The gym

[grobyfox1990]

16 hours ago, kyleolly said:

I started in the gym in April doing an hour and a half cycling and and on most the machines and then doing half hour swimming 5 days a week I've lost 4kg up until August but no matter how hard I train I'm stuck at 89kg can't lose any more weight and only have 2 abs the other 4 of a six pack just won't happen anyone give me any advice on what to do I'm abit stuck 

Sounds like you’re doing really well. The only thing I’d recommend to take it to the next level is a PT. I’m far too tight to pay for one regularly but have had a few sessions, and the difference is huge. Proper form, varied sets, getting pushed, hints tips etc. It’s a world away from my day to day routine

[leicesterlad1989]

17 hours ago, kyleolly said:

I started in the gym in April doing an hour and a half cycling and and on most the machines and then doing half hour swimming 5 days a week I've lost 4kg up until August but no matter how hard I train I'm stuck at 89kg can't lose any more weight and only have 2 abs the other 4 of a six pack just won't happen anyone give me any advice on what to do I'm abit stuck 

What's your diet like?

Most people tend to neglect their diet and solely focus on the training side of things, myself included up until this year. To gain a six pack you need to significantly reduce your body fat in order for your abs to show. Even then every person is different therefore the bodyfat percentage will vary.

To reduce your body fat you can either increase your output but looking on what you do already, that would be difficult or you decrease you input, i.e reduce calories.

 

For what it's worth, not that my opinion matters, six packs are over rated. For most they aren't sustainable unless you are naturally lean ("skinny").

[Matt_Lcfc]

Bumping this thread.

 

Early days but been more consistent with the gym so far this year. I wasn’t doing too badly last year but at the backend, I started neglecting it a bit and not pushing myself as much as I could have.

 

Eating fairly well but would to still like increase my calorie surplus. With that in mind, if anybody has any cheap / easy ways to do that aside from protein shakes etc then I’d be happy to hear them. (On a student budget so it is harder). 

[Izzy]

45 minutes ago, Matt_Lcfc said:

Bumping this thread.

 

Early days but been more consistent with the gym so far this year. I wasn’t doing too badly last year but at the backend, I started neglecting it a bit and not pushing myself as much as I could have.

 

Eating fairly well but would to still like increase my calorie surplus. With that in mind, if anybody has any cheap / easy ways to do that aside from protein shakes etc then I’d be happy to hear them. (On a student budget so it is harder). 

This guy is a good watch 

 

 

[Samilktray]

I finally plucked up the courage to join a gym today after months of talking myself out of it. I’m very unfit and out of shape so if anybody can give me tips on workouts to ease my way into it without looking like a complete novice to everyone there they would be greatly appreciated. I’m hoping to lose weight, get fitter & stronger so I guess I have fairly standard goals 

[Unabomber]

46 minutes ago, Samilktray said:

I finally plucked up the courage to join a gym today after months of talking myself out of it. I’m very unfit and out of shape so if anybody can give me tips on workouts to ease my way into it without looking like a complete novice to everyone there they would be greatly appreciated. I’m hoping to lose weight, get fitter & stronger so I guess I have fairly standard goals 

Are you looking to do weights or cardio? I lost 8 stone a few years back now so know the feeling of talking yourself out of it etc. If I could go back in time I would’ve been on the weights from the start. In terms of strength exercises you want to focus on the compound lifts which are bench press, overhead shoulder press, barbell row and then squats and deadlifts. Use those as a base and you won’t go wrong.

 

In terms of weight loss best thing you can do is work out your TDEE which is essentially how many calories you burn a day. Then just eat less than this. It doesn’t matter which foods you eat to lose weight but best to eat relatively high protein. I use MyFitnessPal which is great. I have started a cut about a week ago as I need to shift a couple of stone again. Happy to help with any questions.

 

[Number 6]

1 hour ago, Samilktray said:

I finally plucked up the courage to join a gym today after months of talking myself out of it. I’m very unfit and out of shape so if anybody can give me tips on workouts to ease my way into it without looking like a complete novice to everyone there they would be greatly appreciated. I’m hoping to lose weight, get fitter & stronger so I guess I have fairly standard goals 

Purely personal opinion but I was about there a few years back: Walked into the gym expected to be jumping on the treadmill a few times a week as I had been an on and off runner. Then I started doing weight training.

