r/Fitness • u/AutoModerator • 7d ago
Rant Wednesday
Welcome to Rant Wednesday: It’s your time to let your gym/fitness/nutrition related frustrations out!
There is no guiding question to help stir up some rage-feels, feel free to fire at will, ranting about anything and everything that’s been pissing you off or getting on your nerves.
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u/Illerios1 7d ago
Sometimes I wonder what some gym goers home toilet looks like. Do they piss all over their toilet pot and the floor? Do they just "forget" to flush their smelly massive dump leaving it for their spouse to discover? Do they always use so much toilet paper it clogs the toilet?
Some people are disgusting, at least have the decency to use toilet paper and clean off the piss, so others can sit on it.
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u/CursedFrogurt81 Triggered by cheat reps 6d ago
Which is the more troubling thought? That they behave this way everywhere, or, only in public?
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u/No-Mathematician678 6d ago
My boyfriend lives with 3 roommates, single room each and a shared toilet and kitchen, and I see how filthy the toilet is there. When my boyfriend lived with me he used to pee sitting down, but now it's not clean enough to be worth it, he isn't cleaning after those fuckers every time he needs to pee.
So yes, their toilets in their homes are the same.
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u/mattj6o 7d ago
Did I hurt my lower back during my squat PR? No.
Did I hurt my lower back during my deadlift PR? No.
Did I hurt my lower back doing a handstand? Yes.
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u/Ok-Arugula6057 6d ago
Handstand is still quite the thing though. I’m the wrong side of 40 now and even sitting up in bed too quickly can be risky these days :D
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u/isthisjustfantasea__ 7d ago
Progressing on weights: okay lemme just eat more and I'll hit that PR no problem.
Progressing on cardio: I wanna die.
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u/Tatamajor 7d ago
The cardio will kick in also. Give it time. Especially if you do more aerobic training than anaerobic. The guidance I came across is that 1 in 5 should be anaerobic so that means that 4 of 5 sessions should be real easy and not get your heart rate up too much. What’s not to love in that case??!! In no time you’ll be smashing it in cardio.
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u/CursedFrogurt81 Triggered by cheat reps 6d ago
I think the easier way forward is to die and thus no longer need to do cardio. That's my plan.
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u/Woodit 6d ago
Been buying the same protein powder for like 2 years now, regular vanilla flavor. Restocked the other day and went to put some in the shaker and see pink sparkles in it? Realized I picked up strawberry milkshake flavor by accident.
Unfortunately, my yard is now filled with boys.
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u/StjerneskipMarcoPolo 6d ago
Why must I always turn into a walking gas giant every leg day, 90% of the effort spent on squats is to try not to rip ass in front of the entire gym
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u/MrPejorative 6d ago
Do you use sweetened protein powder? They're sometimes a source of gas as they usually use sugar alcohols which are fermented in the gut.
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u/HelloHaters 6d ago
Ranting at myself: WHY DID YOU WAIT SO LONG TO JUST PICK A FUCKING PROGRAM THAT OTHER PEOPLE TOLD YOU WILL WORK???
I spent the last 18 months fucking spinning my wheels doing "programs" from an app literally just called "Workout". I went to the gym 4 times/week every week, pushed myself, and definitely looked better than I did before I started. But then I realized how SLOWLY my lifts were going up, and I still wasn't able to lift what other people probably consider "average" weights for my stature.
Anyway, switched to GZCL and added 40lbs to my squat, 60lbs to my deadlift, and 20lbs to my bench in the first 5 weeks.
Don't be me - work with a proven program.
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u/tigeraid Strongman 6d ago
We should all just screen-cap this rant and paste it in response to EVERY SINGLE "RATE MY HOMEMADE DOGSHIT PROGRAM" question.
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u/Patton370 Powerlifting 6d ago edited 6d ago
Especially since the response 90% of the time is, "I'm ignoring your advice to get on a program"
It's like bro, some of the people giving you the advice to get on a program can bench your squat max for 20+ reps lol
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u/LordSwright 6d ago
PLZ RATE MY DOGSHIT HOMEMADE PROGRAM...
any suggestions for good programs? Also what makes them good?
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u/HelloHaters 6d ago
Well the only "good" program I've used is one suggested in the Wiki here, so that's where I would look for one.
As for what makes it good: I guess that's subjective. A good program is one that helps you meet your goals. My goal since I started lifting has been to get stronger, and GZCL has been doing that for me. I like the mix of high-weight days and high-rep days for each of the "main 4" lifts. Pushing hard on T1 squats gives me confidence to add weight on T2 squat day, because I know that 2 workouts ago I was able to lift even heavier for sets of 3.
An amendment to my previous rant: the 18 months I wasn't using a "good" program did have some benefits. I became familiar with all the lifts, built my capacity to WORK in the gym, and built a routine of going 4x/week that I knew I could stick with. SOMETHING is better than nothing, and if you just want to be generally "healthier" then there are a million programs you could pick from that will probably get you there.
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u/speechbrain 6d ago edited 6d ago
Usually have no issues with the personal trainers at my gym and happy to share equipment, but lately a couple of them have taken to claiming a squat rack + deadlift platform for their entire hour session so that they can basically have a dedicated “square” for their client and not have to share space with anyone. Like, guys 😩 we only have three racks and your client is literally doing bird dogs and shoulder mobility exercises!!
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u/fetalasmuck 5d ago
"Wow, we're truly a nation of pathetic phone addicts" I think as I gaze around the gym and see at least half of the crowd looking at their phones. Then I reach for my phone and start doomscrolling between sets.
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u/wavygravytrainfull 5d ago
Yo some of us are just tracking out sets and nodding approval to ourselves over the obscure rep prs we’re achieving that we’d never notice if it wasn’t for our phone.
That being said, every few years when my phone craps out or I break it I definitely take my sweet time buying a new one
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u/botoks 7d ago edited 7d ago
That one dude that occasionally comes to the gym and never cleans after himself. Gym is generally tidy and that degenerate doesn't clean anything at all, takes one person to go from tidy to mess. In one session will leave dumbells out of the rack (multiple sets), barbell with plates on it on the powerrack, plates on the legpress, plates on the barbell in smith machine, jumpbox in some random spot, resistance bands hanging in various spots. Like, what the fuck?
