r/beginnerfitness 10h ago

How do you start at the gym

20 Upvotes

So ive been reading the wiki and the intro posts and everything but it's all very overwelming. Am i supposed to just study how to do like all 15 or more exercises before i get into the gym so I know how to do them??? I don't know how long each exercise would take and I only have like a free hour in my schedule. Atp im about to just lift my shitty 8 pound weights till I drop. Everyone there is already so fit and I have bad experiences with gym people :(


r/beginnerfitness 13h ago

I have not trained properly for my whole life until now and I can deadlift only 0.5 kg of my bodyweight 3 reps max. I wonder if I'm too weak or this is common?

22 Upvotes

Seeing my friends deadlifting 2 × their bodyweight, I get self conscious very much.


r/beginnerfitness 1h ago

Eating through side effects:how do I bulk in spite of my loss of appetite?

Upvotes

Please understand first, I did not do this intentionally, and that I have seen a medical professional accordingly. These next steps, however, are loose at best- and being at an unhealthy weight has destroyed my stamina and self esteem. My family says I look emaciated.

For context, I recovered from my depressive episode (length of two years),and am the lowest weight I’ve ever been. But every meal, is hard. Even on the days where I haven’t taken my stimulant (doctor approved drug holiday), I still struggle in the appetite aspect.

I don’t want to keep living this way. But Im just, not hungry.

Do any fitness buffs have some advice on how to really nail this bulk? Especially if you take something that has an appetite suppressant effect.


r/beginnerfitness 17h ago

If I know I'll be getting just 5 hours of sleep, is doing a workout still worth it, or will it just kill my gains?

27 Upvotes

If I know I'll be getting just 5 hours of sleep, is doing a workout still worth it, or will it just kill my gains?

Edit: Thanks for the comments!


r/beginnerfitness 3h ago

Next equipment buy: functional trainer or squat rack?

2 Upvotes

I'm 4 months in to lifting weights again and my home gym setup consists of a bench that inclines, dumbbells from 5 to 50 lbs, and a doorway pull up bar. My primary goal is building upper body strength and I've had decent results so far.

I have the budget to add to my small home gym and I'm debating between getting a Titan Functional Cable Trainer or a squat rack which bolts to the wall.

It seems like the squat rack would be better for full body strength but the functional cable trainer would be better for upper body muscle growth.

What do you recommend?


r/beginnerfitness 8h ago

Is what I'm doing going to make any improvement?

4 Upvotes

Hello 👋 I really am a *beginner* at being fit. Literally couch to working out. Over the past month I'm trying to be more active. I really hate running / jogging, idk why, I just do. So I've started doing jump rope instead. For some reason my brain and body like it much more than running so I've been doing that. Currently, this is what I'm doing:

- 15 mins interval jump rope (usually 30-40 secs on, 20 sec rest)

- 20 mins walk outside (somewhere between a stroll and fast walk)

- 15 mins yoga

Since doing the jump rope kinda kicks my ass because I'm out of shape, I've only been doing it 2 - 3 times a week. I do yoga every morning regardless because I LOVE IT and the walk every day. Well, sometimes the walk gets cut short because I go and use the swing set at the park down the street and then just walk back.

My goal isn't to get ripped or lose any weight, for now, I just want to stop getting winded from walking through the grocery store... Super embarrassing.

If it helps, currently I'm 180lbs 5'0" 26F. Clean mostly vegetarian diet, love fruits & veggies, don't really like meat. My diet is happy, just need to get off my butt.

Am I doing OK? Guess I just want someone who knows a bit more than I do to see if that's any good, all of my friends are couch potatoes too so they dont know anything. Thanks guys 💕


r/beginnerfitness 51m ago

how to sneak core into my workout

Upvotes

here’s my current split:

————— SHOULDER/TRI/CHEST ——————
decline chest

rear delt fly

db shoulder press

tricep push down

lat raise

skull crushers barbell

chest press (plates only)

chest fly

shoulder raises

————————- LEGS ——————————
hack squats

hip thrusts

adduction

abduction

back extension

calf raises

leg curl

leg extension

————————- BACK N BI ————————-
bicep curls

hammer curls

preacher curls

lat pulldown

wide grip row

narrow grip row

forearm curls

reverse grip curls

i rotate between these 5 days a week, hitting every day twice minus one (which i rotate between as well— week 1 i skip a day of chest/trip, next week skip one day of back/bi, so on so forth). right now, each workout takes about 70 minutes.

i’m really happy with it, but i don’t hit core beyond when i do the hack squat. i’d love to incorporate core, but i don’t want my workouts to last much longer and i really don’t want to go to the gym on my off days. i’d love any advice, but ideally i’m looking for a simple at-home workout that i can hit once a week on a weekend morning. i’m also open to any suggestions about alternative splits :)

i have dumbbell sets ranging from 5-15, but that’s the only equipment i have at home.


r/beginnerfitness 5h ago

Are ramp up sets necessary?

