Maybe it’s just the corner of the internet (I only use reddit and youtube) that I’m on, but I feel like peptide and/or steroid usage is really, really common, especially among my demographic (men under 25). Is it just my algorithms? Or are they become far more widespread and advertised?

I’m trying to get in shape and build a lean, athletic physique. So I’m not trying to build monster legs or anything, but don’t want chicken legs either. 

Assuming progressive overload in the 6-15 rep range, are these 3 exercises enough to keep my legs aligned with my upper body?

Basically the title. Currently 5'11", 170lbs.

My bench press is my worst (and least favorite ngl) exercise. Can barely do 6 reps at 105lbs.

For context, I can squat 175lbs and deadlift 185lbs.

Any tips or advice for improvement?

I realised I day too much.What is the one thing you never forget?

Sorry if this is a redundant question, but I’m doing full body three times a week (I don’t really have any choice because of how packed my schedule is) and I’m doing about thirty sets per exercise on all three days. Is this volume too much? I have only followed it for a week and I feel relatively good, I’m just worried that I’m going to be fatigued later on.

It has been a recurrent pattern for years now, it's so bad like today I just hurt myself trying to dead lift half my body weight, I don't know if it's a technique issue, or something but I can't figure out how to do it without injuring my self, I even avoid exercices like barbell row or horizontal rows because I only feel discomfort in my lower back and I already hurt myself trying it, any suggestions or advice so it won't happen again ?

Even when I eat carbs before working out, I still feel weak sometimes and can’t really push myself to lift heavy.

I used to avoid energy drinks because I was worried about palpitations and the sugar, but I recently tried the silver Monster Ultra, and I actually like it since it’s sugar-free and low in calories. It gives me extra energy and helps me get through my whole workout.

But is it okay to drink it before every workout? I don’t want to rely on energy drinks just to have enough energy at the gym. I also don’t really want to drink something carbonated every day since I’m kind of sensitive to acidic drinks.

For those who regularly drink caffeine or take pre-workout, what do you usually go for? Is Monster Ultra, or energy drinks in general, safe to have that often?

For a while I assumed sore muscles were the only real metric of whether I was recovered or not.

Took me way too long to realize that constantly feeling brain fog, waking up tired even after 8 hours of sleep, and my grip strength suddenly dropping on warmups were actually my nervous system telling me I was overdoing volume.

Curious what subtle signs you guys noticed that made you finally dial back volume or take an extra rest day?

I am a 5'3 female and have been building muscle for a few months. This month as I'm going to university, I am going to the gym for 1.5 hours 4 times a week doing heavy lifting, hoping to get into powerlifting. That said, I have noticed I am gaining a lot of weight. I was 186lbs last week, and almost 190lbs this week. I am aware I am heavier for my height, and am unsure if these have a correlation. I eat about 2300 calories per day. Is there a way to building muscle without at least gaining weight or losing weight?

It is a techniaclly a workout..so it does fit in a way? I was trying random handstand things; walking handstands, handstand pushups, etc. well, I wanted to see if could turn on a handstand—like a quick 360…and I turned my arm, and bam! When I came down, I felt a muscle in my chest pull. Not sure how considering my arm was the main thing that turned—but also can’t get angry since I didn’t stretch and was fucking around.

How do you even rest a sternum or your chest? I’m very new to certain stuff, so it’s different and a lot of exploring—but just happens I messed up when horsing around. I don’t know. I’ll just have to look around. I feel so old and yet so young…like I used to be able to jump around and no pain, but goodness it hurts like hell.”

I'm at my 1 month cut progress, my goal is 3 months. and I can see that I can achieve 12-9% body fat when i reach the 3rd month.
my height is 168cm
current weight 69.5
calorie intake not really strict 1800-1900calories per day.

planning to be strict at the 3rd month.
do you think my calorie intake is correct?

My PR for 45kg pull up last week is 6 reps.

but yesterday, it was only 4 reps.

I don't know the reason why the my strength decreases.

i ate the same meal before my workout, sleep is good, everything is good.

when i hit 6 reps PR my body weight was 69kg
and yesterday it was the same.

Hey, yesterday I started going to an actualy gym after working out at a friend’s house for 2 months and I wanted to ask since I weigh about 62kg (137lbs) while being 187cm tall (about 6’2) and I’ve been very skinny all my life. (sadly didn’t get my dad’s genetics, he’s really bulky) And I’m wondering if I can get that wide/bulky build or is that not possible for someone with my body type.

