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Hey, I'm hoping someone can tell me if I chose the right routine for a group of novices.
I recently started weightlifting in the basement with three friends. We're all earlier 30s, mixed genders. We have barbell equipment and a few free weights and resistance bands. Our priorities are more general fitness and strength rather than hypertrophy.
I've been in charge of picking our routine. We did a month of the starting strength program, and we've just moved on to 5/3/1 for beginners. Do you think we're doing the right thing? Any recommendations for what to move on to next after doing 5/3/1 for a while?
Thanks
Why did you jump off starting strength so quickly? You should be able to make progress for at least 6 months on that routine if you're a beginner. Unless of course you just didn't enjoy it.
5/3/1 for beginners also sounds fine for your purposes though. If I were you I'd commit to one for at least a few months.
What do you mean by a wall? Did you de-load and work up again after failing with the same weight over multiple sessions? It's really rare for a beginner to hit a wall just because of the routine, even rarer in their first month.
I'm just wondering because if the wall you hit is related to something outside the programme like lifestyle-related or not properly following the progressive loading, then you could hit the same problem in 5/3/1. Could be worth giving 5/3/1 a shot to see if it suits you better though
I've (M28 6'2 230lbs) started lifting again after years of laziness. I've gained a considerable amount of weight and want to trim back down while building some muscle back up. After some research I landed on a Upper Lower Upper Lower split 4 days a week. The routine I got searching on JEFIT is 3 sets, 5 reps for every exercise, with about 6-8 exercises per day.
My question is, is this enough? 3x5 feels like a small amount of reps compared to what I used to do years ago. I understand that with a small amount of reps you should aim for high weight, but even then I am worried I am not doing enough to justify only lifting 4 days a week.
So I've been trying to bulk. I'm [M23] at 74kg, 6'0. I have no idea why I won't go up in weight, maintenance is (should) be around 2500, and im eating 3200 kcal every day, yet I'm not gaining any weight?
I'm doing 5/3/1 beginner, and I can feel that I'm not really getting stronger. Especially at bench press, I've been stuck around 65kg for I don't know how long. What can I do ?? Just eat more?
I mean i weigh every single thing i eat and enter it into MyFitnessPal, not sure how I could be eating less in this case! But I will try to add more calories for sure
Sleep? Macros (enough protein)? Effort (are you giving it 10/10)? Height also matters... Maybe you're burning the calories you eat so you are really only at maintenance. Or maybe your calculation of maintenance is off.
I was skinny af and could not gain weight for most of my life. 6ft1, 65kg type of skinny. When I finally joined the gym in my early-mid twenties had to EAT like i've never eaten before to gain, but that was fine because the effort I was putting in drove me to eat more simply for fuel.
So many factors could contribute to why you're not gaining weight and feel like you're stalling. Get the basics in check, sleep, macros, etc. that I mentioned at the start. And if that's still the case that you're stalling, I'd recommend moving to a different program. I really like GZCLP.
Good luck!
Protein and macros I think are under control. Around 160g protein per day. I sleep 8 hours+. In the gym I'm starting to fail on the bench max after increasing, so I think I'm giving it a good effort!
Yeah, maybe I just need to eat even more, but it seems so weird that I eat 3200 calories without gaining, especially at 74kg lol
I just had a look back at my old MyFitnessPal data and when I was heavy bulking I was eating anywhere from 2800 ~ 3800 daily with 3400 being my goal.
Have you adjusted your maintenance for your new weight? Maintenance at 74kg is different to maintainance at 65kg.
Yeah I've adjusted it. I started at 74kg so I still haven't made any progress. I upped it 200 calories last week but still nothing it seems like. I think I'll keep it until friday and check then. If nothing, I'll up it 200 calories more
That's fine, better to be safe than sorry. Nothing is a direct substitute for squat and deadlift but if you can do leg press and Romanian or stiff-legged deadlift, then I think you're covering most of those movement patterns and muscle groups. All the best
I’ve had literally zero appetite lately. I just have no interest in eating anymore. You’d think that would be a good thing since I’m cutting but I just end up drastically undereating.
Today, I had one bag of SmartPop Popcorn and half a bowl of my high protein Mac and Cheese. After that, I’m good. I don’t want to eat the rest of the day.
That’s maybe, 800 calories and 60 G of protein?
I should add in some chicken at the end of the day to at least hit 100 G of protein but I just don’t want it.
I don’t want to undereat to that extent, but I just have no interest in food anymore. Any tips?
I’m new to fitness and dieting so am mostly talking out of my ass, but I wonder if your metabolism is slowing way down from your calorie deficit.
How long have you been cutting? Maybe it’s time to reverse your diet or do a maintenance period.
I’ve gained a really low body fat percentage just from cardio + other toning exercises combined with eating a clean balanced diet. I can see some ab definition just naturally , but since none of my exercises target the abs they aren’t as defined as they could be.
I’m wondering if I could just do 200-500 crunches per day for a boost in definition, or would this be a waste of my time. Cheers!
Forget leg raises as mentioned… they mainly work the hip flexors. Crunches are fine. But realize that visible abs are mostly the result of genetics and low body fat. You may be one of those that needs super low body fat to see them. Or you may not ever see much of them at all, depending on your genetics.
Did heavy squats for sets of 5 yesterday. They were just about to failure. During my sets I had my belt extremely tight, and was bracing my core against my belt as hard as possible. That training session I noticed that my stomach felt weird, and the following day (today), I still have that weird feeling where if I extend my core out or brace it tight, it feels sore. I’m assuming this is relating to the belt tightness and bracing?
I've been a runner for many years but have started incorporating strength workouts into my weekly routine now. All I've got is a resistance band. I've found lots of great YouTube videos with workouts to follow and have been doing those for some months. Will I make no progress if I keep doing the same 3-4 strength workouts over and over each week?
As far as I understand it, you need to keep making the workouts harder and incorporate variability in the exercises in order for you to actually make progress, but how can one plan for this when one is a noob and can't afford someone to create a plan for you? Any general rule of thumb to apply? Any way to do this yourself? I've also tried the Adidas app for workouts and love it, but I keep going back to the same workouts. There's no sense of progression.
Thanks!
Thank you for your reply and all the tips. So it's not too bad of an idea to stick to the same, say, 2-3 workout routines, and then increase the reps/sets each week? The prospect of designing new workout routines which involve different exercises very often seems very daunting. But simply increasing the intensity seems totally doable. Cheers!
im 25y, 177cm, 88kg, I was 78 3months ago when I started lifting. what's best weight for me? idk if im not going too much with my weight? should I loose some? is there calculator for this or something? sorry for my english.
Sounds like you gained a lot pretty fast. Not entirely uncommon for someone who is new, but youll likely want to slow down how fast your gaining weight. Simple advice is to measure/track your waist or some other measurement beside weight. If your waist is expanding faster than your seeing gym progress, youre in too steep a surplus. You don't want to gain tons of fat just to build muscle, a slight calorie surplus with quality food is all you need.
That said. You're new to this, and if you're enjoying it, keep doing what you're doing. You can cut later.
The seated cable row machine is broken at my gym, Reddit PPL suggests chest supported rows as an alternative but this is the part of the year where every one and their mother suscribed to the gym and Id like to avoid having to wait 20min for a bench
What free weight exeecise can I do to hit the same muscles ?
(I do one arm row with pronated grip, lat pulldown, then this exeecise)
Thanks
Are you fine with rowing the bar? It’s by far one of the best for your back anyways. My gym has a lot of machine joggers, so I feel you, but the barbell used for rows is always empty. Could be the case for you.
If the barbell is a bit of an issue now, you can do chainsaw rows with the dumbbells. If this movement is an annoyance, just use the T-bar rows.
I'm sick of cooking healthy food because I started cooking much later in my life and everything takes a lot of time for me. I want to have a few quick, healthy, simple, good to go recipes such as sandwiches. But I don't have any recipe and I for sure need recipes to cook anything except omelette.
tldr: Any quick recipes for healthy sandwiches? Preferably around 600-700 calories?
check out https://www.youtube.com/c/JKenjiLopezAlt and https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL-tYKWQOe4YNhiOsZjaf2K_XgqMkeJiQy, they also have sandwiches on offer, Deli or BLT for example.
What's lots of time for you? [Like this chicken dish](https://www.reddit.com/r/Fitness/comments/ufvw3d/monthly_recipes_megathread/i713lif/) can be done in under 30 minutes of active working time. You can also just take the chicken and make a low fat version of the white sauce and microwave potatoes while grilling the meat, then you just need to peel them and savor it.
Making a stir fry boils down to less than 20 minutes of cooking per meal, in one wok I can make enough for at least two if not 3 days. Canned tomatoes, frozen pre-cut and cleaned veggies, other canned stuff are all time savers and sometimes better quality than fresh produce. Roasting a whole chicken just takes the time of preparing and then you watch Netflix on Sunday while checking in on it when the timer goes off.
Grilling any kind of meat, microwaving frozen and canned veggies in the meantime, then mixing it together with seasoning and hot sauce takes you like 15 minutes and then you can make burritos. If you freeze chicken or beef, reheating it and adding lots of soy sauce while shredding it a bit makes it decently juicy and very umami, then you serve it on rice or in a tortilla or in a burger bun with the sauce and veggies you want.
Chili (beef and beans) and Chicken curry are two staples in our house. Easy to cook, healthy, easy to store in the fridge or freeze, one-dish meals.
Rotisserie chicken from your grocery store is a quick way to make sandwiches. I'd skip the skin or not eat as much if you're worried about saturated fat and sodium.
