Creating this thread for both males & females to discuss issues on fitness in general, ask fitness-related questions when one faces difficulty & for the pros to provide advice & share their opinions; whether it is related to weightlifting/bodybuilding/powerlifting in the gym, callisthenics, bodyweight exercises, sports (basketball, badminton, etc), diet, muscle building, burning fat, gaining weight etc
Omg so glad I saw this post b/c I'm having difficulty getting back into fitness. I used to lift weights a few years ago but fell out of it when I started grad school now I'm having difficulty with finding the motivation to start all over after losing all my gains... and also I have EXTREME gym anxiety I feel like I forgot how to do most of the exercises or how to use the machines LOL also it's such a different experience for females at the gym.. makes you so self-conscious. ANY ADVICE WOULD BE APPRECIATED!
Firstly, I would highly recommend you to get a home gym setup. There are several reasons as to my recommendation: a) It is CHEAPER & MORE EFFECTIVE than going to a commercial gym UNLESS your goal is to be a bodybuilder (which I would assume that you’re not interested). b) "You have EXTREME gym anxiety." Working out at home will resolve this issue IMMEDIATELY. c) "You forgot how to do most of the exercises." You can easily learn them from YouTube tutorials online with your phone WITHOUT needing to worry whether or not people would judge you. Learn & improvise at the comfort of your home. d) "It is such a different experience for females at the gym." I do understand this problem that you are facing. This is an issue happening in a lot of places and most people do not admit it. Hence, a home gym would solve this problem of yours too. You do not need fancy exercises nor machines to workout. Your home gym setup would consist of a power rack (WITH A BAR FOR YOU TO HANG TO DO PULL-UPS), a 20kg olympic barbell, barbell weight plates (20kg x 2, 10kg x 2, 5kg x 2, 2.5kg x 2), 4 pieces of large rubber mats to protect the flooring for your power rack & an adjustable bench. These equipments will suffice. You may add on dumbbells if you have extra money in the future. Buy adjustable dumbbells; DO NOT BUY FIXED DUMBBELLS. This way, you can save money as you can just buy dumbbell weight plates to add on in the future if the weights are too light for you. Do compound exercises i.e. bench press, deadlift, squats, incline bench press, military shoulder press, bent-over rows, chin-ups, pull-ups, hanging leg raises, biceps curls & triceps extensions. These are staple exercises you have to do. You can add on other exercises later on. The exercises and weights I suggested you above would most probably last you at least 1.5-2 years. After 2 years, learn new exercises and add them into your routine. Add more weights. You may also then buy dumbbells & incorporate some dumbbell exercises. Body weight exercises are also very essential. Body weight squats is the MOST IMPORTANT exercise for females. However, you have to do it the right way (This can be explained in another post/comment whenever it is appropriate; I'd always recommend a different variation of squats for females as females usually have different goals). In regards to motivation, find someone you idolize. Try printing posters and stick them on your wall in your bed room or your gym room. Little things like this helps Diet-wise... I'll have to include it in another additional post/comment in the future. However, I'm not too sure what your goals are - gain or lose weight. Hence, I can't advise you on that for now. Hope this helps and good luck! Feel free to ask me anything
No. I have made the same mistake as you before. Never ever have McDonald’s or at the very least, try reducing the amount of times you go to McDonald’s. You must treat the bulking concept similar to the cutting concept. Always do a lean bulk. Never try dirty bulking. Adding 200-300 calories to your daily calorie maintenance is the way to go, instead of adding 500-1000 calories. Of course, this way, weight gain will be slower. However, fat gain will also be reduced. Instead, the weight gain will mostly be towards lean muscle mass. Taking junk food and fast food during your bulking phase will kill your gains and make you fatter, especially at your belly fat area. So, I would strongly suggest you not to visit fast food restaurants. However, in the unlikely event (OR LIKELY EVENT LOL) that you really do have the cravings for McDonald’s, I would advise you to have them ONLY once or twice a month. Substitute Coke with Coke Zero/Pepsi Black which renders zero sugar and hence zero calories. You may eat the , try to remove the sauces and mayonnaise. Try not to take I do understand some might question: “Why go through all these difficulties just to have McDonald’s? You only live once!” I guess everyone has different aims and goals in life. Well, if you’re not into fitness, go ahead and have McDonald’s. But remember, it is not healthy either (medically proven). However, if you’re into fitness (you wanna lose weight etc), you have no choice but to restrict yourself :/ As usual, hope this helps. Btw, thanks for the compliment!
Hmm I've been working out for years but I recently got sick and lost around 20 pounds. I am now having a very difficult time gaining weight. Would you say the gomad diet is a good way to gain weight? I think its around a gallon of milk a day?
Hey there, pal! Gaining weight is my expertise as I have went through that process myself. In my opinion, it is as difficult as losing weight. GOMAD is one of few ways to gain weight. I personally haven’t try it. However, it is effective and it has helped a lot of people gain weight. You can give that a try. It works! A method I would suggest you is merely just to go on a calorie surplus. Take your weight in pounds. Multiply that by 15. That number will be your daily calorie maintenance (if you exercise at least an hour a day). Add 200-300 to that number and that would be the total number of calories you have to consume daily. After every 1-2 months, add another 200-300 to that number. Repeat until you’re satisfied with your weight. GOMAD can assist you in this process. You may also take weight/mass gainer if you are really having difficulty in eating/chewing too much food/calories in a day. Yes, you’re right! GOMAD requires you to consume a gallon of milk a day. Feel free to ask if you have any queries. Hope this helps
I don’t really do PRs. I can’t really lift super heavy weights. Firstly, I ain’t that strong. Secondly, due to my lower back issues. However, I can give you some info on that. I’m 188cm and currently between 79-80kg. I could bench 80kg-85kg, squat 100-105kg & deadlift 110kg; ALL for 5-6reps. The data above is not my 1-rep max as aforementioned
I've lost around 100lbs in the past year, now I need to build muscle. I've gotten the protein macros down, but when going to the gym, I'm kind of at a loss at what to work on each day, so I've just been doing 30-60min of treadmill then core. Should I work full body, or focus on different areas on different days? I need to get jacked, son! Any workout routines you follow? If anyone is struggling with losing fat, I am able to answer any questions you may have! It made me feel like a completely new person, and I'd love to help anyone who is in a similar situation as I was in a year ago.
I have lower back issues too (L 3, 4, and 5 herniated disk) Have you ever considered running a cycle or using any PEDs to pursue a career in bodybuilding or powerlifting?
You can shred fat and build lean muscle at the same time in a calorie deficit. (Body Recomposition) Keep your protein intake high and lift. You can do a push pull legs split or a full-body workout depending on your schedule.
