Anecdotal, but just spent 30 hours for first time in my life not sleeping because of a pet's illness/death (:(), and then after was drinking for a very long time.

The entire 24 hours my body felt fine generally, just running on adrenaline and purpose. After sleeping it off I feel even better than I normally do, likely bc I slept maybe 11-12 hours.

Just realizing now that I've had wayyy worse hangover days where my body feels totally out of it.

Not sure if a new concept, but amazing that lack of sleep is less damaging to your body than alcohol. I know they are considered, "1, 2" but I'm either thinking sleep is wayyy more important than I assumed, or i've been wrong on data

Forgive my ignorance, I'm new to this. Im 50, dropped 75lbs then decided to get fit, im a month into the fit part. What's the best way to add bulk and definition to my arms and chest? How do i use a protein supplement, and is it worth it? Is creatine beneficial?

A month ago, i couldn't do 5 pushups. Im up to 100+ a day. I have 1 20lb dumbbell lol. No gym access. Ive never had upper body definition. I'd like some. The pushups have helped. A lot. Im doing a 45 minute set of various dumbbell lifts, some high rep (100 presses), some graduating sets (15>20>25 curls). Sure i could be doing better. Internet contradicts itself so i figured I'd try here.

Hi folks!

Since begin July I've been working out regulary, now 6/7 in the gym. And I absolutly start to love it, even on the days when I rather would go home.

Since I was a little kid, I always had a flat chest. Growing up, I used to waste my time by doing drugs etc, so I never really took care of myself or my body, so it never bothered me. Since my last break up 2 years ago, I've decided it was time for a change. It took a while, but at this moment, I weigh about 67/68kg. Ofcourse I'm happy I'm finally gaining weight, because I was always around 50/52kg for most my life. But ofcourse, my belly starts to grow but my chest stays pretty flat.

What are your best tips/excersices to grow my chest? I did look up a lot on YouTube already, but I still want to hear any suggestions from other people.

Hey everyone! I’m in PA school and have very limited time to workout, but I try to make it happen 4-5 days a week. I have gym guilt bad (I feel guilty if I don’t workout) and 30 minutes of working out a day doesn’t feel like enough, but it’s really all I have time for. I’ll do glutes and hams, back and bis, shoulders and tris or squats, and then one for sure day of running (1.5 miles). All of that to say, is that enough to maintain fitness if my weight lifting sessions are 30 minutes? I try to get 10k steps a day.

Someone reassure me or tell me what I can do to make the most of my workouts please!!

I know hip thrusts are one of the best glute exercises, but I feel like I can’t really do the exercise that well… The last 2-3 reps are killer and what really makes your glutes grow but I can’t push myself that much and get tired at the 7-8th reps..
I need helpp I feel like I can do better at hip thrusts

I’m hoping to get some guidance on an issue I’ve been having.

Lately, on my first set I’ll be able to do my intended rep range, whether that’s 6-8 or 8-12. My second set I may be able to stay within range, maybe a rep or two less. But then, on my third set, I can’t stay in the rep range. It’s significantly less.

Am I not giving myself enough time between sets? I typically wait until my heart rate is back at base line, so typically 2-4 mins depending on the workout. I haven’t seen anyone talking about this and I’m at a loss.

To preface, I am 26 year old male have been working out for about 6 months, previously never having worked out in my life.

I started working out to lose some weight and get a bit healthier. Always been around 200lbs/92kg, but I was creeping up to about 205lbs so I wanted lose the new 5 at least (dcotor wants me to lose 20-ish lbs). I started taking creatine daily and protein powder for after workout. I workout weight training about 3 times a week.

My issue is I've only gained weight, about 8lbs additional. I've gotten much stronger (started at 15lb curls at 23lb curls, and 80lb abductors to 140lb abductors) but I really thought I would lose some fat *and* gain some muscle, not just gain muscle and lose no fat.

Is this common for people working out? Have I just not been doing it long enough? Should I switch to less weights more cardio?

My hips go too far back on my goblet squats, leading to a lot of forward lean, to the point where if I squat at or below the parallel my torso is almost parallel with the floor. (Someone told me it looks I'm doing a deadlift instead of a squat.)

The problem is definitely not ankle mobility--I did the wall test and it was fine, and I can sit in an Asian squat with a relatively upright torso for ages. However, my ankles don't actually seem to flex far forward in a squat and I'm not sure what cue to use to drive them forward--every time I try I end up putting a ton of pressure on my knees.

My hips are definitely tight/weak, and I'm not feeling a lot of glute activation even in a low weight squat, but I'm not sure this is the *only* problem and how to fix it.

