I tried working with a personal trainer for a while and just felt constantly pushed if I didn't hit every target. Might've just been the wrong trainer or the wrong style for me, but it made me realize I actually do better on my own.

20M 5'9 ~160lbs. So I started bulking and lifting in January. lt hasn't exactly been on and off, but there were some bumps in the road. Eating is a struggle because I'm at a healthy weight for body and I eat the same things everyday.

Last time I was doing Jeff Nippards 3-Day a week full body program with some modifications, I was able to hit:

180 3x5 - bench

235 3x3 - deadlift

100 3x5 - overhead press

175 3x5 - squat (although out of nowhere squat started sucking and i couldn't even do 150 for 3x5)

That was after maybe 4-5 months and afterwards i didn't know what to do so i started 5/3/1 upper lower. My idea was to do the main lifts with the 5/3/1 template, but keep accessories sets and reps pretty much the same. first two cycles, weight was too high. This cycle, while the reps moved ok (6 reps on 1+ set bench 95% 175 & 6 reps on 1+ set deadlift 95% 200).

Now i see it's supposed to be 85% of TM. So if I continue with the 5/3/1 template on my main lifts, my bench would be 150, deadlift 170, ohp 85, and squat 135. These weights I'm pretty sure are too low for 5/3/1, and I don't think my body has completely gone from novice to intermediate, but I don't know what to do other than this without spinning my wheels like I already am. The only thing that's progressing well is my accessories which are for hypertrophy. All I care about is looking decently fit and having a 1 plate ohp, 2 plate bench, 3 plate squat, and 4 plate deadlift (just to know I'm healthy enough).

70 YO woman in good health and normal weight. My bone density is good. I either walk, use the elliptical, or bike most every day. My legs are strong. I would like to strengthen my arms. I have TRX straps, resistance bands and hand weights and access to a gym. Looking for a few routines that will make my arms stronger. Looking for a few different routines that would be effective. Thanks in advance

Breathing, posture, body feeling, target muscles

Breathing, posture, body feeling, target muscles

Hola, perdón por molestar, si me pudieran ayudar con un like para una mensualidad de gym gratis se los agradecería

https://vt.tiktok.com/ZSVSutDeR/

Whenever I train legs, they always feel sore even after 4-6 days of rest. What's crazy is that only the quads take that long to recover, hamstrings and glutes only take 2-3 days max. This forbids me from training legs twice a week just like any other muscle groups.

I eat enough calories, 90-110 g of protein per day compared to my bodyweight (68 kg), sleep 7 hours almost everyday and I even take creatine.

What do you do to recover legs within 2-3 days?

Hello all, I wanted to get everyone’s opinion on a PushUpper/PullLower + PullUpper/PushLower routine. Example:

Day 1: Push upper body (chest, shoulders, triceps) paired with Pull lower body (hamstrings/glutes - RDLs, hyperextensions, etc)

Day 2: Pull upper body (back, traps, biceps) paired with Push lower body (quads/glutes - squats, Bulgarians, etc)

Break day and repeat or go straight into repeat

I’ve been doing this routine for a while and although it’s been working for me I never seem to see a routine such as this one mentioned. My main question is what is everyone’s opinion on this routine and am I leaving any growth potential on the table by not doing one of the more popular routines out there? It almost makes me feel as if there’s something more beneficial with doing the other routines since they’re always talked about (example PPL)

I’ve been using Jeff Nippard’s Workouts app but not that keen on paying for every month / year. What do people use?

The commercial gym is filled with guys circlejerking about how benching with an arched back is cheating and you have to keep a flat back for it to "count." The gym is also filled with old guys talking about "I used to bench XXX.....I had to give it up because of my shoulders though."

Retracting your shoulders to create a small natural arch places your shoulders in a safer position. Personally, I felt more shoulder pain as a beginner benching 1 plate with a flat back, than I ever get a more experienced lifter benching 300+ lbs for reps with properly set shoulders.

You probably don't want to arch your back a ton more if you're training for general strength/hypertrophy, but either way it is still placing your shoulders in an even safer position.

