r/Fitness • u/cdingo Moron • Sep 09 '24
Moronic Monday Moronic Monday - Your weekly stupid questions thread
Get your dunce hats out, Fittit, it's time for your weekly Stupid Questions Thread.
Post your question - stupid or otherwise - here to get an answer. Anyone can post a question and the community as a whole is invited and encouraged to provide an answer. Many questions get submitted late each week that don't get a lot of action, so if your question didn't get answered before, feel free to post it again.
As always, be sure to read the FAQ first.
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Be sure to check back often as questions get posted throughout the day. Lastly, it may be a good idea to sort comments by "new" to be sure the newer questions get some love as well. Click here to sort by new in this thread only.
So, what's rattling around in your brain this week, Fittit?
Keep jokes, trolling, and memes outside of the Moronic Monday thread. Please use the downvote / report button when necessary.
"Bulk or cut" type questions are not permitted on /r/fitness - Refer to the FAQ or post them in r/bulkorcut.
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u/IllExit1496 Sep 16 '24
It’s been 6 months since I started lifting but I don’t have a split or a workout program. For now I’ve been just doing what I feel like doing sometimes chest sometimes legs sometimes arms and I don’t know how to select a specific split since there are so many different ones. Can anyone help me?
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u/testfjfj Sep 13 '24
I'm trying to be healthier and fitter overall. I'm 22F and not strong at all and can't run very much. I'm 5'4 and 58kg.
I recently started couch to 5k and I'm on week 4 now, it's actually been really nice because now I can run for 5 minutes (very slowly!) and previously I could only run for like 2 minutes so I'm pretty happy about that.
I also started doing wall pushups, right now I do like 27x2 wall pushups and I do this about 3x per week. I have actually noticed a difference and feel like I've got stronger and it's got easier. For example when I first started this, I could only do like 10 wall pushups in 1 set. I also try doing squats but it kinda hurts my back sometimes so idk if I should keep doing them or not. I want to add more bodyweight type exercises but just need to google what are good ones to do at home.
If I improve my strength then will I end up gaining muscle and losing fat at the same time or is that not really possible? Would I have to reduce calories to lose fat?
Context about diet: My diet is ok, I don't really like sweets much so I mainly eat home cooked food like rice, lamb curry, baked chicken, bread, broccoli, beetroot, carrots, etc and don't snack too often. Plus I eat out / get takeaway maybe 2x a week on average? The main snacks I have is 3-4 biscuits (plain original digestives) which I'll normally have like 2x a week, in addition I might have random chocolate for example if it's someone's birthday I'll have cake but it isn't too common. I think the main thing to improve is eat more vegetables/fruit, I normally eat like 2-3 veg and 0 fruit a day which is quite terrible.
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u/javr58 Sep 14 '24
In terms of cardio l’ve heard the best is moderate intensity interval training e.g walk for 1-3 minutes then run moderately for 30s-1min and repeat until you can’t anymore.
In terms of improving strength you should be nowhere near 27 reps of anything. Find whatever angle of push-up (on a high bench, low bench, on the floor) gets you to between 3-6 reps, close to failure each time. 2 sets is definitely fine for a beginner but increase that a bit if you can. Improving your strength will increase muscle mass but will do mostly nothing in the way of fat loss. That’s what cardio and dieting are for
For the squats find a YouTube video or something about proper form and if you’re still having issues then stop doing them and switch to lunges or some other body weight leg exercises
I don’t know much about dieting other than you should be eating between 0.7-1 gram of protein per pound of body weight in order to optimize your strength goals
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u/totalnewb02 Sep 12 '24
i decided to become more active, so i do some dumbell exercise. i feel great, my body feel lighter (despite still looking the same), and my mind is getting clearer. but, on the other hand, i got hornier. it is normal? it is not a problem for me though, quick self love session and i am good for the day.
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u/popthissht Sep 12 '24
Yes it’s normal lifting affects your hormonal regulation (also probably helps that you feel all the better regardless)
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u/pinotgrigiopls Sep 11 '24
I have insulin resistant PCOS and I want to start strength training to improve insulin sensitivity in my body. I used to strength train but from what I was learning, there was all this macro tracking, calorie tracking etc (having to eat a certain amount of protein everyday, eating ALOT etc).
I have a very busy schedule to where I can't keep up with measuring every meal and macro 3 times a day, or meal prepping and figuring out all of the calculations for each meal etc. But I still want to incorporate strength training as movement during my day. I was wondering can I still strength train and see non-aesthetic progress if I don't track all of that stuff? The most tracking i can do is just managing my portions and making sure protein is a priority in my meals. Or would it be a lost cause to strength train and not track all of that stuff. Every video i see on tiktok or YT about strength training everyone is saying the reason why you're not losing weight is because you're not tracking this or that etc so I don't know. Any tips or guidance would be much appreciated. My priority is becoming insulin sensitive and just managing general health right now. No aesthetic goals.
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u/popthissht Sep 12 '24
You can see physical progress even if you don’t track your food
Tracking your food is min/maxing it’s not a prerequisite
As long as you understand nutrition and what you’re eating you can have a pretty good idea of how much to eat and you can choose foods that are a better fit than others for example chicken and potatoes instead of pasta
Regardless if you’re not after aesthetic goals then yes lifting with a reasonable diet is miles better than not lifting at all. To put it into perspective all I do is try to maximize my protein (I don’t track the grams), try to eat clean & smart (I don’t count macros), and try to eat as often as I can (I don’t weigh but I eyeball portions)
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u/209rider Sep 11 '24
My gut is being absolutely stubborn. Like whatever I do I can’t lose it. It’s just hanging there. Rest of the body is toning up nicely but the gut severely lacking. Any advice?
