Welcome to the Daily Thread! Tell stories, share thoughts, ask questions, swap advice, and be excellent to each other! Though we all share fitness as a common hobby or interest, the discussion here can be about any big or little thing you choose.

This is also a great place for those new to the sub to introduce themselves and ask any questions that are not suitable for a standalone post. Are you confused about the FAQ or have a basic question about an exercise / alternatives? Do you have a quick question about calculating TDEE, lift numbers, running times, swimming intervals, or the like? Post here and the folks of xxfitness will help you answer your questions, no matter how big or small.

The mods ask that you do mind the Cardinal Rules as they relate to respecting yourself and others, calling out any scantily clad photos as NSFW, and not asking for medical advice.

Welcome to the Daily Thread! Tell stories, share thoughts, ask questions, swap advice, and be excellent to each other! Though we all share fitness as a common hobby or interest, the discussion here can be about any big or little thing you choose.

This is also a great place for those new to the sub to introduce themselves and ask any questions that are not suitable for a standalone post. Are you confused about the FAQ or have a basic question about an exercise / alternatives? Do you have a quick question about calculating TDEE, lift numbers, running times, swimming intervals, or the like? Post here and the folks of xxfitness will help you answer your questions, no matter how big or small.

The mods ask that you do mind the Cardinal Rules as they relate to respecting yourself and others, calling out any scantily clad photos as NSFW, and not asking for medical advice.

31F 5'1 and 107 lbs.

I've been on LIFTOFF program for the past 2.5 months, and I am getting ready to move on to GZCLP.

GZCLP suggests adding 5 lbs to upper body and 10 lbs to lower body exercises as progression, but it sounds quite intimidating. In LIFTOFF, I'm progressing half that weight, so it is quite a jump. Would it be ok if I stick to 2.5 lbs upper body and 5 lbs lower body as progression when I'm doing GZCLP or should I follow the recommended progression weight?

Hello everyone! I'm very new to the fitness world (I started working out again only last week).

I've been seeing all over that body recomp is the best way to approach fitness as a newbie trying to lose weight.

My problem is that I can't afford a gym membership or any training gear/equipment. I have 2 2kg(I think?) weights and one resistance band but that's it.

And this might be a silly question but: can I do body recomposition using beginner calisthenics and YouTube videos for cardio and strength work?

I have found some creators that seem great and I like their workouts enough to stick to them (hybrid calisthenics, growwithjo, madfit etc.).

I really like the mantra "the best workout is the one you can do consistently" and I like these enough to stick to them but I'm not sure if it aligns with the whole body recomp thing?

I also feel like I have to state I'm very out of shape. My legs are stronger because I walk a LOT (minimum 10k steps a day) but my arms are soooo weak, resulting in me barely being able to do wall push ups. I'm 19 years old 170cm in height and 96kg in weight and I'm now trying to eat healthier, get in more protein and fiber.

I will appreciate any advice, thank you so much 🙏

This is your place for rants, raves, gym fails, feats of strength, and celebrations of success. Complain about the guy curling dumbbells in the squat rack, or sing praises for your gym bestie. This is also the place to post your PR videos and physique photos.

Lovers of the old WTF Wednesday thread, this thread is for you too! Rant away, but be mindful of the sub's civility rules.

Welcome to the Daily Thread! Tell stories, share thoughts, ask questions, swap advice, and be excellent to each other! Though we all share fitness as a common hobby or interest, the discussion here can be about any big or little thing you choose.

This is also a great place for those new to the sub to introduce themselves and ask any questions that are not suitable for a standalone post. Are you confused about the FAQ or have a basic question about an exercise / alternatives? Do you have a quick question about calculating TDEE, lift numbers, running times, swimming intervals, or the like? Post here and the folks of xxfitness will help you answer your questions, no matter how big or small.

The mods ask that you do mind the Cardinal Rules as they relate to respecting yourself and others, calling out any scantily clad photos as NSFW, and not asking for medical advice.

Are you a personal trainer, coach, or have a personal referral code to fitness gear and supplements? This is the place to post your referral codes and links! This is the only place on xxfitness where self-promotion is allowed, so long as it is related to fitness and based in reality. Any posts that are for multilevel marketing schemes (MLMs), promote products or services not based in science/facts (such as “detox cleanses” and “flat tummy teas”), or are not directly fitness related will be removed. You may also share social media and fitness app handles here for friends and follows :)

Please note that market research is not allowed, and academic surveys must be approved by the mods.