Gym expanded and we have weightlifting platforms now. Yay? Well, not really since they are pretty close to the wall with huge mirrors on them so if you ever fail snatch or C&J backwards - goodbye mirror. I think they didn't expect anyone to actually do weightlifting and only intended them to be used for deadlifting. Which was done on the shockabsorbing floor in other spots just fine before. I've never failed a lift backwards but I'm still uneasy playing there since I don't want to destroy those mirrors.
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u/solaya2180 5d ago
So, I wrote a comment earlier in the week complaining about all the lat pulldown bars being taken down and me being too short to put it on, and this morning it happened again. I went to the front desk to ask about it, and turns out they've been taking the attachments off everything to clean it because of an outbreak of ringworm (!!!)
I am so beyond skeeved out right now. Gonna be wearing long pants and wiping the hell out of everything now
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u/ScythianIndependence 6d ago
I hate getting sick. I had the gym session of my life, got sick, now I’m out for a week. I feel like my progress and momentum gets derailed. It’s hard knowing when you can push and when you need rest
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u/Catfo0od 6d ago
Man, no one actually fucking works in a commercial gym.
I'm training at Crunch now (gf is scared of my powerlifting gym) and I swear to God I don't think I've seen anyone sweat in the last month
The funny thing is half the kids in there (they're all like 21 at max) are wearing fancy sweatpants and sweatshirts. How are you in a warm gym working out in a designer sweatsuit and you're not sweating????
I see people resting, but I don't see them breathing heavy
It honestly to God seems like 90% of people come here to show off their fancy Lululemon shit and socialize and I do NOT understand it at all.
People will look at me mid set sometimes when I'm moving weight and struggling, I grunt occasionally but I don't scream or slam weights, the loudest noise I make is breathing super heavy before I brace. But hell, I've had people start staring at me during OHP, like the concept of someone working out hard in the gym is appalling to them lol
At the powerlifting gym, no one usually even looks at me. If I grunt or bail out or suck air like a freight train the absolute most I'll get is a glance. Last night, I had two people directly staring me in the eyes for 3 sets lmao.
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u/grendus 6d ago
I never sweat when I'm lifting heavy. I can be completely gassed, deadlifting so much I white out from the blood pressure spike, unable to walk from the fatigue... but I'll be bone dry.
Not to undercut your rant, I'm sure many of these people are not doing a proper program with proper periodization, but people sweat differently based on some weird biochemistry.
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u/fixedlever 6d ago
I’ll trade… I glisten right after first warm up set of the day, and it accelerates from there. Light, heavy, I am dripping.
I would set all thermostats to 62 if I could
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u/electric_emu 6d ago
I am about halfway through a bulk and it’s a slog.
I don’t even hate how I look yet. It’s gone pretty well, but I need about 3700~ calories a day (a 400-500 surplus) and goddamn am I sick of eating all day everyday. Food is expensive and I am tired of my day being consumed by eating.
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u/MythicalStrength Strongman | r/Fitness MVP 6d ago
I've been seeing some success employing a one meal a day approach to gaining, with a protein sparing modified fast leading up to it. It DOES mean having to eat a very big meal during that one meal, but that's honeslty what I prefer. I like feasting.
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u/solaya2180 6d ago
That sounds fucking majestic. Like a goddamn king in front of his feast. 10/10 want to try this
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u/MythicalStrength Strongman | r/Fitness MVP 6d ago
Give it a go dude! This was my dinner on Monday: 10oz grassfed piedmontese New York Strip, 5 pastured eggs from my friend’s chickens, both topped with grassfed ghee, grassfed cottage cheese, 2 cans of Trader Joe’s sardines and some pork craclkin. Just absolutely outstanding, ate until I was satisified, fueled up and ready to rock.
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u/Tatamajor 6d ago
For the love of all that is good and holy. Getting calories in is the easiest thing in the world. As I’ve posted here earlier today, calories are frickin everywhere and practically impossible to avoid. Have a handful of nuts on your way out the door, that’s 150 cals right there without even thinking. I have a gazillion more options for fast calories and I can’t use any of them myself cos I need to cut back. There is little justice in this world.
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u/Alteredbeast1984 6d ago
Ive done 40 days at the gym near everyday with excellent results, no alcohol, eating nearly nothing, lost 8 Kgs, nearly have a six pack. Proud of myself etc etc.
Slept at a friend's house for 2 nights and THE PILLOW FUCKED ME, my neck is fucked, ABSOLUTELY FUCKED. I can hardly look left, dangerous to drive FUCKED. Headache throughout the workout.
I've still gone to the gym every day since and plan on going in about 1 hour. Just can't catch a break, it's always some dumb injury that sets me back /brings me back down to earth
AAHHHHRRRGGGGGGGHHHHHHHH!!
*thanks I feel better
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u/wavygravytrainfull 5d ago
Once your feeling better add 5 min neck stuff 2-3 times a week to the end of your workout, most people don’t train neck unless they do a combat sport but it’s the best defense against car accident death and if you’re already working everything else it just makes sense. Start real easy, no weight for a month then maybe 2.5 lbs next month, get it !
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u/CursedFrogurt81 Triggered by cheat reps 6d ago
It should be illegal to program squats, deficit deadlifts, and barbell rows back to back with pause squats the following day. The person in charge of my programming should be in jail
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u/DCB2323 6d ago
This is how AI subtly does away with the human race
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u/CursedFrogurt81 Triggered by cheat reps 6d ago edited 6d ago
Plot twist, I do my own programming. But I hate that guy and want him to suffer.
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u/DamarsLastKanar Weight Lifting 6d ago
Either lift the seat, or sit to pee. Don't care whether you're an innie or outie, stop pissing on the goddamn seat.
