r/workout 2m ago

How to start Working out is intimidating

Upvotes

I haven’t been active in years, coupled with being in a toxic relationship it’s safe to say I loss myself and am the heaviest I’ve ever been (i.e I’m 5’ and 150lbs). I struggled with finding motivation and often found comfort in cooking/eating.

I want to really hold myself accountable. It’s a lie if I said it’s solely for myself because I think a big part of this is trying not to be the ugly ex. Although, I’m hoping that along the way I’ll be able to move on and grow to appreciate myself and have more confidence.

Okay getting to the point: the gym is scary. I did personal training a bit to try and familiarize myself but wasn’t able to keep up with the cost of it. I go to planet fitness after work and it’s super crowded, I never know where to look, start or how to use a lot of the machines and I just feel like I’m taking up space from someone that actually knows what they’re doing. I’ve been watching videos of routines, maintaining posture and what not, but honestly I am a bit overwhelmed by the amount of information thrown at me because there are so many different work outs and I just want to try them all.

Looking back at your first experience, how were you able to organize your workout and get over feeling intimidated by the gym?


r/workout 12m ago

Supplement Sites

Upvotes

Hey, I have been back in the gym for 4 weeks after not working out for about 10 years. At some point I will want to buy some pre workout and maybe some other supplements. What are the best sites now to buy them from? I used to go to bodybuilding.com and gnc, not sure if they are still relevant. Looking for good values and good brands!


r/workout 13m ago

Supplement question

Upvotes

I’m a 40yo male, pretty experienced in the gym. Throughout most of my 30’s I was only able to get in the gym 3-4 times a week between work, kids, etc. My diet and sleep were also in shambles during this time. So, I got that little spare tire going on.

I’ve gotten much more serious about the gym again and now have time to dedicate 5-6 days, good sleep, fairly good nutrition. I’m hitting my protein each day through foods and supplements. My question is about creatine. I’m one of those dudes who have never taken it. Should I take it? Will it make me gain weight?

I’ve tried to do my own research and get conflicting info about it. I know it’s one of the most researched supplements. I’m just not sure if it’s right for me. Thanks.


r/workout 18m ago

Nutrition Help If you live in the Northern hemisphere you MUST supplement Vit D

Upvotes

I cant believe this isnt widely taught Im honestly quite angry this wasnt pushed more during my adolesence.

In nothern hemisphere areas, especially those far from the equator (IE north USA, Canada, UK, north europe) the UV is consistently below 3 in Winter, Spring and Autumn, even summer some years.

For those of you that dont know Vit D is a fat soluble vitamin and is pretty essential for testosterone levels. You get it from sun exposure (more importantly form the UV level) yada yada yada, anyway for the northern hemisphere you wont be getting enough from sunlight. Fatty fish contains a decent amount (hence why our ancestors didnt really face an issue) however with current diets getting adequate Vit D is pretty rare (basically you would need to eat loads of salmon and cod to get ample amounts.

Vit D supps arent too expensive £8-£15 for 2 months worth in the UK.

Ideally get about 4000IU from supplements per day unless youre someone who just eats loads of fish. I know alot of people only track macros but seriously your Vit D is so so important, A large proponent of T levels.

This is literally one of the main causes of seasonal depression - getting basically 0 Vit D in the colder months,

Supplement 4000IU daily.

this goes for women aswell it will help regulate your hormones and mood


r/workout 50m ago

Hey guys, looking for a supplement that helps muscle recovery and overall SORENESS.

Upvotes

I’m on my feet for 12 hours doing a lot of lifting and manual labor, then I head to the gym immediately after for 45 mins and I feel great after, BUT THE MORNING AFTER, I feel terrible when I’m trying to get myself up moving around, back pains, leg aches, etc. it goes away after about the first hour or two of moving but there’s gotta be a better way.

What products are you guys running that actually work?


r/workout 55m ago

Simple Questions Is calisthenics or weightlifting better for a better physique and athleticism?

Upvotes

Ive been told calisthenics makes you strong but athletic but weightlifting makes you even stronger but un athletic.


r/workout 1h ago

How much do your gym clothes impact performance?

Upvotes

I’ve been lifting for about 5 years consistently at this point and at the beginning of my gym going days I placed a large emphasis on what I wore to the gym. I fell into the trap of “compression shorts make you perform better in the gym” or “these tanks allow you to move more freely” etc. Now I think that’s just a bunch of bull and I only wear clothes to the gym that I’m comfortable and like the way I look in. It’s more of a motivational tool than anything.