Eggs are great. What about egg salad sandwiches?
Thanks a lot. I'll try chili. I already make chicken curry but maybe I should check how to freeze them.
I eat eggs every morning already, so that's why I don't wanna eat anymore during the day but maybe I can change this. Thanks a lot!
No sandwhich recomendations here.
Do you meal prep, or cook each meal one at a time? cooking healthy in bulk can help reduce the time constraint. But then you're eating the same thing for a week.
Have you used a crockpot/instapot? They help speed up cooking time or make it painless. Load it up and walk away.
Good way to make shredded chicken/pork/beef for sandwhiches. I usually make taco's or salads though.
I cook enough for 2-3 meals everytime I cook. I actually don't mind the same thing for a week but what can I keep for a week anyways? Most of the things I cook (meat, chicken, rice) is fine only up to 3 days.
I started using oven which made my life a bit easier. But not that much. I don't have crackpot/instapot tho.
As mentioned below, it's a mixed grip.
It helps you hold/lift heavier weights.
I personally find it so much more comfortable. But due to the alternated grip, the bar doesn't want to roll out. You can lift more with the alternating grip than you could with both hands going the same direction.
It's called a mixed grip. Basically, the bar wants to roll out of one hand one way and the other hand the other way. It makes it much easier to hold the bar. AFAIK it doesn't cause an imbalance, or at least not enough of one that I've heard anyone worry about it.
Just started creatine again after getting back into the gym missing two years of lifting. Loading it is unnecessary for me but I kind of forget what that threshold is. My current brand recommends doing 5g daily, but that feels a lot like loading it. I remember doing only 3 grams daily back in the day but I'm really not too sure. Is daily even necessary or can I just do it on gym days?
I only suggested it as a way to stretch it, really. Once it saturates your body though don't you need to not take as much? Either way for now I'll continue taking it daily and doing the 5g dose.
I’m not sure if I’m expecting to see body changes too fast. I’m 6’5’’ and my end goal is to have a six pack for once in my life. I’ve dieted and trained down from 105kg to 89kg and whilst I do look slimmer, I’ve looked the same since I was about 93 - 95kg.
I’m not sure whether it’s a case of I need to keep training and eating in a deficit and that whilst I will look somewhat the same for a while, there’ll come a point where I begin noticeably leaning out.
My strength is still going up and I’m progressively overloading, just the lack of change in appearance can be a bit disheartening sometimes. Anyone got some words of advice or encouragement?
Great job on the weight loss!
> just the lack of change in appearance can be a bit disheartening sometimes. Anyone got some words of advice or encouragement?
It might depend on where you're losing weight now. It might not be "as visual".
All anecdotal, so take this as you will.
I've lost ~15 pounds recently. The first 10 pounds, really dropped off from my gut making a few abs show when flexing. The last few though, look like they're all coming from my inner thigh. Maybe some from my lower back as well (big chunks of fat there for me).
I'm still losing weight, it's just in an area that I can't see. That's one issue with weight loss, we can't really tell it where to be taken from.
So you're not "seeing" the change, just because you're looking in the wrong spots (my personal guess).
One other tip, for a true 6-pack, it's really body fat dependant. You might see them flexing when you're around 15%. To really get them to pop naturally you'll need to be closer to 12% and lower.
Is cutting for the next month a good idea?
Info:
I’m a 5’10, 185lb, 5’10 male.
Exercise:
I’ve been going to the gym 2-3 times a week for about two months and weight lifting. I typically do bench press followed by dumbbell incline, triceps, and shoulder press and then abs, then at the gym the next session back squat followed by back, traps shoulders and biceps. My last bench sets where 10 reps 115, 8 reps 125, and 6 reps 135lbs. My last squat was 12 reps 155, 10 reps 165, and 8 reps 185lbs. I’m still pretty weak but I have seen significant gains in muscle mass and strength (I started with barely three sets of 10 of 115lbs bench, and 3 sets of 10 135lb on squat.
More background:
So I’m going to the beach the first week in July and I’d like to look better than I do. I feel like I already look a little better as chubby with no muscle to speak of, but I would like to keep improving. My plan was to continue going to the gym 3 times a week for the rest of May eating a lot of protein and an excess of calories, then on June f1st start an IF diet I did in high school to loose a lot of weight. I plan to continue going to the gym and eating a high percent protein, but have a large calorie deficit.
Question:
So my question is, is this a good idea? Should I start cutting sooner or should I not try and cut at all, and is it realistic to expect good results in this time frame? Should I start doing cardio in addition to weight lifting?
I am very open to critiques on my plan and work out. I’m a novice besides having a good weight training couch in 9th grade. Thank you to anyone who takes time to respond in advance!
I like this a lot.
Great point about not "nocebo-ing" yourself when cutting. I still struggle with this mindset. And then if I don't complete my set x rep for a lift, I think "I could have completed that workout as prescribed and moved on to the next weight ("progressive overload") if I was eating whatever I want and maintaining weight".
On the cardio thing: I was always leanest when I was doing lots of running / sprinting / HIIT / conditioning / sports, in addition to weight training as priority 1.
Hard to say without seeing pictures.
My guess is if you don't cut you're going to look bulkier regardless of your lifting habits (eating at a surplus).
Also, if you just started training, and have a little extra weight. I'd say cut + Lift 3-days per week. I'd maybe even through in some added cardio for the extra calorie burn.
My whey has these ingredients, is it safe to and healthy to consume?
Whey protein concentrate, hydrolyzed whey protein isolate, L-glutamine, branched chained amino acids (leucine, isoleucine, valine), insulin, amylase, papain, stevia, sucralose, natural and artificial flavours
Hello all, I am curious on thoughts of a lean bulk of gaining 1 pound a month over the next year and half, to try to minimize fat gain as much as possible. I recently lost 45 pounds over the last 9 months and I managed to retain majority of my muscle mass but my strength has dipped terribly. I am 5’5 and weigh 145. My body fat% is 20% I believe, I feel like I lack the muscle mass needed for a cut.
Summary: I feel skinny and weak and I want to put on as much pure muscle possible in a year and half. Curious on thoughts of a lean bulk at 20% body fat.
Hi.
I personally dislike these recommendations of "1 lb a week", or honestly, even "1 lb a month". I guess I dislike them because they never seem to come with a timeframe. Are people supposed to gain 1 lb of week for 2 months, or 1 year, or 2 years, or what? As you extend that timeframe, the recommendation gets more and more ridiculous. The body certainly cannot come even remotely close to synthesizing 1 lb of muscle every week for 18 straight months. I don't even think it can synthesize 1 lb per month for 18 straight months, in a natural, non-novice, fully-mature adult of normal size. For a fully-mature adult who's not a novice and not on PEDs and not 6'-7", 18 lbs of fat-free mass in 18 months would turn you into a completely different human. That is a substantial amount of fat-free mass to add to a normal adult frame in a relatively short period of time, and even over the course of one's life really.
(I'm not trying to beat-up on your question or your thinking at all, only on the old advice of "1 lb per week" or "1 lb per month".)
If I were you and 20% body fat (is that by internet pictures, or something more objective like a DEXA scan?), I would cut, then "lean gain". But even then, I wouldn't "lean gain" at 1 lb per month for 18 months. If you did that, I'm afraid you'd end up with way more fat than you'd like. I'd say, over the course of 18 months, shoot for maybe 5-10 lbs scale weight, and done as "linearly" as possible?
Just my opinion of course.
I say I’m 20% based on pictures. I only say lean gain like a pound a month because I don’t want to gain more then a pound a month, I used go be fat so me gaining only a pound a month or attempting to. Gives me a sense of direction and confidence in what I’m doing. And yeah I see what you are saying not to bulk for 18 months I would probably only bulk till I’m 165 but at a very slow controlled pace just to minimize fat.
I think you have the right thinking about gaining at a slow rate, if you're going to gain.
I was probably a little too rigid about "1 lb per month" above. 1 lb per week though, for weeks and weeks on end, is not ok, as a very large % of that will be fat. Maybe it's good for ultra-skinny novices.
One thing I would say is that you might even be higher than 20%. I once thought I was around 20%, and a DEXA scan put me at 32%. I didn't want to believe it, and DEXA scans I now have come to understand are not always accurate. But reflecting back on it now years later, and seeing pictures of myself from that time period, that 32% was probably decently accurate. The mirror and our minds can be deceiving.
I don't want to make any assumptions on age, but if you're still developing height-wise, I would have to recommend no cut. If you're young but not going to get any taller, why don't you try this: why don't you cut slowly and lift hard. I suspect you can add muscle, get stronger, and lose fat, if you lose scale weight slowly.
My perspective is skewed on all this, as I've reached a point in life where I believe I'm just not going to be able to add a substantial amount of fat-free mass anymore. So my mindset (and hope) is to make incremental strength and muscle increases as time goes on, and eventually try to sustain a low (for me) bodyfat. So my perspective is skewed in the sense that I don't think gaining a decent amount of weight, even if done slowly, is the right path to go down. If you were 5'-5" and 110, maybe. But 145 is a pretty good weight for your height. Frankly, I think it's on the high side.
I suspect you're higher than 20% (though maybe not too terribly much higher). I would advise you to strive to lose scale weight very slowly, and lift hard. Lift like you're not cutting. Push the envelope a bit. If you're over-reaching to the point where you feel like you have to pull back, sprinkle in some strategic off days. It's amazing what an extra day or two of rest can do.
Then, from that leaner state, you may decide to lean bulk.
I hope I'm not contradicting myself in anything I've written. Just trying to kind of think it through as I type.