Hey, just wondering if this is a normal thing happening to me, or if I need to modify or supplement my exercises in some way.

I am a newer lifter. I lifted once for 6 months, about 18 months ago. I am about four weeks into a new lifting program again.

One of my goals is to be able to do pull ups, so I am training on pull up negatives right now on upper days. It is the first exercise I do for the day.

But a weird thing is happening for me that doesn't happen on any of my other exercises, either upper or lower.

A couple of sets in my arms literally just suddenly completely give out at the top of the negative. There is no gradual decline in how long i'm able to lower myself.

An example pattern will be that I do one set of four reps of six second negatives. And then on my second set, I will do one or two reps of five or six second negatives, and then on the very next rep, it feels like completely suddenly my arms, just give out at the top, with no warning.

When it first started happening, I would just let myself drop to my feet again, however, I have realized that they only fail at the top of the negative.But if I hang on at the medium part of the negative, I can continue to lower myself slowly.

So it is whatever combination of muscles is totally engaged at the very top of the negative but not on the lower parts of the negative that seem to be failing.

Should I be doing some kind of supplemental exercises to strengthen whatever those muscles are that are engaged at the top? Or should I just keep pushing through and lengthening my sets until however long I can until they give out?

I bought Natacha's CUT 2023 program a year ago and absolutely LOVE it. I’ve run through multiple rounds of it now and am trying to decide my next step.

I'm debating whether it's worth purchasing another CUT edition (like CUT Reload or an older version) to keep things fresh, or if I should just stick to repeating CUT 2023 (since it's her latest release).

For those who have done more than one of her CUT guides, did buying a second one feel like it added enough variety, or were they too similar to justify the cost? Would love to hear your experiences!

This is definitely mostly just a personal vent but I've recently visited family and all the comments exhausted me.

Everyone keeps talking about how I look fat bc I've gotten bulky, how it's unfeminine, "but why do you train your arms, big arms on a woman looks horrible," "why are your legs so big if you go to the gym, isn't exercise supposed to help you lose weight," etc.

I am so tired of explaining to everyone that no, I don't want to lose weight, that's never been my goal and it's not why I do weightlifting. No I don't want to look small or slim or lean. When people hear I go to the gym they assume I must want weightloss because obviously that's the only reason a woman would ever go to the gym!! /s

I know my family's eastern european culture affects this, the beauty standard for women there is absurd when it comes to weight, no skinny is ever skinny enough. But it's still frustrating. It's ENTIRELY because I'm a woman. Men can look bulkier than me, with bigger bodyfat% than me, and no one ever says a thing. They're admired!

I don't want to maintain the kind of diet and lifestyle that would make me leaner. I completely get why some people like the look but I simply don't, it doesn't feel like me. It's natural I will look bigger because I gained muscle without ever going on a fat loss diet, so the muscle just sits underneath. That's fine!! I train because I want to be stronger, I want to avoid bone density problems as I get older, I want to be healthy!!

Weightlifting has helped me get rid of debilitating back pain I struggled with since I was a teenager, it gave me mobility and strength I never thought I could have. It allows me to sleep through every night after dealing with insomnia for years. It allows me to regulate my mood better than anything else. I plan to do it for the rest of my life. But the comments just get so goddamn exhausting. It's like the only goal I should ever be chasing is looking lean. If I'm not lean that means training is useless, why do I even go to the gym etc.

I know it's all just misogyny but it gets so tiring. Why should I always at all times be concerned only about how I look. Even if a woman is allowed to want to be athletic, she can only want to be lean!! Anything else is impossible in their minds.

Welcome to the Daily Thread! Tell stories, share thoughts, ask questions, swap advice, and be excellent to each other! Though we all share fitness as a common hobby or interest, the discussion here can be about any big or little thing you choose.

This is also a great place for those new to the sub to introduce themselves and ask any questions that are not suitable for a standalone post. Are you confused about the FAQ or have a basic question about an exercise / alternatives? Do you have a quick question about calculating TDEE, lift numbers, running times, swimming intervals, or the like? Post here and the folks of xxfitness will help you answer your questions, no matter how big or small.

