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    Beginner Fitness: Daily Simple Questions Thread - March 20, 2020

    March 20, 2020

    Beginner Fitness: Daily Simple Questions Thread - March 20, 2020

    Daily Simple Questions Thread - March 20, 2020

    Posted: 20 Mar 2020 03:04 AM PDT

    Welcome to the /r/Fitness Daily Simple Questions Thread - Our daily thread to ask about all things fitness. Post your questions here related to your diet and nutrition or your training routine and exercises. Anyone can post a question and the community as a whole is invited and encouraged to provide an answer.

    As always, be sure to read the wiki first. Like, all of it.

    Also, there's a handy-dandy search bar to your right, and if you didn't know, you can also use Google to search fittit by using the limiter "site:reddit.com/r/fitness" after your search topic.

    Other good resources to search are Exrx.net for exercise-related topics and Examine.com for nutrition and supplement science.

    Be aware that the more relevant information you add, the more relevant the answers you receive will be. And if you are posting about your routine, please make sure you follow the guidelines.

    (Please note: This is not a place for general small talk or chit-chat. Also, the community decided long ago that we keep jokes, trolling, and memes outside of the Daily Q&A threads. Please use the downvote / report button when necessary.)

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    Here's a timeline of my fitness journey.

    Posted: 19 Mar 2020 06:30 AM PDT

    TL; DR: I wasn't happy about my state and was uncertain about how to begin. I was all over the place and didn't know what I was doing, the best thing I did was to get out of my head, over myself, and start. As a result, I ended up acquiring so much more than I could ever imagine.

    Progress Pics:

    2017 - 2019

    End 2017

    Mid 2018

    End 2018

    Mid 2019

    Sept 2019

    End 2019

    October 2017:

    Age: 29 Height: 5'7" Weight: 185lbs

    I started going to the gym

    2-3x a week

    Cardio: 5-10 mins at a comfortable pace, just enough to break a sweat.

    20-25 mins on various machines.

    Stopped completely after the 2nd week.

    December 2017:

    I saw a video, US Navy Admiral, William McRaven gave a speech about starting your day off by making your bed. I can't remember which friend shared it but thank you. I was once in the military so this hit me real hard. Where's the officer in me now? What the hell happened? I had an honest conversation with myself and I was disgusted that I gave up so easily. I went to the gym every day for a month until January.

    Workout:

    I worked on muscles that weren't sore from previous workouts, utilizing basic machines. I mostly worked on the chest, back, biceps, triceps, shoulders.

    During this month, there were days where I was sick, weak, and not feeling it at all, I still went anyway. On separate occasions I've spent only 5-10 mins on random machines, a few push-ups/pull-ups, I've spent < 10 seconds at the gym only to weigh myself and then leave.

    Lifestyle/Diet:

    My caloric intake was terrible because I was consuming anywhere between 3500-4500 calories a day with minimal movement. I knew I had to start with my eating habits, I didn't want a diet, I wanted a lifestyle. Dieting didn't make any sense to me because I didn't want any dietary restrictions, I wanted a lifestyle that works for me, one where I get to eat and cook anything oily and flavorful without worrying if it would hinder my progress. I began ordering half of what I usually do when I ate out. I ate half of my usual portions.

    E.g. 4 bowls of rice + various entrees per meal => 2 bowls of rice + leftovers for my next meal.

    I love food a lot, I enjoy eating out and trying new restaurants. Ordering enough to feed 4+ people and finishing all of it in a sitting is my usual. I also enjoy cooking, my fridge, pantry, and cabinets are always full of food. I only throw out food that I don't eat or can't fix in the kitchen.

    April 2018:

    Workout:

    3-5x a week for 1hr 30 mins.

    Stopped cardio.

    90% upper body exercises with machines. I included different exercises I found on bodybuilding.com and modified some of them to my preference, mostly for experimenting.

