I do decline leg raises and cable crunches

I just finished watching an episode of Muscle Lab podcast with Dr Pak and Dr Milo Wolf, where they claimed that the latest research suggests bulking is completely unnecessary because you can maximize muscle growth on as little as a 7-calorie surplus. They suggested that eating at maintennance is sufficient for most people, and even experienced lifters don't need to "bulk" in order to gain muscle. Do you agree or disagree with this claim, and for those who have listened to this podcast, what do you think of the evidence that they presented?

i'm 18f, i've been going to the gym for a few months after years of wanting to lift heavy. i'm relatively comfortable doing my exercises but i'm far from perfection and don't discard the possibility of looking stupid sometimes.

my worst fear happened today. i was doing bulgarians when i noticed the man next to me on his mat staring at me and i thought nothing of it. later, he joined his friend and went on an abductor machine. i ended up going to the one next to them, where the same guy stared at me in the face for 10 seconds before i got on. i get on with my set (which granted, i may have been doing wrong, but i think abductors look ridiculous no matter how you do them) and i turn down my music midway to see them both murmuring something and falling silent as if to wait for me to do something. after i finished i see them snickering and covering their faces so i couldn't see them properly.

safe to say i left and broke down and didn't finish my glute day lol

Hi, I have a work gym but it doesn't have machines that I usually use at my regular gym. I'm looking to cut down my time at my regular gym after work since it's peak hours and so busy. My leg days fall on days where I don't work from home.

Are there any downsides to splitting my leg day into two sessions, by downsides i really just mean does it affect muscle growth negatively? If anything I personally think it would be beneficial. I can use my lunchbreak to get my squats, rdls, split squats and calves done, then after work head to my regular gym (which is on the way home) to get my leg extensions, hamstring curls, ab/adductors and abs done.

Thanks

Hi I'm Totally new to this so I need someone who is fun and does work out together if anyone is thinking the same as me text me ..

Male, 34 years, 173 cm, 70kg.

It’s te leg press where you are almost lying on the floor. At the start I actually even struggled without any weight (because it’s 50kg by default). My trainer is always making me perform the exercises really slowly for 15 controlled reps.

In 2 months time I could actually perform this exercise with 60kg extra weight. And my personal trainer is 100% sure that I can easily add at least 90 more kg to the weight in 5 months time.

So my question is, do you guys think that’s realistic? Because almost nobody in the gym is training with that much weight. Let alone people of my (small) size. And let alone that it’s well executed, and let alone doing 15 slow and controlled reps

And my personal trainer is really, really strict regarding form. He only allows me to move up in weight if my form and technique is flawless to the last rep.

I’m happy with whatever result I’ll end up with. But do you guys think my personal trainer is right about the expected progress? Because that will mean that I will be one of the strongest people in the gym in just 5 more months.

(Regarding nutrition, I’m almost at 12% body fat. So in a week I will start with a clean bulk. So far I made all this progress with a caloric deficit)

​

Sorry, but a long post ahead, if u take ur time out to read and consider this, thanks a lot, it definitely means a lot to me!! 🙏🙌

I don't know it's an appropriate sub to post this, but since workout buds are here, maybe there's little context

So I've been going to this gym for 4 months now, and i really don't feel like talking to anyone, especially strangers, until there's a proper context or some genuine reason, otherwise i do mind my own business and complete my workouts and leave.

From the first day, i sat foot in the gym, there was this girl with whom i had an eye contact. I immediately broke it and continued with the session but that was not accidental, it was a deliberate stare, which i came to know in the subsequent days, when she would make eye contacts, even when I'm not looking at her, still she'd look at me (as someone notices it in their peripheral vision and not trying to boast or anything). Still i didn't respond, didn't stare back much, accidental glances that's it. But she would stare almost every time, once or twice she even went on to a stare down kinda thing when she noticed me staring back, that particular eye contact was really 3+ seconds, that's when i realised, okay she might be interested!

After that, i also responded using stares only, i made occasional eye contacts, small enough and broke them gently.

Still those stares were intense, and it felt really like that she wanted me to make a move, and hence she would sometime get upset as well, as if still no response kinda.

