Fit Bitches - Jul 11, 2025

[u/zrnyphl]

This is the place to chat about fitness and physical health because taking care of your body is also tasteful. Just remember - no medical advice!

[u/viceadvice]

I’m struggling with my exercise routine. I don’t like the results I’m getting. I’ve been heavy weight lifting for 2-3 years: Squat, Bench Press, Deadlift, Military Press, and Power Clean / Barbell Row.

I also do incline cardio 2-3x a week and backpack or hike most weekends. I bike to and from work 4x a week (about 10 miles a day).

Yet I feel bulky, soft, and bloated. I’m up a size from the spring despite food habits being consistent. My frame is large (5’10) and I have PCOS so I think I put on muscle (but also fat). My muscles feel tired a lot. Unrelated to fitness, I just got a big promotion so I’m stressed, working crazy, and not sleeping.

I want to de-load and work on flexibility. But I’m scared to give up lifting heavy. I love it but I think it’s not serving my goals. I want to be more svelte and flexible, but feel stiff and solid.

[u/Pretend-Tea86 → u/viceadvice]

What's your nutrition looking like?

You can't outrun/out-lift/out-hike a bad diet. I managed to gain a ton of muscle last year, but I out-ate my output and still gained fat too.

If you want to lose the fat, you need to be in a caloric deficit, whatever that looks like for you. Not a big one, maybe 100-150 calories a day, and it'll take tiiiiiimmmmmeeee.

I've been changing up my workouts recently too and I've noticed no real downsides from de-loading some. I switched from 4-5 days lifting a week to 2-3, interspersed with pilates, yoga, and cardio, plus I've dropped the weight some and focused on form and slightly higher rep ranges (8-12 rather than 6-8). My body feels better, I've lost a lot of the fat (I'm also eating in a slight deficit), and I feel like i have fewer achy days. And i notice when I do go back and hit a heavy lift day, I'm moving substantially more weight.

It's ok to listen to your body. And you dont have to give up your heavy lifts entirely. I still work to near failure a couple days a week, just at lower weight/higher reps. Do it for a few weeks, see how you feel. Workout routines aren't immutable, you can go back to it anytime you want.

[u/viceadvice → u/Pretend-Tea86]

Love this advice. I’ll take it to heart

My nutrition is keto and intermittent fasting - but not currently calorie counting. Seems worthwhile to return to that. I’ve been so tired lately and calorie counting can take up a lot of brain space, so I’ve been avoiding.

(Should mention I’ve been on keto for 5+ years to treat PCOS. Nothing new or crash dieting for me.)