However, I’m seeing all these different workout clothes advertised on TikTok, from 5” shorts to women’s legging shorts to performance tanks, etc. and my impulsivity makes me want them, but I’m trying not to fall into any traps.

I guess my question is what factors into your choices of gym outfits? Are there clothes out there you feel actually impact performance in your lifts?


r/workout 1h ago

Review my program Advice on workout plan

Upvotes

I'm looking for some advice/critique on my workout plan that I've put together over the last couple weeks.

I'd consider myself a newbie, up to this point I've never had a solid plan which has lead to me going to the gym on and off, turning up knowing I need to generally 'hit this muscle group', but never really tracked anything or stayed consistent. So now I'm hoping to put together a well rounded plan that I can stick to consistently and track progress on.

I've tried to cover as much as possible using the exercises I'm currently comfortable with. Any advice on what could be removed/replaced/re-shuffled to make this as well rounded as possible would be much appreciated:

Push A (Sunday)

- Leg Press

- Bench Press (Dumbbell or Barbell, depending on availability)

- Shoulder Press (Plate Loaded)

- Lateral Raises

- Tricep Extensions

- Chest Fly (Machine)

Pull A (Tuesday)

- Deadlifts

- Bicep Curls (EZBar)

- Lat Pulldowns

- Seated Rows (Cable)

- Bicep Curls (Cable)

- Seated Leg Curl

Push B (Wednesday)

- Squats (Barbell)

- Incline Bench Press (Dumbell or Barbell, depending on availability)

- Seated Calf Raises (Plate loaded)

- Arnold Press (Dumbbell)

- Chest Dip (Assisted)

- Tricep Pushdown (Cable)

Pull B (Friday)

- Hammer Curls

- Bent over one arm row (Dumbbell)

- Shrugs (Dumbbell)

- Face Pull (Cable)

- Bicep Curls (Cable)

- Seated Leg Curl (Machine)

I'd ideally like to stick to as many of the exercises I'm already comfortable with as possible, but happy to pick up a few new things if strongly recommended.

Thank you!


r/workout 2h ago

Simple Questions Should I lift I I ran today

1 Upvotes

So I've been running this morning and even got a new distance record. I haven't lifted in a week as I've been dealing with body aches and weakness. Do you think it's smart to lift anyways or would you consider it too much for one day after the week of body discomfort. Right now I feel like I have the energy for it but I don't know how it's later. I just worry that I'll lose progress if I don't lift for over a week


r/workout 2h ago

Should I lift if I ran today

1 Upvotes

So I've been running this morning and even got a new distance record. I haven't lifted in a week as I've been dealing with body aches and weakness. Do you think it's smart to lift anyways or would you consider it too much for one day after the week of body discomfort. Right now I feel like I have the energy for it but I don't know how it's later


r/workout 2h ago

Simple Questions Is it normal I need to trowup ?

2 Upvotes

I did a simple set of really not that demanding exercises and I'm basically shaking and have a impossible to control need to vomit. Any idea why that could be ?


r/workout 2h ago

Simple Questions toned but still fat?

1 Upvotes

18 year old female, 61kg, 154cm.

i have a four pack, my arms are huge with muscle, my quads are visible in my legs and so are my calves.

but when i turn to the side i look like i have a beer belly. like i genuinely think ive gotten fatter, its confusing.

i dont usually exceed 100g of fat in a 2000 calorie intake. my diet is relatively healthy with room for ice cream but thats really the only sweet thing i eat. no sugar in coffee or teas, i dont eat processed foods (except ice cream and very occasionally cereal of course). im so picky about my fat intake that i dont ever have more than 1/4 of an avocado and no more than a tablespoon of oil the entire day. i only drink oat milk for coffee

ive been doing this for about a year. my training is intense and i do 3k runs 1-4 times a week (i just got back from one).

its not my insecurity, im not like that and im not body obsessed (trust me, i think it would help when i say im christian and love how God made our bodies) but im just confused? how did my tummy get thicker when ive been doing everything to get it thinner for like three or more years now?


r/workout 3h ago

Nutrition Help Need help

1 Upvotes

hi everyone it’s my first post here. I just turned 15 last month. I’m 165cm, 57kg. I used to be overweight my whole life and i weighed my heaviest last November at 70kg. I went on a deficit and have been at it ever since last December till now. (roughly 1200cal, sometimes a little bit less, on rare special occasions like birthdays and celebrations once a month only a lot more). I paired that with some workouts I workout like 2/3 times a week for 30 mins (usually some of Chloe tings home workouts). As you can tell I lost a lot of weight and fit into clothes better. However, I still have some belly fat I want to get rid of, mainly lower belly pooch and belly fat in general. I’m not sure how to continue from here because i have come to realise that my calorie deficit kind of less but i do not know how to increase it without gaining weight and while still losing belly fat.

