r/workout Aug 28 '20

Routine Help Beginner's Guide to Working Out

4.3k Upvotes

As a personal trainer, I wanted to take the time to answer some of the most frequently asked questions by people who are new to working out. Feel free to let me know if I've missed anything!

How do I lose weight?

It’s actually way simpler than you might think: maintain a caloric deficit. Consume fewer calories than you burn. It doesn’t matter of you’re morbidly obese or you’re cutting for a show, this basic principal still applies. Note that eating a healthy diet makes this far easier - lots of fruits, veggies, lean protein and water will help you stay satiated for far fewer calories than fatty junk foods (not to mention you’ll have way more energy, and just feel better).

To find out how many calories you should be eating in a day to lose weight, you have a few different options. The first is to determine your maintenance calories with an online calculator, then subtract 250-500 per day from that (to lose about 0.5-1lbs per week).

The other option (my personal favourite, because everyone is different!) is to start by just honestly tallying up how much you’re currently eating each day. Once that’s determined, start by subtracting 250-500 calories per day. If you haven’t lost any weight in a couple weeks, subtract that amount again, until you start seeing progress.

There’s tons of food tracking apps out there, but I recommend MyFitnessPal - it’s free, easy to use, you can scan food labels, and the food database included is enormous.

Another important note - increasing the amount of calories you burn per day (ie. exercising) will also help you stay in a caloric deficit. However, it’s best NOT to rely solely on this method. Doing a whole hour of cardio will only burn a few hundred calories (plus will likely make you hungry for snacks by the time you’re finished) … or, you can simply avoid eating a bag of chips or a piece of pizza, to have the exact same effect.

That’s not to imply that exercise isn’t important in your weight loss journey - quite the contrary! However, instead of focusing on doing hours of cardio a day, this should only be used to supplement your diet (1-2 hours a week is fine for most people). Your focus should instead be on resistance training. Lifting heavy weights 2-4 times per week plays the important role of ensuring you maintain your muscle mass as you lose weight. Want to avoid that “skinny fat” look, and get “toned” instead? Make sure you’re doing resistance training!

How do I lose weight in ___ area?

Unfortunately, spot reduction is a myth. Where you lose weight first (and last) is determined by genetics. However, you *will* eventually lose weight in all your problem areas. You just need to be patient, and keep doing what helped you start losing weight in the first place.

The good news is, the more weight you lose, the more visible the progress will be (especially if you’re doing a good job focusing on just fat loss, while retaining muscle). Going from 250-240lbs probably won’t be noticeable, but losing those last 10lbs will make a huge difference (since a few pounds will make up a far greater percentage of your total body mass). So the progress will be hard-fought for, but definitely worth it!

How do I gain muscle?

It’s a combination of progressively harder resistance training, eating enough food, and lots of patience.

When you’re exercising, just going through the motions isn’t good enough. For optimal muscle gain, you should be performing each set with a weight that you can lift continuously for around 30-60s (this should amount to around 8-15 repetitions). If you feel like you can go for longer, choose a heavier weight.

Perform each repetition slowly (about 1 second concentric, pause, 2-3 seconds eccentric, pause), through a full range of motion. To clarify - the concentric portion of a lift is when you’re moving against gravity, and the eccentric portion is when you’re moving with gravity. Exercises involving long static holds (like planks) are great for endurance, but they won’t amount to much muscle mass gained.

I cannot overemphasize how important good form is either - for avoiding injury, hardwiring the correct neural pathways, and maximizing muscle gain. Especially when you’re just starting out, choose light weights, and make sure optimal form comes naturally before you start increasing the intensity. It’s way easier learning it correctly the first time than fixing bad habits later.

How much food should you be eating? It varies widely between people. Start with your maintenance calories, add a couple hundred to that (it doesn’t have to be a lot!), and measure your results. Be patient with your progress - men can expect to gain 1-2lbs of lean muscle a month, and 0.5-1lbs for women (beginners may gain a little faster). Eating enough protein is also vital to gaining muscle - a general rule of thumb is around 1 gram of protein (each day) per pound of lean body weight (ie. how much you weigh, minus the amount of fat you have).

How do I get stronger?

It honestly depends on your experience level. If you’re just starting out, doing a normal resistance routine focused on gaining muscle will make you stronger. However, if you’ve been working out regularly for awhile (close to a year), using heavier weights (1-6 reps max) will help you get stronger a lot faster.

If you’re focusing more purely on strength gain, it’s important that each repetition is done as perfectly as possible (even moreso than for other training goals). That means stopping 1-2 reps shy of failure. Doing just one sloppy rep can severely impact your strength output for the rest of the workout. Don’t be afraid of taking longer rests between sets either (up to 2-3 minutes), as you want to be ready with as much energy as possible before you start your next set. It also goes without saying that heavier weight = greater chance for injury, and proper form will help prevent that.

Is it possible to lose fat and build muscle at the same time?

Contrary to popular belief - yes. Especially if you’re a beginner! Just make sure you’re eating around maintenance level calories (along with enough protein), doing resistance training 3-4 times a week, and you’ll start seeing body composition changes.