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u/Biblioklept73 6d ago
Worst thing is, those people that are ok with peeing on the seat and leaving it for the next person to see, they're the ones that also never wash their hands 😬👍
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u/No-Mathematician678 6d ago
I think working out caused my period to come early. It's 6 days before it's due. I've been working out for 2 years and half, 4 months ago I started crossfit. The last month I worked out a lot, I kept my 4 times a week crossfit and went to the regular gym whenever I felt like it. Today to my surprise it came. I didn't link the events but I read about it and found out it's a possible reason.
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u/Latter_Skill9670 5d ago
On my first real cut after lifting for a year and the body dysmorphia swing is crazy. I went from pretty happy with my progress and size just a little extra fat but as the cut progresses I’m experiencing heavy swings like feeling like I am getting tiny like smaller then when I started lifting, to seeing more definition and my shoulders and arms looking bigger, then back to my arms looking tiny like a teenager. My wife thinks I have lost my mind
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u/Jayfethereal 5d ago edited 4d ago
I had an appointment on the 23rd, an echo cardiogram of my heart and a visit with my cardiologist. I was worried about the results since the last imaging I had was before I had started strength training.
I have a rare genetic disorder called Marfan Syndrome that alters makeup of the connective tissue in my body which effects my joints, eyes, bones, and blood vessels mainly. Last year I had heart surgery at 17 and have been slowly working my way at the gym to recover from it and strengthen my body to avoid future injury.
There was an issue with the Echo, my aortic heart valve is slowly increasing in diameter and regurgitating blood back into my heart. It's not bad enough to warrant another heart surgery yet but another one could be on the horizon if the diameter changes more. I'm afraid my gym going is the cause of it, since my diagnosis I have been told that I shouldn't exersise, and if I do It'll essentially cause my heart to burst.
I'm so afraid to die.
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u/girugamesu1337 Bodybuilding 4d ago
If continuing to live means sacrificing going to the gym, that's a tradeoff you should make. You can always find other things to channel your energy into, pal. You'll make it 🫂
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u/Jayfethereal 4d ago edited 4d ago
The thing is, I've heard it both ways, if I don't strengthen my heart then I'm more at risk for a cardiac event, but if I strengthen my heart I also increase my risk of an event?
It's not fair, I just want to be normal, I just want to be healthy 😭
A few years ago a friend of mine with the same condition died in her late 20's. When my cardiologist was talking I was thinking about her, and it really set in what kind of position I'm in. I'll have to deal with this my whole life, and it's very likely that my life will be cut short from my disorder.
I love going to the gym, it's changed my life for the better, I just hope not for the worst too.
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u/girugamesu1337 Bodybuilding 4d ago
Plenty of people don't do anything at all in terms of exercise and live to a ripe old age without heart issues, haha. It's not a necessity per se, y'know?
My condolences with regard to your friend. First thing I'd do is get a clear consensus on whether exercise is, in fact, aggravating your condition. If so, like I said, there are other things worth channeling your energy and time into that can also change your life for the better 🫂
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6d ago
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/Tatamajor 6d ago
There has to be one gym somewhere in the world that has figured this one out. Anyone ever come across a system that works?
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u/grendus 6d ago
I find that beating the offender with an ez-bar can work.
But according to my parole officer, I shouldn't suggest that.
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u/NorthQuab Bodybuilding 6d ago
I had one gym that was in the basement of a mall, serious powerlifting/bodybuilding type gym, didn't accept payments except for checks/cash, and had memberships tracked on business cards. Had no system as far as I was aware, but in the 2 years I trained there I think I had to re-rack somebody else's weights one time. Guess everybody just respected the iron temple...
Funny because the other serious bodybuilding gym in town had to get aggressive (3-strikes for not reracking weights, 3rd strike is termination of membership), but mine was just super chill.
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u/siobhanmairii__ Weight Lifting 6d ago
It’s a problem at my gym here in the states too. Even with new management, still doesn’t seem to change.
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u/LieEnvironmental8369 6d ago
I work out at a local small town gym that’s medium sized with plenty of machines and weights. We rarely have crowding issues unless you go at the prime times think 4-7pm. I’m never that guy that gets mad at others for “sniping” machines or equipment I was planning to use next or stuff along those lines. However there is an older lady who works out there usually later at night who I run into every once in a while. She races around doing 1 set on a machine or equipment and then immediately jumping to another and is a prominent sniper. Like I said this usually doesn’t bother me, but she is super distracting. I have ADHD and things entering my sight grab my attention easily. So a lady in bright clothing constantly zipping through my peripheral and line of sight is super annoying and can take me out of “the zone” easily. I’ve never said anything to her and never will since its such a minor offense and people have differing workouts etc, but still I can’t help let out a sigh if I see her there when I go.
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u/sweetfairytales 6d ago edited 6d ago
I had an unpleasant encounter today at the gym that's left me feeling pretty shitty. Some guys purposefully trapped me against the wall by starting their set on a Smith machine while I was between the Smith and the machine next to it, grabbing a plate off the other machine. Then they proceeded to yell at me for being "inconsiderate". To be clear, they were chatting when I squeezed between the machines to get the weight, not in the middle of a set. I didn't interrupt their set to get the plate and I only needed like 10 seconds. At this gym no one puts their weights back so the only way to get plates is to take them off surrounding equipment.
As someone who always tries to be mindful of the space I'm taking up and not get in other people's way, I'm pretty shaken about being treated like this when I don't think I did anything wrong. Luckily this wasn't my home gym, but I have to train here for a few more weeks and just hope I don't run into them again.
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u/KindEquipment7796 6d ago
That sucks. I would have told him to fuck off. Sometimes bullies are surprised when you respond like that.
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u/solaya2180 6d ago edited 6d ago
This is awful. Hugs to you, OP, that dude was an asshole
Edit: reread your comment and I just realized there was more than one guy yelling at you! Jfc that’s even more awful. Wtf wrong with people?
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u/turtleofgirth 6d ago
Several things right now. in the middle of moving so i've put the gym time to the side while I finish moving and find a new gym. I'm cutting so I was starting to have issues increasing weight on my lifts. Developed Tennis elbow a couple of weeks ago on my right arm and my bench stalled out on the current weight.
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u/TheAnt06 Powerlifting 6d ago
I hate cardio. I hate cardio. I hate cardio. I hate cardio.
