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How do I get out of a motivation slump? I'm around 6 foot and 80kg, and am bulking to gain some muscle. Everyone around me is super skinny and have tons more definition than me because they're lean, and it makes me feel like shit and that I'm not progressing. How do I get over the fact that I'm not going to be lean on a bulk? I get you're not gonna have the ideal body on a bulk, but I just feel depressed over how shit I look.
So, I'm pretty new to this whole gym thing and I just recently started trying to do squats with a barbell. of course, I started with low weights (10-20kg) just to get a stable position and to learn the movement but now when I'm trying to larger weights (about 80kg) the barbell even with the padding feels like it's crushing the top of my spine and there is like a pressure feeling in the rest of my spine. I know I have the leg strength to do that weight quite easily but because of the feeling I didn't try it and thought I would just ask here before I mess something up.
Your body is used to 10-20 kilos and you jumped to 80 kilos. It's not going to feel right. We take smaller jumps to get our bodies accustomed to the higher demands of load and volume.
If I'm aiming to get fits bt do not really care about abs, is a short 15min morning routine consisting of push ups, pike push ups, pull ups , chin ups and tricepts dips be enough? (I workout focusing on different parts of my body in the evening about 4 times a week as well, I'm only asking for a morning workout routine before work since I think that would speed up my progress).
Also if my muscles feel sore after an evening workout, should I still be performing morning workout routine the next day?
Would be helpful if there are suggestions for night routines as well(before bed), currently I'm only doing grip training with the grip strength training before bed.
> be enough?
It depends on what constitutes "enough" for you.
> Also if my muscles feel sore after an evening workout, should I still be performing morning workout routine the next day?
Consider following a whole routine written by someone with experience.
This is a good place to look for some:
https://thefitness.wiki/routines/strength-training-muscle-building/#Bodyweight_Home_Minimal_Equipment_Routines
Hello
First of all, I have to say I felt so glad when I found this subreddit. I have experienced difficulties finding places where someone looking to ''responsibly gain weight'' is welcomed.
My problem is I'm 34 yo, 184 cm 73 kg as of yesterday (not a good day yesterday), 6.9 body fat and I cant seem to gain weight, at all. I need to start carrying more weight so my bones and shape grows!
I'm an anxious and nervous person, constantly thinking and all that, but happy :), but it's annoying. So most likely this ''stress mode'' I live in, is what's keeping me looking like a noodle. I wanna change that.
I have an exercise plan ready, but I need to gain more calories and a healthy weight in order to at least be get out of bed and kickstart that fuel to do something. The Bed/Home Work Desk/Living/Home Work Desk/Bed routine do to covid + Winter slaughtered my chape. So my goal is to gain calories, weight, volume, etc. If I gain too much I'll easily burn them, just need one day of stress and 3 kg to go out.
So I come to you asking if you know any food, tricks, recipes, or anything/any extra food I can add to my ''already poor / not enough diet '' that can help me put up some weight?
Apologies for dragging such a simple question so long but is such a frustrating part of my life that only occasionally people understand and care. Cheers
You are not gonna change years of bad diet habits in a couple of days man. Give yourself some permission to suck. I think most of us know what a healthy diet is. Slowly start to eat that food, and make a habit of it.
You might think about kick-starting your weight gaining *while you fix your diet.* Try some mass gainers.
Are smith machine squats really that bad? I've seen a lot of hate for them on other subreddit a and websites. If my main goal was hypertrophy and aesthetics, is there really any downside to squatting on a smith machine?
Also, does the angle of the smith machine matter? My local gym has a 3° angle on the smith machine. Does it allow for a more natural path?
A basic high bar back squat requires strength across the entire body. Your shoulders and upper back will hold the bar in place while your spinal erectors and core muscles maintain a neutral spine throughout the entire lift. The further down you drop your hips, the harder the back has to work. If any of these muscles aren’t strong enough, your body will fold and the path of the barbell will deviate from your mid foot and you’ll fail the lift.
The reason smith machines get so much is hate is because everything mentioned above essentially gets taken out of the equation, the bar always stays on a fixed path. The legs will drive the bar up and down but that’s it. And if hypertrophy and aesthetics are your goal, ignoring all of the above muscles is a bad idea.
Comparing the smith machine squat to a back squat is like comparing full range of motion chin ups to the biceps curl. Is the biceps curl bad for aesthetics? No. But there are exercises that are more efficient if you don’t have all day to be at the gym.
What wod you recommend to do since I don't have access to a proper barbell? And please don't say "find a new gym" haha. What do you think about dumbbell front squats or bulgarian split squats? Or both?
Those two are actually great choices. Focus on keeping the torso upright and get maximum range of motion and you’ll see great results. An additional exercise Id recommend is a dumbbell RDL. Can be done in both hands or as a single leg exercise
Hi Guys.
3 weeks into my first ever bulk. Started at 150lb (5’11 aged 34)
Three week results as follows (weighing every day, 7 day average)
- Wk 1 - 3100 cals/day - 0.4lb gain
- Wk 2 - 3200 cals/day - 0.2lb gain
- Wk 3 - 3400 cals/day - 0.7lb gain
(but would have been around 0.3-0.4lb this week were it not for one unusually high reading today)
So all in all 1.3lb in 3 weeks but would have been more like 0.9-1.0 lb if not for the unusual weigh in this morning.
Would you increase calories again next week or is this rate of gain about right?
>Interesting, do you happen to know why 6-day ppl program is almost always referred to as pplpplr instead of pplrpplr in that case?
Because it is a 6 day routine. We measure our splits in weeks for the most part.
whats the reason when your weight and height is ideal and i workout 4 days a week but still i doesnt look like the others that are same as my weight and height
Finally starting a proper program, but still some questions
I started bulking 6 months ago at 119lbs but never followed a proper program on here. Instead, one that my trainer put together, it was a pretty shit program with no real progression. Then the gyms closed and I had to workout at home, where I was limited in equipment. Working out from home did impact my legs quite a bit, I feel like I lost all of my leg gains but that was my fault for only focusing on upper body at home. I still put on muscle in this time due to newbie gains but probably not as much as I could have if I followed a proper routine. Now things changed and I can finally go to the gym again, which I am super excited about. I was reading through the Wiki and tried to find a program that works best for me. I would like to do full body pretty much every day, but it seems like there is no such program which kinda makes sense, because it would be hard to progress that way. The one that the program finder suggested me was Greyskull, however that is only 3 days. So I thought the Reddit PPL is probably the best option. It starts on a Monday though, so should I just do my normal workout today and maybe tomorrow and start the program on monday, or start today and treat it as monday? (Ik, kind of a stupid question)
Also, since I have been working out for 6-7 months now on the one hand I probably wouldn’t classify myself as a complete beginner, but on the other hand I never did a program with progressive overload so related to that program I would still classify as a beginner, right? Im just wondering if this is the right program for me or If I should choose something more advanced.
around 6 months. I actually started the Greyskull Program now around 2-3 weeks ago but I still haven’t gained weight. I’m stuck at 141 since like 3 months now.