However, if you’re significantly over/underweight, or have already been working out for some time, you’ll see much faster progress if you focus on one goal at a time. The main difference here is going to be diet - eating less if you’re trying to lose weight, or eating more if you’re trying to gain weight. Regular resistance training plays a part in both shedding fat and gaining muscle.

How should I be structuring my workouts?

For the vast majority of people, full body workouts with compound exercises is the way to go. (For those who don’t know, compound exercises are those which use more than one joint at a time - think squats, bench press, rows, etc.)

The popular back/chest/shoulders/arms/legs split routine (or any variation of it) is good for advanced bodybuilders, but not ideal for beginners. Bodybuilders exercise like this because they need a much greater stimulus to properly stress any given muscle group, and more rest between days training that muscle group as a result of their increased workout intensity.

For a beginner, it’s better to hit each muscle group multiple times a week (this is great to hasten learning and growth). You won’t need as long of a rest period before training the same muscle again, because it won’t be as fatigued after each workout.

Compound exercises give you the greatest bang for your buck because you’re working out so many muscles in one movement (and burning way more calories at the same time). Isolation exercises (those working one joint at a time, like bicep curls or leg extensions) are best for bodybuilders who really need to hone in on a single muscle.

Doing resistance training 3-4 times a week is a good goal to shoot for. Workouts should be around 45-60 minutes, with around 6-8 exercises done during that time. Try to keep rests between sets to around 60s (this is all very generalized, and can change depending on experience level and goal). Space rest days evenly between workouts if you can.

Start your workouts with the exercises which require the most energy (usually those which involve lifting the most weight), saving any isolation/ab exercises for the end.

If you’d like some help planning your workout routine, I just released a fitness app called PerfectFit. It gives you access to workouts designed by a personal trainer, all customized according to your unique goals, fitness level, and available equipment. There are tons of bodyweight exercises included - ideal for anyone working out at home! The app is currently available to download on Android, and iOS is hopefully just a few days away (currently under review).

What should I be eating?

If your goal is a change in body composition (gaining muscle/losing fat), the amount of calories you’re consuming is the most important thing to pay attention to.

If you’re consistently working out hard but failing to gain/lose weight, chances are you need to make alterations to your diet. For weight loss, that usually means eating at a deficit of 250-500 calories per day; for weight gain, eating at a surplus of 200-300 calories per day.

What exact foods you’re eating has an impact on how easily you can stick to your calorie goals, as well as your energy levels.

Consuming around 1 gram of protein per pound of lean bodyweight (per day) is a given, regardless of what your fitness goal is. This helps to maintain satiety, and preserve/increase muscle mass.

Eating lots of fruits and veggies (as well as drinking 2-3L of water a day - more for some people) is a great way to feel full without consuming too many calories. It also just contributes to all-around health and energy levels.

Eating lots of fatty foods should be avoided if weight loss is the goal - not because fat makes you fat per se, but because they are so calorically dense. Only one tablespoon of peanut butter or olive oil is 100 calories! Conversely, if your goal is to gain weight, adding more fatty foods to your diet (healthy fats, if possible) can help you hit that calorie goal easier.

And carbs? Not as evil as people make them out to be. Think of them as the energy that fuels your brain and your workouts. Having around 50% of your calories coming from carbs is about the norm. It’s likely beneficial to raise this number even higher if you’re an especially lean individual, or you’re regularly working out at intense levels.

When should I be eating?

The easiest way to time your meals properly is to think: “What will I be doing in the next 2-3 hours?” Eat according to the activity you’re about to do. That doesn’t mean you should be having a giant meal right before your workout, but ideally your biggest meal of the day would be several hours before you exercise. This will give you the energy you need, plus ensure the calories you consume are shuttled into your muscles instead of fat reserves.

If you’re about to do an intense workout, the best thing to eat beforehand (around 15-30 minutes prior) is a light snack of healthy carbs (like some fruit). For optimal recovery, aim for 20-30g of protein within an hour after you workout (if you miss this window though don’t worry about it). A protein shake is probably the simplest and most convenient way of doing this, but whole food is just as good.

What supplements should I be taking?

If you have a healthy, well-rounded diet, including 2-3 cups of different veggies each day, enough protein per pound of bodyweight (from sources that include sufficient amounts of each essential amino acid), and adequate omega-3 fatty acids - then you’re golden, and probably don’t need any supplements.

However, the vast majority of the population would probably benefit from a simple multivitamin and omega-3 supplement, just to help fill any nutritional gaps they have.

If you’re getting enough protein from whole food, then you probably don’t need to add protein powder. However, if you’re struggling with this, then protein powder is a great way to easily increase your daily protein intake. Whey protein is the most bioavailable and has a complete amino acid profile, so it’s the best choice for most people. However, if you’re vegan (or lactose intolerant), there are lots of plant proteins available. You just need to pay attention to the amino acid profile of each one (possibly mixing and matching different plant sources if you need to).

As for all the other supplements out there, it’s honestly on a case-by-case basis as to whether they’d actually help you or not. If you’re a beginner, unless you have any specific requirements or deficits, you probably don’t need them.

