Lift things up and put them down.

[yourdad]

Slightly pulled my back yesterday while doing some seated rows. I can walk around fine but I can definitely feel some tension whenever I bend down. Is it safe for me to do other work like shoulders/arms or should I just rest up until I'm 100%?

[oldtrailmix]

to bulk or not to bulk, that is the question-

whether tis nobler in the mind to suffer,

the arrows and slings of lack of gains,

or to take arms against them in loads of food,

and by opposing them? to gain, to grow-

ever more, and to gain, we say we end

our habit which fit us so well before

[rjbman]

It's almost but not quite iambic pentameter and it's killing me.

[JewTurk]

The hardest park of bulking is not feeling like shit after eating all of these calories.

I need calorically dense food that doesn't sit so heavy in my stomach. Milk was great for that on my first bulk but I don't know if I can go through that again.

[CleanThug]

when should you make the switch from a beginner program to a intermediate program?

also, what'd do you guys do on your "rest" days? I lift 3 times a week and do cardio right after lifting on the same days, so I have 3 free days (sunday is a legitimate "rest" day) without structured exercise.

[brlmski]

[CleanThug]

"when you get bored" doesn't seem like great advice. I've been stalling more or less for awhile. does it matter how long i've been lifting for or the weight on my lifts?

[brlmski]

[JewTurk]

Numbers are going up a lot more steadily than I thought they would.

For people who take creatine regularly, every once in a while I get a really strong abdominal pain like as if I have to pee but I have no urge to pee, if that makes sense. Not enough water? I'd been drinking very consistently all day up to that point when it started hurting quite a bit.

[JonjoShelvey]

honestly it's probably not the creatine. stop taking creatine for a week and see if the pain goes away. consult a doctor if it doesnt

[mc-lunar]

Completely spitballing a couple of ideas here:

if it's like you need to pee but you can't actually and is happening after you masturbate it's because there's actually something up with urethra related to needing to pee and orgasming

creatine use can stress kidney and liver functions, so if you have any underlying conditions, it's probably best to not take supplements that tax these organs (including alcohol if this is the case)

take notes of when it happens and what was happening before so you can see if there's a common factor

[JewTurk]

I'll stop for a week and see what happens. Never had kidney problems before.

Thanks guys.

[JewTurk]

Might have been that I took too much motrin that morning before work, pain stopped after that week and things have been fine all this week.

Anyways, numbers are still going up as expected and all of my lifts are decent except deadlift right now. Got 5x5 @ 1xBW and 5x5 1.5xBW but still need like 75 lbs on my DL to get 2xBW. Should I be looking into accessory lifts to help this?

I'd also be pretty happy to put some muscle on my obliques but I've never been a huge fan of ab work. Should squats and deadlifts be putting mass on my obliques since I always hear about how they hit your core so well?

[oldtrailmix]

The benches at my gym are laid out back to back, for some reason, so whenever one person is spotting the other guy gets an ass in his face. Well today I was benching and that was happening, nbd really even tho he smelled pretty raunch. So anyway after his buddy finished up the guy apparently felt the need to spot me too (just chillin w my headphones in).

I'm doing a 3x5 and on the 5th rep he decides to start motivating me, "c'mon bro u got this!!!", and when I nonchalantly put the bar back he said something along the lines of, "c'mon man you had at least two more reps in you!1!1!"

I exchanged a glance w a guy who was resting and we were both like "wtf man?"

[chadnik]

I've been having trouble motivating myself to exercise lately. Part of it is having moved to a new town and having my routines go askew (need to find new yoga studio/bike paths/places to jog/tennis courts), but more of it has to do with some faint traces of body image issues/disordered eating from years back. Basically, when I don't work out, my appetite stays very low and I remain at a weight I feel comfortable with. When I work out, I eat more and gain more weight (I don't know that it's a noticeable amount, but I feel acutely it on my body). I also feel more cardiovascularly fit, which does feel good—I just feel like I need to remember the pleasures of feeling fit again. I'm also just a lazy fuck sometimes. Anyone have tips for how to motivate yourself and think less about your body and more about the other benefits of exercise, and/or how to get back into a routine and stick with it?

[7737]

I convince myself I'm going to get heart disease or an array of other problems if I don't stay healthy. And then think about the implications of said problems. Eventually scare myself into submission. Fear is a great motivator for me to start exercising again, but the feeling of being fit keeps me going after that initial hurdle. It also feels really good to be able to lift heavy things by yourself. And sex is better.

Seriously though, getting sick is a scary thing. I want to be as healthy as possible in my old age.

[oldtrailmix]

do you feel as if you gain weight, or do you actually move up on the scale? exercising doesn't have to contribute to weight loss, or gain. so long as you know how many calories your body needs (google a caloric needs calculator if you're not sure), all you need to do is stay within that number and you'll be fine.

my only real motivation these days is that to not do it feels worse than to do it, if that makes any sense. it's an opportunity cost y'know.

[chadnik]

I feel as if I gain weight. I don't weigh myself any more except when I'm put on a scale at the doctor's.