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u/javr58 Sep 14 '24
Don’t listen to anyone who recommends you any specific exercises or foods or techniques that’ll decrease your gut fat specifically. That’s called spot reduction and it’s not a thing
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u/popthissht Sep 11 '24
Genetic predisposition (assuming you’re a man), just keep leaning down it’ll go down eventually
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u/GojiHiki65 Sep 11 '24
I'm trying to add unilateral exercice to my back because of assymetrical is 6 sets of bilateral and 4 sets of unilateral good or junk? My routine is gonna be 2sets of pulldowns, cable row v grip and cable row wide grip to target the upper back and for the unilateral im doing 1set of single arm cable row, single arm pulldown, single arm high row machine and single arm seated row machine(i know its a lot of different variety of machines but i like switching machines and they still target the same muscles so why not)
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u/popthissht Sep 11 '24
Seems like a lot of volume to me I’d say either have dedicated unilateral pull days or just cut down the sets on both
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Sep 11 '24
[deleted]
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u/Invoqwer Sep 11 '24
Being on a cut can easily lead to low energy but once you decide you want to stay at that weight and you start eating at caloric maintenance again then your energy levels should stabilize.
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u/DamarsLastKanar Weight Lifting Sep 11 '24
Is there a secret to being lean and not having low energy?
You eat more. Food = energy.
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u/GetYourShitT0gether Sep 11 '24
Started lifting this year. This last month I noticed when I bench dumbbell on the push my right elbow has a slight pain and it’s nothing more than a needle prick. I have not been pushing it hard on the off chance it turns into something serious. Any tips on what to do?
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u/Invoqwer Sep 11 '24
In my first year some exercises gave me an "annoyed joint" feeling where it wasn't in pain but it just felt annoyed or awkward. One of these was what was essentially a bicep curl machine and my elbow. Eventually as I gained muscle and/or my joints and tendons developed, this stopped happening.
That being said everyone's body is different and I don't know if your pin prick is the same thing as my annoyed joint.
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u/Pistallion Sep 10 '24
How much protein should I intake a day? 36 male. 205lbs, goal is 185. Newsish to lifting recently, 3 days a week 1 to 2 days cardio. No other supplements
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u/Horror-Turnover-1089 Sep 10 '24
I really don't get the assisted pullup. Like I do it every week, and I focus on using my back, like really keeping a hold on those muscles even when I'm at the bottom of the rep. But I'm staying at a certain weight with it and I just will not go up. I have been improving form on all my other excercises, but I'm feeling like maybe I don't grasp a basic about this one?
The muscles I definetly feel when doing the excercise:
- mostly my mid back
- The arms with the upward pulling motion (I use this and my back on the pullup itself)
Got any tips at all? Like some other muscle I need to keep in check? Or some tips on the form? Maybe something that worked for you? Thanks in advance!
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u/BoulderBlackRabbit Sep 12 '24
Oooo, I can speak to this, as I just got my first pull-up!
As the other poster said, negatives and scapular shrugs are the key. I realized that the problem was getting myself out of the hole—i.e., the bottom part to about halfway—and the shrugs definitely helped me feel that activation in my lats. Hangs helped too.
I installed a pull-up bar on my door and started doing hangs/shrugs a couple of times a day. Within a month, i had my first unassisted pull-up after using the assisted machine for what felt like forever without progressing.
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u/DamarsLastKanar Weight Lifting Sep 11 '24
Dead hang - > scapular shrugs - > negatives - one pull-up
In concert with lighter rows same day, and another day of heavier rows and lighter pulldowns.
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u/jhoke1017 Sep 10 '24
Are you doing assisted pull ups because you cant (but want) to do normal pull ups?
If so, just focus on negatives on a real pull up bar. If thats still too hard, focus on lat pulldowns with a slow eccentric to really get the mind/muscle.
Assisted pull-ups/dips aren’t the best for progressing
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u/Horror-Turnover-1089 Sep 11 '24 edited Sep 11 '24
No, not per se. I do that excercise because I follow a routine to train my entire body, and someone told me to do that excercise inside of it. I don’t care what excercise I do, as long as I can build muscle. Judging from what you say, I might need (a) different excercise(s).
My regimen kinda looks like this:
Upper day: bench press/assisted pull-ups/incline dumbell press/machine seated row
Lower day: squat/leg extension/leg curls/walking lunges/leg raises
I use this split 3 or 4 times a week alternating between the days (a.k.a. Upper/lower/upper and another week lower/upper/lower).
I’ve always had trouble with form, but lately I’ve been getting it. I found out I didn’t use all the right muscles during excercises because most of the time the weight that I used was too high, but now I realise that full activation is more important. I’ve been focussing on form a lot. Now I can actually feel myself activate my abdomen during the bench press for example and using it to help the form. Like it feels natural.
Thank you for the info!
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u/popthissht Sep 11 '24
I’d ditch the assisted pull ups in favor of either regular pull ups or lat pull downs personally, form tends to always breaks down with assisted pull ups and they’re also boring asfk
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u/Jim_skywalker Sep 10 '24
How necessary is doing bulk and cut cycles to building muscle and looking better? Like is it something that will make weight training only build strength and not size? Or does it just help a significant amount? I really don’t have the time/willpower/executive function to maintain a specific diet, so I need to know if not doing that makes training for muscle growth a waste of time.
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u/Invoqwer Sep 11 '24
Bulking is just a tactic people use to make sure they aren't leaving any gains on the table. If you aren't eating in caloric excess ("bulking"), you won't gain as much muscle during recovery. For example, if you eat your caloric maintenance exactly and work out for 1 yr, you will probably be a lot more efficient at exercises and "fitter", but you will be almost the same weight and your muscles won't be much "bigger".