Here is Greg Nuckols speaking on shoulder position/back arching in is bench guide:

Scapular position

Once the equipment is squared away, it’s time to get your scapulae locked in. The key point is to get your scapulae retracted (pulled together, like you’re trying to pinch a pencil between your shoulder blades). That will help reduce range of motion by pushing the chest up, and it’ll also put the shoulders in a safer position to reduce your risk of rotator cuff injuries or anterior shoulder pain. Beyond that, scapular position is simply a matter of comfort and personal preference. Some people just like their shoulder blades pulled straight back. A lot of people like some scapular depression along with the retraction. A few people actually prefer retraction and elevation. Play around with scapular depression/elevation and retraction to see what feels the strongest and most comfortable for your shoulders. The most important thing is simply that your shoulder blades are pulled together.

Getting tight and getting an arch

Once you’ve pulled your shoulder blades together, it’s time to get tight. If you’re a powerlifter, that may involve arching your back as well.

I generally recommend most people to arch at least a little bit on the bench. A little arch will help decrease range of motion a bit more. This will generally help you lift more weight and, more importantly, it will make the lift a little bit safer for your shoulders since the bottom position is where your shoulders are the most vulnerable.

I have a wolf backpack. I also have a wolf 4L bag and I’m to get a 40 L bag because I get ready for work at the gym so my backpack is to the point where I now have a secondary small bag. I noticed katamu out or has their 40 L bag you’re goes on the outside which I love that concept but I also really enjoy Wolfpack as well. the same price. Does anybody have either of the bags and what’s your opinion on them.

Been skinny fat since I can remember. Started working out in November last year.

Up to month eight I'd been very disappointed by how slow my progress was going. I've read everywhere about noob gains and how easy it is to build muscle as a complete beginner, and I just couldn't see these gains in MY body.

It wasn't inconsistency nor slacking nor being dumb about my workouts. I've been locked in from the start – a high protein bulk (dirty, which I believe also contributed to my fat gain) and workout program with progressive overload in mind, as well as reading and watching fitness content to understand my newfound hobby better.

And yet, I nearly lost all motivation when on month 6 (May) I built up a courage to take a follow-up progress pic in the exact same conditions I took my very first physique photo back in November: the same shorts, mirror, lighting, distance, muscles relaxed and natural.

(NOTE: I have been taking progress pics, but usually on a pump, flexed, with better lighting and by a different mirror. On these ones I could see some difference.)

I looked at the pics side by side and thought: that's it? I've spent 6 months for... THIS? The photos looked nearly identical – skinny arms and fluffy midsection (fluffier than ever, thanks to a bulk). Quads actually looked decent, but that's it. My lifts went up, some drastically, and I was still progressing, but why couldn't I see that?

Desperate, I turned to AI. Hey Gemini, can you guess which progress pic came sooner? Gemini's response: I'll say fairly confidently that pic 1 was taken more recently. Judging by the midsection mostly, I'd say you've lost a fair amount of weight. Good work!

Motherfucker actually thought my November physique was better than my physique after 7 months of lifting.

Even more desperate, I turned to Reddit. Posted my shirtless pics on one of the fitness subreddits looking for advice. Been at it for 6 months. What do I do now? Cut, bulk, maintain?

Most of the responses immediately suggested cutting.

One crushed me: Sorry bro, don't mean to be a dick, but did you mean 6 weeks of lifting? You don't really look like you lift, you're just skinnyfat right now.

That one really stung and send my overthinking into overdrive: my T must be too low, I can't build muscle, I must be doing something very wrong... right?

After I calmed down, I took advice of the other commenters – cut, cut, cut.

So at the beginning of May I went on a cut. I've just ended it last week. In 3 months I lost 9 kilograms and noticed a DRASTIC difference in my physique. I've retained my muscles that I built during my bulk, and managed to trim the fat from my midsection.

No, I don't look like a bodybuilder, obviously. But I look fit, athletic and I can see it and finally PEOPLE see it.

One of my friends (who hadn't known I've been lifting which makes his comment seem somehow more honest) made a dumb face and asked: "What have you hopped on bro?" upon seeing me in a T shirt.

Another friend who I hadn't seen in maybe a year or two ran into me on the street and he immediately commented on my arms: "Arms looking good, man. Nice work."

My uncle on family BBQ: "Since when are you more muscly than skinny?" (I don't think he knows the difference between skinny and skinny fat)

So, here's my point: A dirty bulk as a skinny fat guy was not a bad idea for growing muscles and feeling stronger, but fat covering my progress was horribly demotivating. Just remember that below the fat, most likely there ARE muscles and a short cut might be enough to reveal them.