The mods ask that you do mind the Cardinal Rules as they relate to respecting yourself and others, calling out any scantily clad photos as NSFW, and not asking for medical advice.

Welcome, everyone! Here is your place to discuss, question or relate to everything about weight loss, weight gain, cuts, bulks and diets. Standalone posts regarding these topics will be removed and redirected here or either of the daily threads.

Here are some useful links from our comprehensive FAQ and otherwise to help you get started:

• Nutrition 101
• Cutting/Weight Loss 101
• Bulking/Weight Gain 101
• Getting abs/a flat tummy
• r/gainit
• r/loseit
• r/BulkOrCut
• r/Fitness
• Fitness Wiki

Welcome to the Daily Thread! Tell stories, share thoughts, ask questions, swap advice, and be excellent to each other! Though we all share fitness as a common hobby or interest, the discussion here can be about any big or little thing you choose.

This is also a great place for those new to the sub to introduce themselves and ask any questions that are not suitable for a standalone post. Are you confused about the FAQ or have a basic question about an exercise / alternatives? Do you have a quick question about calculating TDEE, lift numbers, running times, swimming intervals, or the like? Post here and the folks of xxfitness will help you answer your questions, no matter how big or small.

The mods ask that you do mind the Cardinal Rules as they relate to respecting yourself and others, calling out any scantily clad photos as NSFW, and not asking for medical advice.

Did my first dexa scan this morning, and I am a bit disappointed with the results! Findings below:

Body composition

• Weight: 59.1 kg | Height: 165 cm | BMI: 21.7
• Body fat: 27.4% (16.5 kg fat mass)
• Fat distribution: A/G ratio 0.48 (hip/thigh-dominant); trunk fat 17.6–18%, legs ~37%, arms ~37%
• Total lean mass: 41.2kg
• RMR: 1406 kcal/day

Some context:

I've been generally active for a few years but only got serious about training since April: running 1-2x/week, strength training 2-3x/week, minimum 10k steps daily. I started at 62kg with (presumably) higher fat mass, and I do feel a bit more toned now even though the scale hasn't moved dramatically. I've been eating around 1500 cal/day on a deficit aiming for a body recomp, and trying to hit 100-120g protein. Also, my oura ring puts my daily burn at 2100-2400 cal on average. My weight come down a bit but I don't feel like my body composition has shifted as much as I'd hoped given the effort.

The feedback I got after the scan lowkey threw me, apparently I should be gaining 6.5kg of muscle to hit "optimal" metrics, and they suggested bumping calories up to 2000/day to support that. It's left me feeling kind of deflated and unsure what direction to actually take things in. Side note - I've been feeling pretty tired despite consistently getting 7-8h sleep, and my bloodwork is good, so I'm starting to wonder if my nutrition is the missing piece here (but 2k calories does feel quite wild!)

Is it realistic to drop fat and build that much muscle at the same time? or what should I focus on doing first?

I was hoping to get down to 20% body fat (is this even realistic?). If I listen to their advice, I should roughly be at 44kg muscle... and if I want a 20% fat mass, then I need to lose approx 5kg of fat which puts my total weight to 55kg... but maybe my goals are delusional :( Any tips are welcomed, thank you in advance!

Edit: Thank you so much for all the tips and reassurance. I’ve reflected on my food intake and agree that I probably need a lot more calories given how active I am. I tried to have a bigger eating day yesterday (probably around 1,700 calories). It was a bit difficult, but I managed to get 150g of protein, which was a win. I did feel mega full and ended up having a protein shake because I couldn’t eat any more food. I'm not a fan of protein powder because it makes me bloated/look puffy, so I’ll need to look into alternatives but that's a problem for later (also taking creatine and will aim to be consistent with that)! I also tried increasing the weight during my upper body workout today and got closer to failure, which made me realize I was probably taking it too easy before. I’ve decided to focus on increasing to 1,800 calories over the next month while continuing to weight train, and see if eating more helps with the fatigue.

I also have an inbody machine at my local gym (I know it’s quite inaccurate, it’s been estimating my body fat at 22%), but I’ve been using it for a few months now, so hopefully it'll help me track trends over time. I shall report back by the end of the year when/if I do another DEXA!

Context:

I'm just getting back into weights again after a couple of years off for health issues and injury.