    Lifestyle/Diet:

    Started intermittent fasting, My window was 2 pm – 12 am. I ate out a lot for dinner, this included fast food runs especially when there was a deal. I loved the $1 Menus from Wendys, McDonalds, Taco Bell, Burger King, spicy dark meat only family meals from Popeyes. I would combine a bunch of patties and avoid some of the bread, when I ate 7 pieces of fried chicken, I would eat only 3-4 pieces of fried skin. I also developed a love for white sauced based pizzas, especially with unlimited toppings.

    3000 - 3500 calories/day

    Protein: ~0.7 g/lb of bodyweight. 1 shake (2 scoops, 48g) a day

    By this time my body fat dropped to ~20-25% from 30-35%

    September 2018:

    Workout:

    • 3-5x a week for 1 hr.
    • Incorporated dumbbells and free weights, 75% machine/25% free weights.

    Lifestyle/Diet:

    • Changed my IF window, 2 pm – 10 pm.

    January 2019:

    Workout:

    • 4-5x a week, 45 mins – 1 hr.
    • Incorporated drop sets every few days.
    • Less rest between sets.
    • Increased workout frequency and reduced duration
    • Discovered more exercises, realized the angle of an exercise is important too, incorporated variations.

    Lifestyle/Diet:

    • 3300 - 3500 calories/day
    • Stopped IF.
    • I developed a better sense of nutrition values in the food I ate.
    • Hit my daily protein intake more often.
    • Ate more fat and protein, less carbs.
    • Protein: ~0.8g/lb of bodyweight

    June 2019:

    Workout:

    • 2-3x a week, 60 – 90 mins.
    • Stopped hating workouts. It was now tolerable.
    • Started listening to music, it helped me focus a lot more on the exercise and "feeling" the workout.
    • Replaced longer rests between my sets to stretching, switching muscle groups with calisthenics(dips, various goal progression exercises) and much lighter exercises to fix form, target the intended muscles.
    • Began to set goals (one arm pull-up, planchet, front-lever, handstand).
    • 75% gym (50% Machines, 50% free weights).
    • 25% calisthenics.
    • Learned and included more exercises from Google and various resources.
    • If my goal was 10 reps, I tried to do 13. I've never hit 13.
    • Started focusing on concentric and eccentric movements
    • Picked up different ways to overload exercises progressively (Added weights to calisthenics).

    Lifestyle/Diet:

    • 3000 - 3500 calories/day
    • Ate at least 2 packs of instant ramen a day, 3+ if I felt I needed more calories. I added ingredients like Costco chicken tenderloins, beef cubes, sausage, shrimp, clams and cheese.
    • Protein: ~0.8g/lb of bodyweight
    • BF% is at ~10%

    November 2019

    Workout:

    • Shifted my workouts from 8 – 9 pm to 7 – 8 pm.
    • 4-5x a week, 30 – 45 mins.75% gym (60% free weights, 40% machines).
    • 25% calisthenics.
    • Started isolating various muscle groups.
    • Improved my form tremendously by taking time to feel the exercise and its full range of motion.
    • Better understanding of concentric and eccentric movements.
    • Combined exercises (Pull-ups => L-sit Pull-ups to engage my core).
    • Engage more muscle groups for any exercise (Engage my core while doing bicep curls).
    • Stopped paying attention to weight numbers, counting reps/sets.
    • More focus on performing the exercise with the right form (If I wasn't happy with a set, I'd lower the weight so I can perform additional reps with the correct form)

    Lifestyle/Diet:

    • 3000 - 3500 calories/day
    • Reduced the number of instant noodles I ate to only 1 – 1.5 a day as I developed hives.
    • Reduced the number of microwaveables I ate (Hot pockets, pizza, pizza rolls, nuggets, and many more).
    • Made it a point to eat more vegetables.

