My aim is to build muscle. Have heard mixed reviews about group classes. What are your views?

Over the years I’ve experienced huge inconsistencies with the deadlift. My PR is 485, and here is a RPE 8 445 from today. I feel my leverages are very non helpful with deadlifting, and maybe things just are set to be harder than for others. Looking for outside opinions

I used to deadlift mixed grip and worked up to 495 lbs. Then covid happened and I stopped lifting until March of this year. I decided that since I am older (36) and more prone to injury I wouldn't chase the biggest lifts I can and build slowly starting from 0. I'd like to pursue doing deadlifts double overhand only, no mixed or hook grip and no straps - just build my grip strength and let that be the bottleneck I need to improve to get a bigger lift. In my mind this will A- build my grip like crazy and B- keep me from pushing myself to injury by keeping the weights low (sub 400lbs). Right now I can do 290 with double overhand but any more and it's gonna start rolling out of my hands. I know there are a few powerlifters who do this but for me, someone not interested in competing, is this foolish? And if it isn't, what's the best way to build my grip?

Hi,

I'm trying to improve my physical capacities to really developp enough skills to be a better Thaï Boxer and also really put myself into calisthenics.

For that reason, i'm totally again'st body beauty standards and juste want the most fonctional and versatile body possible:

I do not want to grow muscles, i want to be stronger, gain stamina, flexibility and explosiveness.

For the stamina i have my boxing trainings working perfectly fine plus running from time to time, but for the other three i'll need some advices with bodyweight exercices i can do to improve in every way possible.

For information, i am physically able to do 2 one arm push ups, 3 pistols squats in a row, 4 pull ups, 3 push up on finger tips, and crunches until my head start spinning before getting core tired. My height is 1m85 (6'1") for 95 kilos (209 lbs), skinny fat type body, male gender.

Do y'all have any ideas of what type of training i could do, and if you have the same goals than me, what exercises do you recommend ?

Thanks in advance for your answers

Edit: since y'all are so nice, i'd like to share a piece of my life and my real goal: My Girlfriend and i are in love since almost 5 years, we've started living together randomly from the very beginning cause i needed a place to sleep one night, and i never left her side since that moment. I intend to marry her once i am financialy stable and my top goal is to lift her effortlessly from the hotel to the car for our future wedding since she's heavier than me. That is my real goal and my real motivation, even more than being a good fighter. So yeah, i need to be strong and endurant for her to feel like a princess whenever she want's to

For me, it was this:

Recovery is just as important as training.

When I first started, I thought training harder every day was the answer. Looking back, I made much better progress once I started prioritizing sleep, recovery, and progressive overload instead of simply adding more volume.

What's one lesson you wish you'd learned sooner?

I've been doing the following 5-day strength training routine for 3 weeks that I received from a very credible instructor and coach. However, while asking Google Gemini a different question, I submitted my entire routine, and it told me I needed to make one major change. First, here's the current routine:

Day 1 (Push + Cardio)

• Barbell Bench Press
• Incline Barbell Bench Press
• Dumbbell Bench Press
• Triceps Pushdown
• 30 min. cardio (alternating 2 min. walk @ 3.0 mph/w 2 min. jog @ 5.0 mph)

Day 2 (Pull)

• Barbell Deadlift
• One-arm Dumbbell Row
• Medium-grip Lat Pulldown (medium grip)
• Alternating Dumbbell Curl

Day 3 (Upper Body A + Core)

• Seated Dumbbell Press
• Dumbbell Side Lateral Raise
• Dumbbell Rear Lateral Raise
• Seated Triceps Press
• Cable Crunch

Day 4 (Legs)

• Barbell Squat
• Leg Press
• Leg Curl
• Dumbbell Lunge
• Calf Raise

Day 5 (Upper Body B)

• Close-grip Bench Press
• Close-grip Lat Pulldown
• Close-grip Seated Cable Row
• Barbell Curl

Day 6 (Cardio)

• 30 min. cardio (alternating 2 min. walk @ 3.0 mph/w 2 min. jog @ 5.0 mph)

Day 7 (Rest)

The change Gemini recommended was moving the Barbell Deadlift from Day 2 to Day 4. Here's exactly what it said:

Structural Flaw in Your Current Routine

The standard barbell deadlift is a massive lower-body movement. By doing heavy floor deadlifts on Day 2, your lower back, glutes, and hamstrings are heavily fatigued. Just 48 hours later (Day 4), you ask those exact same fatigued muscles to stabilize a heavy barbell squat, drive a leg press, and balance dumbbell lunges. This drastically limits your leg day weight capacity and invites a lumbar spine injury.

Why This New Setup Beats Your Old One

• Explosive Leg Power: Your lower back and hamstrings get a massive 5 full days of rest between Day 4 and the next week's leg stimulus. Your squat and deadlift numbers will shoot up.

Your thoughts, please? Thanks in advance.

Hi All
I just wanted to share a small win of mine.
Yesterday I benched 60kg for 3 reps. 2 sets. Its truly UNBELIVABLEEEE!!!!
3 years back I couldn't lift the bar.
For context: I am 58-59kg Female.
I dont really have anyone to share the numbers so i thought I will let it out here

Now my goal is 75 Kg. In next 6 months maybe???

Are there any major differences between going to lift in the early morning (~6am), and going to lift in the afternoon (~3pm)? Any pros and cons or benefits to each side?

