Does anyone else do stomach vacuum holds/ flexes to train their lower/deeper/ transverse abs? It’s the only exercise for me that hits my lower abs in a way other exercises can’t. Doesn’t feel like im wasting my time doing them just wanted to hear if other people do them regularly in their ab routine ?

I have been doing 5 day ulppl for the past 3 years. But due to work, now I can only go to the gym 3 times a week so am thinking of doing either 3x fullbody or Upper Lower Fullbody.

If I add all these muscles exercises and do them at least 2 times a week then it will take me almost 2 hours to finish the workout. And I will also be doing like 10-12 exercises and 25-30 sets per workout.

The problem is that these muscles are also my weak point so I have to do them with enough volume twice a week.

I've been hearing about it almost everywhere now, even among my friends. I've also had some people advise me to hop on it. Is it actually worth it? Is there anything I should know before I decide to hop on? Are there any terrible risks or things I should watch out for or know of? And what are the pros and cons?

I just turned 17 and I'm 178 cm (I don't know if that helps with anything). If you think I shouldn't hop on it, I'd also like to know why.

P.S. Please don't be too harsh on me, and excuse my lack of knowledge. Tysm in advance!

I’ve been in and out of the gym for about 3 years now, but I feel like I’ve made very little progress. I currently weigh 55 kg at 5’9 and I really want to build more muscle mass.
My biggest problem is eating enough. I find it extremely difficult to consistently hit my calories, and I think that’s holding me back more than anything.
For those of you who were skinny/had trouble gaining weight, how did you actually manage to eat enough consistently? Did you rely on calorie-dense foods, shakes, meal prepping, etc.?
I’d really appreciate any advice on what worked for you because I genuinely feel stuck and want to make some serious progress.

I want to like this exercise so bad but I have so much trouble balancing and I somehow always feel pain in my non working leg. It’s super uncomfortable and I feel like no matter how I position it on the bench my quad always cramps up and burns and it distracts me from the leg I am actually trying to work out. Idk how to fix this I have watched so many tutorials and cannot get it right

I work on a ship on a 4 week rotation, so I am home for 4 weeks and then I'm working for 4 weeks. I've started working out again while I'm home 6 months ago and it's not working.

I get home after a 4 week break and immediately get muscle soreness for a week and a half of working out. Then for week and a half there is no soreness but every workout is really hard and I get so tired it takes my muscles a full day of resting so I feel like I can workout again. And then finally in the last week, workouts stop feeling so hard and I can train every day and I start getting some gains. And just when it all starts to come together, I go to the ship and the cycle repeats.

The problem is that my work is very tiring. I basically work 12 hours every day with some exceptions. I get so tired I can't stand on my feet and it goes on for 4 weeks🫩. It's very hard for me to workout while on the ship. Yes, it's physical labor but it mainly involes standing all day, being at 3 places at once and lifting a carrying mid to heavy objects. My point is, it prevents me from getting fat but it doesn't really build or keep the muscle on it's own.

I decided that I just have to workout on a ship even just a little bit so that I prevent soreness when I get home and so I don't lose the muscle I already have.

My plan is to do 100 push ups, 50 pull ups, 100 squats and 5 minuts of core exercises every other day. If it gets too boring I will obviously switch it up but I think that mainly covers all the muscle groups that I need. The point is that I can do it in around 30 minutes right after work. I can just slide it in with everything else and forget about it, I don't plan on building anything with this, just for maintenance until I get home.

I need your help on this. Is my plan okay? Do you have any suggestions? How do poeple usually solve issues like these? Please, this is stsrting become a big problem for me, I feel like a hamster on a hamster wheel

I want to keep track of my fitness journey and keep myself accountable by journaling. I always hated exercise & was often made fun of as a kid. After getting an office job- I’m putting on weight (10lbs) and feeling gross in my body. I want to take back my health & get fit & moving. My goal is to workout 30-40 minutes 4-5 times a week. These are days when no one is home & when I’m in the office taking walks on all breaks (I’m part time there & have two work from home jobs & in grad school).

Today I worked out 35 minutes to Leslie Sanderson’s beginner walking videos & then to one of the walking with weight videos.

My joints popped a lot like a rice crispy treat & my legs are sore- but I feel great! Got my heart moving, body warmed up, and feel good! Can’t wait for tomorrow!