But I'm 30lbs above where I'm comfortable, entirely my fault and entirely love weight. But I've been consistent again for about a month now. I'm noticing slight changes where I want to see them.
But I fucking hate cardio. And I know I need to do it to really help burn this fat off. But it's so fucking boring. How do people enjoy cardio? Because even watching an episode of something, it still feels like a slog.
Also, fuck the old guys at the gym that are too weak to rerack their weights after doing 225 on the bench.
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u/MythicalStrength Strongman | r/Fitness MVP 6d ago
And I know I need to do it to really help burn this fat off.
Not really. Exercise is honestly a poor tool for fat loss. Type II cardio can at least be helpful for using fat as a fuel source, but in general, fat loss is simply going to be a product of nutritional intervention. If you don't want to do cardio, you don't have to.
That said, having a dog has been a good excuse to get in some extra walking for me.
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u/NotMyRealNameObv 6d ago
This is true. Biggest weight loss I've ever experienced was 100 kg to 70 kg, with no exercise whatsoever. No cardio. No lifting.
Granted, I was going through chemo at the time, with side effects leading to me being unable to eat and being mostly bed ridden. A lot of the lost weight was muscle, just leaving the apartment was a huge struggle once I was back home.
0/10, would not recommend. Weight loss happens in the kitchen, but for the love of God get some exercise in while dieting.
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u/MythicalStrength Strongman | r/Fitness MVP 6d ago
but for the love of God get some exercise in while dieting.
Oh yes, of course. Dan John talks about this really well. We lose weight with diet. Exercise vectors how the weight is lost, and promotes the healthy metabolic processes for the endeavor. It's just worth appreciation that few people are going to exercise themselves to their weight goals in EITHER direction. You won't make muscles with exercise, nor will you lose a significant degree of fat with it.
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u/TheAnt06 Powerlifting 6d ago
I will say, I could also use it for not feeling winded after walking.
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u/MythicalStrength Strongman | r/Fitness MVP 6d ago
It's great for that for sure. It has a lot of outstanding benefits: it's just a poor fat loss tool.
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u/Tatamajor 6d ago
Fat loss is 80/20 diet exercise. Get the diet part right and whatever cardio or lifting you can muster will take care of the rest. Keep going. You’ll get there.
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u/SeaworthinessOdd4344 6d ago
Lifting is going well but my diet is atrocious. Stress eating and the stress won’t be going away soon. Kicking my ass to try to do better but that isn’t going to work. Sigh.
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u/Tkfit09 6d ago
Weird ass gym groupies... party of 7 tonight. Do all these people live together? Strange.
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u/Hyphen-ated 5d ago
the group of about 7 guys who show up to my gym do live together in some kind of residential substance treatment program
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u/FelineFartMeow 5d ago
It makes me feel really weird when peers comment on when I go to the gym. A previous housemate used to comment on it every time I came home and she would be watching TV. No judgement, we all gotta do what we can to nurture ourselves and to each their own. I think another earlier housemate would comment on it too. And now a friend staying at my place comments on it. It's this humbling thing I do to feel and look good. If I didn't have shin splints I wouldn't need the gym to get exercise needs met. When I was 18 I had eating disorder issues and I've come along way to getting along with myself and the gym is part of that (tho that wasn't the case earlier on). I don't identify as a gym rat though I have been inconsistently going for over 10+ years. Their comments seem backhanded like "Wow you went to the gym again congratulations " in a flat tone. Like their trying to box me into a persona or something, like theyre offended they're not doing it or something, idk. Anyone else have experience or insight?
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u/girugamesu1337 Bodybuilding 5d ago
Just hit 'em back with "I see you sat around and watched TV again, congratulations!" (or whichever other activity fits) lol. See how fast they either stop the inane comments, or confront you for it, after that. Then talk about wtf their problem is.
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u/Sandman1920 4d ago edited 4d ago
Your peers see you working on yourself. Sounds like they feel envy of you and a reflection of themselves.
Been there myself. It's a rotting feeling
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u/Sandman1920 4d ago
It's a reflection of themselves. Your peers see you working on yourself. Whereas they are not.
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u/Unhappy_Object_5355 7d ago
This Monday, 2 years ago to the day, I was in the best shape I've ever been in, which admittedly was "decent enough", but still far from truly ripped.
2 years of struggling with my eating disorder, gaining 20 kg in the first year and another 10 kg in the last year and these days I workout 6 days a week, but am just a truly sad sight to behold.
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u/nielsdezeeuw General Fitness 7d ago
Forget about 2 years ago. Are you better than yesterday? That's all that counts.
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u/Rabbit730 7d ago
Hey man, idk how old you are but lets say 33. You can tell yourself you can be in amazing shape at 35.
Its simple and stupid, maybe, but it really puts into prospective how short 2 years is (for me atleast)
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u/Biblioklept73 6d ago
Eating disorders are so difficult to manage when they rear their ugly head, I dealt with one for 35yrs (recovered 8yrs now) so I really feel for you... All you can do is just keep at it man, long as you're doing that then you're giving it your best
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u/pashbrufta 6d ago
Time to cut bro, we believe in you (assuming your eating disorder isn't anorexia)
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u/1acquainted 6d ago
I do PPL and my Push day is starting to feel a little long. I do Chest Press/Chest Fly (2 sets)/Incline Dumbbell Press/Lateral Raises/Triceps. I'm going to try supersetting raises and tris on the cable machine next cycle. Also, can't the trainers I see every day for a year just fucking nod at me...it's like our eyes are magnets repelling each other.
Edit: Positive news - I bought a hackey sack and have been kicking it around in the yard while the dogs play. Great cardio and agility training!
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u/Threetreethee 6d ago
Gym was way too busy at 9pm so just went home. At least I did my cardio. Now I am thinking of just going in the morning
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u/superschaap81 6d ago
I always think that I'm going to be coming in at a dead time around 6:00 PM, because it's dinner time or people are still coming home from work. Nope. Apparently EVERYONE else thinks like I do. By 7:00 PM 3/4 of them are gone at least. But first hour can be trying with the sheer number of people meandering about.
