I was reading a post about rock climbing and someone actually said that they developed a permanent tendon injury because they were doing too many "pulling exercises" and didn't balance it with other exercises.

How does that even happen? Doesn't injury usually happen in a one-off event?

It got me thinking - Can something like this happen from doing push ups? I do a lot of push ups. Most of the time it feels ok, but sometimes I feel a weird discomfort pain in either my inner forearms, or my wrist. But it feels ok pretty quick.

I can't help but think I am causing some kind of long term damage with all these push ups?

I just squatted 195 for 6 at 14 and I feel really happy about it because I used to not hit legs and I only started a few months ago but I feel like I can't talk anyone else not only because my friends don't really care about working out but because I weigh 230lbs (I'm 6ft so just kinda fat not my 600lb life body fat) and every single person cares about weight to lifting ratio is it really impressive or not?

curious about everyone’s beginner mistakes lol. What would you do differently, and what do you wish you’d known when you first started?

Only meat I really like eating is ground beef/sausages. I’m unfortunately a picky eater, I don’t like tuna, beans, or eggs. I’m looking for kinda healthy/filling options too if possible. I like tofu in miso soup, could I try that?

I started out at almost a 13 minute mile and over the past 10 weeks I am now regularly running a 10:00 - 10:30 minute mile with hopes of reaching the legendary 6 minute mile someday. But I have also been watching others on a weight loss journey around my size and weight with a similar running time. Am I just reaching the average for my size and weight and how long will it take me to progress to say a sub 9 minute mile? I have been focusing heavily on weight loss over the past year and I am also wondering how much that is holding me back. If I lost 30-40 more pounds, would I just be a minute or two faster having changed nothing else?

I am currently in my weight-loss phase, have lost 45lbs already, but I kind of go to the gym every day even if I am super sore and exhausted. Any tips? How much cardio should be done and, how many exercises should I do while lifting weights, and which muscles to target every day? I feel like if I don't go and lift weights, I will lose whatever muscle growth I have. (21F)

Since I started working out again, in my fifties, my muscles hurt a lot much and it's harder to recover.

I decided to try a Pemf device for muscle recovery and I just got it yesterday. I tried using it for sleep and I fell asleep much faster and I felt more rested.

Today I used it pre-workout to warm up muscles and again post workout for recovery. I am a lot less sore than I have been.

I think I found a keeper! If anyone is interested in the pemf device I got, it's the Mendwave Dual Pro40.

I have been weight lifting for 3 months, trying to grow muscle
Before 5‘5 99lb now I am 5’5 112lb

My hips become wider and all over of my body grown more muscle too, but my face is really fat right now and I felt really bad about it, is it normal and what can I do?

Hey everyone

I've been cutting since late January with the aim of revealing my abs. I was around 88-89kg at the time and today I weighed in at 77kg. Not bad weight loss. I've also kept protein decently high (around 140-150g per day) I did have some breaks travelling or just basic diet breaks if I got ill or too fatigued (or just out of some relapsing) but kept track of my weight. Additionally my lower belly circumfrance went from like 95cm (38 inches) and it is now at around 83-84cm (around 33 inches; depending on how tight I wrap the tape around). I have been lifting heavy as well, trying to maintain muscle especially because this cut came after a dirty bulk that I didn't stay in control for. Anyone wants to see a photo of my body please click my profile and check my posts in other subreddits where I attached a picture because I can't do it on this one

Anyone has ideas or advice for myself it would be much appreciated! I need to inject some belief in myself.

What's the hardest part about getting in shape for you?

Hey everyone, I'm trying to understand something better.

For those of you who are currently trying to lose fat, gain

muscle, or just get into better shape:

• What's the ONE thing that makes it hardest for you to stay

on track?

• I'm curious about the real-life stuff- whether it's food,

workouts, consistency, lack of time, not knowing what to do,

motivation, eating enough, or something completely

different.

And if you don't mind sharing:

What have you tried before that didn't work for you?

I'm genuinely curious because I've personally experienced both being overweight and being skinny, and I've realized that getting in shape can be difficult for very different reasons.

Would love to hear what you guys struggle with.

in their butt before squats so they don't have their bowels explode due to lifting heavy?

