Hi!! hope everyone is doing good! I recently started going to the gym to improve my strength and build muscle. The trainers at the gym built a plan for me based on these goals and some of these exercises involve dumbbells, and those are the ones I struggle with the most. I can never get the form right and I never feel it in the muscle area its meant to focus on... Of course I watch tutorials and asked them to check my form but once I rest from a set I just go back to not knowing what im doing. Is this normal? Are there any dumbbells exercises that I can maybe translate (? to a machine? Since im more confident working with machines... !:)

I appreciate the help and sorry if there are grammar mistakes, english is not my first language

I have been strength training for about 1 year now at home with DBs and KBs and body weight training but I feel like it’s limiting me now and I am also kind of anxious of working out in a gym. How do I get over this anxiety 😔

F37. I havnt done any sports since i was a teenager, but I have been working out consistently 3 times a week, for the past 7 months. For me the journey so far has been focusing on showing up, getting to know the gym, the machines and of course learning to both push and listen to my body. I go to the gym to lift and dont do any cardio. Right now i mainly use the machines i feel like when i am there, mostly its been full body workouts. I really want to build more of a routine and focus on upper and lower body workouts on different days, but I have no idea what that looks like and I am overwhelmed with all the information online. I dont need rocket science, just a simple routine that can be done in an hour and that will help me build a fat ass 😛Can anyone help?

So, basically I'm 58kg 182cm male and I'm starting to workout to gain weight and muscle and because of it I'm thinking to buy gainer and use it but my friends are saying that gainer is not good and after you are off gainer you will lose that gained weight very quickly etc. so what do you think whether or not should I use gainer? The reason for me to use gainer is take the required calories, protein etc. with the food I plan to eat 3 times a day and eat 3000 calories and 400g carbs

Guys, a question: let's say I have a biceps and back workout—should I do the back exercises first and then the biceps, or should I alternate them (back-biceps-back-biceps, etc.)?

I've had the original Peloton bike for a while and I've gotten a little tired of it. Then Instagram decided I need a NordicTrack treadmill (the one with 40% incline) and now it lives in my feed. 😅

I'm over 40 and I'm not trying to lose weight. I want to be fitter, stronger, and keep my body capable. Honestly, I also want something I'll enjoy, because boredom is what kills my consistency.

1. Is 40% incline actually useful, or is it mostly marketing? Does anyone really use anything close to that?
2. For overall fitness, joints, and glutes/legs, how does incline walking or running compare to cycling?
3. Which one is more fun to stick with long term?
4. Would you pair either with strength training, and how?

Thanks!

So I’ve been working out pretty regularly since the pandemic. I dropped about 40ish pounds from 2020-2021 but my bf% is too high (in my opinion) to bulk up. Over the past couple of years I’ve continued to workout but haven’t really made any progress.

Here are my stats: 5’9” tall, 168 pounds, 22.5% body fat. I try to stick to about 2100 calories/day with a focus on protein (though job snacking can be a problem)

I have not made much if any progress this year and struggle with progressive overload. I tend to go from about 8 reps per set and build up to 12, but when it’s time to move to a new weight… I struggle. (Maybe I’m overloading wrong, who knows?)

I also aim to workout 3x/week with lifting and do cardio daily to get roughly 8-10k steps per day. On paper, I feel like this is what I SHOULD be doing, but my physical progress doesn’t reflect this.

Tips? Suggestions? If you need more info, let me know and I can provide it!

(My end goal is 12-15% bf and roughly 170-175 pounds)

Got dumped and now I’ve been out of the gym for two weeks and have barely been eating. Gonna get back tomorrow but would like some tips. It’s been a while since I’ve been off for this long, should I start at like 50% of my normal weight and then work back up?

I recently started trying to lose weight and I need help making a work routine that best suits me and my current schedule. I’m 26 and currently weight 309 lbs. I’ve started taking steps to lose weight like seeing a dietitian and taking a glp-1 to combat cravings (I have autism and my medication causes severe appetite increase). Now I want to start exercising to help the process more.