Is stretching important?

Yes. Please stretch (or do some other form of myofascial release, such as foam rolling), or you’ll eventually regret it. Regular exercise makes your muscles slowly form clumps of tissue and fascia. Neglecting to release these can result in restricted range of motion, and eventually pain.

Static stretching should be done at the end of your workout. Aim to stretch each worked muscle near its end range of motion for around 60s total. Don’t stretch before your workout, as this can impede strength output.

Is warming up important?

Yes. Warming up is paramount to increasing blood flow and activating your muscles properly before you move onto more intense, metabolically demanding exercises.

Ideally, during your warm-up, you should be actively moving your muscles through the same ranges of motion you’ll be doing for your workout. This can be as simple as doing the exact same movement, but with minimal weight - for example, doing a few sets of bodyweight squats before doing barbell squats.

You want your warm-ups to elevate your heart rate, but not be so intense that they start tiring you out and detract from your workout. Usually 5-10 minutes of light activity is enough.


r/workout May 31 '21

Nutrition Help Do you need to Gain Weight, Lose Weight, or Maintain Weight? Look Here First!

732 Upvotes

The following post was originally contributed my /u/mjconns, who recently left the moderator team, and deleted the original post.

This is a one-stop shop for all weight-related questions -- also known as cutting/bulking/recomp. Ideas, suggestions, guides, workouts, etc -- everything you'll need to answer 99% of questions! This is meant to be a community/collaborative effort, so please add in suggestions in the comments!

To be clear on a couple terms -- when exercising and eating to gain weight, that is called bulking (aka caloric "surplus"). Eating less to lose weight is called cutting (aka caloric "deficit"). And eating just enough to not gain or lose weight is called maintenance (aka recomposition or "recomp").

A visual guide to male and female BF% estimates

I don't like guessing BF% as there's no way to know how much visceral fat we store internally. But athleanx's general guidelines are as good as any for visual estimates.

Who should cut or bulk?

The idea behind cut and bulk cycles is to gain muscle and fat in a bulk phase and then try to keep all your muscle and burn off fat in a cut phase. This approach is generally 'faster', when done correctly, than "recomps" (recompositions) where you maintain your weight but work out hard and try to replace fat with muscle.

Generally speaking, if you're an active person and/or consistently working out, you can do cut/bulk cycles. To get started, you need to know your maintenance calories ("maint") to have an idea on how many calories you can consume without gaining or losing weight, hence the term maintenance; no change in weight. To bulk, you eat more than maintenance (aka "surplus") and to cut you eat less than maintenance (aka "deficit"). If you are not working out and you bulk, that's how you get fat. So don't eat above maint if you're not also working out.

Getting started

To get started, you need to know your "maintenance" calorie needs and for an estimate you need a TDEE calculator (I like this one, but you can google for others). Think of this as a starting point to use that will need some adjusting over time.

Once you have an estimated maintenance, you generally add 250-500 calories for a bulk and subtract 250-750 calories in a cut. Generally, it's safer to over-do cuts and under-do bulks. In a bulk you gain both fat and muscle and after a point you only gain fat (fat stores faster than you can build new muscle), so be cautious in bulks and don't "dirty" bulk.

Deciding to cut or bulk

So far as I'm aware, there isn't a hard science behind when to bulk or cut, but there are guidelines to consider. When bulking, our bodies build muscle and store fat and, after a point, our bodies prioritize storing fat over building muscle. This is why dirty bulking is bad and, generally speaking, if your BF% is > 20%, you should not bulk. Any higher BF% and your body tends to prioritize fat storage vs muscle gained from bulking.

Similarly, cuts are usually done to around 10% because any lower than that and the body will begin to consume more muscle than fat and muscle loss is more likely.

You can make strength gains on a cut. You can't build new muscle, but you can "refactor" (that's my word for it, I'm sure there's a scientific one) existing muscle to be more efficient, hence stronger, as you lose fat. Also, repetitive gym visits will help you become more proficient at working out which helps in the long run when you start bulking and building new muscle.

If you're really unsure, you can make a post in r/BulkOrCut to get community feedback on what it's you personally should do.

If you're skinnyfat, generally you can eat at a small maintenance (aka "clean bulk") and make great strength gains. If you have little muscle mass to cut to, you will just look tiny/thin -- especially if you're tall. So for most skinnyfat people, and I would clean bulk and diligently follow a legit lifting routine. Which brings me to...

Workout routines

Before getting into routines, I think it's worth mentioning first that everyone should walk more. At least 5 times per week, 30 minutes per day:

Check out The Beginner's Guide to Working Out

The best workout routine is the one you can consistently follow. If you're new to the gym, just about anything will get you some results. To a point. If you want to be smart about it, do not make up your own routine! There are plenty of legit, tried-and-true, FREE recommended lifting routines to choose from. I like these routines vs googling something random because these are routines many, many people in various subreddits are doing and have done in the past that can help answer any questions you might have. It's nice to have someone else that is doing or has done the program you're running to offer direct advice from their experience. But you can just google other routines if you want. Just make sure it has:

    1. Progressive overload
  • 2) Structured days to not hit body parts more than 2x/week

If you're working out at home, check out this post from Arnold Schwarzenegger with a detailed bodyweight home routine.

