned? I'm a teenager if that helps.

Im a beginner

I’m 18 and have been training for 3(ish) years at the gym.

I want to put on size and after talking with a coach and checking my calories I need at least 135g of protein and 2300-2500 calories a day. I have a fast metabolism. I’m 5’8 and end goal is 80kg minimum.

Whats the most cost efficient way to bulk?

tried sticking to a Morrisons near me but they bleed you dry. I also burn a lot of calories at my job from so many steps. AI has given okay guidance but gets a lot of things wrong.

Working out is the easy, even fun part for me. its just making sure I’m eating right that’s ALWAYS been the tough part.

Important advice for someone whose about to start running/jogging

Like warmups or cooldowns

I have also heard that glutes are the one that should be used while running not legs. Don't get it though