 

Completely changed my view on going to the gym. Cardio is great for losing weight but it's essentially just a calorie burn. Weight training will raise how many calories you burn at rest and is great for long term weight loss / health. Couple with getting average steps up to 8k it's a great combo for staying healthy. If you Google stronglifts 5x5 that's a great way to get started (and you get to browse FT between sets :))

 

Having said all that the best advice I've been told is to do what you enjoy. If you hate going then you won't stick to it. Do stuff you find enjoyable and you'll continue to go!

[KrefelderFox666]

17 hours ago, Samilktray said:

I finally plucked up the courage to join a gym today after months of talking myself out of it. I’m very unfit and out of shape so if anybody can give me tips on workouts to ease my way into it without looking like a complete novice to everyone there they would be greatly appreciated. I’m hoping to lose weight, get fitter & stronger so I guess I have fairly standard goals 

Not much more to add to the above two. Key is to mix weight training and cardio whatever your aim is. Depending what your goals are, you then focus more on one area than the other. For example, if weight loss is a goal and general fitness, then mix 20-30 minute weight training sessions with some cardio, or have 2 days weight training, 3 days cardio (or whatever balance you find).

 

If you want to focus on strength, then lean more heavily on weight training but mix a little cardio in to balance up. The most important thing is finding what suits you and what you want to achieve. Personally, I have always played sports in school and clubs (football and rugby) until about 3 years ago and have been going to the gym since age 14. I then switched to focussing on my running last few years (doing 40-50km a week on average). However, since about August I wanted to build muscle strength up again so have been training 4 times a week splitting each day into a body part and running just one 10km a week (sometimes two depending on time with kids/going to matches). Before that I was doing 2 days full body workouts a week and 3 or 4 runs a week (which was more suited to weight loss, or in my case balancing a high calorie intake!).

 

Try some things out and see what you enjoy most. Mentioned above, core exercises are good (squats, deadlifts, bench etc.). Make sure you focus on technique and get that right when starting as if doing some of those wrong (especially deadlift) it could lead to problems in the future. Since focussing more on core and weight exercises I have found myself trawling through Google searches and endless youtube videos. There is lots out there for free.

 

Oh and one other thing when training in a gym, remember you are challenging yourself, don't feel pressure to keep up with other people in the gym. Stick with the limits of your body and don't push those too hard at the start. Get comfortable with a routine, make changes if necessary and then start pushing yourself as you require.

 

Good luck.

[Unabomber]

I’ve started 5/3/1 routine this year. Did in a few years back and have to say I bloody love it. It is a great programme for weight training and I look forward to my workouts. 

[RoboFox]

I'd totally let myself go over lockdown and last year. At Christmas I was pushing 17st, which is an all time high for me, although completely not giving a fvck was fun while it lasted TBH.  

 

I'm over 6"4 and naturally beanpole-like, but it became really noticeable in the second half of last year when looking at photographs, so January seemed like the best time to get back on the horse. Previously worked out 5 days a week for about the last decade so I'm finding it pretty easy to get back into it, after a few sore muscles it's amazing how the body gets used to it again.

 

TBH, I find gyms in general pretty fvcking boring so I'm always trying to find a way to entertain myself whilst exercising (classes used to be my thing), so I'm currently doing high intensity workouts with the help of FitXR on my VR headset. It genuinely doesn't feel like exercise. 

 

Edited 18 January 2022 by RoboFox

[blue blood]

Have a read of this:

 

https://www.muscleandfitness.com/workout-plan/workouts/workout-routines/kick-some-mass-12-week-mass-building-workout/

 

Diet is very important and by that i mean working out your base cal rate and then building in a surplus.  Tracking everything you eat is so important.

 

Learn about macros, Cals (Carbs/Protein/Fat) and where to get the best sources of them.

 

After that weight training, focusing on attacking each muscle group for say 4 weeks on a set plan. After 4 weeks mix up the chosen exercises for each body part to keep things fresh.

 

Read up on cadence and form for the exercises you choose as there is nothing worse than getting injured or wasting energy doing for example chest presses incorrectly and not getting 100% out of them.

 

Below for loads of exercises you can choose from to build your workout for each body part.