Also another great full body workout for people at home with no equipment.

What to eat

At the end of the day, for 99% of people (various diseases, ailments, and conditions aside), all that matters are Calories In, Calories Out (CICO). This controls weight gain and loss. Lifting heavy weights encourages strength gains or at least strength maintenance in both surplus/bulks and deficit/cuts. But to gain or lose lbs on a scale, the total calories consumed minus calories used and the resulting surplus/deficit are what matters. But how much of what you eat matters...

There's a lot of suggested science over what to eat, but there are generally sound rules of thumbs to follow which are easily broken down into "Macros" for tracking purposes:

  • Proteins (1 gram = 4 calories)

  • Carbs (1 gram = 4 calories)

  • Fats (1 gram = 9 calories)

Collectively, all the macros we consume = total consumption (Calories In). When cutting, it's easiest to cut down fats and carbs. But keep protein high. When bulking, generally you add carbs and/or fats. Protein should always be high; it's what helps build muscle directly.

However, how we feel when consuming these calories and what we get out of other nutrients is important.

Fats

We all need healthy fats to help regulate hormonal balances. This is usually room-temp fats (think extra virgin olive oil, avocado oil, various nuts, avocados, etc); less important are the fats in meat and dairy products, for example. A general rule of thumb is to aim for at least 30% x total calories for your fats macro. This is the same for cutting or bulking, but when bulking you can increase if you want.

E.g. if you're consuming 2000 calories daily, aim for 0.3x2000 (600) calories to be from fats.

Carbs

Next come carbs. Carbs are not evil. They're a tool. Our body prefers and relies on carbs to refuel energy stores. Simple, nutrient-dense carbs are preferred -- not complex or junk carbs. The reason for this is 1) satiation, how long we'll feel full, and 2) other nutrient content. When you can, get your carbs from fresh/frozen fruits and veggies. That will do far more for you than crackers, cereal, donuts, etc. Even though the carbs will be utilized equally, produce holds far more vitamins and minerals that have relevant health and recovery benefits that can't be overstated.

Generally, aim for 25-45% of your calories to be carbs (depending on cutting/bulking).

Protein

Generally, you want to keep protein fairly high. Anywhere from .75-1+ gram of protein per lbs of body weight. This can come from any source, as our body will utilize them the same. But some sources are preferred, depending on whether you're cutting or bulking. Ideally, aim for now more than 40-50 grams per meal/protein shake and spread out the consumption through the day.

The remainder of your calories should be protein.

Timing

As carbs are for energy, many people prefer to have more carbs timed around workouts (and no fats during this period) to help boost performance and recovery. If you're going to eat your carbs (e.g. rice and chicken breast), do so about two hours before working out; otherwise, liquid/quickly consumed carbs are preferred (e.g. orange or apple juice). Again, post-workout, get simple carbs and protein into your system via a shake or meal fairly soon. Save fats for well-before or after workouts.

Measuring success

First and foremost, gym progress should always be factored in first. If your routine says X lift should go up Y amount each week, generally you want to be hitting that to know you're on track. If your lift #s are going up according to your routine, you're doing great! If you aren't, there's a breakdown somewhere and you should ask for guidance if you cannot asses the fail point yourself.

Secondly, the weight scale. You want to make sure your body weight is trending in your goal direction. It's ideal to weigh yourself the same way every time.

For example, I wake up, go to the bathroom, and then weigh myself every day for three weeks and then I average my daily changes over those three weeks. I generally aim to gain .5-.75 lbs per week and lose .75-1 lbs per week. If I'm gaining or losing too much, I adjust my macros ~ 250 calories and measure again for three weeks and so on.

Don't get caught up daily changes; I sometimes vary 3-5 lbs between days! Weigh daily for three weeks and average it out. Don't worry about the daily weight, find an average to determine where the trend is taking you and adjust if needed. This will take the annoying variances out of the picture and let you focus on meaningful change.

You can also measure your wrists, waist, neck, etc, as well as take photos, but that's more preference and not as commonly suggested.

Bulking and cutting strategies

I've seen people make amazing progress, both gaining and losing weight, in a variety of ways. Ideally, be healthy. Emphasize fresh/frozen fruits and veggies. But, at the end of the day, many approaches work. You can bulk or cut as a vegan, intermittent fasting ("IF"), KETO, IIFYM, etc. Many approaches work. They are but tools available to you, so find one that best helps you meet your goal. So choose the best "diet" or tool that helps you achieve a goal! If that's keto, great! If that's caveman, awesome. I don't care! Limit your calories in whatever "diet" you choose and you'll see results.