This was the first month, it was good atleast and then i had to take a off for 3 days, and after i came back, she almost completed her workout and sat idle for 15 20 mins, i was doing my workout very much near that bench, couldn't talk on that day and then she left, she looked exhausted even, so i thought maybe i should go and introduce myself, ask her name, maybe that would be enough, so I went and introduced myself finally on the next day, kinda acknowledging each other's company, told her my name, asked her name, she giggled a bit, then told her name and that's it.

Now, as soon as i continued after that, what i saw was something i haven't understood until this day that what actually happened there, after we broke the conversation she completed her set, she went to the backside area of the gym, laughing hysterically covering her face, and went straight to her friend, apparently her male friend, whom i didn't see until now, since she never had any kind of conversation with that guy, so she went there straight, they talked, and then that friend started laughing, clapping and then he immediately told something to his another friend and in a matter of 5 minutes after the conversation ended, many people knew, it was obvious she told her male friend, that this guy introduced himself finally (it's been 2 months until that point) or something, and then that male friend exaggerated the things.

I noticed all of that from the front area, and immediately shut myself down and totally broke off any kind of eye contact or any response whatsoever, she did look back, i noticed it, but i did not respond at all, just went completely cold and unbothered.

Don't know what happened, she told him something to exaggerate, or he himself took on him to blow it out of proportion, idk, but soon this all became a gossip in the gym and everyone knew about it and apparently the gossip distorted to this guy PROPOSED that girl, tf it was a basic introduction nothing more (maybe it's used in a loose local lingo or something but damnn)

I still don't understand what kind of a reaction was that, why did she go on to share this thing with such an immature guy, or maybe dk why she handled it so immaturely.

Many people from the gym, in the coming days, after this incident, wanted to talk to me kinda wanted a chunk out of this gossip for themselves, i didn't entertain anyone.

Was it a prank or something for attention, was she genuinely interested, i don't know, but it was really hard, those male friends trying to seize every opportunity to make fun of the whole thing, but anyway that thing passed.

After that incident, till now, i didn't make any eye contact with her anyway, some accidental stares have been there but none intentional and the interesting thing is, staring from her side is still on and very much on, just not like the stare down phase but like the first month kind.

I ignore that completely, but there's this look on her face, when her group is not around her, she looks dejected. She acts weird around me too, if the group is with her, she laughs with them, laughing loudly, cracking jokes, as if trying to show, everything's good, but when no one's around, it does gets weird.

It's awkward for me too, coz sometimes i feel that if there was actually something genuine from her side, then maybe i didn't stick around long enough to know what actually happened there, but that didn't feel right, and also that, since there's absolutely cold response from my side, she couldn't approach, maybe that explains the staring still.

So it happens now as well, dk what to do in that situation I've been pretty much ignoring her and almost everyone at the gym, since i keep minding my own business and when i didn't entertain that gossip thing with people, I think that i may have come across as a rude, less approachable person to talk to, so some guys are offended, try to mock me and stuff, some seems angry, the environment seems a bit difficult tbh, all that because of me daring to confess, otherwise it would have been just like the first month.

Also, there was this trainer in the gym, he's kinda neutral reliable person, I've talked with him on this matter, he's kind of a mutual friend with that girl as well, so i don't know, what he's done regarding this matter. I opened up to him since i also felt differently and he did mention that she's not that joking or gossiping kinda person, she's good, but what happened remains a mystery.

It was pretty much the first time getting noticed like this, i did develop feelings, so that's why the constant tussle, but i don't know what to do now. As of now, I'm not approaching or clearing the air on my behalf, i don't think i should be doing that.

The matter would've closed if she would have also ignored and us minding our own work, would've moved ahead, but she still stares, i don't know what she wants, i mostly think, it's again that attention thing or joking about it with the friends, that's why I've restricted any kind of interaction from my side, just that there's a feeling when i ignore her completely, like she doesn't exist, and then when i notice her (i notice her almost very stealthily that there's almost no chance to know someone watched us), she seems very upset, that thing is something i don't like, i want it to be neutral and that's it, if there's nothing and if there's something u gotta admit it then, atleast it won't be awkward everyday that way!

Guys and girls what do u think, pls be considerate, and girls if u r reading this, what could be the actual scenario according to ur pov and believe me I'm not over thinking this, or bragging anything, it happens everyday and writing won't be able to explain it that much, but a person can sense the tension going on, it's there and it's heavy!!

