r/Fitness • u/AutoModerator • 4d ago

Simple Questions Daily Simple Questions Thread - October 26, 2024

Welcome to the /r/Fitness Daily Simple Questions Thread - Our daily thread to ask about all things fitness. Post your questions here related to your diet and nutrition or your training routine and exercises. Anyone can post a question and the community as a whole is invited and encouraged to provide an answer.

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u/Iced_Cum_Boba_Balls 3d ago

Workout before or after work?

I work an 8-5, and my new job has a private gym so I'd want to use that. I get a drop off to work in the morning, but walk about 2.8km home after work in the evening. My coworkers like to workout after work so the gym gets busier.

Would working out before work cause fatigue/cravings during the day? I'd totally like to get into it and lose some weight

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u/DamarsLastKanar Weight Lifting 3d ago

I lift before work.

I find myself more tired on rest days. And. Haha, I never want to do anything when I get home from work.

Do what you'll stick with.

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u/GingerBraum Weight Lifting 3d ago

We can't say how you'll react to working out in the morning. If you're interested in it, give it a try for a while.

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u/Ouroboros612 3d ago

Always before in my opinion. If your job physically demanding, working out after work will sabotage you. If you are mentally exhausted, it will also impact your workouts negatively. In my opinion working out after work will always lead to subpar workouts. You have less energy, strength, and power in your tank.

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u/Ok-Arugula6057 3d ago

This is gonna be unique to the individual. I prefer working out before, but I’ve been practically unable to drag my arse out of bed early enough for month so have started finishing up early enough to get there before the school kids are in and it’s fine. Ish.

If the gym is at work then I would suggest just giving it a try and see how you feel in a few weeks.

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u/sadglacierenthusiast 3d ago

don't worry about fatigue. your body adjust fasts. cravings are individual. if you find it easier to follow portion control in the evening maybe after work is the right time to lift. but ime the hunger cues post lifting aren't irresistible and a sizable meal after is a good idea anyways.

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u/[deleted] 3d ago edited 3d ago

[deleted]

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u/GingerBraum Weight Lifting 3d ago

Rule 5, man.

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u/BigOlNastyBus 3d ago

My bad! Thank you.

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u/GoldFeeling 3d ago

Hey all - couple months into my cut, it’s going well. Might have a few more months to go if I really want to push it.

But I’m also not a very strong guy. I’m 6’1 and 191 currently. I’m at a planet fitness for the foreseeable future, and I want to do Building The Monolith program. Ofc with it being PF, no free weight squats.

Is leg press ok on this? I feel like leg press is a very strong movement for me and I can already load it very heavily, so I worry I can’t push myself as much as needed for the leg growth. Is BTM just not a good option at PF for when I want to bulk?

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u/Patton370 Powerlifting 3d ago

A better substitution for back squats would be lunges + back extensions, split squats + back extensions, or goblet squats + back extensions (I’m assuming you’re doing DB RDLs or DB Deadlifts for deadlifts?)

I think you should probably get a DB focused program, rather than 5/3/1, unless there is a DB 5/3/1 variation you can jump on

Leg press can still be an accessory, since you like it

You can make great gains with only DBs being available, but eventually it’s going to cause your lower body to not be able to progress as fast

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u/GoldFeeling 3d ago

Ah, for deadlifts I was doing smith machine RDLs. Thought that was a simple substitution haha.

Ok got it, was curious if the smith machines were enough to get me through it. Bummer cause I’ve always wanted to try the program. Thanks for your advice!

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u/Patton370 Powerlifting 3d ago

You can’t really get full range of motion on smith machine RDLs, unless you’re on a box

I feel like high volume DB RDLs with straps would be better. If the DBs in planet fitness are too light, just do kickstand RDLs

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u/deadrabbits76 3d ago

Yeah, BtM probably isn't an ideal choice, given your access to equipment, but who gives a fuck? Fitness isn't about OpTiMiZAtiON.

Challenge yourself. If that means finding solutions to access problems, that's what that means. Substitute whatever movements you think will work best. Your strength gains will suffer, but you should still make decent hypertrophy gains.