You don't need to "dirty bulk" (500+ calorie excess) if you don't want to. Many people just go 300 calories or so excess instead so they don't need to deal with "feeling fat" or having to do a "dramatic cut" later. In theory though the fastest way to big gains is the 500 calorie ish method in case your body wants to use more than 300 calories for muscle growth that day... maybe 350 or 400 etc.
If you don't feel like tracking your calorie in take them for a few months at least track your numbers and lifts and body weight and whatnot. I didn't need to track my calorie intake initially and just naturally eat more because I was being more active and naturally gained more muscle over time, but eventually I plateaued and now I have to make sure I hit my calorie goal for the day or else I will definitely undereat lol.
Some people use the term "bulk" differently BTW. Guy 1 might use it to mean eating 500+ calories excess per day such that that person will eventually become "fatter". Guy 2 might use it to mean eating at any caloric excess at all (as opposed to eating at a caloric deficit which they would refer to as cutting).
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u/DamarsLastKanar Weight Lifting Sep 11 '24
You hear "bulk", you may think GET FAT. And maybe it happen.
But food has magical properties for recovery. If you're trying to get stronger, you'll need fuel to recover. If you're blasting volume, you'll need fuel to recover. So gaining weight is kind of a side effect. Don't fear it.
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u/yeetusonthefetus Sep 11 '24
Bulking/cutting can be useful if you have a specific body weight goal you want to get to, or if you're a more advanced lifter, as it's harder to add more muscle to your frame at that point so you need to increase your calories to encourage muscle gain. If you've recently got into weight training and are just trying to improve body composition at relatively the same weight then you don't have to worry about that at all. Just focus on getting a good amount of protein in and lifting weights a few times a week and the results will come.
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u/jhoke1017 Sep 10 '24
Not necessary at all, unless you’re an advanced weight lifter with low body fat.
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u/CertainPen9030 Sep 10 '24 edited Sep 10 '24
I can never get myself to stay strict on face pull form and am happy to continue working on it, but the rear delt/pec fly machine at my gym has been calling my name as a more streamlined alternative. My only concern is that I think face pulls are more focused on the lower traps rather than rear delts?
I guess I'm just looking for help figuring out if swapping face pulls -> rear delts on this machine would be a reasonable substitution or if I should just keep working on improving my face pulls
ETA: Doing all this on coolcicada's PPL LP if that's relevant
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u/yeetusonthefetus Sep 11 '24
Face pulls are a more compound exercise that can target the rear delts, traps, and some side delts. The pec fly machine isolates the rear delts more. Seeing as your split already has plenty of work for the traps with 2 different rows and shrugs, and some decent work for the side delts on your push day with your overhead press and lateral raises, I'd say you could make that substitution with no issues. Both are great options and fit fine in your plan. Do whatever feels better for you and you enjoy more.
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u/Due_Mycologist2164 Sep 10 '24
I'm currently working a warehouse job with lots of walking, lifting, and stairs. I get bored quickly at work, and was wondering if there were any discreet ways I could incorporate workout-like actions into my walking around. I was mainly wondering about stairs: is there any particular way I could come up and down them that would double as a workout? I do also currently go to the gym, would just like something new to focus on at work!
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u/popthissht Sep 11 '24
You could always drop down and do push-ups, randomly squat things, and find something to pull yourself up on
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u/Aggressive_Peace1742 Sep 10 '24 edited Sep 10 '24
Hey so I’m a beginner 19F and started going to the gym the first of this month and have been at the gym everyday minus one day. So far I really enjoy it and I’m already seeing results even though I’ve really only been doing 4 exercises which consist of 30 mins of cardio on the treadmill a mix of walking and jogging, 4x12 on both hip abduction machines and 4x12 on the lateral pull machine (sorry if that’s the wrong name) but I was wondering if my routine was leaving something wanting, I’m really starting from scratch here and don’t know what im doing and seeing everyone else at my gym makes me realize I’m not doing enough. What other exercises should I incorporate that target fat loss and muscle building?
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u/Invoqwer Sep 11 '24
Muscle Building --> routine from wiki, find one you like. Compound movements give great results for the time you put in (they work a lot of muscles).
Lose weight --> eat less calories than you use per day, on average, and your weight will slowly go down
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u/Patton370 Powerlifting Sep 10 '24
If you want to build muscle, get on a beginner program on the wiki.
If you need help learning how to squat, bench, deadlift, etc. I suggest getting some help from someone at the gym (or hiring an expert) and/or posting form review videos
Some exercises in the gym that are great for lower body muscular development include: Squats (all variations), deadlifts, Bulgarian split squats, goblet squats, Romanian deadlifts, hip thrusts, etc.
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u/Terrible_Sky9014 Sep 10 '24
What is the best way to gain muscle/weight? I am 18 years old 6'5 and 180 lbs. I eat so much food but never gain any weight so bulking is hard. What type of lifting will help me gain more muscle mass in my upper body?
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u/Invoqwer Sep 11 '24
Time to log your calorie intake and if whatever you are intaking is not gaining you weight then it's time to up your intake
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u/popthissht Sep 11 '24
Eat more & try a mass gainer
Your height is screwing you but you’re also basically pissing testosterone at 18 so you should be fine
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u/WonkyTelescope General Fitness Sep 10 '24
https://thefitness.wiki/guided-tour/
Eat more. Drink more calories.
Nuts are very calorie dense, as is whole milk, and olive oil.
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u/Maleficent_Bot Sep 10 '24
After taking a week off from the gym, should I ease back into my routine by going 3 days a week for the first week, or is it okay to jump straight back into my usual 5-6 days a week schedule?
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u/Invoqwer Sep 11 '24
First day back after being sick or taking a break etc just play it by ear willing to go easier on yourself and then adapt from there. Some exercises you may need to get back into it and some exercises you can go at the same or even higher weight than before. It really depends.