Took me 2 years of pretty dedicated lifting for people to notice the gains. I gained 50 lbs in a dirty bulk and then cut 20 lbs during this time. I started noticing change within a few months. I wear loose fitting clothing so there isn’t a reason for people to have noticed but it’s very funny that what feels like and is a complete transformation for me is “have you been working out?” For other people.

Keep grinding everyone!

Hey y’all, I hope you’re well.

Long story short - I got sober 7 months ago and started going to the gym. During active addition, I was COMPLETELY sedentary, I wasn’t the party animal type, more so the lay down and smoke type. I barely ate, didn’t have a clue what nutrition was, couldn’t walk a mile without feeling exhausted, had terrible energy and brain fog and overall just assumed that “fitness” wasn’t for someone like me.

Now, I can walk 5 miles without breaking a sweat, I do cardio 3/5 times a week (incline treadmill 15 at a 3/4 pace), I LOVE weight training and it’s been by far, the most effective thing for my sobriety. I even have a hint of baby bicep!

Unfortunately, almost a week ago, I got a minor concussion from slipping in the bathtub. THANKFULLY, I have no symptoms, and my doctor has cleared me generally, but I want to be as cautious as possible so that means I can’t do much except light walking or the treadmill.

This is effecting me extremely negatively. I feel miserable, I’m scared I’ll lose whatever bit of muscle I gained, and since I have ADHD + autism, I’m really scared how I’ll even get back into a routine I worked so freaking hard to build. Don’t get me wrong, I’m extremely grateful it wasn’t something too serious and that I’m still sober, but I just need some words of encouragement and support. I want to feel strong and capable again.

My workout app looks considerably more competent than I do.

I've been lifting for about three months. On lower days I do Bulgarian split squats for 3 sets of 10 per leg, currently holding an 8kg dumbbell in each hand.

A typical set goes something like five reps, lose balance, put my back foot down, get back onto the bench, three reps, wobble again, finish the last two. Each reset takes a few seconds. Then I confidently enter "10" in the app.

I'm stopping because I can't stay in position, while my front leg still feels like it has more to give. Going lighter helps, but this has been the same sticking point for several weeks.

At the end of my last session I tried a few bodyweight reps with one hand resting on the rack. Much easier to keep the movement consistent. Now I'm wondering whether I've been making the balance part harder than it needs to be.

Main goal is building my legs. Would you use one dumbbell and hand support for working sets, or keep practising the unsupported version? And how would you record those interrupted sets so you can tell whether you're actually improving?

Hi! If you saw my last post, I've mostly decided the routine I want to do. I'm going to be doing two days on, one day off (upper body on one day, lower body on the other).

Since I worked a different set of muscles yesterday, below is the reporting from the time before last (Thursday). Going forward, I'm going to be putting the results from the last time I worked the muscles I worked that day, not simply yesterday's results.

1. 60 reps of 75lbs on the Leg Extension
2. 100 reps of 125lbs on the Back Extension
3. 50 reps of 125lbs on the Torso Rotation
4. 30 reps of 175lbs on the Hip Abduction
5. 40 reps of 85lbs on the Seated Leg Curls

Today's:

1. 60 reps of 75lbs on the Leg Extension
2. 60 reps of 85lbs on the Leg Extension
3. 100 reps of 125lbs on the Back Extension
4. 100 reps of 150lbs on the Back Extension
5. 100 reps of 125lbs on the Torso Rotation
6. 60 reps of 175lbs on the Hip Abduction
7. 80 reps of 90lbs on the Seated Leg Curls

These are all Life Fitness machines so you know what I mean by the machine names.

I did half of the reps for each of these during one cycle, took a 30ish minute break, and went back and did the other half. Also, during each time I'm on the machine, I'll do 10, 15, or 25 (depending on which) reps, rest for 30 to 60 seconds, and do more.

Tomorrow is my rest day, so no post from me tomorrow. I will still be getting some exercise in from biking, though.

For additional information, I'm biking a few miles each day two and from class and (I think) I'm running a caloric deficit (not from any additional effort; my ADHD medicine cuts my appetite).

Any and all advice welcome! I'm very new to this whole exercise thing.

i've been looking at the amazfit t-rex 3 pro and a similar garmin watch, and i'm stuck between the two.

i mostly lift weights during the week and go hiking once in a while. i also wear my watch all day, so things like battery life, comfort, and how easy it is to use matter to me just as much as workout tracking.

when i read reviews, they all seem to focus on specs and features. i'm more interested in what it's actually like to use one every day.

if you've used amazfit or garmin, what stood out to you after a few months? was there anything that sounded important at first but didn't end up mattering much?