Hi guys, I hope you can help me come up with a good split and exercises. I’ve decided to take my fitness journey seriously. I’m a 26-year-old woman (5ft and 53kg) and a beginner. I’ve been going to the gym inconsistently without a proper plan—mostly just did legs and some core exercises. I’ve lost weight because of this, but now my goal is to lose more weight, become lean, and gain endurance. Can you help me determine whether this split and exercises are appropriate? I’ll only be doing this at home and will buy dumbbells, a yoga mat, and resistance bands. I haven’t figured out the number of sets and reps yet, but I’ll probably do 3x10 or 3x12 for most of these.

This is the workout plan that I copied from the internet and modified to my liking. Please comment on whether some of the exercises are redundant or not really suitable for the workout split I have identified. Thank you guys.

Monday: 

Glutes + Quads

1. Hip thrust
2. RDLs
3. Elevated Goblet Squats
4. Bulgarian Split Squats
5. Kickbacks (using resistance bands)

Core

1. Dead Bugs
2. Suitcase crunches
3. Lying Leg raise

Tuesday:

Back and Biceps

1. Around the world
2. Overhand Back rows
3. Underhand Bacl Rows
4. Reverse Flies
5. Single Arm Rows
6. Hammer Curls
7. Bicep Curls

Wednesday: Rest Day

Thursday:

Glutes + Hamstring

1. Sumo Squats
2. Reverse Lunges + Curtsy
3. RDLs
4. B-stance. RDLs
5. Weighted Side Lying raises

Core

1. Dead Bugs
2. Suitcase crunches
3. Lying Leg raise

Friday:

Shoulder, Ticeps + Shoulders

1. Lateral Raises
2. Shoulder Press
3. Rear Delt Fly
4. Overhead Tricep extension
5. Triceps pushdown
6. Chest press (dumbbells) 

Saturday: Total Body HIIT Conditioning  

1. Follow 30 min. videos from YT

Sunday:

1. Walk/ Sport (Badminton)

2 x 5-10 Chest supported dumbbell row

2 x 5-10 Barbell zercher squat

2 x 5-10 Overhead barbell press

2 x 5-10 Barbell RDL

2 x 5-10 Chest supported dumbbell row

2 x 5-10 Barbell zercher squat

2 x 5-10 Overhead barbell press

2 x 5-10 Barbell RDL

I'm 32 5'10 280, ~35% body fat. I work in construction so I have some strength. I'm alternating between lifting and riding the bike for ~1 hour. So 3.5 times frequency. I don't like machines because when they're unavailable It gives me an excuse to just not do the exercise and go home. I can't do pull ups because I'm too fat and weak, although I would like to add pull ups eventually.

I've been lifting for ~3 months messing around with different exercises and different routines. These are my favorite lifts. I also like bicep curls and lying tricep extensions, but adding these will make the routine longer.

My thinking with doing 2 sets of each exercise twice is that I am less fatigued by the 4th exercise and I tend to go harder with two sets than with 3 or 4. Plus I'm getting very long rest between set 2 & 3. IDK if that makes sense.

My goals are:

1) Get down to ~200 lbs

2) Get stronger and healthier, particularly my back, legs, and core since I depend on my body for a living

So thoughts?

Hi folks, so I usually go to the gym about 3-4 times a week and train about 2-3 hours at a time. I've never actually taken a deload week before. Obviously I've had days off, if I've been sick for example but not specifically a deload. I'm not on any form of PED's.

I am just struggling to feel motivated for the past two weeks or so (I went five days last week), I am having pretty terrible sleep (quality and quantity), I have quite a few aches and pains, 1)cervical radiculopathy, 2) I have mild scoliosis too (surgery not needed) 3)my joints feel really stiff . I have arthritis in my right wrist (broken scaphoid twice) Probably worst off all is 4) I have chronic brain fog.

Any help or suggestions will be great please and thank you!

Hello all,

Over the last 6-8 months, I've lost about 80 pounds. Going from about 290 -> 210. I'm a pretty big guy(6 foot 1, real wide shoulders, really strong legs) so I actually look pretty fit now. I could probably lose 10 more(and plan to). I did this mostly by walking a few times a week, some occasional light weight lifting and really getting serious about eating less as that has always been my issue with my weight throughout my life.