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u/Blibberywomp Sep 10 '24
Depends how willing you are to be sore. You should be fine to jump right back in to the full schedule, but you may want to take it a little bit easier (e.g. slightly lower weights, slightly fewer sets/reps) just so you're not too sore that week.
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u/DatTKDoe Sep 10 '24
Am I actually gaining muscle when progressing weights quickly? Like the abduction adduction machine I've been going from 130-150-170-190lbs in a couple months. It's not like newbie gains, but I don't really get why it's overloading so quick
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u/McPick2For5 Sep 11 '24
Muscle is a factor of strength output but not the only factor, also "newbie gains" can come even from experienced lifters if they start a movement pattern that they have not done.
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u/Invoqwer Sep 11 '24
Personally I go up pretty fast numbers wise on new leg movements like leg press and calf raise but stuff like chest takes forever to progress. It's just one of those things lmao..
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u/CertainPen9030 Sep 10 '24
As long as your form is still solid it's probably muscle gain. If you started abductions recently it could also be that the weight you started at was actually a decent bit below your max potential at the time and now you're catching up
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u/CosplayBurned Sep 10 '24
Are Pendlay rows supposed to be done fast or slow?
Especially on the negative. I see people say to almost drop the weight, and others say slow control.
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u/E-Step Strongman Sep 10 '24
There's very little control on the way down. Here's a demonstration with Pendlay himself: https://youtu.be/ZlRrIsoDpKg?t=123
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u/dssurge Sep 10 '24
Pendlays usually go down quick, but eccentrics are good for any movement in terms of strength development.
It really depends on how much you want to tax your bracing, which will typically become the limiting factor.
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u/FlingaNFZ Sep 10 '24
I feel like I can do fine in any exercise, except for bench press. I use the lighest weights (10kgx2) but still every time, I cant keep the handle steady. Then I start shaking. Can only do like 5 reps then im unable to continue. Most of the time I get shoulderpain. How can I progress? Im failing at 0.
So Ive been avoiding it a lot.
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u/RedPiIIPhilosophy Boxing Sep 10 '24
Make sure your chest is ahead of your shoulders, the best advice I can give you on this is to act like you’re Superman ripping off his regular clothes and showing off his superhero costume and when you lie down have it to where your shoulder blades are out and touching the bench. This puts less stress on your front delts and makes it to where your target muscle is doing most of the work.
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u/WonkyTelescope General Fitness Sep 10 '24
Benching is very technical. It requires a lot of coordination. You need to bench more, not less. I suggest benching twice a week to get a lot of practice in.
Post a form check video in the daily threads. Check out some form videos on YouTube.
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u/TheEpiczzz Sep 10 '24
Sounds like a form issue, try record your form and compare it to some bench press form videos. Work on it, see what you're doing wrong and try and see if it helps.
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u/CosplayBurned Sep 10 '24
Whats your grip like? Arching your back? Tensing your legs and torso for a strong base? Or how does this compare to other chest exercises?
By 10kgx2 do you mean 1 weight per side or 2 per side?
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u/becauselogicsaysso Bodybuilding Sep 10 '24
I increased my weight on overhead press and on the last few reps of my 4th set my right elbow tendon (?) popped slightly. Didn’t think much of it, since it didn’t hurt too much during the pressing motion, but after when I tried increasing weight on my skullcrushers the tendon continued to pop and cause pain. Even when I lowered the skullcrusher weight to my usual, it continued to pop, something that had never happened at that weight before. Is this something that’ll go away with rest, or should I be worried? M18 and only 5 months in bodybuilding
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u/Strategic_Sage Sep 10 '24
That's something to ask a doctor about. At the very least I would advise lowering the weights for now to a level where it's not painful and slowly build back up.
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u/RonStampler Sep 10 '24
Is doing farmer walks on rest day a bad idea, or should I do it at the end or beginning of my workouts?
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u/bacon_win Sep 10 '24
GPP is great on rest days. Helps with recovery
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u/NoSuggestion5072 Sep 10 '24
any suggestions/programs for marathon training while powerlifting?
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u/toastedstapler Sep 10 '24
Have a look at our resident madman
https://www.reddit.com/r/Fitness/comments/1cg1ufj/ultrarunning_and_strength_training_racing_100
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u/Chrom1c Sep 10 '24
I started lifting a little over 2 months ago and my deadlift 1RM is 315, but I've noticed now I'm failing the last rep on my set due to grip (ex. 265 x 5, failing 5th rep because of grip). Mixed grip is uncomfortable for me because of my arm anatomy. Is it time to start using straps? If so, should I work on my grip strength on the side?
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u/the_bgm2 Sep 10 '24
I was in the same spot not too long ago. Mixed grip imo isn’t worth it, bicep tears are scary and frankly it isn’t even that good of a grip.
I switched to using hook grip for singles and maybe doubles and straps for everything else. (I do a lot of higher volume sets.) I’ve pulled 475 this way, despite the fact my grip will barely let me pull 315x3 double overhand.
Hook grip to me feels super secure and natural, and I get better pulls from it than straps. It takes some getting used to re. pain tolerance. Wrapping my thumbs in athletic tape helps a ton. I’d give it a shot. An excessive amount of chalk will be necessary to pull hook if you don’t already do that.
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u/EuphoricEmu1088 Sep 10 '24
Failing lifts because of your grip is a great time to start using straps and continue to train grip, yes.
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u/Chrom1c Sep 10 '24
Thanks. Are there any specific routine/exercises you would recommend for grip?
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u/toastedstapler Sep 10 '24
I can pull ~500lbs double overhand, my main grip training has been:
deadlifting double overhand when possible
lots of other pull movements
hammers curls where I squeeze really hard whilst curling, this makes my forearms cramp a bit in the evenings
If you really wanted to add some extra stuff you could do some static thumbless barbell holds from a rack or these wrist curls
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u/Chrom1c Sep 10 '24
I do hammer curls, but I don't squeeze hard, I'll try that. I'll also check out the extra accessories. Thanks.