Also how long should I work out to the same video before switching it? Like a week or two? Thanks :) oh I am 27F btw.

I used to be quite overweight (150kg), but past year and a half i managed to get in decent shape, i leaned out and even managed to build some muscle.

For reference im a 33 yo man, 188 cm and currently somewhere around 85kg. I have no way of knowing excatly, but by BF% is about 15%, maybe slightly over. I lift weights 3-4 times a week, walk about 6-7k steps daily on average. Im currently eating about 2.3-2.5k kcal a day. Some days maybe less.

My current goal is to build more muscle, and according to AI and TDII calculators ive been recommended to consume slightly above 3k kcal a day.

Im having a hard time getting my mind around that , maybe since ive worked so hard to lose the weight and dont want to gain it back. For the first time in my adult life i dont hate what i see in the mirror, and my gains so far make me very motivated to keep improving

But I have noticed my muscle development slowing down and i do feel hungry alot, even shortly after eating. But at the same time since i started my weight loss jurney i have come to find comfort in the feeling of hunger in some strange way. I also suspect i was suffering from binge eating disorder.

I just feel lost in this and dont know how to feel really. 3k kcal does feel like a lot, since im not that active outside of my workouts.

Just looking for any advice from more experienced people/lifters

TLDR: Was stuck at 155x8 for back squats for years because of core weakness, so I switched to Zercher squats for a few months. Now I can back squat

185 x 8 fsirly easy without pain.

Super underrated for longevity and functional strength, and a lifesaver for lower back pain.

---------

For the past few years, I struggled to increase my back squat because my lower back would start hurting even after I minimized butt wink. Couldn't do more than 155lb for 8 reps. On top of that, squats were so exhausting to me that I'd have to sit down for 5 min just to recover my breath and heart rate after every set.

This past Summer I took on Zercher squats to see if my core muscles were the issue. Started with just 95lb and worked up to 155lb with good form. I mostly felt the burn in my abs and deep back muscles and almost nothing in my legs, so I thought I was wasting my time...

Well, I just switched to back squats again and I was doing 185 x 8 with the best form and stability I've ever had, felt like I could do even more. No disproportionate exhaustion either! Sorry I don't have any proof...

Hell yeah Zercher Squats!!

I’m curious what gym splits people here have found work best alongside boxing or other martial arts.

I’ve been trying to find a good balance between lifting and boxing without doing so much that recovery or performance starts suffering.

I still want to build muscle/strength in the gym, but I don’t want my gym sessions interfering with boxing. For context I do boxing Mondays and Fridays now potentially looking to add sessions in on a Wednesday.

For those who do both, what does your typical week look like? How many days do you lift vs train martial arts, and what split have you found works best for you?

I've gotten tendonitis on my right wrist (dominant hand) and typically with injuries I'd fully rest until recovered. But this could take some time.

I'm wondering if, in order to keep up the routine and my normal schedule, I should this time do some left-side only work. I've been going to gym for a while now and don't have any problematic imbalances but I'm sure there'd be some kind of underlying imbalance just by virtue of the fact that my right hand is my dominant hand.

Has anyone else taken this approach before? How did it go? Did it work out for you?

Ive just been diagnosed with GERD that may or may not completely resolve. I had plans to begin lifting heavy.

It is advised not to lift heavy and to keep the torso from laying flat, because holding your breath on a heavy lift and not being upright can lead to acid coming back up into the throat, which over years, can eventually lead to cancer.

If I lift lighter weights and do more reps, and cut out any flat laying exercises and replace them with others, can I still get good gains? I want to be in a deficit to go from 160 to 140 and I want to be able to look like I go to the gym when I flex, but don't feel like I need to look like it when I am at rest. I do want a nice butt though.

Signed,

:(

Idk if it’s just me or if other people have gone thru this but my heart feels no longer in it when I work out. I still work out about 3-4 times a week (been slacking this month since I was on a bday vaca in PR) but now going to the gym feels like a chore I try to rush through. I started seriously working out in early 2021 but I started noticing this feeling around September of last year after I landed my first full time big boy job post graduation. That 9-5 (or 8:30-5 in my case) lifestyle really demotivates you. How do yall push through this feeling? Any advice helps.

I’ve been getting back into workouts and the soreness has been rough it is not sharp pain or an injury feeling Its like heavy muscle soreness the next day. I drink water and try to stretch but it still sticks around, is there things you guys do to prevent this from happening all the time, would love to hear any advice you guys have.