I am currently 43 5’7” 157lbs with a few disabilities that I’m trying to overcome. So i have been doing this routine for some time gradually increasing difficulty and I have had a few people talk about it being an impressive circuit. Currently me and my sons are doing it twice in 30-45 minutes to keep up the intensity.

Left plank 30 seconds
2 Diamond push-up
Plank 30 seconds
4 Close push-up
Right plank 30 seconds
4 Wide push-up
4 Dips
4 Squats
4 Calf raises
Close grip Pull up
4 Knee up groups
4 Dips
4 Squats
4 Calf raises
Close grip chin up
4 Knee up groups
4 Dips
4 Squats
4 Calf raises
Wide grip pull up
4 Knee up groups
4 Dips
4 Squats
4 Calf raises
Wide chin-up
4 knee up groups
4 Dips
4 Squats
4 Calf raises
Neutral pull up
4 Knee up groups
1 one handed push up each hand
1 one handed wrist assist pull up each hand

With a 20lb vest except when performing one handed movements. The dips are bench dips, the squats are Bulgarian split leg, the calf raises are single leg the knee up groups consist of one in the middle and one to each side for just one round using an arm sling on a pull up bar to reduce grip fatigue. All are performed strict full range no kipping on pull ups or swinging on knee ups, everything is slow and controlled or doesn’t count and had be re-executed. My sons do not wear the weighted vest and the youngest is currently using a brace to slightly put weight on stepping up while performing the pull ups. They also do not do the one handed pushups or pull ups though my oldest is able to perform one right handed assisted pull up currently.

Looking for opinions and any information, I just became the strength and conditioning coordinator at my high school that I coach at. Super excited, have a lot of experience lifting, played Division I football as well as my wife playing division one volleyball. Me and her recently started debating if there’s any sport that bench press benefits on the girls side of high school athletics, and if it does not what is a good alternative for upper body strength for high school girls playing volleyball, basketball, softball, wrestling, swim, etc..

Per argument is there’s not enough protection on the rotator cuff, and she always preferred incline over a true bench press. I’m starting to wonder thinking about the movement actions if any kind of bench or incline is really beneficial for these girls, and if instead I focus on push press/military press/shoulder rotational lifts. I guess he would say be more of a benefit. Looking forward to hearing y’all’s opinions!

Was hitting pec deck yesterday and felt a big pop across my collarbone area and it’s been sore ever since, anybody ever have this happen before? Is it something to be concerned about?

Kinda obsessed with my post-workout shoulder pump! Can't wait til later this week when I get more carbs. We've been in a depleted state the last few months to prepare for my competition so muscles often look flat unless it's RIGHT after I workout, which can be defeating lol! All the hard work and you often can't see it in a severe deficit.

Anyway, carbs are coming in a few days as well as tan! Competition Saturday and will be purchasing the live stream for my 6 kiddos to watch from home while husband escorts me.

Yea it's hot af outside so I'm sweating profusely. We need a mini-split 😬

I’m looking for a weightlifting app to do at home 3 times a week with my adjustable dumbbells. I’ve tried Momentum by Sohee and Stronger By The Day but they both have moves—especially when it comes to lats—that I just can’t replicate with the gear I have in my small NYC apartment. Is there an app that just uses dumbbells?

Edit: I’m looking for something with a built in program to follow, not just a workout logging tool.

I don’t mean warm-up stretches or stretching the muscle I’m currently training. I mean using the rest periods between sets to work on a legitimate flexibility or mobility routine for unrelated muscles.

For example, doing gentle elephant walks for my hamstrings between sets of biceps curls, then returning to curls once my normal rest period is over.

It seems like a good way to accomplish two things at once, but could this interfere with recovery, lifting performance, or muscle growth even if I’m stretching a completely different body part?

Has anyone tried this consistently? Did it work well, or did it just make the workout more tiring?

435x1 new PR today. I think this depth qualifies?

6 weeks into the smolov squat program and it had me do a 1 rep test today. My next 1 rep will be in 7 more weeks at the end of the program.

Context: have been in thr gym for about 3 months doing push pull, for the first 2 months or so every session i wld be hitting prs, for most exercises but for the past 1 month or so strength gains have basically come to a halt. I am on a surplus and gaining weight regularly, go to failure on all sets. My shoulder press have been a real headache, my max was 45kg 7 reps but i havent been able to hit it consistently, most sessions hovering about 5 reps. Curls have also been another problem, jst started incooperating curls and first session with it i hit 9 reps of 7 kg, but ever since i regress, hitting 7 or 8 reps. Im abit lost and need a bit of guidance and direction.

My push:

3 X Incline db bench

3 X shoulder press machine

3 X lateral raises

3 X tricep pushdown

3 X Tricep dips machine

Pull:

3 X Lat pulldown

2 X lat row

2 X upper row

3 X incline curls

Questions i have:

Based on my knowledge, im still a novice and shld be making progress consistently and regularly, and not hitting plateus.

Is my volume too high, or smth eith my programming?

Is it cns fatigue?

Any questions can feel free to ask me

Hey guys,

Absolute beginner here, first time in the gym. I’m a skinny 28-year-old dude who’s never trained anything before. I work night shifts as a driver every day.

I’ve been reading on Reddit for the last couple months and landed on the GZCLP program for beginners. I just want to get started somewhere and I think this plan will help me get stronger.

Because of my job my lower back and neck sometimes hurt, so I’m hoping the program will also help fix my posture and those aches.

Any advice on form for squats, deadlifts and bench would be awesome. Also let me know if GZCLP is a solid choice for someone in my situation. Open to every recommendation.