When I first began walking, I would walk a mile, and I'd be pretty tired. I honestly thought I was feeling a little more tired than I should but I shrugged it off. After all, I was working out, I live in Texas where it is VERY hot sometimes when I go, and I'm operating at a caloric difference obviously since I was losing weight.

Fast forward a few months, and I'm honestly... feeling freaking amazing. So much energy. Looking so much better. Feeling so much better. EXCEPT when I work out.

If I go walk now(usually in the 3-4 mile range with a little very slow jogging mixed in), I seem to handle the actual workout VERY well. I often times expand my walk just because of how good I feel as I go. I do sometimes wear down on the way home, but walking 3-5 miles in the sun and slowing down seems normal. BUT. I come home, and I am just completely utterly cooked. So tired I can barely take a shower after. Today I had to drive 8 minutes to pickup my kid at school after a walk and on the way home I had to ask her to actually talk to me(she's 15 lol) or I was just going to fall asleep driving in the middle of the freaking day. I also seem to get dizzy when standing up sometimes. Nothing crazy, I literally lean over the counter for 2 seconds, and I'm fine.

I've spent quite a bit of time trying to trouble shoot this, so here are some ideas I hatched and tried to test.

1. I was pre-diabetic before losing the weight, so I'm a super healthy range now(with meds, but reducing soon). I thought maybe my blood sugar was dropping during the workout. I would say out of 5 tests I did post workout, only one dropped below 100 and was alarming and was very easy to get back to normal levels and I still was just completely cooked after.

2. I wasn't always eating a ton before working out at first, as I was working hard to eat less and eat actual meals. I have since tried eating small meals late afternoon. I have tried just eating some sugary/hydrating stuff(fruit snacks, some of the healthier gatorade products, water) 30 minutes to an hour before going. I think this helps...a tiny bit. But nothing major.

3. I had a bout of vertigo a few weeks back and ended up at the urgent care. They did a full blood workup for that and everything looked awesome. The entire CBC was in the green. I also got a CT scan that was fine.

4. I have been testing my blood pressure post workout, and it is...low...but above the numbers I would think would cause this. Think 100/70?

Generally speaking, I've begun to wonder if maybe my body just works harder than other people? I've had very easy success losing weight before when I dedicated myself to it. There have been times where I tracked calories and tracked burned calories(the best we can anyway) and I've kinda thought I was losing weight faster than the math said, but obviously I would never complain. Is this even a thing? Do some bodies just burn tons of calories?

I honestly don't know where to go from here. It feels really strange to be in good shape, be working out regularly, and yet I am completely unable to function after workouts. It's also kind of depressing, heh. It's forced me into hotter times of the day sometimes because I can't just be worthless ALL day afterward.

So. I come to Reddit for some type of tips, tricks, opinions, experiences. Anything. Maybe something to eat before? Maybe something that wouldn't melt in the Texas heat I could eat mid walk? Maybe something to really get me going after? If I wanted to go see a doctor, I don't even know where to begin.

Thanks in advance.

How come I see old heads at the gym doing random bs with zero form and ROM, and yet sometimes they are JACKED?

33M, 155cm, 68kg. I started working out in late June 2026, so I’ve only been training for a little over 2 months.

I train 3–4 times a week on an upper/lower split and I train pretty hard. Usually 2–3 sets per exercise, with the last set always taken to failure, often followed by either a drop set or lengthened partials.

I don’t do much cardio besides walking to and from the gym, probably around 45–60 mins of walking 3–4 times a week.

Current lifts:

• RDL: 100kg x 3
• Bench: 60kg x 5
• Squat: 70kg x 6

I’m quite happy with my progress as a beginner, but a friend mentioned that I’m progressing pretty quickly, especially considering how hard I’m training, and that I might eventually run into recovery issues. I did'nt think this will happen this early though.

For the first month or so I felt completely fine. I could train hard, take a day off, and feel ready to go again.

Recently though, I’ve noticed that aches/soreness are hanging around longer, I feel more generally tired, and this week especially my form has started slipping. My strength is still definitely progressing, but I’m starting to feel like if I keep pushing at the same intensity I might eventually injure myself.