Agreed that it feels worse when you skip a day of a routine when you're really in one—you can very much feel two days of lost progress. I guess my trouble is getting back into the sort of regimen I used to have a year or two ago (i.e. mapping out days for weight training, cardio, yoga, etc. and charting progress). I guess I should try to ease back into a light routine so I'm not as daunted by how much I probably suck at all the things I used to be able to do fairly well (by my standards). I also loathe the sort of competitiveness (personal and otherwise) that a super regimented workout system has brought out in me in the past, but at the same time it's a very good way of pushing myself to go harder so maybe it's not all bad.

[rudy]

It sounds like I've been in the same situation as you as of late. I'm trying to tell myself "two weeks of exercising everyday" to get the escape velocity I need to push myself back into a routine. Rather than comparing weights or times or any sort of number, I'm judging success purely off of "did you workout today?" For me that means waking up early and doing it when I'm most motivated. Gets my sleep schedule in check too. Once that's no big deal anymore I'll start making real goals. Definitely tough when you're not as strong as you used to be.

[teck]

a bit late but i think the tone of the conversation here is telling of how you can try to "break" out of the workout dolldrums. theres a lot of thought that exercise as a necessary evil that we have to endure. we say that we are "lazy" and describe missing workouts as a negative (which it is). in other words, working out is seen as something we need to maintain balance in some vague equilibrium we have vis a vis eating, lying around, other stuff that we would rather be doing.

instead, try to think of exercise not as a regime you have to endure, but something that is just part of being alive. try to feel the aliveness of your body, it is a tool that you can use to explore the world. its a vehicle for movement, exploration, love whatever. try to love your body and how it behaves and moves, and marvel at its capacity for self-improvement. our bodies are incredibly resilient. it can do almost anything we ask of it, and it almost always gets better at doing any given task if its allowed to recover and practice.

i know this sounds very new-age-y and self-love, but it applies directly to working out. if you work out just to maintain weight or because you feel you have to, then the gym sucks, and its a prison. but if you're working out so that you can have a better hike this weekend, or so you can test your limits, or learn about your body more, then the gym is a tool, and sleeping is part of your training, and eating is fuel and its all one virtuous cycle.

[teck]

squated the other day in my rick ramones because i didnt want to carry separate gym shoes. eventually just went barefoot because the ramones felt funny (maybe too squishy?) they made me look dope AF tho

[SteevMike]

gonna be away from gym for a little bit so i tried to test my 1RMs today:
-320lb squat (new PR by 15lb!)
-180kg/396lb deadlift (new PR by 45lb!)
-215lb bench (PR: 225lb)
bodyweight: 180lb


bench was pretty weak but I expected that, my elbow was messed for a bit so I've been playing around with my grip at lower weights for a while

[vatfreewellies]

Been lifting about 5 months now.

Bench: 80kg/176.37lb
Deadlift:120kg/264.555lb
Squat: 105kg/231.485lb

Weight: 72Kg/158.733lb
Age: 19
M

Aim: lean gains.

Recently I seem to be plateauing off due to a shoulder injury and half-hearted diet rigidity.

[exprof]

Hmm, maybe and will know this: What are good resources for starting to lift weights if you're a (relatively) weak girl?

[UnwashedMolasses]

Same as everybody! For more specifics, try the FAQs in /r/fitness or /r/xxfitness especially. Main points are just pick a basic program, figure out technique, start with low weights, and have fun!

[donut_milk]

:

Same as what said: check out the FAQs on /r/Fitness and /r/xxFitness. There's also the book which I've read; I haven't done the exercises in them since I was already doing Starting Strength. Currently I'm doing StrongLifts.

The key is to start out slow with whatever weight your comfortable with, make sure your form is correct (watch tons of videos), and go at your own pace. When I first started out I could barely squat the 20lb fixed barbell (aside from the standard 45lb one) so I practiced with a broom at home making sure my form was correct by looking in the mirror. Also, don't be afraid to ask for help if you have a friend who lifts or even a trainer. You could even start out with dumbbells as well to get yourself up to speed.

It'll be realllllly tough at first (dem DOMS) but it feels really great once you succeed! Here are some other resources which may help (lots of photos and videos): and

Also...get used to eating...A LOT (mostly bean energy), your body changing (arms and thighs no longer fitting in clothes), and some people telling you you'll get bulky (won't happen!). Have fun!

[can-]

whats the best site for ordering bean energy, supplements, vitamins etc online?

[teck]

so i canceled (or rather, put on hold) my gym membership because ive been doing more bodyweight stuff and just need a wall and a pull up bar. i went to the gym this weekend, my last weekend before the membership was stopped, and was like "ok time for deadlift"

you see where this is going.

totally did too much weight, popped my back (again). the funny thing is i heard the pop and just stood there for about 1 second with the weight and thought "maybe i should just try to finish this rep i already injured myself". i put it down.

ugh.

[Stingray Sam]

Is there any reason why weight lifting is preferable to body weight stuff aside from looking buff? I feel like with the correct set of exercises and technique you'd be able to develop muscle mass that is just as if not more useful to mass developed by weight machines. I've also heard that body weight exercises develops a more dynamic musculature rather than just developing a single muscle group at a time, is this claim substantiated at all?

[rjbman]

There are definitely weight lifting exercises that target multiple muscles at a time. Machines, maybe not, but barbell exercises can target multiple muscles.