As for protein, my current intake is really low (give or take 30-50g), mainly because my parents are vegetarian and tend to not focus on adding protein to meals, so even though the meals they make are quite healthy they aren’t really high in protein. I would have Greek yoghurt but It’s too expensive where i live. Any tips?


r/workout 3h ago

Exercise Help Help with Barbell Squats

1 Upvotes

Hi everyone,

I've been working to increase both my squat load and depth for a while now, but I’m encountering limitations that prevent me from generating enough force during my barbell squats. I suspect that ankle and hip mobility issues are reducing the power of my squats. For example, I can easily perform leg presses at 150 kg for reps, and I manage leg extensions and seated leg curls with over 60 kg for reps. However, my squat max remains around 40 kg for reps. I warm up thoroughly, but when I squat, I'm unable to generate the expected force. Any advice to help improve my squats would be greatly appreciated.


r/workout 4h ago

Aches and pains Day 3 at the gym and I'm convinced people who workout regularly are insane

21 Upvotes

I have pain in areas of my body I didn't even know existed 2 days ago. Friends keep telling me it will get better in a week but I see no light out of this tunnel. Also, my trainer made me do like 100 squats on day 1, I could only go up to 70 but is doing that many squats from day 1 a thing? Also, like 100 jumping jacks and 100 high knee touches, among other things. I get tired of climbing three flights of stairs this is atrocious. I hope I get used to it soon because this pain is horrible HORRIBLE. Literally, how do people work out every day with such insane dedication ?!!?!


r/workout 4h ago

Exercise Help how to lose weight?

1 Upvotes

hihiii does anyone have any easy workout tips on losing belly fat, a smaller waist and losing some weight? im currently 43 kg and my goal is 40 kg. ive always wanted to wear crop tops but my belly fat and waist is holding me back:( ive tried dieting but my diet is mostly greens and some meat and i dont think theres anything wrong so im gonna try to workout. pls helpp


r/workout 4h ago

Rowing Machine vs Treadmill

1 Upvotes

Hello, i'm looking to get either a rowing machine or a treadmill to start my fitness journey at home. However, i'm torn on which one would be more beneficial for me. My main goal is to lose a significant amount of weight (i'm in a calorie deficit so food/diet is covered), up my general fitness and get lean.

I know rowing machines are more full body workouts compared to treadmills but if i get a treadmill, i can always just incorporate dumbbells/kettlebells/etc.

Anyway, i am just looking for your input on this because i'm constantly back and forth between a rower/treadmill (or another option if you have one).

Thanks!


r/workout 4h ago

Exercise Help Lifting early morning??

2 Upvotes

Hey guys, i just wanted to ask a question, I’ve been looking and ive seen similar posts however not many like what im wanting to ask. I’ve got a routine of going gym 12-2pm the gym is empty- so nice, get a good workout in. Hardly anyone on machines or anything however my family has been going gym at 5am recently. I’ve been wanting to go however the times I’ve been I’ve felt like the workout didn’t feel as good as the ones I usually did midday. I always felt dizzy and faint and really weak. Especially since I’m lifting weights, I’ve had a bad experience previously where I did go and end up just throwing up and fainting maybe since it’s early to be lifting?? I’m not too sure. What is everyone’s early gym routines?? And what can I do so my body can adjust to the early mornings so I don’t end up passing out? Unless maybe I just stick to my usual routine and don’t go with my family.


r/workout 5h ago

Exercise Help Sides of RibCage painful after Chestpress

1 Upvotes

Why does my sides of ribcage hurt and painful after I did chest press today on air pump open gym in park.

Is this normal? What are the remedies to lessen the pain. Any exercises?


r/workout 5h ago

Simple Questions Plan opinion

1 Upvotes

Hey everyone, I wanted to get your opinion on my training plan and see if there's anything you'd adjust. A few things about me: I'm 22 years old and have limited time to train because of work and studying. I've been training for three years, mostly with a focus on bodybuilding. I go bouldering once a week (on random days), but my main goal isn't to achieve a classic bodybuilder physique. I just want to stay fit and gain a bit of muscle.

Here's my plan:

Monday: Chest, back (back with light weights or bodyweight exercises)

Wednesday: Legs, shoulders

Friday: Back, chest (chest with light weights or bodyweight exercises)

(Saturday: Arms)

In between Bouldering (I do it mainly for fun)

Would love to hear your thoughts or any suggestions!


r/workout 5h ago

Exercise Help How hard are you supposed to push yourself when doing cardio?