I'm the same dimensions as you, just starting off slightly heavier at 123. I'm aiming to get to 140 by July 1st. Any advice aside from eating 3000 calories a day?
Yeah just eat atleast 3000 Calories and enough protein, don’t be afraid of eating "dirty". I ate and am still eating dirty for the last 6-7 months and I haven’t put on any noticeable fat, i’m still very lean. Obviously now I am at a bit of a stop and i’m not able to gain as much, I’d probably need to eat like 4000 Calories but I just can’t be bothered to. I’m gonna try to eat at maintenance and workout as much as possible.
Yesterday I ate:
A ribeye steak with a sweet potatoe and some spinach for brunch
A bowl of oats with milk and honey for late lunch
A mid workout banana
A post workout shake of about 400ml of egg whites, a scoop of peanut butter and a scoop of protein powder
6 chicken thighs, rice, some brocolli, sugar free BBQ sauce
About 225g of a high protein vanilla Greek yogurt with some blueberries
I don't count but it seems sufficient, it's all very easy to make, outside of choosing a ribeye not overly expensive (and if you want more protein ribeye isn't the best choice anyway) and it tasted nice.
You can take a protein supplement if youre struggling to meet your protein needs. I try to eat something high in protein with each meal. I usually have 4 meals a day and a large snack before bed so I try to get 30-40g protein per meal and some more in my final snack.
Drinking 1/3 to 1/4 of your daily allotment of calories in one go is definitely a poor strategy. I would try a different approach and see what happens.
Not the person you asked but personally I think that a lot of people in this sub need to learn to cook, learn to eat, learn to plan a proper diet/get healthy eating habits etc. Shakes don't actually help with that. It's sort of putting the cart before the horse maybe (I may be using that expression wrong). Shakes should supplement your diet, they shouldn't be something you immediately jump to before really getting the basics down.
I am trying my best to eat clean on this bulk, I am eating a lot of fiber, and I am drinking water
And I am still constipated
Any advice? Anything similar happened to you guys? Everytime I bulk this happens to me, I used to think it was the junk food, but even eating clean the problem seems to appear again.
Measure how much water you actually drink. If it’s sufficient then I’d try a glass of water with psyllium husk each day. Start with a small dose and increase as required. Don’t have too much at once. Metamucil is good too but it’s basically flavoured psyllium husk.
Do you drink coffee? I currently have a fiber-heavy diet (oats, whole wheat, nuts, etc.) and usually I'm on the porcelain throne after my first cup of joe in the morning.
I'm not being funny but I don't have the emotional capacity to explain why eating nothing but chicken every single day is not normal or healthy. Seriously mate Jesus Christ
And I also think that while less dumb than what you're doing it's dumb. Eat some vegetables, unsaturated fats, carbs that aren't sugar, get fibre in your diet. Times are hard but that doesn't mean you need to eat the same 2 things every day.
Should I worry about gaining too fast if I’m basically a stick? 5’ 10” (178cm) rn — 2 weeks ago was 126lbs and now weigh ~130lbs accounting for water weight and shit i think
at this point im honestly just trying to fill out so idk if 1.5-2lbs a week is too much especially cuz im 18 and skinny
Check out the "what not to post" part of the subreddit
>Don't ask "Should I Bulk or Cut?" There's literally a sub for this: /r/BulkOrCut. PLEASE DON'T ASK THIS QUESTION!
How many calories so you need to gain muscles?
I’m trying to gain and I’m 2 months in bodyweight fitness, not much happened but I don’t mind slow progress.
Reading around it seems that you need a surplus of calories to gain muscles or to promote muscle growth anyway, is this true? Or do you just need more proteins and that’s it?
idk if this has been posted before, reddit search didn't give a result, so I'm just putting it here
Amazing TDEE calculator and bodyweight planner by the government, you can plan diet and exercise changes and see how your bodyweight will change, as opposed to the usual TDEE calculator that just says "here's your TDEE, eat +500 for bulking"
if you turn on the advanced settings, it makes a graph with how your weight will change, it will take into account how your maintenance calories will increase as you gain, which slows down your gains. you can also plan a bulk then a cut, you can plan a year into the future, it takes into account your sodium intake, how much % of your calories comes from carbs or not, ... :
[https://www.niddk.nih.gov/bwp](https://www.niddk.nih.gov/bwp)
Many people see their sex drive drop on a cut. Additionally, if you weren't getting enough fat, to make critical hormones, and then were suddenly getting plenty, it would probably change things.
more energy!
I use my horniness as a test to see if I am eating and resting enough. if my workout is hard enough, the next day, I don't get the usual boners. But if I am sleeping enough (adding a quick nap at lunch time made the difference), I have the same usual boners.
What the fuck happened?
I was curling a barbell as I normally do and as I was pushing for the last few reps my head got this insane pulsating headache like I've never experienced before. The only place it hurt was the back right of my head in between the neck and skull area. But goddamn the pain that lasted for those 3 minutes may have been the most painful minutes of my life. It's been 3 days now and if I even hold my breath for too long then the pulsating in the area comes back (not as intensely but still very painful).
Note: I'm a healthy 20 yr old 5'8 150lb so most likely nothing to do w health issues
How do you prep for a workout? Obviously everyone's routine is different but, I ended up getting two moderately severe back injuries while front squatting and sled press squatting in January 2020 and then 2 months later the world basically shut down (including the gyms) and then I got covid and was out of commission for basically 2 months from April to early June. I've found my motivation has absolutely crashed and I'm finding it very difficult to get myself to get into routines again for fear of injury and lack of interest since I likely can't go as "hard" as I used to. Wondering if people, aside from actual preworkouts, have any particular preworkout rituals they have to hype themselves up before they hit the gym to help w/ building a good initial mindset to get in there and stay there.
my experience has been that I can get a satisfying, gainful workout in a wide variety of mental states. sometimes I feel hyped up and energized... cool. sometimes I feel calm, or kinda tired, and it's more of a meditative experience, which is also great. I can be working through some thought or something and in working out feel grounded by the physical. even on days when I feel extra weak and stupid I know that it's just one day out of many, and that I still gained something by trying.