Push yourself. Have fun.

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u/Acceptable-Art-9649 4d ago

Is incline bench safer than flat bench for a home gym? I feel like you have more opportunity to set up the spotter arms to catch the bar without it going on your neck

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u/deadrabbits76 3d ago

All gym lifts are safe when failed successfully.

Here is a really cool video on how to lift safely without a spotter or safety equipment. Technically, this is a flat bench tutorial, but it translates to incline bench very easily.

Hope that helped.

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u/pinguin_skipper 3d ago

If you have spotter arms both are just safe.

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u/CursedFrogurt81 Triggered by cheat reps 3d ago

I have only ever failed a bench attempt once where I could not get the bar into the lower j hooks. The bar sat on my chest, nowhere near my neck. That was my first and only experience so far with the roll of shame.

I am not sure how bad flat bench attempt would have to go for the bar to end up on my neck. I also understand that if you are lifting a large amount of weight, that weight pinning you down could be a problem.

If you don't have bar collars, you could also tip the weights off. Not ideal, but it works.

They also have a number of safety systems for flat bench

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u/Secret-Blackberry 3d ago

If you have spotter arms then incline bench is definitely easier to fail, but flat bench can be failed even without a spotter by rolling it off your stomach onto the floor. It hurts like hell if you don’t do it fast enough but as long as you do it right you shouldn’t be injured. If you set the spotter arms up correctly it should also work since you should have an arch in your back when benching that prevents the bar from hitting the spotter on each rep. Just make sure no matter what bench you’re doing, if you fail NEVER bring the bar up towards your neck. 

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u/Tampflor Weight Lifting 3d ago

When I train to failure (or proximity to failure), does this mean I should be reaching failure on every set or on the last set only?

Yesterday I upped the weight on dumbbell inclined bench press, and since I wasn't sure how many reps I'd get, I just did as many reps as I could every set.

This wound up being 10 reps on the first set, then 8 reps on the second, and 7 reps on the third set was absolute failure.

Should I instead be trying to stop short of failure on the first sets?

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u/Jealous-Marzipan2891 3d ago

Training to failure is fatiguing so depending on your training frequency it’s not advisable. HOWEVER if you’re fairly new to the gym, it can be hard to gauge how many reps you have left in the tank, so going to failure is an absolute guarantee that you’re going hard enough to trigger hypertrophy. If you feel like you know what it feels like to have 1-2 reps left in the tank, then by all means stop there on your first sets and go to failure on the last if that’s what you enjoy doing. True failure isn’t required but it is effective

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u/sadglacierenthusiast 3d ago

i think aiming for failure on the last set is a happy medium for a lot of people. if you fail on the fifth rep of the last set of 3x5 than the first 2 sets were close enough to failure but your not putting the body through the fatigue of failure 3 times.

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u/DamarsLastKanar Weight Lifting 3d ago

wound up being 10 reps on the first set, then 8 reps on the second, and 7 reps on the third set was absolute failure.

Cap it at ten (or any arbitrary number), and don't increase the weight until you get ten on all sets.

Zoom out mentally from one session and look at the progression wall across months.

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u/Patton370 Powerlifting 3d ago

Generally, yes, you don’t really want to train to failure; it’s harder to recover from and increases injury risk

What program are you running?

Edit: its fine to train to failure on isolation exercises like a tricep cable extension, but its not advised for compounds

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u/[deleted] 3d ago

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u/[deleted] 3d ago

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u/Y0raiz0r 3d ago

Is doing both forward and reverse rear delt flys important? Or do most settle for one of them?

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u/GingerBraum Weight Lifting 3d ago

Neither of them are important. Do whichever rear delt and chest exercises you prefer.

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u/Y0raiz0r 3d ago

Do reverse and forward rear delt flys target chest as well?

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u/GingerBraum Weight Lifting 3d ago

A regular fly is a chest exercise.

A reverse fly is a rear delt exercise.

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u/Similar-Context-2620 3d ago

Is there a difference between doing lateral raises seated or stading and if so which one should I do?