 

https://www.bodybuilding.com/exercises

 

Day 1 - chest and back + 20 mins mild cardio 

Day 2 - Legs + 20 mins mild cardio 

Day 3 - Shoulders and arms + 20 mins mild cardio 

Day 4 - full body + 20 mins mild cardio 

Day 5 - Legs + 20 mins mild cardio 

Day 6 20/40 mins mild cardio 

Day 7 20/40 mins mild cardio 

 

Remember, consistency is key.  Eating to plan is key. Tracking your progress is key.

Edited 18 January 2022 by blue blood

[Stevosevic]

Biggest tip is you can't out train a bad diet. 

 

Be aware of how many calories you're putting in to your body to make your work outs count. 

[deejdeej]

Was getting in a bit of a rut heading towards Xmas just gone with my exercise. I was focussing too much on set workouts 3 days weights and 2 days cardio. The same things every day.

 

Best thing I did recently was listen to a podcast with a an absolute machine called David Goggins. He pretty much says do whatever you feel like doing that day whether it be deadlifting, running, cycling or whatever. Just do something and do it hard. Do what you're psyched to do that day and don't focus too much on how you look because the good body will come naturally. 

 

Feeling good after a workout is the main thing and I'm so glad I've rediscovered that rather than getting addicted to getting bigger biceps or running my fastest 5k etc.

 

To all those that have recently started gym-going my best advice would be just do something every day that will give you that endorphin boost!

[Izzy]

8 minutes ago, deejdeej said:

Was getting in a bit of a rut heading towards Xmas just gone with my exercise. I was focussing too much on set workouts 3 days weights and 2 days cardio. The same things every day.

 

Best thing I did recently was listen to a podcast with a an absolute machine called David Goggins. He pretty much says do whatever you feel like doing that day whether it be deadlifting, running, cycling or whatever. Just do something and do it hard. Do what you're psyched to do that day and don't focus too much on how you look because the good body will come naturally. 

 

Feeling good after a workout is the main thing and I'm so glad I've rediscovered that rather than getting addicted to getting bigger biceps or running my fastest 5k etc.

 

To all those that have recently started gym-going my best advice would be just do something every day that will give you that endorphin boost!

Love David Goggins. I also love this bloke - Ryan Humiston. He's all about intensity and muscle connection (and he's funny as fvck too)

 

 

[deejdeej]

9 minutes ago, Izzy said:

Love David Goggins. I also love this bloke - Ryan Humiston. He's all about intensity and muscle connection (and he's funny as fvck too)

 

 

He's an absolute nutter isn't he! Really good for motivation though. I'll have a look into this bloke too thanks Izzy.

[Nugent]

 

Big into the gym myself and am into bodybuilding style of training and follow/watch a lot of people in that industry, not that I'd ever want to compete (love going out and socializing too much!)

 

Currently 10 months into a gaining phase, and am coming up to 15kg of bodyweight gained, starting a cut for the summer from the 1st March, looking forward to it as it's starting to get difficult mentally eating 4,000kcals a day of relatively 'clean' food! 

 

Best thing I did was get an online coach a couple of years ago, I've made more progress in the last two years than I did in the eight years of training before that, just thanks to the accountability and structure. Agree with everyone else that the best way to progress is to find something you enjoy and stick to it!

[Big Dave]

On 17/01/2022 at 19:50, Samilktray said:

I finally plucked up the courage to join a gym today after months of talking myself out of it. I’m very unfit and out of shape so if anybody can give me tips on workouts to ease my way into it without looking like a complete novice to everyone there they would be greatly appreciated. I’m hoping to lose weight, get fitter & stronger so I guess I have fairly standard goals 

All done.

I’m trying to get the motivation to go. I run regularly so my Cardio is ok - my upper body and core is weak though.

Many gyms have personal trainers, and some will do you an initial plan on your 1st visit.

I plan on using a PT for an initial session, then ad-hoc after that to monitor my progress and change the plan when needed.

[leicesterlad1989]

On 17/01/2022 at 20:42, Unabomber said:

Are you looking to do weights or cardio? I lost 8 stone a few years back now so know the feeling of talking yourself out of it etc. If I could go back in time I would’ve been on the weights from the start. In terms of strength exercises you want to focus on the compound lifts which are bench press, overhead shoulder press, barbell row and then squats and deadlifts. Use those as a base and you won’t go wrong.

 

In terms of weight loss best thing you can do is work out your TDEE which is essentially how many calories you burn a day. Then just eat less than this. It doesn’t matter which foods you eat to lose weight but best to eat relatively high protein. I use MyFitnessPal which is great. I have started a cut about a week ago as I need to shift a couple of stone again. Happy to help with any questions.