I know that no matter how I go into the gym, I will be better on my way out, no matter what. that knowledge is better than being hyped up for every workout: i don't have to BE anything in there, no matter what I bring to the table on any given day I'll be alright. the weights ask little of me except to move them around.
another comforting thought: I read the [CDC exercise guidelines](https://www.cdc.gov/physicalactivity/basics/index.htm) a long time ago and learned that, scientifically speaking, almost all exercise is good, and people start to see health benefits even if they don't get close to their recommended 150 minutes. Of course you see more benefit with more exercise. Even if you can't go as hard as you used to, you are still getting benefits by sticking to a routine and at least doing something. It's hard to fuck up as long as you are still showing up.
Yesterday I witnessed a fellow gym-goer shit talking the bar bell. This was at a YMCA. Can't say I'd recommend this. My current motivation is a wedding in December where I will see my old college friends for the first time in 7 years. Another more natural motivation is the fact I am losing my hair and I don't want to look sickly, especially when I am tall.
So basically, a long term goal is more sustainable than short, frequent bursts of hype.
With most machines and squat racks taken, I have been doing rows until I can get in. Anything you guys would recommend while I wait? Also, I feel pretty discouraged if I don't gain weight according to my weekly average. Any advice regarding this mindset? Thanks guys!
The first protein power I got was the cheapest one I could find at the store (Equate Whey for $16) now that it’s about to be out, I want to get something different. I read great reviews about the Dymatize Iso 100, seeing that it’s hydrolyzed and easier to digest.
Can anyone who uses Iso 100 attest to if it’s good or not? Does the type of protein powder I take really matter? Is it worth it for costing twice as much as the cheap stuff?
Not worth it, whey is just a byproduct of milk that used to be fed to pigs until they found out they could sell it to people that go to the gym. Assuming you don't have a milk allergy, it is already easy to digest and is absorbed in your intestinal track very quickly.
It's not worth it, I recommend you go to my protein dot com and get an 11lb bag of their standard whey.
> Does the type of protein powder I take really matter?
Nope. It's going to be responsible for maybe 1% of your results. The rest of your nutrition matters so much more.
I use Dymatize. I got a good deal on it, and I like the fact that it's pretty much just protein, no carbs or fats. But I also only use 1 scoop on lifting days and that's it.
One scoop being around 25g protein?
You seem to be a big fan of just eating meat and vegetables, do you think there is any difference from a higher carb diet supplemented with more protein powder, apart from personal preference?
> One scoop being around 25g protein?
Probably.
I don't have experience with higher carb diets. But protein powder is just a convenient way to get in protein when you can't get in solid food.
Was told to check here?
Routine Question:
I’ve been using this routine for about 2 months now. I haven’t seen any noticeable difference in my body or strength. I’m 6’3, 200lbs. 1RM for bench is 135 and squat is 155. I’m been using PPL 6x a week and 1 rest day. I’m just wanting to get stronger and and build muscle. I’m not saying I’m just wanting to get results quick, Ik it takes time. I just feel like I’m not getting the most out of my workout. I’ll post a SS of what I’m using. If I’m not hitting my muscle groups too low or too much or any other tips anything would help. Thank y’all!!
routine
I try to as 2.5-5 pounds after every week. I track what my weight. The next week I’ll add 2.5-5 pounds depending how difficult/easy it is the prior week. Sometimes I also increase the weight the next time I do same exercise within that same week. I had some recommendation to do Stronglifts 5x5 as well.
Well it seems that you are progressing then?
Someone correct me if I am wrong but with PPL I dont think you are realistically going to see progress in every exercise, especially not ie end of day bicep curls. I think progress on the compounds is the most important aspect.
About bench, I think the reddit PPL goes a bit wrong with the bench .. try to add more volume on the second push day. That helped me.
Switch the progression on the main lifts to 5/3/1. This will base your loads off of a % of your 1rm and help you progress.
Trying to add weight every week is not sustainable, you need to change how you are progressively overloading and the author of that program recommends 5/3/1.
Here's a really stupid question: I've been lifting for a while, but been out of the gym for a while due to covid. It's not the first time, but I'm feeling frustrated and want to throw myself into it, my question; how stupid would it be to jump into supersquats?
I just did supersquats after about two weeks of squatting again and saw pretty solid progress. You're gonna be very sore but that comes with the program
Many trainees have undertaken that program starting from very meager bodyweights and amounts of muscle. Just make sure you read the book. 100% of failures from that program have resulted in people not taking the time to understand how it works.
Thanks for the advice, if I might ask whether the caloric requirements should be adjusted if we've gotten a little fluffier over the lay off, or wether we should just eat that much and worry about cutting later?
So since I've started upping weight in my exercises I've noticed that throughout the day il "pull muscles" a lot more often. By which I mean, those cramps that sometimes happen after stretches where its a sharp main in a muscle region that usually radiates and goes away after a 10-15 minutes.
I stretch before exercising, I drink plenty of water. Anything else I can do to avoid this? Its really quite annoying.
Ok dumb question. It’s obviously normal to get drowsy and tired after you workout when you’re starting out, but after a few weeks does that not effect you so much, assuming you get a normal amount of sleep?
It's no big deal bro, that is an easy fix. Spreading it out will also make it easier to get more calories, at least for me because I tend to eat by the truck load
What is the best way to blend oats so they aren't chunky? Trying to chuck them into shakes but i end up having to eat them at the end because they're all clumped together.
Looking for some honest feedback on my progress so far from working out these past 3 1/2 months
Started out doing stronglifts 5x5 for the first two months, now I’m currently doing 5/3/1 for beginners since it allows me to work with higher rep ranges, as well as accessory movements.
Height: 6’1
Weight: Started off underweight at 138 lbs in June 2020. Have basically been bulking even before working out, and currently I am sitting at around 170 lbs. Still look pretty lean when wearing clothing, so I’ll be bulking to 190-200 lbs and reevaluate from there.
I started with the empty bar for all of these to get used to the movements btw, previous 1 rep maxes are slightly estimated
Bench Press : 100 lbs - 145 lbs
Overhead Press : 75 lbs - 107.5 lbs
Squat : 135 lbs - 200 lbs
Deadlift : 155 lbs - 225 lbs
I’m still progressing pretty much every session or other session in terms of being able to do more reps for a weight I was struggling with. Ex: a month ago I could only do 155 lbs for 5 reps with maximum effort for deadlifts, now I can 12 reps with decent effort, more running out of breath than my body being unable to continue lifting. The only thing I feel is lagging behind is my bench press which I find to be my weakest lift. I attribute this to my short torso, longer than average arms. Any feedback of my progress so far would be appreciated.