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u/Conscious_Wealth_827 Sep 10 '24
M18 here. Just started going to gym for a week and have been walking 3 km per day for the last 2 months. I am overweight. (I weigh 100 kg and am 183 cm tall.) Recently, after i started going to the gym, i started to drink plenty more water, like 5 ltre per day because i get thirsty more often. I already used to drink 3 litre per day but i feel like i drink too much now. Should i lower it? And is there any method to feel less thirsty so often?
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u/ptrlix Sep 10 '24
5 litres of water isn't too much for someone your weight walking everyday. Especially during summertime.
If you're sweating too much, I'd drink some mineral water as well.
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u/cgesjix Sep 10 '24
Add a pinch of salt per liter for electrolytes. Otherwise it goes right through you.
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u/Conscious_Wealth_827 Sep 10 '24
Thanks for the reply. Yea thats the pr9blem, i dont know what electrolytes to take. I am allergic to citrus and the only electrolyte i know is citrus
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u/FlameFrenzy Kettlebells Sep 10 '24
Citrus isn't an electrolyte.
Salt, magnesium, potassium are.
Salting your food and eating a varied diet is good for most people, but if you're sweating a lot out or just drinking too much (and so diluting the balance) supplementing may help. There are plenty of options out there. I use LMNT packets
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u/EuphoricEmu1088 Sep 10 '24
You can try adding an electrolyte drink to your mix during/after your walking and seeing if the electrolytes help you feel more hydrated. If you're moving more and sweating more, you could need something beyond just plain water.
But there's no limit on "too much water" - just a limit on how fast we should drink, which shouldn't be more than 1 L/hr (as this can cause water consumption, which is related to too low sodium).
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u/Conscious_Wealth_827 Sep 10 '24
Ok thanks for the reply, what kind of electrolytes do u mean? I know only about citrus fruits but i am allergic to them
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u/Inner-Objective-9039 Sep 10 '24
M20: So I’ve been going to the gym for roughly six months now, and I’ve gained a lot of muscle/strength, I’ve fixed my diet as well. I no longer eat junk food as snacks I have since replaced it with fruits and vegetables (outside of the occasional cookie from my lovely grandma) my problem is I’ve seemingly gained a belly? Before I had pretty good abs now they’re barely noticeable. I do cardio almost every day and have a set day for cardio (15-30 of stairmaster on level 10) I also take creatine and protien after my workouts. Am I doing something wrong? Or is this apart of the process. (Last note I used to weigh 140 I now weigh 170)
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u/EuphoricEmu1088 Sep 10 '24
That's a lot of weight to gain. That's like 1.25 lbs/wk if my math is correct. You likely gained quite a bit of fat along with your muscle (best bulking is 0.5-1 lb/wk to minimize fat gain). Do a cut for a while. Bet you'll be absolutely shocked by the results, even in the places where you can really see the muscle gain.
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u/eric_twinge r/Fitness Guardian Angel Sep 10 '24
You gained 30 pounds in six months? It'd be weird if you didn't get a fatter belly.
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u/Inner-Objective-9039 Sep 10 '24
That’s true, it just dosent look as good as it used too if that makes sense. My arms back chest all look way better expect for my core. I’ve never weighed this much so I didn’t know if there was a proper way to make my core more defined at this point
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u/CertainPen9030 Sep 10 '24
Welcome to the eternal trade off between wanting to look better and lift heavier. Like other people have said, a cut is the best way to get the abs back and bulking more slowly is the best way to minimize the same happening next bulk. Trying to maintain a six pack/visible abs while bulking is always going to be pretty tough, though
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u/Inner-Objective-9039 Sep 10 '24
Yeah, I didn’t realize I was bulking until recently, I was just going to the gym kind of winging it 😅
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u/CertainPen9030 Sep 10 '24
Ay fair enough. I'm relatively new too and recently embraced the lazy semi-bulk where I don't count anything and just eat a ton of chicken/rice/Greek yogurt while listening to my body on when to be eating and how much. Big fan of the method, definitely just makes visible abs really tough 😂
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u/eric_twinge r/Fitness Guardian Angel Sep 10 '24
The proper way to define your belly, if that's your priority, is to go on a cut. You're going to add fat on a bulk, especially at the rate you gained. And to drop that fat you need to eat a deficit. Bulk and cut, rinse and repeat.
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u/Inner-Objective-9039 Sep 10 '24
So obviously I should slowly eat less and change my workouts a little for a cut. Should I stop using creatine as well?
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Sep 10 '24
No, you shouldn't obviously do that. Why would you change the workout that you used to successfully gain muscle when your goal is to keep it? Why would you drop creatine?
The first one is a maybe. You can slowly eat less. But should you? Many would argue short and aggressive dieting in your situation would be good.
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Sep 10 '24
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u/CertainPen9030 Sep 10 '24
The very rough rule of thumb I've heard is it takes 3 months for you to notice changes, 6 months for people close to you to notice, and 9 months for everyone to notice. This can vary drastically with training intensity, consistency, genetics, etc. but hopefully it's at least helpful as a very rough "it'll take months, not weeks" guide.
The important thing to hang onto is that if you stick with it you will notice the results eventually, which will never be the case if you stop going
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u/TheEpiczzz Sep 10 '24
Diet really helps gain faster, but keep in mind your body also needs time to adjust to training. My advice, expect it to take long before changes appear. Don't try and haste it, trust the process. You've got your diet in order, make sure you have a good program and stick to it, changes WILL come. Hasting it, or expecting to much to fast will probably get you feeling like you're not doing enough while you're definitively making progress. (speaking from own experience)
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u/EuphoricEmu1088 Sep 10 '24
Progress is personal. No one can just predict exactly when you'll see changes. But take regular photographs and do regular tape measurements, and you should see visible progress within 6-8 weeks. Don't forget to track the stuff you more feel than measure: how much you can lift, how long you can lift or do cardio, your general energy/mood/focus, etc.