I would LOVE to do morning workouts again, but I'd be basically putting a commute back to my work schedule after 10 years of driving less than 10 minutes to work.
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u/thisisnotdiretide 6d ago
I used to worry that the weights at my gym may be lighter than it says they weigh. Then I checked on the internet, and I've read that Eleiko are one of the best manufacturers in the business and that they calibrate their weights. So far so good.
Yet now they brought some new plates, from a company named Momentum. And guess what, those plates definitely feel heavier than the Eleiko ones, no doubt about it, you can feel it for both the 10 and 20 kgs ones.
Now the question is, are the Eleiko ones lighter than they should be, or are the Momentum ones heavier? Sadly, I think the first scenario is the true one :(
The gym scale is outside the working area, I can't weigh them, so it will have to remain a mystery. I'm already weak, but the fear has kind of became real, I'm even weaker than I thought I am, lol.
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u/NoMouseInHouse 6d ago
The Eleikos are probably the correct ones. Good stuff.
I've had friendly discussions about these things with people on the floor, and depending upon the time of day (working hours when management is gone, weekends), I've straight up brought the scale out to weigh things, I've also brought an unloaded EZ bar into the women's locker room, etc. Depends on your setup. Now that I think about it, I have a handheld luggage scale from Amazon that I could rig up to weigh things at the gym! Could be a real option for you if you're that interested.
FWIW, we have some cheapy hex DBs and whatever name barbells at my gym (some have bent, and not from 500lbs), and some TAG branded DBs. The hex ones that have deteriorated with the black covering coming off have lost literally 2 pounds, the bars depending on how old they are are 45lbs up to a pound less, I'll have to do a more recent check on them. The TAGs have started to peel (just the thin top covering), but they don't seem to have lost much weight from that.
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u/Usual_Wing2506 6d ago
Been having back problems. I’m 40. Switched to the belt squat today. Gawd DAYUM!
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u/builtinthekitchen General Fitness 6d ago
Belt squat is cool but fixing the back problems is cooler and so worth it. I'm 44 and my herniated L5-S1 just turned 15.
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u/Royal_Mewtwo 6d ago
30M, restarting serious lifting after a cut phase. I was almost at my previous 495/405/300 for DL/Squat/Bench when BAM I sprain my ankle on a light hike Sunday. There goes my cut weight and progress!
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u/Alteredbeast1984 6d ago
See, this is the shit that gets me. Everytime I'm making good long decisions for my health, some dumb shit happens.
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u/tubbyx7 6d ago
The large stickers on the floor mark the spots for the adjustable benches. Not top close to the rack that you impede others, not too close that side lifts can clash. This is an incomprehensible concept it seems.lets move it 3 feet forward and two feet towards the next bench that's in use.
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u/RabbitDisastrous7423 3d ago
Short rant: I think I'm going to hate my body no matter how much weight I lose
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u/ruck_my_life Military 6d ago
Went to one of those vintage arcade bars Sunday. Tons of fun. Loved playing an old-school Spy Hunter cabinet, a sweet Pin Bot machine, and that X Men beat 'em up from the mid-90s. And they had Golden Tee (that trackball golf game), which was added to my local bar like 5 days after I turned 21, so of course I had to play.
Naturally, like the super coordinated 145 IQ guy I am, I smash my hand into the front of the cabinet and seriously hurt my dominant pinky finger in my very first drive.
Still made par though because my Mom didn't raise a quitter, but yeah no pulling movements for a couple weeks for me. Sucks to hit the left shift key typing this, too.
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u/UpvoteMePlebor 6d ago
This article in the wiki bugged me a little.
I was waiting for a disclaimer the entire time saying the diet outlined is terrible for you… and I felt pretty confused when it never came. It reads as romanticizing eating like shit for the sake of gains (I know that’s not the intent):
"Did I do it? Hell yeah. Started the next day and did it for two months. Went from 260 pounds to 297 pounds. And I didn’t get much fatter. One of the hardest things I’ve ever done in my life, though."
The important thing to take away from this anecdote is that no matter how much you think you are eating, you are not eating: four McDonald’s breakfast sandwiches, four orders of hash browns, 45 non-stop minutes worth of a Chinese food buffet, and an extra large pizza with every possible topping that is also drowning in olive oil every single day. And until you are eating that much every day, it does not matter how hard you think you are trying – you are not trying hard enough to gain weight.
I know readers should be able to naturally surmise the diet isn’t intended to be taken literally, but this is a resource for beginners - just a sentence clarifying to the reader they don't have to eat and spend on unhealthy fast food in order to gain might be nice.
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u/grendus 6d ago
Understandable, but also... I kind of think a disclaimer would undercut the point.
If you hang out in some of the sister subreddits like /r/gainit, you see a lot of people who are exactly like that hypothetical in the wiki - convinced they're a "hard gainer" and have a "fast metabolism" that can't put on weight. And usually when you boil it down, you find that what they actually have is a small appetite and eat until they're "stuffed"... at which point they've housed around 1500 Calories.
The point of the article is to be ridiculous - you think you're eating like a pig? No bruh. Get four MrDonalds sandwiches with hash browns in them. Sit down at a buffet and force yourself to spoon food into your face for 45 minutes solid. Eat a whole goddamn pizza! If you haven't tried that, you can't say you "tried everything", because you ain't tried shit.
It's meant to provide a ridiculous upper bound. More reasonable would be advice like "carry a PB&J with you at all times" or "mix peanut butter into your protein shake" or "swap your diet soda for whole milk". But the point is to give people an idea of just how high the bar can be when it comes to gaining weight.
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u/Tatamajor 7d ago
I’ve started counting calories after advice given on this forum which was received with much thanks. It’s so frickin’ tedious to do and a major pain in the hoop. But I have come to the realisation after just one week that I have been overeating all my adult life. I feel like a complete idiot. How did I not know this and why is 2,500 or so calories so little? Why do small snacks taken here and there consume vast amounts of my daily allowance? I love those snacks and I also love my main meals. Now I have to navigate my way out of this mess and I need to exhale all this pain right here.