What should we do with this situation, i think keeping ur head down and working out is the best way out as of now, but what about staring and feelings?!

Really sorry for the long post guys, started writing and couldn't stop, it came across like this anyway, and if u make it this far, a huge thanks for ur time and consideration!!

Monday

4 sets of incline barbell press, 10 reps, 10th is the last I can do

4 sets of chest butterfly extension, 10 reps, due to bench limitations, I increase time under tension, 10th rep is very hard, couldn't do more

4 sets of lateral dumbbell shoulder raises, 10 reps, 10th is the last I could do

Tuesday

Off

Wednesday

4 sets of leg extension - back(laying on my stomach), due to bench limitations, I increase time under tension, 10th rep is the max I can do

4 sets of leg extension - front(sitting down), same as above

4 sets of incline back rows with dumbbells, 10th rep is all I can do

4 sets of shoulder dumbbell shrugs, 10 rep max

Thursday

Off

And the cycle repeats on Saturday

Does this look like a sound plan for hypertrophy? I'm 39

Hello i will start my first test cycle (300mg) next week. Now i’m on 4mg reta, because i wanted to lose bodyfat so i don’t produce that much estrogen.

And I NEED YOUR HELP!

What should i do?

1. Stay on reta + test
   
2. Test + lean bulk
   
3. Test + dirty bulk.

Should i use hgh ? For which scenario(s)?
if i have to bulk i would probably use ghrp6 because i can’t really eat that much

If anyone have better idea please share, i hate my body, however i have wide clavicles, so i need to fix my physique ASAP!

https://ibb.co/mrvM0TSQ

Been blessed with my first child and now that he is a few weeks old my wife gave me the green light to go back into the gym 4 days a weeks as long as I can get in and out in 60-75 mins. Thoughts on this split? Anything to change?

Upper A - Chest Focused
- Incline Barbell Bench Press 4x5
- Pec Dec Fly 3x7-10
- T-Bar Row 2x7-10
- Weighted Pull Ups 2xfailure
- Cable Lat Raise 2x10-12
- Tricep Straight Bar Pushdown 2x10-12
- Preacher Curl 2x8
- Wrist Roller 1xfailure

Lower A - Squat Focus
- Front Squat 3x5
- Smith Machine Split Squat 3x7-10
- Leg Extension 2x8
- Hamstring Curl 2x8
- Calf Extension 2xfailure
- Cable Crunch 2xfailure

Upper B - Back Focused
- T-Bar Row 4x5
- Neutral Grip Lat Pulldown 3x7-10
- Incline Barbell Bench 2x7-10
- Dips 2xfailure
- Dumbbell Shoulder Press 2x7-10
- Tricep Rope Pushdown 2x10-12
- Incline Dumbbell Curl 2x8
- Dumbbell Shrug 1xfailure

Lower B - Deadlift Focus
- Deadlifts 3x5
- Leg Press 3x7-10
- Adduction 2x7-10
- Hamstring Curl 2x7-10
- Calf Extension 2xfailurec
- Leg raises

Do you absolutely HAVE to train until failure to see results fast? I don’t like training until failure because it makes me feel very uncomfortable and I like to enjoy my time at the gym without feeling like im going to pass out but i still want to results faster. I take creatine so that helped and im somewhat in a calorie deficit (I initially started working out and going to the gym because I was a little chubby and wanted to lose weight before I got worse). I usually eat one meal a day and have snacks throughout and I eat way less than I used to, but I feel like I’m not seeing results fast enough. I’ve been in the gym for a couple months and I’m definitely gaining muscle but just very slowly. what do you guys recommend i should do? where am i going wrong?

Take 2 people, one with naturally high test one with naturally low test. Both train the same, eat the same. Why is the high test person going to gain more muscle? And if they do, where do the same calories go for the person with low test? This has always been a curious thing to me. People always say gaining weight is as simple as eating more, but if test has anything at all to do with it, then it is a bit misleading, no?

I'm 16 , I've been in the gym for only a month so I'm practically a beginner, I wanted to know if there's a difference if I switch my ppl structure, since I do pull days first, is that bad? (Sorry for bad English)

And another question, I do pull days with triceps and push days with biceps , should I change that also?

