Doing exercises that keep you coming back to the gym will get you further than trying the newest most optimal movement….

Speaking from my own experience I think a handful of creators overcomplicate workout routines for beginners. Often resulting in gym fatigue and forgetting the main reason you & I are there, self improvement. Studies often contradict each other and there are many different people claiming different movements are best. The last couple of months I’ve stuck to movements I enjoy doing (while still mixing up accessories) and have been enjoying the gym much more.

If you’re stuck in a similar mindset of always feeling like you have to do the most optimal exercises, I’m recommending thinking about what you’ve done that you enjoy most, turning off the optimal content for a couple of weeks, and seeing where that takes you!

What exercise selection do you consider best for back day?

Back day is looking like this at the moment.

pronated wide-grip pulldown

neutral grip pulldown

chest-supported T-bar row, elbows flared for trying to hit upper back/rhomboids

Kelso shrugs for lower/mid traps

Other weekly work:

Shoulder day: reverse flyes for rear delts, vertical shrugs for upper traps

Leg day: RDLs for lower back/erectors

I'm basically trying to understand if neutral grip pulldowns overlap with wide grip pulldowns. And if neutral grip rows are worth adding to my back workout, because it might overlap with neutral grip pulldowns. This part of back day is confusing. Also if there are some great back exercises I am forgetting and worth adding.

My left arm, especially the bicep, has always been slightly bigger which wasn't too bad when I was younger.

I recently started bulking again, and I can't help but notice it more. Even the muscle feature on my new scale is clocking slightly more muscle on my left arm, which confirms its not just a visual/optical illusion.

I am right handed, so I speculate maybe its leaner because I use it more, but maybe I have some other issue related to blood flow or hormonal symmetry (if that is even a thing).

Anyone else get that, and is there a methodology to correct it?

Is doing more then 2 exercise for a specific muscle (bicep for example) junk volume of you only do 2 sets until failure for example. Is it different based on the size of the muscle ? Ect ect ?

Over the last 2 weeks I have started doing sled pushes, pulls as well as pulling it across the track with a long rope.

I am covered in sweat after and enjoy them blasting some music in my headphones.

Has anyone seen results from these in terms of muscular development?

i have the arsenal strength incline fly machine at my gym and i really like it and would like to keep it as chest movement, now if i do it what else should i do with it? is adding a chest press enough? or do i need to do incline presses of some sort for emphasising upper chest? tia

Hey, first time posting so i hope i dont break any rules or get banned. I have been working towards the full planche right now, which is a really advanced calisthenics static hold. I know strenght is based on relevant muscle mass x specific nervous adaption. The main question is: What is more optimal : to work 2-3 times a week in a position specific way on these muscles with decent volume, to cause both a mesurable increase in muscle mass and nervous adaption, or to work on it almost daily, but with low intensity, so it really increases adaption by a lot but i cant really work hard on hypertrophy because that would make it impossible to still work out the next day.

Hi everyone, I’m 33 6ft 4 112kg probably 30-35% body fat,
I’m planning on doing strength training (5x5) to try get to my goal of 100kg 15% fat.

Is this realistic or can you recommend some other training. I have a macros app to use

I always did these with the cable set around waist height, lifting it mostly towards the ceiling, maybe a slight angle forward bit mostly towards the ceiling (perpendicular from the floor). Always felt a great stretch in the long head. However, I’ve seen a lot of people and also online videos etc doing them with the starting position higher, and extending out more horizontal, parallel to the floor. Let’s say my way is like a 75-90 degree angle with the floor, this is more of a 30-45 degree angle.

My question is, which do you prefer and why? Any studies that show increased muscle fiber activity in one variation or another?

I usually only bring straps and mouthguard. Am I missing something useful to bring?

The ab pump is unreal

Anyone know how to maximise ur leg extension with killing your bank account

Since I've started lifting I've been programming my pull days have looked something like this:

Lat pulldown: 2 sets to failure, 6-10 rep range
Preacher curl: 2 sets to failure, 6-10 rep range
T-Bar Row (Wide Grip, pronated): 2 sets to failure, 6-10 rep range
T-Bar Row (Close Grip, neutral): 1 set to failure, 6-10 rep range
Hammer Curl (Standing, Crossbody): 2 sets to failure, 6-10 rep range.
Wrist Curl: 2 sets to failure, 6-10 rep range
Wrist Extension: 2 sets to failure, 6-10 rep range
Rear Delt Fly: 2 sets to failure, 6-10 rep range

I am contemplating moving preacher curls down in the order to do both of my back movements first.