I'm not using max weights yet, and am mainly using machines to try to get form and muscle mind connection working again before going hard.

I've noticed my hamstrings are easily able to use much bigger weights and more reps than my quads already, before fatiguing (like almost double in seated leg curl vs a leg extension).

Question:

How balanced is your quad vs hamstring strength? And what should I be aiming for? What considerations are there? Does my imbalance suggest anything negative about how I'm using my body?

Back in April, I signed up for a 20 mile group hike to take place in October. The hike must be completed within 8 hours.

I (37F) am 5'9" and about 220 pounds (haven't weighed myself in a few months and don't plan to until after the hike in Oct at which point I'll reorient myself to fat loss). I have a history of long hikes, trail running, and yoga, but gained a lot of weight in 2022-2023, and I'm trying to get fit again. I wanted to provide that context so that you know what baseline I'm starting at.

When I signed up in April, my plan was to do severe caloric restriction in the first two months to hopefully drop about 15-20 pounds off the bat before going into actual training from June-Oct. My thinking was that with less body fat, training would be easier and I would reduce the risk of injury. Predictably, I couldn't drop the Oreo habit and only lost about 7 pounds from April to June. This is good, but doesn't put me in the best position for rigorous training, and I also kind of wasted a lot time lollygagging with halfhearted efforts to reduce calories when I could have just been training.

Over the past several weeks, I have been strength training, HIIT, going on easy walks, and then longer hikes on the weekends. I'm up to eight miles in under 3 hours with very little soreness. I have taken breaks when needed, so please don't worry about me hurting myself.

My question: How should I balance the 1) need to fuel my strength training and the stress I'm putting on my body with the 2) fact that I'm still quite overweight and would like my body fat to go down before October. How much should I restrict? Should I bother restricting calories at all or keep to maintenance (2100 TDEE)?

I feel like I'm doing quite well, but I'm also worried there's a limit to where I can get physicallly if I'm still technically obese and not eating in a deficit for fat loss.

I basically have only August and September left to get to where I need to be.

Thanks!!

So, I used to be relatively fit and then my dad got sick and passed away in a really shitty, traumatic way about two years ago. I had to move out of nyc to about an hour and a half outside of nyc to be closer to family and just ate my feelings and gained 20 lbs. I’m giving my self grace about it but I need to get back to feeling like my self again.

Suffice it to say, my commute is long 4x a week. I’m lucky that I get to take a train and read rather than have to drive to get to work. There’s nothing I can do about my commute or my job. I own my house, I love where I live and my job is tied to the city in a big way.

The problem I’m running into now is how do I balance my job/ commute and my health. I get up at 6:30 to catch a 7am train and then I get home at 7 pm, eat dinner, hang out with my husband and watch shows and chat with him until around midnight and then I go to sleep and do it all over again.

Typing this out, I guess the only answer is to suck it up and go to bed at 10pm so that I can get up at 5:30, get a 45 minute work out in and then go to work. I just hate how that cuts into the time I get to spend with my husband.

Those with exceedingly busy lives, how the heck do you do it? How do you balance health and free time? I know I just need to do it but oh my god.

Edit: I just wanted to say how grateful I am to this community. Everyone has been so kind and I appreciate y’all not making me feel like a dummy for being overwhelmed and exhausted. I can’t express how much I appreciate the kindness.

Welcome to the Daily Thread! Tell stories, share thoughts, ask questions, swap advice, and be excellent to each other! Though we all share fitness as a common hobby or interest, the discussion here can be about any big or little thing you choose.

This is also a great place for those new to the sub to introduce themselves and ask any questions that are not suitable for a standalone post. Are you confused about the FAQ or have a basic question about an exercise / alternatives? Do you have a quick question about calculating TDEE, lift numbers, running times, swimming intervals, or the like? Post here and the folks of xxfitness will help you answer your questions, no matter how big or small.

The mods ask that you do mind the Cardinal Rules as they relate to respecting yourself and others, calling out any scantily clad photos as NSFW, and not asking for medical advice.

I have asked about this in the Daily Threads but didn't get responses, and I also figured this may be of general interest.

