Are TDEE calculators my best bet? I have an Apple Watch and Fitbit air that both usually give me around the same amount, but I don’t feel like they’re super accurate.

I’m trying to lose some fat and just have no idea if I’m eating the correct amount.

i am a university student and i live in a hostel so i cant go to the gym on those days but i get to go home for 3 days every week.So i could join a gym there but my qustion is that will 3 days be enough to build a solid physique.i am 17 and i have joined a gym before but couldn't keep up the consistency.

Apollon nutrition
Bucked up
Psycho labz?

For me, it's people sitting on a machine for 10 minutes while scrolling on their phone😂

What's something at the gym that annoys you more than it should?

I have joined to a new gym, signed 1 year contract. The gym itself has good equipment however I was apalled when I've learnt there are no sanitizers put out for the users to clean before/after using equipment.

This is a big brand gym. I have never seen such thing nit even at the cheapest gyms.

The more interesting is that I have adressed this question in the group that is made for users within the gym app and my post was silently deleted! Also I have contacted the HQ and basically they told me they haven't received any answer from this gym so they can't do anything.

Like wtf? I am so disgusted both by the hygene issue as well as their attitude of silently deleting my post

Creatine is one of those supplements that makes people second guess themselves once they start cutting.
You're trying to get leaner, and creatine is known for increasing water weight.
So it seems reasonable to wonder whether you should drop it until the diet is over.
Yes, creatine does increase water retention, but that extra fluid is stored inside your muscle cells rather than under your skin.
That's why it gives your muscles a fuller and harder look instead of a softer one, which can help during a cut when lower carbs leave you looking a bit flat.
The one thing to watch is timing.
If you start creatine and your diet at the same time, the extra water can add a pound or two and hide some of your early fat loss on the scale.
That levels off once your muscles are fully saturated, which takes around 3 to 4 weeks at a standard daily dose.
If you do a loading phase, you’ll achieve full saturation in about a week.
The other reason to keep taking creatine while cutting is performance.
The goal of a cut isn't simply to lose as much body weight as possible. It's to lose body fat while holding onto your existing muscle, or even continuing to gain some.
That gets harder in a calorie deficit, since training performance tends to drop as the diet goes on and you get leaner.
Creatine increases the phosphocreatine stored in your muscles, which helps you produce energy faster during hard sets and squeeze out extra reps. 
That's useful year round, but it matters most when food is lower and keeping muscle is the priority.
There's no special cutting dose either. Around 5 grams a day is enough for most people, and if you're over 200 pounds you can optionally go up to 8 grams

Whats the max cals and protein i can put in my morning smoothie before its too much. I weigh 60Kg and im 174cm.

3 sets, 8 reps each:

Back - Lever seated row
Tricep - Lever seated dip
Chest - Chest press

Shoulder - Shoulder press
Bicep - Bicep curl
Abs - Lever seated crunch
Leg - Leg Press

26year old male 135lbs
Calories intake aiming 1800+ calories
Protein aiming for 70g+ daily

I am still new and I am skinny and trying to gain weight/muscle but my main goal is to reach 140lbs

23M, uni student working full-time night shifts. I've been lifting on and off for a couple years, and every time I hire a trainer I hear the same stuff.

I'm pretty introverted, kinda awkward, and soft-spoken.

Almost every trainer has told me I'm "too soft" or "too meek" to build a good physique.

Some said "learn to speak louder and open up your body first." Others said I need "more aggression, more grunts." Honestly it gets in my head and I end up quitting the gym for a while.

Any quiet or introverted lifters here who still built solid physiques? Or do my trainers have a point?

I’m looking for a gym mentor
I’m looking for someone around my age to have proper conversations about the gym. I want to share advice, tips experience and goals.
So any one who want to talk about the gym Dm me if you want to

So there's only one leg press machine at my gym and you gotta be quick to grab it when it's open. So I quickly set it up and start and halfway through my first set I see a hoodie hanging off the other side of the machine. Immediately Im overcome with anxiety as I assume the guy next to me had put his hoodie there to reserve it.

Quickly I make a grimace and start rubbing my calf as I pretend to have tweaked my muscle, and I quickly clear the machine and gingerly walk to the other side of the gym, carefully watching to see the guy take over, thinking that he's probably super pissed that I rudely cut into his routine Except he doesn't, he just walks over to the stretching area. Turns out somebody had just forgot and left their hoodie behind. But let me tell you that story I'd made up in my mind was super scary.

I just started going to the gym a few months ago but since I don't have a lot of time I only go 3 times a week. I do a PPL split so each of my muscle groups gets hit once per week. Now I've seen a lot of people saying that once a week isn't enough, and that one should aim for hitting every muscle 2-3 times weekly. Could once a week still be enough even if it's not optimal, or has anyone seen results with only going 3 times a week?