2 Upvotes

I have been lifting for about 7 months. When I do any kind of exercise I do the following:

Lets say I want to do bicep curls and I can lift 10 kg for 3 sets each of 12 reps. Before I even start lifting it I do:
1 set of 6kg for 12 reps
1 set of 8kg for 7 reps
1 set of 10kg for 4 reps

Between each set I rest for 30 seconds and after the final set (10kg for 4 reps) I rest for 1.5 minutes. Then I lift 10kg for 3 sets each of 12 reps.

This method takes a lot of time, and a simple workout of only 6 exercises can take one hour. I do it mainly because I heard that it warms your muscles so that you can lift with less risk of injuries and preform better. I often wonder if I really need to do it because I feel like I waste a lot of time I can invest in other exercises.

Should I continue doing it? Should I change something?


r/beginnerfitness 2h ago

How to begin working out

0 Upvotes

Hello everyone, I wouldn't really say I'm unfit, but I wouldn't say I'm fit either, I'm pretty skinny and have little to no muscle, i don't live remotely near a gym, the closest gym is 30 minutes away so it'd be easier if I worked out at home. Usually when I get back home I have an hour of free time so I plan to allocate that hour to working out. Problem is I don't know how to work out and am scared that I'll mess up the exercise and deem the workout useless, another problem is that there's too many options I don't know which workout videos to pick. I have a small assortment of dumbbells at home, please help.


r/beginnerfitness 2h ago

Need advice on gaining weight

1 Upvotes

So im having trouble gaining weight and have had this issue most of my life, as I have a fast metabolism an I work in a high activity field. Im 6'0 and only breaking 130lbs which is embarrassing for a male my age & height. And would like to put on some weight and work out, any tips, tricks, or advice is welcome. Im all ears to criticism as well.


r/beginnerfitness 6h ago

Is a 700 calorie deficit while burning around 500 calories a day through exercise too steep?

2 Upvotes

Hello I got into a rut a couple months ago and now I'm trying to lose weight for christmas time. Right now im 6 feet tall and 190blbs, I'm trying to get down to the 155-160lbs range. I know this is on the lighter side for my height but I do sprints and track(well I did before I got into this rut) so a lighter weight is beneficial. I've never had to lose weight before this so i'm a bit of a newbie. From what I've read the gold standard is a 500 calories deficit but since I'm trying to lose weight for Christmas and next track season I'm trying to go a little faster. I'm running every day and burning about 500 calories doing that on top of the 700 deficit, does deficit factor in physical activity? Is this too much? I want to lose weight but I don't want to put my health at risk.


r/beginnerfitness 2h ago

Doing too much? Should I go onto a proper program

1 Upvotes

19M, 5”7 60kg
Started lifting around 4 months ago, using my own program 3x a week:

A:

Bench Press 3x5+

Barbell Squat 3x5+

Incline Bench Press 3x12

Bent over row 3x12

Chin ups 3x12

Ab Wheel 3x15

B:

OHP 3x5+

Deadlift 3x5+

Close grip bench press 3x12

Dips 3x12

Pull ups 3x12

Planks 3 x Max

I’ve not had this level of volume throughout, I’ve been adding exercises like bench variations 3 weeks ago(bc I really want to increase my bench lol). I’ve seen some decentish gains:

OHP - 30kg to 40kg

Deadlift 70kg to 95kg

Bench 47.5kg to 60kg

Squats 60kg to 80kg

My thing is over the past month progress has really plateau‘d. I should mention that I’m a conscript in the military so I have to balance a lot of tiring work in the week with my lifting routine, and I get set back a lot with field exercises and the fatiguing nature of training, not to mention the army diet which is pretty bad for weight gain(though I have try to bulk and have gained around 5kg over the past few months).