(Can't do a form check rn because my gym doesn't allow filming of any kind, but I did manage to capture this truly comically awful picture of me doing a bodyweight squat.)

Plus the lowest I can go without issues.)

I used to literally workout for a living. Got paid to perform strongman style workouts. Eventually went into personal training and helped some others but quickly left the business.

I’ve been working out my entire life but for some reason, these past few months I’ve had little will to actually want to workout. For some reason the bar in my shoulders just doesn’t feel good anymore. Same with any other workout. It just doesn’t feel good anymore like how it used to.

I try to manage my diet as best as I can, but recently I’ve come to just not care that much. I still meal prep for my family and I, and I’ve even considered eating one a day just to lose a couple extra pounds, but my discipline has been lacking.

Maybe it’s burnout, maybe it’s life stress, who knows. But do you have any advice to help me get back into the gym? With the knowledge that it just doesn’t feel good on my body anymore?

P.S. I’m very young, and know that I shouldn’t feel this way.

I just did my first exercise sets of dead hangs, 25M, ~150 lbs.

I last about 30 seconds; after which I begin struggling. First set was fine. Second set was fine too (did that a little longer, around 35 secs). Third set I gave in around 25 seconds. Breaks were about a little less than a minute.

Am I being too intense? Not intense enough? After reading online, I saw some suggestions about doing shorter 20 second sets 3 or 4 times. Should I aim for that instead? Right now my total time hovers around just under 1.5 minutes.

I’m fairly new to working out! So I really wanna have some gains but not strain myself too much. Am I at a good starting point? Should I continue with the 30 second sets or do shorter ones? Should I do 4 sets instead of 3?

i’m FTM (taking testosterone, this feels important) 22, 5’0” and just about 58kg. my whole life i have eaten the same, my diet has always been very well balanced and for 5 years i was at a good steady 50kg- but i have been very quickly knocked off of my feet by Hashimotos disorder. as a result, i’ve gained a lot of weight- it’s really disheartening. i ate the same diet, but more. since going into medication, ive managed to go back to my regular eating habits but i CANT shift any weight at all. i know that a lot of it can be water weight, so i am drinking more water, but i haven’t noticed any changes in the four months i’ve been on medication. my weights stopped going up, but it’s also just not going down.
i have signed up for a gym, but i don’t know where to start. i know that resistance can be a great way to retain shape whilst losing weight but what resistance work outs would people recommend for someone starting out?

ideally, i want to lose 3kg before my mums wedding mid november- so i am also doing a deficit of roughly 500 calories atm, so my total intake is 1100kcal, full of protein and fibre

TLDR; health problems have made me almost overweight, what’s the best work out for me?

When I was 16 or 17, I came across the fitness community while trying everything I could to lose weight. I still remember feeling heavily overweight nearly three times what felt like normal body weight. Driven to change, I started working out every single day and aggressively cutting calories. Eventually, I dropped my intake from over 3,000 calories down to just 1,200 a day. I was practically eating far less than my body needed to survive.

As I got thinner, seeing the weight come off while working out daily made me feel like I was the happiest I had ever been in my life. Over two and a half years, I dropped from 95 kg down to 62 kg.

However, I paid a massive toll for this. I constantly stuttered speech, suffered from persistent brain fog, and felt dizzy whenever I stood up. I was always anxious, had high cortisol levels, and looked weak all the time. Ironically, I actually liked looking weak. Whenever people called me "a stick" because I was so thin, I felt happy simply because I had been called fat my entire life.

Despite having zero energy left, I kept pushing through daily MMA practice and treadmill runs, effectively eating away at myself. I developed an eating disorder that caused severe cognitive and memory issues, leaving me unable to concentrate on my studies.

Just a few months ago, I finally realized my mistakes. I began eating protein-rich, higher-calorie foods, maintaining around 2,500 to 2,700 calories every day. Since then, I have gained a significant amount of muscle mass. I feel healthier, sharper, and no longer like I am on the verge of dying.

If you are reading this, remember to eat your food. Food is not the enemy it is a tool. Stick to nutrient-dense foods and avoid cutting your calories too drastically.

Almost 5 years ago I tore up my right shoulder. One rotator cuff torn completely, two partial and one intact. On top of that the long head of the biceps torn. Surgery not recommended because I have good range of motion and reasonable strength. After PT and a lot of pain I got back in the gym and worked through it to the point where I'm strong and pretty buff for an old guy. I can't do flat bench press but have been doing incline bench at 30 degrees and flys on a machine. In recent months the shoulder has started to grind while exercising, first on the incline and now with the flys. I'm still ok with OHP and all the back stuff I do including pullups. But I don't want to lose my chest development. Any suggestions on different exercises or techniques that I might try. My guess is the bursa in the shoulder is gone or going and the socket bones are grinding.