 

This 100%

 

Work this out and you can do anything you like to lose weight, providing you remain in a calorie deficit. You don't have to spend time on a treadmill to lose weight! Far too many people give up because their perception of losing weight is to do "cardio." Total nonsense. The reverse applies if you want to put on weight / bulk. Work out your TDEE and gradually increase calories.

[leicesterlad1989]

On 18/01/2022 at 16:26, blue blood said:

Have a read of this:

 

https://www.muscleandfitness.com/workout-plan/workouts/workout-routines/kick-some-mass-12-week-mass-building-workout/

 

Diet is very important and by that i mean working out your base cal rate and then building in a surplus.  Tracking everything you eat is so important.

 

Learn about macros, Cals (Carbs/Protein/Fat) and where to get the best sources of them.

 

After that weight training, focusing on attacking each muscle group for say 4 weeks on a set plan. After 4 weeks mix up the chosen exercises for each body part to keep things fresh.

 

Read up on cadence and form for the exercises you choose as there is nothing worse than getting injured or wasting energy doing for example chest presses incorrectly and not getting 100% out of them.

 

Below for loads of exercises you can choose from to build your workout for each body part.

 

https://www.bodybuilding.com/exercises

 

Day 1 - chest and back + 20 mins mild cardio 

Day 2 - Legs + 20 mins mild cardio 

Day 3 - Shoulders and arms + 20 mins mild cardio 

Day 4 - full body + 20 mins mild cardio 

Day 5 - Legs + 20 mins mild cardio 

Day 6 20/40 mins mild cardio 

Day 7 20/40 mins mild cardio 

 

Remember, consistency is key.  Eating to plan is key. Tracking your progress is key.

Certainly not trying to shit on your post as a lot of what you have said is correct however for the average person that training split wouldn't give enough stimulus to each muscle group. "Bro" splits, where you hit one muscle group once a week (OK I see there's also a "full body day") is not enough. Your back and legs for example are huge muscle groups. I'd want to be training them multiple times.

 

Consistency is also key therefore I wouldn't recommend mixing exercises after four weeks either. Progessive overload is key. I'd certainly recommend tracking your lifts. Also research RPE, RIR and use of % for your lifts. Getting strong, losing weight or getting fit really isn't as complicated as people think. There's just no quick solution.

[blue blood]

On 26/01/2022 at 12:27, leicesterlad1989 said:

Certainly not trying to shit on your post as a lot of what you have said is correct however for the average person that training split wouldn't give enough stimulus to each muscle group. "Bro" splits, where you hit one muscle group once a week (OK I see there's also a "full body day") is not enough. Your back and legs for example are huge muscle groups. I'd want to be training them multiple times.

 

Consistency is also key therefore I wouldn't recommend mixing exercises after four weeks either. Progessive overload is key. I'd certainly recommend tracking your lifts. Also research RPE, RIR and use of % for your lifts. Getting strong, losing weight or getting fit really isn't as complicated as people think. There's just no quick solution.

Great to read your reply.  This is all new to me - never really done strength training until 6 months ago so learning new ideas is very welcome.

 

Done a bit of reading on RPE and RIR, i will do a deeper dive on it later on, thank you.

 

In terms of intensity and hitting a single muscle group...

 

For my current plan I am using super sets. I like your idea that 4 weeks is too short and i think i will lengthen the time before i switch it up.

 

Sets 1-4 are used to progress upto my max weight (focusing on form and cadence) and 5-10 is at max weight/overload on either weight or reps (tracked).  

 

super sets of 10 (10x10 so 100 of each)

 

Monday:

10 Chest press

10 dead lifts

 

Tues:

10 Hanging squats

10 RDL's

 

Weds:

10 Shoulder Press

10 Bicep Curls

 

Thurs

no super sets, full body day

 

Friday:

10 Goblet squats

10 Sumo Dead lifts

 

 

NB this is not to total workout for each day as there are some shorter routines in there, warmups and finishers mainly.

 

Also i highly recommend taking pics front, side and back and comparing them every few weeks.  I've found this really useful for motivation - seeing the changes etc. 

 

 

[leicesterlad1989]

53 minutes ago, blue blood said:

Great to read your reply.  This is all new to me - never really done strength training until 6 months ago so learning new ideas is very welcome.