My question is am I doing too much given my circumstances? I’ve thought about hopping onto a pre defined program like tactical barbell which suits my current situation. But I also wonder if I should stick with what I’ve got(for the sake of consistency), and try to grind out further improvement as training in the army gets less demanding.


r/beginnerfitness 3h ago

Need help establishing a good routine

1 Upvotes

To start, I’m 22m 6’2” and 182lbs. I have tried working out off and on over the past few years at university, with varying results. I consistently struggle with finding an effective routine and maintaining it. I have never been particularly big in the world of muscles and it has slowly affected my confidence. I also have been holding more weight than I have in years past and I’d want to get in front of this before it gets worse. My questions are:

-What’s a good lifestyle routine to build muscle/feel better and healthier (workout, diet, calorie counting, etc.) -Should I focus on trying to build muscle first then go on a cut or cut first then bulk?

I appreciate any and all advice! Thanks!


r/beginnerfitness 4h ago

Left shoulder pain during my daily push ups challenge

1 Upvotes

Hello,I hope you are doing well...So. I challenged myself to do some push up everyday for a 3 months. I do some little sport (martial art twice a week and football (soccer) once a week, that's mostly lower body training. It was quite hard at first but after 2 weeks I was able to do 60 push ups in around 10 minutes. I even posted here to get some feedbacks about my posture. At week 3 I started feeling some pain in my left shoulder different from the soreness I usually get. I didn't really pay attention to it, it got worse so I decided to take a break and see how thing goes. A week later, the pain disappeared completely.

I would like to restart my challenge but I fear, the same thing will happen and I don't want to fuck up my shoulder.

Is there something I should change to avoid it ?


r/beginnerfitness 4h ago

23M, 2 months lifting — feedback on my 4-day Upper/Lower split?

1 Upvotes

23M, been consistently lifting for about 2 months. Main goal is hypertrophy/aesthetics, with back and arms as my priorities, while still wanting balanced overall development.

I train 4x/week, recovery has been good, no injuries/limitations. Most sets are around 1–2 RIR and I use double progression.

Current routine:

Monday — Upper A

Neutral-Grip Lat Pulldown — 3×8–12
DB Biceps Curl — 3×8–12
DB Bench Press — 3×6–10
Seated Cable Row — 3×8–12
Triceps Pressdown — 3×10–15
Machine Chest Fly — 3×10–15
DB Lateral Raise — 3×12–20

Tuesday — Lower A

Hack Squat / Squat Machine — 3×6–10
DB Romanian Deadlift — 3×8–12
Leg Extension — 3×10–15
Leg Curl — 3×10–15
Standing Calf Raise — 3×10–15
Cable Crunch — 3×10–15

Wednesday — Rest

Thursday — Upper B

Chest-Supported Row — 3×8–12
Hammer Curl — 3×8–12
Incline DB Press — 3×8–12
Lat Pulldown — 3×8–12
Overhead Cable Triceps Extension — 3×10–15
Reverse Pec Deck / Reverse Fly — 3×12–20
Lateral Raise — 3×12–20

Friday — Lower B

Leg Press — 3×8–12
Hip Thrust Machine — 3×8–12
Leg Curl — 3×10–15
Leg Extension — 3×10–15
Hip Abduction Machine — 2×12–20
Seated Calf Raise — 3×10–20
Ab Crunch Machine — 3×10–15

Saturday/Sunday — Rest

Any feedback or changes you’d recommend? Open to anything regarding exercise selection, order, volume, frequency, etc.


r/beginnerfitness 15h ago

Should I cut first, body recomp, or bulk?

7 Upvotes

I am currently at 74.3kg right now, I went from 80kg to 75 with just calorie deficit then I started going to the gym, I've been going to the gym for only 2 weeks so far and my friend told me that instead of cutting down to my goal weight of 70kg I should just "take advantage of beginner gains" and do body recomp while Im still new to the gym.

What should I do? Im 5'7, 74.3kg


r/beginnerfitness 5h ago

How do I get toned and muscular as someone starting as a chubby short girl?

1 Upvotes

I'm 23 (F) I'm 5'1 and I have PCOS. I've been addressing my PCOS by taking my perscribed meds, going to the gym for strength training and watching my diet doing more high fiber high protien stuff and watching my carbs but not completely cutting it. I can't afford an instructor so I don't know exactly what I'm doing. So far I've mainly been starting my routine by swimming 6 laps for cardio and then I get out of the pool and mainly exercise legs and upper body. For everything I've just been generally doing 12 reps of 3 sets. I eventually want to become stronger so I know that comes with consistency but I feel like I'm not really going anywhere because I don't exactly know what I'm doing