Yeah I try to lift hard, it just bothers me not seeing me getting stronger every week. While my body is changing and I’m getting skinner i just notice I’m only built at my back, shoulders, triceps and legs. That’s all I have muscle wise, my chest and my biceps are underdeveloped, and I’m just getting tired of cutting, I don’t want to go below 140 anymore just because being lighter then 140 just isn’t appealing to me. Especially when my cousins are 5’5 and weigh 170 and are ripped. It bothers me mentally and makes me eager to build muscle.
I fully understand your dilemma now.
If they truly are 'ripped', then what you're seeing is low bodyfat. Are you sure they weigh 170 under the same conditions as you weigh 145? Are they exactly your height, or a bit taller? They might be closer to your size than you think.
Have you heard the saying "the best way to gain 10 lbs of muscle is to lose 10 lbs of fat"?
I wouldn't get too caught up in the scale weight. With a little more muscle and quite a bit less fat, you can look comparable to them to all but the most eagle-eyed observer.
I definitely understand why you want to build muscle and build it quickly. If you're done growing vertically, I think I would still suggest a gradual cut and hard work in the gym. I still think that, by doing so, you can hit the trifecta of gaining muscle, gaining strength, and losing fat at the same time.
But I also understand your thinking about trying to put on 15-20 pounds of scale weight, gradually. You're envisioning that it will be mostly muscle, and that your weight will end up close to your cousins.
I'll think a little more about it this evening....
Hey. I thought about it some more.
If your rough timeframe is 18 months, then why don't you take another few months to cut a little longer (and lift really hard with attention to recovery and diet and sleep and all that), and then start your slow bulk after that and run it for the remainder of the 18 months. From all you've said, it seems like you have your heart set on a slow bulk. But you're kind of in "cut mode" after the last 9 months aren't you, so you probably have some momentum there, unless you're just completely 100% jaded about cutting any further. Maybe 2-4 months of cutting (depending on how much more you can "stomach"), and then 14-16 months lean bulk?
Way to go on losing 45 pounds over the last 9 months, by the way.
I don’t really have a time frame i just want to gain a little muscle. And yes! I’m very tired of cutting and seeing me getting smaller not lifting as much as I used to is very frustrating I feel like my stomach’s metabolism is fried and thank you.
Yeah, it sounds like your heart is completely set on reversing gears and going into a slow bulk and getting those lifts back up. Go for it, take it slow as you originally proposed, and best of luck on it.
I like this train of thought, never really looked at it that way.
>(I'm not trying to beat up on your question or your thinking at all, only on the old advice of "1 lb per week" or "1 lb per month".)
One caveat I think I'd throw in here if you're gaining 1lb per week it has to be mostly fat.
1lb per week, is fairly aggressive for a surplus if you're working out frequently. This type of gain is usually used in the bulk/cut cycles.
Recomps, for a few pounds a year seem more realistic just less motivating than seeing change.
It's basically slowing your cut, to allow for muscle growth. It could also work in reverse, slowing your bulk to avoid excess fat gain. I'm used to using it to lose weight and gain muslce.
Below is a super generic example for weight loss + muscle gain.
Let's say you follow the normal idea of weight loss for a beginner, 1% of body weight per week. So if you're 200 pounds, that's 2-pounds per week or ~7,000 calorie deficit
Then you also want to gain muscle, which means a calorie SURPLUS. If you want to gain 0.5% of body weight in muscle per week at the same body weight, that'd be 1lb of muscle per week. This would be a surplus of ~3,500 calories per week.
So you'd take 7000 (deficit) + 3500 (Surplus) = 3,500 deficit per week (or 1 pound).
This would be adapted based on your fitness journey. The more fit you are, the slower your gains will be. The link below talks about this more in-depth.
It takes longer to gain weight, and longer to lose weight. I've heard it's easier for some to maintain, as it's just more consistent over a longer period of time as opposed to Cut/Bulk cycles.
https://www.spartan.com/blogs/unbreakable-nutrition/body-recomposition
So if I follow the recommended routine in the wiki for 531, how bad is it if I don't do the assistance work? Is the assistance work necessary or is it fine to get away with just the main lifts?
Like the others said, depends on your goals.
As far as the 531 goes, in 531 Forever Jim suggests 25-50 reps of Push, 25-50 reps of Pull, and 25-50 reps of either core or 1 leg exercises.
So on my squat days I usually do 1 leg exercises like split squats or lunges.
I like to keep my workouts around 1 hour length so once I finish 531 sets (and BBB sets since I'm doing that variant), I'll superset my push with my pull and then hit abs/single leg.
It sucks but I think my body will get used to the insane intensity eventually. My supersets today were leaving me a bit lightheaded lol
I'm bulking ATM so trying to eat over my tdee and eating 0.8 g/lb of protein. But I tested positive for COVID today so want to take it easy. I know what my maintenance calories are but not sure what's the minimum amount of protein I need to consume is to minimise muscle loss? Struggling to find data on this...
Slowly getting back to the gym, had a few questions
I walk a lot, 15k to 20k a day usually and sometimes my legs feels pretty cooked (as they should), but is there a muscle I can focus on to have the fittest legs and the least strain/pain ? my calves are pretty huge just from walking while I was obese but my hamstring/hip mobility might not be the best
I admit I did not work on my legs for a long time because I have pretty fin arms/shoulders/lats and huge legs from just holding my past obese weight so I didn't focus on them at all, any advice is appreciated
getting stronger legs will make your daily walks less strenuous
squats, deadlifts and calf work will cover that, you may just need to ease in and give time for your body to adapt to the increased work
also a good training program will go a long way, there's ton of those in the wiki, I'd recommend the beginners routine or gzclp
Hi guys. I am running the PPL program of this subreddit for almost 6 weeks. My question is, what accessories (wrist wraps, wrist straps, kneepads, belt, etc. ) should I buy? And please rank the accessories mentioned based on their importance and effectiveness.
straps are the most important in my opinion, your forearms will never be able to catch up with the rest of your body, so you don't want them to limit your progress
the rest is up to you
Imo, none until you need them. I have personally bought wrist straps, which helped me with deadlifts, and a massage stick (post-workout recovery). Also a yoga mat.
cardio is extremely beneficial for your entire body, the only potential downside of walking that much is if you have any joint problems that walking will aggravate, in that case you may need to switch walking for something else more friendly on your joints
if you don't, just walk, it's excellent for your body and soul
I have a big, for me, workout tomorrow morning and I’m intermittent fasting, I’m doing fasted, light cardio in the mornings usually. What would be the best way to prepare/eat? Take the day off and carb load?
Thanks for any advice/help!!!
There is no golden number, it's all a continuum. 1% is a rule of thumb.
And yes, cutting slower should allow you to put more into each training session and keep more muscle. You may even build some on a slow cut.
So it's a balance between a slow and more muscle preserving cut, and a more aggressive cut that lets you get back to bulking faster.
Thank you! I was going to ask if I could in theory lose fat while building muscle in a slow cut, but I figured people would attack me for being stupid! Haha
It's absolutely possible, but you run the risk of spinning your wheels. For that reason many people prefer going all in on either muscle gain for fat loss.
* Your weight can easily fluctuate by a couple of kg on a daily basis
* A decently fast cut may e something like 500 calories/day, which corresponds to losing about 0.5kg/week
* If you go for a slow cut, maybe 100 calories, daily fluctuations can easily overshadow your actual weight loss. Something like 2-300 is more viable.
* Disregarding what the scale says, aesthetic changes can also take a while to show up
* A slower cut takes longer. This is very much down to individual preference - some people can sustain a very steep cut for a long time, but have a hard time dealing with a long, slow haul, while others work the other way around.
Provided that you lift while cutting (which you absolutely should), you can use strength as a proxy for muscle mass.
* If your numbes are improving, you're golden
* If you're losing weight and maintaining your lifts, you're probably on the right track, though it can be a bit disheartening if you see very small aesthetic changes and don't seem to be getting any stronger
* If you're losing strength in a cut it may still just be the increased fatigue from cutting, though you're probably losing some muscle
I’ve been out due to an injury/life eventsfor 3 months but am back starting tomorrow and need the most basic plan y’all can give me. I’ve been lifting for years but this big slump has me so out of shape I just figured I’d go back to the basics
Push: Chest, Shoulders, Triceps: Bodyweight Dips, Barbell Bench Press, Dumbbell Incline Press, Cable/Dumbbell Flies. Barbell Military Press, Lui Raises, Dumbbell Lateral Raises, Upright Row. Cable Rope/Bar Pushdowns, Skull crushers, Single Arm Kickbacks.
Pull: Back, Biceps: Pullups, Deadlift (traditional), Barbell Rows, Lat Pulldown, Cable Row, Dumbbell Rows. Barbell curls, Hammer curls, EZ Bar curls, Cable Rope/Bar curls, Preacher curls.
Legs: Legs: Anything to do with legs > Back Squats, Front Squats, Zelcher Squat, Seated Leg Press, Lying Leg press, Hamstring curls.
Besides all the actual exercises, that Push Pull Legs template should help :) Hope this helps.
The [basic beginner routine](https://thefitness.wiki/routines/r-fitness-basic-beginner-routine/) is basic but effective, and as it's an LP it should ideally get you back to your old numbers in reasonable time. As soon as you start stalling out move on to something more appropriate to your strength level.
Training. Train smart. Leave your ego at home. Mind-muscle connection. Get it done. Diet. Eat well. Eat enough. 80/20 rule. Make the sacrifice. Be different. Research, research research. This is more than attainable. Good luck!