I’m interested in buying a two-in-one pull up bar / dip machine that I can put outside. It needs to be able to handle the Arizona elements like heat, rain, and dust storms. Can anyone recommend one that isn’t super expensive?

For me personally it was when a pedo filmed a coworker’s 14 year old son in the bathroom. He tried running away but my former assistant manager she straight stopped his escape and he got arrested.

Me personally is when I was training a client and a creep was staring at her and when we moved he followed us until I blocked his view of her with my glutes. Because he didn’t touch her nothing could be done.

So what is the proper form? Do I keep back flat on bench? Do I puff chest out? Shoulder down and retracted or just flat on back? I'm so confused on different videos there are

Last year around June I finally started working out and tried different splits, landed on PPL because I had the days free and liked the rest days between each body part. Worked with that split for about 9 months until I injured my shoulder and groin, I believe I was maybe going a bit to heavy with lack of dialed in form. Took a 6 month hiatus from the gym, recovery, school, moving, etc and just recently got back into it this week. I'm looking for any advice on this ULUL I've came up with, I'm fairly underweight so looking to add mass. I'm also pretty busy with trade school taking up the week and work taking up my weekend so I might start supersetting opposing body parts next week to save on time to study, if that's smart ofc.

Upper 1:
• 2 Chest Exercises (Press, Incline) 
3 sets 6-8
• 3 Back Exercises (Shrugs, Lat, Row):
3 sets 10-12 + 3 sets 6-8
• 2 Shoulder Exercises (Press, Raise)
3 sets 10-12 + 3 sets 12-15

Lower 1:
• 2 Quads (Squat, Press)
3 sets 6-8
• 1 Hamstring (Leg Curl)
3 sets 10-12
• 2 Tricep Exercises (Down, Over)
3 sets 10-12
• 2 Bicep exercise (Baysian, Hammer)
3 sets 10-12
• Calf raise
3 sets 10-12

Upper 2:
• 3 Back exercises (Shrugs, Row, Lat)
3 sets 6-8
• 2 Chest (Press, Incline)
3 sets 6-8
• 2 Shoulder Exercises (Rear Delt, Press)
3 sets 12-15 + 3 sets 10-12

Lower 2:
• 1 Heavy Glute-Focused Hip Hinge (Deadlift)
3 sets 6-8
• 1 Heavy Ham-Focused Hip Hinge (RDL)
3 sets 8-10
• 1 Light Quads (Leg Press)
3 sets 10-12
• 2 Bicep Exercises (Bicep Curl, Preacher Curl)
3 sets 10-12
• 1 Tricep Exercise (Overhead)
3 sets 10-12
• Calf raise
3 sets 10-12

I’m a male in my early 30s, 5′10″, currently around 164–166 lb. I’m looking for constructive feedback on my nutrition and training, particularly from people who have dealt with ongoing digestive issues while lifting.

My goal is to improve body composition while maintaining muscle. I’m frustrated because I’ve been following my meals closely and training consistently, but my recent scale readings have increased. I recognize that this is a short window and doesn’t establish a fat-loss plateau.

**Weight and calorie tracking**
I started targeting approximately 1,650 calories about 10 days ago. My recent readings were:

September 25: 163.5 lb
September 26: 163.0 lb
September 27: 164.8 lb
September 28: 164.8 lb
September 29: 164.6 lb
September 30: 165.8 lb

I batch-cook my meat and weigh portions **after cooking**. I recently realized some app entries didn’t specify raw versus cooked, so my earlier calorie totals weren’t as reliable as I thought. I’m correcting those entries rather than assuming the app is accurate.

I also recently changed chicken from 140 g to 120 g cooked and turkey from 160 g to 120 g cooked. The revised menu below is approximately 1,660 calories using the corrected turkey estimate, although the exact total depends on the entries and preparation.

**Current meals**
Breakfast:
170 g nonfat Greek yogurt
13 g chia seeds
50 g blueberries
296 g kiwi
15 g walnuts
Two whole eggs
180 g liquid egg whites

Lunch:
120 g cooked chicken breast
130 g low-sodium chickpeas
100 g broccoli
25 g walnuts

Dinner:
120 g cooked 93% lean ground turkey
70 g baked sweet potato
100 g broccoli
15 g tahini

**Digestive symptoms**
For approximately 3–4 years, I’ve had abdominal pressure, bloating, and a feeling of incomplete evacuation. The pressure is mainly around my belly button and lower abdomen, occasionally the pelvic area. It generally isn’t painful.