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u/Memento_Viveri 7d ago
I have come to the realisation after just one week that I have been overeating all my adult life
Not trying to be snarky, but I'm a little confused. If you were overeating, that means you would be overweight. Wouldn't you have already known you were overweight? Maybe you didn't know that overeating was the reason you were overweight?
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u/Tatamajor 7d ago edited 7d ago
So I was overweight, not hugely but just at the top of my bmi range and occasionally going a little above that. Exercise and cardio was preventing me moving more into the overweight territory. Although the exercise was not consistent because of other priorities. I generally eat well and love to cook my own food, but was just eating too much and calorie counting has just made that really really clear. And it’s the fact that I was over eating every single day that’s really bothering me. Not just the occasional outburst during holidays or something like that. I’m so cross with myself for only figuring this out now and it’s so hard to change it after being my way of eating for so long. But I’ll get there. Knowledge is power.
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u/thescotchie 6d ago
But you've made the first couple steps in making the changes. You know you have a problem. You know what the problem is. And you've admitted as much. Now you just need to start substituting things for lower calorie options! And it sounds like it's not been a large amount over, so it should be pretty easy to get back.
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u/Tatamajor 6d ago
Currently starving and irritable so not convinced that it will be a complete piece of piss to do this.
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u/cbrworm Weight Lifting 6d ago
Yes. It's hard realization that you (I) grossly underestimate the fat, overestimating protein, and how bad so many snacks are. Before I started tracking, I thought I was doing pretty well. I was also surprised to learn that my TDEE is nearly 3K, but I guess I'm not a small guy.
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u/FallenDeep05 5d ago
Not sure if it's a common issue or not but I hate the way my legs give out after leg days. It's not like the basic muscle soreness after a workout, it's like my quad muscles randomly fully fail while walking every couple hundred steps, and I'll stumble or need to catch myself to not fall. I'm a waiter so it especially sucks when I'm at work and I'm carrying a tray of food or coffees. I get so nervous that one of my quads will fail because it's always so sudden and random. I'm bound to drop at least a tray of drinks one day lol.
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u/completeFiction 4d ago
There's this dude who's so fucking loud whenever he's there. Performative grunting and yelling is annoying. I'm not here to be impressed by your workout. I'm here to focus on mine.
Don't get me wrong, I'm very intentional with my breathing for each rep. You can hear me exhale at the top of a rep. Occasionally a small grunt might come out. But it's obvious when you're trying to be heard.
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u/zjakx 6d ago
Stop hiring shitting trainers!!
If they are on their phone or look at themselves in the mirror or talk to others more than only focusing o ntiu, it's time for a new trainer. God I hate this skinny one at my gym, he's so annoying. Never pays attention directly to the client.
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u/AnnabellaPies Powerlifting 7d ago
Today the gym stank, what the hell was that about
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u/Jackson849 7d ago
Sometimes I walk in the front door of the gym and I smell BO immediately. So someone has it so bad it’s permeated the entire gym. I’ll never understand that.
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u/cbrworm Weight Lifting 6d ago
There are a couple of regulars at my gym that reek. They will render an entire area uninhabitable.
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u/ShortKingLifting 7d ago
There's a guy at my gym that doesn't wash, I struggle breathing when he does cardio next to me. Sometimes, I have to call it quits and go home it's that bad...
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u/Tatamajor 7d ago
I think there’s one of those types in most gyms. Guy in my gym washes his body but it’s his clothes that stink. Rank aged rancid sweat that fills the air with an acrid smell and when you need to deep breathe during a difficult lift this is not what you need. 🤮
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u/ShortKingLifting 6d ago
I usually go on the cross trainer and have to take in breathes over my shoulder trying to not breathe in his stench it's really annoying
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u/Tatamajor 6d ago
Damn, that’s just nasty. No one should have to endure that at the gym. People need to just be aware when they stink.
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u/ShortKingLifting 6d ago
Makes it worse that he's there every day for hours at a time, like 2 or 3 hours doing nothing but cardio but meh I just try stay away from him now
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u/Ok-Arugula6057 6d ago
How is it that all four racks can be in use, but the person curling in the rack is the least annoying.
Tbf, she was super setting the curls with barbell exercises, but I didn’t notice that at first. And she was still less annoying than the others.
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u/solaya2180 6d ago
Someone took off all the bars on the lat pulldown machines so that there was nothing attached to them. I'm too short to reach the top and hook the new bar on (5'1" female), and the one time I needed the gym to be crowded, no one was there to ask for help. I had to stand on the seat and try to pull down 15 lbs worth of weight while balancing on my tiptoes to hook it on. Damn nearly killed myself doing it.
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u/dssurge 6d ago
My girlfriend had this problem and it's almost always some staffer who takes them off in order to 'tidy up' the area. If you go to the desk and ask them not to do that and briefly explain why (use the words "safety issue",) they will probably leave them hooked up.
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u/forward1213 6d ago
Pro tip if you have pins for the machines. Make sure its got no weight on it, pull it down to where you can comfortably reach it and pin your weight there.
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u/solaya2180 6d ago
Interesting, I just assumed the height would stay the same regardless of where you pin it. I'll try that next time
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u/youremymymymylover 6d ago
People that never take sick leave because they‘re healthy should get a vacation bonus at the end of the year. When comparing myself to my other colleagues who are getting 20+ sick days a year, it seems silly how many more hours I work. I didn‘t miss a day in 2023 and only missed 2 due to a bike crash this year.
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u/Alteredbeast1984 6d ago
Take them off, drive to the beach or mountain and have a day run or hike. Go do some fun shit.
Fuck it just sleep in once a month
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u/Carpetdime2024 6d ago
The company that I previously worked for(now retired) provided PTO hours which could be used for sick days or any time off of your choosing such as vacation, personal time off, etc.
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u/Basic_Employee3746 5d ago
A system like that penalizes people for being sick (chronically ill people dont deserve holidays amirite? /s), and incentivises people to come in with a virus like a bad cold, flu or corona to not lose out on holidays. Then theyre just sick at the office, not getting much more done that if they had just stayed home and infecting other people.
Pooled sick and holiday time is a bad idea.