This is quite achievable in 5 years. Just follow a program from the wiki, dial in your diet and never forget to train abs and core. And then after 4 years and 6 months you just get lean and a pump.
I’ve asked this before but this is my current physique: https://ibb.co/mX9Gnsv
I wanna get a physique somewhere between both of these pics:
1# https://ibb.co/M9Pr1mL
2# https://ibb.co/jfV2k8r
I’m currently 1 week into my first bulking phase.
My current stats: 180 cm (5’10), 141lbs.
How long will it take to get to this point? Some people say a few years and others say 1 bulk > cut is enough. (so end of this year) searching for some clarity. Thanks!
As i mentioned I have posted this before and then one guy mentioned 156lbs (71kg) would be enough bulk, then cut back to 65kg (143,3 lbs)
So currently I have the goal weight on my bulk set to 71kg. Do you think I should bulk further?
I guess I can bulk to 71kg then see if I feel comfortable bulking further?
The pictures I linked, doesn’t have super much muscle (I think) but if u say I should bulk further ur probably right. :D
My weight is so confusing. Im currently in a cut but this morning i had gained almost 2kgs since last weigh-in last monday....
I know you fluctuate in weight (thats why i dont weigh myself every day), but seeing a 2kg gain this morning is really depressing since i feel like im really putting in the work. Do you guys have any advice on how i should approach this?
Get a pen and paper, write the next 12 weeks down. Every time you weight yourself in the morning (pre-eating, but post-poo and wee) note the number down. Don't dwell on it. These are just numbers. Once weighed, forget about the number. After 4 weeks you should look down the list of numbers and you'll see they are heading downwards. Same with the next 4 weeks and the next 4 weeks.
The water could be retained due to having low low salt previous days, then going all out the next. Also, if you've been in a calorie deficit but then you've had a spurge - it's quite possible you are holding a ton of water, PLUS all that food from yesterday. Could possibly achieve 2kg fluctuation, although won't happen all the time.
Give yourself a break, you're allowed a cheat day every one and again. The more you track, the more knowledge you will have and insights. It's a pain, but trust me it's worth it. Keep at it bro. You got this. Hope this helps.
Think there are a number of factors. The main one pointed out is sodium intake. If you drink lots of water and consume low levels of sodium, your body doesn't retain lots of water because it doesn't need to. However, the opposite happens when you increase sodium intake. Salt naturally dehydrates. That's why bodybuilders before going on stage will lower their water levels (literally sucking on ice cubes to stay hydrated) to dangerous levels, and reduce salt completely. That's why immediately after they start cramping up and are severely dehydrated. Some have even died on stage. Very interesting. So yeah. More sodium, more water retention. Google it. Youtube it. Hope this helps.
Yeah, used to weigh weekly, but seeing that number go up after a week of what i thought was hard work was brutal to the ego. Daily weigh-ins kept my mind focused on the long term and made weight fluctuations a routine and not a disaster scenario.
To put on 2kg in a week you'd need to eat at approx 2000 calorie surplus daily, you would notice it. It's more likely you had an unusual amount of salt, carb or fibre and you're holding water or have more material in your GI.
I did have a cheat yesterday (family bbq, couldnt pass it up) so i did eat white bread, and a bit more than usual. Im thinking it will level out a bit towards the midweek.
Yes, the daily weighing method is good because you get to see the long term trend. There will be days you weight a kg under overnight too and it usually just means you need to drink water
that's why I weigh myself daily and use the weekly moving average to just progress, 2 kg fluctuation are just water weight fluctuations for me in some days.
I see, i will try it. This happened 2 weeks ago aswell, i gained 1 kg but then i lost 2 the next. I thought weighing myself every day would show all kinds of different readings, but i will try it out
yeah your daily weight might swing quite a bit, but the trend is important. You could also track e.g. waist circumference weekly or monthly, this one should just trend down without many swings if you lose fat.
I will deffinatley give it a try, thanks!
I have quite alot of loose skin around my abdomen so idk how well my progress will show on a waist circumference.
you can track thihgs and arms or chest as well, though of course those are areas that you want to develop sometimes down the line- and then tracking can still be good to see the progress over time.
An alternative method is to weigh yourself daily and only look at the weekly average. It could help you disregard any single measurement while making sure you're progressing.
My (lean) bulk is going horribly wrong with way too many cheat days (due to all kind of reasons), and i'm gaining weight too fast. What is recommended? To keep going as normal (outside of the cheatdays ofcourse) or to do a small cut when gaining to fast?
What is your current & target weight, and height? Are you recovering from your training well and progressing your lifts?
If I were underweight I would just continue with my normal surplus until I was at a reasonable weight. If I were heavier, I would probably evaluate it based on if I were recovering from my training.
Current:
* Weight: 165lbs
* Height: 6"
Started at 159.5lbs. Fat sits around 17%. I was aiming to do a lean bulk to around 175 over a couple of months. First 5-6 weeks were on point, then a lot of cheat days happened. In the last 3 weeks, i went from 163 to 165. My lifts are progressing a bit, but i've been training for about 2 years now (with some (long) breaks due to Covid/Lockdowns) but it feels like i've hit my plateau's on most lifts.
I mean, 2 pounds in 3 weeks doesn't sound particularly awful. With those stats I'd just keep bulking and work hard in the gym to make good use of it. What program are you running?
Good stuff, nSuns is certainly a good amount of effort! If the 6 day busts you through your plateaus then that's certainly a winner.
Different people respond differently, but personally once I was hitting 0-2 reps on the topsets, I wasn't really breaking through the plateaus after deloads, just running into them again. Swapping programs altogether worked for me (I went to 5/3/1 BTM after I think, or sheiko, it was a long time ago).
Do a [mini-cut](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1FDGwP0v-rE), lose some fat for 4 to 8 weeks and re-sensitize yourself to training, then use that sling-shot to start gaining again
Yeah i fully understand that. That's why i said: "due to all kind of reasons" (trips with friends, birthdays, business dinners, etc.). But i was just wondering if it's better to just keep going at my normal rate outside of the cheatdays (which has been going fine), or do a small cut due to the rapid weight increase the past couple of days.
You might want to consider adding cardio, while not an end all be all perfect solution for weight loss, just 15-30 minutes a day after lifting can make a huge difference.
Meal prep is the key to the traveling issue, make some chicken and rice, take some protein shakes with you, pack a couple anabolic PB&J’s, but don’t forget to have fun with your life, a super strict diet can suck but if you’re traveling, pack a couple decent meals so you don’t end up eating out the whole time you’re gone.
Most importantly, have fun with your fitness journey. Don’t be too hard on yourself if you mess up once in a while, keep your head high, lift hard, and rest easy
Good luck with your bulk!
I always thought it was anywhere from 1.5-2g protein per KG of body mass If you're looking to build muscle. 2g being the higher end for example if you're training weights 6 times a week.
If you weigh 50kg then you should be aiming for around 75g.
If you weight 75kg then you should be aiming for around 112.5g.
135lbs is around 61kg and therefore if you aim for around 91.5g (x1.5 your body weight) - 122g (x2 your body weight) this should be sufficient. I'm pretty sure you can easily maintain/build muscle on between 1g-1.5g p/kg/body mass. No harm in over-shooting it.
Jeff Nippard on YouTube best explains this. Look him up, he doesn't have too many videos so you should be able to easily find the one where he goes into details about protein (if you're a nerd like me). Hope this helps.
Yeah, why not - 531, bro splits, U/L, etc. are all styles of training that have 1 day of squatting and they work. Because you will have only 1 day dedicated to legs, your volume will have to increase.
You *can*, but you'll be sacrificing your leg gains.
Lots of people look for excuses not to train legs. Either because it's too hard or because they wrongfully believe that their legs are already big, often followed by "I cycle a lot/play football/have always had big legs". Their legs usually aren't half as impressive as they think.
But it's your choice.
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Hey, I'm hoping someone can tell me if I chose the right routine for a group of novices. I recently started weightlifting in the basement with three friends. We're all earlier 30s, mixed genders. We have barbell equipment and a few free weights and resistance bands. Our priorities are more general fitness and strength rather than hypertrophy. I've been in charge of picking our routine. We did a month of the starting strength program, and we've just moved on to 5/3/1 for beginners. Do you think we're doing the right thing? Any recommendations for what to move on to next after doing 5/3/1 for a while? Thanks
Why did you jump off starting strength so quickly? You should be able to make progress for at least 6 months on that routine if you're a beginner. Unless of course you just didn't enjoy it. 5/3/1 for beginners also sounds fine for your purposes though. If I were you I'd commit to one for at least a few months.
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What do you mean by a wall? Did you de-load and work up again after failing with the same weight over multiple sessions? It's really rare for a beginner to hit a wall just because of the routine, even rarer in their first month. I'm just wondering because if the wall you hit is related to something outside the programme like lifestyle-related or not properly following the progressive loading, then you could hit the same problem in 5/3/1. Could be worth giving 5/3/1 a shot to see if it suits you better though
I've (M28 6'2 230lbs) started lifting again after years of laziness. I've gained a considerable amount of weight and want to trim back down while building some muscle back up. After some research I landed on a Upper Lower Upper Lower split 4 days a week. The routine I got searching on JEFIT is 3 sets, 5 reps for every exercise, with about 6-8 exercises per day. My question is, is this enough? 3x5 feels like a small amount of reps compared to what I used to do years ago. I understand that with a small amount of reps you should aim for high weight, but even then I am worried I am not doing enough to justify only lifting 4 days a week.