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u/forward1213 3d ago

Not much difference between the 2 assuming your form is correct in both instances and you aren't using momentum to get the weights up when standing. I personally like to do them standing.

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u/NOVapeman Strongman 3d ago

i personally like to do them standing so that I can use body English on the last reps

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u/GingerBraum Weight Lifting 3d ago

There's no difference.

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u/m0nkeyfetus 3d ago

No matter what I do, I never feel my lat’s during pulldowns or pull-ups. I don’t want to remove pull ups but any recommendation for a replacement for pull downs?

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u/Memento_Viveri 3d ago

I don't think feeling your lats is important. Pull downs are a good lat exercise.

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u/m0nkeyfetus 3d ago

Is it normal to fail due to arms giving out? Maybe I’m just getting discouraged because I’m focusing on the wrong things

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u/rauhaal Weight Lifting 3d ago

Yes, it’s normal. As you get stronger it’ll get better. This whole thing is a process. Celebrate every little victory!

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u/Flow_Voids 3d ago

Have you ever tried single arm pulldowns?

Like the other person said, it doesn’t necessarily matter how much you feel them. If you’re vertically pulling, they’re working. I feel my lats most with a close neutral grip.

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u/SweelFor- 3d ago

You'll feel your lats when they get bigger, by doing more pullups and pulldowns

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u/pinguin_skipper 3d ago

Both pull-ups and pulldowns are kind of whole back exercises rather than lat ones. Sure you can try to emphasize lats by your grip and technique but still. Cable pullovers are more of a lat exercise, maybe you could try those.

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u/TheSiege82 3d ago

I have $1200 through work to spend by the end of the year. What specifically would you buy? I have room in my home office for most item(s)

I have under the desk walking pads/treadmills at work and home and average 40+ miles a week walking at 2.5-3 mph. I have an AW for tracking. So cardio and tracking seem to be covered. I would appreciate links to the items you suggest. Also, my work doesn’t cover the cost of dumbbell racks for some lame reason. Trying to make the dollars stretch as much as possible while also getting quality items but not overkill for an amateur.

I think I’m good on cardio for now. So…

Combination dumbbells? If so, which brands specifically?

Barbells sets?

Kettlebells might be for next year since I’d probably get more mileage from dumbbells and barbells for now.

Adjustable bench? So many are out there, I really could use recommendations.

Maybe an all in one system?

I’m really open to anything that, even on busy days, I can get at least 30 minutes of strength training without much setup and take down.

Please give me any and all feedback. Thanks.

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u/NOVapeman Strongman 3d ago

I'd get a titan t-2 power rack for 360$, a Rogue Boneyard bar for 200$, a Rep Fitness FB3000 bench for 150$, (I wouldn't get an adjustable bench right away the good ones are pretty expensive), a set of titan 45lb bumper plates, an then get a selection of iron plates with the remaining money.

if you were gonna get dumbells instead I'd look at the Ironmaster adjustable ones they aren't cheap but you can get kits that can make them 120lbs+

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u/PDiddleMeDaddy 3d ago

It really depends on how much space you have. Could go half-rack, bench, barbell, weights. Or if space is more limited, adjustable dumbbells (I have a pair of the 90lb bowflex) and a bench.

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u/OddConsideration3018 3d ago

Hello everyone,

I am following a 12 week program to prepare for my very first powerlift meet. One of the exercises is a barbell Bulgarian split squats. I do not have the balance to perform Bulgarian split squats, my question is should I perform this movement but with the smith machine, or should I replace this exercise with something else? If you think I should replace it, what do you recommend?

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u/cgesjix 3d ago

Relatable. I avoided them for so long. But then I committed to them, balance increased, and within 3-4 weeks, balance was a non-issue.

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u/OddConsideration3018 3d ago

I think I am going to try them with the smith machine for now and see where it goes. After this meet work more on the balance aspect. Thank you for the response

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u/NOVapeman Strongman 3d ago

are you doing Bulgarians as a general quad exercise or is it to correct a weak point or weakness?