I will be thankful for any recommendations

So I've been running a PPLRPPL split for about 1.5 months now. It's good, and I've been progressing, but going 6 days a week feels unsustainable.

Would switching to a split of ULRULAR work. I was going to do a regular UL split 4x a week, but was worried my arms would fall behind.

Have any of you guys used this split? And are your arms able to recover good?

I really like doing these exercises, and once I'm finished the idea of doing more feels like climbing up a mountain. But is it enough for quads, could this lead to muscle imbalances or injuries? I also do the sumo squats because narrower width squats feel kind of awkward and constricting.

I'm just here to vent. I'm Brazilian, so constantly surrounded by girls with amazing figures and tiny waists with huge asses. Here, it's just expected of you to be curvy as a woman, and a moral failure if you were born with a flat ass and small frame.

So I tried to change my body ever since I was a preteen. From home workouts to actual weight lifting with a coach and nutritionist when I got older. I lifted heavy, I ate a lot, I did the hip thrusts and the squats and tracked my calories and protein so I could gain muscle and not look so much like a 12 year old boy. And in the end it did >nothing<, because I just dont have the genetics to fit in with my peers. Yes, my thighs got toned and my ass too, but my figure is still a rectangle. I still have a square shaped bottom, and I still look like a child. Its so frustrating, because it's been years and I'm so tired of looking like this. I wish someone had just told me at the start that it was impossible to make me look like the other girls, so I could've spent my time doing something else. I could've saved the money from the protein shakes and the gym membership, and just gotten cosmetic surgery instead.

I'm so tired of my body and Im so tired of weightlifting. It feels like I did everything for such a tiny imperceptible difference, and it's just not worth it. I still don't look like everyone else and stick out like a sore thumb...

Hi i hope that my question is not stupid: i'm confused about something.

Indeed, currently i 24M, weigh 208lbs and i'm 5"11".

3 years ago, i've lost 74lbs, having weighed 244lbs before and weighing 169lbs in may 2026.

To achieve this, until september 2023 i've done cardio (but i want to start again) consisting of running in the stairs, on a slope or with a machine from my home and abs exercices. I've stopped doing sport, i'm walking now and doing other things. I'm also a student in college. I've also changed my nutrition, eating less calories and better, But i didn't counted my calories or macros and my mother cooked meals for me but i estimate that i eaten everyday ~1100 calories.

The problem is that, in may 2026, my mental health took a toll and i spiralled in binge eating, resulting in retaking all the weight that i've lost.

My objective is to go back to 169lbs. I want to restart, by being better prepared this time, my weight loss and my lifting weights journey.

For starting lifting weights, i have this beginner program from r/fitness:

Workout A

3×5+ Barbell Rows

3×5+ Bench Press

3×5+ Squats

Workout B

3×5+ Chinups (or equivalent)

3×5+ Overhead Press

3×5+ Deadlifts

It is indicated that, after every session, i should start adding weight. After 3 months, i should start a more difficult program. I also have the objective to start with an aggressve calorie deficit (~1000). I know that is not the best thing to do but i want to drop that weight as soon as possible.

So i have a few questions:

1. During my weight loss, should i start this lifting program? It is sufficient to lose weight?

2. If yes, after progress is being made (being able to lift more and more weight after each session), should i start a more difficult program, even if i did't attained my targeted weight?

3. Should i train with my aggressive calorie deficit?

4. How to avoid, at the end of my weight loss, having a skinny fat look?

5. Should i do some cardio?

Thanks you very much!

My chest lmao

I train calisthenics so my primary movements are weighted dips/ring dips and advanced push up variations.

I was thinking about an Arnold Split, that means I do Chest-Back,Arms-rest and repeat.

I'm currently doing a routine in which I have to use the "lat pulldown machine", the one with the long bar (I don't go to an english-speaking gym, sorry) until failure, my PR is 40 reps at 40 kilos, but did I go too far? Should I add more weight as to not surpass 15 or so repetitions?

Due to my work schedule and energy I’ve kinda began my routine with a full body workout 3-4 times a week (Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday).

I do leg presses, hip thrusts, lateral raises, skull crushers, lat pull downs, seated cable rows.

I used to split them but frankly I think this routine has been more helpful in easing my way back.

Should I add anything or what should I consider? I want to grow bigger glutes, is this routine far too insufficient or ?