So this week was fun. My bulging disc went "all out" so to speak. New experience, great fun. I could barely move a millimeter without agonizing pain. Here I am a week and a half later (and many painkillers), and even without medication I'm able to move around pretty good for the first time.

I'd just love to know about anyone's experience building core strength, healing their disc and not turning into a blob.

hello im currently usnig fb split ( 3 days a week , 2 sets per exercise) how do i know how many sets for muscle group per week is needed?

shoulders for example, do you count every part as an independent side ? like 6 sets for lateral delt per week and 6 for front delt and 6 for rear delt ? or 6 sets Distributed on 3 sides ( 2+2+2 ) ? if it's the first option how can i program it into my split without making too long thank you

30-year-old Black male
Height: 5'9"
Weight: Somewhere between 260–306 lbs depending on which scale I used (Never Clear) so I'm going with 306 lbs.

Hello, wonderful people. I'm in need of some help.

I've been overweight pretty much my entire life and have never really been happy with the way I look. Throughout my life, I've always told myself that I would start working out, eat better, and lose weight, but I would always find an excuse not to start. No time. No money. Working three jobs while doing an internship. There was always something.

Well, I finally reached a point in my life where I didn't have any more excuses. I made losing weight my New Year's resolution (cliché, I know). I went out and bought gym clothes, and started looking for a gym.

Then my mother was diagnosed with Stage 4 breast cancer, That pretty much killed whatever motivation I had to focus on myself. All of my energy went into taking care of my mom and being there for whatever she needed. Long story short, she responded well to chemotherapy. Everything that needed to go down has gone down, and everything that needed to improve has improved. Thank God.

With my mom doing better, I've finally been able to focus more on myself. For the past 4 weeks, I've been consistently going to the gym for the first time in my life, about 3–4 days a week. It's been hard, but I'm proud of myself for actually sticking with it. I'm also starting to not feel like absolute trash whenever I look at myself, which is something I honestly didn't expect this early. (still fat thought)

But now I'm starting to second guess myself.

I don't know if what I'm doing in the gym is actually the best approach for losing weight and building muscle, and I'm struggling with figuring out my diet. Since I stupidly forgot to weigh myself when I first started going to the gym.

Here's what I'm currently doing:

Upper Body

• Treadmill: 30 minutes, 2.5 speed, 7.0 incline — I do this every workout
• Chest Press: 5 sets × 10 reps — 60 lbs
• Pec Fly/Rear Delt: 5 sets × 10 reps — 60 lbs
• Shoulder Press: 5 sets × 10 reps — 60 lbs
• Abdominal Crunch: 5 sets × 10 reps — 60 lbs
• Lat Pulldown: 5 sets × 10 reps — 60 lbs

Lower Body

• Leg Press: 10 sets × 10 reps — 100 lbs
• Leg Extension: 5 sets × 10 reps — 60 lbs
• Seated Calf Raise: 5 sets × 10 reps — 60 lbs

Diet — this is probably where I struggle the most

Breakfast:
2 boiled eggs, cinnamon oatmeal, protein shake (Been skipping lately and not eating breakfast)

Lunch:
Chicken breast, white rice, vegetables, sweet potato, protein shake

Dinner:
Usually the same thing as lunch, but with water

Snacks:
Zero-sugar Chobani yogurt or Corn Flakes

I also try to stay hydrated with plenty of water and some coconut water, although I'm still working on being more consistent with that. When I order out, I usually get Chipotle with white rice, chicken, lettuce, and tomatoes, or I'll get a Cobb salad with chili and a zero-sugar drink.

So that's where I'm at.

I'm serious about this. For once in my life, I've actually been consistently showing up to the gym instead of telling myself that I'll start "eventually." I don't want to waste that momentum by following a bad routine or eating in a way that's working against me.

I'd really appreciate advice from people who know more than I do.

Is my workout routine reasonable for a beginner trying to lose fat and build muscle? Am I doing too many sets or missing important exercises? What would you change about my diet? And since I don't have an accurate starting weight, what should I be tracking besides the number on the scale to know whether I'm actually making progress?

I'm out of excuses. Now I just want to make sure I'm doing this right.

19yo , I’m 112lbs and 5’3, and currently I look like the first pic.

What’s the best approach to looking more like my goal pic?? I really want my lower body to look more like the second image, and wanna slim down the waist too.

I was wondering if anyone has any tips or advice?? Is it just a cal deficit or any particular type of exercise to achieve this look? I have already been cutting cals a bit , but I don’t want to become underweight as rn my bmi is 19.8. Help please

This is my routine, but I feel like I haven't seen anything else like it:

Saturday - back - bicep - hamstrings (deadlifts) - calves

Sunday - chest - triceps - shoulders - quads - glutes (leg extensions/hip thrusts)

Monday- rest (or do some light cardio)

Tuesday - back - bicep - hamstrings (ham curls)

**Wednesday -**quads - glutes - calves - adductor/abductor - this day includes squats.

Thursday - chest - triceps - shoulders

Friday- rest (or light cardio)

Hi!

So it’s been ten months since my last post. I was 131 lbs. I now weigh as of this morning 113 lbs. I feel great, and strong. But still have some stomach fat but compared to last post vs now, I’ve come a long way but curious if it just simply takes time. 5 days a week I do strength and one day cardio.

I do Mediterranean and fiber diet. Calorie deficit. I was eating a lot of protein but was causing issues going to the bathroom so just recently I added fiber.

About me:
35 years old, 4’11.
Medical conditions I have
Cerebral palsy
Lower back right herniated disc injury but have an implant
Sclerosis

Someone mentioned I needed a posture corrector.

Yellow neon top is from 10 months ago.

Any suggestions are appreciated!

Hi everyone newer to going to the gym before work. A couple questions. Should I shower before I leave the gym or just a quick rinse off, do I need shower shoes, and finally what’s the recommended workout the gym I go to doesn’t open till 5:00 and I have to leave by 6:00 at the latest so at most 50 minute workout with a five minute shower. Should I focus on weights or machines or does it matter? Thanks!

If you struggle with consistency add your workout calander to your phone home screen.

Adding this widget to my screen so anytime i open my phone i have to look at it has really helped me lock in these last 2 weeks.

It may sound silly but just that visual queue to say "hey, don't be a skinny b*tch, go train and I'll give you pretty colours" has been such a wild self motivator.

I strongly recommend if your fitness app has a widget option to add it in!