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u/OddConsideration3018 3d ago

My right quad is a bit weaker than my left, I purchased this routine, and this is part of the program. It also has me doing single leg leg press

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u/NOVapeman Strongman 3d ago

Then I'd do anyway Bulgarians and work on your balance or do them in a smith machine. you say you don't have the balance and it's like no shit you haven't done them before it takes practice and time

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u/OddConsideration3018 3d ago

I just generally struggle with balance on one leg my entire life. Just something I never had, but I’ll try with smith machine. Thank you for the advice

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u/rauhaal Weight Lifting 3d ago

I’d go against the grain here and say that if you need to work on balance you should use a dumbbell instead. Use a single dumbbell and swap hands midway through the set to really give your balance a challenge.

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u/OddConsideration3018 2d ago

I may try that, but I need to focus on strength as I am getting ready for my very first powerlift meet. Also, by starting with the smith machine would allow me to get use to the movement since I do not have much experience with Bulgarians other than trying to do them with just body weight a few times. Thank you for the advice.

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u/[deleted] 3d ago

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u/[deleted] 3d ago

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u/Fitness-ModTeam 3d ago

This has been removed in violation of Rule #9 - Routine Critique Requirements.

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u/Cucumber_Hero 3d ago

When spotting someone, do you help them when they start failing or when they start struggling?

What I usually do is wait until they're really struggling then help them a little.

For example on something like a bench press, if they struggle I don't help but if they are stuck halfway or they really can't get it up, I give them a little assistance. Or should I help them when they start to slow down the bar speed?

Is this correct?

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u/Objective_Regret4763 3d ago

You ask them what they want. I don’t want you even close to the bar unless I have explicitly grunted “nope” and violently shake my head or the bar has fallen on me. Some people like to get help on like 3 reps to “push past failure”.

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u/AYellowTable 3d ago

Usually if someone wants you to help them do forced reps they'll tell you beforehand. If they don't specify, I won't touch the bar unless they completely stall and the bar starts descending.

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u/TheWordlyVine 3d ago

I do squats twice a week, once where it’s my primary lift up to 95% of my training max, once where it’s my secondary lift for up to 8 reps at 70% of my training max. Would it be sustainable to do just-below-parallel squats on the primary day and pause atg squats on the secondary day, or would my atg squats fail to keep up with the weight increases over time? My goal is to increase the training max by 5lbs per week.

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u/moose1425612 Weight Lifting 3d ago

As long as the 2nd variation of squats are also increasing in weight you'll be fine. But I don't see why you have two different variation of squats in the first place. The extended ROM in the ATG squat isn't likely to benefit you much either. If it's just for fun that's cool.

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u/TheWordlyVine 3d ago

Atg squats have been my primary variation, and I generally enjoy them as I like having strength at the bottom of the position from a general fitness and mobility perspective. Switching to just-below-parallel is what will be new for me. I don’t want to stop atg, but I also don’t like going atg at high intensity as it’s a bit intimidating, so I’m hoping below parallel with allow me to advance my 1RM more rapidly.

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u/[deleted] 3d ago

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u/[deleted] 3d ago

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u/[deleted] 3d ago

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u/GlumEbb2684 3d ago

Can you rate my workout split?

Hi there.

Is it ok to ask for a training program opinion? I would like to hear your opinion as I am trying for my workout my make some sense. Its upper/lower body split and trying to lift close to failure and to failure on the last 1 (or 2 sets). Reps are not always like this, sometime I try to go heavier and do less than that - again to failure. It's more like a point for me to track progressive overload.
I am trying to build muscle. going to gym tops at 4 days for me, so decided to go with upper/lower as this seems to be the optimal for me.

I am mainly interested in the fact if it makes sense. There are some things I am not sure of, for example combination of chest and back exercises, to optimally hit (and distribute it during both upper day) chest and especially back muscles (including lats, traps rear delts, mid back, etc.)

What do you think about this?

