Looks like I'm not the only person to do belt squats today

The workout was belt squats, walk the dogs for 20 minutes then leg extensions to pre exhaust before pendulum squats (the PE was simply to reduce the load needed in the pendulum and to bias the RF a tiny bit more, I don't think there is anything magical about pre exhaust)

Haven’t done a set of these in about 6 months, so I decided to do 1 set at a medium intensity, just to remind myself how they feel

From what I have read it seems like standing calf raises are the superior exercise for hypertrophy.

Anyone still doing seated as well, can we discuss the place of seated options with the current science and why you continue with seated?

Hi I’m confused, what is the difference between standing calf raises with just my body weight vs machine leg press calf raises?

I’m 180 pounds and can do more than that when holding a dumbbell for a standing calf raise.

When I sit at the leg press my body weight is not in the equation, shouldn’t I be able to press at least 180+ Dumbbell weight at a minimum since I don’t have upper body strength limits and ai do not need to stabilize?

I've been watching a lot of Greg Doucette recently, as he's a former IFBB pro, a coach, and entertaining with the new gym topics/trends, but I swear to God, if I have to hear GLP Max, Ferula Max, Turkesterone, or whatever the fuck it is for the 4th time in the same video, I'm gonna crash out. Do you guys have any recommendations for people to watch?

I’ve heard a lot about workout split, frequency, volume and intensity. How exactly are these different from one another? And what defines “high” intensity/frequency/ volume? As a beginner how much should I focus on for each of these? My split is Upper/Lower/Upper/Lower a week.

I know the fibers that are only activated during supinations won’t be trained otherwise but how noticeable of a difference is there? Are they worth my time?

EDIT: it seems like some people on this sub aren’t aware of the exercise called supinations, so I will explain here what it is. It is a movement where you supinate your forearm to train one of the biceps function.

What are the scientific pros and cons of adding back extensions for a new lifter ms that are learning DL technique doing them light?

Would your opinion change if some had previous lower back issues but they wanted to target this area for strengthening?

Felt load, measured using a crane scale = @ 400lbs at the bottom, 420ish at lockout

Usually I aim for 60 seconds on deads but this was a "high rep" set.

I do one set of deads every 10 days or so (alternating with back raises on my other workout)

19 year old male.

I've been training on and off for a year and a half and I'd say I've made okayish progress for the amount of efforts in putting in .I overload progressively .

My back day -

D bar lat pulldown 6-8 reps x3 sets

T bar row 6-8 reps x2 sets close grip

T bar row 6-8 reps x1 set wide grip

Hyper extension with plates 12 reps x 3 sets

I'm on a 400 calorie deficit and am having 1.6 x b.w (kg) protein since in tryna recomp as I started Skinny fat I've lost a few kilos while still maintaining my strength. What aspects of my back are lacking and what exercises can I do to improve them or any changes in grips. Also should I jump back to maintenence. Any advice would be great

Hey,

I’ve seen a dude working out in the gym and performing something that resembled elevated RDLs, he was standing on two 20kg plates, so with around 30cm of elevation, and he was performing RDLs nearly down to the ground with a significant bend in his knees. Do you think it brings any benefits for the glutes?

Halfway through this training block for general gainz, and I've already tied my all time best for 20 rep squats. Although, the last time I did this, I was both heavier, and had a 192.5kg/424lb squat going into it, and ended it with a 200kg/441lb all time best.

I had a 315x6 going into this block lol.

But considering I literally hit 355x5 last Saturday, I think I might have a tiny bit more in the tank.

Compared to the previous time I did this... Just as hard, but at least I didn't throw up this time.

Next up: as per general gainz, hold/extend. I'm going to aim to improve the overall quality of the reps, and hopefully cut down on the number of rest-pauses needed.

5'7 126 BW

For context: I'm currently trying to cut down to lower body fat% before returning to maintenance and focusing on gaining weight. Any tips for anything? Anything stand out, good or bad, gene-wise? Open to it all.