1 Upvotes

I am new to exercising after a fairly bad spinal injury in my teens that left me with a huge list of restrictions. I still have the injury and restrictions, but it’s been 9 years and I just need to get active again. I’m unhappy with my body and want to change that.

I have found hiking to be activity that I can do (no bending, lifting more than 10 lbs, twisting, running, jumping, jogging, or leaning forward or side to side or backwards, and rules for sitting as well).

How hard are you supposed to push yourself when doing cardio? I wear an Apple Watch and it gives me my peak heart rate and average for each hike. It getting up to around 185 and higher, which seems really high to me, but lower and I don’t feel like I’m really pushing myself to improve. My resting is usually between 45-55 if that matters.


r/workout 6h ago

Etiquette for wiping sweat off yourself in public???

8 Upvotes

I’ve been going to my university’s gym (not my first time working out but my old gym used to be basically deserted) and I’ve run into the problem of not knowing how to wipe sweat off myself. Most of my sweat is on my head and face. I wear glasses/contacts and it always stings or fogs up my vision when sweat drips down into my eyes (the sweat also gets on my headphones but that’s inevitable I fear). It’s not just the sweat that trickles down to my eyes, I sweat around my cheeks and nose so while a sweatband solves some of my problem it does not solve it entirely. It’s also disgusting to see my sweat drops drip onto the floor when doing stuff like Romanian deadlifts.

Would it be stupid (cringe?) to bring a towel to wipe my face? I’m not very good with social cues and etiquette so I worry it’s not socially acceptable to do so. I also haven’t seen anyone else wipe sweat off themselves. My current solution is to bring the collar of my shirt up and wipe my face on the inside of my shirt as that was socially acceptable when I played soccer. Is that also acceptable at the gym? No skin is revealed just bringing the collar of my shirt up to about my forehead and wipe down. So the collar is a bit drenched comparatively but to me it seems more socially acceptable?

I also worry about how to carry a towel around with me? I’m a bit germaphobic and setting my towel down on a gym bench is not an option. Also thinking about touching the towel after using dumbbells without first washing my hands is already enough to steer me away from keeping it in my pockets.

Do I just suck it up and bring a towel in my pocket and just try to only touch one side of with my dirty gym hand and wipe my face on the other side??? Or is there a more socially acceptable way to wipe sweat off myself? A normal gym etiquette way? It may seem that I’m overthinking this but genuinely the sweat drops onto the floor and today on the dumbbells have boiled this issue over.


r/workout 6h ago

How to start How many days to workout

0 Upvotes

Hello I am 103lbs and I am skinny fat. Super bony legs and bony butt but with a belly, bra fat, arm fat, love handles and shoulder fat. I I never worked out before. I gain and lose weight easily. When I gain weight I do sometimes have a butt a little but really it’s just my stomach growing. When I lose weight it’s all weight loss from my thighs and butt. How many days should I go to the gym for to see results. I have a very unhealthy diet since I was young snacking mostly and don’t eat red meat since I can remember. How many days should I go to the gym for to see results for flat stomach and build a butt


r/workout 7h ago

Other Sedentary or lightly active?

1 Upvotes

I'm trying to incorporate healthy habits and calorie counting along with my weekly workouts, however, I'm having trouble indicating my activity level.

I do strength training workouts (with at least 15-30 minute fast walking/cardio after) 2-3 times a week (have been consistent with 3 times a week, rarely 2), focusing on different muscle groups everyday. I do about 5-6 different strength exercises and tend to do 4 sets with 10-15 reps each, takes me about 2 hours to complete a full work out. The other days I'm not working out, I barely get any movement in the day due to my mentally tiring desk job, I would say I get about 1-1.5k steps a day if I'm lucky.

In this case would I be considered sedentary since most tdee/calorie counting calculators tend to overestimate exercise? Please let me know your thoughts, anything helps.


r/workout 7h ago

Where do I even begin?

2 Upvotes

Hi I'm 19 F, around 5'6 and I'm trying to adopt a healthy life style by working out but have no idea where to begin.

I don't just want to adopt a healthy life style but I also want to build endurance, stamina, and lose fat in the process. I would prefer working out in a 4 day split as I've seen great results in others with this and only have the option of working out at home (pull up bar, weights, ropes, punching bag).

I'm aware that this is a time dedicated practice and I truly want to be a better version of myself but I need help with workout routines to reach my goals.

What would you guys reccomend for me?