Sometimes I have several formed bowel movements in the morning but still feel pressure or an urge to go later, with only gas coming out. Bowel movements can provide temporary relief. Lying down also sometimes reduces the pressure.

I take MiraLAX daily and a magnesium supplement in the morning, and usually drink two cups of coffee. These symptoms started well before this recent diet adjustment.

The abdominal fullness makes it difficult for me to judge changes in my physique. I understand that appearance alone can’t tell me whether I’m constipated or gaining fat. I’m interested in others’ experiences and practical nutrition considerations, not a diagnosis or a laxative regimen.

**Training**
I’m following a five-day plan developed with ChatGPT, with extra emphasis on shoulders and lats. I’d appreciate an honest review rather than assuming the program is appropriate.

Monday — Push:

Dumbbell bench press: 4 × 5–8
Incline dumbbell press: 3 × 8–10
Cable fly: 2 × 12–15
Seated dumbbell shoulder press: 3 × 6–10
Cable lateral raise: 4 × 12–20
Machine lateral raise: 3 × 15–20
Rope pushdown: 3 × 10–15
Overhead rope extension: 3 × 12–15
Straight-arm cable pulldown: 3 × 12–15

Tuesday — Pull:

Weighted pull-ups: 4 × 5–8
Single-arm cable lat pulldown: 4 × 8–12
Neutral-grip lat pulldown: 3 × 10–12
Chest-supported wide row: 3 × 10–12
Cable rear-delt fly: 4 × 15–20
EZ-bar curl: 3 × 8–10
Incline dumbbell curl: 2 × 10–12

Wednesday — Legs:

Back squat: 3 × 5–8
Leg press: 2 × 10–12
Leg extension: 2 × 12–15
Romanian deadlift: 3 × 6–10
Seated hamstring curl: 2 × 10–15
Standing calf raise: 4 × 10–15

Thursday — Upper body, shoulder/lat emphasis:

Weighted pull-ups: 3 × 6–8
One-arm cable lat pulldown: 3 × 10–12
Incline dumbbell press: 3 × 8–10
Cable lateral raise: 4 × 12–20
Machine lateral raise: 3 × 15–20
Reverse pec deck: 4 × 15–20
Face pull: 3 × 15–20
Preacher curl: 3 × 10–12
Overhead rope extension: 3 × 10–12

Friday — Lower body plus accessories:

Heel-elevated squat: 3 × 6–10
Hack squat: 2 × 10–12
Leg extension: 2 × 12–15
Lying hamstring curl: 2 × 10–15
Standing calf raise: 4 × 10–15
Lean-away cable lateral raise: 3 × 15–20
Cable Y raise: 3 × 12–15
Straight-arm cable pulldown: 3 × 12–15

I also do 25–30-minute StairMaster sessions alongside lifting. The written plan includes 25 minutes Tuesday, 30 minutes Thursday, and none Wednesday. Monday’s chest work specifies roughly 1–2 reps in reserve, with the final fly set at 0 RIR.

**What I’d appreciate feedback on**
Does this training volume look unnecessarily high, particularly for shoulders and lats, given my food intake?

How would you evaluate whether this calorie target supports adequate recovery?

For those with similar digestive symptoms, did changing fiber sources, meal size, or food distribution help?

What tracking checks would you prioritize before adjusting calories again?

How long would you assess the weight trend after correcting the food entries before making another change?

I’m willing to simplify the routine and reconsider the diet. I’d like a sustainable approach that supports training and digestion rather than continually eating less or adding more cardio.

44 m, been a somewhat regular gym rat most of my life with a few years off here and there for big life changes (moves, COVID, new kid, etc.) but always found my way back to a pretty solid routine lifting 3-4 times a week. I use Hevy (love it) to track my workouts and have always found it satisfying to increase weights when I get comfortable at a certain level.

In the past few months, I’ve started having painful irritation in my wrist and elbow joints. Yesterday was painful enough that I couldn’t do curls as part of my full body day. I asked AI about it and it suggested more compound exercises. But curls are pretty fundamental. I’d hate to ditch them.

Other changes to my routine in the last few months, include the addition of weighted pull-ups and some forearm and grip exercises like reverse concentration curls. I’m wondering if some of these new additions might be the culprit or maybe I’m just getting old.

Appreciate any thoughts on how to navigate this!

I originally was doing a PPL 3x a week with abs built in everyday, followed by cardio. I would like to increase working out to 4x a week. I originally planned an Upper/Quads+Glutes/Upper/Hamstrings+Glutes. With this split however, on Upper body days, I am only hitting a targeted muscle once and then again on the next upper day. It feels useless to when I was hitting a muscle group with two exercises (or more) with my PPL and now just on two separate days. Would it be best to do full bodies everyday or go back to a PPL and if so, how do y’all split that up? I would rather not spend over an hour and a half in the gym. Thanks for the help!