    January 2020

    Workout:

    • Shifted my workouts from 7 – 8 pm to 6 – 7 pm.
    • Working out is now a way for me to destress, still don't love it, but I can lean into it when stressed, and it's been part of my weekly routine. I've come too far to regress, hopefully I'll love it one day!
    • 4-5x/week, 30-60 mins

    Lifestyle/Diet:

    • 3000 - 3500 calories/day
    • Protein: ~0.8g / lb of bodyweight. 2 shakes (1.5 – 2scoops, 36 – 48g) a day
    • Started eating daily multi-vitamins.

    BF% ~ 7 – 10%?

    March 2020 – Current

    Age: 31 Height: 5'7" Weight: 146 lbs

    Workout:

    After 2 years of working out, I no longer have to think of what I should do when I go in, I know what to do based on what I did in my previous workouts, my performance in previous workouts, and listening to my body.

    • I try different/new things at the gym to make working out interesting.
    • I'm more efficient when I'm resting, I try to do something (dips, pull-ups, low weight variations of an exercise) while resting between sets.
    • Shifted my workouts from 6 – 7 pm to 7 – 8 am.
    • 4-5x/week, 30-60 mins
    • Still no cardio
    • My workouts are still 90% upper body intentionally, I do legs sometimes while resting between sets.

    70% gym (60% free weights, 40% machines)

    • Bench press 1x/week
    • Deadlifts 1x/week – 2 weeks

    30% calisthenics

    • Handstand (wall walk, body, handstand shrugs, pikes)
    • One arm pull-up (weighted pull-ups, archer pull-ups, one arm shoulder shrugs, scapula shrugs, resistance band assisted one-arm pull-ups)
    • Planche (Tucked planche, assisted straddle planche)
    • I rotate my exercises and angles, try new exercises and see if I like them. I do research to see if an exercise places unnecessary stress on my rotator cuff, head, neck, etc.

    Equipment:

    • Resistance bands.
    • Lifting straps for overloading deadlifts.
    • Dip belts to add weight to calisthenics.

    Lifestyle/Diet:

    • 3300 - 3800 calories/day.
    • Increased calories consumed per day.
    • Protein: ~0.9g/lb of bodyweight. 2 shakes (2 scoops, 48g) a day.
    • I don't usually do desserts except for specific chocolates and chocolate ice cream on special occasions ~1 - 2x a month.
    • I snack at least 3x a week at night, I eat popcorn, cheetos, doritos, and more. I limit myself to 300-500 calories a day. I break this rule oftentimes, and I'll readjust my calories accordingly by eating 0.5 bowls less of rice the next day, 6 fewer pizza rolls or 1 slice less of pizza depending on what I eat. I can't tell you the exact calories, but estimating calories is a skill I've acquired during my journey.
    • Things I eat/cook :
      • My main proteins are beef, chicken, eggs, pork, lamb, fish, shrimp, squid, clams. I have most of these in my fridge/freezer at the same time and use some or all of them in my cooking. All Costco.
      • I don't always cook from scratch to save time, but it's still tasty as hell for sure.
      • Fast food 1-2 times a week with coke zero, fries once in a while.
      • Eat out several times a week. Any cuisine.
      • White sauce pastas.
      • Steak, ribeye.
      • Stir-fried proteins.
      • Curries, soups and stews, a lot of protein, vegetables, and easy to cook.
      • Noodles: fried, stir-fried with sauce, soup, noodles in different ways.
      • Rice: Fried rice, clay pot rice, rice 3000 ways.
      • Baked rice is a fun one, I'll fry a Chinese, Thai, Indian or some SEA style of fried rice, put it on a pyrex tray, sprinkle tons of cheese over it and then bake it.
      • Microwaveables, instant ramen, canned food, dumplings.
      • Baked/Air-fry/Convection oven foods: Roast chicken, baked chicken, beef, fish, etc.
    • Equipment:
      • Electric range, 5 heating elements.
      • Rice cooker
      • Sous vide
      • Instantpot
      • Convection oven
      • Griddle/Teppanyaki grill
      • Hotpot
      • Air fryer
      • Flame torch

    BF% ~9 - 11%.