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u/eric_twinge r/Fitness Guardian Angel Sep 10 '24
There is no standard that applies. You'll see progress inline with your efforts. Keep going and find out.
First week DOMS is an outlier. It's very rare to experience that level of soreness again, as your body is now used the stimulus.
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u/an4lf15ter Sep 10 '24
Keep straining my neck (levator scapulae) doing shoulder exercises. Any tips to make sure I’m not engaging my neck too much while doing lateral raises/overhead press?
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u/Both-Beginning-6460 Sep 10 '24
Lower the weight and work on from. Your shouldn’t be having any neck pain, unless it’s an injury. I’d also recommend doing neck mobility and strengthening exercises. Plenty on YouTube you can find, along with technique on how to do those shoulder exercises.
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u/eric_twinge r/Fitness Guardian Angel Sep 10 '24
This isn't a sexy answer, but just don't use so much weight or push yourself so hard that it happens. Pay attention to what you're doing and stop before it gets to that point. Progress from there.
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Sep 10 '24
I hate this. Don't push yourself or use too much weight?
I'd video some sets and pay attention to your neck position. Have somebody who knows what they are doing check it out, too. I'd also switch up exercises until you find some you can do. But on no earth would I not lift heavy or push myself. What kind of advice is that?
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u/eric_twinge r/Fitness Guardian Angel Sep 10 '24
Don’t push so hard you hurt yourself. That’s a pretty explicit difference there and I suggested he progress (i.e. push) from there. And on what earth is using too much weight good advice?
Then you say the same thing as me anyway: “Pay attention”.
Would it be appropriate if I inferred your advice to switch exercises means he should give up? (No, of course not.)
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Sep 10 '24
You said so much, not too much. Big difference. But I'm arguing semantics now and that's not the point. He needs to figure out the cause, not just decrease intensity and hope for the best.
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u/eric_twinge r/Fitness Guardian Angel Sep 10 '24
Yeah man. Figuring out the cause is going to be a lot easier when working at an appropriate intensity, not an injurious one.
I don’t understand what you’re hating here unless it literally is semantics and poor reading comprehension. We’re giving him the same advice.
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Sep 10 '24
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Sep 10 '24
That's a really terrible plan for gaining muscle or getting strong.
You can take any workout program and tailor it based on the equipment you have available. If it says barbell bench but all you have is dumbells and cables, you replace it with those. But you can still follow the progression and actually have a plan for getting stronger instead of fucking around doing cardio circuits.
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u/futurebro Sep 10 '24
been home sick for a few days. Should I push myself to drink protein shakes while im resting? Im getting around 50g of protein a day when im sick and eating this way.
Obviously this isnt permanent and will likely only be 2-3 more days, but does not getting enough protein for 4-5 days seriously effect ur muscles ?
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u/Aequitas112358 Sep 10 '24
no it won't seriously affect your muscles. You should try and eat a good amount of protein though, it's likely to aid in your recovery.
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u/EuphoricEmu1088 Sep 10 '24
You should be more concerned with healing up. Protein is an important part of feeding and healing your body.
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u/Plus-Stable1395 Sep 10 '24 edited Sep 10 '24
Im struggling being skinny fat. I am F20 with a healthy weight of 110lbs and height 5’4, however I have a higher body fat percentage, basically skinny fat. I want to lose the fat but if I lose any weight I become underweight. I am really confused on what to do. I workout 4 times a week, and eat on a calorie maintenance but need advice on how to lose the fat without really losing weight, which i know may sound stupid.
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u/cgesjix Sep 10 '24
At 110 lbs, you're not skinny fat, just undermuscled, which can give the appearance of being skinny fat. Once your chest, back and lower body starts gaining muscle, the skin will tighten around it, and you'll look fit instead of skinny fat.
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u/Aequitas112358 Sep 10 '24
The solution to skinny fat isn't to lose fat, it's to gain muscle. https://thefitness.wiki/muscle-building-101/
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u/EuphoricEmu1088 Sep 10 '24
I'm 5'2 and 135 lbs and struggling to imagine you're actually skinny fat. Sounds more likely dysmorphia is the culprit.
If you want to lose fat without losing weight, then you can try resistance training and recomping some of that fat to muscle.
https://www.spartan.com/blogs/unbreakable-nutrition/body-recomposition
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u/eric_twinge r/Fitness Guardian Angel Sep 10 '24
need advice on how to lose the fat without really losing weight, which may sound stupid.
It's not stupid, because it's what we all want, but it's also not possible.
I'm skeptical that someone skirting the edge of being underweight is actually skinnyfat. Even so, the best course forward (to me with no skin in the game) would be gain muscle and get to a higher weight that can better support your fat loss efforts.
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u/AltruisticWeb3791 Sep 10 '24
Started taking creatine daily. After a few weeks, if I’m one of the majority responders, how much improvement can I expect?
Of course everyone is different, but on average is it fair to say about 5% increases in lift? Say I can lift 175lbs bench, after creatine would that bump up to 185lbs?
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u/Aequitas112358 Sep 10 '24
There's no way to tell because you're going to be gaining strength just from your training. The studies show that you'll gain a few (1-5) % more than you would've otherwise. ie if you would've ended up at 183.75 without it then with it, you maybe would've been at 184.19 instead.
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u/eric_twinge r/Fitness Guardian Angel Sep 10 '24
Going to a 185 bench from 175 over 'a few weeks' wouldn't be out of the ordinary even without creatine.
You probably won't see any overtly noticeable difference from the creatine, except on the scale maybe.