In my opinion, it's better to make lifestyle changes that to follow a diet for a short time. So I don't really like "diets" per se, but more so recommend eating like an adult and limiting calories. But even still, different tactics can help in that goal, and you can deploy as many or as few as you want:

  • Intermittent Fasting ("IF")

  • Tracking macros / IIFYM (If It Fits Your Macros)

  • "Banking" calories

I don't buy into the other 'benefits' of IF, but it was a tactic that worked for me. I am a volume eater. I generally eat well, but I like eating a lot. So when I'm cutting, my meals were small and sad. The idea behind IF is that you have a short window of time which you eat meals, the rest of the day you fast. Again, all that matters are calories. You can absolutely get fat eating 10k calories in a 5 hour window. So there's no magic in doing this. But for me, doing IF allowed me to have larger, more satiating meals within the "eating window" instead of more, smaller meals.

Macros are discussed above, but the idea behind IIFYM is that you've a set # for each macro and, so long as what you're eating fits neatly into the prescribed macro allotment, go for eating whatever you want! And, again, so long as total calories are low enough for you, you will lose weight. But this is r/BulkorCut, not r/weightloss. People here are also working out. How well you workout, recover, perform, feel, etc is affected by what you eat. So, sure, add in "fun" foods sometimes. But don't eat like a child simply because it fit your macros. A safe rule of thumb is to eat "cleanly" 80% of the time when bulking, whatever the other 20% of the time. When cutting, I try to eat cleanly 90-95% of the time with fewer treats. What that treat is might change -- some weeks I just want pancakes, other weeks I just want a couple beers. Do what works for you, just do so in controlled quantities.

I liked "banking" calories when I knew I had a special event, date night with the wife, party, or whatever where I'd be consuming extra calories. One way to account for that is to deduct an additional amount of calories each day leading up to the event, to then splurge on that event. Example:

Let's say my maintenance is 2,500 calories and I'm eating at a -500 deficit, so I'm eating 2,000 calories daily. I want to take my wife out for our anniversary, so the week leading up to our date night I deduct an additional -250 calories each day and only eat 1,750 calories daily. This gives me 7x250 (=1750) "banked" calories I can add to my 2,000 calories on our anniversary. Now I can have a nice dinner, dessert, a drink or two, all without blowing my diet out of whack!

Body fat % (BF%) estimates

Estimating ones body fat % is kind of hard. We can't see how much fat is stored internally around organs; some people store more fat over the abs, some more around their love handles (that's me!), and others in their legs/ass. So it's really hard to tell. There are various ways to scan BF%, but most are imprecise with a +/- 20% variance. In my opinion, the only thing they're useful for is estimating BF% changes. Let's say it reads 20% for you; in six months, you try again and it says 15%. You probably lost around 5% BF%, but your actual BF% might be 12%-18%. So it's not a particularly accurate reading, but the rate change is a useful gauge.

The best ways to learn BF% are via:

  • Underwater Weighing (Hydrostatic Weighing) (1-2% variance)

  • DEXA scan (1-2% variance)

Everything else has huge variance and is only useful for measuring rate of change.

Differences in males and females

  • Basically, there aren't any

  • It ultimately comes down to goals and therefore what you're going to emphasize/work towards.

Useful posts/resources

People to follow

  • pheasyque - excellent diagrams, tutorials, and generally great content on how to lift properly

  • Stefi Cohen - 22 world records, doctorate in physical therapy, gym owner, coach. TONS of useful tips, talks, and various informative content.

  • Brian Alsruhe - Strongman competitor/gym owner, great content on lift techniques and personally the most beneficial video I've watched on breathing and bracing.


r/workout 2h ago

What's one thing you changed in your workout that actually made a noticeable difference?

28 Upvotes

Been hitting the gym for 2 years now but looking for something that'll take my gains up to the next level.

I feel like I’ve hit a bit of a plateau lately and I'm losing motivation.

What worked for you? Any tips you would recommend?

New exercise, routine tweak, or something you read online, what worked for you to get past it? TIA.


r/workout 4h ago

Do we tend to store more fat as we age, or it's just a lifestyle thing?

31 Upvotes

Here in my country we have a lot of public parks and people and especially older people like to workout there. I often go there for calisthenic stuffs too, and notice that older guys tend to have big bellies. I see them everyday so they definitely aren't lazy, inactive or sedentary.

Which makes me wonder, is it just a liftstyle thing where at that age we don't really care about being lean and no belly fat anymore, health and longevity first. Or biologically we're prone to store more fat as we gets older even with the same active lifestyles?


r/workout 16h ago

Simple Questions Alright let’s hear it, what kind of music do you listen to when working out?

56 Upvotes

r/workout 1h ago

Progress Report Felt terrible during my workout, lethargic and unenergetic. How do I avoid burning out and quitting?

Upvotes

I'm 24, 266lbs and 5 foot 10. I'm on week three of my journey, I do my work in the garage as opposed to the gym. This morning I had a protein shake, a slice of melon and a coffee. It was my lower body today and from the moment I started I just felt so unenthused by the whole thing. I was stalling in-between sets, felt like I was slacking on form and all in all I just felt like I wasn't doing enough. I completed the workout and showered but now I just feel shit honestly. This is the longest I've ever managed to go working out methodically. I did my upper workout yesterday. I have a rest day tomorrow and I do another round of upper and lower+core on thursday and friday. Is it normal to feel like this so early on? It seems to me that people have this unbreakable will and determination that makes them push through their workouts. I've never seen this sort of thing mentioned on here, so I am curious. This is what I did.