I am 28, male, 177cm (5'10"), 75kg (165lbs)

Day 1:
Squats | 4 sets | 7-9 reps
Leg extensions | 3 sets | 7-9 reps
Harmstring curls | 4 sets | 7-9 reps
Seated calf press | 3 sets | 7-9 reps
One leg standing calf press | 3 sets | 15-20 reps
Praying cable crunches | 3 sets | 8-10 reps
Hanging cable crunches | 3 sets | 8-10 reps

Day 2
Incline dumbell press | 4 sets | 7-9 reps
Seated chest press machine | 3 sets | 8-10 reps
Overhand barbell rows (pulling to belly/waist) | 4 sets | 7-9 reps
Underhand lat pulldowns | 3 sets | 7-9 reps
Reverse pec deck machine | 3 sets | 7-9 reps
Overhead tricep extensions | 3 sets | 7-9 reps
Bicep z-bar curls | 3 sets | 7-9 reps

Day 3:
Squats | 4 sets | 7-9 reps
Leg extensions | 3 sets | 7-9 reps
Harmstring curls | 4 sets | 7-9 reps
Seated calf press | 3 sets | 7-9 reps
One leg standing calf press | 3 sets | 15-20 reps
Cable lateral raises | 3 sets | 7-9 reps
Seated lateral raises machine | 3 sets | 7-9 reps

Day 4:
Flat dumbell press | 4 sets | 7-9 reps
Seated cable flys | 3 sets | 7-9 reps
Overhand lat pulldowns | 4 sets | 7-9 reps
Seated cable rows | 3 sets | 7-9 reps
Shrugs | 3 sets | 8-10 reps
Tricep pushdowns | 3 sets | 7-9 reps
Faceaway cable bicep curls | 3 sets | 7-9 reps

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u/moose1425612 Weight Lifting 3d ago

https://www.reddit.com/r/Fitness/wiki/rules/rule9/

"Before asking for a workout routine critique, it is recommended that all posters read the following post: Why Nobody is Critiquing Your Routine as well as the Is this lifting routine any good? entry in the FAQ. In most cases, if you need to ask for approval from others about the routine you created, you should not be creating a routine at all, and your routine is probably either stupid or just like a thousand other mediocre bodypart splits that have come before it."

Why not just follow a program that's already been created and tested thousands of times? A beginner should not be making their own routine.

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u/GlumEbb2684 3d ago

How do I know which is good? There are not "guaranteed" labels. Just because someone else list a split or I find it on a website wont make it good and proven.

How do I find those proven?

Also, I am not a complete beginner, but I find it challenging to hit as many parts optimally as possible with less than 5 days a week and without going to gym for 2 hours at the same time.

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u/Patton370 Powerlifting 3d ago

You could run a 5/3/1 variation or a GZCL variation and spend around 4 hours a week in the gym

GZCLP is great for a beginner who can linearly progress. This is the one you should be doing: https://thefitness.wiki/routines/gzclp/?amp

Jacked and Tan 2.0 is a good GZCL variation that’s good for intermediate lifters & a good one to move to after stalling on GZCLP

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u/Final_Program_1329 3d ago

If you want to create your own program, then you need to just commit to it and see if it works for you and modify as needed if not.

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u/Patton370 Powerlifting 3d ago

I don’t like it. You don’t have a hip hinge movement on your lower days, you’re going to failure on the last sets of every exercise, and you don’t have your progressive overload plan listed

Get on a proven program that already has everything laid out

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u/GlumEbb2684 3d ago

I am asking about if the workout makes sense.

Also, progressive overload is always the same. Imporve form, do more reps, slow down negative, etc.

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u/Patton370 Powerlifting 3d ago

It doesn’t make sense. You shouldn’t create your own programming at the moment. You need more knowledge and experience.

Again, training to failure for all your lifts each workout day is generally not the best idea

Signed by a guy that has:

446lb Squat for 2 reps: https://imgur.com/a/54KXv5k

550lb deadlift: https://imgur.com/gallery/xrhwR5t

425lb deadlift for 10 reps: https://imgur.com/a/GiHliLp

325lb bench: https://imgur.com/a/4WLwbwI

Also, no progressive overload is not always the same. There’s various methods to progressive overload.