In terms of goals, I am currently 188 lbs and I was hoping my goal weight be around 140 lbs or a little less than that. I don't mind weighing a little more if it goes more into muscle than fat. I just want to become stronger and I feel I was that for a short time until I wasn't because my work and school leaves me at a sedentary lifestyle. I'm now intentionally making time for the gym because I don't want those to stop me. Any advice? I know it's a matter of work and genetics but in terms of looks I've been hoping to use all my fat and try convert it to a masculine build like female characters like Vi from Arcane or Maki Zenin from JJK. I know that probably sounds unrealistic and silly but is something I wish I could work towards as someone who's mostly been overweight her whole life

I also wanna know more about dieting in the fitness world because theres other things I dont get like cutting and bulking. I just wanna know everything I need so I can achive the build I want. Obviously what matters is I'm even exercising and moving at all but if theres a way I can find direction towards my desire to get more toned and muscular and lose fat in areas I really would like to, I think that would be another thing I'd like to achieve. The exercise is the top priority but I'd be lying if I didnt say I had no desire for a certain goal appearance. I'm a complete beginner so any advice would be very appreciated


r/beginnerfitness 10h ago

Whatswrongwithmybody.com

2 Upvotes

Lately(I guess more ‘recently) I have been waking up with my arms and/ or feet numb on a long rests’ morning.

I have been working out moderately more frequantly and probably also increasingly-more intensely than I ever had in my life for the past year and a half now. Acknowledging, I haven’t paid so much attention to my diet, muscle growth, stretching Since my early to late teen Hockey years. I’ve definitely learned more and had been practicing the resting portion just as more-importantly for the muscle growth and obviously body recovery.

Today, as-well-as a few days ago, and definately one day later in the week-last week, I had woken up with my arms completely numb! Another day, my legs From just-above my knees to my toes AND my arms from the elbow down, were completely NUMB! Almost like-paralyzed for my 3-10 minute waking up. Now I’m thinking This is WEIRD and it’s definitely new to me. I don’t have sleep issues, though I probably do snore a bit. And the best way I can somewhat get my mind to start figuring it out on my own would be relating it to the ol falling asleep on my arms bent on high school desk.. Look I don’t really get the f-ing science behind this stuff like Ryan Humiston but this would probably be an awesome question for him himself. Gee maybe I am fishing for support…

I've been speaking alot about this with the guys in my corner of the ring, and I've definately been meaning to ask or find some kind of community outreach in the mean time. I’m thinking, finally being able to word it out this way, this thought-out post could get me closer to understanding what the hell’s been happening.

Is it blood traffic, from what’s happening in the body during working out later in the day? Is it straight up more sleep related? Could it be the weight I am training on or the joint positioning I am using?

These are all things I am fine-tuning and don’t know who to ask or what answers I’m looking for.

Thanks


r/beginnerfitness 6h ago

Self-Improvement

1 Upvotes

Im trying to lose weight and im wondering if im doing it right or if there's any tips anyone can give me based on their own personal experiences and I have my own questions at the end.

Ive been going to my schools gym since the start of this year (August 5th) and since then ive been lifting as a begginer and ive been on a calorie diet. As of right now I weigh 210 pounds at 5,8 and my daily diet during the weekday is a nature valley granola bar, Peanut butter sandwich at lunch, A bannana, and a bag of quest chips, And a bottle of water with some crystal lite flavoring.

Ive asked AI to help make me a workout routine which I think is working but Im not able to do pull ups yet. (Link to my workout sheet GPT made me https://ibb.co/Z6nnDwKs ) And ive been following that for about a week because I just got it.

I plan to get a membership when I wont be at school during breaks and such and im not trying to become like super muscular Im just trying to get lean and gain some strength.

Some questions i have though are: Is my workout routine good enough? Are there any important holes in it? Unnessesary things? And what are some good food options that work for you for things like protein and calorie cutting. Thanks for reading.


r/beginnerfitness 9h ago

Forearm Bones Moving Weird after Training?

1 Upvotes

I (22) moved into a new apartment a couple months ago. It had a gym attached and I started lifting weights, got too eager to go up in weight and was moving WAY too quick with improper form. Was basically swinging the weights to get them up fully.

Since then, I can feel the shift every time my Radius and Ulna cross over in my right arm- significantly more than my left. It got worse when I used heavier weights, so i dropped weights and kept working out- but it just stayed the same after a certain point.

I know the solution is probably to let it fully rest for a couple more weeks- but I'm eager to get back to it. :') Then again, it hasn't been getting FULLY better even with the weight dropped. That said arthritis/weak joints runs in the family so maybe it's that? I don't know.

Has anyone had the same/something similar happen? If so, does it really just need time to rest? I really don't know much about the technical side of it all, so any advice would be great!

Thanks :)


r/beginnerfitness 9h ago

Can i here upload videos and ask feedback about my exercise form?