    Goals:

    • Workout < 6 am
    • Perfect my form for all exercises.
    • Increase time spent on calisthenics from 30 – 40%.
    • Allocate more time for free weights, rely less on machines.
    • Find some way to incorporate squats.
    • Hold a vertical handstand for > 40 seconds consistently.
    • Straight front lever (currently at 70%).
    • Straddle planche (70%).
    • One arm pull-up (~50%).
    • Variations of getting to a vertical handstand, Pike, L-sit, V-sit, etc.

    Principles I live by:

    • Calorie in, calorie out.
      • What goes in my body has to come out someway, somehow.
      • If I'm trying to lose weight but I'm not, I'm either eating too much, working out too little, or both.
    • Moderation is key.
      • I started exercising because I needed moderation.
      • There was no way I could've made any progress if I didn't fix my eating habits.
    • Hit my daily protein intake as much as I can.
      • I grew the most when I ate the most.
      • It's really tough, shakes make up almost 50% of my daily protein intake.
    • Try my very best not to stuff my face with too many carbs.
      • Carbs are devilishly tempting and dangerous, I check myself before I wreck myself.
      • I want to work out as little as possible and not regress.
    • Use my ego as a strength, not a weakness.
      • I spent less time caring about why I could only do 7 reps today when I did 8 my last workout.
      • Focus on form, less on numbers.
      • I've wasted way too much time wondering and getting upset about why I can't progress another 2.5lbs. I would've burned more calories laughing at a video of my bad form, than exercising with it.
    • Focus, purpose, form, and control.
      • I'm focusing on what I do at the gym, how I rest, and how I'm exercising unless I'm trying to learn from someone else through conversation or observation.
      • My purpose in going to the gym is to get good exercise and to push boundaries.
      • I developed my strength, knowledge, and awareness when I improved my mind to muscle connection to have better control of my body, this lead to an increase in strength.
      • I've seen myself with bad form and it's pretty repulsive.
      • I wasted a lot of time (months) on an exercise with no improvement because I wasn't doing it correctly.
      • Slowing down, taking my time to move the weight through the exercise properly gives my brain time to focus, visualize and engage the muscles correctly.
      • Slamming weights isn't completing the full exercise to me, my goal is to let is rest as gently as possible. There is no reason for me to slam it unless I'll hurt myself if I don't, it's nice to follow through the entire motion and be in control at all times.
    • The day I don't feel like exercising, is the day I must exercise.
      • These days come frequently. I'll haul my ass to the gym, and spend at least 10-15 mins on light exercise, work on less fatigued muscles, stretch, figure out what's wrong with my form, or why I'm not hitting my goals at the gym.
      • I listen to my body, if I feel like I'm going to injure myself, I skip out altogether.

    My Inspirations:

    Gym stuff:

    • Anyone that I've spoken to about fitness, most of what I do and know today is based on our conversations.
    • The usuals I see at my gym. I learned so much from our conversations, exchanging tips, and your guidance.
    • Others at the gym. We've never communicated before, but I've seen your focus, form, and types of workouts. I've tried most of them, incorporated and modified some.
    • ATHLEAN-X: When Jeff says ANYTHING, I damn well listen. I go to him to learn about isolating muscle groups, form, understanding why certain exercises are good or bad, how to exercise, what to exercise, what not to do. If I have a question about a muscle group or exercise, I look to him first. Also, Jesse and face pulls.

    Calisthenics:

    • OFFICIALTHENX: Chris inspired me to get back into calisthenics, Osvaldo inspired me to take it seriously, I love the way Stefan explains, Zay, Paz, and John are beasts. Very cool dudes doing very cool things.
    • Artem Morozov: Artem is ridiculously strong, incredible and inspiring guy.

    I also follow SaturnoMovement, Tom Merrick, Calisthenicmovement and others. There are tons of great resources out there.