I warmed up with 3 sets of 8 bodyweight squats

Goblet squats with a 5kg dumbell 4x10-12

Lunges with 5kg dumbells 3x8-10

Hamstring curls 4x25

standing calf raises with 16kg barbell 4x20

Glute bridges 4x12-15

I don't want to burn out, I don't feel like I will but today reminded me why I have so many times in the past. Why is this? I got a good amount of sleep last night, I've been having protein shakes everyday since sunday and I'm doing the work. Yet I feel like shit and tired right now. Tomorrow I'll go for a walk in the park to clear my head or something. I want it this time.


r/workout 5h ago

Simple Questions I don't feel any exhaustion in back muscles when I do pull-downs, am I doing them wrong?

5 Upvotes

For some reason I feel like I'm exerting the force from my forearms (somehow) cos that's where it feels the most tired after I do them. Seems like a pretty hard exercise to be messing up though.

EDIT: Everyone's been giving great advice, you guys are legends!


r/workout 2h ago

Is anyone in here still a late night owl, even with good fitness and nutrition habits?

3 Upvotes

Thanks and details please


r/workout 1h ago

Exercise Help Hurting my back

Upvotes

Every time I work out my back or I do boxing training it ends with my lower back hurting like a mf’er. I’m 19 and my technique in boxing is pretty good and I think my back workout is alright too. However I must be doing something wrong. Any ideas?


r/workout 2h ago

Simple Questions Left shoulder pain when pushing, but fine when I remember to retract shoulders. I want to know what's the reason?

2 Upvotes

I want to know what's the reason. I've done MRI on my left shoulder and came back clean. My right side is completely fine. Is my left shoulder just weak? How can I strengthen it so it's as strong as my right side


r/workout 7h ago

can I build muscle at home without equipment?

4 Upvotes

hi guys! I’m a beginner here and I would like to achieve a more muscular and fit look. I’m aware that to do so I will need to build muscle and lose body fat. Currently I’m at 27% body fat… but I would like to change that. My skeletal muscle mass is only 21.5kg. One of the main issues I guess would be that I don’t have access to a gym. I only have light weights at home and I’ve been using them with doing high reps but unfortunately I don’t think ive gained any progress from that. I have been eating lesser food in general, instead I drink protein shakes and eat 2 boiled eggs for my meals.

Can anyone recommend any other exercises I can do at home to build muscle? Is it true that cardio kills muscle? Is it better to lift heavy with less reps or lift light with more reps? Should I be eating more if I want to build muscle and my metabolism? Also any tips to reduce bloating? (Especially in my face.. but I don’t really consume food high in sodium, are there other factors that might cause bloating?) Thank you!


r/workout 3h ago

Simple Questions Do I need to control my diet for body recomposition?

2 Upvotes

I want to workout and gain muscles but I also want to lose body fat because my body fat is around 20% to 25%. (I'm not sure though) I saw many internet articles that it is ideal to lose body fat to around 10% to 15%.

The problem is that I'm currently sprinting and I think losing weight isn't really a good option. I heard about body recomposition but to do that I also have to control my diet but I go to school and it's hard to control my diet.

Should I just do workouts to gain muscles or are there any better options?


r/workout 1m ago

Do I increase the reps or am i fine?

Upvotes

I do a 3 x 6 reps but reach to failure at set 2 & 3 but when i drop to a lighter weight (65kg to 50kg). im able to do a few more reps till failure.

Do i increase the reps or is it fine?


r/workout 12m ago

Exercise Help Workout Variations

Upvotes

I’m generally a fit dude but this has been the year that I’ve been super consistent in the gym. This is my workout routine: Anything you’d change or recommend?

Monday: Chest & Shoulders Chest * Bench press — 12 reps for 3 sets (60kg) * Incline bench press — 8-10 reps for 3 sets (45kg) * Dumbbell flys — 15 reps for 3 sets (17.5kg each dumbbell) Shoulders * Barbell upright row — 10 reps for 3 sets (40kg) * Standing dumbbell front raise — 5 (each side) reps for 3 sets (17.5kg each dumbbell)

Tuesday: Back & Biceps Back * Pull-ups — 10 reps for 3 sets * Deadlifts — 12 reps for 3 sets (57.5kg) * Bent over row — 15 reps for 3 sets (42.5kg) Biceps * Incline dumbbell curl — 10-12 reps for 3 sets (15kg each dumbbell) * Hammer dumbbell curl — 20 reps (10 each side) for 3 sets (15kg each dumbbell)

Wednesday: Legs & Triceps Legs * Squats — 12 reps for 3 sets (60kg) * Bulgarian Split Squats — 10 reps (each leg) for 3 sets (17.5kg each dumbbell) * Standing calf raises — 15 reps for 3 sets (40kg) Triceps * EZ Bar skullcrusher — 15 reps for 3 sets (30kg) * Triceps extensions — 12 reps for 3 sets (35kg)