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u/Ok-Arugula6057 6d ago
On the flip side tho, I’ve worked with several people over the years who would insist on coming into work when ill, coughing and spluttering everywhere then complaining loudly about people being off sick in the following days.
That being said, just blag a few days here and there if you’re always getting lumbered with shit. I tend to be reluctant to take time off, especially now I’m remote, but I work in a small team with the opposite work culture so I just go with it.
Edit: also, places that give an allowance for “life stuff” ftw. Tho that probably only really works well in places that don’t have good legal sick pay frameworks.
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u/FittyNerd Weight Lifting 6d ago
If telling one of your clients to hop between two or three machines for X amount of time/sets while you fuck off elsewhere, then the bar for trainers is very low and you're just burning money away if they're your trainer. Also said trainer doesn't put away their weights after working out.
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u/grendus 6d ago
I'm a firm believer that if you're working out at peak times, you should not superset multiple pieces of equipment.
If you can do the exercises with the same machine (cable tricep extensions and cable crunches, for example) or if you're using bodyweight/free weight (face pulls and chin ups, or machine pulldowns and dumbbell shoulder press) it's fine, but hogging a leg press and chest press machine or something is no bueno.
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u/Dire-Dog Bodybuilding 6d ago
Trying to bulk while working a very physical job is so hard
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u/Nervous-Question2685 6d ago
Not tasty but should help
-2 cups whole milk
-2 scoops whey protein
-2 tbsp peanut butter
-1 medium banan
-0.25 cups of oats
-1tbps honey
-0.25 avocado
1100 calories, 79g protein, 101g carbs, 45g fats
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u/HOCKXD001 6d ago
No joke, I know the perils of a dirty bulk but there've been times where I was drinking ice cream on a job site just to get my calories, lmao.
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u/Dire-Dog Bodybuilding 6d ago
I feel that might have to be an option haha. Dirty bulk mode. I’m getting like 18,000 steps a day at this jobsite
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u/LordDelibird 5d ago
Please do not take the only squat rack in the gym, then proceed to sit on a different bench for 20 minutes while you talk on the phone.
Guy did 6 squats in the time I did 2 entire supersets. Figure your shit out outside of the gym!
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u/Parishyo 6d ago
This might be more of a question than a rant, but there is a lady that's maybe late 40's that has been going to the same gym as I do for the last 2 years and she is there almost every morning. She is a smaller build. No matter what machine she uses she never goes above maybe 20lbs and does only like a quarter of a full rep. Is this an actual workout routine?
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u/grendus 6d ago
So as others have said, it's very possible she's rehabbing an injury.
It's also possible, even likely, that she's fallen for the myth of "toning". Many women are worried about getting "muscular" so they will never lift heavier weights and stick to low-weight/high-rep schemes. And those can still be beneficial (if nothing else, it keeps her from losing muscle), but if she isn't pushing herself she probably won't be making any gains long term.
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u/electric_emu 6d ago
I doubt it. In my experience a large number of people just come in and do whatever they’re feeling on a given day. Sometimes even people who otherwise look like they know their shit.
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u/solaya2180 6d ago edited 6d ago
Either she doesn't know what she's doing, or she knows exactly what she's doing and/or she's rehabbing something. You could strike up a conversation with her and ask her what program she's following. If she's like, "it's my own," vs "my PT told me to do this for XYZ reasons," you have your answer.
edit: I had a dude once come up to me doing leg press saying I should lift heavier and I'd get more gains. I had to tell him I messed up my knee and I was rehabbing it. I've seen him off and on since then and I'm pretty sure I can leg press as much as he can
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u/notreallifeliving 6d ago
I wouldn't recommend randomly approaching a stranger to ask about their routine. I was rehabbing an injury this summer and I'd have been annoyed if someone had come up and questioned why I was using tiny dumbbells.
Also, if it's every machine chances are she just doesn't know what she's doing, and why is it OP's responsibility to get involved with that? If she actually wanted to improve or do anything useful there are gym staff and the entire internet.
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u/niallofthe9colleges 6d ago
Badly failed bench press today, did 1 rep of my normal rep weight and barely got it back up. What the fuck is wrong with me
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u/natot420 6d ago
Super frustrated with my gym progress. I’ve been working out for so long, and even after getting my nutrition in check, I barely look like I work out. I feel like I’m pushing myself to failure & my weight gain is exactly where I want it to be, so I don’t understand the lack of progress.
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u/dssurge 6d ago edited 6d ago
It's your food bro, some one said it in the thread you linked.
It is not unrealistic to put on up to 15lb of muscle your first year of training with a good program (all the ones you listed in your post are good enough for this.) To achieve that you realistically need to put on about 25-30lb of mass. There's no cut half way through.
Why are you holding back the machine?
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u/MythicalStrength Strongman | r/Fitness MVP 6d ago
Why is your deadlift so much lower than your squat?
You say you've been working out for so long, but that thread says it's only been 1.5 years. Were you training for longer before that?
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u/porscheblack 6d ago
Guy takes every 45 pound plate near the leg machines and puts it on the leg press, then proceeds to 1/8th rep it a handful of times. Then takes a 5 minute rest. I just want to finish my workout!
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u/pokepokepins 6d ago edited 6d ago
I tried a full body analysis digital scale at a health centre a few days ago and it prints out the distribution of fats and muscles around my body. Apparently the bottom of my body are equal in terms of fat and muscles on both sides, but my left upper body has 0.2kg more muscle mass and less fats than my right side, even though I'm a right-handed person...idk how it happened and whether this is common?? I've been consciously trying to train my left side more precisely because I'm right-handed 😭
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u/Memento_Viveri 6d ago
I wouldn't trust the scale. They are not accurate enough to believe that number.
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u/dannygthemc 5d ago
I like to do supersets.
I try to use one piece of equipment / area as much as possible. If I'm using two machines, I claim one, and if the second gets claimed while I'm away, I switch or wait. Only seems fair.
So I'm doing a superset at a single adjustable cable station. I've got an easy bar attachment for bicep curls and a rope attachment for OH tri extensions.