 

Done a bit of reading on RPE and RIR, i will do a deeper dive on it later on, thank you.

 

In terms of intensity and hitting a single muscle group...

 

For my current plan I am using super sets. I like your idea that 4 weeks is too short and i think i will lengthen the time before i switch it up.

 

Sets 1-4 are used to progress upto my max weight (focusing on form and cadence) and 5-10 is at max weight/overload on either weight or reps (tracked).  

 

super sets of 10 (10x10 so 100 of each)

 

Monday:

10 Chest press

10 dead lifts

 

Tues:

10 Hanging squats

10 RDL's

 

Weds:

10 Shoulder Press

10 Bicep Curls

 

Thurs

no super sets, full body day

 

Friday:

10 Goblet squats

10 Sumo Dead lifts

 

 

NB this is not to total workout for each day as there are some shorter routines in there, warmups and finishers mainly.

 

Also i highly recommend taking pics front, side and back and comparing them every few weeks.  I've found this really useful for motivation - seeing the changes etc. 

 

 

That's no problem at all. I compete in a strength sport (Powerlifting) therefore it's passion of mine...or an addiction if you ask my missus.

 

Effectively you are doing 5 sets to warm up and then 5 'working' sets i.e. 5 x 10 for each exercise, which you'll be tracking each week. Correct? Your current plan is what would be called Hydertrophy. A perfect foundation for building some muscle. You could look at doing this for 6 - 8 weeks. You could increase the weight in small increments each week (progressive overload). You could also do 10 reps for the first 4 weeks and reduce the reps to 8 for the second 4 weeks, increasing your weight further. During those 6 - 8 weeks, keep the movments the same for each session. I'd always recommend compound lifts as a staple and I'd start your session with them. They would include; squat, bench, deadlift, overhead press and I'd even include bent over bar bell rows.

 

After your hypertrophy phase, you could then move to a strength building phase. Working at a rep range of 4 - 6. This will of course allow you to increase the load lifted further. 4 - 6 weeks of  this could then lead you to a Powerlifting / peaking phase where you could test your 1rm. This would be useful for % work you may want to do.

 

Ultimately though, it all depends on your goal. Long term it's difficult to get strong whilst in a calorie deficit. Personally my calorie intake is at maintenance mainly.

 

Similar to you I take images too although my physique is not a primary goal for me.

 

Also these things take time and patience. Bit of a humblebrag here but I've been Powerlifting for 3 years now. My squat has gone from 180kg to 250kg+ & deadlift 200kg to 270kg. Most of the strength gains have occurred in the last 18 months but that's also off the back of training 4 times a week for 2-3 hours per session for the last 3 years. I mainly do the same three movements too (squat, bench & deadlift).

 

Anyway, sorry for the waffle. Honestly though if you need any assistance please feel free to fire me a DM in the future.

[deejdeej]

I was just using the shoulder press at the gym and then my neck cracked, bloody painful and driving home wasn't fun. Even better, I have work in a couple of hours which requires a lot of lifting. Not a great day so far! I'll make sure I warm up for longer next time but this happened on my last set just before leaving 

[Matt_Lcfc]

8 hours ago, deejdeej said:

I was just using the shoulder press at the gym and then my neck cracked, bloody painful and driving home wasn't fun. Even better, I have work in a couple of hours which requires a lot of lifting. Not a great day so far! I'll make sure I warm up for longer next time but this happened on my last set just before leaving 

Yeah mate I think this is a machine you’ve got to be really careful on. I really think you should take your time and increase the weight slower than usual - I had pain from doing similar a couple of years ago.

Edited 8 February 2022 by Matt_Lcfc

[deejdeej]

13 hours ago, Matt_Lcfc said:

Yeah mate I think this is a machine you’ve got to be really careful on. I really think you should take your time and increase the weight slower than usual - I had pain from doing similar a couple of years ago.

It was a weight that I'm pretty comfortable with usually, I think the difference being that I used this machine at the end of my workout rather than the start like I usually do. Tired arms and all that 

Pretty stiff again today.

[Matt_Lcfc]

1 hour ago, deejdeej said:

It was a weight that I'm pretty comfortable with usually, I think the difference being that I used this machine at the end of my workout rather than the start like I usually do. Tired arms and all that 

Pretty stiff again today.

Yeah I fully get you there. A few days off I think.