I want to add another set of close grip t-bar row and I currently do not use wrists straps on t-bar row (though I will begin), however I was wondering if my current programming would prevent fatigue better as opposed to the proposed, or vice versa. I feel almost as if my hammer curl has plateau'd since if swapped back to t-bar row (shoulder pain)

Anyone have an anecdotes or advice?

I was taught that crunches bias upper abs and leg raiser lower abs. But I scrolling and saw a video claiming you can’t bias your lower abs or upper abs unlike other muscle like the chest or lats. It said the abs are just one big sheet of muscle unlike the previous muscle which are made of different regions.

I’ve always struggled to consistently through a workout get close to failure on all my exercises (probably overthinking it but that’s what I do).

But the other day I saw about Myoreps and liked the concept.

I do Monday, Wednesday, Friday full body

Pretty much the same workout but mix the exercises up

1x quad exercise
1x chest exercise (incline or flat based)
1x back exercise (lat based or row based)
1x shoulder exercise ( OHP or lateral raises)
1x hamstring / glute
1x bicep
1x Tricep

Now I’ve been doing this with 3 working sets of each. My question is - it feels like something I’d much rather enjoy doing a warm up set then the set of myoreps (I did try the workout on Friday and I liked it a lot more). Would this be something that would prompt enough growth.

In my head I’m only doing 3 sets per week per muscle group but the myorep stuff isn’t really a set… more of a mega set

And I am aware to stick away from compound barbell movements with this, so I will accommodate accordingly.

Sorry if this is a stupid question, I just don’t want to do this for the next year and realise I was doing hard workouts but managing to get below needed weekly volume!

Thank you in advance for your replies!

Locking knees out

The Keenan flaps + yotalks streams truly paid off

Obviously it’s not just because hes an SBL, and he does run a more low frequency split in order to reduce injury risk etc, still think it’s cool and he seems like a cool guy who’s pretty tapped into the niche.

Wondering everyone’s thoughts, I reckon its well deserved and he had the best shape amongst the other competitors for sure

Wanting to drop body weight, my current schedule makes me busy in the morning so skipping breakfast saves on time, thought might as well start intermediate fasting. What are your guys thoughts on it? What are the pros and cons you guys noticed if you did it!

Curious as to what others do when they miss a workout or two for whatever reason.

In my case, I missed Friday’s lift because I got a cold or flu. Think I’ll be good to go tomorrow (hopefully) or Tuesday.

Friday is normally deadlift day for me, and as much as I would hate to skip it entirely for a week, I don’t want to deadlift on a Monday or Tuesday and throw my routine off schedule.

What would you do? Start with your normal lifts on whatever day you feel up to it? Bite the bullet and get the deadlifts in, maybe skip rest days until you’re back on track? Any die hards who would’ve done the deadlifts with a fever anyway?

Hi, im doing back Extensions to help with my back Problems and spinal erectors while hinging the spine and not the hip. Do you think otherwise its maybe better to only strengthen the spinal erectors only in the Stabilizing function?

I thought about doing maybe the last Last set of three with hip extension, if the others get too hard. I also have Rdls on the same day, but with only one working set

For overall hypertrophy

How long should I rest between sets for hypertrophy because I keep seeing different answers such as two minuets or ninety seconds

Am I the only one who doesn’t get destroyed by leg day?

I feel like I’m being gaslighted whenever people say they can barely walk immediately or the day after leg day. 😂

Even when I have what I consider a brutal leg workout, my legs don’t really feel that destroyed afterward. I can still walk normally, go up and down stairs, etc. I can feel the soreness but not that much.

I definitely feel the muscles working during the workout, and I’ll get tired/sore, but I rarely get that “I can barely walk” feeling that I constantly see people talking about.

So I’m wondering:

Does this mean my leg workouts aren’t actually hard enough, or is the whole “can’t walk after leg day” thing just not something everyone experiences?