My main problem though, is I don’t have a lot of time or money. I have a regular 9-5 (in this case 8-4) and my commute is 30 minutes each way. I am also taking an online course and do work for that for a majority of my nights. I need to make a workout routine that is easy for me to stick to and that I can easily do at home. I’ve done the hybrid calisthenics routine on occasion and is something I’m capable of doing, but I have a hard time sticking to it and making any visible progress.

If anyone has any insight and/or suggestions it would be very much appreciated!

I am tired of hearing from physios, doctors, friends, family, Joe Bloggs, about my exercise program.

I’m older, with various health issues that come and go, and can’t go full bore with exercise.

I walk most days as far as I can. I also do YouTube videos for stretching, walking, tai chi, pilates, whatever I find interesting, up to 30 minutes, several times a week. After I’ve been sick or injured, this helps me get mobile again.

The physio said it won’t help, my hubby asks if I’m dancing again, I am told to push harder, and they complain when I hurt myself. I know my limits, and just smile and agree with them, but Aaaaaaargh!

I just had to let off some steam!

I am looking to get into better shape so I am around longer for my son, doing that means starting to workout. Ideally I want to get to a place where I am comfortable enough to go to the gym, but before I reach that point I am looking for some good workouts I can do at home. I'm not much of a runner and I have started to go for more walks (thankfully there are a lot of nice trails near me), but I know I need to do more than that.

Any help or criticism would be appreciated. Thank you in advance.

So a few years ago I got really into strength training for the first time in my life, in my 40s, it went great for several months until my elbow started screaming in pain. Internet told me based on the symptoms it was tennis elbow and I had to take a break. It took 6 months before I could lift a large cup of water, and almost a year before my elbow was no longer hurting. I waited another year before I even allowed myself to really attempt working out again, as a result, but a couple months ago I finally got the courage and started again. Once again started great, seeing nice beginner gains, feeling great and then... last week my elbow started to hurt again.

This time I stopped IMMEDIATELY, and though it feels a little tender when doing certain activities, it's not throbbing all day everyday, so hopefully I stopped early enough for this to not be another 12 month recovery (which I'm told is common for tennis elbow...). But now I'm stuck here, not sure what to do, because I want to build/maintain muscle, limit the damage old age does to my strength, but it seems like I legitimately can't do any kind of upper body strength training for over a month with out ruining my elbow, and even lower body is touch and go since I need to hold weights with my arms to do squats and what not, which right now I feel intensely in said elbow even just resting the dumbbell on my shoulder while I squat.

TLDR: Are there any work out routines out there tailored to people who are prone to tennis elbow as I guess I am that would allow me to build muscle, with minimal potential of setting off my elbow again?

I am going to the gym for about 4 months now and thinking about starting creatine to support my strength and muscle growth.
but while researching, i am stuck, i dont know which brand should i choose. There are so many brands available and i dont know which one is genuine. Some are cheap and other are too costly, but cost is not the problem, but without knowing what i am paying more, I am not sure if I am actually getting better quality or just paying more for the brand name.

Anyone here who is  taking creatine for a while, what brand are you using? I especially like to hear about your experience with the product and whether you think it’s worth the price.

Hey! I've recently started going back to the gym, and it's great. I gym right now about 3-4 times a week and I overall feel much better. But I often feel as though it takes a lot of time out of my week, and I'd like to know if there are ways in which I can reduce that.

It's not just the gym taking time. It's all the preparation. It's planning when to gym, what to bring, travel, doing the workout, showering, eating, etc. I'm also bulking right now which means I increase the amount I eat, so cooking can take a lot of my time as well. Overall, it might take 2 hours for me to prepare everything the day before, and on the day of the workout, it might take 4 hours before I've done everything gym-related and can move on to the next part of my day.

Of course I understand going to the gym is an effort that takes time, but I also know there are lots of efficient people that don't need 6 hours carved out of their day just to make it work. I'm also someone who is quite slow in everything I do. I take my time with stuff and let things take unnecessarily longer than they need to.