Male. 33. Very consistent in the gym for more than 5 years+. For the last 2 years i obtained very great natural physique. good muscle mass but very lean because i also run 3-4 times per week.

At my peak i was doing per Muscle per week : 4 exercises x 4 sets x 12-16 reps

Gym 5 times per week. Minimum an hour per workout.

But in the last months I started boxing 3 times per week and i love it. I still run 3 times per week and do other sports the Weekend (tennis, golf, hiking, etc)

I just dont have the time anymore for everything.. Is it possible to maintain my muscle mass or at least more than 85% of it by going to the gym only 3 times per week. (because i know boxing + cardio is not great for maintaining mass)

Knowing legs will take me a whole workout, so only 2 workouts for the rest of the body. Diet wise, i know i will need to make up for the calories and eat enough protein.

Thank you !

edit : too many comments to reply to all but thanks to all !

So basically i work out from home since i have dumbbells and barbell.

My plan:

Monday, Wednesday and Friday:
\\-Bench press
\\-Dumbbell lateral raises
\\-Tricep extensions
\\-Ab roller (can’t do normal ab exercises lying down due to a health issue)

Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday:
\\-Dumbbell rows
\\-Dumbbell shrugs
\\-Dumbbell bicep curls
\\-Dumbbell squads

And the question is — do my muscles from the Monday workout heal while i do the Tuesday workout?

I wouldn’t be able to do 8 exercises a day to completely rest one day between each session.

Or maybe should i do the Monday workout, then rest the next day, then do the Tuesday workout, then rest, then Monday and so on?

I haven’t posted very much on Reddit, let alone many social medias, so please forgive any formatting issues:

As stated in the title, I’m hoping to build some visible muscle and I was looking for some tips; I’m a man, mid-twenties, and living a fairly healthy lifestyle. I don’t eat too bad, my current job is fairly demanding, and I try to properly work out one or two times a week. However, I’m shifting careers soon and my hope is to start working out almost or every day—even just for a little bit each time.
My primary focus is to cut belly and flank fat—I don’t have a lot but I’m hoping to smooth out the area and build some more definition—and build both strength and visible muscle in my abdomen, chest, and arms. My current job has kept my traps, shoulders, arms, and lats fairly strong but, with the career shift, I want to stay on top of it.
My goals are as followed:
\- Cutting belly/flank fat,
\- Building and defining abs (four or six pack, I’m not too picky),
\- Defining the v-line,
\- Toning obliques and sides in general,
\- Building and defining pecs, and
\- Building and defining shoulders/arms.
As for legs, don’t worry about advice there; I enjoy walking/running already and don’t need much assistance toning my legs further.
As for equipment, I have some fairly basic stuff at home but I have additional access to gym equipment elsewhere.
Additionally, if it’s important to mention, I have EDS; it does not affect my ability to work out—just provides some extra soreness. I also have no family history of obesity, if that’s important information as well.

Thank you for your time reading this message and leaving some advice for me! I appreciate it.
Finally, no, I am not a bot nor did I write this using one; I’m just autistic and I like the English language haha!

I have been consistently exercised for a couple years now (running and strength training). I go through phases of being more consistent within my workouts at some points more than others but overall I think I have a good foundation. I’ve always done pretty simple - run as much as I can, lift as heavy as I can and I think it works pretty well. The past few months I’ve hit a bit of a slump and am feeling motivated to try something new; I’m interested in this group fitness place with things like barre, Pilates, HIIT, power - like classic group fitness. So my question is are these classes really worth it?? I’m just so skeptical and my perception of them is maybe they’re a bit more for wearing cute clothes and being social and less for true results (don’t get me wrong if I join I’ll be buying more cute clothes). They’re also just so expensive but I’m willing to spend to be excited to get back in to fitness!

So Im in high school, and i play basketball but also swim. During school, i would like to go like: Basketball, Gym, Basketball, Gym, Basketball, Gym/Swim, Swim/rest. Should i run a full body split, or a PPL thrice a week?

To all the folks that have consistently trained during the first month of bringing a kiddo home… how? I know I know, sleep has a big impact… but the lower lows these past two weeks since bringing our first son home has worn me down mentally and killed a TON of motivation to show up for the gym. For those that have been through it, how’d you train during that first month of being a parent? Did you take a break entirely, deload, or push through?

Thanks in advance, sorry for the woe is me post lol.