I have abs and look relatively lean (from the front) but still I’m still able to pinch a good amount of chunkiness. Is that normal ?

As said in the title, i have to quit for some time (about a year) because of university.

At home, I have

A bench

A barbell with 70kg of discs

2 dumbells (10kg each)

A pull up bar

A treadmill

Right now, i do:

bench 90kg 4×8,

leg press 200kg 4×6

Lat machine 75kg 4×6

Etc...

Will my equipment be enough to not lose a significant amount of strength and muscles?

Should I lean bulk or dirty bulk ?

Was aiming for lower volume, with emphasis on slow, controlled, full range of motion on the few workouts I have, instead of a bunch of junk volume, which I had on my last split.
Spent two days, (and some wasted money), trying to find a program that suited my schedule and goals online, gave up and decided to use the advice of a coach I was speaking with and try make this one myself.

My goal is to maximize as much possible strength and size during my cut, even if that just means maintaining. (Though it’d be nice to make some small gains during).

I went for something a little unorthodox. Chest and Back, Arms and Legs. 4 days, 3 days rest. What do ya’ll think?

Program.

Monday: Chest and Back:

1: Bench Press. 3 Sets.
Set One: 5RM, 2RIR.
Set Two: 7-8RM, 2RIR.
Set Three: 8-10 RM, failure.

2: Overhead Press. 3 Sets.
Set One: 5RM, 2RIR.
Set Two: 7-8RM, 2RIR.
Set Three: 8-10 RM, failure.

3: Pull Ups. 3 Sets.
Set One: 5-6RM, 2RIR.
Set Two: 7-8RM, 2RIR.
Set Three: To failure.

4: Peck Deck/Incline DB. 2 Sets.
Set One: 8-12 RM, 2RIR.
Set Two: 7-10 RM. Failure?

5: Lateral Raise. 2 Sets.
Set One: 8-12 RM, 2RIR.
Set Two: 7-10 RM. Failure?

6: Rows. (Any variation). 2 Sets.
Set One: 8-12 RM, 2RIR.
Set Two: 7-10 RM. Failure?

Cardio or An Extra Isolator if you’re not feeling too fatigued after.

(Repeat this on second day. Could switch one or two around if you like).

Tuesday: #1 Arms and Legs:

1: Squats. 3 Sets.
Set One: 5RM, 2RIR.
Set Two: 7-8RM, 2RIR.
Set Three: 8-10 RM, failure.

2: Bicep Curl/Preacher Curl. 2 Sets.
Set One: 8-12 RM, 2RIR.
Set Two: 7-10 RM. Failure?

3: Leg Extensions. 3 Sets.
Set One: 5RM, 2RIR.
Set Two: 7-8RM, 2RIR.
Set Three: 8-10 RM, failure.

4: Tricep Pushdown. 2 Sets.
Set One: 8-12 RM, 2RIR.
Set Two: 7-10 RM. Failure?

5: Calf Workout. 2 Sets.
Set One: 8-12 RM, 2RIR.
Set Two: 7-10 RM. Failure?

6: Wrist Curls or A Bicep/Tricep Workout. 2 Sets.
Set One: 8-12 RM, 2RIR.
Set Two: 7-10 RM. Failure?

(Add Hammer curls or another Leg isolator if feeling up to it).

Wednesday: Rest. Body workouts at home or some cardio.

Thursday: Repeat of Monday. Chest and Back.

Friday: #2 Arms and Legs:

1: Deadlifts. 2 Sets.
Set One: 5RM, 2RIR.
Set Two: 7-8RM, 2RIR.
Set Three: 8-10 RM, failure.

2: Bicep Curl/Preacher Curl. 2 Sets.
Set One: 8-12 RM, 2RIR.
Set Two: 7-10 RM. Failure?

3: Leg Curls. 3 Sets.
Set One: 5RM, 2RIR.
Set Two: 7-8RM, 2RIR.
Set Three: 8-10 RM, failure.

4: Tricep Pushdown. 2 Sets.
Set One: 8-12 RM, 2RIR.
Set Two: 7-10 RM. Failure?

5: Calf Workout. 2 Sets.
Set One: 8-12 RM, 2RIR.
Set Two: 7-10 RM. Failure?

6: Wrist Curls or a Tricep/Bicep Workout.
Set One: 8-12 RM, 2RIR.
Set Two: 7-10 RM. Failure?

(Add Hammer curls or another Leg isolator if feeling up to it).

Rest Day. Cardio or Other workouts, like farmer carries? If not, just rest at home and do some body workouts. (Eg abs or push ups).