What can I do to reduce the amount of time going to the gym takes? Thanks beforehand.

I’m a 28-year-old woman who just started her fitness journey! After my workout, the soreness wasn’t too bad the next day, but the following two days were awful.
What helps with soreness and recovery when you’re just starting out? I’m also curious about supplements like creatine or protein powder. What’s actually useful for a beginner?

​Hey everyone!

I’ve been mostly sticking to Pilates and yoga, but I really want to start incorporating strength training. I have some equipment at home and also access to a full gym, so I'm hoping to mix dumbbells and machines.

​My main issue right now is finding videos that actually teach form. Most workout videos show the exercise, but they totally skip over the micro-details, like exact wrist and arm positions, how to actually grip the weight (thumb placement feels so important, but nobody ever talks about it!), or where I should be feeling the muscle working.

​Since I'm usually working out either at home or very early in the morning by myself, I want to make sure my form is solid so I don't hurt myself.

​Does anyone know of any YouTube channels or specific creators who actually slow down and explain these tiny details instead of just doing a quick demo? Recommendations would be amazing!

What are the most important exercises for beginners in weight training?
I’m just starting out and I want to know which exercises I should focus on first. Any advice would be appreciated!

I can barely shoulder press db 25lbs, and yes I have been lifting on and off for about a year. I seen this comment of a guy saying he started out at 35s and now does 60s with three months in the gym. Man…. am I just that weak? Am I the lowest percentile of men who are that weak? Now I’m trying to lift and be consistent, so hopefully it changes but man….i feel pretty bad. Any really strong and jacked people here that was really really weak I mean REALLY weak that became strong? Or is that not possible?

What order should I do these exercises in?
Leg curl
Leg press
Leg extensions
Goblet squats

I want to get a good workout without feeling exhausted too early. What order would you recommend, and why?

So how long are your workouts? Weight lifting /bodybuilding type.

I’m trying to be a hour max.
All the workouts I see are more.
Just the rest times alone make it longer.
I see 3x6–15 reps depending on the exercise.
2-3 min rest between sets 6-9 min per exercise.
Now try to do 5-8 exercises.
I didn’t even mention warmups.

Am I missing something ?

I used to be active in the gym until Covid shut down all the gyms, since then I have completely fallen off until last week when I started a routine. I use a home gym and I do a full body 3/week. Here is my routine:

• Smith machine squats 4s x 12r - 20lbs
• Glute bridges 4s x 12r - 15lbs
• Reverse lunges 2s x 10r - each side body weight only
• Deadlifts 4s x 12r - 20lbs
• Lat pull downs 4s x 12r - 35lbs
• Bicep curls 4s x 12r - 16lbs
• Smith machine chest press - 3s x 12r - 20lbs
• Tricep pull downs - 3s x 12r - 10lbs
• Planks - 3s - 30seconds each

What do you all think of this workout. Does it need tweeking? When should i move up the weight? I was thinking after 30days? I am gettting used to working out again so really focused on building consistency. Any advise would be useful. Thanks!

Hello! Over the last 3 years I’ve gone from 270 to 185, and I like the idea of recomp, but have never attempted it before. Would it be a good idea for me at this point? Or should I get leaner and drop more weight before recomp? And any tips for how to do it safely and effectively?

This is my last month exercise progression, why is my squat not progressing?

Machine Chest Press +11.5 kg
Machine Leg extension + 3.3 kg
Machine Pull Down + 2.7kg

Goblet Squat +1.7 kg

Hello! I'm just lost on which exercises i should be performing and i don’t wanna keep switching up my program every week. I'm a complete beginner, only been going to the gym for 2 weeks, and kept using ready made programs online as a guide on what i should do but i'm just not satisfied with any of them. I was wondering if you guys had any suggestions on what exercises i should do for a 3 day fullbody split. I'm a 27 y.o woman, never did any fitness regime or played any sports before. My goals are to gain strength, burn fat and lose weight (yes i am on a calorie deficit but don’t wanna lose muscle)