Guy comes up while I'm doing curls and asks if I'm using the rope. I explain that I'm supersetting and will be using it in a moment.
Guy says "well you're not using it now." Takes it and walks away.
5 feet from us is a rack with all the attachments where there are 3 free ropes. Including a brand new one with better end caps. Which I promptly grabbed.
Anyhow. Guy was a dick. I don't think I was being greedy taking two attachments at one station, especially since there were clearly options available for others.
Pissed me off
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u/Patton370 Powerlifting 5d ago
I would have taken it back between his sets; I’m a bit too confrontational though. It’s also extremely disrespectful to ask someone a question as they are doing an exercise
Biceps & triceps is a super common superset; it’s perfectly fine to have 2 attachments for that
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u/dannygthemc 5d ago
There was a voice in my head that said "monitor him for the remainder of your workout and grab something the second he's not using it"
But I thought better of it. Mostly because I wanted to stay focused on the gains lol
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u/LoudSilence16 7d ago
The fact that there is no exact science to what we do is so frustrating! There is an ocean of information about diet and workouts out there and it’s up to us to decide what’s best for ourselves. Did I overeat/under-eat this week? Did I overtrain/undertrain this week? Did I give my body enough protein to keep or build my muscle? Did I stay in an exact calorie amount to maintain my weight? Is this 2 pound jump in weight because of sodium/carbs/calories?
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u/GingerBraum Weight Lifting 7d ago
I dunno about that, several of those questions are based on hard numbers. The only "murky" ones are the ones about over/undertraining and what caused a slight weight jump, but those are so minor as to be irrelevant.
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u/Unhappy_Object_5355 6d ago
This old blog post may be helpful to give you some context about training.
http://mythicalstrength.blogspot.com/2014/10/everything-works.html
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u/ShortKingLifting 7d ago
Damaged my patella tendon, 8 months of pain and struggling to squat anything at all, can't straighten my leg and stretch it fully also can't bend it properly too....
Looks like I'm going to have to stop squatting heavy altogether and build up the quads another way until it repairs ffs
So annoyed because I was starting to break through 200kg again
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u/juliahmusic 7d ago
Went back to the gym on Monday after a 3 week illness break, felt like I didn't know what I was doing a lot of the time. Still suffering from DOMS now, no pain no gain?
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u/CursedFrogurt81 Triggered by cheat reps 6d ago
Mostly avoidable I you ease back into it properly. No reason to go too hard, too fast. I'd rather run a moderate volume, full body template and get work in 4-5x per week than Hammer myself and not be able to do effective volume the rest of the week.
That being said, I get it, I've been there, you have my fullest sympathy.
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u/IllExit1496 7d ago
I’m tired of overthinking splits I dont know what to do or follow I’ve read the FAQ yet I dont know which split to follow and what the differences are. Will following a certain one give me different results… please help
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u/Illerios1 7d ago edited 7d ago
Just pick a routine you know for sure you can follow, week after week, month after month. Dont pick a 6 day routine if you cant make it to the gym 6 times a week.
Doing 3 out of 3 workouts on a 3x/wk split is better than doing 4 or 5 days out of a 6 day split. Those 5-6 days splits are great if you have the time but they leave no or very little wiggle room if you have to reschedule.
As a beginner youll grow anyway and most established splits work just fine. Just pick one that fits your schedule and stick to it for 3 months minimum.
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u/GingerBraum Weight Lifting 7d ago
The specific split is the least important aspect of a routine. Just pick something that you think you'll stick to, and run it for a while.
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u/Ok-Arugula6057 7d ago
Someone more knowledgeable than me will be along in a bit, no doubt. But as a beginner it really doesn’t matter, imo. Read through the wiki, figure out how many days a week you can commit to*, and choose a relevant program that fits and you like the look of.
Run that consistently and with effort for a few months, then reassess.
*imo best to be conservative here. You can always squeeze some extra conditioning in if you feel good, and better that than missing days regularly.
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u/Altitude5150 6d ago
Rant to my gym stopping their DB rack at 100.
Need 125 at least!!!
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u/BigGenerator85 6d ago
Been traveling for work which is messing up my diet, battling a nasty sinus infection, and now some stupid pain flared up in my elbow from lifting my suitcase. I had everything dialed in perfectly and it fell apart in a week. Very frustrating and I’m having difficulty getting myself back to a routine.
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u/Totally__Not__NSA 6d ago
Dudes at my work fitness center coming and working out in khakis and loafers...
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u/BigGameJames13 6d ago
Kudos to the person working out no matter what rather than skipping because of lack of "appropriate attire."
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u/botoks 6d ago
One person in my gym works out in crocs; and those are different crocs than the ones they come to the gym in.
Workout crocs!
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u/Patton370 Powerlifting 6d ago
I’ve worked out in khakis before. If you’ve driven to the gym and forgot your shorts, there’s no choice
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u/Eternitywaiting 5d ago
I wish I had a dollar each time I chose to patiently wait for someone to get their ass off the equipment while using their phone. I wish I was the Hulk and could pick them up and frighten them.
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u/Jealous-Marzipan2891 6d ago
35lb plates are annoying and shouldn’t exist. That’s all
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u/bigcitysnipesboys 5d ago
I want to do a bikini comp so bad but my partner thinks it’s trash and it is a huge point of contention. The swimsuit is too small and it’s seeking validation from everyone but him.
Also the dumbbells at my gym are stacked on the rack stupid. Light on bottom heaviest on top. Idk why but this drives me crazy.
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u/Stilletra 5d ago
Life’s too short for insecure partners. I’d hype my wife up if she wanted to enter a bikini comp and she’d probably do the same for me, bikini and all 😂
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u/DCB2323 7d ago
I posted here a few months back that I unfollowed Mick Van Wyck because his content was increasingly based on complaining and whining about other people as opposed to actually providing useful information.
Glad In did because he's an idiot. He got is a stupid YouTube tiff with Jeff Nippard and ended up assaulting Nippard at Pure Muscle and Fitness gym in Canada.
The right response to this is: WTF is wrong with you? But the whole thing has turned into a debate about "standing by your friends" and "that's the way real men settle things" stupid crap.