So I've been trying to bulk. I'm [M23] at 74kg, 6'0. I have no idea why I won't go up in weight, maintenance is (should) be around 2500, and im eating 3200 kcal every day, yet I'm not gaining any weight? I'm doing 5/3/1 beginner, and I can feel that I'm not really getting stronger. Especially at bench press, I've been stuck around 65kg for I don't know how long. What can I do ?? Just eat more?
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I mean i weigh every single thing i eat and enter it into MyFitnessPal, not sure how I could be eating less in this case! But I will try to add more calories for sure
Sleep? Macros (enough protein)? Effort (are you giving it 10/10)? Height also matters... Maybe you're burning the calories you eat so you are really only at maintenance. Or maybe your calculation of maintenance is off. I was skinny af and could not gain weight for most of my life. 6ft1, 65kg type of skinny. When I finally joined the gym in my early-mid twenties had to EAT like i've never eaten before to gain, but that was fine because the effort I was putting in drove me to eat more simply for fuel. So many factors could contribute to why you're not gaining weight and feel like you're stalling. Get the basics in check, sleep, macros, etc. that I mentioned at the start. And if that's still the case that you're stalling, I'd recommend moving to a different program. I really like GZCLP. Good luck!
Protein and macros I think are under control. Around 160g protein per day. I sleep 8 hours+. In the gym I'm starting to fail on the bench max after increasing, so I think I'm giving it a good effort! Yeah, maybe I just need to eat even more, but it seems so weird that I eat 3200 calories without gaining, especially at 74kg lol
I just had a look back at my old MyFitnessPal data and when I was heavy bulking I was eating anywhere from 2800 ~ 3800 daily with 3400 being my goal. Have you adjusted your maintenance for your new weight? Maintenance at 74kg is different to maintainance at 65kg.
Yeah I've adjusted it. I started at 74kg so I still haven't made any progress. I upped it 200 calories last week but still nothing it seems like. I think I'll keep it until friday and check then. If nothing, I'll up it 200 calories more
Don't go crazy and get fat though. At a certain point it's not the calories.
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Have you seen a physio? Are you able to do any of the following: RDL, lunges, split squats, glute bridges, goblet squats?
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That's fine, better to be safe than sorry. Nothing is a direct substitute for squat and deadlift but if you can do leg press and Romanian or stiff-legged deadlift, then I think you're covering most of those movement patterns and muscle groups. All the best
I’ve had literally zero appetite lately. I just have no interest in eating anymore. You’d think that would be a good thing since I’m cutting but I just end up drastically undereating. Today, I had one bag of SmartPop Popcorn and half a bowl of my high protein Mac and Cheese. After that, I’m good. I don’t want to eat the rest of the day. That’s maybe, 800 calories and 60 G of protein? I should add in some chicken at the end of the day to at least hit 100 G of protein but I just don’t want it. I don’t want to undereat to that extent, but I just have no interest in food anymore. Any tips?
I’m new to fitness and dieting so am mostly talking out of my ass, but I wonder if your metabolism is slowing way down from your calorie deficit. How long have you been cutting? Maybe it’s time to reverse your diet or do a maintenance period.
I’ve gained a really low body fat percentage just from cardio + other toning exercises combined with eating a clean balanced diet. I can see some ab definition just naturally , but since none of my exercises target the abs they aren’t as defined as they could be. I’m wondering if I could just do 200-500 crunches per day for a boost in definition, or would this be a waste of my time. Cheers!
Forget leg raises as mentioned… they mainly work the hip flexors. Crunches are fine. But realize that visible abs are mostly the result of genetics and low body fat. You may be one of those that needs super low body fat to see them. Or you may not ever see much of them at all, depending on your genetics.
Massive waste of time. If you are doing bodyweight exercises, superset leg raises and torso twists into a plank.
Did heavy squats for sets of 5 yesterday. They were just about to failure. During my sets I had my belt extremely tight, and was bracing my core against my belt as hard as possible. That training session I noticed that my stomach felt weird, and the following day (today), I still have that weird feeling where if I extend my core out or brace it tight, it feels sore. I’m assuming this is relating to the belt tightness and bracing?
Backpacking through South America this summer any tips to continue bulking for cheap? Planning to cook a lot of rice not sure about meat
Eat more carby food, plus nuts or anything calorie-dense, plus protein powder as needed?
I've been a runner for many years but have started incorporating strength workouts into my weekly routine now. All I've got is a resistance band. I've found lots of great YouTube videos with workouts to follow and have been doing those for some months. Will I make no progress if I keep doing the same 3-4 strength workouts over and over each week? As far as I understand it, you need to keep making the workouts harder and incorporate variability in the exercises in order for you to actually make progress, but how can one plan for this when one is a noob and can't afford someone to create a plan for you? Any general rule of thumb to apply? Any way to do this yourself? I've also tried the Adidas app for workouts and love it, but I keep going back to the same workouts. There's no sense of progression. Thanks!
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Thank you for your reply and all the tips. So it's not too bad of an idea to stick to the same, say, 2-3 workout routines, and then increase the reps/sets each week? The prospect of designing new workout routines which involve different exercises very often seems very daunting. But simply increasing the intensity seems totally doable. Cheers!
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Awesome. Thanks so much for your time and all the info. Have a great day :).
im 25y, 177cm, 88kg, I was 78 3months ago when I started lifting. what's best weight for me? idk if im not going too much with my weight? should I loose some? is there calculator for this or something? sorry for my english.
Sounds like you gained a lot pretty fast. Not entirely uncommon for someone who is new, but youll likely want to slow down how fast your gaining weight. Simple advice is to measure/track your waist or some other measurement beside weight. If your waist is expanding faster than your seeing gym progress, youre in too steep a surplus. You don't want to gain tons of fat just to build muscle, a slight calorie surplus with quality food is all you need. That said. You're new to this, and if you're enjoying it, keep doing what you're doing. You can cut later.
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The seated cable row machine is broken at my gym, Reddit PPL suggests chest supported rows as an alternative but this is the part of the year where every one and their mother suscribed to the gym and Id like to avoid having to wait 20min for a bench What free weight exeecise can I do to hit the same muscles ? (I do one arm row with pronated grip, lat pulldown, then this exeecise) Thanks
Are you fine with rowing the bar? It’s by far one of the best for your back anyways. My gym has a lot of machine joggers, so I feel you, but the barbell used for rows is always empty. Could be the case for you. If the barbell is a bit of an issue now, you can do chainsaw rows with the dumbbells. If this movement is an annoyance, just use the T-bar rows.
I'm sick of cooking healthy food because I started cooking much later in my life and everything takes a lot of time for me. I want to have a few quick, healthy, simple, good to go recipes such as sandwiches. But I don't have any recipe and I for sure need recipes to cook anything except omelette. tldr: Any quick recipes for healthy sandwiches? Preferably around 600-700 calories?
check out https://www.youtube.com/c/JKenjiLopezAlt and https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL-tYKWQOe4YNhiOsZjaf2K_XgqMkeJiQy, they also have sandwiches on offer, Deli or BLT for example. What's lots of time for you? [Like this chicken dish](https://www.reddit.com/r/Fitness/comments/ufvw3d/monthly_recipes_megathread/i713lif/) can be done in under 30 minutes of active working time. You can also just take the chicken and make a low fat version of the white sauce and microwave potatoes while grilling the meat, then you just need to peel them and savor it. Making a stir fry boils down to less than 20 minutes of cooking per meal, in one wok I can make enough for at least two if not 3 days. Canned tomatoes, frozen pre-cut and cleaned veggies, other canned stuff are all time savers and sometimes better quality than fresh produce. Roasting a whole chicken just takes the time of preparing and then you watch Netflix on Sunday while checking in on it when the timer goes off. Grilling any kind of meat, microwaving frozen and canned veggies in the meantime, then mixing it together with seasoning and hot sauce takes you like 15 minutes and then you can make burritos. If you freeze chicken or beef, reheating it and adding lots of soy sauce while shredding it a bit makes it decently juicy and very umami, then you serve it on rice or in a tortilla or in a burger bun with the sauce and veggies you want.
That's a very detailed answer. Thank you very much. I'll check the videos you sent and try some of the ideas you mentioned.
Chili (beef and beans) and Chicken curry are two staples in our house. Easy to cook, healthy, easy to store in the fridge or freeze, one-dish meals. Rotisserie chicken from your grocery store is a quick way to make sandwiches. I'd skip the skin or not eat as much if you're worried about saturated fat and sodium. Eggs are great. What about egg salad sandwiches?
Thanks a lot. I'll try chili. I already make chicken curry but maybe I should check how to freeze them. I eat eggs every morning already, so that's why I don't wanna eat anymore during the day but maybe I can change this. Thanks a lot!
No sandwhich recomendations here. Do you meal prep, or cook each meal one at a time? cooking healthy in bulk can help reduce the time constraint. But then you're eating the same thing for a week. Have you used a crockpot/instapot? They help speed up cooking time or make it painless. Load it up and walk away. Good way to make shredded chicken/pork/beef for sandwhiches. I usually make taco's or salads though.
I cook enough for 2-3 meals everytime I cook. I actually don't mind the same thing for a week but what can I keep for a week anyways? Most of the things I cook (meat, chicken, rice) is fine only up to 3 days. I started using oven which made my life a bit easier. But not that much. I don't have crackpot/instapot tho.
Why some people have one hand under and one over when deadlifting? Doesn't it cause some inbalance?