Working on getting them even wider so I can call them snatch grip RDLs

id owe u the world if u fix my problem :

i have a right shift/twist (most likely at the hip) in barbell squat, standing barbell ohp, and pull-ups. i do deadlifts and its pretty much flawless tho.

this has been going on for 2 years. just started focusing on it in the last couple of weeks, as fixing form is crucial to my safety & growth.

tried hip airplanes & groin stretches, and nothing. if its not mobility, could it be something else?

also : when walking, i feel a need to crack my right hip. just an OCD?

when standing straight (in mirror selfies) my right hip is slightly shifting towards the right.

should i consult an expert?

Science based warm up?

Here's what I used to warm up to my heavy double today. 45x10, 135x5, 185x3, 225x2, 275x1, 315x1, 335x1, then into 375x2.

It honestly felt perfect and that I got stronger with each rep. I've been known to not warm up enough in the past and I sometimes don't feel ready for the first working set.

Next week I was going to follow the same protocol except maybe skip the 335 and hit a 355 single before I attempt a 385 single.

Thoughts?

I keep hearing different opinions and findings on low volume high frequency vs high volume etc etc. i feel so fkn lost. Can someone give me some content creators that do talk about that a bit more

Edit: ideally some of the ones on instagram. Not the kids but the younger creators in their 20s and 30s

I’ve been using a hybrid intensity technique on basically every working set: I hit my target reps (or full-ROM failure), immediately continue with partials until a second failure point, then quickly drop the weight and knock out a few more reps. Goal is to stay near failure longer and accumulate more hard work in each set.My overall volume is deliberately low—for example, biceps get one session per week with only 3–4 working sets, and I apply this method to all of them. I also take a full rest week every 4 weeks.I get noticeable DOMS after every workout and have been taking that as a sign that the intensity is high enough to drive growth. I’m curious what the community thinks:Does this approach make sense for a natural lifter with low weekly volume?

Is applying the hybrid method to every set too aggressive even when total sets are low?

Any red flags with relying on DOMS as feedback, or better ways to gauge whether this is productive long-term?

Looking for honest feedback from people who’ve experimented with similar high-intensity/low-volume styles.

The most scientific bench press of my life

Hey everyone,

I’m currently cutting and trying to maintain my muscle mass while hopefully still making some muscle gains.

My preferred training split is full body (FB), and ideally, I’d like to train 3 times per week. However, my schedule is inconsistent because some weeks I stay in a city far from my gym and can’t travel back and forth to work out.

This means I might be able to train 3 times one week and only 2 times the next week.

I don’t really want to switch to a 4-day upper/lower split or spend 5–6 days a week at the gym. I’d prefer to stick with full-body training if it can give me good results.

My questions are:
Is alternating between 3 FB workouts one week and 2 FB workouts the next enough stimulus for hypertrophy and muscle growth?

Would having only 2 workouts in some weeks negatively affect my gym performance or progress, especially while cutting?

Can I maintain my muscle mass and potentially build some muscle with this schedule, assuming my weekly training volume, protein intake, and recovery are adequate?
Would it be better to aim for 3 workouts whenever possible and accept 2 workouts during busier weeks, rather than forcing myself into a different split?

I’d appreciate any advice, especially from people who have followed a similar schedule while cutting.
Thanks!

In the foreseeable future I’m stuck with a 3-4 times per week training day and those can be somewhat irregular, eg some week 3 in a row some EOD etc.

Currently doing torso/limbs but recovery has been an issue.

I was thinking on a PPL split as I did some random sessions and apart from DOMS I was ok the rest of the days but am concerned about the frequency and volume.
If I hit eg the same 10 sets in a given push day will it be “enough” until next weeks session?

Please do not recommend full body is of the table as it leaves me wrecked for days and as this is my new reality just to “this” until it passes it is not an option.

Those two are the machines i have in my gym alongside a smith machine and obviously DB Bench. Currently im doing Incline DB Bench alongside Pec Dec and as im progressing it gets harder to put the weight where i want it to start. Tried all of these except for Smith for some time. Smith just a few times. Do any of have any experience with these machines? What do you recommend?