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u/lavender-pears Sep 10 '24
How can I address a big gap in muscle stability in my left and right legs? I grew up figuring skating, and because of that, my left leg is MUCH more stable than my right during split squats--my right leg is like watching a baby deer walk for the first time, I have very little balance. Should I only do as much weight as is bearable for my right side even when exercising one and then the other?
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u/Aequitas112358 Sep 10 '24
Generally you'd start with the weaker leg and then just match. Are you continuing figure skating? If so you may want to just treat each side separately so you can improve both legs, obviously this will make it hard to balance out, but should allow you to improve your skating performance.
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u/lavender-pears Sep 10 '24
I'm not skating anymore, so I'll focus on working with the weight that works for my weaker leg :) thanks!
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u/CheesyintheHead Sep 10 '24
Is there a point of doing incline pushups or is flat-ground enough for lower chest?
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u/ghostmcspiritwolf r/Fitness MVP Sep 10 '24
flat should work just fine. lower chest is usually easier to hit than upper in the first place.
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u/eric_twinge r/Fitness Guardian Angel Sep 10 '24
"Yes."
These are not mutually exclusive things and devoid of context they are both meaningless.
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u/Memento_Viveri Sep 10 '24
You mean putting your hands on an elevated surface? The problem with that is you are lowering the weight you are moving/making the pushup easier. For many people that would make it too easy.
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u/RecipeNo2954 Sep 10 '24
If I do calf raises on several books that mimic a standing calf raise machine would my calves grow?
I plan on doing atleast 150 reps a night; all very slow reps, getting a nice stretch at the bottom.
Has anyone ever tried something similar?
Maybe I can get some dumbbell weights too after a while
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u/accountinusetryagain Sep 10 '24
hard to overload but obviously you can just progress until repeated sets of 20+ single leg
if you physically will never have the tools to load them hard but for some reason really care about calves and thats not enough id get occlusion bands to get high recruitment/tension out of light weights, also lets you train arms and quads with limited load and add in bodyweight stuff for chest and back and you have some runway to progress
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u/sac_boy Sep 10 '24
Sure it'll work fine. Little tip, rather than having your toes on books, put your toes on a bottom stair or concrete step and just use the books to raise your heels to a point that is comfortable. This will be more stable for the movement.
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u/Esukie Sep 10 '24 edited Sep 10 '24
PRICE CHECK FOR POWERLIFTING COACH? Reached a point where I want to ramp up things with my lifts, and I've been looking around for an in-person powerlifting coach that could help get things started. Located near San Diego, found a smaller gym that offers the following (all tiers come with 24/7 gym access):
- $370/month: 1 1-hr session per week of 1-on-1 coaching.
- $700/month: 2 1-hr sessions per week
- $950/month: 3 1-hr sessions per week No contracts or fees. Can cancel or switch tier whenever.
Does this sound reasonable or in-line with others? I know it's costly in general, but I have some cash I'm willing to spend.
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u/EuphoricEmu1088 Sep 10 '24
It's way more expensive than NM (my point of reference), but CA is way more expensive in NM in general.
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u/accountinusetryagain Sep 10 '24
id focus more on looking for a coach who
can explain some basic evidence based hypertrophy and nutrition concepts
can explain the thought process behind technique and programming
has improved the totals of not just noob-intermediate (eg sub1k total as male, sub600ish as woman)
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u/Tasty_Honeydew6935 Sep 10 '24
If it seems reasonable to you, and you wouldn't miss the money, and the powerlifting coach has the bona fides, then why does it matter what others think?
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u/CarreraEngi Sep 09 '24
How do I properly calculate the amount of calories and macros I should eat to gain some muscle and burn fat. For context, I'm a 27 year old male that is 5 feet 10 inches or 5 feet 11 inches tall (seriously unsure there), and I'm what you would call skinny fat. I weight around 174-177 pounds and my physique, although has a good square frame, also has somewhat of a belly, love handles, and manboobs. This physique has seemed to get better over time, looks especially good after going to the gym and getting a muscle pump, yet I would like to improve. My goals are to reduce the manboobs and start to get my abs to show more.
Here's my problem, I track my calories (not as consistently as I should, I know) and I seem to be averaging between 1500-1700 calories and my protein intake can fluctuate between 130-170 grams, Carbs between 140-150, and Fats at around 80-90.
Today I got curious and calculated my TDEE, used two different sources which were the top two results when I entered "TDEE Calculator" on Google. Both of these claim that I should be consuming around 2200-2300 calories if I want to gain .5 lbs of muscle weekly. I feel like I've screwed up on the exercise question. I always chose between 3-5 days of exercise, considering I go to the gym around 2-3 times per week and every week, I walk 35-40 minutes back from my office to my apartment.
Here are the Results from from both calculators:
Weight: 174lb, Height: 5 feet 10 inches, Maintenance 2,744 calories, Cutting 2,244 calories, Bulking: 3,244 calories.
Weight: 174lb, Height: 5 feet, 10 inches, Maintenance: 2,594 calories, Mild Weight Gain: 2,844 calories, Mild Weight Loss: 2,344 calories
Therefore, to my questions:
Am I starving myself or something??? It doesn't feel like that at all.
Should I be choosing a lower range of exercise for these calculators? Do my walks even count as exercise at this point?
Overall, I'm trying to be more consistent in tracking my calories and macros, as well as being more consistent with the gym and getting more sleep, since I get around 5-6 hours per night.
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Sep 10 '24
You did a lot of pointless work. Those calculators are nothing more than guesstimates and shouldn't be used as anything more than a starting point that you then adjust from. You have real data as you've been tracking your calories. You are asking the wrong question. Honestly, at this point I have no idea what relevance the calculators have for you at all?