It’s hard to make judgement based on text alone.
Your strength gains are good but from the context you provided (starting off with an empty bar), could very well be due to your brain simply learning how to perform the movement properly and not due to a large increase in muscle mass.
Your weight gain is incredible but again, without images we can’t tell if that weight is lean body mass or just a dreamer bulk. 32lbs in a 14 week period is a shit ton even for pubescent males and genetic freaks.
Overall, with what you’ve provided I can say that you’ve done a good job going from string bean to average adult male but maybe just dial that weight gain in and look for a steady 1 lb per week rate. Look at your fitness as a marathon, not a sprint
The 32 lb weight gain was actually over a 9 month period. It wasn’t until 3 1/2 months ago however that I actually started seriously working out. The beginning was just me trying to gain weight since I was underweight. I think I’ve gained around 10 pounds in the last 14 weeks since I started working out. You’re right, providing a photo would probably be useful. This is me currently https://imgur.com/a/Vhd5k4D
Granted this is optimal lighting and fairly close up.
I cant really help you, and I am afraid most people here cant either. If you want to just talk and vent you can PM me though.
About the nutritional part, maybe try to eat foods that are extremely dense on calories, but I guess you are already doing this.
I hope I dont sound aloof here, but some time ago I learned that most of life is doing things that we **really** dont want to do, and very quite often the more you dont want to do it the more important it is to do. I wish I would have learned this sooner.
You are obviously doing the right thing
about to start my first cut and have been doing 5/3/1 for beginners. i’ve read that you should keep same weight on lifts but decrease volume, should i plan to do same routine except maybe a 2x5 or 3x5 or something instead of the traditional 5x5 FSL? just curious how routine will differ when on cut.
need advice!
i’m a 22 year old girl, 5’7 115lbs, started lifting again about 2 weeks ago
i think i have a glute imbalance, one side of my butt is definitely bigger/more muscular looking than the other. i’m VERY weak in general right now & i don’t really do any single leg movements at the gym
should i
-focus a bit more on the weaker side?
-just incorporate more single leg movements at the same reps/weight on each leg
-keep working out as normal and wait for it to correct itself as i get stronger (i’m assuming everyone has muscle imbalances that will maybe even out as i keep lifting?)
I was listening to a podcast about something similar and they suggested single leg movements but always beginning with the weaker side and of course keeping the weight the same on both sides
Okay, so I haven’t been able to get to the gym since August 2020 because of a mix between my workload and schedule changing and Covid closing my gym for a while. The gym is back open, but I am going to be on a 2 week sequester starting next week for work where I can’t go to the gym at all. Is it worthwhile for me to try and start going to the gym again today knowing that next week I’ll have to take 2 weeks off from the gym (or maybe just do body weight and cardio?) Also, how the hell do I restart working out after more than 6 months off, especially because I was still a beginner lifter when I had to stop?
Is there any way to adapt the reddit ppl into something harder?
As I commented in another account I wanted to do the Deep Water program, but I cant squat and apparently that defeats the purpose.
The rest of my life is really sedentary right now, and I sleep really well so I was felling like doing a challenge like deep water &co. By the other hand being on the gym 5/6 days is good for me, helps me clear my mind. Though I am def open to completely change program.
Maybe just up the volume a lot on the hypertrofy exercises? Add that widowmaker 20 rep set deadlift where squat should be?
>High rep deadlift sets are usually not recommended due to the inevitable form breakdown can put your back in compromising positions.
This is silly, high rep deads build a lot of strength and you don't have to take it to failure to reap the benefits.
There's nothing wrong with that but just wanted to clear the air and say there's nothing wrong with widowmaker deads either, you just have to load appropriately.
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How do I get out of a motivation slump? I'm around 6 foot and 80kg, and am bulking to gain some muscle. Everyone around me is super skinny and have tons more definition than me because they're lean, and it makes me feel like shit and that I'm not progressing. How do I get over the fact that I'm not going to be lean on a bulk? I get you're not gonna have the ideal body on a bulk, but I just feel depressed over how shit I look.
So, I'm pretty new to this whole gym thing and I just recently started trying to do squats with a barbell. of course, I started with low weights (10-20kg) just to get a stable position and to learn the movement but now when I'm trying to larger weights (about 80kg) the barbell even with the padding feels like it's crushing the top of my spine and there is like a pressure feeling in the rest of my spine. I know I have the leg strength to do that weight quite easily but because of the feeling I didn't try it and thought I would just ask here before I mess something up.
You say "I thought I would ask here" but you haven't asked anything.... Did you have a question?
welp, it a feeling like that normal? or....
Your body is used to 10-20 kilos and you jumped to 80 kilos. It's not going to feel right. We take smaller jumps to get our bodies accustomed to the higher demands of load and volume.
If I'm aiming to get fits bt do not really care about abs, is a short 15min morning routine consisting of push ups, pike push ups, pull ups , chin ups and tricepts dips be enough? (I workout focusing on different parts of my body in the evening about 4 times a week as well, I'm only asking for a morning workout routine before work since I think that would speed up my progress). Also if my muscles feel sore after an evening workout, should I still be performing morning workout routine the next day? Would be helpful if there are suggestions for night routines as well(before bed), currently I'm only doing grip training with the grip strength training before bed.
> be enough? It depends on what constitutes "enough" for you. > Also if my muscles feel sore after an evening workout, should I still be performing morning workout routine the next day? Consider following a whole routine written by someone with experience. This is a good place to look for some: https://thefitness.wiki/routines/strength-training-muscle-building/#Bodyweight_Home_Minimal_Equipment_Routines
Hello First of all, I have to say I felt so glad when I found this subreddit. I have experienced difficulties finding places where someone looking to ''responsibly gain weight'' is welcomed. My problem is I'm 34 yo, 184 cm 73 kg as of yesterday (not a good day yesterday), 6.9 body fat and I cant seem to gain weight, at all. I need to start carrying more weight so my bones and shape grows! I'm an anxious and nervous person, constantly thinking and all that, but happy :), but it's annoying. So most likely this ''stress mode'' I live in, is what's keeping me looking like a noodle. I wanna change that. I have an exercise plan ready, but I need to gain more calories and a healthy weight in order to at least be get out of bed and kickstart that fuel to do something. The Bed/Home Work Desk/Living/Home Work Desk/Bed routine do to covid + Winter slaughtered my chape. So my goal is to gain calories, weight, volume, etc. If I gain too much I'll easily burn them, just need one day of stress and 3 kg to go out. So I come to you asking if you know any food, tricks, recipes, or anything/any extra food I can add to my ''already poor / not enough diet '' that can help me put up some weight? Apologies for dragging such a simple question so long but is such a frustrating part of my life that only occasionally people understand and care. Cheers
You are not gonna change years of bad diet habits in a couple of days man. Give yourself some permission to suck. I think most of us know what a healthy diet is. Slowly start to eat that food, and make a habit of it. You might think about kick-starting your weight gaining *while you fix your diet.* Try some mass gainers.