    I hope this is helpful, thanks for reading!

    submitted by /u/polaroydx
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    What if I never barbell back squatted ever again?

    Posted: 19 Mar 2020 06:40 PM PDT

    I'm only referring to barbell back squats. Let's say I never did them again but still incorporated front squats, KB squats, banded squats, etc. Has anyone stopped barbell back squatting? Are they absolutely necessary for my fitness routine?

    submitted by /u/iTouchedTheRat
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    Physique Phriday

    Posted: 20 Mar 2020 03:04 AM PDT

    Welcome to the Physique Phriday thread

    What's the point of having people guess your body fat? Nevermind that it's the most inaccurate method available, (read: most likely way wrong - see here) you're still just putting an arbitrary number to the body you have. Despite people's claim that they are shooting for a number, they're really shooting for look - like a six pack.

    So let's stopping mucking around with trivialities and get to the heart of the matter. This thread shall serve two purposes:

    1. Physique critiques. Post some pics and ask about muscles or body parts you need to work on. Or specifically ask about a lagging body part and what exercises worked for others.
    2. An outlet for people that want to show off their efforts that would otherwise be removed due to Rule 4, and

    Let's keep things civil, don't be a creep, and adhere to Rule 1. This isn't a thread to announce what you find attractive in a mate. Please use the report function for any comments that are out of line.

    So phittit, what's your physique pheel like this phriday?

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    Overhead DB tricep extensions

    Posted: 20 Mar 2020 03:51 AM PDT

    I have been working out for around 5 years now, avid lifter. All gyms closed around me (Ohio) so I have some stuff in my basement I was working out with. I was hitting triceps, and I decided to do 35 DB overhead extension, and my back seriously for the past 2 days (lower) has been ACHING, like its back pain that just doesn't go away. I'm thinking that my back was too like hyper extended out while I was doing them, basically I was arching my back too much, I rarely hit DB overhead press because in the gym I have plenty of other things I do for triceps but with being forced to lift in my basement I pulled those out. Anyone ever had this type of lower back pain from that exercise? Has to be a form thing I assume.

    submitted by /u/kingqp
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    Not growing

    Posted: 20 Mar 2020 03:27 AM PDT

    I've currently been training for 3 weeks now and two days into my fourth week. I really see no difference with my physique at all and I'm starting to feel demotivated.

    Is it normal to not see any results this early on or am I doing something wrong here?

    submitted by /u/kingship101
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    People with infections are told to avoid intense exercise. What are some examples of light or moderate exercises I can do from home?

    Posted: 20 Mar 2020 12:00 AM PDT

    I couldn't find a list of light exercises anywhere - in fact it's pretty hard to guess which exercises are light, moderate, or intense. Are pushups intense? Are squats intense?

    submitted by /u/benisbrother
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    What are some weighted explosive exercises?

    Posted: 19 Mar 2020 11:16 PM PDT

    I am a runner, who typically runs 5-6 times a week, year round (I live in a tropical country) covering a cumulative distance of 35-45 KM a week. Though, running was monotonous at times, I thoroughly enjoyed the fresh morning breeze, the tranquility, the calmness and the rhythmic sound of my heart beating, my foot stomping the pavement (I used to run at 0500Hrs) and inhaling and exhaling of air, all in sync. After, a certain threshold, you feel your core and your cheeks getting warm and hot, the heat dissipitating from your cheeks and core, It was a beautiful feeling.

    Then came, a point in time, where I started plateauing in my running, so I started researching extensively in internet. I realized the benefits accrued from weightlifting obscures that from simply running, it dawned on me I had to transition from the latter to former.

    I joined a gym and started a weightlifting program, the trainer in the gym, would suggest to follow a 3 day, body split, certain body isolation exercises on isolation machines, but would advise us (noobs), not to go near the free weights. As I mentioned, I'm from a tropical country( India), with strict seniority and hierarchy. Breaking the hierarchy/ not obeying your elders is frowned upon and brings disrepute to your family name, parents and yourself.