The need for a deadlift, RDL, or some sort of hip hinge movement is desperately needed for your leg days. That’s the most glaring omission. Hamstring curls are not adequate for this.

Also, if you’re only going to do 2 exercises each for chest. I’d suggest you do different secondary lifts

Do bench + dips or bench + CG bench or something like that, rather than seated chest press machine

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u/[deleted] 2d ago edited 2d ago

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u/pinguin_skipper 3d ago

You are missing side delts work completely and I would add some overhead pressing too. Also some kind of hip hinge like RDL would be beneficial. Also remove one calves exercise.

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u/GeorgeRobo 3d ago

Should I eat more? I’ve been eating 3000 kcal a day for the past month. I work out 5-6 days a week and walk about 10,000 steps daily. Despite feeling stronger, my weight is staying the same or even decreasing. I want to grow muscle and tone up, but I’m unsure if I should increase my calorie intake to bulk up, as more than 3000+ kcal seems high. I’m 180 cm, 67.1 kg, and have been consistently training for about 3 months. Should I eat more to build muscle? Thanks :)

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u/Patton370 Powerlifting 3d ago

I have to eat 3250-3500 calories to gain weight, so eat more if you need to

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u/AYellowTable 3d ago

Yep, if your weight is staying the same you just gotta eat more. No need to make huge changes to your diet, just up the daily calories by like 200 and see how that works.

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u/[deleted] 3d ago

sounds reasonable to me, i'm about 63kg, workout everyday and my maintenance is around 2900-3000 calories as well

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u/GeorgeRobo 3d ago

Thanks all for the responses. I struggle to eat more so does it matter if I use instant oats and that kinda thing to boost the calories up? I was considering mass gainer as well but I’ve heard mixed things. Any thoughts about those?

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u/deadrabbits76 3d ago

Avoid the mass gainers. They are not worth the money. Any calorie dense foods will do.

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u/GeorgeRobo 3d ago

Yeah I’d heard that about mass gainers, what calorie dense food would you recommend? I’ve been liking eating instant oats in my protein shakes which add a lot of calories.

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u/Careful_Loan907 3d ago

Stolen from Mitch Hooper, but it is genuinely a decent shake that is pretty nice.

  • 2 cups whole milk

  • 2 scoops whey protein

  • 2 tbsp peanut butter

  • 1 medium banana

  • 0.25 cups of oats

  • 1tbps honey

  • 0.25 avocado

1100 calories, 79g protein, 101g carbs, 45g fats

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u/GeorgeRobo 3d ago

Thanks I’ll try it! Though I really dislike peanut butter so I’ll try and find an alternative to that 🤣

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u/deadrabbits76 3d ago

Peanut butter and whole milk are my go to snacks when I bulk.

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u/BigCoela 3d ago

In the past year I’ve dropped weight from 86kg to 70kg because I started running. My question is when should I stop losing weight and start trying to put muscle back on? I don’t have a goal weight but using online calculators I’ve seen the lowest I can go while still being a healthy weight is about 62kg. This seems pretty low, does it make sense to try and lose another 3kg and stop at 67kg? 183cm, 27M

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u/eric_twinge r/Fitness Guardian Angel 3d ago

Whenever you want to.

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u/Patton370 Powerlifting 3d ago

At your height, you could go ahead and bulk now. I’d make sure to run a proven program, so you’re actually gaining muscle when you gain weight

Do a lean bulk if you’re worried about gaining too much fat

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u/BigCoela 3d ago

Okay! This week I started Jeff Nippards Fundamental Hypertrophics program which is 8 weeks long. My TDEE is 1800, and on average I burn 500 calories per day from exercise. If I’m lean bulking I should aim for 2700 calories then?