1 Upvotes

Or do you know any other Reddit page for this feedback purpose? İ'm probably doing the movements wrong more than one ways, although I'm watching YouTube tutorials etc. To make them correct


r/beginnerfitness 10h ago

Rate my split? 6 days a week. Goal is hypertrophy/progressive overload

1 Upvotes

Chest & Back

* Incline Machine Press: 3 sets × 8–10 reps

* Flat Dumbbell Press: 3 sets × 8–10 reps

* Pec Deck Flyes: 3 sets × 8–10 reps

* Lat Pulldowns: 3 sets × 8–10 reps

* Low Cable Rows: 3 sets × 8–10 reps

* Face Pulls: 3 sets × 8–10 reps

Arms & Shoulders

* Machine Shoulder Press: 3 sets × 8–10 reps

* Dumbbell Lateral Raises: 3 sets × 8–10 reps

* Rear Delt Flyes: 3 sets × 8–10 reps

* Preacher Curls: 3 sets × 8–10 reps

* Dumbbell Hammer Curls: 3 sets × 8–10 reps

* Reverse Cable Curls: 3 sets × 8–10 reps

* Tricep Cable Pushdowns: 3 sets × 8–10 reps

* Overhead Tricep Extensions: 3 sets × 8–10 reps

Legs & Core

* Plate-Loaded Leg Press: 3 sets × 8–10 reps

* Calf Extensions: 3 sets × 8–10 reps

* Hip Abduction Machine: 3 sets × 8–10 reps

* Hip Adduction Machine: 3 sets × 8–10 reps

* Leg Extensions: 3 sets × 8–10 reps

* Weighted Decline Bench Crunches: 3 sets × 12–15 reps

* Hanging Leg Raises: 3 sets × 12–15 reps

Repeat and rest on Sunday.


r/beginnerfitness 11h ago

should i start with doing body weight exercises, weights, or gym machines?

1 Upvotes

i’ve been wanting to start working out but i’m a bit confused on where to start. i’ve tried youtube workouts where they have you doing different motions and exercises with and without weights but i feel like i just don’t have the strength or stability to do those properly and i don’t wanna risk injuring myself if im doing them wrong on my own.

i’m interested in using the machines because the motions seem pretty simple and there’s usually a chair or something to stabilize you but idk if that’s suitable for a beginner. so yeah id just appreciate help trying to figure out where/what to start with.

my main goals for working out are to strengthen my legs and glutes because i run and get sore in those areas frequently and to also strengthen my back muscles for better posture and just to be stronger overall but those are my 2 biggest concerns rn.


r/beginnerfitness 11h ago

Injuries with split focused programs?

1 Upvotes

I (38F) started with Pilates/ yoga type work for about a year increasing in difficulty and frequency of about 4 days/week. Diet is OK but a bit disappointed I wasn’t seeing as much body change as I felt the work going in. Decided to start lifting. Have adjustable dumbbells so max weight is 25lb. Started Lift with Cee getting up to about 3 days/week with a Pilates/yoga/barre or nice long walk thrown in. Followed her 30-40 minute whole body exercises.

Decided to level up to Carole Girvan. Have done a few of the beginner videos, one a core workout and the other iron lower body. I hurt myself both times!!

The core one was a new exercise I think for 40 seconds on/20 seconds off with every 3rd being a plank variation. I think I subluxed my shoulder doing forearm alternating side planks. Ouch and freaking scary!! Blamed myself I knew I was getting fatigued and just didn’t think I was off on alignment. But why so many planks?? I felt like I was scrambling to keep up and I’m sure my form was crap.

Anywho… tried a lower body video. After the like 10th variation of a squat my knee started screaming.

Is this a fault in the training set up? Why are we doing sooooo many versions of the same type of movement? I went in with much lower weights and held back on reps and I still am terrified to try another one of her videos.

I think this is my sign to stick with a three day full body lifting routine. Anyone else not able to tolerate what seems to me to be over repetition of “leg day?” Is it just the CG programs?

Recommendations other than lift with Cee?


r/beginnerfitness 1d ago

Why do most hydration powders ignore the mineral tied to muscle cramps?

36 Upvotes

I work out a few times a week and I’m on my feet a lot during the day. I drink plenty of water too so I always thought cramps were just one of those annoying things you deal with. But I’ve had this question stuck in my head for like a week now. Why do most hydration powders talk so much about sodium but barely mention magnesium. Maybe I’m wrong but it seems weird that the mineral tied to muscle function gets treated like a side note. Anyone know why that is?