    This resulted, in me getting wound up in this vicious cycle of starting gymming, stopping gymming after a fortnight to a month, as I'm not getting the 'pleasure' from the workout, that I was so accustomed to while I was running and everything was very queasy and constrained in the gym.

    The turning point in life was, when for an internship, I moved to a big city post my coursework and enrolled for a gym there. I made acquaintance with a person there, he taught me the necessary cues, the proper form and introduced me to various fitness youtube channels (jeff, buff dudes et cetera). However, though the exercise was hitting my muscles, making me sore, I wasn't enjoying them, it did not get me pumped me up, it did not get me sweating, it did not elevate my heart rate. I was in my comfort zone as far as compared to my lifting.

    That is when, through a cousin of mine, who is a great proponent of crossfit, I learnt about HIIT. I knew about HIIt earlier, but dismissed it, as another fad. Being a student, I had budget constraints and didn't join a crossfit gym. However, in my regular weightlifting routine, I started to incorporate elements of HIIT. For example, after a set of my regular exercise, I'd do something cardiovascular during my rest period ( jump rope, high knees, mountain climbers, on the spot jogging et cetera). It ensured my heart rate never fell and it got me pumped up for the subsequent exercises and sets.

    I'd feel that familiar feeling of warm blood rushing to my core and cheeks, heat dissipitating from my body and getting my dose of feel good hormones. Now, as you must have figured out, I always prefer getting both my heart and my muscles pumped up. Explosive exercises are great for the above, they strain both the heart and the muscle, stuff like hill sprints, plyometric box jumps, jump ropes, box step ups et cetera.

    Could you suggest weighted exercises that employ explosive power. For example, clean, clean and press and snatch are all very explosive as well as weighted exercises. So any suggestion of exercises that are explosive as well as weighted ?

    submitted by /u/neelakurinji
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    Is a barbell and power rack enough to build an aesthetic body?

    Posted: 19 Mar 2020 06:39 PM PDT

    I am considering setting up my own home gym. Right now I can only afford a power rack (with dip/pull up attachment), a belt for weighted pull-ups/dips, a bench, barbell and 350 pounds in plates. I was going to structure my workout around these lifts:

    Bench press, Over head press, Deadlift , Squat , Row, Weighted pull-ups/dips, Barbell curls, Barbell shrugs

    Is this enough to build a good body? Do I need to include more isolation lifts? Will certain muscles lag behind causing imbalances? I care more about aesthetics than strength training. Am I better off sticking to a gym that has machines and dumbbells?

    submitted by /u/BUBBLEGUMWUP
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    How do I get into/start learning how to box from home?

    Posted: 19 Mar 2020 09:41 PM PDT

    title says it all, very curious if there is any sort of workout programs? or drills?

    I would be okay purchasing any equipment to do it

    submitted by /u/denzel56k
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    How would I target my back and chest?

    Posted: 19 Mar 2020 09:30 PM PDT

    My wrist is recuperating right now, what other workouts should I do to target my back's and chest?

    I usually do bench, seated military presses, and pull ups to target them.

    submitted by /u/DanielPlayz
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    Using only a Hoist V3 for Strength Training During a Cut?

    Posted: 19 Mar 2020 09:07 PM PDT

    I have been strength training at the gym using free weights, but if my gym closes I have this machine at home. Could this alone be enough to let me continue to cut and not lose too much muscle, or should I switch to maintenance mode if my gym does close?

    submitted by /u/fittttt
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    What are your thoughts on resistance band workouts in place of free weights/bodyweight

    Posted: 19 Mar 2020 02:21 PM PDT

    I see a lot of companies who utilize using resistance bands for at-home workouts. Do you have any experience in this area or have a version of it you use? I'm looking at the Gorilla Bow (https://www.gorillabow.com/products/gorilla-bow) but want to know if this type of workout is effective and worth it.

    submitted by /u/DumplingBoiii
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