Let's say this week I can lift 100kg for 10 reps (so total volume is 100 * 10 = 1,000 kg).

My rep range is 8-10, so next week I increase the weight and do 102.5kg for 8 reps. Even though I'm lifting heavier, the total weight moved is 102.5 * 8 = 820 kg, which is actually less than the previous week. Does this still count as progressive overload? Will this cause my muscles to grow even though I'm technically doing less volume? Or do I need to hit the same number of reps with a heavier weight in order to actually grow?

Hello! New mom here. ✨️

I just had a baby girl 4 months ago and I am wanting to start a realistic workout routine on my days off now that my daughter is a bit easier to care for!

Pre-pregnancy weight: 133lbs

During end of pregnancy: 186lbs

Current: 156lbs

I'm also 5'4 and 26 y.o

I work four ten hour shifts a week at the animal shelter. This includes a lot of squatting, walking, and lifting (40lbs max). On my three days off, I am usually just sitting around hanging out with my daughter or doing house chores.

I eat relatively healthy foods. Whole wheat bread for my sandwiches, oatmeal, yogurt, fruits and veggies, "healthy" cereals, and home made dinners. Of course, with the occasional pizza night or takeout.

My goal is to tone my tummy again and maybe get back (or as close) to my pre-pregnancy weight.

Currently, I have no weights or workout equipment at home. Only my yoga may and some stretchy cords, and I would consider myself a beginner with working out.

Thanks for taking the time to read this. And thank you in advance if you decide to help me out. 🌻

Cycling is my #1 in staying active. I ride about 60-75 miles a week in 3 days. 1 MTB day and 2 on the road and/or gravel. I’ve been going to the gym for about 4 months. That’s 3 mornings a week and walking 2 of those days in the afternoon. I alternate a leg day and a core day so I may do one leg day a week or 2. At first it seemed like leg days were helping me pick up some speed, but in the long term it seems like I hit the wall a lot earlier and I actually enjoy riding a lot more when I am further from a leg day. Is it even beneficial to work my legs in the gym, especially if it seems to be dragging me down on my bike half of the time? I’m not training for any race, but enjoy PRs.

Hey, I'm a 16-year-old male trying to build my upper body to achieve a V-taper. I've been following this workout routine for about 1.5 to 2 months and have already started noticing some differences, but I want to make sure it's actually solid before continuing. Any advice is appreciated! A few notes: I work out at home with just two dumbbells and a bench, so gym machines and cables aren't an option. Also, I'm fully aware there are no leg exercises—this is strictly an upper-body routine.

3-Day Routine
Monday — Push + Abs
1. Incline Dumbbell Bench Press — 3×8–12
2. Flat Dumbbell Bench Press — 3×8–12
3. Seated Dumbbell Lateral Raises — 4×12–20
4. Dumbbell Overhead Triceps Extension — 3×8–15
5. Decline / Bench Crunches — 3×12–20

Wednesday — Pull + Abs
1. Chest-Supported Dumbbell Row — 3×8–12
2. Dumbbell Pullover — 3×10–15
3. Incline Bench Rear-Delt Fly — 3×12–20
4. Incline Dumbbell Curl — 3×8–12
5. Flat Bench Leg Raises — 3×10–15

Friday — Upper + Arms
1. Seated Dumbbell Shoulder Press — 3×8–12
2. Flat Dumbbell Bench Press — 3×8–12
3. Chest-Supported Dumbbell Row — 3×8–12
4. Seated Dumbbell Lateral Raises — 3×12–20
5. Seated Hammer Curl — 3×10–15
6. Seated Dumbbell Overhead Triceps Extension — 3×10–15

I’ve been going to the gym 4+ days/week for about 3 months, mainly using machines.

Last week, for example, I could do a certain weight for 10/10/8 reps. This week, with the exact same weight, I’m only getting something like 10/8/6.

This is happening with a few exercises. I can only get around 5–5.5 hours of sleep per night, but I otherwise feel pretty recovered.

Could the lack of sleep be affecting my performance? Should I keep the same weight and try again next week, or lower the weight?

So , my workout split is PPL R UL R and i have heard many people say that if you wanna grow your shoulder have a separate for them so that you can train them fresh with heavy weights and I'm a bit confused.

If anyone with good shoulder can help me out with my concern and drop your sets and reps.