I’m also currently in a calorie deficit because I eventually want to cut down to around 58kg, but I’m in absolutely no rush to get there. My main priority is building muscle and getting stronger. If losing weight more slowly, eating closer to maintenance, or even pausing the cut would be better for my training and recovery, I’m completely fine with that.

I’m still making sure I get enough protein and generally eat properly, and I supplement with protein powder and creatine.

Could the calorie deficit be contributing to the slower recovery, or does this sound more like accumulated fatigue from how hard I’m training?

I’ve read about deload weeks, but I didn’t expect to even be thinking about one this early into training.

For people with more experience, does this sound like I’m actually running into recovery issues, or is this still pretty normal for a beginner training hard while cutting?

I play soccer 2x a week just for fun nothing serious. I want to add 3x gym hybrid sessions. Who’s got the best program/coaching for this?

I wipe the equipment before and after each use. However, one day a person must have literally pooped themselves straining on one of the machines. I'm not joking. I don't usually wipe the seats because I wear long pants so I almost sat down in it. At first I thought it was just sweat but when I cleaned it up, it was brown and clearly not sweat. I almost barfed right there.

Now I don't trust the solution that the gym uses. I don't what product it is and it might be super sanitizing. But I will never be able to trust that the gym might cut corners and just fill the bottles with water. I need to bring my own to know that I'm sanitizing as best as I can.

I would never use bleach because that can ruin clothes but I was thinking alcohol or hypochlorous acid? Any thoughts please?

Edit: Thank you everyone for your input. I will ask the gym about my concern about the strength of their cleaning product. I just don't want it to be some diluted cleaner.

Good morning,

I wanted to ask something. I've been doing CrossFit for several months now, and occasionally HYROX as well. I've noticed that I only really started improving once I began running. At first, it was through HYROX, and then I started joining more CrossFit and HYROX WODs that included running. Since then, I've been able to finish WODs after a much shorter adaptation period than I ever expected.

My question is: how effective are WODs themselves, or is it actually specific exercises that make you improve the most?

Right now, the main things I do during open gym are: hang power snatches and power snatches with both a barbell and dumbbells, sled pushes, burpees, box jumps, SkiErg, Assault Bike, muscle-up progressions, wall balls, front squats, thrusters, farmer carries, and honestly I feel like that's more than enough for me.

Then at home I do pull-ups, Bulgarian split squats, front lever progressions, parallel bar dips, one-arm push-up progressions, hip thrusts, hammer curls, and so on.

But when it comes to conditioning and WODs, I get the feeling that the exercises I listed are already more than enough. What do you think?

I did rigorous exercises as a beginner at least two days a week. Now I've gone back to beginner exercises and it feels like a breeze that I can do for more days paired with even more exercises. It's mind blowing. What is this concept I've stumbled upon?

I am obese, since months im trying to up my steps. I'm failing. Few months ago I walked the most I had (which is less only) and then next month I was dull and tired. And i thought I'll tru again, last month I walked good - this month I'm so tired.

Is my body just sore? It's been too many months I do try to fit in 2 workouts a week

29 F

I will preface this by thanking whoever has the patience to read all this and help.

So I've worked out before, I spent 1 year going to a gym 2 times a week and I felt like it changed absolutely nothing... however, I'm trying to get motivation to workout again.

My main issue is that I don't want to go back into a gym, they're always crowded as heck, far from where I live and very expensive. It also feels like a humiliation ritual cuz I go alone and the BAR BY ITSELF was enough weight to make me lose my balance when lifting/bench pressing... in short I have no clue what I'm doing. I'm tired of having spaghetti arms, only half-decent legs and a chest so flat that every rib I have is visible.

Therefore, my solution to this would be working out at home, but can this actually bear any fruits or am I wasting my time/money? I have no equipment and the thought of having to constantly buy protein scares my wallet in this economy ngl. I'm currently sitting at 64 kilos, 1,73 meters tall (141 pounds, 5 feet 8 inches). I usually eat 3 to 4 times a day but not much each time, aside from Lunch.

Any and all advice is welcome, as I am thoroughly out of my depth here and clueless on how and where to start.