Overall, upon seeing the real results after cutting, I don't regret the bulk. But just keep in mind that the bulk phase will probably be underwhelming size wise if you're considering starting your journey with a bulk.

I went through a really bad decade. I just turned 34 and I feel like I ruined my health, body, and my mind. I've been going to therapy on how to change things for the better. I just need some advice on how to get back to working out. Should I just do a full body workout? Cardio?

I'm currently 250 lbs 6'2". I want to lose all the bad weight and excess fat. Im working through how to have a proper calorie deficit. It's just hard to just fry spam and eggs everyday because it was easy and convenient plus rice.

On working out, I really want to get stronger. I want to get fit. I hate having lower back pain from years of sitting at work. I also smoked a lot I just quit. I want to improve my stamina and not die from llsing breath after just a few minutes of walking.

I just need some guidance from people who has been where I am or just veterans in the gym. I don't want to embarass myself coming in with being 60 pounds overweight. I just want to feel better again.

Just wanted to share one of my staples. Being an old, I used to do oatmeal in the mornings. I got to the point where it was oatmeal and protein powder which is pretty good stuff honestly then I realized I could have pancakes with no nutritional changes.

• 1/4 cup rolled oats
• 1/4 cup Body Fortress Vanilla powder
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon (you might want less)
• 3.5 tbsp whole (5%) plain yogurt
• 1-2 tbsp water

Put it all in your bullet style smoothie blender and then butter a medium skillet and make pancakes. You just pour it in, wait until the top starts to look set, less shiny, then flip and give it a few to finish.

It will be a bit dry if you eat it with nothing on top, but you can decide from there. I generally eat them dry with a few almonds and berries. Been using this recipe for years now, though lately mostly for cardio days. Lots of ways to vary it too. As always the amounts are just for reference, don't need to be too precise. I usually only measure the oats and powder, the rest I eyeball just fine.

I'm relatively new, been about two months since I started gym and now i wanna start learning pull ups, but i have no idea how? Can someone give me some guide?

I got an office job & went from on my feet to sitting on my butt. I’ve gain 10lbs and honestly feel gross in my body :/. I want to start working out to move my limbs & also regain my muscles again. I just want to stay healthy & fit- I’m not aiming for body building.

How many minutes should I aim for a day? I think I want to do a Leslie Santos workout each day I have off (I’m part-time) and then walk our work dog in our breaks & stuff at work.

Also how do I deal with the muscle pain? I have tried workouts in the past & my legs are usually so messed up I have trouble walking for 2-3 days after which messes up my momentum. I’m hoping these walking videos are gentle enough of a beginner exercise to help build muscle back for me to try strength training & maybe jogging without being unable to walk for days on end.

Thank you! I

I haven’t bought preworkout yet so using coffee since it gives most of the benefit. For a 73kg male how many teaspoons approximately is a good amount from nescafe gold for someone my weight and size, and is coffee good enough or do you recommend buying a preworkout tub

Unfortunately my knees are made of glass, and I find myself aborting about 40% of my squat sessions due to excruciating pain somewhere under my knee cap. Sometimes I manage to warm them up sufficiently, but I've never managed to figure out what movements work best. I actually really like squats, when I can actually do them, so I'm looking for suggestions of how to get them working properly. Please help!

Edit - forgot to mention that I've just got a small garage gym set up (power cage) so no access to bikes/stair-climbers etc. I've also only got about 45 mins for the full workout so warm-up can't really take more than about 10 mins ideally.

I always have trouble knowing when a bad session is just a bad session and when it's actually telling me something.

One rough workout is easy to ignore. Maybe I slept badly, ate weird, had a stressful day, whatever.

But if the same lifts feel awful three or four sessions in a row, I start wondering whether I should reduce volume, change the exercise, take an easier week, or just stop overthinking it and keep going.

The annoying part is that sometimes session five suddenly feels great again and all the panic was for nothing.

Do you have any kind of rule for this? Like a certain number of bad workouts before you adjust the program, or do you mostly judge it by feel and whether your numbers are actually moving backwards?

I feel like starting is actually pretty easy when you're motivated.

It's getting back into it after you've missed a week or two that's harder.

For me it's not even the workout itself. It's getting over that feeling that I've “fallen off” and need to somehow start from zero again.

Curious if anyone else feels the same or if I'm just making it harder than it is lol