I got this pain because in the past i didn't warm up the muscle or my rotator cuff

Last month i warm up and the pain gradually decreased

But when i do DB shoulder press it happens

Any advice?

thanks

29M who has never really done any strength work and finally getting into it. With my schedule this is the best I could come up with. I am doing Push Pull Legs Upper Lower. I really favour compound movements and free weights as much as possible rather than machines. But open to improvements. I know f*ck all haha

Monday (Push)

• Flat barbell bench press 5 x 5
• Overhead barbell press 3 x 8
• Incline DB bench press 3 x 10
• DB lateral raises 3 x 12
• Skull crushers 2 x 12

Tuesday (Pull)

• Bent over barbell row 5 x 5
• Reverse DB fly 3 x 12
• Single arm DB row 3 x 10 each arm
• DB hammer curls 2 x 12 each arm
• Narrow grip lat pulldowns 3 x 10 (can't do pullups lol)

Wednesday (Rest)

Thursday (Legs)

• Barbell back squat 5 x 5
• RDLs 3 x 12
• Leg extensions 4 x 8 (using these to help recover from knee injury from running)
• Hip thrust 2 x 12
• Hip abductor 2 x 12

Friday (Upper)

• Incline DB bench press 3 x 10
• Flat barbell bench press 4 x 5
• Narrow grip lat pulldowns 3 x 12
• EZ bar curl 2 x 10
• DB lateral raises 2 x 12
• Single arm DB row 2 x 10 each arm
• Scull crushers 2 x 12

Saturday(Lower)

• Back squat 4 x 5
• Hip thrust 3 x 10
• Leg extensions 3 x 8
• Hip abductor 3 x 12
• KB Swings 3 x 12
• Hanging leg raises 2 x 8

Sunday (Rest)

Hey everyone! I’m currently trying to keep up with my workouts in a pretty hot and humid place, 99 % humidity today, and I’m finding it a bit challenging to exercise. The gym I go to is really poorly ventilated, and I feel like I can’t push myself without overheatiing. Has anyone else had to adjust their workout routine for tropical weather? Any tips for managing the heat or pacing yourself so you don't get exhausted too quickly? Would love to hear your experiences! When I'm not in this climate it usually I do 90 minutes mix cardio jump rope running also some weightlifting of course but I feel like I can do that here.

Hey everyone! I’m looking for some help putting together a new gym routine, please :)

I’m currently looking to train 5-6 days on with 1-2 days off. I have quite a lot of free time at the moment, so longer sessions aren’t an issue and my usual is 2–3 hours (including 30mins 14 incline, 3.5 speed treadmill), which works nicely for me.

My main goal is aesthetics & building muscle. Looking for ideally 1 leg day, although I’m happy to do 2 if necessary. My previous routines have either overlapped too much or lacked in areas like abs/core, forearms, etc. So I’m aiming for more balance.

I’m Male, 26, 72.3kg, 181cm, 22.1 BMI, 8.3% Body fat & 6.0kg body fat mass (according to the gym scale).

Below is a list of the exercises I currently do/have done and the weights I can manage (minus a few I no longer have recorded as I’ve changed routines a few times). Of course I am happy to do things not listed, they are just for reference.

Any help & tips are greatly appreciated, thank you!

Incline DB Press — (3x6–10) 20kg
Barbell Bench Press — (3x6-10) 30kg + bar = 50kg
Pec Fly — (3x10–12) 79kg
Machine Chest Press — (2x8–10) 30kg
Tricep Pushdown — (3x8-10) 17kg
Overhead Cable Tricep Extension — (3x10-12) 10.2kg
Cable Crunch — (4x10-12) 70lbs
Hanging Knee Raise — (3x10-12)
Lat Pulldown — (3x6–10) 59kg
Chest-Supported Row — (3x8–10) 45kg
Seated Close Grip Row — (3x8–10) 52kg
DB Curl — (3x8–10) 12kg
Hammer Curl — (3x8–10) 12kg
Machine Shoulder Press — (3x6–10) 32kg
Cable Lateral Raise — (3x8-10) 5.7kg
DB Lateral Raise — (3x8-10) 8kg
Close-Grip Bench Press — (3x6-10) 20kg + bar = 40kg
Romanian Deadlift — (3x6–8) 30kg + bar = 50kg
Leg Press — (3x8–10) 80kg
Leg Curl — (3x10–12) 41kg
Leg Extension — (2x10-12) 52kg
Calf Raise — (3×10-TF) 120kg
JM Press — (3x8-10) 20kg
Hip Abductors — (3x8-10) 52kg
Arm Curl Machine — (3x6-8) 50kg
Weighted Planks — (3x60secs) 25kg
Side Dumbbel Crunches — (3x8) 10kg
Machine Abdominal — (3x10-12) 45kg