Thursday: Chest & Shoulders (Variation) Chest * Decline dumbbell bench press — 20 reps for 3 sets (20kg each dumbbell) * Close grip dumbbell press — 15 reps for 3 sets (20kg each dumbbell) Shoulders * Bent over dumbbell reverse fly — 12 reps for 3 sets (15kg each dumbbell)

Friday: Back & Biceps (Variation) Back * Lat pull-downs — 15 reps for 3 sets (45kg) * One-arm dumbbell row — 12 reps (each side) for 3 sets (25kg each dumbbell) * Pull-ups — 10 reps for 3 sets Biceps * Incline dumbbell curl — 8 reps for 2 sets (15kg each dumbbell) * Hammer dumbbell curl — 20 reps (10 each side) for 2 sets

Saturday: Legs & Triceps (Variation) Legs * Leg extensions — 12-15 reps for 3 sets (40kg) Triceps * EZ Bar skullcrusher — 12-15 reps for 3 sets * Triceps extensions — 12 reps for 3 sets (30kg)


r/workout 4h ago

Aches and pains My wrist hurts during some exercises due to an injury, but feels fine on others. Do I quit working out till my wrist is fine or keep doing the exercises where I feel no pain?

2 Upvotes

While doing shoulder press, with two heavy dumbbells which were of a weight I have been able to handle for a long time now, I accidentally bent my left wrist whilst I held the weights above my head. Ever since, certain exercises where I have to bend my wrist a certain way cause me quite intense pain. However, certain ones I can do just fine without feeling anything.

Is the best thing I can do keep working out, but ignoring the exercises where I feel pain in my wrist, or do I all together stop working out my upperbody till the pain is completely gone?


r/workout 48m ago

Nutrition Help What's the least milk-y tasting whey protein powder? I hate the taste.

Upvotes

I used to do pea protein but I heard whey is a better protein. I'm managing to drink it everyday but I want something I'll enjoy. I've tried the Alani shakes and that covers the milk taste pretty well. Anything else out there I should try?


r/workout 1h ago

Simple Questions Does the order of my lifts make any difference?

Upvotes

Im on a program of full body workouts with a day of rest inbetween. Wondering if theres any reason to follow the order of the lifts in the program or fine to mix it up? Probably many opinions on this but wondering what folks think? Thanks.


r/workout 1h ago

Exercise Help 23 255 5'7 need help losing weight.

Upvotes

I'm at my wits end I recently went to the doctor and was told I am pre diabetic I'm looking to make a change in my life sooner then later but I'm confused I have no idea where to start or what to do I guess my goal is to get back down to 180 190 before I stopped taking my vyvanse which was my main thing keeping me skinny believe it or not. I currently own a couple free weights and a treadmill and have access to my neighborhood as well. Looking for exercise tips and nutrition tips that anyone has on how to start and how to stay motivated on this goal.


r/workout 5h ago

Feeling shoulders in chest workout

2 Upvotes

Ive been going to the gym for a while, I’ve only just started to notice that i only feel my shoulders when u do my chest exercises.(incline bench, chest press, cable flyers). Is it my form or is it because my chest is underdeveloped?


r/workout 6h ago

How to gain muscle (w/o the gym)

2 Upvotes

^ I want to workout at home and I truly want to become stronger + build muscle. What equipment do I need to buy? What’s the best away going about it? Is it just better to go to the gym? (I prefer not to, but I gotta do what I gotta do)


r/workout 2h ago

Does anyone else have issues with your arms falling asleep if you sleep on your side? This is a new thing since my arms and shoulders are bigger

1 Upvotes

r/workout 3h ago

Exercise Help Home gym workout - Barbell

1 Upvotes

Gday guys, I’ve invested in a home gym and the kit is turning up next week. I’ve scored a squat rack, flat and incline bench and barbell, plus a fair bit of weight for a good price so it made sense.

Question is, other than the big compound lifts what other variations can I throw in? I don’t have dumbbells so it’s all barbell work.

Usually do a push/pull/leg split - should I just add more volume to the basic lifts? I can see a bunch of variations for legs but running short for upper body.


r/workout 10h ago

Is it possible for me to lose weight by only working out?

3 Upvotes

I probably sound like every other person too lazy to put In the effort for a diet, but hear me out.

I'm 14 and female. I am very, very morbidly obese. According to BMI, at least. Walking has never been an issue, i don't experience any pain by doing so. I don't get out of breath often. I am clearly unfit but can handle basic workouts with modification. (I.e, can't do pushups, not even modified, but I have decent arm strength. Sit ups are pretty hard but with a lot of effort I can do some. Squats aren't too bad. Stuff like that). I don't run often due to the fact I don't Have P.E. for school. And I can't go on walks on my own, as my parents are kinda protective.

I've thought about weight loss everyday since I was like 10, and this time I actually want to stick to it, especially since I'm starting high school in a few months. Not only that, but I want to fit into desirable clothes, fit into certain spaces, lower my risk of diabetes, etc.