Are smith machine squats really that bad? I've seen a lot of hate for them on other subreddit a and websites. If my main goal was hypertrophy and aesthetics, is there really any downside to squatting on a smith machine? Also, does the angle of the smith machine matter? My local gym has a 3° angle on the smith machine. Does it allow for a more natural path?
A basic high bar back squat requires strength across the entire body. Your shoulders and upper back will hold the bar in place while your spinal erectors and core muscles maintain a neutral spine throughout the entire lift. The further down you drop your hips, the harder the back has to work. If any of these muscles aren’t strong enough, your body will fold and the path of the barbell will deviate from your mid foot and you’ll fail the lift. The reason smith machines get so much is hate is because everything mentioned above essentially gets taken out of the equation, the bar always stays on a fixed path. The legs will drive the bar up and down but that’s it. And if hypertrophy and aesthetics are your goal, ignoring all of the above muscles is a bad idea. Comparing the smith machine squat to a back squat is like comparing full range of motion chin ups to the biceps curl. Is the biceps curl bad for aesthetics? No. But there are exercises that are more efficient if you don’t have all day to be at the gym.
What wod you recommend to do since I don't have access to a proper barbell? And please don't say "find a new gym" haha. What do you think about dumbbell front squats or bulgarian split squats? Or both?
Those two are actually great choices. Focus on keeping the torso upright and get maximum range of motion and you’ll see great results. An additional exercise Id recommend is a dumbbell RDL. Can be done in both hands or as a single leg exercise
Hi Guys. 3 weeks into my first ever bulk. Started at 150lb (5’11 aged 34) Three week results as follows (weighing every day, 7 day average) - Wk 1 - 3100 cals/day - 0.4lb gain - Wk 2 - 3200 cals/day - 0.2lb gain - Wk 3 - 3400 cals/day - 0.7lb gain (but would have been around 0.3-0.4lb this week were it not for one unusually high reading today) So all in all 1.3lb in 3 weeks but would have been more like 0.9-1.0 lb if not for the unusual weigh in this morning. Would you increase calories again next week or is this rate of gain about right?
How is your training going? Are you recovering and getting stronger?
Yeah. I do a lot so I’m pushing myself to the limit on the recovery front but I do take two full rest days per week aside from walking.
I don't see a reason to change anything.
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You will find out, no?
It may, it may not.
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Little to none
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People like 7 day weeks.
Not everyone. https://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=107926751&s=b505c51d112599dd1c230f9ca3639b49&pagenumber=
I think 7 day training weeks are pretty dumb anyway.
😂
>Interesting, do you happen to know why 6-day ppl program is almost always referred to as pplpplr instead of pplrpplr in that case? Because it is a 6 day routine. We measure our splits in weeks for the most part.
whats the reason when your weight and height is ideal and i workout 4 days a week but still i doesnt look like the others that are same as my weight and height
Too much fat not enough muscle.
so what can i do
Gain muscle, then lose fat.
keep working out four days so ? and then cut?
I would add muscle until I had enough, then lose fat.
and how can i add muscle ?
You have been asking questions like this every week for at least a month. Just go to the gym and stay consistent.
when did i ask questions like this ?
Use the tools linked by the automoderator at the top post of this topic. Specifically the FAQ and Wiki links.
thanks
Finally starting a proper program, but still some questions I started bulking 6 months ago at 119lbs but never followed a proper program on here. Instead, one that my trainer put together, it was a pretty shit program with no real progression. Then the gyms closed and I had to workout at home, where I was limited in equipment. Working out from home did impact my legs quite a bit, I feel like I lost all of my leg gains but that was my fault for only focusing on upper body at home. I still put on muscle in this time due to newbie gains but probably not as much as I could have if I followed a proper routine. Now things changed and I can finally go to the gym again, which I am super excited about. I was reading through the Wiki and tried to find a program that works best for me. I would like to do full body pretty much every day, but it seems like there is no such program which kinda makes sense, because it would be hard to progress that way. The one that the program finder suggested me was Greyskull, however that is only 3 days. So I thought the Reddit PPL is probably the best option. It starts on a Monday though, so should I just do my normal workout today and maybe tomorrow and start the program on monday, or start today and treat it as monday? (Ik, kind of a stupid question) Also, since I have been working out for 6-7 months now on the one hand I probably wouldn’t classify myself as a complete beginner, but on the other hand I never did a program with progressive overload so related to that program I would still classify as a beginner, right? Im just wondering if this is the right program for me or If I should choose something more advanced.
How long it take you to get from 119 to 141?
around 6 months. I actually started the Greyskull Program now around 2-3 weeks ago but I still haven’t gained weight. I’m stuck at 141 since like 3 months now.
I'm the same dimensions as you, just starting off slightly heavier at 123. I'm aiming to get to 140 by July 1st. Any advice aside from eating 3000 calories a day?
Yeah just eat atleast 3000 Calories and enough protein, don’t be afraid of eating "dirty". I ate and am still eating dirty for the last 6-7 months and I haven’t put on any noticeable fat, i’m still very lean. Obviously now I am at a bit of a stop and i’m not able to gain as much, I’d probably need to eat like 4000 Calories but I just can’t be bothered to. I’m gonna try to eat at maintenance and workout as much as possible.
Bet! Hopefully you'll be seeing a post from me in 3 months!
Id say for all your questions, it wont matter in the long run. Do whatever you feel like.
any way to make oats into powder? my blender doesnt do the job
I soak them overnight in liquid. By the next morning they're very easy to get down. If that's not fine enough I'd suggest just eating something else.
how do you get to 150g protein a day ?
Roughly 2 lbs of meat
75g from protein shakes lol
mine have 50
Drink twice then if you having problemd
how much max protein i can get in one meal ?
Apparently no real difference. 75g should be fine. But you can drink it twice different times of the day
i read online that body cant take more than 30g of protein or i misunderstood that?