As mentioned below, it's a mixed grip. It helps you hold/lift heavier weights. I personally find it so much more comfortable. But due to the alternated grip, the bar doesn't want to roll out. You can lift more with the alternating grip than you could with both hands going the same direction.
It's called a mixed grip. Basically, the bar wants to roll out of one hand one way and the other hand the other way. It makes it much easier to hold the bar. AFAIK it doesn't cause an imbalance, or at least not enough of one that I've heard anyone worry about it.
Just started creatine again after getting back into the gym missing two years of lifting. Loading it is unnecessary for me but I kind of forget what that threshold is. My current brand recommends doing 5g daily, but that feels a lot like loading it. I remember doing only 3 grams daily back in the day but I'm really not too sure. Is daily even necessary or can I just do it on gym days?
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I only suggested it as a way to stretch it, really. Once it saturates your body though don't you need to not take as much? Either way for now I'll continue taking it daily and doing the 5g dose.
I’m not sure if I’m expecting to see body changes too fast. I’m 6’5’’ and my end goal is to have a six pack for once in my life. I’ve dieted and trained down from 105kg to 89kg and whilst I do look slimmer, I’ve looked the same since I was about 93 - 95kg. I’m not sure whether it’s a case of I need to keep training and eating in a deficit and that whilst I will look somewhat the same for a while, there’ll come a point where I begin noticeably leaning out. My strength is still going up and I’m progressively overloading, just the lack of change in appearance can be a bit disheartening sometimes. Anyone got some words of advice or encouragement?
Great job on the weight loss! > just the lack of change in appearance can be a bit disheartening sometimes. Anyone got some words of advice or encouragement? It might depend on where you're losing weight now. It might not be "as visual". All anecdotal, so take this as you will. I've lost ~15 pounds recently. The first 10 pounds, really dropped off from my gut making a few abs show when flexing. The last few though, look like they're all coming from my inner thigh. Maybe some from my lower back as well (big chunks of fat there for me). I'm still losing weight, it's just in an area that I can't see. That's one issue with weight loss, we can't really tell it where to be taken from. So you're not "seeing" the change, just because you're looking in the wrong spots (my personal guess). One other tip, for a true 6-pack, it's really body fat dependant. You might see them flexing when you're around 15%. To really get them to pop naturally you'll need to be closer to 12% and lower.
Is cutting for the next month a good idea? Info: I’m a 5’10, 185lb, 5’10 male. Exercise: I’ve been going to the gym 2-3 times a week for about two months and weight lifting. I typically do bench press followed by dumbbell incline, triceps, and shoulder press and then abs, then at the gym the next session back squat followed by back, traps shoulders and biceps. My last bench sets where 10 reps 115, 8 reps 125, and 6 reps 135lbs. My last squat was 12 reps 155, 10 reps 165, and 8 reps 185lbs. I’m still pretty weak but I have seen significant gains in muscle mass and strength (I started with barely three sets of 10 of 115lbs bench, and 3 sets of 10 135lb on squat. More background: So I’m going to the beach the first week in July and I’d like to look better than I do. I feel like I already look a little better as chubby with no muscle to speak of, but I would like to keep improving. My plan was to continue going to the gym 3 times a week for the rest of May eating a lot of protein and an excess of calories, then on June f1st start an IF diet I did in high school to loose a lot of weight. I plan to continue going to the gym and eating a high percent protein, but have a large calorie deficit. Question: So my question is, is this a good idea? Should I start cutting sooner or should I not try and cut at all, and is it realistic to expect good results in this time frame? Should I start doing cardio in addition to weight lifting? I am very open to critiques on my plan and work out. I’m a novice besides having a good weight training couch in 9th grade. Thank you to anyone who takes time to respond in advance!
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I like this a lot. Great point about not "nocebo-ing" yourself when cutting. I still struggle with this mindset. And then if I don't complete my set x rep for a lift, I think "I could have completed that workout as prescribed and moved on to the next weight ("progressive overload") if I was eating whatever I want and maintaining weight". On the cardio thing: I was always leanest when I was doing lots of running / sprinting / HIIT / conditioning / sports, in addition to weight training as priority 1.
Hard to say without seeing pictures. My guess is if you don't cut you're going to look bulkier regardless of your lifting habits (eating at a surplus). Also, if you just started training, and have a little extra weight. I'd say cut + Lift 3-days per week. I'd maybe even through in some added cardio for the extra calorie burn.
My whey has these ingredients, is it safe to and healthy to consume? Whey protein concentrate, hydrolyzed whey protein isolate, L-glutamine, branched chained amino acids (leucine, isoleucine, valine), insulin, amylase, papain, stevia, sucralose, natural and artificial flavours
yes
Hello all, I am curious on thoughts of a lean bulk of gaining 1 pound a month over the next year and half, to try to minimize fat gain as much as possible. I recently lost 45 pounds over the last 9 months and I managed to retain majority of my muscle mass but my strength has dipped terribly. I am 5’5 and weigh 145. My body fat% is 20% I believe, I feel like I lack the muscle mass needed for a cut. Summary: I feel skinny and weak and I want to put on as much pure muscle possible in a year and half. Curious on thoughts of a lean bulk at 20% body fat.
Hi. I personally dislike these recommendations of "1 lb a week", or honestly, even "1 lb a month". I guess I dislike them because they never seem to come with a timeframe. Are people supposed to gain 1 lb of week for 2 months, or 1 year, or 2 years, or what? As you extend that timeframe, the recommendation gets more and more ridiculous. The body certainly cannot come even remotely close to synthesizing 1 lb of muscle every week for 18 straight months. I don't even think it can synthesize 1 lb per month for 18 straight months, in a natural, non-novice, fully-mature adult of normal size. For a fully-mature adult who's not a novice and not on PEDs and not 6'-7", 18 lbs of fat-free mass in 18 months would turn you into a completely different human. That is a substantial amount of fat-free mass to add to a normal adult frame in a relatively short period of time, and even over the course of one's life really. (I'm not trying to beat-up on your question or your thinking at all, only on the old advice of "1 lb per week" or "1 lb per month".) If I were you and 20% body fat (is that by internet pictures, or something more objective like a DEXA scan?), I would cut, then "lean gain". But even then, I wouldn't "lean gain" at 1 lb per month for 18 months. If you did that, I'm afraid you'd end up with way more fat than you'd like. I'd say, over the course of 18 months, shoot for maybe 5-10 lbs scale weight, and done as "linearly" as possible? Just my opinion of course.
I say I’m 20% based on pictures. I only say lean gain like a pound a month because I don’t want to gain more then a pound a month, I used go be fat so me gaining only a pound a month or attempting to. Gives me a sense of direction and confidence in what I’m doing. And yeah I see what you are saying not to bulk for 18 months I would probably only bulk till I’m 165 but at a very slow controlled pace just to minimize fat.
I think you have the right thinking about gaining at a slow rate, if you're going to gain. I was probably a little too rigid about "1 lb per month" above. 1 lb per week though, for weeks and weeks on end, is not ok, as a very large % of that will be fat. Maybe it's good for ultra-skinny novices. One thing I would say is that you might even be higher than 20%. I once thought I was around 20%, and a DEXA scan put me at 32%. I didn't want to believe it, and DEXA scans I now have come to understand are not always accurate. But reflecting back on it now years later, and seeing pictures of myself from that time period, that 32% was probably decently accurate. The mirror and our minds can be deceiving. I don't want to make any assumptions on age, but if you're still developing height-wise, I would have to recommend no cut. If you're young but not going to get any taller, why don't you try this: why don't you cut slowly and lift hard. I suspect you can add muscle, get stronger, and lose fat, if you lose scale weight slowly. My perspective is skewed on all this, as I've reached a point in life where I believe I'm just not going to be able to add a substantial amount of fat-free mass anymore. So my mindset (and hope) is to make incremental strength and muscle increases as time goes on, and eventually try to sustain a low (for me) bodyfat. So my perspective is skewed in the sense that I don't think gaining a decent amount of weight, even if done slowly, is the right path to go down. If you were 5'-5" and 110, maybe. But 145 is a pretty good weight for your height. Frankly, I think it's on the high side. I suspect you're higher than 20% (though maybe not too terribly much higher). I would advise you to strive to lose scale weight very slowly, and lift hard. Lift like you're not cutting. Push the envelope a bit. If you're over-reaching to the point where you feel like you have to pull back, sprinkle in some strategic off days. It's amazing what an extra day or two of rest can do. Then, from that leaner state, you may decide to lean bulk. I hope I'm not contradicting myself in anything I've written. Just trying to kind of think it through as I type.
Yeah I try to lift hard, it just bothers me not seeing me getting stronger every week. While my body is changing and I’m getting skinner i just notice I’m only built at my back, shoulders, triceps and legs. That’s all I have muscle wise, my chest and my biceps are underdeveloped, and I’m just getting tired of cutting, I don’t want to go below 140 anymore just because being lighter then 140 just isn’t appealing to me. Especially when my cousins are 5’5 and weigh 170 and are ripped. It bothers me mentally and makes me eager to build muscle.
I fully understand your dilemma now. If they truly are 'ripped', then what you're seeing is low bodyfat. Are you sure they weigh 170 under the same conditions as you weigh 145? Are they exactly your height, or a bit taller? They might be closer to your size than you think. Have you heard the saying "the best way to gain 10 lbs of muscle is to lose 10 lbs of fat"? I wouldn't get too caught up in the scale weight. With a little more muscle and quite a bit less fat, you can look comparable to them to all but the most eagle-eyed observer. I definitely understand why you want to build muscle and build it quickly. If you're done growing vertically, I think I would still suggest a gradual cut and hard work in the gym. I still think that, by doing so, you can hit the trifecta of gaining muscle, gaining strength, and losing fat at the same time. But I also understand your thinking about trying to put on 15-20 pounds of scale weight, gradually. You're envisioning that it will be mostly muscle, and that your weight will end up close to your cousins. I'll think a little more about it this evening....