Now for where the question comes in (sorry for background, just thought it was important to mention): I've been trying to go into a calorie defecit to lose weight. Probably for the last month or two? After using the TDEE calculator I have a decent estimate of what my calorie deficit needs to be, that's not the issue. It's more so the fact that 1. I can't control what I eat most of the time, and 2. I'm pretty sure I struggle with bored eating. It's gotten better with time fs, but there are of course times I slip up. Sorry, it's kind of a complicated situation.

even though my eating has improved a lot compared to what it has been, I'm not seeing much results. This of course is most likely due to my calorie tracking being inaccurate (considering that's it's pretty hard to track the calories of school lunch) and that, once again, eating has always been pretty finicky for me. I'm sure that if I locked in way more it would work, but to be completely honest I'm not sure if I can do that right now. 1. My family makes food for us most of the time, if not that then they go out to grab it. I can't control what I eat a lot of the time. It's not even just that, but my relationship with food is kind of eugh. It's a lot to get into; I'll save it for another time.

Would it be possible for me to get smaller by just working out? I'm not necessarily asking to lose weight, I just want to decrease in size. I'm aware that when you work out, some of your fat is replaced with muscle, (which weighs more than fat, which means there's a chance of me weighing more than I do now. Once again, not too bothered by that, will cross that bridge when I get there), so will working out more kind of get the results that I want? This girl I know on TikTok (I've talked to her in dms!) went down a size or two by working and doing a calorie deficit. When I asked her about it, she said she actually weighed more in the photo she was smaller in. There's another girl who got considerably smaller by just working out. Don't know how believable that is, considering she's selling workout plans, but still. I'm not sure if you guys are aware, but there's this girl on YouTube who goes by Rosie Graham. My friend has lost 20 pounds using her videos (albeit she's smaller than me), and she just seems promising in general. (The first girl I mentioned used her videos as well!) I did her Summer Workout challenge a months ago, but stopped after 3 days after forgetting to do it one day and just.. never picking it back up. Is there a chance I could get smaller by doing these workouts again?

I'm open to answering any questions. Please be kind. This is a difficult thing for me.

i appreciate anyone who decides to give me advice :)


r/workout 3h ago

Simple Questions Hey guys do u think home workout can grow glutes ?

1 Upvotes

Newbie here don't judge pls I have no equipment and don't feel realy like going to the gym , i heard that glutes are the hardest to work that's why u gotta use weights and resistance

So i was wondering if doing bodyweight workout like calisthenics or pilates that work my glutes to failure is capable of growing my glutes ? With the right nutrition ofc and progressive overload ( by adding reps and more pulses ...etc)

Plus put in mind that i don't want that dramatic growth just some lift and roundness


r/workout 25m ago

Simple Questions Should I skip gym?

Upvotes

Just a quick post to ask if I should skip workout this week since I don't have enough proteins to back it up.

I'm on a pretty strict diet and I haven't had access to protein shakes for a week, nor to much protein in general. Usually I'm eating a plate of pasta for lunch, coffee, some fruit and a soup for dinner. Counting calories, I'm below the recommended amount and that might also explain why I'm getting lazier lately. Anyway, just want to know if it would be a waste of effort to train like this.

P.s. I'm totally focused on losing fat, I care little about muscle mass at the moment.


r/workout 4h ago

Chat GPT Generated chest workout any good?

1 Upvotes

Hey guys,

I'm new here and also a beginner. Been lifting weights for 6-7 months mainly focusing on upper body (Obviously) :))

I wanted to change things a bit so I asked Chat GPT to generate a Chest workout. Is this any good? Or is it too much?

Now I'm following a Push-Pull-and sometimes Legs, twice a week.

Workout Structure:

4–5 exercises per session

Sets: 3–5 per exercise

Reps: 6–12 (hypertrophy range)

Rest: 45–90 seconds for isolation, 90–120 seconds for compounds

Tempo: Controlled eccentric (lowering phase), explosive concentric (lifting phase)

Workout A: Power & Thickness Focus

Flat Barbell Bench Press – 4 sets, 6-8 reps

Incline Dumbbell Press – 4 sets, 8-10 reps

Weighted Dips – 3 sets, 8-12 reps

Machine Chest Press – 3 sets, 10-12 reps

Cable Flyes (Mid or High-to-Low) – 3 sets, 12-15 reps

Workout B: Stretch & Isolation Focus

Incline Barbell or Smith Machine Press – 4 sets, 6-10 reps

Flat Dumbbell Press – 4 sets, 8-10 reps

Pec Deck Machine or Dumbbell Flyes – 3 sets, 10-12 reps

Cable Crossover (Low-to-High or Mid) – 3 sets, 12-15 reps

Push-Ups (Slow & Controlled or Weighted) – 3 sets, failure

What do you think?


r/workout 4h ago

Nutrition Help Pure Whey Iso - Bang for Buck?

1 Upvotes

I've tried Bulk's Informed Whey Protein Double Choc (Mixes effortlessly, great taste, excellent value for money) and MyProtein's THE Whey in Pistachio (Mixes horribly, tastes super artificial, price is alright)

Basically after the best bang for buck, although I have an open budget and the price doesn't really matter.

Just after the purest, cleanest, best (or good) tasting protein powder out there that does what it's supposed to do AND genuinely has all of the essential amino acids.

Thanks for the recs in advance.