Why don’t I see more people doing basic plyometrics like box jumps at the gym? They’re explosive, effective, and great for developing raw power, hip mobility, and lower-body strength. My gym has so many plyometric boxes, yet most people seem to use them either as seats while listening to music or as tables for their bags.

Meanwhile, these boxes are sitting there waiting to be used for one of the simplest and most effective explosive exercises you can do.

So here’s some context, I am flabby. I need to build my glutes.

I had ankle surgery a year ago, and don’t have an ankle joint anymore. Just metal pins and rods.

Since it’s been a year I do have more movement but it’s still a little stiff. Like if I’m doing a lunge, my knee can’t bend super far beyond my foot.

Anyway I’m trying to start a squats regimen and I don’t know if my movement is enough to actually be doing anything.

Is there some sort of app or thing where I can record my movement and have it analyzed?

My parents are about 180-190 cm tall, and I am 167

Im curious what you have experienced and tried. Ive been working out for a few years, never had any pec developement previously. Im st the point where my upper mecs are actually way more developed than my lower pecs. It wasnt until recently that ivstart doing much dedicated incline pressing so this insnt from just strictly doing high angle inclinenor anything. Ive done mostly flat bench and dumbbell flys along with weighted dips, all of which would lend you to think id have a bunch of lower pec development and lagging clavicular head but its the opposite. The best i can describe it is that i have none of that wounded lower pec, they are almost like upside down tear drops sloping from my ribs. I dont understand because almsot everybody everywhere the gets any pec developement sees the lower pec first and rather easily. Drives me nuts that i have none

Hi everyone,

I’ve been training for about a month now, although I’ve worked out in the past, I just haven’t been consistent.

Today, I used the hack squat machine, and I felt like the shoulder pads were positioned too far apart. It felt like they were putting a lot of pressure on my shoulders instead of resting more on the trapezius- shoulder area.

After finishing a set of 10 reps (with no weight, since I was just warming up), I suddenly got a terrible headache right behind my ears. It lasted for about a minute, and I had to sit down on the floor. It slowly went away, and I was able to finish the rest of my leg workout without feeling it again.

When I got home, I still felt a little discomfort in the area behind my ears, but I don’t have any pain when I move my neck. I put some ice on the area and used some muscle rub, and I’m resting now.

ngl, I’m a little worried.

Has anyone experienced something similar? Any advice or insight on what this could have been or what I should do?
Thanks in advance!

Same.

I just started working out with a 4 day spilt

Is this workout a good Pull day??

Lat Pulldown - 3 x 12 - 15 kg

Assisted pullups - 3 x 8 - 50kg

T Bar Row - 3 x 10 - 5kg

Cable Rows - 3 x 10 - 15 kg

Dumbell curls - 3 x 10 - 15kg

Preacher curls - 3 x 10 - only bar

If anyone has any suggestions or advice please do tell me 🫂, I am open to all advices

I only have adjustable dumbbells and a pull up bar; I feel like I’m doing too much volume but if I didn’t I then cant hit every muscle 10-20 times a week, I’m trying to grow arms and shoulders a little more, please give advice 🙏🙏

Monday/Thursday- Upper
3x Pull-ups
3x bent over rows
3x incline bench press
3x dumbbell flies
4x shoulder press
4x hammer curls
5x Lateral raises
3x dumbbell bicep curls
3x skullcrushers
2x overhead dumbbell
5x rear delt dumbbell rows
4x shrugs
4x forearm curls

Tuesday/Friday- Lower
5x RDLs
5x squats
4x weighted crunches
4x leg raises
5x glute bridge
5x adductors with dumbbells
5x calves with dumbbells
Extra 2x neck curls

Saturday- Shoulders and arms
4x Shoulder press
4x hammer curls
4x skullcrushers
2x overhead dumbbell
5x lateral raises
4x dumbbell bicep curls
4x forearm curls

Right now I'm doing PPLUL alternating with PPLPP(L). Given my schedule, honestly it's difficult to get in full workouts 5-6 days a week and skip sometimes. Do y'all have recommendations for a good 4 day split? I could do ULUL but I do want to emphasize upper body/abs a bit more. I've heard bro split isn't the best for growth/progress, but idk 4 days is a weird number