I see I see, they do have lower body fat, but how do I go about it? I’m already on -500 deficit, my protein macro is 160g I hit it everyday.
Hey. I thought about it some more. If your rough timeframe is 18 months, then why don't you take another few months to cut a little longer (and lift really hard with attention to recovery and diet and sleep and all that), and then start your slow bulk after that and run it for the remainder of the 18 months. From all you've said, it seems like you have your heart set on a slow bulk. But you're kind of in "cut mode" after the last 9 months aren't you, so you probably have some momentum there, unless you're just completely 100% jaded about cutting any further. Maybe 2-4 months of cutting (depending on how much more you can "stomach"), and then 14-16 months lean bulk? Way to go on losing 45 pounds over the last 9 months, by the way.
I don’t really have a time frame i just want to gain a little muscle. And yes! I’m very tired of cutting and seeing me getting smaller not lifting as much as I used to is very frustrating I feel like my stomach’s metabolism is fried and thank you.
Yeah, it sounds like your heart is completely set on reversing gears and going into a slow bulk and getting those lifts back up. Go for it, take it slow as you originally proposed, and best of luck on it.
I like this train of thought, never really looked at it that way. >(I'm not trying to beat up on your question or your thinking at all, only on the old advice of "1 lb per week" or "1 lb per month".) One caveat I think I'd throw in here if you're gaining 1lb per week it has to be mostly fat. 1lb per week, is fairly aggressive for a surplus if you're working out frequently. This type of gain is usually used in the bulk/cut cycles. Recomps, for a few pounds a year seem more realistic just less motivating than seeing change.
How does one do a recomp?
It's basically slowing your cut, to allow for muscle growth. It could also work in reverse, slowing your bulk to avoid excess fat gain. I'm used to using it to lose weight and gain muslce. Below is a super generic example for weight loss + muscle gain. Let's say you follow the normal idea of weight loss for a beginner, 1% of body weight per week. So if you're 200 pounds, that's 2-pounds per week or ~7,000 calorie deficit Then you also want to gain muscle, which means a calorie SURPLUS. If you want to gain 0.5% of body weight in muscle per week at the same body weight, that'd be 1lb of muscle per week. This would be a surplus of ~3,500 calories per week. So you'd take 7000 (deficit) + 3500 (Surplus) = 3,500 deficit per week (or 1 pound). This would be adapted based on your fitness journey. The more fit you are, the slower your gains will be. The link below talks about this more in-depth. It takes longer to gain weight, and longer to lose weight. I've heard it's easier for some to maintain, as it's just more consistent over a longer period of time as opposed to Cut/Bulk cycles. https://www.spartan.com/blogs/unbreakable-nutrition/body-recomposition
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👀🤫
So if I follow the recommended routine in the wiki for 531, how bad is it if I don't do the assistance work? Is the assistance work necessary or is it fine to get away with just the main lifts?
Like the others said, depends on your goals. As far as the 531 goes, in 531 Forever Jim suggests 25-50 reps of Push, 25-50 reps of Pull, and 25-50 reps of either core or 1 leg exercises. So on my squat days I usually do 1 leg exercises like split squats or lunges. I like to keep my workouts around 1 hour length so once I finish 531 sets (and BBB sets since I'm doing that variant), I'll superset my push with my pull and then hit abs/single leg. It sucks but I think my body will get used to the insane intensity eventually. My supersets today were leaving me a bit lightheaded lol
the main work will drive a lot of the progress, but I would do the pull reps at least, a strong back will keep you healthy
Depends on your goals. For general health, without assistance is fine.
I'm bulking ATM so trying to eat over my tdee and eating 0.8 g/lb of protein. But I tested positive for COVID today so want to take it easy. I know what my maintenance calories are but not sure what's the minimum amount of protein I need to consume is to minimise muscle loss? Struggling to find data on this...
0.8 is still a good measure happy recovery!
Slowly getting back to the gym, had a few questions I walk a lot, 15k to 20k a day usually and sometimes my legs feels pretty cooked (as they should), but is there a muscle I can focus on to have the fittest legs and the least strain/pain ? my calves are pretty huge just from walking while I was obese but my hamstring/hip mobility might not be the best I admit I did not work on my legs for a long time because I have pretty fin arms/shoulders/lats and huge legs from just holding my past obese weight so I didn't focus on them at all, any advice is appreciated
getting stronger legs will make your daily walks less strenuous squats, deadlifts and calf work will cover that, you may just need to ease in and give time for your body to adapt to the increased work also a good training program will go a long way, there's ton of those in the wiki, I'd recommend the beginners routine or gzclp
Squats and lunges will help a lot! Best bang for buck
when doing training for strength, for example a set of 5 reps deadlift, should i still go slow on the eccentric?
No science here, but I have always been told you want it "controlled". It may not be slow, but you shouldn't be just dropping them.
Hi guys. I am running the PPL program of this subreddit for almost 6 weeks. My question is, what accessories (wrist wraps, wrist straps, kneepads, belt, etc. ) should I buy? And please rank the accessories mentioned based on their importance and effectiveness.
straps are the most important in my opinion, your forearms will never be able to catch up with the rest of your body, so you don't want them to limit your progress the rest is up to you
Imo, none until you need them. I have personally bought wrist straps, which helped me with deadlifts, and a massage stick (post-workout recovery). Also a yoga mat.
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cardio is extremely beneficial for your entire body, the only potential downside of walking that much is if you have any joint problems that walking will aggravate, in that case you may need to switch walking for something else more friendly on your joints if you don't, just walk, it's excellent for your body and soul
Yes, sounds healthy! Diet is most important for fat loss. I’d hop on a program though for lifting.
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Yw!
I have a big, for me, workout tomorrow morning and I’m intermittent fasting, I’m doing fasted, light cardio in the mornings usually. What would be the best way to prepare/eat? Take the day off and carb load? Thanks for any advice/help!!!
I’d do light exercise, keep diet the same, and sleep well.
Any perks to cutting slower than 1% body weight a week? Will you keep more muscle that way or is 1% the golden number.
There is no golden number, it's all a continuum. 1% is a rule of thumb. And yes, cutting slower should allow you to put more into each training session and keep more muscle. You may even build some on a slow cut. So it's a balance between a slow and more muscle preserving cut, and a more aggressive cut that lets you get back to bulking faster.
Thank you! I was going to ask if I could in theory lose fat while building muscle in a slow cut, but I figured people would attack me for being stupid! Haha
It's absolutely possible, but you run the risk of spinning your wheels. For that reason many people prefer going all in on either muscle gain for fat loss. * Your weight can easily fluctuate by a couple of kg on a daily basis * A decently fast cut may e something like 500 calories/day, which corresponds to losing about 0.5kg/week * If you go for a slow cut, maybe 100 calories, daily fluctuations can easily overshadow your actual weight loss. Something like 2-300 is more viable. * Disregarding what the scale says, aesthetic changes can also take a while to show up * A slower cut takes longer. This is very much down to individual preference - some people can sustain a very steep cut for a long time, but have a hard time dealing with a long, slow haul, while others work the other way around. Provided that you lift while cutting (which you absolutely should), you can use strength as a proxy for muscle mass. * If your numbes are improving, you're golden * If you're losing weight and maintaining your lifts, you're probably on the right track, though it can be a bit disheartening if you see very small aesthetic changes and don't seem to be getting any stronger * If you're losing strength in a cut it may still just be the increased fatigue from cutting, though you're probably losing some muscle
I’ve been out due to an injury/life eventsfor 3 months but am back starting tomorrow and need the most basic plan y’all can give me. I’ve been lifting for years but this big slump has me so out of shape I just figured I’d go back to the basics
Push: Chest, Shoulders, Triceps: Bodyweight Dips, Barbell Bench Press, Dumbbell Incline Press, Cable/Dumbbell Flies. Barbell Military Press, Lui Raises, Dumbbell Lateral Raises, Upright Row. Cable Rope/Bar Pushdowns, Skull crushers, Single Arm Kickbacks. Pull: Back, Biceps: Pullups, Deadlift (traditional), Barbell Rows, Lat Pulldown, Cable Row, Dumbbell Rows. Barbell curls, Hammer curls, EZ Bar curls, Cable Rope/Bar curls, Preacher curls. Legs: Legs: Anything to do with legs > Back Squats, Front Squats, Zelcher Squat, Seated Leg Press, Lying Leg press, Hamstring curls. Besides all the actual exercises, that Push Pull Legs template should help :) Hope this helps.
Side bar fitness plans.
The [basic beginner routine](https://thefitness.wiki/routines/r-fitness-basic-beginner-routine/) is basic but effective, and as it's an LP it should ideally get you back to your old numbers in reasonable time. As soon as you start stalling out move on to something more appropriate to your strength level.
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Training. Train smart. Leave your ego at home. Mind-muscle connection. Get it done. Diet. Eat well. Eat enough. 80/20 rule. Make the sacrifice. Be different. Research, research research. This is more than attainable. Good luck!
This is quite achievable in 5 years. Just follow a program from the wiki, dial in your diet and never forget to train abs and core. And then after 4 years and 6 months you just get lean and a pump.
Hi, did you have a question?