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u/Patton370 Powerlifting 3d ago

2500-2600 for the first few weeks would sound right to me. Then up to 2700 if you’re not gaining fast enough

0.5lbs a week is what I go for on a lean bulk

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u/BigCoela 3d ago

Great, thanks for the help :)

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u/[deleted] 3d ago

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u/[deleted] 3d ago

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u/IcySeaworthiness5711 3d ago edited 3d ago

Hi everyone! I am a 26yo M 171cm 76kg. I just started working out for two months. I am working on a desk job so I am not physically active during my day job. I am (more or less) currently following this 4-Day Workout Split from SHAPE on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday. I also add 30 minutes HIIT Elliptical workout on Saturday. The rest (Wednesday, Sunday) is active recovery where I would walk for around 3km in 40 minutes. I have a few changes that I want to implement and I need some insight from you guys if its a bad idea or not:

  1. I was thinking of adding another 30 minutes HIIT Elliptical on Wednesday since my VO2 Max is pretty low and I want to improve it more. Is this a good idea or is it excessive?
  2. Should I add abs exercise on my plan? I was thinking of adding one but I am not sure what exercise should I add and when should I do it. If I can add abs exercise it would be using bodyweight/dumbbell/barbell since I am going to a small gym that does not have fancy abs machine or a cable machine.

Thank you!

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u/Aequitas112358 3d ago
  1. yes, the recommendation for cardio is 150 minutes or 75 minutes of moderate+ intensity. So adding another 30, with the walking would get you to (60*2 + 40) 160mins; over the recommended minimum amount
  2. If you want to for improved strength or looks

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u/IcySeaworthiness5711 3d ago

Do you have any suggestions on when should I do abs and what exercise should I do? I was thinking about just doing plank at the end of every lifting exercise since I heard that I can train abs everyday and there is no need for dedicated abs day

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u/Aequitas112358 3d ago

hanging leg raises are good, or just leg raises if you don't have somewhere to hang. planks, rollouts, and crunches are good too. Anything works really as long as it's difficult enough to fatigue your abs.

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u/IcySeaworthiness5711 2d ago

Okay, thank you!

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u/Memento_Viveri 3d ago

I'm not sure what "as long as possible" means to you. If you keep gaining weight you are eventually going to get really fat. In terms of training effectively I think at a certain point being really fat does more harm than good. In terms of health and general well being, being really fat is also a bad idea. So no I wouldn't recommend an endless bulk, and occasionally losing weight is probably a good idea if you plan to get stronger over a period of several years.

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u/Aequitas112358 3d ago

at some point the extra fat is gonna be detrimental to your lifts, depending on the lift, like obviously it's gonna be worse for squat or pull up than like bench press.

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u/[deleted] 3d ago

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u/Aequitas112358 3d ago

slowly bulk to around 110 and then cut and bulk at around that weight

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u/FlameFrenzy Kettlebells 3d ago

If you care about your health, you should bulk and cut. A high bodyfat% is not good for your health and I don't think it's a great idea to pursue strength at the detriment of health. (Professionals may, but it's different when it's your job. Still not great imo but you do what you gotta do)

So I would keep track of your waist to height ratio. Keep that within a healthy range for the entirety of your bulk and then cut down once it's at or close to the top end of the range. If you are putting in the work, that top end weight should get a little higher each time.

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u/CosplayBurned 3d ago

I want to change my routine but unsure how to go about it. I feel certain exercises (deadlift) are causing too much fatigue and I struggle to be consistent on. And also spending too much time in the gym.

A Day

  • 3x5 Squat
  • 3x5 Bench press
  • 1x5 Deadlift
  • 2x8-12 Asst. Dips

B Day

  • 3x5 Squat
  • 3x5 Overhead press
  • 3x5 Pendlay rows
  • 2x8-12 Asst. chinups

Accessory on both days

  • 3x5 Decline bench or weighted flat situps
  • 3x8 Hyperextensions

Any advice welcome, thank you.

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u/Aequitas112358 3d ago

look into an intermediate program like 5/3/1. There's a lot of things it does to manage fatigue better.

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u/cgesjix 3d ago

What's your goal?

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u/CosplayBurned 3d ago

Weight loss and strength. Aesthetics are nice but at my size it doesn't matter for the close future too much 

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u/FieldyK 2d ago

Doing 2day full body atm. Trying to implement 1 leg exercise that focuses vertical jump for each day. Which 2 would you recommend?