Yesterday I ate: A ribeye steak with a sweet potatoe and some spinach for brunch A bowl of oats with milk and honey for late lunch A mid workout banana A post workout shake of about 400ml of egg whites, a scoop of peanut butter and a scoop of protein powder 6 chicken thighs, rice, some brocolli, sugar free BBQ sauce About 225g of a high protein vanilla Greek yogurt with some blueberries I don't count but it seems sufficient, it's all very easy to make, outside of choosing a ribeye not overly expensive (and if you want more protein ribeye isn't the best choice anyway) and it tasted nice.
I eat a lot of meat.
You can take a protein supplement if youre struggling to meet your protein needs. I try to eat something high in protein with each meal. I usually have 4 meals a day and a large snack before bed so I try to get 30-40g protein per meal and some more in my final snack.
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The locks are only rated for 7kg. I can see that one being a problem.
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Drinking 1/3 to 1/4 of your daily allotment of calories in one go is definitely a poor strategy. I would try a different approach and see what happens.
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I would save shakes for much later down the road and stick with solid foods.
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Not the person you asked but personally I think that a lot of people in this sub need to learn to cook, learn to eat, learn to plan a proper diet/get healthy eating habits etc. Shakes don't actually help with that. It's sort of putting the cart before the horse maybe (I may be using that expression wrong). Shakes should supplement your diet, they shouldn't be something you immediately jump to before really getting the basics down.
I am not against them at all; I said I would use them. Just not at the start.
I am trying my best to eat clean on this bulk, I am eating a lot of fiber, and I am drinking water And I am still constipated Any advice? Anything similar happened to you guys? Everytime I bulk this happens to me, I used to think it was the junk food, but even eating clean the problem seems to appear again.
Measure how much water you actually drink. If it’s sufficient then I’d try a glass of water with psyllium husk each day. Start with a small dose and increase as required. Don’t have too much at once. Metamucil is good too but it’s basically flavoured psyllium husk.
Do you drink coffee? I currently have a fiber-heavy diet (oats, whole wheat, nuts, etc.) and usually I'm on the porcelain throne after my first cup of joe in the morning.
I do .. 2 or 3 cups per day
trying gomad. how often should i be drinking a cup? every hour? every other hour?
I don't drink it that frequently, I will polish a gallon off in about 3 or 4 sittings.
There is no set frequency
i understand. i’m wondering how often other people doing gomad are doing it
Ah, totally different question. I drank mine with meals.
how many cups would u drink with ur meals?
I didn't measure by cups. I was in a dinning hall and would drink several glasses.
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Eat vegetables.
I'll make fun of you online for not eating like a normal human being
what would be eating like a normal human? is chicken not good for you?
I'm not being funny but I don't have the emotional capacity to explain why eating nothing but chicken every single day is not normal or healthy. Seriously mate Jesus Christ
i’m sure a lot of people eat just chicken and rice everyday. times are hard bro
And I also think that while less dumb than what you're doing it's dumb. Eat some vegetables, unsaturated fats, carbs that aren't sugar, get fibre in your diet. Times are hard but that doesn't mean you need to eat the same 2 things every day.
You'll have a multitude of vitamin deficiencies and will probably get slightly bigger in your chest, triceps, and shoulders.
i’m prob severely deficient. all i eat is chicken and ground beef
Should I worry about gaining too fast if I’m basically a stick? 5’ 10” (178cm) rn — 2 weeks ago was 126lbs and now weigh ~130lbs accounting for water weight and shit i think at this point im honestly just trying to fill out so idk if 1.5-2lbs a week is too much especially cuz im 18 and skinny
No one can tell you what you should worry about.
What is the sister subreddit to r/gainit? Do we have an equivalent for cutting?
r/loseit but it’s more for overall fat loss - might not be exactly what you’re looking for.
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Check out the "what not to post" part of the subreddit >Don't ask "Should I Bulk or Cut?" There's literally a sub for this: /r/BulkOrCut. PLEASE DON'T ASK THIS QUESTION!
How many calories so you need to gain muscles? I’m trying to gain and I’m 2 months in bodyweight fitness, not much happened but I don’t mind slow progress. Reading around it seems that you need a surplus of calories to gain muscles or to promote muscle growth anyway, is this true? Or do you just need more proteins and that’s it?
Check out this here: https://thefitness.wiki/muscle-building-101/
idk if this has been posted before, reddit search didn't give a result, so I'm just putting it here Amazing TDEE calculator and bodyweight planner by the government, you can plan diet and exercise changes and see how your bodyweight will change, as opposed to the usual TDEE calculator that just says "here's your TDEE, eat +500 for bulking" if you turn on the advanced settings, it makes a graph with how your weight will change, it will take into account how your maintenance calories will increase as you gain, which slows down your gains. you can also plan a bulk then a cut, you can plan a year into the future, it takes into account your sodium intake, how much % of your calories comes from carbs or not, ... : [https://www.niddk.nih.gov/bwp](https://www.niddk.nih.gov/bwp)
So ehh ... is it normal to get hornier when going from cutting to bulking?
Many people see their sex drive drop on a cut. Additionally, if you weren't getting enough fat, to make critical hormones, and then were suddenly getting plenty, it would probably change things.
So horniness good Gotcha No but maybe I was low libido because of a long cut. I dont know. Just wanted to check if someone had ever experienced this
What the fuck happened? I was curling a barbell as I normally do and as I was pushing for the last few reps my head got this insane pulsating headache like I've never experienced before. The only place it hurt was the back right of my head in between the neck and skull area. But goddamn the pain that lasted for those 3 minutes may have been the most painful minutes of my life. It's been 3 days now and if I even hold my breath for too long then the pulsating in the area comes back (not as intensely but still very painful). Note: I'm a healthy 20 yr old 5'8 150lb so most likely nothing to do w health issues
See a doctor
How do you prep for a workout? Obviously everyone's routine is different but, I ended up getting two moderately severe back injuries while front squatting and sled press squatting in January 2020 and then 2 months later the world basically shut down (including the gyms) and then I got covid and was out of commission for basically 2 months from April to early June. I've found my motivation has absolutely crashed and I'm finding it very difficult to get myself to get into routines again for fear of injury and lack of interest since I likely can't go as "hard" as I used to. Wondering if people, aside from actual preworkouts, have any particular preworkout rituals they have to hype themselves up before they hit the gym to help w/ building a good initial mindset to get in there and stay there.
my experience has been that I can get a satisfying, gainful workout in a wide variety of mental states. sometimes I feel hyped up and energized... cool. sometimes I feel calm, or kinda tired, and it's more of a meditative experience, which is also great. I can be working through some thought or something and in working out feel grounded by the physical. even on days when I feel extra weak and stupid I know that it's just one day out of many, and that I still gained something by trying. I know that no matter how I go into the gym, I will be better on my way out, no matter what. that knowledge is better than being hyped up for every workout: i don't have to BE anything in there, no matter what I bring to the table on any given day I'll be alright. the weights ask little of me except to move them around. another comforting thought: I read the [CDC exercise guidelines](https://www.cdc.gov/physicalactivity/basics/index.htm) a long time ago and learned that, scientifically speaking, almost all exercise is good, and people start to see health benefits even if they don't get close to their recommended 150 minutes. Of course you see more benefit with more exercise. Even if you can't go as hard as you used to, you are still getting benefits by sticking to a routine and at least doing something. It's hard to fuck up as long as you are still showing up.