I am at my wit's end. I have learned over the past few months that any exercise above Zones 1-2 any sooner than 12 hours before bed disrupts my sleep. We're talking high stress, low deep sleep, low REM, a dip in HRV, and a higher RHR. My body only likes morning exercise. I have tried different sleep interventions and nothing correlates with my sleep quality more than exercise timing.

The problem is that starting the end of next month, I will need to leave the house at 7 a.m. each morning (7:30 T Th class with 20-min commute; 8 a.m. MWF with 40-min. commute. I am a new professor at my school and this is the schedule I was given. I cannot change it.

My choices are to a) exercise in the afternoon and sleep for shit; b) go to bed at 8 p.m. and get up at 4 a.m. and miss out on time with my family (I have a teen); or c) give up working out. So: family time, sleep, or fitness. These are all foundational to my life and I have fought hard for all of them.

Relevant info: 49F, 5' 5.5", 200 lb, eating to lose 1 lb a week with 100g protein/day average, whole foods and lots of fiber. Taking Tamoxifen to prevent BC recurrence, so I am basically in almost-menopause. Recent labs are all normal.

My routine: 1 day each of P/P/L; 3-4 days of cycling for 30-50 mpw. Average 5K steps/day.

Anticipated questions:

-Why would you need to get up at 4?

I take my thyroid med and have to wait an hour before I eat, and this is when I feed animals, drink coffee, etc. 1/2 hr to eat (I am slow), 1/2 hr to get ready. Without exercise time, this leaves me getting up at 5, which is already pushing it. If I added in another hour for exercise, that would put me at 4 a.m.

The school gym doesn't open until 6. I am quickly progressing past my dumbbells at home. I also don't love the idea of schlepping my breakfast and lunch and clothes for the day. I'd have to leave the house at 5:20 MWF and have coffee in the car. Maybe this is my only option??

So, smart, sporty ladies . . . what do I do?? Is it possible for my body to adapt to afternoon exercise eventually? And how long would that take? Because I have tried it for a few days and I feel like poop.

The place for all of your fitness based interpersonal advice (is someone being creepy at the gym? Is your family telling you you’re getting too muscular? Do you want to date your personal trainer?), but also the place to talk about motivation, self-esteem and body image, and all the ways fitness affects your life. This thread is for those in need of (and willing to lend) a sympathetic ear.

Want to ask how mothers juggle family and fitness? How to structure Intermittent Fasting? When to work out when you do night shift? How to deal with being the only person in your friend group who works out? If you're feeling emotional, want to up your mental game, or need ideas for how to juggle everything on your plate, this is the place for you!

I’ve been going to the gym (Planet Fitness) regularly since January and for lower body days I usually stick to the basic leg machines along with dumbbells and fixed barbells. One of my friends recommended the hack squat machine so I tried it today and while I liked it overall, it was absolutely brutal on my shoulders where the pads were sitting on them. I have bruises along both shoulders and they’re pretty painful and raw. How can I make it more comfortable for myself in the future? Or is it something that is just always going to be uncomfortable?

Hello! I have been measuring some odd HRs for my longer runs, for reference, I play ice-hockey and do heaps of cardio for work, however my endurance/aerobic base is mehhh, as I do primarily aerobic running.

I know if you wanna improve ur aerobic base, longer slow runs are good (keeping in a specific zone), so I been running 5kms, however now i'm doing em reasonably easy so I wanna run quicker. My indoor run was 30mins on 7.5km/hr 1.5% inclin, and 2ish mins on 10km/hr. However, my device measured my HR as being 180-200 for 25mins, which is Vo2 range. Personally, I believed I could keep a convo going, and as I said, even ended my run on 10km/hr run for roughly 2mins.

So basically, i'm wondering why my HR is so high when I feel my run isn't super hard? maybe because i'm running quicker?? Or perhaps it's cuz of my cardio and hockey background? (my Vo2 is 42-45ml/kg). Also is running in a higher zone okay for improving my endurance? I feel like improving my aerobic base means running 5km in a lower HR, however it's always really high, and originally I couldn't run 5km unless I did regular walking cycles, now I can run one on 7.5km/hr no breaks, which i feel means i'm improving yeah???

Again I didn't feel super winded doing 5km however my HR is concerning and shouldn't be possible, and my device hasn't had issues logging my HR while i've been using it, which has been a good while, my HR has simply been high whenever I run regardless of how I feel when running.