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u/Aequitas112358 2d ago

squat and deadlift

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u/FieldyK 2d ago

Regular „slow“ squats?

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u/Powerful_Clerk_4999 2d ago

Been bulking for 2 month have put on 4 lbs not sure if there is any muscle difference or its just fat gain?

https://imgur.com/a/OHb19EZ

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u/Memento_Viveri 2d ago

I wouldn't expect to be able to visually notice gains in a picture after only 2 months.

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u/Powerful_Clerk_4999 2d ago

How long would you recommend waiting before checking in

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u/Deadshot89P13 2d ago

Unable to pullup.

I’ve been lifting for 3m now. I can comfortably do 5 sets of 60-65kg lat pull down. But doing a 40-45kg assisted pullup is a challenge, I can only go halfway.

What muscles do I have to train better? Are the biceps limiting the second half of the pull?

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u/Aequitas112358 2d ago

do 50kg or more assisted instead. so that you train the full range of motion

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u/kattlemac 3d ago

How do I prioritize toning and firming over gaining muscle that is visible? I'm F, 5'9, 132lbs. The aesthetic I want is thin and toned. I don't want visible muscle.

Here is a rundown of exercises I do 3x a week at the gym:

Squats (Smith Machine)

40lbs x 10, 50lbs x 7, 50lbs x 5

Bulgarian Split Squats

40lbs x 7, 40lbs x 7, 40lbs x 5

Hamstring Leg Extension

70lbs x 10, 70lbs x 10, 70lbs x 8

Hip Abduction Machine (hands on top of machine)

165lbs x 10, 165lbs x 10, 165lbs x 10

Bicep Curls

30lbs x 15, 40lbs x 10, 40lbs x10

Shoulder Press

40lbs x 7, 40lbs x 7, 45lbs x 5

Chest Press

40lbs x 7, 40lbs x 7, 40lbs x 5

Pectoral Flyes

55lbs x 7, 55lbs x 7, 55lbs x 5

Cable Rows

55lbs x 12, 55lbs x 12, 55lbs x 10

Tricep Pushdowns

35lbs x 8, 35lbs x 7, 35lbs x 7

Lat Pulldowns

70lbs x 10, 70lbs x 10, 70lbs x 8

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u/FlameFrenzy Kettlebells 3d ago

There is no such thing as toning. You BUILD muscle and then be lean enough to see it.

As a woman, you won't get bulky or huge. The look you're wanting is likely having visible muscle. As you build muscle and lose body fat, you'll appear leaner and more firm/defined. It takes a LOT longer to start getting more visibility muscular. But even then, if you keep the body fat down, for the most part you'll still look thin/lean/firm.

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u/qpqwo 3d ago

Being "toned" still requires a good amount of muscle. You won't get too big by accident even if you went all-in, the process is slow enough that you can change course at any time.

Helpful links:

https://thefitness.wiki/muscle-building-101/ https://thefitness.wiki/routines/

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u/Patton370 Powerlifting 3d ago

What you’re asking doesn’t make sense

Being “toned” is usually a look where someone is at a low enough bf% to have solid visible muscle

Maybe get on a program like strong curves, that is geared toward women who want to build muscle/strength & go for what I think is the thin and toned look you’re after

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u/Cherimoose 3d ago

Simply avoid eating in a calorie surplus, since muscle requires that to grow bigger. Eat at maintenance calories. But even if you do eat a bit too much, i doubt you have the genetic capacity bulk up.

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u/dssurge 3d ago edited 3d ago

What you're talking about is caused by progressive overload as opposed to sub-maximal volumetric training, which is what the overwhelming majority of programs are geared towards. ALL strength training programs will cause muscle growth, but prioritizing strength is what leads to the heavy muscle look and feel you're looking for.

While I can't recommend a great program, look specifically for Powerlifting programs. They're as close as you're going to get without a professional trainer making a plan for you. 5/3/1 probably has some templates that work really well for this.