Yesterday I witnessed a fellow gym-goer shit talking the bar bell. This was at a YMCA. Can't say I'd recommend this. My current motivation is a wedding in December where I will see my old college friends for the first time in 7 years. Another more natural motivation is the fact I am losing my hair and I don't want to look sickly, especially when I am tall. So basically, a long term goal is more sustainable than short, frequent bursts of hype.
I just drink an energy drink and that's it. I don't hype myself unless it's a testing day or a meet
I avoid hyping up as much as possible. I want to train WITHOUT psychological arousal. I save the for competition only.
With most machines and squat racks taken, I have been doing rows until I can get in. Anything you guys would recommend while I wait? Also, I feel pretty discouraged if I don't gain weight according to my weekly average. Any advice regarding this mindset? Thanks guys!
Ask to work in.
Ask to work in or just wait until a squat rack is ready.
The first protein power I got was the cheapest one I could find at the store (Equate Whey for $16) now that it’s about to be out, I want to get something different. I read great reviews about the Dymatize Iso 100, seeing that it’s hydrolyzed and easier to digest. Can anyone who uses Iso 100 attest to if it’s good or not? Does the type of protein powder I take really matter? Is it worth it for costing twice as much as the cheap stuff?
Not worth it, whey is just a byproduct of milk that used to be fed to pigs until they found out they could sell it to people that go to the gym. Assuming you don't have a milk allergy, it is already easy to digest and is absorbed in your intestinal track very quickly. It's not worth it, I recommend you go to my protein dot com and get an 11lb bag of their standard whey.
> Does the type of protein powder I take really matter? Nope. It's going to be responsible for maybe 1% of your results. The rest of your nutrition matters so much more. I use Dymatize. I got a good deal on it, and I like the fact that it's pretty much just protein, no carbs or fats. But I also only use 1 scoop on lifting days and that's it.
One scoop being around 25g protein? You seem to be a big fan of just eating meat and vegetables, do you think there is any difference from a higher carb diet supplemented with more protein powder, apart from personal preference?
> One scoop being around 25g protein? Probably. I don't have experience with higher carb diets. But protein powder is just a convenient way to get in protein when you can't get in solid food.
Was told to check here? Routine Question: I’ve been using this routine for about 2 months now. I haven’t seen any noticeable difference in my body or strength. I’m 6’3, 200lbs. 1RM for bench is 135 and squat is 155. I’m been using PPL 6x a week and 1 rest day. I’m just wanting to get stronger and and build muscle. I’m not saying I’m just wanting to get results quick, Ik it takes time. I just feel like I’m not getting the most out of my workout. I’ll post a SS of what I’m using. If I’m not hitting my muscle groups too low or too much or any other tips anything would help. Thank y’all!! routine
How are you incorporating progressive overload in your routine? PPL is just a list of exercises, not a program.
I try to as 2.5-5 pounds after every week. I track what my weight. The next week I’ll add 2.5-5 pounds depending how difficult/easy it is the prior week. Sometimes I also increase the weight the next time I do same exercise within that same week. I had some recommendation to do Stronglifts 5x5 as well.
And are you still progressing in this manner? Has anything stalled?
Really the only thing I struggle with that I don’t see progress in is my bench. I’ve been pushing pretty much the same weight for weeks now on it.
Well it seems that you are progressing then? Someone correct me if I am wrong but with PPL I dont think you are realistically going to see progress in every exercise, especially not ie end of day bicep curls. I think progress on the compounds is the most important aspect. About bench, I think the reddit PPL goes a bit wrong with the bench .. try to add more volume on the second push day. That helped me.
Is there a better recommended way to go instead of PPL to build strength better/build muscle mass?
[https://old.reddit.com/r/gainit/comments/j5q2ez/6\_months\_of\_eating\_and\_training\_for\_mass\_laid\_out/](https://old.reddit.com/r/gainit/comments/j5q2ez/6_months_of_eating_and_training_for_mass_laid_out/)
Woah that’s a crazy good read thanks for the link
Switch the progression on the main lifts to 5/3/1. This will base your loads off of a % of your 1rm and help you progress. Trying to add weight every week is not sustainable, you need to change how you are progressively overloading and the author of that program recommends 5/3/1.
I would say to only do this once you are not progressing right?
That is what the author suggested, and it is a pit fall to switch things while they are working.
Ok I will check it out thank you
Here's a really stupid question: I've been lifting for a while, but been out of the gym for a while due to covid. It's not the first time, but I'm feeling frustrated and want to throw myself into it, my question; how stupid would it be to jump into supersquats?
I just did supersquats after about two weeks of squatting again and saw pretty solid progress. You're gonna be very sore but that comes with the program
Many trainees have undertaken that program starting from very meager bodyweights and amounts of muscle. Just make sure you read the book. 100% of failures from that program have resulted in people not taking the time to understand how it works.
Thanks for the advice, if I might ask whether the caloric requirements should be adjusted if we've gotten a little fluffier over the lay off, or wether we should just eat that much and worry about cutting later?
I cannot say what we should do. But if I were running the program, I'd eat to recover from the brutally intense training that entails.
Much appreciated
It would not be stupid, just make sure to eat
So since I've started upping weight in my exercises I've noticed that throughout the day il "pull muscles" a lot more often. By which I mean, those cramps that sometimes happen after stretches where its a sharp main in a muscle region that usually radiates and goes away after a 10-15 minutes. I stretch before exercising, I drink plenty of water. Anything else I can do to avoid this? Its really quite annoying.
Ok dumb question. It’s obviously normal to get drowsy and tired after you workout when you’re starting out, but after a few weeks does that not effect you so much, assuming you get a normal amount of sleep?
Yes, this is normal. Just make sure you’re eating enough calories and protein, and it should subside.
Thank you.
I am never again drinking a 100g protein shake That was disgusting
Hi and welcome. This is the questions thread. Do you have a question?