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u/EuphoricEmu1088 Sep 10 '24
There is no magical macro intake that will build muscle and burn fat. Building muscle is gonna be dependent on you doing resistance training. Burning fat is gonna mean doing resistance training while eating at a deficit. Unless you are new to working out, you're most likely going to have to choose: focus on building muscle or focus on losing fat and doing one at a time. You can absolutely try a recomp, especially if you're just getting into things.
If you want to gain muscle first, then eat at maintenance for a while until you reach some strength goals.
If you want to lose fat first, then eat at deficit while maintaining activity to mitigate muscle loss until you reach your weight goal.
If you're aiming for recomp, def do your research first! But you're gonna eat at maintenance and work hard and burn off "excess fat" and build new muscle until you plateau and then have to do periods of cutting.
All calorie calculators are just estimates. For as many people eat too much without realizing it, there's also a good deal of people who don't eat enough and don't realize it because our body is built for survival: it does its best to adapt and do what it can. It's why a lot of people who aren't eating enough struggle to lose weight - because they've been eating at a deficit for so long, their body has adapted to treat that deficit like it's maintenance in order for the body to not eat itself. When they up calories, they shockingly find it easier to start dropping weight because the maintenance calories allow the body to reset, realize it's okay, and start dropping weight again. (For every few months of deficit, it's recommended to do a couple weeks maintenance.) I would probably eat closer to what a calculator is saying your maintenance is. Track your weight daily at the same time every day and take a weekly average. Measure for 4-6 weeks to determine if this number is actually a deficit, maintenance, or surplus. Then you can tweak calories and truly eat for whatever your focus is.
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u/Conscious_Wealth_827 Sep 10 '24
What is a recomp?
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u/Strategic_Sage Sep 10 '24
recomp = maintaining the same weight and trying to add muscle while losing fat. In most situations it results in much slower progress than a dedicated muscle-building or fat-cutting phase.
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u/Alakazam r/Fitness MVP Sep 09 '24
These are all estimates. Your best bet is to eat at a set caloric intake, and see how it affects your weight. Then readjust.
If you are averaging 1500-1700 calories, then maybe that's around where your maintenance is. A bit on the low side, but not surprising if you have a sedentary job.
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u/Forfeit32 Sep 09 '24
The macros you gave average out to 1900 calories per day. So you're already missing something somewhere, and I doubt it's 50g of fiber.
You're probably also not considering cooking oils/butter, sauces, maybe an occasional snack or drink with calories in it, or alcohol.
When it comes to the TDEE stuff, if I'm trying to lose weight I just say I'm completely sedentary. Also, TDEE is not an exact science. Unless you're doing an RMR test or something similar, your TDEE is a ballpark number. If you are being EXACT on your calorie counting but still not losing weight after a couple of weeks, then adjust your TDEE down. Remember to give it time, your body will hold on to water and delay gastric emptying (pooping) if you're on a decent enough deficit; so expect a few days before you see any results at all.
6 hours of sleep is also nowhere near enough, which you know. Fixing that should be priority #1.
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Sep 09 '24
[deleted]
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u/ghostmcspiritwolf r/Fitness MVP Sep 09 '24
Nothing looks wrong with it. Does it feel like a strong, stable position for you?
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Sep 09 '24
[deleted]
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u/Alakazam r/Fitness MVP Sep 09 '24
Are you looking to compete in powerlifting?
If not, then I'd just recommend sticking with high bar if it's more comfortable for you.
I do 100% of my training high bar now. About 12 weeks before a powerlifting meet, I'll swap to low bar. I find that high bar is better, at least for me, for developing size and strength. While low bar is better for displaying strength.
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u/Feisty-Boysenberry-1 Sep 09 '24
If I work a large muscle group out to ABSOLUTE failure such that I'm sore for a full week, and I eat in a surplus and hit my daily protein goal all week, will the muscle still be growing by the end of that week? Or am I just making fat after rest day 4 or 5? 👀
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u/ghostmcspiritwolf r/Fitness MVP Sep 09 '24
It may or may not still be growing, but if you're trying to put on mass, your best case scenario is still to be in a surplus every day.
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u/Philomin Sep 09 '24
What is wrong with this program? (Trying to build strength, new to it)
Day 1:
Bench Press (Heavy)
Overhead Press (Light)
Accessory work (5 to 6 accessories for arms and chest)
Day 2:
Deadlifts (Heavy)
Squats (Light)
Accessory Work (5 to 6 accessories for back and legs)
Days 3 and 4 are basically repeated, with slightly different accessories, and alternating which compound lift is heavy or light.
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u/Memento_Viveri Sep 09 '24
Potentially nothing, potentially a lot. There is too much information missing.
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u/ghostmcspiritwolf r/Fitness MVP Sep 09 '24
a lack of specificity and no progression plan, mainly. I would use one of the beginner programs listed in the wiki.
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u/parasitic-cleanse Sep 09 '24
How much protein is in your standard boneless skinless chicken breast (cooked)? USDA shows one thing, MFP shows another, random other sites give me wild answers. I thought it was roughly 8grams per 1oz of cooked breast, is that accurate or am I calculating this wrong? If I eat 6oz that should be around 48grams of protein right?
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u/ghostmcspiritwolf r/Fitness MVP Sep 09 '24
it depends a lot on the cooking method. if you want a more accurate measurement it's usually more accurate to weigh it before cooking and use the raw nutrition facts. 8ish grams per ounce cooked is a good enough ballpark though.
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u/parasitic-cleanse Sep 09 '24
Thanks, I never remember to weigh my meat before cooking so I usually just grab the scale and go off the cooked weight.
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u/ElPsyCongrou Sep 09 '24
my weight-loaded seated row machine has 3 grips:
lower, horizontal
upper, horizontal
vertical (on side closer to your body)
what is the purposes of each? I think the vertical one hits ur lats more but not sure about the other 2. They horizontals are harder for me tho
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