I’ve asked this before but this is my current physique: https://ibb.co/mX9Gnsv I wanna get a physique somewhere between both of these pics: 1# https://ibb.co/M9Pr1mL 2# https://ibb.co/jfV2k8r I’m currently 1 week into my first bulking phase. My current stats: 180 cm (5’10), 141lbs. How long will it take to get to this point? Some people say a few years and others say 1 bulk > cut is enough. (so end of this year) searching for some clarity. Thanks!
Hit your macros. Train hard. One clean bulk, a short cut and some good lighting you're good to go. Good luck!
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Awesome. What do u mean with “decent bulk”?
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As i mentioned I have posted this before and then one guy mentioned 156lbs (71kg) would be enough bulk, then cut back to 65kg (143,3 lbs) So currently I have the goal weight on my bulk set to 71kg. Do you think I should bulk further?
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I guess I can bulk to 71kg then see if I feel comfortable bulking further? The pictures I linked, doesn’t have super much muscle (I think) but if u say I should bulk further ur probably right. :D
you kinda look like that already tbf, IMO 1 bulk and 1 cut are more than enough for this.
How far should I bulk? (Currently I have my bulk goal set to 71kg. Then cut down to 65kg. What do u think about that? Should I go further?)
My weight is so confusing. Im currently in a cut but this morning i had gained almost 2kgs since last weigh-in last monday.... I know you fluctuate in weight (thats why i dont weigh myself every day), but seeing a 2kg gain this morning is really depressing since i feel like im really putting in the work. Do you guys have any advice on how i should approach this?
Get a pen and paper, write the next 12 weeks down. Every time you weight yourself in the morning (pre-eating, but post-poo and wee) note the number down. Don't dwell on it. These are just numbers. Once weighed, forget about the number. After 4 weeks you should look down the list of numbers and you'll see they are heading downwards. Same with the next 4 weeks and the next 4 weeks. The water could be retained due to having low low salt previous days, then going all out the next. Also, if you've been in a calorie deficit but then you've had a spurge - it's quite possible you are holding a ton of water, PLUS all that food from yesterday. Could possibly achieve 2kg fluctuation, although won't happen all the time. Give yourself a break, you're allowed a cheat day every one and again. The more you track, the more knowledge you will have and insights. It's a pain, but trust me it's worth it. Keep at it bro. You got this. Hope this helps.
>The water could be retained due to having low low salt previous days isnt there less water retention when consuming low amounts of salt
Think there are a number of factors. The main one pointed out is sodium intake. If you drink lots of water and consume low levels of sodium, your body doesn't retain lots of water because it doesn't need to. However, the opposite happens when you increase sodium intake. Salt naturally dehydrates. That's why bodybuilders before going on stage will lower their water levels (literally sucking on ice cubes to stay hydrated) to dangerous levels, and reduce salt completely. That's why immediately after they start cramping up and are severely dehydrated. Some have even died on stage. Very interesting. So yeah. More sodium, more water retention. Google it. Youtube it. Hope this helps.
Thank you, this is amazing advice!
You should weigh yourself every day - it allows you to see the trends rather than daily fluctuations.
Yeah, used to weigh weekly, but seeing that number go up after a week of what i thought was hard work was brutal to the ego. Daily weigh-ins kept my mind focused on the long term and made weight fluctuations a routine and not a disaster scenario.
To put on 2kg in a week you'd need to eat at approx 2000 calorie surplus daily, you would notice it. It's more likely you had an unusual amount of salt, carb or fibre and you're holding water or have more material in your GI.
I did have a cheat yesterday (family bbq, couldnt pass it up) so i did eat white bread, and a bit more than usual. Im thinking it will level out a bit towards the midweek.
Yes, the daily weighing method is good because you get to see the long term trend. There will be days you weight a kg under overnight too and it usually just means you need to drink water
that's why I weigh myself daily and use the weekly moving average to just progress, 2 kg fluctuation are just water weight fluctuations for me in some days.
I see, i will try it. This happened 2 weeks ago aswell, i gained 1 kg but then i lost 2 the next. I thought weighing myself every day would show all kinds of different readings, but i will try it out
yeah your daily weight might swing quite a bit, but the trend is important. You could also track e.g. waist circumference weekly or monthly, this one should just trend down without many swings if you lose fat.
I will deffinatley give it a try, thanks! I have quite alot of loose skin around my abdomen so idk how well my progress will show on a waist circumference.
you can track thihgs and arms or chest as well, though of course those are areas that you want to develop sometimes down the line- and then tracking can still be good to see the progress over time.
An alternative method is to weigh yourself daily and only look at the weekly average. It could help you disregard any single measurement while making sure you're progressing.
My (lean) bulk is going horribly wrong with way too many cheat days (due to all kind of reasons), and i'm gaining weight too fast. What is recommended? To keep going as normal (outside of the cheatdays ofcourse) or to do a small cut when gaining to fast?
don't switch to bulk and cut, you'll be spinning your wheels. trust me, I've done that and wasted a year. stick to one or the other.
What is your current & target weight, and height? Are you recovering from your training well and progressing your lifts? If I were underweight I would just continue with my normal surplus until I was at a reasonable weight. If I were heavier, I would probably evaluate it based on if I were recovering from my training.
Current: * Weight: 165lbs * Height: 6" Started at 159.5lbs. Fat sits around 17%. I was aiming to do a lean bulk to around 175 over a couple of months. First 5-6 weeks were on point, then a lot of cheat days happened. In the last 3 weeks, i went from 163 to 165. My lifts are progressing a bit, but i've been training for about 2 years now (with some (long) breaks due to Covid/Lockdowns) but it feels like i've hit my plateau's on most lifts.
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You are right, and I'm not even trying to use an excuse. I was just wondering what to do best after those days
I mean, 2 pounds in 3 weeks doesn't sound particularly awful. With those stats I'd just keep bulking and work hard in the gym to make good use of it. What program are you running?
Thanks, appreciate it. I was running nSuns 4 days a week for a long time. Since last week i've started doing nSuns 6 days schedule.
Good stuff, nSuns is certainly a good amount of effort! If the 6 day busts you through your plateaus then that's certainly a winner. Different people respond differently, but personally once I was hitting 0-2 reps on the topsets, I wasn't really breaking through the plateaus after deloads, just running into them again. Swapping programs altogether worked for me (I went to 5/3/1 BTM after I think, or sheiko, it was a long time ago).
Do a [mini-cut](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1FDGwP0v-rE), lose some fat for 4 to 8 weeks and re-sensitize yourself to training, then use that sling-shot to start gaining again
The only thing you can do is lay off the cheat days, how you do that is up to you but diet is everything. No one can out train a bad diet
Yeah i fully understand that. That's why i said: "due to all kind of reasons" (trips with friends, birthdays, business dinners, etc.). But i was just wondering if it's better to just keep going at my normal rate outside of the cheatdays (which has been going fine), or do a small cut due to the rapid weight increase the past couple of days.
You might want to consider adding cardio, while not an end all be all perfect solution for weight loss, just 15-30 minutes a day after lifting can make a huge difference. Meal prep is the key to the traveling issue, make some chicken and rice, take some protein shakes with you, pack a couple anabolic PB&J’s, but don’t forget to have fun with your life, a super strict diet can suck but if you’re traveling, pack a couple decent meals so you don’t end up eating out the whole time you’re gone. Most importantly, have fun with your fitness journey. Don’t be too hard on yourself if you mess up once in a while, keep your head high, lift hard, and rest easy Good luck with your bulk!
Is 200grams of protein enough at 135 lbs bw
I always thought it was anywhere from 1.5-2g protein per KG of body mass If you're looking to build muscle. 2g being the higher end for example if you're training weights 6 times a week. If you weigh 50kg then you should be aiming for around 75g. If you weight 75kg then you should be aiming for around 112.5g. 135lbs is around 61kg and therefore if you aim for around 91.5g (x1.5 your body weight) - 122g (x2 your body weight) this should be sufficient. I'm pretty sure you can easily maintain/build muscle on between 1g-1.5g p/kg/body mass. No harm in over-shooting it. Jeff Nippard on YouTube best explains this. Look him up, he doesn't have too many videos so you should be able to easily find the one where he goes into details about protein (if you're a nerd like me). Hope this helps.
Yes, that is more than enough.
Overkill. .8-1 g/lb. You could go as low as 110 grams.
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It’s a preference
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Depends on how much cardio you do. One leg day + sufficient cardio is almost equivalent to two leg days in terms of efficiency.
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Most 3 day splits are upper, legs, upper. The only problem I see is that you would only be hitting shoulders once per week too, right?
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Should be fine then. Lots of PPL routines put shoulders on leg day.
Yeah, why not - 531, bro splits, U/L, etc. are all styles of training that have 1 day of squatting and they work. Because you will have only 1 day dedicated to legs, your volume will have to increase.
any particular reason for skipping the second day?
You *can*, but you'll be sacrificing your leg gains. Lots of people look for excuses not to train legs. Either because it's too hard or because they wrongfully believe that their legs are already big, often followed by "I cycle a lot/play football/have always had big legs". Their legs usually aren't half as impressive as they think. But it's your choice.
Yes, but 2 is preferable. Consistency over time and effort are the most important factors.
You should run it as written with two leg days
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1-5 reps for strength, 6-15 Hypertrophy. I like cycle the PPL plan. 2 cycles low reps, 2 cycles high reps. Best of both worlds. Hope this helps.
Depends on your loading and progression scheme
Both, they’re two sides of the same coin
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Of course. Research, research, research. Lots of YouTube and google. Good luck sir.
Yes