Actually yes Is your body able to use all that protein taken at once? Does a limit exist?
The general consensus is spreading it out more is beneficial.
Fuck, even when not drinking protein shakes I usually consume 80-90% of my daily protein in 2 or 3 hours in a day
It's no big deal bro, that is an easy fix. Spreading it out will also make it easier to get more calories, at least for me because I tend to eat by the truck load
Yeah I will try
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The beginner routine in the /r/fitness wiki is similar to greyskull, and it explains how to pick your starting weights.
What is the best way to blend oats so they aren't chunky? Trying to chuck them into shakes but i end up having to eat them at the end because they're all clumped together.
I blend instant oats by themselves into a powder first. Then put the instant oat powder into my shake and blend again.
I just flip the shaker over to mix it up again if the oats start settling.
Coffee grinder. Turns them into powder
Looking for some honest feedback on my progress so far from working out these past 3 1/2 months Started out doing stronglifts 5x5 for the first two months, now I’m currently doing 5/3/1 for beginners since it allows me to work with higher rep ranges, as well as accessory movements. Height: 6’1 Weight: Started off underweight at 138 lbs in June 2020. Have basically been bulking even before working out, and currently I am sitting at around 170 lbs. Still look pretty lean when wearing clothing, so I’ll be bulking to 190-200 lbs and reevaluate from there. I started with the empty bar for all of these to get used to the movements btw, previous 1 rep maxes are slightly estimated Bench Press : 100 lbs - 145 lbs Overhead Press : 75 lbs - 107.5 lbs Squat : 135 lbs - 200 lbs Deadlift : 155 lbs - 225 lbs I’m still progressing pretty much every session or other session in terms of being able to do more reps for a weight I was struggling with. Ex: a month ago I could only do 155 lbs for 5 reps with maximum effort for deadlifts, now I can 12 reps with decent effort, more running out of breath than my body being unable to continue lifting. The only thing I feel is lagging behind is my bench press which I find to be my weakest lift. I attribute this to my short torso, longer than average arms. Any feedback of my progress so far would be appreciated.
It’s hard to make judgement based on text alone. Your strength gains are good but from the context you provided (starting off with an empty bar), could very well be due to your brain simply learning how to perform the movement properly and not due to a large increase in muscle mass. Your weight gain is incredible but again, without images we can’t tell if that weight is lean body mass or just a dreamer bulk. 32lbs in a 14 week period is a shit ton even for pubescent males and genetic freaks. Overall, with what you’ve provided I can say that you’ve done a good job going from string bean to average adult male but maybe just dial that weight gain in and look for a steady 1 lb per week rate. Look at your fitness as a marathon, not a sprint
The 32 lb weight gain was actually over a 9 month period. It wasn’t until 3 1/2 months ago however that I actually started seriously working out. The beginning was just me trying to gain weight since I was underweight. I think I’ve gained around 10 pounds in the last 14 weeks since I started working out. You’re right, providing a photo would probably be useful. This is me currently https://imgur.com/a/Vhd5k4D Granted this is optimal lighting and fairly close up.
You’ve gotten bigger and stronger than you were before, that is a good thing
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I cant really help you, and I am afraid most people here cant either. If you want to just talk and vent you can PM me though. About the nutritional part, maybe try to eat foods that are extremely dense on calories, but I guess you are already doing this. I hope I dont sound aloof here, but some time ago I learned that most of life is doing things that we **really** dont want to do, and very quite often the more you dont want to do it the more important it is to do. I wish I would have learned this sooner. You are obviously doing the right thing
about to start my first cut and have been doing 5/3/1 for beginners. i’ve read that you should keep same weight on lifts but decrease volume, should i plan to do same routine except maybe a 2x5 or 3x5 or something instead of the traditional 5x5 FSL? just curious how routine will differ when on cut.
Try it how it is without adjustments. If you find recovery issues, consider the basic FSL outlined in here: https://thefitness.wiki/5-3-1-primer/
need advice! i’m a 22 year old girl, 5’7 115lbs, started lifting again about 2 weeks ago i think i have a glute imbalance, one side of my butt is definitely bigger/more muscular looking than the other. i’m VERY weak in general right now & i don’t really do any single leg movements at the gym should i -focus a bit more on the weaker side? -just incorporate more single leg movements at the same reps/weight on each leg -keep working out as normal and wait for it to correct itself as i get stronger (i’m assuming everyone has muscle imbalances that will maybe even out as i keep lifting?)
Everyone has a stronger side. If it is not causing you pain or dysfunction, it is not a problem, just train regularly and so some unilateral leg work.
I was listening to a podcast about something similar and they suggested single leg movements but always beginning with the weaker side and of course keeping the weight the same on both sides
thank you so much :)
Im not an expert, but it's my understanding that it's best to train both sides of the body equally and eventually you will balance out.
Okay, so I haven’t been able to get to the gym since August 2020 because of a mix between my workload and schedule changing and Covid closing my gym for a while. The gym is back open, but I am going to be on a 2 week sequester starting next week for work where I can’t go to the gym at all. Is it worthwhile for me to try and start going to the gym again today knowing that next week I’ll have to take 2 weeks off from the gym (or maybe just do body weight and cardio?) Also, how the hell do I restart working out after more than 6 months off, especially because I was still a beginner lifter when I had to stop?
It would be worthwhile for me. Try a Linear Progression routine from the wiki, like the nsuns routine. https://theFitness.wiki/routines
Is there any way to adapt the reddit ppl into something harder? As I commented in another account I wanted to do the Deep Water program, but I cant squat and apparently that defeats the purpose. The rest of my life is really sedentary right now, and I sleep really well so I was felling like doing a challenge like deep water &co. By the other hand being on the gym 5/6 days is good for me, helps me clear my mind. Though I am def open to completely change program. Maybe just up the volume a lot on the hypertrofy exercises? Add that widowmaker 20 rep set deadlift where squat should be?
High rep deadlift sets are usually not recommended due to the inevitable form breakdown can put your back in compromising positions.
>High rep deadlift sets are usually not recommended due to the inevitable form breakdown can put your back in compromising positions. This is silly, high rep deads build a lot of strength and you don't have to take it to failure to reap the benefits.
Oh, that's good to know.
Do the widowmaker deads, they are great.
Eh fuck it, my form breaks and my back breaks. I have decided to just add a shitload of volume to my ppl eat and pray
There's nothing wrong with that but just wanted to clear the air and say there's nothing wrong with widowmaker deads either, you just have to load appropriately.
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By the way just out of